only while young, and even then not to such extent as to destroy self-respect. But to

beat a grown -up son was forbidden on pain of excommunication; and the apostolic

injunction (Eph 6:4), "Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath," finds almost its

literal counterpart in the Talmud (Moed K. 17 a). Properly speaking, indeed, the Jewish

law limited the absolute obligation of a father (a mother was free from such legal

obligation) to feed, clothe, and house his child to his sixth year, after which he could

only be admonished to it as one of the duties of love, but not legally constrained

(Chethub. 49 b; 65 b). In case of separation of the parents, the mother had charge of the

daughters, and the father of the sons; but the latter also might be intrusted to the

mother, if the judges considered it for the advantage of the children.

A few notices as to the reverence due to age will appropriately close this brief sketch of

Jewish home life. It was a beautiful thought--however some may doubt its exegetical

correctness--that just as the pieces of the broken tables of the law were kept in the ark,

so old age should be venerated and cherished, even though it should be broken in mind

or memory (Ber. 8 b). Assuredly, Rabbinism went to the utmost verge in this matter

when it recommended reverence for age, even though it were in the case of one ignorant

of the law, or of a Gentile. There were, however, diverging opinions on this point. The

passage, Leviticus 19:32, "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the

face of the old man," was explained to refer only to sages, who alone were to be

regarded as old. If R. Jose compared such as learned of young men to those who ate

unripe grapes and drank of new wine, R. Jehudah taught, "Look not at the bottles, but at

what they contain. There are new bottles full of old wine, and old bottles which contain

not even new wine" (Ab. iv. 20). Again, if in Deuteronomy 13:1, 2, and also, 18:21, 22 the

people were directed to test a prophet by the signs which he showed--a misapplication

of which was made by the Jews, when they asked Christ what sign He showed unto

them (John 2:18, 6:30)--while in Deuteronomy 17:10 they were told simply "to do

according to all that they of that place inform thee," it was asked, What, then, is the

difference between an old man and a prophet? To this the reply was : A prophet is like an

ambassador, whom you believe in consequence of his royal credentials; but an ancient

is one whose word you receive without requiring such evidence. And it was strictly

enjoined that proper outward marks of respect should be shown to old age, such as to

rise in the presence of older men, not to occupy their seats, to answer them modestly,

and to assign to them the uppermost places at feasts.

After having thus marked how strictly Rabbinism watched over the mutual duties of

parents and children, it will be instructive to note how at the same time traditionalism, in

its worship of the letter, really destroyed the spirit of the Divine law. An instance will

here suffice; and that which we select has the double advantage of illustrating an

otherwise difficult allusion in the New Testament, and of exhibiting the real

characteristics of traditionalism. No commandment could be more plainly in accordance,

alike with the spirit and the letter of the law, than this: "He that curseth father or mother,

let him die the death." Yet our Lord distinctly charges traditionalism with

"transgressing" it (Matt 15:4-6). The following quotation from the Mishnah (Sanh. vii. 8)

curiously illustrates the justice of His accusation: "He that curseth his father or his

mother is not guilty, unless he curses them with express mention of the name of

Jehovah." In any other case the sages declare him absolved! And this is by no means a

solitary instance of Rabbinical perversion. Indeed, the moral systems of the synagogue

leave the same sad impression on the mind as its doctrinal teaching. They are all

elaborate chains of casuistry, of which no truer description could be given than in the

words of the Saviour (Matt 15:6): "Ye have made the commandment of God of none

effect by your tradition."