11.06.2011                      09.Siwan, 5771                      Beha'alotcha

Judentum:

The Tisch: Seeking penance with a broken heart

Zev knew precious little of the holy books, but his fidelity to Jewish tradition could never be questioned, as he fastidiously kept the commandments.

It was Friday afternoon, and Zev the wagon driver looked toward the west and winced at the sun. He turned to his horse: “Come on, my dear horse,” he urged, “Don’t you realize that Shabbat is fast approaching?” But even Zev knew that he could not really have any complaints against his old, weak horse.
Zev was a simple Jew, a poor wagon driver who barely managed to eke out a living. He knew precious little of the holy books, but his fidelity to Jewish tradition could never be questioned, as he fastidiously kept the commandments.
And now Shabbat was upon him, and for the first time in his life he was faced with the possibility of not keeping it….