the Jewish holidays. Every Jewish holiday they met in the valley on
Peter's estate. According to Yekil's calendar, the eve of the Fast
of the Ninth of Av fell on that very day. That is why they had
gathered in the valley that night. "If so," said I, "what is the
use of reciting that Psalm? Were it not more proper to recite
Lamentations?"

"We do not know Lamentations by heart," explained Yekil, with the
authority of a rabbi, "but we do know some Psalms, and these we
recite on every holiday. For, at bottom, are mere words the main
thing? Your real prayer is not what you say with your lips, but
what you feel with the whole of your heart. As long as the words
are in the holy tongue, it all depends on the feelings you wish to
put into them. As my father, may he rest in peace, used to instruct
me, the second Psalm is the same as the festival hymn, 'Thou hast
chosen us from among the nations,' if you feel that way; or it may
be the same as Lamentations. It all depends on the feelings in our
heart, and on the meaning we wish to put into the words!"

Yekil's talk and the sounds of Yiddish speech, which I had not heard
since I left home, impressed me in a wonderful way. Here I found
myself all at once in the company of Jews like father and mother.
But I felt very much below that wonderful boy who could decide
questions of Jewish law like some great rabbi. Indeed, he seemed to
me little short of a rabbi in our small congregation. Then I began
to feel more despondent than ever. I considered myself the sinner
of our little community. I knew I was guilty of eating pork and of
other grave trespasses, and I felt quite unworthy of being a member
of the pious congregation.