who
instructed him; how censurable is his conduct; how loathsome are his
ways! 'Tis of such an one the Bible says, 'And from his country the
people of the Lord departed.'"

* * * * *

When souls stand at the judgment-seat of God, the poor, the rich, and
the wicked each are severally asked what excuse they can offer for not
having studied the law. If the poor man pleads his poverty he is
reminded of Hillel. Though Hillel's earnings were small he gave half
each day to gain admittance to the college.

When the rich man is questioned, and answers that the care of his
fortune occupied his time, he is told that Rabbi Eleazer possessed a
thousand forests and a thousand ships, and yet abandoned all the
luxuries of wealth and journeyed from town to town searching and
expounding the law.

When the wicked man pleads temptation as an excuse for his evil course,
he is asked if he has been more tempted than Joseph, more cruelly tried
than he was, with good or evil fortune.

Yet though we are commanded to study God's law, we are not to make of it
a burden; neither are we to neglect for the sake of study any other duty
or reasonable recreation. "Why," once asked a pupil, "is 'thou shalt
gather in thy corn in its season' a Scriptural command? Would not the
people gather their corn when ripe as a matter of course? The command is
superfluous."

"Not so," replied the Rabbis; "the corn might belong to a man who for
the sake of study would neglect work. Work is holy and honorable in
God's sight, and He would not have men fail to perform their daily
duties even for the study of His law."

* * * * *

Bless God for the good as well as for the evil. When you hear of a death
say, "Blessed is the righteous Judge."

Prayer is Israel's only weapon, a weapon inherited from its fathers, a
weapon proved in a thousand battles. Even when the gates of prayer are
shut in heaven, those of tears are open.

We read that in the contest with Amalek, when Moses lifted up his arms
Israel prevailed. Did Moses's hands affect the war, to make it or to
break it? No; but while the ones of Israel look upward with humble heart
to the Great Father in Heaven, no evil can prevail against them.

"And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole; and it came
to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent
of brass he lived."

Had the brazen serpent the power of kil