Russian
subject wishing to go to a foreign country. To avoid the
necessity of procuring such a passport, travellers often cross
the border by stealth.

=Perele= (per'-e-le), _Yid._ Prop. n.

=Phylacteries= (fi-lak'-ter-is; Hebrew _tefillin_). Two small
leathern boxes containing parchments inscribed with certain
passages of Scripture, worn during morning prayer, one on the
forehead and one on the left arm, where they are fastened by
means of straps, in a manner carefully prescribed. The wearing
of the _tefillin_ is obligatory on all males over thirteen years
of age (the age of confirmation).

=Pinchus= (pin'-chus), _Hebr._ Prop. n.

=Pogrom= (po-grom'), _Russ._ An organized massacre of Jews.

=Poll= (pol), _Yid._ A series of steps in the bathing-room, where
cupping, etc., is done under a high temperature.

=Polota= (Po-lo-tae'), _Russ._ Name of a river.

=Polotzk= (po'-lotzk), _Russ._, also spelled Polotsk. A town in the
government of Vitebsk, Russia, since early times a stronghold of
Jewish orthodoxy. _N.B._ Polotzk must not be confused with
Plotzk (also spelled Plock), the capital of the government of
Plotzk, in Russian Poland, about 400 miles southwest of Polotzk.

=Praying Shawl= (Hebrew, _tallit_). A fine white woollen shawl with
sacred fringes (_zizit_), in the four corners, worn by males
after marriage, during certain devotional exercises.

=Purim= (p[.u]'-rim), _Hebr._ A feast in commemoration of the
deliverance of the Persian Jews, through the intervention of
Esther, from the massacre planned by Haman. Masquerading,
feasting, exchange of presents, and general license make this
celebration the jolliest of the Jewish year.

=Questions, the Four.= At the Passover feast, the youngest son (or,
in the absence of a son of suitable age, a daughter) asks four
questions as to the significance of various symbolic articles
used in the ceremonial, in reply to which the family read the
story of Exodus.

=Rabbi= (rab'-[=i]), _Hebr._ A title accorded to men distinguished
for learning and authorized to teach the Law. As used in the
present work, _rabbi_ is identical with the official title of
_rav_, which see.

=Rabbonim= (raeb-on'-im), _Hebr._ Plural of _rabbi_.

=Rav= (raev), _Hebr._ The spiritual head of a Jewish community,
whose duties include the settlement of ritualistic question