Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-05-15
JEWISH OBsERVANCES In
MAY.

AlstOr1caI Foundation and symbol
ical Interpretation of Some of the
Jewish Religious Observances
During the Present Month.
Next to the Catholic Chureh-which
has devoted every day in the year to the
pious remembrance of a saint-there is
probably no religious denomination than
the Hebrew which has so many festivals,
some of which are observed in JOY, and
Others with outward tokens of sorrow,
some being full, and others half holidays.
For instance, the first day of every
month-Rosh Chodesh-is half holiday,
and by the orthodox in the Jewish faith
this day, as well as the preceding one, are
even kept as fast days, the latter being
called by some Jem Ripper Kaddan-Mi-
nor Days of AtOnement. In this our
year of 1870, which, according to Mos &C
calculation, is rated by the Jews as tie
year $500 after the creation of the world,
it appears that the opening and closing
days of each month do nearly correspond
with the like days of the Gregorian cal
endar. Thus the Rosh h1desh Iyar, the
current month of the Jews, began wi h
the evening of the LIST of May, and end
ed with sunset on the ID. A very inter
esting, but among all more or less mod
ernized Jews already obsolete, festival
falls on Sunday, May Is.
sHENEE PEsACH.
This was an after celebration cf Pesach,
or Easter, and although, as stated above,
obsolete now in Europe, as well as in
America, it is still commemorated and
observed in the East among the adherents
of the old 1almudical law. This festival
was instituted for these who were absent
from their homes on the day of Pesach
and could not appear in their temple to
offer up the prescribed sacriicial gifts.
For such Silence Pesach was ordained,
that after their return they might do
what they could not ON the regular day of
the Easter festival But the most i'm
portant and religiously hallowed day for
the Jews during the present month will be
on the 10Th, which is called
LAG Boomer.
1t being the thirty-third day from the
first day of Pesach. By the 9Th verse of
the 10th chapter of Deuteronomy the
Jews were commanded: 'tSeven weeks
shalt thou number unto thee; begin to
number the seven weeks from such time
as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the
corn" In obedience to this, in all ortho-
doX Jewish families the counting is begun
from the first day of Pesach, each day
being separately counted, and an appro-
pirate blessing said. These seven weeks
extend from Easter to Pentecost, the lat
ter being the feast of the law, Moses hav-
ing received it on the fiftieth day after
Pesach on Mount Sinai. 1t is q season of
sorrow, and no Jew was, in former times,
permitted even to shave, and no marriages
were allowed to be contracted during its
continuance. But the thirty-third day
alag GimmeD of the season of Omer,
was, and is even now, a day of rejoicing.
Akiba, slave, who had been converted
TO Judaism, and, owing to his genius and
learning, became one of the Talmudists,
had number of disciples, a majority of
whom were carried to the grave by pes
thence which had broken out shortly af-
ter Pesach, but suddenly ceased its raw
ages on the thirty-third day. Hence, the
restraints of the season of sorrow are re-
moved on this day, and joy, and hilarity
and marriages are permitted.
There is also symbOlical Interpretation
of the institution on this festive day. At
ter the Jews fed from Egypt they Occu-
pied thirty-three days in cleansing them
selves from the pollution of slavery and
preparing to receive the law, which was
promulgated seventeen days later, on the
day of Shebnoth, which comes this year on
the 9Th day of the month of Swan, cor
responding with the same date in the fol-
lowing month of June. On the 31st of
May is observed
ROSH CHODISH SWAN,
or the first day Of the month of Swan,
TO which again the remarks are applica-
BILE, made in regard to the first dsys of
every month and to the days preceding
them.