S. Agnon - A Guest for the NIght

An hour later Zippora came, followed by Kuba. The doctor examined the patient and stayed a long time. When he left I followed him and told him that Reb Hayim had entrusted me with his will. Kuba took off his hat, shook it this way and that, and said nothing. I was afraid to ask if he thought Reb Hayim’s death was near, and I was afraid he might tell me of his own accord, so I went my way. Kuba put on his hat, clasped his hands behind his back, and began walking away from me, jerking his feet in front of him. Finally he turned his head and shouted at me, “Why don’t we see you?” “What do you mean you don’t see me?” said I. “Don’t you see me now?” “Because you don’t come to visit me,” said Kuba. “If I don’t come to see you,” I replied, “it is because I am taking care of the sick man.” “You are taking care of the sick man?” said Kuba, “then you can come to see me next week.” “Next week?” “ Servus !” My heart felt weak and a mist gathered before my eyes. I stood there in the street and did not know where to go. It was impossible to follow Kuba, for he had said I should come to him next week, and this week was not yet over. And it was impossible to go to Reb Hayim, for fear of what he might notice in me.

That day was Sabbath eve. In the hotel they were baking and cooking and making everything ready for the Sabbath. If I am not mistaken, a new guest had arrived — or perhaps there was no guest, but I only thought there was one. Because of that guest I found it hard to stay there, and I went back to the sick man.

Vus hot ihr sich eppis in mir ungetchepit ? I said suddenly in the language the people of my town speak, and I was astonished. First, because there was no one there who was following me, and second, because I thought that when I talked to myself I spoke in the Holy Tongue, and now I was speaking in the language of every day.

This man who suddenly molested me and suddenly disappeared, and appeared again all of a sudden, had a face like a butcher but a beard like an official rabbi. As I was engrossed in my thoughts, I paid him no heed. But he paid heed to me, and said, “Are you going to see Reb Hayim?” “How do you know I am going to see Reb Hayim?” “Because I am going to see him too.” I said to myself: He is leading a lamb with him, so how can he go in to see Reb Hayim? He bent down, plucked a handful of grass, thrust it into the lamb’s mouth, and said, “Moses, why are you looking that way?” “Are you talking to me?” said I. “My name is not Moses, and I am not looking that way.” “Moses,” he said to me, “do you mean to tell me you are not looking that way? Now, that pigeon, which is flying there, aren’t you looking at it?” “There is no pigeon here,” I replied, “and my name is not Moses.” “What else then?” said he. “Perhaps it is a bear dancing there on the rabbi’s hat?” I reproached him with “ Vus hot ihr sich in mir ungetchepit ?” Said he, “If you like, I will show you a marvel. You see this lamb? Look, I pull the rope and it disappears.” I looked this way and that and said, “Where is the marvel you spoke of?” Said he, “Since you believe I can do it, there is no need for me to take the trouble, but so as not to leave you empty-handed, watch me rubbing myself against the wall and saying ‘ Mu’es ’ and you will imagine that Ignatz is here.” “That is no marvel,” said I, “for here is Ignatz already standing before me.” “And I?” He struck his hat and said, “And where am I?” “You? Where are you?”

“Who was that man who was leading a lamb?” I asked Ignatz. Ignatz raised his head, looked at me through the three holes in his face, and said, “There was no man here and no lamb.” “But I saw them myself.” “No doubt the gentleman was kind enough to imagine it,” said Ignatz. I changed the subject and said, “It is hot today, Ignatz. I’m afraid rain will fall.” “It’s a hot day, sir,” said Ignatz. “What is that flying over there on the roof of the Beit Midrash?” said I. “It’s a crow or a pigeon,” said Ignatz. “If so,” said I to myself, “that man was telling the truth.” “What man?” “The man with the lamb.” “What lamb?” “The lamb the man was leading, who is called ‘Moses.’” “Moses? But who here is called Moses?” “That’s what I am asking you.” “There are a few men called Moses in the town,” said Ignatz. “So why did you say ‘I don’t know’?” “But you were asking about a particular Moses,” said Ignatz, “and not just any Moses. Mu’es , sir, mu’es .” I gave him some money and moved on.

I went in to Reb Hayim and found Hannah sitting there dozing. She woke up, wiped her eyes, and stood up, asking me to sit. “I am prepared to sit down,” said I, “so that you can go home and rest a little.” “I shall wait until Zippora comes,” said Hannah. Her father fixed his eyes upon her imploringly and said, “Go, my daughter, go.” Hannah looked into her father’s face and went out unwillingly.

“How did you pass the night?” I asked Reb Hayim. Reb Hayim bent his head toward his heart and a clear light shone from his eyes. After a little while he got out of bed and left the room. When he came back, he washed his hands and recited the benediction, “Who created man with wisdom.” Then he got back into bed, lay down flat, and said, “Now I am being called.”

I looked to see who was calling him. Reb Hayim noticed this and smiled.

At that moment his face shone like the flame of a candle and his eyes glowed like the sun. He washed his hands again, recited the “Hear, O Israel,” and gave up his soul.

When the people from the Holy Burial Society came to wash his body I remembered the sheet of paper Reb Hayim had given me, and opened and read it. The will was carefully arranged in paragraphs, of which there were seven:

“a) To you, good people, I call, to you, the God-fearing men of the Holy Burial Society, who perform unselfish charity: bury me in the portion of the field where they bury the premature infants.

“b) I beseech and implore you not to set any tombstone on my grave, and if my relatives wish to make a mark on my grave let them make it of wood and write on it in simple letters, ‘Here lies Hayim,’ and add nothing more but the initials of the phrase ‘May his soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life.’

“c) I beseech and implore the illustrious President of the Rabbinical Court, may he live long and well, to forgive me for harassing him and offending him in public; although he surely has forgiven me of himself the humiliation I caused him, in any case I beg of him to cast out any grudge from his heart.

“d) I beseech and implore anyone to whom I have done any injury, either in body or in property, by controversy and argument — if they are alive I beg of them to pardon me with all their hearts, and if they have passed away and the place of their burial is known, I beg of merciful men, if they should happen to come across their graves, to go to beg pardon of them in my name. But they should not spend money for this purpose, as in hiring a quorum of ten men to go to their graves.

“e) I beseech and implore my daughters to show respect to their mother and not trouble her by word or hint, and I particularly beg pardon of her for all the trouble I have caused her in this world.

“f) Since no man knows his last day, therefore I charge, with the force of the charge to fulfill the commands of the dead, that, if I die and am buried on a day on which supplications are recited, no funeral orations should be delivered, and no orations be pronounced after the seven days of mourning.

“g) But I ask that a chapter of Mishna should be studied for the repose of my soul. For this purpose I leave a sum of money that I have earned by the labor of my body. And I look forward to the mercy of heaven and the mercy of men to deal graciously with my soul, studying the Mishna with the commentary, word by word, and reciting the Rabbinical Kaddish after they study, according to custom and habit. And after the Rabbinical Kaddish, they should recite Psalm 102, the prayer of the afflicted. And I am certain and confident that my virtuous daughters, long may they live, will bear me no grudge that I spend the sum of money which should have come to them as an inheritance for my own benefit and pleasure, and I hope for the mercy of heaven, for in the welfare of their father they shall fare well all their days.”