The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-09-27
JEWISH FUNERAL CUSTOMS.
Many of Their Most Ancient Rites Still
Observed-Peculiar Ceremonies.

Many of Their Most Ancient Rites Still
Observation-Disclosures Ceremonies.
In their funeral rites and observances
tho Jews have preserved many of the
most ancient customs of their race. They
still rend the upper garments in token Of
bereavement, as Jacob did when in
formed of the death of his favorite 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 Palestine; they kindln the memo
rial light to comfort the departed soul,
as they did, in all likelihood, ages before
Judaism was known; and they still re-
cite in public the mourners' prayer, every
repetition of Notwithstanding to rab-
binical notions-hcips the deceased a
step further out OF purgatCry. In the
west as III the east these customs are
practically the same-we mean among
the great bulk of o)servant Jews. The
very wealthy and the more highly cul-
tured members of the i ma rogue are in
these things, as in many others, a law
unto themselves.
The Jews rigidly exclude all relatives
from the chamber Ct dyin:, co-religion-
iSt. Only strangers should DO present
when the soul leaves the boz. AS soon
as death occurs all the vessels in the
house containing water are emptied.
On the continent, il places where Jews
reside, the emptying of the water vessels
in the public roadway is the usual mode
Of nttr,inor fI,oto lnotl, hoc
The practice had its origin. we gather
from the rabbinic;i books, i'll en- Old
Wcrld superstition that sta ing water
in such circumstanca becan' The abid-
ing place of certain evil 6, its whose
presence in the house was prejudicial
both to the dead and to the living. In
the interval between death and inter-
ment the Jews lay the corpse upon the
bare ground with the feet Onward the
door. Tie body is covered, but nothing
saving occasionally a little stTaw-may
be placed under it. Then the two big
toes arc tied together. On Sabbaths it is
not, however, permitted to remove q
body on to the floor; it would be work
But as it is sometimes necessary that this
should nevertheless be done, rabbinical
ingenuity has contrived a means of ac
complishiHg it without violating the
sanctity CT the day. a loaf of bread is
placed uron the corpse, and the two
together are lifted to the ground. It is
held that only the bread has been moved,
anI this is permitted on the Sabbath.
Two Or three hours before the inter
mert takes place the ceremonial puriGca-
ton Of the body known as the tahara
takes place. 1t consists merely in pour
ing seven definite measures of warm
water over the body, while repeating the
words: Il will pour upon you cleansing
waters, and ye shall be cleansed of your
uncleanlress; for Of all your iniquities
will purify you.' The body is then
placed in tie coffin attired in white cot
ton gown known as kittel. This kittel
is, III northern E0rope, 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
Atonen2cct and tic Passover Eve ceicUra.
ton. Il is made by tie female relatives
of the br::e, but she herself must not !
take part IL the sewing Of it. II Poland,
G&,icia, AID ia Russia the bridegroom al
Ways wears the death garment under thu
wedding canopy during tie performance
q the marriage ceremony. Besides the
lAttcl, the body is enyeloped in the pray
ing scarf CT tahth used by the deceased
during life. When this is done the rela-
ti7es are summoned. One by one they
draw near and bend over the coffin:
friend takes 4 sharp knife ard makes a slit
in one Of the outer garments CT the
mourner--on the right side if the de-
ccScoI l,o - , tio fcf. IF nf,ilI
The INQUIRER himself tiien It as the gar
rlent, according to tho cUs:1!n Of the
country. In the east the Jew tears the
vestnent clean acrcSs; in l2.,:apd it is
only torn q couple CT fing 5 breadth.
The rent must not be sewn up for a
month and the mourning garment must
be worn fey a parent fully ele,yA months.
The Spanish and Portuguese jews rend
their undergarrents as We. Except
among the German Jews--2s they are
calleil-in this country, the l>.sS Offices Of
the dead arc performed by tie members
of what arc termed "Chevra! I-uciiSaaw.''
or ''1oiy Brotherhood" an organization
formed in every orthodox congregation
only for this purpose.
Just as near relatives ere excluded
from the death chamber, SO are females
prohibited from attending & funeral on
intormcnt. Why this should he so it is
difficult to say. The custom OF elclud-
ing women Oil such occasion is certainly
not an ancient one, since we know from
the Taimud and la;cr rabbinicSl books
that, Of old. women joined in the funeral
professions of their people, chanting
dirges appropriate to the ceremony.
united to join, and The ooseGuies are at
tended BY males only. lii Northern
Europe aad III parts CT Russ:a, Il Slthcr
is not allowed 10 be present at the inter
ment of tie first child he is unfortunate
enough to lose. It is believed he will
lose q second if he does, though this will
not in itself suffice to explain the exist
| ence Of SO strange a custom. Tho Polish
Jews are, however, peculiar in moro than
this It 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 be-
fore the day of Judgment. So, to facil-
itate this task, the ''Chassiuim," or ultra
pious of Russia and Poland, put fork
in the hands Of the deceased when he is
placed in the ground-for collins are only
used in the case of b'chor Qirst born)
or kohen Zone of priestly fanlily}..in
order that lie may dig his way through
the ground with it and thus reach the
Holy Land, where the resurrection takes
place.
On leaving a cenetery-which is
Known as the bethclam, ''house of eter-
Gity," or beth hahn, ''house of life"-it
is customary to pluck some of the grass
growing there and throw it over the
shoulder without looking back, repeating
the words, Lila r1oveth netzach" Che
! will destroy death forever). Primarily
the plucking of the grass had no connec-
ton with the formula that now accom-