If not higher

                                                              -Isaac Leib Peretz, Poland (1852-1915)

I. Literal Comprehension

Context: This essay is written by Isaac Leib Peretz (1852-1915). It has attempted to show us the life of the clergymen.

The Rabbi of Nemirov would be absent during the Penitential Prayers every Friday morning. He would not be found in synagogue or the two Houses of Study or at a minyan. The common people believed that the rabbi would be in the heaven at that time, but a Litvak, a Lithunian Jew, doubted on it. Since he had studied argument and law, he thought that even Moses, the supreme teacher of the Jews, had not been able to go to the heaven alive. One day he decided to find out the secret of the rabbi’s disappearance. He entered the rabbi’s house secretly on a Thursday evening and kept waiting under the bed. The rabbi came in and fell asleep in his bed, but the Litvak stayed awoken whole night though he was very much afraid. When the rabbi got up in the morning, he refreshed himself and performed his pray to god. Then, he went to the closet and wore peasant's clothes: linen trousers, high boots, a coat, a big felt hat, and a long wide leather belt. He picked up an axe from under his bed and put it in his belt before leaving the house. Checking every house of the village secretly, the rabbi headed to the jungle. Then, he cut a small tree and made a bundle of firewood sticks. He carried the bundle on his back and walked back to the village. He stopped at the door of a small broken-down shack and knocked at the window. A sick Jewish woman replied from inside. She said she could not buy the firewood, so the rabbi offered her to lend it to her. Since she was very weak because of the illness, the rabbi himself kindled the fire for her. While doing so, the rabbi recited the Penitential prayers. Thus, seeing all this, the Litvak became the rabbi’s disciple immediately. Now, when another person asks him about the rabbi he replies that he has higher place than the heaven.  

II. Interpretation

This essay might be trying to tell us that religion is for practising in everyday life, not for only talking about and praying. Those who only pray to god are the hypocrites. The Rabbi of Nemirov not only prayed and worshipped the god but also practiced his ideology in his everyday life. He disguised himself into a peasant and secretly came out of his house to serve the needy people. The story shows us that heaven is at the service of humanity. By serving the poor sick widow, the rabbi felt that he ascended to heaven.

III. Critical Thinking

Is it ok or possible for a Rabbi to go elsewhere leaving aside the religious services during Penitential Prayers? Can we think he is a responsible and practical person? Isn’t his act whimsical? These questions arise in the mind of a reader after reading the story. Moreover, it is impossible to find such an idealistic person as the Rabbi of Nemirov in our society today. This essay has also tried to apprehend the critical thinkers. Litvak, the critical thinker, is so much criticised and mocked at in this story. I wonder why the rabbi could not see the Litvak closely following him throughout his journey to the jungle and back to the village.

IV. Assimilation

This essay has taught me the real meaning of the heaven. It is not any imaginary place which can be reached after death only, but it is the state of our mind which we gain after helping the poor and needy ones. The rabbi reached in the heaven every Friday during the Penitential Prayers. Therefore, now I know the value of practicing the religion in everyday life.

24.11.14