"bridled asses."

The above remarks will show that the arguments advanced in the 34th number of the "Voice of Jacob," in defence of the "divine institution" of Phylacteries, are completely erroneous.

CHAPTER II.

How do modern Jews obey the precepts contained in the four passages referred to, viz. Exod. 13. 9, 16; Deut. 6. 8; 11. 18?

AVING thus investigated the real meaning of the passage in question, we will now proceed to inquire how modern Jews fulfil this important commandment; whether in accordance with the spirit of Moses and Solomon, or with the spirit of Rabina and Rab-Ashi.*

Now this is the Rabbinical notion of the precept: "And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes." They write the four following parts of Scripture: 1st part, Exodus 13. 1—10; 2nd part, 11-16; 3rd part, Deut. 6. 4-9; 4th part, 11. 13-21; (in which the above mentioned passage is found) upon one slip of parchment which is rolled up and put into a little leathern box. This box is then sewed together with the sinews of a clean animal, and bound for a sign upon their hands. They again write the four passages on four separate slips of parchment, and put them into four small leathern boxes joined to

*The compilers of the Talmud.

C

gether in one; being sewed with sinews as before; and they put them as frontlets between their eyes. In order that we may have a more accurate idea of the mode in which the Phylacteries are made, we will transcribe the rules laid down by a famous Rabbi in his book □ vy, or "Tree of life." Rules of Scribes, chapter 3rd: "The rule for making Phylacteries for the head is as follows. Take a square piece of wood: its length must be equal to its width, and its width to its height; but it is immaterial if its height be more or less than its width; it is only requisite to be careful that its length should be equal to its width. Make in it three deep incisions, in order that it may be made into four compartments as here represented. (See plate 1st.) Take a piece of leather, and moisten it with water; put in it the wood cut, and

make the leather come in between

every incision. Whilst yet moist

press it on both sides until there be made in the leather the figure of a Shin with three heads, on the right

side of him that wears the Phylacteries, and the figure of a Shin with four heads on the left side; leave the leather upon the wood until it is dry, and then take off the leather from the wood cut, and there will be four empty compartments. Then place perpendicularly a written portion in every little box and this is the order of putting them in; put

:

you ON i.e. Deut. 11. 13-21, in the box which is on the right hand of him that uses them; yw i.e. Deut. 6. 4-9, in the next; Ti.e. Exod. 13. 11-16, in the third, next to you; and wp i.e. 1-10, in the fourth, which is on the left hand of him that uses them. In this manner then take the sinews of a clean beast, particularly the sinews that are in the steps of the animal, which are white and stiff; bruise them with stones or other hard

substances until they become like flax; then spin them, and with the threads sew the divisions together at the four sides; on each side three stitches, in order that there may be altogether twelve stitches according to the number of the twelve tribes of Israel. If the number be lessened and made ten, according to the number of ten only, les ving out Judah who was a King, and Levi who was a Priest; or if the number be increased, and made fourteen, according to the number of the twelve tribes, with the addition of Manasseh and Ephraim, it is also right."

In many of the Rabbinical writings various reasons are given why the Phylactery for the head should be divided into four separate compartments. We will, however, notice a few, in order to see how far the Rabbies penetrated into the spirit of the law of Moses. In Talmud, tracts Sanhedrin and M'nachoth, we find the following reasons:

רבי עקיבא אומר אינו צריך טט בכתפי שתים פת באפריקי שתים

"Rabbi Akiba said, There is no necessity for that argument, [i.e. one advanced by another Rabbi, amongst many others:] for Totaphoth means four, because Tat signifies two in the language of the Cathpians, (a people of Spain,) and Phath signifies two in the African or Punic tongue." Rabbi S. Jarchi adopted the same view and made use of it on Exod. 13. 16.

We can only say, we do not envy his theological taste. The great Jewish champion, Rabbi Lipman, who wrote against Christianity and a defence for Rabbinical Judaism, gives us the following reason which is found in his book

עכ"י נצטוינו לעשות של ראש די בתים .Nitsachon נצחון ולהניחם על הראש במקום שמח של התינוק רופס כי הארבע חושים ראייה שמיעה ריח טעם שרשם מן המוח ולעשות של יד בית אחד ולהניחה על זרוע שמאל כנגד הלב כי הכח בזרוע ועיקר ההרגש שבכל הגוף בלב:

"There

fore are we commanded to make the Phylacteries of the head of four boxes, and to put them on the head