The Jewish Synagogue, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX.
Of the Feaſt of the New-Year.
NEw-years-day according to the Jewiſh Almanack, falls continually upon the firſt day of September, which is the beginning of their civil year, according to which account they date all their bils, contracts, and bargains.
This computation they ground upon the time of the creation of the world, which was as, they affirm, upon the firſt of September. Soe that they now reckon the years from the creation to be five thouſand three hundred eighty foure or thereabouts. Whence we may ſee how far they vary in their number from the Chriſtians, even by the ſpace of two hundred twenty three years.
This firſt day of September is to be ſanctified and kept holy by the Jews, being a thing commanded by God himſelf; ſaying, Speak unto the children of Iſrael and ſay, In the ſeventh monethmonth in the firſt day of the monethmonth, Levit. 23. 24.ſhall you have a Sabbath, for the remembrance of blowing the trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye ſhall do no ſervile work therein, but offer ſacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
Though Moſes make no mention of the new-year in theſe words, yet following an ancient tradition of their anceſtors, they begin their civil year as upon this day, being the firſt of September, which is the ſeventh monethmonth accounting from March, in which begins the new-year of their feſtivals. The chief reaſon why it is called the feaſt of trumpets, is, becauſe the Prieſts in old time were wont as this day to repair to the Temple, and blow upon trumpets, that hereby the people might be warned, and pricked forward to render thanks unto God with a chearful and merry heart, for the bleſſings and favours plentifully powred upon them in the year laſt paſt: that he hath preſerved them in ſafety, and redeemed their ſouls from death; and that with fear and trembling, truly repenting them of their miſled life, they may appear before God upon the day of reconciliation, upon which an attonement is to be made between God and his people. The Jews at this day inſtead of a trumpet uſe a Rams horn, the reaſon whereof ſhall hereafter be related. The manner of the Celebration followeth.
After evening prayer, they begin the feaſt by the conſecration of a bowl of wine, and a certain prayer appointed for the day, they account it as a ſigne of good luck if their wine be new and ſweet. Every one ſalutes his fellow with God ſend you a good new-year, or pointing to the books of which we made mention in the former chapter, they ſay, Thou art regiſtred for one who ſhall be partaker of a proſperous year, to whom the other makes anſwer, and you alſo: that is as much as if he had ſaid, The Greator of heaven and earth hath ordained thee for a good new-year. The little children run unto the chief Rabbine, and aske him bleſſing, upon whom he laies his hands and prayes unto God to ſend them an happy year.
From the Synagouge to their own houſes,Orach chaijm. num. 583. where they finde the table neatly ſpread, and ſumptuouſly furniſhed, and that with no ſmall deal of proviſion. They preſently fall aboard: the firſt diſh whereupon they make an aſſault, is a Platter full of dainty Apples ſteeped in Honey, of which every one taſting a bit, ſaith, God ſend us a merry New-year, then proceeding with great jollity and mirth to the ſtuffing of their empty guts. Amongſt other things, the fore-mentioned Rams-horn is laid upon the table, in remembrance of the Ram which being catched in the thickets, was ſacrificed by Abraham in the place of Iſaac. Others write that they lay it upon the table, to ſignifie, that they ſhall become the head, and not the tail,Deut. 8. 13. according to that promiſe of the Lord by Moſes; The Lord ſhall make thee head, and not the tail, and thou ſhalt be above onelyonly, and not beneath. Which promiſe is made indeed unto the Jews, but with that condition to keep all his Commandments to obſerve and do them. But they understood a maſtery and dominion over the Chriſtians to be the tenor thereof; which that it may come to paſs they daily pray to God above.
They eat fiſh for the most part of the beſt ſort they can procure upon this night: to ſhew, that their good works & merits ſhall multiply and increase even as the fiſhes in the ſea. Fruits of all kinds are no novelty unto them; as Almonds, Cucumbers, Grapes, Gourds, Leeks, Lupines, ſweet, yet groſſe pulſe, and such like. The Leeks repreſent their enemies, because they ſhall be rooted out of the earth and periſh utterly; for the Leek in the Chaldee tongue is called Crate, which is derived from a Verb ſignifying to Cut: and hereupon when they have eaten their Leeks, they ſay, Let all our enemies & all them that hate us be uttterly cut off. When they eat the ſweet Pulſe, which they call Silka, they ſay, Let our enemies periſh from among the midſt of us. When they eat the Almonds, which they call Timarim, they ſay, Let our enemies be conſumed and blotted out. When they eat the Gourds, called Kara, they ſay, Let every evil thing which is definitely determined againſt us, be aboliſhed and come to nothing, and let our good works and deſervings, be read and publiſhed before the God of heaven.
The morning come, they repair to the Synagogue more early then at other times; ſinging many Pſalms, and ſaying many Prayers. They take the book of the Law twice out of the Ark, reading some ſections out of it, as in imitation of Ezra, who did the like, Nehemiah 8. but God knows in a far different manner.
After their Haphtarah, or Lecture out of the Prophets is ended, one goes up into the Pulpit, and ſounding the Rams horns at ſeveral times, diſtinctly bellows out thereupon thirty words; ſome with an equal, others with an interrupted tone. If the trumpet give a ſhrill and pleaſant ſound, they take as a certain ſigne, that a good and a happy year will then befal them: but if on the contrary, the ſound be dull and hollow, or perhaps none at all, it fills their hearts with ſorrow, being a very probable token of an unfruitful and dangerous ſeaſon. When the trumpeter hath done his office,Psal. 89. 16. the whole Synagogue trumptes out thoſe words of David, Bleſſed is the people, O Lord, that can rejoyce in thee, they ſhall walk, in the light of thy countenance.
Morning prayer ended, they return again to their houſes: where they eat and drink, and ſound upon their Rams-horns. For it is a poſition of the Rabbines, that at this time every one ought to be merry and jocund, being aſſured, that God hath been gracious unto him in pardoning his ſins and offences: and not becauſe he hath fill'd his panch, and liquored his throat, for this would God rather impute unto them as a ſin, then recompense as a good work.
After this their repaſt, every one, man, woman, and child, haſten to the water, or to ſome Bridge, thereupon to make Taſchlich, Mich. 7. 19.that is to ſay, to caſt their ſins into the water: and the ground of the practiſe is that of the Prophet, He will turn again and have mercy upon us: be will ſubdue our iniquities, and caſt all our ſins into the bottom of the ſea. The Jews thus gathered together upon the Bridge, ſo ſoon as they behold the fiſhes, accounting the ſight as a proſperous ſigne and token, they caper aloſt, and ſhake their garments over the …iſhes, dreaming, and vainly conceiting, that by this their foolery, they have ſhaked off all their ſinnes upon the fiſhes backs, which ſwim away with them,Levit. 16. even as the ſcape-Goat which carried away the ſinnes of their anceſtors into the wilderneſs. Others write, that they do it in remembrance of Abraham; who travelling to ſacrifice his ſon Iſaac upon Mount Meriah, which was upon the firſt day of September: Satan met him, and turned himſelf into a great River, which at the firſt took him only to the knees; but by and by it reacht his neck. Abraham perceiving himſelf to be in ſuch a diſtreſſe, and that he was in danger of drowning, cried mightily unto God, who heard his prayer, and turned the water into dry ground; as it is recorded in the tract Medraſch rotoſoha.
Evening being come, they fall again to eat and drink, and make merry as they were wont; and in this manner they celebrate the feaſt of the New-year in great ſecurity, with much mirth and jollity for the ſpace of two dayes together. I conclude with that of the Prophet,Mich. 2. 11. If a man walk in the ſpirit and would lie falſly, ſaying, I will propheſie unto thee of wine, and of ſtrong drink, he ſhall even be the prophet of this people. To which alludes that of Sophonie; Her Prophets are light,Soph. 3. 4. and wicked perſons: her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary: they have polluted the Law.