ave told you now
whence come thunder and earthquakes. Go in peace and repeat to your
children what I have told you."

With a humble bow and thanks the melamed retired into the crowd. At
the same time from beyond the door the loud wail of a child became
audible.

Reb Moshe called out:

"Haim, dairy farmer from Kamionka, and his wife Malka."

From the crowd came a man and a woman. Both looked pale and troubled
The woman carried a sick child in her arms. They knelt before him,
and holding up to him the child, wasted with disease, asked for his
help and advice. Todros bent tenderly over the fragile little body
and looked long and attentively at it. Reb Moshe, squatting on the
floor, looked at the master for orders, mixing and stirring the
decoctions. In this way, one by one, came the people to their
teacher, sage, physician, prophet almost, plied him with questions
and asked for advice. A troubled husband brought his comely, buxom
wife, and asked for judgment by help of a certain water, called the
water of jealousy. If the wife be guilty of infidelity, the efficacy
of the water is believed to cause death; if innocent, it will enhance
her beauty and give her health. Another man asked what he was to do
if the time for prayers came during a journey and he could not turn
his face to the east, because the storm and dust would blind his
eyes. A great many came crying and bewailing their miserable lives,
and asked the sage to look into the future and tell them how long it
would be till the Messiah arrived. The greater part of the people did
not want anything, asked neither questions nor came for advice; they
simply wanted to see the revered master, breathe the same air with
him, and fill their souls with the words that dropped from his lips,
and see the light of his countenance.

It was evident that Isaak Todros felt and appreciated his high
position. He attended to all their wants with the greatest gravity,
zeal, and patience. He explained, and put the people right in points
of law, inflicted penances upon sinners, gave physic to the sick,
advice to the ignorant--without changing his position--only fixing
his either stern or thoughtful eyes upon those who came to him.
Several times when the people wailed and complained, entreating him
to foretell the coming of the Messiah, his dark eyes grew misty. He
loved those who came to him with their troubles and felt for them.
Big beads of perspiration stood upon his forehead, and h