The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-11-24
JEWISH FunERALa
Curious Customs That Are the same
Now as In the Days of Mosea.


In their funeral rites and observ-
anccs the jews have preserved many
Of the most ancient customs of their
race, says the Sc james Gazette.
They still rend the upper garments in
token Of bereavement, as Jacob did
whom informed of the death of his fav.
orite son; they still seat themselves for
seven days on the ground in sign OF
mourning as Job and his friends are
represented in the Scripture to have
done. They still eat the mourners'
meal as their ancestors did In Pales-
tine; they kindle the memorial light to
comfort the departed soul as they did,
in all likelihood. ages before Judaism
was known; and they still recite in
public the mourners' prayer, every re-.
petition of understanding to rabbin-
ical notions-helps the deceased step
futher out of purgatory.
The Jews rigidly exclude all relat.
ives from chamber of Q dying CO.
religionisL Only strangers should be
present when the soul leaves the body.
As SOON as death occurs all the vessels
In the house containing water are
emptied. On the continent, in places
where Jews reside, the emptyihg of
the water vessels In the public roadway
Is the usual mode of notifying that q
death has occurred The practice had
its origin, we gather from the
rabbinical books, In an Old World
superstition that standing water in
such circumstances became the abid.
ing place Of certain evil spirits whose
presence In the house was preiudicial
both to the dead and to the living In
the internal between death and inter.
nent the Jews lay the corpse upon the
bare ground with the feet toward the
door. The body Is covered. but moth.
ing-save occasionally little straw
may be placed under II. Then the two
big toes are tied togatber. On Sab.
baths 1t is not, howelS, permitted to
remove q body on to the floor; it would
be work. But as 1t is sometimes nee.
essary that this should nevertheless be
done. rabbinical ingenuity has con-
trived a means Of accomplishing IL
without violating the sanctity of the
day. A loaf of bread Is placed upon
the corpse, and the two together nre
lifted to the ground. 1t is held that
only the bread has been moved, and
this Is permitted on the Sabbath.
Two or three hours before the inter-
ment takes place, the ceremonial puri-
fication OF the body known as the iaha-
ra takes place. II consists merely in
pouring seven difinite measures of
warm water over the body, while re-
peating the words: II will pour upon
you cleansing waters and ye shall be
cleansed of your uncleanliness; for of
all your iniquit es 1 will purify YOU"
The body is then placed in the coffin,
attired In white cotton gown known
as a kittel. This kittel is, in Northern
Europe, presented to br degroom BY
his bride on the day of their wedding,
and Is worn by him on certain occa-
sions, such as the Day of Atonement
and the Passover Eve celebration. 1t
is made by the female relatives of the
bride, but she herself must not take
part in the sewing of it In Poland,
Galicia. and in Russia the bridegroom
always wears the death garment un-
der the wedding canopy during the
perfor nance of the marriage ceremony.
Besides the kittel. the body is envelop.
ed In the praying scarf or taIith used b,
the deceased during life. When this is
done the relatives are summoned. One
by one they draw near and bend over the
coffin; a fir end takes sharp knife and
makes slit in one of the outer gar
mcnts of the mOurner-0n the right
side il the deceased be parent on the
left il child. The mourner himself
then rends the garment according to
the custom of the country. In the
East the Jews tear the vestments
clean across; in England it is only torn
a couple of fingers breadth. The rent
must not be sewn up for month. and
the mourning garment must be worn,
for parent, fully eleven months. The
Spanish and Portuguese Jews rend
their undergarments as well. Except
among the German Jews-as they are
called-in this country. the last offices
of the dead are performed by the mem.
bers of what are termed .'Chevrah
Kadishah. or Holy Brotherhood"
an organization formed in every ortho. |
dox congregation only for this pur.
pose.
Just as near relatives are excluded |
from the death chamber. so are fe- |
males prohibited from attending fu-
neral or interment Why this should |
be so it is difficult to say. The custom |
of excluding women on such occasions
10 certainly not an ancient one. since
we know from the Talmud and later |
rabbinical books that, of old. women
joined In the funeral professions of
their people. chanting drges appropri-
ate to the ceremony. However, now
adavs they arc not permitted to join.
and the obsequies are attended by males
only. In Northern Europe and in
parts Of Russia, father is not allowed
to be present at the interment OF the
first child he is unfortunate enough to
lose. II Is believed he will lose sec.
ond IL he does; though this will not in
itself. suffice to explain the existence
OF so strange custom. The Polish
Jews are however, peculier in more
than this. II is the universal belief of
orthodox Hebrews that the resurrec-
ton of the dead will take place in the
HOLY Land, and therefore all bodies
will have 10 make their way under.
ground to Palestine before the Day OF
Judgment. So to facilitate this task.
the "Chassidim." or ultra pious OF
Russia and Poland. put fork In the
hands of the deceased when he is
placed in the ground-for coffins are
only used In the case OF a Echor first
bornl or kohsn Zone Of prestly fam
ily)-in order that he may dig his way
through the ground with it and thus
reach the Holy Land. where the resur-
rectlon takes place.
On leaving cemetary-which is
known as the be!hctan. ''house of
eternity" or beth hains, ''honse of
life"-it Is customary 10 pluck some of
the grass growing there and throw it
over the shoulder without looking
back. repeating the words: Lila NOV
eth neizach" Gle will destroy death
forever). Primarily the plucking of
the grass had no connection with the
formula that NOWADAYS accompanies
it; but the original symbolism of the
act is forgotten. like so many of the
practices still extant In JewEy. On re-