JEWS AND THE SABBATH

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Dec 25, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 52.

JEWS AND THE SABBATH.

RABBI GRIES of Cleveland, Ohio, is advocating that his people, the Jews, discard the Sabbath for Sunday. He contends that neither day is divine, so it is wisdom to take the way of least resistance. His reason for not believing the Sabbath to be of divine origin is his unbelief in the Bible. The more orthodox in Judaism strongly oppose this contention of Rabbi Gries. For instance this is the way Rabbi Silverman of New York talks:—

From time to time some radical Jewish preacher, for what reason I can not well understand, rises up to favor a transfer of the Jewish Sabbath to Sunday. Such efforts deserve to be treated with disdain when put forth by men calling themselves rabbis in Israel. It is high treason to the cause of Judaism to advocate any transfer of Sabbath or holidays. The Sabbath is one of Judaism’s fundamental institutions and must be kept intact. To make a transfer would create a division in Israel which must by all means be avoided. I believe the seventh day of the week to be the historical Sabbath of Judaism and of the world. It existed even before Judaism. The Christian Sunday-Sabbath is maintained as the true Sabbath by a popular error. No resolution adopted by individuals, council, congregation, or synod, could change the facts of history. Whatever the future may bring, the seventh day will remain the historical Jewish Sabbath.

We are glad to note this much loyalty to God’s truth. But unless the Sabbath becomes to the Jews the present, living Sabbath of the Eternal Creator and Sanctifier, they will turn from it, and accept the anti-biblical, anti-Christian Sunday. Really, unless they accept as a life the Lord of the Sabbath, they will yield the day.