JEWS. 



Jew. 



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ed them by the rabbi. A ring is used, as at Christian 

 L The marriage contract is next read ; and, 

 i the reading is ended, the priest takes another 

 g" f wine, and repeats seven benedictions ; then the 

 married couple drink the wine; after which the empty 

 glass is laid on the floor, and the bridegroom stamping 

 on it breaks it to pieces, indicating by this the frailty 

 The company next shout, " Good luck to 

 vou !" The ceremony is concluded by a contribution 

 for the poor in the land of Canaan, and a nuptial feast. 

 A Jew is at liberty to divorce his wife at any time, 

 or for any cause ; but, in order to counteract the con- 

 sequence* of this liberty, the synagogue has ordered a 

 n many formalities to be observed, which allow time 

 tt parties to become cool, and to reconsider the 

 matter. When the divorce takes place, the parties are 

 not allowed to marry again, nor to be together by them- 

 rives: if the woman has been divorced for adultery, 

 she cannot marry her paramour. A man at a distance 

 from his wife, may send her a bill of divorce by a mes- 

 MMer, which is legal, provided the messenger is spe- 

 cially appointed heard the husband order the notary 

 to write the bill saw it written and signed received 

 it from the husband in the presence of two subscribing 

 wstiBMses, with a special and formal commission, and 

 provided be delivers it to the woman in the presence of 

 two witnesses, with a prescribed declaration of its nature. 

 A girl betrothed under ten yean of age is entitled to a 

 divorce any time before she arrives at the age of twelve 

 years and a day, simply bv declaring before two witnes- 

 ses, who wnte out her declaration, that she will not mar- 

 ry the man ; this is called a divorcement of dislike. 

 In reading the Jewish prayers for the sick, it is cus- 

 , in cases of great and imminent danger, to 



die name of the sick person, under the belief 

 the sentence of death which may have been 

 against him in heaven may be averted or eva- 

 There is a particular form in their liturgy for 

 changing the name, in which it is said to be done with 

 the knowledge of God, and the approbation of the ce- 

 lestial tribunal ; and that his change of name may an- 

 nul all hard decrees, and reverse the sentence which 

 may have passed against him. In this prayer, he is re- 

 presented as another man, an infant just born, &c. 

 When a Jew dies, all the water in the same and adjoin- 

 ing houses is instantly thrown away, and no priest 

 must, on any account, remain in any of these houses 

 till the body is removed. Immediately on his decease, 

 the body is stripped and laid on the floor with clean 

 traw under it, and watched by a Jew till the ceremo- 

 ny of cleansing it with warm water is performed. Du- 

 ring this ceremony great care must be taken that no 

 water enters the mouth of the corpse. Near it are pla- 

 ced lighted taper, a bason of water, and a clean towel, 

 that the soul may cleanse itself from the defilements it 

 contracted in this world. For this purpose it is suppo- 

 sed to return to the place every night for a month, 

 during which period the things are kept in the room, 

 and the water is changed every night In cases where 

 the relations of the deceased are too poor to defray the 

 n pence of this ceremony, subscription is made by 

 the richer Jews ; and a few yean sgo a society was es- 

 tablished in London for this purpose so very sacred 

 and imperative is this ceremony esteemed. The Jews 

 do not make use of dose coffins, but only four plain 

 bsswds loosely joined together. This is done in order 

 that the worms may the sooner destroy the body. The 

 tallrh, or square garment with fringes, is put over the 



751 



that 



sepulchral garment. At the place of interment, the J' w s- 

 coffin is opened, and some earth, said to have been s " > "V~ 

 brought from Jerusalem, is placed under the head in a 

 small bag, or strewed about the body. The relations 

 and friends of the deceased then take hold, one after 

 the other, of his great toes, imploring him to pardon 

 all their offences against him, and not to report evil 

 against them in the other world. The nearest relations 

 rend their garments. When the coffin is placed in 

 the grave, each of the relations throws some earth on 

 it. As soon as the grave is filled, all the attendants 

 run away lest they should hear the knock of the angel. 

 who is supposed to come and knock on the coffin, and 

 to ask the deceased if he can repeat the passage in 

 scripture which has an allusion to his name : if he is 

 not able to repeat it, the angel beats him with a hot 

 iron till he breaks his bones. When the relations re- 

 turn from the funeral, they all sit down on the floor, 

 and eat a small portion of hard boiled eggs, salt, and 

 bread, in order to break the fast which they are sup- 

 posed to have kept from the moment of the decease of 

 their relation. Morning and evening, ten Jews who 

 have passed the age of thirteen repeat prayers for the 

 dead ; and at the close of these prayers, the nearest 

 male relatives repeat the Kodesh, a prayer which is 

 supposed to deliver the deceased from hell. The Jews be- 

 lieve in a resurrection, but the rabbis say it will take 

 place in the land of Canaan, and that Israelites buried 

 in other countries will be rolled thither through sub- 

 terranean caverns ; hence Jews in neighbouring coun- 

 tries, if rich, are removed into Canaan before they die. 

 On the decease of a brother, sister, wife, daughter, or 

 son, the upper garment is cut on the right side, and 

 then rent about a hand-breadth in length ; but on the 

 death of a father or mother, the rent is made on the 

 left side in all the garments. The mourning continues 

 seven days, during which no business is to be transact- 

 ed, nor is the house to be left ; but the mourners are 

 to sit on the ground without shoes, and to give free 

 access to every visitant : they must not shave their 

 beards, cut their nails, or wash themselves for 30 days. 



There are very particular rules laid down by the Garments. 

 rabbis respecting the materials, form, and colours of 

 the garments to be worn by the Jews ; but in general 

 they conform to the mode of dress in the country where 

 they refide. It is, however, deemed unlawful to wear 

 any garment made of linen and woollen woven together, 

 or made with either of these and sewed with the other. 

 Every male is required to have a quadrangular garment, 

 called talleh. It consists of two quadrangular pieces of 

 woollen or silk joined together at the upper edge by 

 two fillets. These rest on the shoulders, and the pie- 

 ces hang down, one on the back, and the other over the 

 breast. This is constantly worn as an inner garment. 

 From each of the corners hangs a fringe, consisting of 

 eight threads, and tied with five knots. The sanctity of 

 this garment is supposed to depend upon these fringes, 

 The threads composing them must be of wool that has 

 been shorn, not pulled, and spun by a Jewess for the 

 express purpose. There are also minute and very par- 

 ticular regulations regarding the colour and the folding 

 of the threads. The talleh is not required to be worn 

 at night, nor is the wearing of it obligatory on women, 

 servants, or young children. It is never to be sold or 

 pledged to a Christian. Other appen.lages of Jewish 

 devotion are the phylacteries, one for the head, and one 

 for the arm. The former is made of skin or leather 

 strttched on a block, and sewed so as to form a leathern 



