Jewish Life in the Middle Ages

CHAPTER II. LIFE IN THE SYNAGOGUE

CFiAPTER II LIFE IN THE SYNAGOGUE THE attitude of the medieval Jew towards his House of God was characteristic of his attitude towards life, Though the Jew and the Greek gave very different expressiems to the conception, the Jew shared with the Greek a belief in the essential unity of life amidst its detailed obl i· gations, It is not enough to say that the Jew's religion absorbed his life, for in quite as real a sense his life absorbed his religion. Hence the synagogue was not a mere place in which he prayed, it was a place in which he lived; and just as life has its earnest and its frivolous moments, so the Jew in synagogue was at times rigorously reverent and at others quite at his case, In this respect no doubt the medieval Church agreed with the Synagogue. 'He one of the tlrst in synagogue,' write~ a fourteenth· century in his last testament to his children. ' Do not speak during prayers, but repeat the responses, and after the service do acts of kindne;;s, ... Wash me clean, comb my hair as in my lifetime, in order that I may go clean to my ehornal resting place, just as I used to go every Sabbath evening to the synagogue: 1 This writer's sensitiveness was by no means exceptional. Medieval 1 Jc"zDislt Qua1~/er~y ft't-"l)ilWt iii.. p. 46315 16 Life ill tlte Synagogue Europe was insanitary and dirty, and the Jewish quarters were in many respects the dirtiest. Epidemics made havoc in the Jewries just as they did in the other parts of the towns. The ghetto streets were the narrowest in the narrow towns of the middle ages. But all these disadvantages were to a large extent balanced by a strong sense of personal dignity. It was not until three centuries of life in the ghettos had made their Jewish inhabitants callous to the demands of fashion, indifferent to their personal appearance, careless in their speech and general bearing, that this old characteristic of the Jews ceased to distinguish them. In the middle ages, however, the Jews justly prided themselves on their regard for the amenities of cleanly living and gentle mannerliness. 1 This cleanliness in person and speech, this - unique for its age - complete sense of personal dignity, was a direct consequence of the reiigion, and it was the synagogue again which enforced a villuable social influence. Cleanly habits were in fact codified, and, as we shall see in a later chapter, the medieval code-books of the Jewish religion contain a systematized scheme of etiquette, of cleanly cllstom, and of good tastc. The codification of these habits had thc evil effect of reducing them to a.formality , and later on even the ritual hand-washing, essential in many Jewish ceremonies, became a perfunctory rite, compatible with much personal uncleanliness. But in the middle ages this was not yet the case. A quaint detail or two must suffice here. Jacob Molin 2 had a bag suspended 1 Jews needed the .special sanction of Rahbis to permit them to dress inelegantly even while travelling. Thus Maharil advises such a course to avoid temptation to robbers. cr. eh. xv. below. 2 Maharil. Dressing fur Prayer 17 on the wall near his seat in synagogue, containing a pockethandkerchief for use during prayer, an article of attire unknown in the ordinary life of the middle ages. A medieval Jew had, as already remarked, a special synagogue coat, called in some parts a Sarabal1 It was a tunic which hung down from the neck, and formed part of the gifts bestowed by parents on their sons when the latter married. Gloves were forbidden in prayer because humility was essential to a proper devotional demeanour , and much vexing of spirit was caused by young men and old who would carry walking-sticks with them to synagogue.2 There was an iron scraper at the synagogue doors so that worshippers might wipe their feet on entering . Indeed, special synagogue shoes were de l'£gllcur, for a regard to decent foot-gear was a very old Jewish characteristic. He who yawned in synagogue or during prayers was ordered to place his hand in front of his mouth.s Men did not go to synagogue with the small cap worn in the house, but changed it for a more costly one. With regard to the feet...