The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-09-28
Terms $500 per ammun,, in adrance.
R0sh E1nshauah.
THE OBSERVANCE OF THE FESTIVAL OF THE
JEWISH NEW YEAR.


THE OBSERVANCE OF THE FESTIVAL OF THE
JEWISH NEW YEAR.
The New Year Of the Israelites was usher
ed in at sundown on Sunday evening.
1t Is the beginning of the civil year, as dis
tinguished from the ecclesiastical which COM
mences at the coming in of the Passover.
The name of the new month Is Tishri,
fersian word signifyins "frst" or Beginning"
ana The year is "5631 of the creation" The
FESTIVAL is called "Rose Hashanah," literally
neau OF The year, and is instituted by spec
ia' Diplicai injunction (Levit. xiii, 24 to
commemorate period additionally sad to
be the creation of the world.
In the temples, or houses of worship. of tia
reformed Jews, the services continue during
the whole of Monday, ending at.sundown;
but in the synagogues or places of worship
of the old strict Jewish sect, where every
form and ceremony is rsidly observed, the
services were held for two whole days, as was
the former general custom, ending at SUM-
down on Tuesday. But only the continuous
services end at that time, not the general OBJ
servance OF the season, for number of Jew
ish religious festivals cluster about this point
in the year.
1t is also called in the Jewish prayer books
"Yom Hazkaron," "Day of Memorial" and
~ ON Sikaren," "Day of Remembrance"
lie season in which it is held being the au-
tumnal equinox, when the sun enters the
first point in Libra, the festival is celebrated
by the jews as day of Judgment TO all flesh
when their actions are weighed and their fate
| is decided for the coming year.
And it is a remarkable fact that all ancient
astronomers have given as the zodiacal sign
for this month the figure of stern old man
holding pair of scales in bis right hand and
an opea book in his lett. Nothing remains of
this symbol at the present day but the pair of
scales, OF the idea of being weighed in the
balance.
This festival is also known as "Yom Teru-
ang, or "Day of Blowing" (of trumpets,)
Shophar, as ordered to the Jews in Leviticus
XIII "a, and in Numbers xxx. 1. This is
rite peculiar to this festival, and implies many
things. ltproclaims the King and his day Of
JudSment-Joel II. /. 1t also calls forth ter
ror at the judgment-Exodus XIX. 16, and
Amos III. 6. 1t calls forth thanks, as in
Psalms. These, and many other ideas, are
connected with the sounding of the cornet on
this day. The material OF the trumpet has
reference to the sacrifice offered in the place of
Isaac, which event is celebrated in the seryic-
es OF the second day OF the year, which are a
continuation OF those Of the first, to which
they. are similar. 1t was appointed by the
rabbis, and is named "Youra Arichta," or
"Prolonged Day."
In the books of Jews it is asserted that this
festival is OF a three-iold character: "Of ho-
mage, to invoke the speedy approach of the
Kingdom OF God; of remembrance, acknowl-
edging the omniscience, providence, and exer-
else OF supremacy toward the individual, that
1T may please God to remember his creatures
with pity and to temper his judgment with
mercy; OF sounding the cornet;" the reasons
for which are stated above.
This festival, although not one on which
the males were ordered to appear before the
Lord at Jerusalem,wa still to be day of holy
convocation to the Jews, on which they were
to do no servile work, but to "offer an offering
made by fire unto the Lord"
The New Year festival is followed by the
"penitential days." which are Immediately
succeeded by the ''day of Atonement" lKipur
eve), beginning on the evening of Tuesday,
October and ending on Wednesday. This
was the day upon which the High Priest
formerly entered into the "Holy OF Holies,"
only allowed once year, under the old Mo-
sale law.
After an interval of five days the "Feast of
Tabernacles" will take place, known in the
Hebrew as "Succotb," which will begin at
Sunday eve, the 10th of October, so that
lapse of seven days takes place between Kipur
| eve and Succoth.
The holidays are generally observed strictly
by our Israelitish population.