God, not so much that He would give us what is good as that we may only receive and use it as good. FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS. CHARITY It is incumbent on every Jewish house to practise charity, and to help the needy according to its power. For he who with compassion offers aid to the poor gives also a gift to God. But charity shall be done, wherever possible, in secret; and he that does it soothes the wrath of God, excited by human sins. Our Rabbis taught: Every collection or free-will offering for the poor shall be done by two men; the distribution thereof, however, by three; for this latter is like the decision of a court of law. Injustice must not be done to a poor man; the unworthy must receive nothing, and the worthy must be denied nothing. The merit of the man who incites to charity is greater than that of the man who simply gives out of his overflow. The smallest gifts given in this world are united in the other world into a large sum, as the small scales are united into a strong armor. He whose joy it is to exercise charity, on him does God bestow worthy recipients of it; and to him that devotes himself to benevolence does God bestow the means thereto. He that repulses the poor that approach him resembles an idolator who denies God who commanded him to have pity on the poor. By benevolence man rises to a height where he meets God; it is wise, therefore, to do a good work before prayer is begun. Even the poor man, that lives on alms, shall dis tribute a portion of that which he receives among the poor. RABBI ACHAI, VIII Century. HATRED THE DESTROYER It is forbidden to an Israelite to bear hatred towards his neighbor. Because of the hatred of his brethren for Joseph, our forefathers were exiled in Egypt, where finally they became enslaved. And so our Rabbis taught: It is written: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother"; meaning also thou shalt not injure him, thou shalt not revile him, thou shalt not ill-use him. All these things the Law demands. Nay, more. It is added, "in thy heart"; whence follows that we may not carry hatred concealed within our bosom, even when it results in no external act. In respect to punishment, the sin of hatred stands on the same level with the three chief sins, idolatry, immorality, and the shedding of blood. Because of these sins the first Temple was destroyed. But why was the second Temple destroyed? We know quite certainly that at that time the Holy Law was observed and works of piety were done. But a boundless hatred raged between the various parties, even against those that were quite spotless both in morality and in the Law. Only those that openly break the laws may one hate; that is to say, one may endeavor to procure their punishment according to the Law, nothing further. But let the accuser always remember the earnest warning of our teachers: Three men are hateful unto the Lord: 1. He that speaks other than he thinks; 2. He that is able to bear witness in favor of another, and fails to do so; 3. He that appears as a single witness and accuser of a fellow-man (since the law has laid down the rule that only two witnesses may do so). RABBI ACHAI, VIII Century. THE ANIMAL SOUL The Talmud tells the following: A calf that was about to be slaughtered fled to Rabbi Yehudah, the Prince, and hid its head in his garment. But he repulsed it, crying: "Go hence! for this hast thou been created!" For many years thereafter heavy troubles afflicted the Prince. It happened one day that he saw the serving maid about to destroy the young of a cat. "Do it not," he cried, "for it is said: God's mercy is extended over all His creatures." And from this time on his burdens grew lighter, and finally ceased. Noxious animals may be killed, but must not suffer unnecessary pain. The same holds good of beasts required for nourishment, or for the healing of the sick. We are not bidden to save the calf that ministers to our sustenance. The evils that came upon the Rabbi were not punishments, but trials, such as God sends to the greatest and the best, so that others may take example from their conduct. For God demands accounting more strictly of those that are favored mentally than He does of ordinary persons; a hair's breadth straying from the straight path is heavy sin in them. Rabbi Yehudah, the Prince, should not have used the words: "For this hast thou been created"; and he should have permitted the animal to find refuge, for a time at least, with him. For the contrary behavior in this great man and teacher has surely hardened the heart of many a one towards animals; nor was he justified in saying that the calf had only been created to be killed. And I would believe that every living being, even that which may be slaughtered, will be recompensed by the Creator for the agonies that it has endured. For it is opposed to justice to believe, what the words of the great Rabbi implied, that wrong should be done to any being, be it man or animal. RABBI ACHAI, VIII Century. FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE By Saadia Gaon (892-942) ON THE EXISTENCE OF A CREATOR After I had become fully convinced that all things were created and had a beginning, I began to inquire whether all these things had come about through themselves or whether they had been created by Something outside of themselves. And for three reasons which I shall mention immediately, I renounced the opinion that things had come about through themselves. The first proof is: Every body which we take from the mass of being and consider as having come about through itself necessarily brings forth the conviction that, by repeating its creative activity in a manner similar to that of its becoming, it must grow more powerful and stronger. If such a body created itself and if after creation it is still incomplete and weak, it need but repeat its creative activity to be complete and stronger; but if it cannot repeat this creative activity, even though it be complete and strong, it is nevertheless highly incomplete, since it no longer has any creative power. A second proof is the following. If we picture to ourselves that a thing has created itself, then this contradicts the division of time into past and future. For if we assume that it had created itself before its |