The Jewish outlook., 1908-05-29
Counting the Omer

tween Passover and PentecOst, except
on few special days. The force OF
this restriction brings our community
into sympathy, nolens rOlens, with the
prosecuted Jews in the Middle Ages,
for no authorization of marriage is
issued by the Chief Rabbi. The other
restrictions are that strictly orthodox
Jews do not cut the hair, while
there are others who will not go on
the water during the period OF the
Omer. In Russia the restriction goes
somewhat farther, and people abstain
from giving or going to entertain
ments, while dancing is especially in
terdcted. 1t is, of course, easy to
explain all these customs by simply
referring them, with one exception,
to the category of mourning. When
people are in mourning personally.
they postpone marriages, they do not
90 to entertainments, and, among
strict Jews. they do not cut the hair.
But the custom of not going on the
water during the Omer has no appar-
cnt connection with any known
mourning custom, and that this pro-
hibition should exist at all for the
days of the Omer. sets one thinking
i'm IL groove of reflection which sug-
gcsts an alternative as the origin OF
the other restrictions.
The most elementary excursion into
the study of folklore discovers the
fact that nothing has been so consist
ent in universal custom as the habit
of looking somewhat askance at the
month of May, !. e. at just the month
that invariably comes within the
period of the Omer. In this country
there is II deeplyrooted objection,
amounting in some eases to abJect
fear. against May marriages. Among
many primitive peoples there are also
to be found distinct traces of n ten
dency all over the world to "go very
slow" as it were. during the month
of May. F'olk-lOrists have explained
this by pointing out that it is just at
this time of year that the fertility of
this time of year that the fertility of
the earth trcmblcs i'm the balance ond
no risks taken that might be seized
as opportunities by malevolent pow
crs People did not cut their hair be-
cause it was well understood that il
anything happened to the hair parted
with. it might rccoil upon the original
owners People did not go upon the
water because if things were not too
lucky on terra fvmd. there would be
II fOriiOri more risk on the unstable
clement If any of my readers
wishes to pursue this subject. | rec
ommend him to read Mr.. j. G. Fra
Zcr's Golden Bough."
The Scphira has. of course, left its
mark upon the synagogue. 1t has. to
an extraordinary degree. affected the
Chazonuth, which. in many ways I'M
dergoes a complete change during the
whole of the period. On Friday even
ings the Lyman L'chO dOde, usually
sung to more or less bright setting, is
sung in some plaintive tune. This va
ries in places, but the general tone is
always the same. A special setting was
arranged by Mombach for the Great
Synagogue very many year ago, ana
it has become one of its traditions. 1t
is very sweet and when | was boy
was rather sorry when it came to an
end. There was a very fine part TO"
the bass, and | am Informed that old
Sam Lewis, who sang it for many
years, and who is now frisking around
in his eighty year with almost
as many memories as | have, still
counts this L'cho dOdi in his roper