| |
(Midrash Yalkut, iii, p. 165.)
THE RABBI MEIR, | |
| A black cap on his white hair, | |
| And him before | |
| Unfurled the great book of the Law, | |
| Sat in the school and taught. | 5 |
| Many a winged thought | |
| Flew from his lips, and brought | |
| Fire and enlightenment | |
| Unto the scholars bent | |
| Diligently at their writing. | 10 |
| And all the while he was inditing, | |
| His soul was near to God | |
| Above the dull earth that he trod. | |
| And as the lark doth sing | |
| High up and quivering | 15 |
| In the blue, on heavenward wing, | |
| But ever its breast | |
| Keepeth above its nest, | |
| And singing it doth not roam | |
| Beyond hearing of its home, | 20 |
| So the Rabbi, however high he soared | |
| In his teaching, or praying, sung | |
| Close to the ear of his Lord, | |
| Yet ever above his home, his wife and young. | |
| |
| Slowly there stole the gloom | 25 |
| Of evening into the room, | |
| Then he rose and shut the book | |
| And casting about a look, | |
| Said, with a wave | |
| Of the hand: “God gave | 30 |
| The light, and hath taken away, | |
| With the Lord begun, | |
| With the Lord run, | |
| With the Lord done, | |
| Is the day.” | 35 |
| Then his way | |
| Homeward cheerfully he took. | |
| In the little house, sedate, | |
| For her husband did await | |
| Beruriah. And for her lord | 40 |
| She had laid the supper on the board. | |
| And a lamp was lighted up, | |
| By which he might sup. | |
| He kissed her upon the brow, | |
| And spake to her gently: “How | 45 |
| Are the lads today? | |
| Tell me, Beruriah, pray.” | |
| There glittered on her cheek | |
| Two jewels, ere she could speak | |
| And answer, “They are well, | 50 |
| Sit you and eat your supper, whilst I tell | |
| What to me befell; | |
| And assure me in what way | |
| You think it had been best | |
| That I had acted.” Thus addressed, | 55 |
| He sat him at his meal, | |
| And began to eat: “Reveal | |
| Thy case,” he said. “Yet tell me, I pray, | |
| First—where are my boys today?” | |
| Then suddenly she said, | 60 |
| With an averted head: | |
| “Many years are flown | |
| Since one a precious loan | |
| Entrusted to my care, until he came | |
| That treasure to reclaim.” | 65 |
| The Rabbi spoke: “Of old | |
| Tobit confided his gold | |
| To Raguel | |
| At Ecbatane. Well, | |
| What further?—But say, | 70 |
| Where are my lads, I pray?” | |
| |
| “For many years that store | |
| I jealously watched o’er, | |
| Do you think, my lord, that loan | |
| In fourteen years would become my own?” | 75 |
| Then, with a glance of blame, | |
| He answered, as he shook his head: | |
| “For shame. | |
| Wife of my bosom! It were not thine | |
| Should forty years upon thee shine, | 80 |
| And the owner not return | |
| To demand it. Beruriah, learn | |
| Not to covet.” | |
| |
| Then he paused, and said, | |
| Moving the lamp: “Thine eyes are red, | 85 |
| Beruriah: wherefore?” | |
| |
| But she broke | |
| In on his question, and thus spoke: | |
| “To-day there came | |
| To the door the same | 90 |
| One who had lent the treasure, | |
| And he said, ‘It is my pleasure | |
| To have the loan restored.’ | |
| What do you think, my lord? | |
| Should I have withheld it, Meir?” | 95 |
| At his wife with astonished stare | |
| Looked the Rabbi. “O my wife! | |
| Light of my eyes, and glory of my life! | |
| Why ask this question?” | |
| |
| Then he said, | 100 |
| As his eyes wandered towards the bed: | |
| “Why is the sheet, | |
| Usually smooth and neat, | |
| Lifted into many a fold and pleat?” | |
| But she asked: “Should I repine | 105 |
| At surrendering what was not mine | |
| To him who claimed it?” | |
| |
| “It was a trust, | |
| Wife of my bosom! What do you ask?—Repine | |
| What! do you lust | 110 |
| To keep what is not thine?” | |
| And once again: | |
| “Where are my boys?” | |
| |
| She took him by the hand, | |
| Whilst o’er her features ran a thrill of pain, | 115 |
| And brought him to the bed, and bid him stand | |
| There, as she touched the sheet, and said: | |
| “The Lord who gave hath taken. They are dead.” | |
| Softly she raised | |
| The sheet; and with awe | 120 |
| The Rabbi his children saw | |
| In the soft twilight | |
| Lying silent, and still and white; | |
| And he said, “Praised | |
| Be the Name of the Lord. | 125 |
| My wife and I are content | |
| That the goodly loan to us lent | |
| Should be restored.” | |
| |
