Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-11-06
gostrg.
- ~
THE TWO RABBIs.
BY JOHN c. WHITTIER.

N |UhN o. WHITTIER
The Rabbi Nathan, two score years and ten,
Walked blameless through the evil world and
then,
Just as the almond blossomed in bis hair,
Met temptation all too strong to bear,
And miserably sinned. Sc adding not
talsehood to guilt, be left his seat, and taught
No more among the elders, but went out
From the great congregation girt about
With sackcloth, and With ashes on his head,
Making mis- gray locks grayer. Long he
prayed,
Shifting lis breast; then, as the Book he laid
Open before him for the Bath Coils choice,
Pausing to hear that Daughter of Voice,
Behold the Royal preacher words: "A friend
Loyeih at all times, yea, unto the end;
And for the evil day thy brother lives"
Marvelling, he said: It is the Lord who gives
Counsel IN need. At Eebatana dwels
Rabbi Ben Isaac, who all men exesls
Ia righteousness and wisdom, as the trees
OF fLebanon the small weeds that the bees
Bow with their weight / will arise and lay
My sins before him"
And be went bis way
Barefooted, fasting long, With many prayers;
But even as one who followed unawares;
Suddenly in the darkness feels hand
Thrill with its touch his own, and his cheek
famed.
By Odors subtly sweet, and whispers near
OF words he loathes, yet cannot choose but
hear;
So, while the Rabbi journeyed chanting low
The wall OF David penitential woe.
Before him still the old temptation came,
And mocked him with the motion and the
shame.
OF such desires, that, shuddering be abhorred
Himself; and, crying nightly to the Lord
To free his soul, an0 cast the demon cut,
Smote with his staff the Darkness round
about.
At length, in the low light of spent day,
The towers Of Ectabaua far away
Rose on the deserts rim; and Nathan faint
Aud tootsore, pausing where, for some dead
saint,
The faith of Islam raised domed tomb,
Saw some one kneeling in the shadow, whom
He greeted kindly: MAY the Holy One
Answer thy prayers, o stranger Whereupon
The shape stood up with loud cry, and then,
Clasped in each others arms the two gray
Tept, praising Him whose gracious prOvi-
dence
Made their paths one; but straightway, as the
sense
Of his hansgression smote him, Nathan tore
Himself away: 20, friend, beloved, no more
Worthy am | to touch thee, for / came,
Foul from my sins, to tell thee all my shame.
HAPPY thy prayers since uaught availeth mine,
day purge my soul, and make 1t white like
thine;
Pity me, 0 Ben Isaac, have sinned -
Ave struck Ben Isaac stood. The desert
wind
Blew his long mantel backward, laying bare
The mournful secret Of his shirt Of hair
~ too, friend if not in act, be said,
''In thought have verify sinued. Hast thou
not read,
Better the eye should see than that desire
Should wauder?' Burning with hidden fire
That tears and prayers quench not, l come to
thee
For pity and for help; as thou to me
Pray for me, o my friend ' But Nathan
''Pray thou for me, Ben Isaac!"
Side by side.
In the low sunshine by the turban stone
They knelt; each made his brothers woe his
own,
Forgetting in the agony and stress
OF plying love bis claim of selfshuess;
Peace, for his friend besought, his own be-
came;
His prayers were answered in another's
name;
And when at last they rose TO embrace,
Each saw Gods pardon in his brothers face
Long after, when his headstone gathered
moss,
Traced on the targum marge of 0nkelos
In Rabbi Nathan's hand these words were
read:
Hope not the cure of sin till selfis dead:
Forget il IN loves service, and the debt
Thou canst not pay the angels shall forget;
Heavens gate is shut to him who comes
alone;
Save thou a soul, and II shall save thine
own i''-Adantjc Monthly for October.