Jesus

----------------------PTNKHES BERNI KER (1908-1956)

Transbced from chc Yiddish by Alan Astro

Pi11klies Bernikcr i111migrated ro Cub,1 to join /,is olda Lirother, U1,1i111, ivho liad ;rnrte,I Dos i:;raye Vore, tl1e .first Yiddish 11~1vsp,1per ill 'ul,o. /11 1931 /,,: 11w11ed to

tin: U11ired tc1tes, w/1ere lie ivorked ,1. director of <1 J--febreiv sc/100/ i11 Roc/1cste1·, Neiv

York. /111935, cl collectio11 of I is stories, Sh rile Lebns (Quiet Lives), ivm pub/is/Jed i11

V,/11,1. ''Jesus" is cl striki11g piece 011 Jc1v1sli-grntile rel11tio11s.

11 E DID 0

T TAKE its •ri usly che first few times his room maces suggested

rluc h scare peddling images of Je ·us, or Yoshke, as he preferred to call him.

He thought they were kidding. H w cou ld they b serious? Were chey fo Is?

What could ch ·y mean? How could they possibly chink thac he should

schkp the goyish icons through the streets of Havana? What was he, a boy,

a young lad wh knew nothing of che world? How c uld they imagine chat

he-a middle-aged Jew with a beard and side curls, who had been ordained

.1s .1 rabbi, who had devoted all the days of his life to Torah and to divine

service-co uld all of a sudden p ddle icons and spread word of Jesus of

Nazar ch? N , even they ouldn't be serious about chat! o he thought, and

he didn't cv n try to answ r them. H just sigh d quietly, wiped the sweat

off hi face, and sat without movin g, sure that they wouldn't bring up such

a notion again.

Later he realized he'd been mistaken. Those roommates of his had been

very ser ious. Nor daring to propose the idea urright, rhey had begun by

alluding t it, joking about ic. He had r mained sil nt and, contrary to

rheir expectations, hadn't jumped up from hi scat as though he lia.d be ' n

245

-246 PINKHES BERNIKER

scorched. o rhey lud begun col roach rhc subjecr dirc~rly, insisLing rhar he

nor even cry .tnocher livdiliood, even if one presented irsclf. J le, of all people,

was in jusr rh · righr posirion ro mrn the gr 'clrcsr pro!ir fr tl1 1xddlin the "gods:· No one -lsc coukl .1pprnach !11S Sul'., ·ss." For every god you sell, you'll

clear :1 thous.111d [)Crcenr prolir :· "And ch Cubans love ro buy gods." "Especially from you, Rabbi Joseph,

who I t>ks S( much like the b,1 ·card, pardon rhc comparison.''"You'll sec how c:ig ·r they'll be to buy from you.""And rhcy'll pay whatever you ask."" Listen

ro me, Rabbi Joseph, jusr cry it! You'll sec! ' llicy'II sacrifi e everything they Juve for you! [ cop!..: who dun'c cv ·n need ,1 god will buy one from you!" ·n1us his r ommaces urged him co become a god p ddl ·r. ~ll,ey rnuldn't stand co

sec him h.1.lf-srnrved, in coral distress, bcrefr of the slighrcsr prospe ts. And they really did believe char selling the gods would solve his problems.

1l1e more persistent they b 'c::ime, the more pcnsiv · he grew. He didn'r :rn ·wer chem, for whar could he ay? ould he cut our his he.ire and show rhem bow it hied, how CV'ry vVord rhey Uttered 111'1de .l sharp ir1ci ion in ic, tearing at it painfully? How ould they undersc,rnd wh:ir he fol.c if rhey di ln't know how h 'd been rr:tin ·d, wh.1c his position had b 'C n in the oltl coumry? He was ·onsumcd with s ,Jf.-picy. ' 111 · world had stuck out its long, ugly r nguc :u him. Rabbi Joseph, so diligenc .1 pupil char he'd been bailed as ch prod igy from Eyshishok, wa. now supp9sed co spread ridings of Jesus of

az::ircrh throughout the world?! He couldn't resign himself to his lot. Every day, in the blut:, tropical dawn,

he dragged himself through the narrow srreecs f Id Havana, offering hi hbor co one Jewish -own •d factory after anorhet·, promising to do wharever it would cake co earn a pittance. He was rejected everywhere. How could rhey lee a venerably beard djew work in a facrory: Who would dare holler at him? How ould they prod him, rdering him around :ts necessary?''How could someone like you work in a facroryt "In chc Talmudi · academy of Volozhin, did they teach shoe nuking?" "Rabbi, you're too noble ro work

here." They looked at him with pity, not knowing how co h •Ip. "Why~ Wa n't the great Rabbi Yokhanan a hoemaker?'' h asked, plead­

ing for mercy. "'11,:it was then, this i · now." "And what abour now? Wouldn't Rabbi Yokhanan scill need co at?" Thar

w:ts what he wanted to cry uc, bur he couldn't. He was ,tlrcady too dis­couraged. ·n,e unanim us rcjc rions r.ortured him m re th n the con rnnt

Jesus 247

hung ·r. And rhe charity, rhe sympat hy, ottered by all became harder to bear.

Ir wouldn't h.wc humili,ir,d him had it not been for the presen e, in a far­

.1way Lithuanian rown, of .1 wife .ind three small ch ildr n who n eded co cat.

"Send some money, at lc:i t for bread." 1l1u his wife had written to him in :l

recent letter. And th word brc,1d Jud swelled up nd gro wn blurry from rhe

teardrop rhar had fallen on ic from rhe eye of a helpless mother.

Jos ph recalled rhe words from 1h~ F:t/Jics of tlJe Fathers: "ff [ am nor for

111 ·, who will be for met

" [ must harden myself. l must find work!" He called our these words,

forcing himself onto the street. Pale, rhin, with a despairing mien, he po red

himself .ic a factory door, glan ing around helplessly, hoping ro catch ighc of

rhe ow ner. From ,1111ong the workers, a midd le-aged Jew ran up to rhc door

.ind pressed a few pennies into his palm . Jo cph froze. His yes p pped uc

of his head; his mouth gaped open. 1l1e couple of ·encs fell from his h :111d.

Like ,1 madman, h ran from rh · fo ·c ry. Lare ch:ic night, when his room­

m.1res returned, he pulled him self otf his cor, stare d at them momentarily,

.1ml said," hildren, tomorrow you will help me sell rhe gods." 1l1cy wane d

m ,1sk him what had happened, bur, glimpsing rhe pain in his eyes, rh y

(0tdd nor move their r ngu 'S.

13inding b rh packag ·s of gods rogecher, he left between them :i length of

rope to place on his neck, thereby lightening che load. He had only to hold

onto th · packages wirh his hand , lest chey bump into his sides. nd stom:i h.

n1c upp rmost image on his right side portrayed Mocher Mary cuddling

the newborn child, and the one on his l fr showed Jesus already grown .

13 •ewe n chc rwo imag s he himself looked like the Son of God. His eyes

were larger rhan lifo, and his face was paler chan ever. Deep, superhuma n

suffering shone forth from him, a r fl ·crion of che pain visited on Jesus of

N.1z.1rerh :is he was led ro the cross.

·n,e day was burning hor. Pearls of swear hone on his mild, pale fa e, and

his cloches ·cuck co his r rrured body. He stopp d for a while, disent , ngling

his nighcmari ·h rhoughrs, slow ly removing ch rope from his neck, str:iighr ­

cnmg his back r, eked with pain, and scraping away the sweat rhac bit inco

his burning fac •. I le wiped tears from the corner of on eye.

248 PINKHES BERNIKER

He saw, far off. the low wo den cabins in rhe next village. fn the surround­

ing silence, from time co rime, there came the cries of the vilbge children.

Feeling a bit more cheerful, he slowly loaded his body with the two pack­

ages of gods. Trembling, he strode onward, onward, He was noticed first by

rhc lean, pale children playing in the street . 11,ey immediately stopped cheir

games and stiffened in amazemenr.11,e tropical fire in their black eyes burst

forth as they caught sight of him. Never had they seen such a man.

''i)'vlama, mami, LLn Jest'.1 viene!" "A Jesus is coming!" Each started run­

ning home. "iMira! jMi.ra!" 1l1e children's voices rang through che village.

From windows and doors along the road, women leaned cheir heads out,

murmuring excitedly to one another: "iSanta Mada! '"'i ue milagrn!""iDios

mio!" They ,t!l whispered in astonishment, unable co turn their straining

eyes away from the extra r<linary man.

Joseph approached on of the houses and pointed co the image of Jesus,

mutely sLLggesting chat they buy a god from him. But the hot-blooded tropi­

cal women thought he was indi ating how loscly the image resemb led him.

Filled with awe, chc} gestured that he should enter. "i Entre, senor!" said each

one separately, with rare submissiveness. He entered the house, cook the

burden off his neck, and sc ted himself on the rocking chair they offered

him. Looking at no one . he began untying the gods. No one in the household dared to sic. Along with some neighbors who had sneaked in, they encircled

him and devoured him with their wide -open eyes.

'',:Tiencs hijot>'' "Do you have a son~" a young shiksa asked, trembling.

"I have two," he answ red.

"And are they as handsome as your" asked another girl excitedly. "I myself don't know."

"jMira, el mismo tampoco sabe!" "He himself doesn't know!" A strange

sharne overtook the girls. 11,ey looked at each other momentari ly, then burst

into embarrassed laughter: "Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!" TI1eir ho rse guffaws

echoed chroLLgh the modest home.

"What's going onr" asked the mothers, glancing unkindly coward the

man.

"Nothing!" said the girls, embracing each other, then repeating ecstat i­

cally, "i El mismo tampoco sabe! i El mismo tampoco sabc! Ha ha ha! Ha ha

ha!" 1l1eir suffocating laughter resonated as each tucked herself more closely

into her girlfriend's body.

Jesus 249

"And what's your namet ne of che girls core herself from her friend's

cmbra e. "J ' .. ose ...

"W hact asked severa l of the women in unison. "J ' .. ose ...

"Jose, Jest'.1s!"

'TI1e village women began co murmur, winking more than speak ing.

ne of the shik sas wa unable co restrain h r elf: "And what's your son's )" name.

"J uan ...

"Juan, Juan," the shiksas began to repeat, dro ling . Embarrassed, they

pushed ea h other inro the .next ro m, wildly, bizarrely. There was a momen ­

rnry silence. 'TI,ose war hing wer still under the spell of what had tak n

place. Joseph, h wever, w:1s out of patience.

" u, .:c mpran:' Are you going to buy or not:'" he asked, rai. ing hi yes, filled wirh the sorrow of the world. He could say no more in panish, bur no

n,ore was n cessary. Ev ry woman purchased a god from him by paying an

initial insta llment-from whi h he already cleared a hand some profit-and

promising che rest lat r.

Home he went, with nly the rope. All the gods had been old. He had

never felt so light, so unencumbered. He had no pa bges to carry, and a

hope had ar isen within him chat h would be forever free from hunger and

wane.

Lacer he himself was asto nished at how he had ·hanged, at how indifferently

he ould contemp late Jesus's beard. He went to a Cuban barber and had his

blond beard trimm d in the likeness of J su .

"Yom mother must have b en very pi us!" aid the barber to him, with

great conviction.

"How can you cell:'"

"When he conceived you, she ouldn'c have stepped away from che image

of Jesus:·

"Perhaps." Joseph was delighted.

How could h a t chis way:' He didn't know. The hriscian women, his

9')0 PINKHES BERNIK R

rnsromcTs in rhe vill.1ges .ill .1round. waited for him ,l:, Jews await rhc Mes­

si.tl1. I hey worshiped him, .md he ,-.1rncd from them more than h' ·otdd

cwr h:iw drc.1111ed. ·1 her h:id 110 idc;1 who h · w.1s. f le ncwr rold 1h ' m he was a Jew, and h,

srill wondcrcll ho, he coul 1 deny his Jewish b.tckgrnund. le learned a lir­

rlc Sp:111ish, cspc ·i.11ly verse. frnm rhc New lcstarn ·nt, .ind spoke with chc peasant women like :1 true s,tnco, .1 s.1i11r. Orn.:e, when :1 custome r asked him,

"iQut eres ci.'1?'""vVhar arc you:>" he rolled his eyes to che heavens .ind started to say, dr.1wing L)llt his words,"Whar diflcrcnce docs it 111,tkc who f :im? All :tr<: (1l1Ll's (hildren."

"J\nd the iudios? I he .Jews?" .1sked th women, u11::ible rn resrrain chcm­~clws.

"'I he judtllS .tre 11lst1 (;L1d's ·hildren . lh .:y're just rhc sinful on ·s. 'll1ey crncificd our Senor Jcst'1s, bm they .ire st ill God's d1ildn:11. Jcst.'1s hims ·lf has forgiven rhcm." ~ k t·nded with a pious sigh.

"J\11d do )'Oll )'Olll'sdf love the judfost "C:erc.1i11 I ,:·

"i l)e vcr:1s?'' "lZi·.111}'?'° "2Y quc1~" "Wh.1t of ir~" H<.: pur 011 ~1 wt1undcd l'Xpression and soon con­

rc·tkd, "My love for them isn't as deep ,ts for rhe ' hrisrians, bur I d love rhcm. A sinn ·r can be brought back ro rhe righrcous p,tch rhroL1gh love, as m1r Sc1iorJest'.1s said."

"jTit·n · ra=6n! " "I !e's riglir!"

"j't' hicn t!llC ~i!"''J\.nd how!"

\ Es un verd.1clcro s.mro!'"' e's ,t true saint!" All the worn 11 drank i11 his words.

"Have you )'Ourself seen a re, I Jew?" 11,cir curiosiry collldn'r b, sarcd.

''Yes. I h:iv ."

"W here?"

"There, in Europe." '' Wlur did he look like ?"

''Just like me." ··r e:1lly?!"

"Yes, indecd."

" 1 Si cl lo dice, dche ser vcrd:1d!" "If he s:iys ic, it must b · rrne." 'll1e pcasanr

women winked .u each oth '1-, :ind their far ·s grew inrcns ·ly serious, as if in

Jesus 251

a moment of great exaltation. Joseph fell ilenc, engrossed in his thoughts.

He let the peasant women examine some sample gods. For now he simply

cook orders, whi h he filled by mail. In che me:mcime, he cook stock of his

situarion, how mu h money he had in the bank, how m.uch be was owed,

and how many more thousands he would earn in rhe coming year if business

improved by just 50 percenc."Who needs to worry?" A smile lit up his face as

he felc these words in his heart: "I give thanks and praise co Thee, almighty

God, who hast given Jesus unto the world."

• A n w god peddler showed up in the same area. Day in and day out, he

Llrngged himself from one vilhge to the next, stopping at every home. He

scraped the scalding swe:it off his face and n ck as he knocked, trembling,

on the hospitable ub:tn doors.

";: ompran al got" Will you buy something( he asked, gestming broadly.

Solidly builc mothers and passionate, well-formed daughters looked at him

with pity, omforcing him and care sing him with the softness of the Span ­

ish tongue and ch' genrlcness f rh ir big, velvety eyes. They gl:ldly offer d

him a handout but shook their heads at his gods. 'Tm s rry." He gor the

·ame answer almost ·v rywhere.

"jCompra y no lamenre !""Buy and don't be sorry!"

"You're right!" answered the women, with a slight smile. He stood wirh

his distressed face and heavy heart, looking at the peasant women, unable co

understand why they were o stubborn.

A few children gathered around him.111ey scared at his earnest fa e, car -

fully touched the frames of rhe unveiled images, and began playing with

them. "Tell your mother to buy a santo," he said, aressing one of the chil­

dren. 111e child stopped 1, ughing. His glance passed from the god merchant

ro his mother. Ir was bard for him to grasp what was happening.

"How sweet you arc;· said the mother, affectionately embracing her now

serious child.

"I have a child jusr like him in che old country;' ·;tid the god merchant,

about to burst into tears. 11jMira, parece una mujer." "He's accingjust like a woman!" The peasants

were a tonished to see the shiny tears forming in the cot:ners of his eyes.

252 Pll'JKHES BERNIKER

''Should .1 nun l,ry?""And b .':, ·uppu:.ed tL, be the bn:.1dw1n11t::r for ,l wife

.111d d1ildrc11 ! · "l luw funny!" A f;,.., girls, unable: ro rcsrr.1in th ems •lvcs,

l.lllghcd in his faL(', /\shamed, he glanced .1r their wi,kl}' S!lliling eyes, folr his

owu hclplc · ·ncss, and went .1way. I ]is kcc lud grnwn hc,lVicr and his gra. p

of events sliglit..:r. No111.:rhclc.~s .. 1r111i1w himsl'lf wirh C\)llr,l).;C, h' wcnr fro111 ~ .:, '

vill.1gc rn vilhgc. He knocked 011 ever}' door .ind humbl y showed hi· wares:

"iCumprcn!" "Bu}' SL)mc1hing! If }'Llll help me, (r\kl will help }'OU. And I sell

VCI')' cheap!"

l3ur he seld )Ill umc :1t'rnss .1 LllSromcr inrcrcsrcd 111 his low pri..:L".

lnrnsr cvcryon..: was wairi n r for rh.: s.tnt(l, rhc holy peddler, who bor, a

.:rn:.1t likeness rn God I limsel[ ·n1cy dis111i:.scd rbe 11 ·w g )d m ·rchant our

of lund:" l don't need .111y."" I'm very surr /"\Vc've alrc.1dy boughr some from

somelln • else." l le :i i ready knew .111 rhcir .1nswcr by hc.m. "Arc goLls rhe only rhrng ro pcddlct 'ud, w;1s the birccr qucstiL)n lie

asked his fdk w imn1igrants every day.

"Do )'OU !·now of somer hing berrcr~ Food isn'r about w fly imo )'Our

mourh. And wh.n .ire you gL)ing to {o with th, gods yo 1\•c ;i!rt::.1d bought~" "jl-by quc Lrab.1_j,1.r!""Yon'vc gor m work!" •xclaimed one nf his ·nunr1y-

111cn, .:ager ro ·h w off his 'pa nish .

" ! ut my work is 111 v.iin !"

'' Ri '"ht now your work is in vain, bur it wil l pay off in rim ," said his

friends, crying to i:onsulc him.

"111 cime, in rim•!" he murccre~I nervously, not knowing at whom.

[t hild grown dark in the middle f rh day. l he ·l ·ar, tropical sky had sud­

denly cloucled over. Waves of he,1.r rose fr 111 the ground, and chc air bccaml'

do · •r .111 l denser. At any mom ·nt bu ·kcrs of rain ·ould foll. 'a mp •sinos.

nding i11ro rown, b • am· unc,1sy lest rhe storm ..:arch up with rh 111. So they

pushed back rheir griny scc1w hats, their t!j.i11c1s; fastened the palm -leafbas ­kers full off wl 011 one siJ.e oF rhcir s, Lldles; sc..:ured rh · l'.tns of 111 ilk on chc

ocher sde; and urged rhe horses n with all their mighr."jPronco!'"'E1srcr!"

''j!Jronro!'"' , oon rherc 'I] b' a d 'lugc!'"'Yo11'I1 get so<1ked wirh all yt1ur gods

in rhe middle of ch<! fi.cld." 'TI1e rid ·rs rook pity on rhe poor foot traveler as

they dug rheir .spurs ever more deeply into rhe sides of their hors ·s. Bur he

Jesus 253

scarcely moved his feec, hammering his steps our heavily. It was already past

noon, and he hadn't s ld a single god.

Arriving at the next village, soaked to che bone, he caught sight of an

open door leading into a home full of people. Sneaking in, he put down his

pack of god in a corner behind rhe door. As he started removing his wet

doches from his ·ven wetter body, he heard a woman speaking: "Here's five

dollars; send me a San Antonio like that next week.""And send me a)mis uy the Well." "['11 take a San Pablo. Take three dollars in the meantime,

and l'll pay d, rest larer.""Make sure you don't forget co send me a Santa

Mada.""And 1 wane a M'otl,er wit/, the on." 'TI1c women shouted over each

other.

He could hardly believe his ears. He thought he was dr eaming one of

his sweet nightly dreams, in which he saw himself amid circles of peasant

women ripping hi godly wares out of his hands. He had believed that such

good fortune was possible only in a dream, but here it was happening for

real. "What can chis bet He wondered why he hadn 't yec looked inco rhe

opp site corner of the room, and he cook a few seeps coward it.

He scopp ,din his cracks, stupefied. All his limbs began to shake .

.He tri d co hide his surprise, for never had he seen a man who looked

so mu h like Jesus. "So chat's ic!" b murmured to himself a h wat ·hed

.Josq h rolling his eyes from ti.me ro time coward heaven, blessing che peas­

ant women ,ts a rebbe blesses his Hasidim. "Aha l" He was asconishcd ac the

reverence rhe village women b ·stowed on the scrnnger."No, no, I ·ou.ld never

become su h a showman!" He stepp d off co on side to keep Jos ph from

noticing him.

His lase bir of hope had run our. "Y r(1, .:de d6nde vienes?" "And where

have you c me from?" The peasant women were surprise d to see the new

god peddler after Joseph had left.

"From Santo Domingo:·

"You've just gotten here?''

" o, rm just about to leave."

"Did you sec our Jesusito?"

''You mean che vendedor, ch seller of the gods?"

"Y:· . Doesn't he look just like Jesus( asked the peasant women, offended.

''Like Jesus? Bue he's a judio, a Jew!" 'TI1cse words came Hying ouc of his

mouth with unusual force.

254 PINKHES BERNIKER

"1Mentira! jMentira!" "That's a lie! A lie! You yourself are the judio, and

a dirty one at that!" cried the peasant women in unison, pale with emotion.

"jPalabra de honor !" "I give you my word of honor that he's ajudfo!"

The new god peddler couldn't restrain himself when he realized what a ter­

rible impression the wordjudio made on them. But his claims were all in vain.

The village women still didn't beli~ve him. He couldn't make them under ­

stand. "j No, no puede ser!""No, it can't b !""jVamos, vete de aqui!""Come on!

Gee out of here!" They couldn't stand co hear his words any longer.

He fell silent and left che hou se but not the village. He ought out some

young men and bought chem a round of drinks. As he sipped black coffee by

the white marble table, he cold them that the god peddler with the face like

Jesus's, who overcharged their mothers for the pictures they bought from

him , was aJ w, a descendant of che ones who had crucified Jesus.

"jNo hable boberfa.s!" "Don't talk non sense!'"',:C6mo es posib le?'"'How

can that bet"jNo me lo diga!"" Don't tell me:' The young men didn't wane to

believe him. As their stub bornn ess grew, so did his. Finally, he told them of

the first Jewish commandment. He left twenty -five dollars with the owner

of the cafe and swore that the money was theirs if he had been lying co chem.

TI1e cash had the right effect. It was as though the young men had been

touched by fire. The blood rushed to their faces, and they drank themselves

into a stupor.

• Joseph hadn 't yet arrived, c che first hou se in the village when a lad ran across

his pat h. "jOiga!" Listen, sir, my mother wants to buy something:' Tue boy

breathed with difficulty, hardly able to utter these words.

"i Bendico eres, hijito !'"'Blessed arc chou, my son!" Such was Joseph's gen­

tle answer.

"iPor aqui es mas cereal" "TI1is way is shorter !" said the licde goy as he

strode over the field, with Joseph trailing behind him. Soon th ey were far, very far, from the village. The boy had already pointed

out that "right over there" was their house. Although J seph saw no house

"over there;· he still suspected nothing, assuming that his eyes were not as

keen as the little goy's.

"Oiga, santo, 2ct'.t eres jud{o?" "Listen, Your Holiness, are you a Jew?"

Jesus 255

The earth had suddenly brought forth, before Joseph's eyes, a robust young

Cuban. Joseph gazed in surprise. For once his quick tongue failed him. When

he finally could say something, it was too late. He was already splayed on the

ground, with several goyim pinning down his legs; one held his head and

two his arms . He screamed bloody murder, thrashed with his feet, pu lled

with all his might, but to no avail. They were stronger and did what they

had co.

When they found out chat he was indeed a Jew, chey left him lying there,

half-naked in che middle of che field. Every one of chem spat in his face, hol ­

lered "Judio! " and ran to the village co tell of chis wondrous thing.

1he village women refused to believe even their own children. And for

, long, long time they wouldn't patronize che new god merchant , for they

hop ed chat Jesus would come back. Bue Joseph never returned.