JEWISH CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS.
By F. C. Gilbert
It was noted in article 6 that not one word which Christ ever spoke was devoid of meaning. What was true of Christ's life while on earth is equally true of those objects which were typical of him, and which by faith represented him. "Thus in the ministration of the tabernacle, and of the temple that afterward took its place, the people were taught each day the great truths relative to Christ's death and ministration."—Patriarchs and Prophets, page 358. Among the many ceremonies and feasts given to Israel, in addition to the one mentioned in the preceding article, there were three other feasts to which the Lord attached great importance, and emphasized the necessity of their observance. The account of them is as follows: "Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year." "Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty." Ex. 23 : 14-17; Lev. 23; Deut. 16 : 16. The first in the catalog is the feast of unleavened bread, or, as it is generally known, "the Passover." Its observance was instituted at the time of the exode, as a memorial of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Thus were they to observe it: On the tenth day of the first month each family was to take a lamb without blemish, and keep it till the fourteenth day of the same month. Then between the two evenings, from three till six P.M., all the people were to kill their lambs simultaneously, and take of the blood and sprinkle it upon the door posts, and upon the two side posts of the house in which the animal was to be eaten. It was to be roasted with fire, and the whole of it eaten that selfsame night, none of it to be left till morning. When the animal was slain, they were to be very particular that none of its bones were broken. The reason the blood was sprinkled upon the door posts was because that night the Lord was to pass over Egypt and smite every first-born in the land, from the first-born of Pharaoh to the first-born of the least of the cattle. And when the Lord observed the blood upon the houses, it was to be a token of their obedience, and the children of Israel were to be passed by, and not to be destroyed. It was the blood of the lamb that saved the house of Israel from destruction with the Egyptians.6This feast was to last seven days, during which time no manner of leaven was found in their houses, and no servile work performed. It was to be a statute forever throughout their generations, as a memorial of deliverance from Egyptian servitude. The passover thus ordained and thus observed is called "the Lord's Passover." It was not man's, it was not Jewish, it was God's only. The first and the last days of the feast were holy days, and to be so regarded. See Ex. 12 : 13. The true meaning of the Passover is very clearly noted in the Scriptures, and perhaps it may be well to adduce a few texts, and then contrast them with the way this ordinance has been perverted by tradition. "Cleanse out the old leaven, that you may be a new mass, as you are unleavened; for even our Paschal Lamb Christ, was sacrificed." 1 Cor. 5 : 7, Emphatic Diaglott. Thus we see that the lamb slain by the Israelites in Egypt represented the "Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1 : 29. The lamb was to be without spot and without blemish. Pilate's testimony concerning Christ was, "I find no ['not one,' Greek] fault in him." John 18 : 38. The Jews were commanded to take the lamb on the tenth day, and keep it till the fourteenth, when it was to be slain. Four days before the Passover, Messiah came to Jerusalem, and after being examined before the tribunals, was declared to be without sin. "Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverted the people; and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him; no, nor yet Herod; for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him." Luke 23 : 14, 15. While Jesus was on the cross, the soldiers came to break his legs, as they broke the legs of the thieves who were crucified with him. But when they saw he was dead, they broke them not. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and instantly blood and water flowed from the place. "For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken." John 19 : 32-37. It was in the acceptance of the command of God to sprinkle the blood that Israel were saved. So it is written, "The blood of Jesus the Messiah cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1 : 7. And as we read the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, and many other scriptures, how accurately do we see fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth all that was done to the lamb! Is it not then surprising that the Jews did not know Jesus when he was on earth, because the meaning of the Passover to them was so different from what it was originally meant to be, that they lost sight of the truth taught by it. And as the years have rolled by, and the temple gone, it means still less. In the place of the lamb at the present time, they use a shank-bone of an animal, the very part of the animal that was not to be broken. Instead of having the simple ordinance the evening of the Passover, a great display is made, when many things have been added, and many prayers, stories, fables, and allegories are repeated, most of them meaningless and without foundation. One of the additions is that on the Passover night each person must drink four cups of wine. The law on that point is as follows: "All persons, whether men or women, are obligated on this night to drink four cups (or glasses) of wine, and this number is not to be diminished."—Hilchoth Chometz, Laws of Leaven, chap. 8. This law is purely a creation of the rabbis, and carries with it great hardships if obeyed. "Whosoever has not got wine, transgresseth a command of the rabbis, for they have said that there is to be no diminution from the four cups. And it is necessary to sell what he has in order to keep the command of the wise men. He is not to depend upon the bread, for if he fulfil the command concerning one cup, he has not fulfilled that respecting the three. Therefore let him sell what he has, and furnish the expense, until he procure wine or raisins."—Arbah Turim Orach Chaim, Ways of Life. We wonder not at the denunciations of Christ against the rabbis, scribes, Pharisees making void the law of God by their tradition, and placing heavy burdens upon the people. The Lord told the people anciently to leave nothing of the lamb remaining overnight, but all to be eaten at one time. With the shank-bone previously mentioned, an egg is also used; and these, instead of being eaten the first night, are left for the second evening. The Lord's command was that the first and last days were holy; the rabbis have added a day at each end, compelling all to observe them. "These are the six days on which the Scripture has forbidden the doing of work. The first and seventh day of Passover, the first and eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the day of the feast of weeks, and the first day of the seventh month; and these days are called holy days. The sabbatism of all is alike; it is unlawful on any of them to do any manner of work, excepting that which is necessary for the preparation of food, as it is said, Save that which every man must eat. Ex. 12 : 16."—Hilchoth Youm Tov, Laws of the Holy Days, chap. 1, 1. And then is added the following:— To us who observe two days, everything that is forbidden on the first day is also forbidden on the second day; and whosoever makes light of it is to be excommunicated. But if he be an acute Talmudist, the excommunication is not to be severe, only he is to be beaten.—Orach Chaim, Ways of Life, 496. Altho the second holy day is only of the words of the scribes, everything that is forbidden on the first day is forbidden on it also. And every one who professes the second holy day, even that of the New Year, whether it be in a matter relating to the sabbatism, or by work, or by going beyond the sabbath limit, is to receive the beating denounced against rebellion, or to be excommunicated, unless he be a learned man.—Hilchoth Jom Tov, Laws of the Holidays, chap. 1, 24. The beating here referred to is called "the law of rebellion," the substance of which is that whoever transgresseth an affirmative commandment, he is to be beaten until his soul go out of him, without any consideration of his strength, or without dividing the flogging into three parts. And also whoever transgresses a law of the wise men, he is to be beaten with stripes without number and without consideration. And the reason this is called "the flogging of rebellion" is because the individual has rebelled against the words of the scribes. (Baal Aruch, "Lord of the Ways or Manners.") In addition to these additions and changes many more have been made to resemble the ordinance as given by the Lord, but which are contradictory in themselves, and opposed to the Word of God. Space forbids mentioning more. Thus we see to some extent how the commandments of God have been made of none effect by their tradition, how Christ has been hidden from the people, and man exalted in his place.