Israel's
palate!"

Saul raised his head higher.

"Rabbi!" he exclaimed, "in that family there were diamonds which
caused the Edomites themselves, in looking on them, to respect the
whole of Israel."

The ancient hatred between the Ezofowichs and Todros began to bubble
up.

"In your family," spoke the Rabbi, "there is one ugly soul which
passes from one Ezofowich to another, and cannot be cleansed. For it
is written that all souls which flow from the Seraphim flow like
drops of water from an inclined bottle, carrying Ibur-Gilgul--travel
through bodies, from one to another, until they are cleansed from all
sin, when they return to the Seraphim. If a man is pious and saintly
his soul returns to the Seraphim, and when the soul returns there
another soul goes into the world and enters a body. Misery and
sadness, sorrow and sin will dwell upon the earth as long as all
souls taken from the Seraphim have not fulfilled the Ibur-Gilgul and
pass through the bodies. And how will they be able to pass all the
bodies if on the earth there are many which are abominable, unclean,
and do not respect the holy teachings? These unwholesome ones keep
the souls in their bodies, and there above the other souls are
waiting. And they must wait, because there are not as many bodies in
the world as there are souls among the Seraphim. And the Messiah
himself is waiting, because he will not come until the last soul
enters the body and Ibur-Gilgul begins. These abominable ones,
occupying one body after another, do not permit the waiting souls to
enter in, and postponing to a remote period the Jobelha-Gabel, the
day of the Messiah,--the great festival of joy! In your family there
is such an abominable soul. It entered first into the body of Michael
the Senior, then it entered Hersh's body, and now it sits in the body
of your grandson Meir! I recognised the proud and rebellious soul in
his eyes and face, therefore my heart turned from him!"

While Todros explained to the old man sitting opposite him this
doctrine of the migration of souls, and its consequences, in the old
man a striking change took placer Before he had grown bolder, and
even raised his head with a certain pride and dignity. Now he bent it
low, and sorrow and fear appeared among the wrinkles of his face.

"Rabbi!" said he humbly, "be blessed for having disclosed to my eyes
your holy learning. Your words are true and your eyes can recognise
the souls which dwell in bodies. Rabb