2. Lí soah bô teh siong-sìn i
Rabbi lī-khui ah, Litvak mā tòe i lī-khui. Tī pòaⁿ-lō͘, rabbi tī chàu-kha thêng lo̍h-lâi, àⁿ-io ùi bîn-chhn̂g the̍h-khí chi̍t-ki pó͘-thâu, kā seh tī io-tòa, tō lī-khui chhù. Litvak chhoah-chhoah, m̄-koh kè-sio̍k tòe.
"Kèng-ùi Ji̍t" ê im-thim khióng-pò͘ tà tī àm-sàm ê ke-lō͘ téng. Sam-put-gō͘-sî, tō thiaⁿ tio̍h Chhàm-hóe Kî-tó ê siaⁿ ùi siōng-keng hōe a̍h pēⁿ-lâng thoân lâi. Rabbi óa ke-lō͘ piⁿ kiâⁿ, pó-chhî tī chhù iáⁿ nih. I kiâⁿ kòe chi̍t-keng koh chi̍t-keng ê chhù, iá Litvak tòe leh. Litvak thiaⁿ tio̍h ka-tī sim-thiàu ê siaⁿ chham tio̍h rabbi tîm-tāng ê kha-pō͘ siaⁿ. M̄-koh i kè-sio̍k kiâⁿ, tòe rabbi lâi-kàu tìn ê kau-gōa.
Chi̍t-phiàn sió chhiū-nâ khiā tī kau-gōa hia.
Rabbi -- chiok i tn̂g hòe-siū! -- chìn-ji̍p chhiū-nâ. I kiâⁿ saⁿ/sì-cha̍p pō͘ liáu, thêng tī chi̍t-châng sè-châng chhiū-á chêng. Litvak chin hòⁿ-hiân, khòaⁿ tio̍h rabbi ùi io-tòa giú-chhut pó͘-thâu, khai-sí chhò hit-châng chhiū-á. I thiaⁿ tio̍h chhiū-á piak-siaⁿ, tó khì. Rabbi kā chhiū-kut chām chò chhâ-kho͘, koh kā chhâ-kho͘ phòa chò chhâ-phìⁿ. Jiân-āu, i kā hiah-ê chhâ kok chò tui, kō͘ i lak-tē-á nih ê soh-á kā pa̍k chò chi̍t-khún. I kā hit-khún chhâ phāiⁿ tī kha-chiah-phiaⁿ, kā pó͘-thâu seh-ji̍p io-tòa, koh tńg-lâi tìn-lāi. I thêng tī chi̍t-tiâu āu-ke, piⁿ-á sī chi̍t-keng phòa-kū ê chhù-liâu, i khok thang-á.
"Sī siáⁿ-lâng?" chi̍t-ê kiaⁿ-kiaⁿ ê siaⁿ mn̄g. Litvak jīn-chhut he sī chi̍t-ê phòa-pēⁿ Iû-thài hū-jîn lâng ê siaⁿ.
"Góa," rabbi kō͘ lông-bîn ê kháu-im ìn.
"Góa sī siáng?"
Rabbi koh kō͘ Rosía ōe kā ìn: "Vassil."
"Vassil sī siáng, lí boeh chhòng-siáⁿ?"
"Góa ū chhâ boeh bē, chin sio̍k." Bô tán hit-ê hū-jîn lâng ìn, i tō kiâⁿ-ji̍p chhù.
Litvak mā tòe i ê āu-bīn thau liu ji̍p-khì. Tī chheng-chá ê phú-kng tiong, i khòaⁿ tio̍h chi̍t-ê khó-liân ê pâng-keng, pò͘-tì phòa-kū koh òe-sòe. Chi̍t-ê pau phòa thán-á ê phòa-pēⁿ cha-bó͘, tó tī bîn-chhn̂g téng. Yi khó͘-khó͘ bâi-oàn kóng, "Bé? Góa boeh cháⁿ-iūⁿ bé ah? Sàn-chhiah kóa-hū boeh tá-lo̍h ū chîⁿ ah?"
"Góa ē-sái chioh lí," hit-ê Vassil án-ne kā ìn. "Kan-ta 6-sén chîⁿ."
"Góa boeh cháⁿ-iūⁿ hêng lí ah?" khó-liân ê cha-bó͘ án-ne ìn, ná teh haiⁿ.
"Sam-pat lah," rabbi kóng, ná-chhiūⁿ teh kā chek-pī. "Lí khòaⁿ, lí sī khó-liân, ū-pēⁿ ê Iû-thài lâng, góa kā chi̍t sut-á chhâ kau hō͘ lí, góa siong-sìn lí ē hù chîⁿ. M̄-koh, tùi lí lâi kóng, lí ū chi̍t-ê úi-tāi, ū-la̍t ê Sîn, lí soah ūi tio̍h 6-sén bô teh siong-sìn i."
"Siáng lâi hiâⁿ-hóe ah?" kóa-hū mn̄g. "Góa kám ū khùi-la̍t lo̍h-chhn̂g? Goán hāu-seⁿ khì chò-kang."
"Góa lâi hiâⁿ-hóe," rabbi ìn.
Rabbi ná kā chhâ khǹg-ji̍p hóe-lô͘ ê sî, i i-i ā-ā àm-liām Chhàm-hóe Kî-tó ê tē-it pō͘-hūn.
I ná teh tiám-hóe, chhâ ná teh to̍h kah chin ōng ê sî, i koh-khah hoaⁿ-hí, i kè-sio̍k àm-liām Chhàm-hóe Kî-tó ê tē-jī pō͘-hūn. Tán hóe to̍h chhiâng-chāi ê sî, i àm-liām tē-saⁿ pō͘-hūn, kā lô͘-á mn̂g koaiⁿ hó.
Khòaⁿ tio̍h chiah-ê it-chhè ê Litvak chiâⁿ-chò rabbi ê bûn-tô͘.
Án-ne liáu-āu, nā ū pa̍t-ê bûn-tô͘ kóng Nemirov rabbi tī Chhàm-hóe Kî-tó ê sî seng-thiⁿ khì, Litvak tō bô chhiò. I kan-ta chēng-chēng ke chi̍t-kù: "Siōng-bô ū hiah koân."
--
2. 你煞無 teh 相信伊
Rabbi 離開 ah, Litvak mā 綴伊離開. Tī 半路, rabbi tī 灶跤停落來, àⁿ 腰 ùi 眠床提起一支斧頭, kā 楔 tī 腰帶, tō 離開厝. Litvak 掣掣, 毋過繼續綴.
"敬畏日" ê 陰鴆恐怖罩 tī 暗毿 ê 街路頂. 三不五時, tō 聽著懺悔祈禱 ê 聲 ùi 誦經會 a̍h 病人傳來. Rabbi 倚街路邊行, 保持 tī 厝影 nih. 伊行過一間 koh 一間 ê 厝, iá Litvak 綴 leh. Litvak 聽著家己心跳 ê 聲參著 rabbi 沉重 ê 跤步聲. 毋過伊繼續行, 綴 rabbi 來到鎮 ê 郊外.
一遍小樹林徛 tī 郊外 hia.
Rabbi -- 祝伊長歲壽! -- 進入樹林. 伊行三四十步了, 停 tī 一叢細叢樹仔前. Litvak 真好玄, 看著 rabbi ùi 腰帶搝出斧頭, 開始剉彼叢樹仔. 伊聽著樹仔噼聲, 倒去. Rabbi kā 樹骨鏨做柴箍, koh kā 柴箍破做柴片. 然後, 伊 kā hiah-ê 柴 kok 做堆, kō͘ 伊橐袋仔 nih ê 索仔 kā 縛做一捆. 伊 kā 彼捆柴揹 tī 尻脊骿, kā 斧頭楔入腰帶, koh 轉來鎮內. 伊停 tī 一條後街, 邊仔是一間破舊 ê 厝寮, 伊硞窗仔.
"是啥人?" 一个驚驚 ê 聲問. Litvak 認出彼是一个破病猶太婦人 lâng ê 聲.
"我," rabbi kō͘ 農民 ê口音應.
"我是 siáng?"
Rabbi koh kō͘ Rosía 話 kā 應: "Vassil."
"Vassil 是 siáng, 你欲創啥?"
"我有柴欲賣, 真俗." 無等彼个婦人 lâng 應, 伊 tō 行入厝.
Litvak mā 綴伊 ê 後面偷溜入去. Tī 清早 ê 殕光中, 伊看著一个可憐 ê 房間, 布置破舊 koh 穢涗. 一个包破毯仔 ê 破病查某, 倒 tī 眠床頂. 她苦苦埋怨講, "買? 我欲 cháⁿ-iūⁿ 買 ah? 散赤寡婦欲佗落有錢 ah?"
"我會使借你," 彼个 Vassil án-ne kā 應. "干焦 6-sén 錢."
"我欲 cháⁿ-iūⁿ 還你 ah?" 可憐 ê 查某 án-ne 應, ná teh 哼.
"三八 lah," rabbi 講, ná 像 teh kā 責備. "你看, 你是可憐, 有病 ê 猶太人, 我 kā 一屑仔柴交予你, 我相信你會付錢. 毋過, 對你來講, 你有一个偉大, 有力 ê 神, 你煞為著 6-sén 無 teh 相信伊."
"Siáng 來燃火 ah?" 寡婦問. "我敢有氣力落床? 阮後生去做工."
"我來燃火," rabbi 應.
Rabbi ná kā 柴囥入火爐 ê 時, 伊 i-i ā-ā 暗念懺悔祈禱 ê 第一部份.
伊 ná teh 點火, 柴 ná teh to̍h kah 真旺 ê 時, 伊閣較歡喜, 伊繼續暗念懺悔祈禱 ê 第二部份. 等火 to̍h 常在 ê 時, 伊暗念第三部份, kā 爐仔門關好.
看著 chiah-ê 一切 ê Litvak 成做 rabbi ê 門徒.
Án-ne 了後, 若有別个門徒講 Nemirov rabbi tī 懺悔祈禱 ê 時升天去, Litvak tō 無笑. 伊干焦靜靜加一句: "上無有遐懸."
--
2.
The rabbi leaves and the Litvak follows. On the way the rabbi stops in the kitchen, bends down, takes an axe from the bed, puts it into his belt, and leaves the house. The Litvak trembles but continues to follow.
The hushed dread of the Days of Awe hangs over the dark streets. Every once in a while a cry rises from some minyan reciting the Penitential Prayers, or from a sickbed. The rabbi hugs the sides of the streets, keeping to the shade of the houses. He glides from house to house, and the Litvak after him. The Litvak hears the sound of his heartbeats mingling with the sound of the rabbi’s heavy steps. But he keeps on going and follows the rabbi to the outskirts of town.
A small wood stands just outside the town.
The rabbi - long life to him! - enters the wood. He takes thirty or forty steps and stops by a small tree. The Litvak, overcome with amazement, watches the rabbi take the axe out of his belt and strike the tree. He hears the tree creak and fall. The rabbi chops the tree into logs and the logs into sticks. Then he makes a bundle of the wood and ties it with the rope in his pocket. He puts the bundle of wood on his back, shoves the axe back into his belt, and returns to the town. He stops at a back street besides a small, broken-down shack and knocks at the window.
"Who is there?" asks a frightened voice. The Litvaks recognizes it as the voice of a sick Jewish woman.
"I" answers the rabbi in the accent of a peasant.
"Who is I?"
Again the rabbi answers in Russian. "Vassil."
"Who is Vassil, and what do you want?"
"I have wood to sell, very cheap." And not waiting for the woman’s reply, he goes into the house.
The Litvak steals in after him. In the gray light of early morning he sees a poor room with broken, miserable furnishings. A sick woman, wrapped in rags, lies on the bed. She complains bitterly, "Buy? How can I buy? Where will a poor widow get money?"
"I’ll lend it to you," answers the supposed Vassil. "It’s only six cents."
"And how will I ever pay you back?" asks the poor woman, groaning.
"Foolish one," says the rabbi reproachfully. "See, you are a poor, sick Jew, and I am ready to trust you with a little wood. I am sure you’ll pay. While you, you have such a great and mighty God and you don’t trust him for six cents."
"And who will kindle the fire?" asks the widow? "Have I the strength to get up? My son is at work."
"I’ll kindle the fire," answers the rabbi.
As the rabbi puts the wood into the oven he recited, in a groan, the first portion of the Penitential Prayers.
As he kindled the fire and the wood burned brightly, he recited, a bit more joyously, the second portion of the Penitential Prayers. When the fire was set, he recited the third portion, and shut the stove.
The Litvak who saw all this became a disciple of the rabbi.
And ever after, when another disciple tells how the rabbi of Nemirov ascends to heaven at the time of the Penitential Prayers, the Litvak does not laugh. He only adds quietly, "If not higher."
--
// 2022-7-22
I.L. Peretz (1852-1915), was one of the greatest and most beloved of the Yiddish writers in the late 19th and early 20th Century. Although a maskilic (secularist) writer, he maintained a great fondness and respect for the Chasidic world and frequently wrote about the kindness that he saw as central to Jewish religious life.
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