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All the more reason is there for un derstanding its provisions and teachings in advance of that moment when its ministrations are needed but to formally complete what has already been deter mined upon. The Jewish conception of marriage is that it constitutes the normal fulfill ment of life; the rounding out of the individual nature by providing that which will complement and complete all its activities. In the opening chap ters of the Bible, albeit in symbolic lan guage, this view of marriage is pre sented. The narrative of the creation of Eve indicates the essential unity of the marriage relation. The very name in Hebrew of wife indicates identity with husband, ( ish ) is husband, ( isho) wife, nart of the husband. In anouncing man’s nature as the re flection of divinity, the Bible declares: “And God created man in Ilis image, in the image of God created lie him, male and female created lie them.’’ (Gen. 1:27). To this R. Simlai offered this explana tion : Go;l says, “In former times man was created from the dust and Evo from man, but from now and onwards in our image and likeness, no man with out woman, no woman without man, and neither without the Shecliinn, or God’s presence. ’ ’ In these somewhat mystic words the Jewish ideal of marriage is conveyed. It is the fullness and completion of life in its highest and truest form as mirroring the divine. In explaining those salient words, “It is not well for man to be alone; I will make a help mate for him.” The rabbis say, “Man is not complete in himself, nor is wo man.” The sages say: “He that is un married is without fortune ( tov ), with out a helper (rzrr), without joy (sim cha), without atoning power ( kcipora ), without peace ( shalom ), and that he diminishes the similitude to God.” This conception of the marriage rela tion lifts it up out of arbitrariness and invests it with clearly defined purposes, conditions and nobility. To the Jew ish mind it represents the highest estate of which humanity is capable, and is therefore used by the prophets to sym bolize Israel’s relation with the Torah, tr which it is betrothed, while to all the heathen nations it is practically forbid den. Thus marriage relation even sym bolizes Israel’s relation to God himself, and the prophet can furnish Israel no higher designation for its reunion with God than {ishi ) husband (llos. 2, 18) ; and the attributes of that relation are nowhere more adequately set forth than here: “T will betroth thee unto me forever. I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness and justice, in love and THE JEWISH OUTLOOK in mercy; I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulness.” Such a view of marriage as complete and exalted existence is indicated in the formula with which the marriage relation is proclaimed mekucleshes. It is a sanctification of the wife to the hus band. Not only separation from the world, but elevation is indicated. Thau this sanctification of life belongs espe cially to the woman is a thought that often presents itself in rabbinical litera ture. The story is told of a good cou ple estranged and divorced from eacli other; each of whom remarry and this time to evil mates: the man falls to the level of his evil wife; the good wife ele vates her low husband to her level. To such a conception of marriage it needs not be said the thought of a tem porary marriage or trial marriage is a horrid profanation, repugnant to de cency and to the fundamental princi ple of the marriage state. Two things are prominent from this understanding and consideration of marriage. (1) That it is a desirable, nay, a nec essary and normal existence. (2) That it calls for the exercise of the highest impulses of man. Marriage is not to be entered into lightly. Deliberation is requisite, not the heat of passion, nor the sordid cal culation of greed. If one is to choose wisely it must be when he has attained maturity, and knows what his nature and station demand. Too early mar riages are not desirable, nor is marriage too long postponed. The love of man for woman is illuminative of this inner sympathy and affinity, but when it is but the symptom for passion or frivol ity, when it is derogative to the true nobility of the marriage state, when it approves itself neither to reason nor morality, it is not deliberative, but de structive of the true marriage state. With this subject the question of mixed marriages must necessarily be considered. If true marriage is the full life be fore and with God, it goes without say ing that .1 marriage contracted in dis regard of this fundamental relation cannot be a true one. If religion is anything it is a fundamental condi tion, in which there must be essential harmony. A conflict of religion means not the strengthening, but the elimina tion of the sanctities of life. To Judaism mixed marriages are nec essarily fatal, and generally the ques tion presents itself as a real one, onlv where the love of the faith is dead or moribund. Where Judaism lives, where the faith is a real power in the heart of the Jew, it will meet with acquiescence and adoption on the part of the life long companion, or it will be a fatal means of disruption and decay of the spiritual and often the entire union. This conception of marriage, the Jew is called upon to clearly grasp and avow. In it is contained the solution for present disorganized and depraved domestic conditions. The care lies in the view of marriage, in the purpose with which it is contracted, in the con ditions by which it is summoned, rather than in restrictions or in furnishing easy means of escape after this sacred relation has been entered into. The marriage relation has always been marked in Israel by its perinanenqe not less than by its sacredness. Any disposition to detract from the one or degrade the other is denounced by the prophet Malachi as betrayal of the cov enant and violence, unpardonable by God. (Mai. 2, 11-17.). In the recognition and preservation of these virtues, of this sanctification of marriages, lies Israel’s permanence and preeminence. In this Israel has a reai mission to the world. Already man ac claimed for it; may this praise remain as the chief jewel in our diadem that ali nations may say as did the heathen prophet Balaam, “How beautiful are thy homes, O, Jacob, thy dwelling places, O, Israel!” Emigration from Posen The remarkable phenomenon of the constant emigration of the Jews from the province of Posen, which up to fifty years ago contained one-fourth of the Jews of Prussia, is not due to economic causes alone, but has also its political side. . The Poles, who form the majority of the population, persecute the Jews not only as Jews, but also as supporters of the Germans, while the latter perse cute them as Semites. A Catholic priest recently addressed a meeting in which he urged the masses to boycott the Jews, and announced that he had organized a system of espionage exposing everyone who dealt at a Jewish store or took a drink at a Jewish inn. Meetings in Ger many are always watched by the police, and the officer in charge made a report ■of this case as being an infringement of the law. The anti-Semitic German pa pers and agitators preach the same doc trine all the year round, but the Govern ment takes no action, while in the case of the Polish propaganda the matter as sumes a different aspect, the law furnish ing a convenient opportunity to annoy the Polish agitators. The effect of this political condition can be observed al most daily, as for instance it was re cently announced that the synagogue of Nekla was sold, there being only two Jewish families left in the place. 7