The New Testament
AARON LOB was very well aware that there existed two other religions besides the Jewish one; that of the Christians and that of the Turks. This he knew because in his own hamlet there dwelt both Christians and Turks. Concerning the former he knew that they observed Sunday instead of Saturday; and that they ate pork. And concerning the latter he knew that they kept their Sabbath on Friday. In neither of their religions did Aaron Lob place any credence, but he was inclined to look with more favor upon the Turkish one; for in the first place, the Turks circumcised their children—true enough, not before they were thirteen— and in the second place, they ate no pork. And to Aaron Lob this latter consideration was sufficient proof of the spiritual superiority of their religion. Hence Aaron Lob was more tolerant of the Turks than of the Christians, though both were foreign to him.
OE I IO IID EEE INI OIE IRE I OE EEEOES Aaron Lob was a good Jew and scholar. The women of his hamlet even used to ask him to settle simple questions about the law. He always argued with himself that he had no right to decide, still he always did so, for he really knew no less than the Rav. . . . But about the other two religions, he knew nothing. About the Nazarene there was indeed mention made in the Talmud, but so little, that Aaron Lob had no more knowledge of him than had his wife Zippe, who used to tell her children that he had been pelted with heads of cabbage. Aaron Lob realized that at present there was contention between the Jews and Gentiles, but that when the Messiah would appear, all nations would become Jews. ‘ Among his Christian neighbors, Aaron knew a certain Anufri who had some knowledge of the printed word. Anufri very often would have liked to converse with Aaron Lob about religion, that is to say about the Jewish belief and his own, but Aaron Lob was always reluctant to enter such a discussion. In the first place, he found difficulty in speaking his language and in the second place, a religious discussion is dangerous. How could he venture opinion about the Nazarene? To tell the truth, Anufri was an amiable Gentile, but a Gentile will always be a Gentile. And if he, Aaron, gave vent to some offending remark, Anufri might tell tales and he (Heaven forbid!) might yet rot away in prison.
7- Still, he was always curious to know what kind of faith theirs was. “You can’t explain it by saying that the whole world is crazy,” he used to ponder. And although this thought savored greatly of heresy, from which Aaron Lob was very remote, it used, as though spitefully, to sink deeper and deeper into his mind. And especially on their holiday eves when the bells of their cloister used to peal solemnly and rouse disquieting thoughts in Aaron Lob’s head.
One morning Aaron Lob came to the synagogue just as usual—the congregation had not yet assembled. He heard a few Jews with the sexton in their midst discussing something. So he walked over and listened. They were talking over some exciting news . . . Somebody or other had arrived the night before with a whole crate of Bibles in black bindings and was giving them away free. - \ .- \
When he heard about Bibles being given away free, Aaron Lob suddenly remembered that he had need of one. And he would be nothing loath to accept one. So he inquired:
“Where can I find this Jew?” The sexton laughed— “He is as much a Jew as I am a Gentile.” “What else is he?” asked Aaron Lob in great astonishment. “An apostate, a real apostate, may his name be effaced.” “Then why should he be giving away Bibles?” asked Aaron Lob in even greater astonishment, and his hair and fingernails grew tense. “He! he! he!” laughed the sexton, “You, Aaron Lob, should not know that! They are missionaries’ Bibles . . . Understand? Everything there is just as in the real Bible, but one verse is a little different, and in this one verse is their whole scheme.” And the sexton took from the Ark an old, torn Bible, turned the leaves and found the verse, “Behold! This young woman shall conceive !” “You see, with this verse they turn their whole trick . . . Understand? . . . Now go and take their Bibles!”
Aaron Lob did not fully understand what kind of trick they could turn which should be fraught with so much danger, but not wishing to show his ignorance in this matter he kept silent; then said almost under his breath, SOs 23 talet Such a tale!”
"Why do you wonder?" asked the sexton complacent in his knowledge, "they also have brains, but always for contrariness."
"That is to say he is an apostate?" asked Aaron Lob and his hands and feet trembled with eagerness.
"What then is he?" answered the sexton, "will a Jew give away a Bible for nothing? . . . and Bibles alone? . . . He gives something else free too, they say."
"What else?" Aaron Lob grew intensely interested."May the Lord protect and preserve!" The second book is perilous. It is the New Testament!""Te! te! te!" marvels Aaron Lob. "Tell me, I pray you, is it all in Hebrew?"
"They say," answered the sexton, "that both the name and the book are in the holy tongue." The synagogue grew more crowded with newly arrived
worshipers ; the discussion grew broader and deeper ; one young man who was a teacher in a nearby city thus ad- 1765566 the full body of worshipers.
“Tt is quite a common occurrence. There is a certain sect which. spends much gold to convert Jews . . . all to a single one. . . . They have millions themselves, and it is said that the government also gives money. First they try to bewilder with their Bible . . . for that savors of Jewishness, but that Bible is falsified. . . . You understand? By means of the nook of Isaiah they raise doubts, especially by quoting, Behold! This young woman shall conceive! . . . But in the Psalms, too. They try to show that he is of the seed of David.”
“What, of David our King?” asked Aaron Lob. Meanwhile the Rav arrived. The congregation made way. The Rav, a tall, thin Jew, from whom his cloak dropped like a black sack, walked through muttering the passage, “How beautiful is thy dwelling— ;” then turned pack to the congregation.
(Continued on page 217)