Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1861-04-05

THE JEWISH PASSOVER.

tlce that the Jews have commenced tho oL
servance of one Of their most interesting
and venerated religious rites. AS every
event or incident connected with the history
aud religion of the Jews is, more or less, q
matter Of concern to intelligent and tole-
rant minds, we take occasion to refer to the
ceremonies a: present progressing among
thes people.
The Jewish Passover commenced last
night, the 25th inst. At noon on yester-
day all leavened food was removed from
the houses of Israelites, and the use Of such
food, Tor the succeeding eight days, is strict.
ly prohibited. The Passover commemo-
rates the exodus Of the Jewish nation from
the land Of Egypt and its deliverance from
bondage of exceeding four hundred
years.
'lae head Of each family conducts the
prayers and ceremonies Of the first two
nights, Zone only, we believe, ID celebrated
by the Portuguese Jews) Which arc highly
interesting, and consists Of prayers, chaunts
and full narration Of the bondage Of their
forefathers, their deliyerance and exodus
from Egypt.
Upon the table (Which is spread with
great luxury)is placed roasted blade bore
of lamb, to represen! the Paschal Lamb
disk of bitter herbs, and thick paste
made Of almonds and fgs-the former to
remind them Of the bitter sufferings, and
the latter, the straw and mortar Which thei,
ancestors used in making bricks for tber ex.
acting task masters.
The unleavened bread is to commemo-
rate the hasty exodus Of their forefathers
agreeably to the twelfth chapter and thirty
niuth verse Of Exodus sAnd they baked
unleavened cakes of the dough which they
brought forth out of Egypt, for it .las not
ieavened; because they were thrust out ol
Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they
prepared for themselves any victuals.'
The Passover is observed by all Israel
ties wheresoever they may be. 1t matters
not how all other festivals or fasts with
the exception Of the Day of Atopement)
may be indifferently kept, or wholly neg
lected, this holiday does not pass unobser,
we'd, or uncommemorated. 1t is ono Of the
strongest and most enduring landmarks in
the religious observanseso of that people, and
link which binds the most Indifferent to
those great events which they regard as
having the impress Of their Creator.
1t not only calls up the shadows of con-
turies to that remote. period when "there
arose new King over Egypt that knew
not Joseph but each ceremony, every pra.
yer, calls forth incidents which moisten the
shrivelled cheek and thrills the aged heart
scared by time, by change. an6 by sorrow
the mystic shadows Of childhood hover
around the aged head of the household
seIf-same prayers, chaunts and ceremonies
over which his father had presided many
years since-sthe self-same lessons which
his father had taught him, as a child, on
this anuiversary-have devolved on him
and he with trembling voice and moistened
eye 'inculcates to his child or Children, to
be by them, in years to come, given as an
heirloom to their progeny.
Such are the feelings which every Jewish
father possesses when celebrating the Pass
over. Hence its importance to, and the
enduring impression it makes on, the heart
Of the young. :.
We have thus briefly referred to the OBJ
servances of the Jewish Passover, in order
to inform those who are not aware of the
origin of those ceremonies, as we'll as to re-
cord recurring and passing events and their
attending incidents.-Augusta Constitu.
tionalist.