New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-11-17
THE HEBREW COMMONWEALTH.
An Explanatory Letter from NJ. NJ. Noah.

To The Editor Of The Tribune: IConelnded
These prelminaries being arranged the day OF
marriage is then tixed-Wednesday for a single
girl Thursday for widow--on that day the bride
groom alfred in new dress. repairs before noon
10 the house OF his intended father in law where inc
company has already assembled, not less than len
persons over thirteen years OF being the required
number for PRAYERS, when the marriage contract IS
read 10 him in Hebrew, which he signs, ana Is Wit
messed. The following IS what is called the BABY
lonish marriage certlhcGc, ana Is III USE III t!s c
throughout the world
..Upon the sixth day OF the week in the fourth OF tie
month Swan in the year 52j4 or whatever the month
OF year may be OF the creation OF the world according
TO the computation which we use here N the city OF
New York CRY situated near the sea the bridegroom
B. son OF c. D. said TO his briGe-we, L. daughter OF
" citizen Of said city Be unto me wife. according
10 the OF Moses and oilsrae and according to the
word God vii! worship. honor. maintain and govern
thee according TO the manner OF the husband among
Jews which do worship, honor, and MAINTAIN their
wives faithfully do also bestow upon thee the do~ry
of thy yrgnty hundred dollars or dcnlers OF SILVER
or any certain anount) which belong unto thee by law;
and moreover thy food thy apparel and sufficient neces'
ssres performing all the duties and obligations 70 thee,
according 10 the customs OF the earth mus l.. le''eo'
and became the wife oil a. B. the bridegroom
In the morning early. sometimes Inc evening
previous the bride prepares herself for the ceeora-
on-th1 first duty being that 81 going 10 the bath,
where she must be dipped and plunged so iAai
every part OF her person Is lmmersed,-and tnen
ing. The bride maids plated her hair, and curcd
it in ringets which gave rise TO the comparison OF
the long cured hair of a flock OF goats on Mount
Gilead in Can't. d. Then they put on her habit
mcn,s according TO her state or fortune and placed
over her head q long veil like Rebekah, amidst
songs and rejoicngs CT her attendants, thus was she
prepared as u bride adorned for her husband. In
the early ages married couples were crowned
the husband wore q crown Of crysalized salt and
sulphur, 10 remind him OF the SIN which led 10 The
destruction OF Sodom il was besides an admonl,
ton TO Ceave TO his vile in duty and affection, ana
not 10 be tempted from the path OF virtue; Inc
crowns in families of wealth, were made OF gold,
in the form OF tower, such as we lind CyoeLe, the
mother Of the gods adorned with and on the medals
OF several Empresses. The ceremony OF GROWING
is mentioned in Scriptures
Go forth o We ghter5 OF Zion and behod King
Solomon with the crown wbcrewith his mother crown
cd him in the day Of his espousa!s (Cannc 5-ll9
Isaiah also says:
"He hath put nitro on my head, on bridegroom
When the wars under Nespaslan commenced,
browning of brdegrooms was abolished. and the
custom Of browning brides was dispensed with:
When Ti,usi besieged the Holy City, wreaths OF
white roses being substituted. all things being IN
readiness for the ceremOny,-the men being assem-
bled in an apartment afternoon prayers or !hthRa
were said; in old times the ceremony was performed
in gardens under the canopy oil Heaven, sur.
rounded with the fruits of the earth, and trees and
the singing of birds in harmony with the sacredness
of the ceremony, but OF present the marriage is
performed in The house Of the brides parents or re-
Gently in the Synagogue. After service, canopy
composed of rich velvet or satin Is held up by tour
Young gentlemen, groomsmen under which the
husband takes his stand with his father or guardian
next to him, and then the bride attended by her
maids family and female friends covered by
long VEIL enters, placing herself under the canopy
facing her intended husband. In the early ages.
there were peculiar ceremonies IN tue BRIDE enter
ing the room which although now dispensed with,
are still curious from their antiquity The bride
used to walk three times around her husband. as
we find it written in Jeremiah 3l-22, The woman
shall compass the man. The company used 10
scatter some grains of wheat upon the married
couple, crying increase and multiply. Money
was scattered for the poor,-the bridegroom broke
cake Of barley bread. in token of his obligation 10
live 10 domestic harmony with his wie,-and this
ceremony is supposed 10 have had It's origin from
Hosea, who says, 50.
" He bought woman for an homer and hall an no.
OF barley
the bride yelled like Ruth, who said. spread thy
skirt over thine handmade ruth 49, the Hazan,
taking glass of wine in his hand consecraes il as
follows:
Blessed be thou, God King of Israel who hast crea'
ted the fruit OF the vine, who hast sancthed US by tiny
precepts and forbidden be guilty OF incest VINO
hast prohibited from betrothed persons, and permitted
marriage by beirothing and the nuptiai rite
The groom drinks from the glass, hands it TO the
godmother of the bride, who holds It 10 the lips OF
the bride to taste the consecrated draught. Inc
groom producing the ring. which he exhibits to the
bystanders 10 convince them that it is of gold and
OF certain value places it on the fore finger OF
the right hand of the bride, saying in Hebrew
''Lo thou married TO with this ring, according
to the laws of Moses and of Israel.
The HaZan, taking another glass OF VINE IN MS
hand. says the blessing and then proceeds:
n I rd hose ing
once ddst send Joy thy whom thou hadst
formed in the Garden OF Eden OF old Blessed art thou
Lord the bridegroom and bride to rejoice
Blessed thou Lord God King OF the universe.
who hast created 10y and eadncss bridegroom and bride
love and brotherhood delight and pleasure peace and
friendship. Speedily Lord Goblet there be heard in
the cities OF Judah and in the streets OF jerusalem the
voice of joy and the voice of eadness the voice of the
bridegroom and the voice OF the bride the voice OF the
merTiment OF the bridecroms at other nupta easts and
oivouhs al their musical entertainments Blessed artthou
o Lord who causes the bridegroom rejoice with the
bride; and causes them 10 prosper, give thanks unto
the Lord for he Is good, and HIS mercy endureth tor
ever May joys increase in Israel and signs fee away
The bridegroom and bride then taste OF the
wine again, the groom then dashes the glass on the
ground which he breaks 10 pieces,-he then raises
the veil from the face OF the bride and kisses her as
do all her relations and friends, mutually wishing
ioy,-the bride and groom are conducted TO seals,
where congratulations are interchanSed. The cere-
mony Of breaking the glass, Is intended to impress
istence, and TO remind him on that day and hour,
supposed to be the happes of his life of the sepa,
ration which death creates-and the end OF all
things After The ceremony, refreshments are
handed round, and dancing and supper terminate
the festivities OF the occasion. IN the Oriental coun-
tries when the festivities concluded, prcpara-
tons were made 10 escort the bride TO the house of
her husband. The canopy or chUppa, in Hebrew
was brought forth and the bride closely veiled al
tended by her maids OF honor all yelled, proceeded
their way. They sometimes used the Asiaic
Palanquirs, alluded 10 by David Ps. xiv. 49, The
Kings daughter is all glorious within the Palan-
quin:) her clothing wrought gold; and Solomon,
speaking of the bridegroom chariot, says
Its wood OF cedar its pillows OF silver, us bot
tom Of gold its covering OF purple, and the midst thereof
paved with lore or poetca amorous inscriptions or di-
vices for me fair daughters of Jerusalem"
These professions were by torch light. Ten
wooden slaves were carried. surmoun,ed with
wooden or earthen dish, in which there was
lighted wick and oil Various passages of Scripture
alludc TO this custom The wife says, My be-
loved is white and rudy. the choicest among ten
thousand, meaning that he dazzled beholders equal
10 ten thousand lamps. Can't. 10 The husband
says of his wife that she is terrible army