Folktales of the Jews, Vol. 1: Tales from the Sephardic Dispersion

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The publication of this book is made possible through these generous gifts:

Lloyd E. Cotsen In honor of my great-grandparents and my grandparents, who came out of Eastern Europe The Maurice Amado Foundation National Endowment for the Humanities National Foundation for Jewish Culture

Harold and Geraldine Cramer David Lerman and Shelley Wallock, celebrating the graduate school, college, and high school graduations of their children Mr. and Mrs. Howard S. Richmond, in memory of Rose and Edgar Burton Gayle and David Smith, in memory of their parents: Judge Edward and Ruth Rosenwald and Robert Smith and Evelyn Lieberman *

Dr. D. Walter Cohen Barry and Carol Nove *

Rabbi Marc D. Angel • Alan J. Bloch and Nancy M. Berman • Dr. and Mrs. Edward H. Bossen Ambassador and Mrs. Edward E. Elson · Allan R. Frank · Ellen P. Goodman · Daniel A. Harris Phyllis M. Holtzman · Charles S. Houser · Jerome Allen Kellner Mr. and Mrs. A. Leo Levin • Mary M. Pernicone • Rabbi Aaron M. Petuchowski · Denise H. Portner Jerome J. Shestack • Rabbi and Mrs. Jonathan A. Stein · Dr. Harold and Phyllis Teplitz E. Kinney Zalesne and Scott Siff *

E m a n u e l M. A b r a m s · Mark and Michelle A b r a m s o n • Rabbi Richard F. A d d r e s s · Libby R. A d e l m a n Mr. and Mrs. S a n f o r d M. Aulor Steven A. Bleier

Ellen Barr

Eugene Borowitz

l.arry Berkin • Stephen A. Bernard

Dr. and Mrs. J o n a s Brachfeld

Rabbi Steven D. Burton · Dr. and Mrs. N o r m a n C h a s s i n

Stephen Best

B e n j a m i n H. Bruckner

Nyles Cole · Wendy Fein C o o p e r

Rabbi M a u r i c e S. Corson · Samuel M. Ehrenhalt · Bella Ruth Ehrenpreis Jacqueline Koch Ellenson and David Ellenson · Melvin Fastow • Nathan B. Feinslein Jan Fischer · Rabbi Wayne M. Franklin • T h e G e n d l e r Family Foundation • A b r a h a m J. Gittelson Mr. and Mrs. David G o l d b e r g • Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth B. G o l d b l u m · Dr. and Mrs. Martin I. Goldstein Mr. and Mrs. Alvin A. G o r d o n • Rabbi Daniel B. G r o p p e r ‫ ־‬A n n e Helfgott • Rabbi J a c o b Herber Rabbi Howard and Joan Herseh • Highland Park Conservative Temple Muriel W. Horowitz. · Rabbi and Mrs. S. Robert Ichay Institute for Jewish-Christian U n d e r s t a n d i n g of M u h l e n b e r g College Rabbi and Mrs. Ronald J a c o b s · Berton H. and Ellen B. Kaplan · Lewis S. Kapnek · Hazel B. K a r p Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kesten · J e f f r e y Kichen • S y b i l - F r a n c e s Kimbrig • S a m and Jessica K i m e l m a n · Neil Kuchinsky Joan A. Larsen · Rabbi Robert and Ruth L a y m a n • Dr. and Mrs. Michael Leinwand · Dr. Reevan and Natalie Levine Dr. and Mrs. Joe S. Levy · Mr. Robert and H o n o r a b l e Roberta K. Levy · Herbert A. Lippitz · Bonnie Lipton David Litan · Rabbi Joseph M e n d e l s o h n • C a n t o r Claire G. M e t z g e r · Dr. Randall and Rosebeth Miller Captain and Mrs. Joseph R. Morgan · Hazzan Diane J. N a t h a n s o n · Irving R. N e w m a n Mr. and Mrs. Reynold F. Paris • Rochelle Pearl · Dr. and Mrs. David M. Pollack · Janet Greenstein Potter Robert S. Rendell • Lawrence A. R i e m e r • Dr. and Mrs. Daniel S. R o m m • Rabbi Richard B. and Lois S. S a f r a n G i d e o n Samet • Mr. and Mrs. J a c o b L. Schachter • Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Schork · Bernice Β. S c h u m e r Rabbi Joel M. S c h w a b · Martin S c h w a r z s c h i l d • Allen L. Shapiro · Rabbi Marion Shulevitz Drs. J e f f r e y L. and C y n t h i a G. Silber • C a n t o r R h o d a Silverman. T e m p l e Emanuel of Baltimore N o r m a n and Ruth Spack · H o r a c e A. Stern • Mark and Marsha S t r a u s s - C o h n • Mr. and Mrs. J e r o m e P. Subar Clergy Discretionary Fund of T e m p l e Israel · Lisbet O. T e m p l e T h e Honorable David G. Trager and Ms. Roberta E. Weisbrod · Deborah and Michael Troner • Kenneth Turan Washington Hebrew Congregation · Seth P. W a x m a n • Felicia P. Weber • N. William Weinstein Arthur S. Weinstock • Alvin L. Weiss • Mrs. S i m o n L. Weker · Kenneth Wishnia Rabbi J e f f r e y Wohlberg · Rabbi David Wölpe

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FoL TAL S of the Jews T

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Edited and with Commentary by Dan Ben-Amos Dov Noy, Consulting

Editor

Ellen F r a n k e l , Series E d i t o r

Tales Selected from the Israel Folktale Archives Named in Honor of Dov Noy and Translated by Leonard J. Schramm

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Illustrations by Ira Shander

2006

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5767

The Jewish Publication Society Philadelphia

Copyright © 2006 by The Jewish Publication Society Commentary © 2006 by Dan Ben-Amos Illustrations © 2006 by Ira Shander First edition. All rights reserved. N o part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, except for brief passages in connection with a critical review, without permission in writing from the publisher: The Jewish Publication Society 2 1 0 0 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 www.jewishpub.org Design and Composition by Pageworks Manufactured in the United States of America 06 07 08 09 10 1 1 1 2

1098 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Folktales of the Jews / Dan Ben-Amos, editor; Dov Noy, consulting editor ; Ellen Frankel, series editor ; translated by Leonard J. Schramm ; illustrations by Ira Shander. — 1st ed. v. cm. "Tales selected from the Israel Folktale Archives named in honor of Dov Noy." Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Contents: I. Tales from the Sephardic dispersion / edited and with commentary by Dan Ben-Amos. ISBN 0 - 8 2 7 6 - 0 8 2 9 - 2 (alk. paper) I. Jews—Folklore. 2. Legends. Jewish. 3. Tales. 4. Legends, Jewish —History and criticism. 5. Tales—History and criticism. 6. Sephardim —Folklore. I. Ben-Amos, Dan. II. Noy, Dov. III. Frankel, Ellen. IV. Arkhiyon ha-sipur ha-'amami be-Yisra'el (Haifa, Israel) GR98.F65 2006 398.2089'924—dc22

Contents

Foreword Preface

xi

Acknowledgments

xiii

Introduction to Folktales of the Jews Introduction to Volume 1

xv

xxvii

A Note on the Commentaries

xli

Legends 1. The Tenth for the Minyan (IFA 16408) 2. The Wedding Attended by the Patriarchs (IFA 6471 ) 3. Hebron Purim (IFA 17063) 4. The Miracle of the Torah Scrolls (IFA 15346) 5.

The Adventures of Raphael Meyuhas (IFA

15348)

6. A Story about My Great-Grandfather (IFA 8807) 7. The Sanctification of God's Name (IFA 8419) 8. "Our Teacher Moses" and the King of Spain

(IFA 1 3 1 1 0 )

9. Maimonides and the Study of Medicine (IFA 4905) 10. Why Maimonides Is Buried in Tiberias (IFA 549) 11. The Merchant and Rabbi Meir Ba'al ha-Nes (IFA 8391 ) 12. The Coin from the Collection Box of Rabbi Meir Ba'al ha-Nes (IFA 9158) 13. Sol Hachuel of Tangier (IFA 14964) 14. The Awesome Tale of Rabbi Kalonymos (IFA 16405) 15. A Blood Libel in Jerusalem (IFA 15347) 16. The Ba'al Shem Τον and the Sorcerer (IFA 863) 17. On Passover (IFA 7000) 18. Hakham Eliyahu Is Born through the Special Virtues of the Cave of the Prophet Elijah (IFA 2830) 19. The Two Orphans of Istanbul (IFA 17068) 20. Three Hairs from Elijah's Beard (IFA 2420)

21. The Man Who Unintentionally Made His Fortune from the Devil (IFA 2605) 22. The Gilgul (IFA 2634) 23. The Prince's Gilgul (IFA 2644) 24. A Letter from Morocco to the Western Wall (IFA 556) 25. Rabbi Jacob the Storyteller; or the Power of Repentance (IFA 2623) 26. The Immigration Pangs of Rabbi Chilibon Franco of Rhodes (IFA 13405) 27. How the New Immigrant Doychon Torres Got Rid of the Cheese He Brought with Him without a Kashrut Certificate (IFA 13404)

Moral

Tales

28. God Loves the Heart (IFA 10089) 29. The Honest Merchant (IFA 6295) 30. The Rich Man Who Avoided Giving Charity but Later Mended His Ways (IFA 2604) 31. The Pregnant King (IFA 14043) 32. The Rich Man and His Two Sons (IFA 4441 )

Folktales 33. Noah's Daughter (IFA 660) 34. The Angel Who Descended to Put the World in Order (IFA 19910) 35. Satan's Son (IFA 16395) 36. The Astrologer-King and the Rabbi (IFA 10086) 37. A Bear Makes a Poor Musician Rich but Is Insulted by the Musician's Wife (IFA 1709) 38. An Old Man's Advice Makes a Poor Man Rich (IFA 3576) 39. H a i f a Friend (IFA 16403) 40. The Man Who Knew All about Animals, Diamonds, and People's Character (IFA 6402) 41. This, Too, Shall Pass (IFA 4425) 42. Letters from the Angel of Death (IFA 9704) 43. There Is No Escaping Heaven's Decree (IFA 10084) 44. What Heaven Ordains Must Surely Take Place (IFA 6591 ) 45. The Rabbi's Son and the King's Daughter (IFA 4735) 46. The King's Wise Daughter (IFA 12549) 47. The Trained Cat and the Rabbi's Wise Daughter (IFA 7602)

48. The Rabbi's Son and the Priest (IFA 10085) 49. King Abdul-Aziz, the Jewish Builder, and the Wicked Painter (IFA 3977) 50. The Miracle of Tu b'Shevat (IFA 10103) 51. The Old Woman and the Wind (IFA 10101) 52. King Solomon's Judgment (IFA 11093) 53. Anything to Find Favor with a Woman (IFA 2254) 54. King Solomon, His Ethiopian Wife, and Her Lover (IFA 2666) 55. The Miser Mohel and the Demon (IFA 9182) 56. The Miraculous Circumcision (IFA 10087) 57. The Disciples' Envy of the Rabbi's Son (IFA 4904)

Humorous

Tales

58. The Story of the Baklava (IFA 13) 59. A Porter Saves Maimonides' Life (IFA 5503) 60. Blinder Than a Blind Man (IFA 12727) A General Note on the Tales of Djuha 61. Djuha Helps His Mother (IFA 12729) 62. Djuha's Face (IFA 12548) 63. Why Djuha Never Got Married (IFA 12726) 64. Djuha Plays Dead (IFA 12551) 65. Camel Seeds (IFA 12724) 66. Djuha Counts the Donkeys (IFA 12552) 67. Djuha and the Mules (IFA 8509) 68. A Recipe for Fish (IFA 12716) 69. A Fair Division (IFA 9240) 70. A Bad Man's Desserts (IFA 332) 71. The Rabbi and the Priest (IFA 14039)

Abbreviations Narrators

593

596

Collectors

604

Bibliography Motif Indexes

610 676

Tale Type Indexes General Index

716

703

Foreword X first met Dov Noy in a book—more precisely, in an endnote. I was putting together a collection of Jewish folktales, browsing through hundreds of stories collected in dozens of anthologies and primary sources. Early on in my research, I came across a bibliographic reference containing a baffling acronym—IFA—followed by a number. Then I encountered it again in the next endnote, and the next, and the one after that. In fact, it popped up repeatedly in most of the newer anthologies of Jewish folktales that I consulted. When I delved deeper I learned that "IFA" stood for the Israel Folktale Archives, which is the most extensive collection of Jewish oral tales in the world. I also discovered that one man was responsible for this unique treasure trove—Dov Noy. In time I met Jewish storytellers who had mined the IFA for their books. I heard them recite these tales aloud, putting their own special "spin" on them. And I listened to their personal stories about meeting Dov Noy. It became increasingly clear to me that this Israeli professor was an unsung Jewish hero, whose efforts had contributed significantly to safeguarding a Jewish literary legacy no less precious than the holy books revered for centuries by the Jewish people. The only difference was that such oral tales rarely made it into print, so they had not caught the attention of the scholars. Until recent times, these tales had been carried around in the pekels, saddlebags and aprons of amcha, the Jewish rank-and-file, as they shlepped across five continents during their 2000-year exile. And because the transmitters of these oral texts were only simple folk, not venerated rabbis or community leaders, their tales had slipped beneath the radar of "the Tradition." They were not taught in yeshivahs or religious schools, recited around the Sabbath table or on the pulpit, not disseminated in beautifully printed seforim, or prayerbooks, or even in popular haggadot. Unlike the universal currency of normative Judaism, these tales were strictly local coinage, eagerly passed around among Jewish tradespeople, laborers, shopkeepers, and beggars, old and young, literate and unlettered, in the marketplace, at family celebrations, at home and in coffeeshops. Remarkably, Dov Noy had understood all this when he was only a graduate student of folklore at Indiana University, and he had proceeded to devote his life to rescuing Jewish folktales before they vanished. The first step he took in accomplishing this mission was to found the Israel Folktale Archives at the University of Haifa in 1955. Today that archive bears his name. I finally had the chance to meet Dov when I attended my first Jerusalem International Book Fair in 1991 as the newly appointed editor-in-chief of The Jewish Publication Society. Some of my storyteller friends had told me about Dov Noy's "Monday nights," weekly gatherings in his fourth-floor walk-up apartment that had been going on for decades. Anyone who was in town was welcome to come, these friends assured me, provided that they had some story to

share. The night I attended there was a motley assortment of characters assembled in Dov's modest living room, some Israeli, most just passing through Jerusalem. We all sat around a low coffeetable on folding chairs and worn furniture, munching on pistachios, while Dov conducted us in what can only be described as "folklore improv": one by one, we introduced ourselves, said a little about where we came from, and then shared a tale, a song, an experience, a bit of autobiography. Dov interrupted us frequently, explaining the origin of our family name or the shtetl or village our grandparents had come from, identifying the original source or a regional variant of a folksong, telling us something about how a tale had made its way across the Jewish landscape. The conversation took place in many languages: Hebrew, Yiddish, English, Russian, Rumanian. Dov comfortably negotiated all these languages, translating fluidly so we could all understand one another. I don't remember exactly what I shared that evening or even who was there— I have now attended about 10 such gatherings and they blur together—but I do remember how I felt that night. It was as if I was in the presence of something very old and authentic, in a time machine of Jewish culture and memory, a living tradition. And Dov, with his encyclopedic knowledge of Jewish folklore and his associative intelligence, was the magician conjuring it all into being. But what a modest magician! Although he was the founder of the entire field of Jewish folklore, the teacher of every younger Jewish folklore scholar throughout the world, he was totally unpretentious, witty and coy, unabashedly delighting in all the small homespun offerings we had brought to him. Each time over the past 15 years that I have trudged up the four flights to attend one of Dov's Monday evenings, hurrying to reach each landing before the timed lights plunged the stairwell back into darkness, I have felt that same childlike anticipation. Who will show up tonight? Where will they come from? And what will Dov reveal to us that none of us ever knew? Over the years, I have met a 90-year old Israeli woman who first introduced the papaya to Israel, a sultry Ladino folksinger, a Jewish professor from Birobidzhan, fellow storytellers from the U.S., Holocaust survivors, a Russian playwright, the founder of Mensa in Israel. Some of Dov's guests have been just ordinary tourists, sent to Dov's apartment by a friend or by Dov himself on one of his many lecture tours throughout the world. I share all this by way of background to this JPS series. For it is only because of Dov that this project came into being. When I first learned about the IFA, I realized what a rich treasure it was—but also understood that it was a buried treasure, unknown to all but a handful of Jewish storytellers and folklore scholars. Even the descendants of the storytellers who had initially brought these tales to Israel were unaware of the IFA, ignorant about this part of their birthright. They were now Hebrew speakers and had blended into Israeli society stripped of any ethnic past. Meanwhile, thousands of orphaned tales sat silently in manila file

Foreword

Oib xiii oäb

folders in a small, crowded room at the University of Haifa, unread, untold, uncelebrated. Enter the other hero of this saga—Dan Ben-Amos. From the very beginning of this project, it was obvious that Dov, already in his early 70's, could not possibly complete this formidable task alone. He recommended that Dan Ben-Amos, once his student, now his professional colleague, become his co-editor for the series. The JPS Editorial Committee and several scholars in the field all agreed. And so the collaboration began. For the next decade, Dan, Dov, and I would meet every year or so in the White Dog Café near the University of Pennsylvania to discuss the status of the project. During our delicious two-hour lunches, we would solve editorial problems, discuss translation issues, and debate methodology—but mostly we told each other stories. We often told them in shorthand, sharing only a fragment of a tale before we would nod to each other, by way of saying, "Yes, I know that one." Neither Dan nor I could really compete with Dov, who seemed to know every Jewish story ever told, and much more. It's hard to believe that the first volume of the series has finally appeared. It's been 15 years since I first proposed the idea to Dov. During that time, two translators in Israel have rendered the Hebrew originals into readable contemporary English. Dan has done the lion's share of researching and annotating the tales, with Dov contributing significantly from his vast storehouse of knowledge. The staff at JPS, under the tireless stewardship of publishing director Carol Hupping, has invested hundreds of hours in working with Dan during the development phase, preparing the manuscript, and shepherding it through production. We have also benefited from generous financial support. Early on, Lloyd Cotsen, himself an enthusiastic collector of international folklore and children's literature, came forward to underwrite the Yiddish volume in the series, and subsequently gave us a major gift to support the entire project. Lloyd has been a constant cheerleader, eager to hear about progress, and infinitely patient during the project's long gestation. We are also grateful for the generous support of the National Foundation of Jewish Culture, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Maurice Amado Foundation for Sephardic Culture, and the JPS Board of Trustees. It is our hope that Folktales of the Jews will quickly find a place of honor next to another JPS story collection, Louis Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews, published 1909-1930. In his magisterial work, Ginzberg brought together and annotated thousands of midrashic texts, an accomplishment that has never been equaled. Dov Noy and Dan Ben-Amos have performed a parallel feat in this new work, filling in a significant gap in Jewish literary tradition. Despite their humble origins and settings, Jewish folktales have played a vital role in transmitting the tradition known as the Oral Torah, torah she-h'al-peh. Within these stories can be found ethical teachings, role models, cautionary tales, and collective memory. Unlike halakhic texts, which are prescriptive, or rabbinic

midrash, which is anchored by proof-texts, folktales assert their authority through the personality of the storyteller and the magic of narrative, which seize hold of our imagination and prod our conscience. With the publication of these volumes, a hidden spring has at last been uncovered for all to share. We invite you to drink deeply and be refreshed. ELLEN FRANKEL

Tammuz 5766, July 2006

Preface J i n c e biblical times, narration has been regarded as an art among the Jewish people. During the first centuries of the postbiblical period, narrative literature was transmitted orally. The official name given to this body of rich talmudic-midrashic literature is the Oral Law. In the folklore of contemporary Jewry one can still observe signs of such oral transmission today. The various communities scattered throughout the Jewish Diaspora cultivated the art of storytelling during the years of their long dispersion. The most popular attraction within these communities, both East and West, was the social institution of the sermon (derash). The preacher (darshan) who created these oral commentaries, which often included narrative elements, was the main instrument of their diffusion. Side by side with this religious channel were secular channels of oral transmission—the art of storytelling. No matter how skillfully the darshan crafted his words, the synagogue sermon has never replaced these popular evenings of storytelling. Unfortunately, modern Jewish authors and scholars of Jewish folklore have focused their attention mainly on religious tales, published in collections from the beginning of Jewish printing. Due to their ready accessibility in print, these tales were the first to attract the attention of Jewish scholars. Their secular counterparts were passed over or simply unknown. However, these secular currents continued to flow in their own way, even if the flow was often underground. Over a century ago, the distinguished Jewish folklorist, Y. L. Cahan, drew the attention of Jewish scholars and folklorists to the rich secular lore of East European Jews. Owing to the energetic work done by the collectors and scholars of the Yiddish Scientific Institution (YIVO) in Vilna, Poland, and then after World War II in New York, the secular Yiddish folktales transmitted by the Jews of Eastern Europe are now well known. Unfortunately, no Cahan arose among the Jews of the Middle East. Only after the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and the "ingathering of the exiled communities" in their new homeland that followed did it become evident that our notions about the character of the Jewish Middle Eastern folktale were also false. Of course, the religious story, with its ethical background and its concluding moral, is still conspicuous in the literary treasury of these communities, but it is far from being dominant. As in the case of Eastern European Jewish folktales, the stories

from Northern Africa and the Middle East exhibit the same remarkable variety of genres, themes, and character types. The narrators of the folktales collected in Israel since 1955 under my supervision represent over thirty ethnic groups. Their rich diversity bears witness to the fact that magic and secular folktales continue to play an important role in the life, imagination, and creation of these communities. The wide dispersion of the narrators, whose origins span three continents, testifies that the Jewish narrator still carries and spreads tales from one cultural area to another. When my fellow folklorists and I ventured out to study widespread cultural traditions among the various ethnic groups in Israel through their tales, we worked in a dry, scientific way: We took data and recorded, catalogued, and preserved it on the archive's shelves. But we also interacted with real life people: the storytellers and their listeners, who drank in the narrators' words with thirst. It was the storytellers who breathed life into the tales—and it is this life's breath that continues to make these stories come alive, over and over again. From among over 23,000 stories collected to date and preserved in the Israel Folktale Archives, 355 tales have been selected for this JPS series. Together they represent the endless creativity of the Jewish imagination. Dov Ν0Υ

Acknowledgments / T s a folktale anthology, this book presents not just the "voice of the peopie," but also the voices of many people—the narrators who tell the tales and thereby preserve, transmit, and re-create the narratives that make up the Jewish folk tradition. Without them this book would not have come into being, and I would like to express to them my deepest gratitude and appreciation. The transition from oral to written texts can be accomplished only through a labor of love. In transcribing these stories, the collectors have extended the narrators' audience beyond immediate family and community to readers worldwide. I am indebted to them for making these tales available, and I thank them for their conscientious efforts to render the oral tales accurately. And my gratitude goes as well to Lenn Schramm, who translated them from the Hebrew. All these tales are now on deposit at the Israel Folktale Archives Named in Honor of Dov Noy (IFA). The archives' director, Haya BarItzhak, and the archivists Edna Heichal and Idit Pintel-Ginsberg extended invaluable assistance to me throughout the preparation of these volumes. No question was too trivial or too complex for them, and they responded to my seemingly endless queries with patience and expediency. The primary research required for this anthology could not have been carried out without excellent libraries and the assistance of their librarians. I was fortunate to have access to the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library and to the library of the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, both at the University of Pennsylvania. Their extensive holdings in folklore and Jewish studies facilitated the search for books and articles, old and new alike. I would like to thank the librarians who helped me, day in and day out, in my research: Aviva Astrinsky and Arthur Kiron, the former and current directors, respectively, of the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies' library; and the librarians Josef Gulka, Seth Jerchower, and Judith Leifer. In the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library, the folklorist-librarian David Azzolina and John Pollack of the Rare Books and Manuscript Library were most helpful, and Lee Pugh, the head of Interlibrary Loan Services, and Ruth Rin, the cataloguer of Hebrew books, were very resourceful. I thank them all. During the academic year 2003-2004,1 was a Fellow at the Center for

Advanced Judaic Studies. During this period I was able to make significant progress in my research on these tales, and I would like to thank David Ruderman, the center's director, for this fellowship year. The Folktales of the Jews series was conceived and initiated by Ellen Frankel, the director and editor-in-chief of The Jewish Publication Society. She accompanied this project from its inception and guided it through the obstacle course that inevitably awaits any multivolume set. I thank her for her confidence in entrusting this project to me and for her unrelenting support and counsel during the many years required to accomplish it. I also thank the staff at The Jewish Publication Society who, each according to his or her area of expertise, have contributed toward the successful completion of these volumes. In particular, I would like to thank Carol Hupping, the publishing director; production manager Robin Norman; managing editor Janet Liss; Candy Levy for her superb copyediting; Emily Law for her edits; Christine Sweeney for her proofreading, Gilad J. Gevaryahu for his expert fact-checking, and my student Linda Lee, who assisted and facilitated the editorial process. Over many years and many tales I have incurred debts of gratitude to numerous friends who offered counsel and advice drawn from their extensive expertise. I would like to thank Roger D. Abrahams, Tamar Alexander, Roger Allen, Samuel Armistead, David Assaf, Israel Bartal, Alexander Botwinik, Patricia Fann Bouteneff, Olesja Britsyna, Samuel Chalfen, Naomi Cohen, Sol Cohen, Linda Dégh, Hasan El-Shamy, Joseph Farrell, Joseph Hacker, Galit Hasan-Rokem, Bill Hickman, Victoria Kirkham, Ronnie Kokhavi-Nahab, Robert Kraft, Relia Kushelevsky, Anna Kryvenko, Avidov Lipsker, Shuli Levinboim, Julie Lieber, Ora Limor, Patty Lynn, Victor Mair, Ulrich Marzolph, George MifsudChircop, Philip Miraglia, Adrienn Mizsei, Benjamin Nathans, James O'Donnell, Arzu Ozturkmen, Gyula Paczolay, Sevket Pamuk, Avner Perez, Yoel Shalom Perez, Elchanan Reiner, Everett Rowson, Uri Rubin, Shalom Sabar, Elizabeth Sachs, Barbara von Schlegell, Ziva Shamir, Avigdor Shinan, Marcos Silber, Jonathan Steinberg, Michael Swartz, Jeffrey Tigay, Chava Turniansky, Kelly Tuttle, Michal Unger, Sharon Vance, Julia Verkholantsev, and Chava Weissler. Finally, last but not least, I thank my wife, Batsheva, for her constant encouragement and support. Dan Ben-Amos

Introduction to Folktales of the Jews

Xn 1955, Dov Noy founded the IFA as a section of the Israel Ethnological Museum of Haifa. In 1983, the IFA and the Ethnological Museum were moved to the University of Haifa. Today, the IFA is the largest depository of Jewish folktales in the world. With more than 20,000 texts, narrated by storytellers who immigrated to Israel from 56 countries, the IFA holds a collection that represents the oral traditions of the Jewish Diaspora in the twentieth century. 1 The tales in these volumes are all stored at the Israel Folktale Archives Named in Honor of Dov Noy (IFA). Most of the tales are available in multiple versions told by narrators from diverse Jewish communities. Oral tradition has been an important feature of Jewish culture since antiquity. The Hebrew Bible, of course, contains not only the oral traditions of the early Hebrews, but also descriptions of ritual narrations. For more than 2,000 years, Jews living in Israel and in the lands of the Diaspora have relied upon the Oral Law (Torah she-be-al peh) as well as the Written Law (i.e., the Bible). The written Torah comprises the Holy Scriptures, but the oral Torah is a comprehensive entity that encompasses Jewish culture as a whole. Many of the oral tales in the IFA resonate with themes from earlier Jewish historical traditions. Allusions and references to biblical, talmudic, and medieval themes, figures, and ideas are commonplace in these stories. The interdependence of the oral and written traditions has been a hallmark of Jewish culture. From ancient times, Jewish oral tradition has spoken in plural voices: the language of the marketplace and the academy, the language of the synagogue and of home, the sacred language of Hebrew and the vernacular of daily life. The collective memory of the Jewish people, in short, extends well into the second millennium B.C.E. and is based on both literacy and orality. Yet, the stories represent not only continuity, but also discontinuity in tradition. While some themes and figures reach back to sources in late an-

tiquity and the Middle Ages, other narratives from these periods have not survived the vagaries of transmission from generation to generation and from community to community. Tales preserved through ritual or in print as classic narratives of Jewish culture have all but died out in the oral literature of current societies. Stories that were popular in previous centuries and are available to us in manuscripts from different Jewish communities have a dwindling presence among the storytellers of today. Surprisingly, some iconoclastic narratives that do not conform to normative images of traditional figures have survived.

A Rich and Diverse Folklore The dispersion of the Jews among the nations through forced exile and natural migrations has steadily expanded the themes and forms of their folklore. In most countries, Jews actually developed new languages (among them, Yiddish, Judeo-Berber, Judeo-Arabic, Judeo-Greek, JudeoSpanish, and Judeo-Persian) in which they spoke, performed, and later wrote down their folklore. As a people living in the Diaspora, Jews have incorporated the folklore of other nations while simultaneously spreading their own internationally known themes around the world. Although this reciprocal process is basic to the transmission of folklore among all nations, it occurred intensely among the Jews and is a distinguishing characteristic of Jewish folklore. As a result of national dispersion and linguistic-cultural diversity, there is no single period, no single country, nor any single language that can claim to represent the authentic composite of Jewish folklore. The earliest known periods of Jewish folklore are no more genuine, in fact, than the later periods, with the result that no specific Jewish ethnic group's traditions can be considered more ancient or more authentic than those of any others. Instead, Jewish oral tradition is rooted in a succession of particular historical and cultural contexts, each of which contributes to the totality of Jewish culture and literature, but all of which are distinctly bound by historical context and circumstance. The experience of exile—living as an ethnic minority among other peoples—has had a major part in shaping Jewish narrative traditions. These traditions were forged by two contrasting tendencies: localization and general Jewish orientation. The latter involved a common conception of Jewish national history, the maintenance of Hebrew as a valued language, and the interdependence between Jewish written and oral cultural heritage, while the former tendency manifested itself in the emergence of

distinct regional Jewish languages; the development of community histories revolving around known locales, events, and figures; and the influence of local traditions upon Jewish narrative repertoires. These two tendencies complemented each other: local language, themes, and personalities influenced the formation of narratives in particular communities while relations among Jewish communities affected the diffusion of themes and narratives among the Jewish people residing among the nations. The creative nature of storytelling notwithstanding, the tales in these volumes have a summative quality. They conclude an era in Jewish culture, representing traditions of communities that are no longer. Their narrators are immigrants or survivors of wars, shaped by the fiery crucible of the twentieth century, with its catastrophic consequences and dramatic renewal of Jewish life. From their new homes in Israel, these narrators are recalling the traditions of their own native villages, towns, and cities. The homes and the synagogues, the rabbinical courts and the marketplaces, the pilgrimages and the long train or even wagon rides in which storytellers performed these tales in the past no longer vibrate with Jewish life. The social and cultural fabric that was the home ground for the narration of these tales has faded into the past. The narrators' telling of these stories in Israel was an act of recollection, and the narratives themselves have become a memory literature that draws its social and aesthetic impact from its association with a past in other lands, a past that is recalled with affirmation, nostalgia, or horror. In their transition to a new land and in their transformation from orality to literacy these tales assume a new role in Jewish society. Like the oral tales they once were, they validate ethnic identities. Yet, as literary texts they also transcend their ethnic boundaries. In publication and in their availability to modern readers, regardless of their ethnicity, country of origin, and language, the tales become intrinsic symbols of Jewish cultural heritage as a whole. In their diverse origins, they represent the multicultural and multiethnic roots of modern Jewish life. Through their documentation and publication, regional and ethnic tales become ubiquitous Jewish tradition.

Bialik's Vision The waves of immigration to Israel that made the documentation of these narratives possible were only one of the final stages in the transition of Jewish life from tradition to modernity. This process also involved the shift from rural to urban life; the broadening of the education curricula

from traditional Jewish learning to European thoughts, literature, and seiences; the emigration from established Jewish centers to new ones; and the rise of Zionism. Fully aware of the cultural, social, linguistic, and literary impact of this transformation, on the eve of the First World War, Hayyim Nahman Bialik (1873-1934), the leading poet of his generation, called for kinnus (gathering) of traditional literature, canonizing it and bestowing upon it a renewed intellectual vigor. In his key programmatic essay, "The Hebrew Book" (1913), he outlined his plan for Jewish cultural revival, in which he designated for folklore and related subjects a central position. 2 Among the traditions he considered essential for Jewish cultural renewal were aggadic literature, Hasidic literature, and folk literature.s Folk literature, written as well as oral: folk speech, folktales, fox fables [i.e., animal tales], common fables, proverbs, wit and jokes, folk songs and so forth—it is necessary to collect the best of each genre, from all types of literature (from post-aggada until the prèsent day), and from people from all walks oflife, presenting them in one or two volumes, properly classified, according to themes, folk characters, or any other classificatory system, and the introduction to these volumes should articulate the principles of folklore and their manifestation among the Jews. 3 The founding of the IFA became the most comprehensive fulfillment of Bialik's vision of kinnus, of Jewish folk literature, of its recording, documentation, and preservation. The collection encompasses the broadest range of Jewish narratives in oral tradition, reaching out to narrators from small Jewish communities and major cities in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and including stories about major figures in Jewish history and tradition as well as local characters and events. Yet, there is one major difference between Bialik's vision of Jewish literary history and its implementation in the scholarly recording of folktales. Bialik's program implies an aesthetic and cultural evaluation of folklore from a contemporary perspective. Inherent in his proposal to record "the best of each genre" (kol ha-me'uleh ve-ha-meshubah) is a value judgment that inevitably imposes upon texts from previous historical periods, and from diverse ethnic groups and social classes, the literary standards of contemporary critics and readers. With such a selection, Bialik purports to establish the literary canon of Jewish tradition for the modern reader.

In contrast, neither the recorded oral texts in the IFA nor the selected tales in the volumes in this series represent any value judgment. From a scholarly perspective, the very recording of oral tales is an act that attributes value to orality in and of itself, regardless of the possible literary aesthetic or ethical value that modern readers may derive from the narrative. The attention devoted by folklorists to oral performance of folktales underscores their value to society, in contemporary eyes. Readers may derive an aesthetic pleasure in reading or hearing them, consider them symbols of their ethnic or national identity, or learn from them about the culture in which they were a vital dimension of social life. But the tales themselves hold to ethnic literary and aesthetic standards that may or may not meet the demands of modern culture. Rather, they require that the reader strive to discover the poetics of oral narration displayed by the Jewish ethnic groups whose tales form the IFA'S collection. Some texts in the IFA and in these volumes represent narrative traditions that have faded from an individual—and perhaps even a collective—cultural memory. Their narration does not meet any ethnic poetic standard of oral performance, and their texts reveal audible and even noticeable decline. But their decline in oral tradition is a literary-historical process that merits attention and documentation. Occasionally, we can recognize among the tales in the IFA and in these volumes familiar narratives that earlier narrators or modern writers have embellished. Their inclusion in these volumes marks a stage in their literary transformation in oral tradition, rather than singling them out as the best in their genre or among their parallel versions. The IFA and these volumes represent a broad range of contemporary Jewish traditions with diverse aesthetic standards, ethical purposes, and narrative abilities. In a Jewish society, as in any other, there is a wide range of storytelling skills; the circumstances of their performance may highlight or suppress them. The IFA strives to document this creative diversity, rather than establishing any ethnocentric or contemporary aesthetic and ethical principles as guidelines for the canonization of Jewish folk literature. The present tales are not stultified and venerated classics, but narrations in which the narrator's voice vibrates with its human artistic fallibility and fortitude.

Other Turn‫־‬of‫־‬the‫־‬Century Collectors Bialik was neither the first nor the only personality to recognize the importance of recording Jewish oral tradition. The last decade of the nine-

teenth century simmered with folklore activities, including the recording and publishing of diverse folklore genres in several Jewish population centers. In Hamburg, Dr. Max Grunwald (1871-1953) published in November 1896 an appeal to collect Jewish folklore, and in 1898 he followed up his initiative with the first issue of a j o u r n a i : Mitteilungen für jüdische Volkskunde.4 In Eastern Europe, writers and folklorists collected Jewish folksongs and folk proverbs, leading up to the publication of major collections of these two forms. 5 In 1912 and up until World War I broke out in 1914, S. Z. An-ski led an ethnographic expedition to the Ukraine, where he recorded traditional narratives that now reside in the Jewish ethnographic archives in St. Petersburg. 6 Between the two world wars, a network of folklore collectors (zemlers) recorded the folktales and folksongs known in the Pale of Settlement 7 and deposited them in the Institute for Jewish Research (YIVO, Yiddisher Visenshaftlikher Institut).8

The IFA Collection Aware of the history of folktale recording in Jewish societies, Dov Noy has modeled the IFA after these previous collection projects and after established folktale archives in other countries. Although he followed principles of academic research in establishing the IFA, it is a popular archive in a profound sense of the term. The tales are oral narratives that were popular in their respective communities and served as verbal vehicles for people in negotiating their experiences, anxieties, ethical dilemmas, and fantasies. Even when their subject matter involves Jewish religious dietates, the tales represent neither rabbinical nor any other normative, authoritative perspectives. The legends are not accurate historical records; the characters in the stories sometimes follow and other times deviate from religious laws and regulations in their conduct. The moral tales articulate popular ethical ideals, rather than inscribed Jewish codes. When it occurs, a correspondence between behavior in narratives and prescribed conduct in religious law indicates only the impact faith has upon human action. And the storytellers weave their fantastic tales not necessarily out of a strict Jewish traditional repertoire, but from themes available to them from multiple Jewish and non-Jewish sources, as their imagination and knowledge of stories inspire them. But the tales are popular narratives in another way as well. Their recordings involved people from all walks of life. Dov Noy built up a net-

work of dedicated amateur folktale collectors—he often refers to them as "the IFA family" (mishpahat IFA)—who were able to reach out and identify some outstanding narrators in different Jewish communities. The collectors are relatively few in number. Dov Noy did not inspire a national romantic movement, but those individuals whom he stirred up to the cause became dedicated recorders of tales, some depositing hundreds of texts into the IFA'S collection. Among them are sons and daughters who recorded tales from their parents, offering us a glimpse of the intimate process of transmitting tradition within the family circle. In some cases, these were grandchildren who recorded stories their grandparents narrated, representing the process of transmission in its more popular image. Outside such family circles, there were volunteers who recorded tales from their fellow workers, friends, and even occasional acquaintances— people they met at a shop, a restaurant, or in their neighborhood and whose narrative skills were impressive—and put their stories on paper. Many members of "the IFA family" were educators or people who, in one capacity or another, were involved in the process of absorbing the flood of immigration into Israel during the second half of the twentieth century. In their official roles, they came into contact with new immigrants who were arriving from countries about which the recording volunteers had heard but never seen. For these recorders, many of whom had immigrated from European countries decades earlier, the newcomers from Asia and North Africa embodied some fascinating, exotic traditions that were both familiar and strange. They described cultures that were clearly Jewish and yet quite foreign, to which they were attracted and moved to record. Lastly, as the study of folklore became part of academic education in Israel, students joined in the process and contributed to the growth of the IFA.

Lost in Translation The rapid process of mass immigration and cultural change required immediate action in documenting narrative traditions, to which the IFA recorders responded admirably. But the tales themselves incurred a loss: the native language of the narrators. With a few notable exceptions, 9 most of the tales were recorded in Hebrew, not the native language of the storyteller, who perhaps spoke in a Judeo-Arabic dialect, Judeo-Persian, Ladino, New-Aramaic, Yiddish, or another Jewish language. The inevitable loss of idiomatic phrases, proverbs, formulistic expressions, images, and metaphors is regrettable, but the alternative loss of entire

narrative traditions would have been much graver. As more recorders train themselves in folklore methodology and acquire the required language skills, the adequacy of the texts submitted to the IFA increases. But, alas, the number of first-generation native immigrants diminishes. A prime requirement for the inclusion of a narrative text in the IFA is its circulation and performance in oral tradition. Many of these tales, as the annotation in these volumes amply demonstrates, occur both in written form, whether script or print, and in oral tradition. The two modes of communicating a narrative might converge, diverge, or parallel each other. The recording of the oral tales for the IFA and their textualization occurred in three distinct ways: through documentation, recollection, and popular publication. In the early years of the IFA, most of the documentation was done in longhand. While tape recorders were available in the 1950s, they were expensive and not readily accessible to the volunteers who recorded the tales. As faithful to the spoken word as the volunteers could be, there were inevitable losses in representing some features of narrative performance, an issue that plagued recording techniques in general folklore scholarship before the consistent use of instrumental recordings. In cases where time elapsed between the hearing and the recollection and recording of the tales, the recorders—themselves partially narrators—wrote down tales they had heard in the past, remembering them as they were told either by their parents or grandparents or by storytellers whom they had befriended years ago. In recollecting tales, memory tends to smooth out the rhetoric of oral performance. Such narrator-recorders tend to employ a higher register of language, modeling their texts after traditional, or even modern, narrative styles with which they are familiar in their respective cultures. Yet, though products of recollection these tales were drawn by the narrators from the oral tradition of their communities. Popular publication occurs most often in cultures with higher literacy rates; these cultures exhibit a noticeable tendency to transfer oral narratives to the printed form. The publication of chapbooks and narrative anthologies increased in Jewish European, Mediterranean, Near Eastern, and Asian societies during the nineteenth century. Those producing these popular publications were not literary authors, but often printers, publishers, or editors who reproduced narratives they had heard or in some cases copied from other popular publications. This publishing tradition continued in Israel, and in those cases where the editors included some minimal documentation about their oral sources, such texts were admitted into the IFA.

The Dynamic Diversity of Oral Storytelling As a result of these primarily popular methods of documentation, any attempt to represent the IFA'S treasure trove of oral tales as a quantitative reflection of the narratives in Jewish ethnic groups in Israel would be misleading. The wealth of narratives from one ethnic group cannot attest to a paucity of traditional tales in another. Personal idiosyncrasies as well as serendipity and incidental encounters between narrators and recorders of tales contribute to the apparent imbalance in the representation of ethnic groups in the IFA'S collection. Similarly misleading would be any attempt to establish any statistical correlation between genres and ethnic groups on the basis of tales in the IFA and in these volumes. For example, the relatively few humorous tales in the volumes of Jewish stories from Muslim countries should not be taken as an indication that humorous tales were few in these communities, but rather, that few were submitted to the IFA. Therefore, instead of selecting the tales on the basis of any quantitative scale, every attempt was made to use qualitative measures. As the commentaries to the tales hopefully demonstrate, every story in the anthologies contributes to the understanding of Jewish narrative traditions, from literary, cultural, or historical perspectives. No doubt, there are many more equally important tales that could have illuminated additional aspects of Jewish traditional narratives. With the present volumes, readers may gain a glimpse into the dynamic diversity of creative oral storytelling among current Jewish ethnic groups in Israel. The organization of the tales in these volumes follows standard folkloristic principles of generic divisions. Legends are narratives that purport to present events as historically true; exempla or moral tales advocate standards for ethical behavior; folktales are fictive narratives to which neither the tellers nor the listeners attribute a value of historical or factual truth; and humorous tales, fictive in their nature, intend to invoke laughter. While different ethnic groups might have their own categorizations of and names for their oral narrative genres, in a collection of tales from such a broad range of ethnic groups—30 in all—the use of analytical categorization of narrative genres seems advisable, offering comparative thematic and cultural perspectives on Jewish narrative traditions. 10 As much as these oral tales are inherently Jewish, they have analogues in the narrative traditions of other cultures and languages. The mapping of the transmission courses of narratives around the globe has been one of the major challenges for the discipline of folklore. Documented evidence indicates that many tales told by Jews were told previously in other lan-

guages by other peoples. But, in their movements from country to country and in their multilingualism, the Jews themselves have been efficient conduits of narrative transmission. In some cases, Jewish narrative traditions preserve older versions of tales known worldwide in forms that were later modified. In other cases, Jewish traditions offer early, occasionally even the earliest, documented evidence for the circulation of a particular theme in oral tradition.

Shared Imagination The initial impetus to record oral folktales in Europe was intertwined with romanticism. Initially, the awareness of oral tales contributed to the emergence of the romantic movement in thought and literature, and subsequently romantic ideas motivated folktale recorders to document the narratives of the peasants and lower classes—the idealized "folk"—in order to understand the fundamental principles that make up the culture of a nation. Consequently, in romantic terms, the narratives and their heroes, their actions, their values, their themes, and their metaphors project and represent the spirit of a nation. With the decline of romanticism and the deflation of nationalism at the wane of the twentieth century, nations themselves have been conceived as "imagined communities," and national movements as "re-imagined communities." 11 In the Jewish societies that have spread over centuries from a local community on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean to the entire Mediterranean rim; inland in Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and, in the modern era, to North and South America, Australia, and South Africa, the imagined and re-imagined Diaspora connections were fostered by language, religion, and historical and mythical past. But the narratives in the IFA and in these volumes, stripped of any romantic ideology, evidence folk-literary traditions in which common themes recur. The themes are forged by similar social experiences and recurrent references to canonic traditions, rituals, religious beliefs and observations, social organization, and systems of value, ideas, and practices. The folktales that the Jews tell become literary, historical, and ethnic manifestations that, their diversity and conflicting trends notwithstanding, share a core literary tradition that make Jewish societies not just imagined communities, but a community of a shared imagination. Notes 1. D. Noy, "The First Thousand Folktales in the Israel Folktale Archives," Fabula 4 (1961), 99-110; G. Hasan-Rokem, "Textualizing the Tales of the People of the Book."

2. Hayyim Nahman Bialik first expressed his thoughts about the Hebrew book in a lecture that he delivered before the delegates to the Second Convention of the Organization for Hebrew Language and Culture that met on August 25-28, 1913, on the eve of the 11th Zionist Congress that met in the same city on September 2 - 9 , 1913. His essay, 'Ήα-Sefer Ha-'Ivri" (The Hebrew Book), was published that year in two versions, one in Ha-Zefirah, nos. 186:2 and 191:1 and the other in Ha-Shilo'ah, 413-427. For analysis of this essay and the response to Bialik's ideas, see N. Rotenstreich, "A/ Mahutah ha- 'Iyyunit shel Tokhnit Ha-Kinnus" (About the Essential Quality of the Kinnus Program), S. Werses, " Ήα-Sefer Ha- 'Ivri '—Shtei Girsa 'ot u-mi-Saviv Lahen" (The Hebrew Book—About Its Two Versions), 109-12. 3. H. N. Bialik, " Ήα-Sefer Ha-'Ivri," Ha-Shilo'ah, 425. 4. See C. Daxelmüller, "Max Grunwald"; idem, "Die 'Gesellschaft für jüdische Volkskunde' in Hamburg"; idem, "Grunwald, Max" EM 6:271-273; idem, "Jüdische Volkskunde in Deutschland vor 1933"; D. Noy, "Eighty Years of Jewish Folkloristics." 5. S. M. Ginzburg and P. S. Marek, Yiddish folksongs in Russia; I. Bernstein, Jüdische Sprichwörter und Redensarten (Yiddish proverbs and idioms). 6. R. Gonen, Back to the Shtetl·, M. Beukers and R. Waale, Tracing An-Sky\ I. N. Gottesman, Defining the Yiddish Nation, 75-108; A. Kantsedikas and I. Serheyeva, The Jewish Artistic Heritage Album. 7. The territory within the borders of czarist Russia in which Jews were legally authorized to reside. Since czarist Russia included large non-Russian territories, the Pale of Settlement extended to such countries as Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, and Moldavia. 8.1. N. Gottesman, op. cit., 111-170. 9. A. Shenhar and H. Bar-Itzhak, Sippurei 'Am me-Shlomi (Folktales from Shlomi). Some of the tales that are included in the following bilingual books (Hebrew and JudeoSpanish) by M. Koen-Sarano are also on deposit in the IFA: Kuentos del folklor de la famiya Djudeo-Espanyola; Djoha ke dize? Kuentos populäres redaktados i traduzidos en ebreo; Konsejas i konsejikas del mundo djudeo-espanyol. 10. For discussions about generic divisions in folklore studies, see W. Bascom, "The Forms of Folklore: Prose Narratives"; D. Ben-Amos, Folklore Genres; idem. Do We Need Ideal Types (in Folklore)?·, L. Honko, "Genre Analysis in Folkloristics and Comparative Religion"; idem, "Genre Theory Revisited"; idem, "Folkloristics Theories of Genre." 11. B. Anderson, Imagined Communities.

Introduction to Volume 1

i he beginnings of the Jewish settlement in Spain are shrouded in legend, tangled in invented traditions, and fabricated by fake documentation. At different times, Jews and non-Jews sought to date the origins of the Jews on the Iberian Peninsula to the era of King Solomon or to the sixth century B . C . E . , when King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the First Temple. But these were only mythic narratives of origin that served political, religious, and ideological goals. Archaeological evidence points to a later period, namely to the first and second centuries c.E.—particularly after the destruction of the Second Temple—as a more likely period. 1 In contrast, the expulsion of the Jews from Spain is a well-documented event. On March 31, 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella, the king and queen of Castile, signed the "Edict of Expulsion," ordering that: . . . all the said Jews and Jewesses of our realms shall leave and never return nor come back to them or to any of them. And upon this we order that this our edict be given by which we order all Jews and Jewesses of whatever age they may be who live and dwell and are in our said realms and dominions, as well as the nativeborn among them as those not native-born who in any manner and for any reason have come and are in them, that by the end of the next month of July that comes in the present year they shall leave all our said realms and dominions with their sons and daughters and servants and maidservants and Jewish followers, as well as the great as the small, of whatever age they may be, and that they do not dare to return to them or to be in them or in any part of them, whether dwelling or in transit or in any other manner, under the penalty that if they do not do so and comply, and are found to be in our said realms and dominions or to come to them in any manner,

they incur the punishment of death and the confiscation of all their property to our exchequer and treasury, and these penalties are incurred by that same fact and law with no other trial nor sentence nor declaration. 2 By the end of July 1492 (the seventh of the month of Av, 5252, according to the Jewish calendar), an estimated 200,000 Jews departed Spain and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, which were ruled by Spain, by boats and on foot, heading to Mediterranean countries, to North Africa, to Portugal, and north to Navarre. 3 Thus ended a period of 1,500 years in which Jewish life in Spain had witnessed turbulence and calm, repression and prosperity, persecution and prominence. 4 Thus also began a new era in the life of Spanish Jewry, a period of a secondary Diaspora in which they were dispersed again among the nations and became known as the Jews from Spain, the Sephardim. 5

Life after the Edict of Expulsion Expelled from their country, the Sephardim began to form their own communities in their new lands. Although Spain had uprooted them, they could not, nor wished to, reject their own Hispanic cultural heritage. Rather, proud of their country of origin in spite of the hardship it had inflicted upon them, they preserved the language they spoke, the songs they sang, and the stories they told. Sparse linguistic evidence indicates, and sheer logic suggests, that Jews spoke Judeo-Spanish on the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in 1492. 6 The literary use of JudeoSpanish is evident from a fifteenth-century text of Santob de Carrion (alias ShemTov ben Ardutiel, ca. 1290-ca. 1369), written in Spanish with Hebrew letters, entitled Proverbios Morales, or Consejos y Documentos al Rey Don Pedro. The text is a collection of versified proverbs that were most likely a part of everyday speech. 7 Once the Jews were out of Spain, they resorted to, and in the process preserved, the language they had earlier spoken: Judeo-Spanish, or, as they called it, Hakitia (in Morocco); Franko, Judyezmo, Jidyô Judyô, Lingwa Judyô , Zude Espanyol, or Zargon (in the Ottoman Empire); and Spanyolit, Ladino, or Zude Espanyol (in Israel). 8 They transmitted their language, which included Hebrew and Spanish words, to their descendants, who had never been in Spain. Like their language, their oral traditions in poetry, prose, and proverbial speech combined Spanish and Hebrew themes. They retained the ballads, called romances, which were

popular in the Jewish communities of Castile and Aragon at the turn of the sixteenth century. These included songs about Spanish, and also Jewish and sometimes biblical, themes and figures; their stories combined Jewish and local subjects and forms; and their proverbs referred to both Spanish and Jewish culture, ideas, and values. In their new lands, they preserved but did not freeze their language and its expressive forms. They continued to absorb and integrate into their language and oral traditions the terms, themes, and forms of the local cultures, which included Arabic, Bulgarian, Greek, Italian, Serbian, and Turkish. Their contacts with other Jewish communities in these new lands intensified, and their experiences there expanded their oral traditions with new themes and figures. 9

The Blossoming of Judeo-Spanish Literature As the expelled Jews consolidated their communal life and cultural identity as Sephardim, they began to develop their own literature. The spread of print culture in the sixteenth century, and the rise of Jewish publishing houses in Constantinople, Saloniki, Venice, Livorno, and other cities, served as a major factor in the rise of Judeo-Spanish literature. At the initial stages the Sephardim published traditional books in Hebrew, but already during the sixteenth century, religious and liturgical books appeared in Judeo-Spanish translations. After a lull in literary creativity and printing activity in the seventeenth century, Judeo-Spanish literature enjoyed a renaissance during the eighteenth century. The crown achievement of this period was the publication of Me-Atn Lo'ez, initiated, but not completed, by Ya'acob Culi [Huli, Kuli] (ca. 1689-1732). In this work, Culi combined the style of oral narration with that of the rewritten Bible that was common in Hebrew during the Middle Ages, in order to render the talmudicmidrashic traditions and multiple oral versions concerning biblical heroes in Judeo-Spanish. This book became the principle reading in the Sephardic household. Judeo-Spanish literature blossomed and reached its peak during the nineteenth century, when major European novels and plays appeared in translation. In major Sephardic communities, JudeoSpanish newspapers were published and popular and professional theatrical troupes performed. 1 0 All the while, when Sephardic authors wrote in Judeo-Spanish—at times drawing upon their traditional sources, at times composing their own works—oral literature continued to be performed in Judeo-Spanish societies. Men and women told tales and sang songs in family circles, in

synagogues, in the marketplace, and in coffeehouses. They peppered their conversations with proverbs. Children sang their own songs and played their counting-out rhymes in Judeo-Spanish. 11 Oral literary forms were an integral part of home entertainment, family celebrations, and Jewish holiday festivities. For almost 400 years, these oral traditions were rarely recorded. Yet, isolated cases, like buoys upon the ocean, marked the undercurrents of oral literature in everyday life. The first available full text of a Sephardic ballad was a Dutch translation of a popular ballad reportedly sung by the false messiah Shabbetai Zevi (1628-1676) in Izmir, Turkey. The ballad had apparently been heard in 1667, a year after Shabbetai Zevi's conversion to Islam. 12 Other texts appeared within a manuscript miscellany from 1683, which has been transcribed in a mixture of Spanish and Portuguese, as it had been sung by the Sephardim in Amsterdam. The eastern Mediterranean manuscript texts date to the early eighteenth century, when the Sephardic Jews began to write them down in family notebooks. While the romances that Sephardic women sang have analogues in Spanish texts from the sixteenth century, their transmission demonstrates both linguistic retention and innovation. 13 The retentive quality of oral tradition, which preserved melodies, idioms, themes, and figures for 400 years, is the primary attribute of JudeoSpanish folk literature that has drawn scholarly attention. Ramon Menéndez Pidal (1869-1968) initiated the recording and analysis of Sephardic poetry at the end of the nineteenth century. He discovered in the Judeo-Spanish ballads and romances poetic vestiges of medieval Spanish balladry that were lost in Spanish folklore of the nineteenth century but that had remained vibrant in the poetry of the Jews expelled from Spain 400 years earlier. His work provides a foundation for modern research into Judeo-Spanish poetry. 14 The study of Judeo-Spanish proverbs did not lag far behind. The first to publish them were Meyer Kayserling (1829-1905) and Raymond R. Foulché-Delbosc (1864-1929), both of whom recorded proverbs directly from speakers and by correspondence, respectively, from Serbian and Bulgarian and from Turkish and Greek Jews. 15 Many proverb collections and studies by others followed. 1 6 Early observers suggested, and later scholars indirectly confirmed, that in the Jewish-Spanish society, women were the primary speakers of proverbs. Using proverbs provided a way of making social commentary on people and their actions without having to confront them directly. 17

Development of Research on Judeo-Spanish Folktales In contrast, the recording and study of Judeo-Spanish folktales was slow to grip the scholarly imagination, and once it did, it was slow to gather momentum, lacking a clear scholarly or ideological purpose and a central institutional or community support. Max Leopold Wagner (1880-1962), who later became a world-renowned scholar of Sardinian, 18 was the first to record Judeo-Spanish folktales from the oral tradition of the Jews of Constantinople. 1 9 Around the same time, Walter Schiller recorded a Judeo-Spanish version of "The Widow's Meal" 2 0 and published it later in German translation. 21 As part of his lifelong interest in Judeo-Spanish folklore and language, Dr. Max Grunwald (1871-1953) recorded 150 Sephardic tales in Vienna, after the First World War. His original notes were lost; only their summary translation into German survived, and 70 of those appeared in Hebrew translation 60 years later. 22 During the early decades of the twentieth century, an American and a British student of Judeo-Spanish, respectively, recorded tales as part of their linguistic research. In New York, Max A. Luria (1891-1966) was fascinated by the dialect of Jewish immigrants from Monastir (Bitolj) of the former Yugoslavia. In 1927, he conducted research in their native town for two summer months, in the course of which he recorded folktales, proverbs, riddles, and romancesP Cynthia M. Crews (1906-1967) followed his work there in 1930 and expanded her research to Skopje (Skoplie), Macedonia; Saloniki; and Bucharest. 24 In the 1930s in the Land of Israel, Joseph Meyouhas published a collection of tales for young readers in which he included 12 tales, rewritten and edited, from the JudeoSpanish narrative oral tradition. 25 World War II was no time for folklore research, but shortly thereafter, Arcadio de Larrea Palacin published a collection of tales he recorded in Tétouan in northern Morocco. 26 From then on, research on Judeo-Spanish folktales shifted to Israel, and most publications have been associated, directly or indirectly, with the Israel Folktale Archives (IFA). Their authors and editors drew upon the resources in the archives, or themselves contributed to the IFA as collectors and scholars. Initially, these studies focused on a single storyteller 27 or a single country, 28 but later collections, like the present volume, contained tales told by a number of storytellers from different communities. 2 9 Furthermore, during the 1980s and 1990s, Judeo-Spanish editors published several bilingual collections of tales in Judeo-Spanish and Hebrew, enriching the availability of Sephardic oral

narratives. 30 Two major studies of Judeo-Spanish folktales solidified this end-of-the-century scholarly spurt: an analytical index 31 and a literaryfolkloristic history. 32 These works demonstrated that the study of the Judeo-Spanish folktale had come into its own, and they prepared the ground for future studies. Along with this consolidation has come a gradual shift in researchers and their focus. In the early twentieth century, German, Jewish-German, Jewish-American, and British scholars pioneered the study of the Sephardic folktale, motivated by a combination of scholarly pursuit and exoticism. Toward the end of the century, Sephardic scholars assumed leadership roles in its analysis, reclaiming the Judeo-Spanish folktale as their own tradition. For them, the Judeo-Spanish folktales became not only an object of scholarship, but also a symbol of cultural identity. In the process they have shifted the analytical emphasis from linguistics to folklore.

The Stuff of Legends Unlike the romances, in which vestiges of medieval language and themes abound, Judeo-Spanish folktales recapitulate primarily the post-expulsion experiences of Sephardic communities. The legends narrate events associated with locales in Jerusalem, 33 Tiberias, 34 Hebron, 35 Haifa and Mount Carmel, 36 Istanbul, 37 Saloniki, 38 and Fez. 39 A tale that was once associated with medieval Saragossa in Spain was transferred to Bethlehem and appropriated by a local distinguished family. 40 Only one tale in this collection 41 relates an event placed in the court of the "King of Spain." Yet, unlike other localized narratives, this story skirts the boundaries between a myth, a legend, and a folktale. The dramatic personalities in the situation appear in roles such as a king, a rabbi, and a shammash (synagogue caretaker), rather than as specified individual characters, and the theme of disputation and disguise are part of a general folktale cycle in Jewish tradition, represented by tale type 922: "The Shepherd Substituting for the Priest Answers the King's Questions." 42

Central Figures The historical personalities that function in these tales, with the exception of Maimonides, are also post-expulsion figures. Even if their exact identities are still vague, like that of Rabbi Kalonymus, 43 their narratives are grounded in the era of the Ottoman Empire, which collapsed in 1922. Maimonides, or Rambam, as he is traditionally known, is a towering

figure not only in Jewish philosophy, law, and theology, but also in Jewish folklore, where his fame extends beyond his Sephardic ethnic boundaries. Yet for the Sephardic community his figure has distinct symbolic significance. He became a role model of a Sephardic Jew who had been forced out of Spain, 44 about 300 years before the Jews who were expelled in 1492, and ascended to the apex of his profession, becoming a physician in the royal court in Egypt, his final land of residence. His resilience was inspirational to a community in distress, and his legendary biography offered hope to all. Medieval sources of Spanish Jewry do not document Maimonides legends in the pre-expulsion period. But their availability to Jewish writers in the sixteenth century, 45 shortly after the expulsion, suggests the possibility that they circulated orally in Spain but were written down in other lands. These narratives about Maimonides evolved into an extensive cycle encompassing childhood, adulthood, and death. 46 Thematically, these are stories about disguise, medicine, magic, and wisdorn 47 and are not limited to unraveling Maimonides' folk biographical pattern. The mythic heroes of many nations have a comparable biographical pattern: The hero is the child of most distinguished parents, usually the son of a king. His origin is preceded by difficulties, such as continence, or prolonged barrenness, or secret intercourse of the parents due to external prohibition or obstacles. During or before the pregnancy, there is a prophecy, in the form of a dream or oracle, cautioning against his birth and usually threatening danger to the father (or his representative). As a rule, the hero surrenders to the water, in a box. He is then saved by animais, or by lowly people (shepherds), and is suckled by a female animal or by a humble woman. After he has grown up, he finds his distinguished parents, in a highly versatile fashion. He takes his revenge on his father, on the one hand, and is acknowledged, on the other. Finally he achieves rank and honors. Although Lord Raglan, who constructed the most comprehensive biographical pattern of the traditional hero, 48 included in his study three figures from the Jewish traditions, those of Joseph, Moses, and Elijah, 49 closer scrutiny has revealed some unique features that characterize the hero in Jewish traditions. Already S. An-ski has pointed out the proclivity of heroes in Jewish traditions toward piety, benevolence, and learning, and contrasted them with the military inclinations of heroic figures in other nations. 50 Later Dov Noy pointed out that in Jewish traditions biographical legends cluster around five occasions and objects in the life of a hero: prenatal narratives, incidental occurrence through his lifetime,

posthumous narratives, his descendants, and his belongings. 51 Tamar Alexander, focusing on the figures of Maimonides and Rabbi Isaac Luria, has constructed a biographical model that outlines the life course of these two Jewish heroes of tradition in terms that parallel the universal scheme of heroic biography. Accordingly, the parents of the Jewish hero learn about his future birth either in a dream or from a supernatural messenger. After a prolonged period of barrenness, his mother dies in childbirth. In childhood the hero exhibits extreme characteristics of either wild behavior or precocity; miraculously he changes and starts on the course of achieving greatness in learning, leaving his home and community, and having a period of solitude, after which he returns to his own community and enjoys communal recognition of his exceptional abilities. In his position of leadership he experiences confrontations with other leaders, but at the same time he has many disciples. He visits, or returns to, the Land of Israel. Unusual events are associated with his death. His descendants, or disciples, continue his leadership, and the objects he left behind, like his books, acquire sanctity. 52 In their narration of internationally known tale types, the Sephardic storytellers count Maimonides as one of the dramatic personalities of their fictive world, of the magic tale, albeit his role commensurate with his historical function as a counselor to the king. 53 Unique among the historical personalities in the Sephardic folktale repertoire is the founder of Hasidism, Israel Ba'al Shem Τον, the Besht. As the two communities of Sephardim and Hasidim had lived side by side in the Land of Israel since the second half of the eighteenth century, they had exchanged tales about the heroes of their respective communities. Biblical figures also populate the Judeo-Spanish folktales. Out of the broad range of biblical characters, two prominent figures function in the folktales: King Solomon and Elijah the Prophet. King Solomon is the epitome of royalty, while Elijah the Prophet is a manifestation of divine will. Neither of them is unique to Judeo-Spanish folktales. Elijah the Prophet is ubiquitous in Jewish ethnic oral traditions, while King Solomon appears mostly in the oral tales of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Jewish communities. In Judeo-Spanish narratives, 54 King Solomon is the model royal personality. His attributes build upon his image in the Bible, but the narratives draw primarily upon medieval and later traditions. King Solomon functions in the tales more as a mythical than a historical figure. His actions represent his imaginary qualities of wisdom, magical control of nature, total cognitive control of all communication systems—he knows the

languages of mankind, animals, and plants—and total control of his subjects, toward whom he exhibits compassion or power at will. Elijah the Prophet, on the other hand, is a messenger of God, helping Jews in distress. As an early prophet, Elijah occupies the role of a miracle worker and healer in two biblical stories (1 Kings 17:8-24); of a cult leader and rainmaker in another (1 Kings 17:1,7; 18-19:1-14); and of a guardian of morality in still another (1 Kings 21). In subsequent biblical tradition, he became the herald of the Messiah (Mai. 3:23-24). The narrative and religious basis for his recurrence in folktales is the biblical account of his supernatural disappearance when "a fiery chariot with fiery horses suddenly appeared and separated one from the other, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind" (2 Kings 2:11). Ever since then, in Jewish lore, Elijah is said to return periodically to earth in a variety of guises, performing miracles for individuals and communities, 55 and countering the intended actions of the Angel of Death. 56 The single figure in the Judeo-Spanish narrative tradition that is a clear import from the oral traditions of other peoples is the humorous character of Djuha. 57 He is the clowning fool in the tales and anecdotes told by Arabs and Turks, his name having transformed from Djuha to Hoca as the stories about him crossed the Mediterranean from its southern to its northern shores. In the Judeo-Spanish tradition, however, he has remained Djuha the fool, who through his stupidity exposes the folly of others, 58 and through his literal interpretations of metaphors exposes the ambiguities in our languages. 59 The Sephardim exchanged with other peoples not only humorous tales, but also narrative themes and figures that occur in tale types with broad global distribution. Each group of people tells these tales in terms that are familiar to its traditions, beliefs, values, physical surroundings, and social life. The Sephardim are no exception. The stories they learned from others transform through familiarization to become Judeo-Spanish narratives. This familiarization is a fundamental principle of literary creativity in traditional society. It contrasts with the principle of defamiliarization, which underscores individual literary and artistic creativity. The social pressure on modern artists, and their personal artistic desire, is to achieve originality in their work. Novelty has an aesthetic value, and artists can manifest their originality through distancing their work from the mundane, familiar, and known. 60 In contrast, the artist in traditional society follows the principle of familiarization, according to which he bends and twists foreign narrative el-

ements to fit the traditional patterns familiar to his audience. Told by Judeo-Spanish storytellers, these fairy tales become an integral part of the Judeo-Spanish tradition and literature regardless of their broad distribution elsewhere. They substitute or supplement the typical folktale roles of a king and a queen, a prince and a princess, a donor and helper, with Jewish roles that are familiar to their listeners in their own communities, such as a rabbi and his wife, a rabbi's son and a rabbi's daughter, Elijah the Prophet as the archetypical helper, and Satan or the Angel of Death as the ultimate evil enemy. The circumciser and the midwife become human messengers into a demonic world, from which they return—provided proper precautions are taken—richly rewarded. Familiarization is a transformational process through which the universal becomes regional, the global becomes the local, and the strange mundanely known, so much so that the storytellers and their communities can eventually claim: "These tales are our own." 61 Notes 1. H. Beinart, Chapters in Judeo-Spanish History, 1:13-35 [Hebrew]. 2. Op. cit., The Expulsion of the Jews from Spain, 52-53. 3. Op.cit., 290; M. Lazar and S. Haliczer, The Jews of Spain and the Expulsion of 1492. 4. There is a wealth of literature about diverse aspects of Jewish life in Spain before the expulsion. Two basic histories are E. Ashtor, The Jews of Moslem Spain; and Y. Baer, A History of the Jews in Christian Spain. For further reading, a starting point could be H. Beinart, Chapters in Judeo-Spanish History [Hebrew]; or idem, Moreshet Sepharad: The Sephardi Legacy. 5. There is a rich scholarly and popular literature about the history, literature, and culture of the Sephardim, some of which appeared in the 1990s in observance of the 500-year anniversary of the expulsion of Jews from Spain. Selected studies include M. Abitbol, et al., Les Juifs d'Espagne: Histoire d'une diaspora, 1492-1992; idem, The Sephardic Jewish Diaspora after the Expulsion from Spain [Hebrew]; I. Ben-Ami, The Sepharadi and Oriental Jewish Heritage: Studies [Hebrew]; P. Diaz-Mas, Sephardim: The Jews from Spain; J. S. Gerber, The Jews of Spain; H. E. Goldberg, Sephardi and Middle Eastern Jewries; Judaism, "The Expulsion from Spain: A Symposium," vol. 41, nos. 2 - 3 (1992), 111-296; A. Rodrigue, Jews and Muslims; H. M. Sachar, Farewell Espana; Y. K. Stillman and G. K. Zucker, New Horizons in Sephardic Studies; Y. K. Stillman and N. A. Stillman, From Iberia to Diaspora. E. Benbassa and A. Rodrigue, Sephardi Jewry. 6. L. Minervini, Testi giudeospagnoli medievali (Castiglia e Aragona). 7. J. H. Klausner, "The Historic and Social Milieu of Santob's 'Proverbios morales,'" 783-789; J. Kleinerman, "The Phonology of Sem Tov's 'Proverbios morales'"; T. A. Perry, Proverbios morales/Santob de Carrion; idem, The Moral Proverbs of Santob de Carrion; S. Shepard, Proverbios morales/Sem Tob. 8. D. M. Bunis, "The Language of the Sephardim: A Historical Overview," 2:400. 9. Currently there is a very active scholarship in Judeo-Spanish studies that encom-

passes language, culture, history, and folklore. For bibliographical references and overviews, see S. Armistead, "A Critical Bibliography of the Hispanic Ballad in Oral Tradition (1971-1979)," idem, "Bibliografia critica del Romancero (1979-1983)," 77-223; idem, "La littérature orale des Juifs séfarades," D. M. Bunis, Sephardic Studies; R. Haboucha, "The Folklore and Traditional Literature of the Judeo-Spanish Speakers," idem, Types and Motif of the Judeo-Spanish Folktales; I. M. Hassán, "Vision panoramica de la literature sefardi." 10. E. Romero, "Literary Creation in the Sephardi Diaspora." U . S . Weich-Shahak, Repertorio traditional infantil sefardi. 12. For a study of his life and teachings, see G. G. Scholem, Sabbatai Sevi: The Mystical Messiah, 1626-1676 13. S. Armistead and J. Silverman, "The Judeo-Spanish Ballad Tradition." 14. S. G. Armistead, et al., El romancero Juedo Espanol en el Archivo Menendez Pidal (Catál0g0-índice de romances y canciones), 1:7-73; also see notes 9 and 11 above, and S. Rafael, The Knight and the Captive Lady [Hebrew], 15. M. Kayserling, Refranes ο proverbios espanoles de los judios espaholes; R. R. Foulché-Delbosc, "Proverbs judéo-espagnols." 16. For example, the comprehensive bibliography of Judeo-Spanish proverbs of H. V. Besso, "Judeo-Spanish Proverbs: An Analysis and Bibliography," 21-55, includes 145 entries. 17. See T. Alexander-Frizer, Words Are Better than Bread [Hebrew]; T. Alexander and G. Hasan-Rokem, "Games of Identity in Proverb Usage: Proverbs of a Sephardic-Jewish Woman," 1-16; D. M. Bunis, Sephardic Studies, 141-145[nos. 1292-1333]; H. Goldberg, "The Judeo-Spanish Proverb and Its Narrative Context," 106-120; I. J. Lévy, Prolegomena to the Study of the Refranero Sefardi; idem and R. Lévy Zumwalt, "A Conversation in Proverbs," 269-283. 18. Y. Malkiel, "Max Leopold Wagner," reprinted in Portraits of Linguists, 2:463-474; C. M. Crews, "Max Leopold Wagner, Ignacio Gonzalez Llubera and Arnald Steiger," v-vii. 19. M. L. Wagner, Beiträge zur Kenntnis des Judenspanischen von Konstantinopel. 20. See tale 51 : "The Old Woman and the Wind." 21. W. Schiller, "Das Mehl der Witwe: Ein Beitrag zur semitischen Sagenforschung," 513-539. 22. M. Grunwald, Tales, Songs and Folkways of Sephardic Jews [Hebrew]. 23. M. A. Luria, "A Study of the Monastir Dialect of Judeo-Spanish," idem, "JudeoSpanish Proverbs of the Monastir Dialect," S. G. Armistead and J. H. Silverman, "JudeoSpanish Ballads from Monastir, Yugoslavia (Collected by Max A. Luria)," 2:11-23. 24. C. M. Crews, Recherches sur le Judé-Espagnol dans les pays Balkaniques. For a brief biographical sketch, see Anon., "Cynthia M. Crews," 79 [Hebrew|. For a brief evaluation and selections in Judeo-Spanish and English translation from M. A. Luria, op. cit., and C. M. Crews, op. cit., see M. Cohen, Last Century of a Sephardic Community, 29-31, 251-300. 25. J. Meyouhas, Ma'asiyyot am li-bhnei kedem (Oriental Folktales). 26. A. de Larrea Palacin, Cuentos populäres de los judios del Norte de Marrueccos. 27. Y. Haviv, Never Despair [Hebrew]. 28. For example, M. Attias, The Golden Feather [Hebrew]; for tales from Morocco recorded outside Israel, see A. E. Elbaz, Folktales of the Canadian Sephardim.

29. T. Alexander and D. Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers [Hebrew]: M. KoenSarano, King Solomon and the Golden Fish. 30. M. Koen-Sarano, Kuentos delfolklorde la famiya Djudeo-Espanyola [Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish]; idem, Djoha ke dize? Kuentos populäres redaktados i traduzidos en ebreo [Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish]. An English edition of this volume is Folktales of Joha: Jewish Trickster, translated by D. Herman; idem, Konsejas i konsejikas del mundo djudeoespanyol [Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish]; idem, Lejendas i kuentos morales de la tradision djudeo-espanyola [Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish]; and idem, De Saragosa a Yerushaláim: Kuentos sefaradís; I. Moscona, Sippurei Sefarad (Sephardic Tales). 31. R. Haboucha, Types and Motifs of the Judeo-Spanish Folktales. 32. T. Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half [Hebrew], For discussions of Judeo-Spanish folktale research, see T. Alexander, "Le-Heker ha-Sippur ha-SefaradiYehudi ve-Isufu" (About Collecting and Researching the Judeo-Spanish Tale), 291-296; idem, " 'Elohim Ohev Lev'—Le-Heker ha-Sippur ha-amami ha-Sefaradi-Yehudi" ("God Loves the Heart"—About Collecting and Researching the Judeo-Spanish Folktale); R. Haboucha, op. cit., xx-xxi; D. Noy, "Preface," in M. Grunwald, op. cit., 15-19 [Hebrew]. 33. Folktales 1, 5, 6, 14, 15. 20, 24, 26, 27, 52, 53, and 54 in this volume. 34. Folktales 10 and 11. 35. Folktale 3. 36. Folktales 18 and 29. 37. Folktales 5, 19, and 50. 38. Folktales 7 and 17. 39. Folktale 13. 40. Folktale 4. 41. Folktale 8. 42. "Tale type" is a principal concept in folktale theory and classification method. It designates narratives that have independent existence in tradition, even though storytellers may use them in combination with other tale types. Their coherent occurrence in tradition by themselves attests to their independence. Initially conceived by Johann Georg von Hahn (1811-1868) as "formula" in his Griechische und alhanesische Märchen, 1:45-64 and later translated into English and considered as "story radicals" by S. Baring-Gould, "Appendix: Household Tales," the concept of "tale type" was established in folktale studies in A. Aarne, Verzeichnis der Märchentypen (Types of the folktale). The second (1928) and third (1961) editions of this book, revised by Stith Thompson, and the fourth (2004) edition revised by Hans-Jörg Uther made it an indispensable research tool. For selected informative and critical discussions of the concept, see S. Apo, "Tale Type"; D. L. Ashliman, Folk and Fairy Tales, 29-59; R. A. Georges, "The Universality of the Tale-Type"; H. Jason, "The Russian Criticism of the 'Finnish School'"; H. Jason, "Structural Analysis and the Concept of the "Tale-Type." 43. In folktale 14. 44. A. J. Heschel, Maimonides: A Biography, 15-16. 45. Y. Berger, "Ha-Rambam be-Aggadat ha-Arn" (Maimonides in Folk Legend), 216-238. 46. T. Alexander and E. Romero, Erase una vez. • • Maimonides (Once upon a time . . . Maimonides). Tales about Maimonides were also very popular among communities of Judeo-Arabic speakers; see Y. Avishur, in Praise of Maimonides [Hebrew]. 47. Folktales 9, 10, 35, 50, and 59.

48. Ο. Rank, The Myth of the Birth of the Hero, 47. Rank was neither the first nor the last to outline the biographical narratives of traditional heroes. For comparative analyses of biographical models, see A. Taylor, "The Biographical Pattern in Traditional Narratives"; A. Dundes, "The Hero Pattern and the Life of Jesus," in Interpreting Folklore, 223-262, 282-287; Lord Raglan, The Hero. 49. Op. cit., 180-181. 50. S. An-ski, "On Jewish Folk-Creativity." 51. D. Noy, " R ' S h a l e m Shabazi"; E. Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale, 106-120. 52. T. Alexander, "Saint and Sage: The 'Ari and Maimonides in Folktales." 53. As in folktale 49. 54. Folktales 44, 51, 52, 53, and 54. 55. See folktale 1. 56. As in folktales 17 and 45. 57. Folktales 61-69. 58. Folktale 65. 59. Folktales 61 and 63. 60. V. Shklovsky, "Art as Technique"; R. H. Stacy, Defamiliarization in Language and Literature. For further discussions of Shklovsky's theory of literature, see several essays in R. L. Jackson and S. Rudy, Russian Formalism: A Retrospective Glance. 61. For discussion of familiarization in Jewish folklore, or "Judaization," see D. Noy, "The Jewish Versions of the 'Animal Languages' Folktale (AT 670): A TypologicalStructural Study," 174-176 [bib. 171-208]; E. Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale, 273-274. On transformation in folktales, see V. Propp, "Transformation in Fairy Tales."

A Note on the Commentaries

W h e n full information is available, each note consists of five sections: basic information; discussion of cultural, historical, or literary background; list of narrative analogues; folktale types; and folklore motifs. Basic information includes the tale title, archival number, and names of its narrator and collector (recorder), as well as the time and place of its narration. The "Israel Place List (1970)" in the Encyclopedia Judaica, vol. 1, 169-91, serves as a spelling guide for the names of villages and towns in Israel. The spelling of names of countries and cities outside Israel follows standard English usage. The section on cultural, historical, or literary background of the tale draws upon scholarship in relevant disciplines. Many of the texts cited are in Hebrew. However, modern Hebrew books and articles often have a title page or an overleaf in English translation. In these cases, the English or any other European language title is listed in the notes and the bibliography, with an indication in brackets that the text is in Hebrew. The book title appears in transliteration followed by translation in parenthesis when no title in a European language is available. The next section lists narrative analogues that are available in the IFA, listing the archival number, title, and country of origin of each parallel version. The fourth and fifth sections, on folktale types and folklore motifs, offer research tools for comparative analysis. In folklore research, the concept of "tale type" refers to a narrative that has an independent existence in tradition. The basic registrar of these types is A. Aarne and S. Thompson's The Types of the Folktale. Folklorists worldwide have prepared tale type indexes of their own folk-literary repertoires, modeled upon The Types of the Folktale with appropriate modifications. 1 The listing in this section refers only to the published indexes of Jewish folktales, the unpublished IFA list of the modified or specific tale types unique to the Jewish narrative tradition, tale type indexes of other Near Eastern countries, and, if one is available, the tale type index of the narrator's country xlv

of origin. While the present tale collection was in preparation, a new edition of The Types of the Folktale appeared as H.-J. Uther, The Types of International Folktales. This edition is listed specifically when it includes a change in title or number from the original index. But the reader is advised to consult it, even in those cases when it is not mentioned, since the new edition includes a vastly expanded list of bibliographical references for each tale type. In contrast to the tale type, the folklore motif is the minimal narrative element that persists in tradition. The basic registrar of folklore motifs is S. Thompson's Motif-Index of Folk-Literature. An asterisk next to a number indicates that this motif has been identified in the present collection of tales and has not been previously numbered. 2 Notes 1. D. S. Azzolina, Tale Type and Motif-Indexes. 2. For selected studies of the concept of motif in folklore and literature, see D. BenAmos, "The Concept of Motif in Folklore"; C. Bremond, "A Critique of the M o t i f ' ; T. Christensen, Motif et Theme; J. Courtes, Le Conte Populaire, 15-58; H. S. Daemmrich, "Themes and Motifs in Literature: Approaches—Trends—Definition"; L. Dolezel, "Narrative Semantics and Motif Theory"; A. Dundes, "From Etic to Emic Units in the Structural Study of Folktales"; R. Grambo, "The Conceptions of Variant and M o t i f ' ; J. Handoo, "The Concept of Unit in Folk Narrative"; H. Levin, " M o t i f ' ; E. Meletinski, "Principes sémantiques d'un nouvel index des motifs et des sujets"; S. Thompson, Narrative Motif Analysis as a Folklore Method.

Legends

The Tenth for the Minyan S H A U L

A N G E L - M A L A C H I

In those long-ago times, when all the Jews lived in the Old City, inside the walls, the four synagogues named for Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai were the center of life. Not only for prayers but also for celebrations and—may Heaven spare us—for mourning. Crowds would gather in those synagogues for the installation of a chief rabbi (the rishon le-Zion), for prayers and supplications in years of drought, and so on. We should remember the names of those four synagogues. They were a cluster of adjacent buildings, with passages between them. The first was the Istanbuli Synagogue, which was founded by Sephardic Jews originally from Portugal. It has been there for centuries. A door leads from it into the Middle Synagogue—Al kal d'en medio. Two doors lead from that: one to the Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai Synagogue, the other to the Talmud Torah Synagogue. The Middle Synagogue was used as a shortcut by worshipers going to the other synagogues. But it too had its regular congregation, until the Old City was captured by the Arab Legion in 1948. But let us go back to the Talmud Torah Synagogue, whose name was later changed to the Eliyahu Ha‫־‬navi (Elijah the Prophet) Synagogue. How did that come about? Let me tell you the legend about how its name was changed from Talmud Torah to Eliyahu Ha-navi. It goes like this: One Yom Kippur eve, the regular congregants (the yehidim*) assembled for the Kol Nidrei prayer. But there were only nine men. The sun was setting, but no one else appeared. The small congregation, led by its cantor, Hakham Benjamin, started to worry. How could they begin the Kol Nidrei prayer without a minyan? At the last minute they saw an old Jew, his white beard down to his chest,

"The term used by the exiles from the Iberian peninsula for tax-paying members of a community or congregation.

leaning on his cane and coming down the stairs leading from the gate opposite the Bet-El Synagogue.* Here was the man they had been waiting for to complete their minyan. At once the cantor began to chant, in a loud voice "Kol nidrei ve-esarei... The joy of fulfilling their religious obligation enwrapped them totally and was intensified by the fact that at the very last moment they had been able to conduct the evening service for Yom Kippur with a minyan, according to all the prescribed forms and regulations. The extremely pious stay in the synagogue all night on Yom Kippur, learning the biblical and talmudic chapters that are relevant to the holiday: the service by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies. They do not sleep all night. The ten men remained in the Talmud Torah Synagogue all night, never closing their eyes. When the sun appeared in the east, they began to recite the morning service at the earliest possible hour. All the worshipers were wrapped up in themselves, praying for atonement and forgiveness and that they be judged worthy of being inscribed for a good life and for peace. The old man sat in the corner, praying with intense devotion. After the Ne'ilah service and the blowing of the shofar, all felt that a great burden had been lifted from them. When they finished Arvit, the evening service, they went outside to sanctify the new moon. They turned to each other and wished each other "anyada buena i klara" (a good and bright year). But when they wanted to bless the old man too, he had vanished! Only then did the nine worshipers realize that it was Elijah the Prophet who had been among them for twenty-four hours, so that they would be able to pray with a minyan. They changed the name of the Talmud Torah Synagogue to the Eliyahu Ha-navi Synagogue. In one of the niches, they placed a chair on which they circumcised all the boys born in Jerusalem and called it the chair of Elijah the Prophet.** It is still there today. May his memory be for a blessing!

*Founded in 1757, the Bet-El synagogue is situated on the corner of Bet-El and Eliyahu Ha-navi Streets, next to Yohanan ben Zakkai Synagogue. It was a center of Kabbalah. "In fact, the chair in which the sandek (the person given the honor of assisting the mohel, or circumcisor) sits during the circumcision is always referred to as the chair of Elijah the Prophet, and many synagogues have a special piece of furniture reserved for this purpose.

C O M M E N T A R Y F O R T A L E 1 (IFA Written

down from memory

16408)

by Shaul Angel-Malachi

in 1987 in

Jerusalem.1

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The completion of a minyan, a quorum of ten men required for a public prayer, by a mysterious person is a recurrent folklore theme; see IFA 10087 (vol. 1) and IFA 10604 (vol. 3). Elijah the Prophet is the most popular figure to perform this function in the tales of many Jewish ethnic groups. For selected studies about him, see the note to IFA 2830 (vol. 1). The synagogue in the Old City of Jerusalem, named after Elijah, is part of a complex of four adjacent synagogues of the Sephardic community. The complex, as well as one of the synagogues, is known as the Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai Synagogue and is built on the location on which, according to tradition, the firstcentury c.E. tanna (scholar) had his school (JT Megillah 3:4). The Elijah the Prophet Synagogue is the oldest among the prayer chambers of this complex. It was known, as the narrator reports, by the name Talmud Torah, indicating its function as a house of study. This entire complex was likely built only in the seventeenth century, after the governor of Jerusalem closed down the Ramban Synagogue, known as "The House of Columns," in 1586. This synagogue served both the Sephardic and the Ashkenazic congregations. But after its closure, the two congregations separated, and the first Sephardic synagogue was likely built in the first decade of the seventeenth century. By 1625, an anonymous traveler reported the existence of the large Sephardic synagogue and the Talmud Torah next to it, which was later known, as the tale accounts, as the Elijah the Prophet Synagogue. With the growth of the Sephardic congregation during the eighteenth century, there was a need for a larger space for prayer. By the end of that century, there were four synagogues in the complex: (1) Yohanan ben Zakkai, the largest; (2) Elijah the Prophet (Talmud Torah); (3) Istanbuli, which served the community of Turkish Jews; and (4) the Middle Synagogue. By the nineteenth century, all four synagogues were dilapidated. The community was able to renovate them, at great cost, only in 1835. It is quite possible that the incident told in IFA 15348 (vol. 1) occurred after the Jewish community exhausted all its resources in the reconstruction of the synagogues. 2 In the second half of the nineteenth century, M. Reischer described this synagogue as one of the four Sephardic synagogues in Jerusalem. It was attached to a large synagogue known as "Kahal Talmud Torah," where Rabbi Hayyim ben Attar once prayed (see IFA 556 [vol. 1]). "In front of it, on the western side, there is a small house, which was very sacred to them [the Sephardim], and in which candles are always lit, because they have a tradition that Elijah once appeared there" 3 See also IFA 10087 (vol. 1) and IFA 10604 (vol. 3) for references to this synagogue. During the War of Independence, the Jewish residents of the Old City sought

shelter in this synagogue complex, and there they surrendered to the Jordanian soldiers. After the Six-Day War, the synagogue complex was reconstructed. 4 The Elijah the Prophet Synagogue also served as the site for the local legend of the blood libel in Jerusalem (see IFA 16405 [vol. 1]). Most books about the Old City of Jerusalem describe this complex of four synagogues. 5

Similarities to Other IFA Tales Three different figures complete a minyan in the tales in the IFA: Elijah the Prophet, Abraham the Patriarch, and a person who functions in the role of a nonobservant Jew: ‫״‬

IFA 190: Thanks to Two Words (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); 6 minyan completed by a nonobservant Jew.

•

IFA 2 6 7 7 : Elijah

Godfather •

the Prophet

Is the Μ ο he I, and Abraham

the Patriarch

the

(Poland).

IFA 9 7 4 9 : Abraham

the Patriarch

Completes

a Minyan

(Eretz Yisra'el,

Ashkenazic). 7 •

IFA 16644: Elijah the Prophet

Completes

a Minyan

(Russia).

Two parodies on this theme are the following: •

IFA 8192: The Poor Man's Meal (Poland); 8 a poor man is not invited to a festive meal but only to complete a minyan at midnight.

•

IFA 9 9 1 6 : A Tenth for a Minyan

(Canada).9

See also IFA 10087.

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • . • •

D2095 "Magic disappearance." H976 "Task performed by mysterious stranger." *Q33.1 "Completing a religious quorum (minyan) rewarded." *V54 "Public prayer requires a quorum of ten (minyan)." *V54.0.1 "A holy person completes the minyan for the Yom Kippur service." *V54.1 "Elijah the Prophet completes a minyan." *V75.2 "Day of Atonement." VI 12.3 "Synagogues." *V295 "Elijah the Prophet." V315 "Belief in the atonement." Z71.16.2 "Formulistic number: ten."

Notes 1. First published in Angel-Malachi, Vidas en Jerusalem, 81-83. A text and analysis of another version told by the same narrator is in Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friendand-a-Half 116-117.

2. Pinkerfeld, Batei ha-Kenesiyot be-Eretz Yisra 'el (Synagogues in the Land of Israel), 19-24; Cassuto, "Four Sephardi Synagogues"; and Cassuto, "An Eighteenth-Century Italian-Jewish Traveler." 3. Reicher [Reischer], Sha'arei Yerushalayim (The Gates of Jerusalem), 23b. 4. Tanai, "The Ben-Zakkai Synagogues." 5. For example, see Ben-Eliezer, Destruction and Renewal, 14-19; Habibi [Havivi], Batei Kenesset be-yerushalyim ba- 'ir ha- 'atika (Synagogues in the Old City of Jerusalem), 21-32; and Vilnay, Yerushalayim birat Yisra'el (Jerusalem, the capital of Israel), 1:386-396. 6. Published in Ashni, Be-Simta'ot Tzfat (In the alleys of Safed), 119-121. 7. Published in M. Cohen, Mi-Pi ha-Am (From folk tradition), 1:63-64 no. 27; and Rush and Marcus, Seventy and One Tales for the Jewish Year, 46-48 no. 13. 8. Published in Gutter, Honor Your Mother, 25-26 no. 12. 9. Published in Shenhar, A Tale for Each Month: 1973, 28-30 no. 8.

The Wedding Attended by the Patriarchs T O L D

BY

G A D

A B B A D I

TO

R E ' U V E N

N A ' A N A H

i or many years the sister of our master, Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory, who was known as the the "Ari," was childless. She urged her saintly brother to pray for her and entreat God to end her disgrace. "Dear Brother" she used to say, "you never turn anyone away empty-handed. Why, then, won't you heed your sister's tears?" But he never answered when she spoke to him in this vein. Finally there came a day when she cried so much, with rivers of tears pouring from her eyes in an unbroken stream, that he took pity on her. "Believe me, Sister," he told her, "I'm more concerned about you than you are about yourself. But what can I do? The gates of mercy are closed. You must beseech God yourself and He will come to your assistance." These consoling words were like balm to her pain. It was as if her brother had hinted that all hope was not lost and her salvation would come soon. Weeks passed and she came to her brother again. "Dear Brother, didn't you promise me, with your own mouth, that God would help me? But I still haven't been helped. Now I'm not going to budge from this spot until you promise me that God will act speedily and give me a child who will live." She camped out in her brother's house, weeping day and night and giving him no rest. Finally he told her, "Go home. In a year you will be embracing a son.* But I warn you: Do not let yourself be carried away with pride and tell people, 'This is my wonderful son, the fruit of my womb.' If you don't listen to me and boast about your son, the sin is not mine should disaster befall him." The sister went home, her heart brimming with love and joy. God remembered her and she conceived and bore a son. God was with the boy and he was very bright. When he was three years old, she brought him to the heder** where he

"Echoing Elisha's promise to the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:16. "School where children study Torah and Talmud.

surpassed all the other children of his age. At four, the whole town knew of his brilliance. By the time he was five, he sat and learned Torah like an adult. Once his father was sitting with a group of men, who were all bragging about their offspring. The father could not restrain himself. "I can't afford to pay tuition fees the way you can. Still, your sons would be put to shame by mine, who excels in knowledge of the Torah." The words were scarcely out of his mouth when the boy was struck deaf. When his mother saw the disaster that had overtaken her son, she remembered her brother's blessing and warning. Going to him, she fell at his feet and begged him to save her only son. Her brother, unable to withstand her entreaties, prayed to God. In a flash, the boy's hearing was restored. "Here is your son, healthy. Take him with you. But again, I warn you not to boast of his virtues or beauty, if you love him. I have saved you this one time only. If you come again it will be in vain." She took the boy and went. One day the mother was sitting with her friends, who were all extolling their sons. "My son is only ten and is already learning Gemara,"* said one. "My nine-year-old grandson is famous for his scholarship," countered another. Then Rabbi Isaac Luria's sister opened her mouth. "My son is still very young, but he already knows several tractates by heart. Nothing in God's Torah is beyond his grasp." No sooner had she spoken these words than her son went blind. When his mother perceived this new disaster she cried bitterly. The tears streamed from her eyes when she remembered that there was no hope, because her only source of assistance was her brother, who would not show her mercy after she had failed to heed his repeated warnings. In the end, though, she resolved to go visit her saintly brother. Perhaps he would be moved if he saw her son's tragedy; perhaps he would have mercy on him. She came to her brother and fell at his feet, weeping. "Please, my lord, save us, just this time." "Why did you let your mouth sin against the child?" he replied. "There is no hope." "Here, then, my son is in your house. Do whatever you want with him. I make you a gift of him, forever. Now I shall return home in anguish." "That is, studying Talmud, usually with medieval commentaries.

Saying this, she fell on her blind son's neck and hugged and kissed him. Her tears flowed like rivers. Her brother tried to comfort her in her grief. "When my way finds favor with God, you will merit the chance to travel with me to your son's wedding. Together we shall embrace him lovingly." Her brother's words lifted her spirits. Leaving the boy in his uncle's house, she returned home. The boy lived with his uncle in his world of darkness; his parents were not there, and the members of the household remained aloof and paid him no attention. Time passed. One night, very late, his uncle came and sat down next to him. All about there was silence and stillness. The rabbi spoke gently to his nephew. Then he wrote an amulet and hung it around the boy's neck. "Here, take your wallet,* and go wherever your feet may lead you." The boy started walking. He wandered aimlessly until he reached a large forest. There he lost his way among the trees and could find no way out. Suddenly, from afar, he heard voices that seemed to be getting nearer. So it was: Within a few minutes, some men reached him and took him to their house, where they treated him kindly. "Stay with us until the time is ripe, and then we'll send you on your way." They were all saintly men, the patriarchs of the world, along with other holy men. The boy stayed with them, and they taught him Torah and Kabbalah until he became a great scholar, like a spring whose flow always increases.** His eyes, too, regained their sight. When he reached the age of thirteen, the men told him, "You have been living among us and have learned everything you have the capacity to master. Now you have reached manhood. Take these clothes and put them on. Take care not to remove them until you see us again. "When you leave us you will come to a certain place where there lives a Jew who holds the lease on the mill. When you cross his threshold you must immediately tell him that you are a miller. But whatever he asks you, you must always answer '1 don't know.' Even if he asks you about praying, which all Jews know well, you must say '1 don't know.' Do this as long as you stay in his house, so that you will be thought an unlettered boor. Do what you must do in secret and pray when no one is looking. "After a while, a man will come, accompanied by a girl, and ask whether you want to be his son-in-law. You must agree. If he asks whether you will follow him to his town, say yes and return home with him. But

*"Wallet" here means a leather bag holding an amulet. " S e e Mishnah Avot 2:8.

always take care not to remove these clothes until you see us under your roof. No matter how strongly you are urged to remove these garments, you must pay no heed and must not a g r e e " The boy performed his teachers' bidding and did just as they had instructed him. Leaving the forest, he came to the miller, who received him cordially and hired him to work in the mill. "Aren't you a God-fearing Jew?" asked his master when he saw that the young man did not pray. "Why didn't you pray yesterday or today?" The boy feigned ignorance. "I have no parents. My parents died when I was eight. Even before they died, it was difficult for me to bear the yoke of the Torah that my teachers taught me. After they died, when I wandered and begged for my bread, without work, where could I learn to read?" This news saddened the miller. "Tomorrow," he said, "I will bring you a tutor to teach you how to pray." The boy was overjoyed. One day the miller entered the mill and saw the bins heaped to overflowing. He told his wife. He saw this Heaven-sent blessing day after day, but it never occurred to him that God had blessed him on account of the boy. He told himself that his previous assistants had been thieves, whereas this boy was honest. The miller prospered and increased steadily in wealth and dignity. But he forgot to keep his promise to bring a tutor to teach the boy how to pray. Now in a distant city, far from where our young hero was staying, there lived a great rabbi, renowned throughout the land. This rabbi had an only daughter who was of marriageable age. But no suitor had been found who was deemed appropriate for her family's prestige. One night, the rabbi's father appeared to him in a dream. "Know, my son, that your daughter's mate is living in a certain village, where he works for the miller. Go there and take him for your son-in-law. He will be your daughter's husband." The rabbi's wife and daughter had the same dream. But to his granddaughter, the old man added, "If you don't marry him you will die. When you see him you will be appalled. But pay no attention to his appearance. Man sees only what is visible, but God sees into the heart."* In the morning, they all told their dreams to one another. "It must be true," they concluded. So the rabbi and his daughter journeyed to the vil-

"See 1 Samuel 16:7.

läge to find the miller. He received them with great respect and invited them to dine at his table. During the meal, the rabbi asked his host about his business. "I make my living from the mill," replied the host. "The workers I used to have were all thieves. But finally the Holy One, Blessed Be He brought me a young man, quite illiterate and unlearned, who is totally ignorant but totally honest. He doesn't touch anything that is mine. Whereas once the flour never even filled half the barrels, ever since he came, they are overflowing day after day. But my heart goes out to the young man. I have never seen anyone like him—he doesn't even know the blessing over bread." The rabbi asked the miller to call the boy so he could see him. But the host replied that the boy had already eaten and would not want to take a break during work hours. The next day, at dinnertime, the young man entered the house and sat down at the table, without greeting the others as cultured people do. When the rabbi saw the boy, with the clothes he was wearing and his coarse manner of speaking, his heart fell. The rabbi tried to talk to him and find out whether he was really like that or only disguising himself. But he could not penetrate to the boy's heart. While they were eating, the rabbi saw that the young man really did not know the blessings over foods. "Why don't you say the blessings before and after eating?" asked the rabbi. "I don't know how," he answered. "My parents died when I was young. Even when they were alive, I was never a good student. Now I have no tutor to teach me God's ways. True, my master promised to hire a tutor for me. But he never did. Please, sir, would you be so kind as to get my master to hire a tutor for me?" "I'm ready to teach you Torah if you will come with me." "I will do whatever you tell me," replied the boy, "if you will teach me to read." "Will you come home with me?" "If the matter was decreed by God I will follow you." v Then the rabbi went to his host and told him that the boy was leaving his house. When the miller's wife heard this, she wanted to throw the rabbi out. "Is this how you repay our hospitality?" she asked, "by turning our worker against us?" The miller seconded his wife's assault and quarreled with the rabbi, until the latter was compelled to pay them a hundred gold coins. Never-

theless, they were very sad to see the young man go and wished him well when they parted. On the way home, the rabbi said to the boy, "Let me buy you new clothes before we get to the city. It bothers us that you're wearing such garments." The young man did not reply. But when the rabbi gave him the new clothes, he declined to put them on. "I will do whatever you tell me, except for one thing. My clothes must remain on my body. No one may remove them." "But we are respectable and distinguished people," protested the rabbi. "I want to give you my daughter's hand in marriage. It is not appropriate that my future son-in-law should wear such clothes." But nothing the rabbi and his daughter said had the slightest effect. The young man paid no attention to them. They gave up when they saw that all their efforts were in vain. The rabbi and his daughter arrived home, feeling very sad. When they reached the town and saw the townsfolk coming out to greet them they felt acute embarrassment. "Is it possible," the townsfolk whispered among themselves, "that a rabbi, a leader of the community, should choose such a worthless and reckless young man to be the husband of his only daughter?" They simply could not believe their eyes. The rabbi's wife, too, was distressed when she saw the young man seated next to her husband and daughter. But she said nothing, for she believed in the dreams and that her daughter's life depended on this match. The young man settled down in the rabbi's house and learned Torah with him. The rabbi was delighted to see that the boy paid close attention and that his efforts were bearing fruit. He stopped pressing him about the clothes. "When he has become a scholar he will wear the rabbi's mantle in any case," he thought. But years passed and the young man had still not removed his rags. Finally the rabbi spoke to him about it. "Take off these clothes and put on garments that are appropriate for a scholar." But the young man refused. "These clothes are dear to me, and I cannot take them off. I cannot comply with your request." The rabbi began to entertain grave thoughts and became extremely grim. But then he was visited with a dream. "A precious vessel has reached you," he was told. "You must learn how to use it. Do not look at his clothes."

But one must not rely on dreams, he told himself. I will call the girl and ask for her answer. So he called his daughter. "Will you go with this young man" and be his wife?" "If the matter was decreed by God and it seems good to you, I will not look at his appearance," she answered, "but will do my father's bidding." "In that case," said the rabbi, "let us set the day for the ceremony and get everything ready for the bride and groom for that auspicious day." They spoke with the groom, who also agreed to the date. They got new garments ready for both the bride and the groom, firmly believing that on his wedding day, the groom would discard his tattered rags and put on splendid clothes befitting the rabbi's son-in-law. When the Sabbath of Delights—the Sabbath before the ceremony— arrived, the rabbi and his wife brought the groom fine clothes and asked him to wear them. But he refused to accept them. The bride, too, cried and cried and implored him to take off his old rags and put on new clothes. But he would not listen to her either. "If you won't take off those old clothes, I won't marry you!" she told him. "Do as you wish," he answered calmly. Sabbath passed under a heavy cloud of grief. But the rabbi and his family comforted themselves that on the wedding day itself the groom would certainly put on his new clothes. The wedding day arrived. The guests began to arrive. All the family and members of the wedding party were arrayed in their finest. But the groom was still sitting in his old rags and refusing to change them for new ones. The bride sat as if in mourning. The townsfolk were all dejected, overcome by a sort of silent stupor. Late in the afternoon a shepherd entered the rabbi's house, a long staff in his hand. In his rustic voice, he asked whether so-and-so son of so-andso was in that house. "Yes. There is a fellow here by that name," they answered. "But we don't know whether he's the person you're seeking." "Let me see him," replied the shepherd. "Yes, I think he's my comrade.

*See Genesis 24:58.

We lived together in the same house for many years and had the same master. We shared the good times and the bad. I've come to see him on his wedding day." When they heard this they ran off to tell the groom that the shepherd was waiting for him. The shepherd came up to him joyfully and gave him a friendly clap on the shoulder. The groom responded in kind and they hugged and kissed each other. Then the groom turned to the rabbi's wife. "Would you be so kind as to bring my friend here a glass of brandy—the strongest and finest in the house?" When she heard this, the rabbi's wife felt as if she had been stabbed to the quick. Instead of answering she burst into tears. Her sobs could be heard throughout the house. But the other members of the family, thinking that they might be able to use the shepherd to persuade the groom to put on the new clothes they had provided for his wedding day, began to flatter him. They gave him a first-class meal and excellent wine to drink. When he had finished eating they asked him to try to get the groom to take off his filthy rags and put on clothes befitting a groom. "Don't worry," the shepherd reassured them. "He's my friend and will do whatever I tell him. I can promise you that he will put on other clothes before he goes to stand under the wedding canopy. Still, I can't give you what you want. There's only one thing I can do: I will get him to put on a new tunic and shoes now." He took the tunic and shoes from them and brought them to the groom, who put them on at once. All were heartened by this sight. Seeing that the shepherd had such influence over the groom, they asked him to appeal to his friend to put on the outer garments as well. "Wait a bit," he said. "When the rest of the wedding party comes, they will dress him in the outer garments." So they all waited. Every passing minute seemed like a year. Finally they decided that it was time to lead the groom and bride to the wedding canopy, without waiting for the rest of the wedding party. But the shepherd objected. "Why all this haste? Did the groom grow on a tree? He has a mother and an uncle and many friends and relatives, including the rabbis and sages who taught him. And there are other righteous men who will come to share the joy of his wedding. Why can't you wait for the groom's attendants to arrive?" They all stood there, astonished by this news, quite unable to believe what they were hearing.

They sat down again and waited for the guests from the groom's side. But there was no sound of anyone on the way. The people sat there, waiting, all of them exhausted and anxious for the guests to arrive. But there was no sign of them. They waited and waited. Finally, seeing that no one was coming, they all went back home. Only a small number of the invited guests remained in the rabbi's house, w a i t i n g . . . . Suddenly, just at midnight, there was the sound of galloping horses and dozens of carriages, and an orchestra playing beautiful music. In a flash, the shepherd turned into a wedding jester and began to entertain the wedding party. His crook became a magic wand, and he put on a show of wonders for them. Then he announced, "Everyone outside to greet the important guests who are arriving now!" Everyone went outside and was overjoyed to see the guests. The whole town was agog with the sound of trumpets and drums. The shepherdturned-jester stood to greet the guests. As they crossed the threshold, he called aloud in turn, "Welcome, Rabbi Abraham! Welcome, Rabbi Isaac! Welcome, Rabbi Jacob! Welcome, Rabbi Moses! Welcome, Rabbi David! Welcome, Rabbi Elijah!" The jester greeted by name each of the righteous men who entered the house, including Rabbi Isaac Luria and his sister, the mother of the groom. After he had greeted all the guests, the shepherd-jester announced in a loud voice, "Rabbi David, the dean of musicians, will sing hymns in honor of the groom, so-and-so son of so-and-so." Such beautiful music filled the house, music whose like has never been heard! When the song was finished, the groom's mother fell on her son's neck and kissed him and then on the bride's neck and kissed her. Tears of joy streamed from her eyes. Then the shepherd took the princely garments from the father of the bride and announced: "Rise, Rabbi Abraham, and help the groom on with his new coat." The oldest man in the group stood up and helped the groom on with his coat. The shepherd continued: "Rise, Rabbi Isaac, and help him put on his sash." Another man in the group stood up and tied the sash around the groom's waist. "Rise, Rabbi Jacob, and place the hat on the groom's head." When the groom's hat was in place, the jester called out, "Rise, Rabbi Isaac Luria, uncle of the groom, and help him put on his mantle." Rabbi Luria did so.

When all these honors had been completed, the jester turned to the bride and groom and blessed them before they went to stand under the wedding canopy. Then he called out, "Rise, Rabbi David, play as only you can, and let them walk to the canopy to the sound of your music" The attendants took the bride and groom and led them under the canopy. After the ceremony, the groom delivered a brilliant homily on the Torah and Kabbalah, and each guest added a remark of his own. Finally they all danced mitzvah dances. When the dances were over, the guests vanished, as did the shepherd. No one knew what had become of them. Only Rabbi Isaac Luria remained, along with his sister, the mother of the groom. Rabbi Luria stayed until after Sabbath. Then he returned home. But the groom's mother remained there and lived with her son, contented and gratified, until the day she died. So may God grant us the merit to raise our sons to learn Torah, to stand under the wedding canopy, and to perform good deeds. Amen, may it be His will.

C O M M E N T A R Y ΤΟ T A L E 2 (IFA

6471)

Told by Gad Abbadi from Turkey to Re 'uven Na 'anah in Jerusalem in April 1965.

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Isaac ben Solomon Luria (c. 1534-1572), a major Safed kabbalist of the sixteenth century—known as Ha-Ari, "The Lion," an acronym of the Hebrew epithet "HaElohi Rabbi Itzhak" (The Divine Rabbi Isaac)—was a subject of legends shortly after his death and perhaps even during his lifetime. These tales appear in three late-sixteenth- and early-seventeenth-century documents. The first legends are included in three letters that Solomon Shlomel of Dresznitz in Moravia sent from Safed from 1602 to 1609 to a friend in Cracow; they were published in Delmedigo, Ta'alumot Hokhmah, and were copied and later circulated separately under the title Shivhei ha-Ari. Their first translation into Judeo-Spanish appeared in Constantinople in 1766.' The second version, known as Toledot ha-Ari, circulated in manuscripts, particularly among the Italian kabbalists, and appeared in Sefer ha-kavvanot uma'aseh nissim (The book of devotional intents and miracles), but its earliest version is included in Sefer Divrei Yosef, by Yosef ben-Yitzhak Sambari (c. 1640c. 1703), which was completed in 1672-1673. 2 In a critical edition, M. Benayahu 3 considered the version of Toledot ha-Ari to be earlier than the version of Shivhei ha-Ari, which is based on Solomon Shlomel of Dresznitz's letters, even though the former was published at a later date. However, D. Tamar 4 and I. Tishby 5 considered the opposite. The third version was written by Sason Hai Casteil, an early-eighteenthcentury merchant in precious stones in Constantinople, who wrote the manuscript Ma'aseh nissim (Miracles), in which he included the childhood stories of ha-Ari. 6 The present tale does not appear in any of these seventeenth- and eighteenthcentury texts. Benayahu listed it among the "late legends" about ha-Ari, pointing out that it is included in a collection of Yiddish tales about ha-Ari that was published in New York. 7 Y. Ashni 8 published another version.

Similarities to Other IFA Tales Other comparable tales in the IFA are the following: • • •

IFA 9480: The Ignorant Beadle—The Son of the Name (Morocco). 9 IFA 10085: The Rabbi's Son and the Priest (Judeo-Spanish). 10 IFA 10120: The Boy Whose Tunic Stuck to His Body (Iraqi Kurdistan). 11

Folklore Motifs • •

A511.3.2 "Culture hero reared (educated) by extraordinary (supernatural) personages." C452 "Tabu: boasting of children."

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • ‫״‬ ‫״‬ • • • • •

C943 "Loss of sight for breaking tabu." C944 "Dumbness as punishment for breaking tabu." D1713 "Magic power of hermit (saint, yogi)." 12 D1812.3.3 "Future revealed in dream." D1814.2 "Advice from dream." D 1925.3 "Barrenness removed by prayer." F695.3 "Learning to read in extraordinarily short time." *Fl068.2.3 "Two individuals have the same dream." *HI 129.12 "Task: wearing rugged clothes until seeing supernatural personages again." Κ1816 "Disguise as menial." K1816.0.3.1 "Hero in menial disguise at heroine's wedding." cf. Κ1816.9.1 "Wise men disguise as peasants." cf. Kl818.3 "Disguise as madman (fool)." M302.7 "Prophecy through dreams." M311.0.3.1 "Prophecy: child to be born to childless couple." M312.1 "Prophecy: wealthy marriage for poor boy." M369.2.1 "Future husband (wife) foretold." *P429.2 "Mystic (kabbalist)." P443 "Miller." Q451.3 "Loss of speech as punishment." Q451.7 "Blinding as punishment." Q451.7.0.2 "Miraculous blindness as punishment." Q559.2 "Punishment: man stricken blind." Q571 "Magic blindness as punishment remitted." *Q579 "Magic dumbness as punishment remitted." T135 "Wedding ceremony." *V235.4 "Mortal visited by patriarchs." Z71.9 "Formulistic number: thirteen."

Notes 1. For a list of these editions, see Benayahu, "Shivei ha-Ari" (In praise of the Ari). 2. Shtober, Sefer Divrei Yosef, 328-360. 3. Benayahu, The Toledot ha-Ari. 4. "A/ ha-Sefer Toledot ha-Ari." 5. Studies in Kabbalah and Its Branches, 1:180-182 n. 7, 192-193, 227-228 n. 194, 231 n. 213. 6. Avida, "The Miraculous Stories of Sason Hai Castiel." For an analysis of the narrative traditions about Rabbi Isaac ben Solomon Luria, see T. Alexander, "The Character of R. Isaac Luria in the Judeo-Spanish Story"; and Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friendand-a-Half, 159-177. 7. "Shivei ha-Ari," 164 no. 6 and 161-162 no. 47(8). 8. Be-Simta'ot Tzfat (In the alleys of Safed), 88-96.

9. Published in Cheichel, A Tale for Each Month: 1972, 4 6 - 6 6 no. 7 (with analytical note by G. Hasan-Rokem, 110-117). 10. Tale 48, volume 1. 11. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month: 1974-1975, 3 6 - 4 2 no. 4 (with analytical note by Y. Kemmer, 144-157). 12. The character in the present tale is the cultural equivalent to a hermit, saint, or yogi.

Hebron Pur im T O L D

BY

M I R I A M

S O F E R

TO

M O S H E

R A B B I

/ W a n y years ago there was a Sephardic Jewish community in old Hebron, where the Patriarchs are buried. Its members had come there after the expulsion from Spain, as well as from other Christian countries where they were persecuted because they were Jews. One day, two distinguished emissaries from Jerusalem came to Hebron to collect money to redeem captives. The emissaries entered the synagogue in the Jewish quarter and told the heads of the community about their mission. "The rabbis of Jerusalem have commissioned us to collect five thousand piasters* from the Jews of Hebron, as the community's share in the redemption of captives. Much money is needed for this great mitzvah." "We cannot give you such a large sum," replied the heads of the community. "We must be concerned first and foremost for the paupers in our own city. 'The poor of your own city take precedence.'** Nor can we empty out the community's coffers." They tried to bargain and offer the emissaries a smaller sum, but the emissaries held firm and refused to accept less than five thousand piasters. If the community could not raise this amount, then "relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter," 8 and the Jews of Hebron would lose the privilege of participating in the important mitzvah of redeeming captives. The emissaries left Hebron empty-handed. Some time later, the Turkish government sent a new governor to the Hebron district. This pasha §§ was a terrible anti-Semite. During the very first days of his term, he instituted anti-Jewish regulations aimed at extorting money from them in the form of taxes and assessments. But be-

"Ottoman unit of money.

"Bava Metzi 'a 71 b. 5

See Esther 4:14. Ottoman high official.

85

cause he was a serious anti-Semite, he soon tired of extorting money slowly, bit by bit, and devised a plot to drain the blood of the Jewish community all at once and in a large sum. The pasha was an educated man, well-versed in history. He had read about how the Christian rulers of Europe treated their Jewish subjects. He knew that Christian rulers frequently arrested rabbis and Jewish community leaders and held them in prison until the community paid a large ransom for their release. He also knew that there were other rulers who expelled the Jews from their countries and confiscated their property. These methods caught his fancy. He summoned the rabbi and scholars, along with the leaders of the Jewish community, and informed them that he was levying a tax of fifty thousand piasters on the community. They had a month to pay up. If they failed to do so, the leaders of the community would pay with their lives and the Jews of Hebron would be sold as slaves. To keep the community leaders from running away, he gave immediate orders for their arrest and detention. He sent the rabbi and scholars home so they could start collecting the funds. The rabbi and community leaders tried to prove to him that it was utterly impossible for them to pay such a large sum. They begged him to reduce the amount and give them a longer period to pay. But the pasha was adamant and ignored their pleas and entreaties. Only now did the heads of the community realize that God was punishing them, measure for measure. They had not wanted to participate in the mitzvah of redeeming captives. Now, unless they paid ten times as much to the anti-Semitic governor, they themselves would be sold as slaves. Who knew whether anyone would be willing to redeem them? The rabbi and scholars went home, but they did not rest. They assembled all the Jews of Hebron and told them of the pasha's edict. Then they decreed a public fast and called on the entire community to repent. Perhaps God would have mercy and save them in their distress. As the pasha's deadline approached, no solution could be seen on the horizon. The Jews prayed, cried, and wept many tears. Finally, on the very last day, they decided to dispatch a petition* to the Patriarchs themselves, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are buried in the Cave of Machpelah.

"According to the Hebrew, "to send a pidyon";

however, this is not the Hebrew word "pidyon," which

always means a cash payment of some sort, but a formation from the Judeo-Spanish "pedir" (to ask or request). In addition, the measure-for-measure theme is intensified, because in Hebrew "ransoming

captives" is "pidyon shevuyyim."

They asked the Patriarchs to awaken God's compassion, so that He would show mercy to them and their children and help them avert the calamity. In sanctity and purity, the sages inscribed their petition on the strip of parchment. But a problem arose at once: How could the parchment be conveyed to the Cave of Machpelah, which in those days was in the eustody of non-Jews, who did not allow Jews to approach it? The Muslims had built a mosque over the cave and forbade Jews to come anywhere near it. Jews were permitted to ascend only seven steps outside the mosque and to pray against its outer wall. Even for this "privilege" they had to pay the Arab watchman posted there. The only idea they could come up with was to bribe the Arab watchman to place the piece of parchment in the cave. The entrance to the cave was closed and locked. Even the watchman could not get inside, as the Jews well knew. But they also knew that there was a small window that opened into the cave. And, indeed, in return for a handsome sum, the watchman agreed to slip the parchment into the cave and swore he would do so immediately. That night, sleep deserted the pasha.* His thoughts raced in his brain, quite out of control. The very next day he was going to receive a fabulous sum. He would no longer have to wear himself out extorting small amounts. The unscrupulous pasha kept his money in an iron strongbox in his bedroom. Whenever he had difficulty falling asleep, he would take a sack out of the box and count the gold coins it contained. He did so on this night as well. Removing one sack, which had fifty thousand piasters in it, he started counting the coins, relishing the thought that tomorrow he would have as much again. When he finished counting the money, he returned the sack to the iron box, locked it, and placed the key under his pillow. Then he climbed into bed and fell fast asleep. Without warning, three old men appeared in his bedroom. "If your life is dear to you, give us fifty thousand piasters this instant," they threatened. "Otherwise you will surely die!" Trembling and deathly pale, the pasha got out of bed, opened the iron strongbox, took out the sack of gold coins, and gave it to them. The three men vanished as if they had never been. The pasha woke up in a cold sweat. His hands groped under the pillow to see whether the key was where he had left it. When he found it, he re-

* Ahasuerus's fate in Esther 6:1.

laxed. It had only been a bad dream—and dreams, of course, are lies. Calm again, he fell back to sleep. When he woke up in the morning he had quite forgotten his nightmare. But he did not forget that today was the longed-for day when the Jews were to give him fifty thousand piasters. The pasha was not the only one who had been unable to sleep that night. The Jews of Hebron had not slept, either. They gathered in the synagogue, recited penitential prayers, and implored God to avert the evil decree from them. Early in the morning, the pasha came to the synagogue, accompanied by a squad of soldiers. The soldiers pounded on the door. "Open in the name of the pasha!" they demanded. With weak knees, the shammash* went to open the door. On his way, he noticed on the floor of the synagogue foyer, next to the basin where the worshipers washed their hands, a small sack. Only with great difficulty did the old shammash manage to pick up the heavy sack, which was full of money. He brought it inside and gave it to the rabbi. The rabbi's eyes lit up when he saw what was inside the sack. Then the shammash went back to the door and opened it wide for the pasha and his soldiers. "I've come for my money," announced the pasha in a threatening voice. Without a word, the rabbi picked up the sack and handed it to the pasha. The cruel ruler cast a quick glance at the sack and turned as pale as chalk. It was his own sack! "How did you get your hands on this?" he demanded in a quavering voice. But he did not wait for their answer. Remembering his dream of the night before, he suddenly felt faint. They brought him a chair, and he sat down. After several minutes, he spoke in a changed voice: "Now I will tell you how this sack of money came to you. Your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, rose from their graves in the Cave of Machpelah to defend you. It is indeed true that 'The guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.""* I can only beg you to forgive me. My sole request is that you pardon me for my evil conduct toward you. I promise you faithfully that henceforth I will treat you fairly and give you no cause for complaints. "As a sign of my good will to you from now on, not only do I release you from the levy, I make you a present of this sack, to compensate you for the past—on condition that you pray for my health and well-being." *

Synagogue caretaker. ‫'־‬Psalms 121:4.

This took place on the fourteenth day of the month of Tevet. To commemorate the miracle that saved the Jews of Hebron they declared, for themselves and their descendants, that the Fourteenth of Tevet, the day of their deliverance, be celebrated as "Hebron Purim" or "Window Purim," to commemorate the miracle worked for them by means of the tiny window in the Cave of Machpelah, through which they conveyed their petition to the Patriarchs.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 ( I F A

17063)

Told by Miriam Sofer to Moshe Rabbi in 1989 in

Jerusalem.

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The holiday referred to in this tale is known by three names: Hebron Purim; Window Purim; and Purim Taka, based on this story. The narrator concludes her tale by listing two of them. In the present rendition, the leaders of the congregation slipped the parchment with the petition to the Patriarchs through a window. In other versions, the ransom money was not found in the synagogue but was delivered to the community by a mysterious hand through a window or was placed mysteriously on a windowsill. 1 In still another version, the money was implicitly delivered at the opening of a tunnel that reaches directly to the tombs in the Cave of Machpelah. 2 Similarly, there are some variations regarding the date of the holiday. Avissar 3 cited a version in which the Fourteenth of Kislev is the time for celebrating this miraculous event; however, most versions agree with the dating given in the current rendition, considering the Fourteenth of Tevet as the correct date. 4 According to the cited discussions and the sources on which they rely, the event occurred in 1741. 5 For a discussion of special communal Purim holidays, see the notes to IFA 15348; there is an analysis of the IFA versions of this tale type. 6 The central position of the window in the story is not accidental. According to a twelfth-century tradition, some priests broke a small window that was in the wall there, and the wind blew and killed them and blocked the window again. 7 Apparently such a window was a focus of tales of magic and divine powers for several centuries.

Similarities to Other IFA Tales Other versions or close analogs to this tale in the IFA are the following: • • •

IFA 1231 : Hard Labor Annuls Decree (Tunisia). 8 1FA 7144: Purim in Hebron (Yemen). IFA 10617: The Turkish Ruler and Rabbi Shalom Shara 'abi (Eretz Yisra'el, Tunisian). 9

•

IFA 11188: The Pasha and Rabbi Ya 'acov (Morocco). 10

Folktale Types •

*730A (IFA) "A Miraculous Rescue of a Jewish Community Threatened by an Evil Ruler." • *730 (Haboucha) "Moor as Imposter Marries Jewess"

Folklore Motifs ‫״‬ •

D 1 7 6 6 . 1 " M a g i c results p r o d u c e d by p r a y e r " F1068 "Realistic dream."

•

M 3 6 4 . 2 " P r o p h e c y : r e m i s s i o n of tax t h r o u g h e n d e a v o r of s a i n t " [ p r o p h e c y is a b s e n t f r o m this story],

• •

P 5 3 1 " T a x a t i o n a n d p a y m e n t of f i n e s or tributes." P 5 3 1 . 1 . 1 " T r i b u t e r e q u i r e d of c o n q u e r e d f o r e i g n e r s . "

•

P 6 2 3 " F a s t i n g (as m e a n s of d i s t r a i t ) "

•

P715.1 "Jews."

•

*P715 "Arabs."

•

Q286 "Uncharitableness punished "

•

Q 5 8 0 " P u n i s h m e n t fitted to c r i m e . "

•

Q 5 8 5 . 1 " M a n r e f u s e s to g i v e to c h a r i t y : his p r o p e r t y d i s a p p e a r s " [ m o d i f i e d in this story].

•

V 5 0 "Prayer."

‫״‬ •

V 5 2 " M i r a c u l o u s p o w e r of prayer." V I 12.3 " S y n a g o g u e s . "

•

W 1 9 3 "Extortion."

Notes 1. Meyouhas, "Megillot Mishpahah be-Eretz Yisra'el" (Family scrolls in the Land of Israel), 322-324. 2. H. Horowitz, Sefer Hibat Yerushalayim (The book of affection for Jerusalem), 197-198; and Avissar, Sefer Hevron (Hebron book), 306. 3. Op. cit. 4. "Purims, Special," EJ 13:1396-1400; Lewinski, Sefer ha-Mo'adim (The festivals book), 6:311; E. Adler, Jews in Many Lands, 108-109; and P. Goodman, The Purim Anthology, 35-36. 5. Frankl, Nach Jerusalem!, 2:475^176. 6. E. Marcus, "The Confrontation between Jews and Non-Jews," 31-97. 7. E. Reiner, "Overt Falsehood and Covert Truth: Christians, Jews, and Holy Places in Twelfth-Century Palestine," Zion 63:185-188 [Hebrew], 8. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 154-155 no. 57. 9. Published in Na'anah, Otzar ha-Ma'asiyyot (A treasury of tales), 3:583. 10. Published in Rabbi, Avoteinu sipru (Our fathers told), 2:26-27 no. 9; see also Avissar, op. cit., 306.

The Miracle of the Torah Scrolls T O L D

BY TO

S I M H A H T A M A R

M E Y U H A S

L E V Y

A L E X A N D E R

JL es, there w a s a n o t h e r miracle. E v e r y year, the G r e e k king used to c o m e f r o m S p a i n to c e l e b r a t e C h r i s t m a s in B e t h l e h e m . You k n o w that J e s u s w a s in B e t h l e h e m . T h a t ' s w h e r e she [Mary] delivered Jesus. M a r y gave birth to Jesus in B e t h l e h e m . S o every y e a r he [the k i n g ] w o u l d c o m e f o r a visit, at C h r i s t m a s . T h e y w o u l d take the Torah scrolls f r o m the Yohanan ben Z a k k a i S y n a g o g u e and g o out to m e e t the king. A w e l c o m i n g c e r e m o n y . W h a t did the J e w s d o ? T h e y d i d n ' t put the Torah scrolls inside. T h e y took t h e m out, and carried only the cases." Yes, empty. A n d they w e n t out. Of c o u r s e , he [the king] d i d n ' t k n o w this. O n c e there w a s an a r g u m e n t . T h e r e w a s an a r g u m e n t b e t w e e n the S t a m b o u l ! S y n a g o g u e and the Yohanan ben Z a k k a i S y n a g o g u e . " I ' l l s h o w you n o w ! " s o m e o n e said. W h a t did he d o ? H e w e n t and i n f o r m e d on t h e m . To w h o m ? To those w h o o r g a n i z e d the r e c e p t i o n f o r the C h r i s t i a n s . "You know, you think these J e w s are c o m i n g out to greet the king with their Torah scrolls. It's all a s h a m . T h e y r e m o v e the Torah scrolls and bring only the e m p t y cases." " C a n that b e ? " they [the a u t h o r i t i e s ] said. "Are they d e c e i v i n g the k i n g ? W e ' l l show those J e w s ! " T h e y [the authorities] p r e t e n d e d they d i d n ' t k n o w anything. T h e king still d i d n ' t k n o w a n y t h i n g about it [the e m p t y Torah case]. T h e J e w s did not k n o w that the authorities had been i n f o r m e d . T h e n the chief rabbi had the s a m e d r e a m three nights r u n n i n g . " G e t up and put the Torah scrolls in their c a s e s ! " he w a s told. It w a s already a w e e k b e f o r e the date. " M a s t e r of the U n i v e r s e ! " he said. " W h a t can these d r e a m s m e a n ? " T h e date of the k i n g ' s arrival a p p r o a c h e d . T h r e e d a y s b e f o r e his arrival, he [the rabbi] had the d r e a m a g a i n . T h i s t i m e he called the shammash at o n c e . "You know," he told him, " f o r three d a y s now I ' v e b e e n

*For Sephardic Torahs, the parchment scroll is stored inside a decorative wooden case from which it can be easily removed.

d r e a m i n g this, that w e s h o u l d g o put the Torah scrolls into their cases." T h e shammash took the rabbi, and they w e n t to the s y n a g o g u e and put the Torah scrolls into the cases and w e n t b a c k to bed. N o o n e k n e w w h a t they had d o n e . W h e n the king arrived and they [the J e w s ] w e n t to greet him, w h a t did they take? T h e Torah cases. On the w a y back, w h e n e v e r y o n e w a s returning to the city, they [the authorities] told the king that it w a s all a lie: T h e r e w e r e n o Torah scrolls inside and it w a s only the cases. " I n d e e d ? D o these J e w s w a n t to deceive m e ? I'll show t h e m ! " S u d d e n l y he said, " S t o p here in the road. I w a n t to see w h a t the J e w s ' Torah is all about." All the J e w s w e r e trembling. T h e y d i d n ' t k n o w that the rabbi and the shammash had put the scrolls b a c k inside the cases. But w h e n they o p e n e d the cases, all the Torah scrolls w e r e there w h e r e they b e l o n g e d . " L o o k w h a t kind of p e o p l e there are w h o can spread such libels," said the king. T h e royal p r o c e s s i o n kept g o i n g . N o t h i n g had h a p p e n e d . T h e y kept g o i n g . W h e n they [the authorities] returned to the city, they asked, " W h o w a s it w h o told us that? It's a fact that the Torah scrolls are in their p l a c e s ! " At o n c e they said it w a s a Jew himself w h o had c o m e to i n f o r m . T h e y i m m e d i a t e l y w e n t and arrested h i m again. T h e c u s t o m w a s that s o m e b o d y w h o did s o m e t h i n g that w a s n ' t right, they h a n g e d h i m . T h e y w o u l d put a r o p e a r o u n d his n e c k in p u b l i c and lead him out. TA: S M Y: TA: SMY: TA: Listener: SMY:

In the market? On Jaffa Road... there used to be a clock there, * and we could hear it as far as the Old City and we could hear it chiming. Next to the Generali Building, next to the Lion? No, no! In the Old City, at the J a f f a Gate. There was a clock there. You remember. No. No, she doesn't remember. I don't remember. I was a small boy. There was a clock. It was several meters up. You could hear it. You didn't have to have a clock at home. We had already heard

Here the narrator refers to a clock, actually to a sundial that was in her neighborhood in Jerusalem. Initially, at the bottom of the sundial, the digit 6 was marked, but later the number 6 was changed to 12. The sundial, of course, did not make a sound, but the two clocks next to it did. One clock indicated time in Jerusalem, and the other in Europe. They were all destroyed in a fire.

The sundial and two clocks on the Zaharei Hama synagogue in the Mahaneh Yehudah neighborhood.

TA: SMY:

it. Then it was six in the morning. Not twelve, like now. In the morning it was six. In the afternoon, too, it was six. And we would get started, not like now. They've changed the numbers. That's how it is. So what did they do there by the clock? They hanged him [the informant]. In the square by the clock. And they saw it was truly a miracle. There were always miracles and marvels, so they decided to institute the Purim of the Meyuhas family to commemorate all the miracles.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 ( I F A

15346)

Told by Simhah Meyuhas Levy to Tamar Alexander in 1983 in Jerusalem. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale involves a tertiary transference of tradition: geographical, historical, and social. The earlier versions of this tale concern events that took place either in the community of Saragossa, the capital of the former kingdom of Aragon, where, according to tradition, a similar incident occurred on the Seventeenth of Shevat 5420 (1420), or in the Sicilian town of Saragusa, whose descendants in Salonika, Greece, celebrate the deliverance of the Jewish community from a disaster that took place in the late fourteenth century or early fifteenth. Meyouhas 1 recounted these events, suggesting that they took place in Saragossa; his essay included the text of Megillat Saragossa. On the other hand, Simonsen 2 supported the town of Saragusa as the locale of these events. The geographical transference of traditional history from one location to another is a feature of a migratory society that seeks to establish older rituals in its new land. During the twentieth century, such cult and ritual relocations became common, relating in particular to North African saint veneration. 3 As noted above, according to Megillat Saragossa, an event similar to the one described in this tale took place on the Seventeenth of Shevat 1420, seventy-two years before the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. By telling about the pilgrimage of the Spanish monarch to the Holy Land, where there was a community of Sephardic Jews, the narrators of this story transferred the event to the postexpulsion period, vicariously avenging their own eviction from Spain. Secondly, neither Megillat Saragossa nor the present tale attributes the premonition that saved the community to any ancestor of the Meyuhas family. Rather, in the Megillah, as in other versions in the IFA, it is the shammash, the lowest religious functionary in the synagogue hierarchy, who saves the community. However, the narrator considers this event as one in a series of miracles that happened to the ancestors of the Meyuhas family, appropriating a community affair to her own family. 4 For more about the Meyuhas family and its traditions as well as the special Purim celebrations, see tales IFA 15348 and IFA 17063 and their notes. Thirdly, the tale might have an etiological function, explaining the custom of dressing the Torah scroll in a mantel. Jewish communities differ in the way they keep the Torah scrolls. In the communities in India and under Islam, the Torah scroll is maintained in a wooden case, tiq or nartiq le-sefer torah, while in European communities the use of a mantel, me 'il le-sefer torah, is common. Illuminated manuscripts from pre-expulsion Spain indicate that Spanish communities practiced both customs. Following the expulsion, the use of mantels became dominant. It is quite possible that this story has a pivotal role, explaining the community preference for one form over another. 5

Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

There are five other versions of this tale on deposit in the IFA. In these renditions, the miraculous premonition occurs to other figures, usually the shammash, in whose dream Elijah the Prophet appears with a warning: • • • • •

IFA 5723: Purim of Saragossa (Morocco). 6 IFA 10698: The Torah Scroll That Saved the Jews from Disaster (Iran). IFA 10705: The King and the Torah Scrolls (Morocco). IFA 12286: The Miracle of the Torah Scroll (Iran). IFA 20239: Purim of Saragossa (Israel). 7

Folktale Types •

*730 (IFA) "Endangered Jewish Community Is Saved (General)."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • •

D1810.8 "Magic knowledge from dream." D1810.8.3 "Warning in dreams." D1812.3.3 "Future revealed in dream." K2110 "Slanders." M302.7 "Prophecy through dreams." Q297 "Slander punished." Notes

1. "Megillot Mishpahah be-Eretz Yisra'el" (Family scrolls in the Land of Israel), 287-294. 2. "Le Pourim de Saragosse" (The Purim of Saragossa). 3. Ben-Ami, Saint Veneration among the Jews of Morocco; Bilu, Without Bounds, 121-129, 153-167; and Weingrod, The Saint ofBeersheba. 4. See also Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half, 213-214. 5. See A. Feller, "Purim of Saragossa and Its Implications on the Sephardi Method of Dressing the Torah Scrolls," JAR 18 (1992): 79-85. 6. Published in Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 9 3 - 9 4 no. 32; and Rush and Marcus, Seventy and One Tales for the Jewish Year, 145-148 no. 35. 7. Published in M. Koen-Sarano, Konsejas i konsejikas del mundo djudeo-espanyol,

266-269. This version is framed as an etiological legend explaining the origin of the city name. Originally, the city name was Salduba. The king had a Jewish wife name whose was Sara. Reluctantly, he complied with his advisors' insistence to put his wife in confinement for the duration of the procession, testing the sincerity of the Jews. When the plot was discovered he called out to her: "Sara, goza tu libertad! Sara goza tu libertacl" (Sara, you have gained your freedom.) See also Schwarzbaum, op. cit., 341-342.

The Adventures of Raphael Meyuhas T O L D

BY TO

TA: SMY:

TA:

S I M H A H T A M A R

M E Y U H A S

L E V Y

A L E X A N D E R

Do you want to tell me about the miracle? Who told the story, your grandfather or your grandmother? My grandfather used to tell it. I was a little girl then. My grandmother used to tell how they published the book of the Meyuhases. Everyone would tell what he had heard from his father, from his grandfather. Then they took each story and wrote the book on the Meyuhases. I'd like to hear it from you.

/ here was once this pasha in J e r u s a l e m , w h o was really wicked and hated the Jews. O n c e he threatened them, "If you d o n ' t give me a large sum o f — h o w d o you say, una pecha di paras—a large sum of money." In those days there were bishliks, a bishlik was f o u r kuartikos, and a kuartiko was a mil. Back then there was the mil. D o you r e m e m b e r it? No, you d o n ' t r e m e m b e r when there were mils. A grush is ten mils. And that was a kuartiko. Every kuartiko was ten mils. And every bishlik is four kuartikos. Four grush* So they [the Jews] had to bring the bishliks. He d e m a n d e d that they bring him many bishliks. If not, the Jews would be in big trouble. Yes. In the m e a n t i m e , he took several Jews and threw them into prison. H e arrested them. "If you d o n ' t bring the money, I w o n ' t let them out."

*The narrator is slightly confused in recalling the coinage and currencies under Ottoman rule and in the transition period to the British Mandate in Palestine. But failing memory is not the only source of confusion. At that time both Turkish and European coins circulated in Eretz Yisra'el with fluctuating rates of exchange. The coins of the British Mandate in Palestine were first placed in circulation on November 1, 1927. In this system, mil was the coin of lowest denomination worth '/1000 lira. Grush was the term for ten mils, derived either from the German groschen, a ten -pfennig piece, or the Turkish kurus. The bishlik referred to a ūve-grush (piasters) coin. A bishlik was one quarter of the mecidiye or 20-grush coin and was also called a kuartiko.

W h a t c o u l d they d o ? W h e r e c o u l d they get the m o n e y ? T h e y d i d n ' t even have b r e a d to eat. F o r the m o s t part, they learned in yeshivot* you u n d e r s t a n d , and there w a s n o m o n e y c o m i n g f r o m a b r o a d , the way dollars d o today. T h e y had to s u p p o r t t h e m s e l v e s , you u n d e r s t a n d , there w a s n o w e l f a r e , not like today, w h e n t h e r e ' s social security. T h e y d i d n ' t have that, the p o o r w r e t c h e s . S o w h a t did they d o ? T h e s a g e s got together. " W e have to d o s o m e t h i n g , " they a g r e e d . T h e n the chief r a b b i — h e w a s a M e y u h a s , R a h a m i m M o s h e M e y u h a s — s a i d to a n o t h e r M e y u h a s , "You k n o w w h a t ? You m u s t g o to C o n s t a n t i n o p l e , h o w e v e r you w a n t to. If you c a n find volunteers to g o with y o u , that's fine. O t h e r w i s e y o u ' l l have to g o a l o n e , bec a u s e w e ' r e in grave d a n g e r . " " B u t I am not such an important p e r s o n . " H e w a s a h u m b l e m a n ; he w a s shy. He said: "I a m not g o i n g . " H e [the chief rabbi] said to h i m : "You m u s t go, f o r y o u r sake. G o d will h e l p us. For y o u r sake G o d will get us out of trouble." H e f o l l o w e d w h a t the chief rabbi said to h i m and took with him a child, o n e of his students, as an assistant. T h e y traveled to C o n s t a n t i n o p l e . But he sent w o r d to his host in C o n s t a n t i n o p l e that they w e r e c o m i n g from Jerusalem. A n d indeed they received t h e m very nicely [in C o n s t a n t i n o p l e ] . It took t h e m five d a y s to travel f r o m J e r u s a l e m to C o n s t a n t i n o p l e . A n d his host w e l c o m e d him W h a t can I tell y o u ? T h e y received him like a king. He ate and d r a n k a n d he w a s received very, very well. D u r i n g that time, w h e n he w a s with his host, at night, he d r e a m t . He d r e a m t that s o m e b o d y w o u l d die; that there w a s g o i n g to be a p l a g u e . In Istanbul there w o u l d be a p l a g u e . H e slept a g a i n . A n d again he d r e a m t . W h e n it h a p p e n e d a third t i m e , he said: " T h i s is f o r a reason, it m u s t mean something." H e said to his host: "You k n o w Rabbi T a r f o n , " — o r s o m e t h i n g , I d o n ' t k n o w w h a t his n a m e w a s , say R a b b i Yaakov; it d o e s not m a t t e r — h e said to his host: " W e m u s t . . . if you d o n ' t leave this h o u s e , you are all lost." T h e n they all got up, the f a m i l y and the g u e s t , that is Rabbi R a p h a e l M e y u h a s ; they took b o a t s and sailed in the sea.

'Jewish schools for talmudic learning.

T h e y said: " T h e r e will b e a p l a g u e , the h o u s e will c o l l a p s e . " I d o not k n o w exactly w h a t kind of d r e a m s he d r e a m t . T h e y ran away. T h e y w e r e a w a y f o r several hours. W h e n they r e t u r n e d to that h o u s e , w h a t did they s e e ? T h e r e w a s an old w o m a n lying on the f l o o r — t h e p l a g u e had b e g u n . T h e c o m m u n i t y l e a d e r w a s really t e r r i f i e d . "You s e e " he said, " h o w G o d w o r k e d w o n d e r s and m i r a c l e s f o r us! We w o u l d all h a v e died that e v e n i n g , that night. W e w o u l d all have died." G o d had w o r k e d a m i r a c l e for them. T h e next day, they w e n t to the king, Sultan A b d u l M a j i d , and told h i m a b o u t the situation in J e r u s a l e m — t h a t the p a s h a w a s a terrible antiS e m i t e , m a k i n g trouble f o r the J e w s , and d e m a n d i n g that they pay h i m a h u g e s u m of m o n e y . W i t h o u t delay, b e c a u s e the l e a d e r of the c o m m u n i t y w a s the k i n g ' s f r i e n d , the king said to him, " D o n ' t worry." At o n c e he sat d o w n and w r o t e a letter, j u s t w h a t w a s required. " G i v e it to the p a s h a so he will never h a r m the J e w s again. H e h a s no authority to h a r m t h e m . H e m u s t stop a n n o y i n g them." T h a t ' s really w h a t h a p p e n e d . T h e sultan also g a v e R a p h a e l M e y u h a s money, as a gift f o r the J e w s . T h e leader of the C o n s t a n t i n o p l e c o m m u n i t y raised a c o l l e c t i o n f r o m the J e w s living there and g a v e it to h i m . T h e n R a p h a e l M e y u h a s started h o m e . O n the r o a d , he w a s a t t a c k e d by h i g h w a y m e n . T h e y took the m o n e y a n d e v e r y t h i n g he had. T h e y even took his donkey. But they had scarcely m o v e d o f f — n o m o r e than a f e w s t e p s — w h e n they realized that their legs w e r e not m o v i n g . T h e i r f e e t w e r e stuck to the g r o u n d , as if they had sudd e n l y b e c o m e — m a y H e a v e n protect u s — p a r a l y z e d . "Is it b e c a u s e w e r o b b e d the J e w ? " they w o n d e r e d . S o they w e n t b a c k a n d b e g g e d h i m to f o r g i v e them.* " H e r e ' s e v e r y t h i n g w e t o o k f r o m y o u . Please, give us a b l e s s i n g so w e ' l l be the w a y w e w e r e b e f o r e all this h a p p e n e d . " "All right," he a g r e e d . H e t o o k all his p o s s e s s i o n s b a c k , i n c l u d i n g the money, and g a v e t h e m a b l e s s i n g . " G o in p e a c e , in G o d ' s n a m e , " he said to t h e m . B u t they d i d n ' t . T h e y raised their scimitars. T h e y w a n t e d to kill him. But w h e n they raised their s w o r d s , his [the r a b b i ' s ] throat b e c a m e . . . his neck, his n e c k b e c a m e like m a r b l e and their s w o r d s shattered on his neck.

*They could not move away from Raphael Meyuhas, but they could move back to him. This was a conditional paralysis.

If you put a s w o r d to a n e c k , the n e c k b r e a k s . But instead of killing him, the s w o r d s b r o k e . T h e r e w e r e n i n e of t h e m [ r o b b e r s ] . " T h i s is a b e i n g f r o m H e a v e n , not a m a n , " they said w h e n they saw this. A g a i n they asked h i m to f o r g i v e t h e m . H e truly f o r g a v e t h e m , and they parted in p e a c e . H e [the rabbi] r e t u r n e d to J e r u s a l e m in p e a c e . R a p h a e l M e y u h a s had w o r k e d m i r a c l e s — t h e m i r a c l e of the p l a g u e a n d the m i r a c l e of the h i g h w a y m e n . H e b r o u g h t the m o n e y to the p a s h a . F r o m then on they lived t o g e t h e r with the A r a b s happily. T h a t s i t u a t i o n — p e a c e w i t h the A r a b s — l a s t e d f o r a n u m b e r of y e a r s . T h a t , too, w a s a miracle. All the M e y u h a s e s e x p e r i e n c e d m i r a c l e s . All of t h e m . C a n you i m a g ine that? T h a t ' s w h y they c o l l e c t e d all t h e s e m i r a c l e stories. T h e y w e r e h a n d e d d o w n f r o m g r a n d f a t h e r to g r a n d f a t h e r . It's not a tall tale. It's all true.

TA: SMY: TA: SMY: TA:

When did this happen ? It was two or three hundred years ago. So there were two miracles? Three. How do you count three? The plague and the thieves

...

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 (IFA

15348)

Told by Simhah Meyuhas Levy to Tamar Alexander on February 25, 1983, in Jerusalem at the narrator's daughter's home.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Raphael Meyuhas ben Samuel (1695?-1771) was the chief rabbi (rishon le-Zion) of Jerusalem (1756-1771) and the author of Minhat bikkurim (First fruit offering) (1752) and Peri ha-Adamah (Fruits of the land) (1752-1757). For his biography and leadership, see Ben-Yaacob. 2 His mission to Constantinople was an historical event. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, after the arrival of the group headed by Judah Hasid (Segal) Ha-Levi (1660-1700) and Hayyim ben Solomon Malakh (1650/1660-1716/1717) in 1700, the Ashkenazic Jewish community in Jerusalem was under extreme economic pressure and suffered from internal social tensions and frictions. Their accumulated debts increased without any relief in sight and affected the Sephardic community as well. On November 8, 1720, the Arabs broke into the synagogue, burned the Torah scroll, and continued to hold the land and building for almost a hundred years. 3 In addition, in 1722, Palestine suffered from a severe draught; and to make things worse, Yussuf Pasha, the Ottoman governor of Jerusalem appointed in 1723, harassed and taxed the community heavily and imprisoned its representative. Rabbi Moshe Meyuhas, demanding a high ransom for his release. The narrator somewhat confuses the victim, Rabbi Rahamim Moshe Meyuhas, with Rabbi Abraham ben David Yitzhaki (1661-1729), the rishon leZion from 1709 to 1729. It was the latter who appointed Raphael Meyuhas as an emissary to the Jewish community in Constantinople, although according to the Family Scroll, he was selected by lots to go to that city. 4 During the eighteenth century, the Jewish community in Constantinople offered financial support and patronage to the Jews in Palestine, 5 a practice that had begun even earlier. 6 There are stories about other rabbis' and holy men's missions from Jerusalem to Constantinople wrought with miracles; see, for example, the accounts of the travels of Rabbi Samuel Abu-Hasira, the forefather of the AbuHasira family. 7 While telling the story, the narrator described the creation of the family history books and their transition from oral to written narratives, implying that the present tale became part of the Meyuhas family history book in the same way. However, in this case, the narrator was mistaken. Raphael Meyuhas ben Samuel himself wrote down the story of his mission to Constantinople, adventures and miracles included. The booklet remained in manuscript until it was published in

1875 under the title Megilat Yuhasin, ha-Ma 'aseh ve-ha-Nes Asher Era le-ha-Rav ... bi-Shnat H'tp'g (Genealogical scroll, the act and the miracle that happened to

The commemorative arch over the ruins of the Hurvah synagogue in Old City, Jerusalem. This was the main synagogue of the Ashkenazic community until its destruction η 1948.

the r a b b i . . . in 1723). It was reprinted in 1911 by Meyuhas 8 and in 1976 by BenYaacob. 9 References to the tradition of writing down family histories in the form of megillot yuhasin (genealogical scrolls) can be found as early as the talmudicmidrashic literature. The tanna Rabbi Simeon ben Azzai (2nd century c.E.) and the amora Levi (late 3rd century c.E.) each found megillot yuhasin (BT Yevamot 49b; JT Ta'anit 4:2; MR Genesis 98:10). 10 The talmudic scrolls strictly register genealogical tradition, and the medieval scrolls recount miraculous events. The earliest available medieval scroll, known as Megillat Ahimaaz, was written by Ahimaaz ben Paltiel in 1054, who traced his family history from the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. to their settlement in Oria, in southern Italy. The scroll describes the miracles and wonders that some of his ancestors experienced." In later centuries, several families recorded and celebrated the miracles that occurred to their ancestors. A bibliography of the genealogical scrolls is available. 12 The Meyuhas family celebrates the miraculous success of Raphael ben Samuel Meyuhas's mission on the Sixteenth of Adar. The narrator of the present tale concludes by pointing out the importance of this mission to the entire Jewish community of Jerusalem. The celebrations of such occasions are known as "special Purims," 13 distinguished from the national Purim holiday that commemorates the events told in the Scroll of Esther. Within these limited holidays, it is possible to distinguish between a communal Purim, by which an entire community commemorates its miraculous rescue from a calamitous decree, and a family Purim, 14 by which an extended family celebrates a miracle that one of its ancestors incurred. The miracles that the narrator considers to be at the core of the story are an integral part of the Jewish narrative tradition. Motif D1810.8, "Magic knowledge from dream" (and its analogs), is also an integral part; see also tales IFA 2623, IFA 4032, IFA 15346, IFA 15348, and IFA 17068. Motif *D231.3, "Transformation: neck to marble (saving a man from a sword blow)," occurs in midrashic narrative tradition in relation to stories about Moses in the court of Pharaoh. 15

Folktale Types •

*730A (IFA) "A Miraculous Rescue of a Jewish Community Threatened by an Evil Ruler."

Folklore Motifs •

*D231.3 "Transformation: neck to marble (saving a man from a sword blow)." • D1810.8.3 "Warning in dreams." • D1812.3.3 "Future revealed in dream." • D1812.5.1.2 "Bad dream as evil omen." • D1814.2 "Advice from dream."

•

D 2 0 7 2 "Magic paralysis."

• • •

D2072.0.1 "Sword m a d e magically helpless." D2086.1 "Sword magically dulled." M302.7 "Prophecy through dreams."

•

cf. M 3 6 4 . 2 " P r o p h e c y : r e m i s s i o n of tax t h r o u g h e n d e a v o r of saint."

•

P475 "Robber."

•

P 5 3 1 " T a x a t i o n a n d p a y m e n t of f i n e s or tributes."

•

P 5 3 1 . 1 . 1 " T r i b u t e r e q u i r e d of c o n q u e r e d f o r e i g n e r s . "

Notes 1. For analytical studies of the tale see T. Alexander, "Second Purim"; and AlexanderFrizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half 207-220. 2. Jerusalem within Its Walls, 90-146. 3. Barnai, The Jews in Palestine in the Eighteenth Century, 114-115. 4. See Meyouhas, "Megillot Mishpahah be-Eretz Yisra 'el" (Family scrolls in the Land of Israel), 298-310; Yaari, Shluhei Eretz Yisra 'el (The emissary of the Land of Israel), 362; Frumkin, Sefer Toldot Hakhamei Yerushalayim (The history of the Jerusalem rabbis), 3:22, 85-90; and Alexander-Frizer, op. cit., 207-220. 5. Barnai, op. cit., 51-105. 6. Goodblatt, Jewish Life in Turkey in the XVIth Century, 108-110. 7. Mughrabi, Sefer Ma'aseh Nissim (A book of miracles), 12-27; and Bar-Moha and Dor, Saints Ltd., 35-39. 8. Op. cit., 326-385 9. Op. cit., 445-448. 10. See S. Klein, "A Genealogical Record Found in Jerusalem," 30-50, 177. 11. See Klar, Megillat Ahimaaz; see also Benin, "The Chronicle of Ahimaaz and Its Place in Byzantine Literature"; Yassif, "Folktales in 'Megillat Ahimaaz'"; and Yassif, "Analysis of the Narrative Art of 'Megillat Ahimaaz.' " 12. Shunami, Bibliography of Jewish Bibliographies, 466-469. 13. E. Marcus, "The Confrontation between Jews and Non-Jews," 182-195. For lists and discussions of special Purims, see "Purims, Special," EJ 13:1396-1400; Danon, "Quelques Pourim lacaux"; P. Goodman, The Purim Anthology, 14-37; Lewinski, Sefer ha-Mo'adim (The festivals book), 6:297-321; Pavoncello, "The 'Second Purim'"; C. Roth, "Some Revolutionary Purims (1790-1801)"; and C. Roth, "Supplement to 'Some Revolutionary Purims.'" 14. Marcus, op. cit., 182-183. 15. Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 2:282, 5:406 n. 7.

A Story about My Great-Grandfather T O L D

BY

Y I T Z H A K

B I T O N

TO

T A M A R

A L E X A N D E R

I his really h a p p e n e d to m y g r e a t - g r a n d f a t h e r , w h o lived in the Old City of J e r u s a l e m , R a b b i S h a l o m B u h b u t . P e o p l e u s e d to c o m e to this R a b b i S h a l o m on the night of the M i m u n a — t h a t ' s the n i g h t a f t e r P a s s o v e r — t o kiss his h a n d . H e w o u l d b l e s s t h e m and give t h e m t w o dates. P e o p l e u s e d to g o f r o m h o u s e to h o u s e , giving p r e s e n t s of dates, m i l k , and h o n e y and lighting c a n d l e s j u s t like on the seventh night of Passover. H e lived n e a r the H o l y T e m p l e , next to the H a m m a m al-Ayyin b a t h h o u s e . You had to c l i m b up three f l i g h t s to kiss his h a n d , and he gave you t w o dates. H e never left his h o u s e . T h e y m a d e a s y n a g o g u e w h e r e he lived. T h e y called it the P a p p o ' s S y n a g o g u e and e v e r y o n e c a m e there. H e never w e n t into the city, but only f r o m the h o u s e to the s y n a g o g u e and f r o m the synag o g u e b a c k to the h o u s e . W h e r e v e r he d r a n k water, o t h e r p e o p l e tried to d o the s a m e . O n c e , several d a y s b e f o r e P a s s o v e r , h e h a d n o m a t z a h , n o d a t e s — i n fact, he had n o t h i n g at all. M o t h e r H a n n a h w a s e m b a r r a s s e d . " W h a t will w e d o ? " s h e asked him. "It will be P a s s o v e r in a n o t h e r three or f o u r days." " W h a t e v e r the H o l y O n e , Blessed Be He, has d e c r e e d , that is w h a t will be." T w o m o r e d a y s p a s s e d . It w a s the n i g h t b e f o r e Passover, w h e n you search f o r the hametz• T h e next night w o u l d be Passover. S h e kashered* the p o t s and d i s h e s , m a d e all her p r e p a r a t i o n s , and did w h a t e v e r she c o u l d . T h e n he [Rabbi S h a l o m ] w r o t e a note: " M a s t e r of the U n i v e r s e , this y e a r I have n o t h i n g with w h i c h to b l e s s the people. Bless t h e m Yourself." Just at that m o m e n t a gust of w i n d blew in a n d carried his note to the Western Wall.

*To make fit for kosher cooking.

This is a true story; the shammash of the Western Wall also told it to us. The note blew down to the Western Wall, where a tourist from America who didn't know Hebrew was praying from his prayer book. Suddenly this note fell into the open book. The tourist, who could not decipher these strange letters,* took the note and brought it to the shammash of the Western Wall, Raphael Meyuhas. Meyuhas read the note to the tourist [and added]: "This year the rabbi has nothing with which to bless the people and is appealing to God to help him. But you must know," Meyuhas told the tourist, "that this rabbi won't accept gifts or bribes." The tourist decided to buy food for him [Rabbi Shalom]. He came with a huge basket full of all sorts of items. He climbed up to the house; the shammash had shown him where it was. The tourist found Rabbi Shalom, bowed, kissed his hand, and put down the basket. (He had left the Arab porter outside, because Rabbi Shalom's house was like a holy place.) "No, my dear sir," Rabbi Shalom said to the tourist. "I won't take it. Heaven forbid I should accept gifts from flesh and blood." "You will take it." The tourist showed him the letter. "Is this your writing?" "Yes." "The Holy One, Blessed Be He, blew this into the Book of Psalms that I was reading at the Western Wall, and Hakham Raphael Meyuhas showed me the way to your house. The Holy One, Blessed Be He, sent this to me. Now you must take these things. They're not from me—they're from the Holy One, Blessed Be He." Rabbi Shalom accepted the basket and blessed the tourist.

The tourist could read the printed Hebrew letters of the prayer book or the Book of Psalms but not the cursive script of the note.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 6 (IFA

8807)

Told by Yitzhak Biton to Tamar Alexander in 1970, in Jerusalem. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This is a family tradition narrative. North African Jews celebrate the Mimuna on the eighth day (conclusion) of Passover. The festivity does not have a religious sanction, nor is there any mention of it in any biblical or halakhic sources. Yet its celebration involves customs, symbols, and blessings that are part of Jewish traditions. Evidence for the Mimuna festivities is first available from the eighteenth century in traveler reports, which suggest that it was already an established eustorn. There are local variations in the festivities, but home visitations and the offering of sweet dry fruits are two common features of the celebration. 1

Folklore Motifs • • ‫״‬ ‫״‬ • • • • • • •

D906 "Magic wind." D1719.9.2 "Magic power at Passover." *F900.1.3 "Miracles on last night of Passover." F963 "Extraordinary behavior of wind." *F963.5 "Wind carries letter to its proper recipient." *P426.4 "Rabbi." *V50.1 "Letter to God." V75.1 "Passover." V400 "Charity." W10 "Kindness." W l l "Generosity."

Notes 1. For studies and descriptions of the Mimuna, see Ben-Ami, "La fête de Mimouna chez les Juifs Marocaines"; Ben-Ami, "L'article d'Einhorn sur la Mimouna"•, Elkayam, Mimouna; Harvey Goldberg, "The Mimuna and the Minority Status of Moroccan Jews"; and H. Hirschberg, "La 'Mimouna'et les Festivité de la Fête de Paque."

The Sanctification of God's Name T O L D

BY

J U D A H

E L A Z A R

TO

A B R A H A M

B E N - Y A A K O V

xvabbi Raphael Asher Covo, author of the book Sha'ar Asher, was one of the leading rabbis of Salonika and renowned for his erudition, acute powers of analysis, and expertise in the rabbinic literature. He was the first rabbi to officially hold the title of hakham bashi* His tenure in this post was officially confirmed by Sultan Abd el-Majid when he visited Salonika in 1858. Rabbi Covo served in this position for twenty-seven years without a break, until his death on the Nineteenth of Tevet 5635 (December 27, 1874). He was responsible for an event that sanctified the name of Israel for all to see. This is how it came about: A certain Christian merchant from Bulgaria came to Salonika on business and lodged in one of the caravansaries** in the city. He brought with him a hundred Turkish dinars tied up in a special pouch made of small beads. He kept his gold wedding ring, with his name engraved on it, in the same pouch. Because he was staying at an inn among strangers, the merchant was afraid someone might steal his money. He looked for a safe place to store it but could not find one. In the end, he took the pouch and gave it in trust, for a few days, to the Christian patriarch of Salonika, thinking that that was the safest place in the city. A few days later, after the merchant had wound up his business dealings, he returned to the patriarch and asked for the money he had entrusted to him for safekeeping. But the patriarch denied having ever received the money: "I don't know what you're talking about!" he said. The merchant slapped himself on his head, wept, and begged the cleric to return his money, on which his life depended. But all his pleas were to no avail. The merchant consulted with lawyers and influential people. They all told him that since he had no documents or witnesses that he had handed over his money there was nothing they could do to help him. Then

*Chief rabbi.

**Inns.

the merchant appealed to the Muslim kadi.* But he, too, replied that there was nothing he could do in this strange affair. Several weeks later, the merchant was walking in the Jewish quarter and bumped into one of his acquaintances, who saw that his face had lost its former cheer. He asked why he was so downcast. The merchant told him his troubles and wept softly. The friend suggested that he go tell his story to the Jews' hakham bashi, who was very clever and would find a remedy for his affliction. He did so. That was when Rabbi Raphael Asher Covo was chief rabbi of Salonika. The Christian merchant went and told him the whole story. The rabbi questioned the merchant and decided he was telling the truth. "Come back in two weeks," he told him. "With God's help, I will try to recover your money." The Christian thanked the rabbi and left. A few days later Rabbi Covo visited the Christian patriarch in his home and discussed various matters with him. In the course of the conversation, the rabbi told the patriarch, "A few days ago some common man came to see me, claiming he had left money with you for safekeeping and you were refusing to return it. I threw him out of my house, since he is certainly not telling the truth. He must have left it with someone else and thought he left it with you. How great is forgetfulness, which makes a man lose his wits." When the patriarch heard this and saw that the rabbi was on his side he was delighted. He began to bad mouth the merchant. A few days later, the patriarch paid a return visit to Rabbi Covo. The rabbi greeted him cordially and ordered that a table of sweetmeats be set before him. In those days, the respectable citizens of Salonika used to carry a string of worry beads in their hands and play with them when they were sitting at home or walking in the streets. The patriarch owned a particularly expensive string of such beads and was fingering them there in Rabbi Covo's house. When the excellent food and drink had put the patriarch in a very good mood, the rabbi managed to get his beads away from him. He went out of the room and told his kavas:** "Take these beads to the patriarch's house and tell the doorman that the patriarch asked you to give him the pouch made of beads like these, which that Christian merchant gave him in trust. And this is the sign: These are the patriarch's own beads. When you bring back the pouch give it to me secretly."

*Judge. **An armed attendant.

The kavas followed the rabbi's instructions and went to the patriarch's house. When the doorman heard the kavas's message and saw his master's beads, he innocently believed the request was genuine and searched through the house until he found the pouch in question and gave it to the rabbi's kavas. The kavas took the pouch, returned to the rabbi's house, and gave it to him secretly, along with the beads. The rabbi returned the beads to the patriarch. When the visit was over, the two parted on very friendly terms. When the patriarch got back home his doorman didn't say anything to him about the pouch, thinking that his master knew all about it, since he was the one who had sent the message, and paid no more attention to the matter. A few days later, Rabbi Covo visited the patriarch a second time. "Know," he told him, "that Heaven has revealed to me that that merchant's pouch is in your possession and that you took it from him. If you return it to him, all will be well. But if not—I'll make the matter public." The patriarch was infuriated by the rabbi's words, denied everything, and continued to assert that it was all nonsense. Rabbi Covo asked the Muslim kadi and the wali* of Salonika to urge the patriarch to confess the truth, but they could not get him to do so. Finally, Rabbi Covo invited the patriarch, kadi, and wali to his house, along with the leading magnates of the city and the Christian merchant, so he could prove to them that he was right. Before they arrived, the rabbi put the money pouch inside a special urn and set the urn on the round table at which all the company sat. The rabbi stood up and asked the patriarch, one last time, to confess. If not, he said, he would use his holy powers to bring the money pouch there. The patriarch jeered at this notion and paid no attention to the rabbi's attempt to intimidate him. Then Rabbi Covo read a few psalms and recited a kabbalistic formula—"In the name of the unity of the Holy One, Blessed Be He"—stuck his hand in the urn, pulled out the pouch, and showed it to the assembled company. The Christian merchant leaped out of his seat. "You, Rabbi Covo, are true, and your Torah is true!" he cried out. All those present marveled at what they saw. "Rabbi Covo is like an angel of the Lord, who knows how to solve mysteries," they thought to themselves. The patriarch buried his ashen face in the ground. His pallor provided

*Arabic for protector or guardian, and one who is considered to have a special relationship with God.

further proof that Rabbi Covo was telling the truth. When the guests left his house, the patriarch stayed behind. Rabbi Covo told him the secret of the riddle. The patriarch was astounded by the rabbi's wisdom, which had found a way to get the money pouch away from him without his knowledge. A week later, the patriarch was dismissed from his post and left Salonika.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 7 (IFA

8419)

Told by Judah Elazar of Greece to Abraham Ben-Yaakov, in 1969 in Jerusalem.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Rabbi Raphael Asher Covo (1799-1874) was a scion of a rabbinical family and was himself a leading rabbi in Salonika, where he was rosh yeshiva (head of the academy) and served as the chief rabbi for twenty-six years. During his tenure, he encouraged the modernization of Jewish education in the community. He was a highly respected rabbi whose reputation spread to many Mediterranean Jewish communities. His responsa are collected in his book Sha'ar Asher (Salonika, 1877-1879).‫ ־‬The Jewish community of Thessalonica had a central position in Sephardic Jewry. 3 The story follows the pattern of Motif J1176.3, "Gold pieces in the honeyp o t " in which, according to Jewish tradition, the boy Solomon serves as the wise judge who brings justice to light. 4

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • .

J1140 "Cleverness in detection of truth." cf. J 1655.3 "Coins concealed in jar of oil (pickles)." *K231.16 "Banker refuses to return deposit, claiming it was never made." K362 "Theft by presenting false order to guardian." cf. K362.6 "Deposit money secured by false order to banker's wife." K420 "Thief loses his goods or is detected " *K 1975.4 "Sham miracle: predicting the discovery of money where it had been previously placed."

Notes 1. First published in A. Ben-Ya'akob, Ha-Otsar, 25-29 no. 4. 2. For a brief biographical description, see Emmanuel, Precious Stones of the Jews of Salonica, 2:824-829: for two of his obituaries, see Attal, Les Juifs de Grece de l'expulsion d'Espagne a nos jours, nos. 15, 301. 3. See Recanati, Zikharon Saloniki. 4. See Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 2 8 - 2 9 no. 18 ( 1990 ed.).

"Our Teacher Moses " and the King of Spain T O L D

BY

R A H A M I M ΤΟ

M ALKA

N I S S I M

M A S H I A H

C O H E N

jLong ago, when the persecution of Jews in Spain had only just begun, the king, influenced by his ministers, decreed that all newborn Jewish boys should be killed before they entered the covenant of our Father Abraham.* During that time, the shammash** of the synagogue went out in the street, where he saw the rabbi of the town. The shammash greeted the rabbi, but the latter did not return his greeting. He greeted him a second time, and again the rabbi did not return his greeting. When the shammash greeted the rabbi a third time and he still did not reply, the shammash went right up to the rabbi and asked him, "Rabbi, why aren't you returning my greeting?" "My son," answered the rabbi, "I was wrapped in my troubles and thoughts and didn't notice you." "Tell me," said the shammash, "what is troubling you? May I know?" "Tomorrow morning," replied the rabbi, "during prayers in the synagogue, I will tell you about it." The next morning, during the prayer service, the rabbi related his sorrows to the shammash. Five days before, he told him, a son had been born to him. According to the king's cruel law, he [the rabbi] had to bring the child to the authorities to be killed. The shammash sank in thought for a number of minutes and then asked the rabbi, "What kind of garment did our teacher Moses wear?" The rabbi answered that he had dressed in such-and-such a fashion. The shammash went and had clothes made to match the rabbi's description. Then he went to the royal palace and sought admittance. Naturally, the guards would not let him in.

*That is, before they were circumcised. Synagogue caretaker.

"I want to enter and see the king. You can go tell the king that Moshe Rabbenu* has arrived and wishes to speak with him." The captain of the guard answered him, "I don't know or recognize who Moshe Rabbenu might be. Now get out of here fast!" But the shammash would not give in and began pushing against the door. "Do you mean you won't let Moshe Rabbenu enter the palace?" he shouted. Attracted by the commotion, one of the king's aides-de-camp came out and asked the captain of the guard, "What is all this screaming?" The captain of the guard told him, "Some man in a funny costume came and said he was Moshe Rabbenu and tried to force his way into the palace. But I don't know who 'Moshe Rabbenu' might be." The aide-de-camp, who was an educated man, who had studied history and had heard of Moshe Rabbenu, so he went out to see the man. The clothes that the shammash was wearing convinced him that it really was Moshe Rabbenu standing there. "What do you want, Moshe Rabbenu?" he asked the shammash. "Go tell the king," replied the shammash, "that Moshe Rabbenu wishes to speak with him." The aide-de-camp had him admitted to the courtyard and then went inside to speak with the king. "Your Majesty," he said, "Moshe Rabbenu wishes to speak with you." The king rose from his throne immediately and told the aide-de-camp, "Admit him at once." The shammash entered the throne room, and the aide-de-camp wasted no time seating him opposite the king. The king looked at the shammash and trembled. "What do you want of me, Moshe Rabbenu?" he asked. "God has sent me," replied the shammash, "to get you to swiftly retract the cruel decree you have issued against newborn Jewish boys. If you do not, you will be punished, just as happened to Pharaoh in his day." With this he left the palace. At once, the king gave orders to cancel the evil decree. The Jews enjoyed light and gladness." The rabbi celebrated the circumcision of his son with great pomp and splendor.

*"Moses our teacher" is a traditional Moses' epithet in Hebrew. *See Esther 8:16.

Another one of the king's officers, a vicious anti-Semite, heard about this affair of Moshe Rabbenu. "Your Majesty," he told the king, "when Moshe Rabbenu came before you, why didn't he show you some wonder, as he showed Pharaoh in his day?" The king thought for a few moments. "Indeed, I was too hasty with him. Go quickly to the Jews and tell them that I want to see Moshe Rabbenu again. Otherwise, evil and bitter will be their fate!" That anti-Semite went to the synagogue. "The king wants to see Moshe Rabbenu again," he told the rabbi. "If he doesn't come, woe betide you!" "What shall we do now?" the rabbi asked the shammash. "I will go to the king," replied the shammash. "Let's hope that everything will work out and God will be with us." Once again the shammash donned the costume of Moshe Rabbenu and went to the king. This time he was admitted without hindrance. When he reached the king he asked him, "Why have you summoned me?" "I want you to show me some magic or sign, as you did to Pharaoh," answered the king. Perplexed, the poor shammash looked all around, at a loss for an idea. Suddenly, he saw a sword hanging on one of the walls. The shammash said to the king, "Give me that sword, and I will show you unbelievable deeds." The king gave the sword to the shammash. The shammash said, "Now you will see me cut off this minister's head and then put it back in its place." The minister, that anti-Semite, was petrified. Even before the shammash raised the sword, he called out, "Your Majesty! It's true. Moshe Rabbenu has already worked this enchantment—he cut off my head and put it back on my neck without anyone even noticing. But it would be best if he went away at once. Otherwise he might kill all of us." The shammash left the royal palace. From that day on, things were a little better for the Jews.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 8 (IFA

13110)

Told by Rahamim Nissim Mashiah (of Sofia, Bulgaria) to Malka Cohen in 1980 in Tel Aviv.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background In the Middle Ages, in Spain and elsewhere in Europe, "the Jews were legally the property of the rulers of the land, its kings and princes," 2 who offered them protection. However, from the fourteenth century onward, church authorities exerted pressure on the kings of Spain to restrict the economic and financial power of the Jews. 3 The narrator of this story casts these events in biblical archetypical terms, predicating the decrees of the Spanish king on the decrees of Pharaoh (Exodus 1:15-22). Appropriately, the person who takes it upon himself to save the community puts on the guise of Moses, the archetypical leader who saved the Jews from their bondage. Although the tale lacks the mock disputation situation that is typical of tale type 922, "The Shepherd Substituting for the Priest: Answers the King's Questions," 4 it preserves the disguise situation in which a lowly member of the community appears "undercover." 5 Similarities

to Other 1FA Tales

Other versions in the IFA are the following: • • • • • • •

IFA 1056: The Sultan and the Bold Jew (Morocco). IFA 2681 : A Drunkard Responds to the King Who Demands to See Moses (Tunisia). IFA 3408: The King Who Wished to Talk with Moses (Syria). IFA 4390: Moses and the Apostate (Morocco). IFA 5801 : The Sultan Demands to See Haman and Mordecai (Morocco). IFA 7590: The Golden Ball (Iraq). IFA 16421 : The Purim Miracle (Morocco). 6

Folklore Motifs • • • • •

E783.1 "Head cut off and successfully replaced." Κ1700 "Deception through bluffing." Κ1810.1 "Disguise by putting on clothes (carrying accouterments) of certain person." K2320 "Deception by frightening." S302.1 "All new-born male children slaughtered." Notes

1. First published in M. Cohen, Mi-Pi ha-Am, 2:25-27 no. 124.

2. Y. Baer, A History of the Jews in Christian Spain, 1:85. 3. Ibid., 1:306-378. 4. See W. Anderson, Kaiser und Abt. 5. An analysis of this tale is in E. Marcus, "The Confrontation between Jews and nonJews in Folktales," 546-552. 6. Published in Bar-Itzhak and Shenhar, Jewish Moroccan Folk Narratives from Israel, 184-187 (cf. IFA 16544, The King, the Vizier, and the Clever Jew, 72-78, and IFA 16385, Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra Is Sold into Slavery, 170-173).

Maimonides and the Study of Medicine TOLD TO

BY

RABBI

YA'AKOV

M E N A H E M

BEN

A S H R A F

ARYEH

.Liven while still a young man, Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides)—may his memory protect us—had a great desire to study medicine. In his town, there lived a gentile physician who used to take on one student each year as his assistant, to work without pay and learn medicine. When the year was up, though, the physician would kill the student, to keep him from mastering the art of medicine and becoming his rival. Maimonides—may his memory protect us—had a great passion to learn medicine, but his mother was opposed to the idea. She knew what that physician did, that every year he killed his student. "Don't worry, Mother," Maimonides told her. "I'll be careful." Pretending to be a deaf-mute, Maimonides applied to be the physician's apprentice. The physician tested him repeatedly until he was satisfied that he [Maimonides] could neither hear nor speak. Then he took him on as his assistant and gestured to him to sit down and work. Every day Maimonides would secretly take a sheet of paper and a pen and record what he had seen, until he had set down the entire art and science of medicine. Of course, he modified, corrected, and improved this lore, based on his own insight and experience. Whenever the gentile physician went to treat patients, Maimonides would secretly write down what he heard from the physician, improving it all the while. In this fashion, Maimonides became a great physician. Five years passed. One day the daughter of the king of Spain complained about her head. All the physicians came to treat her, including the physician with whom Maimonides was studying. Diagnosing that the princess had a frog on her brain, the physician opened her skull. Then he picked up forceps to take hold of the frog. Suddenly, Maimonides struck his [the physician's] arm aside. "May your hand be cut off!" he rebuked the physician. "What do you think you're doing? Do you want to kill the king's daughter?"

The physician was astonished. For five years he had thought Maimonides a deaf-mute. Never once had he uttered a word or given a sign he could hear. Now, suddenly, he could speak—and to say such things! The king entrusted his daughter to Maimonides' care. Maimonides took a nail and a peg, heated them in the fire, and poked the frog in the legs. When the frog lifted up one leg, Maimonides placed a piece of cotton under it; in short order the frog put its other legs on the cotton. Maimonides picked up the forceps, took hold of the frog, and removed it from the princess's head. Then he closed her skull and sutured up the incision. The king's daughter recovered. "I don't want to leave the palace with this physician," Maimonides told the king. "He kills all his apprentices after they've been with him for a year, studying and working." "Come work with me!" the physician urged Maimonides. But the king intervened. "He will not go with you. No, he will remain here in my palace, because he is a greater physician than you are." This infuriated the physician. "If he is a greater physician than I am," he told the king, "let us have a contest. Each will give the other poison to drink. Whoever can cure himself will be the royal physician." The gentile physician gave Maimonides poison to drink, but Maimonides knew the antidote. He gave the Jews their instructions: "Light a fire in seven furnaces and heat them red hot, and prepare seven bulls for slaughter. After I drink the poison, you must take me and pass my body through the seven red-hot furnaces. Then, after you take me out of the furnaces, place me inside the carcasses of the slaughtered bulls, and I will recover." The Jews got ready to do what Maimonides had told them. After Maimonides drank the poison they took him and passed his body through the seven red-hot furnaces. From the seven red-hot furnaces they took him and lay him inside the carcasses of the seven slaughtered bulls, which had been prepared as he instructed. Maimonides recovered. Then he stood up and said to the king, "I drank the poison he gave me and healed myself. Now it's my turn to give him a lethal potion, as was agreed." Maimonides took seven boxes, each larger than the other, and placed one inside another. In the smallest of all he placed a small vial of soda water. He wrapped the vial in seven pieces of linen. He covered his face, picked up the boxes in tongs, and told the king, "Now I want to give him a drink." When the gentile physician saw Maimonides, his face covered, hold-

ing the boxes in tongs, he was stricken with panic. "What sort of poison is he giving me," he wondered, "that he has covered his face and will handle it only with tongs?" Petrified, he had no idea what remedy to apply. The physician removed the linen wrappings and started the ordeal of opening the boxes. When he reached the fifth box he collapsed and died of his apprehension and dread: So may all Your enemies perish, Ο Lord!* Maimonides removed his veil. Opening the box, he told the king, "Now you drink it." "Do you want to kill me?" retorted the king. "This great physician died just from smelling it! Now you want me to drink it?" "By your majesty's life," Maimonides replied, "you will drink it." "You try it first." Maimonides opened the vial and drank from it. Then he offered it to the king. "It's only soda water, to stimulate the appetite. The physician died of fear, not from the smell or from anything else." Maimonides stayed with the king and served as his physician and minister, living in peace and tranquility. So may the Lord gladden us with the coming of our Messiah, speedily and in our days, Amen. So be His will. Finished and complete. Praise to the Lord, Creator of the universe.

*

See Judges 5:31.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 9 (IFA

4905)

Rabbi Ya'akov Ashraf of Morocco told this tale to Menahem ben Aryeh in Rosh Pinah on January 22, 1963.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The tale has three parts: ( 1 ) the apprenticeship, (2) the operation, and (3) the poison contest. In earlier and parallel traditions, these parts, or episodes, are some times told separately, whereas in others, the tale is told in sequence as the present narrator told them. The Apprenticeship The story of Maimonides' feigning deaf and mute to learn medicine occurs in Judeo-Arabic in an Egyptian manuscript that was written in 1840. 2 The tale is also known in the oral tradition of Moroccan Jewry 3 and in Yiddish narrative traditions. 4 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Other texts in the IFA that include similar episodes are the following: IFA 2926: Maimonides Learns Medicine Pretending to Be Dumb (Yemen). 5 IFA 4962: Maimonides and His Teacher (Iraq); parts 1 and 2; creature = worm. • IFA 11470: Maimonides Studies Medicine (Tunisia); parts 1 and 2; creature = frog. • IFA 12155: Maimonides and the Old Physician (Poland); parts 1 and 2; creature = worm.

• •

The Operation The second part, the operation, often serves as a situation in which Maimonides spontaneously reveals his feigned deafness; thus it usually follows the first episode. Sometimes, however, it is told independently and sometimes with a role reversal, in which Maimonides is the operating surgeon and his own disciple proposes the alternative practice. Y. Berger 6 suggested that this anecdote appears exclusively in Yiddish sources, citing L. Wiener 7 and Kruger. 8 However, as the texts in the IFA attest, the tale was known in the Jewish communities of the Middle East and North Africa as well. Gaster 9 also told the story, without indicating his sources, and regarded it as a part of the medieval Jewish tradition. The tale is current in Arab folktales as well; Hanauer 10 included a version told about "El Hakim Lokman." "Lokman," or "Lukman," is a name of four figures in Arab and eastern Mediterranean traditions, all of whom possess the attribution of wisdom or special knowledge. The pre-Islamic Lokman was known as a "wise

man"; the Islamic Lukman (Koran, Sura 31) utters proverbs; the medieval Lukman was considered the writer of fables and was compared to other traditional fabulists; the Persian and Turkish Lukman was an ascetic, and in Turkish folklore he was also known as a physician, the role he plays in the anecdote Hanuaer cited. 11 In the twentieth century, the legend was used humorously by the members of the Palmah, the semi-military units of the Yishuv (Mandate Period), toward the end of the British Mandate in the Land of Israel. In these circles, the story was told about Old Elyovich, a parent of a Kefar Giladi kibbutz member. 12

Similarities to Other 1FA Tales The oral versions of this episode in the IFA are as follows: •

IFA 282: The Rambam as a Medicine Student (France [Algeria]); creature = frog. • IFA 2266: The Princess, Maimonides, and the Cabbage Leaf (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); creature = worm. • IFA 2940: How Did Maimonides Study Medicine? (Poland); creature = worm. • IFA 6758: Patience and Poison in Maimonides' Medical Contest (Iraq); parts 2 and 3; creature = worm. • IFA 6829: Maimonides as a Physician (Morocco); 13 parts 2 and 3; creature = spider. •

IFA 9134: Maimonides

and the Worm (Belarus); creature = worm.

The Poison Contest A record of the third episode is available from the sixteenth century from Gedaliah ben Joseph ibn Yahya (1515-1578 or 1526-1587), who included it in Of the three parts of the tale, this is the most his Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah.H widely told, having been recorded in manuscript and print as well as related orally. Most versions involve, as the present text does, a contest between Maimonides and non-Jewish physicians at the royal court. However, Avishur 15 published a unique version in Judeo-Arabic from Egypt in which the contest is between Maimonides and a Karaite physician. Avishur pointed out that historically a Karaite physician did indeed serve in the court of Saladin (1137-1193) around the time Maimonides did. 16 For versions involving a contest between Maimonides and Muslim physicians, see the following: •

A text in Judeo-Arabic from Iraq that originally appeared in Nit'ei sha'ashu'im (Entertainment seedlings) (1890) by Rabbi Shlomo Tweina (1856-1913). 1 7 • A tale drawn from Sefer Ma'aseh Sha'ashu'im (A book of entertaining tales), by Elijah Hai Joseph Guedj from Tripoli, Libya. 18 • A tale that originally appeared in Ma'aseh Tzaddikim (The acts of right-

eous people), which Elijah Hai Joseph Guedj published in Algiers in 1891. 19 • A tale that first appeared in a folk book from Djerba. 20 This part of the present tale was included in a nineteenth-century Hebrew folktale collection from Iraq by Iraki. 21 A version from a seventeenth-century manuscript from Kurdistan is in Avida. 22 For an account from Yemen, see S. D. Goitein. 23 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

The texts recorded from oral traditions in the IFA are the following: • • • • • • • • •

IFA 231 : The Attempt to Poison Maimonides (Yemen). 24 IFA 1217: A Legend about Maimonides (Tunisia); 25 the poison contest is the last episode in a sequence of tests. IFA 5315: The Wisdom of the Jewish Physician (Bulgaria). IFA 10356: The Victory of Maimonides (Mara [Spain]). IFA 11472: A Contest between Physicians (Tunisia). IFA 11877: A Poison-Drinking Contest: Maimonides as a Physician (Iraq). IFA 12084: A Poison-Drinking Contest (Yemen). IFA 13364: Maimonides and His Poison-Drinking Contest (Iraqi Kurdistan). IFA 13954: Maimonides, the Physician, and the Seven Containers (Morocco). 26

IFA 257, The Doctor and His Disciple (Yemen), is analogous to the present text in that it includes all three episodes. Folktale !types • •

922*D (IFA) "The Poisoning Contest." 922*D (Jason) "The Poisoning Contest"

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • •

*B784.2.4.1 "Physician removes animal from brain of patient." D1515 "Magic antidote for poison." D1799.3 "Magic results from special rituals." cf. D1810 "Magic knowledge learned from magician teacher." D2168 "Magic used against poison." F668 "Skillful surgeon." F1041.1.11 "Death from fear." H223 "Ordeal by p o i s o n " H1515 "Poisoned food test." *HI546 "Contest in enduring poisoning."

•

J1115.2 "Clever physician."

•

* K 5 2 3 . 0 . 1 . 2 " I l l n e s s ( m a d n e s s , d u m b n e s s , etc.) f e i g n e d to e s c a p e d e a t h . "

•

K 8 0 0 " K i l l i n g or m a i m i n g by d e c e p t i o n . "

• • •

K 2 0 9 1 " I l l n e s s f e i g n e d in o r d e r to learn secret." P 3 4 2 " S t u d e n t e n t e r s c o m p e t i t i o n with his master." P424 "Physician."

•

P424.2 "Doctor w h o can cure can also poison."

•

Z71.5 "Formulistic number: seven."

Notes 1. First published in T. Alexander and Romero, Erase una Vez • • • Maimonides, 7 8 - 8 0 no. 17; idem. Once Upon a Time . . . Maimonides, 106-109, no. 17; and later in Avishur, In Praise of Maimonides, 312-313 no. 107. 2. See Avishur, op. cit., 64-66, 78-79, 313-314, 349-350 nos. 5, 108. 3. Atiel, "Maimonides in Moroccan Folklore," 197. 4. Published in a popular biography of Maimonides by Kruger, Der Rambam (Maimonides), 26, and reported by L. Wiener, The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century, 33. 5. Published in Avishur, op. cit., 313-314 no. 108. 6. "Ha-Rambam be-aggadat ha-am" (Maimonides in folk legend), 229-230. 7. Op. cit. 8. Op. cit. 9. "Jewish Folk-Lore in the Middle Ages," 1/7:14. 10. Folk-Lore of the Holy Land, 20-22. 11. See Heller and Stillman, "Lukman"; Norris, "Fables and Legends in Pre-Islamic and Early Islamic Times," 378-381 ; and Toy, "The Lokman-Legend." 12. Oring, Israeli Humor, 143 no. 12A. 13. Published in Haviv, Never Despair, 3 1 - 3 4 no. 4. 14. The chain of tradition (Amsterdam, 1697), 33a-33b; see Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 250-251 no. 134 (1990 ed.). 15. Op. cit., 7 0 - 7 2 no. 9. 16. Dinur, Israel in the Diaspora, 2(6): 211 no. 6. 17. Avishur, op. cit., 104-106 no. 23. 18. Ibid., 160-162 no. 33. 19. Ibid., 154-156, 188-190 no. 46. 20. Ibid., 196-198 no. 52. 21. Sefer ha-Ma 'asiyyot (Book of tales), 42a-43a no. 68. 22. "Two Tales about Maimonides," 102-104 no. 2. 23. The Land of Sheba, 81-84. 24. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 330-331 no. 153; and Avishur, op. cit., 315 no. 110. 25. Published in Avishur, op. cit. 315-316 no. 111. 26. Published in Avishur, op. cit. 314-315 no. 109.

Why Maimonides Is Buried in Tiberias T O L D

BY

A

S E P H A R D I C

N A R R A T O R

TO

DOV

N O Y

Defore his death, Maimonides left instructions that he was to be buried in Eretz Yisra'el, the Land of Israel; but he failed to specify where. When he died on foreign ground (in Egypt) all the Jews of that country mourned for him. After seven days, they placed his body in a coffin and took it to the Land of Israel. At the border, the coffin was met by representatives of every community in the Holy Land. When the emissaries learned from the Egyptian Jews that Maimonides had not explicitly stated where he should be laid to rest, they began to quarrel among themselves. All wanted their town to be the final resting place of the Great Tzaddik.* Said Jerusalem: "I am the navel of the world, the once and future site of the Holy Temple. The place for the tzaddik is on the Mount of Olives." Countered Hebron: "The Patriarchs and Matriarchs sleep their eternal sleep in me. The place for the tzaddik is in the Cave of Machpelah." Asserted Safed: "What greater man have we had among us, since the last of the Holy Scriptures were committed to writing, than Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai? The place for the tzaddik is alongside his grave, in Meron." The representatives of Tiberias stood silent and chagrined, for they had nothing to allege against the claims of the other holy cities. Finally, they decided to load the coffin on the back of a camel and let the camel wander where it would. At whatever place the camel first kneeled, that would be the burial site for the holy man, for they would see this as a sign from on high and an indication of Heaven's decree. Day after day the camel journeyed northward, a vast throng following in its wake, but never once did its knee touch the ground. Only when it reached the outskirts of Tiberias did the camel finally kneel. They buried him in that place, and that is where Maimonides rests to this day.

Ά person of great piety.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 0 (IFA

549)

Recorded by Dov Noy in Jerusalem in 1955from a Sephardic Jew. ' Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Maimonides, Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, one of the most illustrious figures in Judaism, was a physician, philosopher, and halakhist who is known in Jewish societies by the acronym Rambam. He was born in Cordova, Spain, on March 30, 1135, and died in Cairo, Egypt, on December 13, 1204. The tombstone in Tiberias that is traditionally considered to mark his grave lacks any identifying inscriptions, thus giving room for speculations and legends about the individual who had been laid to rest there. According to a seventeenth-century tradition recorded by the JewishEgyptian chronicler Joseph ben Isaac Sambari (1640-1703), Maimonides was buried in his house of study, "in a synagogue that at present is called the synagogue of the Western [Tunisian] Jews and later was carried to Eretz Yisra'el and buried in Tiberias." The same source includes an oral anecdote reporting that the people who carried his bones had forgotten one of his toes. Later, a wise man of Egypt appeared in a dream to one of them and revealed where the toe was left. The people retrieved the toe and buried it in Tiberias. 2 This tradition survived among Egyptian Jews who, until the twentieth century, identified a small structure next to the ancient synagogue of Maimonides in Cairo as the place where he was buried before his bones were carried to Tiberias. Shtober 3 also noted a thirteenth-century Arabic source that cited the tradition of carrying Maimonides' coffin to Tiberias for burial. The description in Sambari's text apparently refers to the custom of second burial. During the thirteenth century, there were two rival traditions about Maimonides' burial place. Shlomoh ibn Verga 4 (mid-fifteenth century to early sixteenth), reported a tradition stating that Maimonides was buried near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Ibn Verga obtained this information from a chronicle by Yom Τον Sanzolo (late twelfth century to early thirteenth), a rabbi of Spanish origin living in Turkey. 5 Samuel ben Samson, a French Jew who emigrated to the Land of Israel in 1211 and then traveled there extensively, described the tombs of the pious in Tiberias and its vicinity but did not mention Maimonides' tomb among them. 6 Hence, if there were a transfer of Maimonides' remains from Egypt to the Land of Israel, it is quite likely that the second burial would not have occurred within the first seven years after his death but later. Apparently, the first mention of Maimonides' tomb in Tiberias is in an anonymous genizah lament. 7 S. Krauss 8 dated this lament to 1229-1244. Prawer 9 believed the lament dates to 1187 at the latest and, therefore, considered the mention of Maimonides' tomb to be a later interpolation (a possibility that

The unmarked tomb of Maimonides,

in Tiberias.

Marmorstein entertained as well). Rabbi Jacob, an emissary of Rabbi Jehiel ben Joseph of Paris (d. ca. 1265), mentioned Maimonides' tomb in Tiberias in a letter written around 1260.10 Later, an anonymous student of Nachmanides (Ramban) (1194-1270) also mentioned this in his description of Palestine between 1270 and 1310, or 1306 and 1312." The first topographer of the Land of Israel and an admirer of Maimonides, Estori ha-Parhi 12 (Eshtori ha-Farhi; Isaac ben Moses; 1280-1355?) mentioned the tomb in Tiberias. The absence of identification marks on the tomb became itself a subject of a traditional narrative reported by Gedaliah ben Joseph ibn Yahya (1515-1578 or 1526-1587) in his book Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah.13 According to Ibn Yahya, [Maimonides] was buried in the Upper Galilee and poems and praises were written on his tomb stone. Later, in the days of the Ramban and Radak [Rabbi David Kimhi, 1160?-1235?] when evil people rose to speak against the Rambam, as it is seen in those writings with which the sages of France instigated against the Book [Guide of the Perplexed], those instigators changed the tomb stone on which it was written "the choicest of mankind" and wrote "Rabbi Moses Maimon an ostracized heretic." Although later they regretted their action and restored the tomb stone to its earlier condition. The narrative alludes to the controversy over Maimonides' writings at the end of the thirteenth century in which Jesse ben Hezekiah, the exilarch of all of the Diaspora in Damascus, and Solomon ben Samuel Petit of Acre were involved. There is no verifiable historical evidence that an actual desecration of the grave indeed occurred. By its very nature, this narrative cannot be confirmed. In 1932, the tombstone of Rabbi David ha-Nagid (1213-1300), Maimonides' grandson, was discovered in Tiberias in the vicinity of Maimonides' tomb. The inscription, lacking any dates, reads: "This is the grave of Rabbi David ha-Nagid the grandson of our genius rabbi Moses son of our rabbi Maimon, the light of Diaspora, blessed memory of a righteous and holy man." While the thirteenth-century testimonies list only Maimonides' tomb, the sixteenth-century accounts are developed narratives involving either the identification marks on the grave or the very transference of Maimonides' remains to the Land of Israel, sometimes mentioning either Tiberias or Hebron in particular. 14 Menahem Amelander copied this tale in his historical Yiddish narrative She'eris Yisroel.15 The two textually interdependent renditions in Sefer Yuhasin and Shevet Yehudah center around motif *F 852.5, "An extraordinarily heavy coffin," and concern robbers who tried, but failed, to lift the coffin that was taken from Egypt to the Land of Israel. According to Jewish talmudic-midrashic traditions, burial in the Land of Israel ensured resurrection when the Messiah comes, as the following statements indicate. "Why did the Patriarchs long for burial in Eretz Yisra'el? Because the

dead of Eretz Yisra'el will be the first to be resurrected in the days of the Messiah and to enjoy the years of the Messiah" (MR Genesis 96:5, 1198; see also 96:30 [Ms.], 1240). Such beliefs prompted the custom of a second burial in the Land of Israel. 16 The Babylonian Talmud asserts, "Whoever is buried in the Land of Israel is deemed to be buried under the altar," and "The dead outside the Land will not be resurrected . . . [implying] the dead of the land in which I have desire will be resurrected (BT Ketubbot 111a). The righteous men who die abroad have special dispensation: "God prepares tunnels for the righteous men who are buried abroad and they roll until they reach the Land of Israel, and when they arrive there God resurrects them and they stand up" (Tanhuma Va-yehi 3). The relevant passage in S. Buber 17 describes Rabbi Katzrah and Rabbi Eliezer watching the carrying of a coffin from abroad to the surroundings of Tiberias and points out that after the advent of the Messiah the Sanhédrin will be constituted in Tiberias, 18 an assumption stated also in BT Rosh Hashanah 31b. During the third and fourth centuries, Tiberias was a central city for the Jewish community, and rabbis reaffirmed its position through a folk etymology involving its name, interpreting the city's name as derived from the Hebrew word for navel (tabur) used metaphorically for "center" (see BT Megillah 6a). Shoring up the city's position in tradition and belief, Rabbi Yohanan expressed the opinion that the redemption of the Jews will begin in Tiberias (see BT Rosh Hashanah 31b; Yalkut Shimoni

Va-yehi no. 161). On the origin of the custom of reburial, known to have been practiced since the third century, see Y. Gafni. 1 9 Maimonides confirmed this custom. In his responsa, he approved of a case in which a son brought his parents' bones for a second burial in Israel: "What he did was very good, and the great sages of Israel did so as well." 20 Maimonides stated, "The sages have declared: 'Whoever resides in Eretz Yisra'el, his sins are forgiven.'—So too, whoever is buried in Eretz Yisra'el obtains atonement, as if the place wherein he is buried were an altar of atonement, as it is written: 'The land makes expiation for his people' (Deuteronomy 32:43)." 21 The ideal burial place was, and still is, the Mount of Olives, facing the Temple Mount, since according to the medieval Persian-Jewish apocalypse Ma'aseh Daniel (The gest of Daniel) the Messiah, Elijah, and Zerubabel will climb the Mount of Olives, and with the second blow of his shofar, Elijah will resurrect the dead. 22 However, any other place in the Land of Israel is preferable to burial in a land of exile. Tiberias is particularly suited for that purpose. Several cities stake their claim to be Maimonides' burial place on symbolic grounds. For Jerusalem, it is the city's reputation as the axis mundi in Jewish cosmology (Motif A875.1, "Navel of the earth"). 23 Maimonides visited Hebron in 1166, where the Cave of Machpelah, the burial shrine of the three Patriarchs and three of the Matriarchs, symbolizes the birth of the nation. Traditionally, the cave is also the burial place of Adam and Eve. 24 During the thirteenth century, at the time of Maimonides' death, Safed had

only a small Jewish population; but during the sixteenth century, following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, the city's Jewish community flourished due, in particular, to the influx of refugees. Safed became, among other things, a center of Jewish mysticism. A major attraction for the kabbalists was the identification of a tomb on the nearby Mount Meron as that of Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai (second century), to whom tradition attributes the authorship of the Zohar. Implicit in the present version of the tale is a rejection of any attempt to establish a connection between the philosopher Maimonides and mysticism. Efforts have been made since the fourteenth century to portray Maimonides not as the rationalist he was but as a mystic, whom the kabbalists wished to appropriate for themselves. 25 Tiberias, which in the story appears to be the lowest in the hierarchy of Jewish communities in the Land of Israel, had in fact a distinguished history as an academie center and was also a popular burial place. 26 Founded between 14 and 18 C.E. by Herod Antipas and named in honor of the Roman emperor Tiberius, the city became a center of learning during the third and the fourth centuries, and the teachings of its academies, together with those of Sepphoris and Caesarea, make up the Jerusalem Talmud. In and around Tiberias, there are tombs attributed to distinguished teachers (tunnaim), such as Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai (first century). Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Meir (second century). The talmudic-midrashic literature identifies other locations as the burial places of these and other rabbis. However, since the thirteenth century, the same sources that list Maimonides' tomb in Tiberias also mention the burial caves or the tombstones of other rabbinical authorities. These traditions, as well as the present story, place Maimonides with the sages and scholars of Jewish thought and religion rather than among either the patriarchs or the mystics. Rivalry among locations making claim for being the birth or burial places of cultural heroes is a common theme in many traditions. Giambattista Vico (1668-1744) interpreted the claims of many Greek cities as the birthplace of Homer allegorically and thus considered Homer to represent the Greek nation. 27 The narrative names Tiberias as the location for Maimonides' tomb through the use of divinatory animals. Domesticated animals have functioned in this capacity since biblical times. For example, the Philistines used two milk cows to determine whether the hardships they suffered were punishments because they had captured the Ark of God. "Then watch: If it goes up to the road to Bethshemesh, to His own territory, it was He who has inflicted this great harm on us. But if not, we shall know that it was not His hand that struck us; it just happened to us by chance" (1 Samuel 6:9). In Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah (12a), Ibn Yahya cites a similar story about the Prophet Hosea, who died in Babylon but had asked to be buried in the Land of Israel. His body was loaded up on a camel, which walked to the Holy Land, stopping at Safed in the Upper Galilee where the prophet was buried. 28 D. Noy recorded this account from the oral tradition of Iraqi Jews (see IFA 521, The Tomb of the Prophet Hosea), and the same motif ap-

pears also in the Jewish-Yemenite tradition in tale IFA 300, The Death of a Righteous Rabbi on Sabbath Eve, written down from memory by Yahya Yaha. The first time motif Β151.1.5, "Camel determines road to be taken," appears in a story that cites Tiberias as Maimonides' burial place is from the eighteenthcentury work of a Safed resident, originally from Brody, known as Joseph the Scribe. 29 In the present story, but not in the other two, the use of a camel as a divinatory animal involves a Hebrew-language wordplay. The verb "knelt down" {kar'a), is the simple stem, and the verb "decided" (hikhri'a) is the active causative form of the same root, kr'a.30 In Jewish-European narrative tradition, alternative motifs—such as D1614.13, "Coffin moves itself," and F852, "Extraordinary coffin"—describe a practice that determines the burial place of a rabbi. The communities let the coffin float unhampered on a river, and it is buried where it stops. See stories about Rabbi Eliezerben Nathan of Mainz (c. 1090-1170) 3 ' and the unidentified Rabbi Amram of Mainz. 32 The latter is mentioned in a legend that apparently evolved in Jewish societies under Christian influence. 33 Within Jewish tradition and, particularly, traditions in the Land of Israel, the location of Maimonides' tomb has been assigned to a number of sites, the knowledge of which was passed along from memory, thus being changed through history and across the land. Sociological and anthropological analyses of these sites are available. 34 Further discussions, descriptions, and quotations from earlier sources have been published. 35 Different versions of this tale have been reprinted in narrative anthologies, among them is Ben-Israel's, 36 which includes versions and related fragments taken from books dated to the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries.

Similarities to Other IFA Tales The other versions of this tale in the IFA are the following: ‫״‬ •

IFA 16891 : Maimonides ‫ י‬Tomb (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic). IFA 16896: Maimonides ' Tomb (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic).

Folklore Motifs • • ‫״‬ • •

A875.1 "Navel of the earth." Β151.1.5 "Camel determines road to be taken." Β155.3 "Animal determines burial place of saint." B405 "Helpful camel." E545.13 "Saint after his death gives directions where he wants to be buried" [mentioned negatively], • Q66 "Humility rewarded." • Q147 "Supernatural manifestations at death of pious person."

Notes 1. First printed in D. Noy, The Diaspora and the Land of Israel, 3 7 - 3 8 , 4 8 - 4 9 no. 14. 2. Shtober, Sefer Divrei Yosef by Yosef ben Yitzhak Sambari, 220-221; and Neubauer, Mediaeval Jewish Chronicles, 1:134. 3. Op cit. 4. Shevet Yehudah, Adrianople, 1553. 5. Shohat and Baer, Sefer Shevet Yehudah of Shlomoh ibn Verga, 147; and Cane, La Vara de Yehudah. 265-266. 6. Yaari, Iggrot Eretz Yisra 'el (Letters from the Land of Israel), 75-83, 540-541. 7. A. Marmorstein, "Kivrei Avot" (Ancestral tombs), 37. 8. "Kever ha-Rambam be-Teveryyah" (Maimonides' tomb in Tiberias), 342. 9. "The Hebrew Itineraries of the Crusader Period," 36-41. 10. Carmoly, Itinéraires de la terre sainte des xiii, xiv, a‫׳‬y, xvi et xvii siècle, 185. I L S . Assaf, "Totzaot Eretz Yisra W." 12. Kaftor ve-ferah (A bud and a flower), 379. 13. The chain of tradition, 34b. About his dates, see A. David, "The Historiographical Work of Gedalya ibn Yahya," 7, 12. 14. Zacuto, Sefer Yuhasin ha-Shalem, 220, translated in Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 293-294 no. 160. 15. Amsterdam, 1743; see Hominer, Sheairith Yisra'el, 123. 16. See Theodor and Albeck, Bereschit Rabba, 3:1198, 1240 (commentary). 17. Midrash Tanchuma, Va-Yehi 6, 1:124. 18. Ibid., JT Sanhédrin 14:12. 19. "Bringing Deceased from Abroad for Burial in Eretz Yisra'el." 20. J. Blau, R. Moses b. Maimon Responsa 1:200 no. 116. 21. See P. Birnbaum, Maimonides'Mishneh Torah, 324, Kings 5:11. 22. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrash, 5:128; Even-Shmuel, Midrashei Ge'ulah (Midrashim of deliverance), 225; and L. Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 6:438. 23. See D. Noy, "Even ha-Shetiyah" (The foundation stone); Seeligman, "Jerusalem in Jewish-Hellenistic Thought"; Livne-Kafri, "Jerusalem"; A. Wensinck, The Ideas of the Western Semites Concerning the Navel of the Earth; and Hirschberg, "The Sources of Moslem Traditions Concerning Jerusalem." On the concept of axis mundi, see Eliade, Patterns in Comparative Religion, 367-387; Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane, 20-65; and Korom, "Of Navels and Mountains." On its application to ancient Israel, see Clifford, The Cosmic Mountain. 24. See L. Ginzberg, op. cit., 5:256, η. 263. 25. G. Scholem, "From a Scholar to a Kabbalist." 26. See I. Levine, "Rabi Simeon Bar Yohai." 27. See Vico, The New Science of Gimbattista Vico, 301-332. For other legends and histories of Maimonides' grave, see Ben-Israel, Aggadot ha-Aretz (Legends of the Land), 2:98-100; and Ish-Shalom, Holy Tombs, 192-194. 28. See L. Ginzberg, op. cit., 4:261. 29. Edut bi-Yehosef (A decree upon Joseph), 80. 30. We would like to thank Lenn Schram, who translated the tale, for this observation. 31. Brüll, "Beiträge zur jüdischen Sagen," 44.

32. Ibn Yahya, op. cit., 27b, translated in Bin Gorion, op. cit., 245-246 no. 131. 33. Lipsker and Bamberger, "Rabbi Amram's Coffin"; and Raspe, "Emmeram von Regensburg." 34. For sociological and anthropological analyses of these sites, see Bilu, "The Sanctification of Place in Israel's Civil and Traditional Religion"; and M. Halbwachs, La topographie légendaire des Évangiles en Terre Sainte. 35. Armon, ‫ ' ״‬Ve-lo Yada ish et Kevurato" (But no man knoweth of his sepulchre); S. Assaf, Mekorot u-mehkarim be-taldot Israel (Texts and studies in Jewish history); Avissar, Sefer Teveryah (The Tiberias book), 215-243, 453; Ben-Zvi, Remnants of Ancient Jewish Communities in the Land of Israel, 509-512; Y. Berger, "Ha-Rambam be-Aggadat ha-Am" (Maimonides in folk legend), 237-238; Z. Ilan, Tombs of the Righteous, 231-232; IshShalom, op. cit., 149-150, 166-169, 173-175, 192-194; Kaminka, "Kever ha-Rambam eino be-Tveria" (Maimonides' tomb is not in Tiberias); and Vilnay, Mazevot Kodesh beEretz Yisra'el (Sacred tomb stones in the Land of Israel), 303, 307-312, 315-324, 416-421, pi. 111-113. 36. Op. cit. 2(2): 98-100.

The Merchant and Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes T O L D

BY

S H L O M O H

RAPHAELI

TO

M O S H E

RABBI

In Rangoon in India, the merchants always insured the goods they were importing from abroad. There was one Jewish merchant there, too, who was an importer and owned a ship. But he never insured his cargo. Instead, he said he insured them with Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes—Rabbi Meir the Master of the Miracle. He did, in fact, send money regularly to the charity fund of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes in Tiberias. His wife used to ask him to insure his cargo, but he paid no attention to her words and appeals, saying, "Our merchandise is insured." One day there was a terrible storm at sea and all the cargo vessels sank. One of them was the Jewish merchant's ship. When the news that the ships had gone down with their cargoes reached Rangoon, all the merchants recovered their losses from the insurance companies. Only the Jewish merchant received nothing. The Jew was distraught. All of his property was gone. Overnight he had become poor and utterly destitute. "I asked you to insure the cargo," his wife said, "but you wouldn't listen to me. What have you gained now? We're left with nothing." The merchant closeted himself in his room, where he prayed and read Psalms. But he had no appetite. He could not put anything into his mouth. He sat alone in his room and never came out. On the third day of his seclusion, the door opened. There stood the captain of his ship. "How did you get here?" the merchant asked him. "What happened? Tell me quickly!" "When we were at sea," answered the captain, "a very strong tempest blew up. All the ships heaved from side to side, but ours held steady between them as if they were protecting it. All the other ships sank. Only mine survived. After the storm died down, I was able to resume our course. We didn't make port until today. Here I am to let you know that all the cargo was saved. You owe thanks to God, for nothing has happened to it."

At once the merchant stood up and gave thanks to God for the favor He had shown him. "It is only through the merit of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes," he said, "that my property was saved." The next day, after he began selling his merchandise, he sent a donation to the fund of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes in Tiberias. "You s e e " he told his wife, "my insurance company is much better than the other merchants'. My insurance company is Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 1 (IFA

8391)

Told by Shlomoh Raphaeli to Moshe Rabbi in Haifa in 1968.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Current research locates the tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes (Master of the Miracle) as being a short distance south of Tiberias, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, near the hot springs of Tiberias. However, the identity of Rabbi Meir, for whom the tomb is named; where he is buried; and the legends that validate the attribution of the epithet "Ba'al Ha-Nes" are all subject to the principle of legend migration. That is to say, throughout history there were different locations, different individuals, and different narratives associated with the said Rabbi Meir. However, as of the sixteenth century, the present location was accepted as the tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes, and the questions about the exact identity of that Rabbi Meir and the nature of his miracles receded from popular belief into scholarship.

Tomb Location Four tomb sites in the Land of Israel and one or two in Iraq are attributed to Rabbi Meir: (1) near the hot springs of Tiberias, (2) in Kefar Navrata near Safed, (3) in Gush Halav near Safed, and (4) in Sikhnin in the lower Galilee. One site in Iraq is in Hillah. With the exception of one document, early medieval travelers who visited Tiberias did not mention Rabbi Meir's tomb there. A reference to the tomb is absent in the lamentation "KivreiAvot" (Ancestral tombs), dated to 1187. 2 Nor is the tomb mentioned in the travel account of Jacob ben Nethanel (1153-1187), found in a manuscript in the Cambridge University library 3 and published as a supplement in Grünhut. 4 Most prominently, the mention of the tomb in Tiberias is absent from the travel accounts of Benjamin of Tudela (second half of twelfth century) and Pethahiah of Regensburg (twelfth century). Rather, they report traditions about Rabbi Mier's burial place in Hillah Iraq. 5 In Griinhut's edition, the city name is "Mili," but he corrects it to "Hillah" to conform with Benjamin of Tudela's report. The exception to this omission is a genizah manuscript that its editor considers to precede "Kivrei Avot."^ However, the dating of this document requires further study. The first to mention the tomb of Rabbi Meir in Tiberias was Rabbi Samuel ben Samson, who emigrated from France to the Land of Israel in 1210 together with a group of pilgrims headed by Jonathan ben David ha-Kohen of Lunel (1135-1210) and who traveled throughout the country visiting the tombs of Sages and ancestral tombs. 7 However, ben Samson also identified a tomb of a Rabbi Meir in Kefar Navrata near Safed. A second, controversial, testimony from the same period appears in the letter of Menahem ben Perez of Hebron, who noted that while he visited Tiberias he

The tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba 'al ha-Nes, south of Tiberias, Galilee.

on the shores of

came to the location "where Rabbi Meir is buried, next to his synagogue." 8 Prawer 9 and others considered this to be a fake letter, but Reiner 10 and others regarded it to be an authentic document. This controversy notwithstanding, the letter represents thirteenth-century views of tomb identification because it is included in manuscript number 135 of the Oriental Collection of the Bodleian Library at Oxford, which Beit-Arié" dated to 1260. The dual identification of Rabbi Meir's tomb—one near the hot springs of Tiberias and the other near Safed—that occurs in ben Samson's letter, was re-

peated by later travelers; the location near Tiberias remained constant, but the 10cation near Safed varied. Rabbi Jacob who sailed with a group led by Jehiel of Paris, described tombs in either 1258 or 1270 and mentioned Rabbi Meir's tomb in Tiberias but not near Safed. 12 Later in the thirteenth century, an anonymous disciple of Nahmanides described in his travelog, known as Toza'ot Eretz-Ysra'el (In and around the Land of Israel), 13 two locations—one near the hot springs of Tiberias and the other in Gush Halav near Safed—as the place of Rabbi Meir's tomb. But he identified the latter as the tomb of Rabbi Meir Tatzun. 14 The identification of the burial place of Rabbi Meir continued to vary between two and even three locations in the fourteenth century, but it was limited to two places up to the sixteenth century. Starting with sources from the late thirteenth century, there are attempts to identify the personality of Rabbi Meir (discussed below). In a list titled "Seder kivrei avoteinu ζ 7" (The order of the tombs of our ancestors of blessed memory), dated to the end of the thirteenth century or the early fourteenth century. Rabbi Meir's tomb is located in Sikhnin in the lower Galilee. 15 In the fifteenth-century "Kabbalat Tzaddikei Eretz Ysra'el" (The tradition about the righteous men of the Land of Israel), Rabbi Meir's tomb is listed near the hot springs of Tiberias. 16 However, up to the sixteenth century, the tomb identification was still not determined, as seen in two sources. A 1537 letter titled "Yihus ha-Avof (The ancestral genealogy) located Rabbi Meir's tomb near the hot springs of Tiberias as well as in Gush Halav near Safed. 17 Sefer Yihus ha-Tzaddikim, dated to 1561, follows suit. 18

The Personality There are two rabbis whom traditions associate with the tomb locations discussed above. First is Rabbi Meir, the second-century scholar, who, according to talmudic-midrashic sources, lived in Tiberias (MR Ecclesiastes 7:8; MR Ruth 6:4) and preached in the synagogue of the hot springs (JT Sotah 1:4). Archaeologists discovered the remains of an early-third-century synagogue nearby, which could have been the synagogue in which Rabbi Meir preached. 19 Although there are consistent traditional testimonies that Rabbi Meir lived in Tiberias and its environs, the traditions about his death and burial locations have changed over time. According to JT Kilayim 9:3, he traveled outside the Land of Israel, and before his death he was in Asia, identified by S. Klein as "Etzion Gaver" on the Red Sea. 20 There, Rabbi Meir requested that his coffin be placed at the seashore, perhaps hoping that the waves would carry it to the Land of Israel. 21 In early documents, the association of the tombs with Rabbi Meir the tanner1 is implicit; and it is only in the fifteenth century that the text of "Kabbalat Zaddikei Eretz Ysra'el"23 noted "the tomb of Rabbi Meir the tanna, known by the Other, because he studied with Elisha 'The Other' |Rabbi Meir's teacher], and the Ishmaelites called him Meir the Strangler." Several studies about the legends of Rabbi Meir have been published. 24 A second identification occurs in two late-thirteenth-century documents,

written by an emissary or disciple of a French and a Spanish rabbi, respectively. In them, Rabbi Meir is identified as an immigrating rabbi. Jehiel of Paris referred to Rabbi Meir in Tiberias as "Rabbi Meir Katzin," whose identity is not clear; 25 and in the anonymous "Toza'ot Eretz-Ysra'el," the tomb in Gush Halav is identified as that of Rabbi Meir Tatzun, a name that may be a phonetic variation of "Katzin." 26 In either case, the reference is not clear. In the sixteenth century, travelers and local rabbis recorded a third tradition of identification. The Italian traveler Moses ben Mordecai Basola (1480-1560), who made a pilgrimage to the Land of Israel in 1521-1523, described in his travelog a worship ritual around the grave and noted: "They say that there is a buried one whose name is Rabbi Meir who took a vow never to sit down until the Messiah arrives, and he is buried standing up. He is not Rabbi Meir of our Mishnah." 27 Rabbi Hayyim ben Joseph Vital (1542-1629) reported a similar tradition of Rabbi Meir being buried standing up, which he attributed to Rabbi Isaac ben Solomon Luria, Ha-Ari (1534-1572). 2 8 In the Jerusalem Talmud (Kilayim 9:3; Ketubbot 12:3), a variation on this burial tradition (being burying lying on the side rather than erect) is reported about Rabbi Jeremaia (fourth century), whose tomb has been identified near Rabbi Meir's in Tiberias. It appears that by the sixteenth century, the traditions about the different grave marks in the area shifted from one tomb to another. 29 Shifting identifications notwithstanding, not until the sixteenth century did a document identify Rabbi Meir as Ba'al ha-Nes. First this epithet applied to the person who is buried in Gush Halav and only in later sources was it transferred to the Rabbi Meir who is buried near Tiberias. As noted above, the letter "Yihus ha-ΑνοΓ located Rabbi Meir's tomb near the hot springs of Tiberias as well as in Gush Halav near Safed.

The Miracle What was that miracle? In the talmudic-midrashic tradition, Rabbi Meir, the tanna, is not known as a Master of the Miracle, and his name is not mentioned in the same breath with, say, Honi the Circle Drawer, Hanina ben Dosa, or Nakdimon ben Gurion (Ta'anit 3:8, 19b-20a, 23a, 25a; BT Berachot 33a). Rather, he was a learned sage, the most important disciple of Rabbi Akiva, who excelled in halakhah as well as aggadah. Yet one talmudic tale accounts an incident that might have been the basis for Rabbi Meir's traditional epithet: Beruria, the wife of R. Meir, was a daughter of R. Hanina b. Teradion. Said she [to her husband], "I am ashamed to have my sister placed in a brothel." So he took a tarkab-full [a dry measure holding two kabs] of denarii and set out. If, thought he, she [his sister-in-law] has not been subjected to anything wrong, a miracle will be wrought for her, but if she has committed anything wrong, no miracle will happen to her. Disguised as a knight, he came to her [his sister-in-law] and said, "Prepare thyself for me."

She replied, "The manner of women is upon me." "I am prepared to wait," he said. "But," said she, "there are here many, many prettier than I am." He said to himself, that proves that she has not committed any wrong; she no doubt says thus to every comer. He then went to her warder and said, "Hand her over to me." He I the warder] replied, "I am afraid of the government." "Take the tarkab of dinars," said he |R. Meir|. "One half distribute [as bribe I, the other half shall be for thyself." "And what shall I do when these are exhausted?" he asked. "Then," he [the rabbi] replied, "say, Ό God of Meir, answer me!' and thou wilt be saved." "But," said he, "who can assure me that that will be the case?" He [the rabbi] replied, "You will see now." There were some dogs who bit anyone [who incited them]. He [the rabbi[ took a stone and threw it at them, and when they were about to bite him he exclaimed, "O God of Meir, answer me!" and they let him alone. The warder then handed her [the sister-in-law] over to him. At the end the matter became known to the government, and [the warder] on being brought [for judgment] was taken to the gallows, when he exclaimed, "O God of Meir, answer me!" They took him down [from the gallows[ and asked him what that meant, and he told them the incident that had happened. They then engraved R. Meir's likeness on the gates of Rome and proclaimed that anyone seeing a person resembling it should bring him there. One day [some Romans] saw him [the rabbi] and ran after him, so he ran away from the men and entered a harlot's house. Others say he happened just then to see food cooked by heathens, and he dipped in one finger and then sucked the other. Others again say that Elijah the Prophet appeared to them as a harlot who embraced him. "God forbid," said they, "were this R. Meir, he would not have acted thus!" [And they left him.] He [the rabbi] then arose and ran away and came to Babylon. Some say it was because of that incident that he ran to Babylon; others say because of the incident about Beruria. (BT

Avodah Zarah 18a) Pethahiah of Regensburg reports another tradition associated with the tomb of Rabbi Meir in Mili, where he is called not Ba'al Ha-Nes but "The Strangler" for the following reason: [H]is tomb is in a field before the city, by the river. When the Euphrates rises [it floods the tomb]. The people took from the vowed donations of the Jews and the Ishmaelites and built a wall around the grave with towers in the water and nice structure on the tomb. The Ishmaelites call him "The Strangler" be-

cause once the sultan came and desired one stone of the steps that climbed to the tomb. Rabbi Meir appeared to him in his dream, grabbed his neck and wanted to strangle him and said: "Why did you steal my stone? Don't you know that I am a righteous man and beloved by God?" Then the sultan asked for his forgiveness. Rabbi Meir said: "I will not, until you carry [the stone] on your shoulder for all to see and say, '1 wronged robbing my master, the righteous.' " The next day he [the sultan] carried the stone on his shoulder for all to see and returned the stone to its place and said, "I wronged robbing my master, the righteous." 30 The story has been transferred to the tomb near the hot springs of Tiberias. There, local Arabs attribute to Rabbi Meir the epithet "The Strangler," according

to the author of "Kabbalat Tzaddikei Eretz Ysra 'el."31 Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes attained a unique position among all the ancestors and sages whose grave markers are in the Land of Israel. While many of them became the destination of grave visitations and others of annual pilgrimages, Rabbi Meir's cult extended far beyond the tomb's locality. Probably under the influence of Eretz Israeli emissary activities, the cult became a universal in Jewish ethnic groups globally. The cult had, and in some cases still has, a dual function. For the Jewish population in the Land of Israel it served as a means for collecting donations from the lower economic classes of Jewish society. It became a custom to donate weekly a small amount into collecting boxes, which were known as kupot Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes. These boxes were placed in private homes and public places, such as synagogues and yeshivot. Emissaries periodically visited these communities to collect the donations for the support of Jewish indigents, students, and sages in the Land of Israel. For the donors, it served as a votive offering when seeking cure and protection. Housewives saved money from their weekly allowances; and on Fridays before lighting the candles, they put coins in the kupat Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes, whispering a supplicatory prayer. 32 Similarly, those who made donations at other times would do so in private and make an invocation, vow, or supplication. A donation for lighting candles on Rabbi Meir's tomb was purported to help people recover lost property. It is not clear when this custom began. Some rabbis prohibited the use of the donation money for any other purpose but helping Jews in the Land of Israel, a prohibition attributed to Rabbi Joseph Caro (1488-1575) and Moses Alshekh (d. c. 1593). The origin of the prohibition, however, is based on oral tradition and is not confirmed in the writings of these men. 33 According to J. Kahana, 34 the first written source that mentions votive donation for lighting candles for the soul of Rabbi Meir occurs in Midrash Talpiyyot by Rabbi Elijah ben Rabbi Solomon

Abraham ha-Kohen (d. 1729). Whenever the custom began, it spread in Jewish communities during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. 35 Rabbi Hayyim Palache (1788-1869) includes in his book Sefer Ateret haHayyim (The book of the crown of life) a special prayer for merchandise safety: Whoever is worried about a danger to his merchandise, either on land or sea, or concerned that they would be disvalued because of the lack of buyers, should pray to God blessed be He, to give him relief and deliverance. Even better, he should gather ten poor God fearing students who ponder His name, to recite Psalms for his success. He should also light a candle before the Ark in the synagogue for the soul of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes, may his memory protect us, Amen. He should say so twice: "O God of Meir answer me." And this will help him with the help of God. 36 Palache, who was the head of the Izmir Jewish court, also reported about the prevailing custom among Mediterranean and Oriental Jews, as the present story illustrates, to "insure" their goods by making a special donation to the collection box of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes. In the story, as well as in historical reality, the notion of insurance was not merely metaphorical but also practical. Palachi wrote: In our city of Izmir, may God protect it, there are those who make vows and donations to this holy place for the sake of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes, of blessed memory, and they all fulfill the mitzvah of sending money to the holy community of T i b e r i a s . . . . Certainly it is an awesome matter, attributed to the holy name of the tanna Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes . . . who is well experienced and trusted throughout the world, especially by the merchants who secure their goods with him, and who go through seaways and deserts. They witnessed the act of God and His response when they made a vow to Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes." 37 Such practices and beliefs were continued in the twentieth century. Abraham Elmaleh who came to Tripoli, Libya, during the 1920s as an emissary of the Jewish National Fund said that "whoever wished to insure his merchandise from damage, theft, fire, and sinking in the sea, could not find a more reliable insurance company than Rabbi Meir's collection box—whenever they insured their merchandise in this fashion, the German submarine did not hit their ships during World War I."38 Avissar 39 noted that "for many generations the fishermen of Tiberias invoked the name of Rabbi Meir, ' 0 God of Meir answer us.' The Arabs would call Ύα ilaah Rab Mayyir'—when their boats hit a sudden storm in the Lake of Galilee. When they were saved from the storm, both Jews and Arabs would visit the tomb of Rabbi Meir the next day to fulfill their vow and bring their offering in oil cans in order to light it on the tomb of Rabbi Meir."

The present tale and Jewish practices indicate that Rabbi Meir's association with the sea extended, as his reputation in general, beyond his own locality. Furthermore, the belief that donations to the Rabbi Meir collection box could serve as insurance of commercial goods was known among Mediterranean and Oriental Jews but not within central and eastern European Jewish communities. A recollected ethnographic description of the Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes cult among the Jews of Zakho, including a few miracle tales, has been published. 40 At present, there is a large two-domed structure above the tomb of Rabbi Meir, divided into two sections for the Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews, respectively. A foundation legend is associated with the construction of the building, which began in 1867. The story was reported in Hebrew weeklies of the period and entered into local oral tradition as Miriam Hayyun told her daughter Rivka:

The Tombstones on the Grave of Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes (IFA 9151 ) Two tombstones, one on top of the other, mark the grave of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes. When it was decided to parcel one section for the Sephardim and one section for the Ashkenazim, it was planned to put the stones one next to the other, so that each group will have a stone in their own synagogue. They took the upper stone and placed it next to the lower stone. The next day they discovered the stones again one on top of the other. What did they do? They left the stones one on top of the other and used them as a partition between the Sephardic and the Ashkenazic synagogues. The text of the news reports was quoted by Avissar. 41

Similarities to Other IFA Tales In the IFA, there are forty-three texts of tales about Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes. Some indicate that he became a local protective saint who defended the Jews of Tiberias from enemy attack; others maintain his traditional role in magic, medical magic, retrieval of lost property, and insurance of property. In addition to the present story, the following tales can be found in the IFA: •

IFA 286: Rabbi Meir Ba 'at Ha-Nes (Poland).

• IFA 586: How Were the Jews of Tiberias Rescued from the Al-Nada Tribe? (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic; Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic).

• IFA 1092: A Story about Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes (Morocco). • IFA 5173: Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes and the Crypto-Jew on Passover Eve (Spanish Morocco).

• IFA 5201 : Insuring Merchandise with Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes (Libya). •

IFA 5893: Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes and the Prostitute (Spanish Morocco).

‫ ״‬IFA 5894: Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes Saves a Poor Man from Death (Spanish Morocco).

• •

IFA 6232: The Merit of Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes's Box (Morocco). 42 IFA 7504: Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes the Grain Dealer (Morocco).

•

IFA 8244: A Story of a Man and His Treasure (Turkish Kurdistan). 4 3

•

IFA 8390: The Widow and Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). 4 4

‫ ״‬IFA 9151 : The Stones on Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes's Grave (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

• IFA 9152: Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes's Grave Protects the Jews of Tiberias from the Arabs (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

• IFA 9153: How Was Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes's Tomb Discovered? (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

• IFA 9154: The Shepherd That Fell through a Window on Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes's

Tomb (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

• IFA 9155: How Were the Jews of Tiberias Rescued from the Al-Nada Tribe? Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic).

•

IFA 9156: God of Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes, Answer Me (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

• IFA 9157: The Burglary in the Synagogue of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

• IFA 9158: A Coin from the Box of Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes (Tunisia).45 • IFA 9159: The Terrorists in the Beit Midrash at the Rabbi Meir Ba 'al HaNes's Tomb Site (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). • IFA 9160: The Stones on Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes's Grave (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

•

IFA 9161: Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes Is Buried Erect (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

• IFA 10712: The Woman Who Spit in Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes's Eye (Morocco).

• IFA 11947: Do Not Believe Any Woman (Iraq). ‫ ״‬IFA 11643: The Help of Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes (Morocco). • IFA 12127: The King Who Selected Jewish Maidens by Lots (Morocco); cf. IFA

•

9104.

IFA 15464: Why Is Rabbi Meir Called 'Ba'al Ha-Nes'? (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic).

• IFA 15980: Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes Helps a Barren Woman (Morocco). ‫ ״‬IFA 16163: Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes Rescues Elisha from Hell (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

•

IFA 16460: Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes Helps Finding the Ass (Iraqi Kurdistan).

•

IFA 16475 : An Apostate Seeks the Help of Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes (Iraqi Kurdistan).

•

IFA 16516: Coming

•

IFA 16727: The Righteous

to Israel with a Baby Girl (Iraqi K u r d i s t a n ) .

•

IFA 16758: Rabbi (Tiberias).46

• •

IFA 16797: How Did Tiberias Become a Jewish City? (Tiberias). 4 7 IFA 16890: The Tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes (Tiberias, A s h k e n a z i c ) .

‫״‬

IFA 16899: Rabbi Ashkenazic).

•

IFA 17457: The Righteous (Morocco).

•

IFA 17701 : The Healing

•

IFA 18621 : Rabbi (Algeria).

‫״‬

IFA 19896: Rabbi Meir Ba 'al Ha-Nes Yisra'el, Sephardic).

‫״‬

IFA 19898: Rabbi (Tiberias). 4 8

Rabbi Raphael

Meir

Ba'al

Meir

Ba'al

(Lithuania).

Ha-Nes

and

Ha-Nes,

the

Men Are Considered Power of the Galilean

Meir

Meir

Ba 'al Ha-Nes

Ba'al

Calms Protects

Ha-Nes

the

Flood

in

Gravedigger

Tiberias

(Tiberias,

Alive Even after They Righteous down

Men (Israel).

a Woman

in

the Jews of Tiberias

Protects

Died

the Jews

of

Labor (Eretz Tiberias

Folklore Motifs • •

* V 2 5 4 . 2 . 1 " S h i p in s t o r m saved b e c a u s e of o w n e r ' s charity." V 4 0 0 "Charity."

•

V410 "Charity rewarded."

•

Z 3 5 6 " U n i q u e survivor." Notes

1. First published in Rabbi, Avoteinu Sipru (Our fathers told), 1:159-160 no. 101. 2. Marmorstein, "Kivrei Avot" (Ancestral tombs); and see Prawer, "The Hebrew Itineraries of the Crusader Period," 37 and n. 19 for other possible dates. 3. Manuscript catalog number Add, 539. 4. Die Rundriese des R. Petachjah aus Regensburg, 1:1-18; for more about this travel account, see Prawer, op. cit.. 4 1 ^ 5 . 5. M. Adler, The Itinerary of Benjamin ofTudela, 43 (msp. 65); and Grünhut, op. cit., 1:17-18,2:24. 6. Ilan, Tombs of the Righteous, 124, 127 (msp. 3, line 6). 7. S. Schultz, "Mikhtav me-Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi Shimshon" (A letter from Rabbi Samuel ben Samson), esp. 74; Luncz, "Mikhtav me-Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi Shimshon" (A letter from Rabbi Samuel ben Samson), esp. 30, 32; Yaari, Iggrot Eretz Yisra 'el (Letters from the Land of Israel), 75-83, 540-541, esp. 79, 80; Prawer, op. cit., 65-69; Avissar, SeferTeveriah (Tiberias book), 229; Ish-Shalom, Holy Tombs, 166-169; Ilan, op. cit., 230, also 112; and Vilnay, Matzevot Kodesh be-Eretz Yisra'el (Sacred tomb stones in the Land of Israel), 317. 8. Luncz, "Mikhtav me-Rabbi Menahem ben Rabbi Perez ha-Hevroni" (A letter from Rabbi Menahem ben Perez the Hebronite).

9. Op. cit., 69-73. 10. Personal communication. 11. "Ms. Oxford." 12. Luncz, "Simanei ha-Kevarot of Rabbi Ya'akov" (The tomb markings of Rabbi Jacob); Prawer, op. cit., 76-78; Ish-Shalom, op. cit., 168; Vilnay, op. cit., 317; and Reiner, Pilgrims and Pilgrimage to Eretz Yisra 'el, 78-80. 13. Usually dated from 1270 to 1291, although some date the document to the fourteenth century. 14. S. Assaf, "Totzaot Eretz Yisra'el," 60, 61; S. Assaf, Mek u-mehkarim be-taldot Israel, 74-90; Yaari, Masa'ot Eretz Yisra'el (Travels to the Land of Israel), 81-98, 764-765, esp. 90, 92; and Prawer, op. cit., 78-90. 15. Ilan, op. cit., 112-113, 117 line 20. 16. Luncz, Ha-Me 'ammer, 3:84, quoting Sefer Yuhasin Ha-Shalem, 228, in which it appears as an Islamic tradition; see also Ish-Shalom, op. cit., 168. 17. Luncz, Yihus Avot, 216, 219; and Ish-Shalom, op. cit., 168-169. 18. Luncz, Sefer Yihus ha-Zaddikim, 226, 228; Ish-Shalom, op. cit., 168-169; and Malakhi, "Kever Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes" (The tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes). 19. Dothan, Hammath Tiberias. 20. "Asia (Esia)"; but see also other possibilities of identification in Ish-Shalom, "Asia." 21. See a similar motif in Bin Gorion, MimekorYisrael, 245-277 no. 131 (1990 ed.). 22. Jewish scholar of the first and second centuries. 23. Luncz, Kabbalat Zaddikei Eretz Yisra'el, 84. 24. Bacher, Aggadot ha-Tannaim 2:1-45; Bacher, "Étude critique sur quelques traditions"·, Halevi, Ha-Aggadah ha-Historit-Biographit (The historic-biographic legend), 485-509; and Shenhar, "The Figure of Rabbi Meir." 25. Prawer, op. cit. 71 η. 90. 26. S. Assaf, "Totzaot Eretz Yisra 'el," 60. 27. Ben-Zevi, A Pilgrimage to Palestine by Rabbi Moshe Bassola of Ancona, 75; and Yaari, Masa 'ot Eretz Yisra 'el, 157. 28. Sha 'ar Ha-gilgulim, 75b. 29. Kook, "Mi hu ha-Kavur Me 'umad be-Tveria " (Who is buried in Tiberias standing up?). 30. Grünhut, op. cit. 17-18. 31. Luncz, "Kabbalat Zaddikei" (The tradition of the righteous people), 84; see also Kook, "Rabbi Meir Hannaki" (R. Meir the Strangler); and Zacuto, Sefer ha-Yuhasin haShalem, 228. 32. The following is a translation of such a Yiddish prayer: "Master of the Universe, it is written in your Holy Torah that when Moses our Master, pleaded for the Jews he invoked the merit of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and for whose sake, God, Blessed Be He, forgave the Jews, His children. Therefore I come to you now, merciful God, pleading that you help me for the sake of our forefathers, and for the sake of our all other righteous people, and for the sake of the holy tanna Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes, in whose merit, anyone who gives charity on his behalf is helped with all the assistance that he needs. I am entreating you, Master of the entire world, with a broken heart, and with tears, by the merit of the charity that I am giving now, for the sake of all the righteous peo-

pie, and especially the holy tanna Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes, and that you will awaken toward me the merit of mitzvot and good deeds, and especially for the sake of holy tanna Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes, and I say, three times: ' 0 God of Meir answer us, Ο God of Meir answer me, Ο God of Meir answer me, that 1 [so and so] or a woman [so and so] says, will be helped in all my trouble and hardship, and that you will do to me, and to my husband and children good miracles and wonders,' Amen" (Anonymous, Tehinot Rahel Imenu [Supplicatory prayer of Rachel our mother], 236); see also Zakutinsky, Techinas, 337; we would like to thank Chava Weissler for these references). 33. J. Kahana, " M a ' o t Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes" (The monies of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes), 126. 34. Ibid. 35. For further studies on the Rabbi Meir donations and their distribution, see Avissar, op. cit., 170-174, 229-235; M. Rothschild, Ha-Halukah ke-Vituy le-yahasah SheI Yahadut ha-Gola la-Yishuv ha-Yehudi be-Eretz Yisra'el ba-Shanim (The distribution as an expression of the attitude of the Diaspora toward the Jewish population in the Land of Israel), 78-83; Rivkind, Jewish Money, 246-251 : Rubinstein, "The Booklet 'Katit Latnaor "; and Stampfer, "The 'Collection Box.' " 36. Pp. 200-205 no. 52. 37. Cited in Yaari, Sheluhei Eretz Yisra 'el (Emissaries of the Land of Israel), 59. 38. Cited in ibid., 59. 39. Op. cit., 235. 40. Gavish, "Changes in the Jewish Community of Zakho," 74-83. 41. Op. cit., 231-232; see also Vilnay, op. cit., 315-324. 42. Published in Rabbi, op. cit., 3:101 no. 66. 43. Published in Cheichel, A Tale for Each Month 1968-1969, 119-120 no. 17; and Jason, Märchen aus Israel, 257-259 no. 72. 44. Published in Rabbi, op. cit., 1:206-207 no. 139. 45. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1971, 38 no. 5 (reprinted in Shenhar, "Ha-Sifrut ha-Amamit Shel Sfaradei Eretz Yisra 'el" [The folk-literature of the Sephardim in the Land of Israel], 291 ). 46. The tale is unique to Tiberias. 47. The tale is unique to Tiberias. 48. The tale is unique to Tiberias.

The Coin from the Collection Box of Rabbi Meir Ba (al Ha-Nes TOLD

BY

S H L O M O

YALOZ

TO

RIVKA

HAYYUN

Λ C h r i s t i a n w o m a n c a m e to R a b b i H a y y i m S m a d j a , w h o w a s a rabbi in o n e of the t o w n s of T u n i s i a , a n d g a v e h i m a large s u m of m o n e y f o r the c o l l e c t i o n b o x of R a b b i M e i r B a ' a l H a - N e s . R a b b i H a y y i m S m a d j a w a s very p u z z l e d w h y a C h r i s t i a n w o m a n w o u l d give m o n e y f o r R a b b i Meir B a ' a l H a - N e s , and he asked her: " W h y d o y o u send m o n e y to R a b b i M e i r ? " T h e Christian w o m a n told h i m : " D u r i n g the First World War, w h e n m y o n l y son w a s r e c r u i t e d into the army, m y J e w i s h n e i g h b o r said to m e : ' H e r e , h a v e a coin f r o m the c o l l e c t i o n b o x of R a b b i M e i r B a ' a l H a - N e s , a n d give it to y o u r son f o r h i m to w e a r it a r o u n d his n e c k as an a m u l e t , until he r e t u r n s f r o m the army.' " W h e n m y son r e t u r n e d f r o m the army," the C h r i s t i a n w o m a n c o n t i n ued, " h e s h o w e d m e the coin with a gun bullet hole in it. T h e coin b l o c k e d the e n e m y bullet and it did not p e n e t r a t e m y s o n ' s body. It w a s then that I b e g a n to m a k e d o n a t i o n s to the c o l l e c t i o n box of R a b b i M e i r B a ' a l Ha-Nes."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 2 (IFA

9158)

Rivka Hayyun recorded the tale from Shlomo Yaloz.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background For a discussion of Rabbi Meir Ba'al Ha-Nes see notes to tale IFA 8391. In Jewish folk-religion amulets draw their magical power from the sanctioned texts and letters that are inscribed on paper or parchment and then inserted in them. This is magic of literacy in which words, names, and letters have magical power. The amulets contain biblical verses in a variety of orders. This kind of magic contrasts with amulets of nonliterate peoples; such amulets contain natural substances that have symbolic values. 2 In the present tale, the coin, a nonmagical object, transforms into an amulet, obtaining protective abilities through its dedication to the memory of a saintly person. However, its protective power manifests itself literally rather than magically. It saved the person not by extending a magic protective shield over him but by actually standing between the individual and the bullet. In a similar tale, the amulet itself saves an individual in a like manner (IFA 6031 : The Holy Amulet of

Rabbi Shalom Shar'abi).3 Folktale Types •

839*C (IFA) "Miraculous Rescue of Person."

Folklore Motifs • • • •

D1252 "Magic metal." D1288 "Magic coin." cf. D1500.1.10.3 "Money from offertory as cure." D1392 "Magic object saves owner from death."

Notes 1. First published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1971, 38 no. 5. 2. For studies and descriptions of Jewish amulets see Davis and Frenkel, The Hebrew Amulet; Schrire, Hebrew Magical Amulets‫׳‬, Shachar, Jewish Tradition in Art, 237-317; and Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic and Superstition, 132-152. 3. Published in Seri, The Holy Amulet, 37 no. 8.

Sol Hachuel of Tangier TOLD

BY

ALIZA

ANIDJAR

TO

YIFRAH

HAVIV

I n Tangier there lived a family with two children, Sol and Issachar. Sol was very beautiful—in fact, she was the most beautiful girl in the whole country! The family's house, a Jewish house, stood opposite that of a rich Arab family. The Arabs, too, had an only daughter, Atara. Whenever Sol looked out the window of her room she saw Atara, the Arab girl. One day they started talking to each other through the windows. "Why don't you come visit me in my house one day?" asked Atara. "I don't know if I can!" replied Sol. "I don't know if my mother will let me go out." "Why not?" "Because Jews keep their daughters closed up at home, just like the Arabs do." Day after day they kept talking to each other, and Atara always urged Sol to come visit her. Sol went to her mother. "Who lives in the house across the road?" she asked her. "An Arab family with an only daughter." "Mother, I want to go visit her." Her mother, unable to withstand her daughter's pressure, said she could go—but on one condition: "Come back before your father gets home." Delighted, Sol called to Atara through the window: "Tomorrow I'm coming to visit you!" The next day, Sol went to her friend's house. When Atara saw Sol close up and realized how beautiful she was, she could not restrain herself. "Ai, if you were a Muslim you could marry a wealthy man." "No! You must never say that. If I asked you, 'Do you want to be a Jew?' what would you answer?" "No! I don't want to be a Jew," exclaimed Atara.

"Well, I don't want to be an Arab either."* Atara took this to heart. "She will become an Arab," she promised herself. Sol went to visit her friend every time her father was away from home. Atara would toss out a hint here and a suggestion there that she would do well to convert and become an Arab. Sol ignored them all. One day, Sol's father came home earlier than usual and didn't find her at home. "Where is our daughter?" he asked his wife. "With the Arab family that lives across the road. They have an only daughter. Sol went to visit her." The father flew into a rage. "I don't want her to go there!" "All right," answered his wife. "I'll tell her." When he went to work the next day, Sol went to visit Atara again. When her father found out he scolded his daughter and warned her severely. "If I see you there again, I'll lock you in your room and seal the window! I don't even want you to see her through the window!" Sol's mother intervened. "What's wrong with the window? Neither of them goes out; they just talk through the windows." "Heed my warning," replied her father. "This Atara will do something bad to our daughter yet!" Sol sat there crying. "Why are you crying?" her mother asked. "Please let me go tell her that you won't let me go out anymore. Then I'll come right back home." Sol went and told Atara and then returned to her room. Atara went to the pasha.** "Across the road from our house," she told him, "lives a Jewish family. Their daughter wants to become an Arab, and they have locked her up in her room because they don't want her to. She is a peerless beauty!"

YH: AA: YH: YH:

And where did all this happen? In Tangier. And how did the Arabs live then ? Like kings! And the pasha—truly like a king.

*

Note the use of "Arab" as a synonym for "Muslim." Ottoman high official.

The pasha summoned two policemen and gave them their orders. "Go to the house of Sol Hachuel and bring her here, whether she wants to come or not!" The police set out. Just then Sol and her parents were sitting down to dinner. Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door. The father went to the door. When he opened it, he saw the two policemen. "Yes? What do you want?" he asked. "Where is Sol?" they asked. "What do you want with her?" he asked. "To come out!" "She's not going out," said her father and tried to close the door in their faces. "Is that how it's going to be?" bellowed the police. Grabbing hold of Sol's father they beat him until he fell to the floor. "Now I understand," said Sol. "It's Atara's fault. She did this to me!" She turned to her father, who was lying on the floor. "It's all right, Father. I'll go with them." "You're not going!" he roared at her. But the police had their orders. "She will come with us. If you don't let her, we'll give it to you." They started to lead Sol away with them. Her mother broke into tears. Her father tried to go after them, but they shoved him back inside. "I told you that one would do something to you," said the father. "Don't be afraid, Father," she replied. "Now you can become an Arab," the policemen said to her. "Who told you that?" she asked. But they kept their mouths shut and their arms close to their bodies. The pasha had given them a stern warning: "Don't lay a hand on her and don't harm her. Let her say whatever she wants." In those days, the policemen beat up everybody they arrested. But they were afraid of the pasha so did not do as they normally did. Sol cooperated with them, told her parents good-bye, and went with them to the pasha. When she entered the palace, the pasha was taken aback by her exquisite beauty. No sooner did he see her than he said, "Come, my daughter, sit down here." "What do you want of me?" He replied, "I have been informed of what's going on. You won't suffer from your father anymore."

"I know what you're getting at, but I have never suffered at my father's hands," she replied. "Yes, you did," insisted the pasha. "I know. You want to be an Arab, and he won't let you." "That's a lie! Who said that?" The pasha was enraged. "It's a lie? Bring Atara here at once!" The policemen went to bring her. While they were gone, the pasha turned to Sol. "Don't you have a friend named Atara?" "Yes." "She told me that when you left her you were in tears because your father doesn't want you to visit her, since you're a Jewish girl who wants to be an Arab." "It's a lie!" shouted Sol again. "Let Atara come here." While she was talking, Atara entered. The pasha turned to her and asked, "Is it true what you said about Sol?" "Absolutely. It's all true," returned Atara. Sol turned to her. "But it's not true!" she cried. "You're a liar! Now I understand what my father told me when he said you can't trust Arabs." The pasha yelled at her. "Now you say that? Before you said you wanted to be an Arab and now you've changed your opinion about Arabs?" "I swear to God I never said that," replied Sol. "I never made such a statement and never will!" "You're angry now," said the pasha. "Come to my room, spend some time with my wives—I have many wives, not just one—and they'll speak with you. Tomorrow you'll give me an answer." But Sol was adamant. "It's a waste of time. I want to go back to my own room. You'll never hear me say it." She added, "I, my lord, was born a Jew, and a Jew I shall die. They call me Sol, and as Sol I shall die!" The pasha went to his wives. "Tell her that there are handsome young men in Tangier. If she marries one of them, she'll live well." The pasha sent her to his wives. She stayed with them for several days. Then he came back and asked them, "What's with Sol?" "She'll never be an Arab," they replied. "Whatever we say to her, her constant refrain is, '1 am Sol, and as Sol I shall die!' " The pasha summoned her again. "This is your last chance! Do you want to be an Arab or not?" "My lord," she replied, "I was born a Jew, and a Jew I shall die." "In that case," he raged, "I have no choice but to have you executed." "Do as you must."

" W h a t is y o u r last w i s h b e f o r e you d i e ? " "I w a n t to m e e t with the rabbi." T h e p a s h a s u m m o n e d the chief rabbi of Tangier. Sol c o n f e s s e d to him and told h i m the w h o l e story. T h e rabbi b l e s s e d her and raised his e y e s in prayer. Sol cried and took leave of e v e r y t h i n g that had b e e n d e a r to her. T h e n the p a s h a gave o r d e r s f o r her e x e c u t i o n . S h e w a s to be e x e c u t e d in Fez. " D o y o u r duty, e x e c u t i o n e r , " Sol told h i m . B e f o r e she b r e a t h e d her last, she raised her eyes to H e a v e n a n d said: "I w a s born a Jew, and I die a Jew." T h e n and there they killed her and buried her in Fez.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 3 (IFA

14964)

Told by Aliza Anidjar to Yifrah Haviv in 1984 in kibbutz Bet Keshet. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The tale refers to historical events that occurred in 1834 and left their impact on the oral tradition, literature, and religious worship of Moroccan Jewry. Sol (or Suleika) Hachuel (also spelled Hatchwell, Hatchuel, Hatshuel, and Hatuel; 1817-1834) was the daughter of Hayyim and Simhah of Tangier. According to historical accounts and oral tales and poems, she was a beautiful, vivacious, and graceful teenager. The accounts of her involvement with her Muslim neighbors differ. The present narrator tells about innocent playful friendship between two girls regardless of their religious difference. According to the report in Benaim,' Sol escaped to her Muslim neighbor's yard after a minor quarrel with her mother, whose name in that version is Fadina. The neighbor, a married man, liked Sol and tried to seduce her to convert to Islam and become his wife. She steadfastly refused, but he locked her up and then announced that she had already converted. Consequently, her claims that she was Jewish were construed as a renunciation of Islam, an act punishable by death. The Jews were helpless and could not find any venue to save her. She was brought before the king; but despite his general kindness to the Jews, he could not resolve the situation. The king tried to convince Sol to convert to Islam, but to no avail. Neither enticement nor torture could lead her astray from her Jewish faith, and she was executed. After her death, she became known as Sol ha-Tzaddikah (The righteous Sol) or, by the Arabic epithet, as Lalla Suleika (Holy lady Suleika), and her tomb became a pilgrimage site for Jews and Muslims alike. The inscription on the tomb, as Issachar Ben-Ami observed in 1981, is bilingual in Hebrew and French. The Hebrew section can be translated as follows: The tomb of the righteous Sol Hachuel A virgin who sanctified God's name in public And was executed sanctifying God's name In the glorious city of Fez, may God protect it, In the year Z ' D ' K ' T ' 2 i n our community May her merit protect us, Amen, so shall be God's will. And the French reads as follows: Ici repose Mile Solica Hatchouel Nee a Tanger en 1817 Refusant de rentrer dans la religion is

Here rests Mademoiselle Solica Hatchouel Born in Tangier in 1817 Refusing to return To the religion of Is-

lamisme les arabes l'ont assassinee a Fez en 1834 arrachee de sa famille tout le monde regrette cette enfant Sainte

lam the Arabs Murdered her in Fez In 1834 torn away from her Family the entire world Mourns this saintly child

Her martyrdom story became a popular legend among North African Jews. 3 The Jewish Rumanian explorer Israel Joseph Benjamin (1818-1864), who visited Moroccan Jews in the mid-nineteenth century, reported this event. According to his version, it was the Moroccan prince himself who fell in love with Sol and wanted her to convert to Islam and become his wife. 4 Benjamin dated this set of events to 1831. The story of Sol Hachuel also became a subject of songs, available in manuscripts and publications. 5 One of these songs was recorded by Françoise Atlan on the C D Romances Sefardies. A few years after the event, Sol's martyrdom also became a subject of novels and plays. 6 Yifrah Haviv, who recorded the version printed here, points out that when the narrator, Aliza Anidjar, reached the confession scene at the end of the story, she became very agitated, cried, and asked to stop the narration; her sister joined in the telling. Then they both commented that their grandmother knew Sol and witnessed the execution. On another occasion, Aliza offered a variation on the current story. In that rendition, Sol's brother, Issachar, tries to rescue her from prison. In Jewish history, there were many women martyrs; however, Jewish narrators chose only a few as the subject of their martyrdom legends. Within this narrative tradition, it is possible to distinguish two basic narrative figures: the martyr mother and the martyr bride or lover. Sol belongs to the latter. Among the antecedents to this tale is the story of the "Four Captives" in which the rabbis' wives commit suicide rather than submitting to the sea captain. The story of the rabbis' wives was first documented in the twelfth-century Sefer ha-Kahhalah by 7 Abraham ibn Daud (c. 1110-1180).

Similarities to Other IFA Tales In the IFA, there are ten additional versions of her legend: • • • • • • • • • •

IFA 10357: The Pious Sol (Spain). IFA 10359: The Holy Grave of Sol the Pious (Spain). 8 IFA 11257: The Pious Sol (Morocco). IFA 13949: The Saintly Sol (Morocco). IFA 17574: The Saintly Sol (Libya). IFA 20943: Sol Escapes to Fez (Morocco). IFA 20944: The Beautiful Suleika (Morocco). IFA 20945: Suleika Escapes to Her Neighbors (Morocco). IFA 20946: Suleika's Tomb (Morocco). IFA 20947: Candles on Suleika's Tomb (Morocco).

Folklore Motifs ‫״‬ • • • ‫״‬ • • • • •

*C577 "Tabu: socializing with a member of another group." F575.1 "Remarkably beautiful woman." K2110 "Slanders." K2297 "Treacherous friend." P232 "Mother and daughter." P234 "Father and daughter." P310 "Friendship." *V337 "Conversion to Islam." V463 "Religious martyrdom." W126 "Disobedience."

Notes 1. Malkhei Rabbanan (The royalty of the rabbis), reprinted in D. Ovadyah, Fas-veHakhameha (The sages of Fez), 83-85, and anthologized in M. Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer haMa'asiyyot (A book of folktales) 6:346-351 (version B). 2. This is a transliteration of Hebrew letters that make up the phrase "a righteous woman"; their numerical value marks the year 1834. 3. Ben-Ami, Saint Veneration among the Jews of Morocco, 325-318 no. 102,577-581 no. 600; Ben-Ami, Culte des saints, 185-188 no. 17; Brunot and Malka, Textes JudéoArabes de Fès, 21-27, 213-217 no. 3; H. Hirschberg, A History of the Jews in North Africa, 2:304; Koen-Sarano, Konsejas i konsejikas, 396-399; and Corcos, "Hatchwell, Sol." 4. Benjamin, Sefer Masa'ei Yisra'el (The book of the travels of Israel), 122-124, translated in Benjamin, Eight Years in Asia and Africa from 1846-1855, 274-277 and anthologized in M. Ben-Yehezki'el, op. cit., 6:341-345 (version A). 5. Ben-Yosef, " Hamishah Korbanot" (Five victims), 1:268-270 no. 89; Chetrit, "The Personal and Social Poetry in Judeo-Arabic of the Moroccan Jews," 208 n. 67; D. Ovadyah, Fas ve-Hakhameha (The sages of Fez), 85-86; and Attal, Les Juifs d'Afrique du Nord, lxxvii. 6. Among them are Macé, Sol Hachuel; and Romero, El Martirio de la Joven Hachuel, which was translated into English as The Jewish Heroine of the Nineteenth Century: A Tale Founded on Fact. For these and other references, see also Attal, op. cit. Not all of these works were accessible to us. However, to demonstrate the affect the Sol martyrdom had on nineteenth-century European literature, we drew on Attal's bibliography and would also like to acknowledge with thanks the help of Sharon Vance, whose dissertation is titled "Suleika Hatchwell in History, Literature and Legend" (University of Pennsylvania). 7. See G. Cohen, The Book of Tradition, 46-47, 63-64, 133-135; and this tale's analysis in G. Cohen, "The Story of the Four Captives"; and G. Cohen, Studies in the Variety of Rabbinic Cultures, 157-208. 8. Published in Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1974-1975, 6 4 - 6 5 no. 12, 175-190, with important notes by C. Blusher, I. Barmor, E. Marcus, and D. Noy respectively. This story tells about the desecration of her grave.

The Awesome Tale of Rabbi Kalonymus T O L D

BY

S H A U L

A N G E L - M A L A C H I

• uc h have I written, recounted, and broadcast about the tales and lege n d s created in the S e p h a r d i c h o u s e h o l d s of J e r u s a l e m , w h e t h e r to e d u cate the children or j u s t as a pasatyempo—an agreeable way to pass the time. This time I will write d o w n an a w e s o m e and terrible legend that was current a m o n g the p e o p l e of J e r u s a l e m . But a l t h o u g h the incident is k n o w n and has even been published in v o l u m e s of homilies and folktales, the ultimate fate of Rabbi K a l o n y m u s has r e m a i n e d u n k n o w n until now. I will also include the " a d d i t i o n " o f t h a t great rabbi, w h o saved the Jewish c o m m u n i t y of Jerusalem f r o m great evil and destruction, Heaven forbid. I am referring to a blood libel against this holy c o m m u n i t y . It is s u p p o s e d to have h a p p e n e d two hundred years a g o or m o r e . T h e incident took place outside the door of the Istanbuli Synagogue, one of the f o u r main s y n a g o g u e s of the Old City. And this is the story, the legend: On the S a b b a t h b e f o r e Passover, d u r i n g the third watch of the night, the shammash* of the Istanbuli S y n a g o g u e got up, as was his wont, to go a r o u s e the yehidim** to c o m e w o r s h i p their Creator. As he w a s about to open the doors, his f o o t s t u m b l e d over an o b j e c t that had not been there on Friday night w h e n he closed them. A f t e r he o p e n e d the doors, he saw, by the glow of the karrayas§, the c o r p s e of a boy stretched out on the threshold. T h e shammash w a s seized by f e a r and trembling. W h e n he recovered his wits, though, he ran to the a d j a c e n t Bet-El S y n a g o g u e , w h e r e Rabbi K a l o n y m u s was at his desk, r e c k o n i n g kabbalistic c o m p u t a t i o n s of the End of Days. In his great fear, he forgot to kiss the hand of the saintly rabbi. Speech,

*Synagogue caretaker. **The term used by the exiles from the Iberian peninsula for tax-paying members of a community or congregation. 5 Hanging glass lamps kept burning all the time inside the synagogue.

too, had been taken f r o m him. He could only s t a m m e r , " T h e r e ' s a dead person." T h e rabbi asked, " W h e r e is there a dead p e r s o n ? W h o is d e a d ? " W h e n the shammash c a l m e d d o w n , he told w h a t he had seen and asked what he should do. T h e rabbi soothed him and said that it was the Sabbath today and nothing could be done.* H e should j u s t go and a r o u s e the w o r s h i p e r s , as if nothing had h a p p e n e d . T h e shammash did as his master bade h i m and went out to do his job. W h e n the c o n g r e g a n t s c a m e , they f o u n d the b o d y and shook with fear, but the shammash, w h o stood in the e n t r a n c e to the s y n a g o g u e , e n c o u r aged them to g o inside, b e c a u s e " R a b b i K a l o n y m u s said w e should." A large congregation gathered inside and began reciting the benedictions and h y m n s with awe and trembling. They got as far as Nishmat kol hai.** O u t s i d e , the u n c i r c u m c i s e d had g a t h e r e d , mainly A r m e n e s — a catch-all term for Christians; s o m e t i m e s they said " G r e g o s " (Greeks) ins t e a d — t h e i r f a c e s livid. [They w e r e ] crying, " C a t c h the Jewish murd e r e r ! " But they did not dare e n t e r the s y n a g o g u e , out of f e a r of the Turkish authorities, w h o b a n n e d the desecration of synagogues, churches, and all holy places. T h e rabble got larger and larger, and the d a n g e r was acute. Rabbi K a l o n y m u s was neither seen nor heard. In their anxious fear the congregants did not notice when he entered and sat down in his corner. He had taken a short-cut through the T a l m u d Torah (Eliyahu H a - N a v i ) S y n a g o g u e , and f r o m there to the M i d d l e S y n a g o g u e (the kahal de en medyo) and entered the Istanbuli S y n a g o g u e by the back door. W h e n the shammash realized he was there, he went over and asked what he should do. Rabbi K a l o n y m u s rose f r o m his place and went to the door. F r o m inside his antiri—the c a f t a n worn by the rabbis of J e r u s a l e m — h e took an ink pot and a quill, and w r o t e — o n the Sabbath, in public, and in the synag o g u e ! — t h e I n e f f a b l e N a m e on a p i e c e of p a r c h m e n t , which he slipped into the m o u t h of the dead boy. T h e boy sneezed, o p e n e d his eyes, moved, and stood on his feet, in front of the gentiles outside and the J e w s inside. "Tell me, my son," asked Rabbi K a l o n y m u s , " w h o killed y o u ? " T h e lad turned his head toward the staircase, 8 w h e r e he saw a Christian

"Generally, according to halakhah, Jewish law, a corpse may not be moved on the Sabbath. *""The soul of all living creatures [will bless the Lord our God]"; the liturgical poem recited at the end of the introductory psalms on Sabbath and festival mornings. 1

This staircase leads up to the street from the courtyard outside the four synagogues.

w h o w a s s h o u t i n g , l o u d e r than any of t h e m , " D e a t h to the J e w s ! T h e y m u r d e r e d h i m f o r their P a s s o v e r needs." T h e boy p o i n t e d to h i m and said, " T h e r e — t h a t o n e w h o ' s s c r e a m i n g — m y d r u n k a r d of an uncle, [he's] w h o thrust a d a g g e r into m y heart last night and b r o u g h t m e h e r e in the dark." W h e n he said this, the T u r k i s h p o l i c e seized and b o u n d the m u r d e r e r . R a b b i K a l o n y m u s w i t h d r e w the slip of p a r c h m e n t f r o m the m o u t h of the boy, w h o fell d o w n a g a i n , on the p a v e m e n t , quite d e a d . A f t e r he had d o n e this, a n d w h e n they w e r e a b o u t to o p e n the H o l y A r k , R a b b i K a l o n y m u s got up, m o u n t e d the bimah* g e s t u r e d to the c o n g r e g a t i o n f o r silence, and b e g a n to s p e a k : " M y m a s t e r s a n d t e a c h e r s , you h a v e all seen with y o u r o w n e y e s h o w t o d a y I d e s e c r a t e d the sanctity of the S a b b a t h , w h e n I w r o t e w h a t I w r o t e . A s you know, all t h o s e w h o d e s e c r a t e the S a b b a t h — t h e i r s e n t e n c e , a c c o r d i n g to J e w i s h law, is to b e s t o n e d . A c c o r d i n g l y , I o r d a i n that, a f t e r m y d e a t h , I not be b u r i e d in a J e w i s h c e m e t e r y until you have s t o n e d m e . " W h e n they heard the verdict that R a b b i K a l o n y m u s had p a s s e d against h i m s e l f , the c o n g r e g a t i o n w a s s h o c k e d a n d said nothing. T h e rabbi c o m p l e t e d his p r a y e r s and w e n t h o m e to fulfill the p r e c e p t of the s e c o n d Sabbath meal. Years p a s s e d , a n d it c a m e t i m e f o r R a b b i K a l o n y m u s to d e p a r t f r o m this w o r l d . H e died full of y e a r s a n d dignity. In t h o s e d a y s , the J e w s of J e r u s a l e m had the c u s t o m of p a y i n g their last r e s p e c t s to great rabbis in a special w a y : T h e p a l l b e a r e r s of the burial society carried the bier w i t h their a r m s h a n g i n g d o w n , not the w a y they did f o r other Jews, w h o m they b o r e on their shoulders. N o r w e r e r i g h t e o u s m e n t a k e n out of the city t h r o u g h the D u n g G a t e , but t h r o u g h the J a f f a Gate, and f r o m there to the top of M o u n t Z i o n , and then d o w n t h r o u g h the K i d r o n Valley en route to the c e m e t e r y on the M o u n t of Olives. T h e y f o l l o w e d this c u s t o m with R a b b i K a l o n y m u s . T h e entire J e w i s h c o m m u n i t y of J e r u s a l e m c a m e to the f u n e r a l a n d f o l l o w e d the d e c e a s e d , c h a n t i n g P s a l m s . All h a d f o r g o t t e n R a b b i K a l o n y m u s ' s d e c r e e that they s t o n e h i m a f t e r his d e a t h . T h e p r o c e s s i o n w a s a s c e n d i n g M o u n t Z i o n , led by the p a l l b e a r e r s carr y i n g R a b b i K a l o n y m u s ' s bier. W h e n the c o r t e g e r e a c h e d the t o p of the hill they t h o u g h t they saw A r a b s c l i m b i n g u p f r o m the o t h e r side, stirred u p and s h o u t i n g , " A l e i h u m ! Idbehu il yahud."** T h e p a l l b e a r e r s p a n i c k e d ,

*The elevated pulpit standing in the center of the sanctuary of Sephardic synagogues where the prayer leader, rabbi, and those involved in the Torah service stand. "Arabic for "At them! Kill the Jews!"

and the c o r p s e fell to the g r o u n d . T h e y [the p e o p l e ] t u r n e d and fled. T h e e n t i r e c o m m u n i t y b e g a n a wild f l i g h t a n d f o r g o t all a b o u t R a b b i K a l o n y m u s ' s body. W h e n the c o r p s e hit the g r o u n d it b e g a n rolling d o w n the hill, t u r n i n g over a n d over until it r e a c h e d the b o t t o m . T h e r e , o p p o s i t e the stone c e n o t a p h of the p r o p h e t Z e c h a r i a h , the b o d y buried itself, c o v ered by the r o c k s and dust it had d r a g g e d with it d o w n the long slope. O v e r the years, the J e w s of J e r u s a l e m w e r e in the habit of g o i n g there regularly and a d d i n g a stone to the m o u n d , w h i c h got b i g g e r and bigger. It w a s still there until the W a r of I n d e p e n d e n c e . W h e n m y f a m i l y w a s g o i n g to travel a b r o a d , m y m o t h e r took m e to the m o u n d of R a b b i K a l o n y m u s and said, " P l a c e a rock on the m o u n d of o u r holy R a b b i K a l o n y m u s . It is a c h a r m that will g u a r a n t e e y o u r return to the L a n d of Israel, to J e r u s a l e m . " By its merit, I did return to Israel, to J e r u s a l e m , a n d have never left it a g a i n . A f t e r the S i x - D a y War, eastern J e r u s a l e m w a s liberated. I w e n t to the site of the m o u n d , but n o t h i n g w a s left of it. T h e J o r d a n i a n s h a d d r a g g e d it a w a y ; it used to be, but is n o m o r e . . . .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 4 (IFA

16405)

Written down from memory by Shaul Angel-Malachi.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Discussions of the present tale, including four other renditions, and other relevant versions have been published. 2 Historically, the accusations of Jews in ritual murder for religious purposes grew out of xenophobic attitudes toward them. These incidents combine two widely held ideas that people have about others who are different from themselves: that they engage in witchcraft and that they eat reprehensible food. The most extreme form of the latter sets the prohibition of eating human flesh in ethnie rather than in universal terms. That is to say, other ethnic groups are cannibals, feeding themselves on humans who do not belong to their own society. 3 For an introductory discussion of the application of these attitudes toward Jews see Trachtenberg 4 and Hsia. 5 These xenophobic beliefs about the Jews generated historical accusations, which were followed by trials that often concluded with tragic consequences. Surveys of these historical cases are available. 6 A unique and controversial approach to the subject has been advanced by Yuval, 7 who suggested that the accusations emerged in Europe in response to the infanticide among Jews during the period of the Crusades, when, facing sure death, they killed their own children lest they fall into Christian hands. 8 For selected case studies of specific historical accusations see Cotic, 9 who provided an incomplete chronological list of European blood accusations and listed among them six in Turkey during the eighteen and nineteenth centuries. 10 Documentation of such a belief, albeit in a different form, has been available since at least the first century c.E. It is mentioned in Josephus's treatise Against Apion (2:89-102) in a narrative dated to the second century B.C.E., when it was told in the court of Antiochus Epiphanes (r. 175-164)." Analyses of the testimonies from the Hellenistic world that the Jews engaged in ritual murder have been published. 12 A similar belief about the Jews also appeared in the writings of Damocritus (first century B . c . E . ) . 1 3 Early Christians were subject to similar beliefs, as reported by Tertullian 14 (160?-225?), who complained that they were thought of as "the most criminal of men, on the score our sacramental baby-killing and the baby-eating that goes with it." The holding of such conceptions by Christians indicates the general xenophobic nature of such beliefs and that they are not just a by-product of the tension between Jews and Christians, as later interpreters suggest. Scholarly and more general discussions of these ideas refer to them as Alilatdam, focusing on the accusation of Jews killing a non-Jewish person, usually a child, to use his or her blood in the preparation of the dough for the Passover matzah. However Langmuir 1 5 pointed out that it is necessary to distinguish in these accusations three kinds of anti-Semitic fantasy: ritual murder by crucifixion, ritual cannibalism, and the use of non-Jewish blood for ritual purposes.

These accusations spurred narratives on both sides of the ethnic divide. In non-Jewish societies, they gave rise to xenophobic tales on the one hand and to hagiography on the other; however, in Jewish societies, narrators told legends of miraculous rescue that brought justice to light. The first known European case of blood accusation occurred in Norwich, England, in 1144 and was told in The Life and Miracles of St. William of Norwich.16 As Langmuir' 7 pointed out, this accusation involved ritual crucifixion. For a re-evaluation of the effect of this case on the spread of ritual murder accusation see McCulloh. 1 8 The first European libel of ritual cannibalism occurred in 1235 in Fulda, Germany. 19 Gow 2 0 suggested that the roots of the idea of cannibalism had been documented as early as Peter Comestor's Historia Scholastica (c. 1170). During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, blood accusation occurred throughout western and central Europe; and from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries, the incidents in eastern Europe grew proportionately. In Christian Spain, there were blood accusations in Astorga in 1490, giving rise to a local cult of The Holy Child of La Guardia. 21 Psychologically, mythologically, and theologically, the accusations in ritual murder have significance in relation to Christianity. 22 The strong religious ties of blood libels to the historical and theological relations between Jews and Christians make their occurrence in the life of the Jewish communities in Islamic countries stand out. Most of them occurred in the nineteenth century under the influence of European trends and in conflicts between Jews and Christians living in Islamic countries. 2 3 However, documents of the Ottoman government archives attest to accusations of ritual murder in the empire as early as the fifteenth century, although they were few and far between. 24 A. Levy 25 briefly examined the historicity of the present tale, as did Alexander. 26 Malakhi 27 and Alexander 2 8 cited sources and studies that suggest Rabbi Kalonymus lived in Jerusalem in either the sixteenth or the eighteenth century, respectively. Jewish traditional storytellers responded to the blood libel threat by creating a rich corpus of narratives in which a central community leader, a mystic, or a magic worker succeeds in exposing the plot against the Jews or averts it through prayers, fasts, or dream revelations of the identity of the true offender. 29 They told about miraculous delivery from the ritual murder accusations of individuals and community. Within this rich body of narratives, it is possible to distinguish seven subtypes. Four of them were outlined by D. Noy, 30 and E. Marcus 31 provided a detailed analysis of tale type *730D (IFA). These subtypes and their written and oral versions are discussed in the following sections.

"Blood Libel: The Murdered Child Is Brought Back to Life" (*730D

[LFA])

Motif E75 ("Resuscitation by writing deity's name"), which is at the core of tale subtype *730D (IFA), occurs first in Jewish sources in Sefer Yuhasin (A book of genealogy), better known as Megillat Ahimaaz (The scroll of Ahimaaz) and not

in the context of a "blood libel" story. The book is a family chronology written in 1054 in rhymed prose by Ahimaaz ben Paltiel, who set out to trace his family roots back to Jerusalem; the family eventually migrated to the river Po as exiles and later moved to Oria in southern Italy. 32 As a blood libel narrative tale type, *730D (IFA) has occurred in manuscripts, chronicles, and tale collections since the sixteenth century. 33 The same version also occurs in Gaster 34 and J. Maitlis. 35 The present version became a local legend in Jerusalem. Several writers included it in their books and anthologies, some of whom indicate that they learned the tale from oral tradition. 36 The identity of Rabbi Kalonymus is not clear and has been the subject of historical speculation. As noted earlier, there are references to Ashkenazic (rather than Sephardic) rabbis by that name who lived in either the sixteenth or the eighteenth century. The pile of stones that commemorated Rabbi Kalonymus was in Jerusalem for many years, but it was destroyed during the Jordanian rule of the city. 37 The published versions of this tale differ in regard to the precise Sephardic synagogue in which this miracle occurred. This is understandable because all four Sephardic synagogues in the Old City were adjacent to each other. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

The tale and the rabbi continue to be popular in oral tradition; a number of versions of this subtype, most of them about Rabbi Kalonymus, are in the • •

IFA: 3 8

IFA 25: The Blood Libel (Yemen); 39 murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man - a rabbi. IFA 570: Rabbi Kalonymus Saves a Jewish Community (Italy, Sephardic); murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Kalonymus.

• IFA 787: The Murdered King's Son Reveals His Assassins (Yemen);40 murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = Arabbi. IFA 1615: Blood Libel in Kock [Kotsk] (Poland); 41 murdered = a Jewish boy; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Menedele of Kock (Kotsk). • IFA 1788: A Blood Libel in Yemen (Yemen); murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = one of the thirty-six righteous people. • IFA 2322: Elijah's Cup (Lithuania); murdered = a Christian boy; Jewish holy man = an old man (Elijah the Prophet is implied). •

• IFA 2658: A Jewish Bastard and an Apostate Rescue a Jew from a Blood Libel (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); 42 murdered = a child; Jewish holy man = a bastard who converted to Christianity but returned to the Jewish faith and died a martyr. • IFA 3017: The Revived Dead Man (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); 43 murdered = a Christian boy; Jewish holy man = a water drawer.

• IFA 3201: Elijah the Prophet Delivers a Jew from a Blood Libel (Romania); 44 murdered = a Christian poor man; Jewish holy man = Elijah the Prophet (appearing in peasant disguise).

IFA 3574: A Heavenly Angel Delivers the Jews (Turkey); murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = a heavenly angel. 45 IFA 3625: The Seal of "Truth" (alef mem, tav) on the Murdered's Forehead (Yemen); 46 murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = an unknown rabbi. IFA 3895: The Rabbi's Miracle Revokes the Blood Libel (Poland); 47 murdered = a peasant's son; Jewish holy man = a local rabbi. IFA 4340: A Blood Libel in Cracow (Poland); 48 murdered = a Jewish boy; Jewish holy man = Elijah the Prophet (disguised as an old man). IFA 4362: A Blood Libel in Vilna (Lithuania); 49 murdered = the priest's bastard son; Jewish holy man = one of the thirty-six righteous people. IFA 6451: Rabbi Yehudah Abu-Hasira Opens a Dead Man's Mouth (a) (Morocco); 5 0 murdered = the sultan's son; Jewish holy man = a rabbi, a grandson of a miracle worker. IFA 6459: Rabbi Yehudah Abu-Hasira Opens a Dead Man's Mouth (b) (Morocco); 51 murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = a miracle worker (cf. IFA 6451 ). IFA 6555: A Blood Libel in Prague (The Maharal) (Prague); 52 murdered = a Christian boy; Jewish holy man = an image of the Maharal. IFA 6593: The Apostate Who Saves the Jews from a Blood Libel (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); 53 murdered = a Christian boy; Jewish holy man = a priest who is a converted Jew. IFA 7831: The Liberal King (Afghanistan); murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = a sage (a modified version). IFA 7901: The Priest Who Accused the Jews of Murdering the Church Beadle (Romania); murdered = the church beadle; Jewish holy man = a rabbi. IFA 8213: The Jew-Loving King (Morocco); murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = an old man. IFA 8254: The Rescue of the Jews (Iranian Kurdistan); murdered = the king's son; temporary self-resuscitation. IFA 8601 : A Blood Libel in Damascus (Rabbi Hayyim Vital) (Syria); murdered = a Christian youth; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Hayyim Vital. IFA 8813: Blood Libel—The Resuscitation of the Murdered Child (Rabbi Kalonymus) (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); murdered = the governor's son; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Kalonymous. IFA 9514: A Blood Libel (Elijah the Prophet) (Republic of Georgia); murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = an old man (Elijah the Prophet). IFA 9525: A Blood Libel (Republic of Georgia); murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = the chief rabbi. IFA 9686: Dayyenu (Iran); murdered = anonymous; murder discovered via an oddity of language.

•

•

• • • • • • • •

•

•

• •

Rabbi Kalonymus and the Testimony of the Dead (Tunisia); 5 4 murdered = the governor's son; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Kalonymus. IFA 10822: A Young Rabbi Saves His Community from a Blood Libel (Ukraine); 55 murdered = a Jewish boy; Jewish holy man = new rabbi (murderer discovered via logical inference rather than magic). IFA 1 1353: The Story of Rabbi Kalonymus (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Kalonymus. IFA 11420: Harun El Rashid (Iran); murdered = an adult; Jewish holy man = a merchant. IFA 11436: Rabbi Leib Son of Sarah Nullifies a Decree (Poland); murdered = a Christian girl; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Leib. IFA 11456: The King's Decree (Rabbi Mkhluf Abu-Hasira) (Morocco); 5 6 murdered = the king's son; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Mkhluf Abu-Hasira. IFA 1 1557: The Boy Who Was Almost Killed (Tunisia); thrown away = a child; Jewish holy man = the communal rabbi. IFA 11826: The Resuscitation of the Dead (Tunisia); 57 murdered = a child; Jewish holy man = the communal rabbi. IFA 11862: A Blood Libel (Yemen); murdered = the imam's son; Jewish holy man = a mysterious rabbi. IFA 13400: Blood Libel—Reviving the Murdered Girl (First Version) (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); murdered = a Christian girl; Jewish holy man = the communal rabbi. IFA 13401: Blood Libel—Reviving the Murdered Girl (Second Version) (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); murdered = a girl; Jewish holy man = a rabbi in Jerusalem. IFA 13849: The Rabbi Who Jumped off the Jerusalem Wall (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); murdered = a Christian girl; Jewish holy man = the communal rabbi. IFA 13864: Rabbi Kalonymus—A Mystic (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); murdered = a child; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Kalonymus. IFA 14409: The Heap of Stones in the Old Cemetery in Safed (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); murdered = a Muslim teenager; Jewish holy man = a rabbi; location variation. IFA 1 0 6 1 4 :

"Blood Libel: He W h o Keepeth Israel Will neither Sleep nor Slumber" (*730E [IFA]) The earliest version of tale subtype *730E (IFA) occurs in the sixteenth century in Ibn Verga's Sepher Shevet Yehudah.58 Quite likely Ibn Verga drew on the oral tradition of his time. Both his book and oral tradition served as a source to Ibn Yahya, who included several tales and references to blood libel in his book Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah (15 8 7). 59 Referring to these other sources Rosanes 6 0

dated a blood libel in Turkey to 1545. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, this tale subtype entered the folk-literary Yiddish tradition and was included in the Ma'aseh Book ( 1602);61 the event was said to occur in Constantinople. In the nineteenth century, this story was included in an influential book by Farhi; 62 and in the twentieth century, it was anthologized by Bin Gorion. 63 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

For similar tales in the IFA that include elements of tale subtype *730K (IFA)— Rabbi Shows King, in a Mirror, His Unfaithful Wife's Doings—see the notes to IFA 10086. Other versions in the IFA are the following: 64 • • • • • • • •

IFA 339: Blood Libel (Poland). IFA 996: He Who Keeps Israel Will neither Sleep nor Slumber (Iraq). 65 IFA 997: Delivery on Passover Night (Iraq); 66 location of tale = France. IFA 2031: A Blood Libel in 1907 (Caucasus mountains). cf. IFA 2726: Elijah 's Cup (Poland). IFA 2964: A Rescue from a Blood Libel (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic). IFA 5471 : He Who Keeps Israel Will neither Sleep nor Slumber (Morocco). IFA 8804: He Who Keeps Israel Will neither Sleep nor Slumber (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). • IFA 9107: He Who Keeps Israel Will neither Sleep nor Slumber (Eretz Yisra'el, Islamic). • IFA 9522: He Who Keeps Israel Will neither Sleep nor Slumber (Republic of Georgia). • IFA 14182: Mordecai Kampul Prevented a Disaster and Immigrated to Israel (Iran); a Jew rather than the king wanders at night. "Blood Libel: A Missing Child Is Found Alive" (*730F

[IFA])

Tale subtype *730F (IFA) does not occur in medieval collections; it occurs primarily in oral versions and was told by the narrators in realistic details, suggesting historical accounts. Similarities

to Other ifa Tales

Similar texts in the IFA are as follows: 67 ‫״‬ • • • • • • •

IFA 334: The Adventures of Two Young Men from Jerusalem (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). IFA 914: A Blood Libel by an Old Man (Afghanistan). IFA 916: A Blood Libel on Ninth of Av (Afghanistan). IFA 1140: Ritual Murder Accusation of the Jews (Poland). IFA 2828: The Spoiled Blood Libel (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). IFA 3758: Mt. Halina (Poland). IFA 4090: The Blood Libel in Shiraz (Iran); dead child = Jewish boy. 68 IFA 5187: A Blood Libel (Elijah the Prophet) (Poland).

• • • • • ‫״‬ • ‫״‬

IFA 5409: Λ Blood Libel Near Lublin (Poland). IFA 7848: A Philo-Semitic Gentile (Afghanistan); combined with tale subtype *730G (IFA). IFA 9708: A Blood Libel in a Shtetl (Poland). 69 IFA 10445: A Blood Libel (Russia); alleged victim = dead but not murdered. IFA 10844: The Way a Blood Libel Turned Out (Ukraine). IFA 11082: A Jewish Boy in Kharkov (Ukraine); dead child = a Jewish boy. IFA 11440: Rabbi Leib Son of Sarah Finds the Servant (Poland). IFA 11831 : The Miracle of Musan (Syria). 70

"Blood Libel: Bottle of Blood in the Holy Ark" (*730G [IFA]) The versions of tale subtype *730G (IFA) are available primarily from oral tradition. Nineteenth-century printed versions likely draw on oral tradition as well. 71 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Similar texts in the IFA are as follows: •

IFA 1640: He Who Keeps Israel Will neither Sleep nor Slumber (Czech Republic). • IFA 3371 : The Shammash's Dream and Elijah the Prophet (Afghanistan). • IFA 5544: Rabbi Leib Son of Sarah Nullifies a Blood Libel (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic). 72 • IFA 6468: The Blood Libel and the Miracle (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). 73 • IFA 7848: The Story of the Philo-Semite Gentile (Afghanistan). • IFA 9109: He Who Keeps Israel Will neither Sleep nor Slumber (Country of Islam in Eretz Yisra'el). • IFA 10322: A Blood Libel on the Night of the Seder (Republic of Georgia). • IFA 10834: The Story of the Blood Libel in Jerusalem (Ashkenazic, European). 74 •

IFA 10837: The Rabbi of Prague Saved His Community

(Ukraine). 75

Folktale Types . *730D "Blood Libel: The Murdered Child Is Brought Back to Life." Folklore Motifs • • • ‫״‬ • •

C58 "Tabu: profaning sacred day." C631 "Tabu: breaking the Sabbath." C929.4 "Death by stoning for breaking tabu." D1817.0.3 "Magic detection of murder." E52 "Resuscitation by magic charm." E75 "Resuscitation by writing deity's name."

• • • • • • • • • •

E121.5.1 "Resuscitation by rabbi." E231 "Return from dead to reveal murder." K2116 "Innocent person accused of murder" K2116.2 "Man falsely accused of murder." N271 "Murder will out." Q211 "Murder punished." Q422 "Punishment: stoning to death." V71 "Sabbath." *V360.1 "Blood libel." V361 "Christian [Muslim] child killed to furnish blood for Jewish rites."

Notes 1. First published in Angel-Malachi, "Ha-ma'aseh ha-Nora be-Rabbi Kalonymus" (The awesome tale of Rabbi Kalonymus) and reprinted in Angel-Malachi, Vidas en Jerusalem, 75-78; and T. Alexander, "A Legend of the Blood Libel in Jerusalem," 70-71 no. 3. 2. T. Alexander, "The Judeo-Spanish Legend about Rabbi Kalonimus in Jerusalem"; andT. Alexander, "A Legend of the Blood Libel in Jerusalem"; see also Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half, 194-206; Y. Berger, "Gilgulei Aggadah" (Transformations of a legend); and Y. Berger "Be-Khol Dor va-Dor" (In every generation). 3. For a general discussion, see Certeau, Heterologies, esp. 67-79; and for general anthropological analyses of cannibalism, see Arens, The Man-Eating Myth; Barker et al., Cannibalism and the Colonial World; Goldman, The Anthropology of Cannibalism; Röckelein, Kannibalismus und Europäische Kultur, Sanday, Divine Hunger, and Tannahill, Flesh and Blood. 4. The Devil and the Jews, esp. 124-158; and Mieses, "Heterodoxes Accused of Witchcraft." 5. "Witchcraft, Magic, and the Jews." 6. Ben-Sasson and Slutsky, "Blood Libel," esp. 125-126; Buttaroni and Musial, eds., Ritual Murder, Dundes, The Blood Libel Legend; Erb, Die Legende vom Ritualmord; Guidon and Wijaczka, "The Accusation of Ritual Murder in Poland, 1500-1800"; S. Katz, The Holocaust in Historical Context, "Ritual Murder"; Kieval, "The Importance of Place"; Kieval, "Representation and Knowledge in Medieval and Modern Accounts of Jewish Ritual Murder"; B. Landau, "Alilat Dam be-Toldot Israel" (Blood libels in Jewish history); Patai, Jadid al-Islam, esp. 79-85, 92-97; Peuckert, "Ritualmord"; and C. Roth, The Ritual Murder Libel and the Jews. 7. "Vengeance and Damnation, Blood and Defamation" and "Two Nations in Your Womb." 8. Responses to this suggestion appear in a special issue of Zion (1994, vol. 59, pp. 127^t14), which is devoted to this question. 9. The Beilis Trial. 10. See also Cotic, Mishpat/Alilah/Parasha; Frankel, The Damascus Affair; HaCohen, Mishpatim va-Alilot-Dam (Trials and blood libels); Hägler, Die Christ und die "Judenfrage"; Handler, Blood Libel at Tiszaeszlar; Hsia, The Myth of Ritual Murder, Hsia,

Trent 1475; Kristeller, "The Alleged Ritual Murder of Simon of Trent"; and Samuel, Blood Accusations. 11. See M. Stern, Greek and Latin Authors on Jews and Judaism, 1:410-412 no. 171. 12. See B. Bar-Kokhba, "The Hellenistic 'Blood Libel' "; Bickerman, "Ritualmord und Eselskult"; and Flusser, ‫' ״‬Alilat ha-Dam'Neged ha-Yehudim" (Blood libel against the Jews). 13. M. Stern, op. cit., 1:530-531 no. 247. 14. Apology, 7:18. 15. Toward a Definition of Antisemitism, 209-298; and History, Religion, and Antisemitism, 298-300. 16. A. Jessopp and M. R. James, eds. See also M. Anderson, A Saint at Stake; Langmuir, "Thomas of Monmouth"; and Lotter, "Innocens Virgo et Martyr." 17. "Thomas of Monmouth." 18. "Jewish Ritual Murder." 19. Langmuir, Toward a Definition of Antisemitism, 263-281. 20. The Red Jews, 49-53. 21. Y. Baer, A History of the Jews in Christian Spain, 2:398-423; Christian, Local Religion in Sixteenth-Century Spain, 93-94; and Haliczer, "The Jew as Witch." 22. Arlow, "Aggression and Prejudice"; Dundes, "The Ritual Murder or Blood Libel Legend"; and Ocker, "Ritual Murder and the Subjectivity of Christ." 23. See, for example, the list in Franco, Essai sur l'histoire des Israélites de l'empire Ottoman, 220-238. 24. Barnai, " 'Blood Libels' in the Ottoman Empire"; A. Cohen, "Ritual Murder Accusations against the Jews"; Heyd, "Ritual Murder Accusations in Fifteenth- and SixteenthCentury Turkey"; and J. Landau, "Ritual Murder Accusations and Persecution of Jews in Nineteenth-Century Egypt." 25. The Sephardim in the Ottoman Empire, 31, 40; and Malakhi, "Alilot Dam be-Eretz Yisra'el" (Blood libels in Palestine). 26. Op. cit., note 1, 62. 27. Malakhi, Aliot Dam be-Etetz Yisra'el (Blood libels in Palestine). 28. Op. cit., note 1, 62. 29. For example, see Band, "The Beilis Trial in Literature"; and Band "Reflections of the Blood Libel in Jewish Literature." 30 "Blood Libel Stories among Jewish Ethnic Groups." 31. "The Confrontation between Jews and Non-Jews," 206-346. 32. Klar, Megillat Ahimaaz, 22-23. 33. Shohat and Baer, Sepher Shevet Yehudah ofShlomoh ibn Verga, 126; murdered = a Christian boy; Jewish holy man = Don Shlomo Levi (reported from hearsay). It also occurs in another sixteenth-century manuscript: Brüll, "Beiträge zur Jüdischen Sagen," 42 no. 34. 34. Ma'aseh Book, 2:356-358 no. 171. 35. The Book of Stories, 167-169 no. 52; murdered = a builder; Jewish holy man = Rabbi Judah the Pious. 36. For example, Frankl, Nach Jerusalem!, 2:281-283; Farhi, Oseh Pele (The miracle worker), 204-206; Farhi, Moraim Gedolim (Awesome events) (anthologized in Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 280-283 no. 152 [1990 ed.]). The tale was also included in Z.

Fishman, Aggadot Eretz ha-Kedushcdi (Legends of the Holy Land), 4 9 - 5 4 ; and Vilnay, The Sacred Land, 1:191-193 no. 10. 37. H. Horowitz, Sefer Hibat Yerushalayim (The book of affection for Jerusalem), 235-236. 38. See discussion of these tales in E. Marcus, op. cit., 226-267. 39. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 2 2 - 2 4 no. 11; idem, "Alilot Dam beSippurei ha-Edot (Blood libel stories among Jewish ethnic groups) 38 (summary); and HaCohen, Mishpatim va-Alilot-Dam (Trials and blood libels), 236. 40. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 152-153 no. 56. 41. Published in D. Noy, "Blood Libel Stories among Jewish Ethnic Groups," 40-42; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 238-240. 42. Published in D. Yitzhak, Kehal Hasidim Hadash (A new assembly of Hasidim), 5 3 - 5 4 no. 105; Na'anah, Otzar ha-Ma'asiyyot (A treasury of tales), 1:206-210; D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 39; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 237. 43. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 39; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 237. 44. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 42-43; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 240-241. 45. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 43-45; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 241-242. 46. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 45-46; Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 243-244; and Z. Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 2 5 - 2 6 no. 5. 47. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 39; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 237. 48. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 46-48; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 244-246. 49. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 48^19; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 246-247. 50. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 39-40; Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 237-238; and Baharav, op. cit., 165-167 no. 59. 51. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 40; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 238. 52. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 40; and Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 238. 53. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 40; Ha-Cohen, op. cit., 238; and Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 210-211 no. 78. Cf. Gaster, op. cit.; and Finkel, "A JudeoPersian Tale." 54. Published in Na'anah, op. cit., 3:561-563. 55. Published in Warnbud, Nehemyah ba'al Guf (Nehemyah, the Heavy-Set), 63-65. 56. Published in Ben-Ami, Saint Veneration among the Jews in Morocco, 466-467 no. 2.369. 57. Published in Rabbi, Avoteinu Sipru (Our fathers told), 2:134-135 no. 68. 58. Shohat and Baer, op. cit., 6 2 - 6 3 no. 16. 59. A. David, The Historiographical Work ofGedalya ibn Yahya," 106-107, 147-149, esp. 106-107; and Shohat and Baer, op. cit. 60. Histoire des Israelites de Turquie, 2:51-52, 230-232. 61. Gaster, op. cit., 2:400-401 no. 185 62. Oseh Pele (The miracle worker), 192-195. 63. Mimekor Yisrael, 1:461-463 no. 256. 64. See discussion of these tales in Ε. Marcus, op. cit., 286-319. 65. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 5 4 - 5 5 no. 18. 66. Published in D. Noy, ibid., 212 no. 112. 67. See discussion of these tales in E. Marcus, op. cit., 320-332. 68. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1962, 29-31 no. 3; and Baharav, Sixty Folktales, 73-74 no. 6.

69. M. Cohen, Mi-pi ha-Am (From folk tradition), 4 9 - 5 0 no. 16. 70. Published in Rabbi, op. cit., 2:63-64 no. 21. 71. See Malakhi, "Alilot Dam be-Eretz-Israel" (Blood libels in Palestine), 79; M. Reicher, Sha 'arei Yerushalayim (The gates of Jerusalem); S. Huzin, Sefer Ma 'aseh Nissim (The book of miracle tales"), 25-27 no. 22 (copied from Sha'arei Yerushalayim)·, and Bin Gorion, op. cit., 283-284 no. 153. 72. Published in Weinstein, Grandma Esther Relates, 59-61 no. 15. 73. Published in Na'anah, op. cit., 2:473-475. 74. Published in Warnbud, op. cit., 72-73. 75. Published in Warnbud, op. cit., 49-50.

A Blood Libel in Jerusalem T O L D

BY TO

S I M H A

T A M A R

M E Y U H A S

L E V Y

A L E X A N D E R

Ζ ears ago, the C h r i s t i a n s u s e d to c l a i m that w e c o u l d n ' t m a k e m a t z a h u n l e s s w e s l a u g h t e r e d a C h r i s t i a n a n d took his b l o o d . T h e y said that to m a k e the d o u g h w e n e e d e d the b l o o d of a C h r i s t i a n , that that w a s the commandment.

TA:

You 're telling

SMY:

Yes, yes.

about

the Torah scrolls

that were found

without

S o o n c e , out of their h a t r e d f o r the J e w s , the C h r i s t i a n s t o o k a child and slit his throat and put him in the H o l y A r k . W h e r e ' s that? T h a t ' s in the s y n a g o g u e , w h e r e they k e e p the Torah scrolls. T h a t ' s w h e r e they put the child. T h e n they started p r e t e n d i n g they w e r e l o o k i n g f o r the boy. T h e y h u n t e d e v e r y w h e r e . T h e y w e n t and told the police: " T h e boy is n o w h e r e to be f o u n d ! H e ' s lost!" " W h e r e c o u l d the child b e ? " the p o l i c e a s k e d . " B u t of c o u r s e ! T h i s is the s e a s o n w h e n they [the J e w s ] start to b a k e their m a t z a h . T h e y m u s t have k i d n a p p e d [the b o y ] and killed h i m and used his b l o o d to m a k e their matzah." A n d w h a t , the J e w s d o n ' t k n o w a n y t h i n g a b o u t this. No, estu . . . No, * es.. . TA: SMY:

No matter, that's another story. Estu es another, that too . . .

*Here the narrator, confused about which story she is telling, lapses into Judeo-Spanish: "No, this . . . No, it's . . . "

The open Holy Ark, containing

Torah

scrolls.

112

TA: SMY: TA: SMY: TA: SMY:

Folktales

of the

Jews:

Volume

1

That too. . . . No matter. Finish this one and then we '11 hear about the Torah scrolls. Ma maleskea es. Yes, you 're right. What synagogue did they put him in ? Also in the Yohanan ben Zakkai Synagogue. Inside the synagogue ? Yes. Why? Because that was the Meyuhases' synagogue. You understand. So they put him there.

So w h e n the p o l i c e c a m e , they f o u n d the m u r d e r e d b o y there. T h e J e w s w e r e t h u n d e r s t r u c k . " W h a t ' s h a p p e n i n g ? W h a t ' s h a p p e n i n g ? We didn't do anything!" T h e y w e n t to the kadi* a n d a p p e a l e d to h i m . " W e d i d n ' t d o this. By no m e a n s ! O n the contrary, w e d o n ' t eat a n y t h i n g that i s n ' t kosher. A b s o lutely n o t ! " "You m u r d e r e d h i m , " retorted the C h r i s t i a n s . " L e t m e c h e c k w h e t h e r J e w s m u r d e r e d h i m or not," said the kadi. T h e y t o o k the d e a d child a n d laid h i m on a table in f r o n t of the C h r i s t i a n s and J e w s . T h e chief rabbi w r o t e d o w n the I n e f f a b l e N a m e on a p i e c e of paper. TA: SMY: TA: SMY:

Who was this chief rabbi? Rabbi Meyuhas. Rabbi Meyuhas? Yes. Many Meyuhases were rabbis. hases were rabbis.

Back then, all the

Meyu-

W h e n he [the rabbi] p l a c e d the p i e c e of p a p e r on the c h i l d ' s f o r e h e a d he c a m e b a c k to life. T h e d e a d child sat up. "I w a n t to k n o w w h o killed y o u ! " he [the r a b b i ] said to the child. " P o i n t w i t h y o u r finger." To w h o m did the b o y p o i n t ? At o n e of the C h r i s t i a n s , o n e of t h e m . TA: SMY:

Yes. He pointed at one of the Christians and fell down dead again and didn 't revive. They took the man [the murderer]—this was under the Turks; even I was born in the time of the Turks. So

*An Islamic judge who rules on the basis of Islamic religious law.

TA: SMY: TA: SMY:

they took the man and hanged him in the middle of J a f f a Road. Where on J a f f a Road? Where the entrance to the Old City is. That's where they hanged him. That's what our ancestors used to say. And this too was a miracle. And it was another miracle that you celebrate. Of course. It was our miracle. It was in our synagogue, and they accused the Jews. And what happened after that to Rabbi Meyuhas? How did he die? Was there anything special about his death? No. Nothing happened to him. On the contrary. On the contrary. From that time on everybody started to praise the Jews. The Christians were always afraid after that. They never said anything. They saw how that man had been hanged.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 5 (IFA

15347)

Told by Simha

in Jerusalem

Meyuhas

Levy to Tamar Alexander

in

1986.1

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background For information about blood libels in Jewish history and tradition see the notes to tales IFA 10086, IFA 10611, and IFA 16405. The narrator of this version of the tale combines several family traditions about Raphael Meyuhas ben Samuel (?1695-1771) and associates him with legends that circulated about other personalities and leaders in the community at large. See the notes to tales IFA 15346 and IFA 15348.

Folktale Types •

*730D "Blood Libel: The Murdered Child Is Brought Back to Life."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • ‫־‬ • • • • • •

D1817.0.3 "Magic detection of murder." E52 "Resuscitation by magic charm." E75 "Resuscitation by writing deity's name." El21.5.1 "Resuscitation by rabbi." E231 "Return from dead to reveal murder." K2100 "False accusation." K2116 "Innocent person accused of murder." K2116.2 "Man falsely accused of murder." N 2 7 1 " M u r d e r will out." Q211 "Murder punished." *V360.1 "Blood libel." V361 "Christian [Muslim] child killed to furnish blood for Jewish rites."

Notes 1. Another translation is in T. Alexander, "A Legend of the Blood Libel in Jerusalem," 71-72.2 no. 4.

The Ba 'al Shem Τον and the Sorcerer TOLD

BY

A

Y E M E N I T E

JEW

TO

RACHEL

SERI

/‫־־‬or three d a y s , the B a ' a l S h e m Τον had been traveling with his disciples. O n the e v e n i n g of the third day they r e a c h e d a village. E n t e r i n g the establ i s h m e n t of a J e w i s h tavern k e e p e r , they a s k e d if they c o u l d s p e n d the night there. But the p r o p r i e t o r r e f u s e d . T h e y noticed that he s e e m e d to be p r e o c c u p i e d and that, inexplicably, m a n y c a n d l e s w e r e b u r n i n g in the r o o m . T h e B a ' a l S h e m Τον asked the m a n w h a t it all m e a n t , but the villager did not w a n t to answer. T h e B a ' a l S h e m Τον r e p e a t e d his q u e s t i o n . " E v e n if y o u r h o n o r k n e w w h a t m y p r o b l e m is," replied the tavern keeper, " h o w c o u l d you help m e ? A l a s , n o o n e h a s ever s u f f e r e d a disaster like m i n e . " T h e B a ' a l S h e m Τον p r e s s e d to k n o w m o r e , until finally the m a n a g r e e d to tell his story. " T o n i g h t w e are h o l d i n g a vigil in the h o u s e , b e c a u s e t o m o r r o w , with G o d ' s help, m y n e w b o r n son will be c i r c u m c i s e d . T h i s is m y f i f t h son. All his b r o t h e r s died on the eve of their c i r c u m c i s i o n s , at m i d n i g h t , w i t h o u t h a v i n g b e e n sick. S o I ' m p e t r i f i e d that s o m e d i s a s t e r will b e f a l l h i m tonight, as h a p p e n e d to his b r o t h e r s . " " F e a r n o t ! " replied the B a ' a l S h e m Τον. " G o ahead and p r e p a r e f o r tom o r r o w ' s c i r c u m c i s i o n . I p r o m i s e that the child will live. N o h a r m will befall him tonight." T h e f a t h e r w a s still a f r a i d . But w h e n he h e a r d these w o r d s he said, "If it turns out as m y m a s t e r says, I will give him half m y wealth and will give t h a n k s to the H o l y O n e , Blessed Be He, all the d a y s of my life." "I d o n ' t w a n t w e a l t h , " the rabbi a n s w e r e d . " B u t you m u s t not delay g i v i n g charity to r a n s o m his soul. N o w , call t w o strong m e n to stand next to the b a b y ' s c r a d l e with an o p e n sack in their h a n d s . O n e m a n s h o u l d stand on o n e side, h o l d i n g the sack, with the s e c o n d m a n h o l d i n g the sack on the o t h e r side. But they h a v e to be c a r e f u l not to d o z e off f o r even a moment." T u r n i n g to his disciples, he instructed t h e m to sit at the table and learn

Torah. T h e n , as he w e n t to lie d o w n on the b e d and rest, he s p o k e to the m e n s t a n d i n g by the b a b y ' s cradle: "If you feel that s o m e t h i n g has fallen into the o p e n sack, c l o s e it up instantly and tie it f i r m l y with a cord. T h e n c o m e w a k e m e up, and I'll tell you w h a t to do." T h e m a n did as they w e r e bidden. Just at m i d n i g h t the c a n d l e s started to f l i c k e r suddenly. T h e disciples did e v e r y t h i n g they c o u l d to b l o c k the d r a f t that w a s e x t i n g u i s h i n g t h e m . W h i l e they w e r e d o i n g this, the t w o m e n w h o w e r e w a t c h i n g the child saw a w e a s e l in the sack. W i t h o u t d e l a y they shut it, a n d tied it firmly, and w e n t to w a k e the rabbi. W h e n he got up, he asked the m e n w h e t h e r they had tied the m o u t h of the sack tightly. T h e n he said, " E a c h of you take a stick and beat the sack with all y o u r m i g h t . " T h e y did this until he g e s t u r e d to t h e m to stop. T h e n he told t h e m to untie the sack and t h r o w it [the w e a s e l ] outside. T h e y w e n t to c h e c k w h e t h e r the b a b y w a s all right and to get ready f o r the c i r c u m c i s i o n . W h e n m o r n i n g c a m e , they p r a y e d the Shaharit service. T h e n they b r o u g h t out the b a b y and g a v e the B a ' a l S h e m Τον the great h o n o r of b e i n g the sandek, h o l d i n g the b a b y w h i l e the c i r c u m c i s i o n w a s p e r f o r m e d exactly as p r e s c r i b e d . A f t e r the c e r e m o n y , the f a t h e r asked the B a ' a l S h e m Τον to stay f o r the f e a s t . H e a d d e d that first he h a d to b r i n g s w e e t m e a t s f r o m the c i r c u m c i sion festivities to the lord of the village, a very evil m a n of w h o m he w a s mortally afraid. " G o in p e a c e , " said the rabbi. T h e f a t h e r w e n t to the lord of the village. H e f o u n d h i m i n d i s p o s e d , lying in his bed, the m a r k s of a brutal b e a t i n g visible on his face. T h e lord r e c e i v e d h i m cordially, t h o u g h , a n d a s k e d , " W h o is that m a n s t a y i n g in your house?" " H e ' s a J e w f r o m P o l a n d w h o c a m e to stay with m e last night. H e saved m y son f r o m d e a t h . " " H u r r y h o m e , " said the lord, " a n d tell y o u r g u e s t to c o m e see m e today, w i t h o u t f a i l ! " T h e tavern k e e p e r left the l o r d ' s h o u s e quite upset, terrified that he m i g h t be the c a u s e of s o m e disaster. W h e n he got h o m e he b e g g e d the rabbi not to be a n g r y with h i m a n d told h i m w h a t had h a p p e n e d at the l o r d ' s h o u s e . H e a d v i s e d h i m [the rabbi] not to g o but to send his servant to say he had n o t i m e to accept the invitation, since he w a s leaving the villäge i m m e d i a t e l y . " I ' m not a f r a i d of h i m , " replied the B a ' a l S h e m Τον. "I will g o see him."

A f t e r the feast, the rabbi w e n t to the lord of the village. "I k n e w you w e r e the o n e w h o did this to me," the lord told h i m . "You got the better of m e o n l y b e c a u s e you c a u g h t m e u n a w a r e , w h e n I w a s n ' t e x p e c t i n g it. If you w a n t to m a t c h y o u r s o r c e r y with m i n e , to see w h o is g r e a t e r in that art, wait until I recover. T h e n w e ' l l see w h o ' s stronger." " S o be it," the rabbi replied. " B u t n o w I m u s t hurry on m y way. L e t ' s set a day w h e n y o u ' l l c o m e with all y o u r f r i e n d s and I'll c o m e with all m y d i s c i p l e s to m a t c h o u r p o w e r s and see w h o ' s stronger. But there is o n e t h i n g you s h o u l d k n o w : I ' m not a sorcerer. I ' m an o r d i n a r y G o d - f e a r i n g m a n a n d not a f r a i d of sorcery." T h e y set a day. T h e rabbi a g r e e d to c o m e b a c k then and c o n t i n u e d his journey. W h e n the a p p o i n t e d day c a m e , the B a ' a l S h e m Τον traveled to the villäge w i t h all his d i s c i p l e s . W h e n they got there, they t u r n e d aside into a b r o a d valley near the village. T h e r e the rabbi d r e w t w o circles, o n e inside the other. H e stood in the i n n e r c i r c l e ; his d i s c i p l e s , in the o u t e r circle. " S t a n d there and w a t c h m y f a c e closely," he w a r n e d t h e m . "If you see any c h a n g e in it, set y o u r t h o u g h t s on r e p e n t a n c e and d o n ' t take y o u r attention f r o m m e f o r even a m o m e n t . " T h e lord of the village c a m e with all his f e l l o w sorcerers. H e too d r e w a circle, a n d the t w o g r o u p s stood f a c i n g e a c h o t h e r all day. T h e lord of the v i l l a g e c a l l e d u p h o r d e s of s n a k e s and lizards a n d b e a s t s and wild a n i m a l s w h o c a m e b e l l o w i n g t o w a r d the B a ' a l S h e m Τον a n d his disciples. But w h e n they [the c r e a t u r e s ] r e a c h e d the o u t e r circle, they v a n i s h e d as if they had never been. T h e s o r c e r e r r e p e a t e d the attack again a n d a g a i n , with v a r i a t i o n s : O n c e h e sent wild a n i m a l s ; a n o t h e r t i m e d o g s ; and yet a n o t h e r t i m e s n a k e s . But w h e n they r e a c h e d the b o u n d a r y , they w e r e u n a b l e to p e n e träte the circle. S e e i n g this, the s o r c e r e r g a t h e r e d all his r e m a i n i n g strength a n d sent a g a i n s t t h e m a vast herd of wild b o a r s , s n o r t i n g fire f r o m their nostrils. T h i s time, the first circle w a s b r e a c h e d . T h e d i s c i p l e s , s e e i n g their m a s t e r ' s f a c e alter, c o n c e n t r a t e d on t h o u g h t s of r e p e n t a n c e and called to G o d . A n d with G o d ' s help, the beasts d i s a p p e a r e d b e f o r e they r e a c h e d the s e c o n d circle. T h r e e t i m e s the s o r c e r e r did this, b e f o r e he f a l t e r e d . T h e n he said to the rabbi, " M y strength has failed. Take m y soul. I k n e w that you w o u l d kill m e and that n o n e c o u l d save m e f r o m y o u . " " D i d n ' t I tell you b e f o r e , " said the rabbi, "that I a m not a s o r c e r e r like y o u . I a m only the B a ' a l S h e m Τον. If I had w a n t e d to take y o u r soul, you

w o u l d long since have been a m u t i l a t e d c o r p s e . T h e night you c a m e to the tavern k e e p e r ' s son I c o u l d have turned you into a pile of b o n e s . I s p a r e d y o u r life so y o u w o u l d k n o w that there is a living G o d in w o r l d a n d that all w h o serve h i m truly and with a p e r f e c t heart n e e d f e a r sorcerers."

kill But the not

S u d d e n l y , the rabbi b r o k e off his s p e e c h . H e stood there t h i n k i n g f o r a bit a n d then a d d e d : " B u t to s h o w you the p o w e r a n d m i g h t of the L o r d , look straight u p into the vault of H e a v e n now." T h e s o r c e r e r l o o k e d u p into the sky a n d saw t w o c r o w s flying d o w n . A l i g h t i n g on his head, e a c h of t h e m p e c k e d out o n e of his eyes. B l i n d f o r the rest of his life and d e p r i v e d of his s o r c e r e r ' s p o w e r s , he c o u l d h a r m n o one. T h u s m a y all y o u r e n e m i e s perish, Ο Lord!*

*See Judges 5:31.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 6 (IFA

863)

Recorded by Rachel Seri in 1958 in Jerusalem from lier uncle, who told her the story when he was eighty years old. The uncle, a Yemenite Jew, was born in San 'a and immigrated to Israel when he was three years old; he heard the story from Rabbi Mansoor, a native Israeli.

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Israel Ba'al Shem Τον (c. 1700-1760), known by his acronym "the Besht," was a historical healer who lived in Medzhibozh, Podolia. There he gained local reputation as a ba'al shem (master of name), and later became the legendary founder of the Hasidic movement. 1 For a discussion of the use of names in Jewish magic and the role of the ba 'al shem, see the notes to tale IFA 6306 (vol. 2). The Hasidic movement emerged in Galicia, Poland, and the Ukraine during the eighteenth century and spread widely throughout eastern Europe during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its current centers are in Israel and the United States. Although the Hasidic movement originated in Ashkenazic Jewry (where it predominantly remains), Sephardic narrators tell stories about the magical prowess of its legendary founder, the Ba'al Shem Τον. In fact, 11 out of the 135 IFA tales about the rabbi were told by Sephardic narrators from the Land of Israel. The present tale, recounting the sorcerer's combat, builds on a theme that has at least eight hundred years of history in Jewish folklore. In its basic narrative pattern, a leading religious Jewish figure saves an individual or an entire community from destruction or harassment. He does so by being engaged in a magical combat with a hostile witch. Traditionally, the tale is known as the "Akdamut" story (sometimes spelled "Aqdamoth") because a widespread Yiddish legendary tradition associates the story with Rabbi Meir ben Isaac Nehorai, Sheli'ah Zibbur (cantor), of Worms (d. before 1096) and the author of "Akdamut Millin." "Akdamut Millin" is a ninety-line acrostic Aramaic poem, consisting of a double alphabet and the author's name. It is recited in Ashkenazic services for Shavuot before the reading of Exodus 19-20 (the theophany on Mount Sinai). According to the legend, Rabbi Meir saved the community of Worms by crossing the river Sambatyon and enlisting the help of a magician from the land of the Ten Lost Tribes, to whom he also sent his poem. A study, including a bibliography, of the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Yiddish versions of this legend is available, 2 as is a likely sixteenth-century Yiddish version. 3 For information about the Ten Lost Tribes and the river Sambatyon, see the notes to tale IFA 10103. Other traditional figures functioned in the role of a magical defender of their communities: 1. Rabbi Joseph, Ba'al shemot, is featured in a version of the tale that draws on oral sources of the twelfth century. 4 2. Rabbi Judah the Pious (c. 1150-1217) is the hero of a similar narrative that dates from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. 5

3. Maimonides (1135-1204) plays the role of the defender of the community in yet another version. 6 Instead of these prominent figures, anonymous individuals assume the role of community defender in other versions, shifting the narrative emphasis from a tale believed to be historical to one in the fictive realm. For example, a Jerusalemite functions as a defender of the Jewish community in a version found in an Italian manuscript from 1775. 7 Gaster 8 summarized two seventeenth-century versions of the tale featuring anonymous defenders. The first of these tales refers to "a king of Poland" who is instigated by a sorcerer-monk to issue a decree against the Jews; the second is unique in so far that it has "a young girl dressed as a man" in the role of the Jewish magician from across the river Sambatyon. 9 Analyzing two additional versions, Yassif 10 observed that the tale exists in two thematic configurations, differentiated along linguistic lines. While both Hebrew and Yiddish versions might include the journey to the land of the Ten Lost Tribes, only the Yiddish versions, or their Hebrew translations, associate this episode with Rabbi Meir and his poem "Akdamut Millin." The earliest known written version in which the Ba'al Shem Τον is in the role of the Jewish combatant appears in Megillat Setarim (Secret scroll), the personal diary of Isaac Judah Jehiel Safrin of Komarno (1806-1874). The diary has two parts: " S e f e r Hezyyonot" (A book of visions), devoted to personal thoughts and dreams, and " M a ' a s e h ha-Shem" (The act of God), which includes tales about the Besht that Safrin heard from his teacher and father-in-law, Rabbi Abraham Mordechai of Pinczow. After a period of seventy years of circulation as manuscript, the diary was edited and published by Ben-Menachem." Another Hasidic version, attached to another tale, was included in M. L. Frumkin's [Rodkinson's] Sefer Adat Tzaddikim (1864). 12 Adat Tzaddikim is the source of the version that appeared in the widely circulated anthology edited by Waiden. 13 Discussions of Frumkin's [Rodkinson's] position in the history of Hasidic literature and further analyses of this story and its importance in the history of Jewish folktales are available. 14 Sorcerers' combat narratives between the Ba'al Shem Τον and a gentile witch have appeared in the Hasidic tradition since its inception. 15 In most medieval and Hasidic versions, the magical combat occurs in the liminal phase of a rite of passage for either birth or death or in an annual cycle ritual such as the Day of Atonement. Two magical rituals are prominent in this story: The first is the Wachnacht, a "watchful night" devoted to prayer and the recitation of Psalms to ward off evil spirits, demons, and particularly Lilith that is held the evening before the circumcision ceremony. 16 The second is the use of magic protective circles. Sorcerers and diviners of many nations have used them in that capacity; and in medieval European Christian saint legends, the circle serves, as in the present

story, as a protective boundary, either keeping animals from entering or containing them within. 17 This particular type of magical combat story is absent from the narrative traditions of Jews of Islamic countries. 1 8 Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that such stories became part of the Sephardic tradition through contact with Ashkenazic communities, in the same way other stories about the Besht were passed along. In diverse communities, Jews observe the custom of the watchful night. 1 9 However, these particular tales have been recorded only among the Sephardim of the Land of Israel, where the Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities have lived side by side since the eighteenth century. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Three other versions of this tale appear in the IFA; they were told by narrators from Lithuania and Rumania. • • •

IFA 2030: The Black Cat (Lithuania). 2 0 IFA 14205: The Black Cat (Romania). 2 1 IFA 20712: The Besht and the Landowner

Folktale • • •

( Romania).

Types

**747 (Hansen), "Witches Do Harm." **748 (Hansen), "Transformation into Animals." 1168 "Various Ways of Expelling Devils."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Β17.2.3.1 "Raven plucks out men's eyes." B268.4 "Sorcerer's army of magic animals." C735.1.2 "Tabu: sleeping before task is finished." D117 "Transformation: man to rodent." D124.1 "Transformation: man to weasel." D1272 "Magic circle." D 1 3 8 1 . i l "Magic circle protects from devil." D1381.11.1 "Magic circle protects from wild animals." D1385.7 "Magic circle averts sorcery." D1713 "Magic power of hermit (saint, yogi)." D1719.1 "Contest in magic." D1741 "Magic powers lost." D1840.1 "Magic invulnerability of saints." D2176 "Exorcising by magic." E434.9 "Candle light protection against ghost." G303.16.19.15 "Devil cannot enter magic circle made to keep him out." Q451.7 "Blinding as punishment." V82 "Circumcision." V351.3 "Magician overpowered in contest with a saint."

Notes 1. See Rosman, The Founder of Hasidism; and Ben-Amos and Mintz, In Praise of the Baal Shem Τον. 2. Rivkind, "The Historical Allegory of Rabbi Meir Shatz." 3. Shmeruk, "Gli Inizi della Prosa Narritva in Yiddish e il Suo Centro in Italia." 4. Dan, "An Early Hebrew Source of the Yiddish 'Aqdamoth' Story"; and Dan, "Demonological Stories in the Writings of R. Yehudah Hehasid." See also H. Schwartz, Lilith's Cave, 84-90 no. 13. 5. See Ms. Jerusalem 132a-b; and Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch 6:139-141. A Yiddish rendition of the latter version is in Gaster, Ma 'aseh Book, 2:368-373 no. 174; the original Yiddish text is printed in J. Maitlis, The Exempta of Rabbi Samuel and Rabbi Judah, the Pious, 124-127 no. 174. 6. Ms. New Haven 24a 1 la-12b. 7. The manuscript is now at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. It was published in L. Ginzberg, AI Halakhah ve-Aggadah (On halakhah and aggadah), 230-232. 8. The Exempta of the Rabbis 369(58) no. 369, and 178 no. 445. 9. For a discussion of the literary history of these texts, see Dan, "The History of the Hebrew Aqdamoth Story." 10. "Two Early Versions of the Aqdamoth Story." The tales are in the Ms. Paris 152/7 (no. 3243 in the National Library Institute for Hebrew Manuscripts). 11. Itzhak Yehudah Yehiel Safrin (a version of the present tale is on pp. 35-36). For a biographical sketch of Safrin, see Nigal, Hassidic Tales Collectors, 13-18. 12. See Rodkinson, Hasidic Tales, 2 5 - 2 8 no. 4. 13. Anonymous [Waiden], Kehal Hasidim, 11 b-12a. Walden's version is anthologized in Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 4:9-12. 14. Dan, The Hasidic Story, 195-220; and Nigal, Hassidic Tales Collectors, 19-29, 125-126, 190-207, 216-218. See also, Nigal, Magic, Mysticism and Hasidism, 157-178; and Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale, 351-356 (English ed.). 15. Ben-Amos and Mintz, op. cit., 123 no. 98 and cf. 129-131 no. 105; and Rubinstein. In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Τον, 168-169 no. 64 and cf. 175-176 no. 71. 16. J. Bergmann, Ha-Folklor ha-Yehudi (Jewish folklore), 29; and Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic and Superstition, 170-172. 17. Loomis, White Magic, 100. For a discussion of the use of circles among medieval Jewish Ba 'alei shem see Trachtenberg, op. cit. 121. 18. Ε. Marcus, "The Confrontation between Jews and Non-Jews." 19. J. Bergmann, op. cit.; and Zadoc, History and Customs of the Jews in the Yemen, 213. 20. Published in Fus, Seven Bags of Gold, 2 3 - 2 6 no. 6. 21. Avitsuk, The Fate of a Child, 4 1 ^ t 2 no. 25.

On Passover TOLD

BY

SOL

O Q O N O S

TO

SHLOMOH

A L A L U F

i n the town of Saloniki there lived a p o o r m a n , utterly destitute. O n e day b e f o r e P a s s o v e r he w e n t d o w n to the shore. D e s p o n d e n t that he w o u l d not be able to c e l e b r a t e the seder b e c a u s e his h o u s e w a s bare and he had absolutely n o t h i n g , he w a l k e d sadly a l o n g the shore. S u d d e n l y , the A n g e l of D e a t h c a m e striding toward h i m , d i s g u i s e d as a h u m a n being. " W h y are you so s a d ? " a s k e d the d i s g u i s e d Angel of Death. " M y h o u s e is e m p t y , a n d I h a v e n o t h i n g with w h i c h to c e l e b r a t e Passover, w h i c h is very soon," replied the p o o r fellow. " I ' l l give you a h u n d r e d p o u n d s in g o l d . G o p r e p a r e a festive seder in y o u r h o u s e . W h e n you m a k e the b l e s s i n g o v e r the first c u p of w i n e , I'll c o m e to y o u r h o u s e and ask you three q u e s t i o n s . If you can a n s w e r t h e m , y o u ' l l l i v e — w e a l t h y a n d happy. But if not, y o u ' l l die; and I'll take you with me." T h e p o o r m a n a g r e e d , took the m o n e y , a n d w e n t h o m e . W h e n he got there, he told his w i f e w h a t had h a p p e n e d . "Is there any point in b u y i n g t h i n g s f o r the s e d e r with this m o n e y ? " he a s k e d . " P a s s o v e r is a l m o s t here, and the seder is a great m i t z v a h , " replied his w i f e . " G o buy w h a t w e need f o r Passover. A n d m a y G o d protect u s ! " S o the m a n w e n t and b o u g h t e v e r y t h i n g they n e e d e d f o r Passover. His w i f e set the table b e a u t i f u l l y f o r the seder. E v e r y t h i n g w a s ready. T h e y sat d o w n to begin. But he d i d n ' t have the c o u r a g e to begin the Kiddush over the first c u p of w i n e . . . . S u d d e n l y , they h e a r d a timid k n o c k at the door. Elijah the P r o p h e t entered, d i s g u i s e d as an old m a n . " M a y I c e l e b r a t e the s e d e r with you a n d s l e e p h e r e ? " he a s k e d . " C o m e in! You are w e l c o m e ! " All s m i l e s , the p o o r m a n a n d his w i f e invited him in a n d s h o w e d him great r e s p e c t . T h e y b r o u g h t w a t e r so he c o u l d w a s h his f a c e and feet a n d g a v e him a p l a c e at the table. But w h e n they w e r e seated, the n e w c o m e r saw that they w e r e hesitating " W h y d o n ' t you recite the

KiddushV

T h e p o o r m a n and his w i f e told h i m the story. " D o n ' t be a f r a i d , " Elijah told t h e m . " I ' m here with y o u . Start." S o the m a n b e g a n to recite the Kiddush. T h e y h e a r d a k n o c k at the door. " D o n ' t a n s w e r it," said Elijah the P r o p h e t . " I ' l l go." " W h o ' s t h e r e ? " he called. F r o m the o t h e r side of the door, the Angel of Death asked, "Is that you, E l i j a h ? P e r h a p s you can tell m e h o w I r e c o g n i z e d you t h r o u g h the d o o r ? " "You can see m e t h r o u g h the k e y h o l e . " T h e A n g e l of D e a t h : " Y o u r w i f e h a s given b i r t h ! " Elijah: " M a z e l t o v ! " T h e A n g e l of D e a t h : " I t ' s t w i n s ! " Elijah: " S u c h is G o d ' s will." T h e A n g e l of D e a t h : " O n e of t h e m has died." E l i j a h : " T h e debt is paid. T h e L o r d h a s given, a n d the L o r d has taken away." T h e A n g e l of D e a t h : " T h e o t h e r o n e is ill Why?" E l i j a h : " F r o m grief at the death of his brother." T h e A n g e l of D e a t h , r e a l i z i n g that he c o u l d not get inside, o u t w i t Elijah, or r e m o v e him f r o m his post, v a n i s h e d in a gust of w i n d .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR TALE 1 7 (IFA

7000)

Told by Sol Oqonos, an immigrant from Saloniki,1 and recorded by Shlomoh Alaluf Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The tale revolves around three issues: the anxiety concerning an adequate amount of food for a religious celebration, the association of Elijah the Prophet with the seder, and the struggle between Elijah and the Angel of Death over a human soul.

Festive Passover Celebration Within the Jewish calendar there are two family occasions, the weekly Sabbath and the annual Passover, that have caused anxiety concerning an adequate supply of food and its appropriateness for the celebration. In the rabbinical period, there was also a third occasion, on the eve of Yom Kippur, that called for a festive, protein-laden meal (BT Pesahim 109a; Mishnah Hullin 5:3). 2 While food and drink are part of the festivity of many holidays, in the narrative traditions worries over food are mainly concerned with the Sabbath and Passover and only rarely for Yom Kippur eve. The documentation of such tales dates back to the talmudicmidrashic era, and this theme continued to occur in oral and written sources of subsequent periods. The talmudic-midrashic narratives associate two figures in particular with the meal preparation for the Sabbath: Joseph the Sabbath Lover, a fictive character who appears in a folktale that has become an exempla, and Hanina ben Dosa, a pious scholar of the first century c.E. The story about Joseph the Sabbath Lover— a version of tale type 736A, "The Ring of Polycrates"—occurs in the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 119a) and in many tale collections thereafter. 3 In one version, the story revolves around the preparation for the Yom Kippur eve meal (MR Genesis I 1:4,92). Similarly, the story about Hanina ben Dosa appears first in the Babylonian Talmud (Berachot 17b; Ta'anit 24b-25a) and then in many tale collections thereafter. 4 Two other versions of this story feature Rabbi Simon ben Halafta, a tanna of the second century, instead of Hanina ben Dosa; one concerns provisions for the Sabbath (MR Exodus 52:3), and the other for the Passover seder (MR Ruth 3:4; The Midrash on Psalms 92:8). 5 Although the present story does not necessarily correspond to the historical emergence of the seder as the central occasion of the Passover celebration, it does seem to represent a growing folk concern with adequate provisions for the meal. 6

Elijah in the Seder Since the Middle Ages, the image of Elijah the Prophet as the ultimate provider of food for the righteous poor has been established in Jewish tradition in narra-

tive and ritual song. The story of Elijah who entreated a poor man to sell himself as a slave and then miraculously built a palace for his master occurred first in Hibbur yafe me-yeshu'ah, written in the eleventh century by Rabbi Nissim Gaon of Kairouan. 7 This story is the basis for the popular song '75/2 hasid hayah" (There was a pious man), written by Jesse bar Mordecai (twelfth or thirteenth century) and sung on Saturday night. There is an analog of this tale in Arabic tradition in the writings of alTha'alibi (961-1038), 8 but in Jewish tradition it is consistent with the numerous folktales about Elijah as a provider of provisions and wealth. The first of these narratives are biblical (1 Kings 17:8-16). In the talmudic-midrashic period, Elijah's image as a magical provider diminished, only to increase in popularity from the Middle Ages onward. Ritualistically, the presence of Elijah in the Passover seder is not related to his role as a magical supplier of provisions but draws on other aspects of his traditional image. Furthermore, any references to him in the Passover seder are relatively late and stem from popular traditions and interpretations rather than rabbinical authoritative propositions. Although both the celebration of the Passover—either as the holiday of the unleavened bread or as the festival of the paschal lamb (Exodus 12:1-14,15-20)—and the earliest Elijah stories are biblical (1 Kings 17-19, 2 1 : 2 Kings 1:3-2:18), none of the texts contains even so much as a hint about any connection between them. Neither does the talmudicmidrashic literature, in which Elijah has a prominent presence, unite him with the Passover celebration. The earliest medieval figure who is told to have seen Elijah the Prophet at the Passover seder is Rabbi Judah the Pious (c. 1150-1217), but the incident occurs in a narrative that was published only at the beginning of the seventeenth century, although it might have been in oral circulation from earlier times. 9 The association of Elijah with the seder has no apparent basis in either biblical or postbiblical texts, yet it has become a basic feature of the celebration and a common folktale theme. Its origin lies in two apparently unrelated ideas that converge within the ritualistic context of the seder. Rabbinical literature and its later interpreters have evidence that there were two distinct traditions about the number of glasses of wine that are required, or permitted, to be drunk at the seder. Some contend four, whereas others say five (BT Pesahim 118a). While the talmudic text does not relegate this particular dispute to Elijah to resolve, popularly it was assumed that Elijah would solve the dilemma; therefore, the fifth glass became known as the Cup of Elijah, which was to be poured but not drunk.' 0 The pouring of the glass and the opening of the door, acts that earlier might have had different functions and interpretations, occur during the seder when the messianic expectations and a call for vengeance on the enemies of the Jews reach a climatic moment, and hence Elijah is expected in his aspect as the herald of the Messiah."

Elijah and the Angel of Death In several folktales, as in the present story, Elijah the Prophet acts as the antagonist of the Angel of Death, confronting him not forcefully but cunningly, and often instructs the condemned person to follow positive social values or commandments, thus assisting him or her in averting a tragic fate. Counting Elijah among the angels, an anonymous tanna is quoted in the Babylonian Talmud as saying that Elijah is superior to the Angel of Death: "A [tanna] taught: Michael [reaches his goal] in one [flight], Gabriel in two, Elijah in four, and the Angel of Death in eight. In the time of plague, however, [the Angel of Death, too, reaches his goal] in one" (Berachot 4b). In most cases, the contesting relations between Elijah the Prophet and the Angel of Death are in a wedding context, when the Angel of Death is about to take the bridegroom's soul and Elijah interferes and saves the young couple from tragedy. In some of these tales, Elijah and the angel Raphael are interchangeable. 12 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Other tales of this type in the IFA are the following: •

IFA 7005: The Story about a Rabbi and His Beautiful Daughter (Elijah the Prophet) (Iran). ‫ ״‬IFA 7715: Charity Will Save from Death ( Elijah the Prophet and the Angel of Death) (Irani Kurdistan). • IFA 14148: The Bridegroom and the Angel of Death (Elijah the Prophet) (Yemen). • IFA 2239: Godfather Elijah the Prophet Disguised as Angel of Death (Yemen). 13 See also tales IFA 2830 and IFA 16395. In the IFA, there are no parallel tales in which the confrontation between Elijah the Prophet and the Angel of Death occurs during the Passover seder. Folktale Types •

812 "The Devil's Riddle" (a unique version; see motif M218.1).

Folklore Motifs • ‫״‬ • • • •

D1719.9.2 "Magic power at Passover." F900.1.2 "Miracles on first night of Passover." J 155.4 "Wife as an adviser." Κ1821.8 "Disguise as old man." M218.1 "Pacts with the devil, sealed in blood, made ineffective by a saint.'" 4 P210 "Husband and wife."

• • • • • •

Q45 "Hospitality rewarded." R185.1 "Mortal deceives Angel of Death." V75.1 "Passover." V233 "Angel of Death." *V295 "Elijah the Prophet." Z71.1 "Formulistic number: three."

Notes 1. First published in E. Marcus, Min Ha-Mabua, 29-31 no. 5. Another translation is in Schram, Tales of Elijah the Prophet, 115-117 no. 17. 2. See J. Tabory, Jewish Festivals in the Time of the Mishnah and Talmud, 302-303. 3. Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 175-176 no. 91 (1990 ed.); Ν. Cohen, "Structural Analysis of a Talmudic Story"; and Elstein and Lipsker, "Joseph Who Honors the Sabbath." 4. Bin Gorion, op. cit., 136-137 no. 66. For studies about Hanina ben Dosa, see Vermes, "Hanina ben Dosa"; and Bokser, "Wonder-Working and the Rabbinic Tradition." 5. Bin Gorion, op. cit., 138 no. 67. 6. For studies about the historical development of the rituals of Passover, see Bokser, The Origins of the Seder, esp. 53-66; Bokser, "Changing Views of Passover"; Fredman, The Passover Seder; M. Harris, "The Passover Seder"; Safrai, In Times of Temple and Mishnah, 2:298-306; Segal, The Hebrew Passover; S. Stein, "The Influence of Symposia Literature on the Literary Form of the Pesah Haggadah" (reprinted in Fischel, Essays in Greco-Roman and Related Talmudic Literature, 198-229); Tabory, The History of the Order of the Passover Eve; Tabory, "AINusah ha-Haggadah bi-Zman ha-Bait" (About the Haggadah text in the period of the Second Temple); Tabory, "The Passover Eve Ceremony"; Tabory, "Towards a Characterization of the Passover Meal"; Tabory, Jewish Festivals in the Times of the Mishnah and Talmud, 84-130; Bahr, "The Seder of Passover and the Eucharistie Words" (reprinted in Fischel, op. cit., 473-494); Bradshaw and Hoffman, Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times; and Bradshaw and Hoffman, Passover and Easter: The Symbolic Structuring of Sacred Seasons. 7. S. Abramson, Nissim, 418; H. Hirschberg, HibburYafe me-ha-Yeshu'ah (An elegant composition), 51, 58-60 no. 21, 60-70; and Brinner, An Elegant Composition Concerning Relief after Adversity, 99-102 no. 21. Further references can be found in Bin Gorion, op. cit., 436-437 no. 223. 8. Bin Gorion, op. cit. 9. Gaster, Ma'aseh Book, 2:394-395 no. 182. 10. Kasher, Hagadah Shelemah, 161-178; Avida, Koso shel Eliyahu ha-Navi (Elijah's Cup); and "Elijah, Cup of," EJ 6:645. 11. Lewinski, Sefer ha-Mo'adim (The festivals book), 2:148-151; Fredman, op. cit., 45-46, 119-121, 125-127; D. Noy, "Eliyahu ha-Navi be-Leil ha-Seder" (Elijah the Prophet on the Passover eve"); Schauss, The Jewish Festivals, 80-82. 12. For a comprehensive study of this theme see Schwarzbaum, "The Hero Predestined to Die on His Wedding Day." See also Bin Gorion, op. cit., 207-209 no. 116 and cf. 357-360 no. 196. 13. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 6 3 - 6 4 no. 18. 14. In this case, the Angel of Death acts as the devil, and Elijah the Prophet as the saint.

Hakham Eliyahu Is Born through the Special Virtues of the Cave of the Prophet Elijah F R I D A H

B E N - K I K I

In the A r d al-Yahud n e i g h b o r h o o d of H a i f a there lived a S e p h a r d i c f a m ily, g o o d J e w s . T h e h u s b a n d w a s a scholar and m a n of good d e e d s , and his w i f e w a s a truly r i g h t e o u s w o m a n . T h e entire c o m m u n i t y r e s p e c t e d h i m and asked his a d v i c e . T h e c o u p l e dealt m e r c i f u l l y with o r p h a n s and w i d o w s and the poor. O n c e a w o m a n c a m e s e e k i n g a d v i c e . W h e n she entered the h o u s e , the m a n and his w i f e g r e e t e d her cordially. T h e y sat a n d related all sorts of tales f o r a n u m b e r of hours. W h e n the w o m a n rose to leave, the w i f e a s k e d her: " W h a t d o you want, my daughter?" At that, the w o m a n started c r y i n g and told all: " E v e r y t i m e I get pregnant, w i t h i n a f e w m o n t h s I m i s c a r r y , and the child dies in m y w o m b . What should I d o ? " S h e w a s e x h a u s t e d and could n o l o n g e r e n d u r e it. In addition, her husb a n d w a s t h r e a t e n i n g to d i v o r c e her. If she c o u l d not have c h i l d r e n like every o t h e r w o m a n , w h a t g o o d w a s s h e ? T h e r e w e r e c o n s t a n t a r g u m e n t s in her h o u s e and s h o u t s loud e n o u g h to be heard in H e a v e n . W h a t w o u l d b e c o m e of her? "I c a n ' t stand these troubles any more. Death is better than a life like this." A n d she cried w i t h o u t letup. T h e m a n ' s w i f e e m b r a c e d her a n d told her to c a l m d o w n and s t o p crying. "I have g o o d advice, so relax, my dear. G o h o m e , g o to the b a t h h o u s e , w a s h yourself with p e r f u m e d soap, and g o to the mikveh* Of c o u r s e , you will recite all the required b e n e d i c t i o n s . T h e n get d r e s s e d and g o straight to the c a v e of E l i j a h the P r o p h e t . " T a k e c a n d l e s with y o u , and light t h e m in his m e m o r y . Take b l a n k e t s

*Ritual bath.

to sleep on, some cake, a bottle of brandy or wine, and a little money. There are people who sleep there regularly. Go there for three nights, and the Lord will help you." They kissed each other warmly. Then the woman said good-bye and went home. She did everything the hakham's* wife had told her to do. Taking what she had been told [to take], she went to Elijah's cave, where she lit the candles and gave the cake and wine to the men. They drank her health and gave her a blessing that the Lord might assist her through his agent Elijah the Prophet. They prayed until late at night. Finally, they lay down and fell asleep. Utter peace reigned in the cave and outside. The moon, making its circuit in the blue-black sky, peered into the cave at the bitter souls who had come seeking relief through the holy prophet Elijah. The young woman dreamed that a child was crying bitterly next to her, wanting to suckle. She woke up and saw it was only a dream. She fell back asleep—for she was tired—and had the same dream. Three times. Toward morning she awoke and could not fall back to sleep. Bit by bit, all the sleepers got up. She told them her dream, and they interpreted it for her: "You are a happy woman. Now go home, and in another year you'll have a son. Name him for Elijah the Prophet, and he will help you. Amen. Amen." She stayed there for three days and three nights, just as the hakham's wife had instructed her. Then she went home, all radiant and happy. She prepared a festive dinner. Her husband came home from the synagogue after the afternoon and evening prayers. "Good evening, my good wife, how are you? Where have you been these three days and three nights? I looked for you at your parents and your friends but couldn't find you. Finally I went to sleep alone, tired and worn out from my day's toil. I fell asleep instantly and dreamed that my wife was embracing a child, in good fortune, and all were extremely happy. I woke up, and it was just a dream. I fell asleep again and had the same dream—three times, one after the other. When I awoke and the sun had already sent forth its first rays, I got up, dressed, and went to look for you, because I wanted to tell you my dream. But I couldn't find you.

'In Sephardic communities it is a title of a local rabbi, an honorific term of address and a designation for a preeminent scholar.

"My dear wife, I have missed you. My soul almost left me. Come, let me give you my hand." He embraced her and kissed her on the forehead. "A new chapter has begun in our lives. I won't speak harsh words any more, only tender ones. Everything will be well, inshallah;* the dream will be realized. Henceforth you will bear live and healthy children, and we will raise a strong and brave generation, versed in the Torah and the wisdom of Israel. And we'll live happily ever after." His wife rejoiced at these kind words. He left the house in a good mood and went to the synagogue to pray. From that time forth, her husband never yelled at her. Their life was more pleasant. She became pregnant and took special care of herself. When she gave birth to a healthy and lovely son, she named him for Elijah the Prophet, his memory for a blessing. The child grew up and became a great leader in Israel—Hakham Eliyahu. All the Jews, Sephardim and Ashkenazim of all communities, respected and loved him. He was a scholar and performed many good deeds, for God and for his fellows. Even the Arabs respected him, came to ask his advice, and brought him gifts. He had a sharp mind, built a synagogue for the public, and his fame preceded him.

"Arabic for "If God wills it."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 8 (IFA

2830)

Esther Weinstein, Rabbi Hayyim Salz 's daughter, wrote down this tale from memory in 1961. Fridah ben-Kiki, an Israeli Sephardic woman, told this story in Arabic to Esther's mother, who in turn told it in Yiddish to Esther when she was a child. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Ard al-Yahud, the Jewish quarter on the eastern slopes of Mount Carmel and the eastern part of Ottoman Haifa, 1 was built in the late nineteenth century and was settled by Jews from Turkey and North Africa (mainly from Morocco). Their housing resembled that of their Arab neighbors, but they observed their Jewish religion and had a synagogue in which they prayed. 2 The Carmel coastal mountain range has only a few sanctified sites, which are traditional burial locations of biblical personalities or later rabbis and holy men. These sites are concentrated inland, in the Galilee and around Jerusalem. 3 Noted exceptions are the places associated with Elijah the Prophet and his disciple Elisha the son of Shaphat. The Bible has incidental references connecting Elisha with Mount Carmel. For example, Elisha went to this mountain and then returned to Samaria (2 Kings 2:25). Later, he apparently lived there (2 Kings 4:25); but when he died (2 Kings 13:20-21), his burial place remained unknown. On the other hand, Elijah has a clear and dramatic association with Mount Carmel. As a biblical personality, he was a wondering prophet whose sphere of activities was national rather than local. He would go into hiding and then make sudden appearances before the political mighty and the needy poor alike. Although he traveled mainly west of the Jordan River, somewhat mysteriously he hailed from the Gilead, east of the Jordan (1 Kings 17:1). Mount Carmel stands out in Elijah's brief biblical biography, for there he had a major confrontation with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19-40). Several areas in the mountain range have become sacred by virtue of his having been there. Some of these 10cations are mentioned in the scriptures, but others are noted only in the oral tradition, which disregards biblical geography. For example, in 1 Kings 17:3, Elijah hid at the Wadi Cherith, which is said to be "east of the Jordan." The oral tradition, however, identifies the hiding place as a cave by the sea. 4 Analyses of the biblical narratives about Elijah and Elisha have been published. 5 Christians, Muslims, and Jews share some but not all of the sites of commemoration on Mount Carmel. At the mountain summit, El-Muhraka, the traditional location of Elijah's battle with the prophets of Baal, there is a Carmelite monastery and a chapel. In addition, the Monastery of Elijah is located on the western slope of the mountain, and its high altar is above a large grotto known as Elijah's cave. 6 According to Jewish medieval tradition a location above Elijah's cave is

known as Elisha's tomb. This naming is relatively late, occurring in the fourteenth century and after the identification of the cave as Elijah's hiding place. The earliest documented reference to Elisha's tomb occurs in a letter of an anonymous disciple of Nahmânides, which was likely written likely between 1306 and 1312.7 Other references are found in a fourteenth-century genizah manuscript 8 and in a sixteenth-century manuscript of a thirteenth-century report titled "Eleh Masa'ei Bnei Israel" (These are the stages of the children of Israel). 9 As IshShalom 10 pointed out, the Christian and Muslim traditions differ from the Jewish tradition and locate Elisha's grave in Samaria. A later Jewish tradition suggests a location at Kefar Yassif near Acre." In Jewish sources, the earliest identification of the cave on Mount Carmel as Elijah's hiding place occurs in the Aramaic versions of Toldot Yeshu (The biography of Jesus) found in the Cairo genizah.12 The dating of these versions is problematic. While Ginzberg 13 dated them to the eighth century, other scholars have suggested earlier periods. Abulafia 14 proposed that Toldot Yeshu "dates, at the latest, to circa the year 200. Having apparently been handed down orally for generations it was committed to writing in the fourth, or fifth, century, presumably in Aramaic." The next available reference to the grotto as Elijah's cave occurs in nonJewish sources in the writings of the Russian abbot Daniel, who identified both Elisha's tomb and Elijah's cave in 1 106.15 Later in the twelfth century, Elijah's cave is so identified in a liturgical poem 16 that Prawer 17 dated to 1 146-1187. Another testimony from the same time is found in the travel account of Benjamin of Tudela, who visited Palestine in 1169-1171. 18 From the twelfth century onward there are intermittent reports attesting to the continuous identification of the grotto in Mount Carmel as the cave of Elijah. Menahem ben Peretz of Hebron wrote in 1215 that he entered Elijah's cave. 19 In the following century, a reference to Elijah's cave is found in "Eleh Masa'ei Bnei Israel," written by Rabbi Ya'acov, an emissary of Rabbi Jehiel ben Joseph of Paris (d. c. 1265). Rabbi Ya'acov traveled to Israel to collect funds for his teacher's yeshiva in 1238-1244. 2 0 As noted earlier, a disciple of Nahmânides mentioned the cave in a letter written in the early 1300s. 21 Rabbi Abraham Ishmael Hayyim Sanguinetti, who was in the group accompanying Rabbi Hayyim ben Attar 22 to the Land of Israel, offered a detailed description of the cave, including the magical water that burst out of its walls to cleanse an unpure person. 23 The visitors' graffiti in the cave testify to continuous pilgrimages since the talmudic era. 24 In Jewish religion, folk religion, mysticism, folk narratives, and folk songs, Elijah the Prophet is a universal saintly figure. The attainment of a revelation of Elijah (giluy Eliahu) involves an inner, personal religious journey that requires great piety, asceticism, and strict adherence to high ethical standards, often combined with extreme need. His help does not require pilgrimage; he travels to the people, not they to him. 25 Elijah's cave on the western slope of Mount Carmel is the only specific sa-

Candles lit by supplicants

at the cave of Elijah the Prophet.

cred space devoted to the prophet to which desperate people may come seeking cures for their ills. In 1879, the Jerusalemite paper Annul Ha-Yir'ah (Column of awe) reported that a thirteen-year-old girl who visited Elijah's cave cured herself of a dybbuk (wandering soul) that possessed her. 26 A similar, or perhaps the same case, was reported later by a non-Jewish source. 27 In the present tale, the woman seeks a cure for her infertility, a major problem for which the solution is often sought in magic and ritual. 28 Jews hoped to be cured of a variety of ailments in Elijah's cave, but the idea that the woman who desired a successful pregnancy stayed there is particularly appropriate symbolically, because it draws an analogy between the cavern and the womb. Sleeping at the cave for three nights is a common ritual practice, which was often performed at the other saints' tombs as well. 29 Elijah's cave has served as a place of worship and of seeking relief from physical and spiritual troubles even into the present time. The only other tale about the cave in the IFA also involves a quest for progeny. Sara Davidovits, who recorded the tale Visit to Elijah's Cave Brings Cure (IFA 17547), met the narrator, Claudine Vaserman, who was originally from Tunisia, in the cave. Vaserman related that her sister had had two daughters and wanted a son. The doctor told her that she would not be able to have any more children, but she visited the cave and sacrificed a sheep; she later gave birth to a son. Today, the cave serves as a sacred place for making votive prayers and petitions of a personal nature and for celebrating the granting of such requests. The position of Elijah's cave can be compared with the religious function served by the cave in Sefrou, Morocco, which has been a major site for therapeutic pilgrimages. 30 Heyden 31 has written on the general religious significance of caves. The Arab Muslims in Israel consider the cave at Mount Carmel to be a shrine dedicated to al-Khadir (also spelled al-Khidr and al-Hadr), a mysterious figure in the Koran who in Sufism was conflated with Elijah. 32 Arab Christians call it the Cave of St. George. An intermittent spring associates the cave with the legend of St. George and the Dragon (tale type 300, "The Dragon-Slayer"), 3 3 and a description of the fountain occurs in a 1742 letter by an Italian Jew. 34 Arab Christian tradition notes that the holy family hid in the cave on Mount Carmel. According to an Aramaic genizah fragment, Jesus hid in the cave, and it shut on him. But when Rabbi Judah the Gardner came to the cave and intoned, "Cave, Cave, open thyself," it opened and Jesus escaped. 35

Folklore Motifs • • • •

cf. D1501.1 "Charms prevent barrenness or miscarriage." D1812.3.3 "Future revealed in dream." D1812.3.3.2 "Fortune-telling dream induced by sleeping in extraordinary place." D1925 "Fecundity magically induced" (cf. D1925.1 "Barrenness removed by eating or drinking"; D 1925.2 "Barrenness removed by bathing";

D 1925.3 " B a r r e n n e s s r e m o v e d by p r a y e r " ) . •

F757 "Extraordinary cave."

• •

* F l 0 6 8 . 2 . 3 " T w o i n d i v i d u a l s h a v e the s a m e d r e a m . " Η1385.3 "Quest for vanished wife (mistress)."

• •

M302.7 "Prophecy through dreams." M 3 1 1 . 0 . 3 . 1 " P r o p h e c y : child to b e b o r n to c h i l d l e s s c o u p l e . "

•

P210 "Husband and wife."

•

Q 1 9 2 " C h i l d given as r e w a r d f o r prayer."

• •

T 2 5 6 " T h e q u a r r e l s o m e w i f e or h u s b a n d . " T 2 9 8 " R e c o n c i l i a t i o n of s e p a r a t e d c o u p l e . "

•

T510 "Miraculous conception."

• • • • .

T 5 4 8 . 1 " C h i l d b o r n in a n s w e r to prayer." T 5 7 0 "Pregnancy." T 5 9 6 " N a m i n g of c h i l d r e n . " V 9 6 "Ritual bathing." * V 2 9 5 " E l i j a h the P r o p h e t . "

•

Z 7 1 . 1 " F o r m u l i s t i c n u m b e r : three."

Notes 1. For maps, see Yazbak, Haifa in the Late Ottoman Period 1864-1914, 201, 235. 2. Carmel, Geschichte Haifas in der Türkischen Zeit 1516-1918, 104-111; and Carmel, The History of Haifa under Turkish Rule, 140-149. 3. Ilan, Tombs of the Righteous; Ish-Shalom, Holy Tombs; and Vilnay, Mazevot Kodesh be-Eretz Yisra'el (Sacred tombstones in the Land of Israel). 4. Ackerman, "Stories of Elijah and Medieval Carmelite Identity." 5. Bronner, The Stories of Elijah and Elisha; R. Carroll, "The Elijah-Elisha Sagas," Coote, Elijah and Elisha in Socioliterary Perspectives; Kissling, Reliable Characters in the Primary History; Poirot, Les prophètes Elie et Elisée dans la littérature Chrétienne ancienn; Rofé, The Prophetical Stories; and Uffenheimer, Ancient Prophecy in Israel, 193-293. 6. For discussions of the Carmelite traditions see Ackerman, op. cit.; Ε. Friedman, The Latin Hermits of Mount Carmel; Jotischky, The Carmelites and Antiquity; Smet, The Carmelites; and Staring, Medieval Carmelite Heritage. For studies concerning Elijah in all three monotheistic religions, see Bardy et al., Elie le Prophète. 7. S. Assaf, ‫' ״‬Totzaot Eretz Yisra 'el,'" 54. 8. The manuscript is housed in the library at Cambridge University. It was published in Ilan, op. cit., 84-108, see esp. 96 line 11. 9. The manuscript is part of the Günzburg Collection housed in the Russian State Library in Moscow (Coll. 579/2). It was published in Ilan, op. cit., 145-175, see esp. 167. See also Ish-Shalom, op. cit., 51. 10. Op. cit. 11. Rivkind, "Yishuv Yehudi be-Kfar Yassif' (A Jewish settlement in Kfar Yassif), 4:336. 12. Ginzberg, Genizah Studies, 1:332; and Y. Deutsch, "New Evidence of Early Versions of Toldot Yeshu," 193.

13. Op. cit., xvii. 14. "Invectives against Christianity in the Hebrew Chronicles of the First Crusade," 68; see also Deutsch, op. cit.. 177 η. 2. I would like to thank Elhanan Reiner for pointing out that this is the earliest available mention of Elijah's cave. 15. E. Friedman, op. cit., 137-138. 16. Marmorstein, "Kivrei Avot" (Ancestral tombs). 17. "The Hebrew Itineraries of the Crusader Period." 18. M. Adler, The Itinerary of Benjamin ofTudela, 19; and M. Singer, The Itinerary of Benjamin ofTudela, 80. 19. Luncz, Ha-Me'amer, 3:41. For a critical evaluation of this letter, see Ben-Zevi, "Mikhtavo Shel Menahem ha-Hevroni" (Menahem of Hebron's letter), 512-517. 20. Ilan, op. cit, 145-175, esp. 167. 21. S. Assaf, op. cit., 54. For a discussion about the possible interdependence of these two sources, see Kook, " H a - S e f a r i m " (About the books). 22. For information about Rabbi Hayyim ben Attar, see the notes to tale IFA 9958 (vol. 3). 23. J. Mann, "The Voyage of R. Chayim ibn Attar," 94, 97 (reprinted in Ben-Israel, Aggadot ha-Aretz [Legends of the Land], 2[3|:79-80); and Vilnay, Aggadot Eretz Yisra 'el (Legends of the Land of Israel) 2:354-355. 24. A. Ovadyah, "Inscriptions in the Cave of Elijah." For overviews of the cave in history see E. Friedman, op. cit., 136-156; and Yaari. " M e ' a r a t Eliyahu he-har ha-Carmel" (Elijah's cave in Mount Carmel). 25. Among the studies and collections of legends about Elijah the prophet are the following: Fohrer, Elia‫׳‬, M. Friedmann, Seder Eliahu Rabha and Seder Eliahu Zuta, 1-40; Hyman, "Elijah"; E. Margolioth, Elijah the Prophet in Jewish Literature and Religion; D. Noy, "Eliahu ha-Navi be-Leil ha-Seder" (Elijah the Prophet on Passover eve); Rofé, "Classes in the Prophetical Stories"; Rote, The Prophetical Stories; Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 522; Scott, "The Expectation of Elija"; Schräm, Tales of Elijah the Prophet; A. Weiner, The Prophet Elijah in the Development of Judaism; B. Weinreich, "The Prophet Elijah in Modern Yiddish Folktales"; B. Weinreich, "Genres and Types of Yiddish Folk Tales about the Prophet Elijah"; and Ya'akov, Sippurei Eliyahu ha-Navi (The tales of Elijah the Prophet). 26. Vilnay. The Sacred Land, 3:12-13 no. 4. 27. Hanauer, Folk-Lore of the Holy Land, 54-55. 28. Ben-Ami, "Fécondité et symbolisme''''•, Ben-Ami, "Customs of Pregnancy and Child-Birth among Sephardic and Oriental Jews." 29. See, for example, Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half, 108-109. 30. Stillman and Stillman, "Le culte des Grottes de Montagnes et des tombes de saints." 31. "Caves." 32. Corbin, Creative Imagination in the Sufism oflbn 'Arabi, 55-58; and Meyouhas, Bible Tales in Arab Folk-Lore, 193-211, esp. 202-204. For more about al-Khadir, see Wensinck, "Al-Khadir (al-Khidr)." 33. Hanauer, op. cit., 55-57. 34. J. Mann, op. cit. (reprinted in Ben-Israel, op. cit., 2 | 3 | : 7 9 - 8 0 ) ; Vilnay, Aggadot Eretz Yisra'el (Legends of the Land of Israel), 2:354-355. 35. Ginzberg, Genizah Studies, 1:332-335; and Vilnay. The Sacred Land, 3:13-14 no. 5.

The Two Orphans of Istanbul T O L D

BY

M E I R

R A B B I

TO

M O S H E

R A B B I

C/nce there were two orphan boys who attended the Talmud Torah* in Istanbul, Turkey. They ate their meals there and in the evening went to sleep with relatives in the city. The two boys were friends from birth, almost brothers. They went everywhere together; [they] sat next to each other in class; and when they came back from the Talmud Torah in the evening, they walked together until they reached their relatives' houses. They were never apart, except at night. They played together, roamed together. People thought they really were brothers. One day [at school], they were rowdy during the lesson, and the teacher, unable to tolerate it any longer, threw them out. Angry that he had thrown them out, they roamed the streets of the city. "The time has come for us to start working and make a living," they decided, because they were orphans. They dug through the rubbish heaps and found some scraps of copper and iron, which they collected and sold. They did this for several days. When they realized that the business was profitable, they kept at it and stopped going to the Talmud Torah. With the money they earned, they bought all sorts of notions and took to peddling from door to door. Everyone took pity on them and bought whatever they had to offer. Their profits mounted quickly, and they trusted each other implicitly. One day, they stood on a street corner and sold drinks. They started buying cases of drinks from the factory. Because they were honest, the factory owner agreed to sell to them on credit. Eventually, because he liked them, he gave them a stall next to his factory. The two orphans thanked him for his kindness and invaluable assistance. They worked diligently until they had saved up a thousand Turkish pounds. One day the owner of the beverage factory died unexpectedly. The executors of his estate wanted to sell the plant. The two boys decided to buy "Jewish religious school.

it, but [they] didn't have the price demanded. They went to the owner's widow and begged her to influence the executors to sell them the factory in installments. They would write promissory notes for a number of months and hoped that by the end of the year they could pay off the entire debt. Finally, the executors agreed to sell the factory to the two young friends. The promissory notes were executed. The young partners signed them with all the legal formalities and became the owners of the factory. They worked hard from early morning until late at night, always honest, for a long period. They married and built houses. But nothing lasts forever.* One day, Satan came and danced between them. He seduced one of them to take twenty thousand Turkish pounds without his friend's knowledge. Then the embezzler told his partner, "Listen, friend, I want to visit the graves of the holy men in Jerusalem. Please take care of my family and make sure they want for nothing while I am gone." "Go in peace, my friend," replied the other. "With God's help, I will do as you have requested." The first friend took provisions and money to cover the expenses of the journey, plus the twenty thousand pounds he had embezzled, and set sail for the Land of Israel. The ship had not gone far to sea, when a small craft came speeding after it. There was the stay-at-home partner. "What happened?" "I can't assume responsibility for your family, too. Either you come back home immediately or we dissolve the partnership." "But you promised me," replied his friend calmly, "that you would watch over my family. Now that I've already set out I can't return. I took a vow to visit Jerusalem. I have to fulfill my vow. Please don't hold me back." But the other closed his ears to the entreaties. "Either you come back with me or we break up the partnership." When the traveler saw that his partner did not want him to continue his journey, he gave in. "All right. We'll disembark at the next port, go to the local rabbi, and ask him to arrange the division of property between us." So they sailed on to the nearest city, went to the rabbi's house, and told him all about their business.

'"For property does not last forever" (Proverbs 27:24).

The rabbi wrote out a bill of sale. Before two witnesses, the traveler paid out the twenty thousand pounds he was carrying to his partner. "Please give the keys of the factory to my wife. Until I return, you no longer have any right to enter the premises." The rabbi and the witnesses signed and confirmed the bill of sale. The ex-partners went their separate ways. The purchaser sailed on to the Land of Israel, while the seller reembarked in his boat and disappeared. Three months later, the purchaser returned to Istanbul from the Land of Israel. On entering his house, he immediately asked his wife whether his ex-partner had brought her the keys to the factory. "Are you dreaming?" she asked. "What keys?" So he told his wife what had happened at sea: He had parted ways with his partner and now the factory was all his. "What are you talking about?" said his wife. "You're dreaming! He has been working faithfully and providing us with everything we need. He always comes to visit us. He may even have been doing more for us, out of love and friendship, than before." When her husband heard this, he starting bellowing. "It can't be! I bought the factory. It's mine now." Without delay, he went to the local rabbi and presented his case. The rabbi summoned the friend and partner and showed him the bill of sale, duly signed and witnessed. "Why are you trespassing on someone else's property?" asked the rabbi. "If your honor will believe me," replied the man, "I never left the factory, not for a single day. Everybody in town, including my partner's wife, will testify that I have been working diligently all this time." The rabbi showed him the bill of sale. "You received twenty thousand pounds for your share. Here is your signature and that of the rabbi in the town where you stopped, along with the signatures of the two witnesses." When the partner saw the document he started crying. Each partner kept denying the other's claims. The rabbi didn't know what to do. The partner who had gone to the Land of Israel presented the bill of sale. But the stay-at-home partner brought witnesses that he had never left town. Finally, the rabbi told the two men: "Go home. Come back in three days, and I'll render my judgment." The rabbi fasted and prayed for God to open his eyes and guide him on the straight and true path to bring justice to light. On the third night, the rabbi dreamt that Elijah the Prophet came to him. "The Lord has heard your prayer," said Elijah. "Your intention was pleasing to Him. Know, then, that both of them are right.

"I will tell you the secret. " T h e p a r t n e r w h o w e n t to J e r u s a l e m w a s s e d u c e d by his evil i m p u l s e to take t w e n t y t h o u s a n d T u r k i s h p o u n d s f r o m the f a c t o r y w i t h o u t telling his f r i e n d . S i n c e G o d k n o w s h o w great is the trust they a l w a y s had in e a c h o t h e r a n d that, in all the years, there had never b e e n any g r i e v a n c e or t h e f t b e t w e e n t h e m , H e sent m e in the g u i s e of the f r i e n d to r e c o v e r the stolen money. " N o w you m u s t d o a c c o r d i n g to y o u r w i s d o m . S u m m o n the p a r t n e r w h o traveled to the L a n d of Israel and tell h i m w h a t you know. A s k h i m to c o n f e s s and never again steal f r o m his loyal f r i e n d . If he c o n f e s s e s a n d d o e s p e n a n c e , the t w o of t h e m will be h a p p y again, as b e f o r e . T h e t w e n t y t h o u s a n d p o u n d s are in the factory, in s u c h and s u c h a p l a c e . N o t h i n g is missing." T h e rabbi a w o k e f r o m his d r e a m . In the m o r n i n g he s u m m o n e d the p a r t n e r w h o h a d traveled to J e r u s a l e m and told him the secret. "Yes. I took the m o n e y , " c o n f e s s e d the partner. "I have s i n n e d . I w a n t to d o p e n a n c e . " T h e n the rabbi s u m m o n e d the o t h e r p a r t n e r and revealed the secret to h i m , too, a n d r e c o n c i l e d the t w o . T h e y b e c a m e fast f r i e n d s a g a i n , as bef o r e . G o d g r a n t e d t h e m s u c c e s s in their lives and their business, a n d they in turn w e r e a blessing to the w h o l e country.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 1 9

(17068)

Recorded by Moshe Rabbi in Jerusalem in 1989from Meir Rabbi, a Sephardic Jew in Israel. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The supernatural figure of Elijah the Prophet functions as the guardian of moral behavior in this realistic rags to riches tale. For general information about Elijah the Prophet in the Jewish tradition and in Jewish folktales in particular see the notes to tales IFA 2420 and IFA 2830. See also the tales and their accompanying notes listed after motif *V295 ("Elijah the Prophet") in the "Motif Index" ineluded in each volume of this collection. The "appearance of Elijah," (giluy Eliyahu) is a major concept in Jewish postbiblical tradition. M. Friedmann 1 distinguished four permutations of Elijah's appearance: (1) in dream time or daytime, (2) in disguise or in person, (3) to commoners or to rabbis and sages, and (4) in faith-confirming or fictional entertaining narratives. Although this list of permutations is insightful and valid, it is possible to supplement it with observations and distinctions concerning the functions of Elijah's appearances in such tales.

Mystical Visionary Appearances When Elijah makes mystical visionary appearances in tales, he usually appears in person, in dreams, or in visions to pious people, sages, and rabbis—and later to mystics—in recognition of or as a reward for their piety, asceticism, religious devotion, and upright ethical behavior. These individuals must merit Elijah's appearance; for example, see BT Gittin 6b, 70a; Ta'anit 22a, Shabbat 33b; Yoma

19b; Ketubbot 61b, 77b; Yevamot 63a; Sanhédrin 98a; Bava Metzi'a 59b, 114a; and Bava Batra 7b. Sometimes Elijah withdraws or reprimands the character for his or her unethical behavior; for example, see BT Bava Metzi'a 84a and Makkot 1 la. In medieval mystical and Hasidic literature, the appearance of Elijah became a desired visionary experience.

Magical, Corrective, or Therapeutic Acts or Miraculous Rescue In biblical, medieval, Hasidic, and current oral narratives, Elijah the Prophet undertakes magical, corrective, or therapeutic measures and also performs miraculous rescues. In talmudic-midrashic narratives, Elijah rarely performs miracles by himself. One of the rare incidents is the tale of Rabbi Kahana, who succumbed to the seduction of a non-Jewish matron. Regretting his moral failure, Rabbi Kahana intended to commit suicide by jumping off a rooftop: "but Elijah came and caught him. 'You have troubled me [to come] four hundred parasangs,' he reproved him" (BT Kiddushin 40a). In the other talmudic-midrashic tales, Elijah appears in disguise, and he is

recognized only after the fact. The recipients of his kind acts do not know him when the prophet is in their presence but are often able to identify him in hindsight. Tanhuma Ha'azinu 8 includes a story in which Elijah plays the role of the grateful dead man, which is part of the cycle of tale types 505-508 (The Grateful Dead). In the story, Elijah instructs a bridegroom in how to identify and treat the Angel of Death to save himself (Yalkut Shimoni, Ruth no. 607). 2 In Jewish medieval, Hasidic, and current narratives, Elijah the Prophet is the master healer of barrenness, helps families out of their poverty, and saves Jewish communities from distress.

Guardianship of Moral-Religious Behavior Functioning as a guardian of moral and religious conduct, Elijah the Prophet appears in some tales in disguise, and his identity is known only to the narrator. His actions may be puzzling. At times, he sides with a litigant not because he or she is just, but because the person is Jewish. In one story, he appears in the guise of an Arabian merchant and kills a Jew who prayed at the back of the synagogue, contrary to rabbinical norms (BT Berachot 6b). The identification of his guise is interpretive—the term "ta'aya," suggests only disguise. In other stories, Elijah the Prophet takes on the form of a mortal, for example, to give false testimony to protect a Jewish litigant against damning evidence (BT Berachot 58a). Elijah has taken on a variety of mortal forms: • • • ‫״‬ •

An extremely poor man (BT Nedarim 50a). A Roman dignitary who intervenes in a court case (BT Avodah Zarah 17b). A Roman who performs miracles to save a rabbi in distress (BT Sanhédrin 109a). A harlot who saves Rabbi Meir from Roman soldiers (BT Avodah Zarah 18a); see also tale IFA 8391. As Rabbi Hiyya to cure Rabbi of his chronic toothache (MR Genesis 33:3;

JT Kilayim 9:4; Ketubbot 12:6; Tanhuma Va-yehi 3). •

A horsemen who rids a rabbi of a snake that he swallowed (BT Shabbat 109b). • A fiery bear who protects himself when the Heavens punish him for revealing a secret (BT Bava Metzi'a 85b). In a later period, Elijah insists that a merchant allows a transaction to take place, saying "if God's will." 3 Elijah the Prophet's role in the present tale has a functional similarity to his appearance in some talmudic-midrashic narratives. 4

Folklore Motifs • •

D1733.3.1 "Magic power by fasting." D1766.1 "Magic results produced by prayer."

‫״‬ • ‫״‬ ‫״‬ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • •

D1766.8 "Magic results from fasting." D1810.8 "Magic knowledge from dream." D1810.8.2 "Information received through dream." D1810.8.4 "Solution to problem discovered in dream." D1814.2 "Advice from dream." D1817.0.1 "Magic detection of theft." D1817.2.1 "Dream reveals sin to saint." D1819.2 "Deception revealed in dream." F1068 "Realistic dream." LI 11.4 "Orphan hero." P310 "Friendship." *P426.4 "Rabbi." P431 "Merchant." P623 "Fasting (as means of distrait)." Q26 "Keeping fast rewarded." Q68.2 "Honesty rewarded." V50 "Prayer." V73 "Fasts." *V295 "Elijah the Prophet." V462.2 "Ascetic fasting." W35 "Justice."

Notes 1. Seder Eliahu Rahha and Seder Eliahu Zuta, 27-44, esp. 28, 40-44. 2. For further references to this tale, see Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 74-77 no. 40; H. Hirschberg, Hibbur Yafe me-ha-Yeshu 'ah (An elegant composition), 69-71, 58-60 no. 21; and Brinner, An Elegant Composition Concerning Relief after Adversity, 99-102 no. 21. 3. Yassif, The Tales of Ben Sira in the Middle-Ages,

166-168, 271.

4. Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 4:211-217, 6:329-331.

Three Hairs from Elijah ,s Beard T O L D

BY

S H M U ' E L

R E C A N A T I

TO

R A C H E L

SERI

/ h i n g s w e r e g o i n g very badly f o r this m a n ; he c o u l d n ' t m a k e a living. H a v i n g d e c i d e d to leave J e r u s a l e m a n d g o to A m e r i c a , he sold e v e r y t h i n g he o w n e d and b o u g h t t w o tickets, f o r h i m s e l f and his w i f e . H e met an old m a n with a long w h i t e beard.* " W h e r e are you g o i n g ? " asked the old m a n . "I w a n t to g o to A m e r i c a . " " D o n ' t go, m y child. W h y s h o u l d y o u ? " "I c a n ' t m a k e a living here, n o living at all. W h a t can I d o ? I ' m a mohel,** but n o o n e c o m e s to m e . P e r h a p s it will be better there." " D o n ' t g o . L o o k , here are three h a i r s " — h e p l u c k e d three hairs out of his beard and w r a p p e d t h e m in paper. " T a k e t h e m , burn a hair, and w h a t ever you ask f o r will be y o u r s . " T h e m a n took the hairs, w e n t h o m e , a n d told the story to his w i f e . " W h a t shall w e ask f o r ? " " L e t ' s ask that you s h o u l d have a g o o d l i v e l i h o o d — t h a t there s h o u l d be m a n y c i r c u m c i s i o n s . " T h e y b u r n e d a hair, and at o n c e the r o o m w a s j a m m e d full of f a t h e r s , c a r r y i n g their s c r e a m i n g babies. O n e had t w i n s , a n o t h e r triplets. A n d they kept c o m i n g . T h e r e w a s no e n d to t h e m . A n d all of t h e m w e r e s c r e a m i n g , " M e first! M e first! M e f i r s t ! " "Oy, oy, w h a t is t h i s ? " T h e w o m a n said: " Q u i c k , burn a n o t h e r hair so t h e y ' l l g o away." H e burned a hair. "Away with all the c i r c u m c i s i o n s ! " T h e y all vanished. T h e m a n w e n t to the b a t h r o o m . But w h a t had h a p p e n e d ? E v e n his o w n c i r c u m c i s i o n h a d v a n i s h e d . H e c a l l e d out: " W i f e ! W i f e ! W h a t shall w e do? M y circumcision has disappeared, too!" " O y , o y ! Q u i c k , burn a h a i r ! " S o he b u r n e d the last hair, and his circ u m c i s i o n c a m e back.

*Here, the narrator indicated a beard hanging down to his stomach. **One who circumcises.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 0 ( I F A

2420)

Shmu 'el Recanati told this story to Rachel Seri in 1960 in Jerusalem. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The traditional proverb that guides the action of the luckless man "meshane makom, meshane mazal" (a change of place changes luck). Its idea, but not its proverbial formulation, occurs already in the Talmud (BT Rosh Hashanah 16b; JT Shabbat 6:9). The present story can be compared to tale IFA 2603, Having Children and Changing Place Bring Luck, in which the magical helper encourages a change of place. But in the present tale, he discourages the hero from making a change that would involve emigration, rewarding him, in fact, for staying in Jerusalem. Thereby the narrator adds ideological motivation to a narrative in which traditionally the motivation is religious and moral. The common pattern of this tale involves an inhospitable community; a hospitable, or in some other ways generous, husband; a wife; and a character with supernatural powers. The earliest literary rendition of the tale is the touching story of Baucis and Philemon in Ovid (Metamorphoses, 8:631-720) in which the comic aspect of wasted wishes is absent. 1 However, there is humor in the fable "The Three Wishes," from the late Aesopic tradition. 2 This basic story—with either a wise or a foolish use of the reward of limited magical power—was very popular in the traditions of many peoples. 3 For a brief printing history of such a tale in English see Opie and Opie. 4 In the twenty-two versions of this tale that he examined, Bédier 5 distinguished five patterns, which varied in terms of the number of wishes and the number of individuals making them. The present tale belongs to the fifth and most popular pattern (pattern E), following thematically the Arabian Nights story "The Three Wishes, or the Man Who Longed to See the Night of Power," which tells about a man who, on the request of his wife, asked that his penis be lengthened. After it grew to monstrous proportions, he requested its disappearance; and then finally he asked that it be restored to human proportions. 6 In the Arabian Nights version, the motivation for the request is sexual, whereas in the current Jewish rendition it is economical. Both versions represent male castration anxiety, but the present tale adds some irony to the situation because it is a circumciser who is experiencing the castration fear. The tale occurs in collections of fables, exempla, and entertaining stories. In addition to being part of the Aesopic tradition, 7 the tale of the three wishes appears in some of the major collections of popular literature. Among them are the lays of Marie de France (twelfth century). 8 In the tradition of literary versified fables, Perrault published "Les Souhaits Ridicules" in Le Mercure Galant (November 1693).9 Perrault's fable has served as a starting point for the comparative studies of the present tale. 10 The idea of hair having magical qualities is found in several cultures."

Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Other narratives in the IFA that relate a foolish use of a limited magical power are the following: • • •

• • •

•

•

‫״‬

• •

IFA 21 : The Money Bills that Transformed to Paper (Turkey); three magic hairs summon a supernatural figure that helps the hero escape the police. 12 IFA 187: Three Wishes (Morocco); wishers = wife, husband, and son; wishes = beauty, curse of insanity, and normalcy. 13 IFA 3657: Whoever Is without Luck Will Be Luckless Forever (Egypt and Iraq); wishers = wife and husband; wishes = beauty, curse of ugliness, and normalcy. IFA 4328: The Three Wishes, or The Gown (Israel); wishers = wife, son and father; wishes = beauty, curse of ugliness, and normalcy. IFA 7385: The Poor Family (Iraq): wishers = wife, son, and father; wishes = beauty, curse of ugliness, and normalcy. IFA 8270: The Monkey Woman (Afghanistan); wishers = wife, son, and father; wishes = wife requests beauty, husband's wishes turn her into a monkey, and the son's into initial miserable state. 14 IFA 10952: Why the Teacher Was Called "The Tailed One" (Poland); wishers = teacher; wishes = house full of fat tails, removes all tails, and normalcy. IFA 11016: The Three Wishes and the Sausages That Stuck to the Nose (Italy); wishers = husband and wife; wishes = house full of sausages, curse, and normalcy. IFA 12578: The Poor Man's Request from Elijah the Prophet (Turkey); wishes = blind man's three wishes in one: to see his sons eating from a golden plate. 15 IFA 13042: Do Not Request Too Much (Libya); wisher = woman; wishes = beauty, wealth, large head, and normalcy. 16 IFA 13892 (= IFA 187): Three Wishes (Morocco).

Folktale Types • • • • • • • •

330A "The Smith and the Devil" (new ed.). cf. 555 "The Fisher and His Wife." 750A "The Three Wishes" (new ed.). 750AII "The Wishes (b and c)." cf. 750A (Haboucha) "The Wishes." 750A (Jason) "The Wishes." 5326 (Tubach) "Wishes Granted and Wasted." See also "The Three Wishes" (Scherf).

Folklore Motifs •

D771.1 "Disenchantment by burning magic hair."

•

D 9 9 1 " M a g i c hair."

•

D 1 4 2 1 . 0 . 3 " M a g i c hair w h e n t h r o w n into f i r e s u m m o n s helper."

•

D1470.1 "Magic wishing objects."

•

D 1 4 7 0 . 1 . 3 6 " M a g i c w i s h i n g hair."

supernatural

•

D 1 5 6 1 " M a g i c o b j e c t s c o n f e r m i r a c u l o u s p o w e r s (luck)."

•

D 1 7 2 0 . 1 " M a n given p o w e r of w i s h i n g . "

•

D1721 "Magic power from magician."

• •

D 1 7 2 2 " M a g i c p o w e r f r o m saint." D1722.1 "Magic power from prophet."16

•

D 1 7 6 1 " M a g i c results p r o d u c e d by w i s h i n g . "

• •

D 1 7 6 1 . 0 . 2 " L i m i t e d n u m b e r of w i s h e s g r a n t e d . " J 155.4 " W i f e as an adviser."

‫״‬

J2071 "Three foolish wishes."

•

J 2 0 7 3 . 1 " W i s e a n d f o o l i s h w i s h : k e e p d o i n g all d a y w h a t you begin."

• ‫״‬

L I 2 3 "Pauper hero." Ν 1 3 1 . 5 " L u c k c h a n g i n g a f t e r c h a n g e of p l a c e " ( i m p l i e d ) .

•

N 2 0 2 "Wishes for good fortune realized."

•

N810 "Supernatural helpers."

•

P 2 1 0 " H u s b a n d and w i f e . "

• •

Q 1 1 5 " R e w a r d : any b o o n that m a y be a s k e d . " * V 2 9 5 " E l i j a h the P r o p h e t . "

Notes 1. See also Hansen, Ariadne's Thread, 220-221. 2. It is found in the Codex 536 of Bruxelle; see Perry, Aesopica, 675 no. 668; and Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus, 576-577 no. 668. 3. S. Thompson, The Folktale, 134, 150; Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen, 2:210-229 no. 87 (extensive references); Grimm and Grimm, The Complete Fairy Tales, 313-317 (for tale "The Poor Man and the Rich Man"); Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 241-245,405, 483; Liungman, Die Schwedischen Volksmärchen, 71 no. 330AB, 210 no. 750A; Röhrich, Erzählungen der Späten Mittelalters und ihr Weiterleben, 1:62-79, 253-258; and Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:163-165. An examination of these themes in German literature is Arendt, "Drei Wünsche und keine Ende!' 4. The Classic Fairy Tales, 151-155. 5. Les Fabliaux, 212-228. 6. R. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, 6:180-181. 7. Perry, Aesopica. 8. Brucker, Marie de France, 234-236 no. 57; and H. Spiegel, Marie de France, 164-165 no. 57. For scholarship about Marie de France, see Burgess, Marie de France; M. Ferguson, "Folklore in the Lais of Marie de France"; and Ménard, Le Lais de Marie de France, 151-189. 9. Soriano, Charles Perrault, 233-237; and Soriano, Les Contes de Perrault, 107-112. 10. Lang, Perrault's Popular Tales, xlii-li; and Saintyves, Les Contes de Perrault et les Récits Parallèles, 457-494.

11. Leach, "Magical Hair"; G. Obeyesekere, Medusa's Hair. 12. Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 170-172 no 55. 13. Published in Omer, May 21, 1955. 14. Published in Kort, Bat ha-Melekh she-Hafkhah le-Zer Perahim, 159. 15. Alexander and Noy, op. cit., 196-197 no. 69. 16. Published in M. Cohen, Mi-Pi ha-Am, 3:483 no. 239.

The Man Who Unintentionally Made His Fortune from the Devil R E ' Υ YEN

N A ' A N A H

C / n c e there w a s a very p o o r m a n . His f a m i l y w a s large and he barely m a d e a living. H e used to buy and sell old c l o t h e s to s u p p o r t h i m s e l f a n d his family. All d a y long he w e n t a r o u n d b u y i n g and selling old clothes. H e h a d a s t o r e r o o m in a p o o r n e i g h b o r h o o d , w h e r e he threw e v e r y t h i n g that w a s t o o hard to d r a g t h r o u g h the streets, until it [the r o o m ] w a s j a m m e d full of all sorts of old c l o t h e s and used o b j e c t s . O n e day, he w a s h u n t i n g a r o u n d a m o n g all the j u n k piled u p there, l o o k i n g f o r s o m e t h i n g special f o r a p a r t i c u l a r buyer, w h e n he a c c i d e n t a l l y n u d g e d an old piece of c o p per. S u d d e n l y , it b e g a n to speak: " P l e a s e , take m e out of this filthy p l a c e and put m e s o m e w h e r e clean. As a r e w a r d , y o u ' l l m a k e a g o o d living." T h e m a n took the plate of c o p p e r a n d set it on a table in the c o r n e r of the s t o r e r o o m . T h e n he w e n t off on his daily r o u n d s and f o r g o t all a b o u t w h a t had h a p p e n e d . T h a t day he w a s very s u c c e s s f u l , e a r n i n g m o r e than he usually did in a w h o l e w e e k . W h e n e v e n i n g c a m e , he r e m e m b e r e d the p i e c e of c o p p e r a n d w h a t it had told him. But he t h o u g h t it w a s j u s t a coincidence. T h e next d a y he h a d even m o r e success. In the e v e n i n g , he d e c i d e d to e x a m i n e the p i e c e of c o p p e r m o r e closely. E n t e r i n g the s t o r e r o o m , he w e n t over to the table w h e r e he had placed it. O n c e again the piece of copper s p o k e to h i m : If he w a n t e d to d o even better, he should take it [the copp e r ] and clean it and polish it until it s h o n e . A s a r e w a r d , he w o u l d have still g r e a t e r s u c c e s s . At o n c e the m a n c o m p l i e d with the r e q u e s t , thoro u g h l y c l e a n i n g and p o l i s h i n g it until he c o u l d discern a f i g u r e e n g r a v e d in the c o p p e r , t h o u g h he still c o u l d n ' t m a k e out w h a t it w a s . H e put the c o p p e r plate b a c k on the table a n d left the s t o r e r o o m . A f t e r that, his s u c c e s s w a s truly r e m a r k a b l e . I n c r e d u l o u s that he c o u l d earn s u c h s u m s h o n e s t l y in so short a time, he b e g a n to visit the p l a c e every d a y to see w h e t h e r the c o p p e r plate n e e d e d a n y t h i n g . A g a i n it s p o k e : If it w a s b r i n g i n g h i m luck, w h y d i d n ' t he find it a small c l e a n

c h a m b e r , put a table there with a cloth, a n d set the plate on the table w i t h a l a m p in f r o n t of it. H e s h o u l d m a k e sure that the oil never ran out, so the l a m p kept b u r n i n g n i g h t and day. T h e n he w o u l d see his s u c c e s s m o u n t higher and higher! T h e m a n w a s t e d n o t i m e in d o i n g as it [the c o p p e r plate] a s k e d . H e f o u n d a small h i d d e n r o o m in his h o u s e , inside the wall, like a closet. In the r o o m , he p l a c e d a small table with an attractive tablecloth. H e laid the c o p p e r plate on the table, with an oil l a m p in f r o n t of it. He took special care that there w a s a l w a y s oil in the l a m p , so the light w o u l d never g o out. H e a t t e n d e d to this day a f t e r day, u n k n o w n to the rest of his h o u s e h o l d , and his s u c c e s s w a s i m m e n s e . W h a t e v e r c a m e into his h a n d s , h e sold i m m e d i a t e l y a n d a l w a y s f o r a h a n d s o m e profit. H e s t o p p e d d e a l i n g in used i t e m s a n d b e g a n t r a d i n g in n e w m e r c h a n d i s e and v a l u a b l e o b j e c t s . S u c c e s s c r o w n e d his every endeavor. H e a c q u i r e d real estate until there w e r e streets w h e r e all the b u i l d i n g s b e l o n g e d to h i m . H e w a s e x c e e d i n g l y g e n e r o u s . Finally, he d e c i d e d to set u p a hostel that w o u l d p r o v i d e f o o d , drink, and l o d g i n g f o r the p o o r a n d the hungry, all at his o w n e x p e n s e ; a n y o n e w h o w i s h e d could enter h u n g r y and leave f e e l i n g satisfied. O n e day an e m i s s a r y c o l l e c t i n g charity, a p i o u s m a n and a great Torah scholar, c a m e to his t o w n . W h e r e c o u l d he l o d g e ? he asked. Did any G o d f e a r i n g p h i l a n t h r o p i s t s live t h e r e ? T h e y [the t o w n s f o l k ] told him a b o u t the g e n e r o u s rich m a n . " D i d he inherit his w e a l t h ? " asked the emissary, " O r is he s e l f - m a d e ? " T h e y told h i m that he had b e e n d r e a d f u l l y p o o r and sold old c l o t h e s . S u d d e n l y , t h o u g h , his luck had c h a n g e d , a n d in a very short t i m e he prosp e r e d . N o w his h o u s e w a s o p e n to all, a n d he m a i n t a i n e d a special hostel f o r p o o r p e o p l e w h o n e e d e d to eat or d r i n k and a p l a c e to sleep. T h e e m i s sary asked to be taken to him. T h e y led h i m to the s t o o p of his h o u s e and told h i m that that w a s w h e r e the rich p h i l a n t h r o p i s t lived. " P l e a s e g o tell h i m that t h e r e is an e m i s s a r y o u t s i d e w h o w i s h e s to s p e a k with h i m . " O n e of the p e o p l e w e n t inside a n d g a v e the m e s s a g e to the rich m a n . At o n c e he c a m e out to greet the e m i s s a r y . L e a d i n g him inside, he a s k e d h i m to sit d o w n . " W h y d i d n ' t you c o m e straight i n s i d e ? " he a s k e d . " W h y did you send s o m e o n e in to ask p e r m i s s i o n ? " "I w a n t to ask you a n u m b e r of q u e s t i o n s , " replied the scholar. " P l e a s e , g o right a h e a d and ask." M e a n w h i l e , the rich m a n o r d e r e d him coffee.

"I c a n ' t a c c e p t a n y t h i n g to drink or eat," d e m u r r e d the scholar, "until you a n s w e r all m y q u e s t i o n s . " " I ' m ready to a n s w e r , " said the rich m a n . " H o w did you c o m e by all y o u r w e a l t h ? C a n you tell m e the w h o l e story, j u s t as it h a p p e n e d ? If you d o n ' t want to tell m e , t h o u g h , please let m e be on m y way." "Fine," said the rich m a n . " W h i l e you drink y o u r c o f f e e I'll tell you the w h o l e story, f r o m A to Z." " I ' v e a l r e a d y told you I c a n ' t take a n y t h i n g until I hear y o u r tale," the scholar replied. So the rich m a n r e c o u n t e d his story. " O n c e I w a s very p o o r and sold c l o t h e s and all sorts of s e c o n d h a n d g o o d s . I used to buy a n y t h i n g I c o u l d carry around and p e d d l e in the streets. W h a t e v e r f o u n d no takers, day a f t e r day, I w o u l d t h r o w into my s t o r e r o o m , until the s t o r e r o o m w a s piled high with all sorts of j u n k . " O n e d a y s o m e b o d y a s k e d m e f o r s o m e t h i n g or other, a n d I r e m e m b e r e d that I had o n e in the s t o r e h o u s e . I w e n t there to look f o r it and f o u n d a n u m b e r of items. T h e n I h e a r d a voice calling f r o m s o m e o b j e c t t h r o w n in the corner, a l m o s t b l a c k w i t h d u s t . It w a s a c o p p e r plate s p e a k i n g to m e ! ' T a k e m e out of here a n d put m e on a table a n d t o d a y y o u ' l l have suec e s s . ' I w a s a s t o n i s h e d that an old p i e c e of c o p p e r c o u l d talk. S o I w e n t over and p i c k e d it up, put it on an old table, and w e n t a b o u t m y b u s i n e s s a n d f o r g o t all a b o u t the incident. But that day I w a s really s u c c e s s f u l , taking in m o r e than d o u b l e w h a t I w a s u s e d to. I w a s very g l a d . T h e n I rem e m b e r e d w h a t the c o p p e r p l a t e h a d said to m e . S o I w e n t b a c k to the s t o r e r o o m to see w h a t it was. "I e n t e r e d the s t o r e r o o m a n d w e n t over to the table. T h e c o p p e r plate a s k e d m e , ' W a s n ' t I right that you w o u l d have s u c c e s s t o d a y ? If y o u w a n t to s u c c e e d again t o m o r r o w , p l e a s e dust m e off a n d w a s h and p o l i s h m e . Y o u ' l l see that t o m o r r o w y o u ' l l s u c c e e d even m o r e than today.' "I d i d n ' t hesitate. W i t h o u t delay, I w a s h e d a n d c l e a n e d a n d p o l i s h e d the p l a t e until I c o u l d m a k e o u t s o m e u n f a m i l i a r f i g u r e e n g r a v e d in the copper. T h e next day, I had even g r e a t e r s u c c e s s than the first day, and I w e n t b a c k to the s t o r e r o o m — i t w a s as if s o m e b o d y w e r e d r a w i n g m e there, w i t h o u t m y willing it. I w e n t over to the c o p p e r plate. T h e r e w a s a clean rag in m y h a n d a n d I p o l i s h e d it. I did this f o r a b o u t a w e e k . " T h e n the c o p p e r plate s p o k e to m e again. It told m e that if I w a n t e d even g r e a t e r s u c c e s s I s h o u l d find it a c l e a n spot, a little r o o m or a closet, and put it there on a small table a n d put an oil l a m p in f r o n t of it. T h e n I w o u l d see f a n t a s t i c profits.

"I d i d n ' t d e l a y d o i n g this either, s i n c e m y h o u s e h a s m a n y c l o s e t s . I t o o k o n e closet and c l e a n e d it t h o r o u g h l y a n d p a i n t e d it and put a small table in it and c o v e r e d it with a nice t a b l e c l o t h . I put a dish of oil on the table, lit a wick in the oil, and put the c o p p e r plate there. F r o m that day on, w h a t e v e r I take in h a n d turns to g o l d . S o m e b o d y a l w a y s w a n t s to buy i t — even t h i n g s that o t h e r m e r c h a n t s are stuck with f o r y e a r s sell q u i c k l y f o r m e . S o m y s u c c e s s h a s i n c r e a s e d , G o d Be praised, and I thrive m o r e and m o r e , as y o u r r e v e r e n c e sees." T h e s c h o l a r stood up. " F r o m w h a t y o u ' v e told m e , " he told the rich m a n , " t h i s m u s t be the sitra ahra,* the d e v i l — i t ' s like idolatry. It is absolutely f o r b i d d e n to e n j o y any b e n e f i t f r o m the w e a l t h p r o d u c e d by y o u r success. If you w o u l d accept m y a d v i c e and sanctify the n a m e of G o d , and w i n both this w o r l d and the w o r l d of T r u t h , you m u s t i m m e d i a t e l y take this c o p p e r plate a n d c h o p it into tiny p i e c e s , g r i n d it into p o w d e r , a n d scatter it in the m o u n t a i n s so it can never be r e p a i r e d . "As f o r y o u r w e a l t h , you m u s t d i s t r i b u t e all of it to the poor, l e a v i n g y o u r s e l f only ten percent of w h a t you have. T h e o t h e r ninety p e r c e n t you m u s t give to institutions f o r the p o o r and o r p h a n s . Place y o u r trust in the H o l y O n e , Blessed B e He, w h o will m a k e you m a n y t i m e s richer than you are now. In this w a y you will s a n c t i f y the n a m e of H e a v e n . " W h e n the rich p h i l a n t h r o p i s t h e a r d the s c h o l a r - e m i s s a r y ' s a d v i c e , h e stood r o o t e d to the spot. His f a c e t u r n e d pale, a n d he d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t to do. H e started to p o n d e r the matter. But then he c o n s i d e r e d that if he kept ten p e r c e n t of his assets it w o u l d still b e a r e s p e c t a b l e a m o u n t on w h i c h he a n d his f a m i l y c o u l d live. A n d in this w a y he w o u l d a c q u i r e [a p l a c e in] the w o r l d to c o m e as well. T u r n i n g to the scholar, he said, "I will d o everything you c o m m a n d e d . " " S h o w m e w h e r e this sitra ahra is," said the scholar. T h e rich m a n took the s c h o l a r there, o p e n e d the closet, and p i c k e d up the plate to s h o w to the scholar. T h e p i e c e of c o p p e r b e g a n to s c r e a m . At o n c e the scholar threw it on the g r o u n d . H e t r a m p l e d on it a n d took a h a m m e r and b e g a n to p o u n d it until the i m a g e w a s e f f a c e d . H e t o o k a m e t a l file and sliced the plate to slivers, w h i c h he c o l l e c t e d in a b o x , until it w a s r e d u c e d to tiny p i e c e s , like flour. T h e n he w e n t o u t s i d e the city and threw it to the w i n d s , a little bit here and a little bit there. T h e next day, the rich m a n started to r e c k o n h o w m a n y b u i l d i n g s he

Aramaic for "the other side."

o w n e d a n d h o w m u c h he w a s w o r t h in m e r c h a n d i s e a n d h o w m u c h in c a s h . H e b e g a n selling off all of it, giving the m o n e y to c h a r i t a b l e institutions. A f t e r several days, he had d o n e e v e r y t h i n g the scholar had told h i m . H e started to w o r k again. G o d blessed him in a l m o s t everything he did, a n d he b e g a n to p r o s p e r again, j u s t as the scholar had told him. H e put his trust in the H o l y O n e , B l e s s e d B e He, W h o blessed all his e n d e a v o r s , even m o r e so than f o r m e r l y , w h e n the s c h o l a r h a d r e f u s e d to drink or eat at the p h i l a n t h r o p i s t ' s h o u s e . A f t e r he [the p h i l a n t h r o p i s t ] had d o n e as he [the scholar] instructed him, the s c h o l a r c a m e b a c k to his h o u s e . T h e rich m a n o r d e r e d a f e a s t b e f i t t i n g the s c h o l a r ' s dignity, g a v e h i m p r e s e n t s , a n d m a d e a d o n a t i o n to his institution to the limit of his ability. H e t h a n k e d h i m f o r saving him f r o m idolatry, w h i c h is a great sin, even t h o u g h he had d o n e it unintentionally. T h e H o l y O n e , Blessed Be He, sent h i m His blessing; and in a very short t i m e , he [the m a n ] w a s even r i c h e r than he h a d been before. Just as the H o l y O n e , Blessed Be He, p e r f o r m e d a m i r a c l e f o r this rich m a n and, t h r o u g h the a g e n c y of the scholar-emissary, put an e n d to his sin and r e m o v e d the s t u m b l i n g b l o c k f r o m his path, so m a y H e return us all to the right path and not let us s t u m b l e . H e a v e n f o r b i d , in anything. A m e n .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 1 (IFA Written

down from

memory

by Re 'uven Na

2605)

'anah.1

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background In the version of this tale that appears in Farhi, 2 the story takes place in Constantinople, and the rabbi who smashes the idol is identified as Rabbi Joshiah ben Joseph Pinto (1565-1648), a talmudist and kabbalist who was born in Damascus, where he served as a rabbi. In that version, the text specifies that the merchant obtained the magical piece from non-Jews and the object calls to him, saying: "Jew, Jew, why are you forsaking me?" The phrase alludes to Psalms 22:2 and perhaps also to its Christian paraphrase in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. A similar story is also included in Iraki 3 and anthologized in Ben-Yehezki'el. 4

Folktale Types •

4965 (Tubach) "Treasure Taken Away."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • ‫״‬ • • • • • ‫״‬ • • •

D1252.2 "Magic copper." D1470 "Magic object as provider." D1610.21 "Speaking image." D1721.1.2 "Magic power from demon." D2100 "Magic wealth." J211.1.1 "Man gives all his wealth away, for it is better to die than to give up virtue." J706 "Acquisition of wealth." L217.1 "Former poverty chosen over new riches." M210 "Bargain with devil." P150 "Rich men." Q171.1 "Forgiveness of sin for acts of charity." U130.1 "Newly rich cannot resist call for distribution of food to beggars." V l . l 1 "Worship of idols." V55 "Man worships devil's image in order to secure advancement." V410 "Charity rewarded."

Notes 1. Published in R. Na'anah, Otzar ha-Ma 'asiyyot (A treasury of tales), 1:18-22. 2. Oseh Pele (The miracle worker), 179-183. 3. Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 14b-15a no. 16. 4. Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 3:329-333.

The Gilgul1 R E C A L L E D

BY

R E ' U V E N

N A ' A N A H

i n the t o w n of Raishe,** in Galieia, there lived a f a b u l o u s l y w e a l t h y m a n , a r e n o w n e d scholar, c r o w n e d with glory and h o n o r s and d e s c e n d e d f r o m o n e of the best f a m i l i e s in the c o u n t r y . E v e n t h o u g h the m a n had h e a r d m u c h a b o u t the p o w e r s a n d w o n d e r s of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον, he w a s alw a y s p r e o c c u p i e d with his o w n a f f a i r s and with l e a r n i n g Torah. It never o c c u r r e d to him to visit the rabbi and see his m i r a c l e s with his o w n eyes. O n e day, t h o u g h , the idea c a m e to h i m that p e r h a p s it w o u l d be w o r t h w h i l e to visit the holy t z a d d i k 5 and find out w h a t he w a s like, even t h o u g h he h a d no intention of b e c o m i n g o n e of his disciples. H e o r d e r e d his servant to h a r n e s s the c a r r i a g e and traveled straight to the holy rabbi, in the t o w n of M e d z h i b o z h . A s he c r o s s e d the t h r e s h o l d of the [rabbi's] h o u s e , he i n q u i r e d a b o u t the r a b b i ' s health. A f t e r they had e x c h a n g e d a f e w w o r d s , the rich m a n g a v e him a g e n e r o u s d o n a t i o n . " W h a t d o you l a c k ? " asked the rabbi. " T h a n k G o d , I a m e x t r e m e l y rich a n d w a n t n o t h i n g , " a n s w e r e d the rich m a n . " T h e H o l y O n e , B l e s s e d Be He, h a s b l e s s e d m e with sons, all of w h o m are the s o n s - i n - l a w of r a b b i s and sages, and all m y h o u s e h o l d and f a m i l y are c o n t e n t . I have no n e e d to a p p e a l to the king." § § T h e rabbi w o u l d not relent. " S o w h y have you c o m e h e r e ? " "I c a m e here j u s t to b e h o l d y o u r holy c o u n t e n a n c e . " "You m e a n y o u c a m e h e r e o n l y to m e e t m e ? You traveled this long j o u r n e y only f o r m y s a k e ? T h a t b e i n g the case, sit d o w n and study m y face c a r e f u l l y w h i l e I tell you a story." T h e B a ' a l S h e m Τον began this tale:

*This kabbalistic concept—transmigration of the soul—holds that the soul can be purified through gigul and can be reborn. "Called "Raishe" in Yiddish and "Rzeszow" in Polish. § A righteous and saintly person. §§ An echo of the story of Elisha and the matron of Shunem (2 Kings 4:8-16).

"In a c e r t a i n city there lived t w o rich m e n , a n d e a c h had a son. T h e sons w e r e the s a m e age and alike in their virtues. In their c h i l d h o o d , w h e n they w e r e c l o s e n e i g h b o r s a n d in the p r i m e of their y o u t h , a d e e p love g r e w u p b e t w e e n t h e m . T h e y studied with the s a m e t e a c h e r and out of the s a m e b o o k , a n d loved e a c h o t h e r with an intense a f f e c t i o n . " W h e n they g r e w to m a n h o o d , however, they married and left their native t o w n , e a c h f o r a d i f f e r e n t city. T h e i r love survived this separation, and they w r o t e e a c h o t h e r every w e e k . A s t i m e w e n t on, t h o u g h , their corres p o n d e n c e d w i n d l e d to o n c e a m o n t h . W h e n they b e c a m e p r e o c c u p i e d with their i n c r e a s i n g a f f a i r s , their letters w e r e e x c h a n g e d only o n c e in six m o n t h s . A n d , finally, they s t o p p e d c o r r e s p o n d i n g altogether. T h e f r i e n d ship w a s f o r g o t t e n , w h i l e both p r o s p e r e d steadily and b e c a m e very rich. " A f t e r m a n y years, o n e of t h e m ran out of luck. H e lost all his w e a l t h a n d p r o p e r t y a n d b e c a m e d r e a d f u l l y poor. In his distress, he r e m e m b e r e d his f r i e n d , w h o w a s still i m m e n s e l y rich. He said to h i m s e l f , '1 will g o ask h i m f o r help. Surely he will be h a p p y to see m e and will assist m e . ' " F r o m his n e i g h b o r s he b o r r o w e d c l o t h e s and s o m e m o n e y f o r the exp e n s e s of the trip. A f t e r m a n y a d v e n t u r e s en route he r e a c h e d his d e s t i n a tion. T h e f r i e n d of his y o u t h r u s h e d to greet him w h e n they m e t . H e b r o u g h t him h o m e , m a d e h i m a royal feast, and rejoiced with his old c o m rade. " D u r i n g the meal, w h i l e all the m e m b e r s of the h o u s e h o l d w e r e busy eating and d r i n k i n g , the host quietly asked his guest about his station and c o n d i t i o n . ' E v e n t h e s e c l o t h e s are not m i n e , ' c a m e the s o f t reply. ' F r o m h e a d to toe I a c q u i r e d t h e m all t h r o u g h the g e n e r o s i t y of f r i e n d s . ' " W h e n the host h e a r d this he o r d e r e d his f a i t h f u l clerk to c a l c u l a t e w h a t he w a s w o r t h . A f t e r he r e c e i v e d a full and a c c u r a t e r e c k o n i n g he c a l l e d his f r i e n d into his private c a b i n e t . ' T h i s is the s u m total of the w e a l t h with w h i c h the H o l y O n e , B l e s s e d B e He, has b l e s s e d m e in His b e n e f i c e n c e . Take half of it and fret n o m o r e . ' H e gave him a share of all his g o o d s , e n d o w i n g him g e n e r o u s l y with e v e r y t h i n g , as fast f r i e n d s do, and w i s h e d him n o t h i n g but s u c c e s s and ease. " T h e n the p o o r f r i e n d r e t u r n e d h o m e , o v e r j o y e d , a n d r e s u m e d his c o m m e r c e . His s u c c e s s returned, a n d his b u s i n e s s p r o s p e r e d until he w a s even richer than b e f o r e . " M e a n w h i l e , the rich f r i e n d , w h o h a d given half his w e a l t h to his f r i e n d , saw his o w n luck v a n i s h . H e s a n k l o w e r a n d lower, a n d his rem a i n i n g wealth melted a w a y like ice. T h e m e m b e r s of his h o u s e h o l d w e r e left n a k e d a n d in utter want. " W h e n the b u r d e n of s u f f e r i n g had b e c o m e too heavy to bear, he h e a r d

that his f r i e n d h a d s u c c e e d e d a n d p r o s p e r e d . H e w a s very glad f o r his f r i e n d ' s s u c c e s s , and t h o u g h t , ' G o d will h e l p m e too, even t h o u g h m y salvation is f a r away.' " B u t salvation n e v e r c a m e . W h e n his e n d u r a n c e w a s at an end, and he c o u l d n o longer tolerate his misery, he decided to appeal to his friend, w h o had b e c o m e rich t h a n k s to his g e n e r o u s gift of half his f o r t u n e . S o the man m a d e the l a b o r i o u s j o u r n e y to his f r i e n d ' s t o w n . " T h e p o o r m a n r e a c h e d his f r i e n d ' s h o u s e , but the f r i e n d failed to reco g n i z e h i m . T h e visitor p l e a d e d with h i m . '1 a m y o u r f r i e n d ' — a n d he said his n a m e — ' a n d have c o m e to y o u . B e h o l d m y misery, see h o w p o o r and destitute I stand b e f o r e y o u ! ' " B u t w h e n the rich m a n h e a r d this, he t w i s t e d his f a c e a n d q u i v e r e d with rage. ' W h a t d o e s this p o o r m a n have to d o with m e ? ' he a s k e d . ' T h i s m i s e r a b l e w r e t c h will not e n t e r m y h o u s e ! ' A n d he r e f u s e d to let him in. " H i s heart o v e r f l o w i n g with s h a m e and grief, the p o o r f e l l o w left his f r i e n d . H e cried long and bitterly a n d p o u r e d out his heart b e f o r e his Creator. A n d G o d heard his p r a y e r s . " T h e p o o r m a n r e t u r n e d h o m e a n d put his trust in the C r e a t o r of H e a v e n a n d earth, W h o s u p p o r t s a n d sustains us all. T h e p o o r m a n turned his attention to his business, and G o d sent h i m His assistance. O n c e again he m a d e a living, but not b e c a u s e of the a s s i s t a n c e of h u m a n b e i n g s . S t e p b y step his trade i n c r e a s e d , a n d he r e c o v e r e d his prosperity. S o o n his w e a l t h returned to its p r e v i o u s level. R e m e m b e r i n g the d a y s w h e n he w a s destitute and w r e t c h e d , he took pity on the poor, inviting the indigent and n e e d y to his h o u s e , f e e d i n g t h e m , a n d g i v i n g t h e m m o n e y . H e n e v e r t u r n e d a w a y any p o o r person. " O n e d a y a p o o r m a n c a m e to his h o u s e . It w a s e v i d e n t that he had k n o w n better d a y s , but the w h e e l had t u r n e d a n d his f o r t u n e had m e l t e d away. " T h e host asked w h e r e he c a m e f r o m . " Ί m u s t m e n t i o n m y sins today,'* replied the p o o r m a n . '1 a m y o u r f r i e n d w h o h a r d e n e d his heart against you w h e n you w e r e d o w n on y o u r luck a n d t h r e w you out of m y h o u s e a n d w o u l d not let you in. But G o d d i s c o v e r e d m y sin a n d paid m e b a c k s e v e n f o l d . H e h u r l e d m e f r o m H e a v e n to earth, until there is n o t h i n g left in m y h o u s e worth as m u c h as a penny, so I c o u l d buy f o o d f o r even a single meal.' " W h e n the host b e h e l d his f r i e n d and his state, he w a s o v e r c o m e with

*

See Genesis 41:9.

pity a n d f o r g o t w h a t he had d o n e w h e n he a p p e a l e d f o r his help. O n c e again, he gave h i m half his w e a l t h , as previously. B e f o r e he did so, h o w ever, h e said, ' K n o w , m y f r i e n d , that I a m not g i v i n g you this as a gift, but as a loan. You m u s t give m e a p r o m i s s o r y note f o r the a m o u n t a n d r e p a y the d e b t w h e n G o d h a s assisted y o u . ' " D o not be a n g r y with me,' h e [the rich f r i e n d ] a d d e d . ' M y heart m u r m u r s with dread* that the y e a r s m a y yet w e a r m e d o w n a n d s w a l l o w m e up. D o w e not see that the w h e e l of f o r t u n e t u r n s w i t h o u t p a u s e . O n e m a n rises w h i l e a n o t h e r falls. I a m a f r a i d that you might treat m e , H e a v e n f o r bid, the s a m e w a y you did b e f o r e . S o this b o n d will be a w i t n e s s b e t w e e n us.' " T h e f r i e n d gave h i m a p r o m i s s o r y note, signed and sealed a c c o r d i n g to the law, and took his leave of h i m in love and p e a c e . " D a y s p a s s e d and then y e a r s , a n d the m a n w h o had given his f r i e n d half his f o r t u n e again fell low. H e g r e w old a n d c o u l d n o l o n g e r c o n d u c t his b u s i n e s s p r o p e r l y . H e w a s o v e r w h e l m e d by his t r o u b l e s . But, he t h o u g h t , this t i m e I will be saved by m y f r i e n d ' s b o n d . H e set off f o r his f r i e n d ' s t o w n , t a k i n g the p r o m i s s o r y note with h i m . But the f r i e n d had not c h a n g e d and w o u l d not a d m i t h i m to his p r e s e n c e . " T h e w r e t c h e d m a n a p p e a l e d to the c o u r t s , h o p i n g the j u d g e s w o u l d h e l p h i m collect on the note. B u t the m a g i s t r a t e s w e r e mortally a f r a i d of the rich m a n , w h o d o m i n a t e d all of t h e m . O n c e again, the p o o r m a n left the t o w n d i s c o n s o l a t e l y , with n o relief f o r his ruined c o n d i t i o n . " E v e n t u a l l y , b o t h m e n p a s s e d a w a y and their souls w e r e b r o u g h t b e f o r e the h e a v e n l y tribunal. Its verdict w a s that the soul of the rich m a n be c a t a p u l t e d to the d e e p e s t a b y s s of Hell, w h i l e the p o o r m a n w a s elevated to the h i g h e s t level of P a r a d i s e , w h e r e his soul w o u l d be in the c o m p a n y of the r i g h t e o u s . " B u t the p o o r m a n r e f u s e d to a c c e p t the b o o n . ' H o w can I find s w e e t n e s s in Paradise,' h e said, ' w h i l e m y f r i e n d is in Hell, b e i n g t o r m e n t e d on my account?' " B e c a u s e he r e f u s e d to a c c e p t its verdict, the H e a v e n l y T r i b u n a l allowed h i m to be his o w n j u d g e a n d r e n d e r a true verdict, on the c o n d i t i o n that his f r i e n d m a k e a m e n d s f o r his sin. " W h e n the p o o r m a n realized that the only w a y to help his f r i e n d w a s f o r both of t h e m to return to the w o r l d of falsehood,** b e c a u s e only there c o u l d the f r i e n d m a k e a m e n d s f o r his sin, he d e c i d e d that both of t h e m

*See Isaiah 33:18. "In other words, to life on earth.

w o u l d be r e t u r n e d to this w o r l d , w h e r e h e w o u l d be p o o r a n d his f r i e n d rich. T h e p e n n i e s he w o u l d beg f r o m him f r o m t i m e to t i m e w o u l d a c c u m u l a t e until the debt w a s paid o f f . " T h i s verdict s t a g g e r e d the h e a v e n l y host, but it c o u l d not be altered, f o r such w a s the p o o r m a n ' s wish. " T i m e p a s s e d , and t w o c h i l d r e n w e r e born in d i f f e r e n t t o w n s , o n e to a p o o r family, the o t h e r to a w e a l t h y family. T h e children g r e w to m a n h o o d . T h e p o o r child b e c a m e a beggar, c o l l e c t i n g a l m s f r o m d o o r to door. H e j o u r n e y e d f r o m t o w n to t o w n a n d f r o m village to village until he r e a c h e d the h o m e t o w n of his rich f r i e n d f r o m their f o r m e r lives. " A l t h o u g h this m a n w a s rich a n d f a m o u s , he w a s a m i s e r and did not give c h a r i t y to his p o o r b r e t h r e n — a fact that w a s k n o w n to the e n t i r e neighborhood. " W h e n the p o o r m a n c a m e to the city, s t a r v i n g , h e w e n t to the rich m a n ' s h o u s e . '1 a m starving,' he p l e a d e d . '1 will surely die unless you give m e the price of a loaf of b r e a d so I can r e s t o r e my soul.' " T h e rich m a n b e l l o w e d at h i m . W h e n the p o o r m a n d a r e d to a n s w e r h i m , the rich m a n w a s i n f u r i a t e d . H e w e n t d o w n to the p o o r m a n and s l a p p e d h i m t w i c e a c r o s s the f a c e . " T h e p o o r m a n c o l l a p s e d d e a d on the rich m a n ' s t h r e s h o l d . " At this point in his narrative, the B a ' a l S h e m Τον l o o k e d straight at the rich m a n . " L o o k at m e and listen carefully. T h e p o o r m a n c a m e f r o m a diff e r e n t town and h a d n o relative or r e d e e m e r to a v e n g e his blood. At o n c e , his b o d y w a s taken f r o m the rich m a n ' s d o o r and carried off f o r interment. T h e y [the t o w n s f o l k ] w r a p p e d h i m in a s h r o u d a n d b u r i e d h i m in the Jewish cemetery. "Tell m e , now, h a v e you b e e n l i s t e n i n g c a r e f u l l y ? D o you lack a n y thing?" T h e rich m a n fell prostrate on the g r o u n d a n d cried aloud. " W o e is m e ! I a m that m a n . B e f o r e I c a m e h e r e to visit the holy t z a d d i k a p o o r m a n c a m e to my door. W h e n I threw him out, he fell d e a d on my d o o r s t e p . " W e e p i n g bitterly, the m a n asked the rabbi w h e t h e r all the gates of rep e n t a n c e w e r e shut against him. W a s there n o w a y to m a k e a m e n d s f o r his wrongdoing? T h e rabbi a n s w e r e d , "If you can find the c h i l d r e n of the d e a d b e g g a r a n d reach s o m e a g r e e m e n t w i t h t h e m , there m a y be h o p e f o r y o u in the e n d . But if not, you are a c c u r s e d b e y o n d all the w i c k e d on earth, nor will you rest in the grave. For you have killed y o u r f r i e n d , w h o w a s willing f o r y o u r sake to return to this w o r l d so you c o u l d r e p e n t y o u r evil w a y s and not b e h u r l e d to the d e p t h s of perdition.

" H e a r this and k n o w that there is a G o d w h o j u d g e s the w o r l d . " M a y the g o o d L o r d return us to the path of r i g h t e o u s n e s s a n d k e e p us f r o m t e m p t a t i o n . M a y He put an e n d to o u r t r o u b l e s and send us our righte o u s M e s s i a h and r e d e e m us c o m p l e t e l y , speedily and in our d a y s . A m e n !

COMMENTARY Written

FOR T A L E 2 2 (IFA

down from memory

by Re 'uven Na

2634)

'anah.1

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale initially appeared in print in Kehal Hasidim, which was the first and largest collection of Hasidic tales published—anonymously and without any indication of the date and place of publication—after Shivhei ha-Besht (In praise of the Ba'al Shem Τον) and Sefer Ha-Ma'asiyyot, by Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav. Dan 2 proposed that its author is Michael Levi Rodkinson (1845-1904) and that the book was published shortly before 1864. Nigal 3 argued that the likely author of Kehal Hasidim is Rabbi Aaron ben Isaiah Nathan Waiden ( 1 8 3 8 - 1 9 1 2 ) and that it was published between 1865 and 1867. The tale was also anthologized by Ben-Yehezki'el. 4 The narrator, N a ' a n a h , submitted the tale to the IFA as "written down from memory"; but even a cursory comparison of the text as printed here and in the narrator's anthology Otzar ha-Ma 'asiyyot with the text in Kehal Hasidim reveals a closer adherence to the earlier version than memory generally sustains. When compiling such books of folktales, it has been common practice for editors and printers to copy from each other, with or without crediting their sources. Doing so, they have readily crossed ethnic traditions within Jewish societies; for exampie, Hasidic authors have copied from Sephardic writers and vice versa. The tale has two parts: (1) a f r a m e narrative and (2) the Ba'al Shem Tov's story. The frame narrative illustrates the Hasidic tradition about the Ba'al Shem Τον (also known as the Besht) as a storyteller and his use of storytelling to influence people. A study of this tradition and about the image of the Besht as a master storyteller is available. 5 The use of the storytelling situation as a narrative f r a m e occurs in Arabic literary works, such as the Arabian Nights, and in the writings of European Renaissance classics, such as The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio ( 1 3 1 3 - 1 3 7 5 ) and the Canterbury Tales of Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?-1400). In these examples and other works of this kind, a single situation frames a sequence of tales; in the present case, however, only one substory is told, which reaches its peak when the framing and the framed narratives converge. 6 The Besht's story is a parable of friendship, success and failure, and loyalty and betrayal that concludes with the idea of reincarnation and then recognition. Normative rabbinical Judaism, as articulated by the talmudic rabbis and medieval philosophers such as Saadiah Gaon (882-942) and Maimonides (1135-1204), rejected the ideas of reincarnation, transmigration of the soul, and metempsychosis (gilgul). However, such beliefs were prevalent among Jews, and they are found in script for the first time in the twelfth century in the kabbalistic book Sefer haBahir, which was edited around 1180 in the south of France. A century later, Jewish mystics expounded on this idea and articulated the doctrine of the trans-

migration of the soul, which became an integral part of the teaching of the Zohar and of sixteenth-century Lurianic mysticism, which influenced Hasidism. 7

Folklore Motifs • • ‫״‬ ‫״‬ ‫״‬ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ ‫״‬ • • • • • • ‫״‬

E379.3 "Return from dead to protect friends." E600 "Reincarnation." E601.2 "Reincarnated benefactor helped by man he has befriended in former life." E601.3 "Punishments earned on one life paid in next reincarnation." E605 "Reincarnation in another human form." E605.7 "Man reincarnated as child." *E605.10 "Reincarnation: poor man becomes rich." *E605.11 "Reincarnation: rich man becomes poor." E606.1 "Reincarnation as punishment for sin." E606.2 "Reincarnation to complete unfinished work." *E606.3 "Reincarnation for restoration of soul (tikkun)." F177.1 "Court in other world." Hl 1 "Recognition through storytelling." H11.1 "Recognition by telling life history." H1552 "Tests of generosity." H 1558.7 "Test of friendship: the power of money." N350 "Accidental loss of property." N835 "Wealthy (powerful) man as helper." P310 "Friendship." P319.7 "Friendship without refusal." Q281 "Ingratitude punished." Q291 "Hard-heartedness punished." Q292 "Inhospitality punished." Q551.5 "Reincarnation as punishment." W11 "Generosity." W11.5 "Generosity toward enemy." W27 "Gratitude." W152 "Stinginess." W154 "Ingratitude."

Notes 1. Published in Otzar ha-Ma'asiyyol (A treasury of tales), 1:117-121. 2. The Hasidic Story, 195-207. 3. Sefer Sippurei Kedoshim (A book of saints' tales), 87-97. 4. Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 2:231-237. 5. Buxbaum, Storytelling and Spirituality in Judaism, 5 - 4 8 .

6. On the frame narrative in general, see Irwin, "What's in a Frame?"; Gittes, "The Canterbury Tales and the Arabic Frame Tradition"; and Gittes, Framing the Canterbury Tales. Compare these literary frame constructions with the ethnographic study of narratives in a contemporary pilgrimage in Slater, Trail of Miracles. 7. See Scholem, On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead, 197-250; Nigal, Magic, Mysticism, and Hasidism, 51-66; and Sheqalim, The Doctrine of the Soul and Reincarnation. On the concept in general, see Bjorling, Reincarnation.

The Prince 's Gilgul R E ' U V E N

N A ' A N A H

/ here w a s a c h i l d l e s s w o m a n w h o u s e d to visit the B a ' a l S h e m Τον f r o m t i m e to t i m e and ask h i m to p r a y f o r her. E a c h t i m e he put her o f f , f i n d i n g s o m e e x c u s e or another. Until o n c e she c a m e to h i m w e e p i n g uncontrollably. "Is a n y t h i n g too w o n d r o u s f o r the L o r d ? " he said. "At this season next y e a r you will return to m e , e m b r a c i n g a son."* S h e w e n t h o m e , her heart b r i m m i n g with faith that the r a b b i ' s b l e s s i n g w o u l d be f u l f i l l e d . A n d so it was. At the e n d of a full y e a r she held a son in her a r m s , well-built and h a n d s o m e , * ' like n o child a n y w h e r e in the w o r l d . S h e c a r e d f o r him day and night and never left h i m f o r a m o m e n t . S h e nursed h i m at her breast until it w a s t i m e to w e a n h i m . T h e n , t a k i n g the c h i l d , she w e n t to ask the saintly rabbi to b l e s s the child b e f o r e he t u r n e d two. W h e n s h e r e a c h e d the r a b b i ' s h o m e , he had the child b r o u g h t in to h i m , took it, and kissed it. T h e n he sent it back to its mother. H e r child in her a r m s , the m o t h e r returned h o m e , her heart full of joy, p r e p a r e d to raise her son to Torah, the m a r r i a g e c a n o p y , and g o o d d e e d s . § But G o d willed o t h e r w i s e . On his s e c o n d birthday, the child took sick a n d died. T h e m o t h e r w e p t bitterly and r e f u s e d to be c o m f o r t e d . S h e w e n t b a c k to the B a ' a l S h e m Τον, w a i l i n g and c r y i n g . "You, my rabbi a n d t e a c h e r ! " she said. "You f o r e s a w the death of m y son. You took his soul a n d killed h i m ! " T h e rabbi listened quietly and b e g g e d her not to cry. "Sit d o w n and rest a n d listen to my story. P e r h a p s you will find s o m e c o n s o l a t i o n in it." T h e b r o k e n - h e a r t e d w o m a n c a l m e d d o w n and took a seat at the side of the r o o m . T h e rabbi b e g a n his tale: " O n c e there w a s a great a n d p o w e r f u l k i n g , w h o ruled over

,

S e e Esther 3:12 and 8:10. " S e e Genesis 21:8. 5 The traditional blessing for the newborn child.

120

p r o v i n c e s . But he w a s not happy, b e c a u s e he h a d n o sons. T h e king, not k n o w i n g w h o w o u l d sit on his t h r o n e a f t e r h i m , w a s c o n c e r n e d f o r the f u ture of his k i n g d o m . N o w this king had a J e w i s h counselor. O n c e the king said to h i m , ' G o d has c r o w n e d m e with g l o r y a n d m a j e s t y . I a m a great king ruling o v e r m a n y p e o p l e s and m a n y lands. But o n e thing H e has not given m e — a son to take m y place.' ' " N o n e in all y o u r k i n g d o m can h e l p y o u in this," replied the c o u n selor, ' e x c e p t f o r the J e w s . ' " W h e n the king heard this he said, '1 will remit all their taxes and protect and shelter t h e m against their e n e m i e s . ' " T h e c o u n s e l o r a n s w e r e d , 'You are mistaken, m y lord king. You d o not k n o w this nation. It is not t h r o u g h a r e m i s s i o n of taxes that y o u r salvation will c o m e , a n d c e r t a i n l y you will not o b t a i n a son that way. T h i s nation has p o w e r o n l y t h r o u g h prayer. If you d e c r e e that all the J e w s in y o u r k i n g d o m m u s t pray that G o d g r a n t y o u a son, a m a l e heir to sit on y o u r t h r o n e a f t e r y o u , their p r a y e r will certainly be received, and a y e a r h e n c e the q u e e n will be e m b r a c i n g a son. But if the L o r d d e n i e s y o u r w i f e child r e n even a f t e r this, then you should expel the J e w s f r o m all the p r o v i n c e s of y o u r k i n g d o m , not a l l o w i n g a single o n e to r e m a i n , since they will have b e t r a y e d y o u , a n d their p r a y e r s w e r e in vain.' " T h e king h e e d e d the a d v i c e of his J e w i s h c o u n s e l o r and did as he reco m m e n d e d . H e w r o t e letters and sealed t h e m with the royal seal a n d sent t h e m to the J e w s in the p r o v i n c e s of the king,* instructing t h e m to pray to the G o d of Israel that H e s t r e n g t h e n his h o u s e a n d give h i m a son to inherit his throne. But s h o u l d the q u e e n fail to give birth to a son d u r i n g the c o m i n g year, let not a single J e w d a r e r e m a i n in his k i n g d o m . " W h e n the k i n g ' s edict r e a c h e d the J e w s , they d e c r e e d a p u b l i c fast, g a t h e r e d in the s y n a g o g u e s , and p o u r e d out their hearts b e f o r e the C r e a t o r of the u n i v e r s e . T h e y cried o u t to G o d a n d their l a m e n t s rose to the H e a v e n s , w h e r e they c a u s e d all the d w e l l e r s on high to t r e m b l e . " W h e n o n e holy soul heard the J e w s ' cries it c a m e b e f o r e the T h r o n e of G l o r y and p r o s t r a t e d itself b e f o r e G o d . '1 will g o d o w n and be the son of that king w h o t h r e a t e n s y o u r p e o p l e Israel,' it said, ' f o r I h a v e taken pity on t h e m . ' " T h a t y e a r the q u e e n c o n c e i v e d a n d b o r e a son. T h e J e w s w e r e overj o y e d . T h e b o y g r e w u p and w a s w e a n e d . ' H e w a s e d u c a t e d in the m a n n e r s of p r i n c e s . T h e n they b r o u g h t tutors to teach h i m all the arts and

*See Esther 3:12 and 8:10.

s c i e n c e s . E v e r y t h i n g his t e a c h e r s t a u g h t he l e a r n e d quickly, b e c a u s e he h a d a q u i c k g r a s p , s h a r p intellect, a n d w o n d e r f u l m e m o r y . " B u t the lad c o m p l a i n e d to his father, '1 get n o p l e a s u r e f r o m w h a t I a m learning. I w a n t to be taught a d o c t r i n e that will delight m y soul.' " H i s father, e x t r e m e l y happy, replied, '1 will send you to R o m e , w h e r e the p o p e will teach you a d o c t r i n e that will g l a d d e n y o u r soul.' " W h a t did the king d o ? H e s u m m o n e d the p o p e and instructed h i m to teach the seven s c i e n c e s to his only son, w h o m he l o v e d . " " T h e p o p e replied. '1 a m ready to fulfill the k i n g ' s d e c r e e to the letter. But I have o n e r e q u e s t to m a k e of the k i n g — n a m e l y , that f o r t w o h o u r s e a c h day y o u r son not be with me. Every day I will shut m y s e l f u p in m y r o o m and devote my b o d y and soul to h e a v e n l y affairs. A n y o n e w h o visits m e in m y c h a m b e r d u r i n g t h o s e h o u r s m u s t be a d j u d g e d guilty of a capital o f f e n s e by the k i n g ' s d e c r e e . I ask the king that this law apply even to y o u r o w n d e a r son.' " T h e king p r o m i s e d the p o p e that he w o u l d d o as he w i s h e d . At o n c e , the p o p e b e g a n t e a c h i n g the prince. A f t e r a year, the p r i n c e had m a s t e r e d e v e r y t h i n g the p o p e knew. In m a n y areas, he even e x c e e d e d his teacher, b e c a u s e he w a s p o s s e s s e d of s t e r l i n g abilities, as b e f i t s a p u r e a n d holy soul. " B u t the t h o u g h t o c c u r r e d to the prince, 'If I a m so d e a r to m y f a t h e r and a l s o to the p o p e a n d I k n o w e v e r y t h i n g , w h y s h o u l d n ' t I k n o w w h a t the p o p e is d o i n g d u r i n g t h o s e t w o h o u r s ? ' " H e acquired a spare set of keys a n d stealthily w e n t to u n l o c k the door. H e f o u n d the p o p e w r a p p e d in a tallit § a n d w e a r i n g tefillin, s § sitting and l e a r n i n g Gemara**" with the c o m m e n t a r i e s . W h e n the p o p e saw the p r i n c e , he f a i n t e d d e a d away, terrified that it w o u l d n o w b e c o m e k n o w n that he w a s really a Jew. ' " D o not f r e t or fear,' said the p r i n c e . '1 w o n ' t tell a n y o n e — i f y o u teach m e this doctrine.' ' " S i t next to m e and look on,' the p o p e replied, 'and I will reveal to you the w o n d e r s of G o d . ' " F r o m that d a y f o r t h , the p r i n c e j o i n e d the p o p e in his r o o m and learned G e m a r a , w h i c h fascinates the m i n d and is as sweet as honey. A f t e r

"See Genesis 21:8. " S e e Genesis 22:2. 8

Prayer shawl.

58

Small black leather prayer boxes containing passages from the Torah.

""Rabbinic commentaries in the Talmud.

Man wearing tallit and tefillin

the p r i n c e h a d l e a r n e d the d o c t r i n e of the J e w s , h e asked his teacher, 'If the J e w i s h d o c t r i n e is the true d o c t r i n e , w h y h a v e you led so m a n y p e o p l e astray with a vain d o g m a ? ' ' " O v e r the y e a r s , I h a v e b e c o m e a c c u s t o m e d to it,' he r e p l i e d . ' B u t I h a v e never f o r s a k e n the holy d o c t r i n e of m y ancestors.' ' " W h a t can I d o to c o n v e r t a n d find s h e l t e r u n d e r the w i n g s of the Shekhinah ? '* asked the prince. ' " Y o u r father, w h o is getting on in years, w a n t e d a son a n d heir to sit on his t h r o n e a f t e r him. But he has scarcely ever let you out of his sight, so that y o u k n o w n o t h i n g a b o u t the n a t u r e of [ c o m m o n ] p e o p l e a n d y o u r k i n g d o m . M y a d v i c e is that you tell h i m that you w a n t to tour the country. S i n c e you c a n n o t part f r o m e a c h o t h e r f o r even an hour, n o w you should start g o i n g a w a y f r o m e a c h o t h e r every so o f t e n , until you get used to it. T h i s will m a k e it easier f o r you to e s c a p e to a p l a c e w h e r e n o b o d y k n o w s y o u , a n d you can b e c o m e a Jew. M a y G o d h e l p y o u . ' " T h e p r i n c e f o l l o w e d this a d v i c e . W h e n the king heard his wise s o n ' s p r o p o s a l [to tour the c o u n t r y ] , he c o n s e n t e d at o n c e . T h e y b e g a n to accustorn t h e m s e l v e s to not s e e i n g e a c h o t h e r f o r long periods. Eventually, the p r i n c e set out to see the k i n g d o m . W h e n he r e a c h e d the frontier, he told his c o a c h m a n to g o h o m e , b e c a u s e he w a n t e d to stay in that p l a c e f o r a long time. " T h e n the prince w e n t to a d i f f e r e n t c o u n t r y and converted to J u d a i s m . B u t h e told n o o n e w h o he was. H e l e a r n e d Torah w i t h o u t h a v i n g to dep e n d o n o t h e r s financially, b e c a u s e he h a d taken a large s u m of m o n e y with him, e n o u g h to s u p p o r t h i m f o r the rest of his life. H e sat in the bet midrash** a n d learned Torah until his d e a t h . " W h e n he r e a c h e d the u p p e r w o r l d , he w a s b r o u g h t b e f o r e the h e a v enly tribunal, w h e r e they began to e x a m i n e his d e e d s . W h o c o u l d say anyt h i n g a g a i n s t s u c h a h o l y soul, w h i c h had given itself f o r the J e w i s h p e o p l e ? N e v e r t h e l e s s , o n e s p o k e up a n d said that f o r t w o y e a r s h e h a d s u c k l e d at a gentile breast! It w a s d e c r e e d that he return to the lower world to a m e n d this i m p e r f e c t i o n . " N o w you c a m e to m e in p a s s e d against it m a k e to you

know w h o m you nursed for two years. Every time you tears I had n o w a y to help y o u . But w h e n I saw the verdict this holy soul, I p r o m i s e d you a son. W h a t d i f f e r e n c e d o e s that you s u c k l e d s u c h a holy soul f o r t w o y e a r s ? "

T h e w o m a n left the r a b b i ' s h o u s e , only half c o n s o l e d .

"Ancient talmudic name for God's presence. "Religious school.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 3 (IFA

2644)

Written down by Re 'uven Na 'anahfrom memory.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The story consists of three parts: a frame narrative, a framed narrative, and a conelusion that connects the two (see also tale IFA 2634 [vol. 1]). The narratives revolves around the theme of childlessness and the quest for offspring. This theme is part of the biblical narrative and concerns two of the matriarchs, Sarah (Genesis 17-18:1-15, 21:1-8) and Rachel (Genesis 29:31, 30:1-2,22-24), as well as the mothers of Samson (Judges 13) and Samuel (1 Samuel 1). In the talmudic-midrashic literature, narratives about the quest for offspring are rather rare, though this does not mean that fertility problems did not exist in the postbiblical Jewish society, only that the editors did not include them in talmudic-midrashic books. The subject became apparent again in medieval, Hasidic, and modern records of Jewish oral traditions about holy men, who, according to belief and practice, could offer a cure for barrenness; for example, see the following tales: IFA 2830 (vol. 1), IFA 4735 (vol. 1), and IFA 6471 (vol. l). 2 The frame narrative is a description of a pleading visit to a ba'al shem. The Ba'al Shem Τον (also known as the Besht) had the reputation of telling stories during therapeutic or consultation visits. The Besht's story revolves around the theme of a Jewish pope. There are three basic forms of this tale: ( 1 ) the kidnapped child, (2) the pope is a bastard, and (3) the pope as a crypto-Jew. Tales on this subject have been available in print in Jewish literature since the sixteenth century, originally published in Ibn Yahya, Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah (The chain of tradition). This theme evolved in written and oral traditions in three different patterns, each having a distinct cause for conversion: kidnapping, maternal adultery, and sin. The first two causes are involuntary, whereas the third is deliberate and requires atonement or forgiveness.

Kidnapping The basic tale of the first pattern, kidnapping, is known as "The Story of Pope Elhanan," and it tells of a Jewish infant who was kidnapped and raised as Christian and attained the highest position in the Catholic Church. The story is known in two distinct versions: Ashkenazic and Sephardic, which appear in different manuscript traditions of Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah. The Ashkenazic tradition maintains that the pope of Jewish descent was the kidnapped son of Rabbi Simeon bar Isaac (born c. 950). In the Sephardic rendition, the child is of Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Adret of Barcelona (c. 1235-c. 1310). Although appearing in print only in the sixteenth century, the Ashkenazic story was known as early as the thirteenth century and was included in a manuscript that was derived from the circle of Ashkenazic Hasidim under the leadership of Rabbi Judah the

Pious. It was published by J. Kobak. 3 Studies, discussions, and other renditions of this form of the tale are available, 4 including Sephardic and Ashkenazic versions. 5 For further bibliographical and historical discussion of this legend, see Bin Gorion. 6

Maternal Adultery and Sin Tales in which the causes for conversion are maternal adultery and sin appear primarily within Hasidic literature of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth. Yitzhak Dov ben Hirsh 7 included a tale, attributed to Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev (1740-1810), who claimed to have seen it in the chronicle (pinkas) of the Jewish community of Vilna and recorded it as an historical event that occurred in that town "several hundred years ago." It is a story about a bastard Jewish child who converted to Christianity and was elected to the papacy. After this pope exposed a blood libel against the Jews, he died as a martyr. Other Hasidic versions have been anthologized and discussed. 8

The Pope as a Crypto-Jew The present tale is a version of the third form, which describes the pope as a crypto-Jew. This form also occurs in the Hasidic narrative tradition. 9 For a somewhat different typology of tales about a Jewish child who was brought up in a non-Jewish society, see D. Noy 10 and the notes to tale 8915 (vol. 2). The concluding segment of the tale, which connects the frame and the framed narratives, involves the idea of reincarnation, which is discussed in the notes to tale 2634 (vol. 1).

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ • •

A1320 "Determination of span of life." C420 "Tabu: uttering secrets." C422 "Tabu: revealing identity of certain person." D1925.3 "Barrenness removed by prayer." E600 "Reincarnation." E605 "Reincarnation in another human form." Ε605.7 "Man reincarnated as child." *Ε606.3 "Reincarnation for restoration of soul (tikkun)." M311.0.3.1 "Prophecy: child to be born to childless couple." M369.7.2 "Prophecy about birth of heir." M444 "Curse of childlessness." N440 "Valuable secrets learned." P10 "Kings." Q551.5 "Reincarnation as punishment." T548.1 "Child born in answer to prayer."

• • • • • . .

V 5 0 "Prayer." V 5 2 " M i r a c u l o u s p o w e r of prayer." * V 1 3 1 . 3 " P h y l a c t e r i e s (tefillin)." V 2 2 3 " S a i n t s have m i r a c u l o u s k n o w l e d g e . " V 2 2 3 . 1 "Saint gives advice." v 2 9 4 " T h e pope." * V 2 9 4 . 1 " T h e p o p e practices J u d a i s m in secret."

•

V 3 3 6 " C o n v e r s i o n to J u d a i s m . "

Notes 1. Published in Otzar ha-Ma 'asiyyot (A treasury of tales), 1:157-161. 2. See also Nigal, The Hasidic Tale, 116-129; Ben-Ami, Saint Veneration among the Jews of Morocco (see index, "barrenness"); and Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic and Superstition, 33-34, 110, 188. 3. Ginse Nistaroth, 3:1-5. 4. A. Lipsker, "The Unreflecting Mirror." 5. For the Sephardic Texts, see M. Steinschneider, "Zum Judenpapst"; and the Moscow manuscript version no. 652 in the "Giinzburg Collection, " 108b-109a. For an Ashkenazic text told by a Sephardic narrator, see Na'anah. Otzar ha-Ma 'asiyyot (A treasury of tales) 3:577-583. 6. Mimekor Yisrael, 238-242 no. 129. 7. Kehal Hasidim hadash (A new assembly of Hasidim), 53-54 no. 105. 8. See H. M. Klainman, Zikaron La-Rishonim (commemoration for the early [Righteous People]), 56a-57a; Nigal, The Hasidic Tale, 230-231, esp. note 24; M. BenYehezeki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 4:387-392; in this version the Jewish pope is an offspring of an adulterous affair. 9. Y. Sofer, Sipurej Yaakov, 178-181 no. 59; Yassif, op. cit., 428; and Gitlitz, Secrecy and Deceit. 10. A Tale for Each Month 1970, 112-114 no. 10 (note by O. Meir).

A Letter from Morocco to the Western Wall T O L D

BY

A

S E P H A R D I C

MAN

TO

DOV

Ν Ο Υ

D e f o r e R a b b i H a y y i m B e n Attar ( a u t h o r of Or ha-Hayyim*) immigrated to the L a n d of Israel, his f r i e n d A z u l a i , his f r i e n d in M o r o c c o — I m e a n the y o u n g rabbi f r o m J e r u s a l e m , R a b b i H a y y i m J o s e p h David Azulai ( k n o w n as the " H i d a " ) , w h o traveled e x t e n s i v e l y in the D i a s p o r a — m e t h i m o n e d a y b e f o r e he r e t u r n e d to J e r u s a l e m . T h e O r ha-Hayyim** gave the y o u n g scholar, the " H i d a " , a letter a n d asked h i m to p l a c e it b e t w e e n the s a c r e d s t o n e s of the Western Wall. R a b b i A z u l a i took the letter a n d s e w e d it u p in his c o a t . B u t the sea v o y a g e took so long that by the t i m e he r e a c h e d the L a n d of Israel he had totally f o r g o t t e n a b o u t the matter. En route, R a b b i A z u l a i v o w e d that w h e n he r e t u r n e d to the L a n d of Israel he w o u l d leave the r a b b i n a t e a n d earn his living by m a n u a l labor. H a v i n g taken this vow, he f u l f i l l e d it: H e p u r c h a s e d a d o n k e y and a w a g o n a n d b e g a n c a r t i n g clay. T h i s w e n t on f o r a b o u t t w o years. O n e day, w i t h out w a r n i n g , his d o n k e y died, l e a v i n g R a b b i Azulai w i t h o u t a livelihood. H e scrutinized his past actions. R e m e m b e r i n g the 01‫ ־‬h a - H a y y i m ' s letter, he realized that h e had b e e n p u n i s h e d f o r f a i l i n g to deliver the letter to its destination. At o n c e , he i m m e r s e d h i m s e l f in the ritual bath to p u r i f y h i m s e l f a n d w e n t to the Western Wall, w h e r e he left the letter and p r a y e d . W h e n he r e t u r n e d f r o m the Wall his f a c e s h o n e with a celestial radia n c e . All the m e n in the s y n a g o g u e , filled w i t h a w e , g r e e t e d h i m a n d a s k e d w h a t had h a p p e n e d . H e told t h e m a b o u t the O r h a - H a y y i m ' s letter. "I h a v e a s t r o n g d e s i r e to see this letter," o n e of the s a g e s told R a b b i A z u l a i . "I c o m m a n d that y o u s h o w m e w h e r e y o u p l a c e d it a m o n g the s t o n e s of the Wall."

*A commentary on the Pentateuch. "In Jewish tradition, it is common to refer to scholars and rabbis by the title of one of their works.

Praying at the Western Wall.

T h e t w o p r o c e e d e d to the Wall and read the letter: " M y sister-bride,* I b e g you to h e l p m y d e a r student w h e n he is in distress." A n d that is h o w the p e o p l e of J e r u s a l e m d i s c o v e r e d that R a b b i Azulai w a s a g r e a t m a n . W i t h o u t delay, they a p p o i n t e d h i m rabbi of the H o l y City.

*A term for the Divine Presence, from The Song of Songs 5:1

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 4 (IFA

556)

Dov Noy recorded this tale from an old Sephardic man in Jerusalem in 1947. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Hayyim Ben Attar (1696-1743) was a Moroccan rabbi and kabbalist who immigrated to Palestine in 1742, after a short sojourn in Leghorn (Livorno), Italy. For more information about him and his position in Jewish folk narrative traditions see the notes to tale IFA 9958 (vol. 3). Hayyim Joseph David Azulai (1724-1806), known by his Hebrew acronym "HIDA," was a halakhist, kabbalist, and a bibliographer of Jewish books and manuscripts. The tale has no historical foundation and is an imaginative elaboration about the relations between two great Jewish personalities of the eighteenth century. The HIDA was born in Jerusalem and from his youth distinguished himself as a brilliant student. Being a scion of a prominent Sephardic rabbinical family on his father's side and, on his mother's side, a grandson of Joseph Bialer, who immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1700 with Judah Hasid Ha-Levi (1660-1700), he did not experience any period of hardship or anonymity. In 1743, he attended the bet midrash Knesset Yisrael, which was headed by Hayyim Ben Attar during his only year in Jerusalem. The personality and teachings of Ben Attar had a great effect on the HIDA, who quotes Ben Attar in his later writings more than any other teacher he had. Rabbi Azulai was well connected and highly respected in the Jewish society of Jerusalem in the mid-eighteenth century. He traveled abroad extensively as an emissary of the Hebron community, first from 1753 to 1758, when he visited Italy, Germany, Holland, France, and England. Then from 1764 to 1769. he lived in Egypt, where, for the only time in his life, he accepted a rabbinical appointment. In 1772, three years after his return to the Land of Israel the HIDA left again as an emissary of the Hebron community; from 1778 until his death in 1806 he lived in Leghorn, Italy. This narrative molds the biography of the HIDA to the traditional pattern of prominent Jewish personalities. Conventional accounts of such men include a childhood and/or youth of anonymity, even ignominy, followed by a personal transformation that permits society to recognize their greatness in learning and piety. However, in the present tale, the HIDA voluntarily embraces anonymity and manual labor after he has already been recognized as a learned man. In doing, so Azulai follows the precept "Make them not a crown wherewith to magnify thyself nor a spade wherewith to dig" (Pirkei Avot 4:5). Throughout his career as public servant and a scholar, the HIDA had a rabbinical position only during his five-year stay in Egypt, rejecting all other offers.

Compare the stories about the childhoods of Rabbi Judah Ha-Hasid, Maimonides, and the Ba'al Shem Τον. 1 An appraisal of Azulai's contribution to Jewish bibliography is available. 2

Similarities to Other !FA Tales The HIDA was not a popular figure in oral tradition; there are only six tales in the IFA about him, including another version of the present tale: •

IFA 12350: Hayyim Ben-Attar's

Note (Morocco).

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • •

F574 "Luminous person." *J21.53 "Judge not thy fellow-man until thou hast reached his place." P310 "Friendship." Q66 "Humility rewarded." *Q223.15 "Punishment for failure to place letter in a holy location." V222.1 "Marvelous light accompanying saint." V317.1 "Holy land." V462.8 "Ascetic immersion."

Notes 1. For Rabbi Judah Ha-Hasid, see Brüll, "Beiträg zur jüdischen Sagen," 9:32-33 no. 22; and Gaster, Ma'aseh Book, 2:336-338 no. 166. For Maimonides, see Y. Berger, "HaRamhain he-Aggadat ha-Am" (Maimonides in folk legend), 2:218-220; Brüll, op. cit., 4 4 ^ t 5 no. 39; Ibn Yahya, Shalshelet ha-Kabhalah (The chain of tradition), 45a^t6b; and Avishur. In Praise of Maimonides, 58-59 no. 2, 158-160 no. 31. For the Ba'al Shem Τον, see Ben-Amos and Mintz, In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Τον, 11-13 no. 4 , 2 6 - 3 1 nos. 13-15. For the HIDA, see M. Benayahu, Rabbi H. Y. D. Azulai; and M. Benayahu, Sefer haHYDA, esp. 68-93 and 94-104, which examine manuscript no. 880 (1792?) in the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, which contains the HIDA's notes and a list of tales that would have drawn on both written and oral sources. For the HIDA's diary, see Cymerman, The Diaries of Rabbi Ha'im Yosef David Azulai. 2. Brisman, A History and Guide to Judaic Bibliography, 74-85.

Rabbi Jacob the Storyteller; or The Power of Repentance R E ' υ YEN

N A

'ANAH

D e f o r e he died, o u r holy rabbi, Rabbi Israel B a ' a l S h e m Τον, called tog e t h e r his d i s c i p l e s a n d i n s t r u c t e d t h e m h o w to b e h a v e a n d h o w e a c h s h o u l d earn his livelihood. To s o m e , he even d i s c l o s e d w h a t w o u l d h a p pen to t h e m later in their lives. A m o n g these disciples w a s his f a i t h f u l student and a t t e n d a n t R a b b i Jacob. T h e B a ' a l S h e m Τον called R a b b i J a c o b and told h i m , "You will travel to all the p l a c e s w h e r e they k n o w m e a n d r e c o u n t the tales of all that y o u r e y e s w i t n e s s e d . T h i s will be the s o u r c e of y o u r livelihood." R a b b i J a c o b w a s e x t r e m e l y u p s e t by this i n j u n c t i o n . " W h a t is the purp o s e of m y r o a m i n g all m y d a y s a n d telling t a l e s ? " " D o not fret and d o not c o m p l a i n , " his m a s t e r replied. "If G o d wills it you will s u c c e e d in y o u r d e e d s . " A f t e r the H o l y A r k w a s hidden* a n d he a s c e n d e d to H e a v e n , the discipies of R a b b i Israel B a ' a l S h e m Τον, his m e m o r y f o r a b l e s s i n g , i m p i e m e n t e d his last i n s t r u c t i o n s to t h e m in full. Rabbi J a c o b w a n d e r e d f r o m p l a c e to p l a c e , t h r o u g h all the localities w h e r e his m a s t e r h a d b e e n , a n d told stories of his life, j u s t as his m a s t e r had e n j o i n e d b e f o r e his d e a t h . F r o m this he lived in c o m f o r t a n d with great honor. S o m e t w o and a half years later, he heard that in Italy there lived a very rich m a n w h o g a v e a gold f l o r i n f o r every tale of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον. Rabbi J a c o b t h o u g h t to h i m s e l f , "I will j o u r n e y to that rich m a n , tell h i m all the tales I k n o w a b o u t the master, and receive h u n d r e d s of gold florins. T h e n I will be able to rest m y w e a r y feet and sit quietly, at least f o r a very long time." H e b o u g h t a h o r s e , hired a servant, and set out, traveling f r o m village to village a n d t o w n to t o w n . W h e n he r e a c h e d his destination, a f t e r s o m e seven m o n t h s on the road, he i n q u i r e d a b o u t the rich m a n a n d his habits.

*An idiom used for the death of a distinguished scholar.

T h e y [the t o w n s f o l k ] told h i m that the m a n w a s i m m e n s e l y rich, a parag o n of virtue and perfectly G o d - f e a r i n g , and p e r f o r m e d m a n y g o o d d e e d s . His m a n s i o n , w h e r e he sat a n d learned Torah all day long, w a s like a royal palace. H e had also built a s y n a g o g u e w h e r e he p r a y e d in public. A n y o n e w h o c o u l d r e c o u n t tales of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον w a s invited f o r S a b b a t h dinner. A n d w h e n S a b b a t h w a s over, he w o u l d give h i m [the storyteller] a gold florin f o r e a c h tale. E v e r y S a b b a t h m o s t of the m e n of the t o w n gathered at his table a f t e r they had f i n i s h e d their m e a l s , to h e a r the tales and w o r d s of Torah. R a b b i J a c o b a s k e d w h e t h e r the m a n w a s a l o n g - t i m e r e s i d e n t of the city or a n e w c o m e r . T h e y a n s w e r e d that he had c o m e f r o m a distant place s o m e ten y e a r s earlier and h a d g a i n e d the c o n f i d e n c e of the g o v e r n o r of the city. " H e settied here in our c o m m u n i t y and m a k e s sure that his a f f a i r s are m a n a g e d by trustworthy people." P r o c e e d i n g to the rich m a n ' s palace, R a b b i J a c o b told the g a t e k e e p e r s to i n f o r m their m a s t e r that the d i s c i p l e a n d a t t e n d a n t of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον h a d arrived a n d asked to be a d m i t t e d to his p r e s e n c e so he c o u l d tell h i m tales of his master, e v e n t s w i t n e s s e d by his o w n eyes, not t h o s e of a stranger. T h e servant w e n t and told his m a s t e r w h a t R a b b i J a c o b had said. " H e m u s t wait until S a b b a t h , " the rich m a n replied. " T h e n he can tell m e e v e r y t h i n g his eyes b e h e l d . " In the m e a n t i m e , the rich m a n o r d e r e d that R a b b i J a c o b be l o d g e d in his p a l a c e , in a private r o o m , w i t h all the c o m f o r t s he r e q u i r e d . By the t i m e S a b b a t h arrived, the n e w s had s w e p t t h r o u g h the town that a disciple of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον w a s staying with the rich m a n . O n S a b b a t h they all a s s e m b l e d to h e a r h i m recite tales of w o n d e r — t h e locals w e r e a c c u s t o m e d , e v e r s i n c e the rich m a n h a d c o m e to live a m o n g t h e m , to g a t h e r and h e a r such tales. O n F r i d a y night, w h e n all the g u e s t s w e r e seated a r o u n d the table, at the first S a b b a t h meal a f t e r they h a d s u n g the zemirot*, the rich h o u s e h o l d e r a s k e d R a b b i J a c o b to r e c o u n t a tale of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον. But Rabbi J a c o b w a s struck d u m b and c o u l d not o p e n his m o u t h ; e v e r y t h i n g h a d f l e d f r o m his m e m o r y as if it had never been. H e had f o r g o t t e n every o n e of his store of tales! A n d w h e n he a t t e m p t e d to recall w h a t the B a ' a l S h e m Τον l o o k e d like, all his e f f o r t s w e r e in vain. H e c o u l d not even see

*Religious songs.

with his m i n d ' s eye any of the disciples of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον, his f o r m e r c o l l e a g u e s , in the h o p e of r e m e m b e r i n g s o m e tale or other. But all such c h a r m s w e r e of no a v a i l — h e had f o r g o t t e n e v e r y t h i n g that had h a p p e n e d to h i m , f r o m his birth until the p r e s e n t m o m e n t . R a b b i J a c o b sat there, b e w i l d e r e d , and the entire c o m p a n y t h o u g h t him a liar. T h e y w e r e f u r i o u s with the m a n , but the m a s t e r of the h o u s e sat there quietly. T h e n he said to Rabbi J a c o b , " D o n ' t be upset. W e ' l l wait f o r tom o r r o w . M a y b e by then y o u ' l l r e m e m b e r o n e of y o u r tales." T h e y said the g r a c e a f t e r m e a l s , and e v e r y o n e w e n t h o m e . R a b b i J a c o b w e n t to his r o o m a n d c l i m b e d into b e d . All night long sleep e l u d e d him. H e w e p t bitterly and kept t h i n k i n g a b o u t w h a t had happ e n e d to him. But w h e n S a b b a t h m o r n i n g c a m e he c o u l d not r e m e m b e r a single tale he c o u l d tell the m a s t e r of the h o u s e . T h e next day, at the S a b b a t h m o r n i n g meal, the host asked Rabbi J a c o b w h e t h e r he had r e m e m b e r e d a tale and could tell it now. But this time, too, he c o u l d find n o t h i n g to relate. H e m e r e l y said, "I am sure that there is a r e a s o n f o r this, since nothing like it has ever h a p p e n e d to me." " W e can wait until the third S a b b a t h meal," his host replied. " P e r h a p s y o u ' l l r e m e m b e r then." R a b b i J a c o b w a s d e s p o n d e n t . T h e m e m b e r s of the rich m a n ' s h o u s e hold insulted h i m : " H o w c o u l d you e v e r d r e a m of t r i c k i n g the rich m a n and telling such l i e s ? " they d e m a n d e d . T h e t o w n s f o l k , too, j e e r e d at h i m . H e s e a r c h e d and s e a r c h e d for the r e a s o n this evil had c o m e upon him. " P e r h a p s , " he c o n c l u d e d at last, "it is b e c a u s e 1 t r a n s g r e s s e d my m a s t e r ' s i n j u n c t i o n . H e instructed m e to travel to p l a c e s w h e r e they k n e w him. But n o w I have c o m e to a distant and f o r e i g n land, w h o s e p e o p l e are not w o r thy of h e a r i n g the w o n d e r s of his holy life. T h i s m u s t be w h y this distress h a s struck m e . " In this f a s h i o n , he c o n t i n u e d to s c r u t i n i z e his a c t i o n s , o n e m o m e n t c o n d e m n i n g h i m s e l f , the next j u s t i f y i n g h i m s e l f . All day long, he p o u r e d out his heart in prayer, e n t r e a t i n g G o d to help him. Eventually, the rich m a n sent to inquire w h e t h e r he had r e m e m b e r e d any tale, and this r e d o u b l e d R a b b i J a c o b ' s distress. G o i n g to his host he told him, "I k n o w that m y m u t e n e s s is f r o m H e a v e n , w h i c h d o e s not want m e to b e c o m e rich. Either I a m not w o r t h y of telling you m y tales or you are not worthy of h e a r i n g m y stories of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον. N o w I will return h o m e and recite my tales to p e o p l e w h o k n e w our saintly master." "Wait a n o t h e r day or t w o , " c o u n t e r e d the rich m a n . "If you r e m e m b e r , well and g o o d . If not, then you can g o h o m e . " S o Rabbi J a c o b stayed over until the third day. But all his e f f o r t s w e r e

in vain. O n the third day, he c a m e to take his leave of the rich m a n and to e x p r e s s his regrets f o r the f o r g e t f u l n e s s that h a d struck h i m . T h e rich m a n w a s s y m p a t h e t i c and even gave him a r e s p e c t a b l e d o n a t i o n . Rabbi J a c o b w e n t o u t s i d e and c l i m b e d into the c a r r i a g e that w a s waiting f o r h i m . H e had scarcely seated h i m s e l f inside w h e n h e r e m e m b e r e d an a w e s o m e tale of the B a ' a l S h e m Τον. H e r u s h e d back d o w n and a s k e d the g a t e k e e p e r to tell the rich m a n that he h a d finally r e m e m b e r e d a story a n d b e g g e d p e r m i s s i o n to c o m e inside a n d tell it to him. A s s o o n as the rich m a n h e a r d this he a d m i t t e d R a b b i J a c o b to his r o o m . "Sit d o w n and tell m e y o u r story." S o R a b b i J a c o b sat d o w n and r e c o u n t e d the f o l l o w i n g tale. " T h i s story t o o k p l a c e d u r i n g the d a y s b e f o r e Easter. D u r i n g the S a b b a t h , the B a ' a l S h e m Τον s e e m e d p r e o c c u p i e d and s u n k in his t h o u g h t s . I m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r Havdalah* he o r d e r e d that his h o r s e s be harn e s s e d . H e took a l o n g three m e n , i n c l u d i n g m e . We sat in the w a g o n a n d traveled t h r o u g h o u t the night. N o n e of us k n e w w h e r e w e g o i n g . At d a y b r e a k w e r e a c h e d a large city. T h e h o r s e s d r e w u p a l o n g s i d e a large and f a s h i o n a b l e h o u s e w h o s e d o o r s and w i n d o w s w e r e tightly shut. " T h e rabbi o r d e r e d us to k n o c k on the door. A n old w o m a n c a m e and stood in the d o o r w a y . W e e p i n g bitterly, she asked us, ' W h y are you here now, of all t i m e s ? S a v e y o u r selves a n d run a w a y ! O t h e r w i s e y o u ' l l all be slaughtered. A n y J e w f o u n d o u t s i d e his h o u s e today will be s t a b b e d by the C h r i s t i a n s , b e c a u s e this is their festival. A n d j u s t in c a s e they d o n ' t find a J e w in the street, they c o n d u c t a lottery a m o n g the J e w s w h o live h e r e a n d d r a g a w a y w h o e v e r is c h o s e n , to a v e n g e their m e s s i a h on h i m . W o e b e t i d e the m a n w h o is c a u g h t by the lottery, f o r he will be d r a g g e d out of his h o u s e , to s u f f e r g h a s t l y and e x q u i s i t e tortures until he s u r r e n d e r s his soul. Y e s t e r d a y they c o n d u c t e d the lottery, a n d the r a b b i ' s son w a s selected. A l a s , J e w s , have a care f o r y o u r lives! R u n a w a y q u i c k l y and leave this city.' " T h e w o m a n s p o k e b e t w e e n her tears a n d sobs, her h a n d s on her h e a d . B u t the B a ' a l S h e m Τον paid no attention to her w o r d s . H e instructed us to take o u r b a g s inside the h o u s e and then f o l l o w e d us and shut the d o o r behind h i m . "All the p e o p l e i n s i d e the h o u s e w e r e t r e m b l i n g a n d c r y i n g . T h e old w o m a n c a m e in, w a i l i n g and s o b b i n g , and a r g u e d with the rabbi. " B u t the rabbi did not a n s w e r her. L i f t i n g the c o r n e r of the blind, he

*Ceremony that marks the end of the Sabbath.

p e e r e d outside. T h e r e , in the c e n t e r of the t o w n , he saw a b r o a d and high dais, to w h i c h thirty steps led up. A vast t h r o n g w a s g a t h e r i n g a r o u n d it. " S u d d e n l y , the s o u n d of bells w a s heard t h r o u g h o u t the city, a n n o u n c ing the arrival of the b i s h o p . T h e rabbi stood there, intent on the scene. " W h e n he saw the b i s h o p m o u n t the stage, he called m e over. ' J a c o b , g o tell the b i s h o p to c o m e here to m e at once.' " W h e n the p e o p l e in the h o u s e h e a r d this they w e r e p e t r i f i e d . F o r a m o m e n t they stood s p e e c h l e s s . T h e n they all cried out in protest. 'Are you out of y o u r m i n d , s e n d i n g the m a n a m o n g t h e s e r a v e n i n g b e a s t s ? T h i s c r o w d will rend h i m l i m b f r o m limb.' " B u t he paid n o attention to their cries. ' J a c o b , g o q u i c k l y ! D o n ' t be afraid.' "I k n e w w h o w a s s e n d i n g me, of c o u r s e , and that he certainly k n e w exactly w h a t he w a s d o i n g . S o I w e n t o u t s i d e , q u i t e u n a f r a i d , a n d q u i e t l y w a l k e d t h r o u g h the streets until I r e a c h e d the dais. N o b o d y said a w o r d to me. T h e n I a d d r e s s e d the b i s h o p in H e b r e w , ' R a b b i Israel B a ' a l S h e m Τον is here and s u m m o n s you to c o m e at once.' " Ί k n e w that he had arrived,' he a n s w e r e d . 'Tell him that I will c o m e right a f t e r the s e r m o n . ' " T h e p e o p l e inside the h o u s e w e r e w a t c h i n g m e t h r o u g h the c r a c k s in the blind, w h i c h they had c l o s e d again. A s t o n i s h e d , they had a p o l o g i z e d to the rabbi even b e f o r e I got b a c k there. " B u t he paid n o attention to their w o r d s , j u s t as he had paid no attention earlier. I r e t u r n e d and told the rabbi w h a t the b i s h o p had said. ' " G o back,' he o r d e r e d m e , ' a n d tell h i m not to be a f o o l , but to c o m e to m e at once.' " S o I w e n t b a c k to the dais, w h e r e he had b e g u n to p r e a c h his s e r m o n . I t u g g e d on his r o b e and told him w h a t o u r rabbi had said this time. " W h e n he heard m y w o r d s , he t u r n e d to the p e o p l e and said, 'Wait f o r m e here. I will c o m e b a c k to you shortly.' " H e f o l l o w e d m e until w e reached o u r saintly master. T h e t w o w e n t off into a n o t h e r r o o m , shut the d o o r b e h i n d t h e m , a n d talked f o r a r o u n d t w o hours. W h e n they c a m e out, the B a ' a l S h e m Τον o r d e r e d us to h a r n e s s the h o r s e s again. We set out f o r h o m e at o n c e . "To this day, I d o n ' t k n o w w h a t he a n d the b i s h o p talked about, or the n a m e of the city w e w e r e in. N o r did I ever ask o u r m a s t e r to tell m e . " T h e rich m a n sat w r a p p e d in his t h o u g h t s , listening q u i e t l y to R a b b i J a c o b ' s every w o r d . W h e n the tale w a s c o n c l u d e d , he stood up. L i f t i n g his h a n d s H e a v e n w a r d he praised G o d , M a y He Be B l e s s e d . T h e n he turned to Rabbi J a c o b . "I k n e w that you w e r e honest and that

e v e r y t h i n g you said w a s true. I r e c o g n i z e d you the m o m e n t I saw you, but held m y p e a c e until I f o u n d out w h e t h e r G o d had sent you to this p l a c e or if it w a s m e r e c h a n c e that b r o u g h t you here. " N o w I will tell you the e n d of the story. K n o w , m y f r i e n d , that I a m that b i s h o p w h o m you s u m m o n e d to c o m e to o u r saintly master. It w a s like this: I w a s born a Jew and b e c a m e a great scholar in all the seven seie n c e s . But I s t u m b l e d a n d w a s e n s n a r e d by the f o r c e s of i m p u r i t y — H e a v e n save u s ! — a n d m y holy soul s a n k in the m o r a s s of c o r r u p t i o n , until I c o u l d n o l o n g e r e s c a p e the d e p t h s of depravity, the f o r t y - n i n e levels of i m p u r i t y into w h i c h my soul had d e s c e n d e d . " E v e r y night the B a ' a l S h e m Τον a p p e a r e d in my d r e a m s and implored m e to return f r o m m y w i c k e d path, to d o p e n a n c e , a n d to return to Israel a n d its G o d . "I paid no attention to my d r e a m s , w h i c h usually s p e a k vain t h i n g s . But w h e n the d r e a m w a s r e p e a t e d again a n d again I b e g a n to p o n d e r this n o n s e n s e . All night I w o u l d c o n s i d e r it; e a c h day it f a d e d f r o m m y m e m ory. But the B a ' a l S h e m Τον did not rest or relent. Finally, on the night of y o u r j o u r n e y , I p r o m i s e d h i m I w o u l d slip a w a y f r o m the city in the d a w n w a t c h , b e f o r e the c r o w d a s s e m b l e d to h e a r m y s e r m o n d e f a m i n g G o d ' s p e o p l e and the hearts of m y C h r i s t i a n a u d i e n c e w e r e i n f l a m e d to g o and m u r d e r s o m e Jew. " B u t w h e n I got up in the m o r n i n g , the f o r c e s of i m p u r i t y p r o v e d too s t r o n g f o r m e , and I d e c i d e d not to k e e p m y p r o m i s e . T h e n , w h e n I s a w that the B a ' a l S h e m Τον had c o m e to t o w n , I f o u n d m y s e l f vacillating, una b l e to d e c i d e w h a t to d o . T h e r e I s t o o d , l o o k i n g at the c r o w d that h a d g a t h e r e d to h e a r my s e r m o n , a n d I had taken o n l y o n e step f r o m m y h o u s e . T h e bells starting ringing to a n n o u n c e m y arrival. I c o u l d not stifle m y p r i d e a n d t h r o w a w a y all the h o n o r that a w a i t e d m e . S o I m a d e m y w a y to the dais. " T h e n you c a m e to me, but my d e s i r e to preach w a s very strong. W h e n you s u m m o n e d m e the s e c o n d time, t h o u g h , I b e c a m e a d i f f e r e n t p e r s o n a n d f o l l o w e d y o u . I c a m e to o u r saintly m a s t e r , w h o g a v e m e a tikkun t z a d d i k , a n d I b e c a m e a s i n c e r e p e n i t e n t . H e told m e h o w I s h o u l d live y e a r a f t e r year, and a d d e d , ' T h i s is h o w y o u will k n o w that y o u r transg r e s s i o n s have been r e m o v e d a n d y o u r sins have b e e n a t o n e d for: W h e n a m a n c o m e s a n d tells you this entire story, f r o m start to finish.' " A f t e r the B a ' a l S h e m Τον left, I took all m y f o r t u n e — f o r I w a s a very w e a l t h y m a n — a n d divided it up: half I distributed to the p o o r a n d a q u a r ter I paid to the royal e x c h e q u e r f o r an i m m u n i t y to leave the k i n g d o m , on s o m e pretext or o t h e r that I m a d e up. T h e n , t a k i n g w h a t r e m a i n e d of m y

f o r t u n e , I c a m e to this country, to a p l a c e w h e r e n o o n e k n e w m e . H e r e I h a v e lived q u i e t l y a n d acted in a c c o r d a n c e with the tikkun set f o r m e by o u r saintly m a s t e r , w a i t i n g f o r the day w h e n a m a n w o u l d c o m e and tell m e m y o w n story. " W h e n you arrived I r e c o g n i z e d you at o n c e and k n e w that you w e r e the m a n d e s t i n e d to r e l e a s e m e . W i t h all m y m i g h t , I c o n c e n t r a t e d on m y p r a y e r s and e n t r e a t i e s , that m y r e p e n t a n c e m i g h t be c o m p l e t e . A n d w h e n y o u f o r g o t all y o u r tales, I did not s u s p e c t y o u . I k n e w full well that this h a d h a p p e n e d on m y a c c o u n t , b e c a u s e m y r e p e n t a n c e w a s still not perfect. " S o I r e d o u b l e d m y e f f o r t s and p o u r e d out m y soul to m y Creator. A n d m y p r a y e r s w e r e e f f e c t i v e : W i t h G o d ' s h e l p you r e m e m b e r e d the story of m y life. In this way, H e a v e n told m e that m y sin has b e e n p a r d o n e d a n d my repentance accepted. "You, R a b b i J a c o b , n o l o n g e r n e e d w e a r y y o u r s e l f in travel f r o m t o w n to t o w n to tell y o u r tales. I will give you m a n y g i f t s , w h i c h will s u p p o r t y o u r f a m i l y as long as you live. M a y the m e r i t of the h o l y R a b b i Israel B a ' a l S h e m Τον s u p p o r t both of us a n d m a y w e merit to serve our C r e a t o r all o u r d a y s , with all o u r heart and soul. A m e n . " N o w y o u , d e a r reader, with y o u r d i s c e r n i n g eye, note h o w great is the p o w e r of r e p e n t a n c e . C o n s i d e r the m a t t e r truly and f a i t h f u l l y and you will see h o w great is r e p e n t a n c e . T h i s story is as clear as the sun, as if it had taken p l a c e only yesterday. If you have a t t e n d e d closely, you have learned the lesson of this tale. M a y the merit of the r i g h t e o u s protect us and save us f r o m all evil. A m e n .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 5 (IFA

2623)

Claimed to have been written down from memory by Re'uven Na'anah, quite likely that he had seen the story in print.1

but it is

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The story belongs to a narrative cycle about a pope, or a bishop, from Jewish descent (see also tale IFA 2644 [vol. 11). The present tale, in which a Jew sinned and became a bishop (rather than a pope), is also part of the Hasidic tradition, and was printed in Hasidic narrative collections, anthologized, and discussed. 2 The story underscores the role of narrating saint veneration tales (shivhei zaddikim) in Hasidic culture, 3 and although there are many reputed storytellers among the Hasidim. it is the only narrative example in which a specific disciple is assigned the role of a storyteller. The tale's narrative technique of embedding and framing stories within other stories is well known; for more on this style, see the notes to tales IFA 960 (vol. 2) and IFA 7755 (vol. 2). Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Other oral versions of this tale in IFA are the following: • •

IFA 18134: The Ba 'a! Shem Τον and the Priest (Poland). IFA 18800: The Wondering Storyteller {Romania).

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

C672 "Compulsion to tell stories." D1715 "Magic power of dying man's words." D1810.8.3 "Warning in dreams." D1812.2.4 "Dying man's power of prophecy." D1910 "Magic memory." D2000 "Magic forgetfulness." D2006 "Magic reawakening of memory." D2025.0.1 "Magic (loss and) recovery of speech." Η11 "Recognition through storytelling." Η1 1.1 "Recognition by telling life history." J154.1 "Dying saint leaves wise message to followers." J2489.6 "Giving half of savings away." M301.5 "Saints (holy men) as prophets." P14.14 "King [bishop] requires everyone who comes before him to tell a story." • Q64 "Patience rewarded." • V50 "Prayer." • V52 "Miraculous power of prayer." • V71 "Sabbath."

•

V 2 2 3 "Saints have miraculous knowledge."

•

V 2 2 3 . 1 " S a i n t gives a d v i c e . "

•

V 3 1 5 . 1 " P o w e r of r e p e n t a n c e . "

•

V 3 3 1 " C o n v e r s i o n to Christianity."

•

V 3 6 4 "A C h r i s t i a n i z e d J e w b e c o m e s a priest." 4

•

V 5 1 6 " V i s i o n of f u t u r e . "

•

Z 7 1 . 5 " F o r m u l i s t i c n u m b e r : seven "

Notes 1. First published in Anonymous, Sefer Adat Zadikkim, 13b-14b no. 9; see also Rodkinson, Hasidic Tales, 3 6 - 3 9 no. 8; and Schram, Stories within Stories, 252-256 no. 38. 2. Ben-Yehezki'el, op. cit., 4:421-430; Dan, op. cit., 30-35; Nigal, op. cit., 233-237; and Buxbaum, Storytelling and Spirituality in Judaism, 33-40. 3. Described in Ben-Amos and Mintz, In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Τον, 1. See also Dan, The Hasidic Story, 3-8, 40-52; and J. Mintz, Legends of the Hasidim, 3 - 8 . 4. Note that the motif index elaborates on this theme from the Lithuanian perspective; in this tale, the motif is from the Jewish perspective.

ι

The Immigration Pangs of Rabbi Chilibon Franco of Rhodes Y A ' A K O V

ELAZAR

r V h e n R a b b i C h i l i b o n F r a n c o , w h o w a s the rabbi of the t o w n of R h o d e s on the island of the s a m e n a m e , had p a s s e d the first y e a r s of old age, he s u m m o n e d the m a g n a t e s of the t o w n . With great e m o t i o n , he told t h e m , ' " F o r t y y e a r s I w a s p r o v o k e d by that g e n e r a t i o n ' * — t h a t is, f o r f o u r d e c a d e s I h a v e served you. Today, m y v i g o r h a s not fled n o r m y strength w a n e d , a n d m y s t r e n g t h t o d a y r e m a i n s as it w a s at the b e g i n n i n g of m y t i m e with you. N e v e r t h e l e s s , b e c a u s e no m a n k n o w s his life and c o u r s e on earth, I h a v e d e c i d e d to pass the e n d of m y d a y s in the land of o u r a n c e s tors, in the holy city of J e r u s a l e m . " T u r n i n g to the s y n a g o g u e w a r d e n s , w h o had s o m e t i m e s harried him in his y o u t h and s o m e t i m e s , by m i s t a k e , in his old a g e as well, he said, " T h u s f a r I have been the chief a m o n g the f o x e s . N o w I am g o i n g to be the least a m o n g the lions."** P r e s e n t i n g to t h e m his s t u d e n t R a b b i J o s h u a B o n f i l s , h e c o n t i n u e d , "As you know, this is m y student J o s h u a , w h o d o e s not stir f r o m m y beit midrash) I have instructed him, and I a p p o i n t h i m to s e r v e in m y stead. H e will g o out b e f o r e y o u a n d c o m e in b e f o r e y o u ; § § and, w i t h G o d ' s help, will steer y o u r s h i p s s a f e l y and b r i n g y o u r j u d g m e n t s to light." W h e n he f i n i s h e d s p e a k i n g , the h e a d of the c o m m u n i t y , R a b b i L e o n C a n i t i , stood u p a n d s p o k e . " H o n o r e d R a b b i ! It is with a b r o k e n and h e a v y heart that w e part f r o m y o u . S i n c e , h o w e v e r , you are g o i n g to the d w e l l i n g p l a c e of the great s a g e s of Israel in the H o l y City, w e d o not dare stand in y o u r way. We h o p e that y o u r k n o w l e d g e of Torah will p l a c e you a m o n g the lions t h e m s e l v e s . "

'See Psalms 95:10. "SeeAvot 4, 15. *Religious school; an allusion to Exodus 33:11 and Joshua son of Nun. §§ See Numbers 27:17.

The magnificent

interior of the synagogue at Rhodes.

N e x t there rose his student R a b b i J o s h u a . With c o p i o u s tears, he p r e a c h e d a sermon that dealt with the parting of rabbi and disciple, delving d e e p l y into the t h e m e in o r d e r to d e m o n s t r a t e the g r e a t n e s s of his teacher and his own a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s . H e also asked f o r g i v e n e s s on behalf of all of them. A f t e r a n u m b e r of days, the [elderly] rabbi, a c c o m p a n i e d by d o z e n s of small boats filled with the leading lights of the c o m m u n i t y , both Jews and non-Jews, boarded a ship that w a s on its w a y to Saloniki, f r o m w h e r e he took another ship to Jaffa. T h e r a b b i ' s f a m e w e n t b e f o r e him. M a n y of the inhabitants of J a f f a and Jerusalem c a m e out to greet him, especially rabbis and y o u n g scholars w h o k n e w him through his learned v o l u m e s on the laws of divorce. Very slowly, the rabbi began to find his place and got to know the rabbis of the city w h o m he had not k n o w n previously, the c o m m u n i t y leaders, the merchants, and the c o m m o n folk. Each Sabbath he attended a different s y n a g o g u e . During the w e e k , he visited the various yeshivot;* but [he] took up a regular seat f o r a n u m b e r of h o u r s each day in the Pereira yeshiva, not f o r gain, since he had not c o m e e m p t y - h a n d e d and the s y n a g o g u e w a r d e n s of his town had not sent him away e m p t y - h a n d e d . N o r did his sons forget him; each m o n t h he received what they had p r o m i s e d h i m . In this way, he s u p p o r t e d others rather than having to be supported by them. As was the way of the rabbis of J e r u s a l e m in sacred matters, w h e n e v e r they e n c o u n t e r e d a scholar w h o had j u s t arrived, especially one w h o m they had not k n o w n previously, they were very curious about the quality of his scholarship. M o r e than o n c e , rabbis f r o m a b r o a d w h o c a m e to J e r u s a l e m had been f o u n d to be hollow inside: Their hats and long coats and b e a r d s w e r e very heavy and broad, but w h e n they o p e n e d their m o u t h s their coat b e c a m e their disgrace.** But Rabbi Chilibon was not one of these. W h e n s o m e of the aspiring y o u n g scholars saw that he had a solid c o m m a n d of Talmud, they m o v e d on to midrash § , and f r o m midrash to halakhah.§§ S o m e tested him in the w o r d i n g of a bill of divorce, the use of personal n a m e s in a bill of divorce, and so on. H e would a n s w e r each question in turn, sweetly and respect-

,

Jewish schools of higher learning.

"A pun in Hebrew: "Gelimatam" means "their cloak," and "kelimatam" means "their disgrace." 8

Stories or interpretations of Jewish customs, rituals, and law.

§§

Jewish law.

fully. W h e n the [elderly] rabbi saw w h a t they w e r e g e t t i n g at, he b e g a n a s k i n g q u e s t i o n s h i m s e l f and m o r e than o n c e left t h e m u n a b l e to a n s w e r . To c o v e r their e m b a r r a s s m e n t , the m o r e rash a m o n g t h e m b e g a n , on f e s tive o c c a s i o n s a n d w h i l e d r i n k i n g at m i t z v a h f e a s t s , to m a k e r e m a r k s a b o u t his R h o d e s dialect a n d even tried to imitate his accent. T h e rabbi n o t i c e d w h a t w a s h a p p e n i n g but p r e t e n d e d not to hear. H e also a n s w e r e d t h e m directly, e x p l a i n i n g that t h i n g s had a l w a y s been like this in every g e n e r a t i o n . P e o p l e w e r e s e p a r a t e d by l a n g u a g e , and t h o s e w h o d i s p a r a g e d a n d m o c k e d t h e s e d i f f e r e n c e s did not m e e t with a g o o d fate. N o r w a s the r a b b i ' s stinging r e s p o n s e long in c o m i n g . It w a s the period of r e c i t i n g the p e n i t e n t i a l p r a y e r s — t h a t is, the m o n t h of Elul. O n R o s h H a s h a n a h , the rabbi d e c i d e d to p r a y in the Y o h a n a n b e n Z a k k a i S y n a g o g u e . W h e n it c a m e t i m e f o r Musaf*, the s y n a g o g u e w a r d e n app r o a c h e d the rabbi and gave h i m the h o n o r of leading the service. T h e t w o c a n t o r s w h o assisted h i m with the s e r v i c e w e r e t h o s e w h o h a d a p e d h i m at the m i t z v a h feast. D u r i n g the r e a d e r ' s r e p e t i t i o n of Musaf, w h e n the rabbi r e a c h e d the p a s s a g e " G o d r e m e m b e r e d N o a h a n d all the b e a s t s and all the cattle that w e r e with h i m in the ark,"** h e t u r n e d to his sides, first to his right at the w o r d " b e a s t s , " indicating the c a n t o r on his right, and then to his left at the p h r a s e " t h e cattle that w e r e w i t h h i m in the ark," p u n n i n g on the w o r d "teivah" (ark), w h i c h also m e a n s the lectern on w h i c h they w e r e s t a n d i n g in the c e n t e r of the s y n a g o g u e . T h e y o u n g m e n t u r n e d pale and said nothing.

"A set of prayers during the morning service. " G e n e s i s 8:1.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 6 (IFA Written

down from memory

by Ya'akov

13405)

Elazar.

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background After the establishment of the State of Israel the ethnic tension in the Jewish population intensified many fold. However, tension between the local Jewish population in the Land of Israel and the newly arriving immigrants has existed throughout history, as in other countries of immigration. Often linguistic differences, manifested in accents and dialectical pronunciation, served as the sociolinguistic demarcation between the two groups, and hence newcomers were the target of mockery and ridicule, as it is in the present story. The island of Rhodes, situated in the Aegean Sea near the Turkish coast, had an ancient Jewish community. It is mentioned among the communities that received a copy of the letter of Lucius (consul of the Romans) that was sent to King Ptolemy to affirm the authority of Simon the high priest and to urge the Jews not to give shelter to rebels but to deliver them to Simon (1 Maccabees 15:16-24). Travel reports and other documents attest to a Jewish community in Rhodes during the Middle Ages. After the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, Sephardic Jews settled in Rhodes, and their culture and language dominated the community life. A history of the Jewish community in Rhodes is available. 1 I could not identify the particular rabbi who is the subject of the present tale, but he is, evidently, a scion of a leading rabbinical family on the island of Rhodes. Members of this family include Rahamim Franco (1835-1900), Chief Rabbi Moshe Franco (d. 1910), and Hayyim Franco (1844-1934).

Folklore Motifs ‫״‬ • • • • •

J1250 "Clever verbal retorts—general." *P426.4 "Rabbi." V317.1 "Holy land." V535 "Pilgrimage to Jerusalem." * X I 4 6 "Humor of speech." *X458 "Jokes about rabbis."

Notes 1. M. Angel, The Jews of Rhodes; Galanté, Histoire des Juifs de Rhodes; I. J. Lévy, Jewish Rhodes; and R. A. Levy, I Remember Rhodes.

How the New Immigrant Doychon Torres Got Rid of the Cheese He Brought with Him without a Kashrut Certificate Y A ' A K O V

E L A Z A R

L / o y c h o n Torres of Kavalla,* a t o w n r e n o w n e d f o r its dairy p r o d u c t s , especially its e x c e l l e n t c h e e s e , w a s a p a r t n e r in a thriving dairy. B u t w h e n an evil w i n d blew a m o n g the p a r t n e r s , b u s i n e s s d e c l i n e d a n d their d e b t s m o u n t e d f r o m day to day. O n e day, his p a r t n e r v a n i s h e d and the creditors fell u p o n D o y c h o n . In vain w e r e all his p l e a s that his c r e d i t o r s wait p a t i e n t l y — p e r h a p s the M a s t e r of the U n i v e r s e w o u l d r e s t o r e his l u c k a n d they w o u l d get their m o n e y b a c k in full. If he w e r e d e c l a r e d a b a n k r u p t , t h o u g h , they w o u l d not b e able to r e c o v e r even a third of their m o n e y . But D o y c h o n ' s entreaties fell on hard hearts. So he d e c i d e d to f o l l o w the advice of the T u r k i s h - L a d i n o p r o v e r b , " P a r a un din-zis, iman-zis"—"zis" is T u r k i s h f o r " w i t h o u t , " a n d "din" m e a n s " r e l i g i o n . " T h e J e w s of T u r k e y t u r n e d this into a p r o v e r b — n a m e l y , If a m a n has no religion (faith), d o n ' t h a v e any faith in him. S o D o y c h o n w e n t to the h a r b o r to see w h a t ships w e r e a b o u t to sail, no m a t t e r the d e s t i n a t i o n . T h e y p o i n t e d out a vessel. H e r e t u r n e d h o m e and w e n t to the dairy a n d c a l l e d t o g e t h e r his s o n s . " P a c k u p o u r stock of k a s h k a v a l cheese** in a n u m b e r of sealed c o n t a i n e r s . " H e w r a p p e d t h e m in b a g s , w e n t b a c k to his h o u s e , g o t his w i f e , a n d p a c k e d s o m e of their small v a l u a b l e s a n d essential items. W h e n night fell, he b o a r d e d the ship with his family, his b e l o n g i n g s , a n d his m e r c h a n d i s e . T h e s h i p raised anc h o r and set o u t f o r n o p l a c e o t h e r than J a f f a . To J a f f a , then; let it be J a f f a , D o y c h o n told h i m s e l f . W h a t ' s i m p o r t a n t is that t h e s e h a r d h e a r t e d f o l k s

"A port town in Thrace, about seventy-five miles northeast of Salonika. " A sheep's milk cheese.

will have to bear their loss and learn their lesson. T h e r e w e r e several o t h e r J e w i s h f a m i l i e s a b o a r d , en r o u t e to J e r u s a l e m , traveling via J a f f a , of c o u r s e . A f t e r a f e w d a y s , the ship cast a n c h o r o f f J a f f a ; the p a s s e n g e r s w e r e f e r r i e d a s h o r e , w h e r e m e m b e r s of the M a t a l o n f a m i l y waited to transport t h e m to J e r u s a l e m . D o y c h o n , w h o s e capital w a s l i m i t e d to t h o s e b a s k e t s of c h e e s e , dec i d e d to try his luck in J a f f a , w h e r e he h o p e d to sell s o m e of it. If he m a d e a living he w o u l d settle there, since, as a not particularly o b s e r v a n t Jew, J e r u s a l e m had no attraction, and its sanctity m e a n t n o t h i n g f o r h i m . T h e m a i n thing w a s to m a k e a living and e n s u r e his f a m i l y ' s f u t u r e . H e w o u l d settle d o w n w h e r e v e r t h o s e t w o n e e d s w e r e met. H e spent a f e w w e e k s in the i m m i g r a n t s ' hostel n a m e d f o r the p h i l a n t h r o p i s t Isaiah A j i m a n . D u r i n g this t i m e , he m a n a g e d to sell very little c h e e s e , since in those d a y s J e w i s h J a f f a w a s very small and there w e r e n o m o r e than a h u n d r e d J e w i s h f a m i l i e s in the t o w n . B e c a u s e he c o u l d see no f u t u r e f o r h i m s e l f there, o n e f i n e d a y he took his f a m i l y and m o v e d to J e r u s a l e m , t a k i n g his w a r e s with h i m . H e r e n t e d a small o n e - a n d - a - h a l f r o o m a p a r t m e n t on H a b a s h i m Street in the A r m e n i a n Q u a r t e r and a t e m p o r a r y c o r n e r in o n e of the g r o c e r y stores on the Street of the J e w s to sell his c h e e s e . H e w e n t f r o m g r o c e r y store to g r o c e r y store and also to the burekas-bujagas* bakeries of S h m u e l C o h e n , Yitzhak H e r m o z a , S h m u e l Behar, and others. H e o f f e r e d t h e m his w a r e s ; but in every p l a c e , w h e n they l e a r n e d that it w a s i m p o r t e d , they a s k e d h i m to p r o v i d e a k a s h r u t certificate** f r o m the r a b b i n a t e in the city w h e r e the c h e e s e w a s m a d e . "Vidi hal avoy,"** said D o y c h o n to h i m s e l f . " W e ' v e j u m p e d f r o m the f r y i n g pan right into the fire. W h e r e can I get c e r t i f i c a t e s ? H o w can I o b tain t h e m ? I ran a w a y stealthily 8 8 f r o m m y native city b e c a u s e of the hardh e a r t e d n e s s of my creditors. If I ask f o r a certificate, they'll find out w h e r e I am." H e tried to sell f r o m a c o r n e r of a d i f f e r e n t store. T h e r e , too, m a n y of the c u s t o m e r s a s k e d f o r a k a s h r u t c e r t i f i c a t e . H e a p p r o a c h e d the dairy o w n e r s , Hefetz, M i m r a n , and Parnes. S o m e asked f o r a kashrut certificate; the o t h e r s o f f e r e d him a r i d i c u l o u s l y low price. H e tried his luck with the c h e e s e sellers and d a i r y m e n in the M u s l i m

*Cheese-filled pastries. "Certifying that the food is kosher. §

Ladino for "Look what a state I'm in."

55

See Genesis 31:27.

a n d Christian Quarters, but there, too, the prices w e r e b e n e a t h his red line. E x h a u s t e d a n d d e p r e s s e d , he told his w i f e w h a t w a s h a p p e n i n g . In their distress, they t u r n e d to their n e i g h b o r , M o s h e H a r b u n ; p e r h a p s he c o u l d find t h e m a w a y out. W h e n Mr. H a r b u n saw their distress a n d poverty, h e c a m e to their aid and f o u n d a w a y f o r t h e m to sell their c h e e s e . B e i n g a G o d - f e a r i n g Jew, he a s k e d w h e t h e r the c h e e s e really w a s k o s h e r — t h a t is, w h a t kind of milk it w a s m a d e f r o m , w h a t sort of rennet w a s u s e d , a n d w h a t k i n d s of v e s s e l s it w a s p r e p a r e d in. D o y c h o n pers u a d e d h i m that the milk w a s e w e ' s milk, the r e n n e t c a m e f r o m the s t o m a c h s of s u c k l i n g l a m b s s l a u g h t e r e d by J e w i s h ritual slaughterers, and the v e s s e l s w e r e used o n l y f o r p r e p a r i n g c h e e s e ; a b o v e all, D o y c h o n said, " K n o w , M o s h e , that I a m not a particularly o b s e r v a n t Jew. But w h a t I say is true." A f t e r M o s h e H a r b u n w a s c o n v i n c e d , he e x p l a i n e d the situation to D o y c h o n . " L o o k , f r i e n d ! H e r e in J e r u s a l e m , e v e r y o n e is a religious Jew. You h a v e to m a k e y o u r s e l f look like o n e of t h e m . Try to talk like t h e m , a n d even m o r e so. T h e n they w o n ' t ask you f o r a license or a kashrut certificate. Your d e e d s will a c c e l e r a t e the sale of y o u r c h e e s e or y o u r d e e d s will h i n d e r you."* M o s h e ' s w o r d s p e r s u a d e d h i m . S o D o y c h o n w e n t into the alleys of the J e w i s h Q u a r t e r to learn the w a y s of the p e o p l e w h o g o to p r a y e r s . W h e n h e h a d learned their n a t u r e and c u s t o m s , he started s t a n d i n g every day at the d o o r of o n e of the s y n a g o g u e s a n d calling J e w s to a s s e m b l e f o r a m i n y a n . H e l o o k e d f o r h o u s e s of m o u r n i n g a n d d r u m m e d u p a m i n y a n f o r t h e m . H e m a d e an e f f o r t to be p r e s e n t at c i r c u m c i s i o n s a n d c a u t i o n e d the g u e s t s not to eat w i t h o u t w a s h i n g their h a n d s and m a k i n g the a p p r o p r i a t e b l e s s i n g . W h a t is m o r e , he let his b e a r d a n d s i d e c u r l s grow. H e j o i n e d g r o u p s w h o sat a n d read P s a l m s a n d the Z o h a r , until he had a c q u i r e d the r e p u t a t i o n of b e i n g o n e of the p i o u s m e n of his g e n e r a t i o n . T h e n it w a s t i m e f o r the c h e e s e , too. A f t e r a f e w p e o p l e h a d tasted it, t h o s e w h o h a d p r e v i o u s l y d e c l i n e d n o w c a m e b a c k and b o u g h t . W i t h i n a f e w m o n t h s , all the c h e e s e w a s g o n e and D o y c h o n h a d m a d e a tidy profit. A f t e r he had sold all the c h e e s e , he gradually and gently d e t a c h e d h i m self f r o m all the P s a l m and Z o h a r g r o u p s he had j o i n e d . H e a v o i d e d the charity collectors, a n d his feet no l o n g e r raced to the s y n a g o g u e . T h e peopie of J e r u s a l e m are n o f o o l s , even if s o m e t i m e s they s e e m to be, or pre-

*The Hebrew here plays on Eduyyot will push you farther away."

5.7, "Your own deeds will bring you closer and your own deeds

tend to be, in order to help their f e l l o w s — e s p e c i a l l y new i m m i g r a n t s trying to settle d o w n . In this case, they saw that all of this D o y c h o n ' s piety had been f r a u d u l e n t and w h i s p e r e d its real c a u s e to one another. In the s y n a g o g u e , w h e n s o m e o n e asked his neighbor, " W h e r e ' s M o s h o n , " the a n s w e r was, " Y a vendio al kezo"—He has already sold the c h e e s e ! T h i s b e c a m e a b y w o r d in J e r u s a l e m . W h e n e v e r p e o p l e saw s o m e o n e evading public prayers or s o m e other social obligation, they would say of him, "Ya

vendio al kezo."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 7 (IFA Told from memory

by Ya 'akov

134Ö4)

Elazar.1

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Proverbs are a vital part of Judeo-Spanish conversation. Like in every other language, their formation draws on social as well as anecdotal experience, on wellknown historical figures, and on obscure personalities that have only a local reputation within a specific community for a short period. The language can retain idiomatic expressions long after their referential incidents are forgotten. There is a substantial scholarly and popular literature about Judeo-Spanish proverbs. 2 An analysis of these proverbs in the narratives in the IFA has been published. 3

Folklore Motifs • • • ‫״‬ • • •

J21.18 "Do not trust the over-holy." K200 "Deception in payment of debt." K231 "Debtor refuses to pay his debt." K233 "Trickster escapes without paying." Κ1961.1.5 "Sham holy man." K2000 "Hypocrites." Z64 "Proverbs."

Notes 1. First published in Elazar, Diyur ve-Kelitah ba-Yishuv ha-Yashan (Housing and absorption in the old Jewish community), 75-77. 2. For early studies, see Kayserling, Refranes ο proverbios Espanoles de los Judios Espanoles; Foulché-Delbosc, "Proverbs Judéo-Espagnols"‫־‬, Besso, "Judeo-Spanish Proverbs." For selected and introductory studies, see Alexander-Frizer, Words Are Better Than Bread‫׳‬, Alexander and Hasan-Rokem, "Games of Identity in Proverb Usage"; Alexander and Bentollila, "From Written to Oral"; Alkalay, Dicho i refranes sefaradies; H. Goldberg, "The Judeo-Spanish Proverb"; I. J. Lévy, Prolegomena to the Study of the Refranero Sefardi‫־‬, Ohayon-Benitha, Contribution a la Paremiologie Judeo-Espagnole‫׳‬, Saporta y Beja, Refranes de los Judios Sefardies; Alexander and Hasan-Rokem, "Special Elements in the Proverbs of the Jews of Turkey"; and Danon, "Proverbes Judéo-Espagnols de Turquie." 3. Hasan-Rokem, Proverbs in Israeli Folk Narratives.

Moral Tales

God Loves the Heart M O S H E

A T T I A S

U n e S a b b a t h , b e f o r e the e v e n i n g service, the hakham* in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h his w e e k l y c u s t o m , stood next to the H o l y A r k a n d delivered a serm o n to the c o n g r e g a t i o n . H e e x p l a i n e d the verses of the w e e k l y portion, s e a s o n i n g t h e m with l e g e n d s a n d ethical insights. T h i s w e e k , he w e n t on at great length in praise of the m a n w h o s e heart cleaves to G o d with all his soul and all his might. His voice r e s o u n d e d in the dark corners of the synag o g u e : " L i s t e n , m y sons, a n d k n o w that w h a t c o u n t s is the heart! Rahamana libba ba 'i — it is the heart that G o d l o v e s ! " Sitting in the c o n g r e g a t i o n w a s a s i m p l e Jew, a porter, an am ha-aretz** with n o e d u c a t i o n , w h o listened to the s e r m o n in rapt attention, never taking his e y e s f r o m the hakham's lips. H e heard the hakham r e p e a t i n g that G o d loves the heart. "If it is the heart that G o d loves," he said to h i m s e l f , " t h e n on S u n d a y I will g o buy the best heart I can find, grill it, a n d serve it to H i m . " A f t e r the e v e n i n g service on S a t u r d a y night, the m a n w e n t h o m e and shared his idea with his w i f e . " W i f e , d o you k n o w w h a t the hakham said in his s e r m o n ? H e said that G o d loves heart! I ' v e d e c i d e d that t o m o r r o w I'll g o buy a nice heart, grill it, a n d serve it to G o d to eat." " B y y o u r life, t h a t ' s a m a r v e l o u s idea," a g r e e d his w i f e . T h e next m o r n i n g , the porter got u p a n d said his prayers. T h e n he w e n t straight to the b u t c h e r ' s m a r k e t . " G i v e m e a heart," h e told the butcher. " B u t m a k e sure it's a g o o d o n e . I'll p a y w h a t e v e r it costs." T h e porter took the heart, grilled it, put it b e t w e e n t w o plates, a n d carried it to the s y n a g o g u e . T h e r e h e o p e n e d the H o l y A r k , set the plates inside, c l o s e d the H o l y A r k , kissed the A r k curtains, and w e n t off to w o r k . N o s o o n e r h a d the porter left than the shammash§ c a m e in to clean the

·Rabbi. "Ignoramus. 8 Synagogue caretaker.

s y n a g o g u e . W h a t did he s m e l l ? T h e a r o m a of grilled m e a t . H e w e n t up to the H o l y Ark, f r o m w h e r e the a r o m a s e e m e d to e m a n a t e , o p e n e d its doors, a n d f o u n d the plates with the grilled m e a t . O v e r j o y e d , the shammash took the plates and carried t h e m h o m e . " W i f e , " he cried, " G o d has had m e r c y on us! H o w long has it b e e n since w e last h a d m e a t f o r o u r s e l v e s and o u r children?" " M a y G o d be p r a i s e d , " r e p l i e d his w i f e . S h e c a l l e d the c h i l d r e n , a n d they all sat d o w n and ate their fill. W h e n they w e r e d o n e she w a s h e d the plates, and her h u s b a n d t o o k t h e m a n d put t h e m b a c k w h e r e he h a d f o u n d t h e m in the H o l y Ark. In the late a f t e r n o o n , the porter w e n t a n d r e c o v e r e d the plates. " H e r e are the plates," he said, r e t u r n i n g t h e m to his w i f e . " G o d e n j o y e d the m e a t so m u c h that H e even licked off the p l a t e s ! " " B y y o u r life, t h a t ' s w o n d e r f u l ! L e t ' s serve him a n o t h e r heart t o m o r row." " I ' l l d o j u s t that, b e c a u s e G o d g a v e m e a great reward today." T h e next day, the porter b o u g h t a n o t h e r heart, grilled it, a n d put it in the H o l y A r k . A g a i n the shammash c a m e later a n d t o o k the m e a t to his h o u s e . T h e p o r t e r kept d o i n g this every day f o r the w h o l e w e e k . H e h a d an a b u n d a n c e of w o r k , and the m e m b e r s of the shammash'1 s h o u s e h o l d ate their fill of grilled m e a t . O n Friday, the hakham c a m e to the s y n a g o g u e early in the m o r n i n g to p r e p a r e the Torah scroll f o r the r e a d i n g of the w e e k l y p o r t i o n . W h e n h e o p e n e d the H o l y A r k , he f o u n d the t w o plates with grilled m e a t b e t w e e n t h e m . S h a k i n g with anger, the hakham w a i t e d f o r the shammash to arrive. W h e n the shammash c a m e in, the hakham a s k e d h i m , " W h a t h e r e t i c put grilled m e a t into the H o l y A r k ? T h e m e a t is liable to stain the s c r o l l s ! " " N o t even the best lie is better than telling the truth," replied the shammash. " E v e r y day this w e e k , I ' v e f o u n d t w o plates in the A r k , with a grilled heart b e t w e e n t h e m . S i n c e I h a v e n ' t e a t e n m e a t in a long t i m e , I take it h o m e with m e . " " B u t w h o ' s putting it t h e r e ? " "I d o n ' t know, reverend H a k h a m . " " T h e n you m u s t find out. S u n d a y m o r n i n g , you m u s t hide b e h i n d the himah* and w a t c h to see w h o is b r i n g i n g the m e a t . D o n ' t say a n y t h i n g to him. Just c o m e and tell m e w h o it is." S u n d a y m o r n i n g , the shammash

did as the hakham

had instructed and

*The elevated pulpit standing in the center of the sanctuary where the prayer leader, rabbi, and those involved in the Torah service stand.

hid b e h i n d the bimah. H e saw the p o r t e r e n t e r the s y n a g o g u e w i t h the p l a t e s in his h a n d , set t h e m i n s i d e the A r k , a n d leave. T h e shammash stayed w h e r e he w a s and said n o t h i n g . A f t e r the porter left, the shammash ran off to the hakham's h o u s e . " R e v e r e n d H a k h a m , " he told h i m , "I reco g n i z e d the m a n w h o is b r i n g i n g the m e a t ! It's S o - a n d - S o , the porter." " S u m m o n that heretic at o n c e ! " c o m m a n d e d the hakham. T h e shammash w e n t to the porter. " T h e hakham has sent m e to s u m m o n y o u . " T h e p o r t e r w a s b o m b a r d e d f r o m every side with r e q u e s t s f o r his services. N e v e r t h e l e s s , he left e v e r y t h i n g at o n c e and p r o c e e d e d to the hakham's h o u s e . " W h a t is y o u r p l e a s u r e , reverend H a k h a m ? " h e asked. "Are you the a c c u r s e d heretic w h o has been leaving grilled m e a t in the H o l y A r k every d a y ? " d e m a n d e d the angry hakham. " W h a t e v e r g a v e you the idea to d e s e c r a t e that holy p l a c e ? " T h u n d e r s t r u c k , a g h a s t at the hakham's w o r d s , the p o r t e r c o u l d only s t a m m e r . " R e v e r e n d H a k h a m , you y o u r s e l f said in y o u r s e r m o n that G o d loves heart. S o every m o r n i n g I ' v e been giving H i m a grilled heart. W h e n I c o m e b a c k in the e v e n i n g , I find m y plates e m p t y . G o d really likes m y heart, and he r e w a r d e d m e with a g e n e r o u s living this past w e e k . " "You heretic! It's not a heart, a p i e c e of meat, that G o d wants. W h a t H e w a n t s is that y o u r heart be p u r e and f r e e of sin." T h e porter realized his error. A s h a m e d at w h a t he h a d d o n e , he kissed the hakham's h a n d , b e g g e d his f o r g i v e n e s s , and w e n t b a c k to w o r k . T h a t night, s l e e p d e s e r t e d the hakham* H e c o u l d find n o rest. T h e m i n u t e he c l o s e d his eyes, he d r e a m e d he w a s b e i n g strangled. H e j u m p e d u p f r o m his bed in a panic. E y e s w i d e o p e n , he sat on his mattress, t r e m b l i n g . His w i f e r e a l i z e d that s o m e t h i n g w a s w r o n g . " W h a t ' s the m a t t e r with you t o n i g h t ? " "I d o n ' t know. A s soon as I lay m y head on the pillow I feel as if I w e r e b e i n g strangled." " B y y o u r life, lie d o w n a n d try to sleep. It will all pass." T h e hakham lay d o w n a s e c o n d t i m e . T h e m i n u t e he started to d r o p o f f , he felt t w o h a n d s g r i p p i n g his throat, as if a b o u t to strangle him. H e j u m p e d up, t r e m b l i n g and s c r e a m i n g . All night long, the hakham f o u n d it i m p o s s i b l e to c l o s e his eyes. H e sat there sleepless until m o r n i n g light. T h e s a m e t h i n g h a p p e n e d the n e x t night, a n d the next. T h e hakham, u n a b l e to b e a r this t o r m e n t a n d lack of sleep, p o r e d over his b o o k s until he f o u n d that he h a d i n d e e d sinned. E x a m i n i n g his d e e d s , he realized that

*See Esther 6:1.

he had c o m m i t t e d a great sin against the i n n o c e n t porter. T h a t w a s w h y he w a s b e i n g t o r m e n t e d every night. T h e hakham w a i t e d i m p a t i e n t l y f o r m o r n i n g . At first light, w h e n the sun h a d j u s t risen, he s u m m o n e d the p o r t e r and b e g g e d his f o r g i v e n e s s and p a r d o n . " G o d loves y o u r heart. G o in g o o d f o r t u n e , and m a y m y p o r t i o n b e with y o u r s . "

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 8 (IFA

10089)

Written down from memory by Moshe Attias in 1943 in Jerusalem.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The idea that "man sees only what is visible, but the Lord sees into the heart" ( 1 Samuel 16:7) is part of the biblical ethos and occurs in the prophecy of Jeremiah: I the Lord probe the heart, Search the mind— To repay every man according to his ways, With the proper fruits of his deeds (17:10; see also 11:20, 20:12). In the Babylonian Talmud, this idea crystallized into the phrase "God requires the heart" (Sanhédrin 106b), which Rashi (1040-1105) rendered as Rahmana liba b'aei, "The Merciful One wishes the heart." In the latter form, the proverb became popular in the Middle Ages and was recorded in the preface to the eleventhcentury Torat Hovot hâ-Levavot (The direction of the duties of the heart), by Bahya ben Joseph ibn Pakuda. 2 In the talmudic-midrashic and medieval traditions and in current Jewish oral literature the idea has five narrative representations: (1) a seemingly undeserving person attains a special merit, (2) the companion in paradise, (3) the ignorant's prayer, (4) the righteous poor, and (5) the naive worshiper, of which the present tale is an example.

A Seemingly Undeserving Person Attains a Special Merit and the Companion in Paradise The initial situation in the tales of the first two themes—a seemingly undeserving person attains special merit and the companion in paradise—concerns a conceited rabbi who thinks highly of his own religious merit but who is upstaged in righteousness by a seemingly lesser person. 3 Upon questioning, he learns that the apparently simpler person ranks morally equal to or even higher than himself because of his actions. Only in two of these tales, both associated with Rabbi Beroka of Beit-Hozai (BT Ta 'anit 22a), is the reward for ethical behavior a place in the world to come. Compare these tales with the stories of the thirty-six hidden righteous men and see note to tale IFA 10085 (vol. 1). Talmudic-Midrashie

Sources

1. JT Ta 'anit 1:4 (late fifth century). Rabbi Place Date of action

Abahu Land of Israel Third to early fourth century

Unknown righteous Action Reward

Pentakaka (a pimp) Sold his bedding to obtain money, which he gave to a woman to redeem her husband from prison Rain fell in response to his prayers

BT Ta 'anit 21 b (late sixth century). Rabbis Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action

Reward

Abaye and Rava Babylonia Fourth century Abba the Blood Letter Maintained separation between the genders; covered women to preserve their modesty; allowed patients to pay according to their ability; treated scholars for free Received blessings from the heavenly academy

3. BT Ta'anit 22a (late sixth century). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action

Reward

Beroka of Beit-Hozai Persia Unknown A prison guard Maintained separation between the genders in prison; saved Jewish women from lustful nonJews; informed the rabbis of any anti-Jewish forthcoming decrees A place in the world to come

4. BT Ta'anit 22a (late sixth century). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward

Beroka of Beit-Hozai Persia Unknown Two brothers Cheered up people and stopped quarrels A place in the world to come

5. BT Ta 'anit 24a (late sixth century). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward

Judah the Prince (Yehudah ha-Nasi) Land of Israel Second century Rabbi Ufa (or Ilfai) Brought wine for Kiddush and Havdalah mote poor place Rain fell in response to his prayer

to a re-

6. BT Ta 'anit 24a (late sixth century). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward

Rav Babylonia Third century A prayer leader Taught poor and rich alike; did not charge fees to the poor Rain fell in response to his prayer

The companion in paradise theme, of which there are only two versions in the talmudic-midrashic literature, had increased presence in medieval sources and the subsequent anthologies that copied from them. However, some of the tales that scholars associate with this group actually deviate from it in some important features. For example, Heller, 4 who wrote a key study on this theme, considered the story The Shining Robe (or, as it is better known, The Story of Joseph the Gardner of Ashkelon and His Wife) as an example of the medieval story theme of God loves the heart. The Shining Robe first appeared in writing in the eleventh century in Rabbi Nissim ben Jacob ibn Shahin's Hibbur Yafe me-ha-Yeshu'ah.5 While it includes some motifs that are common to the present narrative theme, it departs from its basic form in some crucial points. The modest righteous person is Joseph the Gardner from Ashkelon who shares half of his meager income with the poor. When he learns from two visiting rabbis that his robe in the world to come, which is a mark of his righteousness, is still incomplete, his wife volunteers to be sold into slavery and let her husband give to charity the sum that he would obtain from the sale. After some objections, he agrees to her offer and redeems her only after ensuring she remained faithful to him while in slavery. Unlike the other tales in this group, in Joseph the Gardner's story the charity is donated intentionally to obtain a reward and it is the wife who sacrifices her freedom for her husband's heavenly reward, while her own reward is nil. 6 Medieval and Later Folk Literary

Sources

7

1. S. Β über (Middle Ages [?]). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action

Reward

Shim'on Unknown Unknown A rich cook Fed the poor on Sabbath; donated to charity; ransomed two hundred Jews; married off an orphan girl to her fiancé rather than to his own son A place in the world to come

2. Ibn Shahin 8 (eleventh century; Tunisia).

Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action

Reward

A scholar Unknown Unknown A butcher Donated to charity; saved a maiden from captivity and married her off to her fiancé, rather than his own son A place in the world to come

3. David ben Amram Adani of Yemen 9 (thirteenth century). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action

Reward

Judah Land of Israel (?) Second century (?) Eleazar of Laodicea, a seller of vermin and carrion Overcame his desire for a beautiful woman who came to him, begging for money to ransom her husband and who was ready to accede to his demands A place in the world to come

4. Sefer Hasidim10 (thirteenth century). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward

A Hasid Unknown Unknown A lawless person, a pimp Diverted prostitutes from prostitution A place in the world to come among the righteous men

5. Elijah ben Solomon Abraham ha-Kohen" (seventeenth century). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward

Joshua ben Ulam Unknown Unknown Nanus the butcher Cared for elderly parents A place in the world to come

12 6. Gasterr!2 (nineteenth century; Sephardic).

Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action

Joshua ben Levi Land of Israel Third century A butcher Secretly cared for an elderly parent

Reward

A place in paradise

7. Pascheles 13 (nineteenth century). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward

Rashi(1040-1105) Troyes, France and Barcelona, Spain Unknown A wealthy Jew Performed charity; gave up his fiancé for a man who loved her dearly A place in the world to come next to Rashi

See also Heller. 14 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Oral versions of tale type 809*-*A (IFA), "The Companion in Paradise," can be found in the IFA: ‫״‬

•

•

•

•

•

•

IFA 598: The Neighbor in Paradise (Russia); rabbi = a learned man; unknown righteous = anonymous; action = saved girl from captivity and married her off to her fiancé rather than his own son; reward = position in paradise.' 5 IFA 5377 (vol. 2): The Neighbor in Paradise (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); rabbi = Judah Zevi Hirsch of Stratyn (d. 1854); unknown righteous = a water carrier; action = distributed firewood and water to the poor people without pay and saved a woman and her three children who were abandoned in the forest; reward = position in paradise next to a leading rabbi. 16 IFA 7114: The Neighbor in Paradise: A Butcher (Iran); rabbi = unknown rabbi; unknown righteous = a butcher; action = slaughtered animals on Friday to provide meat for the poor and married off the orphans; reward = a position in paradise next to a leading rabbi. IFA 7698: The Neighbor in Paradise (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); rabbi = a great rabbi; unknown righteous = a criminal and sinful butcher; action = saved a girl from slavery and married her off to her fiancé rather than his own son; reward = a position in paradise next to a leading rabbi. 17 IFA 8359: The Rabbi and the Butcher (Eretz Yisra'el, Arabic speaker); rabbi = a rabbi in Tiberias; unknown righteous = a butcher; action = provided the best meat for poor people, cheaply for the Sabbath; reward = a position in paradise next to a rabbi. 18 IFA 8819: The Neighbor in Paradise (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); rabbi = unknown rabbi; unknown righteous = a butcher; action = saved a girl from slavery and married her off to her fiancé rather than his own son; reward = a position in paradise next to a rabbi. IFA 9127: The Besht's Neighbor in Paradise (Ukraine); rabbi = the Ba'al Shem Τον; unknown righteous = a blacksmith; action = witnessed his fa-

•

ther's martyrdom by fire and decided to be a strongman to avoid a similar fate; reward = a position in paradise next to the Besht. IFA 9314: The Neighbor in Paradise (Republic of Georgia); rabbi = chief rabbi; unknown righteous = a repentant robber; action = became a city mayor and a wealthy man who engaged in secret philanthropy; reward = a place in paradise next to a rabbi. 19

• IFA 9518: Redemption of Prisoners and Marrying off a Jewish Maiden

•

• •

•

•

•

Merit a Place in Paradise (Republic of Georgia); rabbi = unknown rabbi; unknown righteous = a butcher; action = redeemed prisoners and married of a maiden; reward = a place in paradise. IFA 10691 : The Neighbor in Paradise (Iran); rabbi = unknown rabbi; unknown righteous = a butcher; action = saved a girl from captivity and married her off to her fiancé rather than his own son; reward = a place in paradise. IFA 11957: The Second Partner (Poland); rabbi = a merchant; unknown righteous = a poor tailor; reward = a stone of gold. IFA 12036: The Companion in Paradise (Egypt); rabbi = a righteous man; unknown righteous = a criminal; action = saved a girl from a rapist; reward = a place in paradise and, after repairing his ways, marriage to the righteous man's daughter. IFA 13136: The Ba 'al Shem Τον Visits a Blacksmith (Lithuania); rabbi = the Ba'al Shem Τον; unknown righteous = a blacksmith; action = because of his father's martyrdom by fire, decided to be a strongman to avoid a similar fate; reward = a place in paradise next to the Besht. 20 IFA 13682: The Companion in Paradise (Yemen); rabbi = an unknown rabbi; unknown righteous = a butcher; action = ransomed a Jewish girl from captivity and married her off to her fiancé rather than his own son; reward = a place in paradise next to a great rabbi. 21 IFA 1 4 6 1 0 : Martyrdom (Czechoslovakia); rabbi = the Ba'al Shem Τον; unknown righteous = a blacksmith; action = because of his father's martyrdon! by fire, decided to be a strongman to avoid a similar fate; reward = a place in paradise next to the Besht.

The Ignorants Prayer The third narrative form, the ignorant's prayer—a variation on tale type 827*A (IFA), "Simpleton Prays in a Strange Way"—involves an ecstatic rather than an ethical religious act. Within a communal service, a lowly ignorant person prays with more affect and effect than the community leaders. In Jewish tradition, such a tale appears first in the thirteenth century in Sefer Hasidim.21 Scheiber 2 3 pointed out that in the sixteenth century the theme was known also in European Christian tradition. Such a narrative resonated with the ideology of the Hasidic movement that emerged in Galicia, Poland, and Ukraine; and it occurred in the first collec-

tion of Hasidic tales about the Ba'al Shem Τον (the Besht). 24 At the end of the nineteenth century, the story about an unlettered child who blew his pipe at the end of the Yom Kippur prayer appealed greatly to writers and editors of anthologies of Hasidic tales. 25 Modern anthologists drew on these Hasidic books and included the tale in their collections. 2 6 Literary renditions and a comprehensive analysis of this tale have been published. 2 7 These tales are thematically related to, yet are distinct from, the stories about the magical power that gives the ignorant person's prayer the ability to produce rain. 28

The Righteous Poor The fourth narrative representation of this subject—the disguised righteous— could possibly have the greatest number of thematic variations among the tales that convey the idea that God loves the heart. Any vindication of a person whose public acts and appearance do not conform to Jewish religious conventions confirms this dictum. Yet, within the available tales, it is possible to distinguish two subforms: (1) a single positive or negative act either rewards or punishes the person on earth but accords him his just recompense in the world to come, and (2) a person who led a secret virtuous life is rewarded while an apparent righteous man who sinned in secret is punished. The first subform occurs in the Palestinian narrative tradition in JT Hagigah 2:2 and Sanhédrin 6:6. During the eleventh century, this subform was used by Rashi in his interpretation to BT Sanhédrin 44b and by Rabbi Nissim ben Jacob ben Nissin of Kairouan (c. 990-1062). 2 9 The second subform is available in a book from the twelfth century known as Sefer Sha 'ashu 'im by Joseph ben Meir ibn Zabara (born c. 1140). This is the tale of the paralyzed rabbi who could rise up from his seat only when a funeral of a righteous person passed by his house. This ability became an ethical-religious litmus test for the moral standing of the dead, often resulting in the revelation of private behavior that contrasted with the public image of the deceased. 3 0 The medieval version of the tale was included in later narrative collections and anthologies. 31 In modern Yiddish literature, Isaac Leib (Yitskhok Leybush) Peretz ( 1 8 5 2 - 1 9 1 5 ) created the character of Bontshe Shvayg, who is celebrated in Heaven for his actions. 32 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

The following stories in the IFA are related to this theme:

• IFA 7612 (vol. 2): Why Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev Deviated from His

•

Custom (Belarus); rabbi = Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev; unknown righteous = a rich and apparent miser merchant; action = supporting peopie in distressed situations; reward = special respect at his funeral. 3 3 IFA 14329: The Merit of Honoring Parents (Iraqi Kurdistan); rabbi = an unknown rabbi; unknown righteous = a butcher; action = cared for older parents; reward = large funeral (in contrast to the rabbi's small funeral).

The Naive Worshiper The fifth narrative form, the naive worshiper, of which the present tale is an example, is the latest variation on the theme that God loves the heart. It takes a humorous turn through the literal interpretation of a metaphor (compare tale IFA 12726 [vol. 1 ]). The naive worshiper does not perform a meritorious social or ethical act, as do the characters in the first two narrative forms of this tale, but rather he manifests, though unconventionally, sincere religious devotion. In the earliest documentation of this story, two religious authorities respectively respond to this act in two opposing manners. The rabbi criticizes the naive worshiper, whereas the kabbalist Rabbi Isaac Luria Ashkenazi, the Ari ( 1 5 3 4 1572), tolerates his actions. In some versions, the rabbi is mortally punished for his criticism of the naive worshiper. In the present tale, he lives to regret his words. 34 Compare this story with the Brothers Grimm tale The Heavenly Wedding.35 In Jewish narrative tradition, the tale has been in print since the eighteenth century. Eighteenth1. Hagiz

to Twentieth-Century 36

Sources

(1671-c. 1750).

Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward Punishment

Anonymous Safed, the Land of Israel Sixteenth century A crypto-Jew who reclaimed his Jewishness Offered two loaves of bread Not applicable Death (to the rabbi who censored him)

2. Di Trani 37 (nineteenth century; Judeo-Spanish). Rabbi Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward Punishment

Anonymous Safed, the Land of Israel Sixteenth century A crypto-Jew who reclaimed his Jewishness Offered two loaves of bread Not applicable Death (to the rabbi who censored him)

3. Anonymous 3 8 (nineteenth century). Rabbis Place Date of action Unknown righteous Action Reward

The Holy Ari (Rabbi Isaac Luria) and anonymous Safed, the Land of Israel Sixteenth century A crypto-Jew who reclaimed his Jewishness Offered two loaves of bread Not applicable

Punishment

Death (to the rabbi who censored him)

4. Sperling 39 (nineteenth century). 5. Tzikernik 40 (nineteenth century). Similarities

to Other /FA Tales

Four versions of this tale are in the IFA: •

IFA 191 (vol. 5): Gift Exchange in Miron (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic) 41

• IFA 1925: An Illiterate Person Learns to Pray (Yemen). • •

IFA 7728: The Crypto-Jew and the Shewbread IFA 12223: A Sincere Gift (Greece).

(Syria). 42

Folktale Types • • • •

cf. 809*-*A (IFA) "The Companion in Paradise." 809*-*A (Haboucha) "The Companions in Paradise." 827*A (IFA) "Simpleton Prays in a Strange Way." 827*A (Jason) "Simpleton Prayer."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • ‫״‬ • ‫״‬ •

F471.1 "Nightmare (Alp)." J1820 "Inappropriate action from misunderstanding." J2450 "Literal fool." J2460 "Literal obedience." J2470 "Metaphors literally interpreted." J2495 "Religious words or exercises interpreted with absurd literalness." *P426.4 "Rabbi." Q425 "Punishment: suffocating." cf. V51.1 "Man who does not know how to pray so holy that he walks on water."

Notes 1. First printed in Hed ha-mizrah, 3/26/1943; later reprinted in M. Attias, The Golden Feather, 39-42 no. 2. 2. Torat Hovot ha-Levavot (The direction of the duties of the heart), 18 (9b); later medieval sources are Sefer ha-Zohar, Terumah 162b; Ki Tetze 281b; Sefer Hasidim: see J. Wistinetzki, ed., Das Buch der Frommen, 6 nos. 5 - 6 . 3. For key analytical and bibliographical studies of the first two themes, see T. Alexander, "A Jewish Folktale from Egypt; '"Neighbour in Paradise'"; T. Alexander, "Ideology and Aesthetics in the Folk Narrative"; Alexander-Frizer, The Pious Sinner, 87-120; Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half 232-243; Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 143-144 no. 71, 177-179 no. 94, 192-195 nos. 105-106; Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis, 97, 132-133 no. 195, 117 no. 323, 159 no. 413; Heller, "La Légende Judéo-Chrétienne du compagnon au paradis"·. Heller, "'Gott wünscht das

Herz'"\ Z. Kagan, "Ba'al Melakhah ke-Shakhen be-Gan ha-Eden" (A craftsman as a neighbor in paradise); Scheiber, "Two Legends with the Motif God Wants the Heart"; Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 128-132; Schwarzbaum, "Jewish and Moslem Versions of Some Theodicy Legends"; and Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale, 474-475 (Hebrew ed.). 4. "La Légende Judéo-Chrétienne du compagnon au paradis," and "'Gott wünscht das Herz:‫״‬ 5. See H. Hirschberg, Hibbur Yafe me-ha-Yeshu'ah (An elegant composition). 6. See Hirschberg, op. cit., 48-52. For additional bibliographical references, see Bin Gorion, op. cit., 195-197 no. 107. 7. Midrasch Tanchuma, 68a-68b (135-136); Ms. C. Bodleian Library, Oxford. 8. Hirschberg, op. cit.. 48-51 no. 15. See also Brinner, An Elegant Composition Concerning Relief after Adversity, 81-85 no. 15; Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch, 5:136-138; Eisenstein, Ozar Midrashim, 2:323-324; and Farhi, Oseh Pele, 292-294. 9. Fisch, Midrash Hagaddol on the Pentateuch, 77d-78a. See also Bin Gorion, op. cit., 143-144 no. 71. 10. Wistinetzki, op. cit., 53 no. 80. 11. Me'il Zedakah, no. 381 (441). See also Cronbach. "The Me'il Zedakah"; Y. Fishman, Ma'asim al Aseret ha-Dibrot (Tales about the Ten Commandments), 30-31; Gaster, Ma'aseh Book, 255-256 no. 139; G. Hasan-Rokem, ed. Midrash Aseret ha-Dibrot (Midrash of the Ten Commandments), 19-20; and Shapira. Midrash Aseret ha-Dibrot, 69-71. 12. The Exempla of the Rabbis, 117 no. 323 (from Codex Gaster 184). 13. Sippurim, 31-35 no. 4 (English translation, 25-33). 14. "La Légende Judéo-Chrétienne du compagnon au paradis" 15. Published in Kagan, op. cit., 44. 16. Published in Weinstein, Grandma Esther Relates, 5 7 - 5 9 no. 14. 17. Published in Alexander-Frizer and Noy. The Treasure of Our Fathers, 245-246 no. 101. 18. Published in Rabbi, Avoteinu Sipru (Our fathers told), 3:45-46 no. 19. 19. Published in Cheichel, A Tale for Each Month 1972, 38-41 no. 2; and Rush and Marcus, Seventy and One Tales for the Jewish Year, 35-38 no. 9. 20. Published in M. Cohen, Mi-Pi ha-Am (From folk tradition), 3:28-29 no. 216. 21. An oral version of the story in is Hirschberg, op. cit., 48-51 no. 15; and Brinner, op. cit., 81-85 no. 15. 22. Wistinetzki, op. cit., 6 no. 6. 23. Op. cit. 24. Ben-Amos and Mintz, In Praise of the Ba 'al Shem Τον, 221 no. 219. 25. It first appeared in Y. Margolioth, Kevuzat Ya'akov, 53a; it was copied into A. Yitshak, Sefer Emunat Tsadikim, 12 (6b). 26. Agnon, Days of Awe, 268-270; Bin Gorion, op. cit., 336 no. 186; M. Buber, Tales of Hasidim, 69-70; and Newman, The Hasidic Anthology, 520. 27. For literary renditions, see Asch, Kitvei Shalom Ash (Collected writings), 89-92. For analyses and references to non-Jewish sources, see Elstein, Ma'aseh Hoshev, 7 - 4 0 ; and Nigal, The Hasidic Tale, 245-251. 28. See D. Noy, " T e f d a t ha-Tamim Moridah Geshamim" (The simpleton's prayer brings down rain).

29. See Abramson, Nissim, 428-431 ; Brinner, op. cit., 8-11 no. 1 ; and Hirschberg, op. cit., 4 - 5 no. 1. 30. I. Davidson, Sepher Shaashuim, 59-63; and Hadas, The Book of Delight, 29, 95-98. For a comparative analysis between these two subforms, see Dishon, The Book of Delight, 108-114, 238-239. 31. Huzin, Ma'asim Tovim (Good deeds), 14-16; and Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer haMa'asiyyot, 3:337-340. 32. Peretz, The Complete Works, 2:412-420; Wisse, The I. L. Peretz Reader, 146-152; Wisse, 1. L. Peretz and the Making of Modern Jewish Culture, 47-51, 90-91; and Y. Berger, "The Sources of Peretz." 33. Cheichel, ed., A Tale for Each Month 1967, 5 7 - 6 0 no. 3; Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 193-195 no. 71; and Schram, Stories within Stories, 318-322 no. 48. 34. For an analysis of these tales, see T. Alexander, "The Character of R. Isaac Luria in the Judeo-Spanish Story," esp. 96-103; T. Alexander, "Elohim Ohev Lev"; and T. Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half 232-243. 35. Grimm and Grimm, The Complete Fairy Tales, 643-644 no. 209; Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-u, 3:474-^477; and Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:378-379. 36. Mishnat Hakhamim (The teaching of the sages), 52a-52b no. 220. 37. See T. Alexander, "The Character of R. Isaac Luria," 96-103. 38. Ma'asiyot nora'im ve-nifla'im, 3-4 (per Bin Gorion, op. cit., 291 no. 159; I could not verify this source). 39. Ta'amei ha-Minhagim u-Mekorei ha-Dinim, 528 (from Hagiz, op. cit.) 40. Czarnobil Hasidism Tales, 148-151 no. 24 (from Hagiz, op. cit.). 41. Published in Ashni, Be-Simta 'ot Tzfat (In the alleys of Safed), 69-71. 42. Published in Rabbi, op. cit., 3:102-103 no. 47.

The Honest Merchant M O S H E

R A B B I

/ T a k h a m J u d a h Levi, o n e of the earliest s a g e s of H a i f a , m o r e than sixty y e a r s a g o , lived on the Street of the J e w s . H e w a s a true scholar, well versed in the T a l m u d and d e c i s o r s . * H e h a d a s w e e t voice a n d f r e q u e n t l y led the c o n g r e g a t i o n in prayer. T h e J e w i s h c o m m u n i t y a p p o i n t e d h i m their rabbi, but he did not w a n t to derive any b e n e f i t f r o m the c o m m u n i t y treasury a n d w e n t into trade. T h e m a n w a s h o n e s t a n d his b u s i n e s s f l o u r ished. E v e r y o n e k n e w there w a s n o point in h a g g l i n g with h i m . T h e price he set w a s not to be c h a n g e d . N o n - J e w s , too, used to g o into his s h o p to buy f r o m h i m . O n c e an e m i r f r o m T r a n s j o r d a n w a s sitting in the store and resting. H e r e m o v e d his b r o a d belt (in w h i c h p e o p l e u s e d to k e e p their money, w a t c h , a n d o t h e r p a r a p h e r n a l i a ) f r o m his kumbaz** and laid it on the counter. A f t e r a long c o n v e r s a t i o n with H a k h a m J u d a h , he p u r c h a s e d a large q u a n tity of g o o d s and paid f o r t h e m . H a k h a m J u d a h w r a p p e d up the m e r c h a n dise and g a v e it to the emir. T h e e m i r took his p u r c h a s e s and left the store. But he f o r g o t his belt in the s h o p . H a k h a m J u d a h saw the belt, w h i c h w a s full of gold d i n a r s . H e w r a p p e d u p the belt and put it into a c u p b o a r d , b e c a u s e he d i d n ' t see the emir, w h o h a d a l r e a d y g o n e b a c k to T r a n s j o r d a n and f o r g o t t e n his belt. T h r e e y e a r s later, the e m i r r e t u r n e d to H a k h a m J u d a h ' s s h o p on the Street of the J e w s . W h e n H a k h a m J u d a h saw the emir, he r e c o g n i z e d h i m and said, "Listen, m y f r i e n d the e m i r ! You have s o m e t h i n g on deposit with me!" " W h a t ? " a s k e d the emir. "I d o n ' t r e m e m b e r g i v i n g you a n y t h i n g f o r safekeeping." H a k h a m J u d a h replied, " Y o u ' l l see s t r a i g h t a w a y ! " H e w e n t over to the c u p b o a r d , o p e n e d it, and took out the belt with the m o n e y inside. T h e e m i r

"Rabbis with the authority to issue halakhic (Jewish law) rulings. "*Coatlike over-garment worn by Arabs.

l o o k e d at the belt a n d r e c o g n i z e d it. " P l e a s e , c o u n t the m o n e y " said H a k h a m J u d a h . " C h e c k that it's exactly the a m o u n t you left there." "I d o n ' t have to c o u n t it," said the emir. "If y o u ' v e saved the belt f o r three years, d o you think I w o n ' t trust y o u ? " " N e v e r t h e l e s s , I w a n t you to c o u n t the m o n e y , " said H a k h a m J u d a h . T h e e m i r c o u n t e d his m o n e y . It w a s all there. H e t h a n k e d H a k h a m J u d a h Levi f o r his honesty. W h e n he w e n t b a c k out to the street, he spread the story a m o n g his M u s l i m f r i e n d s . F r o m that t i m e on, H a k h a m J u d a h w a s well k n o w n a m o n g the gentiles, too. E v e r y o n e r e s p e c t e d h i m f o r his h o n e s t y , s a y i n g , " T h e r e is n o n e so h o n e s t and t r u s t w o r t h y as H a k h a m J u d a h Levi the Jew."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 2 9 (IFA

6295)

Recorded by Moshe Rabbi (Jerusalem).1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Hakham Judah Levi, from Tétouan, Morocco, was a Haifa community leader and a cantor who died in 1932. The present story relates that as a learned man he followed the Jewish law concerning the return of property to its proper owner. These laws were first articulated in Exodus 23:4-5: "When you encounter your enemy's ox or ass wandering, you must take it back to him. When you see the ass of your enemy lying under its burden and would refrain from raising it, you must nevertheless raise it with him." And in Deuteronomy 2 2 : w e read: If you see your fellow's ox or sheep gone astray, do not ignore it; you must take it back to your fellow. If your fellow does not live near you or you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home and it shall remain with you until your fellow claims it; then you shall give it back to him. You shall do the same with his ass; you shall do the same with his garment; and so too shall you do with anything that your fellow loses and you find: you must not remain indifferent. If you see your fellow's ass or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it; you must help him raise it. Later, teachers and scholars elaborated on these biblical laws in Mishnah Bava Metzi'a 7:8; Shevu'ot 5:1-3,6:7, 8:1-6, and BT Bava Metzi'a 21b, 27a-30b, 42a. The emir's unawareness of his loss, and his consequent initial indifference, could have given Hakham Judah Levi a legitimate reason for keeping the money for himself, because the emir's behavior amounted to abandonment (ye'ush) of the money. However, Hakham Levi redefined his find, considering it not a loss but as property held for safekeeping (pikadon), which he is obliged to return. This choice manifests his personal honesty and makes his conduct exemplary. While the sages do not accept absentmindedness as reasonable conduct, the hakham's behavior transcends legal stricture and follows his personal conscience. However, to remove any doubt regarding the legal position of the money, he identifies it as safekeeping, so he is duty-bound to return it. About the halakhot of safekeeping, see Maimonides, 2 about their historical development see Karl, 3 and about their current status, see M. Elon. 4 In addition to abiding by his ethical principles, the hakham followed in the footsteps of several role models found in the aggadah. For example, it is told about Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa that a passerby left hens near his house. These hens laid eggs that hatched; after several such cycles, the hens became a nuisance, so the rabbi sold them and bought goats with that money. When the passerby happened to be in town again, Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa overheard him telling a friend about the hens that he left there, so the rabbi gave the man the goats (BT Ta'anit

25a). In another example, two poor men left two se'ah of barley with Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair for safekeeping and forgot about them. The rabbi sowed and harvested the grain for seven years. When the poor men came and demanded their barley, the rabbi said, "First fetch camels and asses, and then come and take your stores [of barley]" (MR Deuteronomy 3:3). A third story tells about Simeon ben Shetah, who traded in flax. His friends bought a donkey from an Arab and gave it to him. He found a jewel hanging around the donkey's neck and returned it to the Arab, over the objections of his friends (JT Bava Metzi 'a 2:5). For other cases of returning lost property, see Bialik and Ravnitzky. 5 Compare this story with the tale The Jars of Honey in Bin Gorion 6 and with tales IFA 13908 (vol. 2) and IFA 13909 (vol. 2) (see also the notes to these tales).

Folklore Motifs • • • •

P431 "Merchant." Q68.2 "Honesty rewarded." W37 "Conscientiousness." cf. W37.3 "Rabbi returns jewel found with bought ass."

Notes 1. First published in Rabbi, Avoteinu Sipru (Our fathers told), 2:218-9 no. 104; and Stahl, Stories of Faith and Morals, 5 7 - 5 8 no. 19. 2. P. Birnbaum, trans., Maimonides'Mishneh Torah, 280-283; J. J. Rabinowitz, trans., The Code of Maimonides 51-76 (Hilkhot She'ilah u-Pikadon [Regulations of borrowing and deposit]). 3. "The Law of the Four Bailees."

4. Jewish Law, 4:1692-1696. 5. The Book of Legends, 658-660. 6. Mimekor Yisrael, 28-29 no. 17; see also Hendler, "The Jars of Honey."

The Rich Man Who Avoided Giving Charity but Later Mended His Ways R E ' U V E N

N A ' A N A H

C / n c e there w a s a very rich m a n w h o never w a n t e d to give charity, not to p o o r p e o p l e , not to the e m i s s a r i e s of o r p h a n a g e s a n d o l d - f o l k s ' h o m e s , not to a n y o n e . W h e n e v e r a scholar or rabbi c a m e on the S a b b a t h to preach a s e r m o n , a f t e r w h i c h the m e m b e r s of the c o n g r e g a t i o n p l e d g e d their donations, e a c h in k e e p i n g with his status a n d ability, this rich m a n a l w a y s got u p and left the s y n a g o g u e b e f o r e the end of the d i s c o u r s e to avoid having to m a k e a p l e d g e . O n e w e e k , it w a s a n n o u n c e d that the chief rabbi w a s c o m i n g to deliver a s e r m o n in the s y n a g o g u e ; the entire c o n g r e g a t i o n w a s invited to attend. T h e rich m a n k n e w that the idea w a s to get p e o p l e to give g e n e r o u s l y . It w a s the S a b b a t h b e f o r e Yom K i p p u r . H e did not k n o w w h a t to d o . If h e s t a y e d away, p e o p l e w o u l d start t a l k i n g a b o u t h i m ; but if he w e n t he w o u l d have to m a k e a large p l e d g e . H e kept d e b a t i n g the issue with h i m s e l f until the S a b b a t h arrived, and [he] still d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t to do. H e asked his w i f e f o r a d v i c e . " G o , " she told h i m . " B u t leave the s y n a g o g u e b e f o r e the rabbi f i n i s h e s his s e r m o n a n d p r e t e n d that you n e e d to u s e the facilities. Later, a f t e r e v e r y o n e h a s m a d e a p l e d g e and t h e y ' v e r e s u m e d the p r a y e r service, you can g o b a c k in." D e l i g h t e d with his w i f e ' s a d v i c e , the m a n w e n t to the s y n a g o g u e , w h e r e a very large c r o w d w a s a s s e m b l e d . T h e rabbi b e g a n his s e r m o n . A f t e r s p e a k i n g f o r a w h i l e the rabbi said that it is written in the Torah that o n e w h o tithes b e c o m e s wealthy,* as the verse says, " T h u s put m e to the test. . . . I will surely o p e n the f l o o d g a t e s of the sky f o r you."** O n e w h o gives actually b e n e f i t s f r o m his d o n a t i o n s .

*A reference to the play on words in Midrash Tanhuma, Re'eh 18 (on Deuteronomy 14:22): '"Set aside a tenth part' (asser te'asser) so that you will become wealthy (tit'asher)." " S e e Malachi 3:10; the verse begins. "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse" and concludes, "I will . . . pour down blessings on you."

T h e rich m a n b e g a n to calculate. If t h a t ' s the case, he t h o u g h t , it's really a very g o o d d e a l . If I c o n t r i b u t e a r e s p e c t a b l e s u m , the H o l y O n e , B l e s s e d B e H e , will give m e , in return, m a n y t i m e s over. H e b e g a n to r e c k o n u p his a c c o u n t s . W h e n the rabbi f i n i s h e d p r e a c h i n g , the rich m a n did not get u p a n d w a l k out. I n s t e a d , he r e m a i n e d in his p l a c e . T h e s y n a g o g u e w a r d e n and the rabbi b e g a n g o i n g u p to e a c h of the m e n sitting there, o n e a f t e r another. E a c h p l e d g e d a c c o r d i n g to his status: O n e p r o m i s e d to give o n e p o u n d , a n o t h e r p r o m i s e d five, and the m o s t g e n e r o u s p l e d g e d ten p o u n d s . W h e n they c a m e to the rich m a n , the w a r d e n d i d n ' t stop. But the rabbi halted and b e g a n to c h a n t a b l e s s i n g f o r the rich m a n . T h e w a r d e n tried to hint to the rabbi that this m a n n e v e r g a v e a n y t h i n g , a n d it w a s n ' t w o r t h w a s t i n g t i m e w i t h h i m . B u t the rabbi i g n o r e d the w a r d e n a n d a s k e d the rich m a n how m u c h he w a n t e d to contribute. "A h u n d r e d p o u n d s , " he said. T h e rabbi b l e s s e d h i m a n d w e n t on. T h e s y n a g o g u e w a r d e n l a u g h e d . " T h i s m a n never gives a n y t h i n g , " he told the rabbi. " Y o u r s w a s a b l e s s i n g to n o p u r p o s e . " "If he gives, t h a t ' s fine," replied the rabbi. "And if he d o e s n ' t give, w e h a v e lost n o t h i n g . " W h e n S a b b a t h w a s over, the rich m a n c a m e to the s y n a g o g u e f o r the e v e n i n g service. A f t e r w a r d h e a s k e d the w a r d e n f o r the r a b b i ' s a d d r e s s , b e c a u s e , he said, "I w a n t to m a k e g o o d on m y p l e d g e . " T h e w a r d e n told h i m . " W o u l d you like to c o m e with m e to the r a b b i ? I'll get the m o n e y f r o m m y h o u s e , a n d w e ' l l g o to the rabbi together." T h e w a r d e n w a s a s t o n i s h e d by the rich m a n ' s w o r d s . Did he really m e a n to pay the h u n d r e d p o u n d s ? " I ' l l c o m e with you," he said. S o the t w o w e n t t o g e t h e r to the rich m a n ' s h o u s e , w h e r e he collected the h u n d r e d p o u n d s . T h e n they w e n t to the rabbi, to w h o m he g a v e the m o n e y . T h e rabbi blessed the rich m a n f o r his d o n a t i o n . T h e rich m a n and the w a r d e n left the r a b b i ' s h o u s e together. O n their w a y h o m e , the rich m a n asked the w a r d e n , "Tell m e , w h o are the w a r d e n s of the o r p h a n a g e and the p o o r h o u s e ? W h o is in c h a r g e of the s o u p kitchen f o r the d e s t i t u t e ? " T h e s y n a g o g u e w a r d e n told h i m w h e r e e a c h of t h e s e p e o p l e lived. "I w o u l d like to m a k e a r e g u l a r w e e k l y d o n a t i o n to e a c h institution." " C o m e with m e , then. If y o u w a n t to c o n t r i b u t e , I will take you to them." T h e rich m a n w e n t with the w a r d e n . At each institution, he asked h o w m u c h they c o l l e c t e d e a c h w e e k , and they told him.

" I ' m willing to give you t w i c e that m u c h e a c h w e e k m y s e l f . " T h e y t h a n k e d him f o r his generosity. He did this at all the o r p h a n a g e s and p o o r h o u s e s and old f o l k s ' h o m e s . H e started to give t h e m w h a t he had pledged. T i m e p a s s e d . E v e n t u a l l y he h a d given a w a y his very last cent a n d w a s left w i t h o u t even bread f o r his f a m i l y . " W h a t are you d o i n g ? " p r o t e s t e d his w i f e and c h i l d r e n . " H a v e you g o n e out of y o u r m i n d ? ! " " D o n ' t worry," he told t h e m . " T h e Holy O n e , Blessed Be He, will give us back w h a t w e have given m a n y t i m e s over." " B u t right now w e d o n ' t even have b r e a d to eat. W h a t will b e c o m e of us?" He saw that they w e r e right and that he w a s still b e h a v i n g as if he w e r e out of his m i n d . G o i n g out into the fields, he sat d o w n u n d e r a tree to rest f r o m the heat and his h u n g e r — h i s s t o m a c h w a s e m p t y , f o r he h a d eaten n o t h i n g that day. He p l a y e d with the small staff in his h a n d , w i g g l i n g it a r o u n d in a small hole in the trunk of the tree. T h i s m a d e the hole bigger, as the w o o d splintered and c r u m b l e d a r o u n d its e d g e s . He looked into the h o l e a n d saw s o m e t h i n g s p a r k l i n g a n d s h i n i n g inside the tree t r u n k . L o o k i n g m o r e closely, he saw s o m e t h i n g that looked like d i a m o n d s . H e stuck his a r m i n t o the hole a n d p u l l e d out a small bag filled with diam o n d s . S i n c e he k n e w s o m e t h i n g a b o u t g e m s t o n e s , he realized that these w e r e e x t r e m e l y valuable. Ecstatic at w h a t had fallen to his lot, he w e n t h o m e i m m e d i a t e l y and told his f a m i l y a b o u t the m i r a c l e that the Holy O n e , Blessed Be He, had w r o u g h t f o r him. H e took o n e of the d i a m o n d s and sold it; w h a t he received for it a l o n e w a s e n o u g h to restore all his f o r m e r wealth. T h e r e a f t e r , he p r o s p e r e d as n e v e r b e f o r e . H e c o n t i n u e d to fulfill his p l e d g e s to the c h a r i t a b l e institutions and b e c a m e w e a l t h i e r still. T h e H o l y O n e , B l e s s e d Be He, b e s t o w e d a b l e s s i n g on e v e r y t h i n g he did a n d w o r k e d w o n d e r s and m i r a c l e s to repay his trust in H i m . T h u s m a y He w o r k w o n d e r s and m i r a c l e s f o r us. A m e n . M a y it be His will. F r o m this story, w e learn how great is the virtue of trusting in the H o l y O n e , Blessed Be He. It is o n e of the greatest virtues, p r o d u c i n g m i r a c l e s that c a n n o t be d e s c r i b e d or i m a g i n e d ; f o r the Holy O n e , B l e s s e d Be H e , is o m n i p o t e n t . M a y G o d r e s t o r e us to the p r o p e r path and m a y w e be ine l u d e d in the p e r f o r m a n c e of all the c o m m a n d m e n t s . A m e n .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 0 (IFA

2604)

Recorded from memory by Re 'uven Na 'anah.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Charity, or tzedakah, is a basic value in Jewish society. The ability to respond to the needy is a required condition of membership in the Jewish community. Historical studies concerning this concept are available. 2

Folklore Motifs • J706 "Acquisition of wealth." • Ν135.2.1 "Discovery of treasure brings luck." ‫ ״‬cf. N202 "Wishes for good fortune realized." • N203 "Lucky person." • N528 "Treasure found in hollow of tree." • N530 "Discovery of treasure." • N534 "Treasure discovered by accident." • N550 "Unearthing hidden treasure." • Ρ150 "Rich men." • *PI65 "Poor men." • *P426.4 "Rabbi." • U60 "Wealth and poverty." • V71 "Sabbath." • *V75.2 "Day of Atonement." • V400 "Charity." ‫ ״‬V410 "Charity rewarded." ‫ ״‬W l l "Generosity." • W153 "Miserliness."

Notes 1. First published in Otzar ha-Ma 'asiyyot (A treasury of tales), 1:15-8. 2. See Ben-Sasson and Levitats, "Charity"; Bergmann, Hazzedakah be-Yisra'el (Charity in Jewish society); Baron, A Social and Religious History of the Jews, 2:269-74; and Assis, "Ezrah Haddadit ve-Sa'ad be-Kehilot Yisra'el be-Sefarad" (Social welfare in the Jewish communities in Spain), 259-279.

The Pregnant King TOLD

BY

M O S H E

S A R A N O

TO

MATILDA

K O E N - S A R A N O

( . / n e e t h e r e w a s a king w h o h a d w e a k e y e s . T h e i r c o n d i t i o n w o r s e n e d f r o m d a y to day, a n d h e kept c a l l i n g in the very best p h y s i c i a n s to be f o u n d in his city. O n e d a y a n e w p h y s i c i a n arrived in town and w a s soon s u m m o n e d to the royal court. T h e p h y s i c i a n e x a m i n e d the king and noticed that he kept t o u c h i n g his e y e s with his h a n d s . At the e n d of the e x a m i n a t i o n the physician a d d r e s s e d the king. " Y o u r M a j e s t y , I have to tell you s o m e t h i n g bizarre: Y o u ' r e p r e g n a n t . " T h e k i n g w a s a s t o n i s h e d . " W h a t are you s a y i n g ? Is that p o s s i b l e ? " " Y o u r M a j e s t y ! " replied the p h y s i c i a n . "If I, a m e d i c a l doctor, say so, you m u s t believe m e . In a n o t h e r nine m o n t h s you will give birth." T h e p h y s i c i a n w e n t away. T h e k i n g f o r g o t all a b o u t his w e a k eyes. H e started w a t c h i n g his belly and t o u c h i n g it, to c h e c k w h e t h e r it w a s starting to swell. A f t e r the nine m o n t h s had p a s s e d , the king, e x p e c t i n g to give birth any day, s u m m o n e d the p h y s i c i a n a g a i n . " H o w can I be p r e g n a n t ? If I w e r e , I should have given birth already." T h e p h y s i c i a n e x a m i n e d h i m a g a i n . " Y o u r M a j e s t y , nine m o n t h s a g o you s u m m o n e d m e to heal y o u r eyes. I told you then that you w e r e pregnant so that you w o u l d think a b o u t y o u r belly and s t o p t h i n k i n g a b o u t y o u r w e a k eyes. T h i s m a d e you s t o p t o u c h i n g t h e m all the t i m e and g a v e t h e m a c h a n c e to heal. A n d it w o r k e d ! A r e n ' t they healthy n o w ? " T h e king u n d e r s t o o d the p h y s i c i a n ' s g o o d intentions. H e w a s so grateful that he a p p o i n t e d h i m his court p h y s i c i a n .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 1 (IFA Told by Moshe Sarano to Matilda Koen-Sarano written down from memory in 1979.1

14043) in the 1950s in Milan, Italy, and

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Motif J2321 "Man made to believe that he is pregnant" occurs not as a ruse but as a claim by the king of the fictional country Torelore, in the thirteenth-century French cantefable Aucassin et Nicolete.2 Torelore is an inverted world in which the king is pregnant and his wife, the queen, leads the army on the battlefield. 3 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Other tales in the IFA about the diagnosis of pregnancy as a curative distraction are as follows: • • • • •

IFA 2413: The King Who Picked His Nose in Public (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). IFA 3759: How Was the King Cured from Nose-Picking? (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). IFA 6000: The King Who Became Pregnant (Iraq). IFA 7876: Even to the Half of the Kingdom (Iraqi Kurdistan). IFA 11698: Behold a Wonder (Bulgaria).

Folktale Types

•

1543 ‫ ״‬C * - * A (IFA) "The Clever Doctor." 1543 ‫ ״‬C * - * A (Haboucha) "A Healing by Distracting Attention." 1543C*-*A (Jason) "Clever Doctor Cures Bad Habits and Diseases by Distraction" or "Healing by Distracting Attention."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • • • •

F956 "Extraordinary diagnosis." J1115.2 "Clever physician." J2300 "Gullible fools." J2321 "Man made to believe that he is pregnant." 4 cf. N648 "King accidentally cured by doctor's ruse and excuses, pretended inability to cure him." P10 "Kings." P424 "Physician." Q94 "Reward for cure." Q113.0.1 "High honors as reward." *Q113.5 "Appointment as a royal physician as reward." T570 "Pregnancy." T578 "Pregnant man."

Notes 1. First published in Koen-Sarano, Kuentos

del folklor

de la famiya

Djudeo-

Espanyola, 46^7. 2. Bourdillon, Aucassin et Nicolete, 63-65, 141-143 nos. 29-30. For analytical comments, see R. Pensom, Aucassin et Nicolet, 105-113. 3. See Pensom, op. cit., 105-113. 4. F. Hoffmann, Analytical Survey of Anglo-American Traditional Erotica, 213.

The Rich Man and His Two Sons TOLD

BY

G A D

ABBADI

TO

R E ' U V E N

N A ' A N A H

C / n c e there w a s a very rich m a n , h o n o r e d and well r e s p e c t e d a m o n g his p e o p l e . H e h a d t w o sons. T h e s o n s g r e w up, but they still lived with their father, not w o r k i n g f o r a living. O n e f i n e day, the f a t h e r s u m m o n e d his sons. " M y d e a r s o n s " he told t h e m , " e v e n t h o u g h I a m rich e n o u g h to prov i d e f o r you and even f o r y o u r c h i l d r e n a f t e r y o u , w o r k is essential f o r a m a n : it a m u s e s h i m and satisfies h i m and k e e p s him f r o m b e i n g bored. For idleness is the m o t h e r of all sins. T h a t is w h y I a m g i v i n g e a c h of you this s u m of m o n e y . G o out and e n g a g e in w h a t e v e r b u s i n e s s you wish. I will c o v e r all y o u r e x p e n s e s . T h e m o n e y I a m g i v i n g you now, and all y o u r profits, will r e m a i n u n t o u c h e d , so that the principal increases f r o m d a y to day. T h e r e is o n e thing I require of y o u , h o w e v e r : O n c e a w e e k you m u s t give m e a report of w h a t you did and h o w m u c h you m a d e . " T h e s o n s r e s p e c t e d their f a t h e r a n d w e r e a l w a y s c a r e f u l to c o m p l y with his w i s h e s . T h i s t i m e , too, they w e n t a r o u n d the city l o o k i n g f o r s o m e b u s i n e s s that w o u l d allow t h e m to m a k e a report e a c h w e e k , as their f a t h e r h a d asked. T h e y f o u n d n o t h i n g better suited to this than d e a l i n g in f r u i t s and v e g e t a b l e s on a daily basis. T h i s w a y they w o u l d be able to p r o v i d e their f a t h e r with a w e e k l y r e c k o n i n g . A n d so it w a s . T h e first w e e k he c a l l e d in his e l d e r son and a s k e d , " W h a t did you d o ? " T h e son told his f a t h e r a b o u t his b u s i n e s s and that his profit c a m e to a certain s u m . At o n c e , the f a t h e r gave his son that very a m o u n t over again. H e did the s a m e with the y o u n g e r son. In this f a s h i o n , they r e p o r t e d to their f a t h e r every w e e k . O n e w e e k , they p u r c h a s e d their inventory of v e g e t a b l e s f o r a fair price; but a f t e r they h a d a l r e a d y b o u g h t [their p r o d u c e ] , o t h e r s u p p l i e r s b r o u g h t large q u a n t i t i e s of v e g e t a b l e s to the m a r k e t , and the price fell. A s a result, they lost a lot of money. O n Friday, as w a s the c u s t o m , their father a s k e d his e l d e r son a b o u t his d e a l i n g s d u r i n g that w e e k . T h e son told h i m e v e r y t h i n g that had h a p p e n e d and that he had lost a certain a m o u n t .

At o n c e , his f a t h e r a s k e d h i m to h a n d o v e r the a m o u n t he had lost. W i t h o u t a m u r m u r , the son gave his f a t h e r the required s u m . T h e n it w a s the s e c o n d s o n ' s turn. " A n d w h a t did you d o this w e e k ? " his f a t h e r asked. " T h i s w e e k w a s not as g o o d as last w e e k , " replied the son, but said n o more. " H o w m u c h did you m a k e last w e e k ? " asked the father. "I m a d e such a n d such an a m o u n t . " At o n c e , the f a t h e r gave his son the a m o u n t of his profit f o r the previous week. T h i s i n t e r c h a n g e took p l a c e in the p r e s e n c e of the e l d e r son, w h o w a s u n a b l e to restrain h i m s e l f . " B u t Father, he lost j u s t as m u c h as I did! Yet you gave h i m m o n e y and took m o n e y f r o m me. I d o n ' t u n d e r s t a n d this at all." " Y o u ' r e right," said the father. " Y o u r b r o t h e r did not say in so m a n y w o r d s that he h a d lost. H e m e r e l y h i n t e d , stating that he did better last w e e k . You m u s t learn never to o p e n y o u r m o u t h to give an u n f a v o r a b l e report, to say that you lost or that t h i n g s w e r e n ' t so g o o d , and the like. A l w a y s o p e n y o u r m o u t h with a g o o d report and g o o d things will c o m e to you. "You see," he c o n t i n u e d , "this world is like a mirror. L a u g h , a n d it will l a u g h with y o u . C r y to it, a n d it will cry b a c k at y o u . If you are a l w a y s c h e e r f u l , e v e r y o n e a r o u n d you will be c h e e r f u l too."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 2 (IFA

4441)

Told by Gad Abbadi from Turkey to Re 'uven Na 'anah in April 1965 in Jerusalem. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale lacks the magic objects and the extraordinary skills associated with the widely known story The Four Skillful Brothers. However, the two stories relate a contest between siblings as a pedagogical tool and a stimulus for high achievement in the mercantile culture of modern society. The present tale has a moral coda rather than the fictional formulaic conclusion with which the magical tale ends. Compare the moral of this tale with that of tale IFA 20439 (vol. 2). Folktale Type •

cf. 653 "The Four Skillful Brothers" (new ed.).

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • •

H1210.1 "Quest assigned by father." *H 1569.1.2 "Test of attitude." Ρ150 "Rich men." P233 "Father and son." P251.5 "Two brothers." P431 "Merchant." *Q96 "Reward for having positive attitude."

Folktales

Noah ,s Daughter T O L D

BY

A

S E P H A R D I C

JEW

TO

S A R A

ILANI

I he t z a d d i k ' N o a h had three sons and an only daughter, w h o w a s r e n o w n e d f o r her beauty, w i s d o m , and g o o d n e s s . T h e r e w a s n o n e like her in all the world. It w a s hardly surprising that y o u n g men streamed to N o a h f r o m all c o r n e r s of the world, a s k i n g f o r her hand in marriage. O n e day, as the tzaddik N o a h stood at the e n t r a n c e to his tent, he saw a h a n d s o m e y o u n g m a n a p p r o a c h i n g f r o m the east, riding a white mare. T h e y o u n g m a n j u m p e d d o w n f r o m his m a r e and said, " N o a h , Ο righteous and b l a m e l e s s m a n , " I have heard m u c h about y o u r b e a u t i f u l , wise, and g o o d daughter. I am asking f o r her hand." "Tell me, m y son," the tzaddik asked him, " h a v e you planted yourself a vineyard y e t ? " W h e n the y o u n g m a n w a s silent, N o a h w e n t on. "It is not the c u s t o m in our c o m m u n i t y to m a r r y o n e ' s d a u g h t e r to s o m e o n e w h o has not yet planted a vineyard. G o plant a vineyard, and then c o m e back here and w e ' l l discuss the matter." T h e y o u n g m a n m o u n t e d his w h i t e m a r e and returned to the east, the t z a d d i k ' s w o r d s e n g r a v e d on his heart. O n e day, as the tzaddik N o a h stood at the e n t r a n c e to his tent, he saw a h a n d s o m e y o u n g man a p p r o a c h i n g f r o m the west, riding a black mare. T h e y o u n g m a n j u m p e d d o w n f r o m his m a r e and said, " N o a h , Ο righteous and b l a m e l e s s m a n , I have h e a r d m u c h about y o u r b e a u t i f u l , wise, and g o o d daughter. I w o u l d like to marry her." "Tell m e , m y son," the tzaddik asked him, " h a v e you planted yourself a vineyard y e t ? " " T h e vineyard is planted," replied the y o u n g m a n . T h e t z a d d i k c o n t i n u e d . "Tell m e , m y son, have you built yourself a

"The biblical text introduces Noah (Genesis 6:9) with the epithet tzaddik: "Noah ish tzaddik tamim hayah be-dorotav" (Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his age). In later years this epithet describes the most pious people. "See Genesis 6:9.

h o u s e yet? 5 ' W h e n the y o u n g man w a s silent, N o a h w e n t on. "It is not the c u s t o m in our c o m m u n i t y to marry o n e ' s d a u g h t e r to s o m e o n e w h o has n o roof over his head. G o build a h o u s e , and then c o m e b a c k here and w e ' l l d i s c u s s the matter." T h e y o u n g m a n m o u n t e d his black m a r e and returned to the west, the t z a d d i k ' s w o r d s e n g r a v e d on his heart. O n e day, as the tzaddik N o a h stood at the e n t r a n c e to his tent, he saw a h a n d s o m e y o u n g m a n a p p r o a c h i n g f r o m the south, riding a b r o w n mare. T h e y o u n g m a n j u m p e d d o w n f r o m it and said, " N o a h , Ο r i g h t e o u s and b l a m e l e s s m a n , I have heard m u c h a b o u t y o u r b e a u t i f u l , wise, and g o o d daughter. I w o u l d like to be the smallest and m o s t inconsequential m e m ber of y o u r family." "Tell m e , my son," the tzaddik asked him, " h a v e you planted yourself a vineyard y e t ? " "Yes, Ο r i g h t e o u s o n e , " replied the y o u n g m a n , " t h e v i n e y a r d is planted." T h e t z a d d i k c o n t i n u e d . "Tell m e , my son, have you built y o u r s e l f a house yet?" "Yes, Ο righteous one," replied the y o u n g m a n , "the h o u s e is built." N o a h w a s delighted with the y o u n g m a n and gave h i m his d a u g h t e r in m a r r i a g e . T h e r e j o i c i n g w a s great and w e n t on f o r seven d a y s and seven nights. O n the eighth day, the y o u n g m a n seated his bride on his b r o w n m a r e and returned with her to his h o m e in the south. O n e day, as the t z a d d i k N o a h stood at the e n t r a n c e to his tent, the y o u n g m a n on a w h i t e m a r e c a m e riding f r o m the east and a n n o u n c e d , " T h e vineyard is planted, and the h o u s e is built." N o a h w a s e x t r e m e l y sorry that he had n o o t h e r d a u g h t e r s a n d c o u l d not k e e p his p r o m i s e . Just then, however, he o b s e r v e d that the ass o u t s i d e the tent had turned into a b e a u t i f u l and strong m a i d e n . At once, he understood that this w a s a sign f r o m H e a v e n , f o r G o d d o e s not w a n t the righte o u s to suffer. H e gave the girl to the y o u n g m a n as his bride. T h e r e j o i c i n g w a s great and w e n t on f o r seven d a y s and seven nights. O n the eighth day, the y o u n g m a n seated his bride on his w h i t e m a r e and returned with her to his h o m e in the east. O n e day, as the t z a d d i k N o a h stood at the e n t r a n c e to his tent, the y o u n g m a n on a black m a r e c a m e riding f r o m the w e s t . H e had the f o l l o w i n g news to relate: " T h e vineyard is planted, and the h o u s e is built." N o a h w a s e x t r e m e l y sorry that he had no o t h e r d a u g h t e r s and c o u l d not k e e p his p r o m i s e . Just then, however, he o b s e r v e d that the dog outside the tent had turned into a b e a u t i f u l a n d strong m a i d e n . At once, he under-

stood that this w a s a sign f r o m H e a v e n , for G o d d o e s not want the righte o u s to suffer. H e gave the girl to the y o u n g m a n as his bride. T h e r e j o i c i n g w a s great and w e n t on f o r seven d a y s and seven nights. O n the eighth day, the y o u n g m a n seated his bride on his black m a r e and returned with her to his h o m e in the west. A n d f r o m that t i m e until the p r e s e n t d a y there are three t y p e s of w o m e n . O n e is silly, lazy, and s t u b b o r n , like an ass, w h o s e portion is the rod; a n o t h e r is sneaky, angry, and loud, like a d o g , w h o s e portion is the w h i p . But h a p p y is the m a n w h o m G o d has blessed with an intelligent, quiet, and industrious w i f e — f o r she is the true and a p p r o p r i a t e m a t e f o r a r i g h t e o u s man.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 3 ( I F A

660)

Told by a Sephardic Jewish narrator to Sara Ilani in 1958 in Kibbutz

Nizzanim.1

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Baldensperger 2 reported that among Palestinian Arabs, "the donkeys, cows, and dogs, are almost always left to the women to look after, and when the donkeys and cows are driven out to pasture they are kept by the smaller girls and boys. The dogs always remain by their mistresses, who never forget to feed them with whatever they may have themselves." The present tale transforms métonymie relations in social life to metaphoric relations in oral literature. This tale is common among Palestinian Arabs. 3 Further discussions and references for this tale have been published. 4 The tale is comparable to but different from other antifeminist stories 5 and other tales about women in Palestinian-Arabic folklore. 6 The story The Only Daughter of Noah and its narrative cycle contrast with tale types 173 and 828 "Men and Animals Readjust Span of Life," in terms of gender and distribution of animal traits. The present story is about women, and the respective animal characteristics are distributed among all women who hide them, whereas in the latter tale types God endows man (or Man) with animal traits that manifest themselves sequentially and chronologically. 7 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Compare the present tale with IFA 6655 (vol. 2). In the IFA, there are six other versions of this tale: • • ‫״‬ • • •

IFA 584: The Daughter of Adam and Eve (Eretz Yisra'el, Arabic). IFA 740: Muhammad's Only Daughter (Turkey). IFA 5024: Shem's Real Sister (Iraq). 8 IFA 5843: The Sheik Did Not Find the True Daughter of Noah among His Thirty Wives (Eretz Yisra'el, Bedouin). IFA 6060: Three Daughters of a Common Man (Iran). IFA 15081 : Each Man and His Own Fate (Eretz Yisra'el, Bedouin).

Folktale Types • • • • • • • •

cf. 173 "Men and Animals Readjust Span of Life." cf. 173 "Human and Animal Life Spans Are Readjusted" (new ed.). 176 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Tischleindeckdich I," (Magic table I), III (d). 758 "The Various Children of Eve" (new ed.). 758B'* (El-Shamy) "Origin of Human Traits of Character." cf. 828 "Men and Animals Readjust Span of Life." cf. 828 (Jason) "Men and Animals Readjust Span of Life." cf. 920B* "The Lineage of the King's Three Sons" (new ed.).

Folklore Motifs • • •

cf. A 1 3 2 1 " M e n and a n i m a l s r e a d j u s t span of life." cf. A 1 3 7 1 . 3 " B a d w o m e n f r o m t r a n s f o r m e d h o g and g o o s e . " B 5 9 2 " A n i m a l s b e q u e a t h c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s to m a n . "

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B 6 5 0 " M a r r i a g e to a n i m a l in h u m a n f o r m . " B 6 5 1 . 4 " M a r r i a g e to d o g in h u m a n f o r m . "

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D 3 3 2 . 1 " T r a n s f o r m a t i o n : ass ( d o n k e y ) to p e r s o n . " D 3 4 1 . 1 " T r a n s f o r m a t i o n : b i t c h e s to w o m e n . "

•

H 3 3 5 " T a s k s a s s i g n e d to suitors."

Notes 1. First published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 133-135 no. 52. 2. "Woman in the East," 170. 3. Baldensperger, "Birth, Marriage, and Death among the Fellahin of Palestine"; Hanauer, Folk-Lore of the Holy Land, 16-17; Meyouhas, Yaldei Arav (The children of Arabia), 1:12-15; Meyouhas, Bible Tales in Arab Folk-Lore, 22-23; Ravina, Mi-sippurei shomer 'ivry ve-aggadot shkheneinu (The stories of a Hebrew watchman and the legends of our neighbors), 60-64; Rosenhouse, The Bedouin Arabic Dialects, 224-227 no. 4.9; Stavi, Ba-derekh le-erets ha-osher (On the way to the land of happiness), 103-108 no. 20; and E. Davidson, ed., Sehok Pynu (Our Mouth's Laughter), 2:379 no. 1249. 4. Schwarzbaum, The Folkloristic Aspects of Judaism and Islam, 211-216; and Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 312-333. 5. See, for example Slander Slays Three, in Bin Gorion, MimekorYisrael, 173-174 no. 89; and Geddes, Various Children of Eve. 6. J. Meron et al., Seed of Pomegranate; cf. El-Shamy, Tales Arab Women Tell. 7. For a study of these latter tale types, see Schwarzbaum, "The Zoologically Tinged Stages of Man's Existence." 8. D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 100-102 no. 48.

The Angel Who Descended to Put the World in Order T O L D

BY

F O R T U N A

B U N U E L

TO

KOKHAVAH

FIBIS

Í / o d w a s angry about w h a t w a s g o i n g on d o w n below. P e o p l e w e r e crazy, w i c k e d , and cruel. E v e r y t h i n g you can n a m e . He w a s very angry. He w a n t e d to send s o m e o n e to fix things up. An angel c a m e to H i m , and He told him, " G o d o w n there and see w h a t ' s going on. Put s o m e order into that mess." T h e angel w e n t d o w n in the g u i s e of an ordinary* p e r s o n . H e w e n t d o w n and entered a c o m m e r c i a l building and rented an o f f i c e and b e c a m e a rug m e r c h a n t . He began by renting a g o r g e o u s office, everything deluxe. E v e r y o n e c a m e to o f f e r him g o o d w i s h e s : " H o w can w e help y o u ? " " I ' l l m a n a g e on m y o w n , thank you," he said. O n e day he said, " L e t ' s g o visit the other neighbor. L e t ' s g o visit and drink a c u p of c o f f e e with h i m . " T h e y w e n t to visit the third neighbor. T h e y w e n t in, and he g r e e t e d t h e m w a r m l y . C o f f e e and c o o k i e s . H e s h o w e d t h e m great honor, and they chatted f o r an hour. He had t w o candlesticks on the sideboard. W h e n the angel left, he put them in his pocket. " W h a t are you d o i n g ? " his c o m p a n i o n said to him. " T h e host w a s very cordial to us, and y o u ' r e stealing his c a n d l e s t i c k s ? " " K e e p quiet." T h e n they went to a n o t h e r neighbor. He d i d n ' t receive t h e m cordially, not at all nicely. T h e y sat and drank c o f f e e and quickly left. O n their w a y out, the angel put the c a n d l e s t i c k s d o w n there. " W h a t are you d o i n g ? " asked his c o m p a n i o n . " H a v e you no s e n s e ? T h e fellow w h o treated us well, his candlesticks you took. A n d this fellow, w h o w a s n ' t nice to us, you gave him the candlesticks." T h e y talked and talked on the way. T h e angel w a s looking f o r a certain a d d r e s s . He saw a w o m a n with t w o c h i l d r e n — a n infant and a child of

"The Hebrew is "ezrahi" (civilian), reflecting the informant's socialization in Israel and the distinction between soldiers and civilians in other contexts.

three or f o u r — n e x t to the bridge. H e said to the w o m a n , " L e t m e have the child to s h o w us the a d d r e s s . " H e g a v e her a f e w p e n n i e s , and the child c a m e with t h e m . At the o t h e r e n d of the bridge, the angel took the child and hurled him into the water. " H a v e you g o n e m a d ? " said the m a n . " T h e child and the m o t h e r did you a favor, and you threw him into the w a t e r ? " "It will be all right," he a n s w e r e d . " I ' l l explain it all later." T h e y kept on w a l k i n g . " C o m e , I'll take you to a cave." T h e y saw lots of l a m p s burning there. " T h e s e are the souls of e v e r y o n e , " he said. " O n e b u r n s m o r e a n d o n e burns high and o n e b u r n s low. T h i s b e l o n g s to the neighbor, and this is the other o n e ' s . " " W h e r e is m i n e ? " he asked. " H e r e it is," the angel said. " I t ' s about to g o out." " I ' l l add oil." " N o . It's only up to here, y o u r soul." "Oy, w h y ? " said the m a n . T h e n they left the cave. " C o m e , " the angel said to him, " n o w I want to tell you that the place w h e r e I stole the c a n d l e s t i c k s — h e w a s a g o o d m a n . H e w a s a righteous man. H e b o u g h t the c a n d l e s t i c k s f r o m a thief, and the o n e they w e r e stolen f r o m used to curse all the time, and the c u r s e s w e r e settling on that g o o d m a n . T h e other m a n is w i c k e d . I gave him the candlesticks so the curses w o u l d fall on him." " W h a t about the boy you threw into the w a t e r ? " "If he had g r o w n up this boy w o u l d have been an e n e m y of the state. A robber, a liar, a m u r d e r e r — a l l the evils in the world. It w a s better that he died b e f o r e he could g r o w u p to this. " A n d you have c o m p l e t e d y o u r allotted time. A f e w m o r e d a y s , and you will die." H e bid him farewell and d i s a p p e a r e d .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 4 (IFA

19910)

Told by Fortuna Bunuel from Istanbul to Kokhavah Fibis, in 1994 in PetahTikvah, Israel. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Knowingly or unknowingly, the narrator composes her story out of fragments, episodes, and narrative relations that are available in tradition, omitting, or forgetting, certain details and adding others that complement those she has retained. Therefore, the tale can serve as an example of creativity in oral tradition. This becomes apparent only when the tale is compared to other pertinent narratives. Certainly, it would be impossible to reconstruct precisely which tales the narrator actually knew. However, her occasional narrative inconsistency may reveal some of the ideas she had in mind, thereby exposing her ability to fuse motifs or more complex episodes that were available to her from previously learned tales into a single narrative strand. Most of these narrative elements are known in both Jewish and non-Jewish traditions, and it is currently next to impossible to determine the immediate sources on which the narrator drew while constructing the present tale. However, by focusing on the angel's identity and his actions, it is possible to point out some of the narrative dilemmas that the storyteller faced and the creative solutions she reached.

The Identity of the Angel Although Jewish religious and mystical traditions have developed a complex hierarchical and functional angelology, 1 the narrator identified the angel neither by name nor by function. His identity can be inferred from the last episode in the tale, in which he points to the candle that represents his companion's soul: He is the Angel of Death, the overseer of the life lights in the lower world (motif E765.1.3 "Life-Lights in Lower W o r l d . . . . " ) . Stories about the incognito earthly visits of the Angel of Death have occurred since the antiquities in different literary forms, ranging from the theological tragedy of the Book of Job to the Renaissance comic misogynie tale of Belfagor (see the notes to tale IFA 16395 [vol. 1]). In Job 1:6-12, Satan is not identified as the Angel of Death, though death ensues by his actions ( 1:13-19). In postbiblical angelology, the two figures conflate (BT Bava Batra 16a). The story of Belfagor, which acquired its title from an Italian rendition by Niccolö Machiavelli (1469-1527), is a tale about the Angel of Death who wishes to marry a beautiful damsel (motif T251.1.1 "Belfagor"). After convincing God to let him fulfill his desire, he descends to earth and, appearing as a young man, courts and marries a young woman who bears him a child. After some time, he tires of her and wishes to return to Heaven; but before doing so, he teaches his human son to recognize him at the bed of a

sick person. The tale was widely known in Jewish society, 2 and its basic idea has some talmudic antecedents. Therefore, implicitly, as associations with other incognito earthly angelic visits suggest, the angel in the present story is likely the Angel of Death, even though the narrator does not call him by name. By not specifying the Angel of Death, the narrator is able to move her story into the next narrative episode, which consists of tale type 759 "God's Justice Vindicated (The Angel and the Hermit)." In Jewish tradition, at least since the Middle Ages, the supernatural figure in such tales is Elijah the Prophet, who stood up to the Angel of Death. Thus, if the narrator had begun the tale with the Angel of Death as the protagonist, she would not have been able to shift to a sequence commonly associated with Elijah the Prophet. The anonymity of the angel neutralizes these conflicting symbolic roles of the supernatural companion.

The AngePs Motivation Other versions of the story, such as tale IFA 16395 (vol. 1 ), which partially follows the outlines of tale types 1164D "The Demon and the Man Join Forces" and 1862B "The Sham Physician and the Devil in Partnership," involve an angel whose motivation for earthly descent is a marriage with a mortal woman (cf. Genesis 6:1-4); but in the present story, the narrator proposes that his motivation is to set order in a chaotic world (compare tale IFA 14026 [vol. 2]). Such a motivation creates a humorous narrative inconsistency, particularly in light of a sequence of episodes that follows, which is typical of tale type 759 "God's Justice Vindicated (The Angel and the Hermit)," which is discussed below. From the perspective of the human companion, the angel's actions make the world appear even more chaotic.

The AngePs Puzzling Actions The earliest known Jewish version of tale type 759 "God's Justice Vindicated (The Angel and the Hermit)" occurs in the eleventh-century tale collection Hihbur Yafe;3 studies of this tale type in Jewish and related traditions are available. 4 The legend occurs in the Koran Sura The Cave ( 18:64-80) in which Moses is puzzled by the acts of al-Khidr, which differ from the acts Elijah performed and which seem contrary to the expected religious and moral values. 5 The tale is current in the narrative traditions of several ethnic groups, and in the IFA there are around thirty versions. Several figures play the role of supernatural companion: an angel, Asmodeus (see BT Gittin 68a-b), 6 Elijah the Prophet, the Besht, a marvelous child, a marvelous woman, a violent man, and an anonymous companion. Justified by supernatural knowledge of the unknown, the past, or the future, they perform three types of puzzling actions: acts of hostility, acts of kindness, and acts of inappropriate behavior. These acts are listed below. Information that can be known only supernaturally is given in brackets:

I. Acts of hostility A. Killing 1. Of a [wicked] man 7 2. Of a newborn boy [who was condemned to die young in battle] 3. Of a newborn boy [who would have died in an accident or in war at an early age] 4. Of a newborn boy [who would have drowned] 5. Of a newborn boy [who would have died in fire] 6. Of a newborn boy [who would have fallen from a cliff] 7. Of a newborn girl [who would have grown up to be a prostitute] 8 8. Of a cow or a goat [as an atonement for the hostess or her son who was about to die] 9 9. Of a son [who was about to murder his father] 10. Of many people [who were Jew haters] B. Throwing away or stealing 1. Of a precious lamp that belongs to poor and kind people [to avert the suspicion of the policemen, who would come and think that it was stolen] C. Destruction or speedy completion of a construction 1. To avoid the discovery of [treasure buried underneath it] 2. To discover a treasure [only to have its new owner die within a few hours] D. Cursing 1. A kind girl [but blessing her silently] 2. "May your table turn over" [by a child that you will have] 3. "May your house be destroyed" [and the treasure that is buried beneath it discovered] E. Breaking 1. Glassware of a rich host [to atone for his single sin or to chase away the Angel of Death] II. Acts of kindness A. Blessing 1. An unkind girl [but cursing her silently] 2. "May you all be leaders" [and quarrel with each other] B. Showing the right way 1. To a lost [righteous] man 2. Giving the gift of language to a people [to enable commerce] III. Acts of inappropriate behavior A. Crying 1. At a wedding [because the bride and the groom will die on their wedding night] 2. At the funeral of a person who was not mourned [but his life was pitiful]

B. Laughing or being joyful 1. At a funeral [because of the pitiful generosity of the deceased during her life] 2. Upon overhearing a man who wishes to buy shoes that would last for seven years [because he would die in seven days] C. Making confusing statements 1. Telling two people who contradict each other that both of them are right [settling the dispute when each recognizes he articulates his own problem] D. Rewarding 1. Purchasing a palace for a rich miser [who will be poor and his property will be transferred to a deserving poor] E. Singing and dancing 1. At a funeral of an old man [who was righteous and his soul was taken to Heaven] F. House cleaning 1. During the seven days of mourning Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Other tales in the IFA are as follows. • • • • • • ‫״‬

• • •

IFA 30: Strange but Justified Acts (Turkey); 10 supernatural knowledge = a hakham; puzzling actions = IA8, IA3, ID2. IFA 2328: The Strange Acts of Elijah (Yemen); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA5, ID1. IFA 2373: Rabbi Joshua and Elijah the Prophet (Iraq); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IIA2, ID1, IA8. IFA 2462: Elijah the Prophet's Puzzling Actions (Iraq);" supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = ID3, IIA2, ID2. IFA 2467: Elijah the Prophet and the Hakham Shaul Efendi (Egypt); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IIA2, IA8, ID4. IFA 2557: The Strange Acts of Elijah the Prophet (Iraqi Kurdistan); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA8, ID1, IIIC1. IFA 2860: Elijah the Prophet's Puzzling Actions (Eretz Yisra'el, 12 Ashkenazic); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA8, ID1, IIA2. IFA 2937: The Reincarnation of a Zaddik (Egypt); 13 supernatural being = a marvelous child; puzzling actions = ICI, IA8, IE1, HAL IFA 2966: Elijah the Prophet's Puzzling Actions (Afghanistan); 14 supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IIA2, ID1, IA8. IFA 3103: Elijah the Prophet, the Angel Gabriel and the Strange Acts (Afghanistan); supernatural being = an old man; puzzling actions = IA8; IIID1.

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• • ‫״‬ • • • • • • • •

•

IFA 3251: Elijah the Prophet Is Revealed to One of the Thirty-Six Righteous Men (Poland); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA8. IFA 3323: King Solomon and Asmodeus (Kurdistan); 15 supernatural being = Asmodeus; puzzling actions = IA1, IIB 1, IIIA1, IIIB2. IFA 3575: Elijah the Prophet Assists a Rabbi (Turkey); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA8, IIA2 (reverses a negative statement), ID1, IIB2. IFA 3691: Rabbi Akiba and Elijah the Prophet's Three Strange Acts (Egypt); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IIA2, IA8, ID1. IFA 4138: Elijah the Prophet and the Rabbi (Iraq); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA8, ICI, ID4. IFA 4784: Elijah the Prophet and Rabbi Eliezer (Iraq); 16 supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA5, ID1, IIB2. IFA 5342: The Woman from Heaven (Iraq); supernatural being = a marvelous woman; puzzling actions = IA4, IA5, IA6, IIIF1, IIIB1. IFA 5367: The Strange Blessing of Elijah the Prophet (Iraq); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IIA2, IA8. IFA 5427: The Youth Who Wanted to Marry a Star Wife (Iraq); 17 supernatural being = a star woman; puzzling actions = IA2, IA3, IA7, HIB 1. IFA 5648: One of the Thirty-Six Righteous Men (Rumania); supernatural being = a companion; puzzling actions = IA8, ID 1. IFA 6174: The Star Wife on Earth (Iraq); supernatural being = a star wife; puzzling actions = IA2,1 A4, IA5, IIIB 1, IIIA2. IFA 6907: Elijah the Prophet and Rabbi Simeon ben Levi (Iraq); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA8, ID I, IA9. IFA 7005: The Rabbi and His Beautiful Daughter (Iran); supernatural being = Elijah the Prophet; puzzling actions = IA8, IE1. IFA 7705: Your Deeds Lead to a Dead End (Bukhara); supernatural being = a marvelous woman; puzzling actions = IA5, IA4, IA6, IIIB 1. IFA 11124 (vol. 4): The Strange Acts of the Besht (Afghanistan); supernatural being = the Besht; puzzling actions = acts involving mystical and messianic themes. IFA 12790: The Rabbi Whose Sons-in-Law Died (Iran); supernatural being = the bridegroom?; puzzling actions = IA10, IA8, IF 1.

The Resolution The narrator concludes this tale by introducing motif E765.1.3 "Life-lights in lower world . . . " combining it with the conclusion of tale type 332 "Godfather Death." Compare this tale with tale IFA 16395 (vol. 1).

Folktale Types • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

112 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Vierzig Jahre Leben" (Forty-Year Life Span). 114 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Die Gereechtigkeitsengel" (The Angel of Justice). 223 (Tubach) "Angel Explains God's Justice." 332 "Godfather Death." 332 "Godfather Death" (new ed.). 332 (Camarena and Chevalier) "La Muerte Madrina" (Godmother Death). 332(E1-Shamy) "Godfather Death." 332 (Haboucha) "Godfather Death." 332 (Jason) "Godfather Death. 332 (Marzolph) "Der Todesengel" (The Angel of Death). 759 "God's Justice Vindicated" (The Angel and the Hermit). 759 "Angel and Hermit" (new ed.). 759 (El-Shamy) "God's Justice Vindicated" (The Angel and the Hermit). 759 (Haboucha) "God's Justice Vindicated." 759 (Jason) "God's Justice Vindicated." 759 (Marzolph) "Gottes Gerechtigkeit" (God's Justice). 1164 "The Devil and the Evil Woman" (new ed.). 1164D "The Demon and the Man Join Forces." 1164D (El-Shamy) "The Demon and the Man Join Forces." 1164D (Haboucha) "The Demon and the Man Join Forces." 1164D (Jason) "The Demon and the Man Join Forces." 1164D (Marzolph) "Die Streitsüchtige Frau" (The Contentious Woman). 1470 (Tubach) "Death as Teacher." 1626 (Tubach) "Devil Prefers Hell to Wife." 1862B "The Sham Physician and the Devil in Partnership." 2558 (Tubach) "Hermit and Angel I."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • •

A102.17 "Anger of God." A 165.2 "Messengers of the gods." C411.1 "Tabu: asking for reason of an unusual action." E765.1.3 "Life-lights in lower world. Each light mystically connected with the life of a person. When light is extinguished, person dies." J225.0.1 "Angel and hermit." K1811.4.2 "Angel takes form of certain person. V230 "Angels." V233 "Angel of Death." W154 "Ingratitude."

Notes 1. Bamberger, Fallen Angels; N. Deutsch, Guardians of the Gate; Margaliot, Mal'akhei 'elyon (Heavenly angels); and Marshall, Angels. 2. See Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 108-111. 3. Abramson, Nissim, 432^437; H. Hirschberg, Hibbur Yafe me-ha-yeshu'ah (An elegant composition), 6 - 8 , 6 2 - 6 3 no. 2; and Brinner, An Elegant Composition Concerning Relief after Adversity, 13-16 no. 2. See also Gaster, The Exempta of the Rabbis, 151 no. 393, which was translated from the sixteenth-century tale collection Hibbur ha-Ma 'asim ve-Haggadot (A collection of gests and legends) and offers an extensive bibliography. 4. Schwarzbaum, "Jewish and Moslem Versions of Some Theodicy Legends"; Schwarzbaum, Jewish Folklore between East and West, 75-125; Schwarzbaum, "Engel und Hermit"; and D. Noy, "Mosheh Be-Aggadot-Am" (Moses in folk legends). 5. For additional studies, see Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 188-190 no. 103 6. See also Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 4:167-168, 6:299-300. 7. See motif J225.4 "Angel (Jesus) kills man." 8. Cf. tale type 934C "Death Forestalls Evil Fates"; motif N121.2 "Death forestalls evil fates"; and motif N121.3 "Newborn girl fated to be a courtesan." 9. Cf. tale type 759* "The Hospitable Widow's Cow Killed." 10. Published in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 172-174 no. 56; and Schwarzbaum, "Jewish and Moslem Versions of Some Theodicy Legends" (summary). 11. D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 208-209 no. 109. 12. Published in Weinstein, Grandma Esther Relates..., 4 4 ^ t 6 no. 7. 13. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month—1961, 4 0 ^ t 3 no. 6. 14. Published in Kort, Sippurei 'Am mi-pi Yehudei Afghanistan (Folktales of the Jews of Afghanistan), 39-41. 15. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month—1961, 9 - 1 7 no. 1. 16. Published in Na'anah, Otzar ha-Ma'asiyyot (A treasury of tales), 2:241-242. 17. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 154-156 no. 71.

Satan 's Son S H A U L

A N G E L - M A L A C H I

C / n c e Satan w a s standing b e f o r e the throne of the Creator, with a request: H e w o u l d like to be released f r o m his duties f o r a y e a r so he c o u l d get married. T h e H o l y O n e , Blessed Be He: " W h y d o you need such a long vacation? W h o will p e r f o r m the task of c a r r y i n g off p e o p l e ' s souls w h e n their h o u r arrives?" Satan: " T h a t is true. M a s t e r of the Universe! But I have g r o w n tired of killing t h e m . M a k e s o m e o n e else Your agent.* A p p o i n t s o m e other man or angel or devil in my place. I w a n t to rest f r o m my e x h a u s t i n g labor." "And w h a t will you d o with the w o m a n you m a r r y ? " " O h , M a s t e r of the U n i v e r s e ! I beg of you not to ask too m a n y q u e s tions. Is it not written in o n e of the b o o k s , ' L e t us eat, f o r t o m o r r o w w e die'?"** " L i s t e n , S a t a n ! " G o d w a r n e d h i m . " W h e n you d e c i d e to return to Heaven you will return alone, b e c a u s e here in Heaven there is no place for the children of the earth." "I will deal with that w h e n the t i m e c o m e s , " replied Satan. So Satan d e s c e n d e d to the earth, in the s e m b l a n c e of a h a n d s o m e and elegantly d r e s s e d y o u n g m a n — h e looked like a prince. S t r a i g h t a w a y he f o u n d a y o u n g w o m a n w h o s e f a c e s h o n e like the m o o n , with dark eyes and a rosy c o m p l e x i o n . Satan w e n t to her p a r e n t s ' h o u s e to ask f o r their daughter's hand. W h e n the girl, w h o s e n a m e w a s C h a p a c h u l a , s saw such a h a n d s o m e y o u n g m a n , dressed like a prince, a p a r a g o n of gallantry, she fell in love with him at first sight.

*See Exodus 4:13 (Moses to God). **A misquotation of Isaiah 22:13. § A sophisticated pun for Ladino speakers. If the name is derived from the Spanish, it means "rosy cheek" ("chapa" = rosy spot on the cheek; "chula" = pretty [sassy] girl). But if it comes from the Turkish, it means "a bad-mouthed girl without character." Both descriptions apply to Satan's wife.

To m a k e a long story short, they w e r e m a r r i e d , set up h o u s e k e e p i n g , a n d lived t o g e t h e r as h u s b a n d a n d w i f e , h a p p y and p l e a s e d with e a c h other. T h e w o m a n never s u s p e c t e d w h o m she had m a r r i e d . A f t e r the first year, a son w a s born w h o r e s e m b l e d t h e m very m u c h : h a n d s o m e , smart, clever. T h e i n f a n t g r e w up and d e v e l o p e d rapidly. His m o t h e r w a s filled with p r i d e at the sight of h i m . Satan k n e w he had to return to H e a v e n to fulfill his duty a n d j o b : carr y i n g off the souls of h u m a n b e i n g s . But at the e n d of his first y e a r of leave, he asked G o d to e x t e n d it, and the H o l y O n e , Blessed Be He, c o n sented. T h u s a y e a r p a s s e d a n d a n o t h e r year, until little S a t a n i c o r e a c h e d his e i g h t e e n t h year. O n e d a y S a t a n i c o told his f a t h e r that the t i m e had c o m e f o r h i m to learn a trade so he c o u l d s u p p o r t h i m s e l f . R e p l i e d his father, Satan: "You d o n ' t have to learn any trade, or a n y t h i n g . B e f o r e you learn a trade, h o w ever, w h y d o n ' t you ask m e w h o I a m ? Your f a t h e r ? " S a t a n i c o , w h o s e f a t h e r d o t e d on h i m , d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t to ask. S o he said, "All right, F a t h e r dear. W h o are you t h e n ? " " M y son," replied Satan, " y o u s h o u l d k n o w that I am n o n e o t h e r than S a t a n h i m s e l f , a n d that I fell in love with y o u r m o t h e r a n d m a r r i e d her. But f r o m n o w o n — k n o w that I can no l o n g e r b e a r her p e t t i s h n e s s a n d t a n t r u m s , w h i c h a g g r a v a t e m e d a y and night. S o I have d e c i d e d to return to H e a v e n a n d rid m y s e l f of that w i t c h , y o u r m o t h e r , w h o m I can n o longer endure." S a t a n i c o , w h o k n e w that [about his m o t h e r ] , said, "All right. But w h a t will b e c o m e of m e ? " "You h a v e n o t h i n g to fear," a n s w e r e d S a t a n . "I will t e a c h y o u a p r o f e s s i o n that will allow you to earn y o u r b r e a d with dignity a n d w e a l t h . I a m g o i n g to m a k e you into a p h y s i c i a n . " S a t a n i c o : "A p h y s i c i a n ? H o w ? W i t h o u t s t u d y i n g and receiving a doct o r ' s d i p l o m a ? W h o will b e l i e v e that I a m a p h y s i c i a n ? A r e you m a k i n g f u n of m e ? " Satan: " L i s t e n , m y son. D o n ' t be so hasty. S i n c e e v e r y o n e says a b o u t m e that ' h a s t i n e s s is f r o m Satan,' p a y attention and listen so you m a y bec o m e wise. You k n o w that I, a n d n o o n e else, a m the o n e w h o carries a w a y p e o p l e ' s souls. N o w I will reveal m y secret: " W h e n a p e r s o n ' s t i m e to die arrives, I c o m e to take his soul. N o o n e can see m e , e x c e p t f o r y o u . If you see m e s t a n d i n g at the sick p e r s o n ' s h e a d , k n o w that no r e m e d y or m e d i c i n e can save h i m — h e m u s t die. But if you see m e standing by the p a t i e n t ' s feet, he is g o i n g to live. All the physi-

c i a n s ' m e d i c a t i o n s a n d t r e a t m e n t s are worth a b s o l u t e l y n o t h i n g . Now, m y son, take a d v a n t a g e of this secret and avail y o u r s e l f of it. You will c e r tainly see that you will p r o s p e r in e v e r y t h i n g you do." A n d , he a d d e d , " m a y it be in a p r o p i t i o u s hour, m y d e a r son. K n o w that I a m g o i n g to d i s a p p e a r f r o m here b e c a u s e of y o u r m o t h e r , the witch, w h o m I can stand n o l o n g e r — m a y her n a m e be blotted out! If s h e asks you a b o u t m e , a n s w e r that you n o l o n g e r see a n d r e c o g n i z e m e . F a r e w e l l ! " A n d with this, Satan v a n i s h e d b e f o r e the e y e s of his son, w h o stood there in a d a z e . A f t e r a f e w m i n u t e s , he c a m e to and b e g a n to u n d e r s t a n d w h a t had h a p p e n e d to h i m . H e had been left an o r p h a n , with a f a t h e r w h o had vanished a n d a m o t h e r w h o w a s a witch and an e n c h a n t r e s s . A b o v e all, he und e r s t o o d that his f a t h e r had b e q u e a t h e d to h i m a p r o f e s s i o n he w a s u n f a m i l i a r with a n d k n e w n o t h i n g a b o u t h o w to p r a c t i c e . H e h a d n o c h o i c e but to p l u c k u p his courage.* So he told h i m s e l f , " P h y s i c i a n or n o t — d a r k n e s s of d a r k n e s s , H e a v e n help us!"** A n d he did i n d e e d a c q u i r e a r e p u t a t i o n as a p h y s i c i a n . In his heart, t h o u g h , he told h i m s e l f , "I a m a p h y s i c i a n — s o m e o n e w h o kills off the healthy." But it w a s his g o o d f o r t u n e that his father, Satan, h e l p e d him, so e v e r y o n e c a m e to h i m and w a s q u i c k to s u m m o n him to attend t h o s e critically ill with serious d i s e a s e s . W h e n h e arrived at the h o u s e of a p a t i e n t w h o w a s m o r e d e a d than alive, the first thing he did w a s to c h e c k w h e r e his f a t h e r w a s s t a n d i n g . If he saw h i m at the f o o t of the p a t i e n t ' s b e d , he w o u l d n o d his h e a d , as if c o n s i d e r i n g the case, a n d then w o u l d w h i s p e r to his father, " W e l c o m e , Father, a n d t h a n k y o u . " A f t e r that h e w o u l d s c r i b b l e a p r e s c r i p t i o n f o r p u r e w a t e r with s o m e m e d i c i n a l p o w d e r or o t h e r a n d tell the f a m i l y that the patient w o u l d r e c o v e r soon. F r o m patient to patient, S a t a n i c o g a i n e d r e n o w n as the best p h y s i c i a n of his age. O n e day, the k i n g ' s son took to his b e d with a serious a i l m e n t . All the p h y s i c i a n s said there w a s n o h o p e and that the p r i n c e w a s sure to die, even t h o u g h they c o u l d not d i s c o v e r the c a u s e of his illness. In their despair, they s u m m o n e d S a t a n i c o — p e r h a p s he c o u l d save the p r i n c e . W h e n he arrived, he saw to his distress that his father, Satan, w a s standing by the p a t i e n t ' s head.

'Azer de tripas coraçon;

literally (from the Ladino): "to make intestines into heart."

" A play on the Ladino: "Negro ke negro—Shema

Yisra'el"

Said S a t a n i c o to his father, "Father, m o v e to the patient's feet or leave the r o o m . " " N o , my son, I cannot d o that," replied his father. " T h e prince is g o i n g to die, f o r that is my wish." S a t a n i c o f o u n d himself in d e e p water. If the prince died, so w o u l d he. So he turned to his father again. " F o r G o d ' s sake, g o a w a y ! O t h e r w i s e , you are c o n d e m n i n g m e to certain death. Is that w h a t you want, f o r m e to die y o u n g ? " "It is very p a i n f u l and distressing to m e to see you die, my dear son," replied Satan. " B u t this o n e ' s time to die has c o m e , and I m u s t take him with me." W h e n S a t a n i c o realized that his f a t h e r w a s resolved to take the prince with him, he w e n t right u p to his f a t h e r and w h i s p e r e d in his ear, "Listen, Father, if you d o n ' t g o a w a y a n d leave the p r i n c e a l i v e — y o u r w i f e is standing outside, and I will g o call her right now." W h e n Satan heard this, he j u m p e d out the w i n d o w and ran away, panic stricken. In this way the prince w a s saved f r o m certain death, and S a t a n i c o saved his o w n life, too. It's j u s t w h a t K i n g S o l o m o n , the wisest of m e n , said: " O n e in a t h o u s a n d [ w o m e n ] I never found."*

*A misquotation of Ecclesiastes 7:28.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 5 (IFA

16395)

Written down by Shaul Angel-Malachi from memory.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The core motif of this tale—D 1825.3.1. "Magic power of seeing Death . . ."—is central to three tale types: 332 "Godfather Death," 1164D "The Demon and the Man Join Forces," and 1862B "The Sham Physician and the Devil in Partnership." The belief in such a magic power as implied by motif D1825.3.1 responds to a prevailing anxiety about the success of any therapy or medical ritual. Although the first two tale types have obtained a degree of popularity in Jewish tradition, the earliest available documented evidence is of the third of these tale types. This early story is of the contractual relation between Rabbi Simon bar Yohai (a tanna, or scholar, of the second century c.E.) and a demonic figure. The demon, Ben Temalion, enables the rabbi to cure a sick princess whom it possesses. The reward for his healing is not personal gain but a communal reward, because the "contract" helps the rabbi annul a decree against the Jewish community of Rome (BT Me'ilah 17b). Expanded versions of this tale in which Asmodeus (Ashmadai), the king of the demons, replaces the demon Ben Temalion, are in "Tefilat R. Shim'on Bar Yohai" (Rabbi Simon bar Yohai's prayer). 2 The text of the expanded version was likely written at the end of the twelfth century and is extant in only one manuscript, in the library of Rabbi Marco Mortara of Mantua, Italy, who copied it for Jellinek. Another version in which a female demon takes the place of Ben Temalion is in a collection of tales by Jellinek. 3 Commentary attributed to Rabbi Gershom (c. 960-1028) includes the theme that all the princess's glass containers broke when the demon exited her body. The tale appears in a popular anthology of talmudic legends. 4 The Jewish narrators and editors of the versions of these tale types present both the sham physician and the demon in a positive light. The sham physician becomes a well-renowned rabbi, to whom later traditions attributed mystical powers, and the demons are helpful rather than destructive. 5 The Babylonian Talmud (Avodah Zarah 20b) records a belief that the Angel of Death stands at the head of the bed: "It is said of the Angel of Death that he is all full of eyes. When a sick person is about to depart, he stands above his headpillow with his sword drawn out in his hand and a drop of gall hanging on it." However, shortly after the conclusion of the Babylonian Talmud, Rabbi Aha of Shabha (680-752) mentioned in his She'iltot a reversed tradition, placing the Angel of Death at the foot of the sick bed and the Shekhinah at the head of the bed. 6 Currently available narrative collections and indexes register only a limited international popularity of this narrative form about a contractual agreement be-

tween a demon, or Death itself, and a mortal being. The other two forms, on the other hand, enjoy a wide distribution, albeit each has its principle territory. Tale type 332 is widespread in European countries. Hassenpflug and Wild told a version to the Brothers Grimm, as did Schilling. The Grimms included the stories in their book. 7 The only in-depth, but not comparative, study of the tale type was done by Ladurie. 8 The analysis sought to uncover the oral traditions on which the Occitan writer Jean-Baptiste Castor Fabre (1727-1783) built his novel Jean-l'ont-pris.9 Other valuable essays and bibliographical studies of this tale type are available. 10 As of yet no systematic historic-geographic analysis of tale type 332 has been published, but the scholarly consensus is that the tale emerged and formed in medieval Europe. Christiansen" ventured that "the ultimate origin of the folktale was probably somewhere on the continent." Focusing on Swedish traditions, he concluded that "this tale was brought to Norway and Sweden in comparatively recent times, and most likely, through Danish intermediaries. The story itself is not very old, even if we can detect still more ancient matter in its composition. It has a distinctly Christian background." 12 Similarly S. Thompson 1 3 noted that in spite of its wide diffusion "its greatest popularity is in the Baltic countries, Scandinavia and Germany. It is also well established in the folklore of France, Spain and Italy." And Ladurie 14 was most firm in his conclusion regarding the tale and its provenance: "The answer is unequivocal: it is a tale that took root in the Christian world; it spread throughout the whole Christendom, wherever the Christian institutions of baptism and god-fatherhood existed." Versions from the Spanish tradition have also been published. 15 The earliest written record of the tale is in the Renner by Hugo von Trimbereg (c. 1230-c. 1313). 16 Ladurie 17 pointed out that "it was based at f i r s t . . . on a typically Franconian pun: Tod, the German word for 'death', is also the dialect word in that province, to the north of Bavaria, for 'godfather.'" Around the same time, the theme occurred in an Icelandic manuscript written by Bishop Jon Haldorfson (d. 1339). 18 More than two hundred years later, in 1570, it appeared in the German poem "The Story of Sanctus." 19 Other written versions of the tale in the sixteenth century are in the fables and anecdotes by Hans Sachs (1494-1576) and in the novellas of Giovanni Forteguerri (1508-1582). 2 0 The distribution of tale type 1164D centers around, but is not limited to, the Mediterranean countries and the Near East. Geographically, the two tale types have different distribution areas that overlap in Italy. Thematically, their opening and closing episodes are distinct. In tale type 332, a poor man makes his contract with a demonic force that will help his son. The ploy succeeds up to a point; but at the end, the son's life is taken. Christiansen 21 pointed out that this tale is "almost unique among folktales in having a distinctly pessimistic conclusion." In spite of its classification by Aarne and Thompson 2 2 among the "tales of magic" and stories about "supernatural adversaries" in which "the Ogre (Giant, Dragon,

Devil, Cobold, etc.) is defeated," in this tale man is defeated and the story ends tragically. Comments about the disastrous end of this and other tales are available. 23 In contrast, tale type 1164D opens with the Devil or Angel of Death descending to earth to live among mortals and ends, as the present tale does, with the demon's comic defeat that builds on the tale's misogynie theme. The earliest known literary versions of this tale are three renditions available in Italy in the sixteenth century. The best known of these—and the version after which the theme is named—is Belfagor; the title is perhaps a distortion of the name of the biblical deity Baal-peor (Deuteronomy 4:3). It was written by Niccolö Machiavelli 24 (1469-1527), likely as a political and social satire, in 1518-1520, but it was published posthumously in 1549. The Venetian priest Giovanni Brevio wrote down a similar story and published it in his Rime et prose volgari.25 (See also notes to IFA 19910 [vol. 1] tale no. 34 above.) The third rendition was written by Gianfrancesco Straparöla (c. 1480-c. 1557) and included in his Le piacevoli notti.26 Dunlop suggested that both Brevio and Machiavelli relied on an extinct Latin manuscript, found in Paris. Subsequently, the theme was taken up by several writers and dramatists; 27 among them was John Wilson (1626-1696) in England, who wrote Belphegor; or the Marriage of the Devil in 1690. 28 As noted earlier, tale type 332 had its origins in central Europe. Tale type 1164D, however, was known in Mediterranean and Near Eastern countries, and the popularity of this tale type is evident in the local oral tradition. The extent of its distribution suggests deep historical roots in this region's cultures. 29 A later version from Egypt can be found in El-Shamy, 30 but it is a rare adaptation, combining tale type 332 (not 1164D) with tale type 1199 ("The Lord's Prayer"). Other versions from Arab countries are available. 31 Axon pointed out that it also occurs in Swynnerton's Indian Nights Entertainment.32 Other Indian versions of tale type 1164D have been published; 33 note that there are almost no Indian versions of tale type 332. A brief survey of this tale type has been conducted. 34 The respective northern European and southern European/Asian circles of distribution of these two tale types are not mutually exclusive, and versions of each tale are found in both geographic regions. 35 In Jewish tradition, tale type 1164D occurs in both regions, but tale type 332 is rare (see below) and, when told, the narrators often change the tragic ending, sometimes combining the tale with tale type 1199, as in the Egyptian version discussed above. In these tales, the Angel of Death takes the role of either the child's father or the sandâk, who holds the boy during the circumcision ceremony. The tale does not appear in early standard anthologies of Jewish folk literature. Its first literary rendition was published either in Ferara in 1551 or in Constantinople in 1577. In his catalog of the Hebrew books in the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, Steinachneider listed it as no. 3711. At first I. Davidson 36 attributed the text to Joseph ibn Meir Zabara, but later he concluded

that the author of this text could be the Jewish satirical poet En Maimon Galipapa (fourteenth to fifteenth centuries). If this attribution is correct, the Hebrew version of Belfagor, as it is presented by Davidson, would be the earliest version of the story recorded in Europe though not the earliest that appeared in print. Note that this tale was not included in later Jewish tale collections until folklorists began to record it from oral traditions in the twentieth century. 37 The predominance of tale type 1164D in Jewish tradition combines two thematic cycles: contract and deception of the Angel of Death (or a demon, or Satan) and misogyny.

Angel of Death The identification of Satan with the Angel of Death occurs as early as the Babylonian Talmud. Resh Lakish (a leading Palestinian amora, or rabbi, of the third century) considered three figures as interchangeable and constituting a paradigm of substitution, which are sets of analogous terms, actions, and figures that have similar symbolic meanings and, therefore, are interchangeable. He said: "Satan, the evil prompter, and the Angel of Death are all one" (BT Bava Batra 16a). Such paradigms of substitution are culture dependent and subject to historical changes within a single society. 38 In some other European versions of tale type 332, the figure of the Jew becomes a symbolic equivalent of death or the Devil. 39

Misogyny Whereas in tale type 332 the narrative emerges out of the German homonym "tod," which means both "death" and "godfather" tale type 1164D draws on a biblical misogynie metaphor: "I find woman more bitter than death" (Ecclesiastes 7:26). 40 This image of women, as well as narrative versions of the theme of Belfagor that represent it, occurs in Near Eastern and Asian oral and folk traditions. In Jewish tradition, it is possible to distinguish two negative attitudes toward women: erotic and marital misogyny. The first assails women for their sexual drive and marital infidelity, and the second portrays women as a contentious partner in marriage. Studies of the first misogynie theme in Jewish folk literature are available. 41

Similarities to Other IFA Tales Other versions in the IFA are the following: • •

IFA 15: The Wicked Wife (Turkey); demon = snake; tale type = 1164D. IFA 1151 : The Angel of Death and the "Sehma " Prayer (Yemen); 42 demon = Angel of Death; tale types = 332, 1199. • IFA 1937: Godfather Death (Bulgaria); demon = Death; tale type = 332.

• IFA 2239: Godfather Elijah the Prophet Disguised as Angel of Death

(Yemen); 43 demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 332 (without the tragic end). IFA 3523 (vol. 3): Partnership with Asmodaeus (Libya); 44 demon = Asmodeus; tale type = 1164D. IFA 6052: Godfather Death (Poland); demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 332. IFA 3830: A Wicked Wife Is More Bitter Than Death (Rumania); demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D. IFA 5311 : Angel of Death Is Afraid of His Wife (Egypt); demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D. IFA 5757: Satan's Wife (Iran); demon = Satan; tale type = 1164D. IFA 6195: And I Find More Bitter Than Death the Woman (Morocco); 4 5 demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D. IFA 7251: The Women Who Embittered the Life of Her Husband (Bukhara); 46 demon = Satan; tale type = 1164D. IFA 9016: The Stepfather and His Son (Morocco); demon = anonymous demon; tale types = 860, 1862B. IFA 9140: Even the Angel of Death Is Afraid of His Wife (Syria); demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D. IFA 11541: Wife Is More Bitter Than Death (Poland); demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D. IFA 11686: The Sham Doctor (Yemen); 47 demon = Angel of Death; tale types = 332, 1199, 1862B. IFA 12125: A Wicked Wife Is Stronger Than a Demon (Iraq); demon = a demon; tale types = 1164D, 1862B. IFA 12565: The Healing of the Princess (Greece); 48 demon = anonymous demon; tale type = 332, 1164D. IFA 13093: The Angel of Death and the Many Lamps (Rumania); 49 demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 332. IFA 13097: The Angel of Death Shudders from Fear of His Wife (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); 50 demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D. IFA 13275: Satan Marries a Mortal Woman (Afghanistan); demon = Satan (rare version; Satan's daughter is the physician); tale type = 1164D. IFA 13826: The Origin of the Saying "A Woman Is More Bitter Than Death" (Poland); demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D. IFA 14104: Even the Angel of Death Is Afraid of His Wife (Poland); demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D. IFA 14894: The Story of Satan Who Fell in Love (Morocco); demon = Satan; tale type = 1164D. IFA 14969: Satan's Wife and His Son (Morocco); demon = Satan; tale type = 1164D. IFA 14971 : The Angel of Death and His Son (Bulgaria); demon = Angel of Death; tale type = 1164D.

Also compare these tales: 3760: Fana "The Horse" (Eretz Yisra'el, Arabic); 51 unknown demon; tale types = 1164, 1164D. • IFA 8404: Haim Du 'akhan and Elijah the Prophet (Bukhara); 52 tale type = 332. A version of the Belfagor tale, recorded in 1948 from an old Jew from Warsaw, has been published. 53 •

IFA

Folktale Types

• • • • • • • • • •

332 ‫״‬ "Godfather Death." 332 ‫״‬ "Godfather Death" (new ed.). 332 ‫״‬ (Camarena and Chevalier) "La Muerte Madrina" (Godmother Deat 332 ‫״‬ (El-Shamy) "Godfather Death." 332 (Haboucha) "Godfather Death." 332 (Jason) "Godfather Death." 332 (Marzolph) "Der Todesengel" (The Angel of Death). 377 (Eberhard-Βoratav) "Die Frau, vor der Teufel Angst hat" (The Wife Whom the Devil Feared). 1164 "The Devil and the Evil Woman" (new ed.). 1164D "The Demon and the Man Join Forces." 1164 ‫״‬ D (El-Shamy) "The Demon and the Man Join Forces." 1164D (Haboucha) "The Demon and the Man Join Forces." 1164D (Jason) "The Demon and the Man Join Forces." 1164D (Marzolph) "Die Streitsüchtige Frau" (The Contentious Woman). 1862B "The Sham Physician and the Devil in Partnership."

Folklore Motifs • • • • ‫״‬ • • • • • • .

D1724 "Magic power from Death. Death as godfather (father)." D1725.1 "Magic power from Angel of Death." D 1825.1 "Second sight." D1825.3.1 "Magic power of seeing Death at head or foot of bed and thus forecasting progress of sickness." J1115.2 "Clever physician." Κ1310 "Seduction by disguise or substitution." *Κ 1811.2 "Deity disguised as young man (woman) visits mortals." Κ1811.4.2 "Angel takes form of certain person." Κ1955 "Sham physician." P210 "Husband and wife." P233 "Father and son." P424 "Physician."

‫* ״‬T11.2.2 "Love at first sight." •

Τ100 "Marriage."

•

T i l l " M a r r i a g e of m o r t a l a n d s u p e r n a t u r a l b e i n g . "

•

Τ 1 1 1 . 1 " M a r r i a g e of a m o r t a l a n d a g o d . "

•

Τ 1 1 1 . 1 . 1 " M a i d e n c h o o s e s d i s g u i s e d g o d as h u s b a n d . "

•

T l 11.6 " M a r r i a g e of m o r t a l a n d a n g e l . "

•

T251.1.1 "Belfagor."

•

Z i l l "Death personified."

Notes 1. First published in Angel-Malachi, Vidas en Jerusalem, 91-95. 2. See Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch, 4:117-118; and Even-Shmuel, Midrashei Ge'ulah (Midrashim of deliverance), 254-286, esp. 268-269. 3. Jellinek op. cit., 6:128-129. 4. Ibn Chaviv, Ein Yaakov, 793-794. 5. Ginzberg, "Ben Temalion"; I. Lévi, "Légendes Judéo-Chrétiennes,200-202 ‫״‬ I. Lévi, "Encore un mot sur la légende de Bartalmion." 6. See Sperber, Minhagei Yisra'el (Jewish customs), 6:74-80. 7. Grimm and Grimm, The Complete Fairy Tales, 158-159 no. 42, 160-163 no. 44; Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen, 1:375-388 nos. 42 and 44; and Uther, Grimms Kinderund Hausmärchen, 4:86-87, 89-91. 8. Love, Death, and Money in the Pays D'Oc, 161-595. 9. See also Barrai. J.-Β. Favre, 179-191. In his bibliography, Ladurie refers to 165 versions of "Godfather Death." 10. Bolte, "Das Märchen vom Gevatter Tod"\ Bolte, "Die Historia von Sancto"‫׳‬, Bubenheimer, "Gevatter Tod"\ Christiansen, Studies in Irish and Scandinavian Folktales, 206-213; Liungman, Die Schwedischen Volksmärchen, 73-75; Meyer, Essays und Studien zur Sprachgeshichte und Volkskunde, 242-276 (analysis of Jewish versions from Lithuania); Moser-Rath, "Gevatter Tod"; Scherf, Das Märchenlexikon, 1:495-499; Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 108-111, 462; S. Thompson, The Folktale, 46-47; Wesselski, Märchen des Mittlealters, 53-56, 211-213 no. 17; Woeller, "Der soziale Gehalt und die soziale Funktion der deutschen Volksmärchen," esp. 4 3 4 4 3 6 . 11. Op. cit., 209. 12. Op. cit., 211. 13. Op. cit., 47. 14. Op. cit., 413. 15. See Camarena-Laucirica and Chevalier, Catâlogo tipolôgico del cuento folklârico Espanol·, and Meier and Karlinger, Spanische Märchen, 95-97 no. 21. 16. Weigand, Der "Renner" des Hugo von Trimberg, 60, 137, 155, 323 η. 91. 17. Op. cit., 416. 18. Anthologized by Wesselski, op. cit. 19. See Bolte, "Die Historia von Sancto," 351, 370. 20. See Forteguerri, Novelle, 14—41 no. 1. 2 1 . 0 p . cit., 207. 22. The Types of the Folktale. 23. Brémond, "Postérité soviétique de Propp"\ Holbek, The Interpretation of Fairy Tales, 630 η. 304; and Rörich, Folktales and Reality, 43-51. 24. The Chief Works, 2:869-877.

;

25. See Axon, "The Story of Belfagor," 120-128. 26. Waters, The Nights of Straparola, 1:83-91 (second night, fourth fable); Axon, op. cit.; and J. Dunlop, History of Prose Fiction, 2:186-190. 27. Axon, op. cit., 105-111. 28. The Dramatic Works of John Wilson, 281-382. 29. Sayce, "Cairene Folklore"; Hartland, "Husband and Wife"; and Axon, op. cit., 112-114. 30. Folktales of Egypt, 117-121, 267-268 no. 17. 31. See Chauvin, Bibliographie des ouvrages arabes, 8:152-153, no. 154. 32. At 298-304 no. 123. 33. Thompson and Roberts, Types oflndic Oral Taies, 131-132 no. 1164D. 34. Moser-Rath and Wolf, "Belfagor." 35. Christiansen, op. cit., 207. 36. Shalosh Halatzot (Three jokes), 10, 28-30 no. 4, and Sepher Shaashuim, xcix-ci. See also I. Abrahams, The Book of Delight and Other Papers, 15-20. 37. J. Cahan, Jewish Folklore, 133-134 nos. 23 and 24 (demon = Angel of Death); B. Weinreich, Yiddish Folktales, 83-84 no. 31 ; N. Gross, Maaselech un Mesholim, 4 4 - 4 6 no. 28 (demon = Angel of Death); Schwarzbaum, op. cit., 108-110: Olsvanger, Rosinkess mit Mandlen, 238-239 no. 353 (demon = Angel of Death); Olsvanger, L'Chayiml, 136-139 no. 166; and Richman, Laughs from Jewish Lore, 323-327. For another version recorded among Palestinian Arabs, see J. Hanauer, Folk-Lore of the Holy Land, 178-179. 38. See Ben-Amos, "Solutions to Riddles"; and Dundes, "The Symbolic Equivalence of Allomotifs in the Rabbit-Herd." 39. Ladurie, op. cit., 289, 549 η. 24, 557 η. 21; and Trachtenberg, The Devil and the Jews. 40. Kagan, "And I Find More Bitter Than Death the Woman." 41. Dishon, "The Unfaithful Wife and Her Lover"; Dishon, The Book of Delight, 63-78, 87-92, esp. 88 n. 164; Harriet Goldberg, "Sexual Humor in Misogynist Medieval Exampia"; Schwarzbaum, "Female Fickleness in Jewish Folklore"; Schwarzbaum, Jewish Folklore between East and West, 173-196; and N. Roth, "The 'Wiles of Women.' " 42. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 258-259 no. 112. 43. Published in D. Noy, op. cit., 6 3 - 6 4 no. 18. 44. Published in Baharav, Sixty Folktales, 88-92 no. 14; D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Libya, 87-90 no. 37; and Schwartz, Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales,

102-106. 45. Kagan, A Tale for Each Month 1964, 5 6 - 6 2 no. I I ; and Kagan, "And I Find More Bitter Than Death the Woman," esp. 81-83. 46. Published in Pinhasi, Folktales from Bukhara, 39-40 no. 1. 47. Published in Yarimi, Me 'aggadot Teiman (From the legends of Yemen), 49-51 no. 11. 48. Published in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 144-145 no. 41. 49. Published in M. Cohen, Mi-Pi ha-Am (From folk tradition), 2:37 no. 137. 50. M. Cohen, op. cit., 2:70-71 no. 180. 51. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1962, 5 1 - 5 6 no. 8. 52. Published in Aminoff, The Emir and the Widow, 17-18 no. 3. 53. Schwarzbaum, " H a - R o f e h be-Aspaklaryat ha-Folklore" (The physician as refleeted in folklore); and Schwarzbaum, Roots and Landscapes, 45-56.

The Astrologer-King and the Rabbi T O L D

BY

A H A R O N TO

BEN

M O S H E

A V R A H A M

M I Z R A H I

A T T I A S

C / n c e there w a s a g r e a t king, w h o loved truth a n d p u r s u e d j u s t i c e . H e ruled over his c o u n t r y with love a n d mercy. His p e o p l e loved him greatly, f o r they e s t e e m e d his g o o d n e s s of h e a r t and b e n e f i c e n t d e e d s . His w i f e w a s as radiant as the sun a n d as clear as the moon,* and he loved her with all his heart. T h e king tended to the a f f a i r s of his p e o p l e and k i n g d o m with great devotion, but he also loved w i s d o m and k n o w l e d g e . H e w a s particularly f o n d of a s t r o n o m y and astrology. N i g h t a f t e r night, he w o u l d sit u p to o b s e r v e the stars, h o p i n g to solve the riddles of the past and unveil the secrets of the f u t u r e . O n e day, the k i n g w a s s e i z e d w i t h c u r i o s i t y to find a m a n w h o h a d b e e n born on the s a m e day and h o u r as h i m s e l f . H e spent m a n y sleepless nights in the o b s e r v a t o r y he had built in his palace s e a r c h i n g and inquiring to find an a n s w e r to this q u e s t i o n . E v e n t u a l l y his q u e s t led h i m to a fam o u s rabbi w h o lived in o n e of the r e m o t e cities of his k i n g d o m . T h i s w a s the m a n w h o h a d b e e n born on the very s a m e d a y a n d at the very s a m e h o u r as the king. T h e d i s c o v e r y a s t o n i s h e d h i m : H o w c o u l d it be that it w a s a Jew, a rabbi, w h o had the merit of b e i n g born u n d e r the s a m e star as a great king, the ruler of a large a n d extensive k i n g d o m ? ! But if fate had so d e c r e e d , the k i n g told h i m s e l f , " L e t m e see this r a b b i with m y o w n eyes, c o n v e r s e with him f a c e to f a c e , and see if he really is w o r t h y to have b e e n born in the s a m e h o u r as I w a s . " T h e king s u m m o n e d his ministers. "I have d e c i d e d to g o on a long tour of m y k i n g d o m , " he told t h e m , " a n d listen to m y p e o p l e ' s h e a r t f e l t desires. I leave you in c h a r g e of the k i n g d o m d u r i n g m y a b s e n c e . I will be traveling i n c o g n i t o . N o o n e m u s t k n o w that I have g o n e away." D i s g u i s i n g h i m s e l f as a m e r c h a n t , the king traveled t h r o u g h t o w n s and villages, c r o s s e d s t r e a m s a n d f o r d e d rivers. A f t e r j o u r n e y i n g f o r m a n y

'Song of Songs 6:10.

days, he r e a c h e d the city w h e r e the rabbi lived, as he had seen in the stars. P a s s e r s - b y s h o w e d him the r a b b i ' s h o m e . H e k n o c k e d on the door. T h e r a b b i ' s w i f e o p e n e d it. " W h a t can I d o f o r you, sir?" she asked cordially. "I w o u l d like to see the rabbi," replied the king. " I ' m sorry, the rabbi isn't h o m e just now," replied his wife. "But he will c o m e back f o r lunch. If you wish, c o m e inside and sit and wait for him. O r you can g o elsewhere and c o m e back at noon. W h i c h e v e r you prefer." " I ' l l wait f o r him," said the king, " s i n c e I ' m a stranger in this town." T h e r a b b i ' s w i f e took a chair into the g a r d e n . T h e king sat d o w n and w a i t e d f o r the r a b b i ' s return. Precisely at n o o n , the gate o p e n e d and the rabbi entered. W h e n he saw the stranger sitting in the garden he c a m e over to him. His expression altered at once. W i d e - e y e d , he b o w e d to his guest. " Y o u r Majesty, how have I merited to have you c o m e to m y h o u s e ? S p e a k y o u r wish, and I will fulfill it." " D o n ' t call me 'Your Majesty.' I ' m no king. I am a s i m p l e person like yourself. A n y r e s e m b l a n c e you find b e t w e e n me and the king is m i s l e a d ing." " D o not say that you are a s i m p l e p e r s o n , Your Majesty. Your identity is as clear as the sun at noon. Please enter my house so I can h o n o r you as befits a king." T h i s t i m e the king kept silent. H e stood up and e n t e r e d the r a b b i ' s h o u s e , w h e r e he e n j o y e d a fine meal. A f t e r w a r d he asked the rabbi what day he w a s born on and a b o u t his s t u d i e s and w o r k . T h e king d i s c u s s e d s c i e n c e and politics with the rabbi and d i s c o v e r e d that the spirit of G o d w a s in him* and that he w a s blessed with k n o w l e d g e and insight. H e w a s p l e a s e d that such a m a n had been born on the s a m e day and at the s a m e h o u r as he h i m s e l f . But he w a s also e n v i o u s , f o r he r e c o g n i z e d that the rabbi s u r p a s s e d him in w i s d o m and k n o w l e d g e . H e began to boast a b o u t his p o w e r and strength, his wealth and assets, and the great k i n g d o m over w h i c h he reigned. " I n d e e d , you are a great king," replied the rabbi, "rich and p o w e r f u l , the ruler of a large country. N o n e t h e l e s s , m y p o w e r is greater than yours. W h e n I c o m m a n d , m y c o m m a n d is fulfilled in the blink of an eye. I will d e m o n s t r a t e this to you now." T h e rabbi stretched out his arm in the e m p t y r o o m . His lips f o r m e d a secret n a m e of G o d . A m i r r o r a p p e a r e d , f l o a t i n g in the air, and c a m e to rest in his hand. D u m b f o u n d e d , the king t h o u g h t he w a s d r e a m i n g .

'Pharaoh says this about Joseph (Genesis 41:38).

"I brought this mirror here f r o m Paradise," explained the rabbi. " G a z e in it, and you will see whatever you want, however far away it is f r o m you." T h e king asked to see his capital city and his palace. At o n c e there appeared b e f o r e his eyes his capital, with all its streets and palaces, its citiz e n s and soldiers. T h e r e w a s the royal palace. In her c h a m b e r w a s the q u e e n , with her red lips and milk white c h e e k s and elegant clothes, in the a r m s of his vizier. W h e n the king saw this, he flew into a m u r d e r o u s rage, but he felt there w a s nothing he c o u l d do. " C a n I shoot the vizier f r o m h e r e ? " he asked the rabbi. "You can," replied the rabbi. "But I a m afraid you might miss and hit the q u e e n , w h o is innocent in this matter." " T h e r e is nothing to fear. I will hit only the vizier. N o h a r m will befall the q u e e n . " T h e rabbi stretched out his arm and uttered a secret word. In his hand w a s a c a n d l e f r o m Paradise. H e lit the c a n d l e and placed it o p p o s i t e the king. " S h o o t at the f l a m e . " T h e king did as he w a s bidden and shot out the f l a m e . In the mirror he saw the vizier fall to the g r o u n d , c o v e r e d with blood. T h e q u e e n saw the vizier fall, but could not figure out w h e r e the shot had c o m e f r o m . Utterly c o n f u s e d , she had n o idea w h a t to d o or w h o m to ask f o r help. L o o k i n g out the w i n d o w that o v e r l o o k e d the g a r d e n she saw the royal c o n f e s s o r h o e i n g the f l o w e r bed. S h e called him to c o m e up. W h e n he arrived she told him e v e r y t h i n g that had h a p p e n e d and asked his advice. " H o w can I get the vizier's body out of my c h a m b e r ? " T h e priest toured the entire palace, trying to f i g u r e out w h e r e the shot could have c o m e f r o m , but in vain. H e returned to the q u e e n . "Tell m e the truth. Did you kill h i m ? Bare your soul. I swear that no one will ever know." T h e queen swore, by the k i n g ' s head, that she had not had a hand in the murder. "I believe y o u , " the priest said. " I ' l l d o e v e r y t h i n g I can to hide the c o r p s e . But on o n e c o n d i t i o n : You m u s t testify, a l o n g with m e , that the vizier was k i d n a p p e d at the order of the leader of the J e w s in this town and that the J e w s then m u r d e r e d the vizier and c o n c e a l e d his body." T h e q u e e n , with no other w a y to e s c a p e her p r e d i c a m e n t , p r o m i s e d the priest she w o u l d do as he asked. T h e priest d r a g g e d a w a y the c o r p s e to the p a l a c e w i n e cellar, w h e r e he d u g a grave and buried it. T h e q u e e n cleaned up the blood stains in her c h a m b e r and forgot her anxiety. T h e king, o b s e r v i n g the w h o l e scene, sat f r o z e n in front of the mirror. His b o d y t r e m b l e d in a n g e r and rage. T h e n he stood up. "I m u s t return to the palace at once," he told the rabbi.

T h e rabbi tried to c a l m him. In the m e a n t i m e , his w i f e set the table again. W h e n they were d o n e eating, the king thanked the rabbi and took his leave. T h e rabbi asked him to act with w i s d o m and m o d e r a t i o n and to protect the J e w s against their persecutors. T h e king p r o m i s e d that not only w o u l d he protect the Jews, he w o u l d even i m p r o v e their lot. T h e t w o m e n e m b r a c e d . T h e n the king left the r a b b i ' s h o u s e and started h o m e . A f t e r several days on the road, the king reached his capital. H e f o u n d it restive and unsettled. T h e incited m a s s e s w e r e m a k i n g preparations f o r an assault on the J e w s to a v e n g e the death of the vizier, w h o m they w e r e s u p p o s e d to have m u r d e r e d . T h e m i n i s t e r s i n f o r m e d the king of everything that had taken place in the city d u r i n g his a b s e n c e . T h e q u e e n and the priest testified that with their o w n eyes they had seen the J e w s k i d n a p and m u r d e r the vizier and carry off his c o r p s e . It w a s the k i n g ' s duty to order that all the J e w s of the city be m a s s a c r e d and exterminated.* T h e king listened attentively to all of t h e m . T h e n , calling f o r silence, he a n n o u n c e d that the next day he w o u l d c o n v e n e the royal c o u n c i l to c o n s i d e r the affair. T h e council a s s e m b l e d and d e b a t e d the matter. A f t e r all had s p o k e n , the king m a d e himself heard: " M y brothers, I have heard w h a t you have said and y o u r proposals to destroy and e x t e r m i n a t e the Jews. If w e d o this, however, w e will rouse every c o u n t r y against us. M y idea, then, is to convene the representatives of all c o u n t r i e s and i n f o r m t h e m of this terrible act d o n e by the Jews. T h e n , if w e punish t h e m , e v e r y o n e will u n d e r s t a n d that our v e n g e a n c e is just." T h e ministers a p p r o v e d the k i n g ' s p r o p o s a l . At once, the king o r d e r e d up a royal feast and invited the representatives of all countries. A special invitation w a s sent to his f r i e n d the rabbi, signed by the k i n g ' s o w n hand. O n the a p p o i n t e d day, all the invited g u e s t s j o i n e d the king, q u e e n , and ministers of state. W h e n their c u p s had been filled and they had begun to drink the wine, the rabbi rose and a d d r e s s e d t h e m . " T h i s w i n e is tasteless! Not even servants should be served such wine." T h e g u e s t s w e r e p u z z l e d by the r a b b i ' s protest, f o r the w i n e w a s excellent. T h e king stared angrily at the priest, w h o w a s in c h a r g e of the w i n e cellar. T h e priest ran and brought an even finer vintage, with w h i c h he filled the r a b b i ' s cup. T h e rabbi tasted it, and protested again. " T h i s is w o r s e than the first w i n e ! " T h e priest b e g a n to t r e m b l e . H e w e n t d o w n to the cellar and b r o u g h t

"Two of the three terms used by Haman in his decree against the Jews (see, for example, Esther 3:13).

up a third bottle. This, too, w a s rejected by the rabbi, w h o asked the king f o r p e r m i s s i o n to g o d o w n himself into the cellar to find a g o o d wine. T h e king c o n s e n t e d , but d e c i d e d to g o a l o n g to see h o w the rabbi w o u l d select the best wine. He invited all the guests to a c c o m p a n y t h e m and see his w e l l - s t o c k e d cellar. W h e n they r e a c h e d the w i n e cellar the rabbi asked w h e t h e r they smelled a terrible stench. All the c o m p a n y w e r e silent, f o r n o n e of t h e m smelled anything. T h e rabbi sniffed here and s n i f f e d there, as if he w e r e searching f o r the best wine. S u d d e n l y he stood still. " N o w y o u ' l l see w h e r e the bad o d o r is c o m i n g f r o m , " he said. T h e rabbi p o i n t e d to a spot in the f l o o r and said they should dig there and clean it up, or all the w i n e in the cellar w o u l d spoil. T h e k i n g ' s servants were called. T h e y dug w h e r e the rabbi pointed and f o u n d the v i z i e r ' s body. T h e entire c o m p a n y w a s s h o c k e d . E n r a g e d , the king turned to the priest. " W h o buried the vizier h e r e ? W h y did you say that the J e w s had k i d n a p p e d and m u r d e r e d h i m ? " T h e priest started to s h u d d e r u n c o n t r o l l a b l y . D e p r i v e d of s p e e c h , he collapsed in a faint on the floor. T h e y picked him up and carried him to the p a l a c e to revive h i m . In the m e a n t i m e , the king t u r n e d to the q u e e n and d e m a n d e d that she explain w h y she had testified falsely. T h e q u e e n asked the king to release her f r o m the oath she had sworn, on his o w n life, to k e e p the secret. W h e n this w a s g r a n t e d , she told him everything that had h a p p e n e d . W h e n the priest regained c o n s c i o u s n e s s , he told the king the w h o l e truth. T h e court sentenced him to hang. A royal herald circulated through the t o w n , a n n o u n c i n g that the guilty party in the death of the vizier had been f o u n d and that the J e w s w e r e innocent. T h e king p r o m o t e d ' the rabbi and seated him at his right hand. T h e J e w s e n j o y e d light and g l a d n e s s . " T h u s m a y the M a s t e r of the u n i v e r s e r e d e e m us and s h o w e r us with a b u n d a n c e and peace. T h r e e apples fell f r o m the tree: O n e apple w a s given to the storyteller, the second to A a r o n ben A v r a h a m , § and the third apple f o r me, of course.

'Ahasuerus promoted Haman and, later, Mordecai (see, for example, Esther 3:1). "Esther 8:16. §

The narrator of this tale.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 6 (IFA

10086)

Told by Aharon ben Avraham Mizrahi in 1961 in Jerusalem1 and collected by Moshe Attias. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale consists of three segments: "Incognito Visit of the King," "The Magic Mirror and the Queen's Infidelity," and "The Blood Libel." The latter two are considered tale subtypes.

Incognito Visit of the King The first segment, in which motif *H 1319.5 "Quest for a person who was born on the same day and hour as s e l f ' motivates the action, is an inversion of another theme in Jewish tradition: the search for the neighbor in Paradise (see notes to tale IFA 10085 [vol. 11). Both are search narratives in which a person of a high social status is looking for another individual. In tale IFA 10085, the search is for an individual who shares characteristics that involve the end of life; in the current story, however, the search is for an individual who shares aspects of the beginning of life. In both cases, the discovery of that individual reveals the precarious nature of social hierarchy. In the first tale, secret or private conduct is more valuable than public performance or position; in the present tale, a religious leader holds greater power than a political authority. The inversion also occurs on another level: In tale IFA 10085 the searched-for individual lives in disguise; in the prèsent tale, it is the searcher who is in disguise. The idea of a king hiding his true status is found in Arabic narratives. 2 In Jewish tales, it often occurs as a prelude to a story of tale type *730 (IFA), "Endangered Jewish Community Is Saved"; see tales IFA 10103 (vol. 1) and IFA 10611 (vol.3).

The Magic Mirror and the Queen's Infidelity The second segment of the tale builds on the theme of women's infidelity, which is recurrent in Sephardic medieval literary and folk literary sources. Its narrative representation follows a four-segment sequence: (1) husband's absence, (2) unfaithfulness, (3) discovery, and (4)punishment. ‫י‬ The use of a magical mirror for the discovery of the queen's unfaithfulness builds on a theme current in Buddhist and Arabic literature. 4 A study of the mirror metaphor in a European literary tradition has also been published. 5 In religious and magical contexts, mirrors are part of the equipment of shamans, enabling them, as in this particular tale, to see across great distances and into supernatural worlds. 6 The mirror in this story has a mythic-magical quality because it was retrieved from Paradise—that is, from a primodial world. "Paradise" represents a postcreational, suspended, mythical, nonchronological,

sacred time. Such primodial time can be cosmic or political. In another tale in Jewish tradition, Rabbi Adam Baal Shem uses a magic mirror to discover adultery. 7 In another version, Rabbi Hayyim ben Attar has a magical mirror. 8 See also below tales IFA 1098, IFA 1894, IFA 6627, IFA 13627, and IFA 15858. The Blood Libel The theme of a blood libel is at the center of the third segment of this tale. The concept is further discussed in the notes to tales IFA 10611 (vol. 3) and IFA 16405 (vol. 1). In most blood libel narratives, the accusations involve the murdering of a child rather than an adult. Tale type *730K (IFA) "Rabbi Shows King, in a Mirror, His Unfaithful Wife's Doings" is the only narrative theme in which the Jews are accused of killing an adult and a member of the royal court. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

In the IFA there are eleven versions of tale type 730K: • • • • • • • • • • •

IFA 1098: From Darkness to Great Light (Morocco); rabbi = Avraham Ben Attar. IFA 1894: The Image of the Treacherous Vazir in the Mirror (Morocco); rabbi = Hayyim ben Attar. IFA 2615: He Who Keeps Israel Will Neither Sleep Nor Slumber (Eretz Yisra'el Sephardic); 9 rabbi = Hayyim ben Attar. IFA 5313: The Sultan and Hayyim ben-Attar (Poland); rabbi = Hayyim ben Attar. IFA 6618: A Wonder Kid Solves the King's Dream (Afghanistan); 1 0 rabbi = anonymous. IFA 6627: Rabbi Hayyim ben Attar and the King of Rome (Morocco); 1 1 rabbi = Hayyim ben Attar. IFA 7043: The King and the Rabbi (Iran); rabbi = Hayyim ben Attar. IFA 9868: Jewish Hatred and the Miraculous Acts of a Jewish Wood Cutter (Yemen); 1 2 rabbi = anonymous. IFA 13627: Hayyim ben Attar and the King of Spain (Morocco); 1 3 rabbi = Hayyim Ben Attar. IFA 15858: The Chess Game (Morocco); rabbi = Avraham ibn-Ezra; companion = Maimonides. IFA 18157: The Tsaddik and the King (Poland); 1 4 rabbi = anonymous.

Folktale Types • •

*730E (IFA) "Blood Libel: He W h o Keeps Israel Will Neither Sleep Nor Slumber." *730K (IFA) "Rabbi Shows King, in a Mirror, His Unfaithful Wife's Doings."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ • • • • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ • • • • • • •

D1162.2 "Magic candle." D1163 "Magic mirror." D1323.1 "Magic clairvoyance mirror." D1816.4 "Location of buried object (body) magically revealed." D1817.0.3 "Magic detection of murder." D1817.0.4 "Magic detection of conspiracy." D2061.2.2 "Murder by sympathetic magic." E765.1.1 "Life bound up with candle." F645 "Marvelously wise man." *H 1319.5 "Quest for a person who was born on the same day and hour as self." J152 "Wisdom (knowledge) from sage (teacher)." K1812 "King in disguise." Κ1812.1 "Incognito king helped by humble man." Κ1817.4 "Disguise as merchant." K2110 "Slanders." K2116 "Innocent people accused of murder" [here a group of people]. N467 "King in disguise to learn secrets of his subjects." N846.2 "Priest as helper." P10 "Kings." Ρ 12.6 "Just king brings good fortune upon his people." P320 "Hospitality." P322.2 "Guest in disguise or under false name." P481 "Astrologer." Q241 "Adultery punished." T481 "Adultery." *V360.1 "Blood libel." W12 "Hospitality as a virtue." W35 "Justice."

Notes 1. First published in Attias, The Golden Feather, 111-16 no. 11; see also Schwartz, Miriam's Tambourine, 238-244 no. 34. 2. Chauvin, Bibliographie des ouvrages Arabes, 6:45—46 no. 209; U. Marzolph and R. van Leeuwen, The Arabian Nights Encyclopedia, 2:540-541. 3. Dishon, "Women in the Book of Delight"; Dishon, "The Unfaithful Wife and Her Lover"; Dishon, "The Bad Advice of Women"; Dishon, "Images of Women in Medieval Hebrew Literature"; and Harriet Goldberg, "Sexual Humor in Misogynist Medieval Exempla." See also relevant motifs in Harriet Goldberg, Motif-Index of Medieval Spanish Folk Narratives‫־‬, Schwarzbaum, "Female Fickleness in Jewish Folklore"; and Haboucha, "Misogyny and Philogyny." For a broader view of women's roles and images, see Haboucha, "Women in the Judeo-Spanish Folktales."

4. Wayman, "The Mirror as a Pan-Buddhist Metaphor-Simile"; Ullmann, Das Motiv des Spiegels in der arabischen Literatur des Mittelalters, 55-61; Bosc, Les miroirs magiques; and Bieler, "Spiegel." 5. Grabes, Speculum, Mirror und Looking-Glass. 6. Eliade, Shamanism, 153-155. 7. Nigal, Sefer Sippurei Kedoshim (A book of saints' tales), 47-51 no. 12; and Na'anah, Otzar ha-Ma'asiyyot (A treasury of tales), 3:660-665. 8.1. Ben-Sasson, Sefer Likkutei Ma 'asiyyot (A collection of tales), 3-8; Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 4:153-163; Schwartz, Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales, 187-196; and A. Marcus, Ha-Hasidut (The Hasidim), 318. 9. Published in Na'anah, op. cit., 1:53-58. 10. Published in Kort, Sippurei 'Am mi-Pi Yehudei Afghanistan (Folktales of the Jews of Afghanistan), 51-57 (valuable comparative note). 11. Published in Rabbi, Avoteinu Sipru (Our fathers told), 2:72-74 no. 25. Abraham Attiyya, the narrator, localized the tale by mentioning that Hayyim be Attar was in the city of Salé, Morocco; he thought the king had come from Rome. 12. Published in Caspi, Mi-Zkenim Etbonan (I will observe the elders), 107-110. 13. Published in Lassri, Bimhitsat hakhamim ve-Rabanim (In the company of rabbis), 31-34. 14. This version is an uncommon combination of tale types 920*E (IFA) "Children's Judgment" and *730K (IFA).

A Bear Makes a Poor Musician Rich but Is Insulted by the Musician's Wife TOLD

BY

SHOSHANA

LEVI

TO

RACHEL

SERI

( n e e there w a s a scholar, H a k h a m A v r a m w a s his n a m e , and he had a w i f e a n d seven d a u g h t e r s . N o w this H a k h a m A v r a m w a s very poor. But every day he said, " G o d will help us." Every day his w i f e w o u l d quarrel with him. " G o find work a n d support y o u r f a m i l y ! " But H a k h a m A v r a m o n l y a n s w e r e d , " G o d will help us." In this f a s h i o n , the d a y s turned into m o n t h s , and the m o n t h s into years, and still H a k h a m A v r a m did not w o r k . T h e r e w a s no f o o d f o r his family. Until o n e day his w i f e told h i m , " G o beat a d r u m in the g r a v e y a r d a n d sing all day long. M a y b e the d e a d will take pity on you !" H a k h a m A v r a m did as she s u g g e s t e d . H e got himself a d r u m and w e n t to the c e m e t e r y , w h e r e he d r u m m e d and s a n g f r o m d a w n to d u s k . In the e v e n i n g , a tall m o u n t a i n s u d d e n l y a p p e a r e d b e f o r e the p o o r d r u m m e r . It split o p e n a n d out s p r a n g the f i g u r e of a bear. T h e b e a r d a n c e d to the d r u m b e a t and song. W h e n the b e a r g r e w tired it v o m i t e d a s t r e a m of silver coins. " M a n , " said the bear, " t h e s e coins are f o r you. Take t h e m . " T h e n the b e a r v a n i s h e d , a l o n g with the m o u n t a i n . H a k h a m A v r a m g a t h e r e d u p the c o i n s a n d w e n t to the m a r k e t p l a c e , w h e r e he b o u g h t clothes f o r his f a m i l y a n d a large store of f o o d . T h e n he hired a porter and told him to take his p u r c h a s e s to the h o u s e of the p a u p e r H a k h a m A v r a m . T h e porter carried it all to H a k h a m A v r a m ' s w i f e . But the w o m a n w o u l d n ' t a c c e p t his load. " I t ' s not f o r us," s h e protested. " T h i s is the h o m e of the p a u p e r H a k h a m A v r a m , w h o has nothing. H e has no m o n e y , not even a penny. H o w c o u l d he h a v e b o u g h t all this? Y o u ' v e m a d e a m i s t a k e . It's not f o r us." But the p o r t e r left e v e r y t h i n g there a n y w a y . W h a t c o u l d the w o m a n d o ? S h e picked up e v e r y t h i n g he had b r o u g h t and set it aside, r e f u s i n g to touch a n y t h i n g until her h u s b a n d c a m e h o m e . W h e n night fell, H a k h a m A v r a m e n t e r e d his h o u s e . His w i f e told h i m

that a porter h a d d e l i v e r e d all this b o u n t y to t h e m , but it m u s t be a mistake. " T h e L o r d has h e l p e d us," replied her h u s b a n d j o y f u l l y . Finally the w i f e r e l e n t e d . S h e d r e s s e d all her d a u g h t e r s in the f i n e c l o t h e s and p r e p a r e d a s u m p t u o u s m e a l f o r the family. D a y a f t e r d a y H a k h a m A v r a m did the s a m e thing. G o i n g to the c e m e tery, he w o u l d beat his d r u m a n d sing f r o m m o r n i n g to evening. T h e b e a r w o u l d a p p e a r and d a n c e and d a n c e until he v o m i t e d silver coins. H a k h a m A v r a m b e c a m e a rich m a n and built h i m s e l f a rich m a n ' s h o u s e . Finally he felt he h a d to t h a n k the m a n w h o a p p e a r e d to h i m in the i m a g e of a b e a r a n d had m a d e h i m rich. H e d e c i d e d to invite h i m to his house. "I c a n ' t c o m e to y o u r h o u s e , " replied the bear, " b e c a u s e I ' m a bear." But H a k h a m A v r a m w o u l d not be put o f f . "You m a d e m e and m y f a m ily rich. I a m d u t y - b o u n d to h o n o r y o u . " Finally the b e a r c o n s e n t e d to visit H a k h a m A v r a m at h o m e . H a k h a m A v r a m told his w i f e to p r e p a r e s u c c u l e n t d i s h e s and a grand repast, b e c a u s e the m a n w h o h a d m a d e h i m rich w a s c o m i n g to dinner. H a k h a m A v r a m ' s w i f e o u t f i t t e d the f u r n i t u r e with new w h i t e c o v e r s , starched and ironed, and p r e p a r e d m a n y delicacies. A n d then the guest a r r i v e d — a bear! H a k h a m A v r a m greeted him with great j o y and respect and seated h i m on the l u x u r i o u s and spotless c o u c h next to the table, w h i c h w a s laid w i t h m a n y fine d i s h e s . But H a k h a m A v r a m ' s w i f e s c r e e c h e d loudly: " W o e is m e ! W h a t sort of guest have you invited? H e ' s a bear! W h a t have you d o n e , h u s b a n d ? " A f t e r his w i f e , his seven d a u g h t e r s a p p e a r e d and d i s c o v e r e d that all the finery had been set out f o r the filthy bear. T h e y too s h r i e k e d like their m o t h e r : " W h a t have you d o n e , F a t h e r ? You w e n t and invited a b e a r instead of the patron w h o m a d e you r i c h ! " T h e b e a r w a s h u m i l i a t e d to the core. H e h u n g his h e a d and r e f u s e d to taste anything. M o r t i f i e d , he left H a k h a m A v r a m ' s h o u s e . H a k h a m A v r a m a c c o m p a n i e d h i m , g r e a t l y d i s t r e s s e d that his f a m i l y had insulted a n d s h a m e d his guest. " C o m e to m y h o m e and cut m y h a n d , " said the bear. H a k h a m A v r a m d i d n ' t w a n t to c o m p l y and c a u s e pain to the b e a r w h o had m a d e h i m rich. " W h y d o you w a n t m e to cut y o u ? " he asked. But the b e a r persisted. Finally H a k h a m A v r a m s c r a t c h e d his p a w with a k n i f e until the blood f l o w e d . " L o o k at m e : I can lick up the b l o o d and my w o u n d s heal," said the

bear. " B u t the w o r d s w o u n d e d m y heart, a n d that can never be h e a l e d . Insults gash the heart forever, w h e r e a s cuts can heal and g o away. "Listen to m e now, H a k h a m A v r a m . L e a v e y o u r w i f e and seven d a u g h ters, w h o lack y o u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g and insult visitors. S a n c t i f y y o u r s e l f and g o to the L a n d of Israel. Live in Holy J e r u s a l e m and r e m a i n holy in the holy city, on the holy soil." H a k h a m A v r a m did as the b e a r instructed and w e n t to learn Torah in the holy city of J e r u s a l e m .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 7 (IFA

1709)

Recorded by Rachel Seri in 1959 in Jerusalem from Shoshana Levi. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The principal narrative premise of this tale—that music is attractive to animals— is known from classical Greek mythology. Orpheus and Amphion are wellknown musicians who charmed both the animate and the inanimate worlds with their music. This motif continued in oral tradition and still occurs in modern humorous narratives. 1 Thematically and typologically, the present tale has an affinity with tale type 285A "The Dead Child and the Snake's Tail," and with other narratives that revolve around themes of gratitude and ingratitude between man and animals. Consequently, in their attempts to outline its history scholars have often made references to different variations on this theme and not specifically to this story. They have observed four traditions in which this story, its versions, or relevant variations occur: classical Greece and Rome, India, Arabia, and northern Europe. In Greek and Roman tradition, the story was told as a miracle tale and as part of the fable literature. Pliny the Elder (23-79), quoting the historian Phylarchus, reported a friendship and its demise between a man and an asp in Egypt. 2 As a fable, the story's earliest form is as a prose Latin version that paraphrases Phaedrus (in an eleventh-century codex). 3 In the classical tradition, motif B335.1 "Man attempts to kill faithful serpent at wife's instigation" is dominant. In contrast to the Sephardic version, the animal suggests that reconciliation is impossible because of the permanence of the physical evidence of violence between the man and his reptile benefactor. In the Indian tradition, the fable is recorded in several renditions of the Panchatantral The text dates from 1199 c.E., but could go back as early as 200 5 B.C.E. The tale is still told in current Indian oral tradition. The tale is current virtually throughout the Arab world. 6 In northern and central Europe, the story appears in medieval fable and ethical literature and in folktale traditions. It is in the twelfth-century collection of Marie de France, 7 and in a collection of moral tales first printed in 1473.8 The latter medieval version is similar to the text based on Phaedrus from the eleventh century. 9 The tale is widely known in European oral traditions and is likely related to the notion of the snake as a house deity."' The Brothers Grimm published three fragmented versions of the tale, which had a toad as generous animal. Two of these renditions were told by Lisette Wild (1782-1858) and Dortchen Wild (1795-1867); the latter eventually married Wilhelm Grimm. 11 The tale continues to circulate in Greek oral tradition. 12 In the most extensive study of this tale type, Waugh 13 proposed that the fable and the tale have separate historical developments. While the fable, indeed, has

its roots in ancient Greece and India and may have originated in the Near East, the tale was formulated in England or northwestern Europe in the fourteenth century. Waugh focused primarily on tale type 285 "The Child and the Snake," whereas the present story belongs to tale type 285D "Serpent (Bird) Refuses Reconciliation" (discussed below). Further bibliographical references and relevant comparative discussion of these themes are available. 14 In Jewish medieval literature, the fable appears in Berechiah ha-Nakdan's collection dated from the end of the twelfth or the beginning of the thirteenth century. 15 Tale type 285D is one of the most popular tales among Jewish ethnic groups in Israel and is well known among the Sephardim. Earlier Sephardic versions have been published 16 as has a comparative note about the influence of music on animals. 17 Similarities to Other IFA Tales In addition to the present text, the following tales are in the IFA: •

IFA 169: The King of the Forest (Romania); offended being = king of the forest; attraction = accidental; abuse = verbal; abuser = wife; revenge = none; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative. • IFA 657: A Tale about a Greedy Man (Iraq); 18 offended being = snake; attraction = drum playing; abuse = physical; abuser = son; revenge = death; physical healing = negative; mental healing = negative.

• IFA 702: The Luck of the Peddler in Second-Hand Objects (Iraq);19 offended being = demon; attraction - healing; abuse = physical; abuser wife; revenge = none; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative. • IFA 1295: A Hat, a Flute, and a Field (Yemen); 20 offended being = snake; attraction = flute music; abuse = physical; abuser = son; revenge = death; physical healing = positive; mental healing = temporary reconciliation. • IFA 1972: The Lion and the Woodcutter (Afghanistan); 21 offended being = lion; attraction = meat; abuse = verbal; abuser = wood cutter; revenge = none; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative.

• IFA 2205: The Spot of the Blow Heals, but the Spot of Offense Does Not (Iraqi Kurdistan); 22 offended being = lion; attraction = pity; abuse = verbal; abuser = wife; revenge = none; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative.

• IFA 2216: An Indian Teaches a Silversmith to Turn Ashes into Gold (Yemen); offended being = plant; attraction = not applicable; abuse = not applicable; abuser = wife and son; revenge = not applicable; physical healing = not applicable; mental healing = not applicable.

• IFA 2907: A Serpent Rewards a Shepherd with a Diamond for His Melody, but Is Offended by His Words (Irani Kurdistan); offended being = snake; attraction = flute music; abuse = verbal; abuser = man; revenge = none; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative.

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IFA 5553: Given a Finger—The Whole Hand Desired (Iraq); offended being = snake; attraction = flute music; abuse = physical; abuser = man; revenge = death of son; physical healing = negative; mental healing = not applicable. IFA 6048: The Blow of the Tongue Is Worse Than the Blow of an Axe (Iraqi Kurdistan); 23 offended being = leopard; attraction = pity; abuse = verbal; abuser = wife; revenge = support withdrawal; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative. IFA 6192: The Leben and the Golden Coins (Afghanistan); 2 4 offended being = snake; attraction = pity; abuse = physical; abuser = father; revenge = death of son; physical healing = not applicable; mental healing = not applicable. IFA 7122: The Woodcutter and the Bear (Bukhara); 25 offended being = bear; attraction = pity; abuse = verbal; abuser = wife; revenge = none; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative. IFA 7940: The Musician, His Son, and the Snake (Iraq); 26 offended being = snake; attraction = violin music; abuse = physical; abuser = son; revenge = death of son; physical healing = negative; mental healing = negative.

• IFA 10088: Wounds by an Insult, Unlike Wounds by a Dagger, Will Not Heal

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(Greece); 27 offended being = bear; attraction = violin music; abuse = verbal; abuser = wife; revenge = none; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative. IFA 10239: The Gold-Giving Snake (Irani Kurdistan); offended being = snake; attraction = bread; abuse = physical; abuser = son; revenge = death of son; physical healing = negative; mental healing = negative. IFA 10585: The Poor Man and the Snake (Iraqi Kurdistan); 28 offended being = snake; attraction = flute music; abuse = physical; abuser = son; revenge = death of son; physical healing = not applicable; mental healing = not applicable. IFA 11096: The Wound from an Offense Never Heals (Turkey); offended being = demon; attraction = drumming; abuse = behavioral; abuser = daughter; revenge = support withdrawal; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative. IFA 11421: A Tale about a Woodcutter and a Lion (Morocco); 29 offended being = snake; attraction = pity; abuse = verbal; abuser = wife; revenge = death; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative. IFA 14076: The Shepherd and the Snake (Bedouin); offended being = snake; attraction = flute music; abuse = physical; abuser = son; revenge = death of son; physical healing = not applicable; mental healing = not applicable.

Another version recorded in Israel from a Sephardic Jew from Greece is this: •

Words Worse Than Wounds;30 offended being = lion; attraction = nurture;

abuse = verbal; abuser = man; revenge = none; physical healing = positive; mental healing = negative.

Cult Animals Of these types of tales in the IFA, the snake is the offended being ten times, and the lion and bear three times each, the present tale included. Both the snake and the bear are cult animals. Snake worship—or ophiolatry—is known, in different forms all over the world, and the tales in the IFA retain the belief in the snake's supernatural power as well as some elements of sacrificial offerings and ritualistic performance. The bear cult, on the other hand, is limited to the Northern Hemisphere. 31 It has been considered the first religious cult for which there is archaeological evidence. European Neanderthals were associated with the bear cult, which has been dated to the Mousterian period of the Upper Paleolithic, although this dating is somewhat controversial. 32 Regardless of the debate about its antiquity, the bear cult is not, and was not, known in the Mediterranean basin and the Near East. The occurrence of the bear as a magical animal in the current tale may indicate contact between Arabic-speaking people—"dev" means "demon and deity"—and Hebrew-speaking groups—"dov" means "bear." The derogatory attitude toward the bear resonates with a talmudic anti-Persian ethnic slur: "And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear [Daniel 7:5]. R. Joseph recited: This refers to the Persians, who eat and drink like a bear, are fleshy like a bear, overgrown with hair like a bear, and have no rest like a bear. When R. Ammi saw a Persian riding he would say, 'There is a wandering bear!' " (BT Kiddushin 72a). In the following version of tale IFA 10088, the bear emerges from the sea. Wounds by an Insult, Unlike Wounds by a Will Not Heal (IFA 10088)

Dagger,

Recorded by Moshe Attias in Jerusalem, before 1962, from Rachel Kabili, originally from Izmir, Turkey, and deposited in the IFA in 1975. 33 Once there was a rich man, with no peers in his town. His business extended throughout the country as well as abroad. His ships sailed to distant seas and filled his warehouses with a profusion of merchandise. His coffers were full of gold. He was so rich that he had no idea how many houses and fields he owned. The Lord had given him success in his business and had also blessed him with great happiness in his wife and children. His ornate and spacious house was full of all good things. The cooks cooked, the laundresses laundered, the servants did all the housework. The hands of the mistress of the house never touched cold water. This rich man had one special passion—music. He had assembled a valu-

able collection of musical instruments of many types. Among all of them, his favorite was a small violin. Every night, before he went to bed, he would play two or three of his favorite pieces on the violin and then lie down to sleep. The seasons came and passed, and without warning the rich man's luck took a turn for the worse. The disasters struck out of the blue. One day, he received the bitter news that his ships, laden with cargo, had gone down in a storm, taking most of his wealth to the bottom with them. Before he had time to recover from this disaster, a fire broke out in his warehouses and burned the contents to ashes. From that time on, he was dogged by ill fortune and went from failure to failure. He had to sell his property and all his valuable household goods to buy food for his family. But he would not sell the small violin, even when all they had to eat were dry crusts. Kindhearted neighbors took pity on them and let the family stay in a narrow cellar, under the stairs to their house. The only amenity was a hard mat, on which they sat during the day and slept at night. Sometimes the neighbors gave them a loaf of bread and bowl of soup. They swallowed their tears with the soup, for they remembered their bygone days of affluence and felt the bitterness of their present lot. The father comforted them and told them to put their trust in God, Who brings [us] low and raises [us] up; they would know good times again. For months and years the man bore the affliction of his poverty bravely and hoped for better days. But they did not come. At last, overcome by bitter despair, he resolved to put an end to his life. One day, he rose at dawn and cast an affectionate glance at his wife and children. Taking his violin, he left his house and went down to the seashore. The morning stillness was everywhere; no one was about. He took his violin from its case and began to play the melodies he had loved to play, when he was wealthy, before he went to bed. Tears streamed from his eyes as he remembered the good times and thought of his wife and children, whom he had abandoned to hunger. He intended to finish his playing and throw himself into the sea. But when he reached the last notes of his piece, he saw that a squall had blown up. Huge breakers were crashing and foaming into the shore. Out of the foam there appeared a large bear, who came and sat down next to him. The man, panic-stricken, didn't know what to do. Then the bear spoke to him: "Don't be afraid, man. Keep playing. Your music is very sweet to my ears. That's why I came out of the sea. Play. Nothing bad will happen to you." Terrified, the man picked up his violin and repeated one of his songs. When he was done, the bear coughed, spat something at his feet, and jumped back into the sea, where the waves swallowed him up. The man bent down to see what the bear had spit out of his mouth. It was a small purse. He picked it up and opened it. When he peered inside he was overwhelmed. His breath stopped. The purse was full of precious stones and pearls, sparkling and brilliant. A sigh of relief burst from his throat. At long

last Heaven had taken pity on him and compensated him for his long years of poverty. His star would rise again, as in his past. The man took out one pearl. The purse and its contents he put in his pocket, and he packed away his violin to go back home. On the way he sold the pearl to a jeweler. With the money he received he bought bread, cheese, butter, and other foodstuffs, and carried them home. His wife, thunderstruck by the sight of him, welcomed him home, wondering whether it was all a delusion brought on by hunger. But she recovered quickly. "How did you get all this. Husband," she asked him, "when for many days now you haven't had a penny?" "Hold your peace, Wife, and don't ask too many questions. God holds abundance in His hands. Now sit down and eat and feed the children. Then we will praise God who gives bread to the famished." In the afternoon, the man went to the market and bought a piece of meat. His wife cooked it and served hot soup for supper. They had not tasted anything like it in years. The night passed, [and] the next morning the man got up, happy and lighthearted, ate, drank, and said the grace after meals. Then he took his violin and went down to the seashore. As on the previous day, he sat on the beach and began to play and sing. The sea begun to churn and the bear leaped from the foam, sat down next to the man, and listened to his playing. When the man finished playing the bear spat up a purse of pearls before jumping back into the sea and disappearing. With redoubled joy the man picked up the purse of pearls and returned home, carrying all the finest produce to be had in the market. Again his wife asked him what he had done and what kind of work he was doing. "Why ask so many questions?" replied the husband. "What's important is that the Lord has had mercy on us and is giving us a good living, no longer a scanty one. For this we must give thanks to Him daily." He did not let his wife in on the secret. Every morning, day after day, the man sat on the shore, entertained the bear with his melodies and received his generous reward. His wealth increased daily. His heart told him that the good days had returned, and he could resume the lifestyle of his former affluence. First, he bought a spacious and beautiful house, surrounded by a lovely garden, furnished it with attractive and comfortable furniture, spread rugs on the floors, decorated the walls with pictures, and filled the cupboards with silver and gold vessels. The lavatories were sparkling white and the kitchen was full of pots and utensils, as befits a wealthy household. He went back to his miserable dwelling and collected his wife and children. He took them to the bathhouse to rid their bodies of the filth that clung to them, and with it the layer of poverty. How great was their joy when they saw the clean underwear and splendid clothes he had provided for them. They dressed and went out-

side, climbed into a horse-drawn carriage that waited for them outside the bathhouse, and set out for their new house. When they entered, their eyes brimmed with tears of joys, and they gave thanks to God who had not forgotten them. The days passed and, as generally happens to people, they quickly got used to the good life. Happiness and affluence returned to the house of this family, too. Their years of poverty were obliterated from their memory, like a bad dream that had evaporated and was no more. The boys grew up, acquired wisdom and knowledge, and joined their father's business. Their trade expanded as before and everything they did was blessed. The father did not forget the trial that God had imposed on him and did not abandon his benefactor, the bear. Every day he went to the shore and played his sweet melodies for him. But one thought troubled the man. Although the bear had done so much for him, he had never shown him any honor. Now that he had a spacious house, he considered it appropriate to invite him to come visit. One day, after he had finished playing and before the bear jumped back into the sea, the man took hold of him. "Please, sit here next to me for a moment. I want to speak with you." "Yes, what do you want? Tell me quickly, for I'm in a hurry to go." "You saved me from death and my family from hunger," said the man. "All my wealth has come from you. How can I repay you for all the favors you have shown me?" "I do not ask for any recompense," replied the bear. "I have plenty of my own, and your daily music has comforted and consoled me. What more do I need?" "All the same," said the man, "I want to do you honor. Please, I beg you, come visit me and dine at my table, so you can see with your own eyes the happiness you have give me." "What are you saying?" said the bear. "How can I come to your house and dine at your table? I am a bear, not a man. I have neither form nor beauty. 34 The moment your family sees me, they will burst out laughing. Why should I expose myself to the humiliation?" And the bear jumped into the sea. Saddened, the man returned home. He did not answer when his wife asked why he was so sad. From then on, however, he kept pressing the bear and pleading with him to accept his invitation. He even promised him to send every living soul away from the house so that only he would sit at table with him. The bear, who could no longer hold out against his importuning, finally agreed to come. Buoyant and happy, the man went home that day and told his wife, "Tomorrow I will be having a distinguished visitor for dinner. You must prepare royal fare for him. Because the meeting is important and confidential,

you must send the children and all the servants away. You must stay in the kitchen by yourself and not come out. I myself will take the food from you. I'm warning you. If you don't do as I say you will come to a bitter end." The woman asked whether she could at least know the name of the visitor, but her husband replied that the man wanted to remain anonymous. The next day was overcast; the streets were muddy and full of puddles. But the man paid no attention to this. While his wife did her household chores, he took his violin and went down to the shore. There he played, as he did every day, and entertained the bear. At noon he rose to go home and asked the bear to accompany him. Arriving home, they found the house empty. The table was set with elegance. They sat down and talked of music and melodies. Mealtime arrived; the man got up and went to the kitchen to get the food. When the kitchen door opened his wife's glance fell on the floor of the next room, where she saw the bear's muddy footprints. "What's the meaning of these footprints?!" she asked her husband. "It's filthy, as i f a bear had been walking there." The kitchen door was closed, but the bear overheard her complaint. He grew furious. The man had lied when he told him that no one else was at home. Jumping up from his chair, the bear hastened back to the shore and sprang into the sea. When the man returned from the kitchen and saw that the bear was gone he realized that he had overheard his wife's protest and been severely humiliated. Grief-stricken and in shock, he raged at his wife. He told her the whole story of the bear and impressed on her the great calamity she had brought on them by not minding her tongue. The two sat there crying, afraid that the bear, having been insulted, would take back their wealth and reduce them once more to poverty and destitution. All night long they tossed and turned in their beds, unable to sleep a wink. At dawn the man got up, dressed, and took his violin. "I'm going to the seashore," he told his wife. " I don't know what will happen to me. If I don't come home at noon it's a sign that I've met my end." No one was abroad in the streets; a depressing silence weighed heavily on everything, just as on that day when he had gone to throw himself into the sea. He reached the shore, took his violin, and began to play. Sad notes filled the air. At that moment, the sea began to rage and swell; the bear sprang from its foam-capped waves and sat next to him. When the man finished playing the bear spat a purse of pearls at his feet, as he did every day. But this time he did not return to the sea immediately. Instead, he turned to the man. "Yesterday, I came with you," he said. "Today, you must come home with me." Without uttering a sound, the man stood up and followed the bear. Hour after hour they walked in solitary lanes, through arid fields where the crow-

ing of the cock and barking of dogs had never been heard. In the middle of one field, the bear stopped next to a large rock and told the man to roll it aside. A flight of stairs appeared beneath it. The bear told him to go down. The man did so, the bear following him. His heart was pounding and his limbs shook with fear. When he reached the last step he saw a large chamber, with many doors leading off it, all of them latched shut. The bear threw open one room after another. The man's senses grew confused. His eyes could not take in the shining heaps of precious stones and diamonds, the mounds of gold and silver that filled the rooms. The bear opened the last room, which was full of knives and swords and weapons of every sort. The bear picked up a large sword, sharp and burnished, and gave it to the man. "Why are you trembling, man? Take this sword. Do not be afraid, for harm will not befall you. "I am going to lie down on the ground. Strike me with this sword and cut my body into small pieces. When you see blood around me, take that small vial from the cabinet opposite you and smear the liquid on my body. Then you will see a miraculous sight." The man rallied his strength and did as the bear had ordered, slicing his body up into small pieces. Then he poured the liquid from the vial onto his hand and spread it on the chunks of flesh. A miraculous sight did indeed unfold before his eyes. The chunks of flesh drew near one another and grew a smooth and white skin. In the twinkling of an eye an old man stood beside him, with a long white beard, most comely to look at. His eyes sparkled. "Man," he said, "pass your hand over my body. You will find that the thrusts of the sword have left no scars on my body. "I know your heart. But your wife's insulting words have left me a wound in my heart that can never be healed. What is yours is yours, but you must not come down to the seashore any more. "Remember, as long as you live, and teach your children, that 'Dagger thrusts can be healed, but the bruises of humiliation can never be healed.' " The man listened to the old man with bowed head, ashamed and mortified. When he raised his head to beg forgiveness, no one was there.

Folklore Motifs •

J15 "Serpent (bird) having [been] injured [by] man refuses reconciliation."

Motifs that occur in IFA 10088 but not in IFA 1709 are as follows: • • • ‫״‬

D313.3 "Transformation: bear to person." D560 "Transformation by various means." D1233 "Magic violin (fiddle)." D 1242.2 "Magic potion."

• • • •

cf. D1884 "Rejuvenation by dismemberment." E30 "Resuscitation by arrangement of members." E50 "Resuscitation by magic." Ε102 "Resuscitation by magic liquid."

Narrative

Sequences

In addition to the thematic variations, tale ifa 10088 differs from tale ifa 1709 in sequencing the narrative. According to Brémond 35 a folktale "goes through phases of degradation and improvement according to a continuous cycle:" State of Deficiency

Procedure of Degradation

Satisfactory State V

Λ

Procedure of Improvement

Each of the two tales begins at a different phase in the narrative cycle. In another version of this tale, recorded in Israel in Judeo-Spanish from a narrator from Turkey, the helping figure is a black man. 36 The occurrence of this story in the Judeo-Spanish narrative repertoire is a mark of its Balkanization. 37

Words Are Stronger Than the Sword Motif W 185.6 "Insult worse than wound" summarizes the bear's final response in the tale, and many cultures have a similar proverb. 38 The narrator in KoenSarano's 39 version renders the proverb in Judeo-Spanish as "Pasan kuchiyadas i no palavradas." T. Alexander renders this proverb as "Sanan cuchillades y no palabras" (The knife wounds heal but not [the wounds] of evil words." 40 An extensive study of the proverb He plege tes machairias briskei giatreid, te glossas mete paregoria (The knife wound is healed, but there cannot be a consolation for the tongue's [wound]) in European languages is available. 41

Folktale Types • • • • •

49 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Die Schlange" (The Snake). 159B "Enmity of Lion and Man." 159B "Enmity of Lion and Man" (new ed.). 159B (El-Shamy) "Enmity of Lion and Man." 159 ‫ ״‬B (Haboucha) "Enmity of Lion and Man." 159B (Marzolph) "Mensch und Löwe" (Man and Lion).

• • • • • •

220 (B0dker) "Man Gives Milk to Snake Every Day." 285D "Serpent (Bird) Refuses Reconciliation." 285D (El-Shamy) "Serpent (Bird) Refuses Reconciliation." 285D (Haboucha) "Serpent (Bird) Refuses Reconciliation." 285D (Jason) "Serpent (Bird) Refuses Reconciliation." 285D (Marzolph) "Die Schlange lehnt Versöhnung ab" (The Snake Rejects Reconciliation). • 285D (Noy) "Serpent (Bird) Refuses Reconciliation." • 331 (Wienert) "Die Schlange versöhnt sich nicht mit dem Bauren" (The Snake Rejects Reconciliation with the Farmer). • 4251 (Tubach) "Serpent and Milk."

Folklore Motifs • • • • ‫״‬ • ‫״‬ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Β100.2 "Magic animal supplies treasure." Β103.4 "Animal spitting (vomiting) treasure." Β108 "Animal as patron of wealth." Β 182.2 "Magic bear." B210 "Speaking animals." B211 "Animal uses human speech." B211.2.3 "Speaking bear." Β300 "Helpful animals." B350 "Grateful animals." B435.4 "Helpful bear." B581 "Animal brings wealth to man." B583 "Animal gives treasure to man." B767 "Animals attracted by music." B773 "Animals with human emotions." D1210 "Magic musical instruments." D1552 "Mountains or rocks open and close." D2100 "Magic wealth." D2102 "Gold magically produced." J15 "Serpent (bird) having been injured [by] man refuses reconciliation." P428 "Musician." Q280 "Unkindness punished." Q281 "Ingratitude punished." Q395 "Disrespect punished." T253 "The nagging wife." W154 "Ingratitude." W158 "Inhospitality." W 185.6 "Insult worse than wound." Z71.5 "Formulistic number: seven."

Notes 1. For example, Ward, in "The Fiddler and the Beast," analyzed another story built on this premise. 2. Natural History, 10:96. 3. See Perry, Aesopica, 614-616 nos. 573 and 573a; Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus, 529-531 nos. 573 and 573a; and L. Daly, Aesop without Morals, 260-261 no. 573a. 4. B0dker, Indian Animal Tales; and Ryder, The Panchatantra, 331-333. 5. Elwin, Myths of Middle India, 164-165 no. 2; and W. Crooke, The Popular Religion and Folk-Lore of Northern India, 2:133-134. 6. El-Shamy, Types of the Folktale in the Arab World; Chauvin. Bibliographie des ouvrages arabes, 2:94, 102 nos. 43 and 62; and Jahn, Arabische Volksmärchen, 2 8 - 2 9 no. 5. 7. Martin, The Fables of Marie de France, 187-191 no. 72. 8. Swan and Hooper, Gesta Romanorum, 246-247 no. 141. 9. Perry, Aesopica, 614-616 nos. 573 and 573a; and Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus, 529-531 nos. 573 and 573a. 10. Haavio, "Le serpent nourrisson." 11. See The Complete Fairy Tales, 380-381 no. 105. 12. Megas, "Some Oral Greek Parallels to Aesop's Fables"; Megas, Folktales of Greece, 20-21, 218-219 no. 19. 13. "The Child and the Snake." 14. Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen, 2:459^165; Schwarzbaum, The Mishle Shu 'alim (Fox Fables), 123-137 no. 22; Liungman, Die Schwedischen Volks-märchen, 34-35, 356; and Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:201-203. 15. Hadas, Fables of a Jewish Aesop, 4 6 - 4 8 no. 22; and Schwarzbaum, op. cit. 16. Wagner, Beiträge zur Kenntnis des Judenspanischen von Konstantinopel, 15-18 no. 3; and Grunwald, Tales, Songs and Folkways of Sephardic Jews, 5 8 - 5 9 no. 35. 17. Grunwald, "Jewish Motifs in World Folktales and Foreign Motifs in Jewish Folktales." 18. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 132-133 no. 63. 19. In this tale, the narrator refers to the animal as "dev" (Arabic for "demon"); see discussion below. 20. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzählt, 115-117 no. 37. 21. Published in Kort, Sippurei-Am mi-Pi Yehudei Afganistan (Folktales of the Jews of Afghanistan), 15-16. 22. Published in Avinery, "A Folktale in the Neo-Aramaic Dialect of the Jews of Zakho." 23. Published in A. Stahl, Stories of Faith and Morals, 9 4 - 9 6 no. 35. 24. Published in Kort, Bat ha-Melekh she-Hafkhah le-Zer Perahim (The princess who transformed into a wreath of flowers), 154-155. 25. Published in D. Noy, The Jewish Animal Tale of Oral Tradition, 132-133, 180-182 no. 58. 26. Published in Haimovits, Faithful Guardians, 5 7 - 5 9 no. 9. 27. Published in Attias, The Golden Feather, 154-161 no. 19. 28. Published in Noy, A Tale for Each Month: 1974-1975, 73-74 no. 17. 29. Published in Shenhar and Bar-Itzhak, Sippurei 'Am me-Bet-She'an (Folktales from Beit She'an), 140-143 no. 19.

30. Published in Armistead et al., "Words Worse Than Wounds." 31. Hallowell, "Bear Ceremonies in the Northern Hemisphere"; and Honko et al., The Great Bear. 32. Kurtén, The Cave Bear Story, 83-107; and M. Carroll, "The Bear Cult That Wasn't." 33. First published in Attias, op. cit., 154-161 no. 19. 34. Isaiah 53:2. 35. "Morphology of the French Folktale," and Logique du récit, 309-333. 36. Koen-Sarano, Konsejas i konsejikas del mundo djudeo-espanyol, 250-253. 37. According to Armistead and Silverman, "Sephardic Folk-Literature." 38. See Mieder, Encylopedia of World Proverbs, 251 no. 8389, for a citation of the proverb "Insults are more painful than lashes" from the Philippines. For its occurrence in North America, see Mieder et al., A Dictionary of American Proverbs, 331. 39. Op. cit., 251. 40. T. Alexander-Frizer, Words Are Better Than Bread, 347. 41. Politis, "Melétai peri tou biou kai tes glosses tou Hellenikou laou."

An Old Man 's Advice Makes a Poor Man Rich TOLD

BY

ELIEZER

M I Z R A H I

TO

YEHUDAH

M A Z O Z

L / n c e there w e r e t w o m e n , o n e rich and the other poor, living in the s a m e h o u s e . T h e rich m a n lived on the top floor, the p o o r m a n b e l o w him. D a y a f t e r day, the p o o r man m a r v e l e d at h o w the rich man a l w a y s had money, even w h e n he d i d n ' t work. O n e day, he decided to ask him to reveal his secret. " P l e a s e tell m e how you a l w a y s have money, even t h o u g h you d o n ' t w o r k . " he asked. " N o matter how m u c h I work, I ' m a l w a y s poor." T h e rich m a n replied, " F r o m t i m e to time, I travel to a certain city w h e r e you find p u r s e s t h r o w n on the g r o u n d , full of money. I p i c k up a f e w and live on the money." T h e p o o r m a n , w h o w a s sick and tired of w o r k i n g all the time, and with no g o o d results, d e c i d e d to g o to that city a n d try his luck. (Of course, the rich m a n w a s d e c e i v i n g him, f o r there w a s no such thing.) H e c o l l e c t e d w h a t m o n e y r e m a i n e d to him, b a d e his w i f e a n d c h i l d r e n farewell, and sailed in a small ship to that city. W h e n the ship d o c k e d and he w a s a b o u t to g o a s h o r e , there on the g a n g p l a n k w a s a b u l g i n g p u r s e ! T h e p o o r m a n picked it up and saw that it w a s full of money. H e started to put it into his pocket, but t h o u g h t better of it. " T h i s is the first fruit. If G o d has started p r o v i d i n g f o r m e , H e will surely give m e m o r e . " W i t h that, he f l u n g the p u r s e into the sea. H e d i s e m b a r k e d and b e g a n s e a r c h i n g the city f o r a n o t h e r p u r s e , but f o u n d nothing. For ten years, he w o r k e d in that city. At last, realizing that there w a s n o f u t u r e in it, he r e s o l v e d to g o b a c k h o m e with w h a t e v e r m o n e y he still had. H e b o u g h t a m a t t r e s s and d e c i d e d to w a l k . W h e n h e had b e e n on the road f o r a b o u t t w o w e e k s — w a l k i n g d u r i n g the day a n d sleeping on the mattress at n i g h t — h e e n c o u n t e r e d an old m a n . " W h e r e are you h e a d e d ? " said the old m a n . "To such and such a town," w a s the reply. T h e old m a n asked the p o o r m a n to sell him the m a t t r e s s , since he

w o u l d reach his h o m e town in only a day or t w o m o r e . T h e p o o r m a n agreed. But the old m a n had n o m o n e y "I have n o m o n e y , " he told the p o o r m a n , "but I will give you three pieces of a d v i c e that will help you in y o u r life." T h e p o o r m a n agreed. Old p e o p l e s p e a k true w o r d s , he thought, and it c a n n o t hurt m e to get s o u n d a d v i c e f r o m the elderly. " T h e first c o u n s e l , " said the old m a n , "is: W h e r e v e r there are lots of p e o p l e , d o n ' t b e there. A n d d o n ' t stick y o u r nose into o t h e r p e o p l e ' s business. T h e s e c o n d c o u n s e l : W h e n e v e r y o u ' r e g o i n g to d o s o m e t h i n g , c o u n t to nine b e f o r e you d o it. M y third p i e c e of a d v i c e is: If you w a n t to d o s o m e t h i n g today, d o n ' t put it off till t o m o r r o w . " T h e p o o r m a n gave h i m the mattress, and they parted c o m p a n y . T h e p o o r m a n kept h i k i n g until he met a w a t c h m a n . " I ' m so glad w e met," he said to the w a t c h m a n . " N o w I'll have s o m e o n e to k e e p m e c o m p a n y , and I w o n ' t get bored." As they entered the last village b e f o r e the p o o r m a n ' s town, they heard a shot and s c r e a m s . " H o l d m y h o r s e f o r a minute," the w a t c h m a n told the p o o r m a n . "I w a n t to see w h a t ' s g o i n g on." " W h y get i n v o l v e d ? " replied the p o o r m a n . " S o m e p e o p l e are having a fight—what d o you c a r e ? " ( T h e p o o r m a n r e m e m b e r e d the old m a n ' s advice and stayed w h e r e h e was.) But the w a t c h m a n went. N o s o o n e r had he r e a c h e d the scene of the c o m m o t i o n than an arrow pierced his heart, a n d he fell dead. T h e p o o r m a n d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t to d o with the horse. Finally, he decided that if its o w n e r w a s dead, it w a s his now. M o u n t i n g the horse, he r o d e until he r e a c h e d his town and his h o u s e . T h e r e he saw his w i f e e m b r a c i n g s o m e y o u n g m a n . H e t h o u g h t , I h a v e b e e n g o n e f o r ten y e a r s — she m u s t h a v e f o u n d herself a n e w lover. But he r e m e m b e r e d the old m a n ' s a d v i c e that you should c o u n t to nine b e f o r e you d o s o m e t h i n g . So instead of s h o o t i n g t h e m with the w a t c h m a n ' s gun, he d e c i d e d to investigate the m a t t e r further. H e e n t e r e d the h o u s e . His w i f e and children rej o i c e d that he had r e t u r n e d a f t e r so m a n y years. B e a m i n g , his w i f e told him that their oldest son had j u s t finished high school with honors. H e understood w h y his w i f e had been e m b r a c i n g [the y o u n g m a n ] their son. T h e p o o r m a n asked his oldest son to u n s a d d l e the horse and put it in the stable ( w h i c h w a s a small s t o r e r o o m ) . " N o t now," a n s w e r e d the son. " T h e h o r s e can stand outside till tomorrow." But his f a t h e r r e m e m b e r e d the old m a n ' s third counsel, that if y o u ' v e d e c i d e d to d o s o m e t h i n g today you s h o u l d not put it off until t o m o r r o w , a n d insisted that his son d o as h e h a d a s k e d . T h e son w e n t out and with

difficulty lifted off the saddle. It w a s so heavy that it split open; s o m e t h i n g spilled out and m a d e a ringing s o u n d . H e a r i n g the noise, his f a t h e r w e n t outside, w h e r e he f o u n d his son s c o o p i n g u p gold coins. It w a s the w a t c h m a n ' s life s a v i n g s — i n t h o s e d a y s , there w e r e n o b a n k s a n d w a t c h m e n used to hide their m o n e y in their s a d d l e s . T h e p o o r m a n ' s j o y k n e w n o b o u n d s . H e c o n c l u d e d that the old m a n ' s three c o u n s e l s w e r e g o o d a n d worth m a n y t i m e s the mattress. G o d h a d finally given him m o n e y to last his w h o l e life. A f t e r that, he lived h a p p i l y and b e c a m e very rich.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 8 (IFA

3576)

Recorded in 1961 by Yehudah Mazoz, in a cement factory in Ramleh, Israel, from his fellow worker Eliezer Mizrahi, an immigrant from Turkey. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background S. Thompson' considered the group of tale types 910-915 "The Good Precepts" and the motifs associated with J21 "Counsels proved wise by experience" to be of Oriental provenance. This idea follows the suggestion of previous scholars. However, in a comprehensive study of tale type 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels," Pichette 2 considered the eastern origins of such tales to be a possibility, but as yet unproven. Tales of good counsel, having anywhere from one to twelve pieces of advice, are known widely in European and Asian traditions. The first occurrence of one of these narratives in European literature is from the mid-eleventh-century romance Ruodlieb, the earliest Latin medieval courtly novel. 3 The precepts sequence of Roudlieb opens with an episode that is modeled after 1 Kings 3:5-15, in which a knight requests from a king not wealth but wisdom. The king offers twelve counsels—the largest number in these types of tales—many of which appear in later oral and written versions of this narrative and in tales in the IFA. The king's counsels are as follows (the counsel types are given in parentheses and discussed below): • • • • • • • • • •

•

1. 5:451 : "Never let a red-headed man be your special friend" (E7). 1. 5:458: "Never avoid the path in order to proceed over the planted fields" (B6). 11. 5:461-463: "Where you may see that an older man has a younger wife, do not ask for hospitality to be given to you when you travel" (B7). 11. 5:469-470: "Don't lend a mare which is ready to have a colt" (cf. motif J21.10). 11. 5:472-474: "Let no kinsman of yours be so dear to you that you get into the habit of burdening him by visiting him often" (cf. Ε19). 11. 5:476-477: "Do not treat your own maid-servant, although she may be quite attractive, as though she were your wife and social equal." 11. 5 : 4 8 6 4 8 7 : "Select for yourself a wife worthy of knowing, yet in no case unless your mother advises it." 11. 5 : 4 9 8 4 9 9 : "Let no sudden wrath come over you, so strong that you will not permit the revenge to wait another night" ( A l - A 5 a ) . 11. 5:503: "Never let there be a dispute for you with your lord or master." 11. 5:511-513: "Never let your journey anywhere be so hurried that you neglect, where you may see churches, to commend yourself to their saints and say a prayer" (C). 11. 5:519-521 : "Never refuse when some man, urging you, begs you by the

love of our dear Christ to break the fast, for you will not break it but fulfill His commands." • 11. 5:522-523: "If you own tilled fields near public streets, do not make ditches." In his introduction, Zeydel pointed out the lack of any indication of strong classical influences on Ruodlieb. Rather, he noted, the author "obviously uses oral tradition as a source." 4 If this is true, the texts in the IFA indicate how long these motifs have been a part of the oral tradition. L. Ginzberg 5 detected a talmudie influence on the precept sequence, since at least two counsels occur in the Babylonian Talmud. However, further examination has suggested that only one of the counsels in Ruodlieb (the second one) has a clear talmudic antecedent. Similar advice occurs in Petrus Alfonsi's Disciplina Clericalis (c. 1110; printed in 1478), which includes one version of this tale type. 6 Alfonsi might have been one of the writers who helped the transmission of this narrative from Eastern to Western literary traditions. The author was once Rabbi Moses Sefardi from Heusca in Aragon (1062-1140). He converted to Christianity in 1106 and assumed the name Petrus Alfonsi. Alfonsi's tale includes only a single piece of advice: "The path is nearer to the city than the high road, but you will arrive quicker at the city by taking the high road rather than the path." This relates to motif J21.5.3 "A way short yet long," and the advice draws on the following talmudic anecdote told by Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah (first and second centuries C.E.): I was once on a journey when I noticed a little boy sitting at a cross-road. "By what road," I asked him, "do we go to the town?" "This one," he replied, "is short but long and that one is long but short." I preceded along the "short but long" road. When I approached the town I discovered that it was hedged in by gardens and orchards. Turning back I said to him, "My son, did not you tell me that this road was short?" "And," he replied, "did I not also tell you: But long?" I kissed him upon his head and said to him, "Happy are you, Ο Israel, all of you are wise, both young and old" (BT Eruvin 53b). Such an episode recurs in some of the oral and written texts of this narrative cycle (see counsel type B6, below). The text that appears in the popular medieval narrative collection Gesta Romanorum7 (late thirteenth century; printed in 1473) includes three bought maxims (that is, they were paid for in some way), reflecting a repeated pattern that later recurs in both Jewish and non-Jewish sources. They are as follows: • "Whatever you do, do wisely and think of the consequences" (motif = J21.1 "Consider the end"; tale type = 910C "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task").

•

"Never leave the highway for a byway" (motif = J21.5 "Do not leave the highway"; tale type = 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels"). • "Never stay all night as a guest in the house where you find the master an old man, and his wife a young woman" (motif = J21.3 "Do not go where an old man has a young wife"; tale type = 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels"). References to narrative cycles that include the three counsels in European traditions are available, 8 as are comparative notes. 9 Cosquin 1 0 considered the tale to be of Indian origin and to have been diffused into Europe in the Middle Ages through religious exempla. Whatever its origins and migration routes, the tale occurs, with variations, in both Near Eastern and European traditions." The documentation of the story in Jewish tradition still requires some clarification. It occurred first in Hibbur Yafe me-ha-yeshu'ah (An elegant composition concerning relief after adversity) by Rabbi Nissim ben Jacob ben Nissim ibn Shahin (c. 990-1062). 1 2 The version in Hibbur Yafe occurs only in the Arabic rendition of An Elegant Composition and is absent from its subsequent Hebrew translations. 13 King Solomon is the counsel giver and three laboring brothers are the counsel receivers. The percepts are B, B l , and D (see below), following the pattern of tale type 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct" and motifs J21.20 "Prepare for night camp while it is still day," J21.21 "Do not cross a swollen stream until it has run down," J21.22 "Do not tell a secret to a woman," and J21.52.9 "He who throws himself against a wave is overthrown by it." The version in An Elegant Composition is truncated, but Hirschberg 14 pointed out that to the best of his knowledge this is the first documentation of the story in either Jewish or non-Jewish literature. In his comprehensive study of this tale, Pichette 15 was not able to point to any source in which the counsels appear in any narrative sequence. As noted, his earliest example in the European tradition is Ruodlieb, which was likely written after the An Elegant Composition. Thus it is possible to consider the latter version as the first literary documentation of this tale. Later, the tale became one of the popular tales in the Solomonic narrative cycle. The king plays the role of a wise ruler rather than that of a clever child, as he is depicted in other medieval tales. 16 Yassif 17 proposed that the collection of King Solomon tales is relatively late and was likely published soon after it was written. The King Solomon version of the tale is included in popular nineteenthcentury anthologies, 18 and it was recorded in Sepahardic-Moroccan oral tradition. 19 A discussion of this tale is available. 20 Zacharia Al-Dahri 21 (1516/9-1581/5), a Jewish poet from Yemen, included a version of this story in his book written sometime between 1569 and 1580. His version is an example of tale type 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter." A discussion of this version has been published. 22 Other versions of the tale in medieval Jewish literature are available. 23 Hasidic narrators adopted this type of tale to their own tradition and attributed

somewhat different counsels (B12, B7, H I ) to Rabbi Isaac Levi ben Meir of Berdichev (c. 1740-1810), who gave them to a Hasid innkeeper for three hundred silver coins per counsel. The tale appeared in Devarim 'Arevim (Pleasant affairs) 24 and other Hasidic tale collections published at the beginning of the twentieth century. 25 Currently, it is one of the most popular tales recorded in Israel from narrators from a broad range of ethnic groups. The list of IFA tales below includes only those tales in which motif J 163.4 "Good counsels bought" generates a narrative sequence or in which the counsels are inherited, often in the form of a deathbed commandment. The advice pertains to normative nonreligious rules for behavior and consists of maxims for wise conduct, representing human experience and cultural values. Its acceptance in Jewish societies is not predicated on any Jewish beliefs, and the spread of such counsel among many nations, languages, and societies underscores its universality. Yet, the set of wise maxims that Jewish narrators incorporate into their tales is often different from that which narrators from other societies relate in their stories. Therefore, the selection of counsels, as represented in the tales of the IFA, indicates the pragmatic wisdom espoused, if not always practiced, in Jewish societies. Notably absent is any biblical proverb among the advice given by these Jewish storytellers. The single use of a biblical proverb as a counsel (E21 ) occurs in tale IFA 947 told by a narrator from Yemen. The third counsel in the present tale has a traditional literary precedent because it conveys the idea of the Mishnah "If not now, when?" (Pirkei Avot 1:14). Otherwise, there is a glaring paucity of talmudic-midrashic precepts. The only counsel that conveys a religious idea draws on an Islamic motto (C5).

Relationship among Characters In these tales, there are distinct relational patterns among counselor, counseled, and counsels. The principle counseling figures in this set of narratives are the father, a merchant of counsels, and King Solomon. Other figures, such as a "poor man," an "old man," or a "wise man," occur less frequently. In the eastern European (mainly Hasidic) tales, specific rabbis function as counselors. There are some unique advice givers, such as "the black man at the bottom of the well" in tale IFA 10202 (vol. 4), that are narrative specific rather representing cultural roles (discussed below and in the notes to tale IFA 5135 [vol. 4]). The father's counsels occur exclusively as deathbed commandments, whereas King Solomon and the merchant of counsels dispense their advice routinely as part of their trade or cultural image. The advice giver has either social or professional seniority over the receiver, though in some tales this order is reversed: a poor man counsels a prince or a wise man offers advice to King Solomon. Most of the deathbed paternal counsels are given to an only or firstborn son and relate to temperament, trust, and excessive piety. The merchant of counsels never ap-

pears in these tales as a rich man, yet the recipients of his counsels often become wealthy when they follow his advice. King Solomon offers the choice of wisdom or wealth—a choice he himself made, as noted earlier—to three brothers or traders. His counsels concern travel advisory and misogynie family matters, and such stories affirm the youngest brother's choice of wisdom over wealth. When a father gives counsel to a formulaic number of children, such as three or seven, it involves a farming family and concerns a strategic suggestion designed to motivate the children to till their land, as in tale type 910E "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is." This is an ancient literary fable belonging to the Aesopic tradition. 26 Another counsel narrative that is known from the Aesopic tradition is tale type 150 "Advice of the Fox," which is rather rare in current Jewish tradition. In the fable tradition, the tale is known as Philomela the Nightingale, and the Bowman.27 References to its text appear in the Jewish medieval tradition, 28 and it was included in Alfonsi's Disciplina Clericalis.29 Two studies of this narrative type have been published.•' 0

Types of Council The counsels in the IFA tales, occurring as a single piece of advice or as part of a series of maxims, are as follows: A. Behavior control: "Don't act in anger" (motifs = J21.2 and J21.2.6). 1. "Don't act in haste." 2. "Restrain yourself, slow down, and don't sin." 3. "Think before you act." 4. "Think lest you misspeak." 5. "Think before you kill," or "Better regret that you did not kill a person than be happy that you did." a. "Better to go to sleep angry than sorry." 31 6. "Think about the consequences of your actions, or about the future." 7. "Do that of which you are afraid." 8. "There is nothing better than self-confidence." 9. "Stay in your present situation." 10. "Control your destiny." 11. "Don't regret what you have done, whether good or bad." 12. "Don't try to do whatever is beyond your ability." B. Travel guidance: "Depart at sunrise, and set camp before sunset" (motifs = J21.19 and J21.20). 1. "Don't cross a swollen river" (motif = J21.21). 2. "Don't cross a river at night." 3. "Don't sleep in a riverbed." 4. "Don't travel on sea in the winter." 5. "Don't sail on a ship." 6. "Take the highway and do not take a shortcut" (motifs = J21.5 and J21.5.3).

a. "Don't take the long road, nor the short and narrow roads." 7. "Don't be a guest where the husband is an old man and the wife is young" (motif = J21.3). a. Inversion: "Stay in a specific inn, even if the husband is old and the wife is young, and even if you have to sleep in the stable. 8. " Don't skip your breakfast." 9. "When you travel, take with you a knife and scissors" (motif = *J21.5.5). 10. "Never walk at the head or at the end of a caravan, only in the middie" (motif = *J21.5.4). 11. "Don't travel alone" (motif = J21.36). 12. "Always take the turn to the right." 13. "Don't shut your eyes when you sleep in a strange place." C. Religion: "When you pass by a religious ceremony [circumcision, bar mitzvah, wedding, a praying minyan] stop and join the festivity" (motifs = *J21.17.1 and *J21.17.2). 1. "Don't trust the overpious" (motif = J21.18). 2. "Be aware of the hypocrites" 3. "Never forget to pray, even while stealing." 4. "Pray the afternoon and evening prayers every day." 5. "There is one and only one God." D. Family: "Don't reveal a secret to any woman, even your wife." (motifs = J21.22 and J21.22.1 § [El-Shamy]). 1. "Don't trust a woman who boasts about her modesty, honesty, shyness, and faithfulness." 2. "Visit the woman you court, love, or plan to marry, in the morning." 3. "Don't neglect to honor your parents." 4. "Marry off your sisters to trustworthy men." 5. "Marry off your sisters not to the coward, not to the boaster in his wealth, or to the very poor." 6. "Don't marry a man whose mother is alive." E. Social relations: "Don't steal from people who respect you." 1. "Don't steal and don't take stolen goods." 2. "Divide the goods you steal into three: Leave a third to their owner, a third to God, and a third to you." 3. "Mind your own business." 4. "Don't reveal a secret." 5. "Always be loyal and careful." 6. "Stay away from evil people." 7. "Be aware of a red-headed person." 8. "Don't marry the daughter of a red-headed person." 9. "Be aware of a blue-eyed, large teethed, and shaven man" (motif = J21.46.1§ [El-Shamy]).

10. "Don't trust a gentile." 11. "Don't trust human beings." a. "Don't trust a friend." b. "Check out any person whether or not he is a true friend, and don't join the one who is not." 12. " Don't have mercy on anyone." 13. "Don't expect any favors from people." 14. "Enter a coffee house or your friends' card-playing place after two hours past midnight or in the morning." a. "If you play cards, do it only with the best gambler." 15. "Always be the first to greet people." 16. "Respect and love everybody, even black people. Their blood is also red." 17. "When you talk with the king, cover your mouth with a handkerchief as a sign of respect." 18. "Don't offend your friend in public or in private." 19. "Don't depart from a host who insists you stay." 20. "Don't refuse an offer of food." a. "Don't break the salt shaker in the house where you ate bread." b. "Don't break the branches of a tree the fruit of which you ate and at its shade you rested." 21. "Do not rebuke a scoffer, for he will hate you" (Proverbs 9:8). 22. "Separate fighting people from each other." 23. "Enter a house which is bigger than the house you left." 24. "Stay away from crowded people." 25. "Stay away from blind people." 26. "Read what is written on another man's forehead." 27. "Maintain unity." 32 28. "Don't let people into your house." F. Political relations and government: "Always pay government taxes." 1. "Don't work in a government office." 2. "Don't become a government official." 3. "Don't befriend a policeman" (motif = J21.46). 4. "Don't argue with a high official." 5. "Don't trust government people, even if your father is the king." 6. "Don't trust the king, even when he humbles himself before you." G. Commerce and customer relations: "Don't try to recover a loss, whatever is gone—is gone." 1. "When you lose your property, hang yourself fin a specific location, where treasure is hidden]" (motif = J21.15). 2. "The treasure is buried in the field." 3. "Don't befriend a usurer" (motif = *J21.46.2). 4. "Change the door of the house before selling it."

5. "Sell your house only after the workers have destroyed and rebuilt one of its gates." 6. "Buy time before trouble hits you." 7. "Always work, even if for a meager pay." 8. "Don't despise the small amount, lest you miss the large amount." 9. "Purchase a horse with a pedigree." 10. "Don't borrow money from poor people." 11. "Grow a nice-looking beard." 12. "Wear a wise man's gown and cap." 13. "Go to another city and declare yourself a physician." 14. "Don't show your money to strangers." 15. "Don't do business with new merchants." 16. "Don't do business with a beardless man." H. Reality check: "Don't grasp in your hand anything you have not seen before." 1. "Don't believe what you don't eye witness." a. "Don't believe what is unbelievable." 2. "Don't believe every rumor." 3. "This too will pass away" (motif = U262). 4. "Don't believe that there is something sweeter than honey." 5. "Don't believe that there is a bigger fool than you." 6. "Don't believe that there is a single unbroken bottle in the case." 7. "Sleep overnight in your store [and observe who is the thief]." 8. "Observe the threshing floor." 9. "Don't accuse anybody until you find him guilty three times." I. Human conduct and nature: "The eye likes whatever it sees, and the heart whomever it loves" (motif = J21.541 § [El-Shamy]). 1. "Appearance is misleading" (motif = U110). 2. "Death comes with age." 3. "Life unfolds according to man's destiny." J. Objects: A cat, or a number of cats. 33 1. Pomegranate

Similarities to Other IFA Tales In the IFA there are almost one hundred analogous versions of this tale. The letters and numbers after "counsels" refer to the list of counsels above. •

IFA 7: The Tale of a Loaf of Bread (Turkey); tale type = 1920G "The Great Bee and Small Beehive," cf. 1626 "Dream Bread"; motif = *J21.46.3 "Don't do business with a beardless man"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsel = G16. • IFA 26: Buying Three Counsels (Tunisia); tale type = 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motifs = *J21.2.1 "Think before you act," *J21.17.1 "Enter without any thought to a house where a wedding is celebrated";

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counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a barber; trade = £200; counsels = A3, C, E23. IFA 95: The Tale of Counsels (Yemen); tale type = 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motif = *J21.17.1 "Enter without any thought to a house where a wedding is celebrated"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a laborer; trade = 100 rials; counsels = E5, G8, C. IFA 126: This Too Will Pass Away (Turkey); tale type = 910*Q (IFA) "This Too Will Pass"; motif = U262 "Suffering healed by time"; counsel giver = wise man; counsel recipient = King Solomon; trade = none; counsel = H3; see also tale IFA 4425 (vol. 1 ). IFA 144: Years Are as Days (Poland); 34 tale types = 910*R (IFA) "Beware of Red-Headed People," 1588** "Cheater Caught by Seizing His Own Words"; motif = J21 "Counsels proved wise by experience"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = E7. IFA 411 : The Tale of the Story of the Wasteful Son (Afghanistan); 35 tale type = 910D "The Treasure of the Hanging Man"; motif = J21.15 "If you wish to hang yourself, do so by the stone which I point out"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = Gl. IFA 438: The Firewood Seller (Eretz Yisra'el, Arabic); tale type = 910C "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task"; motif = J21.1 "Consider the end"; counsel giver = an old man; counsel recipient = a king (incognito); trade = none; counsel = A6. IFA 658: Three Precepts Are Better Than a Thousand Dinars (Iraq); 36 tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motif = J21.3 "Do not go where an old man has a young wife"; counsel giver = King Solomon; counsel recipients = three traders; trade = a royal gift (counsels or £300 pounds); counsels = B9, E, F, B7. IFA 678: Three Counsels (Iraq); tale type = 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motifs = *J21.17.1 "Enter without any thought to a house where a wedding is celebrated," J21.22 "Do not tell a secret to a woman"; counsel givers = three old men; counsel recipient = a youth; trade = 100 dinars per counsel; counsels = E4, C, F5. IFA 799: Father's Compassion (Iraq); 37 tale type = 910D "The Treasure of the Hanging Man"; motif = J21.15 "If you wish to hang yourself, do so by the stone which I point out"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = G l . IFA 947: Three Counsels (Yemen); tale type = 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; counsel givers = three old men; counsel recipient = a youth; trade = 1,000 dinars per counsel; counsels = G7, B8, E21. IFA 1409: Bahalul Sells Counsels (Iran); tale type = 910B "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs = J21.22 "Do not tell a secret to a woman," cf. J21.46 "Do not make friends with a policeman (soldier)"; counsel giver

= Bahalul; counsel recipient = vizier; trade = 100 tomans; counsels = D, D3, F5. • IFA 1508: The Foolish Woman (Yemen); tale type = cf. 1381C "The Buried Sheep's Head"; motifs = J21.22.1§ (El-Shamy) "Do not trust a secret to your wife," *J21.31.1 "Don't marry off your sisters to consciousless peopie," *J21.60 "Do not take a high government position"; counsel giver = father (Homed ibn Mas'ud); counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsels = D4, F2, D. •

IFA 1631 : The Three Purchased Counsels and the Demon's Gift (Iraq); tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motifs = J21.25.1 "Stay away from quarreling people," *J21.46.4 "Trust not the blind man," J21.54 (El-Shamy) "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," J21.54.1 § (ElShamy) "Beauty is the one whom you love even if a Noah's crow (bear)"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a poor man; trade = £100 per counsel; counsels = E24, E25,1. • IFA 1765: Keep Away from Red-Headed People (Poland); tale types = 910*R (IFA) "Beware of Red-Headed People," 1588** "Cheater Caught by Seizing His Own Words"; motif = J21 "Counsels proved wise by expertence"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = E8; see also tale IFA 14270. • IFA 1923: Three Purchased Counsels (Egypt); tale types = 910B "The Servant's Good Counsels," 910*L (IFA) "Advice: Never Miss a Public Prayer"; motifs = J21.2 ' " D o not act when angry," J21.3 "Do not go where an old man has a young wife," *J21.17.2 "Stop and attend any circumcision ceremony you pass by"; counsel giver = King Solomon; counsel recipient = a man; trade = three years of labor; counsels = A5a, B7, C. • IFA 2066: The Father's Three Counsels (Iraq); 38 tale type = 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motifs = J21.17 "Stay at church till mass is finished," J21.22 "Do not tell a secret to a woman," J21.52.2 "Never be rude to a self-made man of low birth"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = F l , E4, C.

• IFA 2074: Do Not Get Angry and Postpone Your Revenge until Tomorrow (Iraq); 39 tale type = 910B "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs = J21.2 "Do not act when angry"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = A. • IFA 2242: The Wife Rules at Home (Yemen); tale type = 900III "The Pincess's Wedding"; motifs = *J21.54.2 "Luck is better than beauty," *J21.54.6 "Conquer your fear by doing that of which you are afraid," *J21.54.7 "There is nothing better than self-confidence"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a woodcutter; trade = £5 per counsel; counsels = A7, A8,12. • IFA 2454: The Maggid of Mezherich Advises Rabbi Joel (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); 40 tale type = 910B "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs =

J21.3 "Do not go where an old man has a young wife," cf. J21.13 "Never believe what is beyond b e l i e f " ; counsel giver = maggid of Mezherich; counsel recipient = Rabbi Joel; trade = twenty-five golden coins per counsel; counsels = Β12, B7a, H2. • IFA 2522: The Three Counsels That the Bedouin Bought (Eretz Yisra'el, Bedouin); tale type = 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs = J21.2 "Do not act when angry," J21.46.1 § (El-Shamy) "Trust not the blueeyed"; counsel givers = three old men; counsel recipient = a Bedouin; trade = ten camels per counsel; counsels = B3, E9, A5. • IFA 2537: The Father's Three Counsels (Eretz Yisra'el, Bedouin); tale type = 1381C "The Buried Sheep's Head"; motifs = J21.22.1 § (El-Shamy) "Do not trust a secret to your wife," J21.46 "Do not make friends with a policeman (soldier)"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = F3, G, D.

• IFA 2593: The Snake That Laid Golden Eggs and the Ungrateful Man

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(Iraq); tale type = 160 "Grateful Animals; Ungrateful Man"; motif = *J21.46.5 "Don't have mercy on anyone"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = Ε12. IFA 3075: Son, Listen to Your Father's Counsel (Iraq); 41 tale type = 910*N (IFA) "DO Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the overholy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = D1, C1. IFA 3135: The Father's Will: "This Too Will Pass Away" (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); tale type = 910*Q (IFA) "This Too Will Pass Away"; motif = U262 "Suffering healed by time"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsel = H3; see also tale IFA 4425 (vol. 1). IFA 3297: Son, Listen to Your Father's Counsel (Iraq); tale type = 910K "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motif = J21.17 "Stay at church till mass is finished"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = Ε17, C4, C. IFA 3651: The Miser's Three Counsels (Iraq); 42 tale type = 910G "Man Buys a Pennyworth of Wit"; motif = J 163.1 "Man buys a pennyworth of wit (a parody)"; counsel giver = a miser; counsel recipient = a porter; trade = carrying a case of wine bottles; counsels = H4, H5, H6. IFA 3639: The Three Counsels (Iraq); tale types = 150 "Advice of the Fox," 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs = J21.2 " ' D o not act when angry," J21.12 "Rue not a thing that is past"; counsel giver = a rich man; counsel recipient = a servant; trade = 100 dinars per counsel; counsels = G, BIO, A. IFA 3697: The Father's Counsel Saves from Death (Iraq); 43 tale type = 910D "The Treasure of the Hanging Man"; motif = J21.15 "If you wish to hang yourself, do so by the stone which I point out"; counsel giver = fa-

ther; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = G l ; see also tales IFA 799, IFA 3965. • IFA 3706: The Merchant Whose Luck Returned (Libya); tale type = 947C*-*A (IFA) "The Good Luck Leaves and Returns"; motifs = *J21.21.1 "Don't travel on sea in the winter," *J21.52.11 "Anticipate bad times," *J21.60.1 "Don't argue with a high official"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = G7, F4, B4. • IFA 3965: The Rich Sheikh's Will for His Spend-Thrift Son (Yemen); tale type = 91 OD "The Treasure of the Hanging Man"; motif = J21.15 "If you wish to hang yourself, do so by the stone which I point out"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsei = G l . • IFA 4004: Pomegranates and a Cat (Egypt); tale types = 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels," 1651 "Whittington's Cat"; motifs = F813.8 "Extraordinary pomegranate," M302.2 "Man's fate written on his skull," Ν121 "Fate decided before birth," Ν131.5 "Luck changing after change of place," *P233.12 "Like father like son"; counsel giver = an old man; counsel recipient = a poor man; trade = a golden coin; counsels = J1, J, 14, C5, E26, D.

• IFA 4124: Be Always Careful and Grasp in Your Hand Only What You Know (Tunisia); 44 tale type = 910C "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task"; motif = J21.1 "Consider the end"; counsel giver = a poor man; counsel recipient = a prince; trade = five gold dinars; counsel = H. • IFA 4403: In a Village in Yemen: The Three Counsels (Yemen); tale type = 910B "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs = J21.5 "Do not leave the highway," J21.45 "Do not undertake to be an arbitrator without being asked," cf. J571 "Avoid hasty judgment"; counsel giver = an employer; counsel recipient = an employee; trade = wage; counsels = B6, E3, A1. • IFA 4444: The Heaps of Dirt (Iran); tale type = 1381C "The Buried Sheep's Head"; motifs = H472.1 "Test of wife: ability to keep a secret: the buried sheep's head," H1558 "Test of friendship"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a king's councilor; trade = the purchase of heaps of dirt; counsels = D. • IFA 4569: Weigh Your Words (Libya); tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motifs = J21 "Counsels proved wise by experience," *J21.2.1 "Think before you act," J21.20 "Prepare for night camp while it is still day," J21.21 "Do not cross a swollen stream until it has run down," cf. J2516.1 "Think thrice before you speak"; counsel giver = a person; counsel recipient = a person; trade = unspecified sum; counsels = A4, B, B l . •

IFA 4728: The Father's

Advice

(Morocco); 4 5 tale type = 910B "The

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Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs = J21.25 "Do not keep bad company," J21.31 "Do not marry a woman before seeing her and finding her to be your equal"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsels = E14, D2, A. IFA 5021: The Bride and Her Mother-in-Law (Libya); tale type = none; motif =*J21.32.1 "Don't worry a man whose mother is alive"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = daughter; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = D6. IFA 5110: The Diviner (Poland); tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motif = not applicable; counsel giver = a diviner; counsel recipients = a merchant, a physician, and a husband whose wife does not respect him; trade = a large sum of money; counsels = H7, H8, G9. IFA 5224: The Fair Thief (Afghanistan); tale type = 910*L (IFA) "Advice: Never Miss a Public Prayer"; motif = cf. J1230 "Clever dividing"; counsel giver = father (a thief); counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = E2, C3. IFA 5379: Think before You Act (Egypt); tale type = 910C "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task"; motif = J21.1 "Consider the end"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipients = the king and his vizier; trade = 100 dinars per counsel; counsels = 14, A9, A3. IFA 5423: The Father's Will (Poland); tale type = 1381C "The Buried Sheep's Head"; motifs = J21.8.2 "Don't borrow money from poor people," J21.22.1§(E1-Shamy) "Do not trust a secret to your wife," J21, "Do not make friends with a policeman (soldier)"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = D, G10, F3. IFA 5667: Father's Will (Iraq); tale type = 910D "The Treasure of the Hanging Man"; motif = J21.15 "If you wish to hang yourself, do so by the stone which I point out"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = G l . IFA 5726: The Counsel That Helped Two Friends (Iraq); 46 tale type = 1 6 4 1 "Doctor Know-All"; motifs = *J21.2.7 "Control your destiny," *J21.5.8 "Maintain a dignified appearance," *J21.20.1 "Practice self-reliance"; counsel giver = a rich friend; counsel recipient = a poor friend; trade = none; counsels = Ε13, A10, Gl 1, G12, G13. IFA 5751 : A Teacher Buys Three Counsels (Galicia [Poland]); tale type = 1381C "The Buried Sheep's Head"; motifs = J21.3 "Do not go where an old man has a young wife," J21.5.3 "A way short yet long," J21.22.1 § (ElShamy) "Do not trust a secret to your wife"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a poor teacher; trade = five gold coins per counsel; counsels = B6, B7, D. IFA 5818: The Three Commandments (Iraq); tale type = 910B "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs = C786 "Tabu: stealing," J21.2 ' " D o not

act when angry"; counsel giver = a merchant of words; counsel recipient = a poor man; trade = £1 per counsel; counsels = E l , E l 8 , A. • IFA 6497: The Treasure Is Buried in the Field (Greece); 47 tale type = 910E "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is"; motif = H588.7 "Father's counsel: find treasure within a foot of the ground"; counsel giver = a rabbi; counsel recipients = three brothers; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = G2. • IFA 6600: Don't Trust Appearance (Iraq); tale type = cf. 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motif = U110 "Appearances deceive"; counsel giver = father and king; counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsel = II. • IFA 6716: A Counsel for Five Pounds (Syria); tale type = 910C "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task"; motif = J21.1 "Consider the end"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a king; trade = £5; counsel = A3.

• IFA 6718: Whoever Is Careful Not to Step on Small Worms, Does Not

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Refrain from Stepping on People (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); tale type = 910*N (IFA) "Do Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the over-holy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's will); counsels = D l , C I . IFA 6756: The Father's Will: Beware of Red-Headed Person (Yemen); tale type = 910*R (IFA) "Beware of Red-Headed People"; motifs = *J21.46.6 "Trust not the red-head"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = E7. IFA 6772: The Father and His Seven Sons (Morocco); tale type = 91 OF "The Quarreling Sons and the Bundle of Twigs"; motif = J1021 "The quarreling sons and the bundle of twigs"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipients = seven sons; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = E27. IFA 6939: The Lazy Boy (Iranian Kurdistan); 48 tale types = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct," 986 "The Lazy Husband," *986 (Marzolph) "Der Faule Mann" (The Lazy Husband); 1651 "Whittington's Cat"; motif = J21.36 " Do not go alone on journey"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = lazy Ahmed; trade = £100 per object or counsel; counsels = J, Β11, E5, J1. IFA 6944: The Deed of the Envious Minister (Iraq); tale type = 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motifs = *J21.17.2 "Stop and attend any circumcision ceremony you pass by," *J21.25.2 "Separate quarreling peopie," K978 "Uriah letter," P10 "Kings," P I 3 "Cautions connected with kingship," V50 "Prayer"; counsel giver = father (a minister to a king); counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = Ε17, E22, C4. IFA 7050: Do Not Trust Any Human Being (Iraq); tale type = 160 "Grateful Animals; Ungrateful Man"; motif = *J21.46.5 "Don't have mercy on anyone"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = El2.

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IFA 7104: Do Not Trust Those Who Are Too Honest (Iraq); tale type = 910*N (IFA) "Do Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the over-holy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = D l . • IFA 7118: King Solomon's Three Counsels (Iran); 49 tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motifs = C420 "Tabu: uttering secrets," J21.20 "Prepare for night camp while it is still day," J21.21 "Do not cross a swollen stream until it has run down"; counsel giver = King Solomon; counsel recipients = three brothers; trade = twelve years of labor (youngest brother obtains three counsels; others, money); counsels = B, B l , E4. • IFA 7232: The Will (Afghanistan); 5 0 tale type = cf. 91 OD "The Treasure of the Hanging Man"; motifs = *J21.15.1 "Sell your house only after the workers destroyed and rebuilt one of its gates," *J21.31.2 "Visit the woman you court, love, or plan to marry, in the morning," J21.53.2 "Enter a coffee house or your friends' card-playing place after two hours past midnight or in the morning"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = D2, Ε14, G5.

• IFA 7306: A Tale about the King's Minister, the Son of an Old Sheikh

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(Yemen); tale type = cf. 1381C "The Buried Sheep's Head"; motifs = *J21.22.1§ (El-Shamy) "Do not trust a secret to your wife," *J21.31.1 "Don't marry off your sisters to consciousless people"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = D5, F6, (D). IFA 7314: The Three Pounds That Brought a Blessing (Iran); tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motifs = *J21.9.2 "Leave your host's house only with his permission," *J21.9.3 "Eat the complete meal your host serves you," J21.48 "Don't do anything without investigation"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a young boy; trade = £1 per counsel; counsels = Ε19, E20, H9. IFA 7455: The Rabbi's Son (Iran); tale type = 160 "Grateful Animals; Ungrateful Man"; motif = *J21.46.5 "Don't have mercy on anyone"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = Ε12. IFA 7661: People Are Ungrateful (Iraq); 51 tale type = 160 "Grateful Animals; Ungrateful Man"; motif = *J21.46.5 "Don't have mercy on anyone"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = E l l . IFA 7663: The Three Counsels of the Rooster (Poland); 52 tale type = 150 "The Advice of the Fox"; motif = K604 "The three teachings of the bird (fox)"; counsel giver = a rooster; counsel recipient = a man; trade = freedom; counsels = Η1 a, A11, A12. IFA 7695: The Three Unheeded Counsels (Iran); 53 tale type = 470X "The

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Hero Visits the Land of the Immortals"; motifs = F302 "Fairy mistress," *J21.9.4 "Do not let strangers into your house," *J21.9.5 "Do not throw your money to strangers," *J21.39.1 "Do not travel by ship"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = B5, E28, G14. IFA 7763 (vol. 3): The Man Who Looked for His Luck (Libya); 5 4 tale types = 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels," 1651 "Whittington's Cat"; motifs = J21.2.6 "Control your anger at the beginning," Ν131.5 "Luck changing after change of place"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a poor man; trade = "a kosher coin"; counsels = J, J l , 13, E16, A5. IFA 7778: The Will (eastern Europe); tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motifs = *J21.31.2 "Visit the woman you court, love, or plan to marry, in the morning," *J21.53.2 "Enter a coffee-house or your friends' card-playing place after two hours past midnight or in the morning"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = Ε14, D2.

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IFA 7805: Lazy Hershele (Poland); tale type = 910E "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is"; motif = H588.7 "Father's counsel: find treasure within a foot of the ground"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = G2. ‫ ״‬IFA 7937: Do Not Trust the Overpious (Iraq); tale type = 910*N (IFA) "DO Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the over-holy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = C1 ; see also tale IFA 5153. • IFA 8118: Which Treasure Did Our Father Mean ? (Iran); tale type = 910E "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is"; motif = H588.7 "Father's counsel: find treasure within a foot of the ground"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = seven sons; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = G2. • IFA 8469: The Father's Will (Bukhara); tale type = 910*N (IFA) "DO Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18, "Do not trust the over-holy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = C1. • IFA 8503: The Merchant and His Only Son (Yemen); tale type = 910*N (IFA) "DO Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the overholy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsel = C2. • IFA 8600: King Solomon's Three Counsels (Tunisia); 55 tale type = 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motifs =*J21.2.1 "Think before you act," J21.3 "Do not go where an old man has a young wife," *J21.17.2 "Stop and attend any circumcision ceremony you pass by"; counsel giver = King Solomon; counsel recipient = a laborer; trade = three years of labor; counsels = A3, B7, C. •

IFA 8888: Who Is the Greater Thief (Hungary); tale types = 910*R (IFA)

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"Beware of Red-Headed People," 1588** "Cheater Caught by Seizing His Own Words"; motif = J21 "Counsels proved wise by experience"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = E7. IFA 9299: The Will ofMolo Bobozhon (Bukhara); tale type = 91OC "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task"; motif = J21.1 "Consider the end"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = A3. IFA 9685: The Youth and the Three Counsels (Iran); 56 tale type = 507A, "The Monster's Bride," 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motifs = E341.1 "Dead grateful for having corpse ransomed," J21.1 "Consider the end," J21.36 "Do not go alone on a journey"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a young man; trade = £100 per counsel; counsels = B11, A3; also see tale IFA 10207 (vol. 4). IFA 10024: Buy Wisdom (Morocco); 57 tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motifs = J21.20 "Prepare for night camp while it is still day," J21.21 "Do not cross a swollen stream until it has run down," J21.22.1 § (El-Shamy) "Do not trust a secret to your wife"; counsel giver = King Solomon; counsel recipient = three brothers; trade = three years of work (youngest receives counsels; others receive 100 dinars each); counsels = B, B l , D. IFA 10047: The Will the Jew Left for His Son (Iraq); tale type = 910A "Wise through Experience"; motif = *HI078 "Paradoxical counsels"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = Ε 14a, Ε14, D2. IFA 10202 (vol. 4): The King and His Three Daughters (Iran); 58 tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct," 91 OK 1 § (El-Shamy) "Lost Hour of Fun Can't Be Made Up," 1651, "Whittington's Cat"; motif = H611.1 "Melons ripe and overripe are analogous to girls ready for marriage"; counsel giver = a black man at the bottom of the well; counsel recipient = a simpleton bridegroom; trade = correct answers; counsels = E5, B6a, E20a, E20b, E l l a , E4.J1. IFA 10242: The Father's Advice: Beware of the Hypocrites (Iranian Kurdistan); 59 tale type = 910*N (IFA) "Do Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the over-holy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsels = C2. IFA 10390: Do Not Do Business with Red-Headed People (Poland); tale type = 910*R (IFA) "Beware of Red-Headed People"; motif = J21 "Counsels proved wise by experience"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsels = E7. IFA 10902: Think before You Act (Tangier); 60 tale type = 910C "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task"; motif = *J21.2.1 "Think before you

act,"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = A3.

• IFA 10914: Unity and Friendship Will Stand against All Odds (Eretz

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Yisra'el, Circassia); tale type = 91 OF "The Quarreling Sons and the Bundle of Twigs"; motif = J1021 "The quarreling sons and the bundle of twigs"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = seven sons; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = E27. IFA 10980: The Three Good Counsels (Syria); 61 tale type = 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motifs = J21.5 "Do not leave the highway," J21.20 "Prepare for night camp while it is still day," J21.21 "Do not cross a swollen stream until it has run down," J266 "Choice between short and dangerous or long and sure way"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipients = a poor man; trade = 10 drachma for three counsels; counsels = B2, B6, A3. IFA 1 1358: The Innocent Wife (Libya); tale type = 910*N (IFA) "DO Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the over-holy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = C2. IFA 11631: The Father Tricks His Sons for Their Own Good (Iraq); tale type = 910E "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is"; motif = H588.7 "Father's counsel: find treasure within a foot of the ground"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipients = seven sons; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = G2. IFA 11572: The Three Principles (Iran); tale type = cf. 1381C "The Buried Sheep's Head"; motifs = *J21.9.6 "Do not buy merchandise from new traders," J21.22.1 § (El-Shamy) "Do not trust a secret to your wife," J21.46 "Do not make friends with a policeman (soldier)"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsels = D, F3, G15. IFA 11736: The Three Counsels (Iraqi Kurdistan); tale types = 910B "The Servant's Good Counsels," 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motifs = *J21.2.6.1 "Do not go to sleep angry," *J21.17.2 "Stop and attend any circumcision ceremony you pass by," J21.54§ (El-Shamy) "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a servant; trade =1 rupia per counsel ; counsels = I, A5a, C.

IFA 11741: Think before You Act (Tunisia); tale type = 910C "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task"; motif = J21.1 "Consider the end"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a king; trade = £3,000; counsel = A3. • IFA 12407: The Hypocrite (Bukhara); tale type = 910*N (IFA) "Do Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the over-holy"; counsel

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giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = C2. IFA 12483: Restrain Yourself Slow Down, and Don't Sin (Yemen); 6 2 tale type = 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels"; motif = J21.2.6 "Control your anger at the beginning"; counsel giver = father (king); counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = A2. IFA 12780: The Ring the King Gave to His Beloved Son (Iran); tale type = 9 1 0 * Q (IFA) "This Too Will Pass"; motif = U262 "Suffering healed by time"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none; counsel = H3. IFA 14113: Every Exaggeration Is Suspicious (Poland, Yiddish speaker); tale type = 910*N (IFA) "DO Not Trust the Overpious"; motif = J21.18 "Do not trust the over-holy"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = son; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = C2; see tale IFA 14962 (vol. 2). IFA 14305: A Father's Counsel (Morocco); tale type = 910E "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is"; motif = H588.7 "Father's counsel: find treasure within a foot of the ground"; counsel giver = father; counsel recipient = three sons; trade = none (father's last words); counsel = G2.

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IFA 14386: The Three Good Counsels (Morocco); tale type = 910K "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter"; motifs = J21.41.2 "A stranger does not close his eyes in sleep lest he close them in death," J1021 "The quarreling sons and the bundle of twigs"; counsel giver = a merchant of counsels; counsel recipient = a poor orphaned child; trade = £100 per counsel; counsels = Β13, E27.

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IFA 15830: The Lessons of the Bird (Iran); tale type = 150 "The Advice of the Fox"; motif = K604 "The three teachings of the bird (fox)"; counsel giver = a small bird; counsel recipient = a hunter; trade = freedom; counsels = A l 1, H la. IFA 19912: King Solomon's Slave (Turkey); tale type = 910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct"; motifs = J21 "Counsels proved wise by experience," J21.2 " D o not act when angry," J 163.4 "Good counsels bought"; counsel giver = King Solomon; counsel recipient = three friends; trade = labor (one receives counsels; others, salary); counsels = B6, E3, A5a.

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Folktale Types • • • • • • •

910 "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct." 910 "The Clever Precepts" (new ed.). 910 (Jason) "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct" 91 OA "Wise through Experience." 91 OA "The Father's Precepts Disregarded" (new ed.). 910 (El-Shamy) "Precepts Bought or Given Prove Correct." 91 OA (El-Shamy) "Wise through Experience."

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91 OA (Haboucha) "Wise through Experience." 91 OA (Jason) "Wise through Experience." 910 ‫ ״‬B ( E 1 - S h a m y ) "The Servant's Good Counsels." 910B-*A (Jason) "Don't Believe T h a t . . . " cf. 91 OB "The Servant's Good Counsels." cf. 91 OB "The Observance of the Master's Precepts" (new ed.). cf. 91 OB (Haboucha) "The Servant's Good Counsels." cf. 91 OB (Jason) "The Servant's Good Counsels." 910C "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task" (new ed.). 910C (El-Shamy) "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task." 910C (Haboucha) "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task." 910C (Jason) "Think Carefully before You Begin a Task." 91 OD "The Treasure of the Hanging Man." 910D "The Treasure behind the Nail" (new ed.). 91 OD (El-Shamy) "The Treasure of the Hanging Man." 91 OD (Jason) "The Treasure of the Hanging Man." 910E "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is." 910E "Find the Treasure in Our Vineyard!" (new ed.). 910E (El-Shamy) "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is." 910E (Jason) "Father's Counsel: Where Treasure Is." 91 OF "The Quarreling Sons and the Bundle of Twigs" (new ed.). 91 OF (El-Shamy) "The Quarreling Sons and the Bundle of Twigs." 910 ‫ ״‬F (Jason) "The Quarreling Sons and the Bundle of Twigs." 910G "Man Buys a Pennyworth of Wit" (new ed.). 910G (Jason) "Man Buys a Pennyworth of Wit." 91 OK "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter." 91 OK "Walk to the Ironworks" (new ed.). 91 OK (El-Shamy) "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter." 91 OK (Jason) "The Precepts and the Uriah Letter." cf. 910*L (Haboucha) "Advice: Never Miss a Public Prayer." 910*L (Jason) "Advice: Never Miss a Public Prayer." 910*N (Jason) "Do Not Believe the Overpious." 910*P (Haboucha) "Three Counsels of the Father." 910*P (Jason) "Three Counsels of the Father" 910*Q (Haboucha) "Father's Counsel." cf. 1282 (Tubach) "Counsels, Three, Given to Son."

Folklore Motifs • • • • •

F760 "Extraordinary cities." J21 "Counsels proved wise by experience." J21.2 "Do not act when angry." J151 "Wisdom from old person." J 163.4 "Good counsels bought."

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J171 "Proverbial wisdom: counsels." J191 "Wise men." cf. J571.1 "When in anger say the alphabet." J2416 "Poor man foolishly imitates rich." L222.1 "Modest choice for parting gift—money or counsel." N202 "Wishes for good fortune realized." N534 "Treasure discovered by accident." Q111 "Riches as reward." T210 "Faithfulness in marriage."

Notes 1. The Folktale, 163-165. See also D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Libya, 191 n. 1. 2. L'Observance des conseils du maître, 224-225, 575-577. 3. For a facsimile edition see Haug and Vollmann, Rudlieb. For an expansion of the commentary and analysis, see Vollmann, Ruodlieb, esp. 33-37. Other editions and translations are Ford, The Ruodlieb, 4 7 - 7 1 ; Ford, Textual Notes on the Ruodlieb; Grocock, The Ruodlieb, 90-131 11. 5:446-8:129; Kratz, Waltharius and Ruodlieb, xxvi-xxxv, 121-153; Langosch, Waltharius-Ruodlieb Märchenepen, 85-215, 369-375; Zeydel, Ruodlieb,5-7, 9 - 1 0 , 71-101 11. 5:425-8:129; and Gamer, "The Roudlieb and Tradition," esp. 77-82. 4. Zeydel, op. cit., 9. 5. "Jewish Folklore." 6. Hermes, The "Disciplina Clericalis" of Petrus Alfonsi, 135-136 no. 18. For comparative notes, see Schwarzbaum, "International Folklore Motifs in Petrus Alfonsi's Disciplina Clericalist 7. Swan and Hooper, Gesta Romanorum, 177-180 no. 103, 386-388. See also Herbert, Catalogue of Romances, 3:234, no. 51. 8. Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen, 4:149 η. 2; Köhler, "Zu den von Laura Gonzenbach gesammelten sicilianischen Märchen," 169-71 no. 81; and Zipes, Beautiful Angiola, 424-428, 583 no. 67. 9. Tauscher, Volksmärchen aus dem Jeyporeland,\l%-\19 no. 26, 192 no. 77; and Liungman, Die Schwedischen Volksmärchen, 238-239, 370 no. 910ABC. 10. Etudes folkloriques, 73-108 11. For references to and studies of the Arabic and Asian versions of this tale, see Chauvin, Bibliographie des ouvrages arabes, 8:138-139, no. 136; Marzolph et al., The Arabian Nights Encyclopedia, 379; and El-Shamy, Types of the Folktale in the Arab World, 568-578. 12. H. Hirschberg, Hibbur Yafe me-ha-yeshu'ah, 96-97; and Brinner, An Elegant Composition Concerning Relief after Adversity, 164-167. 13. Hirschberg, op. cit., 96 η. 1 ; and Brinner, op. cit., 164, 165 nn. 1 and 4. 14. Op. cit., 73. 15. Op. cit. 16. For subsequent versions, see Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch, 4:148-150 (a 1516 version from Constantinople); Eisenstein, Ozar Midrashim, 2:532-533; Levner, Kol Aggadot Yisra'el (All the Jewish legends); Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis, 154-155 no. 402; Gaster, Ma'aseh Book, 445-451 no. 198 (from 1602); and Maitlis, The Book of Stories,

135-141 no. 44. 17. "Parables of Solomon." See also Seymour, Tales of King Solomon, 39-42; and Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 6 1 - 6 3 no. 35. 18. Farhi, Oseh Pele (The miracle worker), 44-45; and Huzin, Sefer Ma'aseh Nissim (The book of miracle tales), 4 3 a 4 4 b no. 31. 19. Larrea Palacin, Cuentos populäres de los Judios del Norte de Marruecos, 126-130 no. 121. 20. Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale, 390-393. 21. Sefer Hammusar, 9 1 - 9 7 22. Schwarzbaum, "Le-Heker arba 'ah sippurei" (Toward an analysis of four tales), 184-186. 23. Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale 347, 390-393; and Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 4:136-138; 6:287 n. 33. 24. At 1:25. 25. Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 3:279-285. 26. Perry, Aesopica, 338 no. 42; and Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus, 4 2 8 4 2 9 no. 42. 27. Perry, Aesopica, 643-644 no. 627; and Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus, 551-552 no. 627. 28. Gaster, The Exampla of the Rabbis, 149-150, 256 no. 390. 29. Hermes, op. cit., 141-143 no. 22; and Schwarzbaum, "International Folklore Motifs in Petrus Alfonsi's Disciplina Clericalist 305-307 no. 22. 30. Tyroller, Die fabel von dem Mann und dem Vogel in ihrer Verbreitung in der Weltliteratur; and M. Campbell, "The Three Teachings of the Bird." 31. Either as the only advice or the last in a sequence of maxims, these counsels ( A5a) serve to restrain a husband who, on returning home finds a strange man in his wife's bedroom. This man turns out to be his grown-up son, whom he has not seen for many years. Such a tale is a narrative response to a classical narrative from the Aesopic tradition in which the father did not contain his anger and killed his son in similar circumstances. See Perry, Aesopica, 570-572 no. 501 ; and Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus, 273-276 no. 10 (tale type = 910B). The episode recurs in current Jewish narrative tradition from Afghanistan. See Kort, Bat ha-Melekh she-Hafkhah le-Zer Perahim (The princess who transformed into a wreath of flowers), 73-74. 32. The seven sticks parable. 33. Tale type = 1 6 5 1 "Whittington's Cat." 34. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 113-114 no. 46. 35. Published in Kort, Sippurei 'Am mi-pi Yehudei Afghanistan (Folktales of the Jews of Afghanistan), 99-100. 36. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 134-137 no. 63. 37. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 197-198 no. 103. 38. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 5 8 - 6 0 no. 22. 39. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 61 no. 23. See also Wistinetzki, Das Buch der Frommen, 61 no. 126. The tale is in the sixteenth-century kabbalistic tradition and appeared in Vidas, Sefer Reshit Hokhmah, 229 (first published 1579). A seventeenthcentury version of this tale is available in a manuscript and is included in Gaster, The Exempta of the Rabbis, 136 no. 367(40); the opening formula of the father's last words is missing, and the tale includes counsel A5a. The tale also occurs in the thirteenth-century Jewish tradition in Germany.

40. Published in Ashni, Be-simta'ot Tsefat (In the alleys of Safed), 103-110. 41. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 6 6 - 6 7 no. 26. Earlier sources are Jellinek, op. cit., 6:146-147; Eisenstein, op. cit., 2:339; Farhi, op. cit., 3:308-311 ; and Bin Gorion, op. cit., 449-450 no. 240. 42. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 164-165 no. 79. 43. Published in Baharav, Sixty Folktales, 236-239 no. 58. 44. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 101-103 no. 30. 45. Published in D. Noy. Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 178-181 no. 69. 46. Published in Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 97-98 no. 34 (valuable bibliographical information). 47. Published in Stahl, Stories of Faith and Morals, 85 no. 29. 48. Published in E. Marcus, Min ha-Mahu, 4 2 - 4 7 no. 9. 49. The narrative sequence closely follows the patterns that occur in medieval literary sources, discussed earlier in this note. 50. Published in Yehoshua, The Father's Will, 6 1 - 6 3 no. 11. 51. Published in Haimovits, Faithful Guardians, 6 1 - 6 6 no. 11. 52. Published in Cheichel, A Tale for Each Month 1967, 63-64 no. 6. 53. For an oral version of Story of the Jerusalemite, see Bin Gorion, op. cit., 373-384 no. 200. 54. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Libya, 7 8 - 8 0 no. 33 (an extensive bibliographical note). 55. Published in Cheichel, A Tale for Each Month 1968-1969, 89-96 no. 9. 56. Cf. IFA 10207 (vol. 4), which was also published in Babay, A Favor for a Favor, 2 3 - 3 0 no. 3. 57. This is an oral version of a tale that appears in medieval traditional sources; see the entry for tale IFA 7118 in this list and Bin Gorion, op. cit., 6 1 - 6 3 no. 35. 58. Babay, op. cit., 4 2 - 5 2 no. 8. 59. M. Cohen, op. cit., 3:22-23 no. 213. 60. Published in Alexander-Frizer and Noy, eds.. The Treasure of Our Fathers, 9 3 - 9 no. 14. 61. M. Cohen, op. cit., 3:22-23 no. 213. 62. Published in She'altiel, "Mishlei Teiman" (Yemenite proverbs), 168 no. 8. The tale explicates a Yemenite proverb in Judeo-Arabic, Avti ve-lo takhti (Slow down and you will not commit a crime).

Haifa Friend R E C A L L E D

BY

SHAUL

A N G E L - M A L A C H I

C / n c e there w a s a rabbi w h o had a son. T h i s son had m a n y f r i e n d s . "You h a v e such faith in all of y o u r f r i e n d s , " his f a t h e r told h i m . " H e a v e n f o r b i d y o u s h o u l d e v e r be in t r o u b l e . If y o u get in t r o u b l e you will see w h e t h e r y o u r f r i e n d s stand in line to help y o u . "Test t h e m , " he s u g g e s t e d . "Take a s h e e p ' s head, put it in a sack, and at m i d n i g h t , o n e o ' c l o c k in the m o r n i n g , g o k n o c k on the d o o r of y o u r best f r i e n d and tell him, ' L o o k , I ' m in a terrible scrape. I d o n ' t k n o w w h a t got into m e , but I g r a b b e d s o m e b o d y ' s head and killed h i m . Let m e c o m e inside and hide.' " [The best f r i e n d said,] " M y d e a r f r i e n d , I ' m a f r a i d they'll find you in my house." [The son] w e n t a r o u n d to all his f r i e n d s , a n d n o n e of t h e m w o u l d let h i m in. "You see," his f a t h e r told him, "I have only o n e f r i e n d , and even h i m I call half a f r i e n d . " "Father, send m e to y o u r f r i e n d , " he a n s w e r e d . T h e f r i e n d lived in E g y p t . T h e rabbi lived in the L a n d of Israel. T h i s f r i e n d gave the son a royal w e l c o m e . H e g a v e [the y o u n g m a n ] the k e y s to his w h o l e h o u s e , all his w e a l t h . H e m a d e h i m f e e l like a m e m b e r of the family. [The son] stayed there a long time. H e took the k e y s a n d o p e n e d w h a t e v e r s t o r e r o o m and c u p b o a r d he f e l t like. H e w a l k e d a r o u n d o u t s i d e (it w a s a large h o u s e with s p a c i o u s g r o u n d s ) . H e c a m e a c r o s s an outb u i l d i n g and tried to o p e n it, but n o n e of the k e y s fit. " W h a t is t h i s ? " he asked the servant. ' H e gave m e all his w e a l t h , but not t h i s ? " At o n c e he t h o u g h t a b o u t his father, h o w his f a t h e r h a d said "half a f r i e n d . " T h a t m u s t m e a n that he k n e w there w a s s o m e t h i n g . H e fell ill. H e lost w e i g h t b e c a u s e he w a n t e d to see w h a t w a s in the o u t b u i l d i n g . S o his host told him. M a n y y e a r s earlier, he had been very poor. T h e y b r o u g h t a girl to his city and w a n t e d to put her in a c o n v e n t , so he b o u g h t her. H e w a s p o o r a n d h a d no m o n e y f o r c e l e b r a t i n g Passover. So he w e n t to see if p e o p l e w o u l d lend him m o n e y to c e l e b r a t e Passover. H e had col-

lected three p o u n d s , w h e n this C h r i s t i a n c a m e and o f f e r e d to sell the girl a n d he b o u g h t her. Instead of b r i n g i n g h o m e f o o d , he b r o u g h t a n o t h e r m o u t h to f e e d . B u t f r o m that t i m e , he h a d b e c o m e rich. B e c a u s e he t h o u g h t she h a d b r o u g h t him luck he d i d n ' t want her to marry. Instead he built this h o u s e f o r her. T h e r e w e r e t w e n t y girls there to k e e p her c o m pany, in rotation. [The y o u n g m a n ] w a n t e d to see her. [The f r i e n d ] put her in a r o o m by herself. [The son] saw her and fell in love with her. " F o r my f r i e n d ' s son," the m a n said, " w h a t will be will be." H e m a r r i e d t h e m , and they traveled b a c k to the L a n d of Israel. T h e rich m a n b e c a m e poor. Little by little, not the w a y it h a p p e n s in stories. W h e n he w a s very poor, his w i f e told him, " G o visit you f r i e n d . A f t e r all, you [gave] him y o u r luck." S o he w e n t , but the [rabbi] said, "I d o n ' t k n o w y o u . " That night, s o m e o n e stole the k i n g ' s c r o w n . [The f r i e n d ] w a s sleeping in the street. T h e w a t c h m e n w h o w e n t l o o k i n g f o r the thief f o u n d h i m . "Yes," he said, "I stole this treasure." " W h e r e is it?" "I d o n ' t know." At the trial, h e w a s s e n t e n c e d to h a n g . T h e verdict w a s p u b l i s h e d t h r o u g h o u t the city. T h e rabbi, too, h e a r d a b o u t it a n d c a m e to the s c a f fold. T h e k i n g stood by the w i n d o w , o p p o s i t e the g a l l o w s . T h e y w e r e putting the n o o s e on the p o o r m a n , and the rabbi tried to pull the r o p e o n t o h i m s e l f . S e e i n g this, the king called out to the h a n g m a n : " S t o p ! " H e s u m m o n e d [the f r i e n d s ] inside. " W h y are you f i g h t i n g ? " he a s k e d . "I h a v e never heard of a n y t h i n g like this b e f o r e . " T h e rabbi e x p l a i n e d . "A Jew m u s t never rely on a h u m a n being. B a c k in his h o u s e , he t h o u g h t he c o u l d c o m e a n d I w o u l d help him. But I ' m only a h u m a n b e i n g . H e should have said, ' W i t h G o d ' s help, p e r h a p s I'll g o there, and p e r h a p s G o d will h e l p m e , and he will help me.' But s i m p l y to c o m e to m e , certain that I w o u l d help h i m ? S o I said I d o n ' t k n o w h i m . H e should ask G o d f o r help." "If t h a t ' s the kind of f r i e n d s you are, I w a n t to be the third."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 3 9 (IFA

16403)

Written down from memory by Shaul Angel-Malachi.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The theme of discerning a true from a false friend has at least four distinct narrative representations in the medieval European traditions: 1. Tale type 893 "The Unreliable Friend (The Half Friend)," in which the test of friendship involves an adapted form of motif H472.1 "Test of wife's ability to keep a secret: the buried sheep's head." 2. Exemplum, 2407 (Tubach) "Half-Friend," with motif P315 "Friends offer to die for each other," in which a rightly or falsely accused criminal obtains a temporary reprieve from execution to take leave of his family, while his friend stays as surety, ready to be hanged if he fails to show up. When the hangman is about to execute him, the convicted criminal rushes up to the gallows and demands to be hanged. The king pardons both and seeks their friendship. 2 3. Tales about a half friend (false friend) and the host's wife, in which motif P325 "Host surrenders his wife to his guest" informs the action; the guest falls in love with the other man's wife. 4. The allegory of the three friends: wealth, family, and one's own behavior. Narrative forms 2 and 3 are frequently combined. By focusing on the theme of "true friendship," narrative collectors and scholarly commentary about such tales often treat all four forms as being literarily related.

The Unreliable Friend The first documentation of narrative form 1 in Europe is in The Disciplina Clericalis by Petrus Alfons! (Moshe Ha-Sepharadi) (1062-1140), who converted to Christianity in 1106. 3 Heut 4 argued that the tale originated in India. Other early sources are available. 5 In Jewish literary and folk literary sources, the tale has been in print since the sixteenth century. A Hebrew text that, as Schwarzbaum 6 pointed out, was a translation of the first two tales of the Disciplina Clericalis appeared in Constantinople in 1516 and then in Venice in 1544 as Sefer Enoch (also spelled Henoch or Hanokh), bound together with Sefer Toldot Moshe (The chronicle of Moses). The text was later anthologized. 7 Turniansky 8 noted two Yiddish versions of this tale from the same time period. In the seventeenth century, the tale was included in a Spanish manuscript (Codex Gaster 130) 9 and in a Yiddish manuscript. The latter version combines narrative forms 1 and 2. 10 In Germany, Gliickel (Glikl) of Hameln (1645-1724) mentioned the story in her memoirs, which she began in 1690-1691 11 Farhi 12 anthologized the tale in the 1800s. A social-literary analysis of the tale has been published. 13

Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

In the IFA there are a number of versions of narrative form 1 : • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

IFA 38: The Bedouin Who Respected the Princess's Honor (Yemen). IFA 2196: A Loyal Acquaintance Is Better Than Many Friends (Iraq). 14 IFA 2798: A True Friendship (Eretz Yisra'el, Arabic). IFA 3988: The Loyal Friend (Afghanistan). 15 IFA 7800: What Is Preferable: One or a Thousand? (Afghanistan). IFA 7871 : A Haifa Friend (Iraqi Kurdistan). 16 IFA 9347: AhmedShala'abi Discovers His Wife (Iraqi Kurdistan). 17 IFA 10658: The Test of Friendship Is a Trouble (Greece). IFA 11492: The Beloved Friend and a Half (Iraq). IFA 11735: A Friendship Test (Iraqi Kurdistan). 18 IFA 11936: Why Does Water Flow? (Iraq). IFA 11976: Who Is Good and Who Is Bad (Iran). IFA 14591 : The Swarthy Woman's Son (Morocco). IFA 14710: The Rich and the Poor Brothers (Ethiopia). IFA 14892: The Son Who Had a Hundred Friends (Morocco). IFA 18137: Haifa Friend (Poland).

Other versions from the oral Sephardic tradition have been published. 19 Half Friend The earliest European documentation of narrative form 2 occurs in the Disciplina Clericalis;20 other medieval sources are also available. 21 Later written texts are the fifteenth-century Spanish exempla collection El libro de los Enxemplos22 and a Jewish text. 23 The latter was extracted from the introduction to Ma 'arikh, by Menahem ben Judah de Lonzano (b. 1550); Lonzano found the tale in a manuscript of MR Ecclesiastics.24 A folk literary adaption has also been published. 25 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Narrative form 2 is rather rare in the oral tradition; so far there are only two texts in the IFA: • •

IFA 13592: How Many Loving Friends Do You Have? (Iraq). IFA 18137: Haifa Friend (Poland).

Half Friend and the Host's Wife In the The Disciplina Clericalis, narrative forms 2 and 3 are combined; other medieval versions are known. 26 Separately and in combination, forms 2 and 3 occur in classical Roman and Near Eastern folk literature. Among the most well-known literary records of these narrative forms in ancient European and Renaissance literature are the stories Damon and Pythias (narrative form 2), which Cicero 27 succinctly reported twice, and Tito and

Gisippo (forms 2 and 3), in Boccaccio's Decameron.28 In the Arabian Nights sequence, The Tale of Attaf (forms 2 and 3)—also known as The Power of Destiny—is likely a late rendition. R. Burton included two versions in Supplement to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.29 The first versions have been dated to the late sixteenth century, whereas the second version was from a 1685 manuscript that was in the possession of Alexander J. Cotheal. 30 Three Friends The story of the three friends (narrative form 4), whether as a narrative or as an allegory, appears in the thirteenth-century collection of exempla by Jacques de Vitry, Exempla ex sermonibus vulgaribus Jacobi Vitriacensis.M In a Jewish tradition, likely from the eighth century, the referential objects of the allegory—family, money, and a person's own actions—are considered to be man's best friends, but only the last is reliable, serving him at the hour of death. The biblical proverb "Righteousness saves from death" (Proverbs 10:2, 11:4) serves as a proof text for this assumption. 32 The narrative form appears as a fully articulated allegorical narrative in the thirteen-century translation (from Arabic to Hebrew) of Abraham ben Samuel haLevi Ibn Hasdai's Ben ha-melekh ve-ha-nazir (The son of the king and the Nazarite). 33 According to Jacobs, 34 this parable occurs in the Arabic and Greek versions of Barlaam and Josaphat but has not yet been discovered in the Indian versions of the Life of Buddha; Hirsh made a similar comment. 35 Because Barlaam and Josaphat has been considered to be a Christian book of the sixth or seventh centuries, preceding Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer, I. Levi 36 regarded the tale among the Christian elements in the latter book. In the fourteenth century, Israel ibn Al-Nakawa incorporated this parable in Menorat hama'or2'‫'־‬and Isaac Aboab 38 (late fourteenth century) included it in a collection of the same title. Folktale Types • • • • •

893 "The Unreliable Friend (The Half-Friend)" (new ed.). 893 (El-Shamy) "The Unreliable Friend." 893 (Haboucha) "The Unreliable Friend (The Half-Friend)." 893 (Jason) "The Unreliable Friend." cf. 1381C "The Buried Sheep's Head" (new ed.). 2216 ‫״‬ (Tubach) "Friendship Tested."

Folklore Motifs •

cf. H472.1 "Test of wife's ability to keep a secret: the buried sheep's head." • H1558 "Test of friendship."

• • •

Η1558.1 "Test of friendship: the half-friend." K525 "Escape by use of substitute object." K661 "Escape from suspicion of (feigned) crime."

Notes 1. First published in Angel-Malachi. Vidas en Jerusalem, 87-90. 2. For other medieval exempla about false and true friendship, see Tubach, Index Exemplorum, 176-177 nos. 2206-2216. 3. Hermes, The "Disciplina Clericalis" of Petrus Alfonsi, 106 no. 1; Schwarzbaum, "International Folklore Motifs in Petrus Alfonsi's 'Disciplina Clericalis"' ; and Schwarzbaum, Jewish Folklore between East and West, 255-261. 4. "La parabole des faux amis." 5. Swan and Hooper, Gesta Romanorum, 232-233 no. 129; Morel-Fatio, "El libro de Exenplos," 493-494 no. 18 (a fifteenth-century Spanish exempla collection); and Krappe, "Les sources du libro de exemplos," 18, no. 18. 6. "International Folklore Motifs in Petrus Alfonsi's 'Disciplina Clericalis,''" 286, and Jewish Folklore between East and West, 258. 7. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch, 6:xxxiii, 135-137 no. 10; Eisenstein, Ozar Midrashim, 2:335-336 no. 18; and Bin Gorion, MimekorYisrael, 3:1272-1275. 8. "Literary Sources in the Memoirs of Glikl Hamel." 9. See Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis, 134, 249 no. 360. 10. Maitlis, "Early Folktales in the Maase Buch and Outside It." 11. Lowenthal, The Memoirs of Gliickel of Hameln, 155-157; and Davis, Women on the Margins, 47-48. 12. Oseh Pele (The miracle worker), 2:91-112. 13. Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half, 248-258. 14. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 115-116 no. 55. 15. Published in Kort, Sippurei 'Am mi-Pi Yehudei Afghanistan (Folktales of the Jews of Afghanistan), 60-63. 16. Published in Rabbi, Avoteinu Sipru (Our fathers told), 3:147-149 no. 76. 17. In this tale, tale type 893 is the concluding episode in a multiepisodic version of tale type 850* A (IFA) "Hero Is Sent by Princess to Get Another's Story." 18. Published in D. Noy, ed., A Tale for Each Month 1978, 97-100 no. 7. 19. Crews. "The Friend and a Half"; Larrea Palacin, Cuentos populäres de los Judios del Norte de Marrueccos, 2:97-102 no. 115; and Koen-Sarano, Lejendas i kuentos morales de la tradisiôn d'Judeo-Espanyola, 256-261. 20. Hermes, op. cit., 107-109 no. 2; Schwarzbaum, "International Folklore Motifs in Petrus Alfonsi's 'Disciplina Clericalis,'" 286; and Schwarzbaum, Jewish Folklore between East and West, 258, in which it appears combined with narrative form 3. 21. S wan and Hooper, op. cit., 187-189 no. 108. 22. Morel-Fatio, op. cit.. 493 no. 17; and Krappe, op. cit., 17 no. 17. 23. Jellinek, op. cit., 4:142-144, 6:xxxiii, 135-137 no. 10. 24. Eisenstein, op. cit., 2:320-321, 335-336 no. 18; Bin Gorion, op. cit., 3:1272-1277; and Gaster, op. cit., 162, 263 no. 419. 25. Farhi, op cit., 2:91-112, 3:316-317; and Huzin, Sefer Ma'aseh Nissim (Miracles), 42b-43a no. 30.

26. Swan and Hooper, op. cit., 322-325 no. 171. 27. De Officiis 3, 45; and Tusculan Disputations, 5, 22. 28. Day 10, tale 8. For studies of the theme of the half friend and the host's wife, see Lee, The Decameron, 330-343; and Sorieri, Boccaccio's Story of Tito e Gisippo in European Literature. 29. See 6:167-222; Marzolph, van Leeuwen, and Wassouf, The Arabian Nights Encyclopedia, 108-109. 30. For further bibliographical references, see Chauvin, Bibliographie des ouvrages Arabes, 2:194 no. 15 (narrative form 1), 8:194-196 no. 235 (forms 2 and 3), 9:15-17 nos. 1 and 4 (form 1). 31. Crane, The Exempla or Illustrative Stories from the Sermons Vulgares, 55, 185-186 no. 55. 32. Pirkê de-Rabbi Eliezer 34:35-51 ; later in the eleventh or twelfth century in Yalkut Shim'oni 2:494 (on Isaiah 58). 33. Habermann, Ben ha-Melekh ve-ha-Nazir (The son of the king and the Nazarite), 86-91,294-295,324-329. 34. Barlaam and Josaphat, cxiii-cxiv. 35. Barlam and Josaphat, 201 (text pp. 57-58); see also Ikegami, Barlaam and Josaphat, 102. For a general study of the European versions of this book, see Peri (Pflaum), Der Religionsdisput der Barlaam-Legende. 36. "Elements Chretiens dans le Pirke Rabbi Eliezer." 37. Enelow, Menorat Ha-Maor, 3:120-121 (and references therein). 38. Menorat ha-Ma'or (Candlestick of lights), 589-590; and Bin Gorion, op. cit., 3:1321-1326.

The Man Who Knew All about Animals, Diamonds, and People '5‫ ־‬Character TOLD

BY

S H M U ' E L

RECANATI

TO

HEDA

JASON

( y h c e there w a s a p o o r m a n w h o had ten s o n s . O n e of t h e m w a s clever and k n e w all a b o u t a n i m a l s , d i a m o n d s , and p e o p l e ' s character. But he had n o luck and n o j o b . His f a t h e r w e n t to the king. H e told him, a m o n g o t h e r t h i n g s , "I h a v e a son w h o u n d e r s t a n d s a n i m a l s , d i a m o n d s , and p e o p l e ' s character." " F i n e , " said the king, " b r i n g h i m here." W h e n the y o u n g m a n arrived at court, the king instructed his c o o k to give him [the m a n ] half a loaf of b r e a d every day. Fine. T h i s w e n t on f o r o n e day, t w o d a y s , a w e e k , a m o n t h . T h e y o u n g man saw h o w things w e r e g o i n g . " T h i s is a l i v i n g ? " O n e day s o m e o n e gave the king a present, a horse. But this w a s no ordinary stallion. T h e r e w a s n o n e m o r e h a n d s o m e in the w h o l e world, with s u c h a long n e c k , a n d s u c h l e g s — i t h a d n o peer. T h e k i n g w a s very pleased with the gift. S u d d e n l y he r e m e m b e r e d . " T h e r e ' s s o m e o n e at my court w h o k n o w s all a b o u t a n i m a l s . Call that m a n ! " T h e y s u m m o n e d the y o u n g m a n . W h e n he c a m e , he g l a n c e d at the h o r s e . "You m u s t not ride this horse, Your M a j e s t y . It will kill y o u . " "How do I know that's true?" " G e t t h e m to bring a c o n d e m n e d prisoner, and then y o u ' l l see." S o they f e t c h e d a c o n d e m n e d prisoner. " M o u n t this h o r s e and run away," the king told h i m . " I t ' s y o u r c h a n c e f o r f r e e d o m . " T h i s p r i s o n e r w a s a s t o u n d e d at this turn of events. But f r e e d o m is f r e e d o m ! S o he c l i m b e d on the h o r s e and g a l l o p e d away, f a r t h e r and farther. T h e k i n g w a t c h e d as he g a l l o p e d out of sight, still visible o n l y t h r o u g h field glasses. " W h a t ' s t h i s ? ! " d e m a n d e d the k i n g of the y o u n g m a n . "You said it w o u l d kill m e ! " " P a t i e n c e , Your M a j e s t y . Wait j u s t a bit longer." Just then the horse threw the p r i s o n e r and t r a m p l e d h i m to d e a t h .

" G i v e this m a n a n o t h e r half a loaf every day," the king instructed his cook. T i m e passed. O n e day, s o m e o n e b r o u g h t a d i a m o n d to the king and o f f e r e d to sell it to him. T h e price: its w e i g h t in gold. But y o u ' v e never seen such a large d i a m o n d ! T h e king w a s e a g e r to buy it. His servants b r o u g h t a b a l a n c e and b e g a n to fill the o t h e r pan with g o l d . H o w e v e r m u c h they p u t in, t h o u g h , it w a s n ' t e n o u g h . W h a t w a s g o i n g o n ? T h e n the k i n g rem e m b e r e d the y o u n g m a n . " F e t c h him here," he o r d e r e d . T h e y b r o u g h t him to the k i n g . "You u n d e r s t a n d t h e s e t h i n g s ? " h e asked the y o u n g m a n . "Yes." " H o w m u c h is the d i a m o n d w o r t h ? " T h e y o u n g m a n w e n t over and r e m o v e d the gold f r o m the b a l a n c e . In its p l a c e he took a pinch of a s h e s and set it on the pan, o p p o s i t e the diam o n d . At o n c e the pan with the a s h e s fell a n d the pan with the d i a m o n d shot up. " W h a t ' s g o i n g on h e r e ? " " I t ' s not a d i a m o n d . It's a c o w ' s eye." T h e y k i c k e d the m e r c h a n t out. " G i v e this m a n a n o t h e r half a loaf of b r e a d every day," the king told his c o o k . T h e y o u n g m a n w e n t back to his place. S o m e time later, the king said, " W e ' v e a s k e d h i m a b o u t t w o of his s p e c i a l t i e s , but not yet the third. S u m m o n him." T h e y c a l l e d h i m b e f o r e the k i n g . "Tell m e , you also u n d e r s t a n d p e o pie's character? "Yes." " T h e n tell me. W h a t d o you u n d e r s t a n d about m e ? W h o a m I?" "You? You're a bastard!" "What?!!" " T h a t ' s right. Y o u ' r e a b a s t a r d . " W h e n night fell, the king w e n t and k n o c k e d mother's house. " W h o ' s there?" " I t ' s m e , y o u r son." S h e o p e n e d the d o o r and he e n t e r e d . H e d r e w his against her s t o m a c h . "Tell m e , w h o a m I ? " " Y o u ? W h a t ' s the m a t t e r ? Y o u ' r e a king, the son "If you d o n ' t tell m e the truth I'll kill y o u ! " A n d even c l o s e r to her skin.

on the d o o r of his

s w o r d and stuck it u p

of a king." he b r o u g h t the s w o r d

" Y o u ? Well, you k n o w y o u r father, that is, the king, w a s n ' t worth anyt h i n g . A n d w e h a d a baker, w h o w a s so h a n d s o m e , so strong. You c a m e f r o m h i m . N o w w h a t d o you w a n t ? " H e left her. T h e next day he s u m m o n e d the y o u n g m a n . " W h o told you I ' m a b a s t a r d ? Is that w h a t they say in the s t r e e t ? " "No, Heaven forbid!" " S o h o w d o you k n o w ? " " W h a t d o you m e a n ? I saved y o u r life. I saved you a lot of money. A n d the only reward you give m e is half a loaf of b r e a d ! You have to be a real bastard to d o that." T h e king gave him a sack of gold and let him bring his entire f a m i l y to j o i n h i m at c o u r t — a n y t h i n g , j u s t so he w o u l d k e e p the k i n g ' s secret to himself!

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 0 ( I F A

6402)

Recorded by Heda Jason from Shmu'el Recanati in 1965 in

Jerusalem.

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale is a riddling narrative in which "the riddler, the riddlee, the riddle, and the solution" 1 occur within the narrative. In Jewish tradition, and in the folklores of other cultures as well, there are two principle forms of this genre: allegorizing tales and riddles. Allegorizing Tales Allegorizing tales transform individuals, objects, and even abstract ideas into coded messages. For example, in tale type 1533 "The Wise Carving of the Fowl" (a example of which is found in the fifth-century Palestinian midrash MR Lamentations 1,1:4), the chicken parts signify the relation that each person around the dinner table has to the family as a whole: head = the master of the house, stomach = the wife and mother, legs = the two sons, wings = the two daughters, and body (in a boat shape) = the guest. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Jews who tell some variation of this story today are mostly from Islamic countries: • • • • • • • • •

IFA 822: The Division (Eretz Yisra'el. Beduin); followed by tale type 1533. IFA 895: Dividing the Chicken (Iraq). IFA 1714: He Who Diggeth a Pit Shall Fall Therein ( Iraq). 2 IFA 3534: A Fair Division (Eretz Yisra'el, Beduin); followed by tale type 1533. IFA 5692: The Impoverished Prince (Iraq). 3 IFA 7025: The Graceful Rooster (Iraq). IFA 1 1459: He Who Has Found a Wife Has Found Great Good (Iran). 4 IFA 11630: Human Jealousy (Iraq). IFA 13972: Dividing the Chicken (Eretz Yisra'el, Beduin). 5

Riddles Mathematical

Riddles

Tale type 1663 "Dividing Five Eggs Equally between Two Men and One Woman" and motif J1241.1 "Dividing two sheep and a ram: trickster to divide with two friends" are examples of tales that include humorous mathematical riddles. Such a tale precedes the riddle narrative in MR Lamentations mentioned above and is a midrashic version of tale type 1533B§ (El-Shamy) "Division: Odd or Even?" in which the guest has to divide seven fowls among five diners. He gives one bird to

the husband and wife, one to the two daughters, one to the two sons, and takes two for himself, giving an ironic twist to the idea of fairness, as each unit is made up of three objects (see also tale IFA 9240 [vol. 1 ]). Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

There is only one version of the humorous mathematical riddle form in the IFA: •

IFA 10104: The Clever Boy and His Father's Will (Greece).

Divinatory

Deductive

Riddle

Narratives

The divinatory deductive riddle narrative is seen in tale types 655 "The Wise Brothers" and 655A "The Strayed Camel and the Clever Deductions," both of which are seen with the central motif of the present tale, J1661.1.2 "Deduction: the king is a bastard." It approximates the true riddle in narrative form. According to Taylor, 6 the true riddles are "descriptions of objects in terms intended to suggest something entirely different." This type of riddle involves a narrative redefinition of a situation. The apparent reality is deceptive or enigmatic, and the riddle solver unmasks or deducts the unknown truth from appearance. Tale types 655 and 655A, which share several motifs and episodes that make up the present tale, have been the subject of several studies and bibliographical surveys. 7 S. Thompson 8 considered this type of tale, which has "been taken over by the tellers of oral tales," to be "purely literary, having a place in most of the important collections of artistic tales, both of the Orient and of Europe, but being reported orally only from Norway, Denmark, Estonia and Russia, though rarely even in these countries." The present text and the other versions in the IFA demonstrate that the geographical distribution and historical depth of the tale are greater than has been previously documented. Narrative

Sequence

Narrators have organized the riddle narratives of tale types 655 and 655A into three different narrative frames, with their appropriate sequences. These types occur singularly and in combination. So far, Jewish sources from the late antiquities offer the earliest documentation of these two tale types. The first sequence, found in MR Lamentations, consists of the following riddie narratives: 1. The canine source of the meat (motifs = F647.5.1 "Marvelous sensitiveness: meat is dog's flesh. Animal has been suckled by dog," J1661.1.5.1 "Deduction: animal has been brought up on dog's milk"). 2. The necrological source of wine (motif = F647.1 "Marvelous sensitiveness: meat [wine] tastes of corpse"). 3. The illegitimacy of the king, chief, or master of the house (motif = J1661.1.2 "Deduction: the king is a bastard"). A similar sequence involving Rabbi Akiva and a person from Athens occurs

in Kallah Rabbati (10:55b). This source was dated by two different scholars to the third and eighth centuries, respectively. It consists of riddle narratives 2 and 1, with two additional acts: 4. Urine in the pickle jar. 5. Beetles in the mustard, and concludes with riddle narrative 3. In these tales, the diagnoses of objects and people occur in hospitality situations. In MR Lamentations and the Kallah Rabbati, the host learns the information by eavesdropping on the conversation of his guests—a narrative device that persists in these tale types well into the Middle Ages in Jewish, Arabic, and European renditions. For example, the same narrative frame is maintained in the medieval European versions of this tale found in the Gesta Danicum of Saxo Grammaticus. 9 The second sequence, corresponding roughly to tale type 655A, occurs in a different story in the same cycle in MR Lamentations (I, 1:12). 10 The sequence consists of the following riddle narratives: 6. The one-eye blindness of the camel (motif = J 1661.1.1 "Deduction: the one-eyed camel"). 7. The pregnancy of the camel with twins. 8. The load on the camel's back—wine, oil, iron, a pregnant woman (tale type 655A). 9. The distance of the camel. 10. The ethnic identity of camel's guides—one Jew, the other gentile. Oral versions include some further riddle narratives: 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19.

Tithe was not taken from the flour for the couscous. The cook is in her menses. The shortness of the camel's tail. Inadequacy of preparing the dough. The maiden was the last born. The mare sucked a camel's milk. The fondness of the king for fish and sea. The camel belongs to a king. The camel is lame.

A similar sequence, consisting of riddle narratives 6, 8, and 10, occurs in BT Sanhédrin ( 104b). Only in the Middle Ages is there any evidence in Jewish tradition for a narrative synthesis of these two sequences into a single continuous story. Such a combined tale appears in A b o a b " (riddle narratives 4, 8, 7, 10, 3, 1, and 2). In this version, the episode concerning the legitimacy of the master serves as a pivotal narrative between the camel and the culinary sequences. Another version, likely from the same period, occurs in Gaster 12 (riddle narratives 4, 8, 10, 1,

2, and 3). In a medieval literary work by Joseph ben Meir ibn Zabara (born c. 1140), Sefer Sha'ashuim,3‫ י‬the clever girl in the story refers to tale type 655A. However, in the seventeenth-century Yiddish tale collections, the two tale types appear as distinct, albeit related, narratives. Tale type 655A, which is found in BT Sanhédrin (104b), is rendered in Gaster's Ma'aseh Book as tale number 154 and in MR Lamentation as tale number 155. Tale type 655A is also found in tale number 223 in the Ma'aseh Book. That tale, however, concludes not with tale type 655, but with tale type 976A "The Thief Exposed by a Story," in which the rabbi identifies the thief by the thief's own projective identification with the characters in his own story. In ancient and medieval Jewish traditions, the clever people in the tales in BT Sanhédrin and the Ma'aseh Book are two Jewish captives, led by a gentile who comes to recognize their superior minds; in the medieval Arabic tales, however, they are brothers who go on a mission to settle an inheritance dispute. 14 In the Arabian Nights, the tale is known as The Story of the Sultan of Al-Yaman and His Three Sons.15 Burton translated the version that is found in the third volume of the Wortly-Montague manuscript. 16 A reappraisal of this manuscript and its importance has been published. 17 Such a rendition is still current in the oral tradition of Arab and Balkan societies, although with some variations on the riddle narratives. 18 A version reported from Palestinian Arabs is available. 19 Balkan versions are also recorded. 20 A story that combined tale types 655 and 655A, known in Europe since the late twelfth century or early thirteenth, became part of the frame narrative of Peregrinaggio di tre figuoli del re di Serendippo (1557). 21 As Cammann, 22 convincingly demonstrated, this small volume, authored by Christoforo Armeno, is an adaptation of the Persian poem "Hasht bihisht" (Eight paradises), completed in 1302 by Amir Khusrau of Delhi (1253-1325), who was hailed as "the greatest Persian poet that India ever produced." After reading the Peregrinaggio, Horace Walpole (1717-1797) coined the word "serendipity," and the concept and the term took on a life of their own. 23 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

The versions of tale type 655 in the IFA are mostly told by people from Arab countries and do not follow the ancient Jewish narrative model. Instead, they are of tale type 479 (Nowak), "Ali," which is comparable to tale type 655*C (IFA) "The Father's Will." The riddle narratives are defined above. IFA 1357: The King and the Three Brothers (Yemen); 24 riddle narratives = 1 + 2 (combined), 3, 12. • IFA 1477: The Inheritance (Yemen); riddle narratives = 19, 6, 13, 3 (the judge is a son of a Jew), 12, 1. • IFA 1507: The Clever Bedouin Reads Footsteps in the Sand (Eretz Yisra'el, Druz); riddle narratives = 6, 8, 13, 9 + a person's footsteps. •

• • •

•

• • • • ‫״‬ • • • • • • •

•

IFA 1730: The Inheritance (Iraq); riddle narratives = 6, 3, 12, 2; tale type = 920C "Shooting at the Father's Corpse Test of Paternity." IFA 1938: Three Clever Brothers before a Judge (Iraq); riddle narratives = a woman's footsteps, 3, 12, 1. IFA 3491 : King Solomon and the Three Brothers (Turkey); riddle narratives = 2, 1; tale types = 976 "Which Was the Noblest Act?," 976A "The Thief Exposed by a Story." IFA 5115: The Three Brothers (Iraqi Kurdistan); riddle narratives = 6, 8 + woman's footsteps; tale types = 976 "Which Was the Noblest Act?, 976A "The Thief Exposed by a Story." IFA 5179: The Bastard-Clever King and the Rich Man's Sons (Morocco); riddle narratives = 1 , 1 1 , 3 . IFA 6851 : In the Days of the Judges (Iraq); riddle narratives = 6, 8, 13, 12, 1,3. IFA 7439: The Wisdom of the Jerusalemites (Iraq); riddle narratives = 6, 7, 9, 10. IFA 8047: The Wisdom of a Man of the Desert (Iraq); riddle narratives = 6, 8, 7. IFA 9432: The Camel's Features (Afghanistan); riddle narratives = 6, 8. IFA 9494: The Clever Bedouin (Eretz Yisra'el, Bedouin); 25 riddle narratives = a fat limping man's footsteps + 6, 8, 9. IFA 9553 (vol. 3): The Lucky Son (Morocco): riddle narratives = 15, 16, 3 (the king is a Jew). IFA 9942: The Inheritance of the Three Sons (Eretz Yisra'el, Bedouin); riddie narratives = 1, 14, 3. IFA 10204: The Three Princes (Iran); riddle narratives = 6, 8, 3, 1, 17; tale types = 576 "The Magic Bird-Heart," 653 "The Four Skillful Brothers." IFA 10302: The Three Men and the Camel's Owner (Yemen); 26 riddle narratives = 8, 6, 13, 1 , 2 , 3 . IFA 12001 : The Four Sages from Israel (Iraq); riddle narratives = 1, 2, 3. IFA 12328: Ali and Ali Mafish (Nothing) (Yemen); riddle narratives = 6, 13, 18, 1, 2, 3 (the host is a son of a Jew); tale type = 920C-*D (IFA) "Adhesion of Blood." IFA 12711 : King Solomon and the Three Golden Balls (Turkey); riddle narratives = 6, 8, 1,2; tale type = 976 "Which Was the Noblest Act?"

Ironic Divination

and Riddle

Narratives

The ironic divinatory deductive riddle narrative is exemplified by tale type 655*B (IFA) "The Clever Advisor and the King's Reward," of which the present tale is a rendition. Its earlier literary documentation is from the Middle Ages, though it can be traced to the late antiquities in Donatus's Life of Virgil Ρ The horse in this early version is not vicious, but simply a sick mare. In the Arabian Nights this tale

is known as The Story of the Three Sharpers, which, like the deductive riddle tale (discussed above). Burton 28 translated from the Wortely-Montague manuscript. In this version, three different individuals each have a unique ability, which in later versions one person possesses. In the Middle Ages, the tale occurs in European narrative traditions, for example, in the late-thirteenth-century IINovellino.29 In this medieval version, as in the present text and many other versions, riddle narrative 3 is preceded by two other riddle narratives, previously documented only in the Arabian Nights: 20. The ferocity of a horse (motif Β17.1.4 "Hostile horse"). 21. The falsehood or worthlessness of a diamond (motif "Deduction: insect inside precious stone").

J1661.1.6

This narrative form occurs in later Jewish tradition, 30 and is current in twentieth-century oral traditions of Yiddish, Judeo-Spanish, and Arabic-speaking Jewish communities. Previously published Ashkenazic versions exist, 31 as do comparative notes for this tale. 32 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

The versions in the IFA are as follows. The riddle narratives are described above. • • • •

• •

IFA 327: A Judge of Horses, Diamonds, and Men (Hungary); 33 riddle narratives = 20, 21, 3. IFA 2431 : The Clever Son and the King (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); 34 riddle narratives = 11, 12, 3. IFA 2462: The Sheik's Widow and Her Clever Slave (Iraq); 35 riddle narratives = 12, 11,3. IFA 4314: The Kadi and Sheik (Eretz Yisra'el, Bedouin); 36 riddle narratives = a hawk that acts like a chicken, a mare that behaves like a cow, the sheik's wife is a gypsy, sheik himself is a baker's son. IFA 4325: A Gypsy Son of a Gypsy (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); riddle narrative = 3. IFA 6033: The King Is a Bastard (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); 37 riddle narratives = the wine is poisoned, 21,3.

‫ ״‬IFA 12207: The Fellow Who Knew All about Animals, Diamonds, and •

People's Character (Poland); riddle narratives = 21, 20, 3. IFA 14851 : The Old Woman Who Revealed the King's Secrets (Iran); riddle narratives = 21, 20 (variation), 3.

The two versions told by Shmu'el Recanti, the narrator of the present story, include or allude to exempla number 141—Alexander, Stone o/ 3 8 —which tells about the precious stone that Alexander received. It outweighs everything, but weighs nothing when covered with dust. The false gift of an eye presented as a diamond combines two medieval allegories. The first employs the eye metonymically as a subject and the diamond as the object of the insatiable human greed that

dust, as a metaphor for death, makes nil. Its earliest record is in BT Tamid 32b. It was later part of the story known as Iter ad Paradisum, which was popular in the medieval Romance of Alexander.39 Further references to Jewish versions of the romance are available 40 as are discussions of riddling and riddle narratives. 41

Folktale Types • • •

• • • • • • • •

655 "The Wise Brothers." 655 "The Wise Brothers" (new ed.). 655/655A (Camarena and Chevalier) "Los hermanos sabios y sus deducciones acerca de la mula perdida" (The Wise Brothers and Their Deductions about the Lost Mule). 348 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Die Detektive ΙΓ (The Detective II). 655 (El-Shamy) "The Wise Brothers. The King (Judge) Is a Bastard." 655*B (Haboucha) "The Clever Advisor." 655*B (IFA) "The Clever Advisor and the King's Reward." cf. 655*C (IFA) "The Father's Will." 655*B (Jason) "The Clever Advisor and the King's Reward." 655 (Marzolph) "Die Schlauen Brüder" (The Clever Brothers). 500 (Tubach) "Bastard Son Revealed."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ • •

H505.1 "Test of cleverness: uttering three truths." H961 "Task performed by cleverness." H962 "Task performed by close observation." J30 "Wisdom (knowledge) acquired from inference." J1113 "Clever boy." J1140 "Cleverness in deduction of truth." J1661 "Clever deductions." J1661.1 "Deduction from observation." J1661.1.2 "Deduction: the king is a bastard." J1675 "Clever dealing with a king." *K 142.1 "Sale of a cow's eye as diamond." M341 "Death prophesied." P10 "Kings." *PI65 "Poor men." P231 "Mother and son." *P251.6.5.1 "Ten brothers." Z71.16.2 "Formulistic number: ten."

Notes 1. Hasan-Rokem, Web of Life, 53. 2. Published in Haimovits, Faithful Guardians,

59-61 no. 10.

3. Published in E. Marcus, Min Ha-Mabua (From the fountainhead), 93-94 no. 22. 4. D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month: 1976-1977, 140-143 no. 22. 5. Published in Diab, Sod Ha-Minhara be-Har Tavor (The secret of the tunnel in the Tavor Mountain), 55-57 no. 6. 6. English Riddles from Oral Tradition, 1. 7. Bacher, "Alter Jüdischer Volkswitz in der Muhammedanischen Literatur"; Chauvin, Bibliographie des ouvrages Arabes, 7:158-161 no. 438; Marzolph, van Leeuwen, and Wassouf, The Arabian Nights Encyclopedia, 1:258, 402-403; R. Fick and A. Hilka, eds. Die Reise der Drei Söhne‫־‬, Fischer and Bolte, Die Reise der Söhne Giaffers, 198-202; Fraenkel, "Die Scharfsinnsproblem"; Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis, 31-32, 195, 138-139, 251 nos. 51, and 372; Krappe, "Les sources du librode exemplos," esp. 39; Lévi, "Contes Juifs"‫־‬, Perles, "Rabbinische Agada's in 1001 Nacht"‫־‬, Schick, Die Scharfsinnsproben, 3 8 4 4 0 1 ; Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 204-221; Tauscher, Volksmärchen aus dem Jeyporeland, 59-62, 178; and Wesselski, Märchen des Mittlealters, 100-106, 222-225 no. 37. 8. The Folktale, 82-83. 9. See Fisher and Davidson, Saxo Grammaticus, 1:87-89 (93-94); Olrik, "Märchen in Saxo Grammaticus"‫־‬, and W. Hansen, Saxo Grammaticus and the Life of Hamlet, 136-139. 10. S. Buber, Midrash Echa Rabbati, l:25a-25b (49-50). 11. Menorat ha-Ma 'or (Candlestick of lights), 660 no. 305; this is partially translated in Rappoport, The Folklore of the Jews, 250. 12. Op. cit., 31-32 no. 51. The text is likely from the fourteenth century. For a discussion of the text that Gaster published and the controversy about its dating, see P. Alexander, "Gaster's Exempla of the Rabbis: A Reappraisal"; Kushelevsky identified a fourteenth-century Iranian manuscript—no. 1970 in the Jewish National and University Library in Jerusalem—as a copy of the same collection that Gaster published in his Exempla of the Rabbis. However, this manuscript begins with tale no. 130 of Gaster's collection and hence does not include the present story. See Kushelevsky, "Some Remarks on the Date and Sources of 'Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot.'" 13.1. Davidson, Sepher Shaashuim, 39. 14. Chauvin, op. cit. 15. Burton, Supplement to the Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, 5(15):3-15. 16. Found in the Bodleian Library (Oxford University), Bodleian Oriental 552. 17. Moussa-Mahmoud, "A Manuscript Translation of the Arabian Nights in the Beckford Papers." 18. El-Shamy, Folktales of Egypt, 108-114, 266-267 no. 16; Basset, Contes populaires d'Afrique, 109-115 no. 39; Marzolph, van Leeuwen, and Wassouf, The Arabian Nights Encyclopedia, 4 0 2 4 0 3 ; and C. Campbell, From Town and Tribe, 171-179 (from Iraq). 19. Y. Rabbina, Mi-Sippurei Shomer Ivri ve-Aggadot Shkheneinu (Stories of a Hebrew watchman and our neighbors' legends), 69-75. 20. Dawkins, Forty-Five Stories from the Dodekanese, 318-326 no. 31 ; and Dawkins, Modern Greek Folktales, 4 2 9 4 3 4 no. 72. 21. Remer, Serendipity and the Three Princes, 57-72. 22. "Christopher the Armenian and the Three Princes of Serendip," esp. 238-252. 23. Explored in depth in Merton and Barber, The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity.

24. Noted in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 361. 25. Published in Cheichel, A Tale for Each Month 1972, 75-77 no. 12 (analytical notes on 125-129). 26. Published in Gamlieli. The Chambers of Yemen, 55-58 no. 13. 27. Summarized in J. Dunlop, History of Prose Fiction, 2:47. 28. Burton, op. cit., 5(15): 19-35. 29. Lo Nigro, Novellino e Conti del Duecento, 6 7 - 7 0 no. 3; and Consoli, The Novellino or One Hundred Ancient Tales, 18-21 no. 3. 30. Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis, 138-139 no. 372 (68), cited from Codex Gaster 66, the Persian manuscript of the seventeenth or eighteenth century. This tale incorporates riddle narratives 21, 20, and 3. 31. Sadan, Ka'arat Egozim ο Elef Bedihah u-Bhdihah (A bowl of nuts or a thousand and one jokes), 323327 no. 611 (riddle narratives 20, 21, and 3); N. Gross, Maaselech un Mesholim, 229-232 (riddle narratives 5 and 6): and Nahmad, A Portion in Paradise and Other Jewish Folktales, 141-142 32. Published in Schwarzbaum, op. cit. 33. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 9 1 - 9 3 no. 36. 34. Published in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 234-236 no. 92 and told on another occasion by Shmu'el Recanati, the narrator of the present text. 35. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 205-207 no. 108. 36. This tale was told by a Sephardi who lived in Jerusalem. Another version was published in Rabbina, op. cit., 17-24. 37. This tale was told by the narrator of the present story. 38. Tubach, Index Exemplorum. 39. See the study in Crane, "The Mountain of Nida." 40. Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 103-104 no. 48. 41. Ben-Amos, "Narrative Forms in the Haggadah," 180-193; Hasan-Rokem, "Perspectives of Comparative Research of Folk Narratives in Aggadic Midrashim"; Hasan-Rokem, '"Spinning Threads of Sand' " (and other theoretical articles in the same volume); Hasan-Rokem, Web of Life, 50-78; D. Noy, "Hidot bi-Se'udat Hatunah" (Riddles at the wedding party); Pagis, A Secret Sealed; and Rosen-Moked, '"Testing with Riddles.'"

This, Too, Shall Pass TOLD

BY

YOSEF

SAPORTA

TO

R E ' U V E N

N A ' A N A H

C / n c e there w a s a king w h o h a d an intelligent and h o n e s t c o u n s e l o r ; all his a d v i c e to the king b o r e fruit. T h e king w a s e x t r e m e l y f o n d of him. B u t the o t h e r ministers, j e a l o u s of his c l o s e r e l a t i o n s h i p with the king, develo p e d a m o r t a l h a t r e d f o r h i m . T w o m i n i s t e r s in p a r t i c u l a r l o a t h e d h i m m o r e than the o t h e r s did. T h e y invented various f a l s e c h a r g e s and shared their s l a n d e r s with the o t h e r ministers. T h e n all the ministers agreed to inf o r m the k i n g of their final d e c i s i o n — e i t h e r h e d i s m i s s his c o u n s e l o r and s e n d h i m into e x i l e or they w o u l d all r e s i g n their p o s i t i o n s . T h e n they w e n t to the king. W h e n the king h e a r d their r e p o r t he k n e w the a c c u s a t i o n w a s f a l s e . B u t all the m i n i s t e r s acting in c o n c e r t w a s too strong f o r h i m to resist, and h e had n o c h o i c e but to a c c e d e to their d e m a n d . H e w e n t to his c o u n s e l o r and told him, " M y h o n e s t c o u n s e l o r , I have b a d n e w s f o r y o u . T h i s is h o w m a t t e r s stand. S i n c e I have n o c h o i c e , you m u s t leave the country." "Whatever His Majesty c o m m a n d s c o u n s e l o r , " s i n c e I a m y o u r servant. But " W h a t is t h a t ? " asked the king. "I w o u l d like to p r e s e n t His M a j e s t y as a m e m e n t o , w h i c h he can look at a n d object.

I a m r e a d y to do," replied the I do have one wish." with a ring to w e a r on his f i n g e r r e m e m b e r m e . " T h e k i n g did not

I m m e d i a t e l y , the c o u n s e l o r m e a s u r e d the k i n g ' s f i n g e r and o r d e r e d a ring f r o m the s i l v e r s m i t h with the i n s c r i p t i o n " T h i s , too, shall p a s s " eng r a v e d on it. W h e n the ring w a s ready, he g a v e it to the king, w h o put it on his f i n g e r and l o o k e d at it and read the inscription. In his heart he t h o u g h t there m u s t certainly b e s o m e t h i n g h i d d e n b e h i n d these w o r d s and that his c o u n s e l o r had not had t h e m e n g r a v e d f o r n o r e a s o n . T h e k i n g a s k e d the exiled c o u n s e l o r to k e e p in t o u c h so he w o u l d k n o w his a d d r e s s . So it was. T h e c o u n s e l o r left the c o u n t r y but c o n t i n u e d to c o r r e s p o n d with the king.

W h a t h a p p e n s to all m e n h a p p e n e d to the king as well. P e o p l e are not a l w a y s in f i n e spirits; s o m e t i m e s they fall into a b l a c k m o o d . W h e n e v e r the king w a s in a bad h u m o r , he w o u l d look at the ring and laugh that this, too, shall pass. It w o r k e d the o t h e r way, too: W h e n e v e r he w a s in h i g h spirits, he w o u l d look at the ring a n d its m e s s a g e — t h a t this, too, shall p a s s — a n d then the king r e m e m b e r e d that p e o p l e are not a l w a y s in a g o o d mood. O n e day, the k i n g d o m b e c a m e involved in a b o r d e r d i s p u t e with the n e i g h b o r i n g c o u n t r y . R e l a t i o n s b e t w e e n the t w o g o v e r n m e n t s b e c a m e w o r s e a n d w o r s e ; the m i n i s t e r s did not k n o w w h a t to do. T h e king w a s in despair. H e g r i p p e d his h e a d as if he w e r e a b o u t to fall and s c r a t c h e d his h e a d with n e r v o u s f i n g e r s . T h e ring got e n t a n g l e d in his hair. T h e k i n g l o o k e d at it, read the inscription on it, a n d i m m e d i a t e l y r e m e m b e r e d his c o u n s e l o r . At o n c e , he w e n t to his m i n i s t e r s . " W h i c h of you w a s it w h o m a l i c i o u s l y leveled f a l s e c h a r g e s a g a i n s t m y c o u n s e l o r , on a c c o u n t of w h i c h he w a s b a n i s h e d f r o m his c o u n t r y t h o u g h i n n o c e n t ? If he w e r e here with us today, he w o u l d save us f r o m o u r peril." T h e m i n i s t e r s r e m a i n e d silent. But a l m o s t all of t h e m l o o k e d at their t w o c o l l e a g u e s w h o had d e v i s e d the plot. T h e t w o rose a n d w e n t to the king. "It w a s not f r o m m a l i c e that w e did this, but only out of envy, b e c a u s e of the excessive favor that w a s s h o w n him, m o r e than any of the rest of us." At o n c e , the k i n g d e c r e e d f o r t h e m the s a m e penalty m e t e d out to his c o u n s e l o r and sent a special c o u r i e r to s u m m o n him [the c o u n s e l o r ] to return. W h e n he r e c e i v e d the m e s s a g e , the c o u n s e l o r c a m e b a c k a n d rep o r t e d to the king. T h e king asked h i m h o w to deal with the n e i g h b o r i n g country, relations with w h i c h had g o n e f r o m bad to w o r s e . "I will g o alone and settle the entire affair," replied the c o u n s e l o r , "on c o n d i t i o n that the king give m e his a p p r o v a l and signature." T h e king w a s o v e r j o y e d , f o r he k n e w that he c o u l d rely on his c o u n selor. T h e king g a v e him a s i g n e d c o m m i s s i o n a u t h o r i z i n g h i m to settle the m a t t e r as he saw fit. W i t h this, the c o u n s e l o r traveled to the n e i g h b o r ing c o u n t r y , w h e r e he w a s r e c e i v e d w a r m l y b e c a u s e they k n e w him a n d his excellent qualities. A f t e r c o n c l u d i n g an a g r e e m e n t s a t i s f a c t o r y to both sides, the c o u n selor r e t u r n e d to his king and country. T h e king w a s d e l i g h t e d . " W h a t you h a d e n g r a v e d on the ring," he said, "is true: T h i s , too, shall pass." E v e r y t h i n g , h a p p y or sad, passes. You m u s t never lose heart.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 1 (IFA

4425)

Heard by Re'uven Na'anah, when he was in Latin America (1927-1934) from Yosef Saporta of Safed, whose family was from Morocco. Re'uven Na'anah submitted the tale to the IFA in 1962. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The tale consists of two segments, both of which have antecedents in Jewish tradition: (1) the maligned Jewish counselor in the court of an alien king, and (2) a narrative episode related to the formulaic saying "This, too, will pass."

The Maligned Jewish Counselor The Hebrew or Jewish counselor in the court of an alien king is a common figure in Jewish tradition, dating back to the biblical narrative. Various representations of this character, differing by gender and age, are known.' Such counselors became heroes of Jewish communities in exile, and their court conflicts represent historical and imaginative conflicts such communities encountered. In the biblical and apocryphal traditions, the counselors, with the exception of Ahikar—the ancient sage who was a counselor to the king of Assyria—are young and often, explicitly or implicitly, have romantic involvements inside or outside the court. In antiquities, there were two principal foreign courts in which Jews served as counselors: the Egyptian Pharaonic court in the south, in which Joseph and Moses were the chief Jewish figures; and Babylonian and Persian courts in the north, where Daniel and Zerubbabel served. Daniel was the wise captive Jewish youth in the court of Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel and the smart young man in the apocryphal book of Susanna. Zerubbabel, a scion of David, was the honest guard in Darius's court who was appointed as governor of the returnees to Jerusalem (Haggai 2:2). The life and wisdom of Ahikar/Ahiqar are known through the book The Words of Ahiqar, which dates to the seventh to sixth centuries B.C.E. and is of undetermined provenance. Although not necessarily Jewish in origin, the book was popular among the Jews of antiquity. For many years, his story was considered to be fictional folklore, but recent discoveries suggest the historicity of the figure of Ahikar as a counselor in the court of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon (680-699 B.C.E.).2 Ahikar, whose story is the model narrative for tale type 922A, was known within the Jewish tradition, but the book about him did not become part of the Jewish canon. 3 The tales from the two courts differ in regard to the roles women play in the narratives. In the tales about the Jew, or more precisely the Hebrew, in the Egyptian court, women have a romantic role; however, in the northern traditions in stories such as Esther and Judith, women take an active role, albeit using their sex appeal to gain political or even military power to save their people. The biblical figure of Joseph (Genesis 39^17) has become not only the ar-

chetypical righteous man, "the Tzadik," having overcome sexual temptation, but also the archetypical counselor in the court of an alien king, a role that the postbiblical literature expands. In the apocryphal, originally Greek, Book of Joseph and Asenenth (first century B.C.E. to second century c.E.), Joseph becomes the hero of the Egyptian Jewish community. The story relates Joseph's romance and marriage with the daughter of an Egyptian nobleman. 4 In the Hellenistic-Jewish literary tradition, Joseph's position in the court is uncontested; but in the Babylonian Talmud and later midrashim, there is evidence of a tradition that the other counselors, who were court astrologers, challenged Pharaoh's decision to promote him (BT Sotah 36b). 5 The story of Moses in the Pharaonic court has a different biblical basis than that of Joseph, yet Moses' role as a courtier follows a similar pattern. Moses traveled south, heading a military rather than economic mission as Joseph did, and the daughter of a local monarch fell in love with him. The story was first documented by Josephus in Jewish Antiquities:6 The tale occurs in other, likely unrelated, sources from about the same period; therefore, it is reasonable to assume, with Rajak, 7 that the story circulated orally before it was written down by Josephus and the Hellenistic-Jewish writer Artapanus. Eusebius (260-340), church father and bishop of Caesarea, quoted in his Praepartatio Evanggelica the work of Artapanus as it was cited in the first-century compendium of Alexander Polyhistor. 8 The theme of war against the Ethiopians, but not the romantic narrative, occurs in the historical accounts about Osiris, Sesostris (Sesoösis), and Semiramis that the Greek historian Diodorus of Sicily 9 (first century B.C.E.) reported. Artapanus attributed to Moses some of the qualities of a cultural hero and a founder of social institutions that Diodorus 10 told about Osiris. Artapanus portrayed Moses not only as an alien in the Pharaonic court but also as a cultural hero, the founder of religious cults, the inventor of hieroglyphic writing, and as the person who divided Egypt into thirty-six nomes (administrative districts) (see also the notes to tale IFA 10085 [vol. I]). 11 The story of Moses in Ethiopia did not occur in the talmudic-midrashic sources and reappeared in Jewish literature only in the Middle Ages, in the tenthcentury The Chronicles of Moses, the late-thirteenth- to early-fourteenth-century The Chronicles of Jerahmeel, and in the Sefer Ha-Yashar (the dating of which to the eleventh or twelfth century has been questioned by Dan, 12 who proposed a date closer to its publication in 1553). A variant of this story appeared also in the Christian medieval text Palaea Historical In the tradition of rewriting the biblical narrative, The Chronicles of Moses fills in the period of Moses' absence from the Egyptian court (Exodus 2:15) with a story of his service as a military adviser in the court of King Kikanos of Ethiopia and, after Kikanos's death, his ascension to the throne and marriage to Kikanos's widow. The story of Moses in Kikanos's court is analogous, if not similar, to the tale of Joseph in Pharaoh's court. 14 The role of a Jew as a strategic counselor in the court of a foreign king con-

tinued to appear in Jewish folklore literature. For example, in the Hasidic tradition, the father of Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem Τον is described as being a military adviser to the foreign ruler who held him captive. Like Joseph and Moses, he too has a romantic entanglement with the ruler's daughter. 15 In contrast with the southern Hellenistic-Jewish tradition, the narratives that developed in the exile north of the biblical land, mainly in the courts of the Babylonian and Persian kings, were about two main figures—Daniel and Esther, whose stories are recounted in the biblical books bearing their names. Esther's story and her role in the court differ from those of Daniel and belong to a different narrative cycle. Daniel, on the other hand, was described as a wise man and an interpreter of dreams. 16 However, the story that resonates most vibrantly in the present tale is also the oldest known tale of a counselor to a foreign king—namely the tale of Ahikar (seventh to sixth century B.C.E.).17 In both the oldest and the present tale, the wise man vindicates himself by helping the king ward off an enemy's challenge, a conclusion also seen in a later version. 18 A comparative note on the Ahikar story has been published. 19 This, Too, Will Pass The Hebrew formula gam ze ya'avor (this too will pass), abbreviated as GZY, has, according to currently available information, two interdependent courses of transmission. In Sephardic and Iranian communities, the phrase, and a related narrative, occurs primarily in oral discourse, whereas in Ashkenazic communities it appears both in late written sources and in oral tradition. In tale IFA 126, This Too Will Pass, from Turkey, this formula serves King Solomon as an antidote against depression. 20 That particular story is basically an abstract of a narrative that apparently circulated orally and appeared in print, albeit relatively late, in Hidushei Torah (New interpretations of the Torah), by Rabbi Meir Tsvi Hirsch Zachman (published in 1928). Rabbi Zachman cited the story as part of his interpretation of the biblical verse "for no leaven or any honey may be turned into smoke as an offering by fire to the Lord" (Leviticus 2:11). Because this tale is rarely available we are translating it in full.

This Too Will Pass I'll cite a nice story about King Solomon, may he rest in peace. Once, in the middle of the summer, toward evening, when the air was clear, the sky was bright, and the dimmed sun was setting. King Solomon was sitting in his palace roof garden. Obviously, besides the Temple, this was the tallest of the buildings in Jerusalem. From the rooftop, he observed the entire city, its homes, its walls and palaces, its spectacular buildings with their stores, its market, and its trade. He took enormous pleasure from that sight, watching the city of Jerusalem.

As he looked at people walking back and forth, he noticed a new sight. He saw there a simple man, not from the royal family, all dressed, from head to toes, with golden clothes, and he wondered about it. He sent his messengers to summon the man before the king. When the man came and stood in front of him, King Solomon asked him: "Where did you get all this gold? Are you a highway robber and a murderer? Are you robbing people and taking their money? I am a king sitting in judgment and need to know about this, as it is said: 'The king by justice establishes the land.'" 21 Then the man answered him: "Heaven forbid. I would never do such a thing, killing people and taking their money and property. I am working with both my hands, and I earn my livelihood with manual labor." The king then asked him: "What is your craft?" He answered: "I am a good silversmith. As it is well known to His Highness, Jerusalem is considered to be the wealthiest city in the world, and people come to trade here from the four corners of the earth. Every day kings, ministers, and wealthy merchants come to Jerusalem. One has a broken ring, the other a broken watch, and all of them come to me to repair them [these items]; and I return them as new." The king asked him: "Approximately how much do your earn in one day?" The silversmith answered him: "I earn a large sum every day." The king put his arms around the man's shoulder and said to him with a light smile on his lips: "Well, you are indeed a very rich man. Not only can you dress up in clothes of gold but you could eat gold, if you so desire. If you are such a wonderful craftsman that kings and ministers come to you to repair their jewelry and pay you handsomely and, as I see, because of this you have become a rich man, let me test your great craftsmanship and wonderful wisdom and see how much can you do. "I command you, a royal command, to make for me such a wonderful ring that will be able to affect a man spiritually, changing his mood of the moment. If the man is happy, he will become sad when he looks at the ring; and if he is sad and worried, the ring will change his mood and he will become happy. If you can show me this, then I will know for sure that you are wonderful craftsman and I will reward you as befits your wisdom. I'll put you in charge of the royal treasures, and you will not have to work so hard. But if you cannot fulfill my command, I'll cut your head off and give your flesh to the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field." The silversmith asked the king to give him three days' time. After three days, at noon, the silversmith was to bring the ring to the king. If he did not abide by the king's command, he would die, as it is written: "The king's wrath is like the angels of death" (Prov. 16:14). The silversmith had no choice but to go home and start working on the difficult task of the ring for the wise King

Solomon. In his great craftsmanship, he had done many different and strange rings, like the rings that kings have on their fingers, but he did not even know how and where to start for such a work [as the king requested]. He did not know how he could do that, and therefore, he grieved greatly because he feared death. His fear of death grew as the day and the hour by which he was supposed to bring the ring to the king approached, and he became desperate and was afraid that King Solomon would sentence him to capital punishment because he could not fulfill the command. How dare he disobey the royal command. But what the mind cannot do, time does. So it also happened to the grieved silversmith who was expecting to die. After three days, he went to the wise King Solomon, bringing with him several rings to show the king. As he was walking full of fear, as a person walking to his death by a royal sentence, his heart was trembling with fear. He reached the great royal palace, which had thousands of chambers, rooms, and halls up to the innermost royal chamber. And, lo and behold, Rehoboam, King Solomon's son, was sitting in the front rooms. When he [Rehoboam] saw the silversmith and his ashen face, like the face of a dead man, [he said:] "The ruddiness departing and paleness supervening." 22 The prince understood the matter (it was cited in the Yalkut: "a wise son is like half a wise man") and wanted to save him from death. [He] asked him, to engage him in a conversation, "How will you be able to come before the king when you look like a dead man? Why are you so miserable?" The silversmith answered him: "I am walking to the king trembling and my knees are knocking. I am bringing to the king a golden ring, but I doubt whether the king would like this expensive ring." And he told him how the king asked him to make such a ring that will change a man's mood every time: If he is sad, he will be happy when he looks at it; and if he is happy, he will be sad when he looks at it. "I have done different rings, but I would not know how to make such a ring that will satisfy the king's wish and that will save me from death." When Prince Rehoboam, heard these matters, he said to the silversmith: "Put one ring on my finger, and I'll show you how to make it." He gave him one ring, and Rehoboam put it on his finger. He took a nail and engraved on the ring three letters—G Ζ Y—each at a different point on the ring. Then Rehoboam said to the silversmith: "Take this ring. I give it to you to bring to the king, and the king will favor you because of it and [will] give you many presents and will not punish you." When the silversmith heard the wise words of Rehoboam, he happily went to the king with that ring. When the king asked him for the ring, he gave him that ring. When the king examined the ring carefully he recognized the three letters G Ζ Y at the three points on the ring, and the wise King Solomon, for whom all mysteries and secrets are revealed and known, understood the

G i m e l , zain, a n d yod, initials too, shall pass).

of the Hebrew

words g a m zeh y a ' a v o r

(this,

wise hint and read it: " G a m ze ya'avor" (This too will pass). He then interpreted it: "Every round thing, like an egg, cannot stand still in one place and rolls, making what is up down, and what is down up. The same thing it is with man: One time he is successful, and later he loses his success, and then he could regain it. If we examine it carefully, the entire world is like a ball; therefore, it is said, 'It is a wheel that revolves in the world.' " 2 3 When the king examined the ring with the initials G Ζ Y he applied it to himself: " 'This too will pass.' That is to say, although now I am at the highest rank, a king of the whole world and can enjoy all kinds of pleasures, this will not last forever, and my huge success will not last with me forever. No doubt, there will come a time when I will be expelled from my high royalty and from the pleasures that I enjoy at home and the honor bestowed upon me. Now the entire world is mine." When such thoughts came to Solomon's mind, he immediately grieved very much, since he worried about the horrible and terrible future that could come upon him without mercy. Indeed, it so happened to him. It befell him exactly as he interpreted it. A great trouble that never happened to an individual came upon him, and [one] that he could not have imagined beforehand, and it came upon him as an end-of-the-world tragedy, demoting him from his high position. The demon Ashmadai, the king of the demons, came and removed Solomon's crown from his head and forcibly took his royal scepter away from him, and threw him away to a remote country to wander for food and to suffer humiliation; nothing was left for him from all his labor, but his bag and staff. He shouted: "I am Solomon." But none listened to him. And he wandered outside his state, naked, barefoot, and hungry for several days. It is likely that he then wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes, and said about the world and all its pleasures: "Utter futility!—said Koheleth—Utter futility! All is futile!" (Ecclesiastes 1:2). If success and wealth stay with a person, it would be good, but since man is not sure of his wealth—as it is written, "Man does not abide in honor" (Psalms 49:13)—what pleasure does he have in the world after he loses his success? Therefore, the world and its pleasures seem worthless to him. But when Solomon, in his poverty, looked at the ring on his finger and read the initials G Ζ Y (This too will pass), it said to him: "The trouble that came upon me will not last forever, and I hope one day to return and again be the king of Israel." And so it happened. 24 Tudar 25 reported hearing a variant of this tale from a Christian peasant who knew Jewish tradition and who was from a village near the city of Romanov (Zhitomin district, Ukraine). Zlotnik 26 reported that in World War II an American company sold rings with the Hebrew letters Gimel, Zayin, and Yud (GZY) in-

scribed on them as lucky rings that also served as amulets. Lewinski 27 pointed out that these rings were likely a variation of the lucky rings that were common in the Austrian-German army during World War I that were inscribed with the word "Sieg" (victory) or "Glück" (luck). Comparative comments about this formalistic phrase in other traditions are available. 28 In Hebrew these three letters—gimel, zayin, yud—have magical power because their numerical value in gematria adds up to 3 + 7 + 10 = 20, which equals the numerical value of the short form of the name of God, written with a double yud. For a discussion of the magical use of gematria and relevant brief bibliography of gematria, see D. Ben-Amos and D. Noy, "Die Zeischen als Metasprache in der jüdischen Folklore." Evidently, awareness of this tale in the United States preceded World War I. In a speech Abraham Lincoln gave on September 30, 1859, before the Wisconsin State Agriculture Society in Milwaukee, he noted: "It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him with the words: 'And this, too, shall pass away.' " 2 9 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

The other versions related to this formula in the IFA are from Ashkenazic and Iranian traditions.

• IFA 126: This Too Will Pass (Turkey).30 • IFA 3135: The Father's Will: This Too Will Pass Away (Eretz Yisra'el, • • • •

Ashkenazic). IFA 7226: King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (Ukraine) IFA 7904: Two Brothers (Morocco). IFA 12369: The Ring (Aleppo [Syria]). IFA 12780: The Ring the King Gave to His Beloved Son (Iran) 31

Folktale Types • • •

910*Q (IFA) "This Too Will Pass." 922A "Achikar" (new ed.). 922A (Jason) "Achikar."

Folklore Motifs ‫ ״‬J21 "Counsels proved wise by experience." • *J21.52.10 "This too will pass." • K2100 "False accusation." • Q301 "Jealousy punished." • U262 "Suffering healed by time." • W181 "Jealousy."

Notes 1. Humphreys, "A Lifestyle for Diaspora," examined this figure thematically; Collins, "The Court-Tales in Daniel," added a dimension of narrative syntax to the analysis; and Niditch and Doran, "The Success Story of the Wise Courtier," analyzed these tales typologically and morphologically, considering them versions of tale type 922Α "Achikar." 2. Lindenberger, "Ahiqar." 3. Degen, "Achikar"; and Vanderkam, "Ahikar/Ahiqar." 4. Aptowitzer, "Asenath, the Wife of Joseph"; Burchard, "Joseph and Aseneth"; Chesnutt, "The Social Setting and Purpose of Joseph and Aseneth"; Gruen, Heritage and Hellenism, 89-92, 94-96; Kee, "The Socio-Cultural Setting of Joseph and Aseneth"; R. Kraemer, When Aseneth Met Joseph; and Wills, The Jewish Novel in the Ancient World, 158-184. 5. See also Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 2:72, 5:344. 6. See 2:238-257 (10, i - l l , i ) . 7. "Moses in Ethiopia." 8. See Barclay, Jews in the Mediterranean Diaspora, 127-132; Collins, "Artapanus"; Fraser, Ptolemaic Alexandria, 1:704-706, 2:983-986; Gruen, op. cit., 155-160; Gutman, The Beginnings of Jewish Hellenistic Literature, 2:109-135; Holladay, Theios Aner in Hellenistic-Judaism, 199-232; and Tiede, The Charismatic Figure as Miracle Worker, 146-177,317-324. 9. Oldfather, Diodorus of Sicily, 1:17-18,1:55,2:14. 10. Oldfather, op. cit., 1:15. 11.1. Lévy, " M o ï s e en Ethiopie," esp. 207; Gager, Moses in Greco-Roman Paganism; Silver, "Moses and the Hungry Birds"; Vermès, "La figure de Moïse au tournant des Deux Testaments." 12. Sefer Ha-Yashar, 7-17. 13. Flusser "Palaea Historica," 68. 14. Ginzberg, op. cit., 2:283-289; Rajak, op. cit.; Shinan, ' " T h e Chronicle of Moses'"; Shinan, "Moses and the Ethiopian Woman"; Shinan, "Me-Artapanus ad 'Sefer ha-Yashar' " (From Artapanus to " S e f e r ha-Yashar"); and Vermès, op. cit. 15. Ben-Amos and Mintz, In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Τον, 7 - 1 0 nos. 1-3. 16. Collins, "The Court-Tales in Daniel"; and Wills, The Jew in the Court of the Foreign King. 17. Degen, op. cit.; Vanderkam, op. cit.; Wills, The Jew in the Court of the Foreign King, 4 4 4 9 ; and Lindenberger, op. cit. 18. Lindenberger, op. cit., 498. 19. Krappe, "Is the Story of Ahikar the Wise of Indian Origin?" 20. D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 174 no. 63. 21. See Proverbs 29:4. 22. BT Bava Metzi'a 58b. 23. BT Shabbat 151b. 24. Quoted from Persky, "Al Mekorot 'Gam Zeh Ya'avor'" (On the sources of "this too shall pass"). 25. "Nusah B al Taba'at ha-Pele ' G Z Y ' " (Version Β of the magical ring " G Z Y " ) . 26. "Gam Zeh Ya'avor" (This too will pass).

27. Yom Τον Lewinski, "Gam Zeh Ya'avor" (This too will pass). Yeda-'Am [9]-10 (1953): 14. 28. Taylor, " 'This Too Will Pass.' " 29. Basier, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, 3:481-482. 30. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 174 no. 63. 31. For a Sephardic version, M. Koen-Sarano, Lejendas i kuentos morales de las tradisiôn d'Judeo-Espanyola, 26.

Letters from the Angel of Death T O L D

BY

S H M U ' E L

R E C A N A T I

TO

H E D A

JASON

i t h a p p e n e d in M a h a n e h Yehudah.* T h e r e w a s an old m a n there, and Satan** c a m e to h i m . "Come!" " W h a t d o you m e a n ? " " Y o u r t i m e has arrived. I have c o m e to take y o u r soul." " W h a t sort of p r o c e d u r e is this, w i t h o u t any a d v a n c e n o t i c e ? " " W h a t d o you m e a n , w i t h o u t n o t i c e ? I sent you letters." " W h a t letters? I d i d n ' t get any letters." " W h a t d o you m e a n ? H a s n ' t y o u r hair t u r n e d w h i t e ? It u s e d to be b l a c k and now it's white. T h a t w a s the first letter. A n d w h a t ' s that on y o u r e y e s ? G l a s s e s — t h a t w a s the s e c o n d letter. A n d w h a t d o you have in y o u r m o u t h ? Y o u ' r e m i s s i n g teeth, t h e y ' v e fallen o u t — t h a t w a s the third letter. A n d w h a t ' s that in y o u r h a n d ? A c a n e ! T h a t w a s the f o u r t h letter. E n o u g h now, c o m e a l o n g quietly." A n d he took him away.

"A neighborhood in central Jerusalem, (established in 1887), once populated mainly by Sephardim and best known as the site of the open-air market. "That is, the Angel of Death; see also tale 34, IFA 16395 (vol. 1 ) and the notes to it.

42

/ Letters

from

the Angel

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 2 (IFA

of Death

337

9704)

Shmu 'el Recanati told this anecdote to Heda Jason in July 1972 in

Jerusalem.

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The Brothers Grimm included a tale about Death's three messengers in their collection; 1 they based the story on a sixteenth-century literary source rather than on oral tradition. In the annotation of their tales, 2 most, if not all, the references are to medieval and later literary sources. Similarly, the texts in Röhrich 3 and Morris 4 are primarily from literary sources. Morris 5 suggested, and S. Thompson 6 agreed, that the earliest known version of this tale is from Indian Buddhistic literature and noted that it "does not occur in the Jataka book, the Panca-Tantra, or the Kalilag and Damnag literature" and was found only in the Anguttara NikayaJ The Anguttara Nikaya is part of the Theravada Buddhist canon known as the Pali canon, the text of which is a direct descendant of the most ancient stage of Buddhist literature. The tales in the Anguttara Nikaya are the product of oral tradition and were set in their final form around the fifth century c.E. Schwarzbaum 8 reiterated this proposition, offering further supporting references. In the Buddhist text, the messengers of death and old age are old and sick people, whom the individual should have seen around him; in the European and Jewish tales, the messengers are diseases and the loss of senses that the person himself or herself suffers. Western versions draw on the description of old age and death in Ecclesiastes 12:3-8. Because most available European versions are from literary sources, the present text is a rare oral rendition that the narrator 10calized and personalized. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

In the IFA there are eight oral versions of this tale: • • ‫״‬ • • • • •

IFA 970: Angel of Death's Messengers (Yemen). IFA 3944: The Diviner's Slave (Iraqi Kurdistan). 9 IFA 4994: The Angel of Death's Letters (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). IFA 7201 : The Angel of Death and His Client (Rumania). IFA 9792: The Angel of Death Warned Him (Czechoslovakia). 10 IFA 12435: The Warnings of the Angel of Death (Poland). 11 IFA 12989: The Angel of Death's Messengers (Yugoslavia). 12 IFA 13039: Charity Saves from Death (Yemen). 13

Folktale Types • • •

335 "Death's Messengers." 335 "Death's Messengers" (new ed.). 335 (Jason) "Death's Messengers."

•

3 2 7 7 ( T u b a c h ) " M e s s e n g e r s S e n t by D e a t h . "

Folklore Motifs •

J1051.1 "Death from messengers."

•

V 2 3 3 " A n g e l of D e a t h . "

• •

Z71.2 "Formulistic number: four Z i l l "Death personified."

•

Ζ111.6 "Death's messengers."

Notes 1. Grimm and Grimm, The Complete Fairy Tales, 557-558 no. 177. 2. Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-u: Hausemärchen 3:293-297 no. 177; and Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:327-328. 3. Erzählungen der Späten Mittelalters und ihr Weiterleben, 1:80-92. 4. "Death's Messengers." 5. Op. cit., 190. 6. The Folktale, 47. 7. Thera and Bodhi, Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, 5 1 - 5 3 no. 26. 8. "The Overcrowded Earth." 9. Published in J. Avitsuk, The Tree That Absorbed Tears, 65-67 no. 17. 10. Published in M. Cohen, Mi-Pi ha-Am (From folk tradition), 1:116 no. 91. 11. Published in Keren, Advice from the Rothschilds, 47 no. 22. 12. Published in M. Cohen, op. cit., 2:34-35 no. 135. 13. Published in M. Cohen, op. cit., 3:79-80 no. 279.

There Is No Escaping Heaven ,s Decree TOLD

BY

A H A R O N TO

BEN

M O S H E

AVRAHAM

M I Z R A H I

ATTIAS

C / n c e there w a s a king, a n d G o d had b l e s s e d h i m in all things.* H e h a d large f l o c k s a n d h e r d s ; g a r d e n s , o r c h a r d s , a n d f i e l d s ; and h o u s e s a n d p a l a c e s filled with every e x c e l l e n t thing. B u t all this did not m a k e h i m content, b e c a u s e his b e a u t i f u l w i f e had b o r n e h i m only d a u g h t e r s . A n x i e t y g n a w e d at his heart and r o b b e d him of sleep: W i t h o u t an heir, w h o w o u l d sit on his t h r o n e a f t e r h i m ? Year a f t e r year, the king c o n c e a l e d his distress a n d a p p r e h e n s i o n a n d did not speak a b o u t it. Finally, w h e n he c o u l d e n d u r e it no longer, he s u m m o n e d his c o u r t a s t r o l o g e r s . " W i l l the q u e e n ever give birth to a m a l e h e i r ? " he asked t h e m . His a s t r o l o g e r s r e t u r n e d several d a y s later. " Y o u r M a j e s t y , " they told h i m , " w e h a v e o b s e r v e d the stars and d i s c o v e r e d that a great d i s a s t e r is a b o u t to strike y o u . T h e q u e e n will b e a r f o u r m o r e d a u g h t e r s , in addition to the three she already has. A f t e r that, she will have a son, but he will not live long: His sisters will kill h i m . If you h a v e the best interests of the k i n g d o m in m i n d , w e r e c o m m e n d that you have y o u r three d a u g h t e r s killed a n d instruct the q u e e n ' s m i d w i f e to strangle any n e w b o r n daughter. If you d o not d o this, y o u r e n d will be bitter, a n d y o u r k i n g d o m will fall." T h e k i n g ' s heart w a s filled with f o r e b o d i n g . H e gave i m m e d i a t e o r d e r s f o r his d a u g h t e r s to be sent to a r e m o t e spot a n d killed. A y e a r later, the q u e e n g a v e birth to a d a u g h t e r . T h e m i d w i f e , f o l l o w ing the k i n g ' s orders, s t r a n g l e d the n e w b o r n child. S h e did the s a m e to the f i f t h a n d sixth d a u g h t e r s . T h e u n f o r t u n a t e q u e e n cried her e y e s o u t a n d l a p s e d into p r o f o u n d m e l a n c h o l y . W h e n she w a s a b o u t to give birth to her s e v e n t h d a u g h t e r , she s u m m o n e d the m i d w i f e . "I have a l r e a d y lost six d a u g h t e r s and will s o o n b e a r a s e v e n t h . L o o k h o w m u c h I ' m s u f f e r i n g . Please, take pity on her life a n d s p a r e her. If you h e e d m y request, I will

*Genesis 24:1, referring to Abraham.

s h o w e r wealth on you and m a k e it p o s s i b l e f o r you to live the rest of y o u r life in c o m f o r t and c o n t e n t m e n t . " H e r avidity f o r riches, on the o n e h a n d , and the q u e e n ' s tears, on the other, s o f t e n e d the m i d w i f e ' s heart. S h e p r o m i s e d to d o as the q u e e n a s k e d . A n d s h e kept her p r o m i s e . T h e day the q u e e n gave birth, the m i d w i f e s o a k e d the b a b y ' s d i a p e r s in the b l o o d of a y o u n g l a m b , to s h o w the k i n g that she h a d f u l f i l l e d his c o m m i s s i o n . T h e n she took the live infant h o m e with her to raise, as she had p r o m i s e d the q u e e n . A n o t h e r y e a r p a s s e d a n d the q u e e n gave birth to a h a n d s o m e and wellf o r m e d b a b y boy,* j u s t as the a s t r o l o g e r s h a d f o r e s e e n . T h e k i n g ' s j o y k n e w n o b o u n d s . At last he had an heir to f o l l o w h i m on his t h r o n e ! To m a r k the event, the king held a gala c e l e b r a t i o n f o r all his s u b j e c t s , lasting seven d a y s and seven n i g h t s . F o o d a n d drink w e r e served as b e f i t s a king.** T h e w h o l e k i n g d o m rang with j o y f u l cries. 8 T h e d a y s p a s s e d and turned into years. T h e boy g r e w u p in wealth and c o m f o r t , as befits a prince. W h e n h e r e a c h e d the a g e of e i g h t e e n , all acc l a i m e d his b e a u t y a n d stature. O n e day, the p r i n c e w a s w a l k i n g in the p a l a c e g r o u n d s , as he did f r e q u e n t l y . T h i s time, he p e n e t r a t e d f a r into the large and broad park, w h i c h s e e m e d to b e limitless. To his a s t o n i s h m e n t , h e s u d d e n l y f o u n d h i m s e l f s t a n d i n g in f r o n t of a h i g h wall and realized that he h a d r e a c h e d the o t h e r e d g e of the p a r k . D r i v e n by curiosity, he scaled the wall a n d j u m p e d d o w n on the o t h e r side. H e f o u n d h i m s e l f s t a n d i n g in a n o t h e r b e a u t i f u l and w e l l - t e n d e d park. H e strolled t h r o u g h it f o r a w h i l e . T h e n , f r o m a d i s t a n c e , he spied a pool with a j e t of w a t e r s p o u t i n g f r o m it to a great h e i g h t . T h e y o u n g m a n a p p r o a c h e d the p o o l , w h e r e an e n c h a n t i n g sight a w a i t e d his e y e s : there w a s a b e a u t i f u l girl b a t h i n g in the pool, with milk w h i t e c h e e k s , r u b y red lips, a n d coal black eyes. G o l d e n tresses fell f r o m her h e a d o n t o her a l a b a s t e r s h o u l d e r s . T h e b o y c o u l d not d e c i d e w h e t h e r she w a s real or a specter. S u d d e n l y , the girl s e n s e d the y o u n g m a n ' s g a z e . Q u i c k l y she c l i m b e d out of the p o o l , w r a p p e d herself in her r o b e , ran off like a f r i g h t e n e d g a z e l l e toward a n e a r b y h o u s e , and d i s a p p e a r e d inside it. T h e y o u n g m a n s h o o k off his a m a z e m e n t and ran a f t e r her. T h e f r i g h t e n e d girl told her m o t h e r about the y o u n g m a n she had seen n e a r the pool and that he had run a f t e r her. T h e n she w e n t into her r o o m . T h e w o m a n hurried to the f r o n t door, w h e r e a strong and h a n d s o m e y o u n g

*Genesis 39:6, referring to Joseph. "Esther 1.7 and 2:18. 5

Esther 8:15.

m a n stood b e f o r e her. R e c o g n i z i n g the k i n g ' s son, she b e g a n to t r e m b l e . A f t e r a f e w m o m e n t s , the w o m a n o v e r c a m e her agitation, invited the visitor inside, and o f f e r e d h i m a chair. T h e y o u n g m a n told her w h o he w a s a n d h o w he had c o m e there. "I a m d e l i g h t e d by the c h a n c e that b r o u g h t m e to m e e t y o u r lovely d a u g h t e r , " he a d d e d . T h e w h o l e t i m e he w a s s p e a k i n g , he kept h o p i n g she w o u l d c o m e out so he c o u l d see her again. W h e n he realized that she w a s h o l d i n g back, his e y e s glinted with a n g e r and h u m i l i a t i o n . " P e r s u a d e her to c o m e out to see m e , " he told her m o t h e r . S e e i n g that there w a s n o a v o i d i n g it, the w o m a n c a l l e d the girl. S h e c a m e out of her r o o m , f u l l y c l o t h e d and with her hair fixed. E n t h r a l l e d by her c h a r m s , the k i n g ' s son felt that his soul w a s b o u n d u p with hers. 7 "I have fallen in love with y o u r d a u g h t e r , " he told her mother. "Will you give her to m e in m a r r i a g e ? " " N o ! N o ! It's i m p o s s i b l e ! . . . " T h e w o m e n s p r a n g u p in terror and the b l o o d rose to her f a c e . " T h a t s i m p l y c a n n o t b e ! " " W h y n o t ? " d e m a n d e d the y o u n g m a n in a fury. "To be the w i f e of a k i n g ' s son i s n ' t g o o d e n o u g h f o r y o u r d a u g h t e r ? " T h e w o m a n stood m u t e . T h e n s h e l o w e r e d her h e a d as if in t h o u g h t . " W h y n o t ? A n s w e r m e ! " r e p e a t e d the y o u n g m a n , his f a c e a m a s k of pain a n d h u m i l i a t i o n . Pale but t r a n q u i l , the w o m a n r a i s e d h e r h e a d , l o o k e d straight at the boy, a n d said, " N o , m y boy, y o u c a n n o t m a r r y this girl. S h e is y o u r sister, the child of y o u r f a t h e r and m o t h e r . " T h u n d e r s t r u c k , his eyes o p e n w i d e , the p r i n c e listened to the w o m a n ' s story a b o u t w h a t h a d g o n e on in the royal p a l a c e , as a result of w h i c h s h e had a d o p t e d his sister. Slowly, the y o u n g m a n r e c o v e r e d f r o m his astoni s h m e n t a n d stared at the w o m e n , d e r i s i o n a n d d o u b t c o m i n g forth f r o m his eyes. " B e l i e v e m e , I a m s p e a k i n g the truth," a d d e d the w o m a n quietly. "Ask y o u mother, s h e ' l l tell y o u . If she d o e s n ' t c o n f i r m w h a t I said, the girl will be y o u r w i f e . " S e e t h i n g a n d upset, the y o u n g m a n sped off to his mother. H e told her a b o u t his e n c o u n t e r with the girl, r e p e a t i n g the s t r a n g e tale he had h e a r d f r o m her m o t h e r . " B u t I ' m h o p e l e s s l y in love with her," he w o u n d u p his tale. T h e q u e e n t r e m b l e d at his w o r d s . " W h a t that w o m a n , the m i d w i f e , told y o u — i t ' s true," s h e a d m i t t e d , in a w e a k and q u i v e r i n g voice. T h e n

*Genesis 44:30.

she fell to the g r o u n d in a faint. W h e n she c a m e to, the m i d w i f e w a s standing next to her, s p e a k i n g of the bitter e n d they c o u l d both e x p e c t s h o u l d the king find out. W h e n the p r i n c e d i s c o v e r e d that the girl w a s really his sister, he told his m o t h e r , "I shall g o to m y f a t h e r and ask him to bring m y sister b a c k to the p a l a c e . " His m o t h e r b e g g e d h i m not to d o such a thing, lest he bring disaster on three people. But her entreaties w e r e in vain. H e w a s c o n f i d e n t that his f a t h e r w o u l d d o as he a s k e d a n d that n o h a r m w o u l d befall the women. H e w a s w r o n g . W h e n the k i n g h e a r d his s o n ' s tale, his f u r y k n e w n o b o u n d s . " D e a t h ! " he s h o u t e d . "All three of t h e m m u s t d i e ! " His ministers tried to c a l m him a n d save the q u e e n ' s life, but he r e f u s e d to listen. R e a l i z i n g that his m o t h e r and sister w e r e d o o m e d , the prince ran to the stables, m o u n t e d a horse, and g a l l o p e d off to his sister's h o u s e . S n a t c h i n g her up, he f l e d with her to the m o u n t a i n s , f a r f r o m the city. T h e k i n g ' s guard g a l l o p e d a f t e r h i m in hot pursuit. Several times, they c a u g h t up with h i m , but the p r i n c e f o u g h t valiantly and killed m a n y of t h e m . Finally, they left him a l o n e . T h e p r i n c e c o n t i n u e d his ride to the m o u n t a i n s . B a c k in the city, the king h a d the m i d w i f e e x e c u t e d . H e let the q u e e n live, in a c c o r d a n c e with the verdict of the j u d g e s of the royal tribunal; but she w a s c o n f i n e d to her quarters, f o r the king did not w a n t to see her f a c e . T h e p r i n c e r o d e on f o r m a n y h o u r s w i t h o u t a b r e a k , until he w a s very tired. H e a n d the girl w e r e p a r c h e d . T h e p r i n c e r e i n e d in his h o r s e , lowe r e d his sister to the g r o u n d , a n d laid her u n d e r o n e of the trees. H e h i m self w e n t on to find water. W h e n he r e a c h e d the t o p of a hill, he saw, not f a r away, an ancient castle s u r r o u n d e d by a wall. H e a p p r o a c h e d it and circled the r a m p a r t s until he f o u n d the m a i n gate, w h i c h w a s shut fast. H e tried to o p e n it, but it w a s m a d e of iron and w a s very heavy a n d w o u l d not be budged. P e e r i n g a b o u t , the p r i n c e spied a m a n a p p r o a c h i n g the c a s t l e and slipped b e h i n d a tree. A s soon as the m a n had p a s s e d , he struck him on the h e a d , g r a b b e d the w a t e r skin that w a s h a n g i n g f r o m his belt, and d r a n k deeply. R e v i v e d , he ran off to give his sister s o m e water. T h e n , with his s i s t e r ' s help, he again tried to o p e n the castle gate. T h i s time, they m a n a g e d to o p e n it j u s t far e n o u g h f o r t h e m to s q u e e z e inside. T h e t w o w a l k e d c a u t i o u s l y t o w a r d the k e e p . T h e y p a s s e d the g o a t p e n , but there w a s n o g o a t h e r d in sight. T h e y took a little milk f r o m e a c h n a n n y goat, so that the g o a t h e r d s w o u l d not notice that a s t r a n g e r had m i l k e d t h e m , drank it, and

satisfied their hunger. T h e n they w e n t off to lie d o w n in a far c o r n e r of the yard, w h e r e a d e e p s l u m b e r soon o v e r c a m e t h e m . At d a y b r e a k they w o k e u p and saw lots of activity in the c o u r t y a r d . D o z e n s of p e o p l e w e r e at w o r k : b a k i n g bread, m i l k i n g the goats, c o o k i n g b r e a k f a s t , w a s h i n g clothes. T h e y c o u n t e d t h i r t y - o n e m e n , all p o w e r f u l l y built, with long hair a n d hard b r o n z e d f a c e s . T h e b r o t h e r and sister dec i d e d they m u s t be b a n d i t s w h o a l s o raised goats. F r o m their hiding place, they c o u l d see e v e r y t h i n g . T h e sun w a s not yet fairly risen w h e n a g r o u p of a r m e d m e n w e n t over to the gate, p u s h e d it o p e n , and w e n t out with the goats. O n l y a f e w p e o p l e r e m a i n e d in the c o u r t y a r d of the castle, t e n d i n g to d o m e s t i c c h o r e s . K n o w i n g that if they w e r e d i s c o v e r e d they w o u l d be killed on sight, the y o u n g m a n resolved to strike first and kill the bandits o n e by one. H e c r a w l e d to a n o t h e r spot w h e r e he m a d e sure to k e e p h i m s e l f well h i d d e n . E v e r y t i m e o n e of the b a n d i t s p a s s e d n e a r he j u m p e d on h i m , s t r a n g l e d h i m , and d r a g g e d his b o d y over to o n e of the pits. By the t i m e night fell, not a single bandit r e m a i n e d alive. W h e n their c o m r a d e s returned to the castle with the goats, they w e r e s u r p r i s e d to find no o n e there. T h e l e a d e r of the b a n d r e a l i z e d that s t r a n g e r s had m a d e their w a y into the castle. He divided up his m e n a n d sent t h e m out in every d i r e c t i o n to look f o r their c o m p a n i o n s . S o m e of t h e m f o l l o w e d b l o o d stains to a d e e p pit, w h e r e they saw the h e a p e d - u p c o r p s e s . B e f o r e they m a n a g e d to return and report w h a t they had f o u n d , they w e r e struck d o w n by the p r i n c e ' s s h a r p s w o r d . In this f a s h i o n , the p r i n c e d i s p a t c h e d all of t h e m , until he f o u n d h i m s e l f f a c e to f a c e with the leader. W i t h him, too, he [the prince] w a g e d a life-or-death struggle, until he pierced him [the leader] repeatedly with his s w o r d . T h u s the prince and his sister b e c a m e lord a n d lady of the castle, with n o n e to t r o u b l e t h e m . T h e next day, the prince w e n t out to p a s t u r e the goats. His sister stayed b e h i n d in the castle to d o the h o u s e h o l d c h o r e s . S u d d e n l y , she h e a r d sighs a n d m o a n s of pain. R u n n i n g over to the pit full of c o r p s e s , she f o u n d the b a n d i t chief w a l l o w i n g in his b l o o d , his e y e s o p e n . " S a v e m e , miss," he p l e a d e d , " a n d you will be r e w a r d e d . I will lead you to m y trove of prec i o u s s t o n e s a n d p e a r l s and m a k e you rich. M y life will be y o u r s , a n d I will serve you all m y d a y s . " T h e girl looked at the b a n d i t ' s h a n d s o m e f a c e and w a s o v e r c o m e by a w a v e of c o m p a s s i o n . S h e w a n t e d to save h i m , but w a s a f r a i d of her brother. B u t the b a n d i t w a s so h a n d s o m e ! His p l e a s t o u c h e d her heart. S h e

p u l l e d him out of the pit and laid him on a m o u n d of grass, w a s h e d off the b l o o d and b a n d a g e d his w o u n d s , a n d g a v e h i m g o a t ' s milk to d r i n k . B e f o r e her b r o t h e r returned f r o m the f i e l d s s h e hid him in her c h a m b e r . It did not take long f o r the b a n d i t ' s w o u n d s to heal c o m p l e t e l y so he c o u l d stand up. W i t h o u t delay, he t o o k the girl to a secret p l a c e a n d s h o w e d her the b a n d i t s ' t r e a s u r e : g o l d a n d silver, p r e c i o u s s t o n e s , a n d pearls. "Yes," he told her, " e v e r y t h i n g here is y o u r s . M y heart, too, is yours. Say the w o r d , and I'll lay d o w n m y life f o r you." T h e princess returned his love, f o r the b a n d i t p l e a s e d her. F r o m that d a y f o r t h they lived together, h a p p y as they c o u l d be, and her brother k n e w n o t h i n g of it. W e e k s p a s s e d a n d t u r n e d into m o n t h s . T h e p r i n c e s s ' s belly b e g a n to swell. To c o n c e a l her p r e g n a n c y f r o m her b r o t h e r she put on w o r n - o u t c l o t h e s , t o o k to her bed, and said she w a s sick. W h e n s h e r e a c h e d her term, she w e n t into labor and g a v e birth to a fine and healthy boy. W h i l e her b r o t h e r w a s still out in the fields she laid the b a b y in the goat pen, next to a n a n n y that had d r o p p e d a kid the s a m e m o r n i n g . T h e n she t u r n e d to her h o u s e h o l d c h o r e s , as she did every day. T h e p r i n c e r e t u r n e d in the e v e n i n g with the f l o c k , b a t h e d , put on clean clothes, ate and drank, a n d stretched out on his bed. He had barely shut his e y e s w h e n the s q u a l l s of an i n f a n t r e a c h e d his ears. H e a s k e d his sister w h a t it c o u l d m e a n , but she p r e t e n d e d to be j u s t as a s t o n i s h e d as he was. T h e y got up and traced the s o u n d to the g o a t p e n , w h e r e they f o u n d the n e w b o r n b a b e next to the n a n n y and her kid. " I t ' s a m i r a c l e ! " the y o u n g m a n cried excitedly. " T h e n a n n y h a s b o r n e a h u m a n c h i l d ! " H e took the b a b y in his a r m s and w r a p p e d it in the h e m of his robe. T h e p r i n c e s s s e e m e d to be no less e x c i t e d . "It is i n d e e d a w o n d e r , b r o t h e r ! But w h o will nurse the c h i l d ? It will die w i t h o u t a n u r s e m a i d ! " S e i z e d by a fiery e n t h u s i a s m she s n a t c h e d the b a b y f r o m her b r o t h e r ' s a r m s , ran with it to the top of the hill, raised her e y e s H e a v e n - w a r d , and cried out: " M a s t e r of the universe! You have given us a c h i l d — n o w take pity on him. I b e s e e c h you, w o r k a miracle and put milk in m y breasts! Let m e nurse h i m so he w o n ' t die." T h e prince stared at his sister a n d t h o u g h t she had g o n e quite m a d . B u t w h e n she r e t u r n e d to him, b e h o l d the m i r a c l e ! T h e child w a s nestling in her b o s o m and nursing. T h e brother raised his eyes H e a v e n - w a r d and said, " P r a i s e d b e the n a m e of the C r e a t o r W h o a l o n e p e r f o r m s w o n d e r s . " T h e y called the child " G o a t - B o y . " T h e child grew, a n d the p r i n c e b e c a m e a t t a c h e d to h i m . H e called the

p r i n c e " f a t h e r " a n d the p r i n c e s s " m o t h e r . " W h e n he w a s seven y e a r s old he started g o i n g out with the prince to tend the goats. O n e day, the boy felt u n w e l l a n d did not g o o u t with his father. His m o t h e r laid him d o w n to rest in a quiet corner, w h e r e he soon fell asleep. A f t e r a f e w hours, he felt better, w o k e up, and w e n t to find his mother. A s he a p p r o a c h e d her r o o m , he heard a m a n ' s voice. Peering t h r o u g h the keyh o l e he saw a s t r a n g e r s p e a k i n g to his m o t h e r . " H o w l o n g ? " he w a s dem a n d i n g . " W h e n will m y captivity be o v e r ? I am tired of hiding." " P a t i e n c e ! " a n s w e r e d the m o t h e r . " T h e l o n g e d - f o r d a y will certainly c o m e . But, as I have told y o u , he [the p r i n c e ] m u s t never see y o u r f a c e as long as he lives. He w o u l d kill me. Listen to m y idea. C o m e tonight, a f t e r he has fallen a s l e e p , tired out by his d a y ' s labor, and s m a s h his skull with y o u r club. W h e n he is d e a d , you and I will live t o g e t h e r with n o n e to trouble us." T h e boy u n d e r s t o o d that they w e r e plotting against his father. H e w e n t b a c k the w a y he h a d c o m e a n d lay d o w n a g a i n in the corner. T o w a r d e v e n i n g , he w e n t out to m e e t his father, g a t h e r e d the f l o c k , and led it into the g o a t pen. H e ate his e v e n i n g b r e a d with h i m and the t w o lay d o w n to sleep. T h e f a t h e r fell a s l e e p at o n c e . T h e b o y lay there with his e y e s shut, waiting. B e f o r e long, he saw the s t r a n g e r a p p r o a c h i n g . W h e n the boy saw him raising his c l u b he let out a t e r r i f y i n g shriek. T h e s t r a n g e r p a n i c k e d a n d ran away. T h e f a t h e r j u m p e d to his feet, a n d then his [the b o y ' s ] m o t h e r w a s there, too. T h e b o y said that he had d r e a m e d he w a s falling out of a tall tree a n d had been very f r i g h t e n e d . T h e p r i n c e and his sister c o m f o r t e d the boy a n d put h i m b a c k to sleep. T h e n they w e n t b a c k to their o w n b e d s . W h e n all w a s quiet, the s t r a n g e r crept u p a g a i n , his c l u b in his h a n d . A g a i n the b o y b r o k e into terrified s c r e a m s and c h a s e d him away. T h i s time, he told his f a t h e r and m o t h e r that he had a s t o m a c h a c h e . T h e y tried to m a k e h i m feel better. W h e n m o r n i n g light c a m e , the prince w e n t out to p a s t u r e the f l o c k . T h e b o y fell a s l e e p and slept the sleep of the j u s t . W h e n he w o k e up, the boy saw the stranger entering his m o t h e r ' s r o o m again. H e c o c k e d his ear so he could o v e r h e a r w h a t they w e r e saying. " T h e boy got in the w a y last night," his m o t h e r w a s telling the stranger. " T h i s t i m e I'll give you d i f f e r e n t a d v i c e . T h e m i d w i f e w h o raised m e also taught m e sorcery. Tonight I will turn you into a fig tree, laden with lusc i o u s p o i s o n fruit, at the e n t r a n c e to the castle. W h e n m y b r o t h e r c o m e s b a c k f r o m p a s t u r i n g the f l o c k , tired a n d w o r n out, h e ' s b o u n d to pick a fig a n d eat it. H e ' l l fall d e a d instantly."

T h e b o y crept b a c k to his place. W h e n e v e n i n g a p p r o a c h e d , he w e n t to the castle gate to greet his father. T h e r e he f o u n d the s p r e a d i n g fig tree, laden with ripe j u i c y figs, a d e l i g h t f o r the eyes.* T h e p r i n c e felt a great c r a v i n g f o r a fig and stretched out his arm to pick one. " N o , f a t h e r ! " c a l l e d the boy. " D o n ' t eat t h o s e f i g s ! T h e r e is d e a t h in t h e m . O n l y t h r o u g h b l a c k m a g i c c o u l d a fig tree g r o w h e r e o v e r n i g h t . G i v e m e y o u r s w o r d , and I'll s h o w y o u . " T h e boy took the s w o r d a n d b e g a n to h a c k at the b r a n c h e s of the tree. Blood spurted f r o m t h e m . H e picked a fig and split it o p e n . It, too, w a s full of b l o o d . W h i l e he w a s d o i n g this, the fig tree v a n i s h e d as if it had never been. B l o o d s t r e a m i n g f r o m h i m , the s t r a n g e r [the b a n d i t ] ran to the p r i n c e s s . " L o o k w h a t t h e y ' v e d o n e to m e ! T h e y nearly killed m e ! " T h e p r i n c e s s ' s w r a t h k n e w n o b o u n d s . S h e raised her a r m and s w o r e to a v e n g e her l o v e r ' s spilled b l o o d . T h e s t r a n g e r ' s w o u n d s h e a l e d in a f e w d a y s . " L i s t e n ! " the p r i n c e s s told him. " T h i s time I will turn you into a serpent. Slither up to m y brother in the night, w h e n he is s l e e p i n g . Bite him, inject him with y o u r v e n o m , and he will die. T h e n the t w o of us will e n j o y a g o o d a n d h a p p y life." But the boy w a s listening and o v e r h e a r d their n e w plot. T h a t night it w a s very hot. A f t e r supper, his f a t h e r stretched out on the g r a s s in the c o u r t y a r d of the c a s t l e . T h e boy lay d o w n next to h i m . S u d d e n l y , he saw a great serpent slithering toward t h e m . T h e boy s p r a n g to his feet, d r e w his f a t h e r ' s s w o r d , b a t t e r e d in the s e r p e n t ' s h e a d , and s m a s h e d its b o d y into pieces. H e a r i n g the b l o w s of the s w o r d , his f a t h e r w o k e u p and saw the d e a d serpent, with the boy h o l d i n g the s w o r d in his h a n d . T h e p r i n c e s s c a m e , too: T h e r e lay the serpent, d e a d . A v e n g e f u l fire w a s k i n d l e d in her heart. S h e r e s o l v e d that if her lover w a s d e a d her b r o t h e r m u s t die as well. S h e collected the s e r p e n t ' s v e n o m . T h e next e v e n i n g , she put the v e n o m in her b r o t h e r ' s f o o d and served it to h i m . T h e boy w a t c h e d w h a t his m o t h e r w a s d o i n g a n d d e c i d e d that this time, too, he w o u l d f r u s t r a t e her d e s i g n . W h a t did he d o ? B e f o r e his f a t h e r c o u l d start e a t i n g he s t u f f e d his m o u t h with f o o d and b e g a n to c o u g h loudly, as if he w e r e c h o k i n g . His m o t h e r ran off to bring water. In the m o m e n t she w a s g o n e , he s w i t c h e d his p a r e n t s ' plates. W h e n his m o t h e r r e t u r n e d , he [the b o y ] d r a n k s o m e w a t e r a n d sat d o w n to eat. B e f o r e his m o t h e r h a d f i n i s h e d her meal she w a s o v e r c o m e with severe s t o m a c h pains. S h e fell to the g r o u n d a n d b r e a t h e d out her soul. *Genesis 3.6, referring to the Tree of Knowledge.

T h e n the boy told the prince e v e r y t h i n g his m o t h e r had d o n e , in l e a g u e with the stranger [the bandit], to kill him. H e also s h o w e d him the b a n d i t s ' treasure. T h e prince e m b r a c e d the b o y a n d realized that he w a s the son of his sister a n d the stranger. H e r e m e m b e r e d the a s t r o l o g e r s ' p r e d i c t i o n , w h i c h he had h e a r d f r o m his f a t h e r but h a d never believed. T h e next day, the prince set out, t a k i n g G o a t - B o y with him. A f t e r a tiring j o u r n e y , they r e a c h e d the capital and p r o c e e d e d to the k i n g ' s p a l a c e . T h e g u a r d s did not b e l i e v e the y o u n g m a n w h e n he c l a i m e d to be the k i n g ' s son. H e d r e w his s w o r d a n d t h r e a t e n e d to f o r c e his w a y in. T h e c o m m o t i o n r e a c h e d the k i n g ' s ears. His s e r v a n t s told h i m that a s t r a n g e y o u n g m a n , w h o c l a i m e d to be the p r i n c e , w a s d e m a n d i n g to be a d m i t t e d to his p r e s e n c e . T h e king t r e m b l e d and his heart b e g a n to p o u n d . H e o r d e r e d t h e m to b r i n g in the y o u n g m a n . " F a t h e r , father," cried the y o u n g m a n . T h e king r e c o g n i z e d his son instantly and the t w o e m b r a c e d . At the k i n g ' s order, they raced off to tell the q u e e n that her son had ret u r n e d . Full of love, the b o y e m b r a c e d his m o t h e r . " T h e k i n g w a s right w h e n he u p h e l d the H e a v e n l y d e c r e e , as the a s t r o l o g e r s instructed h i m . It w a s w i c k e d to save the seventh sister f r o m d e a t h . " H e told his p a r e n t s e v e r y t h i n g that had h a p p e n e d to him a n d p r e s e n t e d the b o y w h o s e i n t e l l i g e n c e had saved him f r o m d e a t h . Joy and h a p p i n e s s r e t u r n e d to the k i n g ' s h o u s e h o l d , a n d his s u b j e c t s c e l e b r a t e d the return of the heir. T h e seven y e a r s of s a d n e s s a n d s u f f e r i n g had s a p p e d the k i n g ' s strength; he d e c i d e d to a b d i c a t e in f a v o r of his son. T h e latter took an oath a l w a y s to f o l l o w the j u s t path, f o r the g o o d of his s u b j e c t s a n d his state, and a l w a y s to r e m e m b e r that there is n o e s c a p i n g H e a v e n ' s d e c r e e .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 3 (IFA

10084)

Told in Judeo-Spanish by Aharon ben Avraham Mizrahi to Moshe Attias in 1961 in Jerusalem.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The tale consists of four segments: (1) the prophecy, (2) the courtship and identity discovery, (3) in the robbers' den, and (4) the attempts on the prince's life. This tale is a version of a widely distributed story; 2 however, the occurrence of certain motifs that are not commonly associated with this tale type challenges the general theoretical and methodological framework of the folktale classification system. In principle, this system is geared toward the construction of the historical-geographical migration routes of specific folktales. 3 But the complexity of the present tale points to the importance of a synchronic view of narrative themes and their interrelationships in a specific culture, thus challenging the folktale classification system, which categorizes the narratives of a society and, for that matter, of the world as distinct types. Specifically, the parricide prophecy motif underlines the importance of crossing typological narrative boundaries and of viewing the themes as being interrelated.

The Prophecy The parricide prophecy involves a rare case in which diviners predict that an infant girl or girls, rather than a boy, are potential murderers. In unfolding this episode, the tale acquires gender-inversed Oedipal dimensions, which are absent from the standard tale types of 315 "The Faithless Sister," 590 "The Prince and the Arm Bands," and 590A "The Treacherous Wife." A further narrative transformation in which a brother, rather than the father, is the projected target of fatal aggression occurs in some versions. Comparative studies of the Oedipus narrative cycle fail to report such a prediction. 4 Even in Johnson and Price-Williams, 5 who gave special consideration to brother-sister incest stories, there is no exampie of the application of the parricide prophecy to an infant girl. Such a prophecy is also absent in tales of brother-sister incest and noticeably in those tales in which the sister initiates the relations. 6 Dundes, Edumnds, and Johnson have each confirmed the lack of such a case. 7 The biographical models of the hero that Rank formulated 8 and Raglan outlined 9 consider only males as the object of the parricide prophecy. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

In the IFA there are seven tales in which the specific command to kill an infant girl occurs; but only in two of these tales—IFA 3967, The Treacherous Sister (Yemen); and IFA 7181, The Thankless Sister (Yemen)—does the narrator articulate, as in the present tale, the reason for such an act, citing a prophecy of future danger. In these tales, it is predicted that the girl "will bring great disaster upon our family"

(IFA 3967) or will kill the king himself (IFA 7181). In the other five tales, no reason is given for the execution command, yet her gender is implicitly assumed to be her only fault. This command is disobeyed with dire consequences. Together with another twelve tales, these stories make up a narrative cycle that includes tale types 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son" and 590A "The Treacherous Wife." All of the tales include a variation of the fourth segment of the present story: attempts on the prince's life.

The Courtship and Identity Discovery Whether intentional or not, the shift in the infant's gender in this story generates narrative consequences and alternative options. The most crucial of these is the switch from a female to a male incest partner. Within the nuclear family, the narrator has two options: paternal and fraternal. In both possibilities, the incestuous desires could be wished or fulfilled. Additional narrative sequences occur when fraternal incest is only wished but paternal incest is committed. All three narrative permutations occur in the versions of this tale type that are in the IFA. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

• IFA 152 (vol. 3 no. 39): A Story of a Prince and a Princess (Yemen); 10 tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son"; incest = brother wished, father committed. • IFA 313: The Story of the Brave Son (Yemen); tale type = 590A "The Treacherous Wife"; incest = father wished (is prevented from marrying his daughter-in-law). • IFA 387: The Treacherous Sister (Yemen); 11 parricide = king commands his son to kill an infant daughter. 12 • IFA 15()(): The Rabbi 's Daughter (Morocco); tale type = 3 1 5 * B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son"; parricide = absent; sister married to evil supernatural figure, leading to events analogous to fourth segment of present tale. • IFA 2786: The Treacherous Sister (Yemen); tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son"; incest = brother wished (implied), father committed. • IFA 3218: The White King and the Treacherous Wife (Tunisia); 13 tale type = 590A "The Treacherous Wife"; parricide = king commanded to kill wife (unfulfilled); incest = king wished (prevented from committing with his daughter-in-law). • IFA 3328 (vol. 5 no 62.): Dao-Dang (Kurdistan); 14 tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son"; parricide = absent; sister married to evil supernatural figure, leading to events analogous to fourth segment of present tale. • IFA 3329: A Family with three Sons (Kurdistan); tale type = 590A "The Treacherous Wife"; child, whose father is a monster, tries but fails to save

•

mother's sons from an earlier marriage (variation of fourth segment of present tale). IFA 3967: The Treacherous Sister (Yemen); tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son."

• IFA 5856: When You Light a Fire—the Smoke Is in Your Eyes (Afghanistan);

•

• •

«

tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son"; parricide = sister; incest = brother implied, father wished (but avoided); motif = H36.1 "Slipper test. Identification by fitting of slipper." IFA 5933: Seven Souls (Iraqi Kurdistan); tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son"; parricide = absent; incest = father avoided, brother suggested; tale concludes with a variation of fourth segnient of present tale; motif = H36.1 "Slipper test. Identification by fitting of slipper." IFA 7181 : The Ungrateful Sister (Yemen); tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son." IFA 9000: The King Who Killed His Daughters (Morocco); tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son"; incest = brother implied; tale concludes with a variation of fourth segment of present tale. IFA 11863: Mishnash (Morocco); tale type = 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son"; incest = absent; sister commanded to take a supernatural spouse.

The Oedipus

Story

Comparative analyses of the tales in the Oedipus narrative cycle focus primarily on tale type 931 "Oedipus," which involves mother-son incest. 15 Johnson and Price-Williams 16 extended their analysis to other incestuous permutations within the family, such as father-daughter and sister-brother. According to Lessa, 17 the identification of a narrative with this tale type requires three criteria: prophecy, parricide, and mother-son incest. Thus the presence of prophecy in some versions of tale types 315 and 590 implies that they are narrative inversions of the Oedipal story. In the first tale type, a sister tries to rid herself and her mate of a brother; in the second, a mother tries to eliminate a son. The tales also involve the narrative manifestations of wished or implicit incestuous relations. Hence these three tale types together could be conceived as a narrative complex that manifests the erotic and filial tensions and attractions within the family. In their narrative typology, Aarne and Thompson 1 8 distinguished between tales of maternal and sisterly incest: The first is tale type 931, and the second is tale type 933 "Gregory on the Stone." As Edmunds 1 9 pointed out, the parricide motif is absent in the Gregory legend. In most cases, this form of the brother-sister incest story focuses on the child of the incestuous union, who becomes a pope, rather than on the sibling parents. The legend is current in Jewish, mainly Hasidic, tradition as a form of anti-Christian narrative derogation. 20 In the textual and oral history of tale types 931 and 933, the motifs often in-

tertwine. Thus, for example, a thirteenth-century version of the English ballad "Judas Iscariot" (a figure who assumes the Oedipal role in medieval European tradition), contains a reference to his erotic relationship with his sister. On his way to Jerusalem, "he meets his sister, the deceitful woman, who ridicules him for believing in the 'false prophet' and then induces him to go to sleep with his head in her lap—and when he awakes the silver has been stolen." 21 A comprehensive essay about Judas Iscariot in medieval European narratives is available. 22 Tales about incestuous relations and the desires of brothers and sisters are known from biblical and classical traditions. Amnon's rape of Tamar (2 Samuel 13) represents a common theme of a brother's aggression, and Ovid's Story of Caunus and Byblis23 is an example of sisterly erotic desires. Psychological

Analyses

The present narrative sequence reveals the negative relations between sister and brother and mother and son to be a result of incestuous wishes turned sour. The sister, or the mother, becomes a hostile figure. In psychology, this is an example of "projective identification." 24 The concept, which has wider and more complex ramifications in a therapeutic context, describes a pathological condition that is relevant to the last narrative segment of this tale. The brother, who feels sexually rejected by his sister, hordes aggressive feelings toward her and her real or imagined lover, projecting these emotions onto them and imagining them trying to kill him. In psychoanalytically oriented folklore studies, Dundes 25 proposed the term "projective inversion" for the "psychological process in which A accuses Β of carrying out an action which A really wishes to carry out him or herself." In this particular narrative sequence, the unfulfilled incestuous wishes of the brother generate an aggressive fantasy that turns into paranoia. The anger he feels toward his sister as a result of his disappointment is displaced as hostility that she has toward him. In the narrator's imagination, the sister plots together with her mate to eliminate him. Therefore, the Oedipal opening sequence in the present tale and in tales IFA 3967 and IFA 7181 from Yemen (and possibly implicit in similar sequences in other versions of this tale) is an appropriate—psychologically and structurally—preamble to tale types 315 and 590. S. Thompson 26 found the narrative cycle of "Faithless Mother, Sister, or Wife" to be widely diffused in eastern European and Islamic countries but rather rare in western European and North American countries. 27 Other Incest Tales Brother-sister incest stories are not unique to eastern Europe and countries of Islam; many societies around the world tell them. 28 As Moore 29 pointed out, in many cultures, a brother and sister, through an incestuous relationship, are the mythical parents of the human race. Jewish tradition may also have such a myth because there is an allusion to sibling incest in the midrashic narrative about the quarrel between Cain and Able.

Said R. Huna: An additional twin was born with Abel, and each claimed her. The one claimed: "I will have her, because I am the firstborn"; while the other maintained: "I must have her, because she was born with m e ' " (MR Genesis 22:7). The Hebrew Bible offers a historical account about incest in the royal house of King David; yet, the biblical narrative about the incestuous rape of Tamar by Amnon (2 Samuel 13) does not have any midrashic expansion. It resonates, however, in Sephardic romances. 30 The incest ballad in a collection of such tales describes a father-daughter relationship. 31 The "romance" of Amnon and Tamar is also popular among non-Jews in Spanish culture. 32 The narration of tale type 315 and its variations—3I5*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son" and 315 AI § (El-Shamy) "Ogre's Son Avenges Maternal Uncle" in Islamic societies—resonate family relationships in the cultures in which it is told. Brothers and sisters have strong bonds that are loaded with affection and tension. These relations have been explored by El-Shamy. 33 In spite of these strong ties, sisters and mothers exchange positions as evil figures in some versions of these tale types. In tale type 315*B (IFA) from Islamic countries, either the mother or a sister is found in the villainous role. The sister seeks to kill her brother in tale IFA 387 The Treacherous Sister,34 whereas the mother is the villain in tale IFA 3936 The Cruet Mother.35 In the latter tale, a widowed mother remarries a lion and then tries to kill her son; in tale IFA 1500 A Tale of a Brother and a Sister36 the sister marries a wizard and then seeks to kill her brother. Arab versions of these tales are also known—for example, tale type 590 II "The Treacherous Mother" 37 and tale type 315 "The Faithless Sister." 38

Folktale Types • • • • • • • • • • • • •

315 "The Faithless Sister." 315 "The Faithless Sister" (new ed.). 315 (Cainarena and Chevalier) "La Hermana Traidora" (The Treacherous Sister). 315 (El-Shamy) "Faithless Sister." 315A1 § (El-Shamy) "Ogre's Son Avenges Maternal Uncle." 315*B (IFA) "The Faithless Sister and Her Faithful Son." 315*B(IFA) (Jason) "The Treacherous Sister." 590 ‫״‬ "The Prince and the Arm Bands." 590 "The Faithless Mother" (new ed.). 590 (Cainarena and Chevalier) "El Principe y los Brazaletes" (The Prince and the Bracelets). 108 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Mutter und Sohn" (Mother and Son). (El-Shamy) "The Prince and the Arm Bands." 590 (Haboucha) "The Prince and the Arm Bands." 590 (Jason) "The Prince and the Arm Bands."

• • • • • • •

590 (Marzolph) "Die Hinterlistige Mutter" (The Deceitful Mother). 590A "The Treacherous Wife." 590A (Camarena and Chevalier) "La Esposa Traidora" (The Treacherous Spouse). 590 A (El-Shamy), "The Treacherous Wife." 931 "Oedipus." 931 "Oedipus" (new ed.). 931 (Jason) "Oedipus."

Folklore Motifs • • • • » • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ • • • • • • • •

D1311.6.4 "Divination by stars." H183 "Identification by nurse." K515.1 "Children hidden to avoid their execution (death)." K912 "Robbers' (giants' ) heads cut off one by one as they enter house." Κ1840 "Deception by substitution." Κ1916 "Robber bridegroom" (without any pretense). K2212 "Treacherous sister." K2212.0.1 "Treacherous sister attempts to poison brother." K2212.0.2 "Treacherous sister as mistress of robber (giant) plots against brother." M343.0.1 "Parricide prophecy: king's successors will be parricides." M369.7.2 "Prophecy about birth of heir." M375.2 "Slaughter of children to prevent fulfillment of parricide prophecy." M391.1 "Fulfillment of prophecy successfully avoided." P253 "Sister and brother." P361 "Faithful servant." P365 "Faithless servant." P475 "Robber." P475.2 "Robbers defeated and killed." P481 "Astrologer." Q411 "Death as punishment." R131 "Exposed or abandoned child rescued." *R131.5.1 "Midwife rescues abandoned child." S73 "Parricide." S73.1 "Fratricide." S301 "Children abandoned (exposed)." S302 "Children murdered." S322.1.1 "Father who wanted son exposes (murders) daughter." T415 "Brother-sister incest" (wished) T645.2.1 "Kill it if it is a girl." Z71.5 "Formulistic number: seven."

Notes 1. First published in Attias, The Golden Feather, 29-38 no. 1. 2. Shojaei Kawan, "Mutter." 3. S. Thompson, The Folktale, 4 2 8 4 4 8 ; and Krohn, Folklore Methodology. 4. See Constans, La légende d'Oedipe‫׳‬, Edmunds, Oedipus, esp. 22-25 (an analysis of the prophecy motif); and Edmunds and Dundes, Oedipus. 5. Oedipus Ubiquitous. 6. Johnson and Price-Williams, op. cit., 27-29, 61-62. 7. Personal communication. May 10, 14, and 26, 1999, respectively. 8. The Myth of the Birth of the Hero. 9. The Hero. 10. Published in Omer, May 15, 1959. 11. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzählt, 5 2 - 5 8 no. 15. 12. Published in D. Noy, Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 164-177 no. 67. 13. Cf. Lacoste, Légendes et contes merveilleux de la grande Kabylie, 1:72-87. 14. Cf. tale IFA 1500; the two tales differ mainly in the nature of the supernatural husband and the way he meets the sister. 15. See, for example, Constans, op. cit.; Edmunds, op. cit.; and Edmunds and Dundes, op. cit. 16. Op. cit. 17. "Oedipus-Type Tales in Oceania." 18. The Types of the Folktale. 19. Oedipus, 20. 20. Elstein, "The Gregorius Legend"; and Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 4:363-377 (The Learned Bastard). 21. Baum, "The English Ballad of Judas Iscariot"; cf. Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, 1:242-244 no. 23, to which Baum offered some emendations. 22. Baum, "The Medieval Legend of Juda Iscariot"; Krappe, "La legende d'Oedipe est-elle"; and Edmunds and Dundes, op. cit., 122-132. See also Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 2 5 - 2 6 no. 15. 23. Metamorphoses, book IX, 11. 454-672. 24. M. Klein, Envy and Gratitude and Other Works (see index); Meissner, "A Note on Projective Identification"; Ogden, Projective Identification and Psychotherapeutic Technique: and Grotstein, Splitting and Projective Identification. 25. "The Ritual Murder of Blood Libel Legend," 337 (bibliographic references, 336-376); see also his "Projection in Folklore," and "Projective Inversion in the Ancient Egyptian 'Tale of Two Brothers.' " 26. Op. cit, 113-117. 27. Note that the only Norwegian and Chippewa versions of this narrative cycle played an important role in the history of folktale studies because it spurred Thompson's interest in North American Indian tales and their European analogues. In hindsight, this phenomenon became the starting point of his illustrious scholarship. See S. Thompson, op. cit., 114 η. 3; and S. Thompson, A Folklorist's Progress, 57-58. 28. Bixler, "Sibling Incest"; Hopkins, "Brother-Sister Marriage in Roman Egypt"; Moore, "Descent and Symbolic Filiations"; and Rank, The Incest Theme in Literature and Legend.

29. Op. cit. 30. M. Attias, Romancero Sefaradi, 175-176 no. 74; and Armistead, El romancero Judeo-Espahol en el archivo Menendez, 1:215-217 no. E-17. 31. Armistead, op. cit., 2:131-141 no. P l - 2 . 32. Diaz Viana, "Amnân y Tamar." 33. Brother and Sister. 34. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzählt, 5 2 - 5 8 no. 15. 35. Published in D. Noy, Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 64-75 no. 17. 36. Published in D. Noy, Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 164-177 no. 67. 37. Published in El-Shamy, Folktales of Egypt, 14-24 no. 2 (bibliographical discussion, 240-244); Dulac, "Contes Arabes en dialecte de la Haute-Egypte," 17-25 no. 3; and Lacoste, op. cit., 1:72-87. 38. Published in Jahn, Arabische Volksmärchen, 7 4 - 8 0 no. 11 (bibliography, 507-509).

What Heaven Ordains Must Surely Take Place TOLD

BY

GEMILA

LEVI

TO

ITAY

ZIMRIN

C / n c e the q u e e n of S h e b a c a m e to visit K i n g S o l o m o n . H e sat next to her and e n t e r t a i n e d her. O n e day, the q u e e n said to K i n g S o l o m o n , "I believe in the G o d of the J e w s . T h e r e is only o n e thing I c a n n o t a c c e p t . I think that s o m e o n e w h o w a n t s to get m a r r i e d s h o u l d g o find his b r i d e h i m s e l f . " " Y o u ' r e w r o n g , " replied K i n g S o l o m o n . " O n e ' s destiny is d e t e r m i n e d in H e a v e n . " "I d o n ' t believe that." "I w o n ' t give y o u an a n s w e r now," said S o l o m o n . " Y o u ' l l have to wait e i g h t e e n years." W h a t did he d o ? A s is well k n o w n , every y e a r all the k i n g s w o u l d c o m e to K i n g S o l o m o n to h e a r his w i s d o m and then g o b a c k h o m e . A f t e r they h a d left, K i n g S o l o m o n s u m m o n e d the k i n g of the d e m o n s , w h o c a m e r u n n i n g . " W h a t d o you w a n t , Your M a j e s t y ? " " G o bring m e a tree that w a s planted in the t i m e of A d a m . " T h e k i n g of the d e m o n s took his d e m o n h o r d e a n d u p r o o t e d the tree. Its r o o t s w e r e b i g g e r than a large r o o m . On K i n g S o l o m o n ' s o r d e r s , the king of the d e m o n s s u m m o n e d d e m o n s to dig a m o n g the roots and m a k e a sort of r o o m there. All the n e w s p a p e r s p u b l i s h e d an a n n o u n c e m e n t that K i n g S o l o m o n w a s interested in p u r c h a s i n g a s i x - m o n t h - o l d girl. If s o m e o n e had t o o m a n y children and w a n t e d to get rid of o n e , he c o u l d sell her to the king. T h e r e w a s a m a n w h o had m a n y children and w a s d y i n g of starvation. H e h a d a s i x - m o n t h - o l d daughter. "You know," he told his w i f e , "I saw an a n n o u n c e m e n t by K i n g S o l o m o n : If s o m e o n e has a s i x - m o n t h - o l d d a u g h ter, the king will pay a lot of m o n e y f o r her." " M y heart w o n ' t let m e d o such a thing," replied his w i f e . But their life soon b e c a m e m u c h harder. A g a i n , the f a t h e r raised the

The beautiful Queen ofSheba

and wise King

Solomon.

idea with his w i f e . T h i s t i m e she a g r e e d . T h e f a t h e r took the little girl to the p a l a c e and asked the g u a r d s to admit him. H e took the child to K i n g S o l o m o n . " G i v e this m a n a lot of m o n e y , " he instructed his servants. T u r n i n g to the father, he a d d e d , " C o m e to m e every m o n t h to receive y o u r pension." T h e n he gave his servants their orders. " P u t the child in the r o o m and plant the tree in the spot f r o m w h i c h it w a s u p r o o t e d . A s f o r you," h e told the king of d e m o n s , "I c h a r g e you to w a t c h over the infant. Bring her f o o d every day, as m u c h as she w a n t s — m i l k , cereal, and e v e r y t h i n g else, three t i m e s a day." T h e y put a c a r p e t in the r o o m . T h e girl lived there, a l o n e with the wild f o r e s t c r e a t u r e s . S h e b e c a m e like a wild t h i n g h e r s e l f , with long hair. T h r e e t i m e s a day, the d e m o n s b r o u g h t her f o o d . S o m e years later, a certain c h i e f t a i n resolved to a b d i c a t e in favor of his son, b e c a u s e he w a s very old. But first the son sailed off to learn n e w things. O n e day, the ship cast anchor, and e v e r y o n e c r o w d e d into the boats to g o a s h o r e . W h i l e they w e r e a s h o r e , the y o u n g m a n strolled o f f . In the m e a n t i m e , the rest of the c r e w r e t u r n e d to the s h i p and sailed away. T h e y o u n g m a n w a s left alone, with f o o d f o r only o n e day. W h e n that ran out he w a s at a loss f o r w h a t to do. T a k i n g hold of a p l a n k , he w e n t d o w n to the w a t e r ' s e d g e . M a y b e he c o u l d reach s o m e p l a c e w h e r e there w a s f o o d a n d not die of starvation. All d a y long he f l o a t e d . In the e v e n i n g , he r e a c h e d a cove w h e r e there w a s a little f r e s h water. H e ate a bit of grass, c l i m b e d up into a tree, and fell asleep. N o w the d e m o n w h o w a s r e s p o n s i b l e f o r f e e d i n g the girl h a d b e e n given clear instructions: "If you see one, take f o o d f o r o n e ; if you see two, take f o o d f o r two. A n d if you see three, take f o o d f o r three." Accordingly, that day the d e m o n took t w o loaves of bread and d r o p p e d o n e of t h e m on his w a y to the g i r l ' s c h a m b e r . W h e n the y o u n g m a n c l i m b e d d o w n f r o m the tree, he s a w a parcel on the g r o u n d . W h e n he o p e n e d it, he saw it c o n t a i n e d hot m e a t and bread. " B l e s s e d Be G o d and His N a m e , " he m u r m u r e d to h i m s e l f . " J u s t as He has saved m e thus far, so m a y H e c o n t i n u e to save m e f r o m starvation." T h e y o u n g m a n ate. T h e n he l o o k e d a r o u n d a n d d i s c o v e r e d a r o o m u n d e r the tree in w h i c h he had slept. C o m i n g closer, he saw t h r o u g h the w i n d o w a w o m a n with a h u m a n f a c e and hairy a r m s . H e started s e a r c h i n g f o r the door. " T h i s is truly f a s c i n a t i n g , " he t h o u g h t . W h e n he entered, he saw a h u m a n f a c e on w h a t s e e m e d to be a wild c r e a t u r e . W h e n he adv a n c e d toward her, she j u m p e d b a c k w a r d in f r i g h t . S h e w a s quite n a k e d .

G r a d u a l l y he s o o t h e d her, sat d o w n next to her, and b e g a n to t e a c h her human speech. In the m e a n t i m e , the ship in w h i c h he h a d b e e n traveling sank. " T h i s life is no life," he told h i m s e l f . " I ' l l g o b a c k to the s u n k e n s h i p a n d bring w h a t I can." S h e began to cry. " H o w can you leave m e n o w ? " So he m a d e a boat, sailed out to the ship, and b r o u g h t b a c k all sorts of things. T a k i n g s o a p and a b r u s h , he b e g a n to fix her hair. H e b a t h e d her, s e w e d c l o t h e s f o r her, and m a d e w h a t e v e r she n e e d e d — h e w a s a p r i n c e , you see, and k n e w how to d o e v e r y t h i n g . " T h i s is m y fate," he d e c i d e d . H e m a r r i e d her, and in short o r d e r she b o r e him a d a u g h t e r and a son. T h e d e m o n kept b r i n g i n g t h e m f o o d . W h e n the boy w a s a y e a r old and the girl t w o y e a r s old, the t i m e arrived f o r K i n g S o l o m o n to s h o w the q u e e n of S h e b a that o n e ' s f o r t u n e is d e t e r m i n e d in H e a v e n . T h e c h i e f t a i n w a s traveling f r o m p l a c e to place, s e a r c h i n g f o r his son, but c o u l d not find him. It w a s a r o u n d the t i m e w h e n all the k i n g s c a m e to visit King S o l o m o n , as they did every year. He p r e p a r e d a lavish b a n q u e t f o r t h e m . T h e c h i e f t a i n c a m e too. P e r h a p s o n e of the a s s e m b l e d m o n a r c h s had seen his son. T h e p a r e n t s of the girl c a m e as well, to ask h o w she was. A f t e r the m e a l , the king n o t i c e d that a c a k e w a s m i s s i n g . W h e n he a s k e d the c o o k s w h a t had h a p p e n e d , they told h i m that a great bird had c o m e and stolen the c a k e . " W h o is o u t s i d e ? " asked the king. "A f a t h e r and m o t h e r a n d a c h i e f t a i n . T h e y ' r e l o o k i n g f o r their children," w a s the r e s p o n s e . " L e t t h e m c o m e in." " W e ' v e c o m e l o o k i n g f o r o u r d a u g h t e r , w h o m w e sold to y o u , " ann o u n c e d the g i r l ' s parents. " H o w w o u l d you r e c o g n i z e h e r ? " " W e have a sign." H e asked the c h i e f t a i n w h a t he w a n t e d . " I ' l l certainly r e c o g n i z e m y son. He w a s already g r o w n w h e n he disappeared." " B r i n g t h e m [the y o u n g f a m i l y ] in," he told his servants. T h e y led the c o u p l e in, she with the d a u g h t e r , and he with the son. T h e y all r e c o g n i z e d o n e a n o t h e r instantly and b e g a n to h u g a n d kiss. K i n g S o l o m o n t u r n e d to the q u e e n of S h e b a . "You see, o n e ' s f o r t u n e is d e t e r m i n e d in H e a v e n , j u s t as I said."

" I t ' s true," she a g r e e d . " E v e r y t h i n g is d o n e by H e a v e n and is in G o d ' s hands." H e gave t h e m all a lot of money, and they b e c a m e h a p p y and wealthy. T h e q u e e n of S h e b a believed in K i n g S o l o m o n m o r e than ever.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 4 (IFA

6591)

Recorded by Itay Zimrin from Gemila Levi in June 1965 in Jerusalem. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale resonates with several themes, characters, and situations that are recurrent in Jewish tradition, interweaving them not only as distinct narrative episodes but also as incidental descriptive elements or figures that function in similar roles in other tales. Three of these elements will be discussed here: (1) King Solomon and the queen of Sheba, (2) the king of the demons, and (3) children in the wild.

King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba The opening encounter between the queen of Sheba and King Solomon has biblical and medieval narrative representations. In the Hebrew Bible, the queen of Sheba's visit to Jerusalem and her meeting with King Solomon involves intellectual exchange with subtextual sexual insinuations ( 1 Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chronicles 9:1-12), a report that Josephus 1 repeated. In the talmudic-midrashic literature, there are only scant references to her, though King Solomon's character is augmented to include magical power and demonic control (for example, BT Gittin 68a-68b; JT Sanhédrin 2:2). In medieval literature, around the eighth to tenth centuries, noncanonical texts document a traditional image of the queen of Sheba as sexually and demonically seductive, associated with the Lilith figure. 2 The opening dialogue between King Solomon and the queen of Sheba does not involve riddles but a theological discussion, similar to one that took place between a Roman noblewoman and Rabbi Jose ben Halafta, a second-century tanna. A [Roman] matron asked R. Jose: "In how many days did the Holy One, blessed be He, create His world?" "In six days," he answered. "Then what has He been doing since then?" "He sits and makes matches," he answered, "assigning this man to that woman, and this woman to that man." "If that is difficult," she gibed, "I too can do the same." She went and matched [her slaves], giving this man to that woman, this woman to that man and so on. Some time after those who were thus united went and beat one another, this woman saying, "I do not want this man," while this man protested, "I do not want that woman." (Straightway she summoned R. Jose b. Halafta and admitted to him: "There is no god like your god: it is true, your Torah is indeed beautiful and praiseworthy, and you spoke the truth!") (MR Genesis 68:4; see also MR Leviticus 8: l). 3 Both Rabbi Yose ben Halafta and King Solomon resolved the question of marital destiny experimentally.

The King of the Demons In Jewish-Christian tradition, there are two figures who are recognized as king of the demons. In the late-third-century Testament of Solomon, Beelzebub is described as "the ruler of the demons" (3:6) and as the "Prince of the Demons" (6:1-7). Also in the Testament of Solomon, Asmodeus (sometimes spelled Ashmedai or Ashmadai) is called an "evil demon" (5). Current scholarship associates the Testament of Solomon with Christian circles. 4 In the later talmudicmidrashic sources, Asmodeus was elevated to king of the demons (BT Pesahim 110a; BT Gittin 68a-68b). As a kind of archdemon, he is the principal antagonist of King Solomon, who is the archetypical wise king and benevolent magician. 5 In the present story, the unnamed "king of demons" submissively obeys King Solomon and thus resembles Beelzebub more than Asmodeus. The great bird that stole the cake in the tale is either the demon itelf or its messenger.

Children in the Wild The present tale shares some similarities with tale type 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard," although the significant narrative transformations are variations on the more commonly known form of the tale (compare tale IFA 4735 [vol. 1]). In the present tale, the confinement of the girl is not the result of a prophecy about a future low-status spouse but is motivated by an experiment in human life. She is not a princess but comes from a poverty-stricken family and is bought by and becomes a ward of King Solomon. Whereas in the other versions of this tale type the young man is poor, in this version he is from a royal family and is able to transform the girl, who in confinement had degraded to a bestial existence, into a cultured human being. The narrative about this transformation process offers a folk analogy to tales about discovered children who were reared in the wild that became known from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries. Selected books about such children are available, 6 as are other stories related to this tale type (see, for example, tale IFA 4735). Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Close analogues to the present tale in the IFA include the following: •

IFA 3264: King Solomon Tests Destiny (Tunisia).

• IFA 5185: The Wealthy Man's Daughter Who Was Locked Up in a Cave (Iraq). Folktale • • •

Types

124 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Das Schicksal ist Vorherbestimmt" (Destiny Is Predetermined). 128 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Vorherbestimmte Ehe" (Predestined Spouse) 140 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Salomon und der Phönix" (Solomon and the Phoenix).

• • • • • • • « • • • •

200 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Ali und Dilruba." cf. 310 "The Maiden in the Tower (Rapunzel)" (new ed.). cf. 930A "The Predestined Wife" (new ed.). 930A (Haboucha) "The Predestined Wife." 930A (Jason) "The Predestined Wife." cf. 930*E (Haboucha) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." 930*E(IFA) (Jason) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." 930*K (Haboucha) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." 930*K(IFA) (Jason) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." 934' (Marzolph) " D r e i f a c h e r Tod Prophezeit" (Threefold Death). "Rapunzel" (Scherf).

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ • ‫״‬ ‫״‬ • • ‫״‬ • • • • • • • ‫״‬ •

F124 "Journey to the land of demons." F141.1.1 "Perilous river as barrier to other world." F 162.3 "Tree in other world." F232.5 "Fairies have hairy bodies." 7 F234.1 "Fairies in the form of an animal." F311.2 "Fairy foster-father." F371 "Human being reared in fairyland." F375 "Mortals as captives in fairyland." F402.2.1 "King of demons (Asmodeus)." F567.1 "Wild woman." F811 "Extraordinary tree." F811.21 "Marvelous tree (trees) of extraordinary age." *F811.25 "Tree with extraordinary roots." H51.1 "Recognition by birthmark." *H491.2 "In large family mother unwilling but father willing to sell children." J191.1 "Solomon as wise man." LI62 "Lowly heroine marries prince (king)." Ν121 "Fate decided before birth." *N659.3 "Youth left on shore by ship that is later sunk." cf. N724 "Hunter accidentally discovers beautiful girl being secretly reared in cave." N836.1 "King adopts hero (heroine)." R1 "Wild man | woman] captured and tamed." R45.1 "Man [woman*! confined under roots of tree." R i l l .2.5 "Girl rescued from tree." R131.11.3 "Prince rescues abandoned child." S221 "Child sold (promised) for money." T22 "Predestined lovers."

• • • •

T22.1 "Lovers mated before birth." T22.2 "Predestined wife." T22.3 "Predestined husband." T381 "Imprisoned virgin to prevent knowledge of men (marriage, impregnation)."

Notes 1. Jewish Antiquities, 8.165-175. 2. Grossfeld, The Targum Sheni to the Book of Esther, 29-33; Ego, Targum Scheni zu Esther, 168-176; Yassif, The Tales of Ben Sira in the Middle Ages, 19-27, 50-59, 217-218; and Stern and Mirsky, Rabbinic Fantasies, 180. For further studies on the queen of Sheba, see Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 3 9 ^ t 3 no. 25; Lassner, Demonizing the Queen of Sheba; Pritchard, Solomon and Sheba; D. Stern, "The Queen of Sheba vs. Solomon." 3. For critical textual analysis and further comparative annotations, see Theodor and Albeck, Bereschit Rabba, 2:771-773; and M. Margalioth, Midrash va-Yikra Rabba, 1:164-166. 4. Duling, "Testament of Solomon," esp. 939-944; and Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 6:292 η. 86. 5. For more about him, see Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra 'el, 49-51 no. 28. 6. Itard, The Wild Boy of Aveyron; Lane, The Wild Boy of Aveyron; Maison, Wolf Children; Singh and Zingg, Wolf-Children and Feral Man; Maclean, The Wolf Children; and F. Koch Das Wilde Kind. 7. In Jewish tradition, demons play the role that fairies have in European folktales.

The Rabbi ,s Son and the King 's Daughter T O L D

BY

Y A ' A K O V

A S H R A F

TO

M E N A H E M

B E N - A R Y E H

/ here w a s o n c e a c h i l d l e s s rabbi w h o f r e q u e n t l y p r a y e d on b e h a l f of b a r r e n w o m e n . O n e day, w h e n the rabbi had g o n e to the yeshivah* to learn, a w o m a n c a m e to his h o u s e l o o k i n g f o r h i m . " W h y are you l o o k i n g f o r the r a b b i ? W h a t d o you w a n t h i m to d o f o r y o u ? " a s k e d the r a b b i ' s wife. "I w a n t to ask him to pray that I m a y c o n c e i v e , " the visitor replied. W h e n the rabbi r e t u r n e d h o m e , his w i f e q u a r r e l e d with h i m a n d u p braided him. " W h y d o you pray on behalf of barren w o m e n w h e n w e ourselves are old, a d v a n c e d in years,** and have n o s o n ? You s h o u l d pray f o r us to have a son." T h e rabbi replied to his w i f e , "If G o d so wills there is no n e e d f o r prayer." But his w i f e held her o w n : "You d o h a v e to pray." T h e rabbi i m m e r s e d h i m s e l f in the mikveh} p r a y e d to G o d , a n d asked to have a d r e a m in w h i c h his r e q u e s t w o u l d be a n s w e r e d . In his d r e a m , the m e s s e n g e r - a n g e l a p p e a r e d and i n f o r m e d h i m , "A son will be born to y o u . But w h e n he r e a c h e s the a g e of e i g h t e e n — h e will die." " L e t m e c o n s u l t m y w i f e , " r e p l i e d the rabbi, " a n d h e a r w h a t she s a y s — w h e t h e r she a g r e e s . " T h e rabbi related his d r e a m to his w i f e — n a m e l y , that the son w o u l d die at [age] e i g h t e e n . R e p l i e d his w i f e , "It d o e s n ' t matter. We will h a v e o u r son f u l f i l l the p r e c e p t s of c i r c u m c i s i o n , Torah study, te filling and m a r r i a g e . W h a t e v e r G o d w i l l s — s o be it."

"Jewish school of higher learning. "Genesis 18:11, referring to Abraham and Sarah. 5 Ritual bath. 55 Small black leather prayer boxes, wrapped around the head and arm, containing passages from the Torah.

An old

mikveh.

T h e rabbi again s o u g h t a d r e a m a p p e a r e d , he [the r a b b i ] r e l a y e d h i s later, the r a b b i ' s w i f e gave birth to a the f e s t i v e b a n q u e t in a c c o r d a n c e n a m e d him S o l o m o n .

a n s w e r . W h e n the m e s s e n g e r - a n g e l w i f e ' s w o r d s . A n d so it was. A y e a r son. T h e y c i r c u m c i s e d him and held with J e w i s h law a n d tradition a n d

S o l o m o n g r e w up and l e a r n e d Torah f r o m his father, until he c o u l d give thirty h o m i l i e s on every letter and k n e w the e n t i r e T a n a k h a n d T a l m u d , M i s h n a h a n d G e m a r a * by heart. His k n o w l e d g e even s u r p a s s e d that of his father, w h o w a s h i m s e l f a very great scholar. Years passed. O n e s u m m e r day, S o l o m o n c l i m b e d up to the roof of his f a t h e r ' s h o u s e . A l o n g c a m e an eagle, seized S o l o m o n by his hair, and flew off with h i m . W h e n the e a g l e r e a c h e d M a d r i d , the capital of S p a i n , he d r o p p e d S o l o m o n on the roof of the k i n g ' s palace. T h e king w a s s l e e p i n g at the t i m e . But w h e n he h e a r d the loud t h u m p on the r o o f , the k i n g of S p a i n got up, a l a r m e d . " G o up to the roof," he told his servants, " a n d see w h a t c a u s e d that t h u m p i n g s o u n d . W h a t h a p p e n e d ? " T h e servants w e n t up to the roof a n d f o u n d S o l o m o n , fallen in a h e a p on the p a l a c e roof. W h e n they told the king, he h i m s e l f went up there. H e saw that S o l o m o n ' s face w a s like the f a c e of an angel of the Lord of Hosts, his c o u n t e n a n c e radiant and s h i n i n g . T h e king c o m p o u n d e d v a r i o u s m e dicinal spices and put t h e m u n d e r S o l o m o n ' s nose to revive h i m . W h e n S o l o m o n revived, the king asked him, " W h o are you, a n d f r o m what place?" "I a m a H e b r e w man,"** replied S o l o m o n . T h e king b r o u g h t him f o o d a n d all sorts of d e l i c a c i e s to eat. But S o l o m o n r e f u s e d to taste t h e m . " W e J e w s are f o r b i d d e n to eat prohibited f o o d s , " he told the king. " W h a t d o you want, t h e n ? " the king asked him. " I ' d like new utensils, v e g e t a b l e s , a n d a c h i c k e n . I'll s l a u g h t e r the c h i c k e n m y s e l f and p r e p a r e my o w n f o o d . " In a f l a s h , the king b r o u g h t S o l o m o n e v e r y t h i n g he w a n t e d . S o l o m o n c o o k e d his o w n meal and ate. T h e k i n g built him a h o u s e in his g a r d e n , next to the palace, and e q u i p p e d it with a bed, chair, table, and w h a t e v e r he n e e d e d . W h e n S o l o m o n ' s f a t h e r a n d m o t h e r s e a r c h e d f o r their only son, the

Ά term that since the Middle Ages popularly refers to Talmud as a whole, or more specifically to the discussion of the amoraim "Jonah 1:9.

on the Mishnah. 111 the Talmud itself, gemara

means "received tradition."

light of their e y e s , a n d c o u l d not find him, they put on s a c k c l o t h and m o u r n e d f o r him. E v e r y day S o l o m o n t h o u g h t a b o u t the Torah and w a s very sad that he had not f o u n d any b o o k s to study and learn f r o m . Every day the king c a m e to visit and talk with him. O n e day, w h e n the king c a m e to visit h i m , h e saw that S o l o m o n w a s sad and p r e o c c u p i e d . " W h a t ' s w r o n g , S o l o m o n m y s o n ? " asked the k i n g — f o r the king loved him m o r e than he loved his o w n son. " W h a t has h a p p e n e d to y o u ? W h a t d o you l a c k ? " S o l o m o n replied, "I a m t h i n k i n g a b o u t the Torah a n d a m sad that I have n o b o o k s . " " W h a t b o o k s d o you desire so m u c h ? " asked the king. " I ' l l have t h e m b r o u g h t here." S o l o m o n said that he w a n t e d a T a n a k h , M i s h n a h , G e m a r a , T a l m u d , and the o t h e r b o o k s of J u d a i s m . T h e king i m m e d i a t e l y d i s p a t c h e d his servants to a n e a r b y t o w n in Spain, w h e r e there w e r e J e w s , to buy the b o o k s that S o l o m o n w a n t e d and had t h e m b r o u g h t to him. Every night S o l o m o n read a n d studied and w a s c o n t e n t . O n e night, w h e n the k i n g ' s d a u g h t e r w a s out w a l k i n g in the g a r d e n , she saw a b u i l d i n g there. C a n d l e s w e r e b u r n i n g inside, and a voice c h a n t ing Torah pierced the d a r k n e s s outside. S h e hurried over to see w h a t w a s there. W h e n she got to the h o u s e she saw S o l o m o n inside, sitting a n d l e a r n i n g , his f a c e like the f a c e of an angel of the L o r d of H o s t s . " G o o d e v e n i n g , sir," she said to him. H e did not answer. S h e r e p e a t e d her g r e e t i n g a s e c o n d a n d third time, but still he did not r e s p o n d . W h e n S o l o m o n f i n i s h e d w h a t he w a s l e a r n i n g , the k i n g ' s d a u g h t e r said, " W h y d i d n ' t you a n s w e r w h e n I greeted y o u ? " " B e c a u s e I t h o u g h t you w e r e an evil spirit or a prostitute. T h a t ' s w h y I d i d n ' t return y o u r greeting." H e c o n t i n u e d , " W h a t d o you w a n t n o w ? " She: "I w a n t to learn Torah." He: " F i n e , I will teach you." S o every day and night she c a m e to learn Torah, until she had learned m o r e Torah than he had and w a s m o r e k n o w l e d g e a b l e in the Torah than he was. T h e k i n g ' s d a u g h t e r said to S o l o m o n , "I w a n t to m a r r y y o u . " " T h a t is i m p o s s i b l e , " he replied. "You are a non-Jew, a Christian, the d a u g h t e r of a king, and I am a H e b r e w m a n — a Jew." " T h e n I will convert and be a Jew like y o u . "

"If G o d wills it, m a y nine a n g e l s a n d Elijah, zakhur latov,* c o m e d o w n a n d a r r a n g e the seven b l e s s i n g s , m a r r i a g e c e r e m o n y , and m a r r i a g e c o n tract f o r us." A n d so it was. A n g e l s d e s c e n d e d , a l o n g with Elijah, zakhur latov, and w r o t e their m a r r i a g e contract and recited the seven b l e s s i n g s f o r t h e m . All this took place w i t h o u t her f a t h e r ' s k n o w i n g a n y t h i n g a b o u t it. Years p a s s e d . O n e s u m m e r d a y S o l o m o n w a s in the g a r d e n , b a t h i n g his h a n d s and f e e t to cool o f f f r o m the s u m m e r heat. T h e e a g l e c a m e , s e i z e d h i m by his hair, flew o f f with h i m to the p l a c e w h e r e S o l o m o n ' s m o t h e r lived, a n d d r o p p e d him on the roof of the h o u s e . H e a r i n g the t h u m p on the r o o f , his m o t h e r called to her m a i d . " G o u p and see w h a t has h a p p e n e d on the roof." T h e m a i d w e n t up to the roof a n d saw S o l o m o n there. I m m e d i a t e l y , she w e n t b a c k d o w n to her m i s t r e s s a n d said, " M y lady, y o u r son, S o l o m o n , is on the roof." " D o n ' t talk n o n s e n s e ! Y o u ' r e t e a s i n g me. S o l o m o n is d e a d . " But the m a i d persisted. " G o up to the roof. If it's not S o l o m o n you can cut off m y h e a d . " S o l o m o n ' s m o t h e r w e n t u p to the roof and r e c o g n i z e d her o n l y son, the light of her e y e s . S h e fell o n h i m , w e e p i n g . T h e n s h e b r o u g h t garlic and put it u n d e r his nose to revive h i m . W h e n S o l o m o n c a m e to, he told his m o t h e r e v e r y t h i n g that had h a p p e n e d to him, f r o m b e g i n n i n g to e n d . A f t e r they had rejoiced over their son, and S o l o m o n had r e j o i c e d over his parents, his f a t h e r said to him, " M y b e l o v e d son, n o w w e are g o i n g to m a t c h you with o n e of the d a u g h t e r s of the t o w n , and you will m a r r y her." " N o , I d o n ' t w a n t any girl f r o m the t o w n , " replied S o l o m o n , " e v e n if she is the best and m o s t b e a u t i f u l of w o m e n . I want only my w i f e , S a r a h " ( m e a n i n g the king of S p a i n ' s d a u g h t e r ) . D a y a f t e r day, he r e p e a t e d that he w a n t e d S a r a h f o r his w i f e , until he fell ill on a c c o u n t of his love f o r her and took to his bed. A s f o r S a r a h — w h e n S o l o m o n , the light of her eyes, v a n i s h e d , she too fell ill a n d took to her bed. Day by day, her c o n d i t i o n w o r s e n e d until she w a s on the verge of d e a t h . T h e p h y s i c i a n s c a m e to cure her, but they c o u l d find n o r e m e d y f o r her a i l m e n t . T h e king issued instructions to the g u a r d s at the city gates: " W h e n a n y o n e enters the city, you m u s t ask w h a t his pro-

"This expression, used in connection with Elijah, literally means "remembered for good," but is usually translated as "of blessed memory."

f e s s i o n is. B r i n g a n y o n e w h o says he is a p h y s i c i a n to m y palace, to heal my daughter." B a c k to S o l o m o n . D a y by day his c o n d i t i o n w o r s e n e d . " M y d e a r son," his f a t h e r told him, " d o not b e a f r a i d . With G o d ' s help I will g o to S p a i n a n d bring y o u r w i f e b a c k to y o u . " S o l o m o n ' s f a t h e r put on C h r i s t i a n garb, took a large tea urn and f d l e d it with s q u a b s o u p , and w e n t to S p a i n . W h e n he reached the city and entered o n e of its gates, the g u a r d s asked h i m , " W h a t is y o u r t r a d e ? " "I a m a p h y s i c i a n f r o m Italy." T h e y b r o u g h t h i m to the k i n g . "If y o u can heal m y d a u g h t e r , " he said, "I will give you a n y t h i n g you ask for." " W i t h G o d ' s help I will cure her." S o l o m o n ' s f a t h e r e n t e r e d the p a l a c e and c l o s e d the d o o r on h i m s e l f and the k i n g ' s daughter. "I a m S o l o m o n ' s father," he w h i s p e r e d in her ear. " T o p r o v e it, here is the signet ring you gave h i m . " W h e n s h e heard the n a m e S o l o m o n she t r e m b l e d all over. " W h o here k n o w s m e by the n a m e ' S a r a h ' ? It h a s to be S o l o m o n ' s father." S h e took the signet ring that the r a b b i — S o l o m o n ' s f a t h e r — g a v e her. T h e rabbi p o u r e d out s o m e of the s o u p he h a d b r o u g h t in the teapot and gave it to her to drink. " S i n c e m y b e l o v e d , the light of m y eyes, S o l o m o n , w e n t a w a y a n d v a n i s h e d , I h a v e e a t e n n o t h i n g that is not kosher." S h e d r a n k the s q u a b soup. T h e n the rabbi gave her c o f f e e . S o o n she felt better and sat up in bed. D a y a f t e r day, S o l o m o n ' s f a t h e r c a m e to her a n d g a v e her s o u p and o t h e r t h i n g s to eat and drink. Within a w e e k , the k i n g ' s d a u g h t e r w a s b a c k to her old self, j u s t as she had been b e f o r e she fell ill, if not better. W h e n the king c a m e to see his d a u g h t e r he w a s o v e r j o y e d . "You are an excellent p h y s i c i a n . " T h e next day, w h e n the rabbi visited the k i n g ' s d a u g h t e r , h e a s k e d , " N o w w h a t shall w e d o so w e can g o h o m e ? " "I a m only a w o m a n , " replied Sarah. " B u t you are a rabbi and a w i s e m a n . D o as y o u r w i s d o m bids y o u . " T h e rabbi gave her s o m e s a f f r o n (a spice, o n e of the thirteen c o m p o n e n t s of the i n c e n s e that w a s o f f e r e d in the Temple*), a n d she r u b b e d it

"Note that the Babylonian Talmud (Keritot 6b) explicitly states that there were eleven spices in the incense.

over her entire body. W h e n she w o k e u p in the m o r n i n g and her f a t h e r entered, he w a s taken a b a c k by w h a t he saw. " W h a t has h a p p e n e d to you today?" "I a m a c h i n g in all m y limbs," s h e replied. T h e k i n g c a l l e d in the rabbi. " W h a t h a s c a u s e d m y d a u g h t e r to h a v e this r e l a p s e ? " " S h e has an affliction in her l i m b s , " he replied. " S h e n e e d s a c h a n g e of air and s u r r o u n d i n g s . S h e has to take a sea cruise. T h e n she will be totally cured." " M y d a u g h t e r is in y o u r h a n d s , " a n s w e r e d the king. " G o , a n d c o m e b a c k with her w h e n she is c u r e d . You are like her father." " D o you w a n t m e to s e n d s o l d i e r s with y o u ? " the k i n g a s k e d his daughter. " T h e r e ' s n o need f o r soldiers," she replied. "I only need t w o sailors to m a n the ship." T h e king paid the rabbi his f e e and gave his d a u g h t e r m o n e y to live on f o r a year, and t w o sailors to m a n the boat. T h e y p r e p a r e d to set sail. T h e king and his w i f e a c c o m p a n i e d t h e m to the harbor. " M y d a u g h t e r , m a y G o d p r e s e r v e you f r o m all evil," said the king. T h e n he b a d e her f a r e w e l l a n d r e t u r n e d to the p a l a c e with his retinue. S a r a h a n d the rabbi sailed o f f . In the m i d d l e of the sea, S a r a h t o o k a pistol, shot the t w o sailors, a n d threw their b o d i e s o v e r b o a r d . T h e n S a r a h and the rabbi sailed on until they r e a c h e d the r a b b i ' s h o m e t o w n . W h e n they r e a c h e d their d e s t i n a t i o n , they saw p e o p l e bustling to and f r o , l o o k i n g sad and upset. " G e n t l e m e n , w h a t has h a p p e n e d in this c o u n t r y ? " asked S a r a h . " S o l o m o n the r a b b i ' s son has p a s s e d away," they replied. "I ask y o u r h o n o r s to tell the burial society not to bury h i m until I arrive and beg his f o r g i v e n e s s . I a m his w i f e . " T h e y delivered her m e s s a g e to the burial society. W h e n S a r a h arrived, she w e n t inside a n d c l o s e d the d o o r b e h i n d herself and S o l o m o n . T h e n s h e fell w e e p i n g on his f a c e . W i t h c o p i o u s tears s t r e a m i n g d o w n her f a c e , s h e p r a y e d : " M a s t e r of the U n i v e r s e , I left my f a t h e r and mother, I a b a n d o n e d my k i n g d o m , I r e n o u n c e d e v e r y t h i n g and b e c a m e a Jew. A n d now you have taken m y love, the light of m y eyes, S o l o m o n . Please, Ο G o d , restore S o l o m o n ' s soul to h i m . " In the t w i n k l i n g of an eye, the angel R a p h a e l and Elijah, zakhur latov, d e s c e n d e d and uttered p r a y e r s on his b e h a l f to the L i f e of the U n i v e r s e .

S o l o m o n ' s soul r e t u r n e d to h i m , a n d he a w o k e like o n e w h o a w a k e n s f r o m sleep. Blessed B e H e W h o r e s t o r e s the dead!* S o m a y the H o l y O n e , B l e s s e d Be He, grant that w e see the c o m i n g of our Messiah, amen.

"Blessing in the Amidah

prayer, also known as "the Eighteen Benedictions."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 5 (IFA

4735)

Recorded in Rosh-Pinnah on December 12, 1962 by Menahem Ben-Aryeh from Ya 'akov Ashraf of Hazor in the Galilee, originally from the city of Melilla, Morocco.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The narrator of this tale and the narrators of this particular subtype weave together several well-known themes in Jewish and general narrative traditions: (1) barrenness and the quest for offspring, (2) the young man carried off by an eagle, (3) the hero dropped on a rooftop, (4) the secret marriage of lovers, and (5) the revival of a husband by his wife. This thematic cluster occurs frequently in Jewish ethnic traditions and, therefore, has been designated as a tale type: 930*E (IFA), "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." 2 The idea of marital predestination is represented in five other types of Jewish folktales: 930*F (IFA) "The Well and the Weasel as Witnesses," 930*G (IFA) "Black Slave Marries King's Daughter," 930*H (IFA) "Human Match-Making Is Unsuccessful," 930*J (IFA), "Taming the Father-inLaw," and 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." Shenhar 3 discussed three of these tale types in relationship to other versions of the present tale.

Barrenness and the Quest for Offspring Comparative analyses of the first theme, barrenness and quest for offspring, are given in the notes to tales IFA 2644 (vol. 1) and IFA 10085 (vol. 1). Barrenness is the initial conflict in all the IFA tales classified as tale type 930*E. In Jewish and other narrative traditions, divine forces govern the life of a child born in response to prayers to God (1 Samuel 1). Such a male child is dedicated to God and destined to greatness or, inversely, divine fate shortens his life, and he is to die at a predestined age or on his wedding night. In this particular tale, the two dates are merged because eighteen was considered the normal and ideal age for a man to marry (Mishnah Avot 5:21 ). Furthermore, the Hebrew letters, het and yud—the numerical value of which, in gematria, is eighteen, and the meaning of which is "alive"—appear prominently in Jewish marriage contracts in Morocco. They refer to the dowry sum and function as a protective amulet at the same time. 4

The Young Man Carried Off by an Eagle The second theme, the young man carried off by an eagle, has in Jewish folktales romantic connotations, since the eagle often carries its victim to his destined bride. This theme has mythological antecedents in the Akkadian story of Etna, whom an eagle carried to help him in his search for an herbal cure for barrenness. 5 More specifically, in Jewish tradition a hero takes flight on a bird in The Story of the Jerusalemite;6 and in antecedents and analogues of the present story, the eagle lifts the hero and carries him to his destined bride. 7

In a unique tale, included in the Midrash of the Ten Commandments,8 Elijah the Prophet, rather than an eagle, snatches the hero from his wedding party and returns him, seven years later, to his bride. In both the kidnapping and the return flights, the text refers to Elijah as "carrying [the youth] with his wings." In a version of tale type 505 "Dead Man as Helper" a dead man transforms himself into an eagle; saves the youth, who has ransomed his (the dead man's) corpse; and carries the hero back to Jerusalem. 9 In other versions of this tale type, Elijah or an angel saves the youth from death and helps him perform magic. To the best of my knowledge, in Jewish folklore these are among the few instances of any indication of the interchangeability, equivalence, or correspondence between the prophet Elijah and an eagle or of the possible transformation of a supernatural helper into an eagle.

The Hero Dropped on a Rooftop and the Secret Marriage of Lovers In modern Hebrew literature, the story of the youth who was dropped by an eagle, or large bird, on the rooftop of the tower in which King Solomon's daughter was kept to prevent her prophesied marriage to a poor boy, has entered the literary canon owing to its rendition by four writers: Abraham Mordecai Piôrko (1853-1933), Israel Benjamin Levner (1862-1916), Micha Joseph bin Gorion (Berdyczewski) (1865-1921), and Hayyim Nahman Bialik (1873-1934). Piôrko's rendition appeared as a booklet, Hayyim ve-Ahavah (Life and love), in his series of books for children. Levner included his rendition of the tale in Kol Aggadot Yisra'el (All the Jewish legends); 10 Bin Gorion published the legend in several anthologies."

Bialik's Versions H. Bialik published the tale in two versions: "Bat ha-Melekh u-ven Zugah" (The princess and her mate) and a much expanded version "Aggadat Sheloshah veArba'ah" (The legend of three things and four). In a letter of April 2, 1933, to Ya'akov Nacht, Bialik noted that in writing The Legend of Three Things and Four he relied on its summary in S. Buber 12 and on his own conjecture that the following biblical verses influenced the formation of the legend: Three things are beyond me; Four I cannot fathom: How an eagle makes its way over the sky; How a snake makes its way over a rock; How a ship makes its way through the high seas; How a man has his way with a maiden (Proverbs 30:18-19). His wife told him a version of the tale she had heard from her grandmother; Bialik believed the details of the story validated this assumption. 13 Indeed he dedicated The Legend of Three Things and Four to his wife with the inscription "from

your mouth to your ears." His wife remembered that when he was writing the second rendition of the legend, he could not figure out how the young man was to meet the maiden. She recalled the story she had heard in her childhood, and Bialik was enthusiastic about the narrative solution ofthat oral version. 14 Bialik's versions have an interesting publication history. The first rendition, originally published in 1917, was included in the first two editions of Kitvei Bialik ve-Mivhar Targumav (Bialik's writings and selected translations). 15 However, when the edition celebrating Bialik's sixtieth birthday was published in 1933, the two stories appeared side by side, both titled The Legend of Three Things and Four, and were designated the first version and second version, respectively. 16 A year later, the second story was printed, along with the author's editorial modifications, in a children's edition of legends titled Va-Yehi ha-Yom (And it came to pass). 17 Finally, in the English translation. And It Came to Pass, the two versions have different titles: The first, shorter story is The Way of a Man with a MaidiH and the second, longer one is The Princess of Aram.19 Other translations have also been published. 20 Bialik's literary rendition of the tale has made it a focus of an extensive scholarship. 21 Other Adaptations

and

Modifications

In Hebrew literature, there are two other dramatic adaptations of this tale. Moses Hayyim Luzzatto ( 1707-1746) employed it as an introductory plot for his play Migdal Oz (Tower of strength), written c. 1727, and Ya'akov Cahan based "Shelomoh u-vat Shelomoh" (Solomon and Solomon's daughter) on the same theme. As noted earlier, Bialik drew on the version that S. Buber published; 22 but other versions of the tale have been published. 23 Habermann 24 printed two stories—corresponding to tale types 310 "The Maiden in the Tower [Rapunzel]," 930*J (IFA) "Taming of the Father-in-Law," and 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard"—from manuscripts. 25 Compared to the various printed, manuscript, and oral versions of the story, the present text includes several modifications of medieval tales that are classified as tale type 930*E (IFA). First, barrenness serves as an initial focus in these tales. Second, Solomon is the name of the youth, not the king; and when the eagle drops him on the rooftop, it is the king of Spain himself, not the daughter, who meets him. The romantic relations between the young man and the girl develop only after the king learns to respect his guest. Third, there is a reversal of religious identity and gender. In the medieval texts, the girl is Jewish while in the present version she is not and has to convert so she can marry her love whom she meets secretly. The final episode, which corresponds to tale type 934A "Predestined Death" does not consistently appear in the oral narrations but does occur in the nineteenth-century folk-literary rendition. 26 This tale is also an episode in the story Senor Miguel the Wealthy Man.21 An analysis of the oral versions of the tale is available. 28

The Isolated

Maiden

The romantic tale about an isolated maiden and an intruding youth has had a long history of literary renditions dating back to the period of the New Kingdom in Ancient Egypt (c. 1550-1080 B.C.E.) and in more recent literary history in Italy, France, and Germany. While it would be difficult to establish an unbroken line of either oral or written transmission from Egyptian antiquities to the Renaissance, Romantic, and the modern periods, it is significant to note that the most ancient and the most recent versions share the themes of barrenness, predestination, marriage between a lowly boy and a princess, and the wife's intervention to prevent fatal destiny. One example is the story The Doomed Prince. Maspero's 29 story referred, with due cautious uncertainty, to the boy's flight into the princess's quarters; K. Simpson 30 and Lichtheim, 31 however, used the verb "leap." Whether as a mere curiosity, coincidence, or fact of major historical-geographic significance, a tale of this type appears as dynasty-origin myth among the Edo people of Nigeria. 32 To the best of my knowledge, there is no literary documentation of the currency of this tale in Greek and Roman classical literature or in the Jewish talmudic-midrashic books of late antiquity. It appears again in Persian medieval literature as the romantic tale of Zal and Rudaba, which Ferdowsi (died c. 1020) included in the Shah-nama.33 In Jewish traditional literature, the tale occurs first in a medieval manuscript of Midrash Tanhuma (no. 156) in the Hebrew manuscripts in the Bodleian Library in Oxford. The manuscript likely dates to late-thirteenth-century France. S. Buber designated it as "Manuscript C" in his edition of the midrash. 34 The manuscript contains Jewish versions of tale types 310 "The Maiden in the Tower [Rapunzel]" and 930A "The Predestined Wife," which tell about King Solomon and his daughter. European writers demonstrated their knowledge of the tale by including it in their collections. The Italian and French writers had likely drawn the tale, in some degree, from oral tradition. The story first appeared in Giambattista Basile's Lo Cunto de Ii Cunti (1634-1636), which was known as II Pentamerone after its 1674 edition. The story was titled Petrosinella in The Pentamerone of Giambattista Basile.35 Toward the end of the seventeenth century, Charlotte-Rose Caumont de La Force (1650-1724) published a literary rendition of this tale, titied Persinette, in her collection Les Contes des Contes (1697). 36 Apparently, La Force rewrote a tale she obtained from oral tradition, and modern scholars consider folklore to be her source. 37 According to Bolte and Polivka, 38 Friedrich Schultz 39 (1762-1798) translated La Force's Persinette and published it as Rapunzel. This last text was the source of the tale Rapunzel that the Brothers Grimm included in their Kinder-und Hausmärchen.40 Detailed comparisons of the La Force and Schultz texts have been published. 41 Bolte and Polivka 42 primarily listed Mediterranean and Balkan analogues, and other scholars concur with these origins. 43 A study investigating the place of this tale in European art and poetry has been conducted, 44 as have general studies

of this theme. 4 5 The tale has also been recorded in Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities. 4 6 Stillman 47 printed a version that combines this tale with tale type 560 "The Magic Ring." In Jewish and other traditions, the theme of the maiden in the tower is often associated with a prophecy about a predestined marriage that crosses social class or, as in the case of the present tale, religious boundaries. Although there are significant thematic differences between the Italian, French, and German versions of the story and those on record in the IFA, they are all within the range of variation expected among folktales told in different countries and historical periods. Therefore, it is possible to consider these tales as a narrative cluster told by Jews in Mediterranean and Arab countries and as a representative set of variants that were known in these countries before the stories influenced the literary imaginations of more modern European writers. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

The versions recorded in Israel and on deposit in IFA are as follows: • • • • • • •

• • •

• • •

IFA 9: The Bird That Attempted to Change Fate (Turkey); tale type = 930*Κ (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 323: The Predestined Bridegroom (Yemen); 48 tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 335: With God's Will All Is Possible (Iraq); 49 tale type = 930 "The Prophecy." IFA 537: The Predestined Bridegroom (Iraq); 50 tale type = 930 "The Prophecy." IFA 1070: A Tale of the Son of a Sage and a Princess (Morocco); 51 tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 1104: God the Matchmaker (Lithuania); tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 1109: The Proselyte Princess and the Resurrected Rabbi's Son (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 2504: King Solomon Tests Fate (Tunisia); 52 tale types = 930 "The Prophecy" and 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 3264: The Princess Who Was Predestined to a Butcher's Son 53 (Tunisia); tale type = 930 "The Prophecy." 54 IFA 3527: The Merit of a Good Deed (Yemen); tale type = 930*E (IFA), "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 3935: King Solomon's Daughter on an Island (Iran); 55 tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 4407: The Rich Man's Daughter Who Was Locked Up in a Cave (Iraq); 56 tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 5059: The Rich Farmer and His Poor Son-in-Law (Iran); 57 tale type = 930 "The Prophecy."

IFA 5149: The Eagle Carries a Bridegroom to His Bride (Afghanistan); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 5185: The Pigeons That Laid Golden Eggs (Iraq); 58 tale type = 930 "The Prophecy." IFA 6582: Abraham and Sarah (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 6591 (vol. 1): What Heaven Ordains Must Surely Take Place (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 6732: There Is No Escape from Fate (Morocco); tale types = 759C "The Widow's Meal" and 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 6797: The Wise Joseph and Esther, the Daughter of the Christian King (Tunisia); 59 tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 7431 (vol. 5): A Story about a Yeshiva Student (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 7595: The Prince and the Wood Cutter (Irani Kurdistan); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 8036: The Sad Man (Iraq); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 8149: The Eagle (Morocco); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 8596: Sarah and Solomon (Morocco); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 8764: The Yemenite Lad Who Became the King of England (Yemen); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 8812: The Story of Resurrection (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 11547: The Life-Giving Flower (Morocco); 6 0 tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 11918: One Cannot Erase Whatever Is Written on His Forehead (Iraq); tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 12549 (vol. 1): The Wise Princess (Yugoslavia); 61 tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 12741; The Rabbi's Son Who Converted the Princess (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." IFA 12745: The Eagle, King Solomon, and the Maiden in the Cave (Yugoslavia); 62 tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." IFA 12869: The Rabbi's Son and the Princess (Yugoslavia); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter."

•

IFA 13969: Solomon and Miriam (Morocco); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." • IFA 14056: The Youth Whom the Eagle Carried (Yemen); tale type = 930*E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." • IFA 14077: The Princess on an Island (Bedouin); tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." • IFA 1 4 3 1 7 : The Woodcutter and King Solomon's Daughter (Morocco); tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." • IFA 14888: The Eagle (Morocco); tale type = 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard."

The Revival of a Husband by His Wife The fifth theme in this tale concerns the revival of a husband by his wife who, through prayer or sheer admonishment of the Angel of Death, saves her bridegroom from his predestined premature, death. This theme has been identified in Jewish folklore as corresponding to tale types 934A "The Predestined Death," 934B "The Youth to Die on His Wedding Day," and 899 "Alcestis," although none of the types fully represents the tale, or episode, as it occurs in Jewish tradition, in which neither the bride nor the bridegroom die. Rather, in Jewish narratives, the bride saves her bridegroom through her prayers and pleadings. Such a tale has been known since late antiquities and was popular in the Middle Ages, when it evolved into three basic versions: •

The first, whose hero is known as Mataniah, is in the Midrash 'Aseret ha-Dibrot (Midrash on the Ten Commandments), dated from the tenth century. 63 • The second version is about the son of Reuben the Scribe and is found in Gaster. 64 • The third version draws on the theme of the Book of Tobit, in which a "killer wife" has her bridegrooms die in their nuptial chamber. She overcomes her tragic destiny not by magic, as in Tobit, but by pleading with the Angel of Death.

The narratives in this group invert the image of the killer wife/bride whose husbands died; and in these versions, she saves her bridegroom, who was about to die prematurely in their nuptial chamber. Such was the tragic heroine in the Book of Tobit until her charitable cousin saved her from her fate. Discussions of this character are available. 65 Prayer, charity, and magic reverse the fate of the killer wife and transform her to a life-giving bride, as is the heroine of the present tale. The story is found in Midrash Tanhuma, "Ha'azinu" (124a-124b no. 8), was incorporated into the twelfth-century Sefer Shaashuim,66 and was anthologized. 67 A comprehensive analysis of this theme is available. 68 In light of the dominant tradition in oral and written sources about the potential death of the bridegroom on his wedding night, the talmudic story about a sim-

ilar fate that was awaiting Rabbi Akiva's daughter is uniquely gender marked (BT Shabbat 156b). The story was copied into medieval and later books and manuscripts. 69 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

For oral versions in the IFA, see the following: •

IFA 422: The Box with Bones (Poland). 70

• IFA 1022: Charity Saves from Death (Iraq).71 • • • •

IFA 5032: A Woman of Valor Saves IFA 5698: The Reward for Charity IFA 6441: The Angel of Death and IFA 11536: The Youth Who Married

from Death (Morocco). 72 (Irani Kurdistan). 73 the Rabbi (Irani Kurdistan). 74 the Daughter of His Luck (Morocco). 75

Folktale Types • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • •

310 "The Maiden in the Tower." 310 "The Maiden in the Tower (Rapunzel)" (new ed.). 930 "The Prophecy." 930 "The Prophecy" (new ed.). 930 (Camarena and Chevalier) "La Profecia" (The Prophecy). 930 (El-Shamy) "The Prophecy." 390A "The Predestined Wife." 930 ‫ ״‬A "The Predestined Wife" (new ed.). 930A (Camarena and Chevalier) "La Esposa Predestinada" (The Predestined Wife). 930A (Haboucha) "The Predestined Wife." 930A (Jason) "The Predestined Wife." 930 ‫ * ״‬E (IFA) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." 930*E (IFA) (Haboucha) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." 930*E (IFA) (Jason) "Rabbi's Son Marries King's Daughter." cf. 934 (Marzolph) " D r e i f a c h e r Tod prophezeit" (Threefold Death). 934 "Tales of the Predestined Death" (new ed.). 934A "Predestined Death." 934A (El-Shamy) "Predestined Death." 934A (Haboucha) "Predestined Death." 934A (Jason) "Predestined Death." 934B "The Youth to Die on His Wedding Day." 934B-*A (IFA) "Successful Escape from Death." 934B-*A(IFA) (Jason) "Escape from Death." 934*F (IFA) "Charity Rescues from Death." 934*F (IFA) (Haboucha) "Charity Rescues from Death." 934*F (IFA) (Jason) "Charity Rescues from Death." 934*G (IFA) "Rescue of Boy Fated to Die on His Wedding Night." "Rapunzel" (Scherf).

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ • « • • • • • • • • • • ‫״‬ ‫״‬ • • • • • •

B455.3 "Helpful eagle." B542.1.1 "Eagle carries off man to safety." B552 "Man carried by bird." D1812.3.3.3 "Prophetic dream induced by incantation." D 1925.2 "Barrenness removed by bathing." D1925.3 "Barrenness removed by prayer." E63 "Resuscitation by prayer." E l 2 1 "Resuscitation by supernatural person." El 21.5.2 "Resuscitation through prayers of holy man." *E125.4 "Resuscitation by wife." cf. Ε165 "Resuscitation of wife by husband giving up half his remaining life [sometimes reversed]." L161 "Lowly hero marries princess." M302.7 "Prophecy through dreams." M311.0.3.1 "Prophecy: child to be born to childless couple." M341 "Death prophesied." M341.1 "Prophecy: death at (before, within) certain time." M341.1.3.2 "Prophecy: death |at| before eighteen years." M341.4.2 "Prophecy: danger to threatened newborn boy at his eighteenth year." P210 "Husband and wife." Q192 "Child given as reward for prayer." cf. R152 "Wife rescues husband." T55.1 "Princess declares her love for lowly hero." T91.6.4 "Princess falls in love with lowly boy." T210 "Faithfulness in marriage." T510 "Miraculous conception." T548.1 "Child born in answer to prayer." T570 "Pregnancy." T596 "Naming of children." V96 "Ritual bathing." V336 "Conversion to Judaism." Z71.5 "Formulistic number: seven." Z71.9 "Formulistic number: thirteen." Z71.16.12.1 "Formulistic number: eighteen."

Notes 1. Published in Schwartz. Elijah's Violin and Other Jewish Fairy Tales, 82-88. 2. For an analysis, see Shenhar, "The Folkloristic Sources of Bialik's Aggadat Shelosha ve-Arba'ah"\ and Shenhar, "The Jewish Oicotype of the Predestined Marriage Folktale."

3. Op. cit. 4. Sabar, Ketubbah, 355-358 nos. 237-239. 5. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts, 1:11-18, 2:221; and Foster, From Distant Days, 102-114. 6. Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 373-384 no. 200. 7. Bin Gorion, op. cit., 7 0 - 7 2 no. 38 (Solomon's Daughter)·, Farhi, Oseh Pele (The miracle worker), 160-173; and Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 5:16-28. 8. Anthologized in Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch, 1:84-86. 9. Huzin, Sefer Ma'aseh Nissim (Miracles), 5a-7a no. 5. 10. At part 2, 1:354-361 no. 327. 1 1. Aus dem Jüdischen Sagenschatz, 1:123-124; Zefunot ve-Aggadot (Mysteries and legends), 123-124; Der Born Judas, 1:221-124, 375, 387; and Mimekor Yisrael 7 0 - 7 2 no. 38. 12. Midrash Tanhuma, 68b (Introduction). 13. Lachower, Iggrot Hayyim Nahman Bialik (The letters of Hayyim Nahman Bialik), 5:212-213. 14. M. Bialik, Pirkei Zikhronot (Memoires), 40-41. 15. At 2:187-194. 16. Kitvei H. N. Bialik (The works of H. N. Bialik), 2:207-259. 17. At 182-251. 18. At 221-230. 19. At 231-281. 20. Schwarz, Feast of Leviathan, 295-301 (first version); and Patterson and Spicehandler, Random Harvest, 227-286 (second version). 21. Ben-Yehezki'el, "The Book And It Came to Pass"‫׳‬, Klausner, "Aggadat Shloshah ve-Arb'ah" (The tale of the three things and four); Komem, "Yehuda Steinberg's 'Ram and Ramot' and 'The Tale of Three and Four' "; Marthan, "The Connection between 'The Fire Scroll' and 'The Legend of Three and Four"; Miron, "He'arot le-Aggadat Shlosha veArba'ah" (Comments on the legend of three things and four); Riblow, "Derekh haAggadah shel Bialik" (Bialik's aggadic method); Shamir, Love Unveiled (extensive bibliography; four versions in the appendixes); Shenhar-Alroy, "The Folkloric Source of 'The Tale of Three and Four'" by H. N. Bialik; Urbach, "The Tale of Three and Four," and "The Fable of *The Three and Four' of H. N. Bialik" (abbreviated version); Werses, "The Folktale and Its Literary Adaptation"; Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 7 0 - 7 2 no. 38; Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 4:175-176, 6:303; and H. Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 273-275. 22. Midrash Tanhuma, "Introduction," 68b. 23. For example, Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis, 121 (no. 336), tale type = 930*K (IFA).

24. "An Ancient Version of the Source of 'The Tale of Three Things and Four,' " and Hadashim Gam Jeshanim, 190-198. 25. Anonymous, Sefer Hemdat Yamim, 3:51 a-51 b. 26. Farhi, op. cit., 160-173. 27. Meyouhas, Ma'asiyyot Am li-Vnei Kedem (Oriental folktales), 44-59. 28. Shenhar, "The Jewish Oicotype of the Predestined Marriage Folktale."

29. Popular Stories of Ancient Egypt, 185-195 (for history and problems of text recovery, see 185-186). 30. The Literature of Ancient Egypt, 85-91. 31. Ancient Egyptian Literature, 2:200-203. 32. Butcher and Gbinigie, "Four Edo Fables." 33. R. Levy, The Epic of the Kings, 44-46. 34. May, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, 21 no. 156. 35. At 1:135-139. 36. Robert, Il était une fois les fees, 71-79. 37. Robert, Le conte de fées littéraire en France, 91, 178. 38. Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-u, 1:97-99 no. 12. 39. Kleinen Romanen, 269-288. 40. The Complete Fairy Tales, 4 6 - 4 9 no 12; and Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:26-28. 41. Lüthi, "Die Herkunft des Grimmschen Rapunzelmärchens"·, and Lüthi, Volksmärchen und Volkssage, 62-96. 42. Op. cit. 43. Gety, "Maidens and Their Guardians"; Lüthi, Once Upon a Time, 109-119; S. Thompson, The Folktale, 102-103; and Uther, " J u n g f r a u im Turm." 44. Lauer, Rapunzel. 45. Aarne, Der Reiche Mann und Sein Schwiegersohn; Taylor, "The Predestined Wife"; and Tille, "Das Märchen vom Schicksalskind." 46. Olsvanger, Rosinkes mit Mandlen, 271-274 no. 372; Olsvanger, L'Chayim, 147-150 no. 175; Schwartz, Miriam's Tambourine, 4 9 - 5 5 (cf. tale IFA 3264; tale type 930*K; motifs B455.3 "Helpful eagle" and B531 "Animals provide food formen"); Larrea Palacin, Cuentos populäres de los Judios del Norte de Marrueccos, 2:244-249 no. 153. 47. "The Three Magic Objects." 48. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 239-241 no. 99. 49. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 120-126 no. 49. 50. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 17-20 no. 5. 51. Published in Shenhar, "The Jewish Oicotype of the Predestined Marriage Folktale," 54-55; D. Noy, ed., Jewish Folktales from Morocco, 88-90 no. 43; and D. Noy, Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 114-117 no. 43. 52. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 149-150 no. 54 (cf. Olsvanger, op. cit.). 53. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 170-172 no. 66. 54. Published in Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 2 2 - 2 4 no. 4. 55. Published in Avitsuk, The Fate of a Child, 2 4 - 2 6 no. 14. 56. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 151-153 no. 70. 57. Published in Kagan,A Tale for Each Month 1963, pp. 24-28 no. 4; and E. Marcus, Min ha-Mabua (From the fountainhead), 6 1 - 6 4 no. 12. 58. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 165-168 no. 80. 59. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 4 0 4 4 no. 6. 60. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1978, 77-84 no. 2; and Schram, Tales of Elijah the Prophet, 7 - 1 6 no. 2. 61. Published in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 100-107 no. 16. 62. Published in Alexander and Noy, op. cit., 117-119 no. 25. For a comparative

analysis of tales IFA 12549 (vol. 1) and IFA 12745, see Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half 349. 63. Hasan-Rokem, Midrash Aseret ha-Dibrot, 148 no. 385 (VII, 3b); Jellinek, op. cit., 1:83-84; Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra 'el, 372-373 no. 199; A. Shapira, Midrash Aseret HaDibrot, 205-206; and Eisenstein, Ozar Midrashim, 2:458. For studies on this tale, see G. Hasan-Rokem, "The Snake at the Wedding"; H. Schwarzbaum, "The Hero Predestined to Die on His Wedding Day." 64. Op. cit., 85, 98-100, and Ma'aseh Book, 2 : 4 3 6 4 4 4 no. 195; Maitlis, The Book of Stories, 249-255 no. 70; ha-Kohen, Me'il Zedakah no. 374(434); Cronbach, "The Me'il Zedakah"·, Jellinek, op. cit., 5:152-154, 207; Huzin, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot, 2 - 5 no. 1; Farhi, op. cit., 1:57-58; Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 3:255-257; and Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 207-209 no. 116. 65. M. A. Friedman, "Tamar"; see also Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 74-77 no. 40; Rabenau, Studien zum Buch Tobif, and Wills, The Jewish Novel in the Ancient World, 68-92. 66. I. Davidson, Sepher Shaashuim, 55-59; Hadas, The Book of Delight, 89-99; and Koidonover, Sefer Καν ha-Yashar (The book of the straight line), chap. 10. 67. Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 3:252-254. 68. Schwarzbaum, "The Hero Predestined to Die on His Wedding Day." 69. Aboab, Menorat ha-Ma'or (Candlestick of lights), 409 no. 194; and Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis, 116, 239 no. 318. 70. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 126-130 no. 50. 71. Published in Kagan, "About the Mythical Quality of Folk Tales." 72. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Morocco, 116-118 no. 63; and D. Noy, Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 152-155 no. 63. 73. Published in E. Marcus, op. cit., 131-133 no. 35. 74. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1965, 2 5 - 2 6 no. 3. 75. Published in Shenhar and Bar-ltzhak, Sippurei 'Am me-Bet-She'an (Folktales from Beit She'an), 4 1 4 7 no. 4.

The King 's Wise Daughter TOLD TO

BY

RIVKA

TAMAR

C O H E N - A R I E L A L E X A N D E R

O r i c e t h e r e w e r e lots of k i n g s — t h e E n g l i s h and the F r e n c h and all of t h o s e . T h e k i n g of T u r k e y h a d a b e a u t i f u l d a u g h t e r . T h a t w a s b e c a u s e a m o n g the T u r k s the w o m e n a l w a y s c o v e r e d their f a c e s , and if y o u r f a c e never sees the light and never f e e l s the air it is a l w a y s like milk. S h e w a s beautiful. T h e son of the k i n g of E n g l a n d h e a r d a b o u t her a n d h o w e x q u i s i t e l y b e a u t i f u l she was, and d e c i d e d that he w a n t e d to m a r r y her. " M y d a u g h t e r c a n n o t m a r r y h i m , " insisted the k i n g of Turkey, " b e c a u s e h e is Christian a n d she is M u s l i m . " "If you d o n ' t give her willingly," retorted the king of E n g l a n d , " w e ' l l g o to war." " S o b e it," said her father. H e r father, the T u r k i s h k i n g , a s k e d his d a u g h t e r w h a t she w a n t e d . " S h a l l w e fight a w a r or are you w i l l i n g . . . ?" " I ' l l n e v e r m a r r y a C h r i s t i a n , " she r e p l i e d f o r c e f u l l y . S o w h a t c o u l d her f a t h e r d o ? "In that case," he said, " w e ' l l g o to war. B u t first, b e f o r e w e start fighting, I will build you an u n d e r g r o u n d p a l a c e , inside a m o u n t a i n . N o o n e will k n o w w h e r e you are." H e sent an envoy to the E n g l i s h k i n g . " W a i t . G i v e us t i m e to think it over." In the m e a n t i m e , he sent w o r k m e n to build a p a l a c e inside a m o u n t a i n . It w a s a real palace, with a pool and servants and e v e r y t h i n g . " T h e first y o u n g man you m e e t here," said her father, " h o w e v e r he gets i n — t h r o u g h the d o o r or t h r o u g h a w i n d o w — t h a t y o u n g m a n is y o u r d e s tiny." "All right." " E v e n if he is poor. W h o e v e r he is." H e r f a t h e r sealed her in a n d the w a r b e g a n . T h e T u r k i s h k i n g lost.

T h e E n g l i s h k i n g sent e n v o y s to look f o r the p r i n c e s s , w h o had vanished as if the earth had s w a l l o w e d her up. W h e r e c o u l d she b e ? S h e really w a s u n d e r the g r o u n d , of c o u r s e , but he c o u l d not find her p a l a c e . T h a t is b e c a u s e the T u r k i s h king did j u s t like N a p o l e o n and killed all the builders so they w o u l d not [be able t o j talk. T h e r e w a s a p o o r y o u n g m a n w h o w a s b o r e d with his life. W h a t kind of life did he have a n y w a y ? H e did not have a j o b and he c o u l d not find one, so he used to r o a m aimlessly d u r i n g the day a n d sleep at night in the m o u n t a i n s . O n e night, in the dark, he saw a small light shining out of the m o u n t a i n s i d e . " W h a t c o u l d that b e ? M a y b e there are d e m o n s or w h o knows what inside!" S o the m a n started w a l k i n g t o w a r d the light. W h e n he g o t close, he saw it w a s c o m i n g f r o m s o m e kind of w i n d o w . "I can slip in t h r o u g h the w i n d o w , " he told h i m s e l f . First he stuck his head in. W h e n he saw that his h e a d fit, he tried his b o d y too. H e c l i m b e d inside and d i s c o v e r e d a palace. But w h a t a p a l a c e ! H e o p e n e d the kitchen d o o r and saw f o o d . T h e p o o r y o u n g m a n , w h o w a s f a m i s h e d , b e g a n to eat. T h e servants, lying in bed, heard the noise of cutlery on china. T h e y got u p and r u s h e d to the kitchen. W h a t did they see there? T h i s y o u n g fellow, p o o r guy, quite pathetic in his tattered c l o t h e s — but a h a n d s o m e m a n all the s a m e . T h e y w e n t and k n o c k e d on the p r i n c e s s ' s door. " C o m e and see, t h e r e ' s a y o u n g m a n here! We d o n ' t k n o w h o w he g o t in. But you j u s t h a v e to c o m e a n d see h i m . H e ' s e a t i n g l i k e ' s t h e r e ' s n o t o m o r r o w — h e m u s t be d y i n g of hunger." T h e p r i n c e s s got up, put on a r o b e over her n i g h t g o w n , and w e n t d o w n to the k i t c h e n . H e w a s indeed a h a n d s o m e fellow, but s u c h a p a t h e t i c sight, with no coat or shoes. "All right," she told her servants. "I d o n ' t w a n t him to see m e now. F m g o i n g b a c k to sleep. W h e n he f i n i s h e s eating, give h i m a nice pair of p a j a m a s and a c o m f o r t a b l e bed to sleep in. We will speak with him tomorrow." W h e n he h a d f i n i s h e d e a t i n g , the s e r v a n t s said to h i m , " C o m e now, take a bath. Take these p a j a m a s , put t h e m on, and sleep in a c o m f o r t a b l e bed." H e did as they said. H a v i n g eaten his fill, w h a t he w a n t e d now w a s to sleep. H e took a bath, put on the p a j a m a s , a n d w e n t to bed. H e slept ten or twelve hours. In the m o r n i n g , the princess w e n t and bathed in the river, w h i c h p a s s e d right t h r o u g h the p a l a c e . T h e n s h e got d r e s s e d a n d c a m e into the living room.

T h e y o u n g m a n got up at n o o n . T h e servants set the table, with him on o n e side a n d her on the other. " H o w did y o u get i n ? " s h e a s k e d h i m . " W h e r e d o you c o m e f r o m ? " " M y g r a n d m o t h e r w a s a l w a y s telling m e to g o find a j o b , " he replied. " B u t I n e v e r f o u n d o n e . Finally I ran off to the m o u n t a i n s . I told m y s e l f that w h a t e v e r h a p p e n s to m e , let it h a p p e n . A n d G o d sent m e here. I saw a small light s h i n i n g in y o u r w i n d o w a n d I c a m e in here." "All right," said the p r i n c e s s . "You can stay here. Eat and drink. You'll find w h a t e v e r you w a n t here." So he stayed. T h e r e w e r e m a n y r o o m s in the u n d e r g r o u n d palace, and even a g a r d e n . H e saw t h e m all, as well as the servants. A w e e k p a s s e d , then two, a n d they started to fall in love. S h e saw that he w a s a h a n d s o m e m a n and w a s s i m p l y u n f o r t u n a t e . " L o o k , " she told h i m , "I am a p r i n c e s s . Be sure that you d o n ' t leave by the w i n d o w . But if you have to g o out f o r s o m e f r e s h air, m a k e sure you n e v e r b r i n g a n y o n e b a c k with y o u . It's i m p o r t a n t . Of c o u r s e , w e h a v e plenty to e a t — b u t you m u s t never b r i n g a guest here with you." "All right," he said. H e started g o i n g out every day. H e s i m p l y c o u l d not stand it inside. H e l e a r n e d his w a y t h r o u g h the m o u n t a i n s , a n d as the d a y s p a s s e d [he] s t r a y e d f a r t h e r a n d f a r t h e r f r o m the u n d e r g r o u n d p a l a c e . E v e n t u a l l y , h e d i s c o v e r e d an A r a b c o f f e e h o u s e . He w o u l d sit there and w a t c h t h e m [the m e n ] play c h e c k e r s but n e v e r j o i n e d in their g a m e s or talk. Still, he c a m e every day, and every e v e n i n g r e t u r n e d to the p a l a c e alone. B a c k to the k i n g of E n g l a n d ' s son. H e l o o k e d f o r a w i t c h w h o c o u l d divine w h e r e the y o u n g w o m a n w a s b e i n g kept. W h e n they f o u n d such a w i t c h , s h e cast lots. " T h e k i n g ' s d a u g h t e r is alive," she r e p o r t e d . " S h e ' s s o m e w h e r e in the m o u n t a i n s , h i d d e n in that m o u n t a i n over there, but I d o n ' t k n o w exactly w h e r e . " S o n o w the p r i n c e k n e w that she w a s h i d d e n s o m e w h e r e in the m o u n tains. H e w o u l d find her. H e sent his o f f i c e r s and soldiers. T h e y h u n t e d f o r h e r — o n e day, t w o d a y s , three d a y s . T h e y h a p p e n e d on the c o f f e e h o u s e that the p o o r y o u n g m a n used to f r e q u e n t . " L o o k , " o n e of his a d v i s e r s said to the p r i n c e , " t h e w i t c h said it w a s this m o u n t a i n . S h e s h o u l d d i s g u i s e herself as a m a n and c o m e to this c o f f e e h o u s e — t h e r e h a s to be s o m e o n e f r o m a r o u n d here w h o k n o w s w h e r e the p r i n c e s s is." So the w i t c h d r e s s e d up like a m a n and w e n t to the c o f f e e h o u s e . S h e sat there and saw that all of t h e m w e r e playing, except f o r o n e y o u n g m a n . " W h y a r e n ' t you p l a y i n g with the rest of t h e m ? " she asked h i m .

"I d o n ' t k n o w h o w to play the g a m e . " " W h e r e d o you live?" " H e r e , " h e said. "Far from here?" "No." W h a t with o n e thing and another, it got to be evening. H e got u p to go. "Take m e h o m e with y o u , " p r o p o s e d the d i s g u i s e d witch. " N o , I c a n ' t . F m not a l l o w e d to take a n y b o d y with m e . " "Take m e with y o u . I ' m all a l o n e here. I d o n ' t h a v e a n y o n e . W h e r e can I s l e e p ? If you have a place, p l e a s e take m e a l o n g . " T h e p o o r f e l l o w w a s c o m p a s s i o n a t e . H e k n e w w h a t it w a s [like] to b e poor, so he took the d i s g u i s e d w i t c h with him. H e c l i m b e d in t h r o u g h the window, and the o t h e r o n e f o l l o w e d . T h e y set the table a n d sat d o w n to eat with the p r i n c e s s , w i t h o u t s p e a k i n g a w o r d . But the p r i n c e s s w a s f u m i n g like a hot p e p p e r . At night, w h e n it w a s t i m e f o r b e d , she u p b r a i d e d the y o u n g m a n . " D i d n ' t I tell you not to bring a n y o n e into m y h o u s e ? ! " " H e cried so m u c h that I took pity on h i m . H e cried that he had n o o n e h e r e in the m o u n t a i n s . W h e r e w o u l d h e g o to s l e e p ? So I b r o u g h t h i m here." "All right. Give h i m a r o o m a n d let h i m sleep there." In the m o r n i n g , the lad and the disguised witch w e n t back out together. T h e w i t c h , w h o n o w k n e w a b o u t the w i n d o w , w e n t and told the E n g l i s h p r i n c e that she had f o u n d the T u r k i s h p r i n c e s s . B a c k to the y o u n g m a n and the princess. T h a t night he had noticed that she hid her k e y s u n d e r her hair* w h e n she w e n t to bed. A f t e r she h a d fallen a s l e e p , he took the keys and b e g a n to o p e n up d o o r s . W h a t did he find? A veritable p a r a d i s e : h o u s e s , g a r d e n s , all sorts of t h i n g s h e h a d n e v e r seen in his life. Finally he h a p p e n e d on the r o o m w h e r e she b a t h e d . H e r towel a n d b a t h r o b e w e r e h a n g i n g there. T h e n i g h t g o w n w a s s t u d d e d with diam o n d s . H e h a d never seen such a g a r m e n t . T h e lad took a n o t h e r step and tried to p i c k u p the g o w n and look at it. But it w a s very heavy, b e c a u s e of the d i a m o n d s , a n d fell f r o m his h a n d — r i g h t into the river that ran t h r o u g h the p r i n c e s s ' s b a t h r o o m . T h e c u r r e n t carried off the b a t h r o b e . T h e y o u n g m a n ' s f a c e t u r n e d pale. B u t he w a s a f r a i d to g o a f t e r the b a t h r o b e , f e a r i n g that the c u r r e n t w o u l d s w e e p h i m a w a y too. In the e v e n i n g , w h e n they sat d o w n to eat t o g e t h e r , s h e n o t i c e d h o w

"Here the narrator pointed to the nape of her neck.

pale he was. " W h a t h a p p e n e d ? W h y are you so p a l e ? Y o u ' r e not as h a n d s o m e as you usually are." " W h a t s h o u l d I tell y o u ? " "Tell m e the truth." "I w e n t and o p e n e d all the d o o r s in the p a l a c e . I o p e n e d the d o o r to the river w h e r e you bathe and saw a b a t h r o b e w h o s e like I had never seen. I w a n t e d to look at it m o r e closely, but w h e n I p i c k e d it u p it fell into the river, w h i c h s w e p t it away." " T h e n w e are lost! T h e b a t h r o b e will r e a c h the h a n d s of the E n g l i s h prince. His soldiers will find it. W h a t c a n w e d o ? " she said. " W e m u s t run a w a y f r o m here. T h e r e ' s n o t h i n g else to do." T a k i n g the y o u n g m a n and t w o h o r s e s , she o p e n e d the p a l a c e gate and they fled. T h e y r o d e on and on until they r e a c h e d a city. But b e f o r e they e n t e r e d it, they w e r e c a p t u r e d by a b a n d of h o r s e m e n . T h e p r i n c e s s w a s b e a u t i f u l (but her f a c e w a s c o v e r e d so that n o n e c o u l d see her). But these f o r t y - o n e thieves c a p t u r e d her and r e m o v e d her veil. W h e n they saw her beauty in the night, they took it into their h e a d s to ravish her. " W h a t are you d o i n g ? " she p r o t e s t e d . " H o w d a r e y o u a s s a u l t m e ? D o n ' t you k n o w that I have c o m e here f o r y o u r l e a d e r ? I ' v e been l o o k i n g for him." T h e leader, h e a r i n g this, o r d e r e d his m e n o f f . " L e a v e her alone. S h e ' s come for me." T h e y took her to their h i d e o u t , w h i c h w a s a cave in the m o u n t a i n . " I ' m thirsty," said the p r i n c e s s . " P l e a s e b r i n g m e s o m e t h i n g to drink, and bring m e a salad too." W h i l e she w a s d r i n k i n g , she m a d e sure that the thieves d r a n k a lot so they w o u l d fall into a d r u n k e n sleep. B u t s h e g e s t u r e d to the y o u n g m a n not to drink a n y t h i n g . So he ate the f o o d , but did not drink anything, while she got all of t h e m d r u n k until they p a s s e d out. " T h e s e b a s t a r d s , " she told the y o u n g m a n , " t h e y ' r e all thieves a n d the a u t h o r i t i e s c a n ' t c a t c h t h e m . But n o w that I k n o w the p l a c e [ w h e r e the thieves hide,] I'll s h o w t h e m . " In the m i d d l e of the night, she got u p a n d took the d a g g e r of the leader, the biggest one, w h o h a d a fine d a g g e r , s h a r p e n o u g h to cut the head off a bull. S h e sliced o f f their n o s e s . T h e n she took the y o u n g m a n a n d the h o r s e s a n d they r o d e away. T h e y r o d e until they r e a c h e d the city. T h e r e w a s a m i n a r e t n e a r the g a t e . " C o m e , " she told her c o m p a n i o n , " w e ' r e tired. We h a v e to find a p l a c e to sleep." T h e y f o u n d the h o u s e of the s h e i k h and k n o c k e d on the

door. H e o p e n e d . " A h l a n wa-sahlanV'* he told t h e m . " W h a t a b e a u t i f u l y o u n g w o m a n ! " he t h o u g h t . " S h e m u s t have c o m e to m e straight f r o m Allah." T h e y l e f t the h o r s e s b e l o w a n d c l i m b e d u p to his r o o m . "Yallah!** C o m e eat," he said to his guests. " E a t , d r i n k — t h e n you can s p e n d the night." T h e s h e i k h w a s so smitten by her beauty that he w a n t e d to sleep with her. W h a t did she d o ? S h e saw w h a t the s h e i k h (you k n o w w h a t a sheikh is—it is like a rabbi f o r the A r a b s ) . . . she saw w h a t he w a n t e d , the bastard. S o she o f f e r e d to slice the bread. " Y o u ' r e a m a n . Sit d o w n w h i l e I get the table ready." W h i l e s h e w a s slicing the b r e a d , she cut her f i n g e r on purpose. T h e b l o o d w a s f l o w i n g , a n d he [the s h e i k h ] d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t to do. " Q u i c k , bring m e s o m e salt!" S h e p o u r e d salt in her w o u n d . All night her h a n d t h r o b b e d , k e e p i n g her a w a k e , even t h o u g h s h e w a s d e a d tired a n d had not slept in a long time. But she k n e w that if s h e fell a s l e e p that bastard of a sheikh w o u l d take a d v a n t a g e of her. All night long, she s c r e a m e d and m o a n e d f r o m the pain. " C o m e , let's g o to sleep," h e said. "It will pass." " N o , m y h a n d h u r t s w h e r e I cut it," she said. All night she s t a y e d a w a k e . Finally m o r n i n g c a m e , w h e n the s h e i k h h a d to c l i m b to the top of the m i n a r e t to call out, as they do, " A l i a hu akbar/"§ H e c l o s e d the d o o r a n d l o c k e d t h e m in. " Q u i c k , " the p r i n c e s s said to the y o u n g m a n , " l e t ' s tear up all the sheets and j o i n t h e m into a rope so w e can get d o w n to the horses." T h e y m o u n t e d , o p e n e d the gate, and g a l l o p e d off. " I ' m g o i n g on," she told the y o u n g m a n . "You ride b a c k to the p a l a c e and tell the s e r v a n t s to c o m e a n d to bring h o r s e s and k n i v e s with t h e m . W e ' r e sure to get in trouble again, and the t w o of us c a n ' t m a n a g e alone. A n d b o t h of us are d e a d tired." "All right," h e said, and g a l l o p e d b a c k to the p a l a c e . W h e n h e got there, he c l i m b e d in t h r o u g h the w i n d o w . " O p e n the gate," he told the servants, " a n d bring m e horses and knives." " W h a t d o you w a n t ? " "Just horses and daggers." " S h o u l d n ' t w e c o m e a l o n g to h e l p ? "

,

Arabic for "Welcome!"

"Arabic for "Come!"; often an exclamation of encouragement or enthusiasm. 5

Arabic for "God is great."

" N o . S h e d o e s n ' t w a n t y o u . I ' m with her." " D i d n ' t s h e tell you that w e s h o u l d c o m e h e l p ? " " N o . W h y s h o u l d s h e ? I ' m with her." T h e y k n e w that she w a n t e d help. B u t he w a s a bovo* a n d did not u n d e r s t a n d the p r i n c e s s . H e t o o k the k n i v e s a n d led the h o r s e s a f t e r his h o r s e . Yallah, h e g a l l o p e d t h r o u g h the n i g h t until h e r e a c h e d their rendezvous. " W h e r e are the s e r v a n t s ? " s h e a s k e d in surprise. "I d i d n ' t bring t h e m . " " D i d n ' t I tell you to f e t c h t h e m ? " "I d i d n ' t , b e c a u s e y o u a n d I c a n m a n a g e by o u r s e l v e s . " " H o w can w e m a n a g e b y o u r s e l v e s ? ! W e ' r e sure to get into t r o u b l e again. O u r d e s t i n a t i o n is a distant city." B u t n o w that h e h a d g o n e and c o m e b a c k she c o u l d not very well send h i m off again. S o they started f o r the city. In the m e a n t i m e , s o m e c h i l d r e n h a d f o u n d the p r i n c e s s ' s b a t h r o b e in the river. " L e t ' s take this to the prince," they said. " H e ' s sure to give us a handsome reward." T h e y w e n t to the E n g l i s h p r i n c e a n d s h o w e d h i m w h a t they h a d fished o u t of the water. " N o w give us o u r r e w a r d . " " C e r t a i n l y , " he replied. H e g a v e every b o y s o m e m o n e y a n d took the bathrobe. " T h i s is the T u r k i s h p r i n c e s s ' s b a t h r o b e , " he told his advisers. " H u r r y , l e t ' s g o look f o r her n e a r the river." H e sent his soldiers out. A s f o r the thieves, they f i n a l l y w o k e u p in the m o r n i n g . " W h a t h a p p e n e d to y o u r n o s e ! " said o n e to another.** "You s h o u l d talk! W h a t h a p p e n e d to your n o s e ? " " T h a t bitch cut off our n o s e s ! S h e ' s m a d e us into l a u g h i n g s t o c k s ! To h o r s e — w e ' l l find her." A n d they all set out in pursuit of the p r i n c e s s . M e a n w h i l e , the p r i n c e s s a n d the y o u n g m a n g a l l o p e d a l o n g (yallah, yallah) until they r e a c h e d the city that w a s their d e s t i n a t i o n . " N o w w e ' v e r e a c h e d a city," she told h i m , " w h e r e there is a g o v e r n m e n t . N o b o d y can hurt us here." W h e n they e n t e r e d the city, a d o v e w a s f l y i n g o v e r h e a d . T h e k i n g of that t o w n h a d j u s t died, a n d the m i n i s t e r s h a d set the bird l o o s e . W h o e v e r ' s h e a d the d o v e l a n d e d on, that p e r s o n w o u l d be the n e w king. T h e y o u n g m a n h a d b r o u g h t c l o t h e s f r o m the u n d e r g r o u n d palace, and

"Ladino for "fool." "Here the narrator spoke in a nasal voice.

the p r i n c e s s d i s g u i s e d herself as a y o u n g m a n . T h e m o m e n t she e n t e r e d the city, the d o v e alighted on her head. But all the m e n p r o t e s t e d in A r a b i c : "Gharib!* H e ' s not f r o m this city. H o w can he b e o u r k i n g ? We d o n ' t k n o w h i m . W h o k n o w s w h o he is? S e n d up the bird a s e c o n d time." T h e s e c o n d t i m e the bird f l e w r o u n d and r o u n d and then landed o n the p r i n c e s s ' s head. A g a i n the p e o p l e o b j e c t e d and released the bird. But w h e n it l a n d e d on her h e a d a third time, they gave up. " H e is our king! If the d o v e l a n d e d on his h e a d three times, w e have n o alternative." T h e y took the princess, d r e s s e d her in the royal robes, and installed her as king. T h e y o u n g m a n b e c a m e her chief minister. S o she b e c a m e king in that city, r u l i n g j u s t l y a n d wisely. S h e got to k n o w the city a n d her subj e c t s and also asked her m i n i s t e r s f o r a d v i c e . T w o or three w e e k s p a s s e d . O n e day the p r i n c e s s - k i n g s u m m o n e d a p h o t o g r a p h e r . "I w a n t to s h a r e a secret with y o u — a secret that only you a n d I will know. Take a p i c t u r e of m e d r e s s e d as a w o m a n . B u t if a n y b o d y finds out, y o u ' l l pay with y o u r h e a d . It's a secret b e t w e e n the t w o of us." "All right," said the p h o t o g r a p h e r . S h e put on her dress. E v e r y t h i n g . T h e p h o t o g r a p h e r took her picture. T h e n she gave him a large s u m as p a y m e n t . "If y o u ' r e a f r a i d y o u ' l l give a w a y the secret," she told h i m , " l e a v e this city. P e o p l e m u s t not k n o w our secret." S o the p h o t o g r a p h e r left the city. T h e n the p r i n c e s s h a d her portrait h u n g by the gate to the city, by the river, w h e r e a n y o n e w h o e n t e r e d the city w o u l d see it. S h e stationed soldiers there a n d o r d e r e d t h e m to arrest and b r i n g to her a n y o n e w h o c o m m e n t e d on the picture. W h o s h o u l d see it first but the son of the king of E n g l a n d . H e g a l l o p e d on his horse right up to the river, to let it drink. W h i l e the h o r s e w a s drinking, he l o o k e d u p and saw the picture. " O h , oh, here she is! S h e m u s t be somewhere around here!" O v e r h e a r i n g h i m , the p o l i c e q u i c k l y a r r e s t e d the p r i n c e a n d h a u l e d h i m off to prison. W h o s h o u l d a p p e a r next but the thieves. W h i l e their h o r s e s w e r e d r i n k i n g , they l o o k e d up a n d saw the picture. " T h e r e she is, the bitch w h o cut off our n o s e s ! W h e r e is s h e ? " T h e p o l i c e p o u n c e d on t h e m and took t h e m to jail. N o t long after, the sheikh, too, w a s c a u g h t . N o w all of t h e m w e r e in prison a n d w i t h o u t the slightest idea why. *Arabic for "a stranger."

S h e sent her herald (they did not h a v e l o u d s p e a k e r s there) t h r o u g h the city to s u m m o n all the p e o p l e a n d m i n i s t e r s to an o p e n field w h e r e she w o u l d c o n d u c t a public trial. L o t s a n d lots of p e o p l e c a m e . T h e m i n i s t e r s a n d the y o u n g m a n sat n e a r her. First they b r o u g h t out the E n g l i s h prince. T h e p r i n c e s s turned to the a s s e m b l y f o r a verdict. " W h a t d o e s this m a n d e s e r v e , w h o w a n t e d to f o r c e a girl to m a r r y h i m a n d w e n t to w a r a n d killed her w h o l e f a m i l y — a n d h e ' s still p u r s u i n g h e r ? W h a t d o e s s u c h a young man deserve?" T h e c r o w d w a s u n a n i m o u s that he s h o u l d be h a n g e d , b e c a u s e he h a d killed the w h o l e f a m i l y and w a n t e d to take the girl by f o r c e . T h e E n g l i s h p r i n c e c o u l d not u n d e r s t a n d w h a t w a s h a p p e n i n g to h i m . W h y w a s the king of this city trying him at all? T h e g u a r d s t o o k h i m b a c k to p r i s o n to await his e x e c u t i o n . T h e n they b r o u g h t out the thieves. " W h a t d o these f o r t y - o n e b r i g a n d s d e s e r v e ? " d e m a n d e d the p r i n c e s s . " T h e g o v e r n m e n t c o u l d never m a n a g e to lay h a n d s on t h e m . T h e y c a u g h t that girl a n d all of t h e m w a n t e d to sleep with her. But she w a s s m a r t and p r e t e n d e d that she w a s d r i n k i n g a n d got t h e m d r u n k , a n d w h e n they fell a s l e e p she cut off their noses. N o w w h a t d o these thieves d e s e r v e ? First of all, t h e y ' r e thieves. S e c o n d , they w a n t e d to take that girl and d o w h a t they w a n t e d with her, all of t h e m . " " H a n g t h e m ! " cried the p e o p l e . " T h i e v e s e n d u p on the g a l l o w s . " T h e n they b r o u g h t in the s h e i k h . "A s h e i k h , " she said, "is a t e a c h e r ' w h o p r a y s m o r n i n g and e v e n i n g a n d e v e r y b o d y has to listen to him. But w h e n the y o u n g w o m a n e n t e r e d his h o u s e , instead of a s k i n g h e r — ' W h a t d o y o u w a n t ? Let m e h e l p you w i t h w h a t e v e r you n e e d . D o y o u w a n t to e a t ? A r e you h u n g r y ? W h y did y o u run a w a y ? Let m e h e l p y o u . ' . . . Instead he w a n t e d to s l e e p with her that first night. S h e w a s lucky that she cut her f i n g e r a n d d i d n ' t s l e e p that night. In the m o r n i n g , he l o c k e d the d o o r w h e n he w e n t to p r a y so he c o u l d c o m e b a c k and be w i t h the girl. " W h a t d o y o u think of h i m , this t e a c h e r w h o w a n t s to be a ' t e a c h e r ' of women?" " H a n g h i m , " they e x c l a i m e d . "A t e a c h e r w h o is s u p p o s e d to teach peopie h o w to be g o o d but is bad h i m s e l f d e s e r v e s death." S h e sent t h e m all off to wait their e x e c u t i o n . W h a t did the p r i n c e s s d o t h e n ? S h e w e n t inside and put on the dress.

*"Rabbi" in Hebrew.

W h e n she c a m e b a c k out she said, " W h a t d o you s a y ? H e r e is the y o u n g woman." All the p e o p l e a p p l a u d e d wildly. " N o w w e realize that y o u ' r e a k i n g ' s d a u g h t e r , " they said. "You k n o w law and j u s t i c e . You have been here f o r several m o n t h s a n d e v e r y t h i n g is g o i n g very well. Stay h e r e and b e o u r q u e e n — a q u e e n instead of a king." S h e a g r e e d . "As f o r this y o u n g m a n , " s h e a d d e d , " I ' m g o i n g to m a r r y h i m , b e c a u s e he d i d n ' t d o a n y t h i n g to me. M y f a t h e r told m e that G o d w o u l d send m e a h u s b a n d t h r o u g h the window, and that's how it was. N o w I ' m g o i n g to marry him. But all t h o s e villains will be h a n g e d . A n d I'll stay here and be y o u r q u e e n . " A n d so it w a s . S h e stayed there as their q u e e n a n d the y o u n g m a n bec a m e her h u s b a n d . A n d all the p e o p l e of that city w e r e a b s o l u t e l y delighted with her. T h i s is the e n d .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 6 (IFA

12549)

Tamar Alexander recorded this tale in 1979 in Jerusalem from Rivka CohenAriel, whose parents emigrated from Monastir in the former Yugoslavia, now in Macedonia.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The narrator of this tale creatively weaves together themes and figures that are current in Jewish-Sephardic, Hispanic, and broader traditional tales and poetry. As Alexander and Noy 2 pointed out in their annotation to the tale, the narrator casts the characters and their actions in a definite feminist light. In more traditional versions of tale types 310 "The Maiden in the Tower [Rapunzel]" and 930*K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard," the princess is mostly a passive figure, but in this version she becomes an active, decisive, resourceful, and leading character. These qualities are even more apparent when she is compared with her dependent and somewhat clumsy husband-to-be. The comparison to traditional versions is a study in contrasts and opposites. In Jewish traditional renditions of this tale, the princess is locked up in a tower; in the present version, she is hidden in a mountain. When Cohen-Ariel, the narrator, told a more traditional version of this tale, she again placed the heroine in a mountain or cave. 3 Instead of experiencing deprivation in her hiding place, the princess is surrounded by luxury and opulence. While the heroine lives in guarded isolation in traditional versions, here she hides in relative proximity to populated areas. See also tales IFA 4735 (vol. 1), IFA 6591 (vol. 1), and IFA 10084 (vol. 1) and their notes. Folktale Types • • •

310 "The Maiden in the Tower." cf. 310 "The Maiden in the Tower (Rapunzel)" (new ed.). cf. 124 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Das Schicksal ist Vorherbestimmt‫״‬ (Destiny Is Predetermined). • 128 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Vorherbestimmte Ehe" (The Predestined Spouse). • 140 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Salomon und der Phönix" (Solomon and the Phoenix). 200 ‫״‬ (Eberhard and Boratav) "A// und Dilruba." 930 ‫ * ״‬K (IFA) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." • 930*K(IFA) (Haboucha) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard." • 930*K(IFA) (Jason) "King's Daughter Marries a Bastard."

Folklore Motifs •

Β143 "Prophetic bird."

C901.1.4 "Tabu imposed by host." D1267 "Magic card." D1311 "Magic object used for divination." *D 1311.24 "Divination by cards." F771.3.5 "Underground house." F821 "Extraordinary dress (clothes, robe, etc.)." G200 "Witch." H171.2 "Bird indicates election of king (pope)." K625.2 "Escape by making watchman drunk." K1837 "Disguise of woman in man's clothes." L161 "Lowly hero marries princess." cf. M372.1 "Confinement in iron house below surface of earth to avoid fulfillment of prophecy." N512 "Treasure in underground chamber (cavern)." P10 "Kings." P l l "Choice of kings." P210 "Husband and wife." P475 "Robber." Q413 "Punishment: hanging." Q451.5 "Nose cut off as punishment." R210 "Escapes." S172 "Mutilation: nose cut off or crushed." T50.1 "Girl carefully guarded from suitors." T323 "Escape from undesired lover by strategy." *T323.2 "Princess evades unwelcome lover by self-inflicting wound." T381 "Imprisoned virgin to prevent knowledge of men (marriage, impregnation)." Z71.0.2 "Formulistic numbers: a number plus one." Z71.1 "Formulistic number: three." Z71.12 "Formulistic number: forty."

Notes 1. First printed in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 100-107 no. 16. 2. Op. cit., 257. 3. Alexander and Noy, op. cit., 117-119 no. 25.

The Trained Cat and the Rabbi 's Wise Daughter TOLD

BY TO

M O R D E K H A I YAACOV

IBN

EZRA

AVITSUK

In a large city—the capital—there lived a king. This king was a wise man and surrounded himself with sages and intelligent people from all over his realm. Once a dispute broke out among them, and the king asked his advisers: "Which is better: A man who is born with control of his impulses or a man who has been taught to curb his impulses?" His Christian adviser spoke up: "Your Majesty, if you educate a person to do good, he will remain good all his life, even if his character is bad." The Jewish adviser offered a different answer: "If a person is born with good impulses, he will remain good all his life. But if, on the contrary, he is born with a disposition toward evil, he can be educated to some extent. Nevertheless, he will remain wicked all his life." The king replied: "Fine! Now prove your words in action. You have thirty days to demonstrate your claims. If you fail to provide a concrete example you will pay with your lives!" "Gladly," said the priest. "I will prove my point in action." But the rabbi bit his tongue and regretted what he had said. Beside himself with grief, he returned home dejected and depressed. This rabbi had an only daughter. When she saw the changed expression on his face she tried to talk to him. But all her attempts to find out why he was so sad and depressed were in vain. One Saturday evening, after the rabbi finished reciting the Havdalah* his daughter came up and begged him to tell her what had clouded his mood. Finally, the rabbi told her about the incident with the king and the dispute with the priest and that he could not think of a way to provide the king with a concrete example that would prove his contention. "Ceremony that marks the end of the Sabbath.

" C h e e r u p ! " his d a u g h t e r said. " G o d will s h o w us a way, and w e will p r o v e to the k i n g that y o u s p o k e rightly." T h e next day, the d a u g h t e r d i s g u i s e d herself as a h a n d s o m e y o u n g m a n , put t o g e t h e r a b u n d l e of m e r c h a n d i s e and w e n t to the Christian quarter. S h e strolled o u t s i d e the p r i e s t ' s p a l a c e , f r o m w h i c h e m e r g e d gay l a u g h t e r and m e r r i m e n t . T h e " y o u n g m a n " w e n t up to the gate and o f f e r e d his w a r e s to the peopie in the c o u r t y a r d . T h e p r i e s t ' s d a u g h t e r , w h o w a s w a t c h i n g f r o m the w i n d o w , spied the h a n d s o m e y o u n g m a n . " H o w h a n d s o m e he is," s h e t h o u g h t . "I s h o u l d g o d o w n and invite h i m i n s i d e . " So she w e n t d o w n stairs. " F a i r y o u n g m a n , w h a t k i n d of g o o d s are you s e l l i n g ? S h o w m e y o u r w a r e s ! " A n d she invited h i m into the c o u r t y a r d . T h e " y o u n g m a n " s p r e a d out his w a r e s so that the p r i e s t ' s d a u g h t e r c o u l d c h o o s e w h a t e v e r she w i s h e d . W h i l e s h e w a s e x a m i n i n g his o f f e r ings, h e l o o k e d a b o u t to find out w h a t w a s g o i n g on in the p r i e s t ' s p a l a c e . A n d w h a t did his e y e s see and ears h e a r ? T h e r e in the c o u r t y a r d servants w e r e r a c i n g b a c k a n d f o r t h , trays of f o o d in their h a n d s , b r i n g i n g tables a n d setting t h e m with all sorts of d e l i c a c i e s a n d d a i n t i e s . T h e g u e s t s , d r a w n f r o m all classes, sat in a large circle. T h e priest a p p e a r e d , d r e s s e d in his splendid robes, a large g o l d e n cruc i f i x on his c h e s t . T h e a s s e m b l e d c o m p a n y w e l c o m e d h i m r e s p e c t f u l l y . W h e n all had fallen silent, he said to t h e m , " G e n t l e m e n , I have invited you h e r e to s h o w you a w o n d e r of nature. W h a t you are a b o u t to see, you have n e v e r seen b e f o r e . T h i s is h o w I a m g o i n g to p r o v e m y c l a i m to his m a j e s t y the king." T h e priest fell silent. T h e c o m p a n y w a i t e d in t e n s e e x p e c t a t i o n . H e c l a p p e d his h a n d s three times. A w h i t e cat e n t e r e d the c o u r t y a r d , s t a n d i n g erect on its hind legs. In its f o r e p a w s it c a r r i e d a tray laden w i t h f o o d , w h i c h it o f f e r e d to all the guests. T h e g u e s t s m a r v e l e d at the c a t ' s b e h a v ior and p r a i s e d the p r i e s t ' s w i s d o m and the s p e c t a c l e of the trained cat. A f t e r the p r i e s t ' s d a u g h t e r s e l e c t e d w h a t she w a n t e d a n d paid the h a n d s o m e y o u n g p e d d l e r f o r t h e m , " h e " left the c o u r t y a r d a n d r e t u r n e d h o m e . T h e r e s h e c h a n g e d her c l o t h e s a n d w a s o n c e again the r a b b i ' s daughter. S h e p r e p a r e d her f a t h e r a meal a n d p e r s u a d e d h i m to sit d o w n to table a n d break his fast.* S h e told her f a t h e r n o t h i n g of w h a t she had w i t n e s s e d

*Evidently, the narrator takes it for granted that when Jews are in grave trouble they react by fasting and praying.

at the p r i e s t ' s h o u s e , but m a n a g e d to get h i m to return to b e i n g his old self all the s a m e . T h e a p p o i n t e d d a y arrived at last, w h e n the t w o sides w e r e to p r o v e their c l a i m s to the king. T h e king invited all his ministers and servants and the d i g n i t a r i e s of the r e a l m to be present. T h e king laid on a feast f o r all the c o m p a n y . H e sat next to the q u e e n at the h e a d of the table, on his throne, d r e s s e d in his regal splendor. H e add r e s s e d the a s s e m b l e d t h r o n g : " S o m e t i m e a g o a d i s p u t e b r o k e out bet w e e n o u r s e l v e s and the s a g e s of the k i n g d o m . T h e s u b j e c t w a s : W h o is s u p e r i o r ? A person w h o has been e d u c a t e d to m o d i f y his natural c h a r a c t e r or a person w h o acts naturally and r e m a i n s with the c h a r a c t e r he w a s born with? " T h i s priest, w h o is o n e of m y f o r e m o s t a d v i s e r s , a r g u e d that a pers o n ' s c h a r a c t e r can be c h a n g e d and even inverted by e d u c a t i o n . T h e rabbi, w h o is also o n e of m y most r e s p e c t e d a d v i s e r s , m a i n t a i n e d j u s t the o p p o site: S o m e o n e born with a p a r t i c u l a r c h a r a c t e r will a l w a y s have that nature. E d u c a t i o n can m o d i f y him only slightly. "I have asked t h e m to p r o v i d e a practical d e m o n s t r a t i o n of their c o n tentions. T h e priest m a y s p e a k first." T h e priest sat at the table, w h i c h w a s c o v e r e d with g o u r m e t d e l i g h t s f o r the guests. O p p o s i t e h i m sat the rabbi and his daughter. W h e n the king f i n i s h e d s p e a k i n g the priest r o s e , b o w e d to the king and q u e e n , and w a l k e d to the c e n t e r of the table. T h e n he c l a p p e d three times. T h e w h i t e cat e n t e r e d , w a l k i n g erect on its hind legs a n d c a r r y i n g a tray in its f o r e p a w s . It a d v a n c e d to the t h r o n e a n d p r e s e n t e d the tray, w h i c h c o n t a i n e d r e f r e s h i n g b e v e r a g e s and f o o d . Just as the cat c a m e u p to the t h r o n e , the r a b b i ' s d a u g h t e r pulled out a b o x s h e had kept c o n c e a l e d , o p e n e d it, and threw it b e t w e e n the c a t ' s l e g s . . . . T w o small m i c e . . . T h e cat, w h i c h by its nature w a s an avid eater of mice, threw the tray at the f e e t of the royal c o u p l e a n d p o u n c e d on the t w o m i c e . P a n d e m o n i u m e r u p t e d a m o n g the a s s e m b l e d c o m p a n y . T h e disting u i s h e d g u e s t s h a d b e e n a d m i r i n g the w o n d e r f u l s p e c t a c l e of the cat with the tray, w a l k i n g on its hind legs, w h e n s u d d e n l y t w o m i c e a p p e a r e d n e a r it. W h e n o r d e r w a s restored, the rabbi rose and turned to the king: " Y o u r M a j e s t y , and d i s t i n g u i s h e d c o m p a n y ! You have seen that the innate character of a c r e a t u r e c a n n o t be c h a n g e d . With y o u r o w n eyes, you have witn e s s e d h o w the cat w a s trained to h a v e h u m a n m a n n e r s and to b e h a v e o t h e r than a c c o r d i n g to its nature. H o w m u c h labor w a s invested so that it

might learn to perform the wonder you beheld. But its way of life could not be modified. It was born to eat mice, and it will do so until the end of its days." The king praised the wisdom of the rabbi's daughter and lavished many presents on her. But the priest returned home quite humiliated, his head covered in mourning.*

"Esther 6:12, referring to Haman after leading Mordecai through the city square.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 7 (IFA

7602)

Told by Mordekhai ibn Ezra from Izmir (Smyrna), Turkey, to Yaacov Avitsuk in January 1967 in Be 'er Tuviyyah.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background At the center of this conflict tale is a popular rendition of a philosophical question that has occupied the minds of thinkers in the West and East from ancient times till the present, concerning the comparative value of nature and nurture. European and Asian narrative traditions explore this philosophical question by posing two possibilities: (1) animal transformation to human and (2) animal training. An example of the first is the Aesop fable about the weasel that fell in love with a handsome youth and, on its request, was transformed to a beautiful maiden. However, when a mouse was seen at their wedding banquet, she began chasing it. "Nature was too much for [ her]" Babrius concluded. 2 Another relevant fable tells of Zeus, who elevated the fox to be the king of the animals, but restored it to its earlier position after it could not change its eating habits. 3 Study of the fox fable and discussion of its parallels in Indian literature are available. 4 In ancient Greece and Near East fables and metaphors, it is a cat or weasel that is changed into a woman, but in Far East stories, the fox plays that role. 5 This classic fable is not seen in the writings of the medieval fabulists; but in the seventeenth century, Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) rewrote it in French verse. 6 A general discussion of the cat in La Fontaine's fables 7 and a general survey of cats in myth and folklore have been published. 8 The present tale approaches the question of the priority of nature over nurture, focusing on the education rather than the transformation of animals. This story has been the subject of an extensive study 9 and of comparative discussions. 10 Cosquin, who provided the basis for all subsequent studies of the present tale, distinguishes three major geographical-cultural clusters of the story: European, Indian and Far Eastern, and Arabic. Cosquin" identified the tale The Cat and the Candle in Latin and in English (but not in German) versions of the medieval epic Salomon ét Marcolphe (late twelfth century to early thirteenth ); manuscripts of this epic are available from the middle to late fifteenth century. Thirteenth-century French fabulists also alluded to the tale, and similarities are seen in the collection of Mainardi Arlotto (1396-1483). 1 2 Braekman and Macaulay 13 pointed out that the tale does not appear in the Old English Solomon and Saturn, the oldest European version of this dialogic narrative in the vernacular; however, a mid-fourteenth-century Latin version has been found. For additional references on the stories Solomon and Saturn, Solomon and Marcolphus, and Solomon and Morolf, see the notes to tale IFA 2666 (vol. 1). Braekman and Macaulay 14 also discussed an Old English fifteenth-century dialogic poem with allegorical speakers, Kynd and Nurtur, who argue about their respective superiority.

Cosquin identified the tale in India, Sri-Lanka (Ceylon), Tibet, and Vietnam (Indo-China), but the story appears primarily in nineteenth-century collections from oral tradition. He used similar sources for the examination of the tale in Arab-speaking countries. 15 In the present version of the story, it is the clever maiden who outsmarts the Christian adversary of the Jews. This role is known worldwide in the folktale traditions of many societies. 16 In Jewish traditions, particularly as represented by the tales in the IFA, the heroine acts as a helper to her troubled father, fulfilling not only the role of the clever girl but also that of the good daughter (a variation of motif J1111.4 "Clever peasant daughter"). In other versions, a rabbi is the leading Jew who outsmarts the Christian or Muslim opponent. In the IFA, the rabbis are Maimonides (1135-1204), Jonathan Eybeschutz (1690/95-1764), and Israel Ba'al Shem Τον (the Besht) (1700-1760). Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Maimonides is the hero in the following tales: • • •

IFA 3073: A Cat Remains a Cat (Poland). 17 IFA 6355: Nature Cannot Be Changed (Poland). IFA 9028: Nature Cannot Be Changed (Morocco). 18

Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz pits his wit against the bishop of Prague in the following tale: •

IFA 3172: The Zaddik Rabbi Jonathan King of Czechia (Czechoslovakia). 19

Eybeschutz from Prague and the

The Besht is the hero of the following tale: •

IFA 2696: Trained Cat Chases a Mouse (Poland). 20

Other tales in the IFA are the following: • • • • •

• •

IFA 5378: The Parrot's Tale: The Faithful Wife (Egypt); animal = parrot; clever person = a merchant's wife. IFA 5865: Hajj Suliman and Hajj Ibrahim Dispute on Habit and Nature (Iran); clever person = Hajj Ibrahim, a counselor of Shah Abbas. IFA 6865: The Cat That Resorted to Its Way (Morocco); animal = cat. IFA 7317: The Trained Cat (Yemen); animal = cat; clever person = friend of the cat's owner. IFA 7418: A King and a Merchant Wager on Cat's Behavior (Irani Kurdistan); animal = cat; clever person = merchant's wife dressed as a man. IFA 8051 : The Khalif and the Jewish Minister (Iraq); animal = cat; clever person = Jewish minister. IFA 8512: Can an Animal's Nature Be Changed? (Bukhara); animal = cat; clever person = vizier.

IFA 12021 : Nature Cannot Be Changed (Iraq); 21 animal = cat; clever person = princess's suitor. 22 • IFA 1 3 1 1 2 : What Is Stronger? (Czechoslovakia); animal = cat; clever person = rabbi. • IFA 14312: The Cat Did Not Change Its Nature (Morocco); animal = cat; clever person = a Jew. •

Folktale Types • • •

• • • • • • • • • •

217 "The Cat and the Candle." 217 "The Cat and the Candle" (new ed.). 217 (Camarena and Chevalier) "£/ Gato y la Vela" (The Cat and the Candle). 217 ‫״‬ (El-Shamy) "The Cat and the Candle." 217 (Jason) "The Cat and the Candle." 217 (Marzolph) "Die Katze und die Kerze" (The Cat and the Candle). 217 (Thompson and Roberts) "The Cat and the Candle." 875 "The Clever Peasant Girl." 875 "The Clever Farm Girl" (new ed.). 875 (B0dker) "The Clever Peasant Girl." 875 (El-Shamy) "The Clever Peasant Girl." 875 (Jason) "The Clever Peasant Girl." 875 (Marzolph) "Unmögliche Aufgaben Klug Gelöst" (An Impossible Task Cleverly Executed). 885 (Tubach) "Cat and Candle."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

J1111.4 "Clever peasant daughter." J1111.5 "Clever minister's daughter." J1882 "Foolish attempts to educate animals." J1908 "Absurd attempt to change animal nature." J1908.1 "The cat and the candle." K264.2 "Deceptive wager: cat to carry lantern into room." cf. Κ1322 "Girl masked as man wins princess's love." Κ1817.4.1 "Disguise as peddler." Κ1835 "Disguise for spying." Κ1837 "Disguise of woman in man's clothes." P10 "Kings." Ρ14.15.1 "Old, wise, counselor of court." P234 "Father and daughter." *P426.4 "Rabbi." U120 "Nature will show itself." V71 "Sabbath."

Notes 1. Published in Avitsuk, The Fate of a Child, 9 - 1 1 no. 4. 2. Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus, 4 5 ^ 7 no. 32; and Perry, Aesopica, 341 no. 50. 3. Perry, Babrius and Phaedrus, 442 no. 107 (cf. Perotti's Apendix, 3 9 8 4 0 1 no. 18); and Perry, Aesopica, 363 no. 107 (cf. Perotti's Apendix, 601 no. 546). 4. Crusius, "Ueber eine alte Tierfabel"; Hertel, "Altindische Parallelen zu Babrius 32"; and Schwarzbaum, The Mishle Shu'alim (Foxfables), 169-170. 5. Krappe, "Far Eastern Fox Lore," esp. 124 no. A l (discussion, 142-147). 6. Spector, The Complete Fables of Jean de la Fontaine, 2:18, 88-91. 7. François, "Le chat des fables ed La Fontaine." 8. Kohen, World History and Myths of Cats. 9. Cosquin, "Le conte du chat et de la chandelle"; and Cosquin, Études folkloriques, 401-498. 10. Liungman, Die Schwedischen Volksmärchen, 29-30, 356 type 217; Marzolph," Katz und Kerze"; D. Noy, The Jewish Animal Tale of Oral Tradition, 177-180; and Schwarzbaum, Review ofAarne, Anti and Thompson, Stith, The Types of the Folktale, 192. 11. "Le conte du chat et de la chandelle," 373-395, and Études folkoriques, 403-422. 12. Wesselski, Die Schwänke und Schnurren des Pfarrers Ariotto, 2:238 no. 131; and Köhler, Kleinere Schriften zur Erzählunden Dichtung des Mittlealters, 2:639-641. 13. "The Story of the Cat and the Candle in Middle English Literature." 14. Op. cit. 15. Among his sources are Hanauer, Folk-Lore of the Holy Land, 142-144; see also Y. Ratzaby, Arabic Wisdom, 173. 16. Vries, Die Märchen von kluegen Rätsellösern. 17. Published in Alexander and Romero, Erase una vez • • • Maimonides, 124-126, 253 no. 45. 18. Published in D. Noy, op. cit., 122-123 no. 48; and Avishur, In Praise of Maimonides, 338-339, 354-356 no. 132 (includes a Judeo-Arabic version that does not refer to Maimonides). 19. Published in Maimon, Sarei ha-Me'ah (Commanders over hundreds), 1:155-157; and Lipson, Medor Dor (From days of old), 2:22-24 no. 893. 20. Published in D. Noy, op. cit., 119-122 no. 47. 21. Published in E. Agassi, Sent with the Wind, 57-59. 22. Published in M. Cohen, Mi-pi ha-Am (From folk tradition), 2:21 no. 120.

The Rabbi ,s Son and the Priest T O L D

BY

A H A R O N TO

BEN

M O S H E

A V R A H A M

M I Z R A H I

A T T I A S

C nee there was a great rabbi. Although God had blessed him with wealth and p o s s e s s i o n s , he w a s not content with his lot, f o r H e had denied his [the r a b b i ' s ] w i f e children." H o w e v e r great the rabbi's sorrow, his w i f e ' s grief was sevenfold. She sighed when she ate and her c h e e k s were always wet with tears. Both of t h e m prayed long and frequently, distributed m o n e y to the poor, did m a n y charitable acts, and tried all sorts of c h a r m s . T h e rabbi even took a vow that if G o d heard their prayer and favored them with a son he w o u l d dedicate him to the Torah and scholarship and e d u cate him to serve as a rabbi. In addition, he w o u l d distribute one-third of his wealth to the poor and d o n a t e to the s y n a g o g u e a golden case f o r a Torah scroll. G o d heard their prayer. T h e r a b b i ' s pious w i f e b e c a m e p r e g n a n t and gave birth to a son. W h e n he left his m o t h e r ' s w o m b , the world was filled with light. H e w a s so f i n e to look at, with rosy c h e e k s and large and sparkling eyes. E v e r y t h i n g about him b e s p o k e smiles. All w h o saw him blessed his Creator and spat on the child three t i m e s — a c h a r m to ward off the evil eye. His p a r e n t ' s j o y k n e w no b o u n d s . On the day he entered the c o v e n a n t of o u r Father Abraham,** the rabbi m a d e a lavish feast f o r the poor. All ate and drank their fill, blessed the rabbi and the m o t h e r of the child, and left his house happy and lighthearted. T h e child grew up s u r r o u n d e d by love and affection. W h e n he w a s w e a n e d and took his first steps his father began bringing him to the synag o g u e every day for the m o r n i n g and evening services. At the age of three, he w a s enrolled in the kuttab* to learn Torah. T h e hakhamsat him next to himself and began to teach him the alef-bet***. "Alef.Τ said the hakham, *Genesis 30:2, referring to Jacob and Rachel. **On the day of his circumcision. 5 Arabic for "primary school" or heder. 88 The Sephardim call their rabbi hakham, but here it is used in his capacity as a teacher. ***The alphabet.

and the boy repeated after him, "A/e/." " B e t , " he continued, and the child repeated, " b e t ' ' But w h e n he said " g i m m e l , " the child sat m u t e and w o u l d not repeat after him. In r e s p o n s e to the t e a c h e r ' s urgings, the boy replied: "First teach m e what the letters alef and bet mean. Then I'll learn gimmel." To n o avail w e r e the hakham's e x p l a n a t i o n s that first he had to learn all the letters of the alef-bet and only then their m e a n i n g . T h e boy did not want to listen. H e left the kuttab and asked his father to transfer him to another hakham w h o w o u l d teach him the m e a n i n g of the letters. In this way the boy w e n t f r o m kuttab to kuttab, but no hakham pleased him. Finally his father, disgusted, let him alone. F r o m time to time, he would try to persuade him, but the child would not listen. All day long, he [the boy] loafed in the streets. At the age of ten he still did not k n o w Torah and other subj e c t s and had still not learned the alef-bet. A s h a m e d and humiliated, the rabbi w a t c h e d his son grow up wild. H e was c o n s u m e d by misery, and his eyes w e r e d i m with tears, but he could find no solution. O v e r time, the r a b b i ' s heart grew hard. H e felt that he could no longer live with such a w a y w a r d and d e f i a n t son* w h o b r o u g h t such d i s g r a c e upon him. S u m m o n i n g his son, he told him: "I took a vow to the Lord to turn you into a scholar, but you are g r o w i n g up e m p t y and worthless. I a m warning you f o r the last time: Return f r o m your wicked ways and sit down to learn Torah. If you will not heed me, leave m y h o u s e , f o r I will n o longer r e c o g n i z e you as m y son." "As you say, Father," replied the boy. "I a m leaving your h o u s e to go w h e r e v e r I will." H e did j u s t as he said. H e got together a f e w clothes and w r a p p e d them in a small parcel, tied his shoes together by the laces and h u n g t h e m over his shoulder, b a d e farewell to his f a t h e r and mother, and left the house. His m o t h e r trailed after him, tears in her eyes, b e g g i n g h i m not to leave t h e m . Better he should heed his f a t h e r and stay with t h e m . But the boy shut his ears, told her g o o d - b y e , and kept walking. For a long time, the boy w a n d e r e d the roads, g o i n g f r o m city to city. Never did his head rest in the s a m e place as the night b e f o r e . O n c e , in the streets of a certain city, he overheard p e o p l e learning Torah in one of the h o u s e s and realized that J e w s lived on that street. E n t e r i n g the building, he f o u n d b o y s sitting on b e n c h e s , with the hakham s t a n d i n g in f r o n t of t h e m , teaching t h e m Torah. It w a s the local T a l m u d Torah.** T h e boy stood in the d o o r w a y and listened in rapt attention until the hakham no-

'Deuteronomy 21:18. "Hebrew school.

ticed him. T h e teacher went over to him g e n t l y — h e w a s d r a w n to the h a n d s o m e b o y — a n d asked, " W h a t is your name, child, and w h o s e son are you?" "I d o n ' t know," replied the boy. T h e hakham was astounded by this reply. Nevertheless, he continued his questioning, in the s a m e gentle tone. " W h e r e do you c o m e f r o m , m y son? You look tired f r o m your journey. Can 1 help y o u ? " T h e hakham's w a r m t h captivated the b o y ' s heart. "I want to learn Torah," he a n s w e r e d . "If y o u r soul yearns f o r Torah, m y son, c o m e and I will teach you." T h e hakham e m b r a c e d him affectionately, took him by the hand and sat him at the table. He o p e n e d a prayer b o o k — t h e boy read f r o m it fluently. He o p e n e d the Pentateuch and the P r o p h e t s — t h e boy raced through them. He o p e n e d a G e m a r a * — t h e boy d o v e into it like a brilliant expert, raising p r o b l e m s and resolving t h e m until he quite f o r g o t h i m s e l f . T h e hakham was taken aback; in all his life he had never e n c o u n t e r e d such a prodigy. At noontime, he took the boy h o m e with him and sat him d o w n at the table. "Eat, my son, f o r you are tired and hungry." W h i l e the boy w a s eating, the hakham went to the h o m e of the local rabbi and told him what had h a p p e n e d . At the rabbi's request, the boy w a s brought to him. He tested him and f o u n d that he had a fantastic k n o w l e d g e of Torah. " J o s e p h is a fruitful bough,"** e s c a p e d f r o m his lips. He turned to the boy. " M y boy, G o d has granted me an only daughter. I have no sons, and G o d has brought you to me. If you are willing, I will adopt you as m y son, you will sit in the yeshivah and learn Torah, and I will provide all your needs." T h e boy was glad to accept the rabbi's offer. F r o m that day on, he lived in his h o u s e and was like a son to him. Every morning, he [the boy] rose early and w e n t to the h o u s e of study, w h e r e he learned Torah along with the other scholars. W h e n e v e r they disagreed about the m e a n i n g of a particular passage and were debating a m o n g themselves, the boy would enter the discussion and resolve all the difficulties, to the w o n d e r of the others. He rose daily in the e s t e e m of the local sages, w h o f o u n d him to be as full of k n o w l e d g e as a p o m e g r a n a t e is of seeds and recognized his great mastery of the innermost secrets of Torah and G e m a r a . They thanked God f o r

,

S e e page 358.

"This phrase, from Jacob's blessing of Joseph (Genesis 49:22), is a Sephardic and Oriental-Jewish blessing or charm against the evil eye.

i m p a r t i n g of His w i s d o m to the boy and praised him to the rabbi, w h o s e joy knew no bounds. T h e d a y s p a s s e d and t u r n e d into y e a r s , a n d the b o y b e c a m e a h a n d s o m e y o u n g m a n . O n e day, w h e n he had t u r n e d e i g h t e e n , the rabbi s u m m o n e d h i m . "You have g r o w n up, m y son, a n d b e c o m e a m a n . T h e t i m e has c o m e f o r you to stand u n d e r the w e d d i n g canopy, u n d e r an a u s p i c i o u s sign. M y o n l y d a u g h t e r , too, h a s g r o w n up. Will y o u take her as y o u r w i f e ? You g r e w up with her and k n o w w h a t a fine w o m a n she is. S h e has g o l d e n h a n d s , p r a c t i c e d in every c r a f t . S h e is a l s o well versed in m a n y s u b j e c t s and has m a s t e r e d G e m a r a . A f t e r the w e d d i n g , I will set you up in y o u r o w n h o u s e . W h i l e y o u c o n t i n u e to learn Torah, I will support you in c o m f o r t a n d ease. W h e n I die, y o u will be m y sole heir. Tell m e , d o you a g r e e to take m y d a u g h t e r as y o u r w i f e ? " " H e r e I a m in y o u r h o u s e , M a s t e r , " replied the y o u n g m a n , "in w h i c h I g r e w u p and studied and k n e w only g o o d things. You have been like a father to m e all these years. H o w can I f o r g e t the b r e a d a n d salt I ate at y o u r table? Of c o u r s e , I will take y o u r d a u g h t e r as m y w i f e , f o r she p l e a s e s m e greatly." T h e next day, e v e r y o n e in the r a b b i ' s h o u s e h o l d set to w o r k to p r e p a r e f o r the w e d d i n g day. T h e rabbi p u r c h a s e d n e w c l o t h e s f o r the bride a n d g r o o m and outfitted the a p a r t m e n t he had rented f o r t h e m — a l l in k e e p i n g with his w e a l t h and dignity. O n the day of the c e r e m o n y all the leading citizens of the t o w n and its s c h o l a r s c a m e to o f f e r their best w i s h e s to the rabbi and to participate in his joy. T h e w e e k of festivities w e r e d a y s of f e a s t i n g and j o y f o r the entire city. R i c h a n d p o o r ate their fill and s h o w e r e d a b u n d a n t b l e s s i n g s on the bride a n d g r o o m . W h e n the w e e k w a s over, the y o u n g m a n said to his f a t h e r - i n - l a w : " S e n d m e h o m e , father, to live with m y w i f e , as you p r o m i s e d m e . " "Yes, m y son, take y o u r w i f e a n d go. M a y G o d be with y o u . " At nightfall, the y o u n g m a n took his w i f e and they w e n t to their new h o m e . T h e y sat d o w n at the table a n d ate. A f t e r the m e a l , the y o u n g m a n got u p f r o m the table. " L o o k , " he told his w i f e , " t h e t w o of us are a l o n e now, at h o m e , with n o strangers. If you w a n t to have a g o o d and quiet life, p a y c l o s e a t t e n t i o n to e v e r y t h i n g I ' m g o i n g to tell y o u . You m u s t k e e p everything you see sealed u p in y o u r heart; you m u s t r e m a i n silent and ask no q u e s t i o n s . If you d o not h e e d m y w o r d s , w o e betide you and y o u r fate." A s h e s p o k e , the y o u n g m a n took off his c l o t h e s and w r a p p e d h i m s e l f in a f u r c l o a k . H e put a d a g g e r in his p o c k e t a n d thrust a pistol into his belt. B e f o r e he left the h o u s e he told his w i f e to g o to b e d and o r d e r e d her

not to wait up. H e w o u l d return very late, a f t e r m i d n i g h t or b e f o r e d a y break. "I a m w a r n i n g y o u , " h e said bluntly. " D o n ' t leave the h o u s e . If I d o n ' t find you h e r e w h e n I c o m e back, y o u r s will be a bitter end. D o not forget m y i n j u n c t i o n to hold y o u r t o n g u e . ' F l i e s c a n n o t e n t e r a c l o s e d m o u t h . ' " T h e n he b a d e her g o o d night and w e n t out, c l o s i n g the d o o r b e h i n d h i m . T h e w o m a n w a s left a l o n e a n d s h a k e n , c o n s u m e d by w o r r y a n d anger. All n i g h t long, she did not c l o s e h e r e y e s . E v e r y h o u r s e e m e d to last a year. T h e tears p o u r e d f r o m her e y e s o n t o her pillow. In her pain, s h e w o u l d have torn her b o d y to s h r e d s . But, a f r a i d of her h u s b a n d , she c o n trolled herself a n d w a i t e d . T o w a r d m o r n i n g she h e a r d a k n o c k at the d o o r and got u p to let him in. T h e r e he s t o o d , like a wild c r e a t u r e , his hair f l y i n g loose, his h a n d s a n d c l o t h e s s t a i n e d with b l o o d . " W o m a n , " he said, " h e a t u p the t u b and boil water." T h e w o m a n ran to heat the w a t e r and b r o u g h t it to h i m . H e b a t h e d , c h a n g e d his c l o t h e s , a n d sat d o w n to eat. W h e n he f i n i s h e d his m e a l he told his w i f e , " I ' m quite e x h a u s t e d . N o w I ' m g o i n g to bed to sleep and rec u p e r a t e . D o n ' t leave the h o u s e and d o n ' t w a k e m e up." At nightfall he w o k e up, got out of bed, put on his clothes as he had the night b e f o r e , stuck the d a g g e r in his p o c k e t and the pistol in his belt, and w e n t out. Night a f t e r night he did the s a m e thing. His w i f e , a f r a i d of h i m , w a t c h e d a n d kept silent. S h e waited patiently f o r the d a y s to c o m e , m u t tering the f o l k saying, " P a t i e n c e , H a n n a h , f o r the night is long."* T h e y o u n g m a n ' s f e l l o w s t u d e n t s , w h o had learned with h i m all those y e a r s , w e r e c o n c e r n e d that he h a d not been in the yeshivah f o r several d a y s . A s s u m i n g that he w a s ill, they sent s o m e o n e to the rabbi to ask h o w he w a s . T h e rabbi ran to his s o n - i n - l a w ' s h o u s e , w h e r e he f o u n d his d a u g h t e r c r y i n g bitterly. H e p r e s s e d her to tell h i m the m e a n i n g of her tears, but s h e kept silent a n d said n o t h i n g . In the m e a n t i m e her h u s b a n d w o k e up. " W h o ' s h e r e ? " h e called. W h e n she replied that her f a t h e r had c o m e to visit t h e m he asked him to c o m e into his b e d r o o m . T h e rabbi e n t e r e d his s o n - i n - l a w ' s r o o m , but the y o u n g m a n r e m a i n e d in bed and did not rise to greet him a n d kiss his h a n d , as he had a l w a y s d o n e . W i t h o u t a w o r d of w e l c o m e , he asked his father-in-law w h y he had c o m e . T h e rabbi realized at o n c e that his s o n - i n law h a d c h a n g e d . To all q u e s t i o n s a b o u t his a b s e n c e f r o m the yeshivah he

"There is a pun in the Hebrew: "Patience" is "rekh ruah." "long" is "arokh."

a n s w e r e d coarsely and insolently. Then he put an abrupt end to the conversation, declaring that he would never return to t h e y e s h i v a h . H e pulled the blanket over his f a c e and fell asleep. T h e rabbi, w o u n d e d to the quick, w a s e n r a g e d . H e could not understand how the y o u n g m a n had forgotten his b e n e f a c t o r and was not a s h a m e d to insult him. G o i n g to his daughter, he urged her to leave this heretic and c o m e back h o m e with him. " N o , father," said the daughter, "I cannot d o that. I c a n n o t leave m y h u s b a n d . W h a t will people say? It's my fate, and I must bear it and not sin b e f o r e G o d . " She a c c o m p a n i e d her father to the gate, hot tears streaming f r o m her eyes. "If you are afraid of what p e o p l e will say, my daughter, I will give you other advice." So saying, he thrust his hand inside his coat and r e m o v e d a small case, which contained a shohet' s* knife. "Take this knife, my daughter. W h e n he is asleep, cut his throat. T h a t w a y y o u ' l l be f r e e of h i m . People will say that he w a s a m u r d e r e r and a n o t h e r m u r d e r e r c a m e and killed him." " H o w can I shed blood, father? D o e s not the Torah say, 'You shall not m u r d e r ' ? N o r will my c o n s c i e n c e let m e d o such a thing. For that you need a heart of iron. No, I cannot d o it. Heaven forbid that I should c o m mit such a m o n s t r o u s act." "If you cannot accept this idea, either," replied her father, "then go to the house of j u d g m e n t and testify that he tried to kill you with this knife, but you e s c a p e d by a miracle." " H o w can I tell lies? I have never d o n e so in m y life. F r o m childhood you taught m e to guard my m o u t h against f a l s e h o o d . " T h e f a t h e r ' s patience ran out. " F r o m this day forth, I will no longer support you, despite my p r o m i s e . T h e day a f t e r tomorrow, I will s u m m o n you to the house of j u d g m e n t . B e f o r e the j u d g e s you will ask f o r a divorce f r o m your h u s b a n d . You will tell t h e m e v e r y t h i n g that has h a p p e n e d to you and conceal nothing." T h e father left. T h e poor w o m a n was left alone, stricken and forlorn, a b a n d o n e d by both her h u s b a n d and her father. She did not k n o w which way to turn. Raising her eyes H e a v e n - w a r d in supplication, she said: " M a s t e r of the universe! You are One, and Your n a m e is One, merciful and g r a c i o u s is Your n a m e . Give m e an idea. W h a t should I d o ? " E n d l e s s rivers of tears s t r e a m e d f r o m her eyes. S h e neither ate nor drank. Suddenly, she caught sight of the s höhet' s knife that her father had given

"Ritual slaughterer.

her, lying on the table. She quickly s n a t c h e d it u p and hid it u n d e r the mattress of her bed. In the m e a n t i m e , night had c o m e . H e r h u s b a n d got up, as he did every e v e n i n g , w r a p p e d h i m s e l f in his f u r c l o a k , a n d w e n t out. At d a y b r e a k , he r e t u r n e d , d i s h e v e l e d a n d c o v e r e d with b l o o d , as a l w a y s . H e b a t h e d , c h a n g e d his clothes, sat d o w n at the table, and asked f o r f o o d to still his hunger. His w i f e told h i m that the h o u s e w a s e m p t y and the c u p b o a r d bare, b e c a u s e her f a t h e r had s t o p p e d p r o v i d i n g t h e m with f o o d . All that she h a d eaten, y e s t e r d a y and today, w e r e c r u s t s of b r e a d d i p p e d in water. "If so, he has broken his p r o m i s e , " said the y o u n g m a n . " B u t n o matter. I w o n ' t g o to bed hungry. G o look u n d e r the mattress. You'll f i n d a s o m e dried bread there. Bring it and w e ' l l eat." " W h a t d o you m e a n , h u s b a n d ? H o w c o u l d there be dried b r e a d u n d e r the m a t t r e s s ? " S h e w e n t to the b e d , lifted u p the m a t t r e s s at the f o o t of the bed, a n d s h o w e d him that there w a s n o t h i n g there. But h e told her to lift the m a t t r e s s at the h e a d of the bed. T h e w o m a n s h u d d e r e d and her h a n d s t r e m b l e d — s h e t h o u g h t her h u s b a n d k n e w a b o u t the k n i f e . But there w a s no w a y out, so she lifted u p the m a t t r e s s . B e h o l d the m i r a c l e — p r e c i s e l y w h e r e she had h i d d e n the k n i f e there now lay a long piece of dried bread. S h e took it and b r o u g h t it to her h u s b a n d . H e b r o k e it in half, t a k i n g o n e p i e c e f o r h i m s e l f and g i v i n g the o t h e r to his w i f e . A f t e r he had e a t e n , he w e n t to b e d and fell asleep. L a t e r that m o r n i n g her f a t h e r c a m e to r e m i n d her that s h e w a s to app e a r that day b e f o r e the h o u s e of j u d g m e n t . S e e i n g her agitation, he asked w h a t w a s b o t h e r i n g her. S h e hid the fact that there w a s n o f o o d in the h o u s e , but told him a b o u t the k n i f e that h a d turned into dried b r e a d . T h e rabbi flew into a rage. " S o he is also a sorcerer! T h e Torah says, 'You shall not p e r m i t a s o r c e r e s s to live.'* His will be a bitter e n d . G e t d r e s s e d , d a u g h t e r , and c o m e with m e . " " N o , father, I c a n n o t c o m e with you today. I a m very w e a k a n d d o n ' t have the strength to stand on m y feet. Wait till t o m o r r o w . T h e n I'll d o as you say." T h e day p a s s e d a n d night fell a g a i n . H e r h u s b a n d got out of b e d , w a s h e d his f a c e , w r a p p e d h i m s e l f in his c l o a k , a n d a s k e d his w i f e f o r a c u p of c o f f e e . W h e n s h e told h i m that not even the d r e g s w e r e left, he stuck the d a g g e r and pistol in his belt a n d w e n t out. H e h a d only g o n e a little w a y w h e n his w i f e tied a kerchief a r o u n d her head and f o l l o w e d him.

'Exodus 22:17.

H e r idea w a s to d i s c o v e r w h e r e he w e n t and w h a t he did there. W h a t e v e r s h e s a w — s h e told h e r s e l f — s h e w o u l d r e p e a t to the h o u s e of j u d g m e n t . " T h e n I will be clear b e f o r e G o d and h u m a n beings."* H e p a s s e d t h r o u g h the streets and alleys of the t o w n , s h e trailing at s o m e d i s t a n c e , never letting him out of her sight. T h e y left the city and w a l k e d on f o r a long time, up the hills a n d d o w n the valleys. A l t h o u g h she felt utterly e x h a u s t e d , s h e m o b i l i z e d her last r e s e r v e s of s t r e n g t h and kept f o l l o w i n g h i m , m a k i n g sure that he never d i s a p p e a r e d f r o m view. At last they r e a c h e d a b r o a d f i e l d , q u i t e d e s o l a t e . N o s o u n d s w e r e to be heard, n e i t h e r a m a n ' s voice nor a d o g ' s b a r k i n g . In o n e c o r n e r of the field there w a s a slight rise. H e c l i m b e d it, she f o l l o w e d . O n the o t h e r side of the hill there w e r e stairs. H e d e s c e n d e d t h e m , she f o l l o w e d . At the bottorn there w a s a s h i n i n g g o l d e n door. T h e m o m e n t he s t e p p e d o n the threshold the d o o r o p e n e d f o r him. H e entered, and the d o o r started to shut b e h i n d him. But b e f o r e it c l o s e d all the way, she j u m p e d o n t o the threshold and w e n t inside. B e f o r e her e y e s t h e r e a p p e a r e d a large and o p u l e n t s y n a g o g u e . T h e bright light d a z z l e d her e y e s . Surely, s h e t h o u g h t , it m u s t be the light of the D i v i n e P r e s e n c e . Little by little she m a d e out l a m p s of gold and coral that shed their light in every direction, and the lustrous f a c e s of the thirtysix r i g h t e o u s m e n , w h o w e r e sitting there a n d l e a r n i n g Torah. W h e n her h u s b a n d e n t e r e d , they all s t o o d u p a n d w a i t e d till he r e a c h e d his place, f a c i n g the d o o r of the s y n a g o g u e . H e took his seat, and they all sat d o w n a g a i n . T h e n he l o o k e d u p a n d saw his w i f e . R i s i n g f r o m his chair, he w e n t over to her. " H o w did you get h e r e ? W h y a r e n ' t you f r i g h t e n e d and t e r r i f i e d ? " " W h y should I be a f r a i d or terrified, w h e n I a m with y o u ? " " G o h o m e , now," replied her h u s b a n d . H e took her o u t s i d e the d o o r and told her to c l o s e her e y e s . W h e n she o p e n e d t h e m again she f o u n d herself s t a n d i n g o u t s i d e the d o o r of her o w n h o u s e . G o i n g inside, s h e und r e s s e d a n d w e n t to b e d . H e r heart o v e r f l o w e d with b o u n d l e s s j o y a n d elation and a holy tranquility slowly i n f u s e d her entire being. S h e b e g a n w o n d e r i n g w h e t h e r it h a d been real, or o n l y a d r e a m . " M y h u s b a n d , m y c r o w n , is neither a r o b b e r nor a m u r d e r e r , " she told herself. " H e is a saint, o n e of the thirty-six r i g h t e o u s m e n t h r o u g h w h o s e merit the world exists. H e s p e n d s his n i g h t s l e a r n i n g Torah with t h e m . " A s u b l i m e j o y filled all her limbs, until s w e e t s l u m b e r c l o s e d her e y e s and she fell asleep.

,

Numbers 32:2.

At d a w n , s h e w a s a w a k e n e d by a k n o c k on the door. J u m p i n g f r o m bed, she let her h u s b a n d in. T h e n she r a c e d to heat w a t e r a n d b a t h e d his feet. A f t e r he c h a n g e d his c l o t h e s he sat d o w n at the table. S h e sat o p p o site h i m , g a z i n g at her h u s b a n d in a w e a n d a d o r a t i o n . H e s p o k e first. " L i s t e n , w i f e . I a m w a r n i n g y o u a n d g i v i n g y o u notice. You m u s t n e v e r tell a n y o n e w h a t you saw last night. If, H e a v e n f o r b i d , a w o r d e s c a p e s y o u r lips, you will certainly die." S h e n o d d e d her h e a d in a s s e n t . T h i s g e s t u r e s e e m e d to s a t i s f y h i m , s i n c e he p r o c e e d e d to ask her to s e r v e the f o o d . B e f o r e she c o u l d reply that the h o u s e w a s e m p t y a n d the c u p b o a r d bare, he told her, " G o into the kitchen a n d bring out all the plates." S h e rose w i t h o u t a q u e s t i o n and w e n t into the k i t c h e n . I m a g i n e her ast o n i s h m e n t w h e n she saw that the plates w e r e full of m a n y g o u r m e t d i s h e s , a delight f o r the eyes. S h e took the f o o d b a c k to the table. T h e y ate and d r a n k , yet m o r e r e m a i n e d u n t o u c h e d . H e a s k e d w h y s h e did not eat m o r e a n d she replied that she w a s full. In an instant the plates w e r e e m p t y , clean as b e f o r e . T h e y o u n g m a n w e n t to bed. His w i f e spread the coverlet on h i m with love and a f f e c t i o n and tiptoed out of the r o o m . N o m o r e than a f e w m i n utes h a d p a s s e d b e f o r e her f a t h e r arrived to take her to the h o u s e of j u d g m e n t . G r e e t i n g h i m c a l m l y a n d with s h i n i n g e y e s , she told h i m that she h a d t h o u g h t a b o u t the m a t t e r the w h o l e n i g h t and h a d r e s o l v e d not to leave her h u s b a n d . " H e is the d e s t i n y allotted m e by H e a v e n , " s h e told h i m , " a n d no o n e can e s c a p e her destiny. N o n e can be b e t t e r than a w o m a n ' s first h u s b a n d , a n d n o g o o d can c o m e of a divorce. W h o k n o w s if the next o n e w o u l d not b e w o r s e ? " H e r f a t h e r ' s e n t r e a t i e s w e r e in vain. F i n a l l y he t u r n e d a n d left the h o u s e in a rage. N o t long a f t e r this, a great d i s a s t e r struck the J e w s of that city. In R o m e , there lived a priest w h o hated Israel, an e n e m y w o r s e than all others. H e w a s a great scholar, an expert in J e w i s h lore, and w a s a l w a y s seeking w a y s to h a r m the J e w s . T i m e and a g a i n , he tried to p e r s u a d e the king that the J e w s of his c o u n t r y w e r e disloyal, f o r they w e r e a l w a y s p r o c l a i m ing, " D a v i d K i n g of Israel lives a n d endures!"*

*In BT Rosh Hashanah

25a, Rabbi Judah the Prince tells Rabbi Hiyya to sanctify the new moon in

secret and send him a messenger bearing this phrase as a sign that he has done so. The phrase is recited aloud—and out of doors—each month as part of the public sanctification of the New Moon (Kiddush

Levanah).

" M u c h h a v e I read in their b o o k s , " he told the king, "but I have never f o u n d any truth in t h e m . If you w a n t to see this f o r y o u r s e l f , o r d e r t h e m to s e n d you o n e of their l e a d i n g a n d m o s t k n o w l e d g e a b l e r a b b i s to d e b a t e w i t h m e on r e l i g i o n . S h o u l d h e best m e , you m a y b e h e a d m e . But if I o v e r c o m e him, let His M a j e s t y o r d e r the d e s t r u c t i o n of all the J e w s w h o live in his k i n g d o m . " At first the king w o u l d not listen to the priest, f o r he t h o u g h t well of the J e w s . But a f t e r m u c h i m p o r t u n i n g his heart w a s w o n o v e r to the p r i e s t ' s w i c k e d s c h e m e . T h e king sent a m e s s a g e to the chief rabbi, ordering h i m to send o n e of the l e a d i n g rabbis to d e b a t e with his c o n f e s s o r and p r o v e the truth of the Torah. S h o u l d he fail to d o so, the king w o u l d d e c r e e the a n n i h i l a t i o n of all the J e w s in his k i n g d o m , old a n d y o u n g alike. Thirty d a y s w e r e g r a n t e d t h e m to fulfill his c o m m a n d . T h e rabbis of the t o w n and the leaders of the c o m m u n i t y a s s e m b l e d to c o n s i d e r w h a t to do. O n e s u g g e s t e d o n e idea, a n o t h e r s o m e t h i n g else. N o o n e d a r e d p r o p o s e h i m s e l f to u n d e r t a k e the m i s s i o n to R o m e . All f e a r e d the hostile priest. At a loss f o r ideas, they d e c i d e d they m u s t d e p e n d on the m e r c i e s of H e a v e n . T h e y d e c r e e d f a s t i n g a n d s u p p l i c a t i o n s a n d recited penitential p r a y e r s . N o t even p r e g n a n t w o m e n a n d n u r s i n g b a b i e s w e r e e x e m p t e d . T h e y h o p e d that their fasting and p r a y e r s w o u l d m o v e the H o l y O n e , B l e s s e d Be He, to annul the evil d e c r e e against Israel. All the J e w s , great and small alike, a s s e m b l e d in the s y n a g o g u e s and h o u s e s of study, c r y i n g out to G o d . T h e streets of the Jewish q u a r t e r w e r e a l m o s t d e s e r t e d , f o r these w e r e d a y s of great distress f o r Israel. W h e n the r a b b i ' s s o n - i n - l a w h e a r d a b o u t the fast, h e took a loaf of b r e a d and h u n k of c h e e s e and strolled t h r o u g h the streets of the J e w i s h quarter, e a t i n g in f r o n t of all the p a s s e r s b y w h o w e r e f a s t i n g . N o o n e d a r e d s p e a k to him, f o r he had b e c o m e n o t o r i o u s as a m u r d e r e r w h o a m b u s h e d w a y f a r e r s at night. All kept their d i s t a n c e f r o m h i m , a f r a i d he m i g h t assault t h e m . O n e brave Jew, t h o u g h , f o u n d the c o u r a g e to r e b u k e him to his f a c e f o r eating in p u b l i c w h e n all his f e l l o w J e w s w e r e f a s t i n g and p r a y i n g . " W h y should the J e w s afflict their s o u l s ? " r e j o i n e d the r a b b i ' s son-inlaw. " W h y d o e s n ' t s o m e q u i c k - w i t t e d and learned s c h o l a r g o to R o m e to d e b a t e w i t h the p r i e s t ? A r e there n o s c h o l a r s left in I s r a e l ? G o tell the rabbi, in m y n a m e , to o r d e r an e n d to the fast. I am w i l l i n g to g o to R o m e to c o n f r o n t the hostile priest w h o p e r s e c u t e s us." T h e m a n w a s s t u n n e d by this retort. H o w dare a heretic and m u r d e r e r a s s u m e responsibility f o r such a sacred m i s s i o n ? N e v e r t h e l e s s , he w e n t to the rabbi and delivered the m e s s a g e .

T h e rabbi w a s u n w i l l i n g to listen to his s o n - i n - l a w ' s o f f e r , s i n c e the m a n w a s held to b e a s i n n e r and o u t l a w . But as the d a y s p a s s e d a n d the t e r m set by the k i n g w a s a b o u t to e x p i r e a n d n o o n e had v o l u n t e e r e d f o r the m i s s i o n , the o t h e r r a b b i s b e s e e c h e d h i m to give the task to his s o n - i n law, w h o w a s q u i c k - w i t t e d and l e a r n e d in the Torah. A n d t h e r e w a s n o o t h e r e m i s s a r y to be f o u n d in this crisis. Finally, the rabbi gave in to the m a n y pleas a n d s u m m o n e d his son-inlaw to a p p e a r b e f o r e the c o u n c i l . To the a s t o n i s h m e n t of all, he e n t e r e d s u b m i s s i v e l y , w i t h b o w e d h e a d , k i s s e d the h a n d s of all the r a b b i s , a n d tried to kiss his f a t h e r - i n - l a w ' s h a n d too. But the latter only let h i m touch him. W h e n the rabbis heard the y o u n g m a n say explicitly that he w a s willing to u n d e r t a k e this m i s s i o n , and a f t e r a s k i n g h i m m a n y q u e s t i o n s , they d r a f t e d a c o m m i s s i o n f o r him, to w h i c h they a d d e d a letter to the king. H e p l a c e d the d o c u m e n t s in his p o c k e t and asked t h e m to a p p o i n t t w o scholars to a c c o m p a n y h i m on his j o u r n e y . T h i s request, too, they g r a n t e d , and n a m e d t w o y o u n g rabbis to g o with h i m . In f r o n t of the assembly, he m a d e his c o m p a n i o n s s w e a r that f r o m that d a y f o r t h , until the e n d of his m i s sion, they w o u l d stay with him day and night and d o as he bid t h e m , n e v e r d e v i a t i n g f r o m his instructions. T h e e s c o r t s t o o k an oath to f u l f i l l their m i s s i o n and f o l l o w e d the r a b b i ' s s o n - i n - l a w h o m e . It w a s a T h u r s d a y . T h r e e d a y s r e m a i n e d until the e x p i r a t i o n of the thirty d a y s set by the king. T h a t night they ate and slept at the y o u n g m a n ' s h o u s e . T h e next m o r n i n g they got up early and m a d e p r e p a r a t i o n s to set out. But the y o u n g m a n restrained t h e m . " S t a y here in m y h o u s e . D o n ' t step out the d o o r until I c o m e b a c k . " In the J e w i s h quarter, p e o p l e w e r e a s t o n i s h e d to see h i m w a l k i n g a r o u n d . T h e d e a d l i n e set by the king w a s S u n d a y — b u t he still h a d not set out. T h e y hurried to report this to the rabbi. "I told you that he w o u l d dec e i v e us," w a s his o n l y r e s p o n s e . T h e y o u n g m a n w e n t h o m e . H e told his e s c o r t s that, since they w o u l d not travel that day, they s h o u l d g o s p e n d the S a b b a t h with their f a m i l i e s . T h e y w e r e s t u p e f i e d by his w o r d s , but h o n o r e d their oath a n d kept their m o u t h s shut. W h e n S u n d a y c a m e , the last d a y of the m o n t h set by the k i n g , the y o u n g m a n left his h o u s e in the m o r n i n g and strolled t h r o u g h the streets of the t o w n . T h e p e o p l e , no l o n g e r believing in h i m , a s s e m b l e d in the syna g o g u e s , f a s t i n g and p r a y i n g to G o d to avert the evil d e c r e e . F o r his part, the priest posted g u a r d s to c h e c k all the J e w s w h o arrived in R o m e by sea. T h e s e g u a r d s all r e p o r t e d that not a single J e w h a d arrived in the city d u r i n g the last thirty d a y s . F e e l i n g h a p p y and light-

h e a r t e d , the priest e n t e r e d the t h r o n e r o o m of the royal p a l a c e , w h e r e all the m a g i s t r a t e s a n d m a g n a t e s of the city w e r e g a t h e r e d , with the king and his r e t i n u e at the f r o n t . " T h e thirty d a y s are u p today," p r o c l a i m e d the priest, " t h e d e a d l i n e that the king set f o r the J e w s to send an e m i s s a r y to our city to d e b a t e their Torah with me. N o n e has c o m e . I ask the k i n g ' s p e r m i s s i o n to destroy the Jews." "It is still early in the day," replied the king. " P e r h a p s a J e w arrived in R o m e but has not yet had time to present h i m s e l f b e f o r e us." " W e shall wait in vain," replied the priest. "I gave o r d e r s to c h e c k all w h o e n t e r e d the city, by sea and land. D u r i n g the last thirty d a y s not a single Jew h a s c o m e to o u r city." " L e t us wait until e v e n i n g , " o r d e r e d the king. "If n o Jew has c o m e f o r the d i s p u t a t i o n by then, I will give the o r d e r f o r their d e s t r u c t i o n . " T h e king instructed his soldiers to stand guard in the J e w i s h quarter, to k e e p t h e m f r o m r u n n i n g away. A great pall fell u p o n the J e w s , f o r they saw that their destruction w a s inevitable and their end w a s near. T h e y imm e r s e d t h e m s e l v e s in the mikveh* and returned to the s y n a g o g u e , put on their tallitot** and tefillin § , a n d p r a y e d , r e a d y to s u r r e n d e r their souls in purity. O n that S u n d a y , late in the a f t e r n o o n , the y o u n g m a n c a m e b a c k f r o m his p r o m e n a d e in the streets of his town and told his e s c o r t s to get ready to set out. T h e y l o o k e d at h i m as if he had g o n e m a d . H o w c o u l d they reach R o m e — a t h r e e - d a y j o u r n e y — w h e n the sun w a s a l r e a d y low in the w e s t ern s k y ? But they kept silent, as they had s w o r n to do, and did not o p e n their m o u t h s . E a c h of t h e m p l a c e d his tallit b a g u n d e r his a r m and f o l l o w e d the r a b b i ' s son-in-law. T h e y arrived at the s e a s h o r e , but there w e r e n o ships to be seen, not even a small boat. T h e y o u n g m a n w a l k e d u p to the w a t e r and o p e n e d his b a g . T a k i n g out his tallit, he s p r e a d it on the water. T h e n he turned to his c o m p a n i o n s : " C o m e and sit d o w n . " S e e i n g that they w e r e h e s i t a t i n g , he got a b o a r d first. H e g r a s p e d the tzitzit § § at t w o of the c o r n e r s , with his f a c e t o w a r d the h o r i z o n , and told his c o m p a n i o n s that e a c h s h o u l d take hold of the f r i n g e s at o n e of the

*Ritual bath. "Prayer shawls. 5

Small, black leather prayer boxes containing passages from the Torah.

55

Fringes of the prayer shawl.

o t h e r c o r n e r s . T h e tallit s k i m m e d a b o v e the s u r f a c e of the w a t e r and carried t h e m , in the t w i n k l i n g of an eye, to the coast of R o m e . T h e y d i s e m b a r k e d on the b e a c h . T h e y o u n g m a n f o l d e d up his tallit, put it b a c k in its bag, a n d set out f o r the royal palace. T h e city w a s full of soldiers with their w e a p o n s . T h e y o u n g m a n ' s c o m p a n i o n s w e r e terrified that the s o l d i e r s w o u l d attack t h e m (they did not realize that they w e r e invisible). W h e n they r e a c h e d the p a l a c e gate, they m a t e r i a l i z e d b e f o r e the g u a r d s . T h e y o u n g m a n told the s e n t r i e s that they w e r e J e w s a n d a s k e d t h e m to i n f o r m the king of their arrival. O n e of the g u a r d s w e n t inside, and told the k i n g that t h r e e J e w i s h r a b b i s w e r e s t a n d i n g o u t s i d e the p a l a c e gate, r e q u e s t i n g a d m i t t a n c e . T h e k i n g n o d d e d , and the e m i s s a r i e s w e r e u s h e r e d into his p r e s e n c e . T h e y o u n g m a n took f r o m his p o c k e t his writ of a p p o i n t m e n t and the letter he h a d received f r o m the c o u n c i l . H e p r e s e n t e d t h e m to the king, w h o read out the text and s i g n a t u r e s to his c o u n c i l . T h e y c h e c k e d that everyt h i n g w a s in o r d e r a n d d e c i d e d that the three w e r e the authentic r e p r e s e n tatives of the J e w s . T h e king gave a sign and the d i s p u t a t i o n b e g a n . T h e d e b a t e w a s lively. T h e priest d i s p l a y e d his vast a n d p r o f o u n d k n o w l e d g e of the Torah and e n g u l f e d the y o u n g m a n with difficult and tricky q u e s t i o n s . But the y o u n g m a n a n s w e r e d all of t h e m , quietly a n d serenely, in a m a n n e r that satisfied the king a n d the m a g i s t r a t e s . T h e priest, s e n s i n g that he w a s c l o s e to failure, m a d e a last d e s p e r a t e e f f o r t to save h i m s e l f . H e g r i p p e d the crucifix in his h a n d and w a v e d it in the y o u n g m a n ' s f a c e , h o p i n g to c o n f u s e him into g i v i n g an u n s a t i s f a c t o r y reply. B u t the y o u n g m a n f o r t i f i e d h i m s e l f with the I n e f f a b l e N a m e , stood f i r m as a rock, and b e s t e d the priest, until the latter w a s f o r c e d to a c k n o w l e d g e that the Torah is indeed true. "All right," said the priest, " n o w let's see you m a t c h m e in m i r a c l e s . If you o v e r c o m e m e in this contest, too, let the king s e n t e n c e m e to d e a t h . " D o y o u see this s t a f f ? " A s he s p o k e h e s t o o d it on the m a r b l e floor a n d t a p p e d o n e e n d — a n d the staff stuck in the floor. T h e p r i e s t ' s lips began to m o v e ; he w h i s p e r e d s o m e t h i n g a n d m o v e d his h a n d s to the sides. T h e staff t u r n e d into a large tree c o v e r e d with l e a f y b o u g h s . T h e r e w e r e bright red a p p l e s on its b r a n c h e s , even t h o u g h it w a s not a p p l e s e a s o n . B e f o r e the king a n d his c o u r t i e r s c o u l d r e c o v e r f r o m this w o n d e r , the priest p i c k e d a p p l e s f r o m the tree a n d h a n d e d t h e m a r o u n d , first to the king, and then to the m i n i s t e r s and m a g i s t r a t e s , and finally to the y o u n g m a n and his c o m p a n i o n s . But the J e w s r e f u s e d to accept t h e m .

" B r i n g m e that b e a u t i f u l b l o s s o m f r o m the top of the tree," r e q u e s t e d the y o u n g m a n . "I c a n ' t , " replied the priest. " I t ' s f o r b i d d e n to d o that." At o n c e the y o u n g m a n c o m p r e h e n d e d that the e s s e n c e of the spell w a s f o c u s e d in that b l o s s o m . M e a n w h i l e , the priest started b r e a k i n g off t w i g s f r o m the tree. E a c h twig t u r n e d into a small knife. H e distributed the knives to the o n l o o k e r s so they c o u l d peel the apples. W h e n the y o u n g m a n saw this, he started s h o u t i n g . "Your Majesty, and m y lord m a g i s t r a t e s ! D o not peel the a p p l e s . A g r e a t peril h a n g s over you." " P a y n o attention to h i m , " said the priest loudly. " G o a h e a d a n d peel them." " N o , " cried the y o u n g m a n . "I am w a r n i n g y o u . L o o k c a r e f u l l y : T h a t ' s not an a p p l e y o u ' r e h o l d i n g ! " At that m o m e n t their e y e s w e r e o p e n e d a n d they r e a l i z e d that in o n e h a n d e a c h w a s h o l d i n g his f o r e s k i n , and the k n i f e in the o t h e r h a n d . Another second . . . In a flash all of t h e m h u r l e d the knives to the floor, c r i m s o n with e m barrassment. " Y o u r M a j e s t y , " said the y o u n g m a n . "You hold a s w o r d in y o u r h a n d , and h e r e is o u r n e c k ! T h i s w i c k e d priest, w h o w a n t e d to hurt the J e w s , p l o t t e d to get all of you to cut off y o u r f o r e s k i n s . T h e n , w h e n you w e r e d o u b l e d over with pain, he i n t e n d e d to kill y o u , s t o r m y o u r p a l a c e s , and seize power." T h e k i n g w a s r a g i n g inside. But he r e s t r a i n e d h i m s e l f a n d a s k e d the y o u n g m a n f o r a w o n d e r of his o w n . " Y o u r M a j e s t y , d o y o u see this staff in m y h a n d ? It is the staff of M o s e s . " T h e y o u n g m a n stood it on the f l o o r a n d t a p p e d its h e a d ; the staff stuck in the m a r b l e floor. At the s a m e instant, the p r i e s t ' s f e e t also t o o k root in the p a v e m e n t . T h e terrified priest b e g a n to beg f o r his life. L o u d l y he p r o c l a i m e d , "You J e w s are in the right, and I a m in the wrong!* H a v e m e r c y on m e , I beg of y o u , f o r the J e w s are m e r c i f u l p e o p l e and the child r e n of m e r c i f u l people!"** But the k i n g i n t e r v e n e d a n d ruled that the priest c o u l d n e v e r be pard o n e d f o r his deeds. T h e y o u n g m a n t a p p e d on his staff a s e c o n d time, and it sank into the g r o u n d to o n e - t h i r d of its length. T h e p r i e s t ' s l o w e r b o d y

"Exodus 9:27, referring to Pharaoh's reaction after the plague of hail. " B T Kiddushin

4a, a c o m m o n epithet for the Jews.

d i s a p p e a r e d into the floor. T h e y o u n g m a n t a p p e d on the staff a third time, and the priest sank into the f l o o r u p to his n e c k . T h e n the y o u n g m a n uprooted the staff and struck the priest on his h e a d — w h i c h t u r n e d instantly to m a r b l e . To this day it can be seen in that very spot, a w a r n i n g to all. T h e king t h a n k e d the y o u n g m a n a n d issued a royal d e c r e e that, as long as he lived, n o o n e s h o u l d h a r m the J e w s . H e o r d e r e d his soldiers to w i t h d r a w f r o m the J e w i s h q u a r t e r a n d p r o c l a i m e d that the J e w s c o u l d w o r s h i p their G o d in p e a c e a n d quiet, with n o n e to vex t h e m . T h e y o u n g m a n and his c o m p a n i o n s r e t u r n e d to the shore. H e spread his tallit on the water. T h e three e m b a r k e d and, in a f l a s h , w e r e b a c k in their o w n t o w n . T h e y o u n g m a n took his leave of his c o m p a n i o n s and sent t h e m h o m e , while he w e n t to his o w n h o u s e . His w i f e o p e n e d the d o o r and g r e e t e d h i m w a r m l y . H e a s k e d h e r to b r i n g h i m f o o d . W h e n she w e n t to the k i t c h e n she f o u n d the plates f u l l of d e l i c i o u s f o o d . T h e y ate a n d d r a n k and recited the g r a c e a f t e r m e a l s . T h e n the y o u n g m a n w e n t to b e d to rec o v e r f r o m the exertion of his j o u r n e y . T h e o t h e r t w o s c h o l a r s e n t e r e d the J e w i s h quarter, w h e r e they f o u n d all the s h o p s barred and shuttered. T h e y c o u l d hear the J e w s p r a y i n g in the s y n a g o g u e s . H u r r y i n g to the rabbi, they told h i m w h a t h a d h a p p e n e d , f r o m the first day to the last. W h e n the shammash* w e n t out into the street and f o u n d that they had s p o k e n the truth, the rabbi p r o c l a i m e d the j o y o u s n e w s to the a s s e m b l e d w o r s h i p e r s . All g a v e t h a n k s to G o d f o r the m i r a c l e H e had w r o u g h t f o r t h e m , a n d tears of j o y s t r e a m e d f r o m their eyes. T h e n the rabbi, f o l l o w e d by the entire c o n g r e g a t i o n , w e n t to his soni n - l a w ' s h o u s e and asked to see him. T h e y o u n g m a n got up, c a m e over to his f a t h e r - i n - l a w , and kissed his h a n d . T h e rabbi laid his h a n d s on the y o u n g m a n ' s head. "I have sinned," he d e c l a r e d b e f o r e the entire c o n g r e g a t i o n . "You are in the right a n d I a m in the w r o n g . " " H e a v e n f o r b i d , " replied the y o u n g m a n . "All J e w s are r i g h t e o u s . " T h e y sat d o w n at the table a n d the w o m a n of the h o u s e served t h e m m a n y d e l i c a c i e s , w h i c h c a m e straight f r o m Paradise. T h e y ate and d r a n k and praised G o d and m a d e a feast like P u r i m , with singing and d a n c i n g . T h e n the y o u n g m a n told the rabbi w h o his p a r e n t s w e r e and w h e r e they lived, and asked him to m a k e a w e d d i n g feast to give t h e m joy. W h e n the y o u n g m a n ' s p a r e n t s arrived, he told t h e m e v e r y t h i n g that h a d h a p p e n e d to him since he left their h o u s e . Joy filled the w h o l e town and lasted f o r an entire w e e k . M a n y m i t z v a h f e a s t s w e r e held, f o r both rich and poor.

'Synagogue caretaker.

All ate a n d d r a n k and blessed the b r i d e a n d g r o o m and t h a n k e d G o d f o r the miracle. M a y the M a s t e r of the U n i v e r s e avert every evil f r o m o u r m i d s t and annul every harsh and evil d e c r e e , m a y there be no pain f o r any Jew, and m a y o u r r e d e m p t i o n c o m e soon, speedily and in o u r d a y s , A m e n .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 8 (IFA

10085)

Told in Judeo-Spanish by Aharon ben Avraham Mizrahi to Moshe Attias in Jerusalem in 1961.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The tale combines, in sequential order, three themes in Jewish tradition: (1) the wonder child, (2) the thirty-six righteous men, and (3) a debate on which the fate of the community rests. A fourth theme, which is actually a motif, appears in this tale and has been extensively researched: (4) the evil eye.

The Wonder Child In Jewish tradition, children born in response to prayers of childless mothers have unique spiritual qualities. The biblical birth story of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1-2:12) is the model for this type of biographical tale. It is, by and large, absent from the talmudic-midrashic literature, in which there is a paucity of birth legends, 2 but appears again in medieval and later traditions. For example, we have the birth legend of Rashi (1040-1105) 3 and a story of a prophetic child that circulated among the kabbalists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. 4 Gedaliah ben Joseph ibn Yahya (1526-1587) included both tales in his Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah (The chain of tradition). 5 Later, the childhood legends of the Ba'al Shem Τον, the founder of Hasidism, follow a similar pattern. 6 Different as these individuals and tales are, and drawing on oral traditions from different periods, in these and many other cases the God-given child has unique spiritual qualities that may be obscured from society for some period of time.

The Thirty-Six Righteous Men The theme of the thirty-six righteous men integrates four distinct ideas: (1) the continuing existence of the world depends on righteous men, as a collective axis mundi; (2) there is a minimum and limited number of such individuals; (2) the identity of these men is secret and rarely, if ever, becomes public; and (3) the appearance of the righteous is deceptive and masks their true essential nature, which is an inversion of their social position. In such tales, the virtuous behavior of these men is secret, and their public conduct is humble or, as in this tale, appears to be outright criminal. Some of these ideas about the righteous have their antecedents in the Hebrew Bible and others in talmudic-midrashic literature, but they achieved their narrative synthesis only in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Existence

and Function

of the

Righteous

Proverbs 10:25 states the pivotal function of the righteous man in the world. In its literary context, the translation "the righteous is an everlasting foundation" is ad-

equate; but if extracted and looked at as an independent idiomatic phrase, "tsaddik yesod olam' means, literally, "the righteous man is the world foundation." It is in this sense that the phrase serves later rabbinical and mystical thought about the function of righteous men. Explanations attributed to earlier Sages combine literal interpretations of the biblical verse with broadly known cosmological conceptions, such as those represented by motif A841, "World-columns." According to these midrashim, the integrity of the world rests on a single just man, not thirty-six men. At the conclusion of a cosmological debate about whether the earth rests on seven or twelve pillars, the mid-second-century tanna R. Eleazar b.Shammua says: "[It rests] on one pillar, and its name is 'Righteous,' for it is said: But 'Righteous is the foundation of the world' (Proverbs 10:25)" (BT Hagigah 12b). Later Sages considered the biblical verse to be an allegorical statement and attempted to identify the pillar with a central figure, be it Noah or Moses. Once Rabbi [end of second century] was sitting and expounding: One woman in Egypt gave birth to sixty myriads. One of the disciples sitting before him spoke up and said to him: "Master, who is great, the world or the righteous man?" He said to him: "The righteous man." "Why?" asked the disciple. Said the master to him: "Because Moses, to whom Jochebed gave birth, was equal to all the people together" (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Yismael, "Shirata" 9, 2:60-70). 7 An interpretation without attribution in an early midrash from the end of the fourth century, but which could have been articulated earlier in an oral tradition, states: ‫' ״‬But the righteous is an everlasting foundation'—this refers to Noah, as it is written. These are the Generations of Noah: Noah was a righteous man" (MR Genesis 30:1,233). 8 Number of Righteous

Men

The idea of a single just man maintaining the integrity of the world is reinforced by third-century amora'im, mainly those who came to Palestine from Babylon. They interpreted Ecclesiastes 1:5: "The sun rises, and the sun sets" metaphorically: "R. Abba said: Do we then not know that the sun rises and the sun goes down? But the meaning is that before the Holy One, blessed be He, causes the sun of one righteous man to set, he causes the sun of another righteous man to rise" (MR Genesis 58:2, 509). 9 Amora'im of the late third century are quoted as citing this biblical verse in support of the idea that there is a single righteous man in each generation. They employed the midrashic device of word association and built on the biblical historical narrative. Rabbi Eleazar said: Even for the sake of a single righteous man would this world have been created for it is said: And God saw the light and it was [for one which is]

good [Genesis 1:4], and "good" means but the righteous, as it is said: Say ye of the righteous that he is the good one [Isaiah 3:10].—R. Hiyya b. Abba said also in the name of R. Johanan: No righteous man dies out of this world, before another, like himself, is created, as it is said: The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down (Ecclesiastes 1:5)—before the sun of Eli set, the sun of Samuel of Ramathaim rose. R. Hiyya b. Abba also said in the name of R. Johanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, saw that the righteous are but few, therefore He planted them throughout all generations, as it is said: For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He hath set the world upon them \ 1 Samuel 2:8]. R. Hiyya b. Abba said also in the name of R. Johanan: Even for the sake of a single righteous man does the world endure, as it is said: But the righteous is the foundation of the world (Proverbs 10:25) (BT Hagigah 12b). These learned men also applied the same principle to postbiblical history: "For a Master said: When R. Akiba died. Rabbi was born; when Rabbi died, Rab Judah was born; when Rab Judah died, Raba was born; when Raba died, R. Ashi was born. This teaches that a righteous man does not depart from the world until [another[ righteous man like himself is created, as it is said, the sun riseth and the sun goeth down (Ecclesiastes 1:5)" (BT Kiddushin 72b). Discussions of the role of the righteous man in Jewish thought are available. 10 The idea that the world requires not a single man but a larger number of righteous men to ensure its existence is attributed both to early sages, such as R. Simeon ben Yohai (second century), and late sages, such as Rabbi Tanhum (fourth century). The notion of there being thirty righteous men is most frequently associated with Abraham the Patriarch. In the biblical narrative about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:18-33), Abraham is pleading with God to save the community, arguing that it should be spared for the sake of a limited number of righteous men. decreasing the number from a maximum of fifty to a minimum of ten. The Rabbis selected out of this mathematical set the number thirty and associated it with Abraham, relying on the gematria of the verb "yihyeh" (will be; yod + heh + yod + heh = 30), which occurs in God's blessing of Abraham (Genesis 18:18). A fourth-century rabbi attributes this tradition to his predecessors: "R. Hezekiah said in R. Jeremiah's name: Thus did R. Simeon b. Yohai say: The world possesses not less than thirty men as righteous as Abraham" (MR Genesis 35:2). u Other Sages offered the following explanation: "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become—hayoh yihyeh (Genesis 18:18). R. Tanhum said in the name of R. Hus Elai in R. Berekiah's name: He informed him that the world must never contain less than thirty righteous men like Abraham. R. Judah and R. Aha in R. Alexanderi's name deduced it from this verse: Seeing that Abraham shall surely become—hayoh yihyeh" (MR Genesis 49:3, 2:423; JT Avodah Zarah 2:1; Midrash Tehilim, Shoher Τον 5:5). 12

Once the number of the required righteous men for the preservation of the world became larger than one, the Rabbis playfully tossed up numbers, building on gematria of biblical words and the oral tradition that was available to them: "Pieces of silver": these are the righteous, for it is written, He has taken the bag of silver with him [Proverbs 7:20]. "And a homer of barely and a half-homer of barley" [Hosea 3:2]: these are the forty-five righteous men on account of whom the world continues to exist. But I know not whether thirty of them are here [in Babylon] and fifteen in the land of Israel, or thirty in the land of Israel and fifteen here [in Babylon]; but when the

verse says, And 1 took thirty pieces of silver and cast them into the treasury, in the house of the Lord [Zechariah 11:13], I know that thirty [righteous men] are in the land of Israel and fifteen here. Said Abaye, Most of them are to be found in the synagogue under the side of chamber. And I

said to them, If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighted out for my hire thirty pieces of silver [Zechariah 11:12]. Said Rab Judah, These are the thirty righteous men among the nations of the world by whose virtue the nations of the world continue to exist [BT

H uliin 92a]. The tradition attributed to Abaye about the gathering of the righteous men as a congregation in a secret synagogue is unmentioned in any other talmudicmidrashic sources but resonates in the present story. Abaye, an amora of the first half of the fourth century, was the first to apply the figure thirty-six to the righteous men living in each generation. He said: "The world must contain not less than thirty-six righteous men in each generation who are vouchsafed [the sight of] the Shechinah's countenance, for it is written, Blessed are all they that wait lo [for him] [Isaiah 30:18]; the numerical value of 7 0 ' is thirty six" (BT Sanhédrin 97b; Sukkah 45b). The passage continues with a proposition by Raba that the number of righteous men extends to eighteen thousand, and the editors attempted to reconcile between the two figures. Rabbi Abaye's thirty-six righteous men are distinguished not by their deeds but by their ability to gaze at the Shekhinah, which they obtained, presumably, because of their meritorious deeds. This quality may suggest a Near Eastern tradition of the late antiquities, which might have been an early influence on the formation of the tradition of thirty-six righteous men in Judaism. Attributes

and Origins of the Number

Thirty-Six

Mathematically, the number thirty-six has important properties: It is the product of the first two perfect squares (four and nine) and the sum of the first three cubic numbers (one, eight, and twenty-seven). It is a square (six by six) and a rectangular (four by nine) number and the sum of the integers from one to eight. 13 Traditionally, there are two interrelated ways in which the number thirty-six figures significantly: demonically and astrologically. The Testament of Solomon,

an extant text from the first to third centuries c.E., contains a list of thirty-six demons "in the form of humans, or of bulls, or of dragons, with faces like the birds, or the beasts, or the sphinx" (18:1) that would respond to Solomon's command. When Solomon "asked them, saying, 'Well who are you?' All at once, with one voice, they said, 'We are thirty-six heavenly bodies, the world rulers of the darkness of this age' " ( 18:2-3). The rest of the chapter ( 18:5-40) consists of their self-presentation and identification, detailing the illness they cause the human body and the names, incantations, and magical acts that counter their inflictions. 14 Celsus, cited by the church father Origen (185?-?254), mentioned the existence of thirty-six demons as well. He proceeded to name a few "in the local dialect. . . and all the other names which [the Egyptians] use in their language." 15 The first among the thirty-six spirits in the Testament of Solomon says to Solomon: "1 am the first decan of the zodiac" (18:5). This reply suggests that the number thirty-six that occurs in Jewish tradition is based on the Egyptian division of the zodiac, which created thirty-six units, each of which is controlled by a specific decan. 16 Beer 17 searched for the sources of this number in Zoroastrianism and Persian cosmology and found the use of other numbers but not that of thirtysix. On the other hand, Beer argued that the Babylonian Rabbi Abaye arrived at the idea of thirty-six righteous men by reacting against an earlier tradition, attributed to the third-century Palestinian Rabbi Joshua ben Levi, who contended that the Holy Land had eighteen righteous men, whereas the Babylonian exile had only twelve, totaling thirty just men, as was associated with Abraham (Midrash Tehilim, Shoher Τον 5:5). By making the Diaspora and the Land of Israel equal in righteous men. Rabbi Abaye reached the total number of thirty-six. Urbach 18 suggested that by setting the number at thirty-six righteous men. Rabbi Abaye implied the substitution of human ethical power for demonic influence on humankind. The anonymous author or editor of the mystical book Sefer ha-Bahir (late twelfth century to mid-thirteenth) included in his text some of these ideas and metaphors. 19 Identity of the Righteous

Men

The Sages of the talmudic-midrashic period sought to identify the single righteous man on whom the life of a whole generation depends. Among the leading figures of the biblical and the postbiblical periods are Noah (MR Genesis 30:1, 233), 20 Abraham (MR Genesis 35:2, 49:3, 1:423), 21 and Moses (.Mekhilta deRabbi Yishmael, "Shirata" 9, 2:69-70). 2 2 Among the postbiblical leaders are, as noted earlier, Rabbi Akiva, "Rabbi," Rabbi Judah, Raba, and Rabbi Ashi (BT

Kiddushin 72b). In another narrative cycle from the talmudic-midrashic period, the stories hinge on a separation, even inversion, between righteousness and social promi-

nence. In these tales, the righteous man leads a simple, sometimes even a wretched or a sinful life, but his meritorious acts are hidden from the public eye. As a reward, he will gain an honorable place in Paradise or possess some magical abilities (for example, rain making, miracle making, or healing) that are attributed to righteous people. For talmudic tales from the fourth to the sixth centuries about such humble, righteous individuals see the stories about Pentakaka (from the Greek "penta" = "five" + "kaka" = "bad or debased acts'1), "the five times sinner" (JT Ta'anit 64b-c, 64e); the man and woman who, respectively, lent tools for burial and firewood for the needy (BT Ta'anit 21b); the provider of wine for the Sabbath rituals; and the teachers who did not distinguish between rich and poor students (BT Ta'anit 24a) . All of these individuals had powerful magical abilities that were greater than known rabbis had. Studies of such tales have been conducted. 23 See also notes to tale IFA 10089 (vol. 1). The narrative theme and pattern continued in Jewish medieval literature. 24 These stories are about, for example, a donkey driver (Pentakaka), a humble peasant whose prayers for rain God always answered (JT Ta'anit 1:4); a prison guard who separated the male from the female prisoners lest they sin (JT Ta'anit 1:4); and two jesters who made people laugh and enjoy life (BT Ta'anit 22a) and who will merit Heaven after they pass away. In other stories, a butcher, a tanner, a hunter, and a pimp each will merit honor in Paradise for their secret good deeds. 25 In the talmudic-midrashic and the medieval periods, the two themes of a just man (or just men) as the foundation of the world and the secret identity of the virtuous person (or people) were separate. But by the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the themes had converged; these tales were particularly popular in Hasidic folk literature. An anthology of such stories drawn from Hasidic sources has been published. 26 Similar tales, with a limited but a different number of righteous peoJudaica28 pie, occur in Islamic traditions. 27 The editors of the Encyclopaedia pointed out that "the idea is not found among oriental Jews." Ideas in the Present Tale The present tale represents a unique example of the theme of the righteous men in Jewish-Spanish folktales. However, if this tale is representative of the Sephardic tradition, the thirty-six righteous individuals live as a congregation, resonating the idea of Rabbi Abaye (BT Hullin 92a). This is contrary to Hasidic traditions, in which the righteous men lead humble, virtuous lives as individuals rather than as a community. Compare this tale with the literary rendition of a Saloniki legend about a heroic-criminal Jewish group of thirty-six young men who organized themselves to protect the Jewish community from thirty-six Turkish criminals. 29 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

The other oral versions in the IFA confirm the differences among the Jewish traditions.

• • • • • • •

IFA 3592: Returning Lost Money (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic). IFA 3789: The Matchmaking (Russia). 30 IFA 4089: The Lamed Vavnik (Rumania). IFA 4950: The Drunkard's Wife (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic). IFA 12494: The King 's Fear of the Lamed Vavnik (Iran). IFA 16886: The Lamed Vavnik Old Man (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic). IFA 18150: The Rabbi and the Lamed Vavnik (Poland).

• IFA 18151 : A Story about the Thirty-Six Righteous Men (Poland). The Debate Like the theme of hidden righteous men, the idea of a debate on which the fate of the community rests has talmudic-midrashic roots, but it attained great popularity in modern Jewish folklore traditions of several ethnic groups. Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, a tanna from the first century to the second, defeated a nonbeliever in a debate conducted in front of the Roman ruler (BT Hagigah 5b); in another disputation, he resorted to magic to supplement his wit (BT Berakhot 8b-9a). Another tale is about a hunchback, Gebiha ben Pesisa, who represented the Jewish community before Alexander of Macedonia; he debated Africans who claimed that the Land of Canaan belonged to them (BT Sanhédrin 91a; MR Genesis 61:7, 2:545-546). 3 1 Although this story pattern has a worldwide distribution, it is particularly popular in Jewish communities. In his classic study of tale type 922, "The Shepherd Substituting for the Priest Answers the King's Questions," W. Anderson 32 noted one literary and twenty-one oral versions of this tale type, which constituted the fifth largest group of texts in his corpus. Jews told this story in many European communities as well as in Middle Eastern (Afghanistan, India, Iraq, and Yemen), North African, and American communities. Further bibliographical information is available, 33 as is an American version of this tale type. 34 A comprehensive analysis of the tales in the IFA in the context of other confrontational narratives is available. 35 In the prèsent story, the narrator glosses over the actual debate and emphasizes the magical combat into which the confrontation evolved. Stories of this type appear in published collections of Jewish tales, starting with the 1602 Ma'yseh Bukh.36 The tale is available in the original Yiddish 37 and in translation in several twentieth-century anthologies. 38 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Most of the tales in the IFA involve a combat of wit. Among the published versions are the following: • •

IFA 69: Die Geschichte von Mosches Schuhen (The story about Moses' shoes) (Yemen). 39 IFA 275: Three Questions of a King (Romania). 40

• IFA 505: A Dispute in Sign Language (Iraq).4'

IFA 3294: The Cleverness of a Jewish Youth (Iraq). 42 IFA 3344: The Imam and the Jewish Rabbi (Yemen). 43 IFA 3795: Tears and Laughter at the Same Time (Morocco). 44 IFA 4105: How Could a Donkey Climb the Mosque Tower? (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). 45 • IFA 4311 : The Messengers of the Ten Lost Tribes of Yemen (Yemen). 46 ‫ ״‬IFA 4335: The Beadle's Cleverness (Iraq). 47 • IFA 4390: Moses and the Apostate (Morocco). 48 ‫ ״‬IFA 5841 : The Imam and the Clever Son of the Rabbi (Yemen). 49 • IFA 8235: The Christian Duke and His Jewish Financial Adviser (Morocco). 50 • IFA 16544: The King, the Vizier, and the Clever Jews (Morocco). 51 • • • •

The debate theme is one of the most popular tale types in Jewish oral tradition. The IFA contains about eighty versions of this tale, of which approximately 12 percent are from Sephardic communities, 25 percent are from Yiddish-speaking countries, and the rest are from Islamic countries. The Evil Eye There is an extensive literature on the evil eye motif. So extensive, in fact, it became the subject of a humorous essay by Arnold van Gennep, 52 who described a scholar who had accumulated more than twelve million entries on the evil eye and was still searching for more. Major recent studies are available, 53 as are studies that focus on the motif in Jewish societies. 54 The practice of spitting as protection against the evil eye has been examined. 55 Folktale Types • • •

922*C (IFA) "King Sets Tasks to Jews." 730 (IFA) "Endangered Jewish Community is Saved (General)." *730 (IFA) (Jason) "Endangered Jewish Community Is Saved (General)."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • •

C411 "Tabu: asking about marvels which one sees." C421 "Tabu: revealing secret of supernatural husband." C423.2 "Tabu: speaking of extraordinary sight." C423.3 "Tabu: revealing experiences in other world." D231.2 "Transformation: man to marble column." *D451.5.2.1 "Transformation: twig to knife." *D457.20 "Transformation: foreskin t0o apple." D476.1 "Inedible substance transformed into edible." *D476.1.12 "Transformation: knife becomes bread." D950 "Magic tree."

D950.10 "Magic apple tree." D953 "Magic twig." D956 "Magic stick of wood." D981.1 "Magic apple." D1001 "Magic spittle." DI 146 "Magic door (gate)." D1254 "Magic staff." D 1336.2.1 "Magic apple gives weakness." D1524.2.3 "Magic talith carries man over water." D1601.37 "Self-opening door." D 1652.1 "Inexhaustible food." D1673 "Magic staff blossoms." D1719.1 "Contest in Magic." D1719.2 "Magic wisdom possessed by wild man." D1776 "Magic results from spitting." D1819.4 "Learning to read by magic." D 1925.3 "Barrenness removed by prayer" D2061 "Magic murder." D2071 "Evil eye." D2071.1.1 "Evil eye averted by spitting." D2121.4 "Magic journey by making distance vanish." D2122 "Journey with magic speed." D2122.5 "Journey with magic speed by a saint." Fl 10 "Journey to terrestrial other worlds." *F773.4 "Remarkable synagogue." F782 "Extraordinary doors and windows." F811 "Extraordinary tree." F813.1 "Extraordinary apple." F931 "Extraordinary occurrence connected with sea." F960.1 "Extraordinary nature phenomena at birth of holy person (hero)." F960.1.3 "Exhibition of lights at saint's birth." F971.1 "Dry rod blossoms." H602.2 "Symbolic interpretation of letters." H1573.3 "Power of Christianity tested." H 1573.4.1 "Power of Judaism tested." Κ1916 "Robber bridegroom (inverted: bridegroom disguised as robber)." L161 "Lowly hero marries princess." P210 "Husband and wife." P233 "Father and son." P233.2 "Young hero rebuked by his father." P233.2.1 "Father drives away bad son whom the mother prefers." P233.8 "Prodigal son returns." P234 "Father and daughter."

•

P475 "Robber."

‫״‬ • •

Q 4 1 1 " D e a t h as p u n i s h m e n t . " T 9 7 " F a t h e r o p p o s e d to d a u g h t e r ' s m a r r i a g e . " Τ135 "Wedding ceremony."

• ‫״‬

V 7 3 "Fasts." V82 "Circumcision."

•

V I 12.3 " S y n a g o g u e s . "

•

* V 2 2 9 . 1 5 . 1 " T h i r t y - s i x i n c o g n i t o s a i n t s p r e s e r v e the i n t e g r i t y of the world."

•

V462.2 "Ascetic fasting."

•

Z 7 1 . 1 " F o r m u l i s t i c n u m b e r : three."

•

Z 7 1 . 8 . 7 " F o r m u l i s t i c n u m b e r : thirty-six." Notes

1. Previously published in Attias, The Golden Feather, 5 4 - 7 2 no. 4. 2. Yassif, The Hebrew Folktale, 107. 3. Berger, "Folk Legends on Rashi." 4. Dan, "The Prophecy of the Child." 5. At 35, 37. 6. Ben-Amos and Mintz, In Praise of the Baal Shem Τον, 7 - 1 3 nos. 1-4; and Rubinstein, In Praise of the Ba'al Shem Τον, 3 5 - 3 9 nos. 1-2. 7. See Horovits and Rabin, Mekhilta d'Rabbi Ishmael, 146. 8. See Theodor and Albeck, Bereschit Rabba, 270. 9. See Theodor and Albeck, op. cit., 619. 10. Mach, Der Zaddik in Talmud und Midrasch; Scholem, On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead, 88-139; Urbach, The Sages, 1:483-511, esp. 490-191; and Green, "The Zaddik as Axis Mundi in Later Judaism." 11. See Theodor and Albeck, op. cit., 330. 12. See Theodor and Albeck, op. cit., 501-502. 13. Schimmel, The Mystery of Numbers, 243. 14. Duling, "Testament of Solomon"; and Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 4:149-154; 6:292-293 n. 56. 15. Chadwick, Origen, 8:58, 496. 16. Gundel, Dekane und Dekansternbilder, 4 9 - 3 2 4 ; Mach, op. cit., 136-146; Ameisenowa, "Animal-Headed Gods, Evangelists, Saints and Righteous Men"; Scholem, "The Tradition of the Thirty-Six Hidden Just Men"; Scholem, Judaica, 216-214; and Schott, "Altägyptische Festdaten.‫״‬ 17. "Regarding the Sources of the Number of the 36 Zaddikim." 1 8 . 0 p . cit., 1:490. 19. Abrams, The Book Bahir, 161 nos. 70-71; Margolies, Sefer ha-Bahir, 4 4 - 4 5 nos. 101-102; and A. Kaplan, The Bahir, 22 no. 61, 34-35 no. 95, 38 nos. 101-102. See also Scholem, Das Buch Bahir, 6 1 - 6 8 nos. 61-64. 20. Theodor and Albeck, op. cit., 270. 21. Theodor and Albeck, op. cit., 330, 501-502. 22. Horovits and Rabin, op. cit., 146.

23. Heller, "La legende Judéo-Chretienne du compagnon au paradis"; Heller, ' " G o t t wünscht das H e r z ' " ; and Kagan, " B a ' a l Melakhah ke-Shakhen be-Gan ha-Eden" (A craftsman as a neighbor in Paradise). 24. Alexander, " 'Neighbour in Paradise' "; D. Noy, "The Hidden Zaddik in Theodicy Legends"; D. Noy, " T e f ü a t ha-Tamim Moridah Geshamim" (The simpleton's prayer brings down rains); Ganuz, "The Thirty-Six Letters and Their Connotation"; Ganuz, "The ThirtySix Just Persons in the Jewish Folklore of Lithuania and Beyelo-Russia"; Kagan, " U g a t Honi" (Honi's circle); Schwarzbaum, "The Jewish and Moslem Versions of Some Theodicy Legends"; Schwarzbaum, Jewish Folklore between East and West, 75-125; Schwarzbaum, "The Thirty-Six Just Hidden Men"; Schwarzbaum, Roots and Landscapes, 84-95; and Montefiore and Loewe, A Rabbinic Anthology, 231-232. 25. Heller, "La légende Judéo-Chrétienne du compagnon au paradis"·, and Heller, ‫' ״‬Gott wünscht das Herz."' 26. Ya'acov, Lamed vav Zaddikim Nistarim (Thirty-six hidden righteous men); Nigal, The Hasidic Tale, 259-263; Dan, The Hasidic Story, 84-87; Ben-Yehezki'el, Sefer haMa'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 2:7-82, esp. 9 (suggestion of a community of hidden righteous men); and Yassif, op. cit., 423-427. 27. Mach, op. cit., 138-145; and Schwarzbaum, "The Thirty-Six Just Hidden Men," 21. 28. At "Lamed Vav Zaddikim." In this regard see Ganuz, "The Thirty-Six Just Persons in the Jewish Folklore of Lithuania and Beyelo-Russia." 29. Y. Uziel, Ha-Migdal ha-Laven (The white tower), 112-120. 30. Published in Rush, The Book of Jewish Women's Tales, 24-27 no. 5. 31. Theodor and Albeck, op. cit., 2:666-667. 32. Kaiser und Abt (The King and the Abbot). 33. Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 115-122, 463-464. 34. Ben-Amos, "The Americanization of 'The King and the Abbot.' " 35. E. Marcus, "The Confrontation between Jews and Non-Jews," 488-711. 36. Gaster, Ma'aseh Book, 2:571-276 no. 227. 37. Maitlis, The Book of Stories, 303-308 no. 79. 38. Ausubel, A Treasury of Jewish Folklore, 101-103; Druyanow, Sefer ha-Bedihah ve-ha-Hidud (The book of jokes and witticisms), 2:397-399 no. 2032; Cahan, Yidishe Folksmasiyyot (Yiddish folktales), 1:104-110 no. 21, 5:137-142 no. 32; and E. Davidson, Sehok Pynu (Our Mouth's Laughter), 1:183-184 no. 689. 39. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwill Erzählt, 218-219 no. 88. 40. Published in Yeshiva, Seven Folktales, 16-17 no. 5 (extensive bibliographical annotation). 41. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 9 4 - 9 7 no. 38. 42. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 80-81 no. 33. 43. Published in Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 16-18 no. 2. 44. Published in D. Noy, Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 155-157 no. 64. 45. Published in Baharav, Sixty Folktales, 144-147 no. 31. 46. Published in Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 4 8 - 5 3 no. 15. 47. Published in Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 69-71 no. 22. 48. Published in D. Noy, Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 99 no. 49. 49. Published in Seri, The Holy Amulet, 3 0 - 3 6 no. 7.

50. Published in Cheichel, Λ Tale for Each Month 1968-1969, 106-111 no. 13. 51. Published in Shenhar and Bar-Itzhak, Sippurei 'Am me-Shlomi (Folktales from Shlomi), 72-75; and Bar-Itzhak and Shenhar, Jewish Moroccan Folk Narratives from Israel, 72-78. 52. Van Gennep, The Semi-Scholars, 32-36. 53. Dundes, The Evil Eye; Gifford, The Evil Eye; Gravel, The Malevolent Eye; Maloney, The Evil Eye‫׳‬, and Migliore, Mal'uocchiu. 54. Ben Simhon, "Recueil d'usages thérapeutiques populaires"; Stillman, "The Evil Eye in Morocco"; Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic and Superstition, 5 4 - 5 6 (see index); and Ulmer, The Evil Eye in the Bible and in Rabbinic Literature. 55. Elworthy, The Evil Eye, 410-449; and Ulmer, op. cit., 189-190.

King Abdul-Aziz, the Jewish Builder, and the Wicked Painter R E C A L L E D

BY

DANIEL

FARHI

In Istanbul, d u r i n g the t i m e of K i n g A b d u l - A z i z , there lived a J e w n a m e d David Abudarham. The man was a money changer and banker and enj o y e d an e x c e l l e n t r e p u t a t i o n . B e c a u s e he had various f i n a n c i a l d e a l i n g s with the g o v e r n m e n t , the king h i m s e l f w o u l d s o m e t i m e s c o n s u l t with him a b o u t p r e c i o u s m e t a l s a n d alloys, and he w o u l d a d v i s e the m o n a r c h about h o w to a r r a n g e m a t t e r s to b e n e f i t his k i n g d o m . T h e king, n o t i n g the righte o u s n e s s , integrity, and w i s d o m of the J e w David and his talent f o r trade a n d n e g o t i a t i o n s , especially w h e n it c a m e to w h a t w a s g o o d f o r the g o v e r n m e n t , m a d e h i m o n e of his m i n i s t e r s . D a v i d ' s father, A b r a h a m , w a s a first-class architect and builder. A m o n g the k i n g ' s o t h e r m i n i s t e r s w a s an A r m e n i a n n a m e d P e d r o M o k i l o f f . M o k i l o f f w a s f a b u l o u s l y wealthy, b e c a u s e he w a s a painter w h o painted and w h i t e w a s h e d walls in a m o s t w o n d r o u s way. A n o t h e r m i n i s t e r n a m e d M a h m u d ibn Ali w a s w i s e , j u s t , a n d upright in all his actions. A r o u n d this t i m e , there arrived in Istanbul a wealthy, intelligent, and w i s e Jew, R a b b i M o s e s b e n M a i m o n , w h o is k n o w n as M a i m o n i d e s . He and all his h o u s e h o l d settled in the capital; by c h a n c e , he h a p p e n e d to rent a h o u s e on the shore near the h o m e of David A b u d a r h a m . T h e t w o b e c a m e s t e a d f a s t f r i e n d s a n d p a r t n e r s in the c o m m e r c e and trade of the great city of Istanbul. E v e r y Friday, w h e n he l e f t the m o s q u e . K i n g A b d u l A z i z w o u l d s p e n d t i m e with o n e of his ministers, o n e w e e k with D a v i d a n d o n e w e e k with P e d r o . T h e A r m e n i a n w a s j e a l o u s of the Jew, b e c a u s e the k i n g s h o w e d h i m m o r e h o n o r a n d favor. W h e n A b r a h a m , D a v i d ' s father, died, the A r m e n i a n plotted a w i c k e d s c h e m e to b l a c k e n the J e w in the k i n g ' s eyes. O n e Friday, w h e n the k i n g w a s talking with P e d r o , the A r m e n i a n m i n ister told h i m : " H o w fine a n d w o n d e r f u l it w o u l d b e if here in I s t a n b u l ,

y o u r g l o r i o u s capital city, s o m e o n e built a splendid b a t h h o u s e like the o n e K i n g S o l o m o n built in his p a l a c e in J e r u s a l e m . E v e r y o n e w h o b a t h e d there w a s c u r e d of all his bodily a i l m e n t s a n d restored to full health and left the b a t h h o u s e fit and strong." " W o u l d that w e , too, w e r e blessed with such a b a t h h o u s e , " replied the king. "You have h e r e the m i n i s t e r D a v i d A b u d a r h a m , the son of A b r a h a m A b u d a r h a m , w h o w a s a first-class architect and builder," c o u n s e l e d P e d r o . "It f o l l o w s that David, too, is an architect and builder, f o r his f a t h e r taught h i m that science. H e and he a l o n e can d e s i g n and erect s u c h a w o n d e r f u l b a t h h o u s e . T h e n w e will be r e s p e c t e d a n d a d m i r e d by the w h o l e world." T a k i n g his m i n i s t e r ' s a d v i c e , the king s u m m o n e d D a v i d A b u d a r h a m . "You surely h a v e h e a r d that K i n g S o l o m o n built an e x t r a o r d i n a r y b a t h h o u s e in his m e t r o p o l i s , the b e a u t i f u l city of J e r u s a l e m . E v e r y o n e w h o entered and b a t h e d in it w a s m i r a c u l o u s l y c u r e d of all his a i l m e n t s . I o r d e r you to build m e s u c h a b a t h h o u s e . You are the son of A b r a h a m , the greatest builder-architect, and he certainly k n e w the secret of its c o n s t r u c t i o n . It g o e s w i t h o u t s a y i n g that y o u r f a t h e r b e q u e a t h e d y o u this p r e c i o u s secret w i s d o m . G o , then, a n d o b e y m y c o m m a n d . If you d o not fulfill it within a year, I will h a n g you in p u b l i c . " David h e a r d the bitter and evil d e c r e e , rose f r o m his place, b o w e d low b e f o r e the king, a n d took his leave. Naturally, he w a s at a loss as to h o w to p e r f o r m this i m p o s s i b l e task. H e r e t u r n e d h o m e , his h e a d c o v e r e d in mourning.* His m o t h e r , s e e i n g h i m so d i s t r a u g h t , a s k e d h i m , " W h y are you so upset a n d p e r p l e x e d ? You terrify m e ! " "A c a t a s t r o p h e has o c c u r r e d , " e x p l a i n e d her son. "To m y great m i s f o r tune, the king is d e m a n d i n g that w i t h i n a y e a r I erect a b a t h h o u s e like that w h i c h K i n g S o l o m o n built, w h e r e e v e r y o n e w h o e n t e r e d and b a t h e d in it w a s c u r e d of w h a t e v e r ailed h i m . " "I o n c e h e a r d y o u r f a t h e r s p e a k i n g w i t h his f e l l o w b u i l d e r s , " replied the m o t h e r , " t e l l i n g t h e m that he had a c q u i r e d the m a t e r i a l s f r o m w h i c h o n e c o u l d build a b a t h h o u s e like K i n g S o l o m o n ' s . Your f a t h e r also m e n t i o n e d the d i m e n s i o n s — l e n g t h , b r e a d t h , a n d h e i g h t — o f this b a t h h o u s e . G o u p to y o u r f a t h e r ' s w o r k r o o m , now, c a l m d o w n , and look f o r the d o c uments." D a v i d s e a r c h e d long and hard f o r the raw m a t e r i a l s a n d d i m e n s i o n s of *Esther 6:12, referring to Haman after leading Mordecai through the city square.

the b a t h h o u s e . H e w a s in luck. H e c a m e b a c k d o w n s t a i r s in high spirits a n d h u g g e d a n d k i s s e d his m o t h e r . " M a y you be h a p p y a n d c o n t e n t as long as you live, Mother, j u s t as you have m a d e m e happy." T h e next day, David A b u d a r h a m w e n t to the k i n g ' s p a l a c e a n d b o w e d low and prostrated himself b e f o r e him. "Your Majesty, I y o u r servant have c o m e to i n f o r m you, Ο c r o w n of m y head, that I a m p r e p a r e d to d o everything m y lord h a s c o m m a n d e d . T h e only thing n e e d e d is to look f o r and find the a p p r o p r i a t e and fitting spot f o r this b a t h h o u s e . I m u s t also g a t h e r all the architects and builders to c o n s u l t with t h e m about the chief m a t e rial f r o m w h i c h alone the b a t h h o u s e can be built." T h e k i n g s u m m o n e d the a r c h i t e c t s a n d b u i l d e r s and o r d e r e d t h e m to c o n s u l t with his minister D a v i d and help him erect a b a t h h o u s e that w o u l d b e m o s t p e r f e c t and excellent in all r e s p e c t s . In fact, b e f o r e the y e a r w a s o v e r the b a t h h o u s e stood on its f o u n d a tions, an e x t r a o r d i n a r y structure. T h e n David c a m e and b o w e d low b e f o r e the king. " Y o u r M a j e s t y , c r o w n of o u r head, I y o u r servant invite you and all y o u r m i n i s t e r s to d o m e the h o n o r of c o m i n g to view with y o u r o w n e y e s the splendid b u i l d i n g I have had the merit to erect." T h e king invited all his n o b l e s a n d c o u r t i e r s and all the great savants of the city to a c c o m p a n y h i m to t o u r a n d i n s p e c t the s p l e n d i d h e a l t h restoring b a t h h o u s e . W h e n the k i n g ' s r e t i n u e saw the m a r v e l o u s b a t h h o u s e , they p r a i s e d it lavishly. " T h e m a n w h o built s u c h a place, a w o r k that t r a n s c e n d s nature, will surely be blessed." T h e n the king t u r n e d to P e d r o . "You are a first-class p a i n t e r and k n o w h o w to paint in the finest colors. N o w you m u s t paint this b a t h h o u s e . " P e d r o fell to his k n e e s . " Y o u r s e r v a n t is r e a d y to p e r f o r m the k i n g ' s w o r d in f u l l . " A b o u t this time, the w i s e and b e n e v o l e n t lord M a h m u d ibn Ali, m a y he rest in p e a c e , p a s s e d away. P e d r o m i x e d the finest paint and applied it the walls of the b a t h h o u s e . But w h e n he c a m e b a c k the next d a y it had all fallen off! H e m a d e v a r i o u s c h a n g e s and tried all sorts of e x p e r i m e n t s , but to no avail. W h e n P e d r o ' s w i f e saw the b a d situation her h u s b a n d w a s in, she told h i m : "If you w a n t to get out of this p i c k l e , you h a v e to g o to D a v i d A b u d a r h a m , fall at his feet, and ask him to use his w i s d o m to avert the threat of death that h a n g s over y o u . H e has already d i s p l a y e d his w i s d o m and u n d e r s t a n d i n g in the c o n s t r u c t i o n of the b a t h h o u s e a n d is the only m a n w h o will k n o w how you can paint its walls."

P e d r o r e f u s e d to g o to the Jew. " H o w can I g o to a p e r s o n w h o m I tried to e n s n a r e a n d have k i l l e d ? " B u t his w i f e , w h o w a s wise, told him, " T h e s e J e w s are by nature g e n e r o u s and f o r g i v i n g , and p a r d o n the evil o t h e r s w o u l d d o t h e m . T h e y are e n d o w e d with a m e r c i f u l and c o m p a s s i o n a t e heart." W h e n P e d r o h e a r d his w i f e ' s fair and p e r s u a s i v e w o r d s , he u n d e r s t o o d that he had no c h o i c e . H e w e n t to the m i n i s t e r D a v i d a n d prostrated h i m self b e f o r e h i m . W i t h c o p i o u s tears on his c h e e k s he b e g g e d p a r d o n and f o r g i v e n e s s f o r his g r i e v o u s sin, f o r w h i c h there c o u l d be no f o r g i v e n e s s or a t o n e m e n t — n a m e l y , that he had s u g g e s t e d that the king erect a bathh o u s e like that built by K i n g S o l o m o n w i t h the d e l i b e r a t e intent to ruin and destroy the Jew. " B u t you, m y lord," c o n c l u d e d Pedro, " b e i n g a noble, g e n e r o u s , and m e r c i f u l p e r s o n , will p a r d o n m y sin and overlook my transgression, and in y o u r great m e r c y tell m e how I c a n save m y s e l f . Please be g r a c i o u s to m e . " David Abudarham, w h o was a merciful and compassionate man, replied: "You are a w o r t h l e s s and vicious m a n . T h e r e can be no a t o n e m e n t f o r y o u r plotting to kill me. Especially since I a l w a y s t h o u g h t well of y o u , as a d e a r a n d p r e c i o u s f r i e n d in heart a n d soul. B u t s u d d e n l y , y o u c o n trived w i c k e d s c h e m e s a i m e d at d e s t r o y i n g m e , t h o u g h I am i n n o c e n t and b l a m e l e s s . N e v e r t h e l e s s , and d e s p i t e e v e r y t h i n g , I will d o you a great f a v o r to save y o u r life. G o to the g o l d s m i t h s a n d s i l v e r s m i t h s a n d o r d e r silver c a r p e t s c o v e r e d with g o l d , of the size of the walls of the building. Fasten these c a r p e t s to the walls with nails of gold or silver. T h e n they will stay u p forever." P e d r o f o l l o w e d D a v i d ' s a d v i c e a n d the L o r d ' s p u r p o s e p r o s p e r e d t h r o u g h him.* W h e n the t i m e c a m e , he invited the k i n g and all the notables of the k i n g d o m to view a rare a n d u n c o m m o n sight. I n d e e d , all the walls w e r e d e c o r a t e d in an e x t r a o r d i n a r y and p l e a s i n g f a s h i o n . All said to P e d r o , " M a y you be b l e s s e d , Ο intelligent and learned m a n , that you have been able to w o r k such m a g n i f i c e n t artistry." T h e king asked D a v i d A b u d a r h a m , "Tell m e , please, h o w m u c h m o n e y did you s p e n d to build this b a t h h o u s e ? " David k n e e l e d b e f o r e the king. "If His M a j e s t y , the c r o w n of our head, w i s h e s to pay w h a t is d u e m e , I have but a single request. To our great sorrow, the lord M a h m u d Ali, w i s e and m e r c i f u l in all his d e e d s , passed a w a y a f e w d a y s ago. M y r e q u e s t is that his p l a c e be filled by m y g o o d f r i e n d

*Isaiah 53:10.

and c o n f i d a n t , M o s e s ben M a i m o n . H e is a g o o d m a n , h o n e s t a n d w i s e . His a p p o i n t m e n t to such high o f f i c e will be my greatest reward." King A b d u l A z i z c o n s e n t e d . " L e t the m a n c o m e here, and in the prèse n c e of all m y courtiers I will c o n f e r on him the title of lord and minister." O n a day w h e n all the m i n i s t e r s w e r e a s s e m b l e d at the k i n g ' s palace, M o s e s ben M a i m o n w a s t h e r e too. T h e king rose to his f e e t and ann o u n c e d : " H o n o r e d lords, I h e r e b y e l e v a t e the h o n o r a b l e M o s e s ben M a i m o n to the rank of minister." T h e n he h u n g a medal and splendid d e c o r a t i o n a r o u n d his n e c k . All t h o s e p r e s e n t r e s p o n d e d in a s i n g l e v o i c e , " M a y the n a m e of the lord M o s e s ben M a i m o n be b l e s s e d . M a y the m a n a l w a y s rise h i g h e r and higher, f o r the g o o d of o u r country. A m e n . " A f t e r that K i n g A b d u l A z i z a s k e d his m i n i s t e r P e d r o , " H o w m u c h m o n e y did you s p e n d to paint the b a t h h o u s e ? Tell m e , a n d I will r e i m burse you f o r the entire a m o u n t and add a n o t h e r five h u n d r e d p o u n d s of m y o w n , as a reward f o r y o u r w i s d o m and u n d e r s t a n d i n g . " " M y king, c r o w n of my h e a d , " replied the lord P e d r o , " t h i s a r d u o u s u n d e r t a k i n g cost m e t w o t h o u s a n d p o u n d s . " " G o to the f i n a n c e m i n i s t e r ' s p a y m a s t e r , " said the king, " a n d he will pay you t w o t h o u s a n d five h u n d r e d p o u n d s . " But the king t h o u g h t , " W h a t a d i f f e r e n c e there is b e t w e e n David A b u d a r h a m and P e d r o M o k i l o f f ! " F r o m that t i m e forth, P e d r o M o k i l o f f used to visit David A b u d a r h a m a l m o s t every day, h o p i n g to h e a r s o m e r e p r o a c h or c o m p l a i n t e s c a p e his lips, so he c o u l d g o d e f a m e the J e w a n d d e p r i v e h i m of the k i n g ' s e s t e e m . O n e day, w h e n P e d r o w a s visiting D a v i d , the s h o e m a k e r c a m e in to m e a s ure D a v i d ' s feet. W h e n he f i n i s h e d , the s h o e m a k e r b o w e d low a n d left. F o l l o w i n g h i m b a c k to his s h o p , P e d r o e n t e r e d and said to h i m : " M y f r i e n d , if you w a n t to b e c o m e rich, listen c a r e f u l l y to w h a t I say. I will bring you a f e w sheets of p a p e r to p l a c e u n d e r the sole of the lord David A b u d a r h a m ' s s h o e s . D o so, a n d I will give y o u t w o t h o u s a n d p o u n d s . T h e n you m u s t sell the s h o p and e v e r y t h i n g in y o u r h o u s e and leave tom o r r o w a f t e r n o o n on the boat sailing f o r A m e r i c a . " T h e s h o e m a k e r w a s o v e r j o y e d . "In fact I d o have a brother in A m e r i c a , w h o is very rich, and I can g o to him. 1 w o n ' t leave the s h o p tonight until I finish the s h o e s . " " W o n d e r f u l ! " said P e d r o . T o m o r r o w m o r n i n g y o u ' l l r e c e i v e the t w o t h o u s a n d p o u n d s , in cash." P e d r o w e n t and printed sheets full of s a v a g e c u r s e s against Islam, the P r o p h e t M u h a m m a d , a n d K i n g A b d u l A z i z , a n d b r o u g h t t h e m with the t w o t h o u s a n d p o u n d s to the s h o e m a k e r ' s s h o p . T h e s h o e m a k e r p l a c e d t h e m inside the soles of the s h o e s he w a s m a k i n g . T h e n P e d r o f o l l o w e d

the s h o e m a k e r and with his o w n e y e s saw h i m carry the s h o e s into David Abudarham's house. T h e next Friday, it w a s P e d r o ' s turn to c o n v e r s e w i t h the k i n g . " I ' v e h e a r d u n p l e a s a n t r u m o r s a b o u t David A b u d a r h a m , " h e said. " H e has written s a v a g e c u r s e s against the c r o w n of o u r head, Your M a j e s t y , and placed t h e m in his s h o e s . Of c o u r s e I d o n ' t believe he w o u l d ever d o s u c h a wicked deed. . . . " T h e k i n g said n o t h i n g , but m e r e l y listened in silence. T h e next Friday, t h o u g h , w h e n D a v i d A b u d a r h a m e n t e r e d a n d b o w e d b e f o r e him, he called o n e of his g u a r d s over. " R e m o v e D a v i d A b u d a r h a m ' s s h o e s and c h e c k inside the leather." W r a c k a n d ruin! T h e r e , in f r o n t of the king, the guard f o u n d sheets of p a p e r inside the sole, with d e n u n c i a t i o n s of I s l a m , the P r o p h e t , a n d the sultan printed on t h e m . T h e king, e n r a g e d , s u m m o n e d the p o l i c e m e n a n d o r d e r e d t h e m to take David A b u d a r h a m to p r i s o n , to beat h i m severely on the way, a n d then to t h r o w h i m in c h a i n s into the sea. T h e p o l i c e m e n led the J e w i s h m i n i s t e r a w a y a n d beat him severely. M a n y p e o p l e f o l l o w e d to w a t c h t h e m hurl a lord into the sea. By c h a n c e , at that m o m e n t M o s e s ben M a i m o n s t e p p e d out of the d o o r of his h o u s e on the s e a s h o r e . W h a t did he s e e ? A c r o w d w a s h u r r y i n g a l o n g a f t e r the p o l i c e m e n and soldiers, w h o w e r e leading a m a n b o u n d h a n d and f o o t . H e a p p r o a c h e d the p o l i c e m e n and asked t h e m : " W h a t ' s all the c o m m o t i o n ? W h y are h u n d r e d s of p e o p l e f o l l o w i n g y o u ? " " L o r d M o s e s b e n M a i m o n , " r e p l i e d the p o l i c e m e n , " t h e m i n i s t e r D a v i d A b u d a r h a m w r o t e f i e r c e i m p r e c a t i o n s a n d c u r s e s a g a i n s t o u r lord the king, his religion, a n d his p r o p h e t , a n d inserted the sheets of p a p e r inside the sole of his s h o e s , so that he w a s t r a m p l i n g on the n a m e of o u r king. H o w f o r t u n a t e that s o m e o n e k n e w a b o u t it and w a r n e d the sultan! W h e n the k i n g e x a m i n e d the l o r d ' s s h o e s , he f o u n d the p a p e r s in t h e m . N o w he h a s c o m m a n d e d us to take h i m , to beat h i m on the way, a n d to t h r o w h i m in c h a i n s into the d e p t h s of the sea, so he will d r o w n and die a horrible d e a t h . M a y the n a m e of this t r e a c h e r o u s m i n i s t e r b e blotted out." " G i v e m e this w i c k e d t r a i t o r ! " cried M o s e s ben M a i m o n , in a f i e r c e rage. H e led h i m into his h o u s e , s l a u g h t e r e d a calf, cut it into pieces, put t h e m into a b l o o d y sack, a n d w e n t b a c k out a n d told the p o l i c e m e n : " M a y this b e d o n e to any m a n w h o b e t r a y s o u r k i n g . M a y he b e a c c u r s e d a n d outcast!" T h e p o l i c e m e n took the sack and hurled it into the sea. T h e n M a i m o n i d e s w e n t to the king, b o w e d low b e f o r e him, and said, with tears on his c h e e k s : " O u r lord and king, c r o w n of our head, w h a t can

I say and w h a t can I speak about this hypocritical and d e v i o u s m a n , David A b u d a r h a m , w h o p r e t e n d e d to be r i g h t e o u s and innocent but w h o s e inside w a s not like his o u t s i d e . P r a i s e G o d W h o h a s u p r o o t e d him f r o m the world!" " M a y his n a m e and m e m o r y be blotted o u t ! " the king replied. O f c o u r s e , David A b u d a r h a m , w h o w a s h i d d e n in M a i m o n i d e s ' h o u s e , w a s very c a r e f u l not to m a k e a s o u n d , lest s o m e o n e o u t s i d e hear his voice. E v e r y Friday, he w o u l d g o d o w n to the s e a s h o r e — M a i m o n i d e s ' h o u s e w a s on the c o a s t — a n d c a t c h fish. H e w o u l d clean the fish h i m s e l f and p r e p a r e t h e m f o r the S a b b a t h . O n e day, w h e n the king and the lord M o s e s ben M a i m o n w e r e w a l k ing a l o n g the s h o r e , the k i n g ' s ring fell off his l i n g e r into the water. T h e t w o b e g a n to s e a r c h f o r it. but in vain. T h e king said to M a i m o n i d e s : " K n o w that I inherited this ring f r o m m y royal a n c e s t o r s . It h a s a special c h a r m — a s long as it is on the k i n g ' s l i n g e r no e n e m y can d e f e a t the k i n g d o m . But w o e betide m e and m y k i n g d o m if the ring is not on m y finger. All m y m a j e s t y and grandeur, all the p e a c e of the k i n g d o m , d e p e n d on this ring. S o w e m u s t d o e v e r y t h i n g p o s s i b l e to find the ring. B e c a u s e I w a s w a l k i n g with you w h e n I lost it, I give you a m o n t h to find it. If you fail, y o u r e n d will be like that of David A b u d a r h a m . " M a i m o n i d e s w a s d e v a s t a t e d by the k i n g ' s severe d e c r e e , but he acc e p t e d his fate. " Y o u r servant will n e i t h e r s l u m b e r nor sleep. I will hunt f o r the ring day and night, and G o d will help us locate it." At the e n d of the m o n t h , w h e n M a i m o n i d e s had totally d e s p a i r e d of a c c o m p l i s h i n g the cruel task the king had i m p o s e d on him, an e x t r e m e l y large fish c a m e u p in David A b u d a r h a m ' s net. W h e n David o p e n e d the fish to p r e p a r e it f o r the S a b b a t h , there w a s the k i n g ' s ring in its intestines! O v e r j o y e d , D a v i d b e g a n to sing. " D a v i d h a s g o n e m a d ! " t h o u g h t M a i m o n i d e s and his w i f e . M a i m o n i d e s ran to D a v i d ' s hiding place. " W h y are you m a k i n g n o i s e ? " he yelled at him. "Are you c r a z y ? D o you w a n t to get y o u r s e l f and all of us k i l l e d ? " D a v i d pulled out the k i n g ' s ring a n d s h o w e d it to M a i m o n i d e s , w h o alm o s t w e n t m a d with joy. D a v i d told M a i m o n i d e s w h a t had h a p p e n e d to him. "In three d a y s , I have to give the king his lost ring," replied the latter, " a n d I shall d o so. But first I will tell the king that I have h a d a d r e a m : N e x t M o n d a y , at ten o ' c l o c k in the m o r n i n g , the ring will be f o u n d a n d will b e b r o u g h t b a c k f r o m the d e p t h s of the sea. . . . You will bring the ring." W h e n M a i m o n i d e s told the king about his d r e a m , the sultan invited all

his c o u r t i e r s to the s e a s h o r e to w i t n e s s this i n c r e d i b l e m a r v e l . T h u s at n i n e - t h i r t y M o n d a y m o r n i n g , c r o w d s g a t h e r e d on the s h o r e of Istanbul, h e a d e d by the sultan h i m s e l f a n d all his retinue. Precisely at ten o ' c l o c k , they saw a m a n s w i m m i n g in the w a v e s , a p p r o a c h i n g the shore. S u d d e n l y , all realized that it w a s n o n e o t h e r than David A b u d a r h a m . H e s t e p p e d a s h o r e , a p p r o a c h e d the k i n g , p r o s t r a t e d h i m s e l f b e f o r e h i m , a n d said: " O u r lord, light of o u r e y e s , I, y o u r servant, m u s t i n f o r m the c r o w n of o u r h e a d , the k i n g , of e v e r y t h i n g that h a s h a p p e n e d to m e s i n c e they cast m e into the sea. S u d d e n l y , I w a s s u r r o u n d e d by big fish w h o c o n v e y e d m e to their k i n g , the leviathan. T h e w h o l e time, I w a s a m a z e d by e v e r y t h i n g I saw. W h e n I b o w e d low b e f o r e the king, he asked m e : 'Are you the m a n w h o built the f a b u l o u s b a t h h o u s e in Istanbul, on the m o d e l of the b a t h h o u s e that K i n g S o l o m o n built in J e r u s a l e m ? ' " 'Yes,' I r e s p o n d e d reverently. '1, y o u r servant, D a v i d A b u d a r h a m , built it in the n a m e of G o d . ' " T h e king of the fishes replied, ' D e m a n d a n y t h i n g you need, great or small, of m y servants, and they will find it and m a k e it available to y o u , to assist you in y o u r task. H e r e , too, y o u m u s t build s u c h a m a j e s t i c building.' " W i t h i n a very short t i m e w e a c c o m p l i s h e d o u r task, m a y G o d be praised, and the b u i l d i n g w a s c o m p l e t e d and p e r f e c t . T h e n the king of the f i s h e s told m e : '1 a m delighted with y o u r b e a u t i f u l and p e r f e c t w o r k . N o w w e n e e d a p a i n t e r to d e c o r a t e the walls. You k n o w there is n o painter like P e d r o M o k i l o f f , the m i n i s t e r of Sultan A b d u l Aziz. S o g o back to the sultan and ask him to send P e d r o to me.' A s a m a r k of f r i e n d s h i p he sends this gold ring to the sultan." W h e n he c o n c l u d e d , David A b u d a r h a m took out the l e v i a t h a n ' s g i f t — the k i n g ' s m a g i c ring, w h i c h he h a d lost a m o n t h earlier. W h e n Sultan A b d u l A z i z h e a r d D a v i d ' s story and saw the g i f t that the k i n g of the f i s h e s had sent h i m , he t u r n e d to P e d r o M o k i l o f f . " G o in the n a m e of the L o r d ! M a y you have total s u c c e s s u n d e r the sea, j u s t as you h a v e s u c c e e d e d on dry land." T h e n he s u m m o n e d his s o l d i e r s a n d p o l i c e m e n a n d o r d e r e d t h e m to chain the lord P e d r o and hurl h i m into the sea, in s o m e r e m o t e a n d d e e p spot. T h e big f i s h e s w e r e already w a i t i n g f o r the painter, to take him to their king, the l e v i a t h a n . . . .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 4 9 (IFA

3977)

Written down from memory by Daniel Farhi as he heard the story in Istanbul.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background While the present tale has the basic features of an ordinary folktale, in accordance with accepted folktale classification, 2 its narrative builds on distinct features, both literary and historical, that set it apart within its generic category in particular and within Jewish narrative traditions in general.

The Synthesis of Generic Features "Ordinary" folktales lack specification of time, place, and person. 3 But this tale involves historical figures, albeit establishing their narrative relations by ignoring chronology and geography. Maimonides (1135-1204), for example, was a physician in the court of the Egyptian king Saladin (1137-1193) and was appointed as chief court physician there during the time of his successor Al-Afdal Nur ad Din 'Ali (1198-1200). His biography does not suggest that he lived in Turkey at any time. 4 Sultan Abdul Aziz (1830-1876), on the other hand, was a ruler of Turkey, but not until the period that preceded the narrator's birth (1875). During his rule, a major royal construction was undertaken, which transferred the official royal residence to a new palace on the hills above, at Yildiz. 5 The name Abudarham that occurs in the tale is similarly an historical name of a well-known Sephardic family. Its literal meaning in Arabic is "father of coins," that is to say, a rich man. Among its members are community leaders in Spain in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. After the expulsion in 1492 the family scattered to Italy, France, and North Africa. Possibly some of its members reached Turkey. 6 The narrator specified personalities, a feature of historical narratives, but also used recurrent themes of the fantastic from Jewish and non-Jewish traditions; for example, motif B548.2.1 "Fish recovers ring from sea," motif N211.1 "Lost ring found in fish [Polycrates]," and tale type 736A "The Ring of Polycrates." In Jewish tradition, these themes are told about a fictitious figure known as Joseph the Sabbath-Lover. 7 Another theme that resonates in this story is tale type 91 "Monkey [Cat] Who Left His Heart at Home," which was popular in Indian and Jewish medieval fable literature. 8

Jewish Intra-Ethnic Literary History Aarne and Thompson 9 reported tale type 980* "The Painter and the Architect" from only Estonia and India. In the new edition of the tale type index, Uther reports the occurrence of the tale in China, India, Iran, the Kalmyk Republic, Mongolia, Syria, Tanzania, Tibet, Turkey, and Tuva as well. To the best of our

knowledge, the tale is absent from medieval Jewish folk literary sources, and it is not part of the early Maimonides legend cycle. 10 However, by the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the tale was documented in Judeo-Spanish communities and among Jews in the countries of Islam and eastern Europe, likely relying on its oral circulation as a primary source. The texts that were recorded in Israel from oral traditions and that are on deposit in the IFA offer evidence of the tale's continued presence in the oral tradition. A Judeo-Arabic version from Iraq, originally published by Rabbi Shlomo Tweina (1856-1913) in 1890 is available." A comparative analysis of oral tales from Jewish communities under Muslim rule has been conducted. 12 Drawing on eastern European oral tradition, the Hasidic writer Rosenberg 13 included the tale in his anthology. In his version, Rosenberg followed the folktale tradition, and the characters in the story are not identified as historical figures. Among Yiddish speakers, the tale served as a basis for a Purim play in which not Maimonides but Rabbenu Gershom ben Judah Me'or ha-Golah (c. 960-1028) is the hero. 14 In the notes to the text, Schiper 15 proposed that the play was composed in the sixteenth century, transferring the plot from the Rhine Valley (where Rabbenu Gershom lived) to Constantinople.

Similarities to Other IFA Tales Other versions in the IFA are as follows: • • • • • • •

• • •

IFA 70: King Solomon's Throne (Yemen); 16 request = constructing King Solomon's throne; Jewish courtier = Moshe the courtier. IFA 156: The Wise Jew (Turkey); 17 request = constructing a magnificent perfect palace; Jewish courtier = a mason. IFA 207: Maimonides and the King of Egypt (Iraq); 18 request = designing a magnificent palace; Jewish courtier = Maimonides. IFA 3191 : He Who Digs a Pit Will Fall into It (Libya); 19 request = a magnificent summer palace; Jewish courtier = David Attar. IFA 3442: The Goldsmith's Secret (Iran); 20 request = sculpting an image; Jewish courtier = the goldsmith Tabib-Zaddah. IFA 3478: Maimonides Punishes the Wicked Man (Iraq); 21 request = a magnificent palace; Jewish courtier = Maimonides. IFA 3781: The Hands of Gold of Rabbi Gedalyah (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); 2 2 request = constructing a magnificent palace; Jewish courtier = Rabbi Gedalyah. IFA 3886: Jealousy Is Self-Detrimental (Iraq); request = a beach palace; courtier = a mason. IFA 5197: The Builder and the Painter (Morocco); request = building a palace; Jewish courtier = a mason. IFA 5810: The Two Wives of Rabbenu Gershom (Poland); 23 request = constructing King Solomon's throne; Jewish courtier = Rabbenu Gershom ben Judah Me'or ha-Golah (c. 960-1028).

• ‫״‬

• • • •

• • •

IFA 6502: Maimonides and the Bash-Vezier (Tunisia); 24 request = building a palace; Jewish courtier = Maimonides. IFA 6594: The Wise Jewish Minister and the Wicked Badros (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); 25 request = a bath like King Solomon had; Jewish courtier = a physician and wise counselor. IFA 7204: A Jew and a Christian Build a Royal Palace (Libya); request = a magnificent palace; Jewish courtier = Moshe, the mason. IFA 7548: The Ban of Rabbi Gershon (Romania); request = a ship made of gold; Jewish courtier = Rabbenu Gershom ben Judah Me'or ha-Golah. IFA 10077: The Reward for the Fish for Sabbath (Morocco); 26 request = a bath house; Jewish courtier = Moshe, the mason. IFA 1 0 4 1 2 : Send Your Bread Forth upon the Waters ... He Who Digs a Pit Will Fall into It (Yemen); 27 request = building a palace according to the king's original plan; Jewish courtier = a mason. IFA 14062: Two Friends: The Tailor and the Barber (Yemen); request = making new clothes for the king; Jewish courtier = a tailor. IFA 17131 : The House Painter Who Painted the Palace of the King of the Sea (Iraq); request = painting the king's palace; Jewish courtier = a painter. IFA 20718: The Besht's Purim Story (Romania); request = building a magnificent palace; Jewish courtier = a woodcutter.

Folktale Types • • • • • . • . •

465A (Thompson and Roberts) "The Quest for the Unknown, II(a, d). III (d)." 736 "The Ring of Polycrates." 736A "The Ring of Polycrates" (new ed.). 980* "The Painter and the Architect" (new ed.). 980* (El-Shamy) "The Painter and the Architect [The Vile Dyer and the Noble Barber (Abu-Qir and Abu-Sir)|." 980* "The Painter and the Architect." 980* (Jason) "The Painter and the Architect." 980*-*A (IFA) "The Mason and the Painter." 980*-*A(IFA) (Jason) "The Mason and the Painter."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • •

B548.2.1 "Fish recovers ring from sea." D1076 "Magic ring." D1500.1.18 "Magic healing water." D1788 "Magic result from bathing." D1812.3.3 "Future revealed in dream." D2161 "Magic healing power." D2161.4.14 "Magic cure by bathing."

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

H901 "Task imposed on pain of death." H911 "Tasks assigned at suggestion of jealous rivals." H961 "Tasks performed by cleverness." H971.1 "Tasks performed with the help of old woman." H1132.1.1 "Task: recovering lost ring from sea." HI 133.3 "Task: building castle in sea." H1321.2 "Quest for healing water." K500 "Escape from death or danger by deception." K510 "Death order evaded." K515 "Escape by hiding." K526 "Captor's bag filled with animals or objects while captives escape." Κ1600 "Deceiver falls into own trap." K2100 "False accusation." K2101 "Falsely accused minister reinstates himself by his cleverness." K2150 "Innocent made to appear guilty." K2248 "Treacherous minister." N211.1 "Lost ring found in fish (Polycrates)." PI 3.3.2 "Ring can make or unmake a king." Q111 "Riches as reward." Q261 "Treachery punished." Q301 "Jealousy punished." Q302 "Envy punished." Q411 "Death as punishment." Q581 "Villain nemesis." Q1386.2 "Quest for missing ring." W11.5 "Generosity toward enemy." W11.5.7 "Man saved through intercession of enemy." W181 "Jealousy." cf. W181.2 "King kills architect after completion of great building." W195 "Envy." Notes

1. First published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1962, 64-75 no. 10. 2. Aarne and Thompson, The Types of the Folktale. 3. Bascom, "The Forms of Folklore." 4. Heschel, Maimonides. 5. Shaw, History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey, 2:49. 6. See Z. Avni and D. Carpi, "Abudarham," EJ 2 ( 1971 ): 180-181. 7. Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 175-176 no. 91; N. Cohen, "Structural Analysis of a Talmudic Story"; Elstein and Lipsker, "Joseph Who Honors the Sabbath"; and Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 269-270. 8. Bin Gorion, op. cit., 5 - 7 no. 3. 9. Op. cit. 10. Y. Berger "Ha-Rambam be-Aggadat ha-Am" (Maimonides in folk legend).

11. Avishur, In Praise of Maimonides, 98-103, 117-119 no. 21. 12. D. Noy, Ha-Ramban shav mi-mezulot yam (Maimonides returns from the depth of the sea). 13. Tiferet Mahar'el, 8 8 - 9 3 no. 11. For discussions of this version, see Dan, The Hasidic Story, 223-229; and Rosenberg, The Golem of Prague, 49 no. 11, 191-199. 14. Cahan, Jewish Folklore, 246-257 no. 10 (recorded in Kolomiya, Galicia). 15. Schiper, "He'arot zu dipurim-schpiln" (Notes to the Purim plays), 315. 16. Published in D. Noy, Ha-Ramban shav mi-mezulot yam (Maimonides returns from the depth of the sea), 105-108, and Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 219-226 no. 89. 17. Published in D. Noy, Ha-Ramban shav mi-mezulot yam (Maimonides returns from the depth of the sea), 108-110. 18. Published in D. Noy, Ha-Ramban shav mi-mezulot yam (Maimonides returns from the depth of the sea), 103-105; Avishur, op. cit., 2 2 0 - 2 2 9 no. 57: and Shenhar, "HaRambam Shav Mimtzulot ha-Yam" (Maimonides emerges from the depth of the sea). 19. For the title, see Ecclesiastes 10:8 and Psalms 7:16. 20. Published in Baharav, Sixty Folktales, 154-157 no. 34. 21. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 211 no. 111. 22. Published in Ashni, Be-Simta'ot Tzfat (In the alleys of Safed), 97-103. 23. Published in Kagan, A Tale for Each Month 1964,48-54 no. 9. (cf. with tale IFA 70 for a valuable analysis). 24. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 123-125,110. 40. 25. Published in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 211-214 no. 79. 26. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month: 1974-1975, 27-35 no. 3 (analytical note by Bar-Itzhak, 141-143). 27. For the title see, Ecclesiastes 10:8, 11:1.

The Miracle of Tu b'Shevat R E C A L L E D

BY

M O S H E

A T T I A S

U n e e v e n i n g , as w a s his c u s t o m , the k i n g d i s g u i s e d h i m s e l f and took a w a l k t h r o u g h the streets of the t o w n , a c c o m p a n i e d by his vizier. A s they p a s s e d t h r o u g h o n e alley, he o v e r h e a r d c h a n t i n g f r o m i n s i d e o n e of the h o u s e s . G o i n g closer to the building, he d i s c o v e r e d that it w a s the J e w s ' heder* w h e r e the little c h i l d r e n l e a r n e d by recitation, with their t e a c h e r w a t c h i n g over t h e m . T h e k i n g lingered and listened to their c h a n t , first in s o m e f o r e i g n t o n g u e and then translated into the vernacular. O n e verse in particular c a u g h t his ears: " H o w c o u l d one have routed a t h o u s a n d , or t w o put ten t h o u s a n d to flight?"** T h e k i n g w a s a s t o u n d e d by this v e r s e a n d l o n g e d to k n o w w h a t it m e a n t . H e a n d the vizier e n t e r e d the heder, w e n t u p to the teacher, a n d asked him to g o over the last verse again with his pupils. T h e teacher c o m plied with the s t r a n g e r ' s r e q u e s t , b e c a u s e his f a c e a n d d r e s s b e s p o k e his high rank. T h e king d i s c o v e r e d that his ears had h e a r d truly. H e turned to the t e a c h e r a n d a s k e d : " H o w c a n o n e m a n rout a t h o u s a n d ? W h o is the m a n with such s t r e n g t h ? " T h e s t r a n g e r ' s q u e s t i o n c o n f u s e d the teacher. T r y i n g to e v a d e an ans w e r he replied: "Sir, you m u s t ask that q u e s t i o n of the chief rabbi, w h o will be so kind as to a n s w e r y o u . " T h e k i n g left the heder and r e t u r n e d to the p a l a c e . T h e next day, as soon as it w a s light, he o r d e r e d o n e of his m i n i s t e r s to s u m m o n the chief rabbi. T h e chief rabbi h a s t e n e d to the a u d i e n c e . " H o n o r e d rabbi," b e g a n the king. " Y e s t e r d a y e v e n i n g I p a s s e d by y o u r heder. T h e c h i l d r e n w e r e reciting, and I o v e r h e a r d t h e m c h a n t i n g the verse, ' H o w c o u l d o n e have r o u t e d a t h o u s a n d , or t w o put ten t h o u s a n d to f l i g h t ? ' N o w I w a n t to k n o w w h a t this m e a n s . H o w can o n e m a n rout a

*School where children study Torah and Talmud. **Deuteronomy 32:30.

t h o u s a n d ? W h o is the m a n with such s t r e n g t h ? If such a m a n exists, I w a n t to m e e t h i m . " " Y o u r M a j e s t y , " a n s w e r e d the rabbi, " o u r holy Torah is true and everyt h i n g written in it is truth. T h e r e truly are m e n such that o n e can rout a t h o u s a n d a n d t w o put ten t h o u s a n d to flight. T h e y are called the B ' n a i Moshe;* they are all very tall, c o u r a g e o u s , and d a u n t l e s s and live in a distant land." "If y o u r w o r d s are true," said the king, "let o n e of these m e n c o m e to m e . I very m u c h w a n t to see h i m . But if you fail to fulfill m y r e q u e s t , I will have all the J e w s of m y k i n g d o m put to the s w o r d . " T h e rabbi s e e m e d to sink into a t r a n c e f o r a m o m e n t . T h e n he a s k e d the king to set a d e a d l i n e f o r c o m p l y i n g with his c o m m a n d . T h e k i n g a g r e e d : t h i r t y - o n e d a y s . T h e rabbi left the p a l a c e , bitter of soul a n d b r o k e n h e a r t e d . W h e n the n e w s spread in the city, the J e w s w e r e terrified. T h e y d o n n e d sackcloth and put a s h e s on their h e a d s [and] d e c r e e d a fast f o r three d a y s and three nights. T h e y g a t h e r e d in their s y n a g o g u e s and p o u r e d out their s u p p l i c a t i o n s to the A l m i g h t y , b e g g i n g H i m to c o m e to their a s s i s t a n c e and n u l l i f y the evil d e c r e e . A f t e r three d a y s , the J e w s b r o k e their fast. C r i e r s gave notice in all the s y n a g o g u e s , in the n a m e of the chief rabbi, that any man w h o w a s willing to v o l u n t e e r to j o u r n e y on b e h a l f of the c o m m u n i t y to the land of the B ' n a i M o s h e s h o u l d c o m e and i n f o r m h i m . A m o n g the w o r s h i p e r s w a s o n e s c h o l a r w h o w a s t o u c h e d to the q u i c k by the distress of his p e o p l e . H e stood up and said, "I will go." T h e next day, very early in the m o r n i n g , the Jew w e n t to the chief r a b b i ' s h o u s e to ask f o r his b l e s s i n g . T h e rabbi gave him instructions f o r his j o u r n e y to the c o u n t r y of the B ' n a i M o s h e and h a n d e d him a letter f o r their rabbi, in w h i c h he w r o t e a b o u t the evil d e c r e e and asked h i m to send s w i f t relief to his f l o c k in their great distress. T h e n he blessed the J e w and sent him on his way. T h e m a n left the rabbi, placed the letter inside his clothes, took provisions f o r the trip, m o u n t e d his d o n k e y , and set out. Each day he r o d e and r o d e ; at night, he w o u l d c l i m b a tree and sleep in its b r a n c h e s to k e e p out of the reach of wild a n i m a l s . In this f a s h i o n , the J e w traveled f o r m a n y d a y s , until he r e a c h e d a d e n s e forest. In the e v e n i n g , [by] f o l l o w i n g its paths, he r e a c h e d the b a n k of a b r o a d river that cut t h r o u g h the f o r e s t . W o r n out by his j o u r n e y , he ,

Children of Moses.

d i s m o u n t e d f r o m his donkey, tied it to the trunk of a tree, ate his fill, and then c l i m b e d a tree, as he did every night. H e lay d o w n in its b r a n c h e s and fell asleep. T h a t night w a s the fifteenth of Shevat, the new y e a r of the trees, w h e n it is the c u s t o m of the trees to kiss and wish o n e a n o t h e r a g o o d year. T h e tree on w h i c h the Jew w a s s l e e p i n g w e n t to kiss its b r o t h e r s and sisters on the o t h e r side of the river, t a k i n g its s l e e p i n g b u r d e n with it. W h i l e the tree w a s kissing a n o t h e r one, the Jew rolled off o n t o the s e c o n d tree. But he w a s fast a s l e e p and felt n o t h i n g . In the m o r n i n g , the m a n w o k e up, c l i m b e d d o w n f r o m the tree, and l o o k e d f o r his d o n k e y . It w a s g o n e ! H e s e a r c h e d in every d i r e c t i o n . His q u e s t took h i m to a f o u n t a i n , w h e r e t w o tall y o u n g w o m e n w e r e filling their j u g s . A s soon as the w o m e n g l i m p s e d h i m they t u r n e d their h e a d s and stared at h i m w i d e - e y e d . W h e n he c a m e closer, o n e of t h e m stretched out her h a n d and asked: " W h o are y o u ? W h e r e d o you c o m e f r o m ? W h a t are you d o i n g h e r e ? " T h e sight of the y o u n g w o m e n filled the J e w ' s heart with joy, b e c a u s e he r e a l i z e d he h a d r e a c h e d the c o u n t r y of the B ' n a i M o s h e . A n s w e r i n g their q u e s t i o n s , he told t h e m his n a m e and his city and that he h a d b e e n sent with an urgent and i m p o r t a n t m e s s a g e f o r the rabbi of this country. W h e n the y o u n g w o m e n , w h o w e r e the r a b b i ' s d a u g h t e r s , h e a r d this they took the m a n to their f a t h e r and told him a b o u t their e n c o u n t e r . R e c o g n i z i n g that the visitor w a s a scholar, the rabbi greeted him cordially, invited h i m to sit d o w n , a n d asked to hear his story. T h e Jew took out the letter and h a n d e d it to the rabbi. A f t e r the rabbi read it t h r o u g h he told the J e w : " S p e n d the night with us. T o m o r r o w I will sent you b a c k h o m e . O n e of us will g o with you so the k i n g can see h i m . " " H u r r y , quickly, my lord rabbi! O n l y o n e day r e m a i n s until the d e a d line set by the king, and the J e w s are in i m m i n e n t peril." " F e a r n o t ! " r e p l i e d the rabbi. " M y m a n will p r e s e n t h i m s e l f to y o u r king b e f o r e any h a r m can befall the J e w s . " T h e next day, the rabbi sent out a crier: "A great m i s f o r t u n e h a s occurred to the J e w s in a distant city. A n y o n e w h o is willing to speed to their a s s i s t a n c e a n d save t h e m s h o u l d c o m e and i n f o r m the rabbi." O n e of the B ' n a i M o s h e c a m e to the rabbi. He had only o n e a r m and w a s blind in o n e eye. But he said: " S e n d m e ! " T h e rabbi w a s d e l i g h t e d . H e g a v e the m a n instructions, b l e s s e d h i m , and sent h i m on his way. T h e m a n took the Jew u n d e r his arm and said: " C l o s e y o u r e y e s ! " T h e Jew closed his eyes.

"Now open them!" T h e Jew o p e n e d his eyes. "Is this y o u r h o m e t o w n ? " "It is indeed, s i r " replied the Jew. T h e e m i s s a r y f r o m the B ' n a i M o s h e set the J e w on his f e e t . " G o tell the king that I a m here and r e a d y to c o m e to his p a l a c e . " T h e J e w ran to the r a b b i ' s h o u s e , told h i m w h a t had h a p p e n e d , and reported that an e m i s s a r y f r o m the B ' n a i M o s h e had arrived. T h e rabbi sped to the king a n d i n f o r m e d h i m : "A m a n has c o m e f r o m the B ' n a i M o s h e a n d is s t a n d i n g o u t s i d e the city gate, w a i t i n g to enter." T h e king c o m m a n d e d : " L e t him p r e s e n t h i m s e l f b e f o r e m e ! " T h e e m i s s a r y started to e n t e r the city to c o m e b e f o r e the king, as ord e r e d . F i n d i n g the street too n a r r o w f o r him, however, he b e g a n to k n o c k over the b u i l d i n g s that w e r e in his way, to his left a n d right, so as to clear a path f o r h i m s e l f . T h e town w a s a l a r m e d and a great wailing arose t h r o u g h o u t it. T h e citizens r u s h e d to the k i n g ' s p a l a c e . " Y o u r M a j e s t y , " they cried bitterly, " w h a t have you d o n e to us? D o y o u w a n t the entire city to be d e s t r o y e d ? " T h e king, taken a b a c k and f r i g h t e n e d , sent f o r the rabbi: "Tell the m a n to stay w h e r e he is. Let him wait f o r m e there, and I will g o to h i m . " T h e k i n g o r d e r e d his c h a r i o t r e a d i e d a n d c l i m b e d a b o a r d with the rabbi. T h e n they r o d e to w h e r e the e m i s s a r y w a s waiting. W h e n the king saw h i m and w h a t he had d o n e , he w a s filled with a w e a n d a d m i r a t i o n f o r h i m . " G o b a c k to y o u r c o u n t r y in p e a c e , " he told him. " T h e w o r d s of y o u r Torah are true! With m y o w n e y e s I h a v e seen h o w o n e m a n c a n rout a t h o u s a n d , a n d t w o put ten t h o u s a n d to flight." T h u s m a y the A l m i g h t y protect all the c o m m u n i t i e s of Israel!

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 0 (IFA

10103)

Written down from memory in 1943 by Moshe Attias of Jerusalem} Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background In Jewish tradition, the lost tribes of Israel live in a Utopia in which the reality of the Jewish Diaspora has been inverted: Instead of being stateless, dependent, and powerless, the Jews in this land are politically independent and militarily powerful. The present tale initially links life in the the Diaspora with the Utopia through a biblical verse, a quotation of Moses, that evokes the legend of B'nai Moshe (children of Moses): "How could one have routed a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight" (Deuteronomy 32:30).

Historical Antecedents The legend of the B'nai Moshe is associated with the myth of the ten lost tribes. The myth's historical core is the Assyrian exile, about which there are accounts in both the Hebrew Bible and the Assyrian archaeological documents. The exile occurred in two parts. First, "In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglathpileser of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor—Gilead, Galilee, the entire region of Naphtali; and he deported the inhabitants to Assyria" (2 Kings 15:29). These events, which took place in 734/3 B.C.E., are described in greater detail in 1 Chronicles (5:6-26). This account notes that the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh were taken to "Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day" (verse 26). According to Akkadian sources of the time, the Assyrians deported only about three thousand men from the Northern Kingdom, while most of the population remained. The second event took place twelve years later, in 721 B.C.E., when King Shalmaneser V "marched against the whole land; he came to Samaria and besieged it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. He deported the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, at the [River] Habor, at the River Gozan, and in the town of Media" (2 Kings 17:5-6; see also 18:9-12). Assyrian sources suggest that 27,290 people were deported at that time. In keeping with Assyrian policy, the deportees were among the social and military leaders. Although the majority of the people remained on their land, they lost their political identity and power. Those who remained maintained contacts with the Southern Kingdom (2 Chronicles 30:1-31:1; 34:6-7), preserving their tribal local identities, as is evident from scriptural references to the lands of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Zebulun (2 Chronicles 30:10) and "the towns of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, as far as Naphtali" (2 Chronicles 34:6). But with the absence of independent government, they lost their national and tribal identities, furthering the myth that surrounded their fate. 2 Whether historical or mythical, the exile of the ten lost tribes had a decisive

impact on halakhah.3 Initially, the account of this exile became a historical-religious moral parable (2 Kings 17:7-12, 18:11-12), but later it turned into a subject of Utopian prophetic visions and mythical narratives. A succinct evaluation of the historical authenticity, or rather lack thereof, of the exile of ten tribes, later conceived as lost, has been conducted. 4 On the basis of critical reading and interpretation of archaeologically discovered texts, modern scholarship confirms the analysis of Lazar, 5 who, at the beginning of the twentieth century, concluded that not only were the lands of the ten lost tribes and B'nai Moshe Utopian myths but the very idea of a total exile of the Northern Kingdom was more legendary than historical.

The Utopia Myths Early

Sources

Shortly after the fall of the Northern Kingdom, the return of the tribes became a subject of consolation prophecies. Isaiah was active in Jerusalem between 742 and 700 B.C.E. Living at the time of these traumatic events, he regarded the return of the tribes as part of a Utopian vision of the world (Isaiah 11:11-13). Similarly, Jeremiah, a century later (640-587 B.C.E.) in Jerusalem, proclaimed: I will bring them in from the northland. Gather them from the ends of the earth— The blind and the lame among them, Those with child and those in labor— In a vast throng they will return here. They shall come with weeping. And with compassion will I guide them. I will lead them to streams of water, By a level road where they will not stumble, For I am ever a Father to Israel, Ephraim is my first-born (Jeremiah 31:8-9). Ezekiel was a contemporary of Jeremiah. Sometime between 593 and 571 B.C.E. he spoke about the return of the tribes: "I will restore their fortunes—the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters—and your fortunes along theirs" (Ezekiel 16:53). In the allegory of the tree, he prophesied the return of the deportees from both kingdoms and their unification into "a single nation in the land" (37:22). The Second Isaiah, a prophet who was probably also in Babylon in the second half of the sixth century, proclaimed: "I raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel " (Isaiah 49:6). At the time of the Second Temple, the myth of the lost tribes as a Utopian community was consolidated in the literary tradition, and the imagery of a river dividing their territory from the rest of the world became a central theme in nar-

ratives about them. In 4 Ezra (first century c.E.), the interpretation of the vision of the "Man from the Sea" includes the following description: . . . ten tribes which were led away from their own land into captivity in the days of King Hoshea, whom Shalmaneser the king of the Assyrians led captive; he took them across the river, and they were taken into another land. But they formed this plan for themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the nations and go to a more distant region, where mankind had never lived, that there at least, they might keep their statutes which they had not kept in their own land. And they went in by the narrow passages of the Euphrates River. For at that time the Most High performed signs for them, and stopped the channels of the river until they had passed over. Through that region there was a long way to go, a journey of a year and a half; and that country is called Arzareth |an elision of the Hebrew "eretz aheret" "another land"] (13:39-45). The rest of the description alludes to the Exodus and the crossing of the Jordan River (see Exodus 14; Joshua 3:5-17): Then they dwelt there until the last times; and now, when they are about to come again, the Most High will stop the channels of the river again, so that they may be able to pass over. Therefore you saw the multitude gathered together in peace. But those who are left of your people, who are found within my holy border, shall be saved. Therefore when he destroys the multitude of the nations that are gathered together, he will defend the people who remain. And then he will show them very many wonders (4 Ezra 13:40-50). Josephus, 6 mentioned the "ten tribes beyond the Euphrates"; and in the Syrian Apocalypse of Baruch (second century c.E.), Baruch dispatched a letter with an eagle to the nine and a half tribes admonishing them to repair their earlier evil ways (2 Baruch 77-78). James 7 postulated the existence of a Jewish apocalyptic and apocryphal work on the lost tribes, of which only fragments have remained, in the writings of the third-century Christian Latin poet Commodian and in the Ethiopian texts of the legends of the apostles and disciples. These legends probably originated in the second century in a Semitic language; they were translated to Greek and then to Coptic as early as the sixth century. However, the earliest known extant copy dates from the ninth century. 8 Yet, it is quite possible that by the end of the first century c.E. the tribal affiliations of the Jewish population had not been completely effaced, and some maintained their tribal affiliation, even though they were allegedly exiled. 9 Whether drawing on a written text or an oral tradition, the fragments in Commodian present the earliest indication of a Utopian image of the community of the lost tribes; at this stage, their virtues are human and ethical rather than national and military, as in later medieval Jewish sources. Among these tribes:

the son dies not before his father . . . nor do they experience pains or sores growing in their bodies. They die in ripe age, resting in their beds, fulfilling the whole law, and therefore they are kept safe. They are (now) bidden to come over to the Lord from that region, and He dries up the river for them as He did before, when they passed over. Nor less does the Lord Himself come forth with them. He passes to our lands, they come forth with their heavenly King, and on their journey. . . . Mountains sink down before them, and springs break forth. 10 In Commodian's Carmen Apologeticum,

it is said about these tribes:

There is no lying [among them| nor any hatred: therefore no son dies before his parents; nor do they bewail their dead nor mourn for them after our manner, for they look for resurrection to come. They eat no living thing among their food, but only herbs, for these without shedding of blood. Full of righteousness, they live with unblemished bodies. The stars ["genesis"; perhaps "lust" is meant] excite no evil influence on them, no fever kindles them, nor fierce cold, because they purely obey all the law: to this we too should attain if we lived rightly; only death and toil are there, all else is without force." This Utopian image of a righteous community reverses the biblical and, partially, the apocryphal conception of the northern tribes as an evil kingdom that God punished for its idolatry and immorality (2 Kings 18:12; 2 Chronicles 30:8, 34:6-7). The Bible reports that the river beyond which the ten tribes lived was the Habor River in the vicinity of Gozan or the Euphrates; but in the talmudicmidrashic sources, a symbolic river, the Sambatyon, is the dividing line. Firstcentury c.E. writers like Josephus (c. 37-100) and Pliny the Elder (23-79) mention a wondrous river. Josephus 12 described the river "Sabbatikon," which dries during the week and flows on the Sabbath and runs between Arcea, at the northern extremity of the Lebanon range, and Raphanea, in Agrippa's territory. Pliny 13 mentioned a river in Judea that flows on the weekdays and dries up every Sabbath. Neither of them associated the river with the boundary of the ten lost tribes' territory. The connection between Sambatyon and the ten lost tribes emerged in Jewish sources only in the fourth century. In two separate statements, attributed to rabbis of the second century, the entities were mentioned without any relationship to each other. Rabbi Akiva, in a theological discussion about the sanctity of the Sabbath with Tinneus Rufus, a Roman governor of Judea, argued that holiness of the Sabbath is validated by the conduct of the river Sambatyon: "Let the river Sambatyon prove it, which carries stones the whole week but allows them to rest on the Sabbath" (MR Genesis 11:5; Pesikta Rabbati 23, 119b-120a; Tanhuma "Ki Tissa") 33; see also BT Sanhédrin 65b). On another occasion, in a course of

a debate with Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva argued that "the ten tribes shall not return again" (Mishnah Sanhédrin 10:3). In the fourth century, a statement attributed to the Palestinian amora Rabbi Judah ben Rabbi Simon provides evidence of a tradition that connects the legendary river and the ten tribes, which, by that time had obtained a mythic aura. He said: "The tribes of Judah and Benjamin were not exiled to the same place as were the ten tribes. The ten tribes were exiled beyond the River Sambatyon, whereas the tribes of Judah and Benjamin are dispersed in all countries" (MR Genesis 73:6). By the third and fourth centuries, the exile and disappearance of the ten tribes was a subject of myth and legend. Rabbi Berekiah, a fourth-century Palestinian amora, reported in the name of rabbis from the third century a belief that is repeated several times in the talmudic-midrashic literature: "Three exiles were experienced by Israel: one to this side of the River Sambatyon, one to Daphne of Antioch, and one when a cloud descended upon them and covered them. When they return, they will return from the three captivities" (MR Lamentations 2:9; MR Numbers 26:25; see also JT Sanhédrin 10:6). 14 Discussions about the Sambatyon River as the border of the territories of the ten lost tribes B'nai Moshe have been published. 15 The Utopian vision to which Commodian alludes does not appear in the talmudic-midrashic sources. Rather these works mention the ten tribes primarily in reference to their sins, for which they were severely punished. These sins were wine drinking (MR Genesis 36:4; MR Leviticus 5:3; MR Esther 5:1 ), disobeying God (MR Exodus 30:5), and adultery and prostitution (MR Numbers 9:7). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, the Palestinian amora of the third to fourth centuries, considered that "the ten tribes did what was not done even by the generation of the Flood" (MR Genesis 28:5). In their comments, the Rabbis resonated the biblical conception of the Northern Kingdom. It is quite possible that by that time there were already two concurrent traditions concerning the ten tribes, which are evident in sources from different circles. Eldad

ha-Dani

The ideal Utopian image, however, emerged in full force in Jewish tradition only at the end of the ninth century, when a mysterious traveler and raconteur with an alliterative name, Eldad ha-Dani (the Danite) (cf. Numbers 11:26-27) visited the Jewish community of Kairouan in 880, claiming to be a member of the tribe of Dan. His people, he said, lived in the land of Havila, "where the gold is" (Genesis 2:11), together with the tribes of Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 16 Eldad ha-Dani's story about the independent, military, fearsome, God-fearing, Hebrew-speaking Jews had all the qualities of a Utopian mythic narrative.' 7 However, in addition to the stories about his own people that later fired the imagination of world Jewry from the Middle Ages and onward, Eldad ha-Dani

told about a mythic narrative of his own tradition—namely the story of B'nai Moshe. They were not the ten lost tribes but the exiled Israelites whom the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar deported to Babylon after he had destroyed the Temple (2 Kings 25). In his narrative, Eldad ha-Dani combined the biblical tradition of the exiled people singing on the banks of the rivers of Babylon (Psalms 137) with the postbiblical traditions about a cloud that carried the ten tribes (MR Lamentations 2:9; MR Numbers 26:25; JT Sanhédrin 10:6), and the river that separated them from the rest of world. In his story, the river was not of water but of stones and sand that rolled during the weekdays and rested on the Sabbath, and hence he called it the "Sabbatyon." The story of B'nai Moshe may provide a clue to the provenance of Eldad haDani. It does not occur in Jewish sources, but only in Islamic sources; thus he had to come from a Jewish community in an Islamic country. The Koran mentions: "Of the people of Moses there is a nation who guide by truth, and by it act with justice" (Sura 7:159). Ibn Abbas (d. 688), Muhammad's cousin, elaborated on this verse, describing a Utopian community of justice, human equality, brotherhood, and religious faith, echoing both Commodian's earlier and Eldad ha-Dani's later accounts. Ibn Abbas learned the tales from his teacher, Kab al Ahbar, a Yemenite Jew who converted to Islam and who was familiar with Jewish tradition. Therefore, we can conclude that Eldad ha-Dani learned the narrative of B'nai Moshe either directly from Jewish oral sources in his own society or indirectly from Islamic sources. The stories about the lost tribes in Islamic tradition have been studied. 18 Eldad ha-Dani himself played a pivotal role in the dissemination of the stories about B'nai Moshe and the ten lost tribes in Jewish societies. At least fiftythree versions of his story appeared in print from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries. 19 The medieval community of Kairouan first spread his account in the form of an epistolary narrative (c. 889-c. 895) addressed to the ga'on of Sura, Zemah ben Hayyim, if he is identified correctly. 20 The community leaders asked the ga'on about the validity of Eldad ha-Dani's religious laws and Hebrew vocabulary. 21 The text originally appeared in print in a now lost edition of Mantua in 1480. By the time of the Kairouan epistle, the tradition of the river Sambatyon and the B'nai Moshe who lived beyond it was well known, as is evident from the translation of Exodus 34:10 in the Pentateuch by Pseudo-Jonathan (probably from the eastern Mediterranean), which is dated, at the earliest, to the seventh or eighth centuries. 22 The text does not explicitly mention the B'nai Moshe but alludes to their traditionally perceived nature. The translation augments the verse "I hearby make a covenant. . . . I will work such wonders" (Exodus 34:10) with the following interpretive, nonbiblical, comments: "I hearby make a covenant that I would not replace this nation with another, that from thee host of righteous will proceed. Before all your people I will work such wonders, when they go in

captivity on the rivers of Babylon, and I shall remove them from there and settle them beyond the Sambatyon river." If we accept that this translation is dated to a time before the appearance of Eldad ha-Dani, then he did not create the myth but instead used a known medieval Jewish narrative to confirm the general belief in a Utopia. Allusions to these traditional themes also occur in Midrash Eser Galuyyot, which was composed in the ninth century but likely drew from earlier sources. 23 The second version of Midrash Eser Galuyyot includes a quotation from BT Berakhot 7a, which refers to sixty thousand descendants of Moses. Even after the appearance of Eldad ha-Dani in Kairouan, some of the references to the B'nai Moshe in medieval writings do not refer to his reports but to traditional Jewish sources. For example, see the work of Abraham bar Hiyya Savasorda (c. 1065-c. 1136). 24 To confirm the stories and the religious laws that Eldad ha-Dani reported, the ga'on Zemah ben Hayyim had to rely on written and oral traditions that were current in Iraq and the eastern Mediterranean but that were unknown to the community of Kairouan. The novelties of Eldad ha-Dani's narrative were his claims of being a member of the tribe of Dan, one of the four independent tribes, and of having firsthand knowledge of the B'nai Moshe. The provenance and identity of Eldad ha-Dani has remained a mystery. He has been the subject of continuous research and speculation, often based on his own stories, which researchers themselves deem fictional rather than historical. Early historians, such as Graetz, 25 considered him to be a Karaite. Modern historians take a more balanced view. Baron 26 considered him "a very gifted narrator." Ashtor 27 regarded him as a learned Jewish merchant from Iraq who moved to the Arabian Peninsula, where he heard about independent Jews living in Ethiopia. He wanted, according to Ashtor's reconstruction, to carry the news to his own community in Iraq, but when he arrived there he did so only with hesitation, expecting disbelief. Nevertheless, wishing to spread the news, Eldad ha-Dani moved to Egypt and then to Kairouan, where he told his story in public; he later traveled to Spain, bringing with him the message of an independent Jewish kingdom. This is an elaboration and an expansion of Eldad the haDani's itinerary as A. Epstein 28 sketched it, and it was presented skeptically by Wasserstein. 29 On the basis of philological analysis of Eldad ha-Dani's Hebrew, Morag 30 proposed that he was from the city of Najran in northern Yemen, on the Arabian Peninsula. The reliability of the historical and biographical information in Eldad the haDani's stories notwithstanding, he served as a broker between eastern and westem Mediterranean Jewish traditions. As it later became apparent, there were, and still are, communities in East and Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and possibly East Africa, that claim descent from the ten, or nine and a half, tribes that lost their sovereignty in the eighth century B.C.E. Eldad ha-Dani's appearances, speeches, and letters revived the traditions about the ten lost tribes and the B'nai Moshe and influenced Jews and non-Jews alike.

Later Sources During the tenth century, the Jewish physician and diplomat in the court of Abd al-Rahman, Hisdai ibn Shaprut (c. 915-c. 970), sent a letter to Joseph the king of the Khazars, in which he relied on the epistle that Eldad ha-Dani had sent to the Jewish community in Spain almost a century earlier. 31 The letter is extant in manuscript and in print in copies from the sixteenth century; it was first published in Isaac Akrish's Kol Mevaser (Herald) (Constantinopole, c. 1577). Discussions of ibn Shaprut's letter are available. 32 Because there is no earlier documented evidence of this letter, some scholars suspect it to be a late-fifteenth-century forgery, but others have argued for its authenticity. 33 "The land of the Khazars" is mentioned in Hisdai ibn Shaprut's letter to Empress Helena and her royal husband, Constantine Porphyrogennetos (912-959). 3 4 General studies about the Khazars have been published. 35 Moses ha-Darshan 3 6 (eleventh century) included in his Midrash Bereshit Rabbati (Genesis Rabbati) an extensive description of the B'nai Moshe and other tribes. The Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tudela (late twelfth century) described the Jews of Teima, whom he had only heard about, in terms of Eldad ha-Dani's tales: Here dwell the Jews called Kheibar, the Jews of Teima. And Teima is their seat of government where R. Hanan the Nasi rules over them. It is a great city, and the extent of their land is sixteen days'journey. It is surrounded by mountains—the mountains of the north. The Jews own many large fortified cities. The yoke of the Gentiles is not upon them. They go forth to pillage and to capture booty from distant lands in conjunction with the Arabs, their neighbours and their allies. . . . People say that the men of Kheibar belong to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh, whom Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, led hither into captivity. They have built strongly fortified cities, and make war upon all other kingdoms. No man can readily reach their territory, because it is a march of eighteen days' journey through the desert, which is altogether uninhabited, so that no one can enter the land. 37 Some people set off in search of the river Sambatyon; for example, the mystic Abraham Abulafia ( 1240-c. 1291 ) did so in his youth. 38 The ten lost tribes and the B'nai Moshe became the subject not only of traveler reports but also of fictional tales. Narratives about the eleventh-century poet and cantor Meir ben Isaac Sheliah Zibbur (Nehorai) began to appear in manuscript and print in Yiddish and Hebrew during the sixteenth century. Those stories related events that were analogous to those in the present tale. In them. Rabbi Meir secured the help of the ten lost tribes to save his community from destruction (see tale IFA 863 [vol. 11). Dan 39 argued that the pattern of this story is seen in Jewish traditions at the end of the twelfth century and the beginning of the thir-

teenth. However, at that time the miraculous helper was a Ba'al Shem—not a person from the ten tribes or the B'nai Moshe. The written documentation of the tale of Rabbi Meir's journey to the land of the ten lost tribes is available only from the seventeenth century, though it was likely in oral circulation earlier. The story of the river Sambatyon and the B'nai Moshe who live beyond it continued to circulate in Jewish narratives. In Jerusalem, Rabbi Obadiah ben Abraham Yare of Bertinoro reported, in a 1489 letter to his brother, learning about the story from "reliable Arab merchants." 40 Literary

Antecedents

The story of the ten lost tribes was inserted into existing romances and fictional tales, the most famous of which was The Alexander Romance, known as the Pseudo-Callisthenes, written by an anonymous author any time from 200 B.C.E. to 300 c . E . 4 1 The episode of the visit of Alexander to the land of the ten lost tribes occurs in those texts that are deemed more fantastical than historical, notwithstanding their chronology. Thus it does not occur in early Hebrew versions of The Alexander Romance, such as the Josippon, which is a translation of a tenth-century Latin version of the romance. 42 Nor does it appear in the late renditions. See, for example, the fourteenth-century version written by Immanuel ben Jacob Bonfils. 43 On the other hand, the narratives about the ten lost tribes do appear, in different renditions, in a group of three texts that are characterized by their fantastic element; those are further removed from the traditions of the Greek PseudoCallisthenes and the Latin Historia de Preliis Alexander Magni. Representing prevailing opinions, Bekkum 4 4 placed these texts—the Oxford Manuscript, the Modena Manuscript, and the Damascus Manuscript—into a distinct group related to the Pseudo-Callisthenes, rather than to any of the Jewish sources. Note that his classification of fantastical and historical versions is not based on the legend of ten lost tribes that occurs in the texts. 45 These texts, written in Hebrew and believed to be dated from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries, have been published. 46 The Oxford Bodleian 2797 library manuscript was published by Gaster and Reich. 47 However, the sections describing Alexander's visit to the land of the ten tribes are not included in Gaster's translation of this manuscript, which is part of a larger collection, Sefer ha-Zikhronot (1325), which Gaster published as The Chronicles of Jerahmeel, or The Hebrew Bible Historiale; rather this book ineludes other versions of Eldad ha-Dani's narratives. 48 Because the dating of the three texts ranges over a period of at least five hundred years, it would be only speculative to suggest that the interpolations into the Hebrew recensions of the medieval Alexander Romance antedates or follows the insertion of the tales about the ten lost tribes into the Latin versions of the romance, which are based on the twelfth-century Historia Scholastica by Peter Comestor. 49

The Prester John

Letter

50

A. Anderson speculated that the "legend of Alexander's réclusion of the Ten Tribes of Israel may be traced in some features of its development in the Latin letter of Prester John and its German adaptations." Neubauer 51 pointed out certain similarities between Eldad ha-Dani and the letter of Prester John and published their Hebrew renditions. 52 A. Epstein, 53 however, went even further and suggested that Eldad ha-Dani's narrative about the ten lost tribes triggered the writing of the Prester John letter. He argued that the anonymous writer of this letter wanted to present the ten lost tribes as being under the control of Prester John and drew on the Utopian features that appear in the story of the B'nai Moshe. In contrast, Wasserstein 54 cast doubt about the dating of Eldad ha-Dani's text and suggested that its chronological priority over the Prester John letter is uncertain, dismissing as inconclusive the discovery and dating of a hitherto unknown parchment reported by Kupfer and Strelcyn. 55 Therefore, Wasserstein proposed that both letters either have an earlier source or draw on shared motifs in world folklore. Prester John's story appears to have had a similar function as the present tale does—that is, creating a Utopian social and religious myth that contrasts with known reality. His existence was first reported in the chronicle of Otto Bishop of Freising (1111-1138), in which he reported his 1145 meeting with Hugh, bishop of Jabala, the ancient Byblos in Lebanon. The bishop told him about a certain Christian king and priest living in the Far East who tried to come to the help of a church of Jerusalem; they could not get their troops across the Tigris and were forced to retreat. Sometime between 1 143 and 1180, an anonymous writer composed a fictional letter, allegedly written by Prester John and addressed to the Byzantine emperor Manuel Comnenus (1 143-1180), describing, among other things, his kingdom. The author's description was similar to that of the Utopian society of the B'nai Moshe. 5 6 This letter spun a vast literature and was copied and later printed many times. 57 A critical edition of three Hebrew letters of Prester John and a fragment of a fourth has been published. 58 The first letter is Prester John to "the Pope at Rome," likely Pope Alexander 111(1159-1181 ). It was printed in Constantinople in 1519, and six versions are known. The second is a letter addressed to Frederick, emperor of Rome, referring either to Frederick Barbarossa (1155-1190) or Frederick II (1211-1250). This letter is known only in one manuscript written in 1271. The third letter is addressed Pope Eugenius (IV), also known only in one version, written in 1442. A discussion of the relationship between the ten lost tribes tradition and Eldad ha-Dani's narrative to these letters is available. 59 The first Prester John letter contains an introduction that was copied from the first modern Hebrew geographic book, Iggeret Orhot Olam (1525; published 1587) written by Abraham ben Mordecai Farissol ( 1451-c. 1528). 60 A testimony for the popularity of the Prester John story among Jews up to the end of the fifteenth century appears in a letter Obadiah ben Abraham Yare of Bertinoro (c.

1450-before 1516) sent to his father in 1488. 61 He emphasized that he was reporting an unreliable hearsay testimony but noted that he saw two Jews from the tribe of Dan, who were black skinned but did not have what he called "Negroid features." Further studies of Prester John have been conducted. 62 More Modern

Sources

During the sixteenth century, the rise in messianic expectations following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, the availability of print, or perhaps both contributed to a wider spread of the myth of the ten lost tribes. Not all of these types of tales were based on sources related to Edlad ha-Dani. For example, Don Isaac ben Judah Abravanel 63 (1437-1508) wrote about the ten lost tribes and their return to Zion, but his discussion revolved around the talmudic tradition. Yet, in other cases, in personal correspondence, manuscripts, and books, the influence of the Eldad ha-Dani and Prester John traditions are clearly apparent. Gedaliah ben Joseph ibn Yahya (1515-1578) included fragments of the narrative of Eldad ha-Dani in his Shalshelet ha-Kabbalah (Venice, 1587). Schioessinger 64 considered these Eldad ha-Dani stories to be early, despite their publication in a relatively late book. A. David 65 concurred with this conclusion. A sample of letters written in 1523 and 1524 and sent from Jerusalem 6 6 and another letter sent from Jewish communities in the east to Jerusalem 67 refer to the successful war of the Jewish king against Prester John. Aescoly 68 pointed out that some emissaries from Jerusalem who went abroad to collect donations for their communities used to take along such letters. Neubauer 6 9 published a fragment of such a letter by Abraham ben Eliezer Ha-Levi (Ha-Zaken) (c. 1460-after 1528), although the complete text has been published elsewhere. 7 0 A Yiddish letter from Safed reported about Prester John's persecution against the Jews in his own country and their salvation by two children who came from across the river Sambatyon to save them. 71 Other letters from the same period are available. 72 But the most dramatic and influential related event during the sixteenth century was the appearance of a mysterious Jew who called himself David HaReuveni and who claimed to be the son of a King Solomon and the brother of a King Joseph, who ruled over the lost tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. In his narratives and actions, he imitated the ninth-century Eldad haDani and the hero of a tale similar to IFA 863 (vol. 1 ), The Ba 'al Shem Τον and the Sorcerer. He appeared first in Venice in 1523; he requested and received an audience with Pope Clement VII; and in 1525-1527, he was in Portugal where King John III received him officially as an ambassador. After traveling among the Spanish-Jewish communities in Italy, he stirred up both messianic expectations and descent; he was eventually imprisoned in Spain, where he died in 1538. 73 Like the appearance of Eldad ha-Dani more than six hundred years earlier, the appearance of David Ha-Reuveni stirred up Jewish imagination and intensified the belief in the political independence of the ten lost tribes. In his geographic book Igeret Orhot Olam (Venice, 1587), Abraham ben Mordecai Farissol (c.

1451-c. 1528) not only included a chapter on the land of the ten lost tribes but, as Ruderman 7 4 stated, "the existence of the Ten Tribes colored the entire composition." Farissol ignored Jewish sources related to the tradition of the ten lost tribes, except for a reference to a few letters describing David Ha-Reuveni. 7 5 Isaac ben Abraham Arkish (b. 1530) included a description of the country of the tribes in his Kol Mevaser (Constantinople, 1575-1578), and Abraham ben Hananiah dei Galicchi Jagel | Yagelj (1553-c. 1623) also described the land of the lost

tribes in his Beit Ya'ar Levanon.76 During the seventeenth century, the myth of the ten lost tribes received two boosts: one from an unexpected source and the other from an unexpected region. Gershon ben Eliezer 77 of Prague (Segal) published (in Yiddish) his first-person narrative of his fantastic visit to the Sambatyon River and the land of the ten lost tribes. He claimed to have visited all the Jewish kingdoms about which previous travelers and emissaries told, as well as the kingdom of Prester John. The book, which became very popular and was reprinted in many editions, was translated into Hebrew as Iggeret hci-Kodesh (A holy epistle) (Amsterdam, 1749). A critical edition of both the Yiddish and the Hebrew has been issued. 78 The Samaritans themselves, who according to biblical account (2 Kings 17:25) were brought by the Assyrians into the Land of Israel to replace the exiled tribes, developed a tradition of their own about their own people living in a faraway land. The letter that documents such a belief, genuine or fake, dates back to the seventeenth century. 79 The second boost came from the new Christian Antonio de Montezinos, known after his return to Judaism as Aaron Levi (1604-1647/8), when he returned to Europe from Brazil, telling about his encounter with one of the ten lost tribes—Reuben—in a remote region, beyond the river "New Granda" in America. 80 The story stimulated inquiries and stirred up the imagination of Jews and non-Jews alike. Menasseh Ben Israel 81 (1604-1657) published Esperança de Israel ( 1650) to refute the identification of the inhabitants of the New World with the ten lost tribes of Israel; but due to a translation error, its Latin version actually confirms such a belief. Menasseh Ben Israel retold the story o f t e n lost tribes and pointed out that they lived in Ethiopia, Abyssinia, the western Indies, China, and Tartary (or Tatary). Regardless, Antonio de Montezinos's story initiated waves of speculations that lasted until the nineteenth century. 82 Shortly after the publication of Menasseh Ben Israel's Esperança de Israel, and not totally unrelated to it, rumors about the military successes of the ten lost tribes reached Europe. The political, demographic, and economic repercussions of the Chamielnicki massacres in 1648 among Polish Jewry and the effect of the Russian-Swedish war in 1655 made the Jewish population ripe for messianic expectation and eschatological visions. These were fueled also by the mystical teachings that emanated from sixteenth-century Safed and spread throughout the Jewish communities in Europe and around the Mediterranean, bringing the message of the immanence of redemption. Then, on May 31, 1665, Shabbetai Zevi

(1626-1676) proclaimed himself the Messiah in Gaza, after Nathan, a young mystic, persuaded him to do so, since he had visions confirming this fact. The news sent shockwaves throughout world Jewry. Among the rumors that preceded and followed this proclamation and that were spread among Jews and Christians were the stories that the ten lost tribes were coming from their desert lands to help their Jewish brethren. Among those who spread the report of the Messiah was Peter Serrarius (1580-1669), a Dutch scholar and friend of Menasseh Ben Israel. 83 Christians associated these rumors with millenary expectations related to the year 1666, which resonated with apocalyptic visions in Revelation 13:18. Early in 1666, several pamphlets appeared in Germany that combined the story of Shabbatai Zevi, in a garbled fashion, with the news of the coming of the ten lost tribes. 84 It is quite likely that such pamphlets drew on the sixteenth-century tradition of similar publications that told about the menace of the "Red Jews," who were going to attack Christian Europe. This tradition, the roots of which go back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, conflates the legends about the Red Jews, the ten lost tribes, Gog and Magog, and the "unclean nations" enclosed by Alexander the Great to protect European civilization. An exposition and analysis of these legendary traditions has been published. 85

Geographical Location Within Jewish societies, the myth of the ten lost tribes took firm roots and was treated as a geographical fact. The first geography book in Yiddish by Moshe ben Abraham Hagger, Tla 'ot Moshe (1711), relied in part on Abraham ben Mordecai Farissol's Iggeret Orhot Olam. Moshe ben Abraham listed the Sambatyon and the land of the ten lost tribes on the title page. During the nineteenth century, the legend about the ten tribes became a common theme in Jewish society in western and eastern Europe. The Moroccan scholar Moses ben Isaac Edrehi (c. 1774-c. 1842), who lived in England from 1791 until he left for the Land of Israel around 1840, published Ma 'aseh Nissim (1818), which was about the ten lost tribes. The book appeared in English in 1834 and was later expanded under the title An

Historical Account of the Ten Tribes, Settled beyond the River Sambatyon in the East (1836). In eastern Europe, the notion of the ten lost tribes became a literary motif that writers and poets in Yiddish and Hebrew employed as an element of national spirit and in satire. 86 In the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries, the search for the ten lost tribes intensified. Several community and self-designated emissaries took it upon themselves to establish contact with isolated Jewish communities, which European and Mediterranean Jews perceived as belonging to the lost tribes of Israel. On several occasions, the traditions of some of these Jewish and non-Jewish groups validated their identification as descendants of one tribe or another. David d'Beth Hillel (d. 1846), a Lithuanian, emigrated to the Land of Israel with the pupils of the Gaon ofVilna and settled in Safed in 1815. Between 1824 and 1832, he traveled throughout Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan, the Persian Gulf, and western India in

search of the ten lost tribes. In his book, The Travels of Rabbi David

D'Beth

H il lei from Jerusalem, through Arabia, Koordistan, part of Persia, and India to Madras (1832), he told about encounters with, and learning through hearsay about, Jews who identified themselves as Danites. He considered the Jews of Kurdistan and Bukhara to be descendants of the ten lost tribes and the Jews of China, about whom he had heard, as the B'nai Moshe. 87 After the successful journeys of David d'Beth Hillel, the Ashkenazic community of Safed decided to send an emissary to the ten lost tribes and B'nai Moshe, seeking their help. In a case in which life imitates myth, the community leaders equipped the emissary, Baruch ben Samuel (d. 1834)—who emigrated to Israel from Pinsk, Belaruse in 1819—with a letter to the "B'nai Moshe who reside beyond the Sambatyon and to the ten tribes." Baruch ben Samuel traveled through Damascus to Iraq, Kurdistan, and then to Yemen. There he gave his letter to a shepherd who promised to deliver it to his tribe, but no response arrived. Baruch returned to San'a, where he cured the king and thus was appointed court physician. But then he fell victim to palace intrigues and conspiracies, and the king himself killed him while they were walking together. 88 Other emissaries followed similar routes, searching for the ten lost tribes in Ethiopia, Yemen, India, and Central Asia. 89 Twentieth-century searches have followed similar routes, taking clues from the letter of Eldad ha-Dani and subsequent responsa and correspondence for identifying the locations of the lost tribes and the B'nai Moshe. Yet, at the same time, modern researchers have maintained a central European and a Mediterranean geocentric and ethnic view. The ten lost tribes were those communities that resided beyond the familiar world of Ashkenazic, Sephardic, and Mediterranean Islamic countries. In some cases, this view of the lost tribes as being exotic, or "the other," corresponds to local traditions, which claim Jewish descent from one or several of the ten lost tribes or other tribes of Israel. These traditions have, in some cases, a confirmed connection to Jewish populations, but others seem to be origin myths that have developed under certain historical circumstances to serve the social, political, or cultural needs of a community. Each of these cases requires further research. Modern genetic studies have been able to validate some connections between ancient Jewish populations and communities in Africa and Asia. However, these findings do not necessarily relate these communities to the ten lost tribes. 90 Still, in other cases, the idea of the ten lost tribes has become a general metaphor for Jewish communities found in places that are considered exotic from a European and or a Mediterranean-Islamic perspective. 91 Eldad ha-Dani told his story using biblical geographical terms and names; and except for Persia and Media, none of the locations in his stories is identifiable as either a medieval or modern location. 92 The first to identify, based on hearsay, the Ethiopian Jews, Beta Israel, with the tribe of Dan was Rabbi Obadiah of Bartinoro, which he did in a letter written from Jerusalem on August 15,

1488. 93 This identification received further confirmation in responsa and additional letters. In modern times, this correspondence has become the basis for a religious ruling on the national identity of the Ethiopian Jews. 94 The letters of Prester John pointed to Africa and India, two merged locations in medieval geographical thinking, as the locations of the ten lost tribes. In addition to Beta Israel, there are some other African groups that claim Jewish connections, such as the Lemba of Zimbabwe. Genetic research has confirmed their strong ties to a Jewish population, which was established, most likely, through a migration of Yemenite Jewish communities to the East African coast. 95 In an autobiographical narrative, a West African man told of a Jewish community in Mali that he believed was settled by Jews who migrated from northern Africa. 9 6 The identification of China as a location of the ten lost tribes derives from an erroneous interpretation of Isaiah 49:12: Look! These are coming from afar, These from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim. The identification of this verse with China is based on a homophone of the Hebrew word for "Chinese people" (sinim) and a likely location in Egypt. 97 Yet the knowledge about the Jewish community in Kaifeng contributed to the idea that some of the ten lost tribes reside in China. Manasseh Ben Israel 98 learned about this Jewish community from missionary reports and considered them part of the ten lost tribes. Subsequently, there has been a considerable amount of speculation entertaining this idea, which historians and students of Chinese Jewry do not support. 99 Leslie 100 dismissed the idea that the Chinese Jews are of the lost tribes of Israel and the identification of the word "Sinim" in Isaiah 49:12 as a reference to China. Shapiro 101 discussed the work of the Chinese scholar Pan Guandan (1899-1967), who rejected the idea that Chinese Jews are remnants of the ten lost tribes and that they came to China during the corresponding historical period, the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1100-221 B.C.E.). The Jewish community in Japan was also critically examined in terms of its possible association with the lost tribes. 102 In Japan, perhaps more than in any other Asian country, there are philo-Semitic groups that adopt Jewish religious customs and conduct. 103 Also in South Asia there are groups of Jews and alleged Jews who claim descent from at least one of the ten lost tribes. The Shinlung people, who live on the border of India and Myanmar, have a tradition of descent from the tribe of Manasseh. And in spite of different religious influences over the years, some Shinlung have immigrated to Israel, reclaiming their Judaism. 1 0 4 Another such group consists of many people who believe they are descendants of the tribe of Manasseh; they are "a heavily Christianized people of approximately two million

living along the Indian Burmese border and most commonly known as the Mizo." 105 Earlier Lazar 106 critically examined scantier information about the Jews in India and their relation to the ten lost tribes. Other studies have been published as well. 107 Prominent among non-Jews who claim to be descendants of the exiled Israelites are the Pathan people of Afghanistan. 1 0 8 In the nineteenth century, Henry Walter Bellew 109 (1834-1892), a British military physician, reported their belief of an Israelite genealogy. Such traditions were noted earlier by "Sir William Jones, pioneer of oriental studies in Warren Hastings's time, [who reported] that the Afghans are the lost ten tribes of Israel mentioned by the prophet Esdras as having escaped from captivity and taken refuge in the country of Arsarath, supposed by that elegant scholar as identical with the modern Hazarajat.'" 1 0 The country name is a misidentification; nevertheless, the account of the Pathans' tradition has been confirmed several times. Caroe pointed 111 out that the Pathans themselves draw their genealogy from King Saul rather than from the ten lost tribes, though some confuse the two lines of descent. Jews of Afghanistan report and often accept this Pathan belief." 2 Jewish writers often tend to adopt these conventions, even when they attempt to be critical." 3 Both groups of writers include oral testimonies to confirm these ideas. However, these traditions are part of the long-standing memory of the Pathans of Afghanistan, but "there is no convincing evidence sustaining the theory of [their] Jewish origin."" 4 The perception of Jewish communities that are still in the periphery of the Jewish population centers, yet closer to them, becomes more blurry and speculative as far as their relationship to the ten lost tribes. For example, Sonnschein 115 placed the Jews of Kurdistan among the lost tribes; but the traditions of these same populations actually trace their origin to the tribe of Benjamin. Ben-Zevi" 6 (1884-1963) the second president of Israel, considered the Jews of the Republic of Georgia and Bukhara as belonging to the ten lost tribes, along with Jews in Afghanistan and Persia. Earlier, Kasdoi, 117 in an idiosyncratic analysis, considered the Armenians to be among the remnants of the ten lost tribes. He suggested that eastern European Jewish populations were founded when some of these tribes migrated from the east toward the west and the north. A. Shahan traces the ten lost tribes in their wandering from Palestine to the far East and specifically to J a p a n . " 8 A general sociological discussion of some of these theories is available. 119 Godbey 120 believed that the widespread tradition among Jews, semi-Jews, and non-Jews about their connection to the ten lost tribes is not the result of Jewish migration but of proselytizing. Regardless of the validity of his thesis, his book is rich in bibliographical information about Jewish communities and the ten lost tribe traditions.

Similarities to Other IFA Tales Narrators from the Arabic, Ashkenazic, and Sephardic communities in the Land of Israel, Morocco, Poland, Tunisia, and Yemen tell stories about the ten lost

tribes or B'nai Moshe or both. Some of these tales and other tales in Jewish oral traditions have been analyzed. 121 There are sixteen versions on deposit in the IFA: ‫״‬ • • • • • • • •

IFA 286: The Song ofAkdamut [Aqdamot] (Poland). 122 IFA 302: Zaddok Visits the Ten Tribes (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic). 123 IFA 310: How the Goat Led the Way to the Ten Tribes (Poland). 124 IFA 462: The Jerusalemite Sorcerer (Poland). IFA 483: The Portuguese Traveler Who Visited the Tribes of Simeon and Issachar (Tunisia). 125 IFA 497: The Hero from the Tribe of Naftali (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). 126 IFA 943: How Could One Have Routed a Thousand, or Two Put Ten Thousand to Flight? (Yemen). 127 IFA 2208: Akdamut [Aqdamot] (Poland). 128 IFA 3602: A Brother and a Sister of the "Sons of Moses" Tribe (MorocCO). 1 2 9

• • • ‫״‬ • • •

•

IFA 4311 : The Yemenite Rabbi Who Saved His People with the Help of the Ten Tribes (Yemen). 130 IFA 5681 : People of the Lost Tribes in Arabia (Eretz Yisra'el, Arabic). 131 IFA 11248: David King of Israel Lives Forever (Morocco). 132 IFA 11289: How Could One Have Routed a Thousand? (Yemen). 133 IFA 11292: A Β 'nai Dan Girl Saves the Jews (Yemen). 134 IFA 11774: The Tzaddik and the Maiden (Morocco). IFA 13366: Timur Lenk ( 1336-1405) and the Yom Kippur Prayer (Kurdistan). IFA 13947: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Morocco).

Folktale Type •

*730A (IFA) "A Miraculous Rescue of a Jewish Community from Persecution by a King or a Ruler."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • •

D915.4.1 "Sabbatical river (Sambatyon)." D2122 "Journey with magic speed." F122 "Journey to land of giants." *F128 "The land of the ten lost tribes in which Jews live in their independent free kingdom, continuing their biblical culture and language." F141.1 "River as barrier to other world." F 162.3 "Tree in other world." F167.3 "Giants in other world." F531 "Giant." F610 "Remarkably strong man." K1812 "King in disguise."

• •

N 4 6 7 " K i n g in d i s g u i s e to learn s e c r e t s of his s u b j e c t s " N 8 1 0 "Supernatural helpers."

•

* N 8 1 0 . 8 " M a n f r o m the ten tribes as helper."

•

N 8 1 2 " G i a n t or o g r e as helper."

‫״‬

P I 0 "Kings."

•

Ρ 1 4 . 1 9 " K i n g g o e s in d i s g u i s e at night to o b s e r v e his s u b j e c t s . "

•

V 5 0 "Prayer."

•

V 7 3 "Fasts."

•

* V 7 5 . 3 " N e w y e a r f o r trees."

• ‫״‬

Z 7 1 . 0 . 2 " F o r m u l i s t i c n u m b e r s : a n u m b e r plus o n e " Z71.0.3 "Formulistic number: two"

• •

Z71.1 "Formulistic number: three" Z71.11 "Formulistic number: thirty"

Notes 1. First published in Anonymous, Heel ha-Mizrah in 1943; later included in Attias, The Golden Feather, 149-153 no. 18. Reprinted and interpreted in Shenhar, Ha-Sippur haAmami Shel Edot Israel (The folktales of Jewish ethnic groups), 71-79. 2. Bustenay, Mass Deportations and Deportees in the Neo-Assyrian Empire; Oppenheim, "Babylonian and Assyrian Historical Texts" 1:282-287; and Otzen, "Israel under the Assyrians." 3. S. Goren, "Galut Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The exile of the ten tribes). 4. Y. Hoffman, "Exile and Restoration." 5. "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes), and Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla 'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions"), 106-121. 6. Antiquities, 11:133. 7. James, The Lost Apocrypha of the Old Testament, 103-106. 8. Budge, The Contendings of the Apostles, 2:94-5, 100 (see The Acts of Saint Andrew [Matthew] in the City of Kahenât from two manuscripts in the British Museum— Oriental 678 and Oriental 683—including translations made likely in the fourteenth century); and Charlesworth, "The Lost Tribes," and The Pseudepigrapha and Modern Research, 147-149. 9. See Bauckham, "Anna of the Tribe of Asher." 10. James, The Lost Apocrypha of the Old Testament, 103-104. 11. Op. cit., 104. 12. The Jewish Wars 7.96-99. 13. Natural History 31:24. 14. Ginzberg. The Legends of the Jews, 2:10,4:265, 283, 5:114, 6:362, 3 8 9 , 4 0 7 - « ) 8 . 15. Avni, "Sambation": Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla 'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions"), 6 - 1 6 ; Vohlman, Ha-Samhatyon va-Aseret ha-Shevatim (The Sambatyon and the ten tribes); and Rothkoff, "Sambatyon." 16. Carmoly, Relation d'Eldad le Danite; A. Epstein, Sefer Eldad Ha-Dani (The book of Eldad the Danite); Habermann, Kitvei R. Abraham Epstein (Collected works of Rabbi

Abraham Epstein), 1:1-211; D. Müller, Die Recensionen und Versionen des Eldad haDani; and Dan, The Hebrew Story in the Middle Ages, 47-61. 17. Higger, The Jewish Utopia; and Yaniv, ‫' ״‬Ha-Hevrah ha-Utopit' " (The Utopian society). 18. A. Epstein, op. cit., 4 5 - 4 6 ; Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla'ot al Devar Aseret ha-She\‫׳‬atim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 13-16, 7 4 - 7 7 ; and Rubin, Between Bible and Qur'an, 26-30, 46-48, 50-52. 19. Habermann, op. cit., 357-362. 20. About the problems of his identification, see A. Epstein, op. cit., 4 1 4 2 ; A. David, The Historiographical Work of Gedalya ibn Yahya, 180-181 ; and Wasserstein, "Eldad haDani and Prester John." 21. Schioessinger, The Ritual of Eldad Ha-Dani; A. Epstein, op. cit., 3 9 - 4 9 ; and Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch, 2:102-113 (draws on several sources). 22. Shinan, The Embroidered Targum, 166 n. 359, 193-198; and Clarke, Targum Pseudo-Jonathan of the Pentateuch, 109, 34:10. 23. Jellinek, op. cit., 4:135, 136; Grünhut, Sefer Ha-Likkutim 3:13-14; and IshShalom, "Midrash Eser Galuyot (Midrash of the ten exiles). 24. Sefer Megillat ha-Megalle, 77. 25. History of the Jews, 3:182. Others suggested he was from Ethiopia (Abyssinia); see E. Goitein, "Note about Eldad the Danite." 26. A Social and Religious History of the Jews, 6:220-221, 4 3 3 4 3 4 nn. 85-86. 27. The Jews of Moslem Spain, 1:140-154. 28. Op. cit., 3 - 3 5 . 29. Op. cit. 30. "Eldad Haddani's Hebrew and the Problem of His Provenance" 31. A. Epstein, op. cit., 5 0 - 6 3 no. 2, 189-99; D. Müller, op. cit., "Recension B." 32. Ashtor, op. cit., 155-227, esp. 212-213; D. Dunlop, The History of the Jewish Khazars, 116-170; and Golb and Pritsak, Khazarian Hebrew Documents of the Tenth Century, 75-100. 33. M. Landau, "The Present State of the Khazar Problem"; M. Landau, Beiträg zum Chazarenproblem; and Halpern, "References to the Khazars." 34. J. Mann, Texts and Studies in Jewish History and Literature, 1:21-23; Krauss, "Zw Dr. Mann's neuen historischen Texten"; J. Mann, "Rejoinder"; and Grégoire, "Le 'glozel' Khazare" 35. Brook, The Jews of Khazaria; Koestler, The Thirteenth Tribe; and Poliak, Khazariyyah. 36. Albek, Midras Bresit Rabbat, at 124-127 (79-82). See also A. Epstein, op. cit., 6 4 - 6 8 (Version C); and Jellinek, op. cit., 6:15-18. 37. Cited in M. Adler, The Itinerary of Benjamin ofTudela, 4 7 4 8 . See also M. Singer, The Itinerary of Benjamin ofTudela, 106-107; and Krauss, "New Light on Geographical Information of Eldad Hadani and Benjamin ofTudela." 38. Jellinek, op. cit., 3:xl. 39. "An Early Hebrew Source of the Yiddish 'Aqdamoth' Story." 40. Yaari, Iggrot Erez Israel (Letters from the Land of Israel), 140. 41. See Bekkum, A Hebrew Alexander Romance, 2 (see "Motif Index," 225-228); and Reich, Tales of Alexander the Macedonian, xii, 133-137.

42. Wallach, "Quellenkritische Studien zum Hebräischen Josippn" and "Yosippon and Alexander Romance." See also Bergmeister, Die Historia de Preliis Alxandri Magni. 43. In Kazis, The Book of the Gests of Alexander of Macedon. 44. "Alexander the Great in Medieval Hebrew Literature." 45. Reich, op. cit., xii. 46. I. Lévi, "Sefer Alexandras Mokedon," esp.161-162; and Dan, Alilot Alexander Mokedon (The gests of Alexander of Macedonia), 129-170, esp. 167-169. 47. Gaster, "An Old Hebrew Romance of Alexander," and Studies and Texts, 2:814-875, esp. 826, 873-875 (§52-53); Reich, op. cit. 48. See Gaster, The Chronicles of Jerahmeel, 186-200 (§61-63). Sections 6 1 - 6 3 are translations of A. Epstein, op. cit., 88 no. 9, 88-90 no. 10, and 9 1 - 9 4 no. 11, respectively. See also the critical edition of the Chronicles: Yassif, The Book of Memory That Is the Chronicles of Je rahme'el, 219-229, 494-496. For a bilingual edition of the Alexander Romance (Oxford Manuscript), included in "Ms. Bodleian Heb. d.l 1," see Reich, op. cit., esp. 108-111 (see "Motif Index," 126-132). 49. A. Anderson, Alexander's Gate, 58-90; Cary, The Medieval Alexander, 132, 296 n. 52; Ross, Alexander Historiatus, 35-37, 45, 59; and Boyle, "The Alexander Romance in the East and West." 50. Op. cit., 68. 51. "Where Are the Ten Tribes?" 52. Neubauer, " 'Inyanei 'Aseret ha-Shevatim" (Writings about the ten tribes). 53. Op cit., 15. 54. Op. cit. 55. "Un nouveau manuscrit.‫״‬ 56. Beckingham, "The Achievments of Prester John." 57. Zarncke, "Der Patriarch Johannes von Indien und der Priester Johannes." 58. Ullendorff and Beckingham, The Hebrew Letters of Prester John. 59. Ullendorffand Beckingham. op. cit., 18-22, 155-159. 60. S. Kaplan, "A Note on The Hebrew Letters of Prester John." 61. Yaari, op. cit., 133-134. 62. Knefelkamp, Die Such nach dem Reich des Priesterkönigs Johannes; Knefelkamp, "Der Priesterkönig Johannes und sein Reich"; Nowell, "The Historical Prester John"; Rachewiltz, Prester John and Europe's Discovery of East Asia‫־‬, and Slessarev, Prester John. 63. Sefer Yeshu'ot M'shiho, 3()a-33b; see also Netanyahu, Don Isaac Abravanel, 229-232. 6 4 . 0 p . cit., 109-117. 65. Op. cit., 179-181,366-368. 66. Neubauer, " 'Inyanei 'Aseret ha-Shevatim" (Writings about the ten tribes), 29-30, 34-35, 45-46; and Aescoly, Jewish Messianic Movements, 338-342. 67. Neubauer, " 'Inyanei 'Aseret ha-Shevatim," 46-50; and Aescoly, op. cit., 342-350. 68. Op. cit. 69. " 'Inyanei 'Aseret ha-Shevatim," 24. 70. M. Beit-Arié, "Igeret me-lnyan Yod ha-Shevatim." 71. Zfatman, "Igeret be-Yiddish " (A Yiddish letter). 72. Tamar, "An Epistle from Safed." See also Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan

(The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 41-50; and A. Gross, "The Expulsion and the Search for the Ten Tribes." 73. Aescoly, The Story of David Hareuveni; and Jewish Messianic Movements, 357-433; Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisra'el, 259-260 no. 141; M. Cassuto, "Who Was David Reubeni?"; Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot haNifla 'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 54-60; Revah, "David Reuheni execute en Espagne en 1538"‫׳‬, C. Roth, "Le martyre de David Reubeni"; Shohat, "On the Subject of David Reubeni"; S. Weil, "Beyond the Sambatyon"; and A. Yahuda, "David Ha-Reuveni." 74. The World of a Renaissance Jew, 139. 75. Ruderman, op. cit., 136. 76. Neubauer, " Jnyanei 'Aseret ha-Shevatim" (Writings about the ten tribes), 37-45; and Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim." (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 50-54. For a study of Abraham Yagel, see Ruderman, Kabbalah, Magic, and Science. 77. The book was titled Gelilot Eretz Yisra 'el (The provinces of the tribes of Israel) and first published Lublin in 1635. 78. Ben-Zevi, Gershon ben Eliezer Segal, 44-52, 81-90. 79. See Ben-Zevi, "Agadat Aseret ha-Shevatim, be-Nusah Shomroni" (The legend of the ten tribes: A Samaritan version"). 80. Menasseh Ben Israel, The Hope of Israel, 68-76, 105-12. 81. Op. cit., 63. 82. Popkin, "The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Indian Theory"; Underwood, "The Hope of Israel"‫׳‬, D. Katz, Philo-Semitism"‫׳‬, D. Katz, "The Phenomenon of Philo-Semitism"; G. Greenberg, "American Indians, Ten Lost Tribes, and Christian Eschatology"; Hyamson, "The Lost Tribes, and the Influence of the Search for Them;" Hyamson, "The Lost Tribes and the Return of the Jews to England"; Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla 'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 92-98; Lyman, "Postmodernism and the Construction of Ethnocultural Identity"; and S. Weil, op. cit., 14-15, 88-85. 83. Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot haNifla'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 77-78; and Scholen!, Shabbatai Sevi, 332-354. 84. Scholem, op. cit., 557-558. 85. Gow, The Red Jews. 86. Werses, "Legends about the Ten Tribes and the Sambatyon." 87. Yaari, "Envoys from Eretz-Yisra'el to the Ten Tribes"; Yaari, "Masa'ot R. David de'Beit Hillel in Eretz Yisra'el"; and W. Fischel, "The Jews of Kurdistan a Hundred Years Ago." 88. Sapir, Sefer Masa Teyman (Travels to Yemen), 154-163; A. Yaari [Jaari], "Envoys from Eretz Yisra'el to the Ten Tribes," 163-178, 344-356, 4 7 4 4 8 4 ; and Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla'ot al Devar Aseret haShevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions"), 80-84. 89. S. Weil, op. cit., 17-18; 85-82.

90. Halkin, "Wandering Jews": Halkin, Across the Sabbath River; Parffit, Journey to the Vanished City; and M. Thomas, et al., "Y Chromosomes Traveling South." 91. Ben-Zevi, The Exiled and the Redeemed; and K. Blady, "Jewish Communities in Exotic Places." 92. A. Epstein, op. cit., 38, 42, 51, 56-58. 93. S. Kaplan, The Beta Israel (Falasha) in Ethiopia, 24-25, 43-44. 94. M. Elon, "The Ethiopian Jews"; Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 30-36; Parffit, The Thirteenth Gate, 120-148; Kaplan and Ben-Dor, Ethiopian Jewry, xvii (see "Ten Tribes and Sambatyon River"). 95. Parffit, The Thirteenth Gate, 149-164; and Parffit, Journey to the Vanished City. 96. Lobagola, An African Savage's Own Story, 3 8 4 7 ; and Schwarzbaum, "Nidahei Israel be-African ve-Sin" (The Jews exiled in Africa and China). 97. Hoffman, op. cit., 78 n. 21. 98. Op. cit., 126-128. 99. Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot haNifla 'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 80-92; and Leslie, The Survival of the Chinese Jews, 163-164. 100. "Persia or Yemen?"; Leslie, Jews and Judaism in Traditional China, 275 ("Lost Tribes"); Pollak, The Sino-Judaic Bibliography of Rudolf Loewenthal; and Pollak, The Jews of Dynastic China, 231 ("Ten Lost Tribes"). 101. Jews in Old China, 65, 69, 78, 86-89; Parffit, The Thirteenth Gate, 68-87; and Rabinowitz, "Eldad Ha-Dani and China." 102. Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 100-103. 103. Parffit, The Thirteenth Gate, 88-119; and A. Sonnschein, Sefer Or Hadash beTsion (A new light in Zion), 67-77. 104. Avihail and Brin, The Lost Tribes in Assyria, 97-106. 105. Halkin, "Wandering Jews," 58; and J. Ross, Fragile Branches. 106. "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 60-69. 107. Parffit, The Thirteenth Gate, 36-67; Sonnschein, op. cit., 78-83; S. Weil, op. cit., 19, 85-82. 108. Avihail and Brin, op. cit., 9 - 9 6 . 109. Journal of a Political Mission to Afghanistan, 46-70. 110. Caroe, The Pathans, 5. l l l . O p . cit. 112. Yehoshua-Raz, From the Lost Tribes in Afghanistan to the Mashhad Jewish Converts of Iran, 17-25; Göll, "Be-'Ikvot Aseret ha-Shevatim be-Afghanistan" (In the footsteps of the ten tribes in Afghanistan); Lazar, "Aseret ha-Shevatim" (The ten tribes); and Lazar, Hidot Ha-Hagadot ha-Nifla'ot al Devar Aseret ha-Shevatim u-Fitronan (The puzzles of the wonderful legends about the ten tribes and their solutions), 36-41. 113. Ben-Zevi, The Exiled and the Redeemed, 209-232; and Sonnschein, op. cit., 43-67.

114. Gregorian, The Emergence of Modern Afghanistan, 27. 1 1 5 . 0 p . cit., 31-39. 116. The Exiled and the Redeemed, 60-100, 214-226, 227-242, 268. 117. A. Shahan, Towards the Sambatyon River. 118. See The Tribes of Jacob and the Preserved of Israel, esp. 174-181. 119. Lyman, "The Lost Tribes of Israel as a Problem in History and Sociology." 120. The Lost Tribes. For surveys of the literature about and the quest for the Ten Lost Tribes, see Gonen, To the Ends of the Earth; Parffit, The Lost Tribes of Israel; and L. Rabinowitz, "Ten Lost Tribes." 121. E. Davidson, "Nidhei Israel be-Re Ί ha-Folklor" (The exiled in folklore); Kagan, "Aseret ha-Shevatim be-Sippurei Edot Israel" (The ten tribes in the folktales of Jewish ethnic groups). 122. Published in S. Weil, op. cit., 29, 68. 123. Published in Kagan, op. cit., 156-157; and S. Weil, op. cit., 25, 72. 124. Published in S. Weil, op. cit., 28, 69. 125. Published in S. Weil, op. cit., 30, 67. 126. Published in S. Weil, op. cit., 30, 66. 127. Published in Kagan, op. cit., 150-151; S. Weil, op. cit., 27, 70; D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 340-341 no. 167. For the title, see Deuteronomy 32:30. This is a parallei version to the present tale in which the Jewish community is saved by a wonder woman of the Β 'nai Moshe. 128. This tale is almost identical to tale IFA 286. 129. Published in Kagan, op. cit., 151-152; and D. Noy, Moroccan Jewish Folktales, 33 no. 2. 130. Published in Baharav, Mi-Dor le-Dor, 4 8 - 5 3 no. 15. 131. Published in S. Weil, op. cit., 26, 71. 132. Published in Ben-Hayyim, Sabba Shelomo Mesaper (Grandpa Shelomo tells), 3 2 - 3 6 no. 7. 133. Published in Gamlieli, The Chambers of Yemen, 151-152. 134. Published in Gamlieli, op. cit., 149-151.

The Old Woman and the Wind TOLD

BY

AN

OLD

SEPHARDIC

TO

M O S H E

WOMAN

ATTIAS

Long

ago, there lived in J e r u s a l e m a p i o u s and G o d - f e a r i n g old w o m a n w h o p u r s u e d j u s t i c e all her d a y s . But she w a s d e s p e r a t e l y poor, and only t h r o u g h b a c k - b r e a k i n g toil c o u l d she s u p p o r t herself and her g r a n d s o n . O n e y e a r there w a s d r o u g h t in the c o u n t r y a n d great s h o r t a g e s in J e r u s a l e m . M a n y f o u n d t h e m s e l v e s with no f o o d to eat. N o t h i n g r e m a i n e d in the old w o m a n ' s pantry to f e e d her g r a n d s o n and herself. N o r c o u l d she find w o r k . To avoid starvation, s h e w e n t out b e g g i n g in the streets. M a n y p a s s e d by, but they all ignored the w o m a n and p r e t e n d e d not to see her. At the e n d of the day, t h o u g h , o n e p a s s e r b y s t o p p e d and said, "I have nothing to give y o u e x c e p t s o m e a d v i c e . T a k e that, at least; p e r h a p s it will help. E v e r y d a y there are p o r t e r s c a r r y i n g s a c k s of w h e a t here, the tithe f o r the T e m p l e . F o l l o w t h e m a n d c o l l e c t the k e r n e l s that fall o u t of the s a c k s . G r i n d t h e m into flour, b a k e it into b r e a d , a n d save y o u r s e l f f r o m starvation." T h e old w o m a n took his a d v i c e . T h e next day she f o l l o w e d the p o r t e r s c a r r y i n g the s a c k s of grain to the T e m p l e , c o l l e c t e d the spillage, kernel by k e r n e l , t h r o u g h o u t the day, a n d put t h e m in the h e m of her dress. W h e n e v e n i n g c a m e s h e f o u n d s h e had g a t h e r e d so little that it h a r d l y m a d e sense to take it to a mill to grind into flour, lest it get lost b e t w e e n the millstones. So she p o u n d e d the k e r n e l s in a m o r t a r and f o r m e d the m e a l into three small loaves, w h i c h she p l a c e d on a small r o u n d c o p p e r tray. T h e n s h e w e n t o u t to the f i e l d s to g a t h e r dry b r a n c h e s , lit the fire, p l a c e d the c o p p e r tray on it, and b a k e d her bread. B e f o r e the loaves h a d f i n i s h e d c o o l i n g a p o o r m a n a p p e a r e d o n her d o o r s t e p . " I ' m d y i n g of h u n g e r , " he cried. " G i v e m e a loaf of b r e a d or I ' l l c o l l a p s e b e f o r e y o u r eyes." T h e w o m a n t h o u g h t , "I have three loaves and this p o o r m a n h a s n o t h ing. H o w can I let h i m starve to d e a t h ? S u r e l y G o d d o e s n ' t w a n t that to h a p p e n and w o u l d not f o r g i v e m e if it did." So she gave the p o o r m a n o n e loaf of b r e a d .

T h e p o o r m a n b l e s s e d her and w e n t on his way. Just then her g r a n d s o n c a m e in. " I ' m w e a k with hunger," he said. H e r heart b r i m m i n g with joy, the old w o m a n g a v e her g r a n d s o n the s e c o n d loaf of b r e a d . T h e n she w e n t to w a s h her h a n d s b e f o r e e a t i n g the r e m a i n i n g loaf. S h e had not had t i m e to finish the b l e s s i n g over the bread w h e n a great w i n d blew up and b e c a m e a r a g i n g t e m p e s t that o v e r t u r n e d e v e r y t h i n g in its p a t h . It c a u g h t u p the c o p p e r tray a n d c a r r i e d a w a y the loaf of b r e a d that w a s on it, far far a w a y until it v a n i s h e d f r o m sight. Terrified, a s t o n i s h e d , and s h a k i n g with anger, the w o m a n said to herself: " T h e w i n d h a s d o n e m e a great i n j u s t i c e . I g a v e a w a y s o m e of m y f o o d as charity. W h y h a s the w i n d stolen m y portion and left m e with an e m p t y b e l l y ? I will g o to K i n g S o l o m o n and ask him to s u m m o n the w i n d to a p p e a r b e f o r e him. H e will bring j u s t i c e to light." W i t h o u t f u r t h e r a d o the w o m a n started o u t a n d c a m e to the g a t e s of K i n g S o l o m o n ' s palace. S h e stood b e f o r e him, r e c o u n t e d the entire tale to him, and presented her petition: " S u m m o n the wind to a c c o u n t and punish it f o r the i n j u s t i c e it has d o n e m e . " W h i l e they w e r e still s p e a k i n g , his h e r a l d s a n n o u n c e d to the king: " T h e captain of a gentile ship and his sailors are waiting outside. T h e y say they have c o m e to J e r u s a l e m to see the k i n g and to p r e s e n t h i m with a s p l e n d i d g i f t , to fulfill the vow they m a d e c o n c e r n i n g the T e m p l e of the G o d of Israel in J e r u s a l e m . " T h e king a s k e d the old w o m a n to wait w h i l e he gave a u d i e n c e to the g e n t i l e s in her p r e s e n c e . T h e s h i p ' s c a p t a i n told his story: " O u r vessel w a s laden with a prec i o u s cargo. In the o p e n sea a t e m p e s t a r o s e s u d d e n l y ; n o n e of us can rem e m b e r its like. We t h o u g h t the s h i p w a s g o i n g to break up and sink with all h a n d s , b e c a u s e the s t o r m stove in o n e side of the hull, and the w a t e r b e g a n to p o u r into the h o l d . I, the c a p t a i n of the ship, a n d all the sailors began p r a y i n g to our g o d s to rescue us f r o m death, each in his o w n tongue. But the s t o r m got w o r s e and salvation s e e m e d b e y o n d reach. T h e n w e rem e m b e r e d the G o d of Israel, W h o a l o n e w o r k s w o n d e r s , and p r a y e d to H i m . We v o w e d that if H e saved us f r o m o u r plight w e w o u l d c o n s e c r a t e all the g o o d s a b o a r d to His t e m p l e in J e r u s a l e m . We w e r e still p r a y i n g w h e n w e saw s o m e t h i n g fly t h r o u g h the air, b o r n e a l o f t by the w i n d . It c a m e closer to the ship, f l e w into the g a s h in the hull and sealed it shut. At o n c e the w i n d b e g a n to die d o w n a n d the w a v e s b e g a n to abate. W h e n w e l o o k e d to see w h a t had s t o p p e d u p the hole in the hull, w e d i s c o v e r e d that w e had b e e n saved by this loaf of b r e a d ! T h e G o d of Israel heard o u r

p r a y e r a n d r e s c u e d us f r o m d e a t h . N o w w e h a v e c o m e to f u l f i l l our vow, b r i n g i n g all o u r c a r g o , w h i c h is d e d i c a t e d to the T e m p l e of the G o d of Israel." K i n g S o l o m o n t u r n e d to the old w o m a n . " D o you r e c o g n i z e this loaf of b r e a d ? " he asked her. "It's mine!" T h e king s p o k e : " W i t h y o u r o w n ears you heard, a n d c e r t a i n l y m u s t h a v e r e a l i z e d , that the w i n d is i n n o c e n t . It h a d to b r i n g relief w i t h o u t delay to save t h o s e in i m m i n e n t peril of d e a t h . " T h e n the king turned to the captain: " K n o w that the loaf b e l o n g s to this old w o m a n . H e n c e I o r d e r that y o u r c a r g o be divided, half c o n s e c r a t e d to the T e m p l e , the o t h e r half to this w o m a n , b y w h o s e e f f o r t s you w e r e saved." E v e r y o n e a p p l a u d e d S o l o m o n ' s j u d g m e n t . F o r the rest of their lives the old w o m a n and her g r a n d s o n lived in a b u n d a n c e and c o m f o r t a n d perf o r m e d m a n y d e e d s of charity f o r the p o o r a n d u n f o r t u n a t e . M a y they be f o r t u n a t e , and w e too.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 1 (IFA

10101)

Told by an old Sephardic woman from Larissa, Greece, to Moshe Attias.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This is a pivotal tale in the documented history of the Solomonic narrative cycles. The Hebrew Bible establishes the traditional image of Solomon as a judge who displayed his wisdom even when he was still an inexperienced ruler (1 Kings 3:16-28, 5:9-14). The talmudic-midrashic Solomonic legends are concerned not so much with his judicial prudence as with his magical strength and vulnerability (BT Gittin 68a-68b). Tales about his wisdom appear only in later midrashic books. For example, tale type 155 "The Ungrateful Serpent Returned to Captivity," about a litigation between a man and a snake, occurs first in S. Buber; 2 (see also tale IFA 8004, vol. 2).The image of King Solomon as a lover is clear in the Bible (1 Kings 1 1:1-2), but his romantic affair with the queen of Sheba becomes fully articulated only in narratives of the eighth and tenth centuries. 3 In the narratives of medieval manuscripts, 4 however, the traditional image of Solomon's judicial prudence is restored. In some of these tales, he is not the mature king but rather a child prodigy who outsmarts his father in his judicial abilities. A comparison of the Jewish and Arabic Solomonic traditions has been published. 5 Some of the judge-child narratives in Islamic tradition were printed in Chauvin; 6 other such tales are also available. 7 Renditions of the present tale include both images of King Solomon: as a wise child and as a mature royal judge. In a version that the Jewish traveler Jacob Sapir 8 (1822-1885) recorded from an Arab pilgrim to Mecca, Solomon is childjudge. In a Ladino manuscript, Solomon comes to the aid of a complaining old man in David's court. 9 However, in oral tradition it is the mature Solomon who sits in judgment in the trial of the widow and the wind. The earliest known printed version of this tale appeared in 1850 in a book by a member of the SyrianSephardic community.' 0 A 1912 version told by a Judeo-Spanish woman from Dimotika, south of Edirne (Adrianople) in European Turkey has been published," as have several other versions. 12 A literary treatment of the tale is available, 13 and a comparison of the literary and the traditional versions has been published. 1 4

Similarities to Other IFA Tales In the IFA there are five other versions of this tale: ‫״‬ • • • •

IFA 2238: Cast Your Bread Upon the Water (Yemen). 15 IFA 6732: There Is No Escape for Destiny (Morocco). IFA 12533: The Old Woman and the Wind (Greece). 1 6 IFA 14186: The Miracle in the Midst of the Sea (Iran). IFA 14382: Cast Your Bread Upon the Water (Palestine, Arabic).

Folktale Types 759

‫״‬

C

"The Widow's Meal."

•

7 5 9 C " T h e W i d o w ' s F l o u r " ( n e w ed.).

•

759C (El-Shamy) "The Widow's Meal."

• •

759C (Jason) "The Widow's Meal." cf. 9 2 0 " T h e S o n of the K i n g ( S o l o m o n ) a n d of the S m i t h ; II T h e P r i n c e S h o w s His W i s d o m " ( n e w ed.).

• ‫״‬

cf. 9 2 0 ( E l - S h a m y ) " T h e S o n of the K i n g ( S o l o m o n ) a n d of the S m i t h . " cf. 9 2 0 ( J a s o n ) " T h e Son of the K i n g ( S o l o m o n ) a n d of the S m i t h ; II T h e P r i n c e S h o w s His W i s d o m . "

Folklore Motif's •

D905 "Magic storm."

•

D906 "Magic wind."

•

D 1 7 6 6 . 1 " M a g i c results p r o d u c e d by prayer."

•

J 1 9 1 . 1 " S o l o m o n as w i s e m a n . "

•

J355.1 "The widow's meal."

•

Ρ160 "Beggars."

•

*PI65.1 "Poor woman."

•

P421 "Judge."

•

V 5 0 "Prayer."

•

V 5 2 " M i r a c u l o u s p o w e r of prayer."

•

V 4 0 0 "Charity."

•

V410 "Charity rewarded."

•

W11 "Generosity."

•

Z 7 1 . 1 " F o r m u l i s t i c n u m b e r : three."

Notes 1. First published in Attias, The Golden Feather, 136-138 no. 15. 2. Midrash Tanhuma, 79a. 3. M. David, Das Targum Scheni, 8 - 1 0 ; E. Yassif, The Tales of Ben Sira in the Middle Ages, 50-59; Lassner, Demonizing the Queen of Sheba; Pritchard, Solomon and Sheba; and Stern and Mirsky, Rabbinic Fantasies, 180. 4. Lévi, " U n recueil de contes juifs inédits"·, Yassif, "Parables of Solomon"; Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis, 118-119, 124-125, 150, 155, 241-242, 246-256, 259 nos. 329, 342, 353, 391, 403 (no. 353 is a tale of magic rather than judicial prudence; see the notes to tale IFA 2603 | vol. 3]); Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 4:130-142,6:282-288, esp. 285-286; Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 3 2 - 3 6 nos. 20-22; and Seymour, Tales of King Solomon, 13-34. 5. Salzberger, Die Salomo-Sage in der Semitischen Literatur. 6. Chauvin, Bibliographie des ouvrages Arabes, 5:85-86 no. 26, 9:25-26 no. 14 (motifs J1176.3 "Gold pieces in the honey-pot" and J 1655.3 "Coins concealed in jar of oil [pickles]").

7. Tawney and Penzer, The Ocean of Story, 1:186, 3:118-120; and Clouston, A Group of Eastern Romances and Stories, 414-424. 8. Iben Safir (Even Sapir), 1:26b-27a. 9. Gaster, op. cit., 177-178 no. 444 (Codex Gaster 274). 10. See Yesha'ayah, Sefer holekh tamim u-fo ,el zedek (The book of the righteous and the just), 34a-35a (78-80 new ed.). 11. Schiller, "Das Mehl der Witwe." 12. Huzin, Ma 'asim Tovim, 18-19 no. 13; Bin Gorion, op. cit., 38-39 no. 24; Hayyim, Nifla'im Ma'asekha (Wonderful are your acts), 233-235 no. 156; and J. Meyouhas, Ma'asiyyot am li-Bhnei Kedem (Oriental folktales), 111-118 (recorded from an Iranian Jew). 13. S. Ansky [An-Ski]. "A Sack of Flour," in J. Neugroschel, Radian Days, Haunted Nights, 158-165 (originally pubished in Yiddish in 1912); H. Bialik, And It Came to Pass, 148-155; Y. L. Peretz, Folkstimlikhe geshikhten (Oral folktales), 309-317. 14. Ben-Yehezki'el, "The Book And It Came to Pass," 364-365. 15. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzählt, 45 no. 47. 16. Published in Alexander and Noy, eds., The Treasure of Our Fathers, 136 no. 52.

King Solomon ‫י‬s Judgment TOLD

BY

DINAH

ELLAZAR

TO

RACHEL

SERI

( . / n e e there w a s an e x t r e m e l y p o o r m a n . O n e c o l d a n d f r o s t y w i n t e r ' s day, in the m i d s t of a r a g i n g blizzard, a rich man p a s s e d by him. "If you can sit n a k e d in the cold on the highest hill t h r o u g h o u t the night," he said, "I will give you a large s u m of m o n e y . " T h e p o o r m a n did w h a t the rich m a n w a n t e d , f o r the m o n e y . H e stripped off his c l o t h e s and sat n a k e d on the hilltop t h r o u g h the night. T h e m i s e r a b l e p a u p e r f r o z e , but w h a t c o u l d he d o ? It w a s a w a y to get m o n e y . D u r i n g the night he saw a small lantern in the d i s t a n c e , on the next hill. H e kept his eye on the lantern and felt better. T h e f r o s t y night p a s s e d , d a y c a m e , and the p o o r m a n stood u p and got d r e s s e d . W i t h o u t delay he ran to the rich m a n and asked f o r the m o n e y he had p r o m i s e d h i m . "Tell m e , " said the rich m a n , " e x a c t l y w h a t did you see d u r i n g the night?" "All night I sat on the hill, n a k e d , f r e e z i n g ! " But the rich m a n w a s a d a m a n t . "Tell m e w h a t you saw." "I saw a small lantern on the next hill." " T h e n I w o n ' t pay you," replied the rich m a n . "I w o n ' t k e e p my p r o m ise, b e c a u s e w a t c h i n g that lantern kept you w a r m and m a d e it easy f o r you to get t h r o u g h the night." T h e p o o r m a n s h r i e k e d and b e l l o w e d in protest. " C o m e , let us b r i n g o u r c a s e to K i n g David." K i n g D a v i d lived on the u p p e r f l o o r of the p a l a c e ; his son S o l o m o n also lived there, on the l o w e r floor. T h e p o o r m a n told K i n g David a b o u t his poverty and how the rich m a n had told h i m that if he spent the w h o l e night n a k e d on the hill he w o u l d pay h i m a large s u m of m o n e y . " B u t he saw a lantern," retorted the rich m a n , " a n d it kept him w a r m . It w a s easy f o r h i m to get t h r o u g h the night." " T h e rich m a n is in the right," ruled K i n g D a v i d . "You did not k e e p y o u r side of the bargain."

T h e p o o r m a n w e n t away, w a i l i n g a n d crying. " W o e and alas! T h e rich m a n is c h e a t i n g and t o r m e n t i n g m e ! " K i n g S o l o m o n * h e a r d his s c r e a m s . " W h a t h a p p e n e d ? W h a t ' s g o i n g o n ? " he asked. T h e p o o r m a n told S o l o m o n h o w the rich m a n had d e c e i v e d him and w a s r e f u s i n g to k e e p his p r o m i s e to p a y h i m a large s u m of m o n e y if h e sat n a k e d on the hill f o r the w h o l e night. T h e rich m a n e x p l a i n e d that the p o o r m a n had seen a lantern and w a r m e d h i m s e l f f r o m it, so the night h a d p a s s e d easily f o r him. "I will j u d g e y o u r case," replied K i n g S o l o m o n . H e ran to ask his father, K i n g D a v i d , f o r p e r m i s s i o n . K i n g D a v i d g r a n t e d his son leave to j u d g e the c a s e , w a n t i n g to test w h e t h e r he [ S o l o m o n ] had m o r e j u d i c i a l w i s d o m and insight than he h i m s e l f did. K i n g S o l o m o n told t h e m to bring a l a m b , s l a u g h t e r it, and light a fire. T h e l a m b w a s d r e s s e d and spitted and set at a d i s t a n c e f r o m the fire. But the l a m b did not c o o k . "You see," he said, " t h e m e a t is not roasting. W h y ? B e c a u s e the fire is too far a w a y f r o m the lamb. T h e p o o r m a n sat even f a r t h e r a w a y f r o m the lantern. H o w c o u l d he have b e e n w a r m e d by it?" S o l o m o n o r d e r e d the rich m a n to pay his d e b t to the pauper. T h e p o o r m a n w a s d e l i g h t e d . H e took a large s u m of m o n e y h o m e with h i m and b e c a m e very rich, t h a n k s to the j u d g m e n t of the w i s e K i n g Solomon.

"In Jewish tradition, the title "ha-melekh" (king) has become so firmly attached to Solomon's name as to become part of it. Hence the storyteller sees nothing incongruous in referring to him in this way even during the lifetime of his father, David, when he is clearly only a prince. For another example of this phenomenon, see tale IFA 13110 (vol. 1).

52

/

King

Solomon's

Judgment

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 2 (IFA

4 8 1

11093)

Told by Dinah EUazar {of Turkey) to Rachel Seri in Jerusalem in 1976.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale combines tale types 1262*A (IFA) "The Cold Winter Night" and 1262 "Roasting the Meat" into a sequence in which the latter episode serves as a parabolic commentary on the former. The two narratives occur together or are independent of each other in Near Eastern, Mediterranean, North African, and Central Asian traditions and are often associated with the figure of a social jester. 2 In Turkish and Arabic traditions, the narrative is part of the Djuha, Nasreddin Hoca, or Abu Nuwas cycles, 3 but in Jewish tradition, the tale belongs to the narrative cluster about King Solomon as a clever child who outsmarts his father, David. 4 However, the present tale occurs mainly in oral circulation and is, as far as we could ascertain, absent from early print traditions. Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Among the versions of this tale that have been recorded from oral tradition and are on deposit in the IFA or are available elsewhere, it is possible to discern two groups. In group A, the challenger and the challenged are from different social classes; and in group B, the two characters are peers. The jester's mother sometime functions in the story. Group A The following group A tales are in the IFA:5 • • • • • • • • • • •

IFA 409: How Does the Candle Flame Give Warmth in a Winter Night (Iraq). IFA 1324: Djuha Cooks over a Candle Flame (Eretz Yisra'el, Druze). IFA 5972: The Moon Warms Up the Well Water (India). IFA 6264: The Dish in the Chimney (Iraqi Kurdistan). IFA 6858: A Distant Fires Does Not Gives Warmth (Morocco). IFA 7132: A Mother's Heart (Tangier, Morocco). 6 IFA 7507: A Cold Bath (Egypt). IFA 8368: Harun al Rashid and Abu Nowas (Lebanon). IFA 8401 : Efendin and the King of Bukhara (Bukhara). 7 IFA 10571 : The Pool of Snow (Morocco). IFA 13001 : The Will of God (Morocco). 8

Group Β The following group Β tales are in the IFA:9 • •

IFA 6190: The Moon Warms Up Winter Nights (Afghanistan). 1 0 IFA 6700: The Naked Neighbor on the Rooftop (Yemen).

•

IFA 12746: Solomon and the Distant Beacon (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic).

Folktale Types • • • • • • • • • • •

434 (Wesselski). 920*E (IFA) "Children's Judgment." 920*E (IFA) (Jason) "Children's Judgment." 1262 "Roasting the Meat." 1262 "The Effectiveness of Fire" (new ed.). 1262 (El-Shamy) "Roasting the Meat." 1262 (Jason) "Roasting the Meat." 1262 (Marzolph) " D a s Wasser im Kessel zum Kochen bringen" (Make the Water in the Pot Boil). 1262*A (IFA) "The Cold Winter Night." 1262A* (IFA) (Haboucha) "The Cold Winter Night." 1262*A (IFA) (Jason) "The Cold Winter Night."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • • •

H1512 "Cold test. Attempt to freeze hero to death." H1541 "Contest in enduring cold." H1561 "Tests of valor." J120 "Wisdom learned from children." J123 "Wisdom of child decides lawsuit." J123.1 "Clever prince overrules seemingly just decisions of king." cf. J191.1 "Solomon as wise man." J1191.7 "Rice pot on pole, fire far away." cf. J1945 "Warming hands across the river." Q81 "Reward for perseverance."

Notes 1. First published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month: 1976-1977, 123-124 no. 17. 2. Huse, "Feuer"; Alexander-Frizer, The Beloved Friend-and-a-Half, 341-342; and Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 101. 3. See "A General Note about Djuha Tales" (pp. 539-546 herein). 4. Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 28-29, 32-36 nos. 17, 20, 22; Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 4:85,131, 6:250,284-86; and Seymour, Tales of King Solomon, 13-33. 5. For additional group A tales, see Armistead and Silverman. "Dos consejas Sefardies," 97-98 nos. 1-2; Attal, "Deux contes Juifs Tunisiens," lxxxvii-xci; and Larrea Palacin, Cuentos populäres de los Judios del Norte de Marrueccos, 2:64-67 no. 107, 2:120-122 no. 119. 6. D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1965, 71-73, 113; and Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 51-53 no. 1. 7. Published in Aminoff, The Emir and the Widow, 45-46 no. 11. Tale type 1262*A (IFA) is the last in a sequence of episodes involving contests of wit.

8. M. Cohen, Mi-Pi ha-Am (From folk tradition), 2:67-68 no. 176. 9. Another group Β tale can be found in M. Koen-Sarano, Kuentos del folklor de la famiya Djudeo-Espanyola, 240-241. 10. Published in Kort, Bat ha-Melekh she-Hafkhah le-Zer Perahim (The princess who transformed into a wreath of flowers), 151-153.

Anything to Find Favor with a Woman TOLD

BY

S H M U ' E L

RECANATI

TO

RACHEL

SERI

r x i n g S o l o m o n w a s f l u e n t in m a n y l a n g u a g e s — h e even k n e w h o w to s p e a k with trees and birds. O n e day he o v e r h e a r d a c o n v e r s a t i o n b e t w e e n t w o b i r d s w h o w e r e p e r c h e d in a tall tree. T h e m a l e bird w a s telling the f e m a l e , " D o you k n o w that I c o u l d destroy K i n g S o l o m o n ' s p a l a c e and his entire t e m p l e ? " " H o w can you d o t h a t ? " asked the f e m a l e . W h e n K i n g S o l o m o n heard this he got very a n g r y a n d called the m a l e bird d o w n to h i m . " W h y did you tell the o t h e r bird," he d e m a n d e d , "that you c o u l d destroy m y t e m p l e ? " "I w a s o n l y b o a s t i n g to her of m y s t r e n g t h so s h e w o u l d be a f r a i d of m e and s u b m i t to m e , b e c a u s e I w a n t e d her a n d lusted a f t e r a f e m a l e . " K i n g S o l o m o n let the bird g o in p e a c e .

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 3 (IFA

2254)

Recorded by Rachel Serifrom Shmu 'el Recanati in i960 in Jerusalem. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The written sources of this particular story follow four intersecting routes: the medieval Arabic Sufi tradition, Palestinian Arabic legends from the seventeenth century onward, Sephardic biblical interpretations of the sixteenth century, and Hasidic literature of the nineteenth century. In Arabic Sufi traditions, the tale occurs in the Risala of the Sufi teacher alQushayri (986-1072).' Discussions of the story have been published. 2 In Palestinian Arabic legends, the story has the features of a local tale in which the bird, punished by King Solomon for its arrogance, is turned into stone, together with its mate. The image of these two birds were perceived in the veins of the marble of the Dome of the Rock and were pointed out to travelers, at least since the seventeenth century. Ewliya Celebi (1611-1684), who toured Palestine, noted this tradition in his monumental travel account, Seyahatname,3 and so did Isabel Burton, 4 who accompanied her husband, Richard, in his travels through the region in the nineteenth century. She reported that the marble veins represent two magpies, confounding the images with another story in the Solomonic tradition. 5 Also in the nineteenth century, the object of the story was a marble slab in the southern wall of the Dome of the Rock. 6 Analyses of these tales are available. 7 In Sephardic tradition, the earliest Hebrew record of this tale appeared in print in exegetical work of the Sephardic writer Abraham Ibn Saba. 8 A version of the tale was later anthologized by Bin Gurion. 9 Hasidic tradition attributes the narration of this tale to Rabbi Hayyim ben Leibush Halberstam of Zanz (1793-1876), known also as Nowy Sacz and the Sandzer. 10 Quite likely, the Jewish American reader of The Forwerts who sent a Yiddish version of the tale (also attributed to Nowy Sacz) to N. Gross was familiar with the Hasidic tradition." For a comparative discussion see Schwarzbaum,' 2 who included references to fables about self-aggrandizing animals from Greek and Mesopotainian traditions. The idea that King Solomon understood the languages of animals, birds, and plants finds its confirmation in the biblical verse 1 Kings 5:13, "He discoursed about trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; and he discoursed about beasts, birds, creeping things and fishes," and occurs often in Jewish midrashic (MR Ecclesiastes Rabbah 1:1)13 and Arabic sources ('Targum Sheni 1.2, 5).' 4 The Koran reiterates this notion (21:81-82, 27:15-45, 34:11-13, 38:29-39). 15 The only other figure in Jewish folklore that could converse with animals in their language was Adam. 16 Literary renditions of this tale have been published.' 7

Similarities to Other IFA Tales T w o additional v e r s i o n s of this tale are in the IFA: ‫״‬

IFA 4 8 2 0 : King Solomon

and the Boastful

Swallow

(Romania).18

• IFA 13090: It Could Have Destroyed King Solomon's Palace with a Single Kick ( R o m a n i a ) . 1 9

Folktale Type •

2 2 4 * A (IFA) " T h e B r a g g i n g and B o a s t f u l Bird, A n i m a l . "

Folklore Motifs • • •

B 2 1 1 . 3 " S p e a k i n g bird." B211.3.5 "Speaking dove." B215.1 "Bird language."

• • • ‫״‬

B 2 1 6 " K n o w l e d g e of a n i m a l l a n g u a g e . " J 1 9 1 . 1 " S o l o m o n as w i s e m a n . " J 9 5 1 " L o w l y m a s k s as great." Κ1700 "Deception through bluffing."

Notes

1. Von Schlgell, Principles ofSufism, 341 ; El-Jalil, "Sakwa-l-Garib Άηί I- 'Awtan Ία 'Ulama '-l-Buldan de 'Ayn al Qudat al-Hamadani" (see the "Apologia" of the Sufi martyr A i n al-Qudat al-Hamadhani [1098-1131]); and Arberry, A Sufi Martyr, 65. 2. Grunebaum, ‫' ״‬Der Schmetterling, der mit dem Fuss stampfte,78-79 " ‫י‬ ; and Le Researches and Studies in Halakhah, Aggadah, Literature, and Folklore, 177-179. 3. Stephan, "Evliya Tshelebi's Travels in Palestine," 88. 4. The Inner Life of Syria, Palestine, and the Holy Land, 2:89. 5. Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 39-13 no. 25 (1990 ed.). 6. Hanauer, Folk-Lore of the Holy Land, 47—48; Seymour, Tales of King Solomon, 101 ; Vilnay, The Sacred Land, 1:33-34 no. 15; and Ausubel, A Treasury of Jewish Folklore, 375-376. 7. Schwarzbaum, "The Fossilized Birds in the Dome of Rock Mosque"; H. Gross, "Die Satire in der Jüdischen Literatur"·, and Leshem, op. cit., 177-179. 8. Zror ha-Mor, 33b ("V‫׳‬a Yet se"). 9. Op. cit., 72-73 no. 39. 10. Michaelzon, Mekor Hayyim (Source of life), 31 a no. 213; and Lipson, Mi-Dor Dor (From days of old), 3:56 no. 1907. 11. N. Gross, Maaselech un Mesholim, 92-93. 12. Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 139-141, 466-167 no. 80. 13. Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 6:288 n. 34 (suggests that the story is of Mohammedan origin). 14. S. Buber, Midrasch Tanhuma, 112. 15. For further bibliographical references see Bin Gorion, op. cit., 63-65 no. 36. 16. Ginzberg, op. cit., 5:94 η. 58 (see index, "animals, languages o f ' ) .

17. Kipling, Just So Stories for Little Children, 185-202 (The Butterfly That Stamped; note that his exact source remains unclear); and H. Bialik, And It Came to Pass, 9 3 - 9 4 no. 18. 18. Published in Avitsuk, The Tree That Absorbed Tears, 32-33 no. 4. 19. Published in M. Cohen, Mi-pi ha-Am (From folk tradition), 3:38-39 no. 222.

King Solomon, His Ethiopian Wife, and Her Lover TOLD

BY

NISSIM

ABUD

TO

R E ' U V E N

N A ' A N A H

# \ i n g S o l o m o n loved m a n y f o r e i g n w o m e n , i n c l u d i n g M o a b i t e s , A m m o n i t e s , and Sidonians.* H e took wives f r o m every c o u n t r y and even h a d an Ethiopian w i f e . Barsit w a s her n a m e , and he loved her for her grace and c h a r m . B e c a u s e he had a t h o u s a n d wives, the king used to "visit" each of t h e m only o n c e in three years. But he visited the E t h i o p i a n Barsit m o r e frequently, b e c a u s e she pleased him and w a s interested in his w i s d o m and a s k e d h i m riddles. S h e w a s also c u r i o u s a b o u t all sorts of a n i m a l s a n d beasts and plants and trees. H e used to a n s w e r all her q u e s t i o n s . O n e day, she asked him a b o u t a plant with the p o w e r to kill and to revive. Yes, there w e r e such plants, he told her. S h e asked h i m to show t h e m to her, and he did. S h e took s o m e of t h e m and planted t h e m in her garden. W h e n they had g r o w n she thought, let's find out w h e t h e r they really can kill and revive. S h e took s o m e of the d e a d l y plants, put t h e m in water, b o i l e d t h e m over the fire, and got her m o n k e y to drink the resulting potion. Within a few m o m e n t s the m o n k e y collapsed and died. Several hours later she took s o m e of the reviving plants and treated t h e m as she had the lethal herb. S h e pried o p e n e d the m o n k e y ' s m o u t h a n d p o u r e d in a f e w drops. T h e m o n k e y o p e n e d its eyes and started w a l k i n g a r o u n d , j u s t like yesterday, as if n o t h i n g had h a p p e n e d . S h e w a s e x t r e m e l y p l e a s e d with her discovery. S h e had also learned f r o m the king that a f t e r a night and a day had p a s s e d no o n e killed in this f a s h i o n could be b r o u g h t b a c k to life. N o w visitors c a m e to King S o l o m o n f r o m all lands and p e o p l e s to see h i m a n d h e a r his w i s d o m . A m o n g t h e s e w a s the heir to the t h r o n e of E t h i o p i a , w h o s e n a m e w a s Balcassar. H e h a p p e n e d to be w a l k i n g in the streets of J e r u s a l e m , g o i n g a r o u n d to see the p a l a c e s of the k i n g ' s wives,

*1 Kings 11:1.

w h e n he p a s s e d the p a l a c e w h e r e the E t h i o p i a n Barsit lived. S h e w a s s t a n d i n g in her g a r d e n . B a l c a s s a r saw her and w a s smitten. S p e a k i n g to her in his o w n l a n g u a g e , he a s k e d her w h a t c o u n t r y she c a m e f r o m and w h a t tribe she b e l o n g e d to. S h e told h i m about her h o m e l a n d and tribe. H e c o n f i d e d that he w a s heir to the t h r o n e of Ethiopia, a f t e r w h i c h she did h i m the h o n o r of a d m i t t i n g h i m to her palace. H e asked her w h e t h e r s h e w a s h a p p y in J e r u s a l e m . S h e said she w a s e x t r e m e l y happy. But o n e thing did a n n o y her i m m e n s e l y — t h e king visited her only o n c e a year, and s o m e t i m e s only o n c e in t w o years. T h i s w a s very hard f o r her. But as f o r c o m f o r t and everything else, she lacked nothing. "If you h a d a c h a n c e to run a w a y f r o m here, w o u l d you d o it?" he asked " W h o w o u l d d o s o m e t h i n g like t h a t ? " s h e replied. " K i n g S o l o m o n w o u l d never forgive him." "Still, m a y b e you can think of s o m e w a y to escape. I w o u l d marry you then." T h e p r i n c e ' s declaration filled her with joy. "Yes, I d o have an idea," she said. S h e told h i m a b o u t the plants in her g a r d e n and that if t w e n t y - f o u r h o u r s p a s s e d it w a s i m p o s s i b l e to revive the victim. S h e w a s willing to drink the lethal plant and fall into a fatal s w o o n , on condition that he not delay g i v i n g her the e s s e n c e she p r e p a r e d f r o m the a n t i d o t e plant. H e w o u l d have to find her on her bier and burial, since they w o u l d think her d e a d and bury her. But a f t e r she w a s laid to rest he m u s t c o m e secretly, carry her out of the t o m b , and give her s o m e of the elixir to revive her. In this w a y they could run a w a y together, and n o n e the wiser. S o o n the incident w o u l d be f o r g o t t e n . B a l c a s s a r w a s o v e r j o y e d . T h e y fixed a t i m e to carry out their s c h e m e . S h e p r e p a r e d the p o t i o n s and gave t h e m to him. T h e n she p r e t e n d e d to be sick, and sent her m a i d to tell the k i n g that she w a s very ill, on her d e a t h b e d . W o u l d he please visit her b e f o r e she died, f o r her strength w a s failing. T h e king c a m e a n d saw that she w a s g a u n t and a s h e n — s h e had w a s h e d her w h o l e b o d y and f a c e in barley water, to m a k e herself p a l e — a n d stayed in bed, [ s e e m i n g l y ] u n a b l e to m o v e . Early the next m o r n i n g , she d r a n k the p o i s o n d r a f t she had p r e p a r e d and lost c o n s c i o u s n e s s . W h e n her m a i d e n t e r e d she saw her lying there lifeless. At o n c e she sent to tell the king of B a r s i t ' s death. H e sent m e n to

give her a f u n e r a l worthy of her dignity. B a l c a s s a r disguised himself and w a t c h e d the w h o l e p r o c e e d i n g s , w i t h o u t a n y o n e n o t i c i n g h i m . H e observed w h e r e they buried her and hid until evening. L e a v i n g his h i d i n g p l a c e then, he o p e n e d the t o m b and r e m o v e d Barsit. H e o p e n e d her m o u t h and poured into it s o m e of the potion she had p r e p a r e d . S h e o p e n e d her eyes in a s t o n i s h m e n t and asked w h e r e she was. H e told her everything that h a d h a p p e n e d , and then she r e m e m b e r e d . At o n c e she arose and put on the clothes B a l c a s s a r had b r o u g h t her. T h e y m o u n t e d horses and fled, w i t h o u t a n y o n e seeing t h e m . S o m e three years after this affair, the king of Ethiopia died, and his son B a l c a s s a r w a s e n t h r o n e d in his stead. H e hated King S o l o m o n (of blessed m e m o r y ) , out of jealousy. N o w K i n g S o l o m o n used to send a m b a s s a d o r s to every country. To Ethiopia, too, he sent representatives. Q u i t e innocently, the t w o m e n traveled t h r o u g h the city. Passing the k i n g ' s palace, they a d m i r e d its splendor. T h e n they saw the q u e e n . Said o n e to the other, " L o o k at the q u e e n . S h e looks so m u c h like S o l o m o n ' s E t h i o p i a n w i f e Barsit, w h o died." "All Ethiopian w o m e n look alike," the other replied. " N o . T h i s is Barsit herself! L o o k h o w s h e ' s staring at us. I ' m suspicious." T h e y looked m o r e closely and saw that it w a s indeed Barsit. " L e t ' s g o tell our king about this and see what he says. With his wisd o m h e ' l l solve the r i d d l e — p e r h a p s w e ' r e mistaken." So they returned to J e r u s a l e m and told the king what had h a p p e n e d . At once, he sent m e n to c h e c k B a r s i t ' s tomb. T h e y c a m e b a c k and told him there w a s no trace of a c o r p s e there. T h e n the king r e m e m b e r e d a b o u t the plants she had asked him about. H e realized that she had tricked him. T h e a m b a s s a d o r s had not been m i s t a k e n — t h e y had really seen Barsit. T h e n he r e m e m b e r e d that the c r o w n p r i n c e B a l c a s s a r had visited J e r u s a l e m , and that it w a s precisely during his visit that Barsit had "died." So he too m u s t have had s o m e t h i n g to d o with the plot. "I m u s t have my v e n g e a n c e of this a c c u r s e d w o m a n , " he told h i m s e l f , " a s well as of her h u s b a n d the king." S o l o m o n decided that he w o u l d g o to Ethiopia himself to find out how it had c o m e to pass. That night, seating himself on a carpet, he c o m m a n d e d the w i n d s to b e a r him aloft and carry him to Ethiopia. In the m o r n i n g , he went to the k i n g ' s palace. Entering, he w e n t straight to the q u e e n ' s c h a m b e r and k n o c k e d on the door. T h e q u e e n o p e n e d and r e c o g n i z e d him. H e said, " D o you r e c o g n i z e m e ? " " H o w could I not r e c o g n i z e you, since you are King S o l o m o n . "

H e w e n t in and sat d o w n . " H o w did it ever e n t e r y o u r m i n d to run a w a y ? " he asked her. S h e told him e v e r y t h i n g she had d o n e , d e n y i n g nothing. In the m e a n time, she instructed her maid to g o tell her h u s b a n d to c o m e at once, with a s w o r d , since his great e n e m y w a s in the h o u s e . S h e spoke to the maid in her native l a n g u a g e , t h i n k i n g that K i n g S o l o m o n did not u n d e r s t a n d it. King B a l c a s s a r c a m e at once. W h e n she heard his f o o t s t e p s she said to S o l o m o n , " Q u i c k , I'll hide you in the closet. O t h e r w i s e he'll see you and kill you." "As you wish," he said. So she hid h i m in the closet. B a l c a s s a r entered. " C a n you guess," she said, " w h o is here with u s ? " " H o w should I k n o w ? " " T h e m a n you hate m o s t of all is in y o u r p o w e r ! O p e n the closet, and y o u ' l l see h i m . " H e o p e n e d the closet and saw King S o l o m o n himself standing there, not m o v i n g f r o m his place, not a f r a i d . " G e t out of the closet," B a l c a s s a r c o m m a n d e d . " W h a t brought you h e r e ? " S o l o m o n a n s w e r e d quietly, "I c a m e to see the t w o of you. Is this how you p e o p l e receive g u e s t s ? " " P e o p l e d o n ' t c o m e w i t h o u t telling us in a d v a n c e that t h e y ' r e c o m ing!" "I c a m e to see with my o w n eyes w h a t my a m b a s s a d o r s told m e a b o u t m y w i f e Barsit, w h o is here and s e e m s to be still very m u c h a m o n g the living. W h a t is m o r e , s h e is the w i f e of the king of E t h i o p i a ! W h o ever heard of such a t h i n g ? " " D o you have any o t h e r q u e s t i o n s ? Your last hour is at h a n d ! " " W h a t will you have to boast a b o u t a f t e r that? You'll say you killed m e — w h o will believe y o u ? W h a t you s h o u l d d o is have it a n n o u n c e d t h r o u g h o u t y o u r k i n g d o m that in three d a y s ' t i m e you will e x e c u t e King S o l o m o n and that e v e r y o n e m u s t c o m e and w i t n e s s the e x e c u t i o n . T h e n all will believe you and y o u r r e p u t a t i o n will m o u n t in their eyes. You'll have the glory of h a v i n g c a p t u r e d m e and w o r k e d y o u r will on me." At o n c e B a l c a s s a r c l a p p e d his h a n d s . T w o of his slaves entered. "Put this m a n in chains," he said, " a n d throw him into the d u n g e o n . G u a r d him c l o s e l y — y o u ' r e p e r s o n a l l y r e s p o n s i b l e f o r him and will pay with y o u r lives if he e s c a p e s . K n o w that this is n o o r d i n a r y man in f r o n t of you, but S o l o m o n , king of Israel!" T h e slaves b o w e d low a n d did as their k i n g had b i d d e n . T h e n K i n g

B a l c a s s a r p u b l i s h e d notices to this e f f e c t : "All w h o love their king and p e o p l e m u s t c o m e in three d a y s t i m e to the city park to watch the h a n g i n g of K i n g S o l o m o n , w h o h a s b e e n c a p t u r e d a n d is i m p r i s o n e d in m y dungeon" E v e r y b o d y c a m e , f r o m f a r and near. N o o n e w a s absent. T h e y all s t r e a m e d in to see this f e a r f u l spectacle. T h e king sent to ask King S o l o m o n w h a t his last wish was, since acc o r d i n g to the law the c o n d e m n e d could have his last wish fulfilled. K i n g S o l o m o n said, " M y r e q u e s t is that they lay d o w n a c a r p e t and place a table and three chairs next to the gallows. Let t h e m prepare for us the f o o d that I l i k e — t h e q u e e n k n o w s w h a t that is. T h e three of u s — t h e king, the q u e e n , and I — w i l l d i n e there together. A f t e r w a r d you can d o with m e as you wish." King Balcassar m a d e haste to fill King S o l o m o n ' s wish and had everyt h i n g p r e p a r e d . T h o u s a n d s and tens of t h o u s a n d s w e r e w a i t i n g e x p e c tantly f o r the arrival of the king and q u e e n . W h e n they arrived, all the p e o p l e c h e e r e d t h e m and rejoiced. F r o m the o t h e r side, Ethiopian soldiers b r o u g h t K i n g S o l o m o n , loaded with c h a i n s so he c o u l d not run away. T h e p e o p l e c h e e r e d even louder, seeing the king of Israel led captive by their soldiers. W h e n they r e a c h e d the a p p o i n t e d place, the three of t h e m sat d o w n at the table, w h i c h had b e e n set in a d v a n c e . T h e g u a r d s r e m o v e d the priso n e r ' s c h a i n s and f o o d w a s served to the three of t h e m . B e f o r e they h a d a c h a n c e to start eating, K i n g S o l o m o n c o m m a n d e d the w i n d s to b e a r the carpet aloft. W h e n it rose f r o m the g r o u n d , e v e r y o n e w a s s t u n n e d — W h a t had h a p p e n e d ? T h e king and q u e e n began to squeal and yell. All the p e o p l e saw this w o n d e r — t h e carpet flying away with the king a n d q u e e n and K i n g S o l o m o n seated on it. But there w a s n o t h i n g they could d o to help. T h e n Q u e e n Barsit u n d e r s t o o d that they had fallen into a trap f r o m w h i c h she c o u l d not escape. S h e b e g g e d King S o l o m o n to forgive her. S h e h a d acted as she had only to test him and o b s e r v e his w i s d o m and power. S h e w a s panic-stricken and f e a r e d f o r her life. Balcassar, too, u n d e r s t o o d that the g a m e w a s up. H e p l e a d e d with the king not to h a r m t h e m , since the king of Israel is g r a c i o u s and m e r c i f u l . "I p r o m i s e I will not d o a n y t h i n g to you until w e reach our d e s t i n a tion," replied K i n g S o l o m o n . " B u t the j u d g e s ' verdict will be executed." A n d so it was. T h e y reached J e r u s a l e m and d e s c e n d e d straight into the k i n g ' s palace, w h e r e the k i n g ' s s o l d i e r s s u r r o u n d e d t h e m . H e o r d e r e d

t h e m to seize the t w o E t h i o p i a n s and i m p r i s o n t h e m separately, until their j u d g m e n t had b e e n r e n d e r e d . T h e next day, they w e r e b r o u g h t b e f o r e the j u d g e s . King S o l o m o n rec o u n t e d the w r o n g they had d o n e and h o w they had p l a n n e d to kill h i m . T h e j u d g e s ' verdict w a s death. B u t they g r a n t e d K i n g S o l o m o n the right to e x e c u t e the s e n t e n c e in w h a t e v e r f a s h i o n h e c h o s e . At once, he o r d e r e d t w o o f f i c e r s to tie the prisoners to the tails of their horses and to drag t h e m until not a single b o n e of their b o d i e s r e m a i n e d w h o l e . T h e o f f i c e r s did as the king c o m m a n d e d . T h e y tied the m i s c r e a n t s to their h o r s e s a n d d r a g g e d t h e m b e h i n d t h e m w h i l e they g a l l o p e d u p the m o u n t a i n s a n d d o w n the valleys, until not a single b o n e w a s l e f t intact. T h e i r b o d i e s had b e e n p o u n d e d into tiny bits a n d nothing c o u l d be f o u n d . T h u s w e r e the traitors e r a s e d f r o m u n d e r the H e a v e n s — s o m a y all y o u r e n e m i e s perish, Ο Lord.*

*Judges 5:31.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 4 (IFA

2666)

Nissim Abud of Turkey told this story in I960 in Jerusalem to Re 'uven Ν a 'anah. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background Early Sources The Hebrew Bible mentions that King Solomon "had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3), many of whom were foreign women . . . from the nations of which the Lord had said to the Israelites, 'None of you shall join them and none of them shall join you, lest they will turn your heart away to follow their gods' " (1 Kings 11:1-2). In the ancient, rabbinical, and medieval oral traditions, stories about the unfaithfulness of the sexually deprived women in Solomon's harem circulated in Israelite and later Jewish societies; however, the scribes and the Rabbis did not record them in either the Holy Scriptures or in the talmudic-midrashic literature. In these texts, the scribes preserved Solomon's image as a wise and clever judge, a powerful magician, and a romantic lover—never questioning or ridiculing his control over his women. Furthermore, these stories do not appear in medieval Jewish literature. 1 The only condemnation of Solomon's extreme polygamous relations, in clear violation of the norms set for a king (Deuteronomy 17:17), occurred in terms of aggadic principles, which follow the poetics of myth, condensing opposites into a single unit of time. For example, the talmudic rabbis considered Solomon's marriage of Pharaoh's daughter as a primordial sin that decided the nation's destiny. According to MR Leviticus ( 12:5) and MR Numbers (10:4), the consecration of the Temple and Solomon's marriage of the Egyptian princess occurred on the same day. Furthermore, because of his marriage, Solomon overslept the next morning and caused a delay in the service, an act that ultimately brought about the Temple's destruction. 2 The rabbis censored Solomon for marrying many foreign women (BT Shabbat 56b), but they did not ridicule him. Therefore, the present tale reveals a narrative strain that was absent from written Jewish traditions but that apparently circulated orally.

Similarities to Other IFA Tales In addition to the present version of the tale, there are three other versions in the IFA: two from Arabic-speaking countries and one from another Near Eastern culture: • • •

IFA 6720: King Solomon and the Woman He Loved (Egypt). IFA 11208: King Solomon, His Wife, and the Sultan (Iraq). IFA 12053: King Solomon and Queen Hasina (Kurdistan). 3

Other Sources The occurrence of the present tale in the oral traditions of Sephardic and Near Eastern Jewish societies offers a unique example of the persistence of the oral transmission of a legend within cultures of widespread literacy and in which popular traditions have been committed to writing. Absent from Jewish sources, the tale's only documented parallels are from the twelfth-century German Spielmannsepik, the French medieval romances, and the fifteenth-century Russian Bylini. There are two possible explanations for this discrepancy. First, there could have been an Eastern root to the European traditions. In this case, the oral tales that Israeli folklorists have recorded since the 1960s preserve much older traditions that were current for hundreds of years in the Near East and thus influenced European tales. Although the tales circulated among Jewish societies, the writers and scribes, who adhered to normative Jewish values and loftier images of the builder of the Temple, censured the less-flattering stories from the written documents. A second possibility reverses the geographical direction of the narrative's diffusion, postulating that the thematic sequence of this story might have its root in medieval European societies and thus entered Jewish traditions only after the Middle Ages. An allusion to this story occurs in Cligès (written c. 1176), a romance by Chrétien de Troyes (c. 1135-c. 1191). Faced with the apparently dead body of Fanice: The Doctors thought of Solomon: such hate his wife exhibited she tricked him by appearing dead. This lady might have done the same. 4 Apparently this tale was well known at the end of the twelfth century. An allusion to it occurs as a fully developed thematic sequence in the Middle High German Spielmannsepik "Salman und Morolf." Its basic story line is similar to that of the present tale. The favorite wife of King Solomon cuckolded him, feigned death, revived, and went to the court of another king. She was discovered by the king's friend or a messenger and was either brought back or punished by Solomon. Spielmannsepik dates back to the twelfth century, but the extant manuscripts are from the fifteenth century. Selected studies and texts of this poem are available, 5 as are surveys of scholarship. 6 The tale Salman und Morolf appears to have been related, if not in actions at least in characters, to the Latin dialogue Salomonis et Marcolfi, which likely was known by the tenth century, and the German epigrammatic poem Salomon und Markolf, most likely written in the fourteenth century in the Mosel region. This last is a sequence of up to 150 propositions or questions that Solomon poses and to which his opponent, Markolf, responds, often with absurd literalness.

The similarity between the names " M a r k o l f ' and "Morolf" occasionally resuited in the assumption that these two individuals were the same person. However, they do have distinct roles and characteristics in their respective stories. A critical edition of the Latin text is available, 7 as is a translation of the German and a translation of the seventh through tenth dialogues between Salomon and Saturn (in Old English). 8 Analogous narratives to the Solomon and Morolf stories were known in Russia, at least since the fifteenth century. In these tales, Solomon's rival was a demonic, sometime monstrous figure named Kitovras. 9 Starting with Kemble 10 and continuing with Wesselofsky," scholars searched for the roots of these European narratives in Eastern traditional literature, partieularly in the Solomonic legend cycles that were recorded in the Bible, talmudicmidrashic sources, and medieval literature. The exchanges of riddles with the queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:1-13), further tales of their erotic relationship, and stories of combats in magic between Solomon and Ashmedai 12 have been proposed as the source of the medieval Solomon tales. Indeed, the early Solomon traditions offer a general narrative background that could have fostered the medieval European references to and tales about the cuckolded Solomon, but the present tale and its analogues in the IFA offer, for the first time, evidence for their existence in Jewish Near Eastern and Mediterranean traditions. Further studies have been conducted. 13

The Magic Carpet King Solomon's magical flying carpet does not appear in the narrative cycles about him that are in the Hebrew Bible or in the early talmudic-midrashic literature. Its first description is in Ma'aseh ha-Nemala (The story of an ant), 14 which was appended to a manuscript of Midrash va-Yosha, a late midrash from the eleventh century that was included in Codex di Rossi 473, which was copied at the end of the fifteenth century. The midrash was also printed in Constantinople in 1519. According to the description in Ma'aseh ha-Nemala, "God gave him to sit on a large garment made of green silk woven with good gold and on which there were all kinds of designs. It was sixty miles in length and sixty miles in w i d t h . . . . He did not travel but by the wind [that carried the garment]." In Islamic legends, Solomon had a magic carpet of green silk 15 and was able to command the wind (Sura 38, 35). 16 This motif is mentioned in the Arabian Nights cycle, 17 and there is a rich bibliography about magical transportation in international popular literature. 18

Resuscitation Motif E105 ("Resuscitation by herbs [leaves]"), which is essential to the plot of this tale, occurs both in Jewish and non-Jewish traditions in two narrative contexts: an animal fable and a romantic tale. The animal fable—tale type 460*C

(IFA) "The Fortune of the Greatest Fool"—is about a man who discovers a magical herb that resuscitates the dead. He tests it on a dead lion that revives and then devours him. 19 The romantic tale is tale type 612 "The Three Snake-Leaves." In Jewish sources, the magic is reversed, and the snake produces poison instead of the resuscitating herb. 20 The Brothers Grimm 21 included a composite text in their collection of tales.

Folktale Types • • •

cf. 885A "The Seemingly Dead." cf. 885A "Woman Feigns Death" (new ed.). *905 (Andreev) "Solomon and His Unfaithful Wife." 905 ‫״‬ (Jason) "Solomon and His Unfaithful Wife." • 920 (Barag) "King Solomon and His Unfaithful Wife." • 4462 (Tubach) "Solomon and Marcolf."

Folklore Motifs • D965 "Magic plant." • D1155 "Magic carpet." • D1338.2 "Rejuvenation by plant." • D1364.31 "Plant produces sleep." • D1391 "Magic object saves person from execution." ‫ ״‬D 1402.1 "Magic plant kills." • D1520.19 "Magic transportation by carpet." • D1711.1 "Solomon as master of magicians." • D1810.0.10 "Magic knowledge (wisdom) of Solomon." • D2165 "Escapes by magic." • D2165.1 "Escape by flying through the air." • E64 "Leaves of life and death." • Ε105 "Resuscitation by herbs (leaves)." • F963.1 "Wind serves Solomon as horse and carries him everywhere." • H540.2 "Queen propounds riddles." • H561.3.1 "King Solomon as master riddle-solver." • J1181 "Execution escaped by use of special permissions granted the condemned." • K522.0.1 "Death feigned to escape unwelcome marriage." • Κ1501.1 "Solomon as cuckold." • K1510 "Adulteress outwits husband." • cf. Κ1510.2 "Wife of philanderer gets revenge by having an affair herself." ‫ ״‬Κ1538 "Death feigned to meet paramour." ‫ ״‬Κ 1550.1 "Husband discovers wife's adultery." • Κ1561 "The husband meets the paramour in the wife's place."

Κ 1 8 6 0 " D e c e p t i o n by f e i g n e d d e a t h (sleep)." Κ 1 8 6 2 " D e a t h f e i g n e d to m e e t lover." K 2 2 1 3 . 3 " F a i t h l e s s w i f e plots with p a r a m o u r against h u s b a n d ' s life." Q241 "Adultery punished." Q 4 1 1 . 0 . 1 " H u s b a n d kills r e t u r n i n g adulteress." Q 4 1 1 . 0 . 2 " H u s b a n d kills w i f e and p a r a m o u r . " T 3 7 " L o v e r f i n d s lady in t o m b a p p a r e n t l y d e a d . " T 2 3 0 " F a i t h l e s s n e s s in m a r r i a g e . " cf. T 2 5 7 . 7 . 1 " W i f e r e p a y s h u s b a n d ' s s u p p o s e d a d u l t e r y by d o i n g likewise." T271 "The neglected wife." T 4 8 1 "Adultery." cf. Τ 1 5 1 0 . 2 " W i f e of p h i l a n d e r e r gets r e v e n g e by having an affair herself."

Notes 1. As surveyed in Dishon, "The Unfaithful Wife and Her Lover." 2. See also Ginzberg, The Legends of the Jews, 4:128-129,6:280-281. 3. Published in Shenhar and Bar-Itzhak, Sippurei 'am me-Bet-She 'an (Folktales from Bet She'an), 112-121 no. 14. 4. Troyes, Cligès, 170; lines 5802-5805; see also McCracken, The Romance of Adultery, 44. 5. Curschmann, "Spielmannsepik," 19-25, 81-83, 97-102; Curschmann, "Salman und Morolf'; Karnein, Salman und Morolf; and Magedanz, "Salman und Morolf" Karnein's edition supersedes the classical study by Vogt, Die deutschen Dichtungen von Salomon und Markolf 6. Schröder, Spielmannsepik, 69-80; J. Schultz, "Solomon and Marcolf"; and S. Singer, "Salomosagen in Deutschland." 7. Benary, Salomon et Marcolfus; Hartmann, Salomon und Markolf; and Curschmann, "Dialogus Salomonis et Marcolfi." For an extensive bibliography, see J. Schultz, op. cit., 369-370. 8. Kemble, The Dialogue of Salomon and Saturnus (extensive bibliography); and Cross and Hill, The Prose Solomon and Saturn and Adrian and Ritheus. 9. Wesselofsky, "Neue Beiträge zur Geschichte der Salomonssage"; Mazon, "Le centaure de la légende vieux-Russe de Salomon et Kitovras"·, and Lur'e, "Une légende inconnue de Salomon et Kitovras." 10. Op. cit. 11. Op. cit. 12. Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 3 9 4 4 no. 25, 49-51 no. 28 ( 1990 ed.). 13. Bose, "From Exegesis to Appropriation"; Seymour, Tales of King Solomon, 165-167; Wesselski, Märchen des Mittelalters, 197-199 no. 8 (Salomos untreue Gattin); S. Thompson, The Folktale, 266; and J. Dunlop, History of Prose Fiction, 1:458, 2:308-313,637-638. 14. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch, 5:22-26; and Eisenstein, Ozar Midrashim, 2:534-536. See also Bin Gorion, op. cit., 4 5 4 8 no. 27; Ginzberg, op. cit., 4:162-165, 6:298; and Seymour, op. cit., 80-94.

15. Walker and Fenton, "Sulayman b. Dawud"; and G. Weil, The Bible, the Koran, and the Talmud, 184-187. 16. Salzberger, Die Salomo-Sage in der Semitischen Literatur, 88-91. 17. R. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, 3:266-268, esp. 267 n.2. 18. Chauvin, Bibliographie des ouvrages Arabes, 5:221-231 no. 130. 19. For comparative bibliographical references, see Bin Gorion, op. cit., 453-454 no. 243 (1990 ed.); and Schwarzbaum, The Mishle Shu'alim (Fox Fables), 547 no. 116 n. 5. 20. Bin Gorion, op. cit., 59-60 no. 34 (1990 ed.). 21. The Complete Fairy Tales, 6 4 - 6 7 no. 16. For comparative references, see Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-u: Hausemärchen, 1:126-131 no. 16; Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:35-36 no. 16; and Brednich, "Lebensjahre."

The Miser Mohel and the Demon T O L D

BY

R A C H E L

A L B U K H E R

TO

H A Y I T

M A T R A S

/ here was a mohel* w h o was very pious. But as f o r charity? H e would not give even a grush.** W h a t was he willing to do? Only circumcision. Wherever there was a circumcision, there he was. And God loved this man a lot. It h a p p e n e d that a w o m a n delivered a baby boy. Immediately, a being c a m e f r o m below w h o looked like a person. He said [to the mohel], "Hello." "Hello." " M y w i f e delivered a baby boy. C o m e , p e r f o r m his circumcision." "Very well." T h e y took a bus. T h e y arrived at s o m e place, and then walked and walked. T h e mohel said to him, " W h e r e are you taking m e ? " " B e quiet. D o n ' t talk." They entered a beautiful h o m e . So many d i a m o n d s ! So much gold! So much silver! T h e mohel said, " W h e r e is t h e f a r i d a l * I want to p e r f o r m the circumcision." H e said, "Just a minute." T h e mohel entered, and t h e f a r i d a was in bed. H e said to her, "Hello." "Hello." She said, " L o o k , they took me. I am h u m a n like you are. T h e d e m o n took me, and I did not know. I ate here, and I had a good time here. This baby boy was born to a d e m o n . I beg you," she said, "I like you. D o n ' t eat anything, d o n ' t drink, no water, not anything. W h y should you remain h e r e ? " T h e poor mohel. H e p e r f o r m e d the circumcision for this w o m a n ' s son, and afterward they brought him wine. H e said, "I am observing a fast in m e m o r y of my father. Today I cannot drink water, eat cakes, anything."

*One who does circumcisions. " A small unit of money, similar to a penny. 5 The woman who had just given birth.

" G o o d , c o m e and see how m u c h gold I have. So, take s o m e gold." T h e mohel f o l l o w e d him, pleased. Now, there w a s a chain of keys, small and large, many, m a n y of t h e m . T h e mohel said, " W h a t is t h i s ? " T h e d e m o n said, " T h i s is y o u r key, b e c a u s e you d o n ' t give to charity." T h e m o h e l said, " G i v e m e the key." T h e d e m o n said, "You are not going to take anything, no keys, nothing." T h e m o h e l said, "Well, I p e r f o r m e d a c i r c u m c i s i o n here and I did not take any money. T h i s is m y key. Give it back to me." T h e d e m o n felt sorry f o r h i m and gave h i m the key. T h e mohel returned h o m e and said, " F r o m now on I'll o p e n m y h a n d s to charity and p e r f o r m d e e d s of loving k i n d n e s s . "

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 5 (IFA Hagit Matras

recorded

Jerusalem

1971.'

in

the narrative

performance

9182) of Rachel Albukher

in

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This is a very popular tale whose versions are available orally and in print. They occur in two primary forms: In the first, told mostly by men, the mortal helper to the demons is a circumciser (form 1), whereas in the second, told mostly by women, she is a midwife (form 2). In the non-Jewish European versions, the helper is a midwife who is called by a demon to assist his mortal wife who is giving birth. A Jewish version about a mohel (circumciser) who functions as the mortal in the land of the fairies is known. 2 References to legends about a human midwife to the fairies are available. 3 The Brothers Grimm recorded such a tale from Dortchen Wild, who later married Wilhelm Grimm. 4 The earliest written record of this tale in a European language appears in Otia Imperialia by Gervase of Tilbury (c. 1152-c. 1220). 5 Further discussions of beliefs in and narrative cycles about the relations between mortals and fairies are available. 6 The earliest printed texts of form 1 tales in Jewish tradition appeared in Zevi Hirsch Koidonover's Sefer Καν ha-Yashar (The book of the straight line) ( 1705). 7 This was a very popular ethical book of which Friedberg 8 listed thirty-three editions. A Yiddish translation appeared in Frankfort am Main in 1709, and a JudeoSpanish translation was known in Constantinople in 1724. Jellinek 9 printed the Καν ha-Yashar, which has been translated. 10 The work was not, however, translated into any variety of Judeo-Arabic. Form 1, in which a circumciser is called to the abode of the demons, is popular in the oral traditions of European countries; whereas form 2, involving a midwife, occurs mostly in the oral traditions of Islamic countries. Both forms are known in Sephardic and in central Asian Jewish communities. The occurrence of form 1 in Καν ha-Yashar may partially explain this distribution pattern; however, it is not a sufficient explanation because apparently Koidonover himself drew on the oral tradition, which could have continued independently. Furthermore, the geographical division of the forms may actually reflect a gender distribution, because most of the narrators of form 1 are men and those of form 2 are women. Published versions and discussions of the tale in Islamic countries are available. 11 Haboucha 12 recalled a version her Iraqi-born grandmother used to tell as a factual event. Such tales confirm the belief in harmful supernatural creatures among the Jews in Kurdistan. 13 Brauer 14 noted that "some midwives are themselves suspected of practicing witchcraft." Compare this observation with the description of the midwife's position in medieval European societies, as outlined by Forbes (discussed below). 15

Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Similar tales in the IFA from Islamic countries are the following. All these tales are of form 2. • • • • • • • • • • • •

IFA 279: The Reward of a Midwife (Iraqi Kurdistan). 16 IFA 1 145: The Woman Who Helped a Demon Deliver (Yemen). 17 IFA 4564: The Midwife's Reward (Turkish Kurdistan). 18 IFA 8902: The Demon in a Cat Form (Morocco). IFA 8997: Simhah Daya the Midwife (Syria). 19 IFA 11339: The Midwife of the Demons (Iraq). IFA 12386: How Did Grandmother Help the Queen of the Demons to Give Birth (Morocco). IFA 13676: The Midwife of the Demons (Yemen). IFA 16468 (vol. 5): A Golden Leaf Protects the Newborn (Iraqi Kurdistan). IFA 16477 (vol. 5): The Midwife of the Demons (Iraqi Kurdistan). IFA 16667: The Demon and the Rabbi's Wife's Shawl (Syria). IFA 20412: The Midwife and the Demons (Iraqi Kurdistan).

Grunwald 2 0 published texts and studies of a similar tale in the Sephardic tradition. In that narrative, the midwife herself is a witch ( b r u j a ) , and the reward of gold that she receives transforms into onion skins on her return home from the demonic world. Similar tales in the IFA from Sephardic communities are the following: ‫״‬ • ‫״‬

IFA 9246: The Keys (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); 21 form = 1. IFA 10097: The Circumciser and His Bunch of Keys (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); 22 form = 1. IFA 14732: The Sword and the Onion Skins (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); form = 2.

Similar tales in the IFA from central Asian communities are the following: • ‫״‬ • • •

IFA 5151: The Demons Return the Treasure Key to the Miser (Afghanistan); 2 3 form = 1 IFA 8140: The Midwife and the Demons (Bukhara); form = 2. IFA 11898: The Rich Circumciser (Bukhara); form = 1. IFA 12758: The Man Who Does Not Have a Key to the Treasury (Iran); form = 1. IFA 18928: The Devil's Luck (Bukhara); form = 2.

Similar tales in the IFA from eastern European countries are the following. All of these tales are of form 1. • •

IFA 12044: The Story of a Miser (Russia). IFA 14101: The Miser Who Receives the Keys for Ashmadai (Poland).

His Wealth

from

• • • •

IFA 15303: IFA 18158: IFA 18832: IFA 20717:

The The The The

Keys Room (Romania). Miser's Keys (Poland). Little Weaver and the Miser Circumciser (Czechoslovakia). Girl Whom the Demons Kidnapped (Romania).

Midwives and Witches The association between midwives and witches existed in the social history of the birthing profession from the Middle Ages through the middle of the seventeenth century. According to Forbes, 24 the social position of the midwife was very low, and the fees for their services were miserable: "in Bavaria, these women were looked down on even by the barber, the knocker, and the executioner." 2 '' Because medically they were rather ignorant and in their practice resorted to superstitious acts that were associated with witchcraft, midwives were subject to accusations of sorcery. In the eastern counties of England, there was a recurring tale of the midwife who reached a confinement in an impossibly short time and hinted that a broomstick was responsible. If a midwife had to be called at night, two women went together. Should one be obliged to make the perilous trip alone, she carried two loaves of bread so that the devil would not cause her to lose her way. German midwives who traveled to their patients at night in an area near Carlsbad were escorted by men with lanterns as a precaution against a meeting with a witch. 26

Folktale Types • • • . • • •

Cf. 156B* "Woman as Snake's Midwife." Cf. 156B* "The Grateful Snake" (new ed.). 476** "Midwife in the Underworld" (new ed.). 476*‫*־‬A (IFA) "Midwife to Demons (Stingy Circumciser)." 476*‫( *־‬IFA) (Haboucha) "A Midwife to the demons." 476* (Jason) "In the Frog's House." 5070 (Christiansen) "Midwife to the Fairies."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • •

C211.1 "Tabu: eating in fairyland." C262 "Tabu: drinking in other world." C953 "Person must remain in other world because of broken tabu." F81.3 "Journey to hell to circumcise child." cf. F330 "Grateful fairies." cf. F333 "Fairy grateful to human midwife." F340 "Gifts from fairies." cf. F372.1 "Fairies take human midwife to attend fairy woman."

• • • • • •

F375 "Mortals as captives in fairyland." F400 "Spirits and demons (general)." G302 "Demons." T539.3 "Conception from intercourse with demon." V82 "Circumcision." W153 "Miserliness." Notes

1. Published in D. Noy, A Tale for Each Month 1971,42-13 no. 7. 2. Hartland, The Science of Fairy Tales, 37-92; esp. 41 (quoting, among others, Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, 506-510). 3. Briggs, A Dictionary of Fairies, 296-298; Briggs, A Dictionary of British FolkTales, Β1:235-236, 238,272-274, 303, 310-311, 324-325; Briggs, The Fairies in English Tradition and Literature, 115-22; and Briggs, The Vanishing People, 93-103. See also Briggs and Tongue, Folktales of England, 38-39 no. 11 (bibliographical headnote). 4. Zipes, The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, 152 no. 39 (second tale); Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-u: Hausemärchen, 1:366-367; Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:82-83; Dégh, Folktales and Society, 334-335 η. 84; and Dégh, Folktales of Hungary, 296-299 no. 71. 5. Grier, "The Otia tmperialia of Gervase of Tilbury," 1:208-212, 2:21-24. 6. Pocs, Fairies and Witches at the Boundary of South-Eastern and Central Europe; Narváez, The Good People; and S. Thompson, The Folktale, 246-253. 7. Also spelled Kaidanover; see chapter 25. 8. Bet Eked Sepharim, 3:882 no. 26. 9. Bet ha-Midrasch, 6:143—16 no. 14. 10. Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 4 2 1 - 1 2 2 no. 216 (1990 ed.); Farhi, Oseh Pele (The miracle worker), 3:320-323; Iraqie, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot, 67a-68b no. 94; BenYehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 4:33-37; and Eisenstein, Ozar Midrashim, 2:338-339. 11. Hanauer, Folklore of the Holy Land, 209-213 (Palestinian Arabs, form 2). 12. Types and Motifs, 130. 13. Y. Sabar, "Ha-Emunah be-Shedim uve-Mazzikin Etzel Yehudei Kurdistan" (The belief in demons among the Jews of Kurdistan); Y. Sabar, The Folk Literature of the Kurdistani Jews, 190-192 no. 25 (includes notes of comparative textual analysis of tales IFA 279 and IFA 4564); and Brauer, The Jews of Kurdistan, 153-154. 14. Op. cit., 154. 15. The Midwife and the Witch. 16. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 24-27 no. 12. 17. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzählt, 79-81 no. 23. 18. Baharav, Sixty Folktales, 213-215 no. 48; and D. Noy, The Jewish Animal Tale of Oral Tradition, 76-78 no. 29. 19. Rabbi, Avoteinu Sipru (Our fathers told), 3:40-42 no. 16. 20. Grunwald, Tales, Songs and Folkways of Sephardic Jews, 83-84 no. 59 (Sephardic, form 2), and "Spaniolic-Jewish Folktales and Their Motifs," 232, 308 no. 20. 21. Rabbi, op. cit., 3:68-71 no. 28. 22. Attias, The Golden Feather, 107-110 no. 10.

23. Kort, Sippurei 'Am mi-Pi Afghanistan), 85-84. 24. Op. cit., 112-132. 25. Forbes, op. cit., 113. 26. Forbes, op. cit., 117-118.

Yehudei Afghanistan

(Folktales of the Jews of

The Miraculous Circumcision TOLD

BY

MIRIAM

M I Z R A H I

TO

M O S H E

ATTIAS

C / n c e there w e r e t w o Jewish brothers. G o d had blessed o n e of t h e m with wealth but had not given him any sons. H e had many d a u g h t e r s but not a single son. His brother, on the o t h e r h a n d , w a s p o o r and toiled long and hard to support his w i f e and his children. But G o d had blessed him with sons: E v e r y year, his w i f e p r e s e n t e d him with a n o t h e r boy. T h e rich b r o t h e r ' s w i f e w a s bursting with envy: Her sister-in-law had so m a n y sons, a n d she not even one. T h e n the t w o w o m e n w e r e pregnant again and their time a p p r o a c h e d . Sure e n o u g h , the rich m a n ' s w i f e had yet a n o t h e r daughter, while the poor b r o t h e r ' s w i f e gave birth to a b e a u t i f u l b a b y boy. J e a l o u s y g n a w e d at her sister-in-law. S h e n a g g e d her h u s b a n d , w h o w a s the only mohel* in town, not to c i r c u m c i s e his nephew. Her h u s b a n d tried to explain that that w a s out of the q u e s t i o n , but finally he g a v e in to her d e m a n d s and told his brother that he could not c i r c u m c i s e the child. So the next day, the f a t h e r of the boy got u p early and w a s h e d and said his prayers. T h e n he asked his w i f e to s w a d d l e the baby well. He w r a p p e d the child up securely, placed the b u n d l e on his back, a n d set off f o r the next town, to have his son c i r c u m c i s e d there. T h e j o u r n e y w a s difficult and tiring. T h e f a t h e r c l i m b e d the hills, j u m p e d f r o m rock to rock, d e s c e n d e d t h r o u g h v a l l e y s — a n d still the town w a s far away. A n d the w h o l e time the baby w a s on his back. Suddenly, he heard a voice: " M i n y a n ! M i n y a n ! We need a tenth man f o r a m i n y a n ! " T h e m a n r e j o i c e d , since this m e a n t he w a s close to a J e w i s h village. H e g a t h e r e d up his strength, f o l l o w e d the s o u n d of the voice, and reached a s y n a g o g u e full of light. C r o s s i n g the threshold, he saw a long row of old J e w s , sitting and waiting, each with a long w h i t e beard that r e a c h e d d o w n to his chest. Received cordially, the m a n went over to o n e of the tables, set the child d o w n , w r a p p e d himself up in his tallit ', and j o i n e d the m i n y a n .

*One who does circumcisions. "Prayer shawl.

W h e n the service w a s over, a tall and h a n d s o m e elder with sparkling eyes w e n t over to the s w a d d l e d baby, o p e n e d the w r a p p i n g s , and lifted the child in his a r m s . H e w a s the t o w n mohel; and w h i l e the w o r s h i p e r s sang, he c i r c u m c i s e d the child. T h e f a t h e r rejoiced and t h a n k e d G o d W h o had helped h i m fulfill the c o m m a n d m e n t . C a r e f u l l y w r a p p i n g the child up again, he bid f a r e w e l l to the w o r s h i p e r s and the mohel and set out f o r home. T h i s time, his j o u r n e y w a s short. R e a c h i n g his house, he told his w i f e w h a t had h a p p e n e d . T h e y rejoiced together. His w i f e took the b a b y f r o m him and p l a c e d it on a table to c h a n g e its s w a d d l i n g clothes. W h e n she undid the diaper, it w a s full of gold ducats! T h e c o u p l e gathered t h e m up and t h a n k e d G o d for the w o n d e r s and miracles that H e alone performs.* W h e n the m o t h e r c h a n g e d her b a b y t w o h o u r s later, the d i a p e r w a s again full of gold ducats. T h e p a r e n t s ' j o y w a s great. T h e w o m a n tried to p e r s u a d e her h u s b a n d that the elderly mohel w a s no o r d i n a r y mohel, but Elijah the P r o p h e t h i m s e l f . Y e s t e r d a y ' s p o o r m a n soon b e c a m e wealthy, f o r every t i m e the parents c h a n g e d their s o n ' s diaper, they f o u n d h a n d f u l s of gold ducats. T h e c o u p l e b o u g h t a large h o u s e , filled it with m a n y fine objects, and lived in c o m f o r t and plenty. W h e n the sister-in-law h e a r d of this, she w a s c o n s u m e d by j e a l o u s y : N o w her sister-in-law had both s o n s and w e a l t h ! S h e c o u l d not believe that the b a b y ' s d i a p e r w a s full of gold d u c a t s every t i m e they c h a n g e d h i m , and s u s p e c t e d that her brother- a n d sister-in-law w e r e m i x e d up in theft and robbery. T h a t very day, burglars b r o k e into the k i n g ' s palace and m a d e off with his treasure. T h e w h o l e city w a s buzzing with the news. T h e rich b r o t h e r ' s w i f e w e n t to the palace. A n n o u n c i n g that she k n e w the identity of the robbers, she r e c o u n t e d the story of her brother- and sister-in-law's n e w f o u n d wealth. T h e k i n g ' s agents w e n t to the b r o t h e r ' s h o u s e to investigate. T h e y did not believe the tale and d e m a n d e d p r o o f . T h e c o u p l e took the agents into the b a b y ' s r o o m , undid his diaper, a n d s h o w e d t h e m that it w a s full of gold coins. T h e n they rediapered the child. W h e n they o p e n e d the diaper a s e c o n d time, the k i n g ' s m e n realized that the c o u p l e w a s honest, f o r o n c e again [the diaper] w a s full of gold ducats.

'Psalms 136:4.

T h e y too declared: " B l e s s e d Be H e and Praised Be His n a m e , W h o w o r k s such w o n d e r s . " T h e k i n g ' s agents left the h o u s e and reported their f i n d i n g s to the king. T h e i n f o r m e r w a s arrested and t h r o w n into prison, while the Jew and his w i f e , no longer poor, thanked G o d f o r the miracle that had been w r o u g h t f o r them. T h e y lived in prosperity and joy, they and their children, all their days.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 6 ( I F A Told by Miriam

Mizrahi

to Moshe Attias

10087)

in 1961 in

Jerusalem.1

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This tale combines three folklore themes. The first, the two brothers, is common in the oral literature of many peoples, whereas the other two—a tenth for a minyan and the supernatural circumstances of circumcision—draw on the specific Jewish practices of needing a quorum for prayer and male circumcision.

The Two Brothers The first theme, the rivalry between the two brothers, is hardly developed in the present story in its common form, in which the poor brother eavesdrops on a conversation between supernatural beings and thus gains supernatural knowledge that brings him riches. 2 Yet, like in the widely told tale, the poor brother in the present tale gains his wealth from a supernatural source. Although the rich brother is not hurt when trying to imitate the poor brother, as is the more common conclusion, his wife is punished for her slander. A narrative in which one brother listens to a conversation between ghosts is in BT Berakhot 18b. References to this episode and tale type 613 ("The Two Travelers [Truth and Falsehood]") in Jewish tradition are available. 3

A Tenth for a Minyan The second theme—a tenth for a minyan—occurs in Jewish tradition in two basic patterns: (1) a supernatural figure completes the quorum of men, and (2) a mortal completes the quorum of a group of mysterious people who are praying. Commonly, the supernatural figure is Elijah the Prophet (see tale IFA 16408 [vol. I]). 4 In some local tales, a know personality is associated with a particular religious site. For example, in the tale IFA 10604 (vol. 3) Abraham, the patriarch, completes a minyan in Hebron. Both tales, IFA 16408 and IFA 10604, are synagogue-naming legends, accounting the etiology of the synagogue name, and, inversely, by its name commemorating an event believed to be part of the community history. In the second form of the tale, a mortal completes the minyan for a group of supernatural righteous people, who reward him for his service. A nineteenthcentury text of this legend was published by Nisboim. 5 The story has also been anthologized. 6 Vilnay 7 cited a narrative that he heard in 1936 in which the soul of the buried "Joseph the Righteous" is the recipient of a gift from a miraculous donor. The gift is an inexhaustible supply of flour. A version from the oral tradition is tale IFA 437 "Joseph of the Righteous of Peki'in." 8 The tale is an etiological local legend that explains the name of the garden—the burial ground of Joseph, the righteous per-

son who completed a supernatural minyan. It appears that in either forms, when the tenth person or the nine gathered individuals are mysterious, the story of the completion of minyan serves to explain a name of a locale. Ben-Zevi 9 cited the same legend but referred to a different local figure known as "Abu Tahin" (The father of the flour).

Supernatural Circumstances of Circumcision The more common representation of the third theme—the supernatural circumstances of circumcision—involves the birth of a son to a mortal woman who married a demon. Her husband seeks a midwife or a circumciser for his newborn son (see tale IFA 9182 [vol. 1]). The supernatural circumciser in the present tale is a rare figure, though his identification with Elijah the Prophet, made in hindsight by the wife, is culturally appropriate. He functions as a mysterious helper in many narratives and, according to an established belief, is spiritually present at every circumcision rite. Elijah the Prophet is considered "the angel of the covenant" (Malachi 3:1), and circumcision marks the covenant between God and the people of Israel (Genesis 17:1-14). Furthermore, according to midrashic tradition, Elijah complained to God that "the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant" (1 Kings 19:10, 14); therefore, he has to be present whenever this covenant is being reaffirmed by the circumcision ceremony (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer 29:213-214). Traditionally, in a circumcision ceremony a special decorated chair reserved for Elijah is placed at the right of the sandek. Discussions of these chairs are available, 10 as are studies of the circumcision ritual in Jewish societies."

Folktale Types • • • • •

cf. 613 "The Two Travelers (Truth and Falsehood)." cf. 613 "The Two Travelers (Truth and Falsehood)" (new ed.). *776 (IFA) "Divine Reward." 776 (Haboucha) "Miscellaneous Divine Rewards." 776 (Jason) "Divine Rewards."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • • • •

cf. Β 103.1 "Treasure-dropping animals." D1002 "Magic excrements." D 1454.5 "Treasure from excrements." D2100.1 "Inexhaustible treasure." cf. F370 "Visit to fairyland." F768.2 "A minyan of enchanted people" K2110 "Slanders." K2212.2 "Treacherous sister-in-law." N810 "Supernatural helpers"

• •

Ρ150 "Rich men." * P I 6 5 "Poor men."

•

P 2 5 1 . 5 . 4 " T w o b r o t h e r s as c o n t r a s t s . "

• •

* Q 3 3 . 1 " C o m p l e t i n g a religious q u o r u m ( m i n y a n ) r e w a r d e d . " Q297 "Slander punished."

• • • .

S 5 5 " C r u e l sister-in-law." V 5 4 " P u b l i c p r a y e r r e q u i r e s a q u o r u m of ten ( m i n y a n ) . " V82 "Circumcision." * v 2 9 5 " E l i j a h the P r o p h e t . "

Notes 1. First published in Attias, The Golden Feather, 146-148 no. 17. 2. Christiansen, The Tale of the Two Travellers or the Blinded Man. 3. Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 37-38, 105-106; and Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 4 2 3 4 2 4 no. 217 (1990 ed.). 4. Hanauer, The Folklore of the Holy Land, 57-58. 5. Sha'arei Yerushalayim (The gates of Jerusalem), 51b-52a. 6. Ben-Israel, Aggadot ha-Aretz (Legends of the Land [of Israel]), 2:128-129; BenYehezki'el, Sefer ha-Ma 'asiyyot (A book of folktales), 5:367-71, 442 (elaboration on an earlier version); Vilnay, Aggadot Eretz Yisra'el (Legends of the Land of Israel), 459; and Vilnay, The Sacred Land, 3:222-223 no. 20. 7. The Sacred Land, 3:225-226 no. 23. 8. D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 9 - 1 1 no. 4; and Haddad, Peki'in, 33-34. 9. Remnants of Ancient Jewish Communities in the Land of Israel, 29; and Schwarzbaum, op. cit., 244. 10. Jacoby, "The Relation between Elijah's Chair and the Sandek's (Godfather's) Chair"; Jacoby, "The Small Elijah's Chair"; and Sabar, "Childbirth and Magic," esp. 707-713. 11. For example, E. Mark, The Covenant of Circumcision.

The Disciples ' Envy of the Rabbi '5‫ ־‬Son T O L D TO

BY

RABBI

M E N A H E M

Y A ' A K O V

A S H R A F

B E N - A R Y E H

In a certain city there lived an e x t r e m e l y wealthy rabbi, r e n o w n e d for his good works. H e accepted students and taught them f o r free. This rabbi had an only son. H e taught his son every day, until the child reached the age of bar m i t z v a h . T h e n the rabbi starting t e a c h i n g the boy m o r e than he taught the other students. Every day, the rabbi went to his s h o p to c o n d u c t b u s i n e s s , leaving his son h o m e to teach the students. On T h u r s d a y s , the rabbi w o u l d distribute charity to the p o o r f o r their Sabbath needs, giving each p o o r man a s u m a p p r o p r i a t e to his f a m i l y ' s size and needs. O n e day, the rabbi stayed at the yeshivah * and the son w e n t to o p e n the shop. T h e poor people s h o w e d up to collect their w e e k l y alms. " W h a t d o you w a n t ? " asked the son. " E v e r y T h u r s d a y w e c o m e to y o u r father," they replied, "and he gives us a l m s f o r the S a b b a t h , each a c c o r d i n g to his family. Please, w o n ' t you give us charity t o o ? " " H o w m u c h d o e s my f a t h e r give y o u ? " "Thirty pence a family." " M y father d o e s n ' t k n o w a n y t h i n g . " T h e p e n n i l e s s m e n t h o u g h t the son w o u l d give t h e m less. " W h o e v e r receives thirty p e n c e f r o m my father will get sixty f r o m me. Thirty i s n ' t e n o u g h . " So the son gave each and every p a u p e r d o u b l e alms, as well as clothes, hats, shoes, and any other g a r m e n t s they n e e d e d . " N o w I ask you a favor: Get up early t o m o r r o w m o r n i n g , g o to the market, and buy w h a t e v e r you s e e — m e a t , fish, eggs, vegetables, and so on. D o n ' t leave a n y t h i n g in the stalls." T h e p a u p e r s did j u s t that. T h e y got up early the next m o r n i n g and b o u g h t out the m a r k e t . W h e n the rich p e o p l e c a m e later, as w a s their habit, to buy what they n e e d e d f o r the Sabbath, nothing w a s left. " W h a t is

'Jewish school of higher learning.

d i f f e r e n t t o d a y ? " they w o n d e r e d . Investigating, they d i s c o v e r e d that the p o o r had b o u g h t up everything. " W h o gave you m o n e y ? " they asked o n e pauper. " T h e son of that rabbi." T h e rich p e o p l e t h o u g h t about this. " L o o k f o r s o m e way to deal with the r a b b i ' s son," they told their children. " G e t him a w a y to s o m e r e m o t e country, and then c o m e b a c k . " So the students at his f a t h e r ' s yeshivah said to the r a b b i ' s son, " H o w w o u l d you like to g o into business with us? We are g o i n g to travel to a distant city to buy m e r c h a n d i s e w e can sell at a profit." T h e r a b b i ' s son told his father, "Father, I w a n t to g o with m y f r i e n d s to d o business in a distant city." " M y son," c a u t i o n e d the rabbi, " w h a t e v e r a m o u n t you c o u l d m a k e f r o m this trip, I'll d o u b l e it, p r o v i d e d you d o n ' t sail a w a y to a distant land." But the son w a s a d a m a n t . T h e o t h e r s t u d e n t s had m a d e him e a g e r to travel and d o b u s i n e s s . His m o t h e r (the r a b b i ' s w i f e ) told her h u s b a n d , " G i v e him m o n e y to travel with t h o s e students. H e ' s our only son. We s h o u l d n ' t c a u s e him pain or worry. We should d o what he wants." So his f a t h e r gave him money, and he set off with his f e l l o w students. W h e n they reached their destination, the other boys e l u d e d the r a b b i ' s son and went their own way. T h e r a b b i ' s son w a s left all alone. H e kept w a l k i n g until he r e a c h e d a p l a c e w h e r e a Jewish b a k e r lived. " W h o are y o u ? " asked the baker. " I ' m a Jew," replied the r a b b i ' s son. "Will you take m e in? But not f o r f r e e — o n l y on condition that I pay f o r m y r o o m and board." "Yes, willingly," replied the baker. T h e r a b b i ' s son starting p e r f o r m i n g mitzvot* and writing t h e m d o w n in a n o t e b o o k . H e gave w h a t e v e r m o n e y he earned to charity and recorded it in the n o t e b o o k . If s o m e o n e n e e d e d tefillin** and could not a f f o r d to buy them, the r a b b i ' s son w o u l d give him m o n e y and write it d o w n in the noteb o o k . H e kept d o i n g this until all the m o n e y he had b r o u g h t with him w a s g o n e and only the price of the trip h o m e r e m a i n e d in his pocket. W h e n the y o u n g m a n ' s f r i e n d s r e t u r n e d h o m e , the rabbi asked t h e m , " W h e r e is m y s o n ? " "Sir, it's better you s h o u l d n ' t ask a b o u t h i m , " they replied. "Your son f o u n d himself s o m e prostitutes and now h e ' s w h o r i n g , drinking w i n e and 'Good deeds. "Small black leather prayer boxes containing passages from the Torah.

getting d r u n k , playing dice, and indulging in other vices. T h a t ' s what happ e n e d , sir." T h e rabbi did not k n o w what to think, half believing, half disbelieving. " T h a t ' s how it is," he told his w i f e . " T h e Evil Inclination rules this world. W h a t can w e d o ? " T h e r a b b i ' s son sailed b a c k h o m e . W h e n he arrived, he h u g g e d and kissed his f a t h e r and mother. " W h a t sort of m e r c h a n d i s e did you purc h a s e ? " asked his father. " I ' l l show you a f t e r lunch," replied the son. So, h a p p y and c o n t e n t , they ate a n d d r a n k . W h e n they f i n i s h e d their repast, the y o u n g man p u l l e d the n o t e b o o k f r o m his pocket. " P l e a s e exa m i n e the m e r c h a n d i s e , Father, if you w a n t to. If you think it is g o o d , I will g o buy m o r e . " T h e rabbi took the l e d g e r f r o m his son. A f t e r he read its c o n t e n t s he said to h i m , " M a y you merit to p e r f o r m m a n y m o r e mitzvot. Yishar ko'ah, well d o n e , m y son! But w h y s h o u l d you g o to the trouble of traveling to a far-off city to p e r f o r m charitable d e e d s and m i t z v o t ? With G o d ' s help you can d o it in our own town. W h y should you travel to a distant p l a c e ? " So the r a b b i ' s son stayed in his h o m e t o w n , w h e r e he b e c a m e k n o w n as a great benefactor. O n c e , w h e n the students w e r e studying with the rabbi, the son said, "Let m e g o to y o u r s h o p and handle the business." T h e rabbi did not r e f u s e his s o n ' s request. It w a s a T h u r s d a y , w h e n the p o o r p e o p l e c a m e to the store, as w a s their c u s t o m , to obtain the m o n e y f o r their S a b b a t h needs. T h e r a b b i ' s son asked how they w e r e doing. " W h e n you went away," they told him, " y o u r f a t h e r gave us only half as m u c h as you gave us." " T h e n I'll give you three t i m e s as m u c h today. Get up early t o m o r r o w m o r n i n g and buy up everything in the m a r k e t . D o n ' t leave even a b o n e f o r the rich people." T h e p o o r p e o p l e did w h a t he said. Friday, w h e n the rich c a m e to the market to buy what they n e e d e d f o r the S a b b a t h , there w a s no fruit to be had, no vegetables, no meat, no fish, no eggs, no fowl. They c o u l d n ' t even find any b o n e s . " W h a t can be d o n e about that y o u n g m a n ? " g r u m b l e d the rich p e o p l e a m o n g t h e m s e l v e s . " H e ' s got to be r e m o v e d to a distant town. T h e y [the students] have to tempt him to g o with t h e m and then a b a n d o n him to his o w n d e v i c e s and c o m e h o m e by t h e m s e l v e s . " T h e students urged the r a b b i ' s son to j o i n t h e m . " C o m e with us to buy m e r c h a n d i s e so you can m a k e a large profit." " N o , I w o n ' t c o m e with y o u . Y o u ' r e j u s t trying to d e c e i v e me. W h e n

w e get there y o u ' l l sneak away, and I'll be left a l o n e in a strange town." " W e w o n ' t d i s a p p e a r , " they r e p l i e d . " T h i s t i m e w e ' l l stay with you. D o n ' t worry. We w o n ' t a b a n d o n you." T h e r a b b i ' s son asked his f a t h e r f o r m o n e y so he could g o with the students. " M y son," c a u t i o n e d his father, "if you g o with t h e m they'll leave you and g o off by t h e m s e l v e s , j u s t as they did the first time." " G o d will h e l p m e and will not a b a n d o n me. Please give m e s o m e money." His f a t h e r g a v e him the m o n e y a n d the son w e n t off with the y o u n g men. T h e y sailed to a distant city. W h e n they d i s e m b a r k e d in the port, each of the s t u d e n t s w e n t a d i f f e r e n t way, leaving the r a b b i ' s son by h i m s e l f . H e looked this w a y and that but c o u l d n ' t find any of his f e l l o w travelers. A s t o n i s h e d , he w a s quite at a loss a b o u t w h a t to do. Putting his faith in G o d , he started w a l k i n g . H e f o l l o w e d the road until he c a m e u p o n a J e w i s h s h o e m a k e r at his last.* "Sir," said the r a b b i ' s son to the s h o e m a k e r , " w o u l d you be so kind as to accept m e as a lodger in y o u r h o u s e ? " " W e l c o m e ! " replied the s h o e m a k e r . "Stay with m e until you return to y o u r h o m e in peace." T h e y o u n g m a n w e n t f o r a w a l k t h r o u g h the streets of the t o w n . H e p u r c h a s e d bread, oil, meat, fish, and vegetables and brought t h e m to the h o u s e of his host. " W h y are you d o i n g t h i s ? " asked the s h o e m a k e r . " W h y should you buy m e f o o d with y o u r m o n e y ? " "You are p o o r and have nothing, so I have to help you," he a n s w e r e d . " B u t if you k n o w any p o o r p e o p l e a r o u n d here, tell t h e m to c o m e on T h u r s d a y so I can give t h e m m o n e y f o r their S a b b a t h needs." T h e s h o e m a k e r repeated this to all the p o o r p e o p l e in the vicinity, and they c a m e . E v e r y T h u r s d a y , the r a b b i ' s son g a v e t h e m m o n e y f o r the S a b b a t h . If s o m e o n e n e e d e d tefillin the r a b b i ' s son gave h i m m o n e y to buy t h e m . If s o m e o n e w a n t e d to get m a r r i e d , the r a b b i ' s son gave h i m m o n e y to c o v e r the cost of the w e d d i n g . W h e n s o m e o n e died, he gave m o n e y f o r the shroud and burial. A s b e f o r e , he r e c o r d e d everything he did in his ledger. O n e day, the y o u n g m a n w a s w a l k i n g t h r o u g h the m a r k e t p l a c e . He noticed that the J e w s w e r e h u r r y i n g to and f r o , l o o k i n g sad and distraught.

Ά wooden or metal form for making shoes.

" W h a t h a p p e n e d today in t o w n ? " he called out to one. " D o n ' t you k n o w ? T h e rabbi of the city h a s p a s s e d away, and the king h a s o r d e r e d us to pay three t h o u s a n d duros (that's like p o u n d s in Spain*) to r a n s o m his body. But all the J e w s here are poor. We c a n ' t pay w h a t the king is d e m a n d i n g . " " S h o w m e w h e r e the k i n g ' s p a l a c e is," he told the m a n . " W i t h G o d ' s help, I'll pay the s u m he w a n t s so y o u can bury the rabbi." T h e y s h o w e d h i m the way. W h e n the y o u n g m a n e n t e r e d the p a l a c e , the k i n g s t o o d u p a n d g r e e t e d h i m with r e s p e c t , b e c a u s e the D i v i n e P r e s e n c e rested on the f a c e of the r a b b i ' s son and he l o o k e d like an angel of G o d . " W h e n you c a m e in," e x p l a i n e d the king, "it w a s as if an angel of the L o r d of H o s t s had e n t e r e d . Here. Take the p e r m i t a n d g o b u r y y o u r d e a d . A s f o r the m o n e y , distribute it to the needy." T h e r a b b i ' s son f o l l o w e d the k i n g ' s i n s t r u c t i o n s . H e t o o k the p e r m i t a n d w e n t to bury the rabbi. At the f u n e r a l he delivered a e u l o g y f o r the dec e a s e d rabbi. A f t e r w a r d , he started b a c k to the h o u s e of the s h o e m a k e r f o r w h o m he w o r k e d . Passing the h a r b o r on the way, he saw a ship, its h a t c h e s b a t t e n e d d o w n , b e i n g sold with its m y s t e r i o u s c a r g o . H e b o u g h t it f o r t h r e e t h o u s a n d duros a n d c o n t i n u e d on to the s h o e m a k e r ' s h o u s e . " T h e t i m e h a s c o m e f o r m e to travel to m y o w n land a n d h o m e , " he told his host. "Farewell." T h e s h o e m a k e r a c c o m p a n i e d h i m as f a r as the port. T h e r a b b i ' s son t o o k the k e y s and b e g a n o p e n i n g all the c a b i n s a n d h o l d s of the ship. In o n e of t h e m he f o u n d a w o m e n , r a d i a n t as the sun, b e a u t i f u l as the moon.** S h e w a s the d a u g h t e r of the king of Spain. At that time, a w a r w a s r a g i n g b e t w e e n S p a i n a n d a n o t h e r country. T h i s ship w a s full of gold and d i a m o n d s . But on top there w e r e barrels of w i n e . T h e k i n g ' s d a u g h t e r exp l a i n e d to the y o u n g m a n , " T h e e n e m y c a p t u r e d m e and sold the ship. But they d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t it w a s c a r r y i n g . T h e y t h o u g h t there w a s only w i n e . B u t the w i n e is j u s t on top. U n d e r n e a t h the w i n e the hold is f u l l of g o l d . " T h e y set sail f o r his f a t h e r ' s city. W h e n they arrived, the r a b b i ' s son w e n t to his f a t h e r and told him the w h o l e story, f r o m b e g i n n i n g to end. " L e t ' s be p r u d e n t and r e m o v e the barrels of gold and p r e c i o u s s t o n e s at night," c o u n s e l e d his father. S o the rabbi w e n t to see the c u s t o m s s u p e r i n t e n d e n t . " M y son is still of t e n d e r y e a r s a n d d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t to buy. H e w e n t to p u r c h a s e m e r -

"Referring to British pounds. "Song of Songs 6:10.

chandise and came back with wine. But here in our city wine sells for a penny a liter. I'm embarrassed to unload the wine during the day. The other rich men will laugh and make fun of me. May I have your permission to remove the wine at night, when no one is around? Even the police and watchmen should stand far away so they won't see my shame and disgrace." The superintendent gave his permission and sent customs clerks to verify his story. When they boarded the ship, the customs officials saw the wine on top. They went back and told their supervisor that the rabbi had spoken truly and the cargo was wine. The rabbi brought ten trustworthy and pious Jews, who rolled the barrels off the ship to the rabbi's house. They brought men's clothing for the daughter of the king of Spain and dressed her up so no one could recognize her. The rabbi's son painted the ship a different color. The king's daughter converted to Judaism, and the rabbi's son married her. They celebrated the wedding ceremony with the seven blessings. All the rich people and dignitaries and townspeople came to the rabbi's house, where they feasted and rejoiced for seven days. Every day someone new came.* The rabbi's son continued to be generous and perform good works, as had become his custom. The king's daughter said to her husband (the rabbi's son), "I'm starting to grow bored. Bring me some silk thread and woolen thread, and I'll weave carpets." The rabbi's son did as his wife asked and brought her woolen thread and silk thread. She wove carpets, which she gave to her husband to sell. "You must sell them to the first person who asks to buy one, at whatever price he offers," she instructed him. Every day, when she finished weaving a carpet, her husband—the rabbi's son—would take it to a store to sell. For five or six years, the shopkeeper kept purchasing them, until his shop was full of carpets. Back to the rabbi's son. He had two children who went to school every day. On their way they passed the house of their grandfather, the rabbi, who would give them his blessing.

*Literally "new faces." The Jewish marriage ceremony concludes with the recitation of the Berakhot

Sheva

(seven benedictions or blessings). During the festive meals during the seven days following

the wedding, the Sheva Berakhot

are recited during grace after every meal at which there is a minyan

and when it includes .‫״‬.ome new guests, panim hadashot. For discussion, see N. Rubin, The Joy of Life, 2 4 1 - 2 5 4 .

The custom dates back to the late antiquities.

B a c k to the king, w h o w a s s e a r c h i n g f o r his d a u g h t e r in every city, but c o u l d n ' t find her. T h e s h o p k e e p e r sent all the c a r p e t s he had in his s h o p to a f r i e n d of his in a n o t h e r town, very far away, to try to sell t h e m there. T h e king, w a n d e r i n g t h r o u g h that city, saw the c a r p e t s and r e c o g n i z e d his d a u g h t e r ' s handiwork. " N o w I k n o w that my d a u g h t e r is still alive," he said. " W h o sold you t h o s e c a r p e t s ? " he asked the shopkeeper. " M y f r i e n d in s u c h - a n d - s u c h a town sent m e these c a r p e t s to sell f o r h i m , " he replied. T h e king traveled to the o t h e r city and w e n t to the first s h o p k e e p e r , " W o u l d you sell m e the key to y o u r s h o p for a m o n t h ? I a m willing to pay w h a t e v e r value you place on the key. I will also pay you f o r the m e r c h a n dise that's here. W h e n the m o n t h is up I will return everything that's in the store to you and you w o n ' t have to pay m e anything." T h e s h o p k e e p e r agreed, and they w r o t e and signed a contract. In this way, the king gained p o s s e s s i o n of the carpet s h o p and sat there selling clothes and c a r p e t s . O n e day the r a b b i ' s s o n c a m e to sell c a r p e t s to his f r i e n d , the shopkeeper, as usual, but he w a s not in his shop. H e started b a c k h o m e , but the king called a f t e r him, " W h y are you in such a h u r r y ? " " B e c a u s e I d i d n ' t find my f r i e n d in the s h o p to sell the c a r p e t s to h i m . " " I ' l l buy the c a r p e t s f r o m you and pay you twice w h a t t h e y ' r e worth." T h e r a b b i ' s son sold the c a r p e t s to the king. T h a t very s a m e day, the s o n s of the r a b b i ' s son left school a n d w e r e w a l k i n g h o m e . T h e y passed the k i n g ' s shop. T h e king called out to t h e m , " W h o are y o u ? " " W e ' r e Jews," they replied. T h e king c o u l d see that the children looked like his daughter. " N o w I k n o w that my d a u g h t e r is here," he told h i m s e l f , " b e c a u s e these are her sons." O n e day, the r a b b i ' s son w e n t to the s h o p to sell c a r p e t s to its n e w owner. " I ' d like to c o m e visit y o u r h o m e , " the king said. "If you w a n t to eat or d r i n k , I'll invite you to an inn, w h e r e w e can have a meal and I'll pay the bill." " N o , " said the king. "I want to c o m e to y o u r h o u s e and eat y o u r o w n food, because we're friends." S o m e h o w or o t h e r it w o r k e d out that the king w e n t h o m e with the r a b b i ' s son to eat lunch. That particular day, the m a i d s e r v a n t w a s not at the house of the r a b b i ' s

son (she had g o n e to his f a t h e r ' s h o u s e ) . " C o u l d I have s o m e w a t e r to d r i n k ? " asked the king. T h e r a b b i ' s son got up to bring the king s o m e water. Taking a d v a n t a g e of his a b s e n c e , the king p o u r e d shakran into his plate. W h e n the r a b b i ' s son returned and starting eating again, he s w a l l o w e d only a f e w bites bef o r e he fell asleep. T h e king w e n t into the inner c h a m b e r and seized his d a u g h t e r and her t w o sons. " N o w y o u ' r e c o m i n g with me, you and y o u r children." T h e king t o o k out a pistol and w a s g o i n g to kill the r a b b i ' s son. But his d a u g h t e r protested. "Father, even if you kill him, I w o n ' t g o with you. I'll stay here, even if you kill m e too, b e c a u s e he w a s g o o d to me." D e s p i t e her protests, the king took his d a u g h t e r and her sons and left. T h e rabbi waited f o r the children to c o m e visit him, as they did every day, and receive his blessing. But they did not show up. " G o see w h a t happ e n e d to the children," he instructed the m a i d . " W h y d i d n ' t they c o m e ? " T h e maid w e n t to the h o u s e of the r a b b i ' s son. N e i t h e r the w i f e nor the children w e r e to be f o u n d — o n l y the r a b b i ' s son, in a d e e p sleep. She w e n t b a c k and told the rabbi. T h e rabbi s u m m o n e d a p h y s i c i a n to see his son. " H e ' s not dead," the p h y s i c i a n told h i m , " j u s t asleep. T h e p o t i o n will w e a r off a f t e r t w e n t y f o u r hours, and he'll w a k e up." W h e n the t w e n t y - f o u r hours had p a s s e d , the r a b b i ' s son w o k e up. His w i f e and children w e r e g o n e . " W h e r e are Sarah and the b o y s ? " he asked in alarm. H e w e n t to the seashore to search f o r t h e m . Just then a small vessel c a m e into view, b e a r i n g Elijah, zakhur latov,** a l o n g with a n o t h e r old m a n . " W h o are you looking f o r ? " asked Elijah. " M y w i f e and sons," replied the r a b b i ' s son. " C o m e aboard. W e ' r e sailing to the s a m e town in Spain." T h e r a b b i ' s son j o i n e d t h e m ; in the t w i n k l i n g of an eye, they r e a c h e d S p a i n — e v e n b e f o r e the king himself had returned. A f t e r they l a n d e d , Elijah told the r a b b i ' s son w h a t to do. " G o to the viceroy and p u r c h a s e a lot that's c o v e r e d with g a r b a g e . " T h e r a b b i ' s son w e n t to the viceroy. " W o u l d you be so kind as to sell m e the g a r b a g e d u m p ? " he asked

Ά sleeping potion. "This expression, used in connection with Elijah, literally means "remembered for good," but is usually translated as "of blessed memory."

T h e courtiers* m a d e f u n of h i m . " H e ' s d a f t ! H e w a n t s to b u y the g a r b a g e . W h a t ' s he g o i n g to d o with i t ? " " O f c o u r s e w e ' l l sell it to h i m , " replied the viceroy. " W h a t d o w e care w h a t he d o e s with the g a r b a g e ? " So they sold him the d u m p . T h e r a b b i ' s son took the bill of sale,** written as a royal edict and sealed with the k i n g ' s signet. 8 T h e r a b b i ' s son left the v i c e r o y ' s p a l a c e a n d r e t u r n e d to the s h o r e . "Start w o r k i n g , " Elijah told h i m . H e started w o r k i n g , w h i l e Elijah, zakhur latov, p r a y e d . T h e p l a c e b e c a m e like the g a r d e n of the L o r d , like the G a r d e n of E d e n . T h e r e w e r e s o n g b i r d s a n d r u n n i n g water. E v e r y s p e c i e s of fruit in the w o r l d g r e w there. A m a r v e l o u s a r o m a filled the air, m y r r h a n d aloe, j a s m i n e a n d every variety of f r a g r a n t plant. T h e r e w a s even a quartet p l a y i n g m u s i c . T h e r a b b i ' s son hired w a t c h m e n to stand at the g a t e s of the park a n d collect an e n t r a n c e f e e . H e told the g u a r d s to r e c o r d the n a m e s of everyo n e w h o w a n t e d to e n t e r the p a r k . In the m o r n i n g , the p e o p l e w o k e u p and took their g a r b a g e out to the d u m p . But instead of trash they f o u n d a park, like the G a r d e n of E d e n , and went back home. All s u m m e r long the t o w n s p e o p l e w e n t to stroll in the park. W h e n the king arrived in the city, he told his d a u g h t e r , " G o stroll in the park, w h i c h has r u n n i n g w a t e r a n d every lovely thing in the w o r l d . " S h e took her t w o sons and w e n t to stroll in the park. W h e n she entered, her h u s b a n d — t h e r a b b i ' s s o n — w a s s t a n d i n g there. " D o n ' t you r e c o g n i z e m e ? " he a s k e d . "Of course I recognize you. You're my husband." " C o m e , let's g o h o m e , " he said. "Wait a little longer. I'll bring gold, p r e c i o u s stones, a n d p e a r l s f r o m m y f a t h e r ' s treasury." S h e w e n t back to her f a t h e r ' s palace, took silver, gold, p r e c i o u s stones, and pearls, p l a c e d t h e m in a b o x , a n d r e t u r n e d to the park. W h e n she got there, Elijah a p p e a r e d to the r a b b i ' s son. " G e t ready to travel," he told h i m . " Y o u r w i f e and s o n s have c o m e . " T h e y b o a r d e d the vessel a n d set sail. T h e park t u r n e d b a c k into a g a r b a g e d u m p , j u s t as it h a d b e e n b e f o r e .

"The Hebrew "partumim" used in the Book of Esther for "nobles" or "courtiers." "The Hebrew "paishegen" (text), used in Esther 3:14. for example. 5 Esther 8:8.

W h e n the t o w n s p e o p l e w e n t to stroll in the park the next day, as they had b e c o m e a c c u s t o m e d to d o i n g , all they f o u n d w a s trash. W h e n the king saw the g a r b a g e , he lost all h o p e f o r his daughter. " E v i l spirits! Evil spirits have m a d e off with m y daughter." H e w e n t h o m e totally d e j e c t e d . T h e r a b b i ' s son sailed h o m e with Elijah and the old m a n . W h e n they r e a c h e d the coastal city E l i j a h told him, " T h e r e are three of us. L e t ' s split e v e r y t h i n g three w a y s . You take y o u r w i f e , I'll take the b o y s , a n d h e ' l l take the m o n e y . " T h e r a b b i ' s son d e c l i n e d . " G e n t l e m e n , p l e a s e give m e m y w i f e a n d sons. I'll pay f o r t h e m , and the t w o of you can split the t r e a s u r e here." " N o , " they insisted. " T h e r e are three of us. E a c h has to take a share." " G e n t l e m e n , I beg y o u r p a r d o n , " r e p l i e d the r a b b i ' s son. "I d i d n ' t c o m e f o r m o n e y . I c a m e f o r m y w i f e and sons." Finally, s e e i n g h o w distressed he w a s , a n x i o u s a n d c o n c e r n e d f o r his w i f e and sons, they relented. " T a k e t h e m a l l — y o u r w i f e , y o u r sons, a n d the treasure too. I a m Elijah, and this m a n with m e is the rabbi w h o m you buried in the t o w n of X . M a y the L o r d assist you h e n c e f o r t h . M a y you rej o i c e with y o u r w i f e and children and c o n t i n u e diligently to p e r f o r m acts of charity and g o o d w o r k s , as you a l w a y s have." T h e n they d i s a p p e a r e d . T h e r a b b i ' s son lived in w e a l t h , h a p p i n e s s , and tranquility f o r the rest of his life, d e v o t i n g h i m s e l f to g o o d w o r k s and g i v i n g charity. F r o m this story, w e learn the i m p o r t a n c e of d o i n g g o o d w o r k s f o r o n e ' s f e l l o w m e n , as is said: " D o i n g g o o d w o r k s f o r o t h e r s is m o s t excellent." We learn this f r o m the Patriarch A b r a h a m , w h o p e r f o r m e d m a n y g o o d w o r k s f o r o t h e r s , w h o s e tent w a s o p e n on all f o u r sides,* and did g o o d w o r k s even f o r gentiles. T h e y o u n g m a n lived in p e a c e a n d h a p p i n e s s with his w i f e a n d sons, a n d his w h o l e life w a s tranquil. M a y the merit of g o o d w o r k s protect us a n d m a y the M e s s i a h c o m e s p e e d i l y and in our d a y s , amen selah.** F i n i s h e d and c o m p l e t e . Praise to the L o r d , C r e a t o r of the universe.

'Midrash Tehillim

(Shoher

Τον) on Psalms 110 and the commentary of Obadiah of Bertinoro on

Mishnah Avot 1.5. But Avot de-Rabbi

Natan 7.1, which expands that mishnah. credits this hospitality

to Job rather than Abraham. ""Selah" is a liturgical direction of uncertain meaning; its use today is for emphasis.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 7 (IFA

4904)

Rabbi Ya 'akov Ashraf of Morocco told this tale to Menahem ben Aryeh in Rosh Pinnah on February 11, 1963. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This is a multi-episodic narrative that follows, in general terms, but not in details, the pattern of the story of Ali Nur Al-Din and Miriam the Girdle-Girl of the Arabian Nights cycle. Its episodes are ( 1 ) the rabbi's son's generosity, (2) the students'jealousy, (3) the ransom of the corpse, (4) the discovery of riches and the Spanish princess, (5) the weaver princess, (6) the king's search for and recovery of his daughter, (7) the rabbi's sons recovery of his wife, and (8) the dead man's help. In the Arabian Nights, the young man's portrayal follows the ideals of Arab society in terms of looks, speech, and etiquette—even though, because of intrigues, he occasionally fails them. Similarly, in the Jewish tale the young man appears to match the ideals of learning and generosity of his own society. The ransom of the corpse and the help of the grateful dead do not occur in the Arabian text. However, these episodes are in the Oseh Pele, a nineteenth-century Hebrew book of folk narratives. In the version printed there, the son's precocity functions as his generosity does in the present text. Tale type 506 "The Rescued Princess" is part of the narrative complex of the grateful dead (tale types 505-508). There are two major studies of this narrative cluster, and the tales have been published and analyzed.' The present text shares many features with the tales analyzed by Gerould. 2 However, in that work, Gerould referred to a unique Breton version in which a Jew appears in a dual role of an evil boat pilot and a debtor. The happy ending of the story (for the hero of the tale) concludes with the burning of the Jew. 3 French tales about this same hero have been published. 4 Within the Jewish narrative tradition, two types are predominate. The first is tale type 507C "The Serpent Maiden," which follows in general terms the Book of Tobit version (see notes to tale IFA 4735 [vol. 1 ]). The second type, 506*C (IFA) "Dead and Elijah the Prophet as Helpers," is analogous to episodes 4 - 7 of the present tale, with some expected variations. Gaster published two renditions from unidentified sources, and Yiddish versions are also available. 5

Similarities to Other IFA Tales There are twenty-three versions of this tale type in the IFA: • • •

IFA 504: The Princess Is Sold in a Box (Iraq). IFA 976: A Grateful Dead Man and Elijah Help a Man Find His Wife (Syria). IFA 1314: The Only Son of the Rich Man (Iraq).

• • • • • • ‫״‬ ‫״‬ • • • • • ‫״‬ • • • • ‫״‬

IFA 3506: The Reward for Good Deeds (Afghanistan). IFA 3940: A Son Born in Old Age (Morocco). IFA 4912: The Merit of an Act of True Kindness (Iran). IFA 5327: Charity Removes the Harsh Decree (India). IFA 5376: Rabbi Sa'adyah, the Emissary of His Community (Morocco). IFA 5551 : The Merchant's Son Who Married a Princess (Iraq). IFA 5663: The Princess and the Rabbi's Son (Morocco). IFA 5664: The Rabbi's Son and the Rabbi's Disciples (Morocco). IFA 5925: The Rabbi, His Wife, Their Son, and Elijah the Prophet (Iraqi Kurdistan). IFA 6394: The Wise Father and His Son (Iraq). IFA 6763: The Rabbi's Son and the Rabbi's Disciples (Morocco). IFA 8246: The Story of the Wise Son (Turkish Kurdistan). IFA 9221 : Charity Saves from Death (Morocco). IFA 10008: The Grateful Dead Man (Yemen). IFA 11102: Ya'akov and the Fisherman (Spanish Morocco). IFA 11626: One Must Not Take from Stolen Goods (Morocco). IFA 13657: White and Black Halves of a Beard (Yemen). IFA 13960: The Rabbi's Son (Morocco). IFA 14050: The Rich Jew and His Only Son (Yemen).

Folktale Types • • • •

• • •

63 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Der Dankbare Tote" (The Grateful Dead). 505 "Dead Man as Helper." 505 "The Grateful Dead" (new ed. ). 506 "The Rescued Princess." 506 ‫״‬ (Camarena and Chevalier) "El Muerto Agradecido: La Princ Rescatada" (The Grateful Dead: The Rescued Princess). 506*C (IFA) "Dead and Elijah the Prophet as Helpers." 506*C (IFA) (Jason) "Dead and Elijah the Prophet as Helpers." 507C (Marzolph) "Der Dankbare Tote" (The Grateful Dead).

Folklore Motifs ‫״‬ • • • • • • ‫״‬ •

*D452.4.2 "Transformation: rubbish to garden." D961 "Magic garden." *DI 364.7.2 "Sleeping potion: food causes magic sleep." D2120 "Magic transportation." D2121.4 "Magic journey by making distance vanish." D2122 "Journey with magic speed." D2122.5 "Journey with magic speed by a saint." cf. D2501.3 "Rubbish magically becomes food and clothing." E341.1 "Dead grateful for having corpse ransomed."

F818 "Extraordinary garden." *F975.3 "Garden becomes trash." H35.3 "Recognition by unique needlework." H1385.1 "Quest for stolen princess." H1385.2 "Quest for vanished daughter." H 1385.3 "Quest for vanished wife (mistress)." cf. J1176.3 "Gold pieces in the honey-pot." J1230 "Clever dividing." K521.4.1.1 "Girl escapes in male disguise." K2297 "Treacherous friend." *LI42.4 "Son surpasses father in almsgiving." L161 "Lowly hero marries princess." N511.1.8 "Treasure buried in chest, cask, kettle, or cannon barrel." N525 "Treasure found in chest (kettle, cask)." Ρ150 "Rich men." Ρ160 "Beggars." P442 "Baker." P445 "Weaver." P453 "Shoemaker." Q40 "Kindness rewarded." Q44 "Reward for almsgiving." *Q491.1.3 "Denial of burial as punishment." RIO. 1 "Princess (maiden) abducted." R111.1 "Princess (maiden) rescued from captor." R122 "Miraculous rescue." R151.1 "Husband rescues stolen wife." R165 "Rescue by saint (holy man)." T66.1 "Grateful dead man helps hero win princess." V336 "Conversion to Judaism." V410 "Charity rewarded." W10 "Kindness." W l l "Generosity." cf. W11.12 "The generous correction." Notes 1. G. H. Gerould, The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk Story and S. Liljeblad, Die Tobiasges-chichte und andere Märchen mit toten Helfern. Other studies and listing of versions are J. Bolte and G. Polivka, Ammerkungen zu den Kinder-u: Hausemärchen der Bruder Grimm 3:490-517; W. Liungman, Die Schwedischen Volksmärchen: Herkunft und Geschichte, 121-124; M. Lüthi, So leben sie noch heute: Betrachtungen zum Volksmärchen, 85-100; K. Ranke, Schleswig-Holsteinische Volksmärchen, 108-116; L. Röhrich, "Dankbarer Toter (AaTh 505-508)," EM 3:306-322; L Röhrich, Erzählungen des spüaten Mittelalters 2:156-212, 438-446 (includes fifteen texts ranging from the last

third of the thirteenth century to an oral Caucasian version that was recorded in 1953); S. Thompson, The Folktale, 50-53.

2. The Grateful Dead: The History of a Folk Story, 76-118. 3. Op. cit., 102. 4. Marie-Louise Tenèze, "Jean de Calais (MT. 506A) en France."

5. M. Gaster, The Exempla of the Rabbis,

172-171 nos. 439, 440, cf.

120-121, 244 no. 334. Versions in Yiddish are in J. L. Cahan Yidishe folksmasiyyot (1931), 152-158 no. 30; J. L. Cahan, Yidishe folksmasiyyot (1940),

182-188 no. 41 ; S. Zfatman, Ma 'asiyyot kesem/vunderj-ma 'asiyyot, 314-325 no. 29.

Humorous Tales

The Story of the Baklava TOLD TO

BY

Y I T Z H A K

ELISHEVA

A L - B A H R I

S C H O E N F E L D

C / n c e a C h r i s t i a n , a Jew, a n d a M u s l i m sailed f r o m I z m i r to try their luck in Istanbul. B e d t i m e a p p r o a c h e d . B e c a u s e it w a s a cold night, e a c h of t h e m w a n t e d to s l e e p in the m i d d l e , w h e r e it w o u l d b e w a r m e s t . P r o c l a i m e d the J e w : "It is written in the Torah that I s h o u l d sleep in the middle." T h e C h r i s t i a n and M u s l i m w e r e a s t o n i s h e d . " L i s t e n , " c o n t i n u e d the Jew. "You, S u l e i m a n , c e l e b r a t e y o u r s a b b a t h on Friday, and y o u , G e o r g e , have y o u r day of rest on S u n d a y . But I rest on Saturday. Just as m y day of rest falls b e t w e e n yours, m y p l a c e to sleep of rest is also b e t w e e n y o u r s . " T h e t w o a g r e e d , a n d the Jew got the coziest place to sleep. W h e n they r e a c h e d Istanbul, they f o u n d a gold coin in the street. W h a t s h o u l d they d o with it? T h e J e w stayed out of the d e b a t e . A f t e r a long and s t o r m y dispute, the C h r i s t i a n a n d M u s l i m a g r e e d to buy b a k l a v a with the m o n e y . W h o e v e r had the best d r e a m w o u l d get the entire pastry. T h e y p r o c e e d e d to their inn. D u r i n g the night, the Jew w o k e up, feeling hungry. H e tasted a bit of the pastry and tried to a w a k e n his c o m p a n ions, but they w e r e s l e e p i n g s o u n d l y a n d did not r e s p o n d to his voice. T h e J e w fell b a c k a s l e e p f o r a while, o n l y to w a k e u p again and take a n o t h e r bite of pastry. A g a i n he tried to r o u s e his c o m p a n i o n s , a n d again had no success. In this f a s h i o n the J e w kept n i b b l i n g a w a y at the pastry t h r o u g h out the night, until it w a s all g o n e . In the m o r n i n g the three w e n t to the c o f f e e h o u s e in the m a r k e t p l a c e . T h e p l a c e w a s p a c k e d with M u s l i m s , C h r i s t i a n s , and J e w s . S u l e i m a n told t h e m that he and his t w o f r i e n d s h a d f o u n d a gold coin on the street and b o u g h t b a k l a v a with the money. N o w they w a n t e d t h o s e present to j u d g e w h i c h of t h e m had had the best d r e a m . T h e C h r i s t i a n b e g a n his recitation: "I d r e a m e d that J e s u s c a m e to m e , b o r e m e on his s h o u l d e r s , c a r r i e d m e to P a r a d i s e , a n d s h o w e d m e the saints sitting there a n d talking q u i e t l y a m o n g t h e m s e l v e s . "

R e c o u n t e d S u l e i m a n : "I d r e a m e d that M u h a m m a d c a m e to m e a n d b o r e m e on his s h o u l d e r s , and s h o w e d m e Paradise." " C o u l d any d r e a m b e m o r e b e a u t i f u l than t h a t ? " w h i s p e r e d his audie n c e in a m a z e m e n t . " T h a t is a g r e a t and s u b l i m e d r e a m ! " T h e n it w a s the J e w ' s turn. " M y d r e a m is not on the level of y o u r s , f o r I d i d n ' t get to P a r a d i s e . Instead, o u r t e a c h e r M o s e s c a m e to m e and said, ' S u l e i m a n is w i t h M u h a m m a d in M e c c a , and G e o r g e is with J e s u s in N a z a r e t h . W h o k n o w s w h e n t h e y ' l l return, or w h e t h e r t h e y ' l l return at all?' A n d he a d v i s e d m e to eat the b a k l a v a m y s e l f . " " D i d you eat it?!" a s k e d his t w o c o m p a n i o n s in a single voice. " W h a t d o you t h i n k ? " t h u n d e r e d the Jew. " W o u l d I ignore the a d v i c e of o u r t e a c h e r M o s e s ? "

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 8 (IFA

13)

Told by Yitzhak Al-Bahri from Turkey to Elisheva Schoenfeld, who recorded the tale in 1956 in Afulah.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This is a widely circulated ancient tale that retains its popularity up to the prèsent. Baum 2 discerned three periods in its literary development and historical diffusion. Following the theories of Benfey and Cosquin, he noted that the tale originated in India and circulated in Asia in the late antiquities and early Middle Ages. It then diffused through Europe during the Middle Ages in Latin, for which Petrus Alfonsi's Disciplina Clericalis played a central role. Finally, the tale retained its popularity in the modern vernacular European languages and was also known in Jewish societies. The recordings of the story in the United States and Israel (where it is told particularly by immigrant narrators from Islamic countries) attest to its viability today.

Early Asia Sources According to Baum, Rabbi Mosé (Moisés) Sefardi from Huesca in Aragon—who converted to Christianity in 1106 and assumed the name Petrus Alfonsi (1062-1110)—might have learned the tale through two lines of folk literary transmission. The first involves a transmission sequence of Indian, Persian, and Arabic sources, whereas the second draws on the Jewish satirical romance Toledot Yeshu (The life of Jesus). Following Clouston, 3 Baum considered the Indian Vinaya Pitaka (third century B.C.E.), a text of the Pali canon consisting of the teachings of the southern school of Buddhism, to be the first written source in which the tale appears. Until then, it circulated only orally. In the Indian and Persian versions, the dispute is between animals. In the Indian animal tale, a partridge, a monkey, and an elephant resolve a dispute over seniority by recalling childhood memories. 4 In a Persian rendition from the Book of Sindibad titled Sindibad Nama, the same dispute occurs between a camel, a wolf, and a fox. At the conclusion of that the story, the camel snaps and eats the contested pumpkin. 5 The earliest known documentation of this tale in which the disputants are three believers in different religions occurs in Nuzhat al Udaba by the Arab author Ibn al-Anbäri, v Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad (1119-1181). In this Arabic version, a Jew is the cake eater. 6 The thirteenth-century Persian poet Jalalu'Ddin Rumi (1207-1273) included a version in his classical poem Mathnawi (also Masnavi). In the Persian rendition, the dreamers are a Muslim, a Christian, and a Jew, and the Muslim is the halwa eater. 7 Lines 2457-2483 of Rumi's poem are a digression involving a camel, an ox, and a ram quarreling over a bunch of grass. They resolve the dispute, as in the Indian parable, by making claims of seniority. Modern studies of this work are available. 8

If these two versions are indeed the earliest literary renditions of the tale in Arabic and Persian literature, then Petrus Alfonis had to draw on oral sources for the narrative he included in Disciplina Clericalis. A preliminary historical survey of the migration of this tale has been conducted. 9 Religious history and conflicts are basic to the relationship of Toledot Yeshu to the "Dream Bread" tale type. With roots in the Babylonian Talmud (Sota 47a; Sanhédrin 43a, 67a, 107b), the Jewish biography of Jesus evolved from many sources into a single narrative of which a dozen versions are extant 10 and have been critically analyzed." In this story, found in the 1705 Huldreich edition of Toledot Yeshu, Jesus, Peter, and Judas Iscariot are the dreamers, and Judas is the goose eater. 12 These three men appear in the few recensions of Toledot Yeshu in which the dream bread story occurs. 13 Heller 14 dated the narrative to the tenth century. Latin and Early E u r o p e a n Sources Schwarzbaum 1 5 noted a literary association between tale type 1626 "DreamBread" and the story that the Brothers Grimm made famous as Brother Lustig (tale type 785 "Who Ate the Lamb's Heart?"). However, the connection is rather doubtful. The basic eating episodes in these two tales are different. In the former tale type, the eater affirms his act; but in the latter, he denies his act. For comparative purposes, see the story The Tenth Generation16 and additional studies and texts. 17 Petrus Alfonsi could have known the Indian tradition with its animal characters or the Arabic tradition with its Muslim, Christian, and Jewish men; however, in his rendition, the contest for the most beautiful dream is among companions of different classes—"two city men and a country man"—rather than among believers of different faiths. 18 An extensive bibliographical discussion of this tale is available. 19 Disciplina Clericalis was immensely popular in Europe; sixty-three manuscripts containing it in whole or in part from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries are available. 20 The book was translated into French, Catalan, Spanish, and Icelandic. 21 The "Dream-Bread" tale type is known in many European languages 22 and occurs in other medieval and Renaissance sources, such as the Gesta Romanorum.23 The tale became part of the Djuha narrative cycle (see tales IFA 332, IFA 8509, IFA 12548, IFA 12551, IFA 12552, IFA 12716, IFA 12724, IFA 12726, IFA 12727, IF« 12729, all in vol. 1) and other Mediterranean and European comic traditions. 24 Baum 25 reported the existence of this story in elegiac couplets in a Vatican manuscript of the twelfth or thirteenth centuries and provided references to other versified renditions of the narrative. Such a literary tradition prevailed into the twentieth century. Taylor 26 analyzed a composition by Frank Wolff of St. Louis in which the contest is between two Irishmen and a Hebrew. An American prose version has been published. 27

More Modern Sources In modern times, the story is well known in Jewish societies. Two Karaite versions in which the contest is between three friends and three thieves, respectively, have been printed, 28 as have comparative notes. 29 Major anthologies of Jewish humor include this tale. 30 Two Jewish dreamers are the figures in Olsvanger's 3 1 rendition as well as in the German version by Präger and Schmitz. 32 BenYaacob 33 included three versions from Jerusalem, Iraq, and Yemen, respectively. Baum 34 pointed out, without citing his source, that Rumanian Jewish nationalists interpreted this tale allegorically. Their version included three Jews, of whom the first dreamed about Paradise, the second about "the days of the Jewish Empire," and the third ate the loaf of bread. "The first dreamer, they say, lived in the ideal past, the second in the times of Jewish greatness, and the third devoted himself to the flesh-pots of the present." A modern Gypsy narrative of this tale has been published. 35

Similarities to Other IFA Tales There are twenty-two versions of this story in the IFA. Most of them are jokes that center on the ethnicities of the threesome. All these tales save one (IFA 12610) were told by narrators from an Islamic country. An analysis of fourteen of these tales is available. 36 •

IFA 127: Which Dream Is the Best (Turkey); dreamers = a Turk, a Greek, a Jew; eater = the Jew.

• IFA 1059: The Dream of Couscous, Dreamt by a Jew, a Christian, and a • • • • • • • • •

Moslem (Morocco); eater = the Jew. IFA 1178: A Story of a Jew, a Moslem, and a Christian (Iraq); eater = the Jew. IFA 1527: The San'ani, the Dhamari, and the Jew Live It Up (Yemen); 37 eater - the Jew. IFA 3061 : The Appropriate Dream for Eating the Cake (Egypt); dreamers = a Christian, a Muslim, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 3524: Whose Dream Is Nicer?" (Libya); 38 dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 3631: Which Dream Is the Best? (Turkey); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 4916: The Best Dream (Libya); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, Djuha; eater = Djuha (who may have been Jewish). IFA 5550: The Clever Partner (Iraq); dreamers = two Muslims, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 5593: Two Dream; One Eats (Yemen); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 8706: The Most Beautiful Dream (Yemen); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew.

• • • • • • • • • • •

IFA 8768: The Meal of Lamb: The Jew, the Fakir, and the Slave (Yemen); dreamers = two Arabs, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 8847: Whose Dream Is the Most Beautiful? (Egypt); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 9315: The Dream-Bread (Republic of Georgia); dreamers = two inmates; eater = one inmate. IFA 9852: Whoever Has a Good Dream Will Have the Lamb (Yemen); 39 dreamers = two Arabs, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 10408: For by Stratagems You Wage War (Proverbs 24:6) (Yemen); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 12246: A Partnership between a Jew, a Moslem, and a Christian (Iraqi Kurdistan); eater = the Jew. IFA 12610: Whose Dream Is the Best? (Bulgaria); dreamers = a priest, a Turk, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 13490: A Story about a Kadi (a Judge), a Fakya (a Wandering Teacher), and a Jew (Yemen); eater = the Jew. IFA 13887: The Three Dreams (Morocco); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 14553: The Best Dream (Iraqi Kurdistan); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew. IFA 15836: The Leaders of the Three Religions (Iran); dreamers = a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew; eater = the Jew.

Folktale Types

• • •

1626 ‫״‬ "Dream Bread." 1626 ‫״‬ "Dream Bread" (new ed.). 1626 (El-Shamy) "Dream Bread." 1626 (Jason) "Dream Bread." 1789 (Tubach) "Dream-Bread."

Folklore Motifs • • ‫״‬ • • •

A694 "Christian paradise." D1814.2 "Advice from dream." Fl 1 "Journey to heaven (upper-world paradise)." F1068 "Realistic dream." K66 "Dream contest." K444 "Dream bread: the most wonderful dream." Notes

1. First published in the Hebrew daily Omer, January 27, 1956, and in English translation in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 108-110 no. 45. 2. "The Three Dreams or 'Dream-Bread' Story."

3. Popular Tales and Fictions, 2:91. 4. Woodward, Some Sayings of the Buddha, 105-107. 5. Clouston, The Book of Sindibad, 15-16 (reports an English version in which an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman travel together; the Irishman is the bread eater, 216-222). 6. Basset, Mille et un contes, 1:516-518 no. 205. 7. Nicholson, The Mathnawi of Jalalu'Ddin Rumi, 6:2376-2509. 8. Banani et al., Poetry and Mysticism in Islam. 9. Clouston, Popular Tales and Fictions, 2:86-96. 10. Dan, "Toledot Yeshu," 15:1208-1209. 11. Krauss, Das Leben Jesu. 12. Krauss, op. cit., 33-35; and Baum, op. cit., 382. 13. Heller, "Über Judas Ischariotes in der Jüdischen Legende,.39 ‫״‬ 14. "Über das Alter der Jüdischen Judas-Sage und des Toldot Jeschu." 15. Schwarzbaum, "The Denier and the Loaves of Bread." 16. Bin Gorion, MimekorYisrael, 2 1 - 2 3 (1990 ed.). 17. Krauss, "A Moses Legend"; Spies, "Das Grimmsche Märchen 'Bruder Lustig'in Arabischer Uberlieferung"•, and Spies, Orientalische Stoffe in den Kinderund Hausemärchen der Bruder Grimm, 29-30. See also Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-u: Hausemärchen, 2:149-163 no. 81; Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:152-155; and Grimm and Grimm, The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, 291-300 no. 81. 18. Hermes, The "Disciplina Clericalis" of Petrus Alfonsi, 136-138 no. 19 19. Schwarzbaum, "International Folklore Motifs in Petrus Alfonsi's Disciplina Clericalis," 2 2 : 3 7 4 6 ; and Schwarzbaum, Jewish Folklore between East and West, 292-301. 20. Hilka and Söderhjelm, Die Disciplina Clericalis des Petrus Alfonsi. 21. Baum, op. cit., 384. 22. Baum, op. cit., 384-408. 23. Swan and Hooper, Gesta Romanorum, 232-233 no. 106; Bolte and Polivka, op. cit., 4:139 no. 106; and Banks, An Alphabet of Tales, 1:166-167 no. 238 (cites Petrus Alfonsi as a source). 24. Basset, op. cit., 1:516-518 no. 250; Wesselski, Der Hodscha Nassaradin, 2:243-244 no. 540; Krappe, "Les sources du libro de exemples," 22 no. 98; and KoenSarano, Folktales ofJoha, 254-255. 25. Op. cit., 385-390. 26. The 'Dream-Bread' Story Once More." 27. Dorson, Buying the Wind, 91. 28. Pigit, Sefer Davar Davur (The book of spoken words), 139-143 no. 19; and Habermann, Me-Sippurei ha-Kara'im (Karaite tales), 46-49. See also N. Gross, Maaselech un Mesholim, 215 (dreamers = Polish, Galician, and Lithuanian Jews; the last is the eater); and Cahan, Jewish Folklore, 212-213, 326 no. 67 (dreamers = a Turkish and a Jewish soldier; the last is the eater. Includes note by N. Epstein). 29. Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 188-189,472. 30. Druyanow, Sefer ha-Bedihah ve-ha-Hidud (The book of jokes and witticisms), 1:320, 4 3 1 - 4 3 2 no. 825; Geiger, Histoires Juives, 4 6 - 4 7 no. 40 (dreamers = an anti-

Semite and a Jew); F. Mendelsohn, Merry Heart, 172-173; and Nuél, Rabbi Lach und seine Geschichten, 209-211 (dreamers = Jewish yeshivah students). 31. Rosinkess mit Mandlen, 22-23 no. 39. 32. Jüdische Schwanke, 129-130 no. 118. See also Olsvanger, op. cit., 27-28 no. 40; Rawnitzki, Yidishe Witzen (Jewish wit), 2:62 no. 505; and Richman, Laughs from Jewish Lore, 122-123. 33. "The Tale of a Jew, a Moslem, and a Christian." 34. Op. cit., 403-404. 35. Tong, Gypsy Folktales, 61-62. 36. Printed in E. Marcus, "The Confrontation between Jews and Non-Jews," 589-594. 37. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzähalt, 284-291 no. 126. 38. Published in Z. Baharav, Sixty Folktales, 9 2 - 9 3 no. 15. 39. Published in Caspi, Mi-Zkenim Etbonan (I will observe the elders), 89-90.

A Porter Saves Maimonides ‫ י‬Life TOLD

BY

MOTI

E L B O K H E R

TO

PENINNAH

M O S K O V I T S

Une d a y the w i f e of a n e e d y p o r t e r w e n t to the b a t h h o u s e ; by c h a n c e , M a i m o n i d e s ' w i f e w a s a l s o there. All the b a t h h o u s e w o r k e r s treated her w i t h great r e s p e c t . O n e ran to p o u r w a t e r on her; a n o t h e r b r o u g h t her water. But n o o n e paid any a t t e n t i o n to the p o r t e r ' s w i f e . T h i s m a d e her very upset and e n v i o u s of the respect s h o w n to M a i m o n i d e s ' w i f e . S h e dec i d e d that she w a n t e d t h e m to s h o w her r e s p e c t , too, so her h u s b a n d should become a physician. S h e w e n t h o m e and told h i m , " E i t h e r you b e c o m e a physician, or d o n ' t c o m e h o m e again." " W h a t h a p p e n e d ? W h a t ' s the m a t t e r ? " asked her h u s b a n d in a s t o n i s h ment. S h e told h i m a b o u t the g r e a t r e s p e c t s h o w n M a i m o n i d e s ' w i f e . S h e , too, w a n t e d to be a p h y s i c i a n ' s w i f e . W h e n her h u s b a n d r e a l i z e d that M a i m o n i d e s w a s the s o u r c e of his p r o b l e m he d e c i d e d to g o ask his a d v i c e . W h e n the latter h e a r d the p o r t e r ' s story, h e said, "All right. It's a s i m p l e matter. I'll give you slips of paper. W h e n y o u visit a sick p e r s o n give h i m a slip f o r s o m e m e d i c i n e . W h o e v e r w a s g o i n g to get better a n y w a y will get better, and w h o e v e r w a s g o i n g to die will die." T h e porter took the slips of p a p e r a n d traveled t h r o u g h the villages. H e w a s very s u c c e s s f u l . E v e r y o n e called h i m in, as a g o o d doctor. T w o y e a r s p a s s e d in this f a s h i o n . W h e n he used up the last slip, he decided to g o b a c k and ask M a i m o n i d e s f o r m o r e . H e w e n t b a c k to his h o m e t o w n and f o u n d an u n c o m m o n silence there. " W h a t ' s w r o n g ? " he asked. T h e y told h i m , sadly, that M a i m o n i d e s w a s d y i n g . " H e w a s e a t i n g a f r i e d sole and a large b o n e got stuck in his throat. It w o n ' t b u d g e . " T h e porter raced to h e l p M a i m o n i d e s . H e w a n t e d to s h o w off his expertise. H e told M a i m o n i d e s ' w i f e , " H u r r y , hurry, b r i n g m e c u p p i n g glasses." S h e w a s a s t o n i s h e d . " W h a t d o you need c u p p i n g g l a s s e s f o r ? "

" I ' m g o i n g to put o n e on the sole of his foot."* W h e n M a i m o n i d e s h e a r d this, he burst o u t l a u g h i n g and the b o n e p o p p e d right out of his throat. A n d t h a t ' s h o w the porter saved M a i m o n i d e s ' life.

*In the original tale, told in Ladino, it is likely that Maimonides choked on a turbot (kalkan)

and that

the porter wanted to put the cupping glass on his heel (kalkanal). The tale as found in the IFA was translated into Hebrew, and the pun was lost.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 5 9 (IFA

5503)

Told by Moti Elbokherfrom Bulgaria to Peninnah Moskovits in August 1963 in Haifa. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background In Jewish folklore there are two basic scripted causes that trigger a curing laughter: a letter to Heaven (tale type 841 *A [IFA] "Miraculous Help Arrives at the Last Moment: Letter to God") and a sham prescription. Both forms occur in the folklore of non-Jewish societies as well. The two tale forms differ from each other in kind and in timing. The first form involves a request, often made around a seasonal holiday (usually Passover), and the second is an instrument for achieving financial gain on a continuous basis. Examples and annotations of the first tale form are available. 1 The theme of a letter to Heaven is used as a narrative device in oral tradition not only to evoke laughter but also to promote a generous response, to increase the comedy, or to create a skeptical response to gifts received. A brief essay and several versions of these tales have been published. 2 See also the notes to tale IFA 18601 (vol. 2). Both tale forms present occupational polarities in Jewish society. On the higher end of the social scale, these stories include rich men, governors, and physicians, who combine learning and prosperity. On the lower end, the characters include physician's apprentices who, unlike the sorcerer's apprentice (tale type 325* "Apprentice and Ghost"), blunder and cure their masters, and a whole range of nonprofessional occupations and uneducated individuals. The figure of the physician's apprentice occurs only in the second form and is the opposite of his ailing master, but other figures are found in both forms, regardless of whether the note is a letter or a prescription. 3 A similar story was part of the family tradition about Rabbi Zevi Hirsch ben Aryeh Loeb Levin (1721-1800); Rabbi Zevi Yehezkel Mikhelzohn included the tale in his biographical introduction to his grandfather's book. 4 Although in the first tale form the letter recipient acts as if he were an intermediary, in the second form, the recipient of the sham prescription is a sick person who is a member of the upper classes. Oral versions of the second tale form are available. 5

Similarities to Other IFA Tales Oral versions of the first tale form (a letter to Heaven) are found in the IFA: • • • •

IFA 1763: A Letter to God (Poland); characters = Jew, landowner. IFA 1918: A Poor Fisherman (Russia); characters = fisherman, landowner. IFA 1919: The Letter to God (Tunisia); 6 characters = pauper, king. IFA 2718: Food for Passover (Syria); characters = wage laborer, wealthy man.

• • ‫״‬ • • • • • • •

‫״‬

IFA 3252: A Letter to God Requesting Food for Passover (Morocco); characters = poor man, prince. IFA 3885: The Letter to the Holy One Blessed Be He (Iraq); 7 characters = pauper, king. IFA 4477: A Letter to God (Irani Kurdistan); 8 characters = pauper, king. IFA 5208: A Letter to God (Iraqi Kurdistan); characters = poor man, yeshivah students. IFA 5519: Λ Letter to God (Iran); 9 characters = Jew, postal workers. IFA 8353: God Will Send (Israel); 10 characters = shoemaker, king. IFA 8807 (vol. 1 ): A Letter to God (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); characters = poor rabbi, American tourist. IFA 9592: A Letter to Elijah the Prophet (India); 11 characters = young girl, rich man. IFA 10953: A Letter to God (Poland); characters = needy Jew, postal worker. 12 IFA 1 2 0 1 7 : The Letter That Was Dispatched with the Wind (Iraq); characters = poor Jew, king. IFA 13141 : A Letter to the Master of the World (Lithuania); characters = scholar, Rothschild.

In the IFA there are thirteen tales in which a cure is obtained through laughter, which either dislodges a bone or bursts a throat abscess. Of these tales, a foolish diagnosis or course of therapy is administrated by an unlikely physician, which causes the curing laughter. • • • • ‫״‬ • • • • •

IFA 759: The Loafer Who Cured the Princess (Lithuania). IFA 800: Maimonides and His Servant the Physician (Iraq); 13 characters = physician's servant, physician. IFA 1858: Laughter Cures the Princess (Eretz Yisra'el, Ashkenazic); characters = Jew, princess. IFA 2142: Laughter Cures Rabbi Joshua Heschel (Poland); characters = woman physician; Rabbi Heschel of Apta (d. 1825). IFA 3410: How Did Hayyim Yona the Teacher Cure the Princess? (Poland). IFA 3453: The Poor Widow and the Sick Rabbi (Poland). IFA 6819: Enema (Eretz Yisra'el, Arabic); characters = laborer, Harun El Rashid. IFA 7620: The Rabbi Appointed Doctor (Belarus); characters = Hasid, princess. IFA 7902: The Shoemaker Who Became a Physician and a Diviner (Romania); characters = shoemaker, army officer, princess. IFA 9120: He Lifts Up the Needy from the Refuse Heap (Iraqi Kurdistan); characters = poor man, physician.

•

IFA 10644: A Physician in Spite of Himself (Afghanistan); characters = poor man, princess. • IFA 11846: The Sultan and His Astrologer (Iraq); 14 characters = vegetable grocer, sultan. ‫ ״‬IFA 14041 : A Cure for All Diseases (Italy); characters = poor man, rabbi.

Folktale Types • • • • • •

164IB "Physician in Spite of Himself." 164IB "Physician in Spite of H i m s e l f ' (new ed.). 164IB (El-Shamy) "Physician in Spite of Himself (patient laughs, cured accidentally)." 1641Β (Haboucha) "Physician in Spite of Himself." 1641Β (Jason) "Physician in Spite of Himself." 25 (Tubach) "Abscess Cured by Laughing."

Folklore Motifs • • • • • • •

cf. H916.1.1 "Malicious wife reports that her husband is a famous doctor: he is commanded to cure the princess." Κ1825.1 "Disguise as doctor." Κ1955 "Sham physician." cf. N641 "Patient laughs so hard at foolish diagnosis of sham physician that his abscess breaks and he gets well." *N641.3 "Patient laughs so hard at foolish diagnosis of sham physician that he dislodges a fish bone from his throat." P424 "Physician." W195 "Envy."

Notes 1. Cahan, "Specimen of the Yiddish Folklore of Burgenland"; N. Gross, Maaselech un Mesholim, 283-284, 382-383; and Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 296-297, 478 (annotation). 2. Sadan, Ka'arat Zimmukim ο Elef Bedihah u-Bhdihah (A bowl of raisins or a thousand and one jokes), 508-512. 3. Druyanow, Sefer ha-Bedihah ve-ha-Hidud (The book of jokes and witticisms), 3:3-4 no. 2088 (characters = a loafer, a Rothschild). 4. Z. Levin, Sefer Tsava Rav (The book of multitudes), 53. 5. Cahan, Yidishe Folksmasiyyot (Yiddish folktales) (1931) 30-32 and (1940) 35-37 no. 6 (Yiddish version from Volhynia, Ukraine; characters = shoemaker, physician); Meyouhas, Ma'asiyyot am li-Bhnei Kedem (Oriental folktales), 12-15 (told by a Sephardic woman in Jerusalem; characters = vegetable grocer, king); and Lipson, Medor Dor (From days of old), 3:233-234 no. 2455 (characters = woman, rabbi). 6. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 158-159 no. 59; and D. Noy,

Folktales of Israel, 85-87 no. 35. This version has a narrative triangle in which a rich brother plays a role as well. 7. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 90-91 no. 41 (a note on 252 indicates that a Yiddish version of this tale was published in an anonymous chapbook: Der Brif zu Got, Oder, a Foygel als BrifTreger [A letter to God or a bird as a letter carrier], Lemberg, 1879). 8. Published in E. Marcus, Min ha-Mabua (From the fountainhead), 153-154 no. 42. 9. Published in Rush and Marcus, Seventy and One Tales for the Jewish Year, 172-174 no. 41; E. Marcus, Jewish Festivities, 9 5 - 9 6 no. 51; and Estin, Contes et fêtes Juives, 217-218 no. 51. 10. Published in Rabbi, Avoteinu sipru (Our fathers told), 1:69-70 no. 41. 11. Published in C. Estin, op. cit., 210-217 no. 50. 12. Published in E. Agassi, Sent with the Wind, 21-23. 13. Published in D. Noy, Jewish-Iraqi Folktales, 198-200 no. 104; Avishur, In Praise of Maimonides, 321-323 no. 116; and Alexander and E. Romero, Erase una Vez • • . Maimonides, 9 5 - 9 7 no. 29. 14. Published by Rabbi, op. cit., 2:194-197 no. 94.

Blinder Than a Blind Man T O L D TO

BY

R I V K A

Y 0 E L

P E R E Z - G I N I O

S H A L O M

P E R E Z

L / n c e they w a n t e d to p r o v e that D j u h a really h a d n o luck at all. T h e y w a n t e d to test h i m . W h a t did they d o ? T h e y took a b a g full of gold and put it on the stairs w h e r e H u s h a m , or D j u h a , had to pass on his w a y b a c k f r o m religious school (he w e n t to s c h o o l , and on his w a y h o m e he had to pass by t h e s e stairs). T h e n they hid to see w h a t w o u l d h a p p e n . W o u l d he see the treasure and take it? It j u s t w a s n ' t p o s s i b l e that he w o u l d m i s s it. It w a s a b a g , a large b a g full of g o l d , sitting t h e r e on o n e of the steps, h a l f w a y d o w n the f l i g h t of stairs. N o b o d y w h o w e n t d o w n t h o s e stairs could miss s e e i n g the bag. T h e y hid. It w a s about t i m e f o r D j u h a to be f i n i s h i n g religious school. T h e y f o l l o w e d his m o v e m e n t s and w a t c h e d : d o w n , d o w n , d o w n he w e n t , fine, there, there, there. H e had a l m o s t r e a c h e d the treasure. S u d d e n l y , he s t o p p e d , c l o s e d his eyes, and d e s c e n d e d the rest of the stairs with his eyes tightly shut. " W h a t ' s t h i s ? " his f r i e n d s e x c l a i m e d to o n e another. " W h a t ' s g o i n g on h e r e ? Just w h e n h e s h o u l d have n o t i c e d the t r e a s u r e , he c l o s e d his e y e s a n d w e n t d o w n the stairs w i t h o u t l o o k i n g . L e t ' s g o ask h i m w h a t h a p pened." "Djuha, Djuha, come here!" " W h a t is it?" "Tell us s o m e t h i n g . You started so well w h e n you w e r e g o i n g d o w n the stairs, with y o u r e y e s w i d e o p e n . W h y did you c l o s e t h e m w h e n you d i d ? " " O h , " he said, " d o n ' t ask. Yesterday I w a s r e a d i n g a story a b o u t blind p e o p l e , a b o u t h o w difficult it is f o r t h e m to get a r o u n d . I d o n ' t k n o w how they m a n a g e . It's j u s t terrible. I w a n t e d to have an idea of h o w it's possible to m a n a g e w h e n y o u r e y e s c a n ' t see. S o h a l f w a y d o w n the stairs, I s u d d e n l y got the idea of trying out h o w blind p e o p l e g o d o w n steps without b e i n g able to see. I c l o s e d m y eyes; and w h a t can I tell y o u , it w a s really difficult. Really d i f f i c u l t ! N o w I can s h a r e the pain of blind p e o p l e . " "You a s s ! " they said. "You really are b l i n d ! "

" I ' m blind?" " A n d h o w ! Y o u ' r e b l i n d e r than a blind p e r s o n . " " W h y d o you say t h a t ? " asked D j u h a . " W h y ? C o m e look at w h a t w e put on the steps. We put a treasure there. If you h a d c o m e d o w n w i t h y o u r e y e s o p e n y o u w o u l d h a v e f o u n d the treasure. You c o u l d h a v e been the richest m a n in the w o r l d ! B u t w h a t did you d o ? Just at that m o m e n t y o u h a d a w h i m to c l o s e y o u r eyes. N o w w e u n d e r s t a n d w h a t they say a b o u t y o u . You really h a v e n o luck at all!"

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 6 0 (IFA

12727)

Rivka Perz-Ginio, a second-generation immigrant to the Land of Israel from Saloniki, told this tale to her son Yoel Shalom Perez.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This is a rather well-known tale, but in neither Jewish nor non-Jewish traditions is it commonly associated with the Djuha/Nasreddin narrative cycles as this version is. The comparable story that is told about Djuha includes motif J2093.1 "Numskull gives away the old water bag in which the money is hid" and corresponds to tale type 947A "Bad Luck Cannot Be Arrested" rather than type 842 "The Man Who Kicked Aside Riches." 2 The most popular character of this tale in Jewish tradition is the medieval Hebrew poet, philosopher, and Bible interpreter Abraham ibn Ezra (1092-1176), whose poetic and traditional image is that of a learned but utterly poor man. 3 Fleisher noted that he heard the tale from oral tradition. Other tales about ibn Ezra and his legendary poverty are available. 4 For more on Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, see the notes to tale IFA 13498 (vol. 2). Other versions of this tale are known, including one with an anonymous hero. 5 The main joke in this tale was current in medieval European narrative traditions. 6 Broad surveys of tales about luckless poor people, including but not limited to the present tale, have been conducted, 7 and further references to Mediterranean and Balkan renditions of similar tales are available. 8 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

There are twelve versions of this tale in the IFA; however, the hero in most of them is not Djuha. • • • • • • • •

IFA 8: The Tailor with His Luck Locked Up (Turkey); 9 characters = tailor, sultan. IFA 541 : When the Wheel of Fortune Turns (Iraq); 10 characters = ibn Ezra, Maimonides. IFA 1342: When a Man Has No Luck (Yemen); 11 characters = poor man, the community. IFA 1517: The Poor Luckless Brother (Iran); characters = two brothers. IFA 2501 : Whoever Is Impoverished by Fate Cannot Be Enriched (Tunisia); 12 characters = two brothers. IFA 4134: Maimonides and Rashba (Rabbi Solomon ben Abraham Adret) (Bukhara). 13 IFA 4566: The Luckless Shoemaker (Kurdistan); 14 characters = shoemaker, king. IFA 4867: A Man Born without Luck (Irani Kurdistan); characters = poor man, king.

• • • •

IFA 5350: Poor Man's Fate (Tunisia); 15 characters = two brothers. IFA 11829: When There Is No Luck (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic); characters = two brothers, the community. IFA 11866: Miserable Is the Man Who Is Born without Luck (Iraq); characters = ibn Ezra, Maimonides. IFA 13675: The Luckless (Yemen); characters = two brothers, the community.

Folktale Types • • • • • • • •

842 "The Man Who Kicked Aside Riches." 131 (Eberhard and Boratav) " D e r Unglücksmann" (The Luckless Man). 842 (Jason) "The Man Who Kicked Aside Riches." 947A "Bad Luck Cannot Be Arrested" (new ed.). 947A (El-Shamy) "Bad Luck Cannot Be Arrested (poor man fails to see money left for him)." 947A (Haboucha) "Bad Luck Cannot Be Arrested." 947A (Jason) "Bad Luck Cannot Be Arrested." cf. *947A (Marzolph), " D a s Schicksal Bleibt Unveränderlich" (Luck Remains Un-Arrested).

Folklore Motifs • ‫״‬ •

*HI 586 "Test of luck." N250 "Persistent bad luck." N351.2 "Beggar accidentally overlooks money put into his way." Notes

1. First printed in T. Alexander, "Djuha and Makeda"; reprinted in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 152 no. 46. 2. Marzolph, Nasreddin Hodscha, 236-237 no. 565; and Wesselski, Der Hodscha Nasreddin, 2:54-56, 201 no. 393. 3. T. Alexander,"Hagiography and Biography," 11-16; Ben-Menachem, Avraham even-Ezra, 59-60; and Y. Fleischer, "Aggadot Am al ha-RABA" (Folk legends about Rabbi Abraham ben Ezra), 30. 4. Avishur, "New Folktales Concerning R. Abraham Ibn Ezra," 163-192; BenMenachem, Inyanei ibn Ezra (Essays about ibn Ezra), 337-372; Bin Gorion, Mimekor Yisrael, 301-302 no. 166 (1990 ed.); Na'anah, Otzar ha-Ma'asiyyot (A treasury of tales), 2:371-374; and Singerman, "Abraham Ibn Ezra Scholarship." 5. Druyanow, Sefer ha-Bedihah ve-ha-Hidud (The book of jokes and witticisms), 1:71-72 no. 184. 6. Pauli, Schimpf und Ernst, 1:201-202, 2:334 no. 327. 7. Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 259-278, 477 no. 309; and Basset, Mille et un contes, 3:323.

8. Dawkins, Modern Greek Folktales, 458-460; and Dawkins, Forty-Five Stories from the Dodekanese, 358-368 no. 35. 9. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 183-184 no. 67. 10. Published in D. Noy, Folktales of Israel, 2 0 - 2 2 no. 10; and Avishur, op. cit. 11. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzählt, 248 no. 104. 12. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 165-166 no. 64. 13. Note that Adret (c. 1235-c. 1310) was a well-known rabbi, and there are no traditions or historical evidence to indicate that he was poor, as the narrator of this tale implies. 14. Published in Baharav, Sixty Folktales, 209-211 no. 46. 15. Published in D. Noy, Jewish Folktales from Tunisia, 172-173 no. 67; and Jason, Märchen aus Israel, 89-90 no. 29

A General Note on the Tales of Djuha t > j u h a is a popular buffoon figure of many colors—a numskull, a naive fool, a trickster, a comic who satirizes people in power, and an idiot whose literal logic exposes the ambiguities of the language. His "are stories of apparent stupidity which gets the better of brain or brawn, quick wit which saves face, humor which overcomes sorrow, naïveté which hides a deep philosophy of life." 1 The wide range of his attributes represents historical development, regional variations, selected documentation, and the use of anecdotes for deliberate purposes. Djuha is the primary humorous figure in the jokes and proverbs of Judeo-Spanish oral tradition. 2 Grunwald 3 recorded Judeo-Spanish folktales, folk songs, and proverbs from Sephardic narrators from Turkey and the Balkans. His sources were World War I soldiers who had been brought to Vienna as prisoners of war. The tales were told in Judeo-Spanish, but Grunwald wrote them down in German. His collection ineludes fifty-five Djuha tales, ten of which have been published. 4 The Sephardic community in the United States has retained Djuha as a comic figure. On the basis of fieldwork conducted in Los Angeles in 1974, S. Stern 5 concluded that "the Goha [Djuha] stories constitute the largest body of narrative within the tale-telling tradition of the Sephardic Jews of Los Angeles." D j u h a in the IFA There are 232 Djuha tales on deposit in the IFA; they are supplemented by 28 Nasreddin Hoca and 23 Abu Nuwas stories. As a group, these 283 narratives represent almost 1 percent of the texts in the archives, making up one of the largest groups of tales in the collection. There are approximately the same number of tales about King Solomon as either the archetypical wise child or the wise man of Jewish tradition; the largest group is stories about Elijah the Prophet (630). The narrators of the Djuha tales in Israel were Arabs, Bedouins, Druze, Circassians (Cherkessians), Samaritans, and Sephardim. The Jewish immigrant storytellers came from Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Rhodes, Syria, Tunis, Turkey, Yugoslavia, and Yemen. The JudeoSpanish tales constitute 42 percent of all Djuha stories in the IFA. The other tales come from North Africa (30 percent), the Mideast (22 percent), Iran (3 percent), and miscellaneous regions (3 percent). Ben-Ami 6 analyzed a collection of 250 jokes recorded among Moroccan Jews and found that Djuha was featured in 27 percent of them. The Nasreddin Hoca stories are mostly from Iran and Afghanistan. The

Djuha-like hero of those tales is sometimes called Molla (or Mulla), which means "teacher." The Abu Nuwas tales are mainly from Iraq (thirteen), Yemen (six), Iran (one), Lebanon (one), and Israeli Arabs (two). Koen-Sarano collected Djuha stories from seventy-two narrators from twelve Mediterranean countries. Koen-Sarano's sources learned their tales in a JudeoSpanish environment; hence only a few of the narrators were from North African countries. However, tales from Africa, particularly from Tunisia, have been translated from the Judeo-Arabic and published. 7 A collection of Djuha stories by an Israeli from Turkey is available. 8 The comic hero of the humorous anecdotes told in Turkey and in the Balkans is known primarily as Nasreddin Hoca (also Khodja, or Hodja); the Sephardic narrators from these countries refer to him mostly as Djuha, his name in Arabic traditions. With some dialectical variations the narrators whose stories appear in Koen-Sarano's collection Djoha ke dize?9 retain the name Djuha. The only significant, and somewhat curious, name change occurred in the texts of Sephardic narrators from Israel. Some of these storytellers employed the name "Husham" for the numskull. This is a biblical name of one of the Edomite kings (Genesis 36:34-35; 1 Chronicles 1:45-46), and in Yiddish it became one of words for a fool (khushim[nik])} 0 From Yiddish, it entered modern Hebrew and, in a few cases, replaced the character name "Djuha" in Sephardic tales from Israel. Early History of the D j u h a Tales The first available reference to Djuha as a blundering fool occurs in the early ninth century in the work of al-Djahiz (776-868/869), who counted him among other comic figures known at that time." In another work, al-Djahiz 12 quoted a whole story in which Djuha gives a witty reply to the residents of Hims, known as a town of fools at that time. By the last quarter of the tenth century, a whole book of anecdotes about Djuha was available under the title K. Nawadir Djuha; it is now extinct but is mentioned in the Fihrist (written 987-988). 1 3 By the beginning of the tenth century, Djuha had become a proverbial character, and the expression "ahmaq min Djuha" (sillier than Djuha) occurred in Hamza al-Isfahani's (893-962) book ad-Durra al-Fakhira fi l-Amthal as-Sa'ira (The exquisite pearl: on popular proverbs). The proverb became popular with later writers as well, the most prominent of whom was al-Maydani (d. 1124), suggesting that the phrase had a narrative validation in oral literature, a few anecdotes of which were written by ninth- and early tenth-century authors. Abu Hayan at-Tawhidi (d. 1023) included twenty Djuha tales in his alBasa'ir wadh-Dhakha'ir (Insights and treasures). 14 The writer al-Abi (d. 1030) borrowed this material and expanded on it in his Nathrad Durr (Pearls of prose); chapter seventeen of this work included Djuha anecdotes. Al-Abi's collection became the basis for subsequent Djuha traditions. 15 By the end of the twelfth century, the theologian and preacher Ibn al-Cawzi (d. 1201) also printed twenty

Djuha, the trickster.

Djuha anecdotes in his K. al-Hamqa (Book on fools), indicating an expanded application of these jokes for ethical purposes. 16 In oral and popular traditions in the Middle Ages, the name "Djuha" was retained in Arab countries as the major character in these cycles of jokes, oblitérâting other similar figures that were known earlier. 17 When examining sources before the thirteen century, Farradi discovered that the K. Nawadir Djuha apparently had great influence on subsequent popular and literary traditions. 18 The Djuha tradition continued in North Africa among Arabs and Berbers well into the late Middle Ages and even up to modern times. 19 Persian Traditions:

Juhi

References to Djuha occurred in medieval Persian literature as well, where he is known as "Juhi." Persian poets of the eleventh through thirteenth centuries mentioned his name and occasionally referred to a specific anecdote. The earliest citation appeared in the divan of Manuchehri (d. 1040), around the same time that al-Abi was recording tales. Among the poets who referred to Juhi are Anvari (d. 1190) and Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273). In Persian oral tradition, Juhi remained a fool and the butt of jokes. Yet an early allusion to him by the mystical poet Sana'i (d. 1130) gave Juhi a more sophisticated persona. Unlike some other jocular characters who were transformed in tradition from fools to saints, Juhi has remained the simpleton of Persian stories. A comprehensive analysis of this character is available. 20 Nasreddin

Hoea

On the northern shores of the Mediterranean and in Persia, another character with a different name, though with similar qualities, began to appear in oral and popular written literature. This was Nasreddin Hoca (also known as Nasr al-Din Khodja). The first allusions to him occur in Ebü'1-Khayr-i Rumi's (d. 1480) Saltuk-nâme2Ì and in Lami' Celebi's (d. 1532 or 1533) Leta'if.22 References to and anecdotes about Nasreddin Hoca also occur in later manuscripts. The initial study of this corpus began as early as 1860 by Flügel. Basset 23 reviewed Fliigel's work and that of other nineteenth-century scholars and made his own contribution. In the 1960s, Boratav 24 offered the following comprehensive list of sources: 1. Oriental (Or.) 185 in Bodleian Library, Oxford, UK (copied in 1571). 2. Manuscripts in Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris: 25 • Ancien Fonds Turc (AFT) no. 36 (sixteenth century?). • AFT no. 229 (early seventeenth century). 26 • Supplément Turc (ST) no. 422 (early seventeenth century). 27 • ST no. 423 (1676). 28 • ST no. 424 (seventeenth century). 29 • ST no. 395 (late seventeenth century). 30 • ST no. 947(1741).

3. 4. 5. 6.

• ST no. 1408(1772). • ST no. 1395 (1793). • ST no. 1396(1793). • ST no. 1397 (late nineteenth century). • ST no. 1398 (no date). AFT 227 (mid-seventeenth century). 31 Hikayat-i Hace Nasreddin Efendi no. 1/4838 in the Ismail Saib Fund of the Faculty of Letters Library, Ankara ( 1777). 32 ST no. 418 (early seventeenth century?) and ST 419 (1581) in the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris. 33 Ayasofya Kiitiiphansei 4233 in Istanbul. 34

It is now possible to add another manuscript to this list: Codex Groningeng ag8 in the University Library of Groningen, 35 which is dated between 1534 and 1625. Thus it may be older than Or. 185,36 the oldest-known dated manuscript (1571). The Nasreddin Hoca Turkish narrative tradition made its transition from manuscript to print relatively late. The first collection appeared in Istanbul in 1837; but once it was published, its circulation mushroomed and its corpus expanded. Several authors have drawn on it for their literary use. Nasreddin Hoca also became a recurrent character in children's literature. 37 In the nineteenth century, with the help of popular print, Nasreddin Hoca was seen as a comic figure in Persia as well, where he is known as Molla (or Mulla) Nasreddin. 38 Most of the Jewish Persian narrators refer to him by this name, but none of the others do.

Historical Sources Throughout the Middle East and on both shores of the Mediterranean (including Arab and Berber North Africa, Turkey, and Iran), both in tradition and in scholarship, several attempts have been made to establish Djuha and Nasreddin Hoca as historical personalities. In Nathr ad Durr.; al-Abi suggested that Djuha lived more than a hundred years and died during the reign of Abu Dja'far al Mansur (754-775) (the second caliph and the real founders of the Abbasid dynasty in Baghdad). On the other hand, Ibn al-Djawzi suggested that Djuha was a scatterbrained man who was laughed at by his neighbors and who lived in the eighth to ninth centuries. 39 In the Arab cemetery near the Mamilla Pool in Jerusalem there is a domed building that, according to one tradition, covers Djuha's grave. 40 Similarly, Turkish tradition presents Nasreddin Hoca as a historical personality. Lami'l Celebi mentioned him as a contemporary of Sheyyad Hamza (fourteenth century), and Ewliya Celebi considered him to be a resident of Konya and a subject of the prince of Karaman, a contemporary of the Mongol ruler Timur (Tamerlane) (1336-1405). In Aksehir in central Anatolia, an inscription on Nasreddin Hoca's alleged tomb records the date of his death as A.H. 386 (995); but this is likely a joke, reversing the year A.H. 683 (1284). Neither tradition has

any historical basis, and the grave site does not necessarily validate Nasreddin Hoca's historical truth. 41 There is no corroborative evidence of the historical existence of either character; they were probably created to serve a literary, rhetorical function rather than having any basis in fact. But these characters are presented as being real peopie because the anecdotes about them would have lost their comic effect had they been narrated as fiction. It is common to find traditional accounts of the lives of the heroes and narrators of fables and joke cycles. For example, consider The Life [of Aesop]*2 from the fourth century B.C.E., and the traditions about the simpletons and buffoons of other cultures. 43

Trickster Tales Stories about fools and tricksters and cities of fools are common in many traditions. The medieval Arabic tradition associated Djuha with the town of Hims, and a Turkish tradition considered Sivrihisar, a city of fools, to be Nasreddin Hoca's hometown. In the Judeo-Spanish tradition, Makeda is the city of fools, but there are no tales of any interactions between Djuha and its citizens. 44 Perhaps the lack of connection can be explained by noting the different paths by which the Makeda and Djuha tales entered the tradition. Sephardic Jews associate the city of Makeda with the biblical city Makkedah (Joshua 10:28), whereas Djuha is a figure based in Arab or Turkish culture. The fool or trickster is known to many narrative traditions; however, the apparent interchangeability of Djuha and Nasreddin Hoca is particularly problematic because their distribution circles overlap and they seem to be equivalent within their own narrative traditions. The reason for this may be literary. Basset 45 proposed that K. Nawadir Djuha was translated into Turkish in the sixteenth century and then, a century later, was translated into Arabic. However Marzolph 4 6 pointed out that there is no evidence that such exchange occurred and noted that "it is not until the printed collections of the 19th century that a direct connection between the narrative repertoires on Djuha and Nasr al-Din becomes manifest." In that light, the occurrence of Djuha in the Sephardic narrative tradition from Turkey and the Balkans gains new significance. Had these tales been the result of nineteenth-century contact between the Jewish-Arab and the Jewish-Sephardic traditions, it would be reasonable to expect that Djuha and Naserddin Hoca would have both appeared in tales. However, the total dominance of Djuha in this tradition (analogous to his dominance in the medieval Arab tradition 47 ) suggests that the name was retained from a pre-Christian culture that passed into the oral traditions of Judeo-Spanish society. Modern analytical studies have focused on Nasreddin Hoca, and Turkey appears to be the center of scholarship. The standard collection of tales was prepared by Baha'i (Veled Celebi) in 1909, and a recent edition is available. 48 Other

typological works, 49 a standard comparative folklore classification, 50 and important studies of these tales can be found. 51 The spread of Nasreddin Hoca tales from China to Finland has been explored by many scholars. 52 Recent conferences have explored the international reception and social function of these tales as well as other issues related to Nasreddin Hoca's image and narratives in many societies. 53 Bibliographical notes comparing the Nasreddin Hoca narrative cycle with those of eastern European Jewish jesters have been published. 54 Both Djuha and Nasreddin Hoca are current in popular culture today. In different countries, one or the other of these comic figures has vented political opinions that censorship would have otherwise silenced. The Egyptian author 'Ali Ahmad Bakthir wrote a play—later produced as the film Juha's Nail (Mismar Juha)—in which he voiced anti-British ideas. 55 In Persia, a political journal assumed the name of Nasreddin Hoca. 5 6 Several articles examine the role of this type of figure in society in more general terms. 57 There are number of collections of anecdotes about this foolish character in popular publications. Not all of them are critical editions and some do not offer information about their sources, yet the available volumes do reflect the prèsence of Djuha and Nasreddin Hoca tales in modern culture and in the English language. 5 8

Notes 1. Burrill, The Nasreddin Hoca Stories, 7 - 8 . 2. T. Alexander, "Djuha and Makeda"; Koen-Sarano, Djoha ke dize?; Koen-Sarano, "L'horizon Juif de Nasreddin Hodja"\ and Koen-Sarano, Folktales of Joha. 3. Tales, Songs and Folkways of Sephardic Jews, 85-86, 107-111. 4. Op. cit. 5. The Sephardic Jewish Community of Los Angeles, 163-164. 6. "L'humour Juif Marocain," 134. 7. Nahum, Les contes de Ch'ha. 8. Rejwan, Juha. 9. Koen-Sarano, Djoha ke dize?, 16. 10. Stutchkoff, Thesaurus of the Yiddish Language, 305. 11. Pellat, "Djuha," 2:590; and Basset. Mille et un conts, 1:427-428 no. 134, 1:451-452 no. 151. 12. Pellat, op. cit.; and Basset, op. cit. 13. Dodge, The Fihrist of al Nad'im, 735, 1025. 14. About this book, see Bergé, "Structure et signification du kitab al-Basa 'ir wa 1-dahair d'Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi. 15. See Owen, "Arabian Wit and Wisdom." 16. Bajraktarevic, "Nasr al-Din Khodja"; Marzolph. "Cuha"; Marzolph and Baldauf, "Hodscha Nasreddin"; and Pellat, op. cit. 17. Rosenthal, Humor in Early Islam, 7-16. 18. Pellat, op. cit., 591.

19. Mouliéras, Les fourberies de Si Djeh 'a (see Basset's important comparative essay, in "Recherches sur Si Djoh 'a," in which he compares Turkish, Arab, and Berber traditions of these humorous tales [139-201], and his references to European humor traditions); Déjeux, Djoh'a; and Délais, Les mille et un rires de Dj'ha, esp. 18-19 (list of Djuha's names in Mediterranean and Arab countries). 20. Marzolph, "Molla Nasr al-Din in Persia." See also A. Christensen, "Juhi in the Persian Literature"; A. Christensen, "Les sots dans la tradition populaire des Persans"; and Α. Christensen, "Le facéties de 'Ubaid-Zakani."1 21. Akalin, Saltuk-Nâme; and Iz, Saltuk-Nàme. 22. Ms. Istanbul, Ayasofya Kütiiphanesi 4233, 17b-18a, 31b, 34b, 35b-36a. 23. "Contribution a l'histoire du sottisier de Nasr Eddin Hodja." 24. "Autour de Nasreddin Hoca." 25. Some of these works have been included in Decourdemanche, Sottisier de Nasreddin Hodja. 26. First supplement in Decourdemanche, op. cit. 27. Sixth supplement in Decourdemanche, op. cit. 28. Fifth supplement in Decourdemanche, op. cit. The anonymous author of this tale noted that Nasreddin Hoca appeared in his dream and suggested that he compile his anecdotes. That author visited Nasredddin's tomb where an old man made the same suggestion. 29. Second and third supplement in Deciyrdenanche, op. cit. 30. Copied by Galland, Paroles remarquables. 31. Several texts of this have been translated by and included in Galland, op. cit. Boratav ("Apropos de quelques tentatives d'identification de Nasreddin Hodja," 198-199) pointed out that although the name of Nasreddin Hoca is not mentioned in these texts a certain "Haci" among the men of Sivri-Hisar is the subject of similar tales. 32. The first part of Deciyrdenanche, op. cit. 33. Two manuscripts of Le ta 'if. 34. A third manuscript of Leta 'if; see Marzolph, "Nasr al Din Khodha." 35. Catalog numbers: Brugmans 488, de Goeje 2715. 36. For a complete facsimile, transcription, and translation of this manuscript, see Burrill, "The Nasreddin Hoca Stories: An Early Ottoman Manuscript." 37. Bozyigit, Nasreddin Hoca Bibliyografyasi; Bozyigit, "Nasredin Hoca dizi Aocuk kitaplari zerine"; Bekki, "Nasreddin Hoca Biblioyografyalarma Ek 1985-1995"‫־‬, and Popovic, "Nasreddin Hoca en Yougosllavie." 38. Marzolph, "Molla Nasre al-din in Persia." 39. Pellat, op. cit.; Déjeux, op. cit., 13-15; and Déjeux, "Avant-propos." 40. Hanauer, Folk-Lore of the Holy Land, 83-84. 41. Marzolph. "Nasr al-Din Khodja"; Boratav, "A propos de quelques tentatives d'identification de Nasreddin Hodja"; and Boratav, "Sur Naserddin Hoca et son pays d'origine." 42. Daly, Aesop without Morals, 29-90. 43. Clouston, The Book of Noodles, esp. 89-92; and Welsford, The Fool, 29-31, 82-83. 44. T. Alexander, op. cit. 45. "Recherches sur Si Djoh 'a" 141 -148. 46. "Nasr al Din Khodha." 47. Noticed by Rosenthal, op. cit.

48. Arslan and PaAacioglu, Leta'if-i Hoca Nasreddin. 49. Boratav, "A Propos de quelques tentatives d'identification de Nasreddin Hodja." Cem, Biitiin yönleriyle Nasreddin Hoca; and Marzolph, Nasreddin Hodscha (expands the standard corpus by using recently discovered manuscripts and including important comparative annotations). 50. Wesselski, Der Hodscha Nasreddin. 51. Basgöz and Boratav, /, Hoca Nasereddin, Never Shall I Die (all the essays in this book are relevant). 52. Nasrattinoglu, Nasreddin Hoca'nin Diinyasi. 53. Birgül, ed., Uluslararasi Nasreddin Hoca Bilgirsöleni (Sempozyumu) Bildirileri. 54. Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore (see index, "Hodja Nasreddin") 55. J. Landau, Studies in the Arab Theater and Cinema, 121-122. 56. Sharif and Klyashtorina, "The Journal Molla Nasreddin"; and Paksoy, "Elements of Humor in 'Central Asia.' " 57. Karabas, "The Function of the Nasraddin Hodja Phenomenon in the Turkish Society"; and Marzolph, "Humor and Ideology." 58. From the Turkish tradition, see Bamham, The Khoja. From the Persian tradition, see Daenecke, Tales of Mulla Nasir-ud-Din, and More Tales of Mulla Nasir-ud-Din; M. Nakosteen, Mulla's Donkey; Shah, The Exploits of the Incomparable Mulla Nasrudin; Shah, The Pleasantries of the Incredible Mulla Nasrudin; Shah, The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin; and Shah, The Sufis, 63-110. From the Arab tradition, see Serwer-Bernstein, The Tradition of Moses and Mohammed, 229-239 (see also 171-178). From the Judeo-Spanish tradition, see Koen-Sarano, Djoha ke dize?; and Koen-Sarano, Folktales of Joha.

Djuha Helps His Mother T O L D TO

BY

R I V K A

Y 0 E L

P E R E Z - G I N I O

S H A L O M

P E R E Z

C / n e day D j u h a ' s m o t h e r f o u n d herself in big trouble. S h e had m a n y guests c o m i n g and her pantry w a s short of several items. W h a t c o u l d she d o ? "All right," she said, " m a y b e , all the s a m e , m a y b e j u s t o n c e I can rely on my ' c l e v e r ' (to use a e u p h e m i s m ) son." " D j u h a ! " she called. "Yes, Mother." " C o m e here. Are you willing to help m e ? " " W h y n o t ? I ' m a l w a y s willing to help you." "I want you to g o to the market and bring m e a sack of flour. I've got a lot of g u e s t s c o m i n g and I have to b a k e bread and c a k e s and all sorts of things." "All right, Mother. W h a t else d o you n e e d ? " " M e a t . T h r e e kilos of m e a t and . . . You k n o w that I need lots of pins to fix the covers on the c o u c h e s . S o bring m e a p a c k a g e of pins." "Is that all, M o t h e r ? Is that list such a p r o b l e m ? " " B u t , D j u h a , d o it quickly. D o n ' t fall asleep or w a n d e r a r o u n d the m a r ket and then c o m e back in the e v e n i n g w h e n the guests are already here." " O h no, Mother. I p r o m i s e I'll d o it right away." He ran. He really ran to the m a r k e t and b o u g h t a sack of flour, three kilos of meat, and a large box of pins. N o w — h i s m o t h e r w a n t e d it all s u p e r e x p r e s s , in a hurry. " O h , " he said. " I ' v e got an i d e a ! " A d o g w a s passing j u s t t h e n — a big dog. He gave him the address. " G o to my m o t h e r and give her the meat. But do it p r o n t o ! " T h e d o g g r a b b e d the meat and ran off as fast as it could. " N o w that I've already solved the p r o b l e m of the m e a t , " said D j u h a , " w h a t should I do with the flour? It's a large sack of flour and it will be a bit difficult to get it h o m e . O h l o o k — t h e w i n d . W o n d e r f u l ! " He took the sack, hoisted it up on his back, c l i m b e d to the roof, o p e n e d the sack, a n d — w h o o s h ! T h e w i n d b e g a n to b l o w the flour away. " N o w i s n ' t that a brilliant idea of m i n e ! W h e r e w o u l d I find a porter for a single

sack of f l o u r ? It w o u l d be very hard. T h i s w a y the w i n d is b l o w i n g it and d o i n g the j o b quickly." T h e q u e s t i o n of the p i n s r e m a i n e d . " O h ! F o r the p i n s I'll get s o m e porters." H e called over several porters and told t h e m to turn a r o u n d . You k n o w that porters w e a r a sort of s a d d l e on their b a c k s . H e stuck a f e w p i n s in e a c h saddle. T h e n he gave t h e m the a d d r e s s . " B u t get there quickly, bec a u s e m y m o t h e r is in a very big h u r r y ! " A n d that w a s that. Half an h o u r later, w a l k i n g slowly, he arrived h o m e , quite p l e a s e d with h i m s e l f . He had d o n e his j o b and h e l p e d his mother. In the m e a n t i m e , his m o t h e r h e a r d a voice f r o m the street. " M r s . B u l i s a , M r s . Bulisa!"* " H e must have sent m e the g o o d s with this fellow," she thought. " W h a t is it?" she called. " H a v e you b r o u g h t m e my g o o d s ? " "Yes, yes." " W h e r e are t h e y ? " S h e looked. T h e porters had n o t h i n g in their a r m s . T h e n they all turned a r o u n d . " L o o k , there they are! Pull t h e m o u t ! " "Pull out w h a t ? " " T h e pins! Your son gave us t h e s e pins to bring you." S h e w e n t b e r s e r k . S o o n D j u h a arrived h o m e . " N u , M o t h e r , did the porters s h o w u p ? " " T h e porters s h o w e d up. W h e r e is the f l o u r and . . . " " D i d they bring you the p i n s ? " " T h e y b r o u g h t the pins. But w h a t a b o u t the f l o u r and the m e a t ? " " W h a t ? T h e y never a r r i v e d ? " " W h o w a s s u p p o s e d to bring t h e m ? O t h e r p o r t e r s ? " " N o . You m e a n the d o g d i d n ' t s h o w up with the m e a t ? I g a v e it to h i m to bring it here m o r e q u i c k l y than I c o u l d . A n d the w i n d — d i d n ' t it bring you the f l o u r ? " D j u h a ' s m o t h e r a l m o s t p a s s e d out. H o l d i n g her head, she w a i l e d and h o w l e d . " W h a t will be with m y s o n ? W h e n will he ever get any sense into that h e a d of h i s ? "

*Not a family name but Ladino for "wife" or "spouse."

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 6 1 (IFA

12729)

Told by Rivka Perez-Ginio to her son Yoel Shalom Perez in 1979 in Jerusalem.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background In this story, Djuha undertakes his acts of stupidity in a single trip to the market rather than in a sequence, as Clever Hans does in the tale that bears his name in the Brothers Grimm collection. 2 Some of Djuha's actions have analogues in other traditions. For example, expecting the dog to deliver the meat is similar to episodes found in medieval Arab tales. 3 In another story, Djuha tells his donkey to return home alone. 4 In the Brothers Grimm story, Clever Hans puts needles in a haystack. 5 Djuha's mother asks for pins, which have a specific use in Sephardic households. Perez, 6 who recorded the present tale, commented: "Sephardic housewives used to stretch white sheets over the sofas and to attach them with pins to the upholstery. According to my mother the sheets in her grandmother's home were stretched so tightly, and were so smooth and bright that often the guests hesitated to sit on them lest they would wrinkle them." Requesting the wind to deliver flour is a popular Djuha anecdote in JudeoSpanish tradition. 7 The narrator, who was from Turkey, pointed out that this story is the source of the proverb "Ayre, yévase esta arina/" (Wind, take this flour), said when asking for help from someone who cannot be expected to give it.8

Folktale Type • •

cf. 1681A "Fool Prepares for the Wedding (Funeral)." cf. 1681A "Preparations for the Wedding" (new ed.).

Folklore Motifs • B291.2.2 "Dog as messenger." • cf. H1136.1 "Task: bringing back flour scattered by wind." • J1700 "Fools." ‫ ״‬cf. J1881.1 "Object sent to go by itself." • *J 1881.1.8 "Fool lets the wind carry his flour." • J1881.2 "Animal sent to go by itself." ‫* ״‬J 1881.2.4 "Fool sends meat by dog." • cf. J2124.1 "Numskull sends meat home through kite (bird): kite devours it." • J2173 "Short-sighted fool loses his food." • J2650 "Bungling fool." • *N887 "Numskull as 'helper.' "

Notes 1. First published in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 150-151 no. 45; and Perez, The Prince of Aragon, 67-69. 2. Grimm and Grimm, The Complete Fairy Tales, 123-127 no. 32. 3. Marzolph, Arabia Ridens, 2:263 no. 1226. 4. Wesselski, Der Hodscha Nasreddin, 1:162, 272 no. 281 (includes an extensive comparative bibliography). 5. Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-u: Hausemärchen, 314-315 no. 32(A); Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:70-71; and Neumann, "Missverständsse." 6. Alexander and Noy, op. cit., 269. 7. For other versions, see Koen-Sarano, Kuentos del Folklor de la Famiya DjudeoEspanyola, 132-133; and Koen-Sarano, Djoha ke dize?, 58-59. 8. Espinosa, Cuentos populäres Espaholes, 3:147.

Djuha ‫י‬5‫ ־‬Face TOLD

BY TO

RIVKAH

TAMAR

C O H E N - A R I E L

A L E X A N D E R

Xn the d a y s w h e n there w e r e k i n g s of the Turks, of Iraq, of B a g h d a d , and of Persia, they a l w a y s had a D j u h a nearby, since he w a s the royal jester. E v e n if the king w a s in a bad m o o d and d i d n ' t w a n t a n y o n e talking to h i m , D j u h a w a s there with h i m . O n c e D j u h a c a m e in and saw that the king w a s in a rage. " W h a t ' s the matter, Your M a j e s t y ? " he a s k e d . " B y m y life, D j u h a , get a w a y f r o m here. I d o n ' t w a n t to see y o u r face!" "All right, he d o e s n ' t w a n t m y f a c e . All right." D j u h a w e n t into the corridor. T h e king w a s still inside, but he w o u l d have to pass t h r o u g h the c o r r i d o r w h e n he left. D j u h a took off his pants, his u n d e r p a n t s , e v e r y t h i n g . T h e n he laid his h a n d s on the f l o o r and stuck his b o t t o m up in the air. W h e n the king p a s s e d by, he saw this b o t t o m f l o a t i n g there a n d b e g a n to s c r e a m . " W h a t are you d o i n g , s h o w i n g m e y o u r b a c k s i d e ? " "You said you d i d n ' t w a n t to see m y f a c e , so look at my fanny." T h e king l a u g h e d , his g o o d m o o d restored.

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 6 2 (IFA

12548)

Told by Rivkah Cohen-Ariel to Tamar Alexander in Jerusalem in 1980. Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The narrator refers to Djuha as a court clown for the kings of Turkey, Iraq, Baghdad, and Iran in a somewhat vague and general manner. However, according to Turkish tradition it was Nasreddin Hoca who was the jester in the court of the Mongol conquerer Timur (Timur i leng, "The Lame Timur"), known as Tamerlane (1336-1405). 1 Despite their alleged historicity, the reports about Nasreddin Hoca in Timur's court are relatively late. There is, however, earlier evidence of similar characters. According to Marzolph, 2 sixteenth-century sources note that the poet Ahmadi Kirmani (d. 1413) was the hero of a popular Timur court anecdote. The seventeenth-century travel accounts of Ewliya Celebi (1611-1684) mention the same stories, but with Nasreddin Hoca as the central character. Celebi, who visited the town of Aksehir where Timur defeated the Ottoman sultan Bayazid in 1403 and where Nasreddin Hoca is supposedly buried, drew on local oral traditions. A recent study of Timur is available. 3 Other tales about Djuha in Timur's court have been published. 4 A comparative study of court jesters is available. 5

Similarities to Other IFA Tales There are no parallels to the present tale in the IFA, although another JudeoSpanish text has been published. 6

Folklore Motifs • • • •

J822 "Man plays fool to protect himself in dealing with king." J1124 "Clever court jester." J1675 "Clever dealing with a king." J2460 "Literal obedience."

Notes 1. Marzolph, "Nasr al Din Khodja"; and Marzolph, "Timur's Humorous Antagonist." 2. Op. cit. 3. Nagel, Timur der Eroberer und die islamische Well des späten Mittlealters. 4. Wesselski, Der Hodscha Nasreddin, nos. 234, 327, 328, 329, 330, 338; Marzolph, Nasreddin Hodscha, 96 no. 211, 110 no. 257; Rejwan, Juha 11-22; and Bamham, The Khoja, 10-12, 16-20, 129-131, 151-152, 157-158, 165-167,220-221. 5. Otto, Fools Are Everywhere; Welsford, The Fool; Willeford, The Fool and His Scepter; and Williams, The Fool and the Trickster. 6. Koen-Sarano, Djoha ke dize?, 112-113.

Why Djuha Never Got Married TOLD TO

BY

RIVKA

Y 0 E L

P E R E Z - G I N I O

SHALOM

PEREZ

I hey tell a b o u t D j u h a — t h a t ' s H u s h a m , w h o ' s called D j u h a in S p a n y o P — t h e y called h i m H u s h a m D j u h a . T h e r e are lots of stories a b o u t Djuha. O n e of the stories is a b o u t h o w he never m a n a g e d to get m a r r i e d . W h y d i d n ' t he m a n a g e to get m a r r i e d ? H e really w a n t e d to, but s o m e h o w it n e v e r w o r k e d out. W h y ? B e c a u s e every t i m e they s u g g e s t e d a y o u n g lady to h i m , he w o u l d d o s o m e t h i n g f o o l i s h , and the y o u n g w o m a n w o u l d realize that he w a s n ' t very bright, that h e w a s n ' t to her taste, a n d she w o u l d pass u p the offer. O n e d a y he m e t a m a t c h m a k e r . "I really d o w a n t to get m a r r i e d , " h e told h i m . " P e r h a p s you c o u l d give m e s o m e a d v i c e . H o w can I p l e a s e the y o u n g w o m a n you fix m e u p w i t h ? " T h e m a t c h m a k e r t h o u g h t a n d t h o u g h t a n d finally c a m e u p with an answer. "You know, D j u h a , I have a very f i n e y o u n g w o m a n f o r y o u . I suggest w e g o t o g e t h e r a n d m e e t her, as if I had j u s t b u m p e d into you in the street and you had t a g g e d a l o n g with me. But listen to m y advice. W h e n the y o u n g w o m a n c o m e s in, s h e ' l l b e shy a n d sit in the corner. So f r o m t i m e to t i m e you s h o u l d cast an e y e at her." " W h a t d o you m e a n , cast an eye at h e r ? T h a t ' s really a g o o d idea, casting an eye." T h e y set a day. T h e y set a t i m e and a p l a c e to m e e t . B e f o r e then, t h o u g h , D j u h a w e n t to the m a r k e t , since he n e e d e d a supply of eyes to cast at her; o n e e y e w o u l d n ' t be e n o u g h . H e w e n t to the b u t c h e r and asked f o r s o m e c o w s ' eyes. " O h , " replied the butcher, " t h e y s l a u g h t e r e d a lot of c o w s today. I ' v e got a lot of e y e s today." " G i v e m e a few."

*Judeo-Spanish, or Ladino.

" H o w m a n y is a f e w ? H o w m a n y d o you w a n t ? " " O h , give m e a d o z e n eyes." "All right." T h e b u t c h e r put t w e l v e e y e s in a bag f o r h i m and D j u h a paid f o r t h e m . On the a p p o i n t e d day he took the b a g — h e d i d n ' t forget it at h o m e — a n d met the m a t c h m a k e r . T h e y entered the house, w h e r e the f a t h e r greeted them warmly. H e saw that the lad w a s n ' t bad looking. T r u e , it w a s D j u h a , but not a bad fellow. A f t e r they had sat and talked f o r a while he asked his d a u g h t e r to bring the m a t c h m a k e r and the y o u n g m a n s o m e t h i n g to drink. T h e d a u g h t e r c a m e o v e r with her tray and served t h e m . S h e w a s the picture of s h y n e s s , serving D j u h a his drink a n d then sitting b a c k d o w n in the corner. D j u h a d i d n ' t look at her. But he held on to his bag, and every so o f t e n he w o u l d take out an eye a n d cast it at her. "Ay!" T h e y o u n g w o m a n w a s f r i g h t e n e d . W h a t w a s he t h r o w i n g at h e r ? He g i g g l e d , l o o k e d at h e r — h e f e l t u n c o m f o r t a b l e looking at a y o u n g w o m a n — b u t he took out a n o t h e r eye and cast it at her, and then a n o t h e r eye. A n o t h e r , and then another, until he had g o n e t h r o u g h all t w e l v e e y e s . T h e y o u n g w o m a n w a s in a p a n i c ; her f a t h e r c o u l d n ' t u n d e r s t a n d w h a t w a s g o i n g on. Was the f e l l o w crazy or w h a t ? H e took the m a t c h m a k e r aside. " B y y o u r life, tell m e , is this m a n all there in his h e a d ? " " H e w a s certainly all right w h e n w e got here. I d o n ' t k n o w w h a t happ e n e d to him. I'll have to talk to h i m . " "I see you b r o u g h t a f e l l o w w h o ' s not worth a penny," replied the father, " a n d , w h a t is m o r e , h e ' s a little t r a - l a - l a — c r a z y in the h e a d . D o n ' t bring m e any m o r e y o u n g m e n like that." A n d he threw the m a t c h m a k e r and D j u h a out of the h o u s e . W h e n they w e r e o u t s i d e , the m a t c h m a k e r t u r n e d to D j u h a . " O h , D j u h a , D j u h a , t h e r e ' s a reason they say you never m a n a g e d to get m a r r i e d a n d never will. L o o k w h a t you did to m e t o d a y ! " " D i d n ' t you tell m e to cast an e y e at her f r o m time to t i m e ? T h a t ' s exactly w h a t I w a s d o i n g ! " " O h , y o u prince of f o o l s ! I m e a n t cast a glance, at her." A n d D j u h a blew a n o t h e r c h a n c e to get m a r r i e d .

not throw c o w ' s e y e s

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 6 3 (IFA

12726)

Told by Rivka Perez-Ginio to her son Yoel Shalom Perez in 1980 in Jerusalem.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background The idea of taking a metaphor literally is very popular in tales of both Jewish and European folklore traditions. In the Brothers Grimm collection, 2 Clever Hans, in the story that carries his name, completes a series of tasks in which he literally follows instructions. The final task involves the "casting of eyes." The earliest reference to which Bolte and Polivka 3 point is from the seventeenth century. Although they find parallels to Djuha tales in other episodes of the Clever Hans story, they do not indicate any Djuha tale of this particular foible. Further discussions of the Clever Hans tale are available. 4 S. Thompson 5 considered the Clever Hans tale to be of literary origin. "Its earliest known telling is by Hienrich Bebel [1472-ca. 1516] in his jest book at the beginning of the sixteenth century. 6 A text from the Spanish tradition has been published. 7 Except for one oral version of the present tale, this particular story is absent from the Djuha narrative cycle in Arabic-speaking countries. "Arabic uses the verb 'to cast' (Alqaa: fourth form verb) in both audio and visual contexts: to cast a glance (nazrah) and lend an ear (sam—literally, 'hearing'). The expression does not use the word 'eye' exactly, so the pun implied in this anecdote may not work in Arabic." 8

Similarities to Other IFA Tales There are several tales about foolish bridegrooms in the IFA, but only two of them incorporate the literal interpretation of the metaphor "casting eyes." • •

IFA 8523: Djuha Is Marriageable (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). IFA 11982: Djuha Falls in Love (Tunisia).

Folktale Types • • • • • •

1006 1006 1006 1685 1685 1685 1685 1685

"Casting Eyes." "Casting Eyes" (new ed.). (Jason) "Casting Eyes." ‫״‬ "The Foolish Bridegroom" (new ed.). (Boggs) "The Foolish Bridegroom." (Haboucha) "The Foolish Bridegroom." (Hansen) "The Foolish Bridegroom." ‫״‬ (Jason) "The Foolish Bridegroom."

Folklore Motifs • •

J1064 "Futility of trying to teach the stupid." J2450 "Literal fool."

•

J 2 4 6 2 " F o o l i s h b r i d e g r o o m f o l l o w s i n s t r u c t i o n s literally."

•

J 2 4 6 2 . 2 " C a s t i n g s h e e p ' s e y e s at the b r i d e . "

•

J 2 4 7 0 " M e t a p h o r s literally i n t e r p r e t e d . "

•

Κ 1 3 7 2 . 2 " F o o l p a s s e d off as very e l i g i b l e y o u n g m a n by m a t c h m a k e r . "

•

Κ 1 4 4 2 "Casting eyes: animal eyes."

•

P 2 3 4 " F a t h e r and d a u g h t e r . "

•

R153.5 "Father rescues daughter."

•

T53 "Matchmakers." Notes

1. First published in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 148-150 no. 44. 2. Grimm and Grimm, The Complete Fairy Tales, 123-127 no. 32. For comparative references, see Bolte and Polivka, Anmerkungen zu den Kinder-u: Hausemärchen, 319-320; and Uther, Grimms Kinder-und Hausmärchen, 4:70-71. 3. Op. cit. 4. Lixfeld, " A u g e n w e r f e n " ; and Wehse, "Bräutigam." 5. The Folktale. 6. Quoted in S. Thompson, op. cit., 195 (from Wesselski, Heinrich Bebels Schwänke, 1:15-17 no. 26). 7. Espinosa, Cuentos populäres Espanoles, 3:408-409 no. 187; and in the JudeoSpanish communities, see Koen-Sarano, Djoha ke dize?, 128-129; Koen-Sarano, Kuentos del folklor de lafamiya Djudeo-Espanyola, 138-139; and S. Stern, The Sephardic Jewish Community of Los Angeles, 165, 361-362. 8. Roger Allen, personal communication, September 29, 2003.

Djuha Plays Dead T O L D

BY TO

R I V K A H

T A M A R

C O H E N - A R I E L

A L E X A N D E R

c / j u h a w a s the royal jester. O n e day he w e n t to the king. "Your M a j e s t y , " he told h i m , " m y w i f e has died and I need m o n e y to bury her." " O h , " said the king. " H o w ? W h e n did she d i e ? " "She died!" " T a k e a sack of g o l d , " the k i n g told h i m , " a n d go, g o quickly, b u r y your wife." D j u h a ' s w i f e w e n t to the q u e e n . " Y o u r M a j e s t y ! " she said to her tearfully. " W h a t ? What has happened?" " M y h u s b a n d has died, and I have n o m o n e y to bury h i m . " "Adyo,* w h e n did he d i e ? " "I d o n ' t k n o w w h e n he died. G i v e m e m o n e y so I can bury h i m . " "All right." T h e q u e e n gave her a sack of gold, a n d s h e w e n t h o m e . D j u h a a n d his w i f e b o u g h t t w o large m a t s . H e lay on t o p of o n e mat and rolled it u p a r o u n d h i m , w h i l e she did the s a m e w i t h the o t h e r m a t . B o t h of t h e m stretched out their b o d i e s inside the mats.** T h e king said to the q u e e n , " L e t ' s g o visit D j u h a — h i s w i f e has died. D j u h a c a m e to m e , and I gave h i m m o n e y so he c o u l d bury her." " W h a t are you talking a b o u t ? " replied the q u e e n . " D j u h a ' s w i f e c a m e to get m o n e y f r o m me. It's D j u h a w h o died." "Adyo! N o ! It's D j u h a ' s w i f e w h o died." " L e t ' s g o see w h o died first." T h e king and q u e e n started f o r D j u h a ' s h o u s e to see w h o had died first. " D j u h a c a m e to m e a n d said that his w i f e had died. S h e c a m e to you a n d said that her h u s b a n d had died. L e t ' s g o see w h o really died."

'Ladino for "God," used as a cry of horror. "This is a pun in the original Ladino: "estera"

means "mat" and "estrear"

means "stretch."

T h e king a n d q u e e n w e n t to D j u h a ' s h o u s e . T h e y o p e n e d the d o o r and f o u n d b o t h of t h e m lying d e a d , w r a p p e d up in the mats. T h e k i n g turned to the q u e e n . " W h o died first," he asked her, " D j u h a or his w i f e ? " T h e t w o of t h e m j u m p e d to their feet, both s h o u t i n g , " M e , m e , I died first!"

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 6 4 (IFA Told by Rivkah Cohen-Ariel

12551)

to Tamar Alexander in 1979 in

Jerusalem.1

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This story has been documented in manuscript and print since the tenth- to twelfth-century Arab adab literature and up to the modern period. However, the fool is not Djuha in this tradition; 2 instead, it is the poet Abu Dulama (eighth century), also known as a jester, who plays the clown in the court of al-Mahdi (775-785). A Hebrew translation of a version of this tale from adab sources 3 and other similar stories have been published. 4 A discussion of adab literature is available. 5 An Indian version of this tale is an episode in the story Aya Kappan Who Became the King.6 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

There are six additional versions of this tale in the IFA. • • ‫״‬ • • •

IFA 381 : Abu Nwas and His Wife Died (Iraq). IFA 772: Farid and the King (Tunisia). IFA 8354: My Wife Died First (Eretz-Yisra'el, Sephardic). IFA 8791 : Will You Wait Till I Die and Then Give ? (Morocco). 7 IFA 12051 : Baba Shu 'a and His Wife Are Revived (Morocco). IFA 12872: Djuha Sits on the Mats (Yugoslavia).

Folktale Type ‫״‬ • • • • •

cf. 548 (Wesselski). 1556 "The Double Pension (Burial Money)." 1556 "The Double Pension (Burial Money)" (new ed.). 1556 (El-Shamy) "Double Pension (Burial Money)." 1556 (Jason) "The Double Pension (Burial Money)." 427 (Marzolph) "Der Witzbold und Seine Frau . . ." (The Clown and His Wife . . .).

Folklore Motifs • • • • • •

J1124 "Clever court jester." *J2669 " '1 died first,' claim two sham-dead at once." K441.1 "The double pension." K482 "Money received to bury sham-dead person." K482.1 "Husband and wife each receive money (from different persons) to bury the other." Κ1860 "Deception by feigned death (sleep)."

Notes 1. First published in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 108-109 no.

18. 2. Marzolph, Arabia Ridens; and Chauvin, Bibliographie des ouvrages Arabes, 5:274 no. 155 n. 1. 3. Ratzaby, Arabie Wisdom, 216. 4. For a Sephardic version, see Koen-Sarano, Djoha ke dize?, 342-343; see also Schwarzbaum, Studies in Jewish and World Folklore, 56, 452; and cf. El-Shamy, Folktales of Egypt, 212-215 no. 55. 5. Bonebakker, "Adab and the Concept of Belles-Letteres." 6. Seethalakshmi, Folk Tales ofTamilnadu, 3 8 - 4 4 no. 9. 7. Published in Rabbi, Avoteinu Sipru (Our fathers told), 1:72-73 no. 44.

Camel Seeds TOLD TO

BY

RIVKA

Y 0 E L

P E R E Z - G I N I O

SHALOM

PEREZ

L a t e o n e a f t e r n o o n , D j u h a strolled d o w n to the spice m a r k e t in the Old City. T h e r e he saw a f e l l o w c a r r y i n g a large tray, but w i t h o u t r o l l s — o n l y the s e s a m e s e e d s that had fallen off the rolls w e r e left. " W h a t are you s e l l i n g ? " asked D j u h a . " I ' m not selling a n y t h i n g ! " " B u t p e r h a p s , all the s a m e . . . . You d o have something there. W h a t are you s e l l i n g ? " T h e v e n d o r got angry. " W h a t , t h e s e ? T h e s e are c a m e l seeds." " R e a l l y ? D o you m e a n that I can take these seeds and plant t h e m — a n d c a m e l s will g r o w ? " "Oh ho—and what camels you'll grow!" " B y y o u r life! Sell m e s o m e . " T h e v e n d o r t h o u g h t D j u h a w a s crazy. H e took a p a p e r bag, put a f e w s e s a m e s e e d s in it, and sold t h e m to D j u h a f o r a g o o d price. " N o w w h a t d o I d o with t h e m ? " asked D j u h a . " H o w . . . h o w d o e s o n e use t h e m ? " " L o o k , y o u h a v e to g o out to an e m p t y field. Plant t h e m and g o to sleep. By m o r n i n g a w h o l e herd of c a m e l s will g r o w there." " T h a n k y o u ! T h a n k y o u ! " D j u h a paid the v e n d o r his full price and set off. E v e n i n g h a d c o m e and it w a s getting dark. D j u h a started l o o k i n g f o r a field. G o i n g o u t of the city, he f o u n d an arid and d e s o l a t e field. " T h i s s h o u l d be a g o o d p l a c e f o r g r o w i n g c a m e l s , " he t h o u g h t . H e f i x e d h i m s e l f up a small tent, s o w e d the s e e d s a r o u n d the tent, and w e n t to sleep. D u r i n g the night a b a n d of B e d o u i n c a m e , leading a caravan of c a m e l s . E v i d e n t l y they w e r e worn out by their long trek t h r o u g h the desert and decided to bed d o w n in the field. T h e y got the c a m e l s to kneel; [then they] d i s m o u n t e d , tied t h e m up, and w e n t to sleep. In the m o r n i n g , at first light, D j u h a w o k e u p a n d r u b b e d his eyes: H e a v e n h e l p u s ! W h a t did he s e e ? A field full of c a m e l s . T h e m e r c h a n t

h a d n ' t b a m b o o z l e d h i m ! T h e r e w e r e real live c a m e l s in the field. D j u h a stood up, b e s i d e h i m s e l f with joy, took a rope, and tied o n e c a m e l to the next. Yallah!* H e started o f f , l e a d i n g the e n t i r e string. T h e B e d o u i n w e r e still asleep. T h e n o i s e startled o n e of t h e m out of his s l u m b e r . W h a t did he s e e ? T h e r e w a s D j u h a , leading off the entire string of c a m e l s . " H e y ! M i s t e r ! " the B e d o u i n called a f t e r h i m . " W h a t d o you think y o u ' r e d o i n g ? ! " " W h y , w h a t d o you w a n t ? " "The camels!" "Yes, they s p r o u t e d d u r i n g the night, as you see." " W h a t d o you m e a n , s p r o u t e d d u r i n g the n i g h t ? T h o s e are o u r camels!" " C a n ' t be. It's not p o s s i b l e ! I b o u g h t s e e d s in the spice m a r k e t f o r t w e n t y - f i v e grush.** T h e f e l l o w told m e to plant t h e m a n d they w o u l d g r o w o v e r n i g h t , a n d t h a t ' s j u s t w h a t they d i d ! " Is the m a n c r a z y or s o m e t h i n g ? w o n d e r e d the B e d o u i n . T h e y all started r u n n i n g a f t e r h i m and yelling, trying to pull the c a m e l s away. A f t e r a w h i l e they realized they w e r e d e a l i n g with a m a d m a n . "All right," they told h i m , " l e t ' s g o to the qadi ( t h a t ' s a j u d g e ) . H e ' l l d e c i d e if the c a m e l s are y o u r s . W h e t h e r they s p r o u t e d in this field or w h e t h e r t h e y ' r e o u r camels." " T h a t ' s fine by m e , " said D j u h a . T h e y w e n t to the qadi. T h e qadi w a s sitting o u t s i d e with his narghile,§ w e a r i n g b r o a d pants, his legs spread o p e n , and, f o r g i v e m e , you c o u l d see e v e r y t h i n g . D j u h a l o o k e d a n d t u r n e d b r i g h t red. H e g e s t u r e d to the qadi with both h a n d s , c u p p i n g t h e m together, § § trying to hint that it w a s n ' t nice to sit that way. But the qadi u n d e r s t o o d that D j u h a w a s p r o m i s i n g h i m a h a n d s o m e b r i b e — h e w a s s h o w i n g him two h a n d s — s o he smiled at D j u h a . "Yes," he said, " w h a t ' s the p r o b l e m ? " T h e B e d o u i n told their story. " W e arrived d u r i n g the night; w e h a d been in the desert. We c a m e and w a n t e d to rest, a n d our c a m e l s w e r e w o r n out. We lay d o w n . In the m o r n i n g this m a n c a m e and took our c a m e l s . H e says they s p r o u t e d o v e r n i g h t in the field. C a n c a m e l s g r o w in a f i e l d ? " they a s k e d the qadi. T h e qadi l o o k e d at D j u h a . " W h a t d o you have to s a y ? "

"Arabic for "Let's go!" " A small unit of money, similar to a penny. §

A water pipe for smoking.

8§

At this point, the narrator demonstrated the gesture Djuha made.

" W h a t can I tell, you, Your H o n o r ? I w a s in the spice market and b o u g h t these s e e d s — t h e fellow told me they w e r e camel seeds. I planted them last night, and by m o r n i n g they had sprouted." " Y o u ' r e absolutely in the right!" e x c l a i m e d the qadi. T h e B e d o u i n looked at one another, in shock. Was the qadi mad too? "Your Honor, can c a m e l s sprout in a field?" "Yes! In this case that's precisely w h a t they d i d ! " T h e p o o r w r e t c h e s ! T h e qadi g r o w l e d at t h e m . " G e t out of here now and d o n ' t bother m e any m o r e ! T h i s m a n planted c a m e l s , and they sprouted there in the field!" T h e wretched Bedouin d i d n ' t k n o w what to think. W h i n i n g and wailing, they started to leave the court. T h e qadi c h a s e d them out. W h e n they had gone, the qadi c a m e over to D j u h a . "All right, Djuha, w h e r e ' s what you p r o m i s e d m e ? " "Your Honor, what did I p r o m i s e y o u ? " " W h e n you c a m e in d i d n ' t you p r o m i s e me with your two hands that y o u ' d give m e a lot of m o n e y if I ruled in your f a v o r ? " " O h , I ' m very sorry!" said D j u h a . "I d i d n ' t mean that. I simply wanted to prevent immodesty." "Immodesty?" "Yes. Your H o n o r was sitting in a way that was positively indecent." T h e qadi flew into a rage, kicked D j u h a , and threw him out. "You c h e a t i n g s c o u n d r e l ! You h o o d w i n k e d m e ! I w o u l d n ' t have ruled in your favor if I had k n o w n you w o u l d n ' t give me a bribe or s o m e t h i n g . " T h e qadi threw D j u h a out, but D j u h a was happy. H e d i d n ' t have m o n e y to pay the qadi, but he w a s happy. H e took the c a m e l s and w e n t home. "Mother," he said, " c o m e see what I've brought you." " O h , h e r e ' s D j u h a , driving m e to distraction again," said his mother. " W h a t have you brought this time, D j u h a ? " " L o o k , look at how many c a m e l s I ' v e brought you." " D j u h a , you stole those c a m e l s ! " " N o , on my honor, no! Mother, d o n ' t you k n o w ? I planted them, and they sprouted in the field!" " O h , oh, oh! M y crazy one. W h o k n o w s what he really did this t i m e ? "

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 6 5 (IFA Rivka Perez-Gino, a second-generation to her son Yoel Shalom Perez.1

12724)

immigrant from Saloniki, told this tale

Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background According to Marzolph, 2 "it appears fairly safe to say that [the present] tale does not form an integral part of the early corpus of the Nasreddin/Djuha tales. Nor is it documented in any early Near Eastern source." Wesselski 3 referred only to Maltese versions published by Ilg. 4 According to Mifsud-Chircop, 5 the present tale is in current Maltese oral tradition and was recorded in Marsaxlokk, Malta, as late as 1995. In Israel, however, the people who told this story were immigrants from Yemen (in the south) and from Turkey, Yugoslavia, and Ukraine (in the north), an area that makes up the center and the periphery of the geographical distribution of Djuha and Nasreddin Hoca tales. 6 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

Other versions of this story in the IFA are the following: • • • • • • • • •

IFA 34: Donkeys' Seeds (Turkey). IFA 81 a: The First Story of Abu Nawas (Yemen). 7 IFA 724: Harin el-Rashid, His Vezier El-Barmaki, and the Jester Ali (Yemen). IFA 1979: Djuha Buys a Cow's Skin (Morocco). IFA 5365: Did the Rabbi of Helem Have a Head? (Ukraine). IFA 12555: Djuha Sows Camels (Yugoslavia). 8 IFA 12873: Djuha Sows Camels (Yogoslavia). IFA 14294: Seeds of Camels (Eretz Yisra'el, Sephardic). IFA 14295: Djuha Sows Camels (Turkey).

Folktale Types • • • • •

1200 "The Sowing of Salt." 1200 "The Sowing of Salt" (new ed.). 327 (Eberhard and Boratav) "Edi und Bidi (V)." 1200 (Mifsud-Chircop) "The Sowing of Salt." 423 (Wesselski).

Folklore Motifs • • ‫״‬ •

J1192 "The bribed judge." J1192.1 "Judge awards decision to the greater bribe." J1700 "Fools." J1804 "Conversation by sign language mutually misunderstood."

Al-Faki

•

J 1 9 3 0 " A b s u r d d i s r e g a r d of natural l a w s . "

• •

cf. J 1932.2 " S o w i n g c h e e s e to b r i n g f o r t h a cow." cf. J 1 9 3 2 . 3 " S o w i n g salt to p r o d u c e salt."

• •

cf. J 1932.4 " P l a n t i n g a h o g in o r d e r to g r o w pigs." cf. J 1 9 3 2 . 4 . 1 " P l a n t i n g a n i m a l ' s tail in o r d e r to p r o d u c e y o u n g a n i m a l s . "

Notes 1. First published in T. Alexander, "Djuha and Makeda"; reprinted in Alexander and Noy, The Treasure of Our Fathers, 146-148 no. 43. 2. Personal communication, July 14, 1999. 3. Der Hodscha Hasreddin. 4. Maltesische Märchen und Schwanke aus dem Volksmunde, 2:41-47 nos. 91 and 97. 5. Personal communication, July 21, 1999. 6. For Sephardic versions told by narrators from Spain, Greece, and Italy, see KoenSarano, Djoha ke dize?, 86-87; Koen-Sarano, Folktales of Joha, 224—227. 7. Published in D. Noy, Jefet Schwili Erzählt, 260-263 no. 113. 8. Published in Alexander and Noy, op. cit., 107-108 no. 17.

Djuha Counts the Donkeys TOLD

BY TO

RIVKAH

TAMAR

C O H E N - A R I E L

A L E X A N D E R

Once there w a s a certain D j u h a . T h i s D j u h a had ten little d o n k e y s . E v e r y t i m e h e c o u n t e d t h e m he got to ten. O n c e , w h e n he w a s riding o n e of the d o n k e y s , he c o u n t e d t h e m a g a i n . T h i s t i m e there w e r e only nine d o n k e y s ! " H o w can this b e ? " w o n d e r e d D j u h a . "In the past, w h e n e v e r I c o u n t e d , I had ten d o n k e y s . W h y d o I o n l y have nine n o w ?" H e c l i m b e d off the d o n k e y and c o u n t e d again: T h e r e w e r e ten of t h e m . T h e n he m o u n t e d the d o n k e y again a n d c o u n t e d t h e m : nine! A n d so it w e n t , as he kept c o u n t i n g — n o w there w e r e ten d o n k e y s , a n d then only nine. Finally a m a n p a s s e d by. " D j u h a , w h y are you so lost in t h o u g h t ? " he asked. "I c a n ' t f i g u r e out w h a t kind of d a m n d o n k e y s I ' v e got. W h e n I ' m riding, there are nine, but w h e n I get d o w n there are a l w a y s ten of t h e m . " " O n e d o n k e y is riding a n o t h e r ! " q u i p p e d the m a n . "All told there are eleven d o n k e y s , not ten. W h y a r e n ' t you c o u n t i n g the ass b e n e a t h y o u r s ? " "You know," a n s w e r e d D j u h a , "it n e v e r o c c u r r e d to m e that t h e r e ' s another donkey underneath me!"

C O M M E N T A R Y FOR T A L E 6 6 ( I F A

12552)

Told by Rivkah Cohen-Ariel, a second-generation immigrant from Monastir, Yugoslavia, to Tamar Alexander in 1980 in Jerusalem.1 Cultural, Historical, and Literary Background This story is one of the most popular numskull tales, known widely in European, Middle Eastern, and Central Asian oral traditions. There is literary evidence of this tale from the eleventh century. Al-Abi (d. 1030) included a version in his work Nathr al Durar.2 The tale occurs in the earliest Djuha manuscripts, such as the one in the University Library of Groningen.‫ י‬References to European versions of the tale are available, 4 and there is an Arab version from Palestine. 5 The tales also appears in the early collections of Sephardic folklore. 6 A version from Saloniki involves camels rather than donkeys. 7 A Sephardic storyteller from Italy (whose parents were from Turkey) told a variation of this tale. 8 Another version, told by an Israeli, has been published, 9 as has a variation from an Islamic country. 10 Similarities

to Other IFA Tales

There are five more versions of this tale in the IFA. • • • • •

IFA IFA IFA IFA IFA

Folktale • • • • •

Types

1288A "Numskull Cannot Find Ass He Is Sitting On." 1288 ‫״‬ A "Numskull Cannot Find the Donkey He Is Sitting On" (new 1288A (El-Shamy) "Numskull Cannot Find Ass He Is Sitting On." 1288A (Haboucha) "Numskull Cannot Find Ass He Is Sitting On." 1288A (Marzolph) "Der Dumme Kann den Esel Nicht Finden, auf dem er Sitzt" (The Fool Cannot Find Ass He Is Sitting On). 977 (Marzolph) "Der Dumme Zählt den Esel, auf dem er Stizt, Nicht Mit" (The Fool Does Not Count the Donkey on Which He Sits). 261 ‫״‬ (Wesselski).

Folklore • •

8513: The Merchant and His Forty Donkeys (Bukhara). 8864: Mula Nasr al-Din Counts His Seven Donkeys (Iran). 11738: Mula Nasr al-Din and the Ten Donkeys (Iran). 13982: The Owner of His Ten Donkeys (Islamic country). 14301: The Eleventh Donkey (Morocco).

Motifs

J1700 "Fools." J2022 "Numskull cannot find ass he is sitting on."

66

/ Djuha

Counts

the

Donkeys

5 7 7