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640 Begging

640

THE JEWISH ENCYCLOPEDIA

Behalah

them to draw and tended to soften and bridge •over the differences of poverty and position. Hence in most Jewish communities before the thirteenth century, though the inroad of itinerant mendicants "was a grievous burden on Jewish benevolence, the number of settled, resident beggars was very small -

active]} hostile environments, caused

closer to one another,

(ib.).

This was changed with the beginning of the ghetto age, when Jews were restricted to certain streets or quarters. Within the ghetto the Jews formed one large family, and houseGhetto to-house begging was carried on withAge. out publicity. Thus the system received a new impetus in the ghetto centuries, and

reestablished itself in Jewish life. the begging was restricted to Fridays and the middle days of festivals (Yogelstein-Rieger, "Gesch. der Juden in Rom," ii. 315). Begging in the streets of the ghetto or in front of the synagogue was, however, sternly forbidden (Berliner, " Geseh. der Juden in Rom," ii. 2, 56 et aeq.). The system of house-tohouse begging was occasionally favored by wealthier Jews, but the ordinary middle class were opposed to it; and their view carried the day (Yoreh De'ah, 250, 5). In the seventeenth century the sj'stem was revived and especially on Fridays and on the eves of festivals the Jewish poor went about Sevenfrom house to house gathering alms. teenth In modern Jewish life this system beCentury came a full-grown abuse; and irreOnward. pressible crowds of pushing beggars assembled about the synagogue doors {Abrahams, I.e., p. 310). To-day the Jewish beggar, the so-called "schnorrer," is a persistent and troublesome figure in modern Jewish society. As another kind of begging must be regarded the collections made for the Jewish settlers in Palestine. See also Alms, Charity, Halukah, Russia, and

But



Sciinorrers. Bibliography: Yad hit-Hazultah.Mattanot 'Aniyim Tur, Yoreh De'ali Slndhon 'Arvk, Yoreh De'ah, Zedakali; F.



P. Michaelis, Mosaisehes Reelit, ii. § 142; Jos. L. Saaischiitz, Arehdobigie der Hehriicr, ii. oil. Ixviii., lxx., Konigsberg, 1855-56; Hamburger, RealeneyMopdclic, i., under Almosen,

Arm*, Armenfilrsorge Riehm, Handwl'irtefhneh zu den Blhehern des A. T., s.v. Almosen Hastings, Diet. Bible, and Cheyne and Black, lSne)ie. Bihliea, under Alms; Abra;

activities he participated in the works of the commission charged with the collection and publication of the correspondence of Napoleon I. In 1869 Begin was appointed librarian of the Louvre, and in 1874, of the Bibliotheque Nationale,

Among other

same time as physician at this Besides being a member of many academies and societies, he was also attached to the Commission of Historical Monuments of the Moselle Paris, serving at the

institution.

department. In the field of medicine he published, in addition to his doctorate dissertation: " Connaissance Physique et Morale de l'Homme, " Nancy, 1837; "Lettres sur l'Histoire Medicale du Nord-Est de la France," Metz, 1840; "Le Buchan Francais: Nouveau Traite Complet de Medecine Usuelle," 2 vols., Paris, 1836 " Lettres a M. Littre sur Quelques Phleg;

masies Muqueuses Epidemiques Qui Ont Regne Depuis Deux Sieclesdans le Nord-Est de la France," Metz, 1842; and others. In literary and historical fields he displayed a still greater productivity, the chief works of which are: "Histoire de Napoleon, de Sa Famille et de Son Epoque au Point de Vue de l'lnfluence Napoleonienne sur le Monde," 6 vols., Paris, 1853-54; "Biographie de la Moselle, 4 vols., Paris, 1832; "Melanges d'Archeologie et d'His"Dithyrambe Compose pour toire," Metz, 1840; Honorer la Memoire du General Foy," in " Couronne Poetique du General Foy," by Magalon, Paris, 1826; "Guide de l'Etranger & Metz et dans le Departement de la Moselle," Metz, 1834; "Education Lorraine Elementaire," 3 vols., Metz, 1835-36; "Guide de l'Etranger a Nancy," Nancy, 1837; "La Moselle d'Ausone," translated into prose, Nancy, 1839; "Metz Depuis Dix-Huit Siecles," 3 vols., Metz, 1846 " Voyage Pittoresque en Espagne et en Portugal," Paris, 1852; " Voyage Pittoresque en Savoie et sur les Alpes," Paris, 1852; "Musee Mediomatricien," Metz; "Eloges"; "Histoire des Sciences, des Lettres, des Arts et de la Civilisation dans le Pays Messin Depuis les Gaulois Jusqu'it Nos Jours," Metz, 1829; "Histoire des Duches de Lorraine, de Bar, et des Trois Evgches Meurthe, Meuse, Moselle, et Vosges," 2 vols., Nancy, 1833; and a large number of articles and treatises in periodical publications, especially in "Austrasia," of which, he wus one of







hams, Jewish Life in the Middle Ages,

ch.

xvii.,

xviii.,

Philadelphia, 1898. j.

H. M.

sr.

EMILE

AUGTJSTE French physiBEGIN, cian and historical writer born at Metz April 24, 1802 (according to some sources, April 23, 1803) died in Paris May 31, 1888. Meeting with difficulties in his preparation for the polytechnic school, he turned to medicine. Begin served in the army, and was, during the Spanish war, attached to the hospital of Barcelona. Upon his return to France in 1828 he received the doctor's degree upon contributing the thesis "Influence des Travaux Intellectuels sur le Systeme Physique et Moral de l'Homme," Strasburg. He then settled in his native city, where in 1830 he founded a weekly journal, called " LTndicateur de 1'Est, " which was, however, discontinued on Jan. 1, 1832. In 1850 Begin removed to Paris and engaged in literary and archeological pursuits.



Of particular interest to Judaism are on the history of the Jews in France, "Recherches pour Servir a l'Histoire des Juifs dans le Nord-Est de la France," published in " Revue Orientale," Brussels, vols. i. and ii. and on Jewish physicians in Alsace and some other provinces, published in the form of letters to E. Carmoly, editor of the founders.

his researches



"Revue Orientale " ("Lettres Messines," ib. ii.). Bibliography: Julius Fiirst, Bihliotheca Judaiea, Leipsic, the

1863, i.; Gubernatis, ruction noire International des Ecrivains du Jour, Florence, 1888; La Grande EnciielopecMe; Vapereau, Dictionnaire Universel des Contcmporains,

Paris.

B. B.

s.

BEGIN, LOUIS JACQUES and author; born

at

French surgeon Liege, Belgium, Nov. 2, 1793;

died in Gorriquen, near Lacrouan, Bretagne, April 13, 1859. He studied medicine at the Military Hospital of Metz and in Paris. During the wars of Napoleon I. he served as assistant surgeon in the campaigns against Russia and Germany, 1812-14; and