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Blessed is he who gives of his substance to the poor; twice blessed is he who accompanies his gifts with comforting words. Thus says the Eternal: I love the mite offered by the hand of the poor far better than handfuls of costly incense placed on mine altar by the high priest.

He who gives alms in public commits a sin. It were far better not to have given him at all than to put a man publicly to shame with your gifts. Charity is better than sacrifice.

The table at which you support your family is a sacred altar. The sanctuary of Jerusalem has been destroyed but an altar of atonement has been left us-the works of love. The duty of benevolence includes all other duties. He who practices love and charity, fulfills the whole law of Moses.

In a year of grievous famine king Monobaz distributed among the poor all the treasures which his forefathers had gathered together. But his brothers and relatives reproached him for it and said: Thy forefathers accumulated treasures, increasing it from generation to generation, but thou squanderest what they saved up. But he answered them and said: My forefathers laid up treasures on earth, I lay up treasures in heaven. My forefathers kept their treasures in a place where the hand of men can reach them, but I put away mine in a place which cannot be reached by human hands. My forefathers gathered together things which bear no fruit, but I gather what does bear fruit. My forefathers strove after Mammon, but I strive after the treasure of souls. My forefathers gathered for this life, but I do gather for life eternal.

The value of charitable works consists in the love which has given them birth. He who practices justice and mercy, establishes the kingdom of heaven in the world.

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"HONOR thy father and thy mother," even if thou hast to go begging for them from door to door. Scripture enjoins the reverence of parents as much as the reverence of God, and compares the blessing of parents to the blessing of God.

The child loves its mother more than its father, it fears the father more than the mother. See how Scripture makes the father precede the mother in the injunction, "Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother;" and the mother, when it says, “Ye shall fear everyone his mother and his father."

The teacher, who leads you to wisdom and religion, leads you to life eternal. If the old tell you, "Tear down," and the young

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say, "Build up," even then follow the advise of the old. For the old ofttimes build while they seem to tear down, and the young often tear down, while they seem to build up.

But who is to be esteemed an old man? He whose brow wears the crown of wisdom. For it is wisdom alone that makes old age venerable. Yet thou shalt rise before every hoary head. Show honor to an old man whose mental powers age has caused to fail. Also the broken tablets of the covenant were preserved in the Ark of Testimony.

Let us honor the great men of our time, and not say, that those of former ages were greater than they. Jephtah was for his age as great a man as Samuel for his generation.

Woe to the generation that has lost its leaders. Woe to the ship which has lost its pilot. Woe to the generation that judges its judges. Blessed the age whose great men do not despise those beneath them.

Cast no stone into a well whose waters have once quenched thy thirst. The rivalry of the wise increases knowledge. Honor the sons of the poor, for through them knowledge is brought to splendor.

As a burning chip may set a large trunk on fire, so may an inferior mind kindle thought in one superior to him.

Of the friends you have, cling to those that censure you, and avoid them that praise you.

Far greater is the effect of a bad example for evil, than that of a good example for good; one learns evil more readily than good. Choose a teacher whose conduct is like his teachings. 11. Follow the manners and customs of the country you happen to live in. Do not depart from the prevailing customs. Be not gay among the sad, nor sad among the gay, be not awake among the sleeping, and sleep not among the wakeful.

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The law of the State in which you live is as binding as the law of God.

Peace is a most precious good, for the world is preserved by peace, and the burden of the whole divine Law is peace. Thus it is said: "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her ways are peace" (Prov. iii; 17). No vessel contains as many blessings as the vessel of peace, for it contains all blessings. Even the Holy One, blessed be He, is named Peace.

Since the God blesses his servants with peace even in this world which they must soon leave, how much more will He pour out upon them the blessing of peace in the future world which is eternal!

MEDIEVAL JEWISH WRITERS.

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My son, give God all honor and the gratitude which is His due; for He it is who made thee and brought thee into this world. Thou hast need of Him, but He needs thee not. Put no trust in thy mere corporeal well-doing here below. Many a one hath laid him down to sleep at nightfall, but at morn risen not again; many a one hath gone to his couch at night, sound in health and of high cheerfulness, and has waked up to agonies and

terrors.

Respect the poor man by gifts whose source he knows not of; and when he eats at thy table gaze not on him too much, lest he doubt his welcome; be not deaf to his beseechings, deal not hard words out to him, and give him of thy richest food when 3. he sits at meal with thee. When thou prayest, be lowly and think thyself nothing before the Almighty, and use all thy souls energy and force to hold in check what evil desire there may be 4. in thy heart. Rather feed thyself with the poorest weed than make thyself dependent on ther human beings; and seek not 5. greedily after power and pre-eminence in the world.

Be not as

the fly that is always seeking sore and wounded places; and tell 6. not of the faults and failings of those about thee. Dare not to rejoice when thine enemy comes to the ground; but give him food when he hungers; be on thy guard lest thou give pain ever 7. to the widow and the orphan. Never enter thy house with abrupt and startling step, and bear not thyself so that those who 8. dwell under thy roof feel dread when in thy presence. Purge thy soul of angry passion, that inheritance of fools; love wise men, and strive to know more and more of the works and the ways of thy Creator. Forget not that the hope of pious souls is that concealed paradise prepared by God before the foundations of the world; that consecrated place where pure and holy spirits enter at last into their rest.

9. No crown carries such royalty with it as doth humility; no monument gives such glory as an unsullied name; no worldly gain can equal that which comes from observing God's law; the highest sacrifice is a broken and contrite heart; the highest wisdom is that which is found in the law; the noblest of all ornaments is modesty; the most beautiful of all the things man can do is to forgive wrong.

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Do not inquire too curiously concerning the Creator, or seek by questioning to know the origin of things; but see that God is never far from thy thoughts; forget not what He has done for thee, and let not strange gods, let not thine own sensuous nature hold dominion over thy life.

Let thy dealings be of such sort that a blush needs never visit thy cheek; be sternly dumb to the voice of passion; commit no sin, saying to thyself that thou wilt repent and make atonement 12. at a later time. Let no oath ever pass thy lips; play not the haughty aristocrat in thy heart; follow not the desire of thine eyes, banish carefully all guile from thy soul, all unseemly self13. assertions from thy bearing and thy temper. Speak never mere empty words; enter into strife with no man; place no reliance on men of mocking lips; wrangle not with evil men; cherish not a too fixed good opinion of thyself, but lend thine ear to remonstrance and reproof.

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Honor thy parents; make peace whenever thou canst among people, lead them gently into the good path; place thy trust in, give thy company to, those who fear their God.

If the means of thy support in life be measured out scantily to thee, remember that thou must take up thy suffering as a test of thy piety and a preparation for better things.

But if worldly wealth be lent to thee, exalt not thyself above thy poor brother; for both of you came naked into the world, and both of you will surely have to sleep at last together in the dust.

Let the man of humble mind carefully evade all marks of special esteem and recognition from men. If his failings are spoken of, let him give God thanks for putting this humiliation on him for the amendment of his ways if they need it. But if he is well and surely convinced that they need it not in that wherein they blame, let him after all remember that whatsoever he be, he is but imperfect compared with what is required of him, and forgive the person who is speaking ill of him.

Surrender not thyself a slave to hate, that ruin of all the heart's good resolves, that destroyer of the very savor of food, of our sleep, of all reverence in our souls.

If thou hadst lived in the dread days of martyrdom, and the populace had fallen on thee to force thee to apostatize from thy faith, thou wouldst surely, as did so many, have given thy life in its defence. Well then; fight now the fight laid on thee in the better days, the fight with evil desire; fight and conquer, and seek for allies in this warfare of thy soul, seek them in the fear of God and the study of His law.

20. Murmur not because the world goes well with the powerful and wicked. The ways and the methods of God are wonderful and admirable, even though our poor eyes may sometimes not be able to see the good things which we may be sure He always does for us. Remain faithful to the law, deny thyself even many things that are permitted; be so far as thou canst, ever of cheerful and even joyous temper; and forget not that it is to God, the Eternal, God the Only One, to whom thy soul returns in death.

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That our soul may become perfected in righteousness, needs must that we bear griefs and agonies; and never should it cross our minds for an instant to shrink from boldly acknowledging that we are Jews.

Mislead no one through thy actions designedly, be he Jew or non-Jew; be not disputatious and quarrelsome with people, whatever be their faith.

If any one offer thee an amulet, alleging it to be useful in helping to favor or wealth, carry it not, but place thy undivided confiidence in God alone.

If, when thy plans fail, thou wouldst seek any other Lord than the Eternal thy God, it would be apostasy.

There are three sorts of people for whom we ought to feel especial pain and sympathy: a reasonable, prudent creature subjected to a crazy fool; a good man who has to take orders from a bad one; and a noble being dependent upon one of vulgar

nature.

Ingratitude is the blackest of faults; it is not to be endured even toward the dumb creatures whom we use.

Hear not calumny willingly; seek rather to admonish and encourage him who complains bitterly to thee of the doings of another.

If a rich man and a poor man be sick, and thou seest all the world going to see the rich man, go thou to the poor one, even though he be ignorant and unlettered.

If thou art in debt, pay thy debts before thou givest alms.

30, Make no sign of visible disgust when thou meetest people afflicted with loathsome disease; for they too are God's creatures, remember, and healthy as well as sick are all alike dependent upon Him.

31. Let no one be troubled in mind or take up wrong ideas because of the prosperity of wicked people, or of such as hold parents in little honor; their end is bad. The reason why good men have an ill lot in life is, lest men should fancy that the good man can