Sermon: On the Secularization and Degradation of Iraqi Jewry

Prayer Cures Sinfulness

[ . . . ] But before we come to analyze the dreadful calamity [i.e., the drought] that has befallen us, and before we come to see what is the putrid humor harbored in our midst due to the delinquencies of the aforementioned four parts of our community—to wit, our men, women, youth, and maids—we must first refute two arguments advanced by two parties of the boors of our nation who are wise in their own eyes, saying that it is not the hand of the Lord raised up against us, but only a coincidence (1 Samuel 6:9), like the ancient saying of the Philistines. The first party says that the four calamities we enumerated earlier are only coincidental, for it happens not infrequently that the heavens withhold their rain on account of some natural cause; and as for the ceasing of commerce and exchange, this, too, is necessitated by nature. [ . . . ]

Europe and the East

The second party argues as follows: Who is foolish enough (Proverbs 9:4) to maintain that this calamity has come upon us on account of our sins? Desist from this way of thinking! If you go to the cities of Europe, I will show you greater abominations than these, to the point that the name of Israel is forgotten and Judaism is in its death throes; nevertheless, they dwell in peace and tranquility, and divine providence showers its blessings on their heads without limit. If our troubles are from the hand of God, is it done through favoritism? Are we not all descended from the same ancestor? Why would God inflict punishments on us for our sins, and not do likewise to them?¹

To this party, we will offer three answers. First, the nature of our land differs from theirs. Second, it may be on account of mitzvot and good deeds that they have performed and we not; these protect them and temporarily suspend their punishment; for we know that there is a kind of merit that has this suspending power, but ultimately the Holy One will collect the debt owed to Him, and make no concessions. Third, it is because we are guilty of additional sins that they do not have. [ . . . ]

And these [additional sins] are: foul speech, insulting and blasphemous speech, denigration of our holy religion, false oaths and taking the heavenly name in vain, and disrespecting prayer—some pray the morning prayer at an improper time, before dawn, or pray hurriedly, swallowing entire words, not to mention letters of words. [ . . . ]

Restoring the Principles of Judaism

[ . . . ] Now that we have elaborated on the desolation performed by the men, we shall dwell on the desolation performed by the women— especially the immodesty that is widespread among them, of changing their manner of dress to the European fashion and going around bareheaded, spending lavish amounts of money to live in palaces and summer resorts outside the city, taking trips in ferries and trains [lit., “shaking carriages”], and decorating their dresses with buttons and dangling fringes and flowers, on which much of the nation’s wealth is wasted and squandered in competitive female jealousy. [ . . . ]

The Sons’ Upbringing

The pomegranates are in bloom—these are the sons, of whom it is said: “Even the empty among you are filled with mitzvot as a pomegranate [is filled] with seeds,”² meaning whether they have bloomed with Torah and mitzvot in their childhood and their deeds are good as pomegranates, or not. And the answer comes: I did not know, my soul set me, etc. (Song of Songs 6:12)—that is to say, what shall I answer and what shall I say? What did I see? The sight I glimpsed was aggravating. I saw the son dressed in foreign fashion, short [Western] garb on top, long trousers on the bottom, coifing his hair and making up his eyes, shining his shoes, holding secular books³ under his arms, going early in the morning to the secular school, and all day chattering like a crane in French, while not one mention of the Hebrew Torah passes his lips. And when he returns from school at midday and sees that they have not yet prepared the meal before his arrival, he kicks at the fat cow of Bashan who is his mother, and she opens wide her mouth without measure at her maidservant, and the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey to curse and insult her—why did she not prepare food for the raven?⁴ A tumult ensues in the house, each shouting at the other. Eventually she prepares the meal for him and he comes and sits at the table, biting and gorging like a donkey without washing his hands or blessing ha-motzi [the grace before the meal], filling his belly with foul victuals until his stomach bursts, and then he gets up and goes on his way without the concluding grace. Afterwards, he does not nap, but he takes a walk, whether short or long, with uncovered head, and recites repeatedly what he learned in school to achieve rote mastery of it. At the evening meal he repeats his performance from midday, and that is his regular habit; thus he remains unschooled in Torah, manners, and morals, a wild beast, a boor and not a man, bereft of cultured, moral, and religious statures. The root cause of this is that they are possessed by the passion of jealousy, to appear like Europeans, especially the French.