The New York herald., 1870-12-27
of the festival prevents its being of very great I'm

OF the festival prevents its being Of very great I'm
THE FEAST OF DEDICATION
lasts eight days and commentaries the publication
OF the Temple and the dedication OF the new altar OF
| burnt offering, after the deliyerance OF Jerusalem
from Antiochus Epphanes II does no involve the
suspension OF labor. and the religious services at
tending it are not very important. IL Is sometimes
called the feast OF lights, consequence OF tradi
ton which "a rather interesting After the cleansing
or the Temple we are told the priests lit the lamp
| which was to burn continually before the Lord, but
could only ind oil enough To feed 1t for one night
supply miracle, however was worked 10 enable
them TO keep up the divine flame. This small por
ton OF OIL by the aid of the Almighty lasted all
! through the eight days. To commemorate this on
the hrst day OF the festival one light IS lighted In
the synagogue, on the second day two, the third
tnree ana so on, adding a light each day until the
| close OF the feast
THE FEAST or ruRIM
Is also festival Of comparatively recent institution
| and commentaries the delivery Of the Jews from
the wicked designs ofslaman. The book OF Esther Is
read IN the synagogues, and whenever the name OF
Haman occurs, the whole congregation clap their
| hands stamp their feet and call out "Let his name
and memory ne blotted out. The name OF the wicked
shall roth The festival Is kept up with the greatest
possible appearance of rejoicing, IA we, who live in
| New York, have ample reason 10 know the Purm
Dall being one OF the great social events OF each
| season.
With the exception of the Day OF Atonement,
| do not require any very extended notice. The
| principal are the fast Of Gedallan, in memory OF
| the murder OF Gedaah. the son OF Ahikam; the
siege Of Jerusalem by yNeDuchadnezzar; the fast OF
Esther, IN memory Of her fast OF three days and
nights before she attempted to stir the heart or the
great King IN favor OF her people, and the fast Of
Ab, which celebrates the burning OF Jerusalem by
! Nebuchadnezzar. These fasts are kept with, more
less srictness by abstinence from food and labor
from sunset till sunset and by various religious OBJ
| ServanceS.
THE DAY or ArONEMxNT
is 0y far the most solemn day Of the whole jewish
| year. II Is held on the tenth day OF the month
days or penitence, and are marked by the addition
OF prayers and confessions to the usual daily sup
pcations. On the sabbath preceding the fast II Is
usual for the rabbi to earnestly exhort the people
to repentance. IL Is the accepted belief that during
ea aas Gpa sy ,n a ,he @
year tine first day OF Tisri and continuing through
the next eight days until, on the tenth, the
the prayers passage explains this belief as follows
ION the first day OF the year II Is inscribed and
termined how many shall pass by and how many
shall be born; who shall live ana who shall die;
who shall finish hls allotted time and who shall not;
who is perish by ire, by water, by the sword, by
wild beasts, by hunger, by thirst, by earthquake
oy he by or Sy n being ~
who shall be wandering; who shall remain tranquil
and who shall be disturbed; who shall reap enjoy.
grow rich and who shall become poor who shall De
cast down and who exalted. But prayer. peni-
cree Before tins solemn last, fraught, ac-
cording to the Jewish belief with sucn
y sa, results begins ., each c israee m
have become involved and TO put himself ut peace
with all the world. In the afternoon preceding the
feast he makes hearty meal, and then until sunset
the following evening he fasts absolutely taking
no manner OF susenance, even drop OF water. =
The religious services begin at sunset, the syna-
! gogue being splendidly Illuminated with wax
candles. which burn night and day I'LL the close Of
the fast. Many or the more religious remain IN the
synagogue all night and throughout the day until
sunset but those who retire to their homes assemble
again at SIX O'Clock in the morning, remaining all
| the remainder of The day. The services compris 9
elaborate confessions or ain and entreatles for mercy
and forgiveness. When, at last, sunset arrives, the
| c0rnet announces the close OF the fast.
THE ORDINARY SERVICES
of the Jews have been left till now because their
stttution Is OF later date than the solemn rites
whose leading features have been described. Syna-
| g0gue worship Is indeed comparatively modern in-
stitution; II was unknown IN the primitive days OF
the Jewish Church. and sprung up after the Second
| Temple Previous to that there mad been general
and strict observance OF the Sabbath, and frequent
religious gatherings FOR common Supplication, but
| regular services were unknown.
sYNAGOGUES
vary, OF course, much III their architectural
beauty ana the richness OF their appointments but
| there are some features in which they all agree.
According to the strict law, the synagogue should
| this Is now not very strictly observed, though the
/ Jews turn their faces thitherward when engaged IN
prayer. The main feature Ia every synagogue Ia the
ark, small closet hung with curtains and SYMBOL
cay representing the ark Of the covenant. In this
lessons in the synagogue, is deposited. This
roll must be in manuscript, written with
INK OF u peculiar character, and. according to nu.
erous directions. failure in any which destroys
the value OF the sacred volume. The roll consists Of
1
thongs cut out or the skin OF some clean animal,
| and II Is rolled up from both ends on two wooden
| slaves. IL Is usually encased In linen or
SILK. After the ark a raised platform, generally
near the middle OF the room, arrests attention. This
Is the desk or altar from which the law is read aud
mons delivered ana Is usually large enough 10 al of
several persons To be present on 1t at the same time
| The floor OF the synagogue IS filed up with long
benches more or less luNurousy furnished and q
| number OF lamps and chandeliers are suspended
from the ceiling. Close b. the door there are usually
lutte boxes to receive the contributors OF the cnari-
1 q q
th0doX synagogueS the women are separated from the
| men, and are accommodated generally III a gallery,
or, II they are on the same floor with the screen
! shuts them on from observation. The new syna-
gogues. however. disregard this rule and the sexes
are mixed. All Jews keep their hats on III The syna-
gogue.
| DIVINE SERVICE
among the Jews Is extremely SIMPLE ltcohslss on or
dinary merely OF the reading OF the law The
| recital OF prayers the chanting OF psalms ana the
! delivery OF sermons. Many changes have recently
| taken place In many congregations in the liturgy
| used. Formerly Hebrew was tue only tongue used.
| but now the yernacular Is employed In many OF the
| more liberal and progressive synagogues. Women.
| too are now frequently allowed TO chant in the
| choir-an innovation OF very modern growth. In
sacred Scriptures were read cach service than
now. There are daily services IN ali the synagogues.
And now We naturally come 10 one OF the best
known features OF the jewish fai--a feature which
has been more or less perfectly copied by the yarl
| Gus Christian sects-
| THE SABBATH.
The Jewish Sabbath Is reckoncd, after the Asatic
4 from sunset 10 sunset anu lastS therefore
| from one Friday evening Till Saturday at the setting
OF the sun. The injunction OF the Decaogne ''to do
no manner OF work. &C.. is observed with painful
exactLude. The rabies have defined the works for
/ hidden on the Sabbath under thirty-Line general
heads and 1t will be seen from the list that they
cover pretty thoroughly every known branch of in
| dustry These are the things that are forbidden
| '.ploughing, sowing, reaplng, bundng, binding,
| threshing, wnnowng, sitting, grinding, botng.
| kaeading, cooking clipping, washing, combng,
| spinning, winding, warplng or weaving. dyeing,
tying, untyng, sewing, breaking III pieces, fastening
with wedges pins, building, demolishing, striking
with hammer, hunting, fishing. killing, having,
taking the hair Off from hides, cutting In pieces,
| writing, blottng out, ruling paper, kindng fire,
quencning It, carrying anything out OF doors INTO a
| street or public place"
| OF the
| SPECIAL RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS
OF the isractes such circumcision and the vari-
GUS ceremonies for celebrating marriages and con-
Quoting funerals nothing need he said, as to give
m,nutey The details Of each rite, interesting 1t