The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-11

Let Us now loox at the temple. / shall de-
scribe q synagogue in Krakau, Gaiicia, known
by the German name as the "Alte sehuie,
meaning old synagogue. Ii is claimed that this
10 the Oldest synagogue IN Europs. Picture 20
yourself room 400 feet long, 10 ieet vice anu
so feet high, with white kewn-stone walls, plas-
tered ceiling of the same color and grey sand
stone floor, large door in the northwest corner,
q row of windows four feet wide, fifteen ieet
high. about twenty feet apart and reaching mp
TO the ceiling; large open box shelf IN the cen
ter of the east wall covered with neavy
white silk curtain: small pulpit to the right OF
it: circular elevated stand about thirty feet IN
diameter, in the middle OF the room; heaVys
wooden benches, covering the entire noor' VIII
d seating capacity OF about 2,Vov, eacn seat Occur
pied by q man clad in a white oyershirt white
socks, q white wooden sta lis" over bis head;
yellow wax or white taliow candle two inches
thick and three feet long, burning IN front OF
every seat; the heat indescrlDahly oppressive;
2,00J burning candles; 1900 men who have Just
eaten enough 10 last them for the next twenty.
four hours: not a window opened for fear thai
the wind might cause the candles to flicker,
and you have iudistinct idea OF the
scene am attempting to describe
At last service commences Inc raDpf taxes
his stand at the pulpit, the elders move forward
TO the shelf the east wall and take thelr posi-
tons in front OF the oren Eodesa' OF hoty oox,
silk curtains are then drawn, the elder taxes out
the scrolls, one for each. and the irst prayer Is
offered by them in unison at the dicsation OF tne
rabbi The PRAYER calls the attention OF the
Almighty 70 the fact that His children are ready
for the great dav and implores Him to kindly
ing and prayer The scrolls are then returned
TO their resting place. and the service proceeds,
usually lasting till about p. m:
At the conclusion of the evening service some
of the worsGipers return to their homes, while
others remain all night, singing psalms, read,
ing the Talmud or the Bible. Not loud WORD
outside OF the temple. It reminds one of q
prisoner on trial for his life, waiting the iurys
verdict, whose heart is so oppressed that ne
dares not and cannot utter word.
AT 3 O'Clock the next morning all are awake
and hasten TO their respective syEagogues with
the same deep silence and reverence as the night
previous. Preliminary services are conducted
by the elders. At O'Clock the rabbi appears
and the service begins, which lasts Till sundOwn
OF the holy temple. The action OF the high
priest on that day at the holy temple and MS en-
trance to the inner chamber, known as the
"Holy of Holes" are Tecounted. and, hgura-
and actual prostration of the entire congrega-
ton. The duties OF the high priest In the inner
the immense audience which always congre-
gated in Jerusalem Oh fom kippur
saw the completion of each part
of the service by the high priest, they
hailed the occurrence with such delight that all
actually threw themselves on the floor, and
with tears of JOY thanked God for the purity OF
their high priest The impression then pre-
vailed that II the thoughts of the high priest
were in the least degree impure or apostatie, he
could never emerge alive from the inner cham
Der; and therefore rope was TIED TO nus grin 50
as TO enable the assistant priest to pull him out
In case he should die there, slice the law
strictly forbade the entrance OF anyone at any
time into the inner chamber except the high
priest, and he only on Yom Kippur And since
the belief then was general that the sins OF the
entire nation would not De forgiven until the
high priest had concluded the services IN the
inner chamber, one can well imagine the JOY
that prevailed when he emerged alive, which,
6y the way was proof mat his service; Were ac-
Talmudical history tells US that twice during
the existence of the second temple high priest
was pulled out dead from the inner chamber.
Strange as such an occurrence might seem,
wnen one becomes acquainted with the then
existing conditions he can perceive that there
was nothing supernatural about il In the times
of the second temple the priesthood was very
corrupt The high priesthood, being elective,
was occasionally obtained by the same question
able means as sometimes used in securing
high office today. The power aud influence
then welded by the high priest was superior TO
that welded at any time since by any religious
potentate. And often the least worthy but most
INSCRIPTIONS carried the election. But when,
on Yom kippur, in the presence of tens Of thou
sands OF people, surrounded by all the awe
superstitions, moral eowardice and remorse did
their deadly and instantaneous work Thus
the occurrence is easily applicable.
By noon hunger, fatigue and the oyerheated
atmosphere tell severely on the congregation,
and large number can be seen 81 ting outside,
inhaling the fresh air and patiently watching
the sun moving westward. No one leaves the
proximity OF his synagogue more CHASTITY
sight one can never behold, hundreds OF men
row sidewalks, with faces pale their
"kittles." Indeed the day is 4 long one to their
aching stomachs.
At5p. m. q marvellous transformation takes
place. There are no more signs of weakness,
not the least fatigue: the candles have lost the
CHASTITY pallor which their feeble Pickering pre-
sented during the day; night approaches, every
one is In his seat: general feeling of ioilifca-
ton seems to prevail that ii is impossi bic to
describe. The very room which yesterday could
well De ikened to death chamber, can now be
Hkened TO brilliantly lighted festal hail.
1 am at a loss whether to ascribe this remark
able change to the feeling which generally is
lound In the breast OF him who, having been
imprisoned for years in one room, is now about
: o be set at liberty. Every article in the room,
hough looked:upon by the prisoner thousands
OF times, has strange appearance to him. Or.
am l TO aseribe ii TO the general belief that the
closing prayer. known as .'Nioh," brings a
heavenly inspiration, q message from the
Almighty that sins have been forgiven and that
ali will be WELL To me IL is mystery and per-
h4ps Will ever remain one
Behold, these same people, who have tasted
twenty-Iour hours, not even having washed,
most OF them not having slept a wink, some
never having LETT the synagogue since
their entrance the night before, some
not even having sat down during the
entire twenty-four hours-these very same
persons, whom we saw in the afternoon
with pale, haggard and wan faces, now all are
Cheerful. All unite in the closing prayer their
voices resounding so strong, clear and fresh
mat they can be heard for miles. At last about
$50 p. M, prayer Is concluded: a dead silence
prevails, and every eye is turned towards the
central elevated stand. One of the elders steps
iorth, and from the shofdr sounds a peculiar
long note, and the day l. over Every one hur-
rles nome, though the most religious will not
retire till they have at least commenced work
on the tent which is to house the family for the
seven days known as the Feast of Taberuaeles :"
which commence four days later.
ABE SPRISs