The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-10-25

is, in northern Europe, presented to a
bridegroom by his bride on the day of
their wedding, and is worn by him on
certain occasions, such as the Day Of
Atonement and the Passover Eve celebra-
ton. 1t is made by the female relatives
of the bride, but she herself must not
take part in the sewing of 1t. In Poland,
Galicia, and in Russia the bridegroom al
ways wears the death garment under tho
wedding canopy during the performance
of the marriage ceremony. Besides the
kittel, the body is enveloped in the pray
ing scarf or talith used by the deceased
during life. When this is done the rela-
tives are summoned. One by one they
draw near and bend over the coffin; a
friend takes sharp knife and makes slit
in one of the outer garments of the
mourner-on the right side if the de-
ceased be a parent, on the left if child.
The mourner himself then rends the gar
ment, according to the custom of the
country. In the east the Jew tears the
vestment clean across; in England it is
only torn a couple of fingers breadth.
The rent must not be sewn up for a
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 members
of what are termed "Chevrah kadishaw"
or "Holy Brotherhood" an organization
formed in every orthodox congregation
only for this purpose.
Just as near relatives are excluded
from the death chamber, so are females
prohibited from attending funeral or
difficult to say. The custom Of eXclud-
ing women on such occasion is 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
dirges appropriate to the ceremony.
However, nowadays they are not per-
united to join, and the obsequies are at
tended by males only, In Northern
Europe and in parts of Russia, $ather
is not allowed to be present at the inter-
ment of the first child he is unfortunate
enough to lose. 1t is believed he will
lose second if he does, though this will
not in itself suffice to explain the exist
ence of so strange a custom. The Polish
Jews are, however, peculiar in more than
this. 1t is the universal belief of ortho-
doX Hebrews that the resurrection of the
dead will take place in the Holy Land,
and therefore all bodies will have to make
their way underground to Palestine ne-
fore the day of judgment. 30, to facil-
itate tlic t task, lne "Chassidim, or ultra
pious of Russia and Poland, put q fork
in the hands of the deceased when he is
placed in the ground-for collins arc only
used in the case of a b'chor Girst borD
or kohen Zone of priestly family)-in
order that he may dig his way through
the ground with it and thus reach the
Holy Land, where the resurrection taAus
place.
On leaving a cemetery-which is
known as the bethclam, ''l:0u5C Of eter-
nity," or beth hahn, ''hou5e It tite,~-jI
is customary to pluck some Of the g::a2s
growing there and throw il over tic
shoulder without looking back, repeating
the words, Lila moyeth I netzGch" Clo
will destroy death forever. Primarily
the plucking cf the grass had 10 c0nnec-
ton with the formula that now accom-
panies it; but the original symbolism IF
the act is forgotten, like so many Of the
practices still extant in Jcwry.-St
James Gazette.