Page:Jewish Encyclopedia Volume 2.pdf/293

255 Mug," a

short story which appeared in the pages of the "Opinion Nationale"; "Sceur Marie Jesus,"

a novel published in the " Revue Germanique " and "L'Arnie de Femme," a comedy published in the

"Revue

In 1863, in collabora-

Internationale."

with the great writers of the day, Astruc founded "Le Salon," a journal devoted exclusively to art, and which appeared daily during the annual exposition. In 1870 It lasted only for a short time. he founded in Madrid another art journal, " L'Espague Nouvelle," and wrote several sketches for different contemporary reviews, descriptive of his sojourn in Spain. Astruc was the author of a novel entitled "Romancero de l'Escurial," which he wrote in Spanish, and which was published in Paris by tion

Charpentier in 1884, followed by its sequel, "Le Generalite." He is also the author of a volume of Spanish poems, " Les Alhambra. Bibliography: Dictionnaires Departementaux (Departement de Mai"ne-et-Loire), 189i; La Orande Encyclopedia, 8.V.

A.

S.

ASTJFOT



"

Collection "



that

is,

the

S.

name

C.

of a

medieval compilation of laws, customs, habits, and practises of a religious character, similar to other medieval compendiums of a legal character. It is

preserved in a unique manuscript (No. 115) in the Montefiore College Library, Ramsgate, England. The author, who lived at the beginning of the fourteenth century, collected from numerous authors, of whom he mentions a large number, a rich store of information from halakic decisions, special "minhagim," and popular customs; and the collection throws light upon the ordinary life of the Jews in the Rhine country during the twelfth and thirteenth The manuscript is almost throughout encenturies. dowed with vowel-signs. It is probably the only non-liturgical and non-Biblical text that has these signs.

Asusa

cluding directions for the ceremony under the canopy laws and formulas of divorce mezuzot a condensed form of the prayer-book; formulas and types of numerous commercial and religious contracts, and of various forms of excommunication as well as of repentance, followed by short chapters recapitulating and supplementing the subjects already treated. The vocalization of the manuscript is also important, showing, as it does, that the pronunciation of the Jews of that period was much akin to the socalled Sephardic pronunciation.



and

resources,

at his disposal very rich literary displays more interest in every

than the majority of similar compilers. He has a peculiar gift for Character, noting down local customs and even superstitions, a feature that greatly enhances the value of the book. Another important characteristic is the accuracy with which he

branch of religious

life

Many indicates the sources of his information. fragments of literature and many a name have been preserved by these quotations. view the book posfrom the fact that nufound in the text that explain difficult or obscure terms, and some that show, incidentally, the intimate knowledge of German possessed by the Jews of that time. philological point of

sesses considerable interest, merous German glosses are

The contents are, in brief, as follows: the laws relating to the ritual slaughtering of animals laws concerning the observance of Passover, with a de;

scription of the ritual of the Seder;

laws relating to the New-Year, the fast-days, and to all the feasts, including the semi-festivals; laws concerning the observance of the Sabbath laws about proselytes a string of medical prescriptions and charms; mourning and burial customs marriage ceremonies and laws, in-

Contents,









A full description of tie work, as well as bibliographical references to the writers that have had access to and made use of it, together with a series of abstracts of the more important passages, such as the Seder ritual, the short prayer-book, superstitions, customs, etc., is given by M. Gaster in .Report of the Judith Montefiore College for the

Bibliography



It

Year 1892-93, London, L. G

1893, pp. 31-74.

M. GA.

=

A

ASUSA, ASTJTA (xrilDK "health ") sentiment expressed toward one who is sneezing. In Tosef., Shab. vii. (viii.) 5 it is declared to be a forbidden heathen (Amorite) practise to wish one health (" marpe "), whereas R. Eliezer b. Zadok, of the first century, says: " It is forbidden only in the schoolhouse, as causing a disturbance during study " to !





which

Those of the house of Rabban Gamaliel would not say marpe. " In Ber. 53a the reading is " Those of the house of Rabban Gamaliel is

added

"



'

'



avoided saying

'

marpe

'

monides (Talmud Torah

in the schoolhouse."

Mai-

iv. 9) follows the Talmud, of " refuah " (healing) only

prohibiting the saying during study. So also Shulhan 'Aruk, Yoreh De'ah, 246, 17 but the later annotators are inclined to permit it during study. In Yer. Ber. v. lOd, R. Mana teaches that while eating one should not say D", explained by Frankel, Levy, Kohut, and Krauss as idaic (" healing ") or as 'D' (" may He heal "). 'Aruk reads tDt, interpreted by Frankel and Kohut as C#™ ("may he live " !) both readings explained by Jastrow as ab(" the Lord my help") or breviations either of HJ?D of rniD^ 'TIT (" niy sneezing be for good "), as there In Pirke R. El. lii. and Yeis the danger of choking. lamdenu to Toledot, quoted in 'Aruk, s v. £»0J7 (compare Yalk., Gen. 77), the story is told that until Jacob's time man, at the close of his life, sneezed and instantly died but Jacob prayed to God to grant him time to prepare for his death by making his will. This, to the surprise of all, was granted to him and so " Behold thy father is sick " (Gen. it was told Joseph, Henceforth it became the rule that illness xlviii. 1). should precede death. For this reason when one sneezes he should wish himself " hayyim " (for life !) or " hayyim tobim " (for a happy life !) so that the sign of death was transformed into a sign of life, according to Job xli. 10 [A. V. 18]. The wish " Asuta " is often given in the vernacu" God bless thee " " God help lar, " Your health " or thee " To children, people would say, " Good and old and fair until your hundredth year! " The one who sneezes usually cites from Gen. xlix. 18, "For thy salvation I wait, O Lord " and in response to the wishes offered by his neighbor, he would say in Hebrew, " Be thou blessed " (" baruk tiheyeh " see Solomon Luria, " Yam shel Shelomoh " B. K. viii. 64 " Magen Abraham Orah Hayyim, " 230, note 6). The custom of uttering some prayer or wish at

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THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

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