separating themselves from the world, and enjoying close communion with God in their studies.

In order that the mind of the Jew should be fixed upon the Phylacteries, during the time he is arrayed in them, Rabbi Moses Maimonides, writing on the rules of the Phylacteries, lays down the following injunction, which

חייב אדם למשמש :ill becomes that renowned genius בתפילי' כל זמן שהם עליו שלא יסיח דעתו מהם אפילו רגע אחר שקדושתו גדולה מקדושת הציץ שהציץ אין בו אלא שם אחד ואלו יש בהם אחד ועשרים שם של יוד הא בשל ראש A man is bound to feel the Phylacteries * וכמותן בשל יד:

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all the time that they are upon him, in order that his mind may not be distracted even for the twinkling of an eye, for their sanctity is greater than the sanctity of the plate which was on the High Priest's forehead, (Exod. 28. 36—38); for the plate had only one name, [i.e. the name of Jehovah which is expressed by the Jews by the word ow Shaim, i.e. name,] but these (i.e. Phylacteries) have twenty-one names Youd Hay [i.e. Jehovah] both for the head and the hand." And for this reason every one is prohibited from sleeping in them.

The following is the order in which they are put on. First, the Phylactery for the hand and he that puts it

ברוך אתה יהוה אלהינו : on, repeats the following blessing מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להניח תפילין

"Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us with thy precepts, and commanded us to wear Phylacteries." Then he surrounds his arms with the R'tsuah seven times, or makes seven Crichouth according to the number of words found in the following passage:

פותח את ידיך ומשביע לכל חי רצון

"Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." (Psalm 145. 16.) And when he wishes to know whether he has made the right number, he

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repeats these words, instead of saying, One, Two, &c. Afterwards the head Phylactery is put on. It is placed opposite the brain, and whilst in the act of putting it on, the person repeats the following blessing: 87173

יהוה אלהינו מלך העולם אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על מצות תפלין

"Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast sanctified us with Thy precepts, and given to us the precept of Phylacteries." The reason of the two different blessings is in consequence of a controversy that existed between two Rabbies : one recommended the first, and the other the second blessing. However, they agreed that the poor Jew, whose "fear toward God is taught by the precept of men," (Isaiah 29. 13; col. 2. 22,) should repeat both of them. Thus they make the poor Israelite repeat one untruth after another in the presence of the Almighty, and all-seeing God; for there is no commandment whatever given by God to use the Phylacteries. The passages from which they infer it are wilfully perverted, for which they will be obliged to give an account on the great and terrible day of judgment.

After putting on the head Phylacteries, the Jew makes again three Crichouth on the palm of his hand, and also three on the middle finger, with the same R'tsuah. The Crichouth on the palm is made like a won the outside, and like a Tinside. (See plate of Polish Jew.) Every Jew whilst putting on the Phylacteries is under an obligation to consider the contents of the four portions (as the Jews express it) in the

שיש בהם יחודו ואחדותו יתברך שמו ושנזכור : prayer before using them

נסים ונפלאות שעשה עמנו בהוציאנו ממצרים ואשר לו הכח והממשלה בעליונים ובתחתונים לעשות בהם כרצונו

"That they contain in them God's perfect unity; (May His name be blessed!) and that we should remember the signs and wonders that He wrought with us when He brought us forth out of Egypt, and that He has power and dominion over

things celestial and terrestrial, to do with them according to His pleasure." He is then to tie them on his left arm opposite his heart, it being so expressed in the

ושצונו להניח על היד לזכרון זרוע הנטויה ושהוא נגד הלב לשעבד : same prayer בזה תאות ומחשבות לבנו לעבודתו יתברך שמו:

"And that He has commanded us to put them upon the hand, as a remembrance of His outstretched arm, and that it is opposite the heart to subdue with it the desires and thoughts of our hearts to His service. Blessed be His name!" He then places the head Phylactery on the part opposite the brain, which is also expressed in the same

המוח שהנשמה שבמוחי עם שאר חושי וכחי כלס יהיו : prayer ועל הראש נגד משובעדים לעבודת הבורא יתברך שמו

"And upon the head opposite the brain, in order that the soul which is in my brain, with all my other faculties and abilities, may be devoted to the service of the Creator. Blessed be His name!"

A certain Rabbi being rather puzzled with this order, objected that since it is written "between your eyes," according to the word of God, it ought to be in one place, but according to the Rabbies' institution it is to be put in quite another place. Another Rabbi solved the difficulty by a reference to Deut. 14. 1, n ab,

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Nor make any baldness between » קרחה בין עיניכם למת

your eyes for the dead." He reasoned in this way: "Since the place where hair grows is indicated here, so Phylacteries must be put in the place where hair grows."

CHAPTER IV.

The blasphemous and profane Absurdities connected with the use of Phylacteries.

HE Rabbies, who require our Jewish

אפילו אמר לך brethren to believe them על ימין שהוא שמאל ועל שמאל שהוא ימין

"even when they tell them that right is left and left is right," (as stated in Rabbi Jarchi's commentary on Deut. 17. 11), attempt to persuade them that the Divine Being wears Phylacteries, and try to prove it in a most absurd and extravagant manner; which is another instance of their wilful perversion of the word of God; as we shall see from the following extract found in Talmud, Tract B'rachouth,

ארי אבין בר אדא ארי יצחק מנין שהקיבה מניח .6 .fol תפילי שנאמר נשבע יהוה בימינו ובזרוע עוזו בימינו זו תורה שנאמר מימינו אש דת למו ובזרוע עוזו אלו תפיליי שני יהוה עוז לעמו יתן ומנין שהתפילי עוז הם לישראל דכתיב וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם יהוה נקרא עליך ויראו ממך ותניא רי אליעזר הגדול אומר אלו תפילי שבראש אמר ליה רב נחמן בר יצחק לר' חייא בר אבין הני תפילי דמריה עלמא מה כתיב בהו אייל ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ:

"Rabbi Abin, the son of Rabbi Ada, in the name of Rabbi Isaac, says, 'How is it proved that the holy and blessed God wears Phylacteries?'-It is said, 'The Lord hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength,' (Isaiah 62. 8.) His right hand indicates the law; for it is said, 'From His right hand went a fiery law for them,' (Deut. 33. 2.) The arm of His strength indicates Phylacteries; for it is said, 'The Lord will give

strength unto His people,' (Ps. 29. 11.) But how is it proved that Phylacteries are strength to Israel?-For it is written, And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord, and shall be afraid of thee,'" (Deut. 28. 10.) And we learn that Rabbi Eliezer Magnus says that these are the head Phylacteries. Rabbi Nachman, the son of Isaac, said to Rabbi Chiya, the son of Abin, "What is written in those Phylacteries, which the Lord of the universe wears?" He said unto them, "And what one nation in the earth is like Thy people, even like Israel?" (2 Sam. 7. 23.) Rabbi Lipman, finding that the above mentioned five Rabbies had most profanely trifled with the Deity, and grossly interpreted the above five texts of Scripture, (though he himself very often takes the same warrantable liberty,) attempts to persuade us that the above extract from the Talmud, and similar passages, are to be taken figuratively. He says in his Book Nitsachon, (which he wrote against Christianity, and likewise as a defence of the genuineness of the Talmud,)

רק משל המה

un

בברכות מנין שהקב"ה מניח תפילין וכו'

"And also this that we learn in B'rachouth How is it proved that the the holy and blessed God wears Phylacteries,' &c. is only an allegory." This assertion of Rabbi Lipman is contradicted in the next folio of the same Tract, Brachouth, which contains another most blas

והסירותי את כפי .23 .33 .phemous commentary on Exod א"ר חמא בר ביזנא אייר וראית את אחורי ופני לא יראו

שמעון מלמד שהראה הקב"ה למשה קשר של תפילין

"And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen.” "Rabbi Chama, the son of Bizna, in the name of Rabbi Simeon, says, From this we learn that the holy and blessed God shewed to Moses the knot of His Phylacteries." Rabbi S. Jarchi adopts this opinion in his commentary on the