1 Lit., “The accepting of the yoke of the heaven’s dominion;” “The accepting of the yoke of the precepts.” The expression “yoke” is here by no means derogatory. It simply indicates the duty which in the one case “the dominion of heaven,” and in the other case “the Divine precepts,” impose upon us. ↑ a b
2 Hebrew titles of books are often fanciful names, which more or less distinctly imply either the nature or contents of the books, or the name of their authors. The Hebrew names for the fourteen books of Mishneh-torah are as follows: (1) מדע “Knowledge;” (2) אהבה “Love;” (3) זמנים “Seasons;” (4) נשים “Women;” (5) קדושה “Sanctification;” (6) הפלאה “Distinction;” (7) זרעים “Seeds;” (8) עבודה “Service;” (9) קרבנות “Sacrifices;” (10) טהרה “Purity;” (11) נזיקין “Damages;” (12) קנין “Acquisition:” (13) משפטים “Disputes;” (14) שופטים “Judges.” Rabbenu Jakob calls his work ארבעה טורים “Four Rows,” a name borrowed from Exod. xxviii. 17. The names of the four parts are: ארח חיים “Path of Life” (Ps. xvi. 11); יורה דעה “Teacher of knowledge” (Isa. xxviii. 9); אבן העזר “Stone of Help” (1 Sam. vii. 12, and Gen. ii. 18), and חשן משפט “Breastplate of Judgment” (Exod. xxviii. 15). ↑
3 I.e., if a person has no fear of God, he is himself the sole cause of its absence, and he alone is responsible for it. ↑
4 The words of the Mishnah are בכל מדה ומדה שהוא מודד לך הוי מודה לו מאד The meanings of three roots are combined in this interpretation of the words בכל מאדך viz., מאד “exceedingly,” מודד “measuring,” and מודה “thanking.” The three words are similar in sound. ↑
5 The term עיון תפלה (lit., “reflecting on prayer”) has two meanings: (1) reflecting on the prayer while uttering it; devotion; in German, Andacht; (2) reflecting on the prayer after having uttered it, while we are waiting for the sure fulfilment of the wishes expressed in it. ↑
6 In the whole Book of Esther the name of God does not occur even once. It is not mere chance; there are several passages where the mention of the Divine Being is expected, and it is believed that the omission is due to the fear of a subsequent desecration of the book in the hands of the Persians. ↑
8 E.g., by giving bad advice and transgressing the law, “Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind” (Lev. xix. 14). ↑
10 Those who become security for a stranger are blamed (Prov. vi. 1 seq.) as acting rashly, and foolishly endangering their peace and welfare. ↑
13 Lit., inquiring, scil., what the condition of the patient is, and what is needed for his recovery. ↑
15 The prayer for the head of the State, beginning הנתן תשועה למלכים has its origin in this sense of loyalty towards the State in which we live. ↑
16 I.e., When the old and experienced counsel to pull down a house, the pulling down is essential to its rebuilding; whilst the counsel of young and inexperienced men to build may imply destructive elements. ↑
17 There are some exceptions to this rule:—The Reader wears the talith during every Service; in some congregations mourners wear it when they recite kaddish. On the Day of Atonement the whole congregation wear the talith during all the Services. On the Fast of Ab the talith is put on before the Afternoon Service instead of during the Morning Service. ↑
18 There are two forms of the blessing which accompanies the performance [330]of a Divine precept: the precept is expressed (1) by a noun which is preceded by the preposition עא “concerning;” (2) by the infinitive of a verb preceded by the preposition ל “to,” e.g., “concerning the commandment of tsitsith,” and “to wrap ourselves with a garment provided with tsitsith.” The latter form is used (1) when the blessing is recited before the performance of the mitsvah has commenced; (2) when he who performs the mitsvah is personally commanded to perform it. In all other cases the first form is used. Hence על מצות ציצת, because we are, as a rule, not in a fit state for prayer when we put it on, and therefore recite the blessing later on; על מקרא מגלה; because he who reads might just as well be one of the listeners. We say להניח תפלין at the commencement of the mitsvah; על מצות תפלין before the second part. (See Babyl. Talm. Pesachim, p. 7.) ↑
19 The term תפלין reminds us of תפלה “prayer,” and denotes things used during prayer. Originally it had probably the more general signification: ornament or head-ornament; in the Chaldee Version it is the translation of טטפות, which denotes “head-ornament.” (Comp. Mishnah Shabbath vi. 1.) ↑
20 Two sides of the bayith have the shin impressed on them, the right and the left; but in different forms, on the right the letter has three strokes (ש), on the left it has four strokes (ש), in order to ensure the right order of the four paragraphs (פרשיות) which the bayith contains from right to left. ↑
21 The knot formed by the רצועות of the tefillah shel rosh has the shape of a daleth, that of the tefillah shel yad is like a yod; these two letters added to the shin of the tefillin shel rosh read shaddai, “Almighty.” ↑
22 In the evening it was but natural that tsitsith and tefillin should be laid aside, as the greater part of the night was devoted to sleep; the rule was therefore generally adopted: “The night is not the proper time for laying tefillin” (לילה לאו זמן תפילין). The opposite principle, however, “The night is likewise a suitable time for laying tefillin” (לילה זמן תפלין), had also its advocates among Rabbinical authorities (Babyl. Talm. Menachoth 36b). ↑
23 With the completion of the thirteenth year a boy becomes of age in reference to the fulfilment of all religious duties. He is then called Bar-mitsvah (lit. “a son of the commandment”), a member of the Jewish community, upon whom devolve all such duties as a Jew has to perform. On the Sabbath following that birthday he is called to the Law, either to read a portion of the Sidra or to listen to its reading, and publicly acknowledge God as the Giver of the Law. ↑
26 There are, besides, on the back of the scroll, just behind the names of God in the first line three words of a mystic character consisting of the letters following in the alphabet the letters of these divine names. The words have in themselves no meaning, and it may be that their object is simply to indicate from outside where the names of God are written, and to prevent a nail being driven through that part in fixing the mezuzah to the door-post. ↑
28 Maimonides applies these terms to Sabbath; but they apply generally with equal force to the Festivals. ↑
29 We “remember” also the Sabbath or Festival by naming after it the preceding day, the night following, and in the case of Festivals the day [341]following: the eve of Sabbath or Festival ערב שבת, ערב יום טוב; the night after Sabbath or Festival, מוצאי שבת, מוצאי יום טוב; “the day after the Festival,” אסרו חג (lit., “bind the Festival,” with reference to Ps. cxviii. 27). ↑
30 A similar ceremony takes place before the first meal in the morning. A cup of wine or other spirituous liquor is poured out, some Biblical passages referring to the Sabbath are recited, and the usual blessing is said before partaking of the beverage. The blessing containing the Kiddush is not said, and the ceremony has the name Kiddush or Kiddusha rabba, “great Kiddush,” only on account of its similarity with the evening Kiddush. The passages recited are the following: Exod. xxxi. 16, 17, xx. 8–11; Isa. lviii. 13, 14. ↑
31 ברוך אתה … בורא פרי הגפן “Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who hast created the fruit of the vine.” In the absence of wine, or if wine is disliked or injurious to health, the blessing over bread is substituted for that over wine.—The blessings are generally preceded by the word סברי “Is it your pleasure, scil., that I read?” whereby it is simply intended to call the attention of the company to the prayer. ↑
32 See p. 352, on the difference between the holiness of Sabbath and that of Festivals.—The last two ברכות, viz. בורא מאורי האש and [342]המבדיל are added; the second part of the latter is slightly modified in order to suit the transition from Sabbath to Festival.—The Habhdalah on the night following the Day of Atonement consists of three ברכות, that over spices being omitted, except if Jom-kippur falls on Sabbath; in that case the Habhdalah includes all the four ברכות. ↑
33 Habhdalah is likewise omitted when Sabbath is closely followed by the Fast of Ab. On Sabbath night, eating and drinking being forbidden, only the one blessing, בורא מאורי האש is recited; that over spices is omitted, and the remaining two blessings are recited on Sunday evening after the fast. ↑
34 Although the whole of the Day of Atonement is devoted to Divine Service, less time is given to reading from the Law than on Sabbath, in order to leave more time for Prayers, Confessions, and Meditations. Rabbi Akiba, however, was of opinion that seven should be called up [347]to the Law on the Day of Atonement, and six on Sabbath (B. Talm. Megillah 23a). ↑
35 The distance allowed is called תחום שבת “a Sabbath-journey,” and is 2000 cubits in every direction; it is reckoned from the outskirts of the place in which we live. If, however, a person desires to perform a mitsvah, such as milah, at a place distant about a double Sabbath-journey from his domicile, he may fix before Sabbath his abode for that day half-way between the two places, and then traverse on Sabbath the whole distance from the one place to the other. This change of abode is called erubhe thechumin, “combination of two Sabbath-journeys into one,” by changing the centre from which they are measured. ↑
36 They are called אבות מלאכות “principal kinds of work,” and are those which directly or indirectly were wanted in the erection of the Tabernacle, and were therefore included in the prohibition of doing any work for this purpose (Exod. xxxi. 15 and xxxv. 2).
There are certain things which cannot be brought under any of these heads, and are nevertheless prohibited, because they frequently lead to a breach of the Sabbath laws; e.g., riding in a carriage or in any kind of conveyance; playing music. These prohibitions are called שבות i.e., acts prohibited on Sabbath and Holy-days by our Sages; or גזרה (lit., “decree”), safeguard against breaking the Law.
Divine precepts, however, ordained for the Sabbath—e.g., sacrifices—or for a certain day, which happens to fall on a Sabbath—e.g., initiation of a male child into the covenant of Abraham on the eighth day of its birth, or saving the life of a fellow-man in case of illness or any other danger—must be performed although they may involve any of the acts otherwise prohibited on the day of rest. ↑
37 The preparation of food is only permitted on Holy-days if wanted for the same day, except when Sabbath follows immediately after the Holy-day. In that case it is allowable to prepare the food for Sabbath on the Holy-day, provided such preparation has commenced before and need only be continued on the Holy-day. The preparation made for Sabbath before the Holy-day comes in is called erubh tabhshilin, “combination of dishes,” i.e., of the dishes prepared for Sabbath on the eve of the Festival (ערב יום טוב) and of those prepared on the Festival itself; it is accompanied by a blessing and a declaration of the significance of the erubh. The following is the blessing: ברוך … אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על מצות ערוב “Blessed art thou … who hast [353]sanctified us by thy commandments, and hast ordained for us the mitsvah of erubh.”
It may here be noted that there are, besides, three kinds of erubh, viz.:—
1. Erubh techumim. See above, page 350.
2. Erubh chatseroth (lit., “combination of the houses in a court”). According to the traditional law, we must not carry anything on Sabbath from a private place (רשות היחיד) into the street (רשות הרבים). The former is defined to be a locality belonging to one person or family, and separated from the public by a fence. The Jewish inhabitants of a court or a town closed on all sides combine to form one family, and thus turn the רשות הרבים into רשות היחיד. The symbol of such combination consists of some food kept in a room, to which all have access (e.g., the Synagogue). This is the origin and meaning of the Passover-cake (מצה) which may still be noticed in some of the Continental Synagogues.
3. Erubh par excellence.—An opening left in a fence or wall round a רשות היחיד must at least have some token that indicates the closing of the space; e.g., a wire drawn through the open space from one part of the fence to the other. Such symbol is called erubh, “combination of the various parts of the fence or wall into one.” Such erubh may likewise be noticed in some of the Continental towns. In all these cases the symbol was not introduced for the purpose of permitting the actual transgression of a law, but rather for the purpose of reminding us of what the law forbids us to do; since, in fact, that which becomes permitted through these symbols is even in their absence no direct breach of any of the Sabbath laws. ↑
38 Comp. the two forms of the prayer השכיבנו in the Evening Service for week-days and for Sabbath, in the Spanish Ritual. ↑
39 שבת היא מלזעוק ורפואה (ונחמה) קרובה לבוא ושבתו בשלום
“To-day is Sabbath and we must not lament, for recovery (comfort) is near to come; now keep Sabbath in peace.” ↑
42 Another explanation of this custom has been suggested. Bread and wine being before us, it is doubtful which should have the preference for the purpose of Kiddush; the bread is therefore covered, so that no choice is left (Tur Orach Chayyim 271). Bread being the ordinary requisite at our meals, the use of wine for Kiddush is considered more indicative of the distinction of the day. If, however, wine is disliked or injurious, bread is used us its substitute (page 341, note 2). ↑
43 A peculiar ceremony may here be noticed. Some pass the knife over the bread before the berachah is said. The origin of this custom is this: the rule has been laid down that there should not be a long interval between the berachah and the partaking of the food. The knife and the bread are therefore kept ready, and originally an incision was made into the loaf in order to shorten that interval as much as possible. ↑
44 ברוך א׳ י׳ א׳ מ׳ ה׳ אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להפריש חלה, “Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who hast sanctified us by thy commandments, and commanded us to separate challah.” ↑
46 Some kindle the lights first, and then say the blessing whilst their hands are spread out before the lights. The origin of this latter practice is this: It happens sometimes that the housewife is not ready in time for kindling the lights, and lets another do it for her, she reserving to herself the privilege of saying the berachah later on. In that case the holding of the hands before the lights and withdrawing them after the blessing represents symbolically the kindling of the lights. What was originally done in exceptional cases became subsequently the rule. ↑
47 Calendar is derived from the Latin Calendæ, which signifies the first of the month. The Hebrew term לוח, used for “Calendar” or “Almanac,” denotes “table” or “tablet.” In the Talmud. Sod (or Yesod) ha-ibbur is used in the sense of “the theory of the Calendar:” [361]literally, the term denotes the fixing of the additional day to the month or the additional month to the year. ↑
48 Or more exactly, 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, 3⅓ seconds. The technical formula in Hebrew is: כ״ט י״ב תש״צג 29 days, 12793⁄1080 hours. ↑
49 In the first month the barley becomes ripe; in the second the whole vegetation of the country stands in its full splendour; in the seventh the hardy fruit, which withstood the heat of the summer, ripens; and in the eighth the first rain of the season comes down. ↑
50 The meaning of most of these names is uncertain. The two names Elul and Tishri seem to denote “the disappearance” and “the beginning” of the year. ↑
51 The adjustment is necessary for the right observance of Passover, which must be celebrated in the first month (Exod. xii. 2), the month of Abib (Deut. xvi. 1), that is, in the spring, when in Palestine the corn begins to ripen. Without the periodical insertion of a month, Passover would be celebrated in every succeeding year eleven days earlier than in the previous one, and in course of time at different seasons, contrary to the Law. ↑
52 The Hebrew term חדש has a double meaning “beginning of the month” and “month;” comp. שבת, “day of rest,” and also “week,” or the period that passes between two consecutive Sabbaths. ↑
54 The molad of Tishri in the year 1 is assumed to have been on Sunday evening between eleven and twelve. (בהר״ד) ↑
55 In this tradition the period of the Persian rule in Palestine, which lasted over two centuries, is contracted to thirty-four years. It is possible that the years were counted according to the years of Release (שמטה) or the years of the Jubilee, and these were probably not kept immediately after the return of the Jews from Babylon. ↑
59 According to Tradition, Exod. xii. 2 not only deals with the appointment of Nisan as the first month of the year, but implies also the rules for fixing ראש חדש, New-moon, or the first of the month; and this verse, with its traditional interpretation, was therefore considered as the basis of the Jewish Calendar. Hence the prominence given to this section of the Pentateuch by having it read on the 1st of Nisan or on the Sabbath before the 1st of Nisan. ↑
60 Various reasons are given for this title. According to Tradition, the 10th of Nisan in the year of the Exodus was on Saturday; it was considered a great event, a miracle, in fact, that the Israelites could on that day select a lamb for sacrifice without being molested by their Egyptian masters, who at other times would have stoned them for such daring (Exod. viii. 22). Another reason is this: The Sabbath before any of the chief Festivals was called the great Sabbath on account of [372]the instruction sought and given respecting the importance and the observances of the coming Festival (see Zunz, Ritus. p. 9). This name has only been preserved in the case of the Sabbath before Passover.—It is, however, possible that “the great day,” the predominant idea in the haphtarah of the day, suggested the name.
It is the custom in some congregations to read in the Afternoon-service of Shabbath haggadol part of the Haggadah instead of the Psalms (civ. and cxx.–cxxxiv.). ↑
61 The word פסח “Passover,” signifies (1) the act of passing over or sparing (Exod. xii. 11); (2) the sacrifice of passover, especially as object to the verb עשה “to make” (ibid. 47, 48); (3) the time when the passover was offered and consumed; i.e., the 14th of Nisan, afternoon and evening (Lev. xxiii. 5; Num. xxviii. 16); (4) the whole of Passover (Mishnah, and in all post-Biblical literature).
The day on which an Israelite brought a sacrifice was a Festival to him and his family; and no work was done on that day. Accordingly on the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan, ערב פסח, the time fixed for the Passover-offering, no work was done; some abstained from [373]work the whole day (Mishnah, Pesachim iv. 1; comp. also ibid. 5).—It is customary for the first-born to fast the whole or part of ערב פסח (Talm. Jerus. x. 1, and Masecheth Soferim xxi. 3). They might rather be expected to feast in memory of the deliverance of the first-born Israelites in Egypt. But the case is similar to that of Purim. Both the day of danger and the day of victory are celebrated; the one by fasting (fast of Esther), the other by feasting (Purim). So here the 14th of Nisan was for the first-born the day of danger, the following night the season of deliverance. Hence the fasting during the day and the feasting in the evening. The day suggests thoughts like the following: Our forefathers were saved from danger: should we deserve to be saved if danger threatened us? Such reflections may have been the origin of the fast of the first-born on the eve of Passover. Some also fast on this day, or at least abstain on it from a full meal, in order to do honour to the festive meal in the evening and approach it with appetite (לתיאבון). A similar custom obtains, though not to the same extent, on the eve of Sabbath and of every Festival (Mishnah, Pesachim x. 1). ↑