, and said:

"You know that for us Jews the scroll of the Law is the most sacred of
all things, and that the list of denunciations occurs in it twice.

"I swear to you by the scroll of the Law: If any Jew, whosoever he be,
requires blood at Passover, may all the curses contained in the two
lists of denunciations be on my head, and on the head of my whole
family!"

The Jew was greatly startled.

He knew that the Rabbi had never before sworn an oath, and now, for his
sake, he had sworn an oath so dreadful!

The Jew wept much, and said:

"Dear Rabbi, I have sinned before God and before you. I pray you, pardon
me and give me a hard penance, as hard as you please. I will perform it
willingly, and may God forgive me likewise!"

The Rabbi comforted him, and told no one what had happened, he only told
a few very near relations, just to show them how people can be talked
into believing the greatest foolishness and the most wicked lies.

May God--said my Grandmother--open the eyes of all who accuse us
falsely, that they may see how useless it is to trump up against us
things that never were seen or heard.

Jews will be Jews while the world lasts, and they will become, through
suffering, better Jews with more Jewish hearts.

GLOSSARY AND NOTES

[Abbreviations: Dimin. = diminutive; Ger. = German, corrupt German, and
Yiddish; Heb. = Hebrew, and Aramaic; pl. = plural; Russ. = Russian;
Slav. = Slavic; trl. = translation.

Pronunciation: The transliteration of the Hebrew words attempts to
reproduce the colloquial "German" (Ashkenazic) pronunciation. _Ch_ is
pronounced as in the German _Dach_.]

ADDITIONAL SERVICE. _See_ EIGHTEEN BENEDICTIONS.

AL-CHET (Heb.). "For the sin"; the first two words of each line of an
Atonement Day prayer, at every mention of which the worshipper beats the
left side of his breast with his right fist.

ALEF-BES (Heb.). The Hebrew alphabet.

ASHRE (Heb.). The first word of a Psalm verse used repeatedly in the
liturgy.

AeUS KLEMENKE! (Ger.). Klemenke is done for!

AZOI (= Ger. also). That's the way it is!

BADCHEN (Heb.). A wedding minstrel, whose quips often convey a moral
lesson to the bridal couple, each of whom he addresses separately.

BAR-MITZVEH (Heb.). A boy of thirteen, the age of religious majority.

BAS-KOL (Heb.). "The Daughter of the Voice"; an echo; a voice from
Heaven.

BEIGEL (Ger.). Ring-shaped roll.

BES HA-MIDRASH (Heb.). House-of-study, used for prayers