“But isn’t that a narrow conception of God’s revelation?” she asked.

“No.  Why should God not teach through a great race as through a great man?”

“And you really think that Judaism is not dead, intellectually speaking?”

“How can it die?  Its truths are eternal, deep in human nature and the constitution of things.  Ah, I wish I could get you to see with the eyes of the great Rabbis and sages in Israel; to look on this human life of ours, not with the pessimism of Christianity, but as a holy and precious gift, to be enjoyed heartily yet spent in God’s service—­birth, marriage, death, all holy; good, evil, alike holy.  Nothing on God’s earth common or purposeless.  Everything chanting the great song of God’s praise; the morning stars singing together, as we say in the Dawn Service.”

As he spoke Esther’s eyes filled with strange tears.  Enthusiasm always infected her, and for a brief instant her sordid universe seemed to be transfigured to a sacred joyous reality, full of infinite potentialities of worthy work and noble pleasure.  A thunder of applausive hands marked the end of Percy Saville’s comic song.  Mr. Montagu Samuels was beaming at his brother’s grotesque drollery.  There was an interval of general conversation, followed by a round game in which Raphael and Esther had to take part.  It was very dull, and they were glad to find themselves together again.

“Ah, yes,” said Esther, sadly, resuming the conversation as if there had been no break, “but this is a Judaism of your own creation.  The real Judaism is a religion of pots and pans.  It does not call to the soul’s depths like Christianity.”

“Again, it is a question of the point of view taken.  From a practical, our ceremonialism is a training in self-conquest, while it links the generations ‘bound each to each by natural piety,’ and unifies our atoms dispersed to the four corners of the earth as nothing else could.  From a theoretical, it is but an extension of the principle I tried to show you.  Eating, drinking, every act of life is holy, is sanctified by some relation to heaven.  We will not arbitrarily divorce some portions of life from religion, and say these are of the world, the flesh, or the devil, any more than we will save up our religion for Sundays.  There is no devil, no original sin, no need of salvation from it, no need of a mediator.  Every Jew is in as direct relation with God as the Chief Rabbi.  Christianity is an historical failure—­its counsels of perfection, its command to turn the other cheek—­a farce.  When a modern spiritual genius, a Tolstoi, repeats it, all Christendom laughs, as at a new freak of insanity.  All practical, honorable men are Jews at heart.  Judaism has never tampered with human dignity, nor perverted the moral consciousness.  Our housekeeper, a Christian, once said to my sifter Addie, ’I’m so glad to see you do so much charity, Miss; I need not, because I’m saved already.’  Judaism is the true ‘religion of humanity.’  It does not seek to make men and women angels before their time.  Our marriage service blesses the King of the Universe, who has created ’joy and gladness, bridegroom and bride, mirth and exultation, pleasure and delight, love, brotherhood, peace and fellowship.’”