They say that God first dictated the text as it is written in the Pentateuch, and then gave Moses an explication of every part of it. It was commanded that the text should be put into writing, and the explanation committed to memory, to be communicated to that generation, and transmitted to posterity by word of mouth. Hence the former is called the written law, and the latter the oral law.

When Moses came down from the Mount, he delivered both these laws to the people. As soon as he was returned to his tent, he was attended by Aaron, who sat at his feet, and to whom he recited the text, and taught the interpretation which he had received from God in the Mount. Then Aaron rising, and seating himself on the right hand of Moses, Eleazar and Ithamar entered, and Moses repeated to them all that he had communicated to their father; after which they arose, and seated themselves, one on the left hand of Moses, and the other on the right hand of Aaron. Then went in the seventy elders, and Moses taught them in the same manner as he had taught Aaron and his sons. Afterwards entered the congregation at large, or all of them who were desirous of knowing the Divine will; and to them also Moses recited the text and the interpretation, in the same manner as before. These two laws, as delivered by Moses, had now been heard by Aaron four times, by his sons three times, by the seventy elders twice, and by the rest of the people once. After this, Moses

withdrawing, Aaron repeated the whole that he had heard from Moses, and withdrew; then Eleazar and Ithamar did the same; and on their withdrawing, the same was done by the seventy elders; so that each of them having heard both these laws repeated four times, they all had them firmly fixed in their

memories.

Towards the end of the fortieth year after the departure from Egypt, Moses assembled the people, announced the time of his death to be near, directed those who had forgotten any tradition he had delivered, to come to him, that he might repeat it to them anew, and invited them to apply to him for a solution of all questions in which they found any difficulty. The last month of his life was employed in giving these repetitions and explications to the people, and especially to Joshua, his successor.

Before Joshua died, all the interpretations which he had received from Moses were transmitted by him to the elders who survived him. These elders conveyed them to the prophets, and by one prophet they were delivered to another. In every generation, the president of the Sanhedrim, or prophet of his age, for his own private use, wrote notes of these traditions, but taught in public only by word of mouth. Thus matters proceeded, no part of the oral law being committed to writing, for public perusal, from the time of Moses to the days of Rabbi Jehuda, or Rabbi Judah Hannasi, called the Saint, anno mundi 3980. This

celebrated Rabbi observed that the students of the law were gradually diminishing in number; that difficulties and distresses were multiplying; that the kingdom of iniquity (by which title he designated Christianity) was increasing in strength, and extending itself over the world; and that the people of Israel were driven to the ends of the earth. Fearing lest, in these circumstances, the traditions would be forgotten and lost, he collected them all, arranged them under distinct heads, and formed them into a methodical code of traditional law. The book so composed is entitled The Mishna. Copies were

speedily multiplied, and received by the Jews at large with all the unquestionable authority of divine revelation.

The Mishna, however, is written in a very difficult style, and admits of great variety of interpretations. The most learned men among the Jews employed themselves in explaining its difficulties; and about three hundred years after its publication, a collection of the various opinions expressed by those writers was made by Rabbi Jochanan, president of a school in Palestine: and a Commentary so compiled was published. This is called The Gemara; and, added to the text of the Mishna, forms what is called the Jerusalem Talmud. Afterwards a more enlarged Commentary, or Gemara, was made by Rabbi Asha: it is called the Babylonian Gemara, and, together with the Mishna, forms the Babylonian Talmud.

3

The Cabbala are absurd fictions, grounded upon certain mystical interpretations of Scripture, alleged to have been given to Moses by God himself. The Jews say that Moses was on Mount Sinai for three several periods, of forty days each; that during the first period he received the written law; that during the second he was instructed in the Mishna; and that the last forty days were spent in the study of the Cabbala. As practised among the Jews, the Cabbala is nothing more than a system of magical charms, consisting in a superstitious use of the words, and even letters, of the Scripture, especially the various names of God, under pretence of effecting cures, and other miracles beyond the course of nature.*

Thus we perceive that among the Jews, as among Papists, human traditions, human commentaries on traditions, and the fanciful superstitions and lying wonders of human imagination, occupy the place, and usurp the authority, of the voice of God! In every

such case, the word of God, even when retained in the letter of it, is practically neglected, and really in the comparison hated; because, while human traditions and commentaries lower themselves to human infirmity, or even depravity, the word of God makes no such truce, but maintains its high uncompromising and condemning purity. We do not wonder, therefore, to find such sentiments as these in the writings

* For much interesting information upon these and similar topics, see "Allen's Modern Judaism."

of Jewish Rabbies: "He that is learned in Scripture,
"and not in the Mishna, is a blockhead."
"The
"Bible is like water; the Mishna like wine; and the
"Gemara like spiced wine." "The law is like salt;
"the Mishna like pepper; and the Gemara like balmy
spice." To study the Bible can scarcely be deemed
"a virtue; to study the Mishna is a virtue that will
"certainly be rewarded; but to study the Gemara is
"a virtue never to be surpassed." It is impossible
not to be struck with the similarity between the
Jewish and Popish treatment of the Bible. The
word of God is treated like water by the Romish
church; while the Breviary is her wine, and the Mass
Book her spiced wine!

The promotion of Christianity amongst the Jews is indeed (so far as regards the use of means by its advocates) a work of peculiar and complicated difficulty. No one can estimate the impracticability of the soil, without having some acquaintance with the noxious weeds by which it is overgrown.

And when, in addition to all this, it is remembered that the Christian church, instead of aiming at the cultivation of this field, has been occupied, generation after generation for centuries, in throwing upon it every stone of reproach, and scorn, and obloquy; we need not be surprised that, of late years, when graciously taught to turn her hand and seek for a blessing upon Jacob, she experiences extra and especial toil in clearing the ground.