Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-10-01
RosH HAsHoNA.
To-Day Begins the New Year of
the Hebrews.
A Description Of the Festival and How It is
Observed : Other Jewish High
Days.

Ate O'Clock this evening. the Jewish new
year, the year 5644, will begin, today being
the first of Tishri, the seventh month OF
the Jewish year, the first being Nissan,
when they celebrate their Passover.
There are legends existing in the Rabbi
nical writings, which tend to make the first
of Tishri and the month in general, more
holy than the 9th ers. Abraham and Jacob
were born in Tishri, and in Tishri they
died. On the first of Tishri the universe
was created. On the same day Sarah,
Rachel and Hannah, three barren women,
were visited. On the first day OF Tishri
the Jews discontinued their vigorous labor
m Egypt. On that day Adam was created,
and on that day, too, did he eat Of the for
hidden fruit. Such fabulous statements,
and more, too, are expressed in their writ.
ings but have no other weight with the
modern Jewish people than mere myths.
Since the destruction of the Temple this
dsy has been better known as the Day OF
Judgment, rather than the civil new year.
The Israelites, therefore, over the surface OF
ii eearth regard this holiday with awe and
yeneration, and reflect upon their short
they say, the great judgment day is at hand
and the lot of each man is decided on High
The new year, so the rabbis OF old main
. tanned, is also
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT,
when all men pass the judgment seat
where three books are open, containing the
names and deeds of all living men, and
their fate for the coming year is decided
according TO their deeds in the past. 1t is
decided who should live and who should
die; everything is allotted to everybody,
except the expenses OF the chi!dren's edu-
cation, which God limits not. God sits
upon the throne of judgment, the Cabba-
lists added; before Him seventy angels sit
upon seventy golden chairs, the Sanhedr:n
over which God presides, to judge the
merits and dement's Of every person and
people, and 10 fix their fate according to
their desert.
Satan appears before God in the role OF
prosecuting attorney, the kataigoros to
recount the sins Of each person. Bat the
prayers and sounds Of the cornet, Shofor,
which is blown that day in manner tradi-
tionaliy established, cenfuses Satan so that
he never accomplishes his object.
Three classes of people are arraigned for
judgment-the righteous, the wicked and
Indifferent. To the righteous the Lord
dennis, and to the Indifferent ones He
grants respite. From New Years Day
until the Day of Atonement He holds His
Judgment in abeyance; il they repenttruly
they are classea with the righteous, for
happy life, and il they remain untouched
they are counted with the wicked.
BEAUTIFUL NARRATIVE.
This subject reminds of the beautiful
Hebrew narrative, the author of which is
now unknown certain man had three
trends. One of these he loved dearly and
the second he loved also, but not as deeply
as the first; to the third he was almost in
different. Now the king of the country
sent his officers to this man, commanding
his immediate appearance before him.
Greatly terrified was the man at this sum.
mons. He thought that somebody had
been speaking evil of him, or probably &C.
cusing him falsely before his sovereign,
and being afraid to appear unaccompanied
before the royal presence, he resolved to
ask one of his friends to go with him.
First he naturally applied to his dearest
friend but he at once declined to go, Civ.
ing no reason and no excuse for his lack OF
fTiendliness. So the man applied to his
second friend, who said to him: II will go
with thee as far as the palace gates, but |
will not enter with thee before the king"
In desperation the man applied to his
third friend, the one whom he had neglect
| ed, but who replied to him at once, Fear
not; will 90 with thee, and will speak in
thy defence. l will not leave thee until
thou art delivered from thy troubles"
The first friend" continued the author, is
a mans wealth, which he must leave be-
| hind him when he dies. The Second
friend" is typified by the relatives who fol
| low him to the grave, and leave him when
the earth has covered his remains. The
third friend" he who entered with him
i: to the presence of the King, is as the
good deeds OF mans life, which never de
sert but scc DmJ " him TO plead his cause
before the King of Kings, who regarded not
person nor taketh bribery.
YoM KlPrR.
Next to the Yom Kipur, the Day Of
Atonement, the Israelite regards this holt
day as The most sacred. Almost all our
ciriz,ns abstain from their respective bust
ness and attend the divine service, which
is more impressive than at any other time.
as, besides the organ, other instruments
are added, and the music selected with
special care for the occasion. On Tuesday
morning the Shofor, made OF rams horu,
will be blown in three different sounds.
pure sound (TKiah), a sound of alarm
or trembling (Truah), and thirdly, a pure
sound again (T'kiah). These tones have q
piercing sound, causing actually the lis.
tener to feel himself touched by their
strains, and making him an humble being.