Excerpt from The Present Age: A Sermon Delivered in the French Language, in the Synagogue of the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation on the Occasion of His Installation as Haham (Ecclesiastical Head) Of This Congregation, on the 8th Tebet, 5627 December 16th, 1866
Then the Angel touches him again, and, with an irresistible voice, bids him "Arise and eat, for the journey thou hast to perform is too great for thee."
Who is, then, that wondrous man whom Angels feed and heavenly Messengers cheer on? No doubt, you have recognised him already, my Brethren; he is Elijah, the Prophet Elijah, who had just achieved one of those wonderful deeds, the influence of which is felt throughout all ages. He had caused a fickle, unsteady and rebellious people to acknowledge and proclaim, in the most solemn manner, the Lord God of Israel as the Only, True and Eternal God; he had confounded the idolators and their priests; he had delivered his country from the abominations of the worship of Baal, and compelled a faithless king to bow to truth, and to acknowledge that with Providence alone rested the power of fertilising the earth or withholding the rain. Yet Elijah feels weary and dispirited; he sees that in his mission, not yet fulfilled, he will have numberless obstacles to encounter. He is surrounded by powerful enemies, while his friends are cold and unnerved. His confidence and courage begin to fail; and, whilst a prey to doubts and hesitations, and to sad reflections caused by a true love for his people, he flees to the desert, where, through exhaustion, he falls asleep. But the Angel arouses him, infuses into him a new spirit, a new life. "Arise and eat" are but few short words, but they are pregnant with meaning and thoughts such as the following - "Consider the loftiness, the sacredness of the cause committed unto thee; do thou draw from it fresh courage and zeal; this is the spiritual food that shall sustain thee: thou canst not abandon the career on which thou hast entered, whatever be its length, its difficulties, its struggles; for thou art a messenger of God unto His people. The more thou perseverest in thy path of duty, the greater shall be thy merit."
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