The New York herald., 1870-12-27

to numerous provisons FOR the conduct OF religious
ceremonies, many sanitary rules for the preserve
vide for the relief OF the poor and the stranger and
laws requiring an exact regard for moral equity be-
tween the children OF the chosen race.
This Is the groundwork OF the Jewish faith, but
before an account OF lis ceremonial features IS en-
tered upon IL Il wen TO glance at the huge over
tlonal rules OF life that have risen up upon 1t.
THE JUDAISM OF THR SECOND TEMPLE.
While the Jewish monarchy remained intact their
an preserved the form given 10 II by its louhaer,
Moses But upon the return OF the Jews rom tue
Baby lonlsh captivity, the BUILDING OF the second
Ezra, Haggai Nehemiah and others OF the Jewish
taith II passed into stage or constant develop
e' e,u @ Weu Sv ,ne amons % nder the lafer
just named the Scriptures were collected, authentl-
Gated and arranged into canon, and the Mosaic
code was again Systematically established. But, In
addition TO this certain new Obligations, founded
only the authority OF contemporary scholars and
wise men. were tacked on TO the original
system. and from time TO time In the immediate
uturo further additions OF this character were made
Up 10 the date OF the econd temple the priests
were the great cecis saocal authorities OF the Jcw
ish Church. But now new class OF men, q sort of
inner hierarchy doctors or rabbis-came into
prominence, whose business 10 was to define the
meaning ana relative importance OF the Oral Law,
tue ceremonial excrescences upon the old faith were
termed.
It would oe out OF place to trace forward the rur
ther history Of Judaism, and to show how gradually
three great parties divided Its rankstie Pharsees
who carried their respect for ceremony TO the utmost
degree OF eXtravagance; the Sadducees, who
accepted only the mere letter OF the original Mosaic
code; and the Essences who made conspicuous the
purely spiritual doctrines OF the creed ana VINO
built upon 1t a somewhat visionary rule or life.
At present the Jews divide their
SACRED BOOKS,
which correspond to the Old Testament OF the Chris
tans, into three portons-the pentateuch, the Pro
phets and the iaglographa. There are also some
paraphraseS OF the Scriptures from the original He
brew into the Chaldean tongue which during the
Babylonian captivity became the vernacular tongue
OF the lsraelites. These treated we the creates
respect, though many Of them rather rendcrlngs
OF the sense and spirit than OF the etter OF the orig
inal Scriptures And besides these writings there Is
book which some Christian writers have stated.
though not truthruy, TO be regarded by the rabbis
with more veneration than even the scriptures
themselves-the Talmud.
THE ORAL LAW.
This last book has been 80 sharply and so ignOr-
an,y erls,csed % IN many quarters ~ taat some expiana
The Jews acknowledge two laws which are autn0r
tative-one. the written law, delivered 10 Moses on
Mount Sina and tue other an unwritten explanation
OF II which has been handed down from generation
to generation. This last ought In strict right
TO have been enshrined Ia written form; but after
the return from the captivity the Rabbi Jehuda,
fearing that owing TO the growing influence OF I'm
pety these traditions would be lost, collected. ar
titled the "Mishna," and forms the first section OF
the Ialmud. About century later Rabbi J0cha-
nan. In view Of the doubt that OversnadOwed
many parts of the "Mishna,n collected the autho-
ntative explanations OF lis disputed passages, and
compiled them into the "Gemara, or Commentary
The "Mlshna" and the "Gemara' together form
what Is called the Jerusalem Tamud. There Is yet
another "Gemara,n which is distinguished as the
BabylOnlan; but this Is generally considered as
entitled to the same degree Of respect as the first
one. The reason given by learned rabbi
for the existence OF this Talmud is somewhat inte-
resting. III, says he, ''the oral law had not been
added to the written law the whole law would have
been obscure and unintelligibic. For, In the first
to each other; and III the next place, the written
law is Imperfect, and comprehends not all that Is
necessary to be known" In another place the
same writer assigns the reason why God would not
have this second unwritten law also reduced TO
writing. This "because God foresaw that the
nations Of this world would copy out the twenty
tour books which are contained ia the Law, the Pro-
phets and the Hagiographa, and would abuse them
10 heresy and impiety; he delivered to Moses
TO lie committed TO writing till the sects OF the
Edomites and Ishmaeites had arisen, lest this
perverted TO the same evil purpose as the
written law. In the world to come God will inquire
who are his children. Then the Gentiles. as well as
the Israeites, shall produce the books OF the law,
aud they shall both affirm themselves to be his
children. Therefore God will inquire again with
whom Is the real inspiration, which he also de-
lvered on Mount Sinai At this all shall be dumb,
knowledge OF IT,
fasts festivals and ceremonies OF the Jews.
Among The festivals the principal are the Passover
Pentacost, Tabernacles, the east9 oil the New Moon
and the New Year. the Feast or Dedication and the
Feast Of Purim.
The story OF the institution OF <s feast ia familiar
to oil. 1t commentaries the last and great
est OF .he judgments that punished the
refused to let the chosen children OF the
living God go forth from the house OF Dondage-that
dreadful passing OF the destroying angel all
land OF Egypt, smiting the first born male child in
every house. This festival Is held on the fifteenth
day OF the month Nissan and lasts, for an Jews ex-
cept those who live In near jerusalem eight days.
The Sabbath preceding it Is known as the ''great
sabbath and u usually marked IN the syna-
gogues by special lecture by the rabbi the regu-
latlOns which the law provides for the proper OBJ
servance or the coming festival. During the whole
period OF the feast the people are required TO eat
leayened bread, and they are forbidden even to al
low the presence OF leaven IN their houses Two
days before the beginning Of the feat, IN the
lug the head or each house collects all the leaven he
can find in MS dwelling aud having placed II In a
vessel burns 1t the following day before noon. As
soon as the leaven Is burned, as much unleavened
bread as Will he required through the festival Is
made. This bread consists OF large round, thIn
cakes OF simple four and water During the
festival no ferfnened drink may be used. on the
evening of the fourteenth day OF the month there is
special service IN the synagogue alter which there
is IN each house feast OF meat and bitter herbs
fsuch lettuce parsley, celery and hOrseradl5i)
and wlne As soon as the household are gathered
round the latter the master OF the house says grace
and then. leaning on his left arm, drinks glass OF
Each person then dips some herbs IN vinegar and
eats them. Another henedictIOn Is pronounced and
the host unfolding his napkin, takes the middle
cake there are only three cakes) breaks 1t In two,
replaces one Of the pieces between the two whole
cakes, and conceas the other piece under his plate
or under the cushion upon which he leans. The
meat is then taken from the table ana the plato
tanning the cakes being lifted up by the hands Of the
whole company they unite In rehearslng the follow
ng'This Is the mead OF poverty aud ailiicion which
our fathers did eat in Egypt. Whose hungers, let
INN come and eat; whose needs, let him come and
eat Of the paschal lamb. THIS year we are here;
next year, God willing, we shall be in the land OF
Canaan. This year we are servants; the next, God
willing, we shall be Tree-chidren OF the family and
lords. The feast then proceeds after the recital of
psalms and hymns aud the recapitulation OF the cir
cumstances which led to the institution Of the feast.
One OF the features of the festival that each person
present must drink four glasses of wine, the last
glass being accompanied with passages from the
Scripture calling down the Divine vengeance on all
the enemies OF Israel
The same ceremony is repeated the following day.
The principal DAYS OF the festival are the first two
and the last two and these celebrated by services
In the synagogue and Sabbatical abstinence from
labor. The Intermediate days are not observed
quite so strictly, but no one is permitted to carry
any Servlle labor.
PENTEC0sT.
This festival is kept on the Xth day OF the month
Swan, and is called by Moses the Feast or Weeks,
because 1t was fixed at the end OF the seven weeks
from the Offering Of the Omer, sheaf 1t is also
sometimes spoken OF as the Feast of First Fruits. 1t
i,,ts n nc run1h hu al ~,