, and amongst the shadows I see the dead who died
yesterday and the day before yesterday and the day before the day
before yesterday--a whole people, a great assembly.

And suddenly I grasp what it is the Rabbi asks of us. The Rabbi calls on
us to eat, to-day! The Rabbi calls on Jews to eat on the Day of
Atonement--not to fast, because of the cholera--because of the
cholera--because of the cholera ... and I begin to cry loudly. And it is
not only I--the whole congregation stands weeping, and the Dayonim on
the platform weep, and the greatest of all stands there sobbing like a
child.

And he implores like a child, and his words are soft and gentle, and
every now and then he weeps so that his voice cannot be heard.

"Eat, Jews, eat! To-day we must eat. This is a time to turn aside from
the Law. We are to live through the commandments, and not die through
them!"

But no one in the Shool has stirred from his place, and there he stands
and begs of them, weeping, and declares that he takes the whole
responsibility on himself, that the people shall be innocent. But no one
stirs. And presently he begins again in a changed voice--he does not
beg, he commands:

"I give you leave to eat--I--I--I!"

And his words are like arrows shot from the bow.

But the people are deaf, and no one stirs.

Then he begins again with his former voice, and implores like a child:

"What would you have of me? Why will you torment me till my strength
fails? Think you I have not struggled with myself from early this
morning till now?"

And the Dayonim also plead with the people.

And of a sudden the Rabbi grows as white as chalk, and lets his head
fall on his breast. There is a groan from one end of the Shool to the
other, and after the groan the people are heard to murmur among
themselves.

Then the Rabbi, like one speaking to himself, says:

"It is God's will. I am eighty years old, and have never yet
transgressed a law. But this is also a law, it is a precept. Doubtless
the Almighty wills it so! Beadle!"

The beadle comes, and the Rabbi whispers a few words into his ear.

He also confers with the Dayonim, and they nod their heads and agree.

And the beadle brings cups of wine for Sanctification, out of the
Rabbi's chamber, and little rolls of bread. And though I should live
many years and grow very old, I shall never forget what I saw then, and
even now, when I shut my eyes, I see the whole thing: three Rabbis
standing on the pla