PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.✦

The first edition being exhausted a second edition has been prepared. There is no cause for any change in the body of the book. Religion, both “Glaubenslehre” and “Pflichtenlehre,” are given as objectively as possible, and the most rigid examination of all that is taught in “The Jewish Religion,” discovered no misstatement. A few unimportant errors, which according to the Psalmist (Ps. xix) are excusable, are rectified in the list of Errata. Questions concerning religious principles which have arisen in the Community since the publication have been foreseen and dealt with according to Law and Tradition. A few notes are added in the second edition, where further elucidations seemed necessary. There is also appended the bibliography of text-books of Jewish Religion, an abstract of a paper on Religious Education, read before the Jews’ College Literary Society, and the prayer which in the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogues is offered up by the Barmitzvah when called to the Law. The latter practice is worthy of imitation.

M. F.

London, Adar I., 5660.

CONTENTS.

PAGE Introduction 1–18 What is Judaism? 2

OUR CREED.

Faith as commended in Bible and Tradition 5 Faith according to Saadiah 9 ,, ,, ,, Ibn Gabirol 11 ,, ,, ,, Dunash ben Tamim, Bachya b. Joseph 12 ,, ,, ,, Shem-tob; Abraham b. David; Jehudah hallevi 13 ,, ,, ,, Ibn Ezra; Maimonides; Joseph Albo 14 ,, ,, ,, Eliah del Medigo 15 ,, ,, ,, Moses Mendelssohn 16

The Thirteen Principles of Faith 19 First Group of Principles—Existence of God 22 Natural Religion 22 Polytheism 25 Pantheism 26 Atheism 27 Deism; Theism 29 The First Principle: God, the Creator and Ruler of the Universe 30 Natural Laws and Miracles 31 Evolution and Creation 33 Principle II.—Unity of God 38 ,, III. 41 Anthropomorphism in the Bible 41 Principle IV. 43 ,, V. 44 Various Attributes of God 41

Second Group of Principles—Revelation 46 General Remarks—Early Revelations 46 Prophet 49 Text of Prophecies 53 Massorah 55 Names and Authors of the Books of the Bible 55 Pentateuch 57 Earlier Prophets 62 Latter Prophets 66 Isaiah 66 Jeremiah 70 Ezekiel 75 Minor Prophets 78 Hagiographa 87 Psalms 87 Proverbs 96 Job 108 The Song of Solomon 112 Ruth; Lamentations 113 Ecclesiastes 114 Esther; Daniel 116 Ezra; Nehemiah 125 Chronicles 126 Apocrypha 127 The Book of Wisdom 127 The Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach 128 Baruch 129 Tobit; Judith 130 The Books of the Maccabees 131 Principle VI.—Truth of the Prophecies 131 ,, VII.—Distinction of Moses from other Prophets 133 ,, VIII.—Authenticity of the Torah 134 The Oral Law 136 Principle IX.—Immutability of the Torah 139

Third Group of Principles—Reward and Punishment 142 Divine Justice and Man’s Free-will 142 Principle X.—God’s Omniscience 148 ,, XI.—Reward and Punishment 150 Principle XII.—Messiah 155 ,, XIII.—Resurrection—Future Life 163

Notes on the Number of Principles 169 On Principle I. 174 Creation according to Maimonides 174 ,, ,, ,, Saadiah 177 Bible and Science 178 On Principle V.—Efficacy of Prayer 183 ,, Revelation 190 ,, Principle VI. 192 Revelation according to Saadiah 192 ,, ,, ,, Jehudah hallevi 194 ,, ,, ,, Ibn Ezra 197 ,, ,, ,, Maimonides 197 ,, ,, ,, Albo 201 On Principle VII. 201 ,, ,, VIII. 202 ,, Variæ Lectiones, Tikkun Soferim, Ittur Soferim 203 ,, Al-tikre, Biblical Quotations in Talmud and Midrash 204 ,, Bible Criticism 205 ,, the Pentateuch 205 Explanation of 2 Kings xxii. 8 sqq. 207 Abraham ibn Ezra’s View on the Integrity of the Pentateuch 210 Authenticity of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah 212 Authenticity of the Book of Daniel 214 On Principle IX. 215 Explanation of Jer. xxxi. 31–33 216 ,, ,, some Talmudical Passages 216 The Immutability of the Torah according to Maimonides 217 The Immutability of the Torah according to Jehudah hallevi 218 The Immutability of the Torah according to Albo and R. Abraham b. David 219 On Principle X. 220 ,, ,, XI. 221 ,, Eternal Punishment 223 ,, Vicarious Atonement 224 ,, Principle XII. 225 Maimonides on Messiah, Jesus, and Mohammed 226 Principle XIII. 231

OUR DUTIES.

On Religious Duties in General 233 Classification of the Divine Precepts 239 Object of the Divine Law 242

I. The Ten Commandments 247–272 Notes on the Ten Commandments 266–272 Different Opinions on the Division of the Commandments 266 Ibn Ezra on Exod. xx. 2 269 Abarbanel and R. S. Hirsch on the Ten Commandments 270 Parallels to the Decalogue 272

II. General Moral Principles 272–328 Duties towards God 273–291 (a.) Duties of the Heart 273–278 Fear and Love of God 273 Gratitude toward Him 275 Reverence for His Name 275 Obedience to His Will 276 Faith and Confidence in His Goodness 277 Resignation to His Will 277 (b.) Duties with reference to Speech 278–288 Prayer 280 Study of His Word 285 (c.) Duties with reference to Action 288–291 Sanctification of God’s Name 289 Imitation of His Ways 290 Duties towards our Fellow-creatures 292–319 General Principles 292 Duties in reference to the Life and the Property of our Fellow-man 292 Prohibition of Interest and Usury 294 Duties in reference to our Fellow-men’s Honour and Well-being 298 Charity, ‏גמלות חסד‎ and ‏צדקה‎ 302 Special Duties 305–318 Children and Parents 305 Friends 306 Husband and Wife 310 Fellow-citizens 310 Fellow-members of a Community 312 Duties towards Members of another Community 312 Employers and Employed 313 Superiors and Inferiors 313 Teacher and Pupil; Master and Servant; Rich and Poor 314 Duties towards the Old, Magistrates, and all to whom Honour is due 317 Kindness to Animals 318 Duties to Ourselves 319–328