19. nD'Cn 2<"N"t, Hash IJanh-nhrmah, or Sew-near, in four chapters: a. C^SO "^ITX"! nriZIX, ofthe fourNew-years (9 sections), h. "|D'^N DX, of examining witnesses who witnessed the new moon, and of announcing it on the top of the mountains by lire (9 sections), c. imX"l, of an- nouncing the new moon and new year with cornets (S sections), rf. P"J 3113 DT', what to do in case the New- year falls on the Sabbath, and of the order of service on the New-year (9 sections).
20. rr^Jj-'n, I'aanith, ov fastinr/, in four chapters: a. ''Ta'^X'2, of prayer for rain, and proclamations of fasting in case the rain does not come in due season (7 sections). 6. rT^S^'n "no, of the ceremonies and prayers on the great fast-days (10 sections), c. ibx nT'J^n 110, of other occasions of fasting ; of not blowing alarms ; when to cease fasting, in case it rains (9 sections), d. (TsT?— — D^p~iS, of the twenty-four stations or delegates; their fastings, lessons ; of bringing wood for the altar; of the 17th of Tammnz and of the 9th and 15th of Ab (S sec- tions). The Mishna tells ns the following concerning these dates: "On the 17th of Tammnz the stone tables were broken and the daily offering ceased, and the city was broken up, and Apostenins (i. e. Antiochus Epipha- nes) burned the law, and he set up an image in the Tem- ple. On the 9th of Ab it was proclaimed to onr fathers that they should not enter the land, and the house was ruined for the lirst and second time, and Biiher was tak- en, and the city was ploughed up." Rabban Simon, the son of Gamaliel, said, "There were no holydays in Israel like the 1.5th of Ab, or like the Day of Atonement, be- cause in them the daughters of Jerusalem promenaded in white gannents, borrowed, that no one might be ashamed of her poverty. All these garments must be baptized. And the daughters of Jerusalem promenaded and danced in the vineyards. And what did they say? ' Look here, young man, and see whom you choose : look out for beauty, look for family.' 'Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain ; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised ;' and it is said, 'Give her of tlie fruit of her hands, and let her own w(nks praise her in the gates' (Prov. xxxi, 30, 31). And it is also said : 'Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart' " (Song of Solomon, iii, 11).
21. nb"'5"3, MefiilJ ah, or the roll of the book of Esther, in four chapters : a. ilb^5'2, of the days on which the Megil- lah is read (11 sections). The Gemara, on the fourth sec- tion of this Mishna (fol. 7, col. 2), tells ns that the Jews are directed to get so drunk on the Feast of Pnrim that they cannot discern the difference between " Blessed be Morde- cai and cursed be Ilarnan" and "Cursed be Mordecai and blessed be Ilaman." On the same page we read, "Rabba and rabiri Zira made their Puiim entertainment together. When Rabba got drunk, he arose and killed rabbi Zira. On the following day he prayeii for mercy, and restored him to life. The Pillowing year Rabba proposed to him aaain to make their Pnrim entertainment together; but he answered, ';Miracles don't happen every day.'" b. S<"11pil, how to read the Megillah ; what can only be
done by day, and what can be done by night (G sections), c. 1"i"n '^33, of the sale of holy things; of the lessons for the Sabbath duiiiig the month of Adar, and for other festivals (6 sections), d. ffZ^V nbij'cn nx Xllpn, of the persons required for the lessons; how many verses each person may read ; who must be silenced in i)ublic prayer; of the passages which at the public reading are to be omitted, or at least not to be interpreted (10 sec- tions). For these passages, see the following article, Tal- Mcn, Tnr, IN THE Timk of the Oi.d Tkstamf.nt.
2'J. "pl-p 1Z-"1?3, Moid Katun, or small holyday, in three chapters, treats of the half-holydays between the first and the last day of the Passover, and of the Feast of Taberna- cles : a. ■ppir'3, of working in the field ; of graves, and of making coffins ; and what pertains to a building (10 sec- tions), b. "jEiTwJ "^"2, of the work done on fruits : what may be carried and bought (5 sections), c. "pnt!3"2 15X1, of shavinsr, washing, writing, and mourning (9 sections).
23. n5''rin,C/!a(7/(7a/i,or/fa.s?ni_i7, in three chapters, speaks of the voluntary sacrifices — oiher than the paschal lamb- offered by individual Jews on the great feasts: a. bzn ■pn^'^n, of the persons who are obliged to appear at the feasts (S sections). 6. I'^w^in "pX, of sundry ordinances having no direct connection with the subject indicated by the title of the treatise: thus the first section of this second chapter opens with "Men must not lecture on matters of incest (or adultery) before thi-ee persons, nor on matters of the creation before two, nor on the chariot before one, unless he be wise and intelligent by his own knowledge,'' etc. ; of laying-on of hands (7 sections), c. UJlpH "1 -in, in how far the rules for holy things are more weighty than for the heave-offering; in how far certain persons may be credited; how the vessels of the sauciuary were cleaned again after the feast (S sections).