of

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes. The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace. The way God is perfect-the word of the Lord is pure; he is a shield to all those who trust in him." To this the congregation respond, "But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God, are every one of you alive this day." The Cohen, now, before the Chazan commences to read the Law, says, "Bless ye the Lord, who is ever blessed." To which the congregation respond, "Blessed be the Lord, who is blessed for evermore. Blessed art thou O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast chosen us from all nations, and hast given us thy Law. Blessed art thou, O Lord, giver of the Law."

When the Chazan has read the portion, the Cohen says, "Blessed art thou O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who hast given us the law of truth, and planted among us eternal life. Blessed art thou, O Lord, giver of the Law." But if the individual is called up upon any special occasion, as recovery from sickness— escape from danger-arrival from sea, &c.; he says as follows:-"Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, King of the universe, who grantest gracious and good deeds to the unworthy; for thou hast granted to me all goodness." To which the congregation respond, "He who hath granted to thee all goodness, shall grant unto thee all goodness for ever."

Before the Cohen leaves the reading-desk, the Chazan has to pronounce the Mi Sheberach, as follows." He who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, shall bless A, the son of B, on account of his offering so

much towards the maintenance of the poor, so much towards the sick, and so much towards the burial ground; that may live (here he names silently to the Chazan the persons whom he particularly wishes to be blessed, and who, consequently, are publicly announced by the Chazan), and that may live the whole congregation: and he shall send a blessing and success on all the works of his hands, and with all the children of Israel his brethren, and ye shall say, Amen."

The second of the Shivngah is now called, who must be a Levite; and after him the five Israelites, in rotation, who have all to pass through the same formalities as the Cohen.

The Maphtir is next called to read the Haphtorah; after which the Hagbah is called up to elevate the Law. Whilst he holds it up, and turns so that all present may see it, the congregation say, "And this is the Law which Moses set before the children of Israel, by the command of the Lord, by the hand of Moses. It is a tree of life to those that lay hold on it; and the supporters thereof are happy. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace. Length of days is in its right hand, and on its left are riches and honour. The Lord was. pleased for his righteousness sake, to magnify the Law and adorn it."

After reading a prayer for Her Majesty and the royal family, the Law is returned to the ark, when the Chazan says, "Praise ye the name of the Lord for his name alone is exalted." Whilst the Chazan is repeating this, the congregation are saying, "His glory is above the earth and the heavens. He will also exalt the horn of his people, the praise of all nations; even the people of

Israel, a people near unto him. Hallelujah." Then is repeated the 24th Psalm. As the Law is put into the ark, they farther say, "And when the ark rested, he said, restore, Lord, tranquillity to the many thousands of Israel. Ascend, O Lord, unto thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and thy saints shout for joy. For thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of thy anointed. For I have given you good doctrine; forsake ye not my law. It is the tree of life to those who lay hold of it; and the supporters thereof are happy. Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace."

The Musaph is next read, the burden of which is that the Lord may be pleased to return them from their dispersions, and restore them to the possession of Jerusalem and the temple. With this, the morning service is concluded.

(3.) The afternoon service is much the same as that on common days, with the addition of one chapter of the Law being read, from the Sederah of the following Sabbath. This chapter is read to three individuals—a Cohen, a Levite, and an Israelite.

(4.) The Sabbath evening service is held separately, and not joined to the afternoon service as on other days. It consists of certain prayers similar to those of the daily service, with the addition of some psalms.

We have already explained that Mondays and Thursdays are more important than other week days; and that on them a portion of the Law is read in the Synagogue. On this account they are called Keriath Hattorah (p) i. e. reading of the Law. In the

morning service, therefore, the first Parashah or chapter of the Sederah of the following Sabbath, is read, being divided into three parts. The first is read to a Cohen, the second to a Levite; and a third to an Israelite. These three, we are told, represent the Jewish division of the old Testament into law, prophets, and writs. The reason why the whole Sederah is not read as on the Sabbath, is on account of those whose business would not afford them time to hear the whole.

SECTION IV.-MUSIC.

The music of the Synagogue is of two different kinds -cantillation and singing.

I. By the former we mean the general mode in which the Chazan reads the service. To give our reader some idea of it, we must observe that this cantillation has not been reduced to musical notation; but is indicated by certain marks called accents. These are as follow:

Each of these accents has a certain musical value-not

a single note, nor a succession of two or more next each other in the scale, but a kind of group, not unlike, in principle, to a shake. These groups follow each other, in course of reading, according as the accents that represent them may occur. But let not our reader misunderstand us, by thinking that the Chazan may introduce them just as he likes-no, the reading is already accented, and has remained so from age to age, and thus a kind of stereotyped cantillation is adopted. The succession of the accents, however, so far as we have yet analysed it, is not founded upon any musical scale— consequently, has nothing in common with Oriental music, nor that adopted at different periods in the Christian world. What the Ambrosian chaunt was we cannot say, as there are no vestiges remaining to ascertain its peculiar character; nor are we in a much better condition with respect to the Gregorian. In fact the Jewish cantillation not being a melodial progression, is essentially different from all kind of chanting.

II. Besides this cantillation, regular melodies are introduced, on various occasions, into the service. These, of course, differ in a scientific point of view, some inferior, and others more melodious and beautiful. But we shall not at present discuss their merits, nor pronounce upon their source and antiquity. More than one of our Jewish friends, well versed in Rabbinical lore, have told us that, in their opinion, the present melodies cannot be older than some five hundred years. On this subject, however, there is no data. From their character, it seems, they are not in keeping with the ancient scales, now known to the musical world. Nor are the melodies, or the cantillation, adopted by the two com