Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-03-30
JEWISH FUNERALS.
Curious Customs That Are the Same Now
as in the Days of Moses.

the jews nave prGSGINeu many VI lu6 hlO9b
ancient customs of their race, says the st.
james Gazette They still rend the upper
garments in token of bereavement as Jacob
did when informed of the death of his favor
ite son; they still seat themselves for seven
davs 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 dld IN
Palestine; they lundle the memorial light
to comfort the departed soul, as they did, IN
all likelihood, ages before Judaism was
known; and they still reSite in public the
mourners' prayer, every repetition of which
according to rabbinical notions-helps the
deceased a step further out Of purgatory.
The Jews rigidly exclude all relatives
from the chamber Of dying co-religionist
Only strangers should be present when the
soul leaves the body. As soon as death oc-
ours all the vessels in the house containing
water are emptied. On the continent, in
places where Jews reside the emptying of
the water vessels in the public roadway is
the usual mode of notifying that 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 abiding
place of certain evil spirits whose presence
in the house was prejudicial both to the dead
and to the living. In the interval between
death and interment the Jews lay the
corpse upon the bare ground with the feet
toward the door. The body is covered, but
nothing-save occasionally a little straw
may be placed under it. Then the two big
toes are tied together. On Sabbaths it is
not, however, permitted to remove a 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 accomplishing it
without violating the sanctity of the day.
A loaf of bread is placed upon the corpse,
and the two together are lifted to the
ground It is held that only the bread has
been moved, and this is permitted on the
Sabbath.
Two or three hours before the interment
takes place, the ceremonial publication of
the body known as the tdhqrd takes place.
1t consists merely in pouring seven def
mite measures of warm water over the
body, while repeating the words; 81 will
pour upon you cleansing waters, and ye
shall be cleansed of your uncleanliness; for
of all your iniquities 1 will purify you"
The body is then placed in the coffin, at
tired in a white cotton gown known as a
kitteL This lnttel is, in Northern Europe,
presented to 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 cele-
bration. 1t is made by the female relatives
of the bride, but she herself must not take
part in the sewing oft In Poland, Galicia,
and in Russia the bridegroom always wears
the death garment under the wedding can
opy during the performance of the marriage
ceremony. Besides the kittel, the body is
enveloped in the praying scarf or tdltth used
by the deceased during life. When this is
done the relatives are summoned. One by
one they draw near and bend over the
coffin; a friend takes a 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 leftif a child.
The mourner himself then rends the gar
ment according to the custom of the coun-
try. In the East the Jews tear the vest
ments clean across; in England it is only
torn couple of fingers breadth. The rent
must not be sewn up for a month, and the
mourning garment must be worn, for a
parent, fully eleven months. The Spanish
and Portuguese Jews rend their undergar-
ments as we'll 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
Kadishah," or Holy Brotherhood" an or
gregation only for this purpose.
Just as near relatives are excluded from
the death chamber, so are females prohib- |
tied from attending funeral or interment |
Why this should be so it is difficult to say.
The custom Of excluding women on such !
occasions 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 cere-
mony. However, nowadays they are not
permitted to join, and the obsequies are |
attended by males only. In Northern Eu-
rope 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. 1t is believed he will lose a second if
he does; though this will not in Itself suffice
to explain the existence of so strange a
custom. The Polish Jews are, however,
peculiar in more than this. 1t is the uni
versal belief of orthodox 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 I
Palestine before the Day Of Judgment So,
to facilitate this task, the "Chassidim, - or
ultra pous of Russia and Poland, put a
fork in the hands of the deceased when he
is placed in the ground-for coffins are
only used in the case OF a b'ch0r (hrst
born), or a 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 takes
place
On leaving cemetery-which is known
as the bethclanl, "house of eternity" or
beth hdiin, " house of lifen-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 netzach' (1e will destroy death
forever). Primarily the plucking of the
grass had no connection with the formula
that nowadays accompanies it; but the orig
inal symbolism of the act is forgotten, like
so many of the practices still extant in
Jewry On returning from funeral the
mourners take their seats on the floor,
or on low hassocks placed upon the floor,
and partalxe of the mourners' meal"
This consists of hard-boiled eggs and dry