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fox was walking alongside a river, when he noticed the fishes crowding together and moving about in great perturbation. He asked them, 'What is it that causes you so much uneasiness? They answered: Fear of the nets which man has spread for us.' Saith the fox, Let me advise you; if you wish to be safe, come and dwell with me on shore, as your fathers have dwelt with mine.' Said the fishes, Art thou he that is called the most cunning of all animals ? Thou art not cunning, but a fool: If we are not safe at the place we are to live in, what can we expect from moving to a place which to us is certain death? So likewise, if we Israelites are not safe in adhering to the cause of the law, though it is said in it and of it, 'This is your life and length of days unto you,' (Deut. Xxx. 20,)-what have we to expect if we abandon that cause?" A very short time afterwards R. Akiva was apprehended, and cast into a dungeon. Papus the son of Judah was also seized on, and confined in

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the same prison. When R. Akiva saw him, he asked, "Papus, What has brought thee hither?" who answered, Happy art thou, R. Akiva! Thou sufferest for the cause of the law. But woe to Papus! His sufferings arise from the idle matters of this life."

When R. Akiva was led forth to execution, it was the hour for saying the Kriath Schmang.* His sentence was to have his flesh rent off with iron combs. While this was being done, he submitted to the yoke of the kingdom of heaven. His disciples who were present said, “Rabbi, even here?"t He answered: "From my earliest infancy have I suffered through this expression, 'with all my soul,' even if thy soul be rent from thee. My constant thoughts were, 'Shall I ever be permitted to obey this command?' And now, when I am permitted, shall I repine?" He then prolonged the utterance of the word One till his soul fled.

VI. MORALITY OF THE TALMUD. TREATISE, Brochoth. Folio 28, page 2. WHEN R. Jochanan the son of death, were he to kill me, would not Sachai was ill and on his death-bed, be eternal; whom I could mollify his disciples came to visit him. with words, or bribe with gifts ;When he saw them he began to even then I would weep. How much weep. 'Light of Israel," said they greater is my cause for tears, now to him, "main pillar of the right, that I am to be led before the KING thou strong hammer!§ Why dost of kings, the Holy One! Blessed thou weep?" He answered: " Were be HE who liveth and reigneth for I led forth to judgment before a ever! whose wrath, were it excited mortal king, who is here to-day and against me, is everlasting; whose in his grave to-morrow; whose an- fetters, were he to chain me, know ger, were it excited against me, no end; whose infliction of death, would not be lasting; whose fetters, were he to kill me, would be eterwere he to chain me, could but connal; whom I can neither mollify fine the body; whose infliction of

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Even here-In the midst of thy unequalled torments, dost thou think thyself called upon to repeat the confession of that faith for which thou art dying? SufferedWhenever I repeated my confession of faith I was so forcibly impressed with the determination to lay down my life for it, that I have actually felt the torments I might be made to endure as acutely as now when they are inflicted.

In talmudic phraseology a man of powerful intellect, who Overcomes or crushes every obstacle in the way of his studies.

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VII. CUSTOMS AND OBSERVANCES OF THE JEWS.
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Rosh hashanah : THE NEW YEAR."

THE origin of this festival is given in Leviticus xxiii. 23-25: And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work." And also in Numbers xxix. 1 : "And in the seventh month, on the first of the month, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you."

Though not one of the three great festivals, on each of which the male population of Israel was to appear before the Lord; it is, nevertheless, considered as one of the first among the principal holydays, has as such been celebrated by the Israelites since the giving of the law, and is known by the name of Rosh hashanah, or new year."

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As in Exodus xii. 2, we find it said, at the institution of the Pesach, or "Passover," "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you;" and as the festival we now treat of is fixed for the seventh month; it behoves us to explain why, nevertheless, it is called, and considered as, "the new year." This explanation we borrow from folios 168 and 263 of the Commentaries on the Pentateuch, by R. Isaac Abarbanel, an eminent writer of the sixteenth century.

In the Talmud, (Treatise, Rosh hashanah,) we find a discussion between R. Eleazar and R. Joshua, respecting the season in which the creation of the world took place. R. Eleazar asserts that the world was created in Tishri; (the autumnal

equinox;) whilst R. Joshua maintains the creation to have taken place in Nissan (the vernal equinox). Both the Rabbies agree, that the extremes of heat and cold (summer and winter) are not adapted for production. The difference between them is, that R. Joshua, placing the creation at the time of the vernal equinox, when life and vegetation are in full developement, maintained that, at the creation, every thing sprung up spontaneously, without any previous germ. Whereas R. Eleazar, placing the creation at the time of the autumnal equinox, when the germ of the future developement is forming in the bosom of the earth, maintained that creation began with the formation of the germ. Though this discussion is decided in favour of R. Joshua, and the Rabbies join him in the opinion that the world was created in the full bloom of spring; yet they all, including R. Joshua, agree in dating the new year from Tishri, or the autumnal equinox; agreeably to the rule laid down in the sacred Scriptures for all computations of time; namely, from the commencement of the germ. Thus we find in Genesis i. 5: "And it was evening, and it was morning, one day." The day is here made to begin with the evening, as the germ of which the morning is the developement. The same principle is observed in Lev. xxiii. 32: "From even unto even shall ye celebrate your sabbath;" the observance of one day only being enacted, but to begin with the evening as the germ of the coming day. In conformity with this rule, the Rabbies considered the autumnal equinox, which contains the germ to be developed in the coming year, as the commence

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The autumnal equinox being thus upon principle held to commence the year, its festival is celebrated as that of the new year, and as a day of judgment to all flesh, which is to decide their fate for the coming year. Not that it is considered as if the destiny of man is on other days less subject to the supremacy and control of Providence; but it is held that, on this particular day, the absolute consequences of men's actions, and the fate of nations and of climes, are meted out and weighed. It is a remarkable fact, that all the ancient astronomers, of all nations, adopting the idea from the Jews, have given as the sign of the zodiac for this month, the figure of an aged man of stern aspect, holding a pair of scales in his right hand, and an open book in his left; thus plainly expressing the religious idea of this festival, on which justice is the ruling attribute.

The blowing of trumpets, which we find commanded both in Lev. xxiii. 23-25, and in Num. xxix. 1, is a rite peculiar to this festival; and is not only observed to this day, but the hearing of it is obligatory on all Jews. It has a direct reference to, and close connexion with, the service of the day. It proclaims the King and his day of judgment; as is said 1 Kings i. 39, "And they blew the trumpet; and all the people exclaimed, God save the king!" and in Joel ii. 1, 'Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain : let all the inhabitants tremble; for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand." It is intended to call forth terror at the judgment; as is written in Exod. xix. 16, " And the voice of the trumpet was exceeding loud; so that all the people that were in the

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camp were terrified;" which verse is likewise commemorative of the giving of the law. And in Amos iii. 6, "Shall a trumpet be blown in the city and the people not be terrified?" It likewise expresses thanks, as in Psalms, Hallelujah! praise him with trumpet sounds." It moreover denotes the freedom from error and transgression, which is to follow the universal acknowledgment of the kingdom of God; as is written Lev. xxv. 9, 10: "Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." And, lastly, it denotes the restoration of Israel; as is written Isaiah xxvii. 13: "On that day the great trumpet shall sound, and those that are wandering about in the land of Ashur, and the outcasts from the land of Egypt, shall come and worship the Lord on his holy mountain at Jerusalem." All these ideas are connected with, and expressed by, the sounding of the cornet this day, which is emphatically called jom sikaron," the day of remembrance," and jom teruang, "the day of blowing."

The service of this festival comprises prayers of a threefold kind: 1. Malchioth, "Of homage," to invoke the speedy approach of the kingdom of God, when all mankind will arrive at the true knowledge of their Creator, and unite in the worship of their supreme Benefactor. 2. Sichronoth, "Of remembrance;" acknowledging the omniscience, providence, and exercise of supremacy towards the individual, that it may please an all-merciful God to remember his creatures in pity, and temper his judgment with mercy. And, lastly, 3. Shophroth, "Of sounding the cornet," to celebrate that future jubilee, when mankind will be free from the fetters of error, and acquire perfection in the knowledge of their God. Therefore the prayers which it is the duty of every Israelite to recite on this festival, enumerate such verses of the sacred Scriptures as relate to the supreme reign of the Deity, to his omniscience and providence, and to the trumpet which is at once to proclaim the liberation, and express the grateful joy, of mankind.

The sacrifice of Isaac is likewise a principal part of the commemorative service of the day; to recal the perfect obedience of the great fathers of our nation, and the memory of the covenant and oath of Mount Moriah; and by an appeal to that covenant to implore mercy for a sinful race.

We conclude by giving translations of a few of the many soulstirring prayers of that day :

"And now, O Lord our God, deign to extend the fear of thee to all thy works, and dread of thee to all thy creatures; that all that is made may fear thee, and all that is created may bow unto thee, and become one body to obey thy will in singleness of heart. For well we know, O Lord our God, that all dominion is before thee, majesty is in thy power, might in thy right hand, and thy name is to be feared by all that thou hast created."

"Our God! God of our fathers! Reign over the universe in thy glory. Exalt thyself over all the earth in thy splendour. And shine forth in the excellence of thy supreme majesty over all that dwelleth on thy terrestrial globe. That all which is created may know thou hast created it; and that every being may understand that thou hast formed it; and all that lives and breathes may exclaim, 'The Lord God of Israel is King, and his supreme power ruleth throughout the universe.'"

"Thou rememberest thy creation, the universe, and visitest all that was formed in days of old. Unto thee all things concealed are manifest, the manifold secrets since the beginning of time: For there is no oblivion before the throne of thy glory, nor is there any concealment before thy eye. Thou bearest in mind all that has ever been done; and of all that is formed nothing is hidden from thee. All is revealed and known unto thee, O Lord our God, whose view penetrates to the end of all generations, when thou wilt enter into the decree of investigation, to examine every spirit and soul, to recal the many deeds, and the multifarious beings without end.

Who is not visited on this day, when the record of all that is formed cometh before thee?-the actions of man and his pursuits, and the effects of every man's deeds; the inward thoughts of man, and his designs, the secret motives of his deeds. Happy is the man who forgetteth thee not, and the mortal who confirms his faith in thee! For they who seek thee will never stumble, those who rely on thee will never be put to shame!"

"Our God! God of our fathers, deign in pity to us to remember the covenant, and the mercy, and the oath which thou didst swear unto our father Abraham on Mount Moriah: Let there be present before thee, the binding of this son Isaac on the altar, when our father Abraham subdued his paternal feelings of pity, in order to obey thy will in perfect devotion. O let thy mercy in like manner subdue thy wrath, and in thy great goodness turn away thine anger from thy people, thy city, and thine inheritance; and perform unto us, O Lord, our God! the assurance which thou hast given us in thy law through Moses thy servant, "I will in mercy to them remember the covenant of their ancestors whom I brought forth out of the land of Misraim, in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.' (Leviticus xxvi. 45.) For the Recorder of all that is forgotten. art thou for ever: there is no oblivion before the throne of thy glory; and the binding of Isaac, wilt thou this day remember in mercy unto his descendants. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who rememberest the covenant.'

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"Our God! God of our fathers, sound the great trumpet of our liberation; raise the standard to collect us that are exiled; assemble us that are scattered amongst the nations, and gather us from the utmost bounds of the earth. Bring us to Zion in triumph, and to Jerusalem the temple of thy holiness in everlasting joy; that we may there present to thee the offerings of our duty as we are commanded in thy law through Moses thy servant.”

LONDON:-Printed by James Nichols, 46, Hoxton-Square.

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THE Cabbala of the Jews is, according to the assertions of its professors, a divine, sublime, secret, and infinite science, and treats of the creation of the world, and of the Mosaic laws. We call it "the Cabbala of the Jews," because in its doctrines the Jewish religion is so closely interwoven, its references are so continual to the sacred Scriptures, and its technical terms so purely and originally Hebrew, that, though it may not, as the science itself claims, date from the beginning of time and the days of Adam, it certainly, at some period or other, had its origin among the Jews. The word CABBALA signifies tradition; and this expression is not only to denote, that the doctrines of this science were verbally transmitted, but likewise that their transmission from mouth to mouth was so private, that they never were taught at any school accessible to all. No trace of the first rise of Cabbala is any where to be found. Whenever and wherever it appears, it is treated of as an old-established and intimately-cherished science. Should we, for instance, assume, that the book Sohar, "Splendour," by R. Simon the son of Jochai,* is the first work composed on Cabbala; according to its contents, the science was not only known long

* R. Simon_ben Jochai, called by the Cabbalists," the great light," was born some time before the destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem. He was a disciple of R. Akiva. Fear of the Romans drove him to seek shelter during twelve years in a cavern, where he occupied himself with contemplations on divine subjects, which he either taught or dictated to his disciples, who, about sixty years after his death, collected his treatises, and out of them composed the celebrated work Sohar, or Splendour."

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before that book was composed, but the Patriarchs themselves were amongst its most enlightened professors. Nor does it in any other work appear as new, but always as old-established, and commenting on the sacred Scriptures. Moses, David, Solomon, and the Prophets must, according to the Cabbala, have been most illustrious masters of the science; and, though the Cabbalists assert that there have been men amongst them, who, without ever having received any instruction, and solely through the merits of their pious and sanctified conduct, have, by means of inspiration or the revelation of Elijah, been taught the secrets of Cabbala; yet these secrets were none other than what the Patriarchs, Moses, and the blessed characters of the Old Testament already knew, and consisted in explanations of holy writ. The most celebrated of the Cabbalists never attempted to spread their secret science, or to render it general. On the contrary, they were most cautious and reserved in their communications. They rather preferred absolute silence to the desecration of their science, by imparting it to any one who was not, through piety and a meritorious life, properly prepared to receive and preserve their treasures. When they deigned to afford their confidence and instruction, it was done in the strictest privacy, in some remote and undisturbed part of their dwellings, or beneath the sombre shades of a forest. Should the reader, who perhaps has heard of the mystifications of the Rossicrucians, and other similar secret societies, be tempted to confound the Cabbalists with them, he would fall into great error. Cabbalists never formed a secret society; awful oaths, pompous ce

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