reason enough to keep his thoughts free from evil ideas, as well as his body and dress cleanly; it is his duty to lay every day, with the exception of Sabbath and festivals, the phylacteries (han). These are two cubic formed parchment cases, in which the four chapters (adduced below) from the Pentateuch, written on parchment, are inclosed.* Leather thongs are fixed on these two cases; of which one is laid on the left arm, just above the elbow, the other on the forehead. The last is closely fitted round the head, and hangs down on both sides round the neck; the former is wound seven times round the left arm, and three times round the middle finger.

Before laying the Tephillin it is customary to say the preparatory

לשם יחוד קב"ה ושכינתיה בדחילו ורחימו בשם כל ישראל וגו' : prayer

which can be thus translated:

"Out of respect and love to God, the only one, Eternal and Most High, praised be He, and in the name of the whole house of Israel, am I now prepared, with body and soul, to lay the Tephillin;

*

קדש

"Sanctify unto me all the first-born, the first offspring of the mother, both of man and of beast; it is mine. Moses spoke to the people: remember this day, that ye went out of Egypt, from the house of slavery! for with a strong hand has the Eternal brought you out from here. Nothing leavened must be eaten. To-day ye will go out, in the month of Abib. When the Eternal now brings you to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which he has sworn to thy ancestors to give thee-a land in which milk and honey flow-thou shalt observe this service in this month. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh is a festival in honour of the Eternal. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen, and no leaven shall be seen in all thy boundaries. And thou shalt then say to thy son: this is done on account of that, which the Eternal did for me when I went out of Egypt. This shall also be a sign on thy hand, and a mark of remembrance between thine eyes, that the law of the Eternal may ever be in thy mouth (i. e. be always transmitted further from father to son, and never be forgotten); for with a mighty hand did the Eternal bring thee out of Egypt. Observe therefore this precept from year to year." (Exod. 13 ch.)

for the purpose of obeying the command of my Creator, which is written in the law: 'Thou shalt bind them on thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.' These Tephillin contain the four chapters, which commence with the words: "Hear, O Israel— If you will hearken-Sanctify-and, When he will bring thee; because the unity of God and his great wonders are mentioned therein, which he performed, when he carried us out of Egypt. For his is the government, no less in heaven, than on earth, and he

ass,

''' (“It shall come to pass, when the Eternal brings thee into) the land of the Canaanite, which he has sworn unto thee and thy ancestors, and gives it thee: then thou shalt present to the Eternal all the first offspring of the mother: namely, all the first born of thy cattle, which are males, shall be consecrated unto the Eternal; the first born of the thou shalt redeem with a lamb, but if thou wilt not redeem it, thou must break its neck; the first born of man, among thy children, thou shalt redeem (with money). If thy son asks thee: What is the reason of all this? then say to him: With a strong hand did the Eternal conduct us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. When Pharaoh refused to let us go, the Eternal slew all the first born in the land of Egypt, both those of man and of cattle. Therefore I do sacrifice to the Eternal all the first born of the mother, which are males, and redeem all the first born among my children. This shall be to thee a sign on thy hand, and as frontlets between thy eyes: for with a mighty hand the Eternal did conduct us out of Egypt." (Ibidem.)

you ("Hear, O Israel, the Eternal our God is the only Eternal Being.) And thou shalt love the Eternal thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. These words which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart. Thou shalt teach them carefully to thy children, and always speak of them, when thou sittest in thy house, when thou walkest on the road, when thou liest down, and when thou risest. Bind them as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be as marks of remembrance between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house and on thy gates." (Deut. 6 ch. 4-9 v.)

"If you will carefully hearken unto my commandments, which I command you this day, to love the Eternal your God, and to worship him, with all your heart and with all your soul: then will I give rain in your land,

6

can rule every thing and every where, as it pleases him best. In obedience to the divine command do I lay the Tephillin on the arm, and remember in so doing the words: With a stretched-out arm did the Eternal conduct thee out of Egypt.' Also on this spot, just opposite the heart, because I subject herewith all the desires and wishes of my heart to the holy will of my God. I do also lay the Tephillin of the head on the spot where the brain lays, where the organs of the higher capacities of the soul unite: to indicate, that I dedicate to the service of God all my senses and my thoughts."

"May God, in merit of my observing this commandment, give me strength enough to preserve my thoughts always pure, and my heart innocent; that no evil desires may ever overcome me, nor be able to lead me into the paths of sin. That I may be enabled to live always, as I most fervently desire, according to the statutes of my God. Amen."

The other prayers which belong hereto, are to be found (together with the daily service) in the book of common prayer (according to the custom of the German Jews).

in its proper season, both the first and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, thy wine and thy oil. But be very careful, that your heart become not corrupted, and ye go astray and worship other gods, and bow down to them. For then the anger of the Eternal would be kindled against you, and he would close the heaven, that no rain should come, and the earth not yield its productions; and ye would be speedily lost from off the good land, which the Eternal gives you. Take therefore these my words well to your heart and your mind, and bind them as a sign upon your hand, and let them be as frontlets between your eyes. And teach them to your sons, to speak of them, when thou sittest in thy house, when thou walkest on the road, when thou liest down, and when thou risest. And write them on the door posts of thy house and on thy gates. That you and your children may remain as long upon that land, which the Eternal has sworn to your forefathers, to give to them, as the heaven remains over the earth." (Ibi. 11 ch.13-21 v.)

12.

Amongst the prayers, however, must be particularly noticed:

: תפלת שמנה עשרה and קריאת שמע

The reading of the Shemang is considered one of the Mosaic precepts. It is namely our duty to read every morning and evening

-toge,,והיה אם שמע and שמע ישראל :the above mentioned chapters

ther with the five last verses of the 15th ch. of Num. (containing the commandment in regard to the fringes), with the utmost possible devotion, either in the Hebrew, or in any other language; but it is necessary, that we should be very careful to employ the most correct expressions in the language we are using, and to avoid all inelegant, not to mention, incorrect phrases.

But as the Hebrew is already the established language in our worship, it is proper to acquire a sufficient knowledge of the same, if it be at all within our reach, so that we may be able to perform our devotion in this language.

קורא אדם את שמע בכל לשון שיהיה מבינה - ויזהר מדברי שבוש שבאותה הלשון - וידקדק בה כמו שמדקדק בלשון הקדש . (רמב"ם פ"ב מהלכ' ק"ש - וש"ע א"ח סי' ס"ב) - (ועמש"כ מגן אברהם שם):

-the acknow קבלת עול מלכות שמים :confession of faith ; they call it

This reading of the Shemang is considered by our Rabbins, as our

ledging of the kingdom of God, i. e. to declare God our ruler, and to subject ourselves to his guidance and laws; and they make it a requisite condition in reading the Shemang, that a person should well understand what he is saying.

13.

The nуn prayer (18* Benedictions) is a Rabbinical institution.—Maimonides (nhon niohn x") says the following on this

*The Portuguese Jews call it the 'Dy, from the verb Ty, to stand, because it is said standing. This prayer contains now nineteen benedictions,

subject: The Jewish people, returning from the Babylonian captivity (about 3410 A. M.) had corrupted their language to such a degree, among the Persians, Greeks, and other nations, that they were unable to express themselves plainly and correctly in any one;— and Nehemiah complains of this (13 ch. 24 v.): "Their children speak half Asdodish, and understand neither the Jewish language, nor that of any other nation; I reproved them therefore." For this reason, were these prayers projected for their use, by Ezra and his college. (Before this period they had no set prayers, at least none which we can designate as such with any degree of certainty; though some few short prayers are ascribed to several persons, who died before the destruction of the first temple.) These formulæ contain thanksgivings and petitions for the most important requisites and occurrences of life, in as few words as possible; and the wise institutors of these prayers purposed thereby, that the people should be able to express their most important wants in a pure and appropriate language. The three first divisions contain praises of God, the others are petitions for health, support, peace, &c.

14.

ערב ובקר וצהרים אשיחה ואהמה וישמע קולי

In accordance with the well known verse from the Psalms (55, v. 18): "At evening, morning, and noon I complain and moan, and he hears my voice ;" we read this prayer three times every day; namely, as 'n morning, These times of the day were also therefore chosen, because the sacrifices in the temple were offered at the same periods; and because the prayers are now in the place of the sacrifices, according to the expression of the prophet Hosea (14 ch. 3 v.):

.evening prayers ערבית vesper, and מנחה

as in the time of one of the Gamaliels one was added against the heretics, dissenters and enemies of the faith; the original name however is yet preserved.

Translator.