Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-23
PlCNI HEARSE AND ITS USE
Dwarf Carriage Of the lead Starts the
Imagination and Thought
PROPERTY OF THE ORTHODOX HEBREWS
Little vehicle with little Horses and
Little Conn stands Ready
for somber service in
Livery stable.

In an Omaha livery stable stands a IT.
tie hearse. the hehoIding ~ which for the
first time arouses ones curiosity. stand
ing by the side Of the other hearses Ct looks
80 small that ones first impression may
be that st Is perhaps the survivor Of some
pirmy race which is now extinct. This I'm
preston is likely 20 be- strengthened by
some quaint looking characters. which re-
seuble Egyptian hierogliphics. written on
the glass on each side OF the hearse. a
closer inspection reveals a small casket on
the inside OF the hearse Il IS a modest az
fair being merely a rough board box COW
cred with cloth.
As you are wondering how many years
Il has been since the hearse was used.
team cf horses Is brought out and hitched
20 fl and It is driven away. II YOU happen
20 be Of an inquisitive turn Of mind you
may follow Il. and II you do Il will lead
you 20 one Of the synaEogues OF the three
orthodox Jews. one located at Thirteenth
and Capitol avenue. another at Thirteenth
and Pierce, and the third az Twelfth and
Dodge. This hearse has been in commits
sion in Omaha for sixteen years, and has
never carried the body Of any but an ortho-
dox Jew.
The translation Of characters on the
sides Of the hearse Is. He shall swallow
up death in victory and the Lord God will
wipe away tears from OF all faces"
Burial has always been considered by
the Jews as the greatest act Of benevo-
lence. and II is part OF their relis ion TO
bury their own dead. In the book Of
Deuteronomy r. found the command. Pol
low the path OF God and bury the dead.
even as He did bury Moses in the valley
Of Moab"
Democracy of Equality.
The orthodox Jews never indulge IN ex-
pensive funerals, for they believe that as
the rich and poor came into the world
upon equal terms, so they should leave
the world on equal terms, and no one OF
/ them r. 50 poor that he cannot have a de-
/ cent burial. and 4 potter's field Is a thing
unknown 20 them. Wherever they are TO
/ be found upon the earth they have an as
/ ISOLATION for the purpose Of conducting the
| burial service without charge, and 70 be
/ present at the death OF a member and 10
. conduct the body 70 the grave. They
/ seldom bury the dead In a CONN. but sim
/ ply carry the dead 70 the grave in II and
| the same conn is used year after year
| The body is wrapped IN a shroud Of white
/ linen and placed in the ground. The Gus
J tom OF purylng the dead without enclosing
the body in a casket or box - an old one
among the orthodox Jews. The process
Of decay in the ground Is believed TO be
painful 10 the body. and therefore 20 be a
means Of atonement for the sins committed
/ upon earth.
This theory has led some 70 perforate
the conn, and others 70 dispense entirely
with 1t, IN order that the earth shall atone
for the body" with the least possible re-
sistance. An embalmer would thrive nc
better than undertaken in a community OF
orthodox Jews. for It is their strict Gus.
tom 10 bury the dead upon the same dsy
that death occurs, and. furthermore, in the
Testaments Of the Twelve Patriarchs they
derive an Injunction against embalming a.
well as against unnecessary expense. wher,
judah enjoins his sons not to bury hin
In costly robes or cut open his body" tt
keep the dead overnight was not permitted
in jerusalem, and the command given Fl
the book OF Deuteronomy, NO corpse shall
remain over night" and Thou shalt bun
on that day." Is still observed.
shrOud f. white.
As has been said the shroud "a Of whit