Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-09-26
JEWISH CHRONOLOGY.
The ROsh Rashanah-0r New Ysar-Dsys
Of Awe.
The Ten PsnltentIal DaYs-ServIess, cere.
meaIes, Etc.

MN
ell, in stating that the Hebrew year COM
menced Yesterday. IL commences to-day,
this being the first of TIsri. The Jews
date their calendar from the Bible tradi-
ton of the creation, which is considered
by them to have occurred $3.50 years and
threas months before the Christian Era.
Their year is l~uni-solar, and, according as
1t Is ordinary or embolismic, consists of
twelve or thirteen lunar months, each of
which has twenty-nine or thirty days. 1t
is occasionally made q day more or less
than the mean value, in order that certain
festivals may fall on certain days
In the week for their due observ-
ance. The months are named: Tisri,
Hesyan, Keslef, Tebet Sabat, Adar, Yea
dar, Nissan, War Swan, Tamuz, Alb. Elul.
The year ~can.consist of353, 354, 1856, 1888, 3S4.
or 1856 days, b ordinary and embolismic
year being each divided into three classes
imperfect, Common and perfect. The
value in days of each is given above in
the order of the figures, h ordinary
being first. The month Veadar is inter-
ealarv, and is introduced hat the Pass
over, the fifteenth (15th) day of Nissan,
may be kept at its proper season, which
is the full moon of the vernal
equinox, or that which takes
place after the sun has entered Aries.
The distribution of the embclismic year
is determined by a cycle of nineteen (I9)
years. according to the following rule:
Divide the Hebrew year by 10; the quo
tent is the number of the last completed
cycle, and the remainder Is the year of the
current cycle. Should it be 8, o, s, IL, II,
IL or 0 40, the year is embolismic; other
wise it is ordinary.
THE JEWISH CALENDAR
is constructed by assuming that the mean
lunation to be twenty-nine 100 days,
twelve Q2) hours, forty-four (44) minutes,
and three and one-third (SZ) seconds, and
that the year commences on or immedi-
ately after the new moon following the
sutumnal equinox. The mean solar year
is assumed to consist of 365 days, five ~
hours, fifty-five (55) minutes and twenty
five and twenty-five fif~ty-sevenths
(25 rs -5D seconds. A cycle of nineteen
years contains 6939 days, 10 hours, 80 min
utes and 81 seconds-the exac measure
of 2S5 l~nnations. Thus, by knowing which
of the years are embolismic, from their
ordinal position in the cycle, according to
the rule given, the times of the COM
mencen1ent of the successive years may be
carried out indefinitely without any
trouble. 1t must be observed, however,
that to avoid certain festivals falling on
incompatible days of the week that the
year must not begin on a Sunday,
Wednesday or Friday, so that if the
computed conjunction falls on one of
those days the new year must be fixed
for the day after. The following condi-
tons must also be attended to: If the
new moo be after twelve O'Clock, mid
day, the following day is to be taken; if
in an ordinary yea b new moon be on
Tuesday as late as 0 h., IL NJ, 20 s., am. it
is not to be observed thereon, and as it
may NOT be held on Wednesday is post
poned until Thursday; if in a year i'm
msdiately following an embolismic year
the new moon fall as late as thirty
minutes and tifty-two seconds past three
O'Clock pm. on Monday, the new year is
to III CT Tuesday. The new moon
this year occurred at thirty-four minutes
past twelve O'Clock am, this Monday
morning, and hence to-day is the
RosH HAsHANAH
or Jewish civil new year of A. NJ, 563l.
This is one of the "days of awe' among
the Jews, and is observed as q high holiday
in contradistinction to the first day
Of Nissan, which is the commencement of
the ecclesiastical year. The period of Rosh
Hashanah is the most solemn of the
whole year. Scripture and religion unite
in impressing upon it the character of
profound ave.. The latter designates it as
the anniversary of the creation of the
universe, and as the day when the
Supreme Being judges mankind and pro-
CoAAAN AACA NStAA ~ NAo y OAA w III
1t is therefore a period of repentance, for
which a months previous prepare
ton is made by additional pray
ers, services performed before day
break and the blowing OF the
sHOFAR.
This primitive musical instrument SON
sists of a rams horn cleaned, smoothed
and made bright by known processes,
having a tapering shape and bent like a
hook in the lower part, with a narrow
opening at the top and awide one at the
bottom, The shrill sounds produced by
blowing il have been arranged into va
rious classes, each of which is designated
by a particular name, and the party APP
pointed to blow the horn must know
these names so as TO be able to sound the
particular tOn required. Sacred as is to-
day among this peculiar race, it is only
preparatory to one ten days hence, called
the
A OF AToNEMENT.
The whole of the intermediate time item
days. between now and then are called
the ten dogs of p~enitence, and the holy
days themselves (to-daY, Monday and
Wednesday week. are called the dGuS of
dWe. The religious Jew looks for the adj
vent of this period with feelings of rejoi-
cling, mingled with uncommon awe and
reverence. He prepares himself for the
due celebration of these feasts by a rigid
and scrupulous self-eXamination, by the
endeavor to compensate for any wrong
he may have inflicted upon his fellow
man, Jew or gentle, to obtain pardon of
those he may have offended, and by fast
ing and penance for the purpose of expia-
ting sins committed. He holds the day
OF atonement expiates only the sins com.
mitted against God, but does not affect
the offensss against his fellow-man until
their pardon be previously obtained.
TOUCHING INSTANCES
recur to the writer where individuals
high in station, of great wealth and emil
nent in learning, having, at the approach
of the days of awe, humbly and repeat
edly craved the pardon of persons in
every respect their interiors, for the use
of ~cpprobrious expressions uttered in the
heat of passion.
BEFORE DAYBREAK
a public service is held in the synagogue,
and in h afternoon, before the advent of
the Festival of New Year, another is per-
formed, after which the religious take a
bath. The evening services are not dis
tinguished by any peculiar or particular
feature. At the
EVENING MEAL,
the rare fruit coming IN season, such
for instance as fresh figs, new n
pears, ETC., together with an apple and
neaO honey are always present. The eat
ing of the former is always preceded by
the benediction "Blessed art thou, o Lord
God, who hath kept us alive and pre-
served us and allowed us to attain this
period" The eating of the honey is typi-
OF a ''syyeet new year" The morning
begins at daybreak, and the Faith
full hasten to the synagogue without
feod. The more scrupulous wear a white
robe, and those officiating in the service
always appear in it. In Central
Europe thu most sacred part of the
is, as we said before, the blowing
of the Shofar. 1t is the duty of each adult
Israelite to hear It's sound, and no one in
good health dare to break his fast before
his ear has caught the sacred sounds. An
AWFUL STIFFNESS
prevails before this part of the service be-
gins, during which everyone prepares
himself in silence for the act, whilst a
special prayer is offered up by the party
appointed 10 blow the horn. At last the
silence is broken by the bidding of the
minister elbow" and the summons is
obeyed. Thrice the minister bids and
thrice the horn resounds, after which a
prayer is rscited, when the ceremony is
twice repeated. At length
THE NINTH
of the ~penitential days arrives-thst be-
fore the day of AtOnement. This day
must not be kept as a fast, as the other
penitential days are kept by strict Jews.
On the contrary, it is enjoined not to abb
stain from the usual comforts of life. As
o as the afternoon meal is over and
grace is said, nobody is permitted to take
any further nourishment, or to indulge
in any of those comforts exciting plessur-
able sensations, for this is the interpreta-
ton given TO the command rye shall
afnict your SOULS" LEV. XVI, 81. Every
one now hastens to the
SYNAGOGUE,
the interior of which presents a most sol
emn and imposing aspect. There the
worshippers stand in awe and reverence,
wrapt in silent meditation. At last the
Rabbi gives the signal for Y The
service lasts till a late hour in the even
inn Thn nArnin- nnr-ino Lo-s.n-.4 L.