The Jewish Synagogue, Chapter 31 – Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXI.
Of the uncleanneſs of the women, and how they carry themſelves in the time thereof.
IT is not lawful for a woman in the time of her uncleanneſſe to enter into the Synagogue, to pray, to name the name God, or to handle any holy book, as it is written, Let her touch no holy thing, nor come into my Sanctuary, untill the dayes of her purification be finiſhed: yet ſome of the Rabbines have licenſed it▪ They of the moſt holy ſort write, that what woman ſoever being admoniſhed of theſe things, abſtains from them, ſhall lengthen her own dayes. So ſoon as ſhe hath the leaſt knowledge of her own uncleanneſſe, ſhe ſeparates her ſelf from her husband for the ſpace of ſeven dayes, in which time ſhe dare not touch him, ſit upon one ſtool with him, eat at the ſame table, drink out of the ſame cup, ſit oppoſite unto him, nor ſpeak unto him duplicate page duplicate page face to face. When the one would give any thing unto the other, they are not wont to do it by throwing, but they lay it down upon ſome table or ſtool, that the one being for a good ſpace removed, the other may take it up.
When the man lieth with his wife in her uncleanneſſe, then the children which they beget prove Lepers, and they affirm that this is one of the chief reaſons why there are ſo many Lepers among the Chriſtians, to wit, carnal copulation in the time of the womans uncleanneſſe; hence ſcattering abroad venemous and bitter words againſt us in writing among the vulgar, which I will not now relate.
When any woman of the Jews hath reckoned up the ſeven dayes of her uncleanneſſe, ſhe holds on and addes ſeven dayes more of her purification unto them; after which time ſhe finding her ſelf throughly purified, ſhe clothes her ſelf in white robes, takes another woman with her, and goes to waſh her ſelf in cold water, and that ſo nakedly, that ſhe muſt not have her ſmock to cover her. In the Winter time in ſome places they are wont to powre hot water into the Ciſtern in which ſhe bathes her ſelf. But in other places they are wont to waſh themſelves in cold water, as well in Winter as in Summer. They are bound to dive ſo deep, that not an hair of their head be ſeen without the water: and in the mean time it is not permitted that they ſhould altogether cloſe either their eyes or their mouth, that the water may enter into both. They ought alſo to ſtretch out their fingers, bend their body, that their Paps do not touch it, to …iſhevel their hair by combing of it, to have no rings upon their fingers, leſt there ſhould be any place in the body which might not be drencht in the water. Some of them upon the waſhing day eat not until they have bathed themſelves: others will not eat any fleſh, leſt any thing ſhould ſtick within their teeth, and hinder the water to come in betwixt them. If any of them have a playſter upon a wound, they ought to remove it; as alſo to cut their nailes. None muſt pre…ume to touch the woman while ſhe is in the water, yea, though ſhe fall into a ſwoon, un…eſſe with hands firſt waſhed. If after her waſhing any thing ſtick between her teeth, she muſt into the water again. Many things more might be ſpoken concerning this matter, if it were lawful to diſcover the ſecrets of women. The Jews themſelves have written a certain little book in the German tongue, and Hebrew character, touching the manners of women: and they call it the book of women. He that can get it, let him read it: without all doubt it may be had among the Jews dwelling at Frankford upon the Maene.
CHAP. XXXII.
Of the poverty of the Jews, and their manner of begging.
IT is a common report that the Jews will not ſuffer that any of their nation ſhould beg their bread, which experience proclaims fabulous: for the poor are often times relieved by the rich. Upon the Friday at Eve, as also upon the Eves of every Feſtival the poor go unto the houſes of the richer ſort to beg an almes, that upon the Sabbath or Feſtival, which by an eſpecial command they are duly to ſanctifie, they may ceaſe from begging. If there be any one among them, who in particular is vexed with ſome extream want;From foreign colligere. the Rabbines having knowledge of it, grant him a licenſe for begging: In which they declare his neceſſity, his honeſty, and witneſſe him to be a ſtout profeſſor of the Jewiſh faith, and other ſuch circumſtances. This Letter or teſtimonial they call Ribbutz, an Epiſtle or Letter of collection;From foreign colligere. and the begger himſelf they call Rabzan, which ſignifies a gatherer. This Letter being granted and given unto him, he travels through the whole Region, viſiting all the Jews he can light upon, and requeſting ſome gift of them. If he come into any place where there are many Jews inhabiting: he delivers this his Petition to the chief Rabbine, or to him who beates the poſts of the houſes with an hammer, and warns them to the Synagogue; or to the Senators, or the chief among them; or to the Ruler of the SynaSynagogue, not unlike a Conſul, or to the overſeers of the poor, or to the diſtributers of alms, or to the Collectors for the poor mans Box; (ſuch are they who gather money among the Chriſtians, going hither and thither through the Temple, having a certain bag with a Cymbal hanging at the end of a ſtaff) he delivering it unto them, he intreats them that by their leave it may be lawful for him to beg in their quarters. This being granted, he together with two more ſtands at the gate of the Synagogue, and deſires that ſome money may be given him: or otherwiſe the fore‐mentioned couple take his Letter, and gather for him from houſe to houſe, ſo much as they can get.
When one of the poorer ſort hath a daughter mariageable, and cannot give her any dowry; then the Father thus miſerable, wanders up and down with a Letter of the ſame ſort, until he gather ſo much as will be the means to beſtow her: otherwiſe he ſhall hardly procure her a husband.
When the poor Jewes go thus on pilgrimage, and turn aſide unto other Jewes: they aae by them for a day or two ſo freely made welcome, that they pay nothing for their entertainment. But the ſecond day being paſt, they begin to be weary of their preſence. Hereupon this ſentence is propoſed to the publick view of travellers in ſome place of their houſe. The firſt day he is a gueſt, the ſecond day a burden, the third day a Fugitive, and ſtinketh.
CHAP. XXXIII.
Of the diſeaſes incident to the Jews
MAny are of opinion, that the Jews are more lively then the Chriſtians, and not obnoxious to ſo many diſeaſes. But experience ſpeaks the contrary; and their often funerals, even incident unto them in their younger years, confirmes it for a tale. Yea, every man daily ſees how they are lyable to the Mezels, Botches, to the frail diſeaſe, Plague, and other Maladies, no leſs then other people. The frail diſeaſe they name Choli nophel, *The Falling-ſickneſs, from foreign cadere. Hilluc, from foreign to go or walk, becauſe the Plague is a very walking diſeaſe▪which diſeaſe, as it is very common among them, ſo are they wont to wiſh it to another, ſaying, God give thee Choli nophel, or Tippul. They call the Plague Hilluch, hence in their execrations they ſay, Corripiat te hilluch, the Plague take thee.
In the time of any ſpreading Peſtilence, they writing certain unuſual Characters, and wonderful names upon the doors of their Houſes, Chambers, Bed‐chambers, Stoves: affirm them to be the names of thoſe holy Angels which are ſet over the Peſtilence. I have ſeen written upon their doors Adiridon, Bediridon, and ſo forth annexing diridon to every Letter in the Alphabet, which they think to be a preſent remedy againſt the Plague. The Leproſie is not ſo frequent among them as among the Chriſtians; both becauſe they are fewer in number then the Chriſtians, and alſo becauſe they are more temperate in meats and drinks, and other kinde of things which cauſe this diſeaſe. For in their meats, as much as in them lies, they endeavour to fulfil the law of Moſes. They are not ſo obſtinately abſtinent from any kinde of meat as Swines fleſh: they cannot endure to hear of it. Yea, they will rather ſuffer death then eat it. Yet ſome of them have been troubled with this diſeaſe, as Antonius Margarita witneſſeth, who in his time ſaw ſome leprous Jews at Prague. The Old Teſtament alſo hath recorded this malady to have been very frequent among them. They call it Nega; and in their curſings ſay, I wiſh Nega may fall upon thee.