The St. Johns herald., 1889-03-07
JEWiSE. FUNERALS.
Curious Customs That Are tIie Same Now
 as in tho Days of Moses.


 In their funeral rites and observances the Jews have preserved many of the no t ancient customs Of their race, says the S.
 JGncs' Gdzette. They still rend the upper garments in token of bereavement. e T-.cob did wneD informed of the death cf his favor itc son; they still seat themselves for seven days on the grouad in sign of mourning as Job and his friends are represented in tbe Scripture to have done. The still eat the Hourners' meal, as their ancc stcrs dId in Palestine; they kindle the mclcorial light to comfort the departed soul, as flcy did, in all likelihood, ages befc1e Judaism was known: and they still f2cile in public the mOurneFs' prayer, every repetition cf which -cccoTiing to rGboinical 1otions-ho.ss ss tho dec5a ed q step fjrGher O1t of puPgatory.
 The Jews rigiaIy exclude all rc;a'i.cs from .Lc chamber o1 2. GEic- co-reLCi )2ict. Only strangers should Dc D. SC. ..G1n tae soul leaves tho boiy. As soon 4s GC--h oc- CUTS aii the vessels in tho house c12fCiL.8g water are e1pticd. On the coasinCat, in places where Jews reside, the emTtyiHg of the water vesSeis in the public roadway is the usual mode of notifying that death has occurred. fine practice had its orIgin, we gather from the rabbinical books, in al Ol- World superstition that standing Water in such circumstances became the aEiiin- place of certain evil spirits whose presence in the house Was prejudicIal both to the Gead 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 little straw- may be placed under it. Then the two big toes are tied together. On Sabbaths it is not, however, permitted to remove body on to the floor; it would be work. But as it is sometimes necessary that thIs should nevertheless be done, rabbinical ingenuity has contrivcd means of accomplishing 1t without violating the sanctity of he 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 OF three hours before the irterment takes place, the ceremonial puri1cation of tiie i2ody known as the tGIlara takes place. 1t consists merely in pouring seven def nite measures of warm water over the body. while repeG Ing t5e words: "I will pour upon you clcanG 1g waters, and ye Shall be cleanscd of your unclcanliness; for of all your iniquiiics l will purify you" The body is then placed in the coffin, at- tired in white cotton gown known as Eiitcl. This luttel 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 pf Atonement and the Passover Eve cclc- bration. It is made by the female relatives of the bride, but she herself must not take part in the sewing of it. In Poland, Galicia, 4l, d.. the death garment under the wedding can opy during the performance of the marriage ceremony. Besides the kittel, the body is envcioped in the praying scarf or talah used by the deceased during hl5. When this is done tho relatives are summoned. One by one they draw near and bend over the coffin friend takes sharp knife and makes slit in one of the outer garments of tho mouncr-on the right side if the de- ceased be a parent, on the left if child. The mourner himself then rends tho gar ment according 10 tho 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. Tie rent must not be sewn up for 2 month, and the mourning garment must be worn, for parent, fully eleven months. The Spanish and Portuguese Jews rend their undcrTar- ments as well Except among the German Jews-as they arc called-ip this country, the last offices of the dead arc performed by the members of what are termed "ChCvrGh Kadishah,'' or " Holy Brotherhood Gu CT ganization formed in every orthodox con- gregatioa oGly for this purpose.
 Just as near relatives gro excluded from the death chamber, 50 are iemales rrohib- tied from attending funeral or intcrment. Why this should be SO it is difficult to say. The custom of excluding women an sucA z occasions is certainly SoS-a,I ancient one, since we know froa tho TalTnud and later raObinical books t.iat, of old, women joined in tEo funeral processions of their people chanting dirseY appropriate to the core- r1erl3 fi0wtxef. nowadays they are not pes.-slstea to join, and the obseQuie5 are HttcEded by males only. IG Northern Eu- rope and in parts Of Russia, $ father is not allowed to be present at the inrerrCEt of the first child he is unfort tGaate enough 10 lose. It is believed he will lose 6 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 moro than this. It is thc uni yersal belief of orthodox Hebrews tE..t the resurrection of tho dead will take 3i2cc ID the Holy Lend, and therefore all tod cs will have to make their way underground to Palestine before the Day of Judgment. So, to facilitate this task, the "Chassidim," |" 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 (iirst born), or kOlen lone of priestly family)- in order that he may dig his way through the ground with it and thus reach thS Holy Land, where the resurrection takes place.
 On leaving cemetcry-which is known aS the be0..irT,, "house of eteruiiy," or beth kdim, house O. l;fe"-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 nctzach" (He will destroy death forever). Primarily tho piucking 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 ex.aut in Jewry. On returning from a funeral the modrners take their seats oq the floor,