deserts of the Land of Israel into homes and vineyards and fields. And as he mentioned their suffering, he told of their heroism, and as he told, his companions told more and even more. Thus they sat and told tales about afflictions and tales about heroism, about those in the plain and about those in the mountains, about those in the sands and about those in the swamp. About those who eat the harvest of their fields and about those who are eaten by the Land. It is small, our Land, and how great are its troubles. And since they were telling about the settlements, they told about their founders. And as they were telling, they were amazed at themselves that they hadn’t noticed the heroism of those founders before now.
How Isaac loved that hour when he sat in the Land of Israel in the presence of laborers of the Land of Israel who were telling of the building of the Land of Israel. The Land of Israel was acquired with suffering, and he who loves the Land of Israel and lovingly accepts her suffering, is privileged to see her being built.
As they sit, hunger begins to oppress them. One of the group stood up and said, It’s lunchtime. Anyone who had a Bishlik or half a Bishlik began pondering whether to eat at noon or in the evening, and anyone who didn’t have a cent in his hand was exempt from su-perfluous contemplations. It was hard for Isaac to leave the group so he invited them all to dine with him. He really did want to go to the settlement, but it was worth it for him to while away a day with them.
They sat and ate together. They ate to satisfy their hunger, and he who wasn’t used to the food of the Land of Israel ate little, and even that did not accord with his habits. After they ate and drank, he paid their expenses. How heavy is the currency of the Land of Israel and how many kinds there are there, Francs and Megiddos and Bishliks and Matliks. If all the coins were put in one side of the scales and all the food in the other side, the coins would tip the scales.
c h a p t e r t w o
Tells a Little and Slurs Over a Lot
1 I
At last, Isaac reached the settlement. Who can describe Isaac’s joy when he saw the houses of the Jews in their settlement crowned with fields and vineyards and olive trees and citrus groves. These are the fields and vineyards and olive trees and citrus groves he saw in a dream and now he sees them awake. At that hour, Isaac was like a bridegroom about to enter the marriage canopy and lacks only a best man.
Isaac entered the home of a farmer to hire himself out as a worker. He found him sitting on a glassed-in verandah, drinking tea. The sun settled on the glass and the trees in the garden waved their shadows like a fan and a serene calm was spread over the farmer and his table. The farmer sliced himself a piece of sugar and sucked and drank, and looked with favor on Isaac. Isaac greeted the landlord and the landlord returned his greeting and said calmly, A new man, a new man, like a landlord who gets satisfaction and joy from a guest. Isaac replied humbly, It has been two days since I was privileged to ascend to the Land of Israel to work its soil. Perhaps there is work for me here in the field or the vineyard or the citrus grove. The landlord sucked the sugar in his mouth and took a sip from his glass and replied calmly, Others have been here before you. Isaac envied the others who had been here before him at work, and was sorry for himself that he had tarried so long because of the hotel owner. At last he put off his sorrow and his envy. Thought Isaac, If I didn’t find work with this one, I’ll find it with somebody else. And as others have been fortunate, so shall I. He bade farewell to the landlord and went on his way.
46 I
When he went, he began to worry that he hadn’t behaved decently to the landlord, for it was right to stay a bit and show him affection for receiving him kindly and being willing to take him on as a worker if others hadn’t been there before him. He relied
How Isaac loved that hour when he sat in the Land of Israel in the presence of laborers of the Land of Israel who were telling of the building of the Land of Israel. The Land of Israel was acquired with suffering, and he who loves the Land of Israel and lovingly accepts her suffering, is privileged to see her being built.
As they sit, hunger begins to oppress them. One of the group stood up and said, It’s lunchtime. Anyone who had a Bishlik or half a Bishlik began pondering whether to eat at noon or in the evening, and anyone who didn’t have a cent in his hand was exempt from su-perfluous contemplations. It was hard for Isaac to leave the group so he invited them all to dine with him. He really did want to go to the settlement, but it was worth it for him to while away a day with them.
They sat and ate together. They ate to satisfy their hunger, and he who wasn’t used to the food of the Land of Israel ate little, and even that did not accord with his habits. After they ate and drank, he paid their expenses. How heavy is the currency of the Land of Israel and how many kinds there are there, Francs and Megiddos and Bishliks and Matliks. If all the coins were put in one side of the scales and all the food in the other side, the coins would tip the scales.
c h a p t e r t w o
Tells a Little and Slurs Over a Lot
1 I
At last, Isaac reached the settlement. Who can describe Isaac’s joy when he saw the houses of the Jews in their settlement crowned with fields and vineyards and olive trees and citrus groves. These are the fields and vineyards and olive trees and citrus groves he saw in a dream and now he sees them awake. At that hour, Isaac was like a bridegroom about to enter the marriage canopy and lacks only a best man.
Isaac entered the home of a farmer to hire himself out as a worker. He found him sitting on a glassed-in verandah, drinking tea. The sun settled on the glass and the trees in the garden waved their shadows like a fan and a serene calm was spread over the farmer and his table. The farmer sliced himself a piece of sugar and sucked and drank, and looked with favor on Isaac. Isaac greeted the landlord and the landlord returned his greeting and said calmly, A new man, a new man, like a landlord who gets satisfaction and joy from a guest. Isaac replied humbly, It has been two days since I was privileged to ascend to the Land of Israel to work its soil. Perhaps there is work for me here in the field or the vineyard or the citrus grove. The landlord sucked the sugar in his mouth and took a sip from his glass and replied calmly, Others have been here before you. Isaac envied the others who had been here before him at work, and was sorry for himself that he had tarried so long because of the hotel owner. At last he put off his sorrow and his envy. Thought Isaac, If I didn’t find work with this one, I’ll find it with somebody else. And as others have been fortunate, so shall I. He bade farewell to the landlord and went on his way.
46 I
When he went, he began to worry that he hadn’t behaved decently to the landlord, for it was right to stay a bit and show him affection for receiving him kindly and being willing to take him on as a worker if others hadn’t been there before him. He relied
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