Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-11-27
THE HEBREW SYNAGOGUES
RELIGIOUS DUTIES IN JEWISH ITEM
PILES OF WORSHIP.


Their Government by the Talmud-
What Is Required to Hold Ser
vices-The Minyan Men.
The age of many Jewish institutions Is
very uncertain; the most firmly estab-
most ancient. There was time when.
as in the Christian Church, no legal
limit had been assigned as the quorum
necessary to constitute congregation.
Though the Talmud distinctly cxacts
that ten adult males must assemble be-
fore certain parts of the liturgy may be
recited, somewhat earlier Jewish author
tiles mention seven, and even six, as suf-
6cient for the purpose The Importance
of public worship was very strongly in
sisted upon in the Talmud, and has, in
deed, been universally recognized.
pray, in congregation, said Moham-
med, 'for the wolf does not attack the
sheep unless one has strayed from the
flock" So long as the Jews lived to-
gether in the crowded quarters assigned
for their residences in European towns,
no difficulty can have been expe-
rienced in mastering quorum of
ten for religious services. In
many modern communities, however,
especially in the English provincial
towns, the number of Jewish inhabi-
tants is very small. In those cases the
pressure of the custom is heavily felt.
Even in the larger towns, however, it is
found impossible to rely on the regular
attendance of quorum of worshipers at
all the daily and evening services. The
morning service is long, and the modern
man of business cannot afford the luxury
of appearing in his synagogue except on
Sabbaths and festivals. There are GER
tain occasions, however, on which no man
omits to attend his usual place of wor-
ship, regardless of the inconvenience his
doing SO may entail. Foremost among
these is the "Jahrzeit, "or anniversary of
the death of near relative. The Jew
never fails to visit the synagogue on that
day, in order to recite the beautiful
prayer in which Gods justice and great
ness are proclaimed despite the sad
memories of the past bereavement. This
prayer, which is termed the Kaddish,
cannot be recited unless the legal quorum
Of worshippers is present. Obviously,
however, Jahrzeits will in large COM
munities be of almost daily occurrence
hence the urgent necessity to provide a
regular quorum independently of stray
and occasional visitors. Beside, as the
Talmud declares, "When the Holy One,
blessed be He, enters the synagogue and
finds fewer than ten worshippers present
His wrath is forthwith kindled"
To maintain the regular attendance of
quorum the services of the Minyan man
are called in requisition. The Minyan
man is the man who helps to make up the
number (Hebraic, minyan). Every wor-
shipper at the synagogue might, of
course, be SO described, but the title
Minyan man applies only to one whose
duty it is to attend all the services,
morning and evening, week day and Sun
day. In return for tho performance of
this Office he receives small salary, which
enables him to exc out scanty liveli-
hood. At first sight the employment of
salaried worshippers may appear incon-
gruous, but after all, the religious work,
whether of minister or Minyan man, is
none the less earnestly done because it is
paid for. Taking the dozen or SO of the
London Jewish synagogue, which are in
corporated as the United Synagogues,
the Minyan men cost no less sum than
$500 annually. Hence, there is at the
present a growing disinclination to con-
tinue to maintain the Minyan system at
all.
The Minyan man is mostly old and
foreign. There are but few young or
English Minyan men. AS a class the
Minyan men are poor, but highly re-
spectacle. To the devout old man, daily
and nightly attendance at the synagogue
is pure and genuine delight. In sun
shine and in storm he totters to his &C
cnstomed place, and adds his feeble voice
to the general chorus of psalm and prayer.
He enters the synagogue quietly, stations
himself in one of the seats allotted to him
and his fellow Minyan men, behind the
almemmar, or reading desk, so that he
is almost hidden from view of the con
gregation. On Monday or Thursday
morning he will perhaps be called to the
Law, and will stand beside the reader
while the latter intones few verses OF
the weekly lesson for the next Sabbath
from one of the Law enshrined in the
Ark. Portions of the Pentateuch arc
included in all the services of the syna.
gogue, but readings from the MS. scrolls
are reserved for the Sabbaths and festi.
walls. On Mondays and Thursdays, how.
ever, which were the ancient market
days, n scroll of the Law is opened, and
the first section of the long lesson assigned
for the following Sabbath is read to three
persons-a Cohen descendant of Aaron,
q Levite and a member of the general
community. TO return however, to the
Minyan man. When the service is con.
cluded he withdraws from the synagogue
as noiselessly as he entered it, and be
takes himself either to his business, if he
has any, or to the study of the Law.
We will conclude this sketch by point.
ing out that only males above the age oil
thirteen are admissible to form the Min.
yam quorum. Special services Tor women
have been occasionally held, but in gen.
cral men and women pray together in the
synagogue, though they occupy distinct
parts of the edifice The women, how.
ever, do not count for the quorum. Nine
men and twenty women, for instance,
would in the opinion Of most Jewish au,
thoFities, not be a legal congregation.
So soon as boy is barmitzvah thirteen
years old, he has reached his religious