Ibid., fol. 60, col. 2.
Ten constitutions were founded by Ezra:--The reading of a portion of
Scripture during the afternoon prayers on the Sabbath-day, and during
morning prayers on the second and fifth days of the week (a rule that is
to this day observed in orthodox places of worship), and this for the
reason that three days should not pass by without such an exercise; to
hold courts for the due administration of justice on the second and
fifth days of the week, when the country people came to hear the public
reading of the Scriptures; to wash their garments, etc., on the fifth
day, and to prepare for the coming Sabbath; to eat garlic on the sixth
day of the week, as this vegetable has the property of promoting
secretions (see Exod. xxi. 10); that the wife should be up betimes and
bake the bread, so as to have some ready in case any one should come
begging; that the women should wear a girdle round the waist for decency
sake; that they should comb their hair before bathing; that peddlers
should hawk their perfumes about the streets in order that women should
supply themselves with such things as will attract and please their
husbands; and that certain unfortunates (see Lev. xv.) should bathe
themselves before they came to the public reading of the law.
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