on the heart of the farmer not to be vexed with him, for he was in a hurry to find work.
Isaac went to his neighbor. He did not look favorably upon Isaac nor did he look upon him pleasantly. It is a sin to tell that he didn’t even return his greeting. Isaac gave him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps sorrow had befallen him and his heart wasn’t open. He began seeking words to console him. The farmer looked at him angrily and said something in Russian, which Isaac didn’t know. The farmer’s wife came and told him he should take himself to our neighbor, and she pointed him to the left. Isaac apologized to her for bothering her and her husband. She shook her head in sorrow for the Jew-ish fellows who trudge needlessly from place to place asking for work. Isaac took his leave from her and went to her other neighbor.
Isaac straightened his tie and fanned his face with his hat and knocked at the door. No answer. He knocked again, and no answer. He went around the house and found another door. He knocked, and no one opened. He hung onto the window ledge and looked inside the house. He saw that the room was empty. He went and hung on another window. He heard a kind of throbbing, and saw mice scam-pering in the house. Amazing. An empty house and the neighbors don’t know.
He turned away and went to another house nestling among trees and flowers and surrounded by an iron fence, trimmed with copper flowers and a bell hanging at its entrance. Isaac found the gate open and didn’t have to ring the bell to announce his coming. He wiped his shoes and straightened his tie, ascended stone stairs and entered a handsome vestibule full of handsome furnishings, such handsome furnishings and such a house Isaac had not seen in his hometown. He was proud of his Jewish brother and his spirit was humbled, as are small people who come upon a big house.
Isaac found a fellow standing in the vestibule like a pauper at a gate. His clothes and sandals indicated that he was a laborer, but
it was hard to imagine that any laborers in the Land of Israel wore such paltry clothes as these. Meanwhile, Isaac took his hat off his head and held it in his hand, the way that fellow was holding his hat.
Words came from the room inside in a language Isaac didn’t know, but he did know that it was French. The door opened and a lady came out, made-up and perfumed, and well-dressed. She closed the door behind her and said something in a language Isaac didn’t know, but he did know that it was Russian. And she turned around at once and closed the door behind her. The fellow said to Isaac, You don’t have to wait, because in her answer to me you find an answer to your question. Isaac grasped his meaning and knew there was nothing for him here.
The fellow took off his sandals, picked them up, and left. Isaac trudged after him and went with him. They went down the stone steps and closed the gate behind them. The bell sounded. Isaac looked upon the ground and saw that his companion was barefoot. His feet shriveled up in his shoes, as if they were pricked by thorns. The fellow spat and said, Had any tea? Isaac looked at him and was stunned. What did tea have to do with this? But since he was tired, he trudged behind his comrade, who walked along silently, his sandals in his hand.
2 I
The sun set and adorned the village with the gold of its fire. The streets began filling up with old men and young men, women and maidens. Old men went to pray, and young men came out to greet the coach returning from the city, and women came to greet their husbands returning in the coach. And others came for no good rea-son. Some spoke in the manner of the village and some measured their shadow.
Tranquility prevailed over the whole village and a kind of mellow warmth bubbled out of the ground. The trees gave a fragrance above and the bushes gave a fragrance below and the setting sun adorned folks’ faces and made them affable. Suddenly the earth opened up and a plethora of
Isaac went to his neighbor. He did not look favorably upon Isaac nor did he look upon him pleasantly. It is a sin to tell that he didn’t even return his greeting. Isaac gave him the benefit of the doubt, perhaps sorrow had befallen him and his heart wasn’t open. He began seeking words to console him. The farmer looked at him angrily and said something in Russian, which Isaac didn’t know. The farmer’s wife came and told him he should take himself to our neighbor, and she pointed him to the left. Isaac apologized to her for bothering her and her husband. She shook her head in sorrow for the Jew-ish fellows who trudge needlessly from place to place asking for work. Isaac took his leave from her and went to her other neighbor.
Isaac straightened his tie and fanned his face with his hat and knocked at the door. No answer. He knocked again, and no answer. He went around the house and found another door. He knocked, and no one opened. He hung onto the window ledge and looked inside the house. He saw that the room was empty. He went and hung on another window. He heard a kind of throbbing, and saw mice scam-pering in the house. Amazing. An empty house and the neighbors don’t know.
He turned away and went to another house nestling among trees and flowers and surrounded by an iron fence, trimmed with copper flowers and a bell hanging at its entrance. Isaac found the gate open and didn’t have to ring the bell to announce his coming. He wiped his shoes and straightened his tie, ascended stone stairs and entered a handsome vestibule full of handsome furnishings, such handsome furnishings and such a house Isaac had not seen in his hometown. He was proud of his Jewish brother and his spirit was humbled, as are small people who come upon a big house.
Isaac found a fellow standing in the vestibule like a pauper at a gate. His clothes and sandals indicated that he was a laborer, but
it was hard to imagine that any laborers in the Land of Israel wore such paltry clothes as these. Meanwhile, Isaac took his hat off his head and held it in his hand, the way that fellow was holding his hat.
Words came from the room inside in a language Isaac didn’t know, but he did know that it was French. The door opened and a lady came out, made-up and perfumed, and well-dressed. She closed the door behind her and said something in a language Isaac didn’t know, but he did know that it was Russian. And she turned around at once and closed the door behind her. The fellow said to Isaac, You don’t have to wait, because in her answer to me you find an answer to your question. Isaac grasped his meaning and knew there was nothing for him here.
The fellow took off his sandals, picked them up, and left. Isaac trudged after him and went with him. They went down the stone steps and closed the gate behind them. The bell sounded. Isaac looked upon the ground and saw that his companion was barefoot. His feet shriveled up in his shoes, as if they were pricked by thorns. The fellow spat and said, Had any tea? Isaac looked at him and was stunned. What did tea have to do with this? But since he was tired, he trudged behind his comrade, who walked along silently, his sandals in his hand.
2 I
The sun set and adorned the village with the gold of its fire. The streets began filling up with old men and young men, women and maidens. Old men went to pray, and young men came out to greet the coach returning from the city, and women came to greet their husbands returning in the coach. And others came for no good rea-son. Some spoke in the manner of the village and some measured their shadow.
Tranquility prevailed over the whole village and a kind of mellow warmth bubbled out of the ground. The trees gave a fragrance above and the bushes gave a fragrance below and the setting sun adorned folks’ faces and made them affable. Suddenly the earth opened up and a plethora of
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