In the mean time the master of the house called upon his younger guests to assist him in purifying his house from the leaven. This was the evening of the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, the preparation day for the Passover. Lest the command of Jehovah, to eat unleavened bread for seven days, and to allow no leaven to be seen any where, should chance to be violated, they performed the ceremony of putting away the leaven on this evening. The master of the family gave each of his guests a torch, and led them in a solemn procession through the house. He had himself a dish and a brush in his hand, and he said “Praised be thou, O Lord our God, king of the world, who hast sanctified us by thy precepts, and hast enjoined upon us to put away the leaven.” All present said Amen. They then proceeded to examine every corner of the house, opening every drawer, chest, and cupboard. Here and there lay a piece of leavened bread, purposely left in the way; the master took it up, laid it in his dish, and carefully swept the place. When the company had gone round the house, to the outer door, he said, “Whatsoever leavened thing there is in my house, which I have not seen nor put away, may it be scattered in pieces and accounted as the dust of the earth.” The search had lasted two hours; the dish was locked up, and the guests retired to sleep. Unable, however, to obtain sleep, from the crowd of feelings which coursed each other through his mind, when he thought that he was at length in Jerusalem, in the Holy City, Helon was one of the first who arose. He went immediately to the roof of the house—the Alijah was open; he entered it and performed his morning devotions, with a fervour which he had never felt before, put the Tallith on his head, bound the Tephillim on his brow and his hand, and recited the Kri-schma. His whole body was in agitation; now he lifted his hand towards heaven, now threw himself on his face on the ground, now bent his head to the middle of his body. In the earnestness of his prayer he seemed to wrestle with God. Here in the Holy City, how much had he to ask from the God of his fathers!