EDUCATION OF JACOB.
"Who does not love to recall the occurrences of youth, however sad? I
cannot boast of happiness in my childhood, yet the memory of those days
brings tears to my eyes, and I repeat that which is written in one of
our books: 'Youth is a garland of flowers; old age, a crown of thorns.'
Even in comparison with maturity, full of power and intelligence, those
years seem to me strewn with flowers, although they were unhappy.
"My parents were descended from an important and once wealthy family,
whose fortunes had declined for several generations. They found
themselves for a time in the lowest degree of society, working in the
village inns or occupying themselves in some little business or petty
speculations in wheat or cattle. To speak frankly, my father was an
innkeeper in a little village. He was a quiet, studious man, loving his
books, and little calculated for business. My mother took care of
everything. She was the second wife of my father, Joel, who had lost
his first after the birth of a son, Joel, who was already well grown
when I came into the world.
"Joel, the elder, was of a gloomy character, silent, concentrated, a
dreamer. He was absorbed in abstruse speculations, and was happy only
when he was left in undisturbed possession of his books. He was
generally esteemed on account of his learning, but his family suffered
from his inaptitude for business, which was for us a question of life.
"It has been, and is still, with the Jews, a traditional duty to amass
wealth. This does not proceed from the character of the race, but from
the conditions under which they live. The only rights accorded, or,
rather, dearly sold, to the Jews can at any moment be revoked,
suspended, or torn in shreds by the tribunal of the clergy. Where can
justice be found? To whom can they complain? The Jew has been forced to
seek in gold, which is worshipped by all nations, the means of
obtaining justice, rights, and consideration. The poor Jew has no
defence, no protection, but the head of the community to which he
belongs. The Christians have, in a measure, made a religious duty of
avenging the death of Christ on us; this Christ who was a Jew also. We
are therefore obliged to cling to our money as the only safeguard,
though the law of Moses condemns severely this love of gold. (Exodus
xxii. 25.)
"My father could not be accused of enriching himself at the expense of
others. In the end, plunged as he was in metaphysical studies, which
made him forget the affairs of this world, he lost even the little
hoard that had been saved with so much difficulty. All the care and
labour fell on my poor mother, who was much younger, and therefore
interested in the future. I had two sisters younger than myself, and my
half-brother was much older.
"Our rural establishment consisted of a rented farm, and a tavern
situated near a highway. The locality was much frequented. We were
brought up in a continual bustle, which, however, did not disturb my
father, who was too absorbed to notice it. My mother and two servants
worked hard to satisfy their guests. It would have been a most
profitable business, in spite of a neighbouring rival, if fortune had
only smiled on us. But that which was made by the sale of brandy, hay,
and oats was lost in other ways. In his transactions with the dealers
in hides and cattle, my father always came out worsted. He attributed
this ill-luck to the will of God; but my mother grieved bitterly over
his lack of business tact. We grew poorer every day. The family jewels,
my father's furs and clothes, all that we possessed of any value, were
gradually parted with.
"The owner of the tavern was a noble. Fat, hearty, always gay and
good-humoured, he was a _viveur_; a heart good enough, but terribly
dissipated. He cared not for the morrow, provided that to-day was
passed agreeably. At all times he required money. He was our plague,
although he was not wicked. Every time that he sent for Joel my mother
wept, for she knew that he would have to take money with him.
"At the manor-house, which was about half a mile from the tavern, there
was always a gay company. When he was alone a single day, Micuta almost
died of _ennui_. If no one came to amuse him, he ordered his horses,
and went to visit his neighbours. His wife wept then, like my mother.
She could not prevent his dissipation nor correct his faults, but,
womanlike, she loved him in spite of all. To procure money with which
to amuse himself was the sole object of this nobleman, and when he was
told that he would ruin himself, he replied carelessly, 'Ah, bah!
Providence will provide. I will die as I have lived.'"
"Such types," said Ivas, "are common with us. Every district possesses
several Micutas."
"At the same time that he sent for Joel to bring him money," resumed
the Jew, "his wife, Madame Micuta, sent to my mother, and begged her
not to give him any. But how could she resist when he was determined to
have his way at any cost? Joel always yielded to his demands. For his
continual banquets it was necessary to have fish, meat, sugar and
vegetables, spices and wine. And that was not all; the accounts
increased, and my father was obliged to give his note and pay usurious
interest.
"Naturally I, too young to understand the state of affairs, looked on
the world around me, and found it wonderful. The tavern was always full
of travellers. Behind our garden was a forest of oaks, where I loved to
wander, listening to the warbling of birds and the rustling of the
branches overhead. Now, I cannot interest myself thus in nature; human
beings interest me more. It is not given to every child to grow up in
such a turmoil, and in the midst of a crowd of strangers continually
going and coming. From it I learned that there were many people in the
world, and at the same time that many of them were strangers. I
realized that all these people were preoccupied, and cared nothing for
us. My mother, in these early days, could pay little attention to me,
occupied as she was, while my father prayed and read. We knew that she
loved us, but she had no time to caress or to amuse us. I became
accustomed at an early age to live alone. My thoughts were my
companions, and a secret mistrust separated me from men. I loved,
however, to observe them and to penetrate their characters.
"I was still quite young when my father died, after a short illness.
That day of mourning and lamentation is engraved on my memory. It was
then that I pronounced for the first time the words, as is the duty of
all Israelites whom the hand of God has stricken, 'Glory to Thee,
equitable Judge, may Thy will be done.'
"After the old man's death, which left me an orphan, our landlord
turned us out of the tavern in spite of my mother's entreaties. She
rented a little inn situated near a mill, on the border of a forest.
This place seemed pleasant to us, but here began hardships which
children only do not feel. Instead of the incessant noise of our inn,
full day and night, we now seldom saw any one, save that occasionally
an individual came to the mill, and this ran only six months in the
year, on account of lack of water.
"During this dull season we scarcely sold a barrel of brandy."
"Around the little cabin murmured the pine-trees, and the narrow path
which led to the mill was overgrown with trailing vines and herbs. We
lived in this solitude on black bread and vegetables furnished by our
little garden. My mother grew more despairing every day, and appealed
to her relatives and to those of my father, but in vain. We were in
rags, but yet we children were not unhappy. Presently I reached the age
for study. My mother grieved over her inability to have me taught, and
I remember that one day she left us under the protection of a poor Jew
of the neighbourhood, and was gone for some weeks. She returned a
little more tranquil, kissed my forehead and said, 'Rejoice, my son,
thou shalt soon have some one to instruct thee!'
"I realized so little the importance of this promise, that I was much
more pleased with the sweet cakes which she brought me. You know what
care the Israelites take in the education of their children, for it is
in that way that we learn the laws and traditions of our people; it is,
in a word, the shaping of our souls. From the rabbi, at five years,
every boy ought to learn the Bible; at ten, the Michna; at thirteen,
the Divine Ordinances; and at fifteen, the Gemara."
Seeing an expression of incredulity spread over the lips of Ivas, Jacob
paused. "I am aware," said he, "that these books have been ridiculed to
you by men who are antagonistic to us. They know only the outlines of
their teachings, and that very superficially or by hearsay. It is,
however, to these customs which appear ridiculous to you that we owe
the fact that we have not disappeared from the face of the earth, nor
become absorbed by other nations. Obscure as the text is, it merits our
gratitude.
"I remember, as if it was yesterday, the arrival of my tutor. I was at
the door of our cabin, when from a miserable vehicle alighted a being
so deformed and of such a frightful appearance that he scarcely seemed
human. The body of this creature was so bent by long study that he
could not stand erect. He was hump-backed, and from his curved chest
arose an enormous head, with a high forehead, from which shone a pair
of piercing black eyes. His glance terrifies me even now in my dreams.
It seemed as if he could penetrate one's inmost thoughts. The outer
world was nothing to the owner of these eyes; he lived for books alone.
Lame in one foot, he walked with difficulty, leaning on a cane. It was
more of a hop than a walk.
"Such was my mentor. He came from the village, was called Moche, and
was celebrated in the vicinity for his great learning. His knowledge of
sacred literature was most extensive. He recited by heart long passages
of the Talmud and of the Kabala, without omitting a word, without
forgetting an accent. His life was devoted to the instruction of
children and to self-culture. The world did not interest him; he lived
entirely in the past. No doubt he would never have consented to come to
us, had he not been attracted by two boxes full of rare books, the
heritage of my father.
"Moche was a strict teacher, and insisted on the observance of all
religious rules and traditions. He was a travelling encyclopedia which
moved mechanically. I doubt if there ever was a more severe teacher. He
fulfilled his functions without pity, almost with cruelty.
"Deprived so suddenly of my liberty, I was forced to embrace so many
studies that I thought I should lose my reason and become a fool. But,
at any cost, I must learn to be a Jew, or perish. Mechanically my head
was filled with words, with long tirades which I had to repeat without
stopping, each intonation of which, required by the sense of the
phrase, had to be learned with care. In spite of the brutality of this
method, it was a spur to my intelligence, which gradually opened and
put itself in motion.
"I commenced to study with some understanding. It is difficult to
determine what influence on the mind of a child the study of past
generations has. It is certain that, on commencing the study of the
Bible and the history of my people, I believed myself awakened from a
dream after a long slumber. Once the first difficulties vanished, I
applied myself so ardently to study that Moche was astonished. It was
not his custom to encourage children by pleasant words, but he showed
himself less severe toward me, without, at any time, becoming
affectionate. The only thing that annoyed him was when I asked
explanations of the passages which we studied. Then he was cross, and
rapped my fingers with a little rod which served him for pointing out
the letters. He wished to chase from my brain that which he considered
premature pride. Moche often repeated to me, to pique me into
emulation, that, following the rabbins, the world rests on the breath
of children who learn the law of God, and not on the intelligence of
savants.
"Laugh, if you will, but these remembrances have a great charm for me."
"That does not prevent me from laughing at your club-footed Moche,"
said Ivas.
"I do not dream of poetizing him. I even say that his severity rendered
him almost a savage. Although he was always polite to my mother, he did
not hesitate to reproach her for not keeping up our customs more
rigidly. Then he would threaten to go away.
"For us Moche was a sort of bugbear. Yet when he was roused he became
almost grand. Then the brightness of his soul became so apparent that
you did not think of his body. When he recited to us the sufferings of
Israel the tears rolled down his cheeks, he was excited almost to
frenzy. His voice was broken with sobs, and he often sang the verses in
an inspired voice. In these moments his hair was pushed back from his
forehead, and his body shook with a nervous tremor, produced by extreme
susceptibility and appreciation of the subject; his memory was
prodigious.
"Such is a brief sketch of my master, not flattering, but very like
him.
"It was he who made me read the first books of the Bible, or rather who
made me weep over them. He was so conscientious that, having recognized
in me a certain ability, he advised my mother to send me to a
neighbouring town to finish my education.
"Thanks to him, at thirteen, following our custom, I read publicly in
the Synagogue passages from the Holy Scriptures, and I was made one of
the ten officiants of the temple, the number necessary for the assembly
to be considered complete.
"It was exceedingly difficult for my poor mother to remove. But she
resolved to use every effort in my behalf. Miserable as our existence
was near the mill, it had some advantages, for our rent was very low,
and we had fuel, thanks to the woods which surrounded our cabin, and
vegetables from our little garden. In the town we should have had to
pay for everything, even water. How could we live? How could she do it?
How transport her children thither? And after getting there, on what
resources could we subsist?
"While my mother racked her brain to find an answer to these questions,
my half-brother, having already amassed a little fortune by selling
hides, came to pay us a visit.
"This unlooked-for event was of great importance to us. We had not seen
him for a long time. He was nearly thirty years old, and was married.
His wife's marriage portion and a little heritage from my father formed
a small capital, which he had known how to increase. The first year of
his married life he had lived at the expense of his wife's parents, who
were willing to do anything in their power. Afterward he established
himself separately, and little by little increased his business.
Fortune, which had frowned on our father, smiled on the son. This gave
him courage; economical, cold, prudent, he devoted all his intelligence
to the success of his projects. To be rich was his aim, and he was
convinced that he should succeed. He was not yet well enough off to
draw money from his business to aid us, but he brought us news of
relations of my mother's, who, touched at last by her sad situation,
sent her a small sum of money to invest in some business, the profits
of which might educate my sisters and me. My mother wept with joy. We
children were sad when we heard that we were to leave the mill and the
forest, but we soon became accustomed to the life of a town.
"The elder brother was received with great affection. My mother asked
him if he knew of any way for her to invest the money. Joel, who wished
to increase his business, proposed that she invest the sum with him and
share his house. She agreed to the proposition, and the next day,
impatient for the change, sent for a vehicle to remove from the cabin.
"Here commenced the second period of my life. You have seen that my
childhood was not cradled on a bed of roses, that I have suffered, and
that suffering was the sun which hastened my development. As the sun's
rays make the flowers blossom, so hardship forced my character to
unfold. Those years have left me memories, for the most part
disagreeable. Memories of ruin, of labour, of fighting against hunger,
cold, and the contempt of men which paralyzed the intelligence, and
prevented one from rising above bodily occupations. It is permitted to
poets, or rather to those who give themselves out as such, to exalt in
nature an impossible idealism and to rebel against materialism. But,
alas! on regarding actual life, how many needs we have, and how much is
required for mere existence!
"Man in full strength can battle with nature and poverty and come out
conqueror. It is, nevertheless, very difficult to rid one's self of the
cares of each day, the rock of Sisyphus which rolls back on us
continually. The Jews were very numerous in our town; indeed, they
formed the larger part of the population. We had a synagogue with which
I was very much impressed, for until then I had seen only the miserable
cabins which we used for places of worship. I could for the first time
form a just idea of our religious ceremonies, and of the sabbath which
draws us away from the world, restores us to God, and brings us nearer,
in a measure, to our lost country. The baking of bread, a part of which
is given to the poor, the setting of the table, the prayers in common,
the blessing of the wine, all the customs recall the patriarchal epoch
when God was with us, and took, in a way, part in human existence.
"To-day you Christians and we Jews have driven God from our presence,
and we have forgotten him. Man made by the hands of the Creator
believes himself a god, and anthropology is the contemporary religion.
"In my brother's house we dwelt in unity as one family, of which he was
the head. The women prepared in common the evening meal, and what was
needed for the morrow. When the hour for prayer in the synagogue
arrived, an old priest rapped on the shutters three times with his
mallet of wood, and we set out toward the temple bearing our books
under our arms. The synagogue was an old building, dating from the
sixth century. It had cost the community much money, for when they were
building it the proprietor of the place, who was a Catholic, the Prince
K----, had little toleration. The Jews, who had for worship only a
little wooden house with a worm-eaten roof, solicited permission to
build a new temple; which was granted to them only because money was
needed by the proprietor, and it was not plenty just then, there having
been a war. The Jews profited by his necessity to buy from the prince a
plot of ground and the right to erect thereon a brick synagogue. The
traditions of the neighbourhood speak of a colossal sum paid for the
privilege. During the construction the workmen were ordered to undo
their work, and to pull down the carved balls which ornamented the roof
and made the synagogue more imposing than any of the surrounding
buildings. However, such as it was, with its style much less Gothic
than was planned, it seemed to my childish eyes fully equal to
Solomon's Temple.
"I continued my studies with ardour. My teachers found in me much
aptitude, and I had an insatiable desire to learn.
"Our little town, except on market-days, was not one of the most
frequented, although it ranked among the most important. It was
traversed by a thoroughfare on which a continual procession passed to
and fro. Our co-religionists had founded a school here. As the
Catholics had an important church, and the principal population was
composed of the government employes, it was necessary, in order to
remain unmolested, to pay without ceasing.
"I soon learned to conduct myself differently toward each person,
according to his position on the social ladder.
"In general the Jew owes tribute to every one, commencing with the
door-keepers of the Lords, and the wives of their door-keepers.
"One day returning from my class I found the house in a commotion. I
feared at first that there had been an accident. The smiling faces
reassured me. They awaited the arrival of an important person. My
mother pulled me into the house, and ordered me to array myself in my
best. My brother was already dressed. On the table there was brandy,
with sweets, honey cake, white bread, spiced bread, and even a bottle
of wine. I learned that he whom we were to receive with so much
ceremony was my mother's cousin, a rich merchant from Warsaw. He was
coming to decide about my future.
"I imagined in my childish brain a man of imposing figure with a long
beard and a biblical costume recalling patriarchal times. I was still
in this dream when a man appeared that I should have taken for a
Christian. He was dressed differently from us, wore spectacles and a
round hat. He had passed his first youth, had heavy eyebrows, large
features, black eyes, and a smooth face. His complexion was rosy, his
figure corpulent, and he evidently considered himself a man of
importance.
"My mother told me to kiss the hand held out to me so majestically.
Afterward he examined me attentively, caressed my chin, joked about the
cap that I wore, and finished by blowing a cloud of smoke in my face
from the cigar he was smoking. After the preliminaries, he said in
German, in a patronizing voice, 'I think we can make a man out of this
boy.' We all listened to him as to an oracle, because he was enormously
rich, and my future depended on him.
"'What think you?' added he addressing my mother. 'I will take care of
him, but not in your way.' Then turning to my brother he continued:
'There are already enough Jews employed in little ways, keeping taverns
in the villages. The cause of it is our ignorance.'
"'Nevertheless,' replied Joel, 'this boy is not ignorant; he has been
well taught, and he is now learning to read in the Gemara.'--'Ah! What
does he want of the Gemara? Do you think of making him a rabbi? It is
necessary for us in these days to go everywhere, and not remain in a
corner! Why these ear-rings in the ears? Why that iarmulka? These are
all remnants of the Middle Ages. The time of our persecution is almost
past. The world opens to us. We must be ready to play an important
role. The Jew has good sense and judgment, which he has preserved
through hundreds of years of suffering. Why can he not enjoy the same
advantages as Christians? Why is not our education as well developed as
theirs? With that we can remain Israelites in the bottom of our
hearts.'
"In spite of their respect for this wealthy kinsman my mother and my
brother could not agree with him, for his remarks shocked their
traditional ideas. Without noticing this impression he continued:--
"'I ought not to forget that I am a Jew, and to keep my faith in the
citadel of my soul, but outwardly appear in the world on an equal
footing with other men, as all sensible Jews do, in strange countries,
and even in the kingdom of Poland. I have examined this lad
attentively. He is worthy of Israel. I will occupy myself with his
education, but we must send him to the Christian schools. He must
commence to go to them here. Afterward send him to me, and I will take
care of him.'
"'You are our benefactor!' cried my mother. 'But you know that many of
our people have abandoned their belief, and are equally despised by the
Jews and the Christians. How, then, will he preserve his paternal
traditions?'
"'And why should he not preserve them? You must banish your puerile
fears, otherwise he will vegetate like a good-for-nothing in rags and
misery, where you are, instead of being like me. I still remain a Jew.
I go to the synagogue, and I observe the law, but no doubt less
strictly than you.'
"All this conversation is engraven in my memory, and it fixed my
destiny.
"Having learned that our kinsman had arrived from Warsaw, Abraham
Machnowiecki, the oracle of the Jews in our town, came to pay us a
visit. His was a common type in our community; he was a Polish Jew of
the old school, a Polish Israelite, though he could not give so
complete an account of his descent as Mickiewicz has so well set forth
in his Jankiel. Abraham was an important man in his part of the
country. He had continual relations with all the proprietors. He knew
their families, their situation, their business, in a word, all that
concerned them. He was much interested in electoral meetings. He was
consulted on all subjects, and in the most delicate affairs he was
often chosen arbiter. He was esteemed because he was worthy of esteem;
he was received everywhere with courtesy, and offered a place of
honour, while his co-religionists were left standing at the door.
Without Abraham nothing of importance was done. His bearing was full of
dignity; he was very tall, and wore a white beard, which fell almost to
his girdle. His ordinary costume was a black redingote, a czapka of
sable, and in summer a wide-brimmed felt hat. A silver-headed cane
completed the dress, by which he was recognized from a distance.
"In his dwelling, which was one of the best of the neighbourhood, there
were always visitors on business. He was the banker of half the
proprietors, and he lent or procured money.
"The science of Abraham went no further than that of most Jews, but he
had a quick intelligence and a great knowledge of men. His predominant
quality was an imperturbable calmness. He was never annoyed, never gave
any signs of impatience, and showed in all things an undisturbed
moderation. He was not communicative, words came slowly from his lips,
and he was thoroughly trustworthy. Very much attached to his faith and
its customs, he was yet not a fanatic.
"This oracle so generally respected was absolutely devoid of pride. He
did not demand the consideration which was naturally given him.
"The appearance of Abraham at our house was rare, and you may infer
that this extraordinary circumstance was owing to an invitation from my
mother, who felt the need of his advice. Our elegant kinsman seemed
less sympathetic before the grave Abraham. His somewhat frivolous
manner became more offensive compared with the conduct of the other
Israelite, who was, at the same time, dignified and amiable. The
meeting of these men--one of whom, a free thinker, had lost almost all
traces of Judaism; the other, a biblical character--was very
interesting and aroused my curiosity.
"Our relative, in all the pride of a man full of his own importance,
was hardly polite to the old man. My mother's cousin did not abandon
his cigar, and began to laugh on regarding the Jew's long curly hair,
iamulka, the old-fashioned costume, and gigantic cane.
"It did not take Abraham long to recognize in our kinsman a type of
modern Jew that he had often met before.
"'It is very kind of you,' said he, 'to take an interest in this
unfortunate family. Would to God every one would do the same! The book
Nedarin says: "Honour the sons of the poor who are the brightness of
our religion."'
"'I wish to do so truly,' replied the Varsovien carelessly. 'I wish to
make of this young relative a sound and healthy branch of our
community. That is why I have proposed to send him to school with the
other children.'
"'You will cast him in the fire to see if he is gold? If he be gold, he
will remain gold; if he be of base metal, he will melt.'
"'They tell me he has good faculties. It is necessary to develop them.'
"'Provided that he does not lose his faith. That is why I think that it
will not do to remove him from our schools until he is well grounded in
his religion. When the potter wishes to make an impression on a vase of
clay, he sees that the vase goes to the studio soft and plastic.'
"'How old is he?' asked our cousin.
"'Thirteen years.'
"'You have probably,' continued he, 'a good common school here; he must
go to it.'
"'Why not?' replied Abraham; 'but the poor child will suffer much.'
"'Who, then, has not had trials? You see me. I am worth to-day two
millions, perhaps more, and I commenced by selling blacking and matches
in the streets.'
"The old Abraham murmured in a low voice a text from the Book of Judges
which said: 'One must endure the sun's bursting rays because it is
indispensable to the world.'
"Then he put his hand on my head and blessed me, praying in a low
voice, reassured my mother, and the conversation became general. Child
as I was, I remember this scene very well. It was shared by many
listeners, for the Jews had come from all sides to see this great
personage who honoured us with a visit. Our cousin entered into the
development of his ideas, which were that the time had come for the
Jews to go out and mingle with the world, and to leave the narrow
circle where they had remained so long from an exaggerated fear of
losing their faith and nationality.
"'We have suffered long enough,' said he. 'We ought to enjoy ourselves
to-day, and occupy the place which belongs to one of the most ancient
peoples of the earth. We possess rapidity of conception, facility to
acquire all the sciences and arts; we have money, which levels
everything, and at the same time we are united, and this cohesion can
accomplish great things. Why then stagnate scattered in these little
country towns? Why not strike out? See the Jews of other lands. You
find them in the ministry, the parliament, and in high positions. They
march to the conquest of civil and political rights, wherever these
rights are still refused them.'
"Abraham listened without contradiction, and appeared sad and
thoughtful; as to our other co-religionists they heartily agreed with
our kinsman. He finished by citing as example a celebrated Jew.
"This was an epoch which was not soon forgotten in our little town. It
provoked a movement which swayed the whole community, with the
exception of a few old conservatives. I remained at home the rest of
that year, then I entered the common school. It was the first time that
a Jew had seated himself on a bench beside Christian children. I knew
beforehand what awaited me, but that which I endured surpassed my worst
fears.
"The larger part of the scholars were the children of petty nobles or
of the bureaucracy, students well grown. Their instincts were more than
cruel. It was a veritable torment,--torment unceasing. I grew
accustomed to continual attacks, and passed in silence the insults
which were showered on me. Jokes about pork were met with, even in the
mouths of the masters; what could I do but keep silence? My humility
and silence were a sort of defence, The first days were intolerable;
but, little by little, I became accustomed to my comrades, and they to
me. After a while they left me in peace on my solitary bench. The new
method of teaching was strange to me, but awakened in my mind a desire
to excel. The knowledge that I had accumulated increased. I resolved to
continue my studies, and to wait until the strength of science and of
the truth enlightened my mind."