that by writing the law upon the posts of the house, and on the gates, is meant the Mezuzah.

DIVORCEMENT.-Notwithstanding the sacredness of the marriage tie, it happens in the Jewish community, as among their Gentile neighbours, that persons thus united may desire to be separated. This is founded upon the following passage in the Pentateuch :— "When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her; then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house."-Deut. xxiv. 1. There is a difference of opinion as to what is included in the word uncleanness; it is, however, generally agreed, that it includes everything that may give real offence to the husband. The British Jews, as far as we have learned, are not allowed to divorce their wives, unless, from a lack of love and sympathy, they should lead a quarrelsome and miserable life, or that she be proved guilty of adultery.

When any one has determined upon divorcing his wife, he must, in the first place, procure a Get (1), or bill of divorcement. This Get must be written in Hebrew by a Sopher, with the concurrence of the chief rabbi. It must be also written upon ruled vellum, and contain just twelve lines. It must also be written according to the standard form, of which the following is a translation:

"On

in the year

at- I, A. B., the son of C. D., and whose place of abode on this present day, is in the

city of do voluntarily divorce thee, and put thee away, and make thee free; thee, E. F., daughter of G. H., whose place of residence is this day in the city of—, who hast hitherto been my wife-and, behold, by this act thou art divorced, put away, and made free-and I do hereby permit thee to marry whom thou pleasest, and no man shall have power to hinder thee from this day forward-and behold, thou art free to any man-and this instrument shall be to thee a bill of divorcement, a putting away, and freedom, according to the Law of Moses and Israel."

When the Get is prepared, and the fixed time for performing the ceremony is come, which is generally after the morning service, the parties meet at the appointed place. There must be ten witnesses present, beside the two that subscribe it, who, by the bye, must have each a distinct pen to sign with. The Rabbi puts several questions to the husband; and if he finds him determined in his course, the Get is read and duly signed. The husband then delivers it into the hands of his wife, and says "Behold, this is thy bill of divorcement, and thou art hereby divorced from me, and art free to any other man." The ceremony being over, the woman is enjoined by the Rabbi not to marry again in less than ninety days. She is now a Gerushah (1), or disbanded one.

Should the husband be abroad when divorcing his wife, he must appoint a messenger to convey the Get to her. The messenger, however, must be specially appointed for that purpose, and must be present when the husband ordered the Sopher to write the Get; and, moreover, he must be present at the writing and signing

thereof. All being ready, he receives the Get from the husband in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, when the husband says the following formula,

"Take this bill of divorcement, and deliver it to my wife, in any place wheresoever thou canst find her, and thy hand shall be as mine, and thy act as my act, and thy delivery as my delivery. And I authorize and empower thee even to appoint another messenger, if needful, in order that the divorcement may reach her hands; and instantly the divorcement. does reach her hands, either from thy hands or from the hands of thy messenger, she is divorced from me, and is free to any other man."

When the messenger finds the wife, he must deliver the Get into her hands in the presence of two witnesses, repeating the following words-" Behold this is thy bill of divorcement, which thy husband has sent unto thee, and thou art herewith divorced from him, and art free to any other man; and this bill of divorcement was written and signed in my presence."

There is another method of divorcement, which is called Get ngal Tenai (y) a conditional divorcement. This is usually done when a husband goes to any remote part of the world for a length of time exceeding three years. Upon such an occasion the Get is drawn up to the following import-“ That unless the husband returns to his wife, or sends for her to reside with him abroad, within the time therein specified, all former agreements, contracts, deeds, and other matrimonial engagements between them, are to be, and to remain cancelled and destroyed, and totally null and void for ever after-and that it shall, is, and may be,

from and after the expiration of the time, specified in the bill of divorcement aforesaid, lawful for her to dispose of herself in marriage to whom she pleases, the same as if no marriage had ever subsisted or been contracted between her and any other person heretofore. And that the aforesaid conditional bill of divorcement shall, at the end of the time therein set down for the husband's return, in case of his not returning, be deemed an absolute bill of divorcement, irrevocable for ever." The Get is read by the Rabbi, and signed by the parties, in the presence of a Minyan. The ceremony being over, the Get is delivered to the custody of the wife.

Sometimes Jewish parents marry their children at a very early age, although the marriage cannot be consummated until they reach the years of maturity. Under such circumstances, if a girl under ten years be married to a man whom she loved not, she is entitled to a divorcement till she be of age, i. e. twelve years and a day. This she does in the following manner. She seeks out two witnesses, who are men of good character in the Jewish faith, when she declares to them that she will not have such an one. This declaration they put down in writing, sign it, and deliver it to her; when she is at liberty to marry whom she pleases.

The divorced couple may marry again if they choose. This has occurred in many instances. But if the divorcement took place for adultery, they are never allowed to come together a second time-nor is she to marry the person implicated with her in the guilt; but she may marry any one else.

IV. We have now to treat of the last stage of the Jew's earthly pilgrimage-death and its consequences.

D

When a Jew is informed of the sickness of any of his relations or friends, it is his incumbent duty to visit them as soon as he possibly can. On entering the chamber of the sick, the pious repeat the following passage: "And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee, but will lay them upon all those who hate thee." (Deut. vii. 15). And he said, "If thou wilt diligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who healeth thee." (Exodus xv. 26). "I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace, to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him." (Isaiah lvii. 19.) On leaving they say, "O may God send thee a speedy and a perfect cure, and unto all the patients of Israel."

The invalid has many prayers and confessions to say, too long to be here repeated. If he be unable to say or to read them, it is done for him. He is now urged to confess and repent his sins; and if guilty of inflicting an injury upon his fellow man, he is exhorted to obtain his pardon.

Should he recover from his illness the first place he is to visit is the Synagogue, to thank the Almighty for his kind mercies. Standing on the reading-desk, before the scroll of the Law, he repeats the following thanksgiving in the presence of the congregation, "Blessed art thou, O Lord, my God, King of the universe, who