Gabriel: A Story of the Jews in Prague

by S. Kohn

"Yesterday," he began, as concisely as possible, "I saw and conversed for the first time with Gabriel Mar, whose body was found this morning in the graveyard. By a chance concurrence of circumstances I was led to suspect that Gabriel Mar might be one and the same person as Gabriel Süss, who disappeared some years ago. This suspicion became certainty, when I shortly afterwards, hidden behind an angle of the wall, called out his name, and he as if from force of an old habit turned his head and looked about as if he sought the caller; and then as though fearing to betray himself, hurried off. His disguise, his presence in the Jews' quarter might have one of two objects, either to inflict some injury on his former brethren, or to rejoin them and repentantly be reconverted to the faith of his childhood. I resolved to speak with Gabriel Mar before my speedy departure. My words, I know not why, had made a deep impression upon him, I determined to attempt to learn his designs; if they were evil, to thwart them, if good as far as my weak strength permitted, to support them....

"I enquired where he lodged, and some hours afterwards found myself at Reb Schlome Sachs'. He received my communications at first very incredulously; but gradually remembered many peculiarities which had at first struck him in the behaviour of his guest.... His wife some days after his arrival had found him, sunk in deep reflection over a map; she had on the same day seen an officer who strikingly resembled Gabriel, riding out with the young Count Thurn! He himself had heard him talking so strangely in his sleep, that he did not at the time know what to make of it; his whole behaviour had been puzzling.... Reb Schlome Sachs was extraordinarily put out, and asked me what I proposed to do.... I requested him to accompany me to Gabriel's room; I would speak with him at once. Without knowing why, it seemed to me as if every minute that was lost was irrecoverably lost.... We went to his room, it was open, but Gabriel was not in the house. By the light of a lamp that was slowly going out, which he had left standing on the table, we saw a bureau that had been violently broken open, and in it arms; on the ground some old papers were scattered about. Reb Schlome shook violently as he took them up; ... they contained the memorial of his father-in-law, the history of his life.... We noticed the marks of recent tears on some passages.... the manuscripts had lain for years locked up in the bureau, there could not be the slightest doubt, that by some curious coincidence Gabriel had got possession of them. Gabriel, none other, could have read these manuscripts, their contents must have moved him to tears, have made a violent impression on him, at one point indeed he must have flung the papers far away from him: so it seemed to both of us, and the contents of the manuscript proved that we were not mistaken. The manuscript, which we both, Reb Schlome Sachs and I, read throught with the most high wrought attention, revealed astonishing events to us.... Mad Jacob was the father of Gabriel Süss, was a brother of Rabbi Mosche's, a son of the great Rabbi Jizchok Meduro, an uncle of Rabbi Schlome's wife.... A wonderful Providence had conducted Gabriel Süss to the house, where he was to learn his father's history.... a wonderful impenetrable providence brought about his death in the same night in his father's arms, at his grandfather's grave!..."

Michoel was compelled to stop from deep emotion, and handed over Rabbi Mosche's Biography to the assembly.

"This is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes," said Rabbi Lippmann Heller, who had taken part in the meeting as assessor to the college of Rabbis, at last after a long pause....

"But are you also aware that Gabriel Süss and Major-General Otto Bitter are one and the same person?" he went on to ask....

"Yes," answered Michoel: "while Reb Schlome was unable from deep feeling to tear himself away from the handwriting of his father-in-law; I carefully examined the room. I found several letters from Count Mannsfield to Major-General Otto Bitter, in one of them he wrote that he sent him, Hebrew letters to look over.... among these I found several letters in German, but written in Hebrew characters. These letters were written from Prague by Blume Rottenberg and directed to her husband.... If I rightly remember, and Gabriel Süss' history was correctly related to me, his intended bride was called Blume Rottenberg, and she married her cousin, her father's brother's son.... Blume Rottenberg must be residing in Prague: so please you, my wise men and reverend teachers, she might be summoned, perhaps she will be able to solve the mysterious obscurity that hovers over the life, and still more remarkably over the death of Gabriel Süss, perhaps she will be able to supply information as to the object of his presence in Prague, and of his disguise."

Michoel's proposition was received with general applause--Blume Rottenberg had lived a retired life in Prague and under an assumed name. Only one person, the owner of the dilapidated house which she inhabited, knew her real name and was able to give information as to where she resided. He happened to be present. Blume Rottenberg was requested to betake herself to the house of the Assessor Reb Lippmann Heller, who was to receive her depositions in the presence of the chief overseer.

Both of them returned two hours afterwards much agitated to the meeting. The whole life of Gabriel Süss, all his past was now laid clear before their eyes.... and Gabriel Süss had died repentant in his father's arms!

It was unanimously decided, to bury them both, father and son, close together by the graves of their family.

It was formerly a custom in Israel, to bury the dead as soon as possible. Jacob and his son were to be immediately laid in the grave. All present, deeply moved by the manifest Providence which had brought about everything so wonderfully, determined to attend the funeral obsequies, and were about to repair to the burial ground. They were just issuing from the Rathhaus, when two horsemen on foam-covered steeds galloped up and halted before it. It was a Captain in the Imperial army accompanied by a younger officer.