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- ' tahara-men," or the " tahara-women," to
prepare the corpse for its final resting-place. Many are the strange wishes of the dying, and so far as is lawful, every effort is made to respect them. Some pious Hebrews insist on. having a bag of Palestinian earth buried with them in their coffins ; some desire to be laid out in their " Yom-Kippur attire," in the white robes and caps they wear on the Day of Atonement. I am not quite sure whether it is lawful to acquiesce in the desire to enclose, say, a favourite Hebrew volume, or the dead man's phylacteries, but such requests would be faithfully carried out by the " lavadores," or " washers." Money or jewellery is never placed in the coffin, such things being contrary to the principles of Hebrew sepulture.
The next stage is the " Shiva," or the
- ' week of mourning." When the " meis,"
or body, is being carried out of the house,
- ' karrea," or " garment- slitting," begins.
A male and a female operator are in attendance, whose duty it is to slit, and then to tear, usually -the top of one's waistcoat, or the women's " undervests." Then the mourners set out for the cemetery, following the body enclosed in a plain deal casing, with a pall thrown over it as a concession to modernity. The newer practice of interment in expensive caskets is growing among the wealthy members of the community, though it is not encouraged. Only men-folk are permitted to follow.
In some respects modern practice differs materially from the customs of the ancient Hebrews. For instance, " karrea " was " obligatory," according to the Talmud (Sabbath, 105b), " even on the Sabbath, and directly the person expired." Again, " neechumin," or sympathy, was allowed to be offered to the bereaved on the Sabbath (ibid., 12b). In those days the mourners stood up to receive the visitors as they filed silently by them (Sanhedrin, 19). Nowadays the Sabbath is not marred by the presence of death in the house at all. Nothing in rela- tion to family bereavement is then outwardly apparent. In fact, the accidental interven- tion of " the holy day " reduces the actual mourning sometimes from seven to one or two days. Nowadays, mourners are seated, both men and women, on low stools, in which posture they are supposed to take their meals ; the first of which consists of eggs, the symbol of immortality and fruitfulness, presented to them by friends who volunteer to look after their bodily needs as soon as possible after the men return from the last offices to the dead. In many homes there
are matins as well as vespers, in order to give
the men and boys every opportunity to say
"Kaddish," or "Prayers for the Dead."
Visiting the bereaved is considered to be a
duty of the highest significance, because, in
the words of the Rabbins, " it conduces to
sweet courtesy," and is held "as of equal
value, in respect to merit hereafter," with
" visiting the sick, or portioning poor dower-
less maidens, and other charitable deeds."
Social conditions constantly change ; but in pre-Ghetti periods the services one could render to mourners under the generic heading of " neechumin " were both liberal and extensive. To-day, for the poorer classes of Hebrew mourners, there are numerous societies in existence, so that little or no private assistance is called for ; yet it is not considered debasing to them if any wealthy neighbour should undertake to be responsible for the groceries, &c., required during the " Shiva," when, owing to the large number of callers, the demands upon their larders would be exhausting and prohibitive ; for hospitality, like other duties, must be rigidly carried out by them to the letter just the same (Berachoth, 11).
Though morning services may be falling into desuetude, and the midday callers may be few, yet many forgather to the house of mourning to join in the evening prayers, especially if they are in their year of mourning themselves, or are keeping a " Yahrzeit," or " anniversary for a parent," when they too can join in reciting " Kad- dish." Usually, the clergyman of the local synagogue, or the " Chevra " (Society) to which the deceased belonged, comes to chant " Maariv," or vespers, to read certain appro- priate psalms and prayers, and to " speak mussar " (consolation), to all and sundry, whether mourners or not. These are the great occasions when " the Maggid " (speaker) can pour forth his boundless stores of Hagada and Midrash, with a deftness and a celerity of combination truly marvellous, the immediate effect being cognizable in the transfigured countenances of those who are for- tunate enoug;h to listen to his honeyed words. This office of " consolator " is open to every- body possessing the fascinating art of " enter- taining mourners." The one rule to be observed is not to permit them to mope. At all costs, they must be shaken out of their melancholy, and it is the visitor's business to find a way or make one.
The " Shiva " is brought to a dramatic close by one or more friends and relatives accompanying the mourners to the syna- gogue on the first Friday night after the
