The Jewish Synagogue, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
How they prepare themſelves to the Feaſt of Reconciliation, and the celebration thereof.
THe time between New-years-day and the tenth of the ſame monethmonth,Orach chajim num. 602. upon which they keep the feaſt of Reconciliation, is called by Jews, the ten penitential dayes: for which ſpace they faſt and pray very much, and are wonderful deſirous to become holy and religious; that if God ſhould have written any of their names in the book of death, and determined to afflict their ſouls with an unfortunate year, he might at the contemplation and ſight of their penitent life and practiſe of good works, repent him of the evil, and have mercy upon them; tranſcribing their names in the book of life, and ſealing the judgement.
Every morning ſo long as theſe dayes endure, while it is as yet very early they confeſſe their ſins three ſeveral times; do not proceed to the excommunication of any one, neither do they call any man into judgement, or force any one to take an Oath.
Upon the ninth day they forſake their beds betimes in the morning, frequent the Synagogue, ſing and pray. So ſoon as they return home, every male old and young takes a Cock, and every woman a Hen into their hands: the master of the family doing likewiſe,Psal. 107. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. and ſaying theſe words, Fooliſh men are plagued for their offence: and becauſe of the…r wickedneſſe. Their ſoul abhorred all manner of meat, and they were even at deaths door. So when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivered them out of their diſtreſſe. He ſent forth his word and healed them, and they were ſaved from their deſtruction. O that men would therefore praiſe the Lord for his goodneſſe, and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men; that they would offer unto him the ſacrifice of thanksgiving, and tell out his works with gladneſſe. And again, If there be a meſſenger with him, or an interpreter, one of a thouſand to declare unto man his righteouſneſſe, then will he have mercy upon him, and will ſay, Deliver him that he go not down into the pit: for I have received a reconciliation, that is, a Cock, which ſhall be a reconciliation unto me. Jo… 33. 34, 35When he hath ended this his repetition, he finiſheth the reconciliation, waving the Cock three times about his head, and ſaying at every time, This Cock ſhall ſerve inſtead of me, he ſhall ſucceed in my ſtead who deſerve death; he ſhall be my reconciliation, he ſhall die for me, but I ſhall enter into life and bliſſe with them that are righteous in Iſrael. Amen. This he doth three times, as was ſaid before; once for himſelf, once for his children, and once for ſtrangers which sojourn with him according to the cuſtome of the high Prieſt in ancient dayes, as it is recorded in the third book of Moſes. In the next place he takes the Cock and kills him,Levit. 16, 17. and drawing, and gathering the skin together about his neck, firſt meditates with himſelf, that he is worthy to have his own throat cut for his ſinnes and offences, and then cutting the Cocks throat, thinks himſelf worthy to be puniſhed with the ſword: After this he takes the cock, and with all his might throws him upon the ground, thereby ſignifying, that he deſerves to be stoned to death for his sins and wickedness: laſtly, he puts him upon the ſpit and roaſts him: thereby giving others to underſtand, that to be burnt in a fiery furnace doth not equalize his deſert. Theſe four kindes of death the poor Cock undergoes for his Maſter. The intrals, out of commiſeration, they commonly caſt upon the houſe top, that it may alſo be partaker of ſuch a ſacrifice. Others ſay that they do it, becauſe ſin is rather an internal then an external thing, and that it cleaves faſt to the bowels of the Cock: ſome Crows coming by, may claw them up and flee away with them into the wilderneſſe; even as the ſcape-Goat in the Old Teſtament ran away with the ſins of the people into the Deſert.
They take all poſſible pains and care to procure a white Cock for the ſacrifice. They will by no means admit of a red one; becauſe ſuch an one is full of ſins, ſeeing ſin it self is red alſo, as it is written: Come now let us reaſon together, Isa. 1. 18.faith the Lord; though your ſins were as crimſon, yet ſhall they be as white as ſnow: though they were red like ſcarlet, they ſhall be as wooll. Now if the Cock be white, he is not polluted with ſin, and ſo is able to bear the ſins of others, which being red he could not poſſibly do, being ſtufft with his own ſins already. Antonius Margarita in his book of the faith of the Jews, regiſters it as the affirmation of ſome of the Hebrew Doctors, that an Ape is a more fitting beaſt for this dayes ſacrifice then the Cock, becauſe in his face he more repreſents a Man. Yet they chuſe a Cock rather then any other creature, becauſe a Man in Hebrew is called Gebher: *Gehher a man from foreign invaluit, to prevail, he ha…h this, name from his might and ſtrength.Now if Gebher offend, Gebber muſt alſo in juſtice ſuffer for his offence. And therefore the Jews conſidering the burden of death too grievous to be born, and the puniſhment too heavie, ſpare themſelves and kill the Cock, which the Babylonian Talmudiſts call Gebher, to ſatisfie the judge of all fleſh; and by this ſhift Gebher offends, and Gebher ſuffers for it. Blinde and beaſtly Jews how do they triſle and think to puzzle God in that manner, that he cannot know a Cock from a Man. Wo, wo unto them for this their horrible blindneſſe above example, without pattern. Such another expoſition reliſhing of the ſame pate we finde in the book called Schebet Jehudah; written firſt in Hebrew, then tranſlated into the Teutonick tongue by the Jews, and printed at Cracovia in Poland, ſome twenty two years ago. It is a certain diſputation between a Jew and a Chriſtian before Alphonſus King of Portugal: wherein, when the Chriſtian urged divers places of Scripture proving Chriſt to be the true Meſſias, and amongſt others that of the Pſalmist, My God, my God, Psal. 22. 1.why haſt thou forſaken me? The Jew made anſwer, that it was a certain property belonging to the holy Scripture to be capable of divers interpretations, amongſt which that is the beſt which may be confirmed and declared by other places of holy writ. But as for the forecited place, there were many other Scriptures which did evidently prove that it cannot be underſtood of Chriſt. And firſt of all, ſaith the Jew I will rell thee, what anſwer a learned Rabbine did upon a certain time make unto the King of Spain. Yesterday ſaid he unto the King, I being very wroth with my houſhold Cock, becauſe he had troubled me in my ſtudieſ with his crowing musick, I ſmote him with my ſtaff, put him into a dark room where he ceaſed his crowing: yet withal this my anger being never a jot abated, I did beat him till I had rent his skin, and diſjoynted his bones, then I put him into a Pot, and covered it according as I thought meet and convenient, which ſerved him for a Coffin, for there he died. After his death there happened out a miracle, for his life returned unto him again, and he began to ſing and crow as at former times: and this is the true meaning and expoſition of theſe words urged by the Chriſtian out of the 22 Pſalm: Which appears ſo to be if we parallel the place with that of Jeremiah, in the third of his Lamentations and the firſt verſe. I am the man that have ſeen affliction in the rod of his indignation. He hath led me & brought me into darkneſſe, but not light. Surely he is turned againſt me, be turneth his hand againſt me all the day. My fleſh and my skin hath he cauſed to wax old, and he hath broken my bones. He bath builded againſt me, and compaſſed me with gali and labour. He hath heaged about me that I cannot get out, he bath made my chains heavy. And when I cry and ſhout he ſhutteth out my prayers. I am the man Am Gebher, that is to ſay, I am the Cock, for the word among the Talmudiſts …ignifieth ſo much. Who bath ſee naffliction? In the rod of his indignation. There is the rod with which the Cock was beaten. He bath led me, there is his flight: into darkneſs and not into light, there is the place of obſcurity into which he was put. He turns his hand againſt me, there is the ſecond beating after that he was put up in his cloſe priſon, or the motion whereby he thought himſelf to move in the pot. My fleſh and my skin hath he cauſed to wax old, that is to ſay, he hath torn and rent it. He hath broken my bones, or cut me in pieces. He hath builded againſt me, He hath ſhut me up in the pot. He hath ſet me in dark places, that is, he hath put me in the pot and covered it. And when I cry and ſhout, which words ſignifie unto us, that the Cock ſung and crowed after he was dead, So much foppery out of the book called Schebet Jehudah, out of which we may plainly ſee after what a ridiculous manner the Jews interpret and make a mock of the holy Scripture, and prove themſelves to be really poſſeſſed with that phrenſie, blindneſs, and hardneſs of heart, wherewith Moſes threatned them. We may ſee alſo with what art these jugling mountebanks, and quackſalvering impoſtros, can metamorphoſe a man into a Cock, and again, turn a Cock into a man. Truly I am forced to believe, that if the Prophet Eſay had uſed the word Gebher in his fifty third chapter, the man that is there made mention of, ſhould of neceſſity (the Jews being tranſlators) have been a very Cock. Seeing the Prophet calls him Iſch machobheth a man full of ſorrows, deſpiſed and not eſteemed. One that hath borne our infirmities, and carried our ſorrows, even Chriſt: who was beaten for our ſins, and wounded for our tranſgreſſions. The chaſtiſement of our peace was upon him, by whoſe ſtripes we are healed. Yet the Jews will not acknowledge, receive, and confeſs, ſuch a man: but chuſe one whom they can kill, put upon the broach, roſt at the fire, and fill their filthy paunches withall. But woe and alaſs they may long look for health from the wounds of an houſehold Cock. The Greek Calends will firſt have place in the annual computation, before they receive from hence any ſetled peace of conſcience, which evidently appears to be true at the houre of their death: when deſtitute of all comfort ready to deſpair, they c…y out, my death is my reconciliation, and ſatiſfaction for my ſins. A miſerable poor and cold comfort indeed, when not only death temporal but eternal both of ſoule and body muſt be the wages for their ſin: This the Jews cannot comprehend, ſeeing God in his just judgment hath ſhut their eyes that they cannot ſee nor underſtand. Pitifull and lamentable is their caſe, in which with an unwilling heart I leave them, and deſcend to a further declaration of their preparation to this feſtival. After that they have made an attonement for their ſins by the ſacrificing of the Cock, they repair to the place where the dead are buried, where they ſay many prayers, as they did alſo at New-years-tide, give almes, and ſo much mony to the poor as the ſacrificed Cock was worth. For in ancient times they were wont to give the Cocks themſelves unto the poor and needy, which they took in great indignation, and abhorred them as a thing abominable, and in eating whereof they ſhould ſwallow down the ſins of the rich. Therefore the rich men redeem it with money, and either roſting or boiling it, and feed thereupon with great joy and rejoycing.
After dinner they goe into some coole well or cistern, and waſh themſelves as they alſo did at new-years-tide. They duck often, and dive to the bottome of the water, by which actions they thinke themſelves to be clean waſhed and purged from their offences. Some in the mean time provide lights, which they are to uſe in the Synagogue the day following. The Jews in Germany prepare a light for every one in particular, which to be neceſſary, they prove out of the Cabala in this manner. The Hebrew word Ner ſignifying a light or Candle, contains the number of two hundred and fifty. Now every man hath two hundred forty eight members in his body, to which if we had his ſpirit and ſoule, this number equalizeth the firſt. And by this reaſon the word Ner ſignifying a light, is to be underſtood of man man, that is to ſay, every man ought to have a ſeveral light, lamp, or candle to himſelf. Now for the women, it is not neceſſary that any lights ſhould be provided for them, ſeeing they have four members (according to the Jewiſh anatomie) more then is in man. Yet notwithſtanding the Jews inhabiting other nations, provide lights alſo for the women, not of neceſſity, but for the ornament and grace of their Synagogue. They who are very religious have commonly two lights provided, one for the ſoule, the other for the body. That for the ſoule being more coſtly and precious, which they call by the name of Neſchamah.aNeſchamah amma hereby is noted only the reaſonable ſoule, according to Aben Ezra, who derives as though i… were foreign min ha…ſhamajim from heaven. I think rather from foreign naſhah to lift up, and Shamajim ſignifying heavens, becauſe it is, or alwayes ought thither to be lifted up. It is diſtinguiſhed from Ruach and Nepheſh, the Synonyma's of it in this manner by Aben Ezra Neſchamah eſt vis ſenſibilis & rationalis & habet locum in cerebro. 2. Ruach ſpiritus habet ſedem in corde quod eſt origo ritus, complectiturque vim iraſcibilem. 3. Nepheſh eſt vis concupiſcibilis & ſitum habet in jecore. Orach chajim: nu. 606.
At eventide again they return into the Synagogue, ofſering up their evening ſacrifice of prayer and thankſgiving. One goes and ſalutes another, if any have a quarrel, or beat any malice to his fellow, he craves pardon for his fault, and reconciles himſelf unto him. If any have received any hurt, he is bound from his very heart to forgive him that hurt him, for if he forgive another, God will alſo forgive him his treſpaſſes. If he will not at the firſt time of intreaty forgive him, then he that offended him takes three more unto him, and craves pardon the ſecond time, yea alſo the third for his offence. If this will nothing avail, he calls ten men unto him, and earneſtly intreats the party offended to forgive him. If he grant him a pardon, well, if not, well alſo, ſeeing God is appeaſed, and this his fact ſhall never riſe up in judgment againſt him. This cuſtome of asking forgiveneſs is very neceſſary, becauſe God will not pardon the offences committed againſt our brother, upon the day of reconciliation, unleſs we make an attonement with him. If it ſo chance that the party offended be dead, then he who committed the offence againſt him, calls ten men, goes unto his grave and ſaith, I have offended againſt the God of Iſrael and him that lies buried in this place.
Every one makes his confeſſion unto his fellow before ſupper, leſt in ſupper time a bone ſhould get into his throat and choak him, and ſo he ſhould die without any confeſſion, or acknowledgment of his former ſins. They make their confeſſion in manner following. Two men go into ſome ſecret corner of the Synagogue, the one of them kneels down, turning his face towards the North and his back towards the South, the other takes a good leathern whip and gives him thirty nine laſhes upon the back. He that receives them and confeſſeth his faults, ſmiting his breaſt at every ſeveral ſtripe: he that playes the beadle and ſoundly whips his hide, repeats theſe words of the Pſalmiſt, He was ſo merciful that he forgave their miſdeeds and deſtroyed them not, yea many a time turned he his wrath away, Pſal. 78. 38.and would not▪ ſuffer his whole diſpleaſure to ariſe.
This verſe in the Original conſiſts only of thirteen words, which he repeats three times, adding a word for every ſtripe. Then he that did ſo laſh the other proſtrates himſelf upon the ground, his fellow doing as much for him: mutually undergoing this grievous pennance for their offences: Yet notwithſtanding theſe ſubtle foxes love their own fleſh ſo well, that they endure but a ſmall deal of pain by ſuch a favourable whipping. This kinde of whipping ſeems to take its original from that act of Moſes, who enacted, that if ſo, the wicked be worthy to be beaten, the Judge ſhall cauſe him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his treſpaſs unto a certain number. Forty ſtripes ſhall he cauſe him to have, and not paſt, leſt if he ſhould exceed, and beat him above that with many ſtripes, thy brother ſhould appear deſpiſed in thy ſight. This kinde of puniſhment was in ancient times political, and was in uſe alſo among the Chriſtians, as it is alſo at this day, for a malefactor to be beaten with rods. The Rabbines commenting upon this place affirm, that thirty nine ſtripes only, not forty, as the law commands are to be inflicted upon the perſon offending. The reaſon whereof, as one of their Rabbines tendered it unto me,Deut.23. 2, 3. This was in uſe in S. Pauls dayes, who ſaith that he received forty ſtripes ſave one. 2 Cor. 11. The Jewiſh reaſon is to be approved of. is that which followeth. In old time the whip wherewith the effend…r was puniſhed, conſiſted of three cords, two of which were ſhorter then the other, the third or mid cord being of ſuch a length, that it might eaſily eacompaſs the whole body, all the three being made of the skin of ſome yong bullock. Now he that laſhed the del…nquent with this threefold cord, gave unto him at one and the ſame time three ſeveral ſtripes, accounting one for every cord. So that in thirteen laſhes, he received the ful number of thirty nine ſtripes; to which if he had added one laſh more,Rabbi Bechaim. Deut. 25. 2. then had he inflicted two more then Moſes required to be given unto him, which was no way to be allowed of, it was therefore thought good rather to be defective in puniſhment, then exceeding to give only thirty nine ſtripes inſtead of forty. The true and genuine expoſition of this place, is to be found in the Talmud, which here I will not inſert, to avoid prolixity. This kinde of puniſhment was inflicted upon the Apoſtle, as he himſelf witneſſeth in his ſecond Epiſtle to the Corinthians, and that without doubt in a more ſmarting degree then is uſual among the Jews at this day.
Prayers being ended, they poſt home with ſpeed inexpreſſible. Where they finde the table ready ſpread, and furniſhed by their wives in their abſence: at which preſently they ſit down and luſtily feed upon the Cocks and Hens, which in the morning they offered in ſacrifice to God for their ſins: for in their Minhagin they affirme, that it is no leſs the commandement of God, and a good work to fill their Panches, and cram their Guts, this night with the Cocks and Capons; and ſoundly to liquor their throats, then to faſt the day following; Alwayes provided that ſupper be ended before ſunſet, for then the feaſt of reconciliation begins, and they are to dreſs themſelves in neat and fine cloathing, upon which they weare a ſurplice or garment of choiſe linnen coming down unto their feet, hereby ſhewing unto other, that the next day they ſhall be pure and clean from their ſins and offences, and like unto the Angels. Theſe garments they put on in honour to the feſtival, the celebration of which, conſiſts not in eating and drinking, being ſottiſhly ignorant, that the worſhip of God is of more worth then either. Hence it is that the Lord complains by the mouth of his Prophet. Hear O heavens, and harken O earth: for the Lord hath ſaid, I have nouriſhed and brought up children and they have rebelled againſt me. The Oxe knoweth his owner, and the Aſſe his maſters crib, but Iſrael h…th not known, my people have not underſtood. Ah, ſinful nation, ab people laden with iniquity: a ſeed of the wicked, corrupt children: they have forſaken the Lord: they have provoked the holy one of Iſrael to anger: Pſal, 1. 2, 3, 4.they are gone backward. What have I to doe with the multitude of your Sacrifices, ſaith the Lord? Hoſea alſo ſaith, O I ſrael return unto the Lord thy God, for thou haſt fallen by thine iniquity. Take unto you words and turn unto the Lord, and ſay unto him: Take away all our iniquity, and receive us graciouſly, and ſo will we render unto thee the calves of our lips. So much of the preparation to the feaſt of reconciliation.