The Denver Jewish news., 1918-11-21
Jewish Folklore
AN INTERESTING CONTRIBUTIONS
TO 1T By PROFESSOR G0TT-
HARD DEIITSCH.

Inc New Ofk i luutSH udlIIes vi wv
L. 1918. reported that wedding was
celebrated on the previous day in
Mount Hebron. New York. and large
attendance poured money into the
hands Of n Hasidic rabbi, who. what
ever may have been the effect of the
weird ceremony on staying the epi-
demic of influenza. was undoubtedly
benefited by it. This oriental prac-
tice transferred to the New World.
suggests an investigation into its his
tory and psychology.
Among the theories about the origin
of religion thar of animism occupies
an important place. 1t claims that
the attachment to deceased friends
and ancestors creates within us first
the longing for. and then the belief
in their presence near us and in their
interest in our affairs which made us
so happy. while they were still liv-
ing. This attachment attracts the sur
vivors to the graves where the deccas-
ed are believed to dwell. Therefore
these places are kept in good condi-
ton. are adorned and often made
places of worship. lr5t
The custom of invoking the assist.
ance of the deceased is mentioned al
ready in early rabbinic literature. The
Talmud (Ta'anit, 1Ga)) reports the
practice of holding penitenial services
in the cemeteries in fines of drought
The reasons for the practice are two
fold 1t shall remind us of our own
frailty and thus make us humble and
worthy of Gods grace. and it shall
bring back to us the virtues of our
ancestors especially the greatest of
all religious devotions. the sacrifices
of Isaac who will intercede on our
behalf in heaven. 1t must also have
been customary for the individual To
pray at the graves of the ancestors
before he undertook an important mis-
sion and when he was In serieus trosi.
bic A Talmudic legend tells us thA8
lty1yeieb before Joining the commission
sent by Moses. to explore the land of
promise. prayed at the graves of the
patriarchs in Hebron that God should
keep him stcndfast tSotah. :'4b). The
Nidrash tells us that Nhcn the Holy
Temple was to he destroyed. Jeremiah
went to the Jordan to conjure up
Moses and to the cave of Machpelnh
I'd arouse the patriarchs that they
should intercedc on behalf of their
descendants with the Almighty (Echal,
I:abbethi. Pcthichtha. Sec. 24). The
stpry. written in beautiful Hebrew.
forms the basis of one of our dirgcs
in the service for the Ninth of Alb.
1.-THE Zohar believed to he the work
I'd Rabbi Simon ben Johai who lived
in the second century. hut assigned
by the critics to Moses de Leon who
liked in Spain in the 18th century,
recommends the visit to the graves of
tile pio,ss in all troubles and the hold
ing Of solemn services with II Sefcr
Toral there. (Zohar, Lev. p. 10b {"
71a). n custom which Ezekiel Landau
t1713-17D3) otherwise a strong oppon-
cnt of mysticism. recommends Noda
Bi-Yehudab brah Hayyim., 1ND).
While in this case the appeal for as
,SlSliIft L. uifttIcu utI"i''N- w
find more often the custom, nf appeal
ing Ia ancestors or to people who had
the reputation Of a sanity life The
custom. of making a vow to visit .snch
graves is mentioned byt.rIocl Saerkc> :
Of Cracow ,tdicd 1640O as. quite com,
mon, tNotesi ON Yoreh De'ah. 21I), He
has certain ,miSgivingS about ii. hut
concludes his arguments with the state
inent that since this practice has he
come generally accepted. il must not
he opposed. Later authpritics unani-
mo,,sly indersc this view. IT is there
fore an old custom to. visit the graves
on the Ninth of Ab. on the, eve. of g
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippu'
tShulk"n Aruk. orah Hayyim. 'I9
:.S1 and 60lD. While OH the first
mentioned day the custom is explain
ed as intended to inspire the visitor
with sadness. it is on the other oc-
casonS meant as au appeal to the de-
parted to intercedc ON behalf of the
worshippcr with the Almighty on the
Day of Judgment" a curious speci-
men of appealing to the departed in
individual needs is furnished by Sam
ucl IIaida of Prague I'd. 1851. He
Continued on Page Two.)