The San Francisco call., 1904-06-12
CHAPTER ".
THE WAYS OF THE TALMUD
TORAE.

IN those early days Of a very diffldent
disposition. The boys at school dis
liked me for my reserve, mistaking my
melancholy shyness for pride. II it
had not been for Ephraim, the only
friend had. the boys would have pill
feIed all my belongings and would
probably have resorted to physical tor
ture- But everybody feared him. He
vas the biggest and strongest Of the
boys. 30 naturally his word was law to
them.
Time slowly healed the wound made
by the death Of my mother, and little
by little became accustomed TO my
new life OF poverty-nay. more, even
began 20 be almost happy. Perhaps II
II had not been my fortune 70 gain the
friendship OF Ephraim life would not
have run 80 smoothly, but with him
everything else was forgotten. Al
though we were quite different In mind
and disposition, yet our souls seemed
20 cieave TO one another. Hand In
hand We would leave the town limits
and lose ourselves IN the ar-stretching
fields Of blooming rye, waving wheat
and oats, and hear the swishIng Of the
purple stalks above our heads as we
would run breathlessly through the
promontory we would look miles away
over endless expanses OF growing grain.
ridged by the tickling winds in wave
Ike folds, when everything seemed
floating and swimming-the grass, the
bushy leaves, the ears OF grain, the
fOwery bloom-when everything swan
in never-ending tides. Ephraim could
initiate almost any voice, and he would
often echo the cuckoo, whistle with
fawless purity OF the canary. or chirp
as none but birds and Ephraim could
do Like little kittens We would roll
over one another, wrestle, vie in throw
ing stones (of course Ephraim beat me
every time), and yell in order to hear
our echoes I would shout myself
hoarse in order 10 hear the resoundins
answer in the distant forest until
Ephraim would put his hand over my
mouth and hush me TO silence. What
did I not imagine those voices werei
Echoes from another world. angelic
voices. voices that descended from
heaven like rolls Of thunder.
AIy oriental imagination fund in
finite pleasure in the fancif1l prophets,
and their inexpressible charm COM
pietely caDtivated my mystic mind.
For though I began the study Of Tai
muG that summer. did not neglect the
Bible. I applied myself zealously to
the prophets until had committed to
memory Isaiah. Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
the Song Of Songs, Lamentations, and
nearly all Of the Psalms. Ny prof.
cheney was soon rumored about anl /
became an object Of curiosity. People
would surround me in the synagogue
and test my knowledge by reading a
verse and asking me to give the next
one. which I did without hesitation.
Ephraim was proud Of me, and the
other boys hated me the more.
Dreaming and mystic by nature, I
was made more so by my devotion to
the prophets. Ny mind had became so
imbued with the historical scenes of
the Bible that when I read a passage
a vision Of the event described would
arise before me with all the vividness
OF reality. 1 would see the celestial.
peerless poet and prophet, Isaiah, his
flowing Asiatic garb thrown loosely
over his shoulders, his dark bearded
face and wandering eyes lifted heaven
ward, fearlessly pouring forth his fiery
eloquence and foretelling the doom Of
nations; I would see the weeping
prophet jeremiah, his head bent down,
supported by both his hands, sitting by
the ruins Of the holy city and bewailing
the downfall Of his people and their
sanctuaries-I would even fancy that
heard the prophets grosns; I would
see Ezekiel-the cabalistic dreamer and
Notwithstanding by the river Of Che
bar and beholding visions in the open
heavens.
During this period almost lived in
the books Of the prophets; their words
were ever in my mind, their visions al
ways reflected vividly in my inagina-
ton.
The summer passed and the Russian
winter, with its hoary frosts and long
nights, arrived. The winter school
hours were from nine In the morning
TIL ten at night. Fragmentary scenes
OF the school arise in my mind. ! see
the schOolroon, sometimes overheated
and sometimes shivering cold, but al
ways close and reeking, with its lamps
suspended on long wires from the cell
ing, the windows thickly covered with
ice and snow so it is scarcely possible
10 look through them, the floor thick
with dirt, which keeps on accumuIat-
ing and scarcelL ever feeling
the stroke of a broom: fifty or
more boys cudgeling their brains over
their obsolete studies. with their torn
caps, through which their hair pro-
trudes, and with torn boots, through
which toes peep out, and which have
been Enended so often that there is al
most nothing left 10 patch upon; and
] see them munching crusts of bread.
which they receive from the institution
on the days when they have no days"
and saying parrotlike grace after swal-
lowing the last mouthfuI, and wishing
there had been a few bites more. And
then I see the school at night. It is
midnight Outside, the winds are
bowling and chasing the drifting snow.
I hear the grewsome noise in the iue.
/ am stretched on the warm Dutch
oven, with Ephraim by my side, snor-
ing complacently; the other boys lie on