The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-10
THE JEWISH EASTER.
Religious Ceremonies Of the
Holidal Of Pesach.
GRINDING THE MATES FLOUR.
Whifewashfng the House Elaborate
Formally in the Baking Of the
Sacred Bread.


them observed by my co-religionists in
Central Europa The main features OF
these holidsys-that is, the sed>r and the
seven-day prsysrS-haTe often been de-
scri5ed in American journals. The pre-
paratory o5servances have, as far as l
have read, been left untouched, and be-
lieving them TO be both ludicrous and
grotesque, | shall take the pains 70 de-
scribe them as accurately As can remen-
Der.
Peach is Hebrew word meaning skip.
Tradition has il that when Moses visited
upon the Egyptians the last of the ten
terrible plaques, viz, the killing OF the
frst-born, or, in the absence Of frst-born
male, the eldest male in the house, the
Jewish slaves were commanded TO sprinkle
their door sills with lambs blood, 50 that
the death angel might know where Jew
resided and thus skip him
The active preparation for the great
event actually commences about SIX weeks
before its arrival. Il is then that a mill
Is chartered by the taM community and
thoroughly cleansed. The rabbi inspect.
the mill in every nook and corner, and
when satisfied that it is absolutely kosher,
says the prescribed prayers in the pres
ence OF the entire community, and actual
milling begins. Certainly the more ortho-
doI the community, the longer it takes
the rabbi 70 convince himself Of the mills
fitness TO perform the holy ordeal, viz,
the grinding Of wheat into -four from
which to bake the mates
From the moment the mill is declared
kosher until It has completed its task il is
watched day and night by men especially
qualified by virtue OF their piety. Un-
happy indeed would be the community
were 1t to see how the pious watcher is
imposed upon by the mill hands, who
often substitute American No. -four for
their prime wheat. However, since there
is no great harm done, we had better leave
them in the belief that the -four is kosher
Immediately after Pursmi Feast OF Esther)
or as soon after as the new spring weather
permits, houss-cleaning is the order of the
day. The plasterer, who has undergone q
long winter idieness and consequent s.arv-
ing, welcomes the first sunshine, and
makes his appearance On the street coz
ners, armed with long pole, an old white
wash brush, few patching tools, ready
for business. Every weather prophet has
now his hands full guessing about the
probable temper Of the weather clerk
Early IN the morning everybody IS up and
out in the streets haIf-dres.ed, scrutinizing
the skies about the days prospects The
moment the decision is reached that the
day will be fine. the great event begins.
The housewife assumes command, and
pity the one who questions her authority,
The husband is sent for a whitayasher
He is admonished 70 be sure and engage q
sober one
Poor husband, he knows that his happi-
uess for the coming holidays is at stake If
the Whitewater should turn out to ike
his uodka- Yet he can not help himself.
At this hour In the morning all white
| washers are not only sober, but hungry
and docile. In fact, they have been the
best-behaved fellows for the last FIVE
months Hunger and cold did much to
suDdue their usual high spirits.
While the husband is searching for a
| plaste-er, the wife loses no time IN moving.
| Everything in the room is carried out in
| the street. use the singular advisedly.
| for seldom does one family occupy more
| than one room; if the truth must be told.
two or even more families often inhabit
| one room. In spite OF depression, l can
not resist the temptation to make mention
| of scene that everlastingly impressed it
| self on my mind in the summer of 1873.
| The cholera was then raging iercely in
Galicia. Ny father was a member of the
society Buker ChGieHs Visiting the sickl. In
| his absence from the city I was pressed
into service as his substitute Nurses
were then greatly in demand, and even
my tender age could not acquit me. One
| day in August We were summoned to a
| street patient. A man of about 10 had
been stricken by the plague in the middle
of the street SO fercely that he could not
even drag himself home. We carried him
home in an ambulance, and in that home.
room about twenty feet square, We found
on one bed . young mother who had given
birth to male child two days before. On
another bed girl of about IA, suffering
| terrible choleric commissions; in fact, she
| died before We left, and on the third bed
we placed the dying man that we had lust
| brought in. None of the three mentioned
were even related to each other
To resume our narrative Once the room
| is empty the dirt reveals itself in its full
| glory. a noted medical professor of the
| Cracow university is accredited with hav-
| ing said that the only fault he finds with
| Moses is for not having ordered Pesach TO
| time the father has returned with the
officer Of the day, the Whitewater. He
! counts the holes in the walls and ceiling.
measures the corners, and after careful
| computations gives his bid. The lady of
the house hurls at him benediction as if
he were one of the family. Your price, -
says she. 'is outrageous; the whole win
| ter you were starving, and now when one
| takes pity on you and offers you some
| work you want 10 rob one" Poor fellow,
| he has no alternative; it is the old story.
capital against labor. He takes the Job at
| her terms.
/ While she is still congratulating herself
| over her successful bluff, q new cloud
makes its appearance on the serene hori-
| zon. He wants money. What for?''
! cries the good lady, Indignantly. al have
| TO buy new brush" replies he, meekly.
and as evidence he produces the stump of
| an old one that scares the old lady into
/ mysteries. She gives him the money with
the strict command TO return as soon as
he has made his purchase. which he will
| ingly promises 10 do, crossing himself
several times as evidence of his good faith
| Well, he comes back but not until the
| shivering husband has looked for him
in every saloon in town. and having found
him drags him back. But great IS the
| wife's anger and the husbands sorrow,
for. behold, instead of bringing back new
brush, he brings new character in which
he displays all his ancestorial pride and
| hauteur. He is no longer a meek laborer
| searching for employment He is Polish
| mechanic. proud of both his trade and ma
l