COMMON-SENSE VS. SUPERSTITION.
In spite of the sacrifice, in spite of the fanaticism of the gentiles
and the equally great superstition of the Jews, the plague continued
with unabated violence. But few families in Kief had been spared a visit
from the dread reaper.
On the Sabbath following the events just narrated, the Israelites went
to their places of worship as usual, and ardent prayers for deliverance
ascended to the Almighty. Mendel, notwithstanding his youth, officiated
in the place of the departed Rabbi Jeiteles, and on this occasion he
formally entered upon the duties of his honorable office.
Sermons, as we understand them, were not in vogue among the Russian
Jews, and lectures in the synagogue on topics unconnected with religion
or morality had not been dreamed of. Jeiteles would at times discourse
upon some knotty point in the _Torah_, and on the more important
holidays expound the meaning of certain ceremonials. When Mendel
ascended the pulpit, the stricken congregation, with hushed and eager
expectation, awaited his words.
Mendel began by alluding to the sad demise of the beloved Rabbi. He
spoke of his great heart, of his benevolence and wisdom, and as his
powerful and sympathetic voice rang through the vast synagogue, few were
the eyes that were not suffused with tears.
"Friends," he continued, "in an epidemic such as is at present raging in
our midst, our thoughts are naturally directed to _Adonai_, and we
implore His mercy. If such a misfortune tends to turn our prayers
heavenward, to arouse our humanity towards our suffering fellow-men,
then indeed the evil may become a blessing in disguise. But if you lay
the blame of your misfortunes to God alone, and believe that He inflicts
His creatures with disease because He is angry with the world, you
degrade the Lord into an angry, revengeful Being of human type, instead
of the grand and supreme _Adonai Echod_ whom our forefathers worshipped.
"The many absurd observances of which you have been guilty, and which
culminated in the marriage at the cemetery, are blasphemous. I will tell
you why. If God has really sent this trouble, it is done for a wise
purpose, and God will know when to remove the infliction without such
barbaric ceremonies to propitiate Him. If, on the other hand, your own
negligence of the laws of health is to blame, then absurd rites, even
though sanctioned by a wonder-working Rabbi of some distant city, are of
no avail; but the only effective way to terminate the trouble is to
investigate our way of living, and to correct whatever we find
prejudicial to our well-being."
That this new and hitherto unheard-of doctrine should cause a profound
sensation was but natural. A murmur through the audience showed plainly
that sentiment was divided upon the subject. Mendel, disregarding the
interruption, continued. In clear and concise terms he pointed out the
historical fact that throughout all the epidemics of the past, Israel,
by the perfection of her sanitary laws, enjoyed almost an immunity from
disease. He hurriedly enumerated the many excellent Mosaic laws
concerning diet and cleanliness, and endeavored to show that the ablest
physicians of modern times could not improve upon these commands. Then
he spoke of the recent discoveries by the German doctors, and the
promulgation of the new theory that contagious diseases were due to the
existence of germs which could only be exterminated by certain
well-defined means, prominent among which was cleanliness. While he
spoke his audience hung breathlessly upon his words, and, as they gazed
upon the inspired countenance of the young man, they felt that he
expounded the truth, and they believed in him.
"And now, my friends," continued Mendel, "let us drop superstition and
substitute common-sense. Let us show our gentile neighbors that we can
combat this epidemic with intelligence. In the first place, let us
determine upon some well-defined plan. Let us organize. With unity of
purpose much can be accomplished. The greatest danger of the disease
lies in its contagious nature. Our first duty, therefore, is to isolate
those who are sick. In this way the spreading of the plague may be
checked. There is nothing new in this plan. Moses commanded that all
persons suffering with infectious diseases should be placed outside of
the camp of Israel. That you have not already resorted to this means
shows rather a kind heart than a quick wit.
"You have doubtless observed that those living upon the swampy ground
near the river mourn a greater number of departed than those dwelling
further inland. That locality must, therefore, exercise a prejudicial
influence upon the health of the people. It is here that the poor and
destitute live. Let us care for them. Let the more wealthy and more
fortunate families take into their houses those to whom Providence has
been less bountiful. You whose daily business takes you to the hovels of
the poor, know how wretched and filthy they are, how even the healthy
can scarcely bear the foulness of their atmosphere. How great must be
the power of such pest-holes to extend the plague when once it finds a
foothold there! Let us tear down those hovels. There are enough rich men
among you to build new and better houses. You have heard that many have
become ill through drinking the water from the wells. Water you must
drink; but a German doctor tells us that heat will kill the germs of
disease. Let us, therefore, boil all the water we drink and diminish the
tendency to sickness in that way. Finally, it is necessary to avoid all
excesses, to live temperately, to observe strict cleanliness. Thus you
may cheat the plague of a great number of victims. God sends the good,
my friends, but we bring the evil upon ourselves. This evening I shall
be pleased to see at my house all those who are willing to devote their
time and money to the great cause, and we will there discuss the ways
and means of driving out the cholera, and thus avenging the death of our
beloved and regretted Rabbi Jeiteles."
Such enthusiasm as greeted the speaker when he descended from the pulpit
had never been known in the synagogue. His manner as well as his words,
his beauty and imposing presence as well as his profound and magnetic
intellect, had carried the hearts of his auditors. The men clasped him
warmly by the hand and promised their co-operation, and the women in the
gallery gave vent to their approval in a no less hearty manner. When the
Sabbath service came to a close, the only sentiment among the members of
the congregation was in favor of immediate action.
The news of the sermon spread rapidly through the community, and the
other congregations became interested and promised their support.
The young Rabbi still lived with his mother-in-law, and a large company
assembled at the house to carry out the plans suggested by him that
morning. The meeting included all the wealthy and influential men of the
quarter, and they entered into the spirit of the new ideas with as much
enthusiasm as they had displayed in the superstitious observances of a
few days before. Those willing to take an active part in the great
hygienic work were divided by Mendel into committees, one of which was
to undertake the arduous work of isolation and of providing willing and
capable nurses to wait upon the sick; another to superintend the
disinfection or removal of the wretched hovels in the lower portion of
the Jewish quarter; a third to visit the families into which the scourge
had already forced an entrance, and inculcate such lessons of
cleanliness as would materially lessen the chances of further contagion.
Mendel placed himself at the head of all these bodies, so that he might
the better direct their actions. He then explained to them in detail the
various theories that had been advanced throughout the civilized world
as to the cause of the cholera and the methods employed in western
countries to combat the disease. He had read much and his powerful
memory had retained all that was useful and important, and he spoke with
such decision that all those pious men, among whom any delving outside
of the sacred limits of the Talmud was strictly prohibited, now
listened, in open-mouthed wonder, to the instruction of their youthful
sage without once demanding whence he had obtained his knowledge. It
sufficed them to know that they now possessed a tangible weapon with
which to fight their dreaded enemy, and they were ready to follow their
leader wherever he chose to conduct them.
The great work was begun without delay. Before undertaking it, however,
it was necessary to obtain the Governor's consent to the improvements,
and to Mendel fell the task of calling upon the mighty man at his
palace.
When Alexander II. ascended his father's throne, his first important act
was to appoint new Governors of the various provinces, for it was a
notorious fact that the heads of these departments were as a rule
totally unfit to direct the affairs with which they were entrusted. He
replaced the old and corrupt Governors by young and vigorous men,
heartily in accord with his ideas of reform. General Pomeroff, a friend
and stanch admirer of the Emperor while he was still Czarewitch, was
selected to govern the influential province of Kief. Pomeroff was a
strikingly handsome man, progressive in his views, humane in the
treatment of his subordinates, quick to perceive merit where it existed
and anxious to assist in any work which promised to redound to the
credit of his province. With this man Mendel sought an interview. It was
with difficulty that he gained admittance to the presence of the august
ruler, into whose sanctum no Jew had yet entered, but after a long delay
he succeeded in meeting the Governor face to face.
"Your excellency," said Mendel, in a quiet and dignified manner,
speaking in perfect Russian, "I come to seek your assistance in a matter
of great importance to a large class of your subjects."
The Governor, surprised as much by the purity of language as by the
temerity of the Jew, looked at the young man, scrutinizingly, for some
moments.
"What do you wish?" he asked, at length. "Make your application short,
for I have much to do."
Mendel unfolded his views briefly to the astonished Governor. He
expressed his desire to rid the Jewish quarter as far as practicable
from the effects of the plague.
"The cholera has almost run its course," he said, "and while our efforts
might have been impotent to check its ravages during its early course,
they may serve to prevent its further spread and to diminish the number
of its victims. We are amply provided with willing hands and with the
necessary money, but we desire your excellency's sanction, and your
permission to remove those hovels from our quarter which are dangerous
to the general health of its inhabitants."
Governor Pomeroff had arisen and was striding up and down his apartment.
When Mendel concluded, he stopped and held out his hand.
"Give me your hand," he said; "you are a man after my own heart. Go on
with your work, and I will give instructions that no one shall interfere
with you. If you need assistance, call upon me and I will do what I can
for you."
"I thank your excellency," replied Mendel, overjoyed, "but your
good-will is all we ask. The cholera is a frightful evil, and if we
succeed in lessening its ravages we shall be well repaid for our
trouble."
"I expect you to come and report to me from time to time," said the
Governor, so far forgetting his dignity as to accompany the Jew to the
door.
Mendel bowed and left the apartment. In the ante-room, a number of
servants had collected, and no sooner did the young man appear than they
began to banter and annoy him. It was perfectly legitimate for the serfs
to derive as much amusement from the Jews as possible.
"Here comes the Jew," cried one, "and by the Holy St. Peter he is still
alive."
"Well, Jew," said another, seizing Mendel by the beard; "by what charms
did you force your way into the Governor's presence? Impudence is a
great characteristic of your race."
At that moment the door opened and Governor Pomeroff appeared at the
threshold.
He severely rebuked the astonished servants for their rude behavior,
apologized to Mendel for the indignities he had been obliged to endure,
and sent a guard with him to conduct him to his home.
The Rabbi returned to his people with a light and happy heart. He had
been more than successful, for he had gained a friend in the Governor,
and his mind lost itself in visions of the good this powerful ally would
enable him to effect.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 12: Herzberg-Fraenkel's "Polnische Juden" cites a similar
incident.]