prophecies respecting the Messiah, strongly resembles a studious avoidance of obnoxious passages; and is difficult, if not impossible, to be accounted for on any other supposition.* At dinner the same ceremonies are observed as at supper on the preceding evening. After dinner they go to the synagogue to perform the sabbath afternoon service. Then they take out the law again, in the same manner as in the morning, and read part of the portion appointed for the next sabbath. 'After the service, they make another 'meal in honour of the sabbath.'t On the sabbath day they go to the synagogue a third time, to say the concluding service; in which some of the prayers are considerably protracted, being chanted in very long notes, to diminish the miseries of hell, which are supposed not to recommence till these prayers are finished.§ On their return from this service they light a wax candle, or a lamp with two wicks, which is usually held by a child; and the master of the family, taking a glass of wine in his right hand, and a box containing some spices in his left, recites several passages of scripture: "Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be 'afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore * Buxtorf. ibid. p. 329, 330. David Levi, ibid. p. 13, 14. Prid. Connect. P. i. B. 5. Vitringa De Synagoga Veteri, L. iii. p. 2. c. 11. p. 1006-1008. + David Levi, ibid. p. 15, 16. David Levi, ibid. p. 19. Buxtorf. ibid. p. 335, 336. Leo Modena, ibid. P. iii. c. 2. s. 25. 6 'with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of "salvation.-Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. The 'Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.-The Jews had light, and 'gladness, and joy, and honour." Thus may it also be unto us." I will take the cup of sal'vation, and call upon the name of the Lord."*'Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the ' universe! who hast created the fruit of the vine.' At these words a little of the wine is to be poured upon the floor. Then taking the glass of wine in his left hand, and the box of spices in his right, he says: 'Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe! who hast created divers 'spices.' Here he smells to the spices, and presents them to his family that they may have the same gratification. Then standing near the candle or lamp, he looks at it with great attention, and also at his finger nails, and says: Blessed 'art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe! 'who hast created the light of the fire.' Then taking the wine again in his right hand, he says: 'Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the 'universe! who hast made a distinction between things sacred and profane; between light and 'darkness; between Israel and other nations; 'between the seventh day and the six days of ' labour. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, who 'hast made a distinction between things sacred 6 * Isaiah xii. 2, 3. Psalm iii. 8. xlvi. 7. Esther viii. 16. Psalm cxvi. 13. ' and profane.' As soon as this benediction is finished, he tastes the wine himself, and then hands it round to all the company.-This ceremony is called Habdala,* that is distinction, division, or separation; because it divides or separates the sabbath from the other days of the week. In some places, for the benefit of those who cannot bear the expense of performing it at home, it is performed in the synagogue by the Chassan, after the conclusion service for the sabbath. Those whose business will not allow them time to perform or attend this office, either in the synagogue or at home, are permitted to supply its place, by privately ejaculating, at the close of the conclusion service, a short benediction, not mentioning the name of God: Blessed be he 'who hath made a distinction between things 'sacred and profane.'-The sabbath is now ended, and they are at liberty to resume their usual occupations. An The directions of the rabbies for a due observance of the sabbath, exhibit an egregious compound of scrupulosity and licentiousness. appearance of rigid attention to the letter of divine precepts for regulating the external conduct, is combined with a general neglect of their spirit; and the influence they ought to exercise הבדלה + Buxtorf. ibid. p. 333-341. Leo Modena, ibid. P. iii. c. 2. s. 26. German and Polish Jews' Prayer Book, p. 164, 165. Spanish and Portuguese Jews' Prayer Book, p. 173. For the mystical significations which the rabbies attach to the different parts of this ceremonial, Vid. Buxtorf. ibid, p. 342–348. over the dispositions of the heart, is seldom if ever included within the sphere of contemplation. Questions have been raised and cases proposed, which have afforded ample occasion for the display of ingenuity and subtilty: the solutions of rabbinical casuists on this subject would fill volumes.* The modest reader will excuse me from detailing the lessons of sensuality, which the doctors of the synagogue have extorted from the language of the prophet who "calls the sabbath a delight."+ The clauses immediately following this appellation, and describing sabbatical delight as "not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor "speaking thine own words," these voluptuous commentators seem to have overlooked. The works forbidden on the sabbath have been reduced by the rabbies to thirty-nine general heads: -ploughing, sowing,-reaping,-bundling, binding, threshing, winnowing, — sifting, grinding,-boulting,-kneading,-cooking,-clip ping,-washing,-combing, spinning,-winding, -warping or weaving,-dyeing,-tying,-untying, sewing,-breaking in pieces,--fastening with wedges or pins,-building,-demolishing,striking with a hammer,-hunting, fishing,killing,-flaying,-taking the hair off from hides, -cutting in pieces,-writing, -blotting out,ruling paper, kindling fire,-quenching it,-carrying any thing out of doors into a street or other public place. * Buxtorf. ibid. p. 350, 351. + Isaiah Iviii. 13. All other works unlawful to be done on the sabbath are classed as species under these general heads. Thus filing is accounted a species of grinding, because one mass is divided into many parts; and curdling milk is considered as a sort of building, which forms a whole by the composition of different bodies. - Ploughing includes digging, filling ditches or pits, delving in a garden, transplanting herbs, planting trees, cutting slips from vines, pruning, lopping off leaves, watering plants or trees, and other similar things. Water may be sprinkled in a house, to prevent the dust from rising; but because filling ditches is deemed unlawful, some rabbies have forbidden the sweeping of a room on the sabbath, lest any furrow or chink in the floor should be filled by that operation. Walking over ground newly digged or ploughed is also prohibited, lest a pit or hole should be filled by treading on it.*-A few more specimens of their sabbatical regulations and prohibitions will conclude the present chapter. The divine injunction, "Let no man go out of "his place on the seventh day," is by a very curious process discovered to be a prohibition of walking more than two thousand yards from the place of his habitation: but this place is affirmed to comprehend the whole of the town or city where he lives, together with the suburbs, however extensive.-On this day all running is interdicted, except for the sake of pleasure and * Leo Modena, ibid. P. iii. c. i. s. 2. Buxtorf. ibid. p. 362, 363. + Exod. xvi. 29. |