fear of transgressing the Sabbath And they have an usual saying Paligro del alma quaebra el Sabbato That the hazard of loosing a mans life dispenseth with the Sabbath They have a Custom in some places on the Friday to put water into little pits and to draw no place dry to the end that the Souls in Purgatory may therein cool and refresh them For on the time that is over and above added to the Sabbath they suppose the Souls in Purgatory have liberty to recreate There are many other Rites belonging hereunto the most whereof will fall in with the Offices which are now to be accounted for Upon the Arvit or Eve of the Sabbath they have a peculiar Office which begins with the twenty ninth Psalm Give unto the Lord ye sons of the mighty give unto the Lord honour and strength Give unto the Lord the honour of his Name and bow your selves to the Lord with the beauty of Holiness The voice of the Lord is upon the waters The God of honour hath made it thunder The Lord is upon much waters The voice of the Lord is with strength the voice of the Lord is with beauty The voice of the Lord breaketh the Cedars and hath broken the Cedars of Libanus And he hath made them leap as a Calf Libanus and Sirion like the sons of Elephants The voice of the Lord cutteth the flames of fire the voice of the Lord vexeth the Wilderness he vexeth the Wilderness of Cades The voice of the Lord maketh the Hinds to be in pain and discovereth the Forests and in his Palace every thing speaketh honour The Lord hath been upon the water and the Lord hath sate King for ever The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will bless his people with peace The Translation I have here given of this Psalm which begins the Office of the Sabbaths Arvit is Verbatim out of the old Spanish wherein the Jewish Liturgy is extant And it is here inserted for no other purpose but to show how it differs from our present Translation Where the Reader may observe that the word Adonai is here and through all their Liturgy used for Lord it being altogether unlawful for them to mention even in their Devotions the word Jehovah After this Psalm immediately follows in their Liturgy a very large Expostulation concerning the oyl and weke and whole confection of the Sabbath-Lamps Where the Opinions of several antient Masters are recited concerning this matter as the Opinions of Rabbi Ismael Rabbi Tarphon Rabbi Elihezer Rabbi Aquiba Rabbi Jehudah Which 〈◊〉 Master gives them leave to put out their Lamps on the Sabbath-night for fear the Nations those that are not Jews and evil Spirits should do hurt therewith On the Arvit they make confession of the three sins for which as hath been said women die in Child-bed And among these three deadly sins the want of due lighting the Sabbath-Lamps is none of the least On the Arvit likewise when it grows dark they are bound to propound and answer these three Questions Hast thou paid Tythes Hast thou made the Hirub Hast thou lighted a Candle After this they repeat such Hymns and Psalms out of Holy Writ as commemorate Gods gracious Promises to Israel of which they make a comfortable application to themselves There are likewise repeated some short periods of Scripture relating to the Season of the year as in the Spring He shall make his dew to fall and in Autumn Thou makest the winde to blow and the rain to descend c. Having done this they use a Thanksgiving unto God for that he refresheth the dead with his mercies and confirms his Truth to those that sleep in the dust that he punisheth Apostates looseth the imprison'd redeemeth the captive provideth Medicines for and healeth the sick And at the end of this long Thanksgiving follows this Benediction for the Institution of the Sabbath Blessed be the Lord our God the Holy Thou hast Sanctified the seventh day for thy Glory having first finished the Heavens and the Earth and hast blessed it above all dayes and sanctified it above all times as it is written in the Law And here the Institution of the Sabbath out of Genesis is distinctly repeated These things with the rest of the Office of the Sabbath Arvit which is very long is concluded with a thankful recapitulation of Gods favours toward them especially in that he has made them his peculiar people given them his Law and promised that it shall never be changed nor they deprived of it Then they most humbly implore the Almighty that at last he would fulfil his promise retarded so long by reason of their sins and send them their desired Messias The next Office is that of the Sabbath-Morning where the Rubrick directs them to rise before the Sun and to read the ordinary course of Psalms till they come to the nineteenth And then to begin their Mattins Which for the most part are collected out of the Scriptures some portions wherof are said by the Cazan alone and others by the Kahal and Kohen as the Rubrick all along directs them This day the Law has always a solemn Procession and is openly shown to the people When it is brought to be laid up in the Hehal or Chest he that bears it saith these words Turn again to thy resting place and to the house of thy desire that every Mouth and Tongue may give praise and glory to thy Kingdom And turn unto the million of the thousands of Israel and O Lord turn us unto thee and we shall be turned renew our dayes as in former time And with this Prayer they conclude the Morning-Office for the Sabbath The third Office is the Musaf or Afternoon-Service which begins thus O Lord thou shalt open our lips and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise After they have said this they bless and laud God for the continuance of his favours both to quick and dead Next they recount how God gave their Great Master Moses the Commandment for the Sabbath After this they make a gratulatory Oration unto God for that he has been pleased to assist and accept their Services And the whole Office is shut up with a distinct enumeration of the Divine attributes and recommending themselves unto the Divine Protection beseeching God to take the safeguard of them both when they sleep and watch Their fourth Office is that of the Minha or Sabbath-night which being of the same tenor with the last we but now mention'd there needs no more but to name it At the determination of the Sabbath they have an additional Service at which though none are bound to be yet all are present to show their Devotion to the Sabbath and how loath they are to part therewith But others hold that they ought to protract this Rest as long as they can possible for the sake of the Souls in Purgatory especially for such as were condemn'd thither for the violation of the
these to be meer fictions I shall instance some pleasant passages out of the Talmud relating to the same purpose Where we read that one Rabbi Chaja fortuned to lodge one Sabbath with a Butcher and there was set before him a Golden Table burthen enough for sixteen men on which there hung sixteen silver Chains and on it many vessels of the like Metal were set as Spoons Plates and Cups furnished with plenty of dainties When all things were set in order he praised God thus The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof and when the Banquet was ended he gave thanks after this manner The Heavens are the Lords but the Earth hath he given to the sons of men And then the Rabbi began to enquire of the Butcher how he had gotten such riches and what good works he had done the Butcher replyed Hitherto have I been a Butcher and when ever I lighted on a Beast fatter than usual I reserved it for the Sabbath that I might do as I am commanded and therefore God has given me much riches for the honour I do to his day And when the Rabbi heard this he gave God thanks that he had bestowed on him such abundance And here we leave the Butcher Moreover we read in the same Page of a man truly Charitable named Joseph if any thing extraordinary came to the Market especially Fish he spared no charge to buy it and he had a rich neighbour who would often mock him asking him what good this strict observing Sabbath-duties did him thou gettest nought by it saith he I am much richer than thou yet do not observe it so punctually but Joseph took of his words but little notice and answered That God was able to recompence him And at the same time there came Astrologers to the rich man saying What good hast thou of thy riches thou darest not buy a good Fish with it we finde that the Fates have given all thy store to Joseph the Sabbath-observer he spares no charge to honour the day The rich man took some notice of what they said and went and sold all his possessions and with it bought Jewels and hung them in his hat and resolved to travel to secure his riches from Joseph and taking ship he was so toss'd with a Tempest that he lost his Hat and Jewels in the Sea there came a great Fish and swallowed them up and a little after the same Fish was brought into the Market to be sold many cheapened it but thought it too dear at length came this Joseph and soon bought it and dressing it found the Hat and Jewels which the rich Traveller had lost So the Astrologers Predictions were verified and Joseph grew Rich on a sudden Then there came a Wise Old man to Joseph and said He who bestows much on the Sabbath him the day recompenseth but he that of a little bestows a little to him God gives fourfold We read of another Passage in the Talmud concerning Feasts how a certain Rabbi every Friday sent his Servants into the Market to buy off all the Herbs which the Sellers could not vent and then he cast them into the River and the Rabbies inquiring the cause why he had not distributed them to the poor Israelites the Answer was this That if he had given them to the Poor then they in expectation of having them given still would not have provided for the Sabbath and therefore if it should happen that the Sellers had sold all and the Poor not provided for themselves then the Sabbath would not have had its due honour But why then did he not cause them to be given to the Cattel it had been better to do so than to cast them carelesly away The Answer was That he would not give those things to Cattel which men might eat and from which they might have profit for they might perchance take them out of the water But why did he command them to be bought the Reason is That those who sold such Commodities might willinglier come to the Market for suppose them to come often and sell nought they would soon be weary and not frequent the Market and then the Poor would have had nothing to eat on the Sabbath and thereby would have deprived it of its due honour Moreover we read in a Treatise of the Sabbath that if any one on the Sabbath let loose the Reins to pleasure and so pass the day that God giveth him an Heritage for ever as it is written When thou shalt call the Sabbath a Delight then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the Earth and feed thee with the Heritage of thy Father Jacob of which Heritage it is largely spoken For thou shalt be spread abroad to the East and to the West and to the North and to the South Rabbi Mackman saith He that feeds high on the Sabbath and is joyful shall be free from the Servitude of Kings as it is I will lift thee above the high places of the Earth and thy Enemies shall be found Lyars Another Rabbi saith That he who merrily passeth the Sabbath hath whatsoever he will ask of God as 't is written Delight thou in the Lord and he will give thee thy hearts desire Seeing therefore that the Jews have not conquered their Enemies nor obtained their desire that they have not yet subdued the Christians nor are Lords of the whole Earth according to their prayers on the Sabbath and Feast-days may be imputed to their want of a right Hallowing the Sabbath or at least that they have not thereon been sufficiently merry When they have thus joyfully finished the first Banquet they again go to Prayers but the Table is kept covered and the Candles burn till the evening of the Sabbath And they dispute much what is to be done with those Candles whether it be lawful to catch Fleas or Lice with them but reading by them is forbidden lest when the light is dim he that reads should snuff the Candle and so violate the Sabbath And because the Sabbath is called a Delight they often marrie on it and enjoy the society of their Wives they say those who are conceived on the Sabbath live to a good age if their Parents don't respect the pleasure as the honour of the day Finally when a Jew travelleth on Friday and hath a greater Journey than the Sabbath alloweth of he ought to take up his Lodgings in the Fields or Woods at the approaching of the Sabbath and there to continue till it be ended exposing himself to the danger of Thieves and want of sustenance There is a memorable Story in their Histories to this purpose Three Jews on a time took a Journey on Friday when the Evening drew nigh and the Sabbath approached two of them spake thus to each other What shall we do we are in certain danger the way is beset with Thieves and the wood barbours wild Beasts we had
the Law Sacred or Introduced The Form of Cherem or Anathema BY the Decree of Cities Command of the Holy we Anathematize Adjure Exterminate Excommunicate Curse and Execrate God being willing his Church by the Book of this Law by the 600 Precepts therein written by the Anathema with which Josua Anathematized Hiericho by the Curse wherewith Elisha cursed the young men by the Curse wherewith Gehezi cursed his Boy and by the Excommunication with which Barach Excommunicated Meroz and by the Excommunication which Rab. Jehuda Son of Rabbi Jehezkiel used in this matter and by all the Anathemata Imprecations Curses Excommunications and Exterminations which have been made from the time of our Master Moses and since by the name of Acetheriel Jah the Lord of Hosts by the name of Michael the Great Prince by the name of Mittatron whose name is as the name of his Master by the name of Sandalipon who tieth the hands of his Lord by the name of forty two Letters by his name who appeared to Moses in the Bush by the name with which Moses divided the Sea by the name I am what I am by the Mystery of the name Tetragrammaton by the Scripture that was written upon the Tables by the name of the Lord of Armies the God of Israel sitting upon the Cherubin by the name of the Sphears and Circles and living Creatures Saints and ministring Angels by the name of all the Angels which wait upon the most High God every Israelite and every Israelitess who willingly and knowingly violates any of those which are now denounced to be observed let him be Cursed of the God of Israel who sitteth upon the Cherubin Let him be cursed by the bright and glorious name which the High-Priest in the day of Expiations expresseth with his mouth Let him be cursed by Heaven and Earth Let him be cursed from God Almighty Let him be cursed of Michael that Great Prince Let him be cursed of Mittatron whose name is as the name of his Master Let him be cursed of Acetheriel Jah the Lord of Hosts Cursed be he of the Seraphin and the Orbs of the holy Animals and Angels who wait before the most High God of Israel in holiness and purity If he was born in the month Nisan which the Angel Vriel as the Prince of the Classes under which it is governeth Let him be cursed of him and of all his Order And if he was born in the month Ijar which the Angel Tzephaniel governeth Let him be cursed of him and his whole Order And if he was born in the month Sivan c. The like imprecation is made in the same words by the Angel of this month and so forward by the Angel of every month Let him be cursed of the seven Angels set over the seven Weeks and of all their Order and helping Power Let him be cursed of the four Angels which govern the four Seasons of the Year and of their Order and helping Power Let him be cursed of the seven Palaces Let him be cursed of the Princes of the Law by the Name of the Crown and the Name of the Seal Let him be cursed of the Great God Strong and Bright Let him receive confusion from his Embraces Let him fall with swift Ruine Let the God the God of Spirits destroy him to all Flesh Let the God the God of Spirits put him under all Flesh Let God the God of Spirits lay him prostrate to all Flesh Let God the God of Spirits cut him off from all Flesh Let the Wrath of the Lord and violent Whirlwinde fall upon the Head of the Wicked Let the destroying Angels run upon him Let him be cursed in every thing he puts his Hand unto Let his Soul depart in terrour Let him die of the Quinsie Let not his Breath come or go Let him be smitten with a Feaver Driness the Sword Rottenness the Jaundise Neither let him be delivered from them before Destruction Let his Sword enter his own heart and let his Bows be broken Let him be as the dust before the wind and let the Angel of the Lord drive him away Let his ways be darknesses and slipperiness and let the Angel of the Lord persecute him Let sudden desolation come upon him and his net which he hath laid let it catch himself They shall drive him from light to darkness and exterminate him from the habitable World Tribulation and anguish shall make him afraid and his eyes shall see his destruction and he shall drink the fury of the Lord. He shall cloth himself with cursing as with a garment Let him eat the strength of his skin God shall scatter him for ever and pull him out of his Tabernacle The Lord will not rest that he may be propitious to him but the Wrath of the Lord and his Zeal shall smoak against him and upon him shall rest all the Maledictions written in the Book of this Law and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven Also the Lord shall separate him to mischief out of all the tribes of Israel according to all the Curses of the Covenant which are written in the Book of this Law But you who adhere to the Lord your God are all alive this day He that blessed Abraham Isaac Jacob and Moses and Aaron David and Solomon and the Prophets of Israel and those who were pious among the Nations let him bless all this Holy Congregation with all Holy Congregations except the man onely who hath violated this Anathema God of his mercie keep them make them safe and deliver them from all evil misery and affliction and prolong their daies and years and send his blessing and happie success to every work of their hands and avenge them quickly with all other Israelites And so let it be his will and decree Amen CHAP. XXIV Concerning the present Judicature among the Jews COncerning the Ecclesiastical and Civil Consistories among the present Jews little of moment is now observable And though the Synedrion of old related to Civil Matters as the Synagogue to Ecclesiastical Yet the affairs of Religion and the World now do both fall under the cognizance of one and the same Court But that which is the subject of the present remark is the manner of legal proceeding in the case of Meum and Tuum which is plainly and compendiously thus When any contest ariseth among them concerning Debts Bargains Contracts c. a Juncto of Sabios Chachams or Masters are appointed to hear and determine in the Cause This Court of Chachams consists of 11 9 7 5. and can never be of fewer than three To these the party promovent makes his address in a short and plain Allegation of the Case which the Judges examine by Witnesses who must be persons well reported of and very sober For so much is required by their 212 Precept In case of want of Witnesses the bare Oath of the party producent is sufficient if he be a man of
of the deceased hasten from Purgatory and rush into the water they first meet with to wash off the stink of the smoak and cool their flames and therefore the Rabbies have strictly charged that no water should be drawn at that time lest those sad Souls should be disturbed as we read in Ritualibus eorum Whilst they are intent on their Devotion two Angels approach one good another evil and place themselves one against another in the Synagogue if they hear any one praying or repeating his Lecture with a godly intention him the two Angels lead forth with their hands on his head saying Thy iniquity is taken away and thy sin is purged And if at their entrance into the Synagogue they find the Candles well kindled the Table well furnished the Bed covered with clean Linnen then the good Angel saith I wish I may see all things in this posture the next Sabbath and the bad Angel is forced to say Amen But if things are not well order'd then the bad Angel sayes as the good before I wish I may find all things thus the next Sabbath to which the good Spirit though unwilling sayes Amen When they come home they sit down at the chief place of the Table where the Salt is placed with a Cup of Wine and two Loaves covered with a Napkin Then the Master of the Family taking the Cup of Wine consecrates the Sabbath saying The sixth day the Heavens and the Earth were finished and all the host of them and on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and rested the seventh day from all his work which he had made and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which God had created and made Gen. 2.1 c. Then adds Blessed art thou O Lord our God Creator of the Vniverse who hast created the fruit of the Vine Blessed art thou O Lord God Creator of the Vniverse who hast devoted us to thy Praecepts and hast given us a holy Sabbath and in thy good pleasure hast left us an heritage as a remembrance of the Creation it is a token of the Communion of Saints and a remembrance of the departure out of Egypt for thou hast chosen and sanctified us among all Nations thou out of thine abundant goodness hast left to us thy holy Sabbath Blessed art thou O Lord who hast hallowed the Sabbath When he hath said this he tasts the Wine and delivers it to all present to taste then he removes the Napkin and takes the two Loaves but cuts them not before Prayers as they do on week-dayes but forthwith sayes Blessed art thou O Lord our God Lord of the World who hast caused the Earth to bring forth bread After this he cuts and eats a piece of bread and gives to all that are present in larger shares than on week-dayes and all to honour the Sabbath wherein all niggardliness is contemned Whil'st the Wine is consecrating every one looks diligently on the Candle because the wise Rabbies write that if they travel hard on week-dayes they loose much of the strength of their eyes and looking on the Candles at the Consecration of the Wine is an effectual remedy The Bread is covered on the Table that its vileness in respect of the Wine may not be seen for in the Law it is mentioned before the Wine though consecrated after it as it is written Deut. 8.8 A Land of Wheat and Barley and Vines Where the Wheat and Barley of which the Bread is made are first named yet consecrated last on the Sabbath and if it were not covered it would be much despised The Rabbies say that it is covered in remembrance of the Manna For in the Wilderness the Dew fell then the Manna after that the Dew so that the Manna lay betwixt the Dew after the same manner as the Bread is laid on a Table-cloth and covered with a Napkin and for this reason the holy women bake a sort of Wafers which they eat instead of Manna Their Flesh-pyes are made like ours the Meat is laid on a thin cake and covered with another of the same sort so that it lyes as the Manna did betwixt the Dew And they take two loaves because on Fridays in the Wilderness they gathered a double quantity of Manna as it is written Exod. 16.22 But on the sixth day they gathered twice as much Bread What we shall chiefly Note is that on the Sabbath they much indulge their Genius as is observable in the Law Esay 58.13 where the Sabbath is called a delight that is that we may enjoy all delights that day and so ought all our Feasts to be according to that Thou shalt rejoyce in thy Feasts that all may be done to the honour of God wherefore thou may'st eat and drink and cloath thee decently that so thou may'st truly honour the Sabbath but don 't be excessive in thy charge All this is contained in Libello Timoris where the Reader may see with what Charms they excite their Devotion by repeating such short Sentences as these following Prepare to keep the Sabbath and Rest from all thy work If all things necessary are provided thou art praise-worthy Yea if thou have a great retinue of Servants and Maids The Day requireth strict observance Be content and thou hast plenty enough Wear good Habit for the Sabbath is called a Bride Provide the choicest diet for the Day And observe all Ceremonies carefully Come with a good Appetite Prepare good Wine Flesh and Fish Cover the Bed decently Let the Table be furnished splendidly Anoint thy Head but be not proud Sharpen thy Knife and cut thy Meat modestly Cast the parings of thy Nails into the fire Do not grudge Wine at the Consecration Wash thy hands and feet for this is no trivial Injunction Have a good courage Wash all thy Cups Be not mindful of any injuries Rejoyce with thy Wife and Children Banquet thrice in the day Speak nothing but what may cause mirth Besides these they have a Book of all the Blessings for the Feasts of the whole year amongst other these are observable Wear such Habit as may donote mirth Consecrate the Candle that it may burn well Finish all thy work on Friday and rest Eat all dainties Fish Capons and Quails Walk softly for the Law commands meekness and morning-rest Silk Garments are of much account and they who wear them also The Sabbath is holy and he who rightly observes it Let no care trouble you though Spiders be in your houses Be merry and jolly though at other mens charge Get the best Wine Fish and Flesh and Banquet thrice that day If thou observe all this thy reward is great And Ye women see that the Candles be lighted and be attentive Your convenience will be much when you are with Child And if you provide plenty of Wafers you shall easier conceive and bring forth with joy But lest the curious Reader may think
and sing an Hymn wherein they commemorate their deliverance And having past the afternoon and part of the night in liberal refreshment they eat the third Cake and drink a glass of Wine Then the Father of the Family saith Grace and with the fourth cup of Wine in his hand repeats the 6 verse of the 79 Psalm and the last verse of Lamentations the 3. and utters most direful Execrations against all that are not of their Religion And immediately upon this they go to sleep On the night of the Passover they think themselves so safe from danger that they let the doors stand open which at other times are bolted and locked with all imaginable security But some tell us that they leave their doors open upon the night of the Passover that there may be nothing to hinder the entrance of Elias whose coming on that night is expected As for the rationale of the four Cups of Wine the number of the Cakes time of Execration and other mysterious Rites of this Festival it is to be learned out of their Masters whither the Curious are remitted All that I have here to take notice of is their Custom of showing the Paschal Cakes to their Children and instructing them in the Institution and Ceremonies of the Passover Wherein they pretend to be very faithful observers of Exod. 12.26 27. As for the other daies of this Feast there is little to be observed concerning them except that thereon the Jews eat better and go finer than at other times CHAP. XIX Of their Pentecost or Feast of weeks THe meaning and institution of this Festival may partly be learned from its name For Pentecost denotes the time of its observation which was the fiftieth day reckoning from the second of the Passover It was also called the Feast of Harvest and of First-fruits because the Jews then began their Harvest and offered the first Fruits of the Earth Exod. 23.16 And seeing they cannot keep this Feast according to its first Institution they spend the time allotted thereunto in praying for their Restauration that God would hasten their return to Canaan and the rebuilding of the Temple For which they use this form Let it be thy good pleasure O Lord our God and the God of our Fathers that the house of thy Sanctuary may speedily be rebuilt in our daies and give us our portion in thy Law And indeed this Feast may well bear the Title of the Feast of Harvest because it contain'd the weeks usual for that season which were bounded with two remarkable daies whereof the one began and the other ended the Harvest The former was called the second of the Passover and the later the Pentecost And from this second day of the Passover they number their Sabbaths which Custom explains the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Sabbatum used in the Gospel At this Festival the present Ceremonies are but few only they carry the Law twice in Procession and read out of it such portions as concern the Oblations which were of old accustomed to be offered And these parcels of the Law are after a most solemn manner read by five select Jews Their entertainments likewise are at this time very plain and frugal using little flesh-diet though they are bound to use some that they may not contradict their own rule A Feast without flesh is without joy But still white meats and confection of milks are their prime Delicacies And this sort of Viand is at this time made use of out of no less mystery than that by its colour and dulcour they might be remember'd of the purity and delightfulness of the Law To which they allude the 10 verse of the 19 Psalm They have a Custom at this Feast to strow the Synagogues their dwelling Houses and the Streets if they have leave with Greens and to wear some upon their heads out of no deeper mystery than to commemorate that pleasant Verdure which was upon Mount Sinai when the Law was there given unto their great Master Moses A Custom they have likewise to bake a Cake of seven folds to signifie say they the seven Heavens into which God ascended when he went up from the Mount At the beginning of this Feast the Jews with great Devotion make this Prayer Blessed art thou O Lord our God the King of the World who hast sanctified us with thy Precepts and hast inabled us rightly to number the days as thou hast commanded us this being the first day Thus they proceed to number until the whole fifty daies be expired every day using the same Benediction CHAP. XX. Of the Feast of Tabernacles THis is the third Capital Feast of Divine appointment among the Jews which those of Barbary keep at present as their Fathers did antiently in Booths which being made of green Canes it is now generally known among them by the Spanish name of Fiesta de las writing as it is pronounced Caunias or the Feast of Reeds And the end of this Feast is to preserve the memory of their Ancestors long Pilgrimage in the Wilderness and it lasts eight daies The Institution hereof is to be met with Deut. 16. and Exod. 23 and 34. Now as of old the chief Solemnity and observation of this Festival is confined to the first and second day thereof In that Liturgie of the Jews which I have so often named there is no proper Office for this Feast so that thereon they do no more but go to the Synagogue and there solemnize the Vsual Service and thence hasten home to their Booths Bowers Tents or Tabernacles which they finde furnished as richly as their Estate and Fortunes will make them During the whole eight daies of this Festival they live in their Booths and adorn them with the Furniture of their houses and constantly lodge therein unless it fall out that the rains which in Barbary often begin in September the time of this Feast force them into more comfortable lodgings Paulus Fagius on Levit. 23. reports out of the Rabbins that every man was bound every morning to bring a burden of Cittern Palm Mirtle or Willow-boughs toward the making of these Booths And this burden was called Hosanna And the cutting down of the Boughs and strowing them in the way and crying Hosanna to Christ as he rode to Hierusalem is thought to have been in allusion to this Custom And the Jews in Barbary are wont at this Festival to take any sort of boughs in their hands and to shake them toward the four Cardinal Points of Heaven beginning at the East And by this action they foretel and threaten destruction to all the ends of the Earth that oppose them With these Boughs also they make a great noise in allusion to the 12 verse of the 69 Psalm and also to terrifie the Devil and triumph over sin At the shaking of these Boughs they use these words Blessed art thou O Lord our God King of the World who hast sanctified us with thy Precepts and commanded
concerning their own Rising For some of their Masters have expresly held that both the bodies and souls of wicked Jews shall be totally annihilate and that the Resurrection shall only be of such Jews as have lived godly Some again hold that all the Jews shall rise again but to different Conditions for the perfectly just upon their Resurrection shall be instated in an undefeisible happiness next those that have died in utter impenitence shall according to some of their Rabbins rise to be cruciated in Gehenna and a middle sort between both these shall at the Resurrection for twelve months space be punished in Hell But to speak truly these are the private opinions only of their Masters for the Common people plainly acquiesce in the literal sense of the thirteenth Article of their Creed Before we dismiss this Chapter it may not be incongruous to observe that the Jews in Barbary much dote upon the judgment of Rabbi Solomon Jarchi who held that Israel's Command to Joseph to carry his bones into Canaan was not only because he foresaw that the dust of Egypt should be turned to Lice or for fear that the Egyptians should idolize his Carkas but because that those who are buried out of Canaan should have a very troublesom Resurrection For the Jews believe that the Resurrection shall be in the Holy Land whither all of them that are buried in other Countries must incessantly rowle through the dark caverns of the Earth that they may rise there and be possessed of their final rest And however this may seem an Opinion too vain and absurd for men even of ordinary parts to maintain yet it is at this day a prevailing Doctrine among these Jews who greatly desire to be buried in Canaan to the end they may escape that toilsom rowling through the Earth which those must undergo whose hard lot it is to be buried out of the Holy Land But to avoid this inconvenience as many of them as are able endeavour to return to Palestine when they grow old that they may have an easie and compendious Resurrection And upon this account the Jews in Barbary imagine their condition to be much happier than those in Northern Countries because they are nearer to Canaan and therefore have a less way to tumble under ground for the Resurrection We have already taken notice that some Jews place their Purgatory in a Transmigration of the Soul to seven bodies and discoursing one of them who was of this opinion and shewing him that by this Doctrine at the Resurrection either seven Bodies must have but one Soul or six Bodies must have none he made light of the objection saying That at the Resurrection all the seven Bodies should be set together and the six that had it first shall come to the seventh Body wherein the Soul is then placed as a Candle in a Candlestick and that all the Bodies like so many Tapers shall be lighted thereat for the Soul shall communicate it self just as a Lamp its flames c. But I have been too tedious in these miscelaneous extravagancies already which I hope to make some amends for in the succeeding Accounts wherein I shall endeavour to be as succinct and orderly as the subject will give leave CHAP. IV. Their Opinion of Matrimony and Coelibate their Espousals Dowry-Bill c. NOtwithstanding that all civilized Nations in the World agree and consent that Marriage is a State of Honour and Sanctity and one of the ancientest Institutions which any Tradition doth report yet none are so warm Assertors thereof as the Jews in this Clime Who do not only contract Marriage early but infinitely extol it above Single-life and hold it a Condition more sutable to Nature more advantageous to Mankind and more acceptable to God Insomuch that they admit not any unmarried Sect among them but on the contrary look very jealously upon such of their Nation as either Marry not at all or long defer it And on this account their Espousals are very early their Daughters being usually betroth'd at ten years of age and if rich are Married when very young And when they have once enter'd this Solemn State they are religiously careful to express all faithfulness to their husbands And indeed the whole Nation of the Jews are such great Enemies to a treacherous Bed that if they had liberty they would certainly punish Adultery according to the letter of Levit. 20.20 And in further testimony of the great esteem the Jews have of Wedlock they reckon it among the affirmative Precepts which they make obligatory of their whole Nation Besides they are generally taught by the Masters that every Male coming to years of maturity is bound to take a Wife of his own Family or Tribe for to preserve and encrease it There are some among them who allow of no other end of Matrimony but Propagation and account them naughty persons who therein do project any other satisfaction And the Rabbies tell them that augmenting and preserving of their Families include all other purposes of Marriage whatsoever Their manner of taking of a Wife which is next to be consider'd is sufficiently orderly and decent For when any Male is disposed to Marry he enquires among his kindred for a Virgin to whom he may be joined in this Sacred Bond for the maintenance of his Name and Family in Israel And being informed that there is such an one he acquaints himself with her Age Complexion state of Body c. and after this begins to drive the bargain with the Virgins Relations who if they like his Condition and Proposals admit him to visit her But the Virgins Relations are very cautious that the Visit be short for should the Match not succeed the familiarity of such an interview will much tend to the Damsels disparagement But if the parties like one another and the friends agree about the Dowry then the man has liberty to make her presents in imitation of Gen. 24.53 which was also a Custom among the Grecians as Suidas in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And these he sends by the hand of some discreet Female who ascertains the Virgin of the reality of his intention and good will After the parties have given all proper assurance of one anothers good liking and thereof certified their Relations these presently call for a Master who at the Damsels house draws up the Articles of Marriage and Covenant of Dowry In which is set down all that belongs to the intended Bride the particulars of her Night-dress not being omitted And a Bill of particulars being deliver'd to the Bridegroom by vertue thereof he has power at the day of Marriage to call for and recover whatsoever is therein specified I enquired but could meet with no Form hereof nor could I perceive that it was any thing but a bare Envois of the goods belonging to the Bride Signed and Witnessed But besides this on the womans part there is also a Dowry made by the man which varies in
they pray that not the least mite may escape their discovery it is ordinary with them to cast some pieces of hard crusts into the secret corners that finding them they may not be said to have pray'd in vain Whatsoever crums they meet with they are carefully laid up till the next morning when they are burn'd and all this to testifie their especial diligence to observe the Law concerning the Passover The Sabbath immediately antecedent to this Festival is for its singular and peculiar Sanctity stiled the Great Sabbath which name was occasioned by a Miracle that thereon happned of which the Rabbies give this short Legend Our Ancestors when they lived in Egypt taking their Paschal Lambs according to Gods appointment upon the tenth day of the month and tying them to their bed-posts that 〈◊〉 might have them ready to kill upon the fourteenth day of the month which interim of time from the tenth to the fourteenth day they were to spend in meditation of their deliverance and in searching if the Lamb was without blemish The Egyptians demanding a reason of their so doing the Hebrews told them that their Lambs were kept to be killed at their Passover The Egyptians murmured greatly thereat and grew very much incensed against the Hebrews for killing the Lamb because it so much resembled one of their Gods For they had placed Aries the Ram one of the Celestial signes in the number of their Deities Whereupon the Egyptians began to complot the Hebrews Ruine but were suddenly struck with so much horrour that they durst not open their lips nor move a finger against them And because this happened the next Sabbath before the Passover it was therefore called the Great Sabbath On which they make long discourses relating to the Ordinance and Use of the Passover While they are searching and cleansing their houses they are either to be silent or to speak of nothing but finding out and burning the leavened bread And at the lighting of the Candle wherewith the Crums are sought for the Father of the Family saith this Benediction Blessed art thou O Lord our God the Lord of the whole earth who hast Sanctified with thy Precepts and commanded us to cast out the Leaven And all his Domesticks distinctly answer Amen Some Jews will not suffer the women to cleanse the house because they say Talkativeness is so natural to that Sex that they cannot perform that Office with so great silence as is required The Father of the Family has alwaies the inspection of purging the house who lest any leaven'd bread might be left undiscern'd useth this Execration Let all the leaven which I have not found and taken away vanish into the dust of the Earth While some of the Family are making clean the house others grinde the Wheat for the Azima or unleavened Cakes Where their first care is to see the Mill throughly cleansed from all Grain that was designed for leavened bread And in Barbary this task is not long or difficult because the Jews use small hand-mills like the Moors Next the Master of the house betwixt Sun-set and Star-light draws water and puts it in such consecrate Vessels as are purposely set apart for their Festivals And when all things are in readiness they fall to making of the Pascal Cakes Which are of a round figure and without any other ingredient than pure water and fine flour which must have been two or three daies ground before they use it And this they do lest the heat it takes in grinding should make it smell and grow leavenish If in kneading or moulding the Cakes any part of the dough happen to fall to the earth they must not take it up but leave it to be eaten by any creature that has a minde thereunto For they are of opinion that the least crum falling to the ground being taken and put to the rest will sower the whole lump The woman that makes the Cakes bakes first one alone over which she saith Blessed art thou our God who hast commanded us to separate the leavened Cake And having said these words she instantly burns it to ashes and then begins to bake the rest Upon the Eve of the Passover at the time of the Mincha they go to the Synagogue where they celebrate the Office of the Sabbath-Arvit The Prayers for the Passover are for the most part the same with those of the Sabbath save that they intermingle therewith some of the Roshodes During the time that the men stay at the Synagogue the women spread the Tables and adorn their Cubbords not for Ostentation but honour of the Festival Against they return from Publick Oraisons there is a Cushion the best they can provide laid for the Head of the House at the upper end of the Room where they are to dine For their posture of eating is exactly Eastern or lying upon the ground But this is no part of their Religion but a conformity to the mode of their Residence Upon the day of the Passover they compose themselves to a stately Gesture of body and an imperious Carriage only to signifie thereby their deliverance from Egyptian Bondage And the women which at other times sit hanging their heads at this Feast look loftily expressing thereby Alacrity and Triumph In eating the Paschal Lamb the Jews of all Countries use the same Ritual Four Dishes make up their Bill of Fare which are these The first Dish contains three Paschal Cakes the uppermost whereof represents the High-Priest the middle the Levite the lowermost the Common Hebrews The second Dish is a Leg of Lamb or Kid rosted together with an Hen-egg The mystery of which last morsel I could never meet with any Jew was able to reveal The third Dish is a deal of thick Stuff much like the Moors Cuscussow but of much better ingredients For the Moors make theirs of meer water and flour or crum'd bread but the Jews put several spices in theirs and the better to make it represent the colour of the bricks they made in Egypt they tincture it with Saffron The fourth Dish is a green Salad attended with Vinegre in which they dipping the Salad call to minde the sower herbs wherewith their Fathers were commanded to eat the Passover At this Feast every Jew is to drink Wine but none to exceed four glasses and none to refuse so many Before they lie down to eat the Chief of the Family consecrates the Viands And when the Cakes are broken and every one hath eaten a piece and drank a cup of Wine the whole Family sing an Hymn In which they remember the bread of Sorrow eaten by their Fathers in Egypt concluding with their hopes of a speedie Restauration unto Canaan At the breaking of the second Cake the Master of the house puts a piece thereof in his Napkin in memory of their Ancestors wrapping up their Dough in haste before it was leaven'd when they posted out of Egypt And then they drink a second glass of Wine
Munday and Thursday one for the death of Miriam and Eli and another for the turning of the Bible out of holy Hebrew into profane Greek by the Seventy Translators But these Fasts being the private Exercises but of some Jews their Rites fall under no certain annotation The general Rule in all their Fasting is to abstain from all manner of Meat and Drink till the Stars appear and if the Jews were Orthodox in the circumstances of this Afflictive no people would therein exceed them But in this as all other things they are palpably Carnal relying upon the very doing of the work and esteeming a meer Corporal abstinence highly Meritorious Besides there are not a few Miracles ascribed to the bare act of Fasting The Prayer used upon Fasting-daies translated out of the Jews Liturgy HEar our voice O Lord our God and have Compassion upon us and with Mercie hear our Prayers and impart thy pity and subdue us to thy Holiness Deliver us from death and the sword and hunger and captivity from the prey and an evil desire and bad infirmities and hard chances Pronounce a good sentence upon me and all the males of my house And let thy Compassions return with thy Conditions and O Lord our God deal with us in mercie and favour and enter with us before the Rule of Justice and harken unto our Prayer our Supplication and Cry for thou hearest the Prayer of every mouth Answer me O my Father answer me in this day of Fasting and Affliction Because I am in a great strait by reason I have offended and rebelled against thee since the day that I was upon the Earth until this hour I blush and am ashamed of my Rebellion I repent me of my sins and transgressions Notwithstanding I have put thy Mercies before mine eyes with which thou art wont to keep off thy fury and to be appeased with thy Creatures Thou art good to pardon and hast great pity upon all that call upon thee For thy manifold Mercies now answer me and let a little of my Fat and Bloud be mingled with my fasting and be received of thee as the fat put upon the top of thy Altar to pardon every one that hath sin'd and that hath striven and rebelled against thee I beseech thee for the sake of thy Power Soveraignty and Knowledge bear good will unto me for thy Great Mercies and look not upon my wickedness nor stop thine ears at my prayers be nigh unto my calling and to the calling of the men of my house It is said Before we cry unto thee thou wilt answer before we speak thou wilt hear It shall be that before they cry I will answer and before they speak I will hear That thou O Lord wilt deliver and answer and be appeased in the hour of adversity and hear the Petition of every mouth Blessed be thou Adonai Lord hear our Prayer The Prayer used by the Jews after they have done fasting translated out of their Liturgy O Lord of the Worlds I have afflicted my self this day with fasting before thee I have made known and manifest before the Seat of thy Honour that in the time that the house of thy Sanctuary stood the man that sin'd brought before thee an Offering and offer'd nothing but the fat and bloud and was forgiven And at present we have neither Sanctuary that is Temple nor Altar for our many sins nor Priest to pardon Let it be thy will Lord our God and the God of our Fathers that the little of my fat and bloud which is this day spent before thee may be reckon'd with my fast and accepted before the Seat of thy Honour even as if I had done it upon the sides of thy Altar and receive me of thy great mercies CHAP. XXIII Of the Jewish Excommunication THe Mahumedans as I have observed in another Discourse are not acquainted with Church-censures the contriver of that Religion having left all sorts of Delinquents to the Civil Sword And though for greater Decorum and Solemnity the Grand Segnor keeps his Musti whom he makes his Pope and pretended Oracle in Religion yet he has no power to chastize any by Spiritual Censures be their Enormities never so hainous And upon this account the Jews upbraid Mahumedism with great deficiency because it has no power to terrifie Evil doers to preserve the broken from the whole and to prevent and divert Gods Judgements to bring Offenders to amendment and to maintain the credit and power of their Religion To all which ends the Jews manage and hold Excommunication necessary Concerning which this ensuing Chapter shall give the Reader a short account of the causes of Excommunication its kindes and form Some have thought that the Jews of old used Excommunications onely in case of Pollutions of which they held chiefly these three sorts viz. by Leprosie touching of the Dead and an Issue And that to these three sorts of Pollutions were adapted as many kindes of Excommunication namely the Niddui Herem and Shammatha But besides these three causes of Excommunication among the Primitive Jews the Modern assigne twenty four more for all or any of which they at present Excommunicate that is forbid those of their Religion the free enjoyment of all Civil and Religious Society The causes of Excommunication among the Jews are chiefly these 1. He that doth Scandalize a Master though he be dead 2. He that doth revile a publique Minister of Justice 3. He that calls a Free-man a Slave or Servant 4. He that doth not appear at the Consistory upon the day prefixt 5. He that doth undervalue a single Precept or one head of Doctrine which is contained in the Prescripts of the Scribes or the Law 6. He that doth not what he is appointed stands Excommunicated till he doth it 7. He that keeps in his House what may do mischief to another as a biting Dog or broken Scales is Excommunicated until the fault be corrected that is till the Dog be Hanged and the Scales be mended 8. He that sells his Land to a Gentile is Excommunicate till the Damage be repaired that thereby shall accrew unto an Israelite 9. He that in the Courts of the Gentiles shall be a Witness against an Hebrew so that he shall be forced to pay Money contrary to the custom of his Nation shall be Excommunicate until he refund it 10. The Priest that Sacrificing doth not give the Dues to the rest of the Priests is to stand Excommunicate until he doth 11. He that shall do any Work in the forenoon of the day before the Passover 12. He that shall carelessly or with an Oath or in lofty and Hyperbolical terms pronounce the Name of God 13. They that shall cause the Vulgar to profane the Name of God 14. He that shall cause the Vulgar to eat holy things out of holy places 15. He that doth reckon the Years and prefix the Months out of the Holy Land That is shall otherwise observe the Months and Years than of
it to Embrace and Kiss it to Weep over it and after all perhaps to cast it to the Ground to let the people see they meant not there to terminate their Worship the very sight hereof doth as much induce the Jews to hate Christianity as any reason can be alledged to perswade them to love and Embrace it These are the Terms in which the Jews with whom I have conversed do stand who above all that has been said derive the greatest obstruction of their Conversion from their own obstinacy being not more scandalized than stifneckt nor less untractable within than offended without And as proud of their opinions as they are despised for them Glorying in their Ancestors and Founders in Gods Temple and Oracles peculiar promises and Prerogatives long continuance in Honour and Prosperity and indefatigable in their Expectation of being Triumphantly recollected and Victoriously to Reign over the Edomites when the promise of their Messias shall be perform'd which has as they say so long beyond the appointed time been protracted by reason of their own Vnworthiness A SUMMARY DISCOURSE Concerning the Jewish TALMUD MISNA GEMARA HAving in the former part of the Antecedent Discourse observed That there are no Jews to be met with who adhere to the Old Bible without Talmud-Traditions I thought it would be disagreeable neither to the Reader nor the Subject to give a succinct account of the Talmud Misna and Gemara in order to facilitate the meaning of the Traditions above-mentioned And waving all Critical reserches into the word Talmud which makes so great a Noise in the World it may suffice to observe that by a sort of Metonymy it signifies the Book containing the main Doctrines of the Jews which by way of Eminence is called the Talmud or Doctrinal So that the word Talmud may as well be used for a System of Christian as Jewish Doctrines for any thing therein to the contrary The two Talmuds of which hereafter are according to Mr. Selden the Pandects of the Jews Sacred and Civil Laws and they are generally received of the present Hebrews for the Great Body of their Learning and Standard by which the whole Israelitick Nation is to regulate both their Conversation and Doctrine And there needs no other Testimonie of their great esteem hereof than the RR's frequent using it in the proof and Confirmation of their Tenets For it is very observable that the Talmud is oftener brought in Vindication of their Religion than Moses the Prophets and Holy Writings Insomuch that they make it and not the Old Bible the Touchstone of their Doctrine and that into which they resolve the Decision of all their Cases Nor are they herein greatly blameable seeing they esteem the Talmud of equal Authority with the Canonical Scriptures and no more inferiour thereunto than a Law given by word of mouth is to one in Writing For the Jews hold there is a twofold Law which they are bound to observe the one written which is contained in the five Books of Moses the other Oral which they call the Misna or Traditional Law which God gave to Moses at the same time he did the other but did not commit it to Writing but left it to be preserved and propagated Orally Some of the Masters gifted with a wonderful Sagacity with great assurance maintain that Moses during his abode in the Mount could not discern the time of Night from the Day but by the delivery of these two Laws That when God gave the Written Law he knew it was Day and that it was Night when he gave the Oral And R. Eliesar as a late Author writes affirms that Moses read the Scripture by Day and the Misna by Night But this will scarce sound congruously if it be considered that the Misna was not written and therefore could not be Read till some thousand years after Moses received it in the Mount And as to the reason why God would not suffer it to be written it was the profound Mysteriousness of its Nature say the Masters which to have communicated by writing to the Vulgar People would have been no better than to give Holy things unto Dogs and to cast Pearls before Swine Others are of opinion that God foreseeing how the Nations would Transcribe the Books of the Law Prophets and Holy Writings and pervert them to Heretical and Impious Doctrines lest they should to the like to the Misna or the Second Law for so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies he would not suffer it to be committed to Letters And here it may be pardonable to take notice of two things first that by the Holy Writings which the Jews call Cetaphim they understand the Books of Daniel Psalms Proverbs Job Canticles Ruth Lamentations Ecclesiastes Ezra Nehemiah Chronicles and that they were Compiled or Collected by Esdras and the Seniors of the Synagogue after the Jews returned from Babylon Next that the Jews were of old so cautious of preserving their Law secret to themselves that they would not suffer it to be Translated into any other Language out of their own Insomuch that in the daies of Ptolemy when the Penteteuch was put in Greek by the Jews of Alexandria they say that as if God had been therewith displeased there happened three daies of darkness over the whole Earth And to testifie their own abhorrence of so execrable a fact the Jews appointed a solemn Fast to be kept upon the eighth of Tebeth as the immortal Joseph Scaliger hath observed But to return That Moses in the Mount did receive from God not onely the Written Law but also a secret Explanation thereof seems to have been the opinion of Origen of the third and Hillary of the fourth Age. And this Explanation is supposed to have been none other but the Misna or the Oral and Second Law we now speak of which was preserved as the Cabala of the Creation and of the things happening before the Flood by Tradition from minde to minde to use Mirandula without Letters by word of mouth For Moses thus delivered it to Aaron and he to his Sons they to Joshua Joshua to the Elders the Elders to the Prophets the Prophets to the Great Synagogue and so it was drawn down by the Rabbins of successive Ages of whom the Famous Ramban has given an account And in this state the Misna continued till many years after the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour even till Rabbi Jehuda who for his Piety was called the Saint and for his singular love to his Nation and knowledge in their Law the Prince perceiving that this Oral Tradition grew difficult and that thereby the Misna was in no small hazard to be utterly lost or grievously corrupted by reason of the extreme dispersion of his Nation collected all the Notes taken by the Jews to assist their Memories which contain'd any thing of the Misna and digested them into one Volume which he called the Sepher Misnaioth or the Book of Traditions And this was no sooner compiled than