Serial
The Beggar
by Daniel Meijers and Marilyn Zwaaf
Part Five
It so happened that Shimon, the tax collector, was on one of his monthly visits to
Reb Leizer. Fortified with some tea and cake brought by his wife, Reb Leizer took
down from the bookcase the shorter version of the Code of Jewish Law concerning
the Torah laws applicable to everyday life. He opened to the section dealing with
Shabbos. But when he looked at Shimon, he saw that his pupil was not concentrating.
“Reb Shimon, we’re supposed to be studying. You need to concentrate more and
not let your mind wander.”
But his words had no effect. He looked at him once more. “Shimon, what’s the
matter?”
Shimon Bogomilsky was too upset to answer. He tried to get a grip on himself but
could not prevent the tears from rolling down his face.
“Nu, Reb Shimon, tell me what’s bothering you?”
Shimon Bogomilsky burst into loud sobs.
“I can’t stand it any longer. Not one more day. I can’t go on like this any longer.”
“What’s the matter, Reb Shimon? Has anything happened? Has someone been
doing you wrong? Don’t forget that there is a Creator of Heaven and Earth. There’s
no need for you to get so upset. Things are never as hopeless as they may seem.”
“It’s my wife and children,” Shimon managed to say, with difficulty, and then burst
into tears again.
“What’s the matter with your wife and children?” asked Reb Leizer.
“Well, when I left Russia six years ago, I had to leave alone. We were all given
permission to leave the country - my wife and two daughters - but then my wife’s
exit visa was cancelled at the very last minute. So it was decided that she would stay
behind – together with the children - until a new application had been made and
that I’d go on ahead. She promised that they would leave as soon as her new
visa came through. We’ve been writing regularly to each other ever since,
but I haven’t heard anything from them for over a month now and I’m
going crazy with worry.
“I can’t find out what’s happening. My letters go unanswered.
I fear the worst. She might have been arrested. Or have been
sent to a labor camp. You see, in Russia, they can put you
in prison on a whim. Just applying for a foreign visa can
mean that you are viewed as an enemy of the State. If a
neighbor brings an anonymous charge against you, you can
disappear without a trace – but then what would happen to
the children?”
“Do you have any relatives?” asked Reb Leizer.
“My wife’s father is still alive but he lives in another town. I’ve
already written to him but for some reason or other he hasn’t
answered yet, either. I just don’t know what to do. I don’t sleep at
night. I’m going mad with worry.”
“You won’t go mad if you remember that nothing escapes the
Almighty’s attention. Make no mistake about that. It may sometimes
look like you’ve been left in the lurch, but that’s never the case. What
reason do you have for thinking that she might have been arrested?”
“My wife waited a year after the visa had been withdrawn before applying a
second time. You see, she’s a qualified pediatrician and that’s where the problems
start. They don’t want to lose their doctors and that’s probably why her visa was
cancelled in the first place. The second application could be used as a pretext for
arresting her. They’re beasts. They’re sadists. They don’t need to have a valid reason
for doing anything.”
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continued on page 45
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