The Jewish Calendar.

1. Nisan.—The Sabbath before Passover is called ‏שבת הגדול‎ “the Great Sabbath,” on account of the importance of the approaching festival.

2. Iyar.—14th: ‏פסח שני‎ “Second Passover” (Num. ix. 9 sqq.).

3. Sivan.—3rd, 4th, and 5th: ‏שלשת ימי הגבלה‎ “The three days of bordering” (Exod. xix. 10–12).

4. Tammuz.—17th: “Fast of Tammuz,” ‏שבעה עשר בתמוז‎

5. Ab.—“Sabbath before the Fast,” ‏שבת חזון‎ (see p. 413)

6. Ellul.—‏ימי הסליחות‎ “Days of propitiatory prayers,” beginning on the first day of the month according to the Spanish Rite, and according to the German Rite, on the Sunday (or 2nd S.) before ‏ראש השנה‎

7. Tishri.—1st and 2nd: “New-year,” ‏ראש השנה‎

9. Kislev.—25th to 2nd (or 3rd) of Tebeth: ‏חנוכה‎ “Feast of Dedication.”

10. Tebeth.—10th: ‏עשרה בטבת‎ “The Fast of Tebeth.”

11. Shebhat.—15th: ‏חמשה עשר בשבט‎ “New-year for trees.” [[500]]

12. Adar.—7th: Anniversary of death of Moses.

[13. Adar Sheni.—‏שושן פורים‎, ‏שבת זכור‎, ‏תענית אסתר‎, ‏פורים שבת פרה‎, and ‏שבת החדש‎ which in an ordinary year are observed in Adar, are in a leap-year kept in Adar Sheni; and ‏שבת שקלים‎ either on the last Sabbath in Adar, or on the first of Adar Sheni, if on Saturday.]

Note.—The 15th of Shebhat is, according to the opinion of the Hillelites (Mishnah, Rosh ha-shanah i. 1), “New-year for the trees;” i.e., in reference to tithes, and to the fruit of the fourth or fifth year (Lev. xix. 24, 25); the fruit that begins to grow on a tree between the 15th of Shebhat of one year and the same date next year is reckoned as the fruit of one year.

Various reasons are given for the distinction of the 15th of Ab: (a.) The punishment decreed against the Israelites in the wilderness in connection with the spies (Num. xiv. 29) was discontinued from the 15th of Ab. (b.) The posts set up by Jeroboam on the borders of his kingdom for the purpose of preventing Israelites from going up to Jerusalem were removed on this date. (c.) The preparation of the wood for the altar was completed on the 15th of Ab. (d.) On this day the Israelites obtained permission to bury the bodies of those killed in the war against Hadrian. (e.) The reconciliation [[501]]between the Benjamites and the other Israelites took place on the 15th of Ab (Judges xxi. 21 sqq.).

The Mishnah (Taanith iv. 8) states that the 15th of Ab and the Day of Atonement were to the Israelites once days of the greatest national rejoicings for all alike, rich and poor. In memory of these general rejoicings the daughters of Jerusalem wore on these days borrowed white garments, in order that those poor who had none of their own should not feel ashamed. The Mishnah then describes the causes of the rejoicings; namely, the dancings in the vineyards (Judges, l. c.) for the 15th of Ab, and the giving of the Law (i.e., the giving of the second tables, which, according to Tradition, took place on the 10th of Tishri), and the building of the Temple (i.e., the rearing of the Tabernacle, which, according to Tradition, was commanded on the 10th of Tishri for the rejoicings on the Day of Atonement). [[502]]

[[Contents]]

III.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

Professor Lazarus in his recent work “Die Ethik des Judenthums” made the following observations: “In the continuity of the spirit of our nation we discover the solution of the riddle, which puzzled so many thinkers, viz.: how the small tribe of the Jews managed to outlive great and mighty nations.” This continuity of the spirit has been secured by our religious education. It has been said that education aims at producing in the younger generation the capacity of receiving, preserving and developing the culture we have acquired; this applies pre-eminently to religious education. That such continuity exists in our religious education, is evident from the fact that up to the present day the chief text-book for religious instruction has remained the same:—the Torah, or in a wider sense, the Bible, that everflowing fountain of living waters, not only for us Jews, but for almost all civilised nations. Our duty to preserve this continuity by handing over to the next generation the religious principles inherited from our predecessors is frequently insisted upon in Holy Writ, and emphasized on every occasion. We have in this respect a double duty to perform: Every parent is bound to secure as far as possible the well-being of his children; religious education [[503]]is indispensable for the children’s well-being. The Torah, the source of our religious education, is besides, our National treasure and inheritance, and every member of our community has as such the duty to guard and protect this treasure, that the rising generation receive it in its integrity. It is therefore not sufficient for any one of us to provide for the religious instruction of his own children, it is his duty to contribute his share towards the maintenance of the public schools or classes established for the religious instruction of the young. The Israelites in the wilderness joyfully received the National treasure, and solemnly declared “the Law which Moses commanded us, has been handed to us as an inheritance,” to be transmitted from generation to generation. These very words form the beginning of the religious education of our children, for as soon as they are able to speak, they are taught to recite and to understand the verse ‏תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה קהלת יעקב‎ “The Law which Moses commanded us, O congregation of Jacob, is an inheritance.” (Deut. xxxiii. 4.). In accordance with this principle, the Torah, the reading of the Torah in its original language, in the Hebrew, the translation and the understanding of the Torah, must form the basis of Jewish Religious Education, both in private and public instruction. The Torah is the essential element in the curriculum of Jewish Institutions for Religious instruction.

Our Sages therefore teach (Aboth v. 2): “Read the Torah again and again, for everything is in it, and in it thou wilt see everything; and even when thou art old and worn out, remain faithful to it, and from it do not move away, for there is no better measure for thee than the Torah.” [[504]]

There are other important subjects which Jewish children of both sexes are expected to learn and to know: The principles of Religion, Scripture History, Jewish History and Literature, Geography of Palestine and Hebrew Grammar. None of these subjects should be excluded from the curriculum of a Jewish School. They must be taught, but must be taught in such a way that they help to illustrate the lessons of the Law, and to facilitate its study. It is certainly of great importance that our children should acquire as much knowledge as possible of our History and Literature; of far greater importance, however, is the training of the heart in the faith of God, the inculcation of reverence for the Torah and the creation of a desire to live a pure, good and holy life, based on the fear and love of God. Text-books of Religion, though useful both to teacher and pupil, must by no means supersede the original, the Torah. Where for some cogent reason a minimum of time is spared for religious instruction—as is e.g. the case in many Religion Classes connected with Public Schools and Colleges, special care should be taken that the Torah receive its due attention. The best method must be employed, the best possible teachers must be engaged, who are well trained in the art of teaching, and possess a thorough knowledge of our holy religion and our history. If in addition to these qualifications, the teacher devotes himself to his profession with love and enthusiasm, his words, coming from the heart, will find their way into the heart of the pupil. No time can be spared for metaphysical speculations or for problems of Bible criticism. Besides, “The hidden things belong to the [[505]]Lord our God, but the things which have been revealed are for us and our children for ever: to do all the words of this Law.” (Deut. xxix. 28). According to the teaching of Aboth, (v. 22) “one moment of victory over sin and temptation in this life surpasses all the blessings of the future life,” and to train our youths in the way leading to such bliss, is the aim and motive of all Religious teaching.

[[506]]

[[Contents]]

IV.

PRAYER FOR BARMITZVAH.

Prayer which the young Candidate, having previously undergone a religious examination, should recite, when called to the Law, before the Blessing.

‏אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי‎

‏בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְתָמִים אֶשָּׂא אֵלֶיךָ אֶת עֵינַי בַּיּוֹם הַגָּדול וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ הַזֶּה לֵאמֹּר׃ הִנֵּה יַלְדוּתִי חָֽלְפָה הָֽלְכָה לָהּ וְאָנֹכִי הָיִיתִי לְאִישׁ׃ עָלַי לִשְׁמֹור אֶת כָּל־חֻקֵּי רְצוֹנֶךָ. וְעָלַי לַעֲנוֹת בְּיוֹם פְּקוּדָתִי כַאֲשֶׁר תִּגְמוֹל לִי כפְרִי מַעֲלָלַי׃ מִיּוֹם הִוָּֽלְדִי בֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנִי. אָמְנָם בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה בָאתִי שֵׁנִית בַּקָּהָל לָךְ. וְלִפְנֵי כָל־הָעַמִּים אֶתְפָּאֵר עַל שִׁמְךָ אֲשֶׁר נִקְרָא עָלֵינוּ׃‎

‏וְעַתָּה אָבִי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם שְׁמַע אֶל הַתְּפִלָּה וְאַל הַתְּחִנָּה הַזֹּאת. שְׁלַח עָלַי שִׁפְעַת בִּרְכוֹתֶיךָ. גֶּשֶׁם נְדָבוֹת וּבְרָכוֹת הַנִיף עָלַי. לְמַעַן יָמַי יִשְׂבְּעוּן וְיִרְוְיוּן מִדֶּשֶׁן עֲדָנֶיךָ. הוֹרֵנִי נָא דֶּרֶךְ חֻקֶּיךָ. הַדְרִיכֵנִי בִנֵתִיב מִצֵוֹתֶיךָ תֵּן בְּלִבִּי לֵאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמֶךָ. הַחֲזֵק בְּיָדִי וְאַל תַּרְפֵּנּי וְלֹא אֶכָּשֵׁל עַל דַרְכִּי אֲשֶׁר אַנֹכִי הוֹלֶךְ עָלֶיהָ הַיּוֹם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה׃ הַצִּילֵנִי מִיֵּצֶר הָרָע וְתֵּן בִּי כֹחַ לִשְׁמוֹר אֶת תּוֹרָֽתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׂה וְאֶת פִּקּוּדֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם׃ וּבְכָל־יָמַי אֶקְרָא בְּקוֹל גָּדוֹל וְלֹא אֵבוֹשׁ שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְיָ אֶהָד׃‎ [[507]]

[[Contents]]

IV.

O my God and God of my Forefathers!

On this solemn and sacred day, which marketh my passage from boyhood to manhood, I humbly venture to raise my eyes unto Thee, and to declare, with sincerity and truth, that henceforth I will observe all Thy commandments, and undertake and bear the responsibility of all mine actions towards Thee. In my earliest infancy I was brought within Thy sacred covenant with Israel, and to-day I again enter as an active responsible member, the pale of Thine elect congregation, in the midst of which I will never cease to glorify Thy holy name in the face of all nations.

Do Thou, O Heavenly Father, hearken unto this my humble prayer, and vouchsafe unto me Thy gracious blessings, so that my earthly life may be sustained and made happy by Thine ineffable mercies. Teach me the way of Thy statutes, that I may obey them, and faithfully carry out Thine ordinances. Dispose my heart to love Thee and to fear Thy holy name, and grant me Thy support and the strength necessary to avoid the worldly dangers which encompass the path lying before me. Save me from temptation, so that I may with fortitude observe Thy holy Law, and those precepts on which human happiness and eternal life depend. Thus I will every day of my life trustfully and gladly proclaim:

“Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One!”

[[508]]

[[Contents]]

V.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Religious books for the use of children at home or in school were unknown in olden times. The Torah was taught, and with it every thing else. A great part of the Book of Proverbs and many of the Psalms may have been intended for the education of the young. In the early post-Biblical time we meet with books like The Wisdom of Solomon, The Wisdom of Joshua, son of Sirach, and Sayings of the Fathers, which may have served the same purpose. To these may be added “The Duties of the Heart,” by Bachya ibn Pekuda, “The Examination of the World” (Bechinath Olam), “The Choice of the Pearls,” by Ibn Gabirol, Abraham ibn Ezra’s “Foundation of the Fear of God, and Principle of the Law,” and “The Book of the Righteous,” by Rabbenu Jacob Tam, and “The Moral Lessons” (Toaliyyoth) by Rabbi Levi ben Gerson, and “The Shulhan Aruch” of R. Judah Aryeh di Modena. All these works are excellent books for the instruction of the young. They inculcate religious lessons, and shew the way to a pious life, but they are not text books of religion in the modern sense of the term. This branch of literature began to develop in the last century, with the exception of Abraham Jaghel’s Lekach-tob, which was written in the beginning of the seventeenth century, and was the first Catechism of Jewish Religion. It was composed in the Hebrew Language and subsequently translated into Latin and English. Since last century, however, religious books of all sizes, forms and tendencies have been produced in all [[509]]countries, especially in Germany. The following list contains such books as are included in the Jews’ College Library:—

English—

Albu, I., ‏חק לישראל‎. London, 1860.

Asher, B. H., Initiation of the Youth. London, 1850.

Asher, D., Outlines of Jewish Religion. Manchester, 1845.

Cahen, M., Catechism of Religion. Liverpool, 1890.

Cahun, B., The Thirteen Articles of Faith. English and French. London, 1885.

Cohen, M. R., Principles of Judaism. Sydney, 1855.

Cohen, S. I., Elements of Jewish Faith. Philadelphia, 1813.

Cohen, S. I., Elements of Hebrew and English. London, 1815.

Davidson, M., Moral and Religious Guide. London, 1855.

Early lesson in the Jewish Religion, adopted from the Catechism of Giuseppi Levi. London, 1869.

Festivals of the Lord. London, 1839.

Friedländer, M., Text book of Jewish Religion. London, 1891.

Goodman, T., Faith of Israel. 1835.

Joseph, N., Religion: Natural and Revealed. London, 1879.

Kley, E., Catechism, translated from the German by I. Lutomirski. Oxford, 1842.

Lesser, Isaac, Instruction in the Mosaic Religion. Philadelphia, 1830.

Meldola, R., Way of Faith. London, 1848.

Mendez, A. P., The Law of Moses. London, 1861.

Moss, Ph., Calendar, Hebrew and English. London, 1853.

Van Oven, J., Manual of Judaism. London, 1835.

Picciotto, M. H., Translation of Reggio’s Guide for the Religious Instruction. London, 1855.

In German—

Arnhein, A., Leitfaden. Glasgow, 1829.

P. Beer, Handbuch. Prague, 1818.

Ben-Zev, ‏יסודי הדת‎. Wien, 1806. [[510]]

Bing, A., Hauptlehren des Judenthums. München, 1827.

Bock, M. H., Catechismus. Berlin, 1814.

Brück, M., Ceremonialgebräuche. Breslau, 1857.

Büdinger, A., ‏מורה לתורה‎. Cassel, 1830.

Fassel, H. B., Mosaisch-rabbinische Religionslehre. Gross Kanisza, 1858.

Feilchenfeld, W., Systematisches Lehrbuch der israelitischen Religion. Posen, 1878.

Friedenthal, M. B., ‏עקרי אמונה‎ Prag, 1827.

Funk, B., Die Zehngebote. Breslau, 1816.

Grünbaum, E., Die Sittenlehre des Judenthums. Mannheim, 1867.

Dr. Heinemann, ‏תורת אמונת בית ישראל‎ (Hebrew and German). Cassel, 1812.

Dr. Herxheimer, Glaubens- und Pflichtenlehre. Bernburg, 1843.

Hirsch, R., ‏חורב‎ Israel’s Pflichten. Altona, 1837.

Hochstädter, B., Glaubenslehre. Ems, 1862.

Johlson, J., Leitfaden, ‏אלומי יוסף‎ Pf. a/M. 1839.

Kaufmann D., Catechismus. Pest, 1884.

Kohn, S., Religionslehre. Wien, 1853.

Landau, T., Das Levitenhaus, Häusliche Ritual-Gesetze. Fkft. a/M. 1859.

Lash, G., Die göttlichen Gesetze. Halberstadt, 1857.

Prof. Lazarus, Die Ethik des Judenthums. Berlin, 1898.

Lehrbuch der israelitischen Religion. Stuttgart, 1837.

Leimdoerfer, D., Religionslehre. Nordhausen, 1876.

Loewenheim, Die mosaische Religion. Liesnach, 1864.

Mannheimer, I., Gebetbuch und Religions Unterricht. Darmstadt, 1881.

Mira. H., Leitfaden. Breslau, 1839.

Neuman, M. S., Religionslehre. Pest, 1826.

Philippson, L., Israelitische Religionslehre. Leipzig, 1861.

Philippson, S., Catechismus. Leipzig, 1843.

Plessner, S., Jüdisch-Mosaischer Religions unterricht. Berlin, 1839.

Stein, L., Torah u. Mizwa. Fkft. o/M. 1850.

Stern, M. E., Handbuch zum jüdischen Religions-unterrichte. Wien, 1861. [[511]]

French and Italian—

Bloch, S., La Foi d’Israel. Paris, 1859.

Lambert, L. M., Catéchisme Hebreu, Allemand et Français. Paris, 1837.

Loeb, H., Chemin de la foi. Paris, 1859.

Vogue, L., La guide du croyant Israelite. Metz, 1857.

Castiglioni, I. V., Dottrina Religiosa. Trieste, 1861.

Tremellius, Imm., Dottrina Religiosa. English translation. London, 1818.

Modena, D. Z., Catechism. Reggio, 1825.

Judaeo-German—

‏הינוך הילדים‎. Warsaw, 1852.

‏טהנה יששכר‎ Moral lessons, illustrated by tales from Talmud and Midrash. Rödelheim, 1837.

Collections of Moral Sayings—

Maier, J., Sprüche. Texts for Moral Lessons. Tf o/M, 1830.

Steinschneider, M., ‏אמרי בינה‎. Berlin, 1847.

Mocatta, M., Sayings from Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. London, 1837.

Josh. Steinberg, ‏משלי יהושע‎. Wilna, 1871.

Edelmann, H., ‏דרך טובים‎. London, 1852. [[512]]

[[Contents]]