THE BOOK CUSARI

"The King of the Khazars, a man of piety and fervent devotion to his religion, was told in a dream that his intentions were agreeable to God, but not his actions."

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THE BOOK CUSARI

(INTRODUCTION)

HE book Cusari was written by the famous poet Judah Halevi, whose life and poetical works were presented in the preceding section. Halevi was evidently impelled to write this prose poem, the Cusari, by his religious faith. It is an imaginary dialogue between wise men of various religions, in which the Jewish speaker triumphs. The discussion takes place in the court of the King of the Cusars, or Khazars, a people about whom medieval legend told an interesting tale. They lived far inland in Asia and, having no established religion of their own, they resolved to investigate all religions and select the best. After much consideration they selected the Jewish religion and remained faithful to it for centuries, until finally their nation was destroyed by the advance of the Tartar hordes. This legend forms the basis of Halevi's book, a wholly imaginary discourse, from which we reprint the celebrated central portion, the argument of the wise men.

THE BOOK CUSARI

The King of Khazars, a man of piety and of fervent devotion to his religion, was told in a dream that his intentions were agreeable to God, but not his actions. The King there fore obtained an interview with a philosopher in order to ascertain his opinions about God, the world, and mankind. The explanations of the philosopher, based as they were upon the eternity of the world, the perfection to be attained by men through philosophic meditation, and the exaltation of God above all individual providence, did not satisfy him; and he decided to seek for further enlightenment from a Christian and a Mohammedan, thinking in himself that one of these two must be right as for the Jew, it was sufficient to notice in what a depressed condition the Jews were, reduced in numbers and despised by every one. He accordingly called one of the most learned Christians and asked him about the belief and practises of his religion.

The Christian replied: "I believe that all things are created: that God is eternal, and that he created the whole world in six days, and that all men are descended firstly from Adam, and secondly from Noah, to whom they are accordingly related. God provides for all his creatures, but entertains special relations toward man: with him are wrath, mercy, and favor: he speaks with his prophets and his saints: he appears and reveals himself to them, dwelling amongst those that please him. I believe in general that all that is written in the law, and all the traditions of the children of Israel, are facts which it is impossible to doubt, since they are so fully known, so imperishable, and were so loudly proclaimed before a great multitude. Then afterwards, however, the Godhead was incarnate, and took flesh in the womb of a virgin, one of the noblest women in Israel, who bore him in semblance human, in mystery divine-in semblance a prophet, in mystery God. This was the Messiah, called the

Son of God, and this is the mystery of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, although when we proclaim the Trinity it is really the Unity only which we believe.1 I believe further that the Messiah dwelt amongst Israel for their glory, so long as they adhered to the idea of the Godhead, manifest in him, but that at last they rebelled against him and crucified him. From that time till now the wrath of God has continued against the multitude of the rebellious, but his grace has been upon every one of those that followed the Messiah, as well as upon the nations which have followed them, and to which we belong. We are not, indeed, descendants of the family of Israel, but we are worthier than they to bear their name, because we have followed the Messiah and the twelve apostles who represent the twelve tribes. A great number of Israelites followed the Twelve: these formed the nucleus of the Christian people, and well did they deserve the rank and title of Israel's sons. We have become powerful in different lands: and all nations are invited to attach themselves to this creed, and enjoined to glorify the Messiah and his cross. Our laws and customs are derived partly from the commandments of the Apostle Simon (Peter), partly from the Torah, which we read, and the truth of which is beyond question: for the Gospel itself relates what the Messiah said: 'I came not to destroy one tittle of the law of Moses, but to confirm and explain it.'" 2

The King replied: "To argue on this subject.is quite useless for reason rejects most of what thou hast said. Only when the evidence and proof of a fact is so manifest to all that every man, from utter inability to confute it, is bound to accord belief, can reason come in to explain any part of it which may appear strange. In fact, this is the method pursued by scientific men for explaining the wonderful occurrences of nature which, so long as they are simply related without having been seen, they ignore; but after having examined them, they express a definite opinion and

1 This was one of the chief points of discussion between the Jews and the Christians in the Middle Ages.

2 Matt. v. 17.