The education of the female children of the Jews is very much neglected. They are seldom taught more than to pronounce the words of a Hebrew prayer book, without understanding the meaning of a single sentence. The sons are taught to read the law, the mishna, the gcmara, and the prayer-book. Very few of them learn the Hebrew gram matically. At the age of 13 years and one clay, a Jewish youth receives the appellation of Bar Mitsrah, a son of the commandment, and is required to observe the 613 precepts which, according to the rabbis, comprehend the whole of the law. From this time he is deemed liable to punish ment if he transgress them ; whereas the sins he commits before this age are ascribed to his father, who is liable to the punishment denounced against them. At this age the father, in the presence of several JCNVS, declares that lie is no longer chargeable for the sins ofhis son. Jewish girls are accounted of full age at 12 years and a day old.
Marriage is reckoned the indispensable duty of every Jew. Alen who live in celibacy long after eighteen are considered by the rabbis as living in sin. Polygamy is sanctioned by the Talmud, but is not practised by the Eu ropean Jews. The betrothing sometimes takes place six months or a year before the marriage. Ten men at least must be present at the marriage, otherwise it is null. A velvet canopy is brought into the rholn where the ceremony is to take place, and extended on four poles. Under this canopy the bride, having her face covered with a veil, is led by two women, and the bridegroom by two men ; these are always their parents, or near relations. After a short prayer the bride and bridegroom drink of the wine which is offered them by the rabbi. A ring is used, as at Chris tian marriages. The marriage contract is next read ; and as soon as the reading is ended, the priest takes another glass of wine, and repeats seven benedictions ; then the married couple drink the wine ; after which the empty glass is laid on the floor, and the bridegroom stamping upon it breaks it to pieces, indicating by this the frailty of life. The company next shout, "Good luck to you !" The ceremony is concluded by a contribution for the poor in the land of Canaan, and a nuptial feast.
A Jew is at liberty to divorce his wife at any time, or for any cause ; but in order to counteract the consequences of this liberty, the synagogue has ordered a great many for malities to he observed, which allow time for the parties to become cool, and to reconsider the matter. When the di vorce takes place, the parties are not allowed to marry a gain, nor to be together by themselves : if the woman has been divorced for adultery, she cannot marry her paramour. A man at a distance from his wife, may send her a bill of divorce by a messenger, which is legal, provided the mes senger is specially appointedheard the husband order the notary to write the bill—saw it written and signed— received it from the husband in the presence of two sub scribing witnesses, with a special and formal commission, and provided he delivers it to the woman in the presence of two witnesses, with a prescribed declaration of its nature. A girl betrothed under ten years of age is entitled to a di vorce any time before she arrives at the age of twelve years and a day, simply by declaring before two witnesses, who write out her declaration, that she will not marry the man ; this is called a divorcement of dislike.
In reading the Jewish prayers for the sick, it is customary in cases of great and imminent danger, to change the name of the sick person, under the belief that thus the sentence of death which may have been issued against him in heaven may be averted or evaded. There is a particular form in their liturgy for changing the name, in which it is said to be done with the knowledge of God, and the approbation of the celestial tribunal ; and that his change of name may an nul all hard decrees, and reverse the sentence which may have passed against him. In this prayer, he is represented
as another man, an infant just born, &c. When a Jew dies, all the water in the same and adjoining houses is instantly thrown away, and no priest must, on any account, remain in any of these houses till the body is removed. Immediately on his decease, the body is stripped and laid on the floor, with clean straw under it, and watched by a Jew till the ceremony of cleansing it with warm water is perform ed. During this ceremony great care must be taken that no water enters the mouth of the corpse. Near it are pla ced a lighted taper, a basin of water, and a clean towel, that the soul may cleanse itself from the defilements it contracted in this world. For this purpose it is supposed to return to the place- every night for a month, during which period the things are kept in the room, and the water is changed every night. In cases where the relations of the deceased are too poor to defray the expence of this ceremony, a subscription is made by the richer Jews ; and a few years ago a society was established in London for this purpose—so very sacred and imperative is this cere mony esteemed. The Jews do not make use of close coffins, but only four plain boards loosely joined together. This is done in order that the worms may the sooner destroy the body. The talleh, or square garment with fringes, is put over the sepulchral garment. At the place of interment, the coffin is opened, and some earth, said to have been brought from Jerusalem, is placed under the head in a small bag, or strewed about the body. The relations and friends of the deceased then take hold, one after the other, of his great toes, imploring him to pardon all their offences against him, and not to report evil against them in the other world. The nearest relations rend their garments. When the coffin is placed in the grave, each of the relations throws some earth on it. As soon as the grave is filled, all the attendants run away lest they should hear the knock of the angel, who is supposed to come and knock on the coffin, and to ask the deceased if he can repeat the passage in scrip ture which has an allusion to his name : if he is not able to repeat it, the angel beats him with a hot iron till he breaks his bones. When the relations return from the funeral, they all sit down on the floor, and eat a small portion of hard boiled eggs, salt, and bread, in order to break the fast which they are supposed to have kept from the moment of the decease of their relation. Morning and evening, ten Jews who have passed the age of thirteen repeat prayers for the dead ; and at the close of these prayers, the nearest male relatives repeat the Kodesh, a prayer which is sup posed to deliver the deceased from hell. The Jews believe in a resurrection, but the rabbis say it will take place in the land of Canaan, and that Israelites buried in other coun tries will he rolled thither through subterranean caverns; hence Jews in neighbouring countries, if rich, are removed into Canaan before they die. On the decease of a brother, sister, wife, daughter, or son, the upper garment is cut on the right side, and then rent about a hand-breadth in length ; but on the death of a father or mother, the rent is made on the left side in all the garments. The mourning continues seven days, during which no business is to be transacted, nor is the house to be left; but the mourners are to sit on the ground without shoes, and_to give free access to every visitant : they must not shave their beards, cut their nails, or wash themselves fur 30 days.