PASSOVER
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PASSOVER
bath, they replied. Is it the Sabbath ? Yes, this is the Sabbath, was again the reply. Shall I cut ? Yes, cut, they replied. Shall I cut V Do cut, they agaiu replied. Every question was asked three times, and the people replied to it each time. This was done because of the Boiithuseans (D^DWi3), who maintained that the reap- ing of the omer was not to be at the exit of the festival. When cut it was laid in boxes, brought into the court of the Temple, threshed with canes and stalks, that the grains might not be crushed, and laid on a roast with holes, that the fire might touch each grain ; it was then spread in the court of the Temple for the wind to pass over it, and ground in a barley-mill [which left the hulls unground]. The tlour thus obtained was sifted through thirteen different sieves [each one tiner than its prede- cessor], and in this manner was the prescribed omer, or tenth part, got from the seah. The residue was redeemed, and could be used by every one. They mixed the omer of meal with a log [=;half a pint] of oil, put on it a handful of frankincense (Lev. ii, 15), as on other meat- offerings, waved it, took a handful of it, an.l caused it to ascend in smoke (Lev. ii, IG), and the residue was eaten by the priests." Immediately after the ceremoiw, bread, parched corn, green ears, etc., of the new crop were ex- posed for sale in the streets of Jerusalem, as prior to the offering of the omer no use whatever was allowed to be made of the new corn (Mishna, Jfenachofh, x, 2-5; Maimonides, Yad Ha-Chezaka, Ililchoth Tamiilin U-Mo- saphin, vii, 4-21; conip. also Josephus, Ant. iii, 10, 5). From this day the fifty days began to be counted to the day of Pentecost (Lev. xxiii, 15).
8. The 17th to the 20/A of Nisan.— This period was half-holyday (1"''.'2n bin), called the middle days of the festival, or the lesser festival ('^p IS'ITS), which had already commenced with the 16th. The people either left Jerusalem and returned to their respective homes, or remained and indulged in public amusements, as dances, songs, games, etc., to fill up the time in har- mony with the joyful and solemn character of the festi- val. The work allowed to be done during the middle days of the festival was restricted to irrigating dry land, digging watercourses, repairing conduits, reser- voirs, roads, market-places, baths, whitewashing tombs, etc. Dealers in fruit, garments, or in utensils were al- lowed to sell privately what was required for immediate use. Whatever the emergencies of the public service required, or was necessary for the festival, or any occu- pation the omission of which might cause loss or injury, was permitted. Hence no new graves were allowed to be dug, nor wives espoused, nor houses, slaves, or cattle purchased, except for the use of the festival. Mourning women, though allowed to wail, were not permitted to clap their hands together. The work allowed to be done during these days of the festival is strictly regu- lated by the Jewish canons contained in the Mishna, Moed Katon. In the Temple, however, the additional sacrifices appointed for the festival were offered up, ex- cept that the lesser Ilallel was now recited, and not the Great Ilallel.
9. The 2lst of Nisan. — On the last day of the festival, as on the first, there was again a holy convocation. It was in all respects celebrated like the first day, except that it did not commence with the paschal meal. As at all the festivals, cheerfulness was to prevail during the whole Aveek, and all care was to be laid aside (Deut. xxvii, 7; comp. Joseph. /In?, xi, 5; Michaelis, Laws of Moses, art. 197).
10. The (Second or Little Passover. — According to the injunction in Numb, ix, 9-12, any one who was pre- vented by legal impurity, or by being at too great a distance from Jerusalem, from celebrating the regular Passover on the eve of the 14th of Nisan, was obliged to keep it on the 14th of the following month. This is called by the ancient Jewish tradition the Second or the Little Passover ("pUp I^??, "^SIJ nOQ), and the Jew- ish canons also add, most justly, that those who have
been prevented from observing the first or ordinary Passover through error or compulsory force, are abso- lutely bound to keep the second Passover. The difference between the two Passovers is thus summed up in these canons: "In the case of the first Passover no leaven was to be seen or found in the house, the paschal sacri- fice could not be offered with leaven, no piece thereof was allowed to be removed from the house in which the company ate it, the Ilallel had to be recited at the eating thereof, the Cha(ji(juh had to be brought with it, and it might be offered in uncleanness in case the ma- jority of the congregation contracted it by contact with a corpse ; while in the case of the second Passover both leavened and unleavened bread might be kept with it in the house, the Ilallel had not to be recited at the eating of it, portions thereof might be removed from the house in which the company ate it, no Chagigdh was brought with it, and it could not be offered under the above-named legal impurity" (Mishna, Pesachim, ix, 3 ; Maimonides, Ililchoth Korhan Pesach. x, 15).