eate the world; the Sefirots, celestial forces, did it. The
first Sefirot produced the strength of God; the second all angels and
the Torah (Bible); the third all prophets. The fourth Sefirot
produced God's love; the fifth God's justice, and the sixth, a power
which ruins everything. The seventh Sefirot produced beauty, the
eighth magnificence, the ninth, eternal cause, and the tenth, an eye
which watches Israel continually, and follows him on all his roads
and takes care of his feet--that they are not wounded--and his head,
that misfortune does not fall upon him. All this is taught by Zohar,
the book of Kabala, and it is the first book for every Israelite. I
know that many Israelites say that the Torah is the more important,
but they are stupid, and they do not know that the earth shall
tremble from great pains before God and Israel, Father and Matron,
shall be united in a kiss of love, until the slave will not retreat
before the queen--the Talmud before the Kabala. And when shall that
time come? It shall come when the Messiah shall appear. Then for all
pious and scholarly people will there be a great feast of joy. Then
God will order the boiling of the fish Leviathan which is so great
that the whole world rests on it. And everyone will sit down and eat
that fish--the scholarly and pious people from the head, and the
simple and ignorant from the tail!"

When the melamed finished his speech he breathed deeply, and having
dropped his eyes on the table he suddenly fell from mystical heights
to earthly realities. On the plate before him was an excellent
fish--not Leviathan, but excellent nevertheless. The melamed, living
ascetically was very fond of Sabbath feasts, because he believed that
it was necessary, to celebrate the Sabbath properly, to keep joyful
the body as well as the spirit. Therefore, with the remains of the
ecstasy in his eyes, he began to put the delicious dish into his
mouth. The whole assembly was silent for a while. His clever speech
made a deep impression on almost everyone. Old Saul listened to it
with great reverence. His sons cast their grateful eyes on the table
and thought over Reb Moshe's scholarly instruction. The women piously
placed their hands on their bosoms, inclined their heads in sign of
admiration and with smiling lips they repeated:

"Great student--perfect-pious. A true pupil of the great Rabbi
Isaak!"

The one looking attentively on the faces of those sitting around the
table would