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of their manifold sins, he endeavoured, by interceding for them, to avert the punishment, either entirely or at least partly.

-Behold I have under » הנה נא הואלתי לדבר אל ה' ואנכי עפר ואפר •

taken to make representations to the Eternal, though I am but dust and ashes." (Gen. 18 ch. 23—33 v.)

207. Are we also to pray for our enemies?

Certainly, it is our duty even to say every day, when we rise, and before we lay down, and before we commence our prayers :

I am ready and * הריני מוכן ומזומן לקים מצות ואהבת לרעך כמוך שרא ליה מרא למען דמצער לי •

willing to observe the precepts, of loving my neighbour; I pardon all those who

יי! have caused me grief; pardon thou them too, O Lord

And David spoke (Psalm 35):

When they ( my » ואני בחלותם לבושי שק עניתי בצום נפשי ותפלתי

,enemies) are sick על חקי תשוב כרע כאח לי

I clothe myself in sackcloth, and weaken myself with fasting, and I let my prayer sink in my bosom, as though they were friends or brothers."

208. What did Solomon ask of our Lord God?

-Give, O Lord ! an at * ונתת לעבדך לב שמע - להבחין בין טוב לרע חכמה ומדעתן לי •

tentive heart to thy

servant! give me wisdom and knowledge, to distinguish between good and evil." (1 Kings, 3 ch. 9 v. and 2 Chron. 1 ch. 10 v.)

,Two things I ask of thee » שתים שאלתי מאתך אל תמנע ממני בטרם

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riches, but supply me moderately with what I may daily want."

(Prov. 30 ch. 7 v.)

209. What moral are we to draw from this most beautiful and zwise prayer ?

?

we

That the gifts of the mind should be the chief object of our desire, and that we should consider them as the greatest riches we can possess. We ought, therefore, to be satisfied, if we possess the indispensable only of the goods of this world, and it is improper to burden our heart with useless cares. In the same spirit did Jacob pray (Gen. 28 ch. 20 v.):

And if he preserve me on * ושמרני בדרך הזה אשר אנכי הולך ונתן לי לחם לאכל ובגד ללבש •

the way, which I am now going, and give me bread to eat, and clothes to cover myself.”

210. How did David pray to God?

O Eternal, thou hast searched and » ה' חקרתני ותדע

knowest me ;

Do I sit, do I rise, it is known to thee :
Already afar thou probest my thoughts,
My walk and my couch thou hast
measured for me,

And prepared all my ways.

Before yet a word was upon my tongue,

אתה ידעת שבתי וקומי בנתה לרעי מרחוק

ארחי ורבעי זרית

וכל דרכי הסכנתה

כי אין מלה בלשוני

: Thou, O Lord ! didst know all הן ה' ידעת כלה
אנה אלך מרוחך
ואנה מפניך אברח •
אם אסק שמים שם אתה
ואציעה שאול הנך •

Whither shall I go from thy spirit?
And whither shall I flee from thy face?
If I ascend to heaven, thou art there ;
And if I should lie down in the abyss,
I should find thee !

Should I fly on the wings of the morn-
ing-dawn,

To dwell at the farthest end of the sea:
Even there thy hand would lead me,
And thy right hand would seize me.

אשא כנפי שחר

אשכנה באחרית ים גם שם ידך תנחני ותאחזני ימינך

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,Create, O God, in me a pure heart » לב טהור ברא לי אלהים

And give me a new noble mind.

Thrust me not from before thee,

And take not from me thy holy spirit!

And let thy magnanimous spirit sup

port me." (Psalm 51.)

ורוח נכון חדש בקרבי אל תשליכני מלפניך

ורוח קדשך אל תקח ממני

,Return to me the joy of thy salvation השיבה לי ששון ישעך

ורוח נדיבה תסמכני •

For thou art great and performest * כי גדול אתה ועשה נפלאות

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APPENDIX.

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE CEREMONIAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS.

1.

The six hundred and thirteen precepts (365 negative and 248 affirmative) which are, according to the opinion of our principal doctors,* contained in the five books of Moses, may be conveniently and appropriately divided in three classes.-Namely:

a. Moral laws, i. e. precepts relating to morality and a proper conduct towards God and men.

b. Local and police laws, which refer to the then circumstances of that land, in which the Israelites lived, when they formed a separate state, and lived under the operation of their own laws. To this class belong all laws relative to punishments, as they are recorded in the Pentateuch. And

c. Ceremonial laws, or rules and ordinances relative to the outward worship of God; their object is always to keep alive within

דרש ר' שמלאי תרי"ג מצות נאמרו לו למשה * בסיני שס"ה לאוין כמנין ימות החמה רמ"ח

עשה כמנין איבריו של אדם

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"R. Simlai once com

menced his discourse in the following manner;

365 are the days of the solar year; this also is the number of the negative precepts given to Moses on Sinai: 248 members are in the human body; and just as many affirmative precepts were given to Moses. For the purpose, that each day and every limb may remind thee of one of the divine laws!" (Tal. Tract. Maccoth, fol. 23.)

us the belief in the eternal and only God, and the remembrance of his kindness towards us.

2.

Since the dissolution of the Jewish commonwealth, however, all the laws of the second kind, as also the greater part of the third class, are impracticable. For instance, the laws of sacrifices, the temple, priests and purification, the whole of which, with but few exceptions, are now not binding: as they are intimately connected with the existence of the temple in Jerusalem; and whereas this is destroyed, the laws connected with it have become impracticable. The whole number, therefore, of precepts yet practicable, is reduced to 369.

3.

Among these are 99—namely, 78 positive and 21 negative—precepts, which are only accidental or conditional, i. e. the exercise of which depends on certain cases, contingencies, and circumstances, which may never occur with certain persons. For example, if a man hires no labourers, he does not come under the affirmative precept (Deut. 24 ch. 14.): "Thou shalt pay to the poor labourer—be he of thy brothers or a stranger-his wages on the same day! and thou must not suffer the sun to set, before thou dost so!" nor the negative (Lev. 19 ch. 13 v.): "Thou shalt not keep back the wages of the labourer with thee till the morning!" and similar others. There are accordingly only 270 absolute and positive precepts; or 48 affirmative and 222 negatives,*

4.

The females are exempt from many ceremonial laws; namely, from the observance of the greater part of those affirmative precepts, which are not exercised at all times of the day and the year,

* From the preface of the justly highly valued and useful

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