The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-11-01

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 it. In Poland,
Gaiicia, 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. Ono by one they
draw near and bend over the coffin; a
friend takes sharp knife and makes a 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 q 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 sow'n up for a
month and the mourning garment must
be worn fer a parent fully eleven months.
The Spanish and Portuguese Jews rend
their undergarments as well. Except
among the German Jews--0s they arc
called-in this country, Tho IA, oii,"Ns OF
the dead are performed by Tie nlc:"Ecrs
of what are termed 'Chevr,l hauisNaW"
or Holy Brotherhood" al organization
formed in every orthodox cJHSTt 32s,c.tt;:un
only for this purpose.
Just as near relatives ere excluded
from the death chamber, So are females
prohibited from attending :. Eu-.G.2l ~
interment. Why this sho;..l j2 S. it j.
difficult to say. The custo;I q c.1virlt-
ing women on such occas:@:: j. certainly
not an ancient one, since ", ,@:>H Irl2u
the Talnlud and later IA :A5".:i 'N@E.
that, of old, women JOINED i".s -,
professions of their pee, l..>tsJ-,-
dirges appropriate to IT, .>r"".1y.
However, nowadays they l5r li@j ger
united to join. and the oboc4U;ca elo II
tended by males only. III Northern
Europe and in parts of Russia, o Sather
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 VIII
not in itself suffice to explain the exist
ence of so strange 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 be-
fore the day of judgment. So, to facil-
itate this task, the ''Chassidim, or ultra
pious of Russia and Poland, put fork
III the hands of the deceased when he is
placed in the ground-for collins are only
used in the case of b'chor first born)
or kohen zone of priestly fanlily)-in
order that he may dig his way through
the ground with it and thus reach the
Holy Land, where the resurrection takes
place.
On leaving cemetery-which is
known as the bethclam, ''house Of eter-
nity," or beth hahn, ''house of lfe"-it
is customary to pluck some of the grass
growing there and throw it over the
shoulder without looking back, repeating
the words, Lila moveth y netzach" (he
will destroy death forever). Primarily
the plucliinS Of the grass had no connec-
ton with the formula that now accom-
panies it; but the original symbolism of
the act is forgotten, like SO many of the
practices still eXtant in Jewry.--St.
James Gazette.