THE TWO JEWELS
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The Two Jewels
In the early period of the Middle Ages there was a King of Spain, Pedro by name. He was a wise and tolerant ruler. In his kingdom Christians, Jews and Mohammedans were to be found. It was a time when brotherly love was to be discovered in the Holy Scriptures only.
King Pedro was one day about to set out at the head of his army to attack his enemies in a neighbouring land. Nicholas of Valencia, one of the royal counsellors, came to Pedro and exclaimed,—
“O most gracious sire! May I ask your Majesty a question?”
“Ask, good friend Nicholas,” said the King.
“What need is there for your Majesty to leave your kingdom to fight your enemies beyond the border, when you have so many dangerous enemies within your kingdom?” [[44]]
“To whom do you refer?” cried the King.
“I refer to all disbelievers in Spain, the heretics, the Jews and the followers of Mahommet—people who deny the divinity of our Lord, our Saviour, and His Holy Mother. Do we not, as good Christians, hate the Jews and Moslems and do they not hate us? Does not your Majesty know that the Jews are commanded in their holy Bible to abstain from greeting the Christians?”
“How can that be true,” said the wise King, “since the Hebrew Bible was written at a time when there were no Christians?”
“Nevertheless,” continued Nicholas, “I have heard it said, that even though a Jew would greet a Christian saying to him, ‘Peace be unto you,’ he immediately adds under his breath, ‘but may the Devil take you.’ ”
“How do you know this?” exclaimed the King in astonishment.
“I was told this,” replied Nicholas, “by a most saintly man, one Geronimo, a converted Jew.”
“No, no,” interrupted Pedro, “I would not believe such a man. Any one who changes his religion will not scruple to change his word, twisting the truth into falsehood. Do you not also realize that the testimony of such a convert is probably unreliable, because he is now [[45]]anxious to show how intensely he loves his new faith, and this he does best by hating the religion which he has abandoned?”
“Your Majesty may be right,” said Nicholas, “but,” he added, “there is nothing which vexes my soul so much as the unbounded impudence of the Jews, who would not hesitate to tell your Majesty that their Religion is better than our Holy Faith.”
“Do not let this vex you, good Nicholas,” said Pedro; “prove your statement by bringing a Jew before me and let me hear from his own lips this glorification of his religion, and then I will tell you whether I feel vexed or not.”
Nicholas left the King in order to fetch a Jew as commanded by his royal master. After a few minutes had elapsed, he returned, bringing with him a venerable man with a long beard, white as the driven snow.
“Welcome!” exclaimed King Pedro; “be seated, noble Jew, and answer me without fear or favour any questions I may put to you.”
“May it please your Majesty,” said the Jew, who had risen from his seat when about to speak, “life is dear to me and mine, but truth and honour are dearer still. For nearly ninety years have I remained steadfast to the faith of my fathers. I most humbly beg your Majesty to suffer me and my people to continue to be [[46]]loyal not only to God, our Heavenly King, but also to your Majesty.”
“Have no fear, good Jew, but now tell me your name,” says King Pedro.
“I am called,” he replies, “Ephraim, the son of Sancho.”
“Now will you tell me,” asks the King, “which religion, Judaism or Christianity, is more true and real?”
After a moment’s thought Ephraim replies,—
“My religion is the only good one for me in view of my circumstances. Your Majesty knows that my ancestors, the children of Israel, were once slaves in the land of Egypt. God in His great mercy redeemed my people from that land of bondage with signs and wonders. My religion is bound up with this wonderful love of God, who not only redeemed us, but He also gave us our laws and commandments. In keeping these laws and commandments we serve God, and this is our religion, and it is the most natural for the people of Israel. For your Majesty, however, who is born to rule nations and creeds, your religion is the most suitable, because Christianity is the predominant faith which has cramped my religion in Ghettos and darkness. Christianity has even resolved in this land to drive out the Mohammedans, so [[47]]that a believer in the Koran shall not be found in Catholic Spain.”
“You have spoken wisely and daringly,” says the King, “but I did not ask you to discuss the various religions from the point of view of the individual believer, but I wished to know which religion, in your opinion, is the best. You can limit your reply by discussing whether Judaism is better than Christianity, or, as we think, vice versa.”
Ephraim replied,—
“In three days’ time, if it please your Majesty, I will return and give you my humble opinion. I cannot promise to satisfy your Majesty, but I will do my best to justify my conscience.”
The King consented to this proposal, and dismissed the Jew with a friendly farewell.
Three days later the King and Nicholas were anxiously awaiting the promised reply. At the hour appointed, Ephraim appeared. He was very much agitated and gasped for breath.
“Most heartily welcome,” cries Pedro in his most friendly voice; “come and sit near my throne and tell me your answer to my question.”
Ephraim sat in silence and failed to control his agitation.
“What is the matter, good Ephraim?” asked the King, who was now beginning to feel concerned [[48]]at the Jew’s prolonged silence and unusual excitement.
At last by a great effort Ephraim exclaimed,—
“I grieve to tell your Majesty that I am ill. I have this day been most grossly insulted and abused. I am perfectly innocent of having done any wrong to the men who have been so cruel and unjust to me. Gracious King! I appeal to you to hear my complaint and to see that justice is done.”
“Have no fear,” cried the King. “I am the fountain of justice, and every one in my realm may look to me for impartial judgment. What is your complaint?”
The King and Nicholas turned to Ephraim and anxiously awaited his reply.
“My story is as follows,” says the Jew. “A month ago my neighbour went away from home on a very long journey. In order to give some comfort and consolation to his two sons during his absence, he gave a precious jewel to each of them. Early this day the two sons of my good neighbour came to my house and asked to see me. I received them very politely in my humble apartment and asked them how I could be of service. They showed me their jewels and demanded that I should there and then explain to them both the various characteristics of the gems. I was also to point out the beauties [[49]]and flaws—if any—in the precious stones. They asked me to appraise their value and to decide which of the two was the better and the more valuable. I told them that there was no one so well qualified to answer all their questions as their dear father who happens to be an eminent authority on gems, for he is a jeweller. ‘Go,’ I said, ‘to your beloved father and let him decide, for he will tell you all you desire to know about the jewels, and whatever he tells you will be right and true.’ No sooner had I said this, when the two sons attacked me, striking me upon my head. They abused me, calling me ‘heretic and Jew,’ just because I tried to answer their question to the best of my ability.”
“Truly,” cried the King in a passion, “they have acted most shamefully; they deserve to be most severely punished.”
“Listen, O sire, to the words of your mouth,” rejoined Ephraim. “Two brothers were Esau and Jacob, and to each one did their father give a precious jewel. Now your Majesty likewise asks me to decide which is the better? Let your Majesty send a messenger to our Father in Heaven, for He is the greatest owner of jewels, and He will be able to explain exactly how the two jewels differ, and He will also tell your Majesty which of the two is the more precious.” [[50]]
With a smile on his face, King Pedro turned to Nicholas and said to him,—
“Do you not see how wisely this learned Jew has answered my question? He deserves to be rewarded not only for his wisdom but also for his toleration, for he implies that our religion and his own have both been given to humanity by our Heavenly Father, who, in His own good time, will decide which is the best religion. Meanwhile, let all men, be their faith what it may, learn to be brothers and friends, trusting that the time may come when love and charity will lead every one to the truth.”
Shebet Jehudah, pages 53, 54 (ed. Wiener).
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