Martin Fieber - He Who Returned

“Umm. Uh. Rabbi, I, uh, I had to concentrate so much on reading that I unfortunately don’t know the answer.”

“Fine, then the other way around. Are we permitted to eat camel? Simeon?”

He did not reply.

“Amos?”

“I don’t know either.”

“Why don’t you two pay attention?” Samuel was close to giving up on them. There simply was no use.

“Ismael, you surely know the answer. Are we allowed to eat a camel?”

“No, rabbi. We are not allowed to do that. It says in the scriptures that we are allowed to eat quadrupeds that have completely cloven hooves and are ruminants. And while the camel is a ruminant, its hooves are only partially cloven.”

“Very good Ismael. Which quadrupeds are kosher? Jesus? Do you know?”

“Honourable rabbi, we are allowed to eat the cow, the goat, the sheep, mountain goats and the gazelle.” Jesus was visibly annoyed by the topic, for these strict superficial rules were not his thing at all. But since he felt like pricking the rabbi a little he continued. “We are however not allowed to eat the hip of the animals, since in honor of Jacobs fight with the angel those are to be spared.”

Samuel was astonished once again. Where did that obstructionist get his knowledge from? It seemed as if there was no topic on which he would not be able to give an answer. “Good. If you know so much, then please tell me, which birds are kosher and why we are not allowed to touch them?”

“If that is all you ask, I will gladly oblige.” Jesus was in a good mood and in his element. Today he was enjoying his face-off with the rabbi.

“The eagle, vulture, all kinds of ravens and the falcon are forbidden. Since they are birds of prey, people are afraid that their qualities would be transferred upon them. Rabbi, there are many more birds, but I think that would lead to far afield.”

Now Samuel had had enough. “Yes, Jesus, you know a lot, however I hear a certain tone of irony in your voice. What is the meaning of this?”

“Honourable rabbi, I can answer that if you wish.”

“Then speak and stop purring about here.”

“It is obvious that cleanliness and filthiness are a favorite topic of yours.” The expression on Jesus’ face changed and attentive observers could not fail to realize that he was using words from another world.

“Last week we spoke about hands and feet, which according to the law are impure. Yet I ask myself why feet are supposed to be impure, when they touch the holiest thing that there is, namely the earth? Or how could hands be impure, when it is they who help brothers and sisters with their problems and can treat illnesses? We also spoke about impure people last week. Is it possible at all that humans could be impure? I have respect for the writings of our ancestors, of our fathers and forefathers, yet they were written by people and were told in a time that does not match our own. If a person were starving, and the only thing he could eat were an ostrich that offered itself to him, would it not be in line with the spirit of God to do so? Or ought he to starve to death instead, just because the ostrich is not kosher? Do you believe that that would be what our and your God intended? Would you not save your son and give him meat of the ostrich if you could thereby save his life?” Jesus was finished. The silence that followed was both noble and terrible at once.

“Get out of this holy place. I don’t want to see you here again today. Get lost, you false Messiah.” Samuel was angrier than he had rarely been before. The gall of that lout. How dared he expose him in front of all of the children like that? “Go on, get lost already.”

“Nothing rather than that, honorable rabbi.” Jesus stood up and left the synagogue, gazing deeply into Joshua’s eyes on the way out.

The rest of the lesson went by fairly quickly. Joshua barely even dared to breathe. Nor was as much as a sigh heard from any of the other boys. Samuel continued and told them everything else there was to know about cleanliness and impurity. But Joshua did not register even a single word of it. Finally, the lesson was over.

Samuel threateningly approached Joshua. “Joshua, I want you to forget the words of Jesus as quickly as possible. They were spoken by a demon. Jesus was not himself today. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, father.”

“And I also don’t want you playing with him or speaking with him anymore. Is that clear as well?”

Joshua did not answer this time.

“Is that clear, my son?”

Joshua was very afraid and wanted to go to bed in one piece tonight. So he said yes.

Joshua was sad and shaken. He wanted to never forget those words of Jesus, for the power of Jesus was simply too impressive. What energy Jesus radiated! He was impressed how that boy was able to stand up to his father, and how he in fact did stand up to him! Where did those words come from? What was clear to him already was that the words did not come, as his law-loving father claimed, from a demon. So where did they come from then? It seemed as if Jesus had stepped into another world earlier. And when his gaze met the blue eyes of Jesus, when he had to leave the synagogue, he had gazed deeply into the origin of the universe and recognized the love that was behind it all. This love came directly from God. This love made him sad and angry, just like the prohibitions of his father. He hated the rabbi. He would always hate him.

After the lesson today I noticed the anger I felt toward the rabbi. How could that dumb man react in such a way? He ought to be a role model for us. Or am I that for off here, father? Why did you grant him the office of being a rabbi? Sadly I am not getting any reply from you. And sadly I had an attack of weakness when I got home. I simply must be more patient with myself.

My mother says that I have to have patience and understanding when it comes to people, especially for example Samuel. But how is that possible, father? Father, how can I be patient with a dumb person who has so much power? And how can I possibly even be understanding toward him? I do not comprehend that.

Please teach me how I can love Samuel ,how I can understand his way of doing things. God, please bless the people of Nazareth. Father, please also bless Samuel.

∞

Today Joshua was allowed to stop his writing exercises early, for Samuel was satisfied with his performance. This was very convenient for Joshua, for he longed to see the olive tree up on the hill, to lean up against its trunk and spend the rest of the day of there.

He quickly set out toward the tree. None of the playing children could sway him to pause in the dusty alleyway. He ran up the hill and heard himself say “I love you“, as he touched the olive tree and sat down next to its gnarled trunk which radiated patience and absolute love. Joshua got comfortable and let his spirit wander with his gaze across the horizon. He left time and space behind. For a long moment he was in a sun-filled world without violence. He was in a world of beauty and harmony, until he heard a flute melody reach his ear from somewhere. It took him a moment to recall where he was, sitting against the olive tree. Then a moment later he spotted Jesus coming up the path, still playing his flute.

“Joshua, may I lend you some company?”

“Sure, Jesus, gladly.”

“Are you often here?”

“Yes, but not often enough, for this is where I find peace and quiet. I often miss that.”

“Yes, I understand that.” Jesus sat down next to Joshua and gazed into the distance until his view settled on Mt. Tabor. “Isn’t that a beautiful mountain? Sometimes I dream that lights travel over the mountain very quickly. Then a voice tells me that I am being accompanied on my life’s path and protected, no matter where I go.”