The Rabbi of Worms. M. K. Hammond
front door. Then he handed her his hat, coat, and wallet, to show that he would fulfill his part of the marriage contract.
Inside the house, the wedding feast was already laid out. Mosche’s description of the offerings—cold meat, fish, hard-cooked eggs, dried and candied fruits, potato pancakes, and crusty breads—made Josef’s mouth water. If only he could have been there! There was singing and dancing, funny speeches, and a variety of games, and of course constant eating and drinking. The celebration lasted until nightfall. Next morning, special hymns were sung at the Sabbath service in honor of the newly married couple.
•
Now that the wedding was over, the visiting guests began to depart. Ruth and Eliel took their leave the following Monday morning, but not before paying Josef’s mother a generous sum for their lodging. Rabbi Scholomo was going to stay another week, to hear more cases and to study with the Jeschiba students. Three days before his departure, having made judgments on all questions brought to him by Jews, the rabbi consented to hear cases brought by Christians and to give advice if he could.
Josef knew Rabbi Scholomo would be leaving soon. He wanted to hear the great man one more time and perhaps learn something new before the opportunity was gone forever. He and Mosche agreed to meet at the schoolhouse on Thursday afternoon. They entered quietly and found seats near the front. The rabbi was apparently concluding a case, speaking earnestly to three elderly women standing before him. When they left, he stood up and looked around the room. Seeing Josef, he gave a quick smile and nod of recognition. Josef felt his face getting warm. He glanced sideways to see if Mosche had noticed the rabbi’s nod and was relieved to see his friend looking the other direction. He didn’t want Mosche to know about his meeting with the rabbi.
When Rabbi Scholomo took his seat again, two men stepped forward. Once of them had a weary, shabby look about him. The other, a large barrel-chested man, introduced himself. “Mr. Scholomo, your Honor, I am a Christian, called by the name Frieder. I am employed as city clerk of Worms, which falls under the classification minor civil servant. May I present my case?”
“Yes, Mr. Frieder. Proceed.”
“For fifteen years my wife longed for a child. When she finally conceived and a son was born, she was beside herself with happiness. But, sadly, the child died of a fever before his second birthday. There was nothing I could do to console my Claudia.
“When two years had passed, our maid servant, a young Jewess, gave birth to a daughter. Soon afterward, her husband died, and as she had no close relations in town, she and the child came to live with us. It was a great comfort to my wife to have a baby she could hold. Claudia helped raise the child and loved it as she would her own. The little girl Hanna is now nine years old and has lived with us almost her entire life.
“Just a month ago, her mother, our maid servant, took ill and died. Hanna’s uncle, her father’s brother, is here beside me. As her closest relative, he knows it is his responsibility to take the child into his house. Yet there are circumstances that would prevent it. This good man has a large family of his own, which he supports by cultivating a small farm about half a day’s journey from Worms. The land is rocky and barely yields enough to feed his own children.”
Hanna’s uncle nodded slightly and hung his head lower.
Frieder continued, “But, your Honor, my wife and I have plenty in our house. We would be more than happy to keep her as our own daughter. In fact, I think my wife would be utterly despondent if Hanna were to move away. She lives for that child.”
Now Hanna’s uncle spoke for the first time. “I could not agree to such a plan without a rabbi’s judgment.”
Rabbi Scholomo had been listening attentively to all that was said. He seemed moved by the story, and, at the same time, deep in thought. First he turned to the uncle. “You were quite right to insist on a ruling in this case. Thank you for taking the time to travel so far to attend the hearing.” The man nodded.
“Now, Mr. Frieder, let me ask you a few questions. What about the little girl herself? What does she say?”
“She is devastated by the loss of her mother, of course. It is my wife who has been able to comfort her the most. When I asked Hanna if she would like to live with her cousins out in the country, she ran straight into my wife’s arms. It was hard to understand what she said through the sobs.”
“But you are convinced she would like to stay where she is?”
“Yes, your Honor. All of her friends and her mother’s friends live in Worms. It is the only place she knows.”
“Pardon me for this blunt question, but would you and your wife want to make this girl into a Christian?”
“Yes, your Honor, we would want to, of course. But Hanna is already a Jew. She and her mother regularly sat with the women in the synagogue. Hanna already knows large portions of the Old Testament by heart. Even after her mother died, she has been going to Sabbath services every week with an elderly friend of her mother. We would make no attempt to change this practice.”
“Does your wife agree in this? Would you both be willing to make a promise never to try to seduce the child into Christianity?”
“Speaking for myself, I would promise. I think my wife would do almost anything you asked, if only Hanna could stay with us.”
The rabbi breathed deeply and closed his eyes. He asked one of the scribes sitting beside him to bring him a Torah scroll. After locating a passage, he said, “There is no question this girl Hanna is a Jew, and she must be raised as a Jew. Moreover, Judaism can be practiced only in the context of a Jewish family.”
Frieder’s shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh.
The rabbi raised his hand slightly and shook his head. He turned to the scribes and asked them to put down their pens. “This is a very difficult case, and I could be mistaken in my decision. Therefore, let the ruling not be publicized outside this community.”
The scribes laid their quills on the table and leaned back in their chairs. The rabbi continued, “It is always easier to interpret the law strictly rather than to find a reason for leniency. Furthermore, close observation of traditional customs and practices often guards us against mistakes. For my own conduct, I find it best to adhere closely to every statute of the law.
“Yet we are also commanded to judge others in a spirit of righteousness and charity, and to weigh carefully the well-being of each individual involved. In a case such as this, the disposition to be charitable may lead to a lenient interpretation of the law. Such an interpretation can easily be misunderstood and abused. Thus we consider this ruling to be strictly local and not applicable in a larger sphere.
“For some time now, church and civil authorities in the Rhein Valley have been as generous to our people as we could expect. Half a century ago, Bishop Burchard of Worms encouraged Jewish commerce and allowed our people to practice their faith freely. The late archbishop of Mainz was another good man, mourned at his death by Christians and Jews alike. King Henry has given legal autonomy to Jews in some communities, and he is fair in his tax policies. The Christians in this region have demonstrated by their actions that they are reasonable people. Moreover, Christians are not pagans, but believers in their own way.
“Based on these considerations, it will be possible for the girl Hanna to continue to live with Mr. Frieder and his wife if the following three conditions are met: First, they must promise to make no attempts at conversion. Second, Hanna’s Jewish education and Sabbath observance must continue without interruption. And third, her uncle must bring her into his family circle twice a year, for Holy Days and for Passover. This can take place at his farm or, more likely, here in Worms when the family comes to worship in the synagogue. Are there any questions?”
The two men standing before him shook their heads.
“Then it is up to you gentlemen to introduce Hanna to her uncle’s family and to work out a method of communication between you. We close this case with a passage from the fifth book of Moses: ‘As an eagle that stirreth up her nest, hovereth over her young, spreadeth abroad