Fast is ended.*

Then, according to some of their

rabbies, they may congratulate themselves on

For the sin which we have committed against thee, by treachery 'to our neighbour. And for the sin which we have committed against 'thee, by envy.

For the sin which we have committed against thee, by levity. And 'for the sin which we have committed against thee,by our stubbornness. For the sin which we have committed against thee, by running 'swiftly to do evil. And for the sin which we have committed against thee, by tale-bearing.

For the sin which we have committed against thee, by falseswearing. And for the sin which we have committed against thee, by causeless enmity.

For the sin which we have committed against thee, by embezzle'ment. And for the sin which we have committed against thee, by ' ecstacy.

'Yet, for all of them, O God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, ⚫ and grant us remission.

⚫ Also for the sins, for which we were obliged to bring a burnt-offering. And for the sins for which we were obliged to bring a sin-offering. And for the sins for which we were obliged to bring an offering, ' according to our ability.

And for the sins, for which we were obliged to bring a trespass' offering, for either a certain or a doubtful sin.

And for the sins, for which we were obliged to suffer the stripes of contumacy.

And for the sins, for which we were obliged to suffer flagellation. And for the sins, for which we have incurred the penalty of death, 'by the hand of God.

And for the sins, for which we have incurred the penalty of extirpation, and being childless.

And for the sins, for which we have incurred the penalty of the four kinds of death formerly inflicted by our tribunal of justice, viz. 'stoning, burning, beheading, and strangling: for transgressing affir'mative precepts, or negative precepts; whether an action be appro'priated thereto, or not, as well as those which are known to us, as 'those which are unknown unto us, we have already made confession ' of them before thee, O Lord, our God! and the God of our fathers.' German and Polish Jews' Prayer Book, p. 145—148. English Prayer Book, London, 1770. p. 182—186. Day of Atonement, p. 11–14. et alibi.

* Prayers for the day of Atonement, p. 212.

Hebrew and

Prayers for

.

having performed the services of this solemnity with such precision and fervour, that even Satan himself is constrained to applaud their piety. * Presuming that all their sins are pardoned, they now depart from the synagogue, wishing each other a good year. After that they bless the New Moon; and then go home to enjoy a plentiful meal. †

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES, or Tents, was divinely instituted, to be an annual commemoration of the manner in which the children of Israel lived in the wilderness, from the time of their departure out of Egypt till their entrance into the land of Canaan. It commences on the fifteenth of Tisri ; and, as we have already seen, § is now kept nine days; being, like the feasts of Passover and Pentecost, extended one day beyond the original appointment.

Every Jew who has a court or garden, is required to erect a tabernacle on this occasion. 'The intermediate days, between the day of atonement and the feast of tabernacles, are employed in preparing the tabernacles, and ornamenting 'them in the most sumptuous manner that each ' individual can possibly afford.' To every tabernacle, it is said, that there ought to be three good sides of wood, besides the side on which 'the door-way is. It must be erected in the open 'air; not within doors, or under the shelter of a

* Rabbi Eliezer, apud Buxtorf. ibid. c. xxvi. p. 537. + Leo Modena, ibid. P. iii. c. 6, s. 7.

Lev. xxiii. 33-34.

David Levi, ibid. p. 98. § Page 365.

'tree. They must not be covered with hides, 'clothes, or vessels; but must be covered with boughs, but so loose that the stars may be seen, and the rain descend, through them.—The 'tabernacles, during the festival, are to be accounted as their proper dwellings, and they are obliged to eat, drink, and sleep in them. But 'sick persons, or such whose health may be endangered by the cold, are exempted from the 'observance of this precept. Thus also if the rain proves so great, that they cannot live dry in them, or the cold is so intense as to endanger 'their health, they may all return to their houses. 'Women and little children are also exempted 'from abiding in the tabernacles.'* In the same Prayer Book from which this account is quoted, it is added, in reference to sleeping in the tabernacles: This is not commonly done in northern 'countries; although it is allowed to be extremely meritorious, if it can possibly be done without 'danger to health.'+

The first two days of this festival, and the last two, are celebrated with active and pompous services in the synagogue, and the same strict abstinence from all servile labour as the first and last two of the feast of Passover. Particular prayers and lessons are appointed for the whole of the festival; but the five intermediate days are kept with less strictness, and the services performed on them differ less from the services on common

* Rules appended to Prayers for the Feast of Tabernacles, p. 237. 240.

+ See also Buxtorf. ibid. c. xxi. p. 446-458.

working days. Against this feast they provide themselves with branches or twigs of citron, palm, myrtle, and willows of the brook; some of which they take to the synagogue on each of the first seven days, except that which happens to be the sabbath, and hold in their hands during the recital of certain psalms; the citron in the left hand, the other twigs in the right. With their hands thus adorned they march in procession round the altar, once on the first day, and once on the second. On each of the four succeeding days, they perform two of these circuitions. The seventh day, which is honoured with rather more solemnity than the four preceding ones, is called Hosanna Rabba, that is, assist with great succour:' being a solemn accla'mation used in the prayers of this day. They also on this day take forth seven of the laws,' or rather copies of the law, ' and carry them to the altar.' boughs they add other branches of willow; and with the reader at their head, go seven times 'round the altar in remembrance of the sabbatical years,' according to some; or, according to others, in memory of the circumambulation of the walls of Jericho.*

6

from out of the ark, To their bundles of

The eighth and ninth are high days, especially the last; which is accounted a particular festival, and is called THE DAY OF THE REJOICing of the LAW. On this day three manuscripts of the Pentateuch are taken out of the ark, and carried

* David Levi, ibid. p. 101–108. Leo Modena, ibid. P. iii. c. 7. s. 3-5. Buxtorf. ibid. c. xxi. p. 459-465.

+ Prayers for the Feast of Tabernacles, p. 235.

by the Chassan and two other persons round the altar. Then they are laid upon the desk, and three portions are read by three different persons, one portion from each manuscript. The first of these portions is the last section, or thirty-third and thirty-fourth chapters of Deuteronomy; for this is the day on which the annual reading of the law is concluded. But as soon as this course is finished, it is immediately recommenced. The second portion now read consists of the first chapter, and first three verses of the second chapter, of Genesis. The reason of which,' it is said,' is 'to shew that man should be continually employed ' in reading and studying the word of God.'*

On this day those offices of the synagogue which are annual, are put up to publick auction for the year ensuing, and assigned to the best bidder.† The whole of these nine days, is a season of great joy and festivity, and the last is the most joyful and festive of all.

The high estimation in which the members of the synagogue are taught to hold the celebration of this festival, will appear by the following passage from their prayers. 'Let not the precept of 'tabernacles appear frivolous in thy sight; for its 'statutes are equal to all the precepts of the law; ' it must be fenced and cleared of stones: it is a 'beautiful path to everlasting life, with its consti'tutions and accuracies; for all those that observe ' it, will never stumble; and all those that slight

* David Levi, ibid. p. 112-114. Buxtorf. ibid, c. xxvii. p. 540–546. + See page 822.