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The Werewolf
Old Rabbi Eliezer felt his life drawing to a close and called his son Israel to his side. He blessed him and spoke a few words which etched themselves into the boy’s heart forever. "Your soul is like an ore that no one can crush and only God can melt. Therefore, fear nothing other than God." As an orphan, Israel was hired by the village community to take the children to and from school every day. The road passed through a forest and the boys ' song rose aloft to the skies. The Adversary, who is always poised to take over the world, became envious of their joy and wanted to drain it away, to fill the void with fear and angst. He writhed with discontent and demanded to be allowed to descend to measure his powers against this precocious messenger of joy. When his wish was granted, he gathered his strength and turned on his victims. A terrible werewolf rushed forth from the awakening forest and the song was transformed into fearful shrieks on the children’s lips. The werewolf succeeded in frightening them away time after time until the day dawned when Israel remembered his father's words and defeated the beast. No matter how powerful darkness appears to be, it can never emerge victorious over light.
"Listen well my dear child, and remember! All your years you should remember it: do not fear any man or anything, You should fear only the One Above, and love every Jew with all your heart and all your soul... " (translated from the Yiddish) |
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