No. XLI.
RABBINIC IDEAS OF THE DEITY.
It is an indisputable fact, that the modern Jews have entirely
cast off the laws of Moses respecting the priests of the family
of Levi, and have chosen and appointed to themselves other
teachers, of whom Moses says nothing. What the cause was
of such extraordinary conduct in those who profess a great zeal
for the law of Moses, we do not now profess to inquire; but
we think that every Jew ought to have a very good reason for
thus wilfully, systematically, and continually transgressing the
commandments of God. He ought, at the very least, to be able
to show that the doctrines of these new teachers are far superior
to those of the religious teachers appointed by Moses; and that
the superabundant excellence and wisdom of rabbinic teaching
does, at least, justify the change which they have made in the
Mosaic law. We have had occasion in these papers to consider
the nature of the new doctrine chosen instead of the law of
Moses, and to us it certainly appears that "The Old Paths"
were better. To-day we propose to illustrate the rabbinic
notions of the Deity, and do not intend by any means to select
the most objectionable representations contained in the rabbinical
writings, but shall confine ourselves to a few well-known
passages, which are intended to explain to us the mode in which
God spends his time. Concerning the day, the rabbies say that
it is spent in the following manner:—
(
Hebrew characters)
"The day has twelve hours. The first three, the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and occupies himself in the law. The second, he sits and judges the whole world. When he perceives that the world deserves utter destruction, He stands up from the throne of judgment, and sits on the throne of mercy. The third, he sits, and feeds all the world, from the horns of the unicorns to the eggs of the vermin. In the fourth, he sits and plays with Leviathan, for it is said (Psalm civ. 26) 'The Leviathan whom thou hast formed to play therewith.'" (Avodah Zarah, fol. iii., col. 2.) In another place we have an account of the manner in which the night is spent:—
