The Jewish Synagogue, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of their evening prayer, and their manner of going to bed.
IN great Cities where the Jewes have Schools or Synagogues,Minhag. p. 6. Orach. chajim. num. 232. the beater of the Schoole aſo called, becauſe by knocking at their doores, he warns them to come to prayers.who is the ſame with a Sexton in other places, going about unto their houſes about five a clock in the afternoon, knocks at their doores with an hammer, thereby giving them notice that they ought to make haſt to evening prayer.
So ſoon as they come into the Synagogue, they ſet them down, and huddle up a certaine praier, by reaſon of the firſt word therein, called Aschre bforeign from foreign rectum eſſe, for only the righteous man is bleſſed. Psal. 145. 15. 1▪ 45. 1.which in Engliſh ſignifies Bleſſedneſſe, which is taken out of the eighty fourth Pſalme, and the firſt verſe, which begins with this fore-mentioned word; The prayer runs thus. Bleſſed are they that dwell in thine houſe, for they will alwaies be praiſing thee, Selah.cSelah. This word according to Schendler, hath neither any regular forme of a Noun, nor ſignification, but onelyonly ſerves for muſick and melody, and as an enc…uicke, makes up the harmony. A word without ſence; but the root of it, according to Rabbi David, is foreign which ſignifies to exalt or elevate; ſo that Selah muſt be as much as a note of elevation and liſting up of the voice in ſuch or ſuch a place. Of this opinion is Mercerus; and therefore it is not found in any place but in the Pſalms, and Song of Habbakkuk. Kimchi ſaith, it lifts us to a conſideration of things written. In these words boasting of their diligence in frequenting the houſe of the Lord) Happy are the people that be in ſuch a caſe; yea bleſſed are the people that have the Lord for their God. I will magnifie thee, O Lord my King; I wil praiſe thy name for ever and ever, &c. unto the end of the Pſalme. This prayer is in ſo great eſteem among them, that they write, that whoſoever ſaith it three times a day, ſhall have his portion in eternall life.
Then the Chanter riſing up, ſings halfe of that holy prayer, which they call Kaddiſch; after that the whole Synagogue joines in the repetition of the eighteen laudatory petitions, of which we made mention in their morning prayer. Which done and finiſhed, the Chanter comming for his chaire or pulpit, so called by the Chriſtians, fals downe upon his knees before the Arke, and leanes his head upon his left hand, which all the people doe likewiſe, and bowing their head towards the left ſide, and covering theirface, with their whole heart (for the heart lies upon the left ſide, and so the head and heart are joined in ſuch a poſition) they in a moſt devout manner pronounce the words following: O mercifull and gracious GOD, Pſal. 6.I have ſinned in thy ſight, but thou art full of mercy. Have mercy therefore upon mee, and receive my prayer, which proceedeth out of unfained lips. Rebuke mee not O Lord, in thy fury, neither chaſten mee in thy heavy diſpleaſure. They moreover repeate the ſixt Pſalme from the beginning to the end, with their heads covered and bended towards the earth.
The Chanter fals downe upon his knees before the Arke,Ioſ. 7. 6. in imitation of Joſhua; of whom it is written, That hee rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the Arke of the Lord, untill the eventide, he and the elders of Iſrael, and put duſt upon their heads.
The reaſon why they cover their faces, is this: In ancient times when they had a large and ſpacious Temple, they came thither to confeſſe their ſins, every one ſtood from another by the ſpace of four els, leſt his neighbour ſhould heare his confeſſion. In theſe daies therefore they cover their faces for the ſame end and purpoſe.
They leane their head upon their left hand, moved hereunto by that which is written: His left hand is under my head, Can…. 2. 6.and his right hand doth embrace me. And moreover, becauſe Iſaac being about to bee ſacrificed, lay upon his left ſide. But to returne to the point in hand. They ſuddenly riſe up againe, and their Chanter ſaies, Wee are ignorant, O Lord, what other thing to put in practiſe, but only to lift up our eyes unto thee; as though they would say, Wee have worſhipped thee O God, ſitting and ſtanding being humble and lifted up, kneeling, and with anerected poſture; not knowing what more is re…i…ed of us; yet wee will once againe lift up our eies unto thee.
Hitherto they only have ſung their prayer called Kaddiſch, which finiſhed, their evening prayer is ended.
Now indeed it were very laudable, if after this evening ſacrifice of prayer and thankſgiving, returning to their owne houſes, they did immediately fall to ſupper; and that ended, againe to aſſemble themſelves into the Synagogue, for the performance of their nocturnall devotions. But this practiſe is diſapproved by the Rabbines, as a thing very inconvenient, ſeeing many may be drunke, and ſo forget their duty of prayer; therefore they have decreed, that preſently after the evening prayer be ended, that accuſtomed, to be ſaid in the beginning of the night, ſhould alſo be finiſhed. Yet not withſtanding, they make ſome ſmall ſtay between Minhah and Ma…rib, that is to ſay, between their evening and nightly prayers, to the end the one may be differenced from the other.
They have one quaint cuſtome concerning the reconcilement of them that are at ſtrife one with another, and that in time of prayers. For if two be at ods, and the one cannot bring the other with him into the Synagogue: That a reconcilemet may be made, he ſteps▪ unto the book, out of which the Chanter ſings or ſaies their common prayers, ſhuts it, and giving it a clap with his hand, ſaith, I conclude and put a period to this exerciſe; which is all one as if he ſhould ſay, I locke and ſeale up this order of praying, interdicting the ſame, untill an agreement be made between me and mine adverſary. And from that time forward, untill his deſire bee accompliſhed, it is not lawfull for them to ſay any more prayers in the Synagogue. Thence it often fals out, that they retune home without any praying; yet if the one party bee wayward and refractory, there happens many times a ſurceaſe and intermiſſion of this duty of prayer, for ſome whole dayes together.
Among many others, they have a prayer, that God would vouchſafe to deliver them from the Chriſtians▪ and bring them back againe to their owne land: This prayer begins, Baruch Jehovah, O bleſſed God our Lord, help us, gather together and deliver us from the Gentiles, that we profeſſing thy holy Name, may make our boaſt of thy praiſe. All the people which thou haſt created ſhall come and worſhip thee, fall down before thee, and ſing praiſes unto thy name. Our eyes ſhall see it, our heart ſhall rejoice, our ſoul ſhall be joyfull in thy ſtrength, when it ſhall be ſaid in Sion▪ The Lord doth reign, God is King, he doth rule, and ſhall beare rule for evermore; for thine is thy Kingdome, &c.
But alas poore ſilly Jew, in vaine thou gapeſt after (with a greedy expectation) this thy rejoicing, ſeeing he is come ſome ſixteen hundred years agoe, whom thou as yet waites for, and expects to bring thee joy and conſolation.
Furthermore, they ſay one petition more, formerly mentioned in their morning prayer; in which, they entreat God to revenge their cauſe againſt all the Chriſtians in generall; but in a more eſpeciall manner, againſt their Magiſtrates. If any lost a father in that yeare, he is tied all the yeare long to ſay that praier, called Kaddiſch the leſſe, by the mediation of which, his father ſhall be delivered out of purgatory; of which (God willing) more hereafter.
When they go out of the Synagogue, then muſt they repeat thoſe ſentences formerly mentioned in the fifth Chapter.Tal. & R. Alphes. Tract Berachos. c. 1. And in this place againe they exerciſe many prolix diſputes about that prayer, beginning, Schema Iſrael, Heare O Iſrael, the Lord thy God is one God, queſtioning the manner how, the time when, the place where this prayer ſhould bee ſaid and repeated. All which to avoid prolixity, I willingly omit.
At dinner and ſupper their carriage is the ſame.Orach. chajim num. 235. When they goe to bed, they muſt firſt draw off the left foot ſhooe, then the right. They put off their ſhirts lying in bed, and covered with clothes, leſt the beams and wals of the houſe, ſhould behold their unſeemly nakedneſſe. And this is the cauſe that they never uſe to empty their bladder in their bed-chamber, their clothes being off, the very act becomming a ſhamefull diſgrace unto them, and the conſequent of ſuch impudence, being a fearfullapse into an extream poverty; a conſideration alſo had, that it is one of thoſe things God hateth. Whoſoever ſaies that prayer, Schema Iſrael, Heare O Iſrael &c. muſt endeavour inſtantly upon the finiſhing of the ſame, to fal aſleep, and take an eſpeciall care, that he ſpeake nothing after it; as it is written,Pſal. 4. 4. Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be ſtill, Selah. If ſleepe will not preſently attempt to cloſe up his eyes he muſt not ceaſe to repeate the ſaid prayer untill the approach thereof tongue-tye his devotions; for in…o doing, his rest ſhall bee ſweet and delightfull unto his wearied body, his ſleep comfortable and reſtorative.
The bed wherein the man and wife are to make their repoſe, is to bee furniſhed with cleane ſheets without ſpot or blemiſh; for it may come to paſſe, that the man may meditate upon ſome thing which he hath learned, and alſo committed to memory by reading the Scriptures whilſt it was yet day; yea both man and woman may joyne in prayer to the Almighty, that they may beget children which will bee obedient to their command; and a hainous offence it is, to foſter such meditations, to poure out ſuch prayers upon a defiled couch.
It is written in the Talmud,Tract Taa…is de jejunio. that the Schoolars of Rabbi Sira, upon a time demanding the reaſon why hee lived ſo long, his anſwer was, that hee never learned, named; nay, which is more, did not at any time thinke of the Name of God, in an uncleane place. Their bed is commonly so ſcituated, that their head lies toward the South, their feet toward the north. The reaſon is, by this meanes it comes to paſſe, they beget many male children,Tract. Berachos. c. 1. as it is proved out of the Talmud, Rabbi Alphes, and the Psalmes of David. The North, as alſo the Northern wind, is called in the Hebrew Tzaphon aforeign Tzaphon from foreign abſcondere to hide, becauſe the northern pole is his hid from them that dwel in Iudea.and it is written in the 17 Pſalme, …zphoneca temalle bitnam bforeign which our Engliſh renders, thou filleſt their bellies with thy hid treaſure: Yet however the word primarily ſignifies the north winde num. …40. …. cap. 38.which the Rabbines render, The North wind ſhall fill their bellies, and they ſhall have children at their deſire. The interpretation indeed is agreeable to the words of the Text: And though the Rabbines know, that the ſenſe or gloſſe which they put upon them, is not proper and correſpondent; yet it is doctor-like in their eſteem, to put ſuch ſubtile interpretations upon the ſeverall parcels of holy writ. And now becauſe this demonſtration was deprehended to bee of ſmall force; therefore a philoſophicall Rabbine, or a Rabbinicall Philoſopher, call him what you pleaſe, in his booke entituled Reſchis chochma…, The beginning of wiſedome, hath otherwiſe expounded it; which expoſition it is not needfull here to enroll.
Moreover, the Jewes have bed-chamber Ethicks; The firſt and chie…e point handled therein, is, how the man ought to behave himſelfe towards his wife when they are in bed together, which is there moſt ſubtilly diſputed and handled, as they are perſwaded. Which for the reverence I bear to a chaſte and circumciſed eare, I will neither ſay it is laudable, nor ſhall my pen expoſe it to the offence of chaſte, or the temptation of looſe livers. If any luſtfull monkey have ſome itching deſire to read ſuch baudy morals, let him peruſe the booke called Orach Chajim. As for me, my modeſty ſhall bridle it, and leaving the Jew in the bed with his wife, ſuffering him to take his reſt, we will proceed to a further narration of their ſanctity and holineſſe.