A Jewish Prayer-Book [pp. 495-506]

A _yewish Prayer Book.
the spirit." The language seems to look decidedly in the
direction of rationalism. And yet it cannot be said that rationalism is anywhere taught unequivocally in the book.
Original sin is explicitly denied. Nothing is affirmed in regard to the fall of man. But it is frequently declared that the
moral nature with which we enter the world is holy. The
proselyte, at his reception in the synagogue, is required to profess before God that "man, like all other beings, has come pure
and good from thy hand, being born free from the stain of sin,
and is naturally capable to conquer sin completely."
There is no vicarious sacrifice for sin, according to this book.
The sacrifices of the ancient ritual were more or less typical.
The Messiah suffers, but his sufferings are in no sense a satisfaction to the law and justice of God. They are the consequence merely of the relation of the Jewish people to the
other nations. And no satisfaction for guilt is required in
order to reconciliation'with God. Repentance and holy living
are sufficient. In the afternoon service for the Day of Atonement, the reader says: "The sacrifices and the altar thou
hast taken from us, but not their essence, not the atonement,
not the power of sanctifying our heart-blood for thy holy
service-which he who is conscious of guilt can execute but in
his spirit, and everywhere, as ever; not thy forgiving love
which is always ready to receive him who repents and desires
to return to the paternal lap, and for which there is no limit of
time or space." The proselyte, in his profession, says, before
God: "The intimate communion between thee, 0 most holy,
and man, is brought about by no other mediation than that of
the imperishable spirit dwelling in us, and is chiefly promoted by
strict obedience to the revealed word, and even the sinner can
find atonement and redemption if he returns to thee in sincere
repentance."
The following question in the formula for the reception of
proselytes, although general in the wording, seems to be
aimed especially at the Christian faith as to the incarnation of
God in Christ Jesus: "Do you believe that he, the inscrutable
spirit of all spirits, can never assume the form of any being
that is in heaven or on earth?"
Prayers for the dead are provided. After the interment the
Reader says at the grave:" May the Lord place under his
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