The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-28
\ HEBREW TALE.
The Story of Rabbi Akiba
and His Family.
FROM ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT.
Written i'm Arabia in the Thirteenth
Century and Now i'm Possession
of AdOlph Sufro.

exists mine of priceless value in the
wonderful collection of Hebrew, Arabic
and Chaldean manuscripts contained in
Mr.. Adolph Sutro's library. These rare
parchments are curious to the ignorant
eye, but to the Oriental scholar they are
rich in literary treasures. It's the intention
of Mr.. Sutro that the public shall have
the full benefit of his generosity and intel
lgent zeal, and it is IN this spiri. that he
has permitted DR.. S. Roubn, a noted lin
guiSt. now in San Francisco, TO translate
for the readers of THE CALL A tale from
Hebrew manuscript, written in Arabia in
the thirteenth century. 1t reads as fol-
lows:
The wife of Rabbi Akiba was kind
hearted, charitable woman, the very model
of virtue and mOdesty. In truth an angel
in human shape came down from heaven
to make the life of the great Jewish
scholar happy one.
She was exceedingly rich, being the only
daughter and heiress of the wealthy
NacedemoDe, and she made good use OF
her fortune. Five hundred young men,
the pupils of her learned husband. were
supplied with all that was necessary for
students. She distributed food, clothes
and money to the needy. Her house was
mndated as in their own home.
When she was girl. it is told in the
Talmud. she loved Akiba, the shepherd,
an ignorant young man. They were mar
ried clanGestinely. When her proud and
wealthy father learned of this he disn-
herited and dismissed her. She, however.
preferred learning to wealth, and sent her
husband to college, while she remained
at Jerusalem, HELPLESS. and compelled to
live on charity. Twelve years later her
husband returned to Jerusalem with
great reputation as scholar and with
cortege of pupils. When Nacedemone
heard of the fame of his sOn-in-law he
recognized him and his wife as his chill
dren, and at his death left them his large
fortune.
Rabbi Akiba's wife raised her only
child, q pretty girl, on the same prin-
ciDles. When that worthy woman reached
the gates of death she called her daughter
to her, and recommended her to follow
her example, to change nothing of the
ha bits of the house; to walk always in the
path of righteousness; to consider wealth
as a means to render the life of other
people happy, and finally to find her own
happiness In the consciousness of having
contributed to the happiness of man kind
The poor child promised so TO do, and the
mother returDed in peace to the angels, to
the blessed sphere wherefrom she had
come.
Rabbi Akiba's daughter did not fail to
obey the recommendations of her departed
mother. Nothing was changed in the
customs of the house. Her father, getting
old. said one day to her that he had made
up his mind to give her a second mother.
in order to help her along in the duties of
housekeeping, and TO care for him in his
old age. She answered him: DO as you
think best for your welfare" And her
father married again. The girls STEP
bother differed from her mother as dark
ness from sunshine; as devil from angel, as
hell from paradise. Stiugy, Grabbed, NJ ale
VIOLENT. selfish, all of the bad qualities
imaginable in superlative form are INSULT
Client to depict her character
Under the auspices of such manager
the house of Rabbi Akiba assumed char
acter of course very different from that
which it held before. The stranger had
no more access to it. The needy found
the door closed and guarded by cerberus
in human shape. The pupils of Rabbi
Akiba would have cursed from the depths
of their empty stomachs the human fend
had not the little angel. the grandchild of
Nacedemone, stealthily appeased their
wrath by helping them clandestinely out
with money to supply elsewhere their
dailv wants. The stepmother mortally
hated her stepdaughter, first for her good
ness and secondly for her fortune, which
she coveted. She resolved then to get rid
of her stepdaUghtPr by any means, even
by killing her. She co1trived it in this
way: Every Friday laundryman used to
come to the house to wash the dirty
clothes Of the week. She asked the laun-
dryman if be would be willing to kill her
stepdaughter for five dinars. He con-
sented and they came to an understanding
to take the poor girl out far awav in the
fe Ids under preteXt of needing her SER
vices TO guard the clothes while they were
driving in the sun.
One Friday the girl unsuspciously fol-
lowed the man very far away. When they
had reached lonely place he began 10 a buse
her, but she resisted and begged him to kill
her rather than mistreat her. He replied
IL just brought you here to kill YOU as /
am ordered by your stepmother." and the
poor girl replied. "Do the will of God"
The sweet, angelic and duplicating
voice stirred the devils nature of the man
to pity as far as demon could be moved,
and. instead of killing her at once, lie cut
into her leg and arm that she might bleed
to death and left her to the mercy of God.
Mean while young Jewish traveller
came along through the wilderness with
his camels charged with all of the reQuis-
ties for travelling in those countries. AS
it was close to the eve of the Sabbath, he
pitched his tent and prepared everything
necessary for the repose of the Sabbath
day. After having prayed he sanctfied
the Sabbath rest with benediction or a
cup of wine. How great was his surprise
to hear a weak voice answering amen to
his benedictioD. 1t was the voice of the
unfortunate girl who had dragged herself
along to the tent. after having bandaged
her wounds with strips torn from her
clothes. The surprise of the young man
changed into amaZement when he went
out to see where the voice came from. A
horrible sight presented itself TO his eyes.
A young, pretty, nicely-dressed girl, COW
cred with blood, lay on the ground With
out asking her who she was, how she came
there, or what had happened to her. he
took her into the tent, put her on the bed,
washed her wounds and bandaged them
carefully, ana cared for her in the best
way he could. On Sunday morning he
placed her carefully on a camel and took
her TO his fathers house, where she was
taken care of till her wounds had been
completely healed. Ont of gratefulness to
her savior she became his wife.
After she had given birth to aood-look-
ing boy, the husband. still young man,
asked permission to leave her for few
years in order to go to Jerusalem to Rabbi
Akiba's College. He knew not of the close
relation of his wife with Rabbi Akiba.
She consented cheerfully 20 the temporary
separation. however. She loved him dearly
and she Intended to love him still more
when he should become scholar. So he
nf