Yitzchokel's letter, why mayn't I hear
it? What does it matter if I don't understand? It is my own child!"

The Dayan turned coldly away.

When Taube reached home after this interview, she sat down at the table,
took down the lamp from the wall, and looked silently at the letter by
its smoky light.

She kissed the letter, but then it occurred to her that she was defiling
it with her lips, she, a sinful woman!

She rose, took her husband's prayer-book from the bookshelf, and laid
the letter between its leaves.

Then with trembling lips she kissed the covers of the book, and placed
it once more in the bookcase.

THE SINNER

So that you should not suspect me of taking his part, I will write a
short preface to my story.

It is written: "A man never so much as moves his finger, but it has been
so decreed from above," and whatsoever a man does, he fulfils God's
will--even animals and birds (I beg to distinguish!) carry out God's
wishes: whenever a bird flies, it fulfils a precept, because God,
blessed is He, formed it to fly, and an ox the same when it lows, and
even a dog when it barks--all praise God with their voices, and sing
hymns to Him, each after his manner.

And even the wicked who transgresses fulfils God's will in spite of
himself, because why? Do you suppose he takes pleasure in transgressing?
Isn't he certain to repent? Well, then? He is just carrying out the will
of Heaven.

And the Evil Inclination himself! Why, every time he is sent to persuade
a Jew to sin, he weeps and sighs: Woe is me, that I should be sent on
such an errand!

After this little preface, I will tell you the story itself.

Formerly, before the thing happened, he was called Reb Avrohom, but
afterwards they ceased calling him by his name, and said simply the
Sinner.

Reb Avrohom was looked up to and respected by the whole town, a
God-fearing Jew, beloved and honored by all, and mothers wished they
might have children like him.

He sat the whole day in the house-of-study and learned. Not that he was
a great scholar, but he was a pious, scrupulously observant Jew, who
followed the straight and beaten road, a man without any pride. He used
to recite the prayers in Shool together with the strangers by the door,
and quite quietly, without any shouting or, one may say, any special
enthusiasm. His prayer that rose to Heaven, the barred gates opening
before it till it entered and was taken up into the Throne of Glory,
this