Who hath sorrow?  Who hath woe?

He who leaves much wealth to his heirs, and takes with him to the grave a burden of sins.  He who gathers wealth without justice.  “He that gathereth riches and not by right in the midst of his days shall he leave them.”  To the portals of eternity his gold and his silver cannot accompany the soul of man; good deeds and trust in God must be his directing spirits.

Although God is merciful and pardons the sins of man against Himself, he who has wronged his neighbor must gain that neighbor’s forgiveness before he can claim the mercy of the Lord.  “This must ye do,” said Rabbi Eleazer, “that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.  The Day of Atonement may gain pardon for the sins of man against his Maker, but not for those against his fellow-man, till every wrong done is satisfied.”

If a man is called upon to pardon his fellow, freely he must do it; else how can he dare, on the Day of Atonement, to ask pardon for his sins against the Eternal?  It is customary on this day for a man to thoroughly cleanse himself bodily and spiritually, and to array himself in white fresh clothing, to typify the words of Isaiah, “Though your sins should be as scarlet, they shall become white as snow.”

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It happened that the mayor of a city once sent his servant to the market to purchase some fish.  When he reached the place of sale he found that all the fish save one had been sold, and this one a Jewish tailor was about purchasing.  Said the mayor’s servant, “I will give one gold piece for it;” said the tailor, “I will give two.”  The mayor’s messenger then expressed his willingness to pay three gold pieces for it, but the tailor claimed the fish, and said he would not lose it though he should be obliged to pay ten gold pieces for it.  The mayor’s servant then returned home, and in anger related the circumstance to his master.  The mayor sent for his subject, and when the latter appeared before him asked:—­

“What is thy occupation?”

“A tailor, sir,” replied the man.

“Then how canst thou afford to pay so great a price for a fish, and how dare degrade my dignity by offering for it a larger sum than that offered by my servant?”

“I fast to-morrow,” replied the tailor, “and I wished the fish to eat to-day, that I might have strength to do so.  I would not have lost it even for ten pieces of gold.”

“What is to-morrow more than any other day?” asked the mayor.

“Why art thou more than any other man?” returned the other.

“Because the king hath appointed me to this office.”

“Well,” replied the tailor, “the King of kings hath appointed this day to be holier than all other days, for on this day we hope that God will pardon our transgressions.”

“If this be the case thou wert right,” answered the mayor, and the Israelite departed in peace.