"Moshe, have you seen this worm with your own eyes, and have you heard with your own ears? Speak, Moshe! On my head rests the burden of all souls which are in this community, and I must know all."
There was silence for a moment in the little hall The man who was humbly sitting there at the closed door of the saintly Rabbi was evidently gathering his thoughts and reminiscences. After a while he began to speak in his hoarse voice, in a sing-song manner.
"I have seen with my own eyes, and heard with my own ears. Meir Ezofowich has not celebrated to-day the Kiddish with the whole family, and he came home after Sabbath had already been with us for some time. And I asked him what he had been doing, and he told me that he had been defending the cabin of Abel Karaim and his grandchild, Golda, from assault."
He became silent, and the deep voice within the closed room said:
"He defended heretics, and violated the Sabbath!"
"He does not keep his soul joyful during the holy day of Sabbath."
"That teaching may be excommunicated! Israel must avoid it, and the
Lord may not forgive it!" said the deep voice behind the door.
"He said that in the holy books of Israel there is nothing said of En-Sof and Sefirots, and that the Eternal does not command us to persecute heretics."
"Abominations pour from the mouth of that young man! Hersh Ezofowich's soul—his great-grandfather's soul—has passed into his body!"
"Nassi!" exclaimed Moshe, in a louder voice. An indistinct murmur from behind the door encouraged him to continue the conversation.