One of the principal branches of modern Judaism is the Cabala, the study of which is regarded as the sublimest of all sciences. By the Cabala, the Jews mean those mysti cal interpretations of the scripture, and metaphysical spe culations concerning the Deity, angels, Etc. which they re gard as having been handed down by a secret tradition from the earliest ages. The Cabala is of two kinds, theo retical and practical ; the former relates to subjects only adapted to speculation ; the latter is, in fact, a system of magic drawn from a mystical interpretation of the Scrip tures. The Jews believe that Abraham, Moses, Solomon, !cc. were adepts in this kind of magic. It was much cul tivated in the middle ages ; but now the Jews have in a great measure discarded faith in the practical Cabala.
In the 1 lth century, the famous Rabbi Maimonides drew up a summary of the doctrines of Judaism, which every Jew is required to believe, on pain of excommunication in this world, and condemnation in the next. This summary con sists of 13 articles, which he calls foundations or roots of the faith. The articles are as follow :-1. That God is the creator and active supporter of all things. 2. That God is one and eternally unchangeable. 3. That God is incor poreal, and cannot have any material properties. 4. That God must eternally exist. 5. That God alone is to be worshipped. G. That whatever has been taught by the prophets is true. 7. That Moses is the head and father of all contemporary doctors, and of all those who lived befot c or shall live after him. 8. That the law was given by Moses. 9. That the law shall always exist, and never be altered. 10. That God knows all the thoughts and ac tions of men. 11. That God will reward the observance, and punish the breach of the laws. 12. That the Messiah is to come, though he tarry a long time. 13. That there shall be a resurection of the dead when Gud shall think fit.
Before the delivery of a Jewess, her husband, or some friend, describes with chalk a circle on each of the walls round the bed, and on the outside and inside of the door he also inscribes on these, in Hebrew characters, the words Adam, Chara, Chuts, Lilith ; i. e. Adam, Eve, rejoice ; Lilith signifying a wish that if the child be a boy he may be like Adam, and blessed with a wife like Eve ; but if a girl, that she may not, like Lilith, who, according to Jewish tradition, having been formed before Eve out of the ground, on that account deemed herself equal to Adam, and refus ed to be obedient to him. Lilith, also, is supposed to have the power of weakening and destroying young infants, and therefore the names of three angels are written on the in side of the chamber in which the pregnant woman lies. A Christian midwife must not be employed except in cases of most clear and urgent necessity, and then she must be surrounded and watched by several Jewesses. In order to
accelerate the birth, a rabbi recites the 20th, 38th, 92d, and 102d psalms. On the evening ofthe Sabbath after delivery, if a boy is born, a feast is held called Joshua Hahen, or the safety of the son. Preparations are next made for circum cision. The guests must be at least ten in number, and must all have passed their 13th year. No woman or Christian is allowed to circumcise, except in cases of ne cessity. Where the latter performs the operation, some of the blood must be drawn afresh ft om the part by an Is raelite. The regular circumcisers are distinguished by their very long and sharp nails ; they are taught their bu siness by operating on the sons of poor Jews, whose con sent is obtained for money. Besides the circumciser, a person named Baal Berith, or the master of the covenant, must assist. The operation ought not to take place before the eighth, or later than the twelfth day after the birth. Two chairs are provided, one for the circumcise]) and the other for Elijah, who is supposed to be present. As soon as the circumcises and his attendant have entered the room, some boys make their appearance hearing twelve wax tapers, bowls of wine, a knife, a plate of sand, and a platter with olive oil, in Which the linen to he applied to the wound is steeped. The infant must be bathed before the ceremony. He is brought to the door by a woman, who is not allowed to enter the room. If a child die uncircumcised, he is circumcised in the burial ground, that the reproach of un circumcision may be taken away. No prayers are said on this occasion, but a name is given him, that, at the resur rection, when every one will be called by his name, his pa rents may recognise him. The birth of a girl is attended with little feasting. The rabbis have abolished the distinc tion made by the Mosaic law between the period of the pu rification of a woman after the birth of a son and a daugh ter. They have also altered the law respecting the mode of redemption of the first born, if a son. According to them, the child cannot be redeemed before the thirtieth day, nor after the thirty-first. On that day the priest asks. the father, whether he would prefer bis child or the five shekels required for his redemption ? to which the father replies, that he prefers his son, and that he wishes the priest to accept the money. The priest cannot accept less; but he may return what he accepts. If the father dies be fore the.thirty-first day, the mother is not bound to redeem the child ; but a piece of parchment is suspended on the child's neck, with an inscription that he is a son not re deemed, to teach him that he must redeem himself.