hold fast to the Covenant. Every decision concerning doctrine,
property, and justice shall be determined by them.
They shall practise truth and humility in common, and justice and
uprightness and charity and modesty in all their ways. No man
shall walk in the stubbornness of his heart so that he strays
after his heart and eyes and evil inclination, but he shall
circumcise in the Community the foreskin of evil inclination and
of stiffness of neck that they may lay a foundation of truth for
Israel, for the Community of the everlasting Covenant. They shall
atone for all those in Aaron who have freely pledged themselves to
holiness, and for those in Israel who have freely pledged
themselves to the House of Truth, and for those who join them to
live in community and to take part in the trial and judgement and
condemnation of all those who transgress the precepts.
On joining the Community, this shall be their code of behaviour
with respect to all these precepts.
Whoever approaches the Council of the Community shall enter the
Covenant of God in the presence of all who have freely pledged
themselves. He shall undertake by a binding oath to return with
all his heart and soul to every commandment of the Law of Moses in
accordance with all that has been revealed of it to the sons of
Zadok, the Keepers of the Covenant and Seekers of His will, and to
the multitude of the men of their Covenant who together have
freely pledged themselves to His truth and to walking in the way
of His delight. And he shall undertake by the Covenant to separate
from all the men of falsehood who walk in the way of wickedness.
For they are not reckoned in His Covenant. They have neither
inquired nor sought after Him concerning His laws that they might
know the hidden things in which they have sinfully erred; and
matters revealed they have treated with insolence. Therefore Wrath
shall rise up to condemn, and Vengeance shall be executed by the
curses of the Covenant, and great chastisements of eternal
destruction shall be Visited on them, leaving no remnant. They
shall not enter the water to partake of the pure Meal of the
saints, for they shall not be cleansed unless they turn from their
wickedness: for all who transgress His word are unclean. Likewise,
no man shall mix with him with regard to his work or property lest
he be burdened with the guilt of his sin. He shall indeed keep
away from him in all things; as it is written, Keep away from all
that is false (Exod. 23:7). No member of the Community shall
follow them in matters of doctrine and justice, or eat or drink
anything of theirs, or take anything from them except for a price;
as it is written, Keep away from the man in whose nostrils is
breath, for wherein is he counted? (Isa. 2:22). For all those not
reckoned in His Covenant are to be set apart, together with all
that is theirs. None of the saints shall lean upon works of
vanity: for they are all vanity who know not His Covenant, and He
will blot from the earth all them that despise His word. All their
deeds are defilement before Him, and all their possessions
unclean.
But when a man enters the Covenant to walk according to all these
precepts that he may join the holy congregation, they shall
examine his spirit in community with respect to his understanding
and practice of the Law, under the authority of the sons of Aaron
who have freely pledged themselves in the Community to restore His
Covenant and to heed all the precepts commanded by Him, and of the
multitude of Israel who have freely pledged themselves in the
Community to return to His Covenant. They shall inscribe them in
the order, one after another, according to their understanding and
their deeds, that every one may obey his companion, the man of
lesser rank obeying his superior. And they shall examine their
spirit and deeds yearly, so that each man may be advanced in
accordance with his understanding and perfection of way, or moved
down in accordance with the offences committed by him.
They shall rebuke one another in truth, humility, and charity. Let
no man address his companion with anger, or ill-temper, or
obduracy, or with envy prompted by the spirit of wickedness. Let
him not hate him [in the wickedness of an uncircumcised] heart,
but let him rebuke him on the very same day lest he incur
guilt because of him. And furthermore, let no man accuse his
companion before the Congregation without having first admonished
him in the presence of witnesses.
These are the ways in which all of them shall walk, each man with
his companion, wherever they dwell.
The man of lesser rank shall obey the greater in matters of work
and money.
They shall eat in common and pray in common and deliberate in
common.
Wherever there are ten men of the Council of the Community there
shall not lack a Priest among them. And they shall all sit before
him according to their rank and shall be asked their counsel in
all things in that order. And when the table has been prepared for
eating, and the new wine for drinking, the Priest shall be the
first to stretch out his hand to bless the first-fruits of the
bread and new wine.
And where the ten are, there shall never lack a man among them who
shall study the Law continually, day and night, concerning the
right conduct of a man with his companion. And the Congregation [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]