The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1884-07-23
INDIA RICE MILLS
snp.rrtitssr. q the srnarerue.

Among the many supershtions OF meoleF1
Judaism which survive in cld-fasboined
Jewish communities, one Of the most IN
vetsrate is the belief That the synagogue Is q
meeting place for the dead as well as Tor Inc
living. Your thoroughly orthodox and thor
oughly conservative Jew-an Individual COM
mon enough in Eastern Europe, and by no
means 40 rare in England as many may I'M,
agine-is firmly convinced that the SHOOT
as Inc bnuse of worship is familiarity deslgnat.
ed l. regularly frequented by The Hmeisin"
or denarted members of the congregation, VINO
assemble there for the purpose oil prayer ana
studv. lust as they did while alive. The no
tion. in all probability, dates from very
ancient times, for q curious legend oil the Ne.
draSb records how one Of the rabbins Of old
tried 70 force his way into the cave Of Mac
nelab where the patriarchs are tabled TO have
bas synagogue Of their own, but was stop
red BY Eliezer Of Damascus, the steward oil
Abraham, who said his master was engaged
in prayer, and could not, without danger, be
disturbed. Be that, however, as it may, no
orthodox Israelite under any circumstances
ever enters synagogue, without giving three
preliminary knocks at the door, in order Il
warn the dead of the approach Of a living Co
religionist, and thus afford them time to van
ish ere any one disturb them. Uulucky is he
accounted who ventures TO intrude without &c
doing; and thrice unluoky is he deemed, who
should, peradventure, look with mortal eye
upon the "meisim" or congregants from the
grave. This curious superstition has-as may
be imagined-giVen rise to quite crop o.
strange stories and weird legends. And, odd
~ enough, these are invariably connected
with, or said to be connected with, certain
ri. nrfhodnw Iaraalffac
In Russia, Poland, and Galicia, for instance,
no female ever enters the synagogue alone,
and the gossips of the Juden-viertel, OF
Jewish quarter, explain the why and where
fore of this. Thoy tell how, many, many
wears ago, the "Rabbetsen'-th chief rab-
bins wife, that is-of Suezk, rose early one
morning in autumn, and started for the syn.
agogue before day-break-as is the wont O
all old-fashioued JewB-in order to attend The
propitiatory services held during the weel
that interyenes between the new year and tht
Day Of Atonement; how the wind blew on
the candle in the lanthorn she carried; anc
how, on entering the synagogue, she waf
surprised TO find the place lit up, aud th,
mems seats below filed with devout worship.
ers. And then, requiring light, che calleC
to the attendant down stairs to bring her one
when 10 and behold hand was stretched III
from beneath the gallery, mysterious AMI
ghOstly hand, reaching forty feet up; and il
this hand was the light for which she hat
asked. Two hours afterwards she was fount
by the living worshipers, who came later, in
sensible upon the floor. And to the end o
her days, runs the tradition, she was blind
she who had inadvertently looked upon tn
dead To this day, no Jewess enters syn
agogue by herself. If alone when she reach
es the ''shoOP she remains outside unit
one of the male members of the congregatio
arrives. When he has passed in, then, an
then alone, will she follow him into the sacre
ediice.-AR hs Pear Round