Page:Yiddish Tales.djvu/590

 586 A FOLK TALE

The Eabbi saw that words would just then be useless.

A beautiful thought came to him, and he said : "So be it, dear friend ! Come into the synagogue to-morrow at this time, and I will grant your request. But till then you must fast, and you must not sleep all night, but watch in prayer, for this is a very grave and dreadful thing."

The Jew went away full of gladness, and did as the Eabbi had told him. Next day, at the appointed time, he came again, wan with hunger and lack of sleep.

The Eabbi took the key of the synagogue, and they went in there together. In the synagogue all was quiet.

The Eabbi put on a prayer-scarf and a robe, lighted some black candles, threw off his shoes, took the Jew by the hand, and led him up to the ark.

The Eabbi opened the ark, took out a scroll of the Law, and said:

"You know that for us Jews the scroll of the Law is the most sacred of all things, and that the list of denun- ciations occurs in it twice.

"I swear to you by the scroll of the Law : If any Jew, whosoever he be, requires blood at Passover, may all the curses contained in the two lists of denunciations be on my head, and on the head of my whole family !"

The Jew was greatly startled.

He knew that the Eabbi had never before sworn an oath, and now, for his sake, he had sworn an oath so dreadful !

The Jew wept much, and said:

"Dear Eabbi, I have sinned before God and before you. I pray you, pardon me and give me a hard penance,