The San Francisco call., 1904-06-19

nO-nOtnlnB.
Il won't denounce you" L reassured
him. You may show me the little
book"
He stared at me dubiously. But
there really was but one course open to
him-to take me into his confidence. He
looked about fearfully, as if he did not
he said in a low voice: This is Push
kin" And looking up to me he contin-
ued: oh. perhaps you don't know who
Pushkin is. He is the greatest Rus
sian poet, and his verses are so beauti-
fully wild that they almost tehr my
heart when / read, them"
looked incredulous. ] wished not to
disclose TO him the fact that l had read
Pushkin. Pretending perfect ignor-
ance and innocence, 1 returned: Il
would not read such poems"
''Ah, il is because you do not under
stand them" he rejoined warmly. and
his black eyes sparlded. II you did
you would forget eating and drinking
and sleeping and do nothing but read
his verses. II makes your heart throb
and the blood in your veins run
warmer, swifter. Ii is not like the
Talmud-it is more inspiring, more
elevating."
I stared amazed. This from Rosen-
cranz's lips,
I still feigned innocence: But they
are gentle books, How can you COM
pare them TO the Talmud?"
He concealed Pushkin in his trousers
pocket and paused meditatively a few
minutes, as If he were hesitating
whether or not TO speak The dawn
-
dows of the seminary. and Rosen-
cranz's face grew paler and more
greenish from the cold morning light.
Then he clasped me by the hand and
spoke impulsively: You are blind
you are blind. Do not remain in dark
ness and nebulous superstition. Flee
from the narrow compass of the syna-
gogue. There is a larger, greater,
grander sphere than that circumscribed
, by the boundaries of the orthodox
faith. The world is not as gloomy and
sordid as you have experienced it in
the inclosure of our self-made Ghetto.
Waste no more of your profitable youth
and vigor of boyhood on the almost
obsolete genius of ancient generations.
Not everything that is old is necessar-
4 lily sacred, and nothing is sacred be-
cause II is old. Idolatry is the oldest
worship. for that matter. II is the fee
bier element in man that reveres age;
the more vigorous vitality sympathiZes
with old age, but never venerates, it"
He spoke fervently; his eyes glowed
with inspiration. 1 drank in every
word that fell from his mouth as If it
came from the lips of a prophet
he ha
Ously. who are endowed with He
brew genius and who should be the
torch bearers OF true civilization and
enlightenment are rotting away in the
swamps Of the synagogue. All, how
many brilliant gems-myriads of them
sink in the bottomless Talmudic
mire! Russia-Lithuania in particular
is an inestimable gold mine, but there
are no spectators found TO work 1t.
Oh, the Talmudl the Talmudi" he cried
out with real pain and agony. his lips
trem bling with agitation, that golden
chain that throttles the Jewish youths
OF Russiai Does not the Talmud itself
say, in commenting on the verse He
hath set me in dark places (Lamen-
tations), that means the Babylonian
Talmud? But our people are beginning
to open their eyes now that the Car
has opened the schools to US. All. one
decade of federation and liberty, and
our people will flourish as in the days
Of old. 1t takes other nations a cen
tury to make a progressive step, but ii
takes the Jews only a generation,
quarter Of a century, if liberty be given
them, to overtake them all. Awake,
Israeli The hour is striking now. If
you oversleep this chance, God knows
when the hour will strike for you
again"
He thus poured forth his feelings.
tears glistening in his eyes. He laid
bare before me the conditions Of our
faith, the absurd system Of the yes
hiva, how much energy was wasted on
useless studies while there were so
many better. more useful, nobler things
for which to spend ones life. He told
me Of a secret society TO which he be-
longed, whose object was the promul-
cation Of liberal ideas, and he urged
me TO join il and come into the light.
All this stirred the slumbering feelings
OF my soul, revived the dying recollec-
tions of Russian literature-of Katia,
and made me think and doubt.
Iy, and Rabbi Brill. clad in a long.
light robe. with tephiiim (phylacteries)
on his head, stepped in like an appari-
tion. He held his Mishna pocket edi
ton in one hand. with his index finger
between the leaves. and with the other
he was fondling the straps that hung
down from the tephilim. He stopped
in front OF Nehemiah and me, and
smiling benignly said in his fatherly,
'care-taking. hoarse voice, "The yes
hiva is imposing a too heavy burden
on you children-always Nehemiah and
Israel" and he tapped US on the
shoulders in a most paternal manner.
And raising his eyes to the long clock
that hung on the wall at the entrance,
he added: $50 late. and only two of
you?"
CHAPTER XVII
I BEGIN TO DOUBT.