Show SERMON delivered at the dedication of the temple banat israel srael 1 salt lake VY chy utah july 12 1891 by AY rabbi J L stern stem the perpetual light the symbol of gods law and mans liberty line has been kindled the scrolls of the sacred teachings ings have been deposited in the ark the builders have delivered the keys of the shrine the wor workers kerti stand eland aside the temple is completed and a congregation that might inspire any preacher eagerly awaits the minister to put his hie thoughts into words from your beaming countenances from the joyful sparkle of your eyes doi read my text a thought of your own thoughts how goodly are thy tenths 0 jacob thy tabernacles 0 israeli how beautiful is this temple thus do you think how creditable to the small band ot of 1 noble men and self sacrificing bomea that have reared it and 0 how it adds to 9 the glory of god on hibb high p to the glory of god Inde edT eft would you have these walls walla compared to yonder mighty mountain alanta giante whose bases stretch over many milea il whose snow capped peaks reach into the clouds are these arches to rival the azure firmament stretching from horizon to horizon these columns would yuu you have them stand beside the cedars of lebanon and the mighty oaks of the plains hark to the sound of if natures nature mighty organ listen to thil tab symphony of the storm played upon the thousand stringed harp of th tho forest hear the roar of the breake breaking waves of the sea list to the warble er the lark and the fluting of the nightingale and let this man made organ keep silent these flickering lights do you indeed think that they could add us ter to the glorious orb of day or beaufi to the sparkling stars of the night beamut f a heap of stone a handful of mortar able to add glory to the glory of gowa nay nay they can not do it nor vm vl they needed for that purpose TIM heavens declare the glory of god an and 64 the firmament his handi it work nor can this house merely as ag ft house redound to the credit of men man was there not a greater temple a ami even it was counted for naught for forthia said the prophet hear the word of the lord all ye 0 od judah that enter in at these gates to worship the lord thus saith the lord of hosts the god of israel amend houi ways wave and your doings and I 1 will cause you to dwell in this place trust ye ua in lying alyin fhe words saying the temple of lord lor d the temple of the lord are them theae for if ye thoroughly mend your waya way and your doings if ye thoroughly e execute judgment between a man and h hi neighbor if ye oppress not the at strange r the fatherless and the widow and aar A not innocent blood in this place neither walk after other gods to your hurt t hatt will v ill I 1 cause you to dwell in this place lace t the land that I 1 gave to your batters fat fathers fb ever and ever behold ye trust in lyl yh words that cannot profit will ye at murder and commit adultery and sw g falsely and burn incense to baal ax walk after other whom gods ye know nun nc and come and stand before me in th house which is called by my name a al H we are delivered to do all these there a abo atkins Is this house which is ca ballod by my name become a don den of robbers ft your you our eyes and the greatest of all preach preacher has exclaimed who hath bath i 1 L this at your hands band to tread in my cou courtad are then temples not wanted at al this cannot be so for god hims himself I 1 h b proclaimed through his 7 and I 1 will set my dwelling amot amon you v A beautiful makes an answer I 1 by a pretty play on words saying 96 D not n ot read dwelling but bat mashkin pledge 12 the temple merih ly as a temple is worthless indeed ini leed bat acceptable it is to god as a pledge gi givert ea by its builders of the their r earnest to do aul that which is symbolized in tt the temple as a pledge that they will rew re greater and grander temples for tho the benefit of man and to the glory of go goa as a symbol of all that is pure arief good man himself is a temple of god ft demple than which none can be more beautiful and how bow sweetly it was dedicated nese these hands that were folded in prayer by the aid of a fond mother when they were still without cunning should perform naught but acts of goodness 11 1 these e eyes from whom a 4 happy mother drank bliss when they were yet innocent should be turned only toward that which to is good and pure and the sight ef that which is vile they should abhor these lips consecrated unto god by the blessed kiss of a loving mother should speak naught but truth and love land and naught thatis that is of hate bate and falsehood should proceed from them this temple we must build throughout all our oar lives laying the stones squarely upon the foundation which was laid by byrbe taa maker himself lest the arno tape be rejected when our time comes to deliver it to the great master builder of the universe home to Is the second temple we must build ah ab truly home sweet home there is no place like home the home is indeed the place of all places tor for the worship of god in it the highest pence peace must reign to honor him whose name is peace the father the mother must there serve as the of the most high to lead the little the path of purity and truth and for these we must build yet a t third I 1 I 1 temple the school remember in not only ly the school which is attached to t the bouise houise of worship where the child is educated in the faith of its fathers where the heart receives its training but the school as well where the head and the hand band are trained the great real american free public school it t is in the schools is where we must lay the foundations for good citi sen ship with the schools both r religious and secular manhood womanhood citizenship good government all the best interests of mankind would be but idle dreams the school build lugs must not dot atop at the foundations tt that temple with seats free for all must raise its pinnacles to the loftiest loft iest heights when thus equipped for the battle of life our young men will go forth and build the fourth temple for themselves a temple wherein they are the preacher erlof of the most high theirs their shops their business bushue houses bouses will be temples act of mammon but of him who gives food bood to the ravens every honest act is a sermon every good deed an exhortation more powerful more potent to make converts than the most finished periods 9 of the must gifted speaker yrja words may be true and command the confidence of the listening congregation but perhaps they may be but words acts though are facts and cannot lie let let every one strive as bed beat he be can to build that temple for himself to be a preacher drescher from that pu pulpit I 1 whatever else his vocation may be with these four temples as corner tones stories a fifth must be reared that includes them all I 1 fear though that there might be some who think that this thin Is ie neither the place nor the time to mention it and therefore I 1 will introduce it by a reference to the teachings of our sages concerning the question in the talmud the question is raised iwho who are they that shall be worthy of eternal bliss this is the rame pame question as am that which to is expressed by our christian brethren in the words who will be sav saved edIP after some discussion the conclusion is reached that all the righteous both jew and gentile will participate in eternal bliss now according to the talmud a righteous gentile is he who observes the seven commandments of noah these include six commandments prohibiting hi hibit lug some of the most heinous crimes against humanity and a seventh positive commandment it to is only this seventh commandment which concerns us here it enjoins blo aull upon every man maim to assist to the best t of f his bis ability at the institution and maintenance of just government in the community to which he may belong this is 18 required of the heathen if he would be saved how much more must it be a command to those who believe in the onland one and only god thistel this temple of good government the temple of our country is the fifth temple which today we are pledged to rear let no man say the work is well attended to by others I 1 have other matters to care for no country ever had a grander oon eon ution than ours but yet our government is not all that it should be corruption reigns supreme legislatures are in the grasp of plutocracy stronger than any the world has yet seen and our large cities are not governed for the benefit of the majority of their inhabitants the words of isaiah are coming true again how to is the faithful city becoming a harlot it is full of judgment righteousness lodged in it but now murderers thy silver has become dross thy wine mixed with water thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves every one loveth gifts and loweth lol a after ter rewa rewards ads they jugde not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them whose fault is it that it is thus the fault of none but of the citizens themselves who stay at home and cannot spare an hour once in a while to assist in selecting men good men true men to administer to the wants of the city state and union he is not a good citizen that merely pays his taxes he is forced to pay them even if he would not he be is not a good citizen that is merely passively glod the man who by his inactivity in so called political matters allows the country the state the city to fall into the hands of bribe givers and bribe takers of thieves and companions of thieves thi evee commits an unpardonable sin against those of his bis own flesh and blood who are to live in that country after him the jew who is not a good citizen an active citizen has no claim to the noble name come comedown down to him from his fathers and if he would be called a good jew which means a good man he must in the first line endeavor to be a good citizen and do his full duty as such an one words fail to describe the sixth temple that we must build imagination only and that of the loftiest loft iest order can portray its notable structure but if our other temples be well built it will rise of its own accord it will rear itself as by a wand of magic the temple of the human brotherhood the temple of the republic of humanity the temple that knows no creed the temple that knows no race the temple of the one and only god of all the temples that includes all mankind in its congregation of must be the aim purpose of all temple builders if this was waa your purpose men ana women of congregation B nal nai israel if this house stands ap a pledge for the greater a and fid nobler temples which you intend to build and if you will build them then you shall have built well amen |