Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-06-01
THE PASSOVER RITES.
JEWISH DOORS LEFT OPEN FOR
THE EXPECTED MESSIAH.

Burning the Remnants of Leavenet
Bread - The Making of Unleavenet
Bread-ReliEious Services, Rites ant
Ceremonies-Solemn Recital.
In the evening, two nights before the be
ginning of Passover week, in all orthodox
Jewish families, certain preparatory meas
ures are taken. The father, as head of the
family, makes his tour of thorough inspection
of his domicile, seeking for remnants of
J leavened bread, first invoking blessing upon
his task, and then preserving solemn silence
until the conclusion of his search. Care is
| taken that there shall be some scraps left for
| him to find, and that he shall know where to
look for them but the form of search is care
| fully preserved, and his wife makes very
sure that no other fragments are left but
those intended to be found which are always
mere crumbs. These are gathered in spoon.
To them is added the half mizvo left over
from the Passover of the preceding year, and
all are carefully wrapped in a clean bit of
linen and laid aside until the forenoon of the
I succeeding day-Aref- Pesach-when, about
10 o'clock, the little package is put in the fire
and burned.
From the time when those remnants of
leavened bread are burned, through the
whole of the succeeding seven days no other
bread is eaten than the matzos, or thin flakes
of dry baked, crisp, unleavened dough, and
the orthodox Jew is not supposed to have in
his possession any of the things that may not
lawfully be eaten by him during that season.
The requirements of the truly orthodox
with reference to the preparation of the
matzos are very rigid. A committee is ap-
pointed from each congregation, whose duty
it is to buy in the field before it is harvested,
if possible, the grain that is destined for con-
version into the unleavened bread. If this
cannot be done, they select the best grain OBJ
tainable from the merchants. The grinding
of it into flour must be done in mill that
has been thoroughly cleansed from every
communicating speck of other -four, and
when this work is completed the product is
carefully barreled and sealed to be kept until
required. In the preparation of the mizvos
about which there is peculiar sacredness
the grinding of the grain into -four is fire.
quently done in hand mill that is kept for
that purpose and no other. For every step
in its progress from the field to the baking
oven the flour is sanctified to its uses by pre-
scribed prayers uttered over it. The baking
should properly be done by each congrega-
ton in its own bakery, the quantities re-
quired for each family having been ascer-
tanned in advance. In practice in this coun-
try, however, the matzos are made generally
in large bakeries owned and controlled by
Jews, who scrupulously observe in their
preparation every requirement of their law,
and this is looked upon as sufficient. In the
making of the dough, the flour is simply
mixed with pure water to the required con-
sistency, without salt, leaven of any kind or
otb c,1bc &c lod
thin and baked dry.
On the next evening, after religious SER
vices in the synagogues, which all Hebrews
should attend, each family retres to it's
home, and there solemnly celebrates the COM
memorative feast with which the festival be-
gins. Upon the family table is set great
plate-of silver, if possible-covered with
clean napkin, on which are laid three matzos,
the peculiarly sanctiied cakes of matzo
bread set apart for this especial use, and to
this end particularly consecrated by the
rabbits prayers. Upon another plate appears
the shank bone of a shoulder of lamb and an
egg, both roasted upon Goals; in a third
plate some lettuce and celery, or chervil and
parsley, some horse radish and watercresses;
cup containing salt water or vinegar; O.
small plate of apple sauce and almonds; and
glasses of wine, one for each person present,
and still another, that stands untouched
throughout the ceremonial, as a symbol of
the welcome ever ready for the long hoped
for Messiah. Each person present is re-
quired to drink four glasses Or cups of wine
during the progress of the rites. All MEM
bers Of Jewish household, from its patri-
archal head down to the humblest servant,
sit together at this Passover feast, for all are
equal before the God to whom they offer
their Thanksgiving for his infinite mercies
to their race; all are children of those who
were by him brought out of bondage.
And the things thus displayed on the table
have their emblematic significance. The
horse radsh and other sharp or bitter herbs
recall the bitter servitude in Egypt; the IN
leavened bread the hasty preparation for
fight to freedom in the desert; and other
meanings attach to each of the other articles,
as, for instance, the apple sauce, of the con-
sistency of mortar, which is a reminder of
the clay from which the Egyptian task
masters compelled their ancestors to make
bricks without straw.
The head of the family takes his place upon
chair, ON which pillow has been laid,
to distinguish it as a sort of throne. He is
the patriarch, the master, the teacher.
Around the board before him gather his
family and dependents, all attired as if ready
to set forth upon journey. He and they do
not assume the easy attitudes common at the
social board, but sit erect as if alert and ex-
pectant. He offers up a prayer Breaking
across the middle one of the three mizvos, he
lays aside half of it to be kept until the next
Aref- Pesach, when it will be burned To
each person seated at the board he gives a
fragment of that mizvo and of one of the
Others also small portion of the herbs
which are to be dipped into the salt water or
vinegar and eaten. Then all take hold of
the seder plate, upon which the mizvos
have been exposed, and together they sustain
it above the table while he utters another
prayer 1t is then replaced upon the board
and one of the younger members of the
family asks the father certain prescribed
questions as to why they are so as
sembled with the objects before them
that so meagerly furnish forth the family
table. In response, the patriarchal head
of the family tells the grand old story of Is
rael's slavery and redemption therefrom by
him who with strong hand and mighty arm
led them out of the house of bondage, through
the Red sea, and humbled the pride of their
cruel oppressors. AS he recites the ten
plaques sent upon the Egyptians, at the
mention of each every one seated at the board
dips a little finger in the glass of wine before
him or her, and scatters few drops upon the
floor.
A prayer follows the solemn recital Hands
are washed and the whole of the emblematic
repast that is at all eatable-excepting the
half mizvo reserved-is consumed During
part of this ceremonial feast the door of the
house must stand open, that it, in the full
ness of Gods providence, the hour shall have
come for the advent of the Messiah-which,
according to their traditions, will be in Pass
over time--his entrance may be unimpeded,
and his welcome, symbolized by the full glass
of wine left untouched ON the table, shall be
ever ready. A fervent prayer of thanksgiv-
ing concludes the rite, and the rest of tho
evening is devoted to innocent enjoyment
and domestic feGcity.-New York Sun.
Hint to Housekeepers.
Housekeepers who have been accustomed
to judge of the age Of a turkey by the fexi-
bility of the rear end of the breast bone will
be grieved to learn that unprincipled poultry
dealers pound the breast bones of aged tur-