Ekhezkel Kotik

My town. – Tower. – Revizsky fairy tales in the past. – High. – Trade in former days. – Jews and landowners. – Russian and Polish church. – Russian and Polish priests. – Oserevsky. – Oserevsky's successor. – Asessor. – As passed at Jews day. – Avaricious rich men. – Dear families of the town. – Shebsl-kleyzmer. – Mordkhe-Labe. – reb Simkh Leyzer. – Saturday in the town. – Backward intriguers. – Former disputes. – Ich Sheytes-donoschik. – Zastavye. – Melameda. – The doctrine in the past. – Goim. – Doctor. – Doctors. – Talmud-Tora. – Bath. – Mikva. – River. – Kamenetsky swimmers. – Almshouse. – Rabbi. – Preachers. – Cemetery. – Funeral company.

The town Kamenets [1] where I was born, is well-known for the ancient historical tower. From where it undertook, nobody knows. Believe that it is the rest of former fortress. A tower this brick, with thick walls, high, with loopholes for firing from guns and guns. At the time of my grandfather found kernels weight ten in pounds [2] - a sign that through loopholes once really shot. Bricks of this tower were such strong that it was impossible to break away from them a piece. Kamentsa says what bricks of a tower did on egg white therefore it is such strong... When the tsar Alexander II together with the European princes hunted in Bialowieza Forest in seven versts from Kaments, all ministers and generals came to the town to look at this historical tower.
I deliberately began with a tower because I should remember my town, it recurs to my memory at once as a certain sign, as the symbol having a certain not clear value. And now I can pass to my town. About sixty years ago - time with which I will begin the memoirs Kamenets consisted of two hundred fifty houses, old, turned black, low, with roofed a shingle and with the population, that is the "souls" which are written down in "fairy tales" – government registers – number in four hundred fifty people. Here rises concerning their logical question: two hundred fifty houses, and a shower - four hundred fifty how it turns out? Answer to it very simple. Till 1874 when the new system of a recruitment [3] was entered, nearly two thirds of the Jewish population were not written down anywhere. The authorities, of course, knew about it, but silently allowed such situation. First of all included in lists all "nonexistent" (not written down) by 1874 when the tsar issued the manifesto that those who will register in "fairy tales" now will not receive any penalty. In all cities and villages there went the commissions and wrote down "nonexistent".
But it is very interesting how in former years recruits from the written-down four hundred fifty souls of my town gave up.
In four versts from Kaments there is a town High in whose "fairy tales" there were five hundred souls. High and Kamenets the whole years together, but as the soldier took according to a certain percent, say, one on one thousand and as High and Kamenets made together, say, one thousand, at Nicholas I both towns handed over only one soldier handed over recruits. But from Kaments less than a half of the soldier was necessary, and from High a little more than a half – High it is more. And heads of a community had to work until they came to the agreement. And the agreement was it: one year Kamenets handed over the soldier, other year – High. And once in ten years Kamenets had to hand over nobody, and calculation was simple: every year is fifty people less, in ten years it turns out five hundred people less, it means that nothing should be given. So handed over recruits in former years: came to the mutual agreement …
As it was accepted, in the downtown there were two rows of shops, with the doors for buyers opening inside. Between ranks the narrow small street into which the truck hardly could squeeze extended. Two-three shops traded in a manufactory of the superior quality: for Jews and landowners of all city; in two-three – sold aprons, scarfs, kerchiefs, etc. In the others traded in haberdashery, pitch, tar, etc.
Women – old, young people, girls and girls traded in shops only. All female sat against each other, being boiled and worrying. Was, of course, and assistants enough – women and girls who were enough, pulled and invited buyers, mainly, of peasants and peasants. The premium of buyers, Jews and landowners, had for everyone the seller, and nobody dared to pull such buyer as herring, to in shop. Slowly, maybe, will curse afterwards, together with the shop assistant occupied by him.
Except as on Sundays, sold a little as except as on Sunday, the peasant in the city almost did not appear. And sat at shops, without having what to do. But on Sunday there was a big trade. The mass of peasants came, and at doors of shops such second-hand market, such crush, precisely, as flies on a window sill around the scattered granulated sugar began.
The biggest trade in the city went in shanks, and they were decent quantity. And peasants found there, than to have a snack: cheese, herring, cucumbers. And in sweet wine there was no shortcoming too, and shlyakhtich or the young landowner were already able to afford to have a snack schnapps not on cheese and herring as the peasant, and goose meat or fish. These shanks women, precisely, as well as with shops filled too. But on Sunday, in days of big revenue, men helped too.
What busy men? They did not do nothing too. Around Kaments there lived one hundred two landowners, at each landowner - two or need serfs, these serfs were day and night busy with a hard work. Landowners, of course, needed to live well – and at each landowner was in the town on one or on several Jews with whom he dealt, and they from it could have the income more or less.
If around the landowner two Jews turned, then one was the representative Jew and dear merchant, and the second - "the small Jew" - as by the form, and on affairs. Both Jews were at the landowner for everything about everything. More representative served it more for councils, the second – for different instructions and tricks. And both felt before it big fear and though partially lived at his expense and he was for them the big tsar in sense of the administration – but after all it is necessary to thank ten times a day God that the attitude of the Jew with the landowner quitted the stage.
If the landowner wanted, he could flog the Jew moreover and kept saying:
"You will be silent – you will remain with me farther and if is not present – I will take other Jew, and you all the same with me will make nothing because also an asessor at me in hands, and the district police officer".
The Jew was silent, and about himself thought: All right - flogging. On that it and the landowner, and I for that have from it a piece of bread. And I will die – my son will have from him the income.
And it even was the truth. Whether the Jew died at the landowner - he on his place takes the son or the son-in-law of this Jew who will be pleasant more, how at courtship. The Jew, in return, left the landowner in inheritance. The landowner became some kind of inheritance.
Perhaps here it is also worth reminding that the landowner had in the town and the handicraftsman and only charged him at itself work. In the town there were many handicraftsmen – shoemakers, tailors, tinmen, etc. It is clear, that it was more difficult for them to earn, than to dealers and though the rent was very low – something ten-twelve rubles a year – all the same they were not able to rent certain apartment, and lived in one lodge on two-three families.
In those days the power of an asessor and the district police officer was full. Two Jews in the town will argue, right there run to an asessor with wives and children, with assistants and kind friends and the family – and the asessor judges in favor of the one who will give more or it will be pleasant to it more. And if someone was very aggressive or a big yabednik and did not agree with a sentence of an asessor and ran to Brisk to the district police officer with the complaint on an asessor, it seldom helped, and life of such successful fellow was already not worth a penny - the asessor ruined it and pursued as soon as could, up to even to a beating and arrest. Besides the district police officer usually took the part of an asessor.
The district police officer was the main force in all the district in those days, and then had a vague idea of the governor. The governor was considered as something like the tsar in those days and to occupy him with the Jewish affairs did not come to mind at all.
The landowner had a Jewish factor which lived at it in the estate. It also had the tenant, usually also the Jew and if the landowner had several estates and several villages, then there Jews – a factor and the tenant sat too. It is clear, that these Jews shivered before the landowner.
In those days, when the landowner could flog peasants and peasants, old and young, what role was played by such evreychik at the landowner? It is possible to imagine how were afraid of the landowner a factor and the tenant with the children. If, God forbid, the factor or the tenant had pretty daughters, it was big trouble. It was necessary to shiver, as if daughters were not pleasant to the landowner who at his power could make everything that to him will like.
To hide the beauty, pretty daughters of eshuvnik [4] often had to go with the black, soiled, dirty persons. Only when they went to the city and properly washed with soap, it was visible that the daughter of such eshuvnik – pretty.
Everything that it was necessary to the landowner, he usually received through the Jews as he considered that the Jew – clever creation that it cunning and honest (each landowner considered that only his evreychik – honest, and other – swindlers and thieves).
It sent them with instructions to other landowners, the companions. And though had the house-keeper who was a full owner in his estate and the owner over peasants, he liked to order Jews. The Jew will make better – so he considered, and without "Midge" and "Shmulik" did not move.
Kamenetsky landowners in the majority were not really the rich – the earth in Kamentsa sandy and infertile: from one acre mowed no more than 4 shocks [5], from each shock received five-six poods of rye. Wheat badly grew on the kamenetsky earth. Only here and there the piece of the good earth the area of several square versts which could give till 12-15 shocks from an acre came across.
Those landowners who sat in three-four versts one from another often organized balls - one landowner, another. Balls were organized with big scope, the best wines were served at them. Because of these balls many landowners got into a difficult situation and constantly needed money.
Grain, vodka, wool and cattle from them were bought by Jews. Paid big money, paid in advance and frequent more actual price, and there was no shortcoming in such who ran to the landowner and offered more regular customer. But for own purchases the landowner had "the Jews" with whom it was impossible to compete.
As usual, landowners loved dogs. Each of them had dogs of different breeds. There were hunting dogs and such which rushed on strangers without any bark and almost broke off it on part. And were the third grade - which only barked, but did not bite, as well as such grade, as barked, and bit – such scale of dogs was held by each landowner at himself to the estate, and tortures which were transferred by Jews, coming to the landowner, from these dogs, are capable to fill in the decent page in the history of a galut.
Coming to the landowner, the Jew put the truck at gate of the estate and waited whether the peasant or the peasant will appear. The peasant or the peasant some minute saw off him to a factor, and already from there somebody took away it to the landowner. Back the landowner already sent him with servants from a main entrance. If the Jew left a street door, the landowner let him through the yard with servants, but if he did not deserve this favor, then had to in deadly fear retire from the lock to a factor that already that brought him for gate.
But while the Jew reached gate, he was not insured from vicious dogs. In case of the slightest discontent with it from the landowner his life was not worth a penny. In this case he ordered to go to the Jew to gate without maintenance. And here the whole system of mockeries and tortures was developed. At first the landowner sent several dogs who only bark, but do not bite. Right after they are dogs of other category, and then – the presents a piece. Attacked the Jew from all directions, without allowing to move neither backwards, nor forward, and here he received the real portion of stings.
Its shouts rose in the sky, the fear was deadly, and the landowner stood with all family on a terrace and laughed.
Another time - the landowner at the slightest disappointment on the Jew, even on well-born, sent the servant to bring him out of gate and blinked to that it left that in the middle of the yard and further it did not see off. In this case this well-born Jew had the real wedding, absolutely, as the Jew ordinary (it is not necessary to generalize, of course, saying that all landowners treated Jews so badly, there were also decent landowners who behaved differently).
It is clear, that the person came back home it is live, is dead, and quite often got sick for fear. The wife and especially children, seeing the father in such state - shivering and pale, all began to cry, and one minute in the house there came similarity of Yom Kippur. But in several days the landowner sent for the same Jew again, asking to be urgently: to it, the landowner, it is very necessary, and the Jew, of course, again ran at top speed – what the Jew will not make for earnings?
The Jew consoled the wife, saying that the landowner by the nature is not so bad, it is possible to serve at him, badly is only a bad minute, at the time of a mind eclipse. Anyway, all from God. Nothing occurs without his will. God wanted to punish me and vtemyashit to the landowner in the head madness, a whim. That on it my misfortunes already came to an end, and God that protected me from evil dogs.
Nearly an every Sunday the landowners living around Kaments went to church. For big Christian holidays all landowners gathered. Everyone tried to surpass another by rich furniture of carriages and harnesses. And the richness of these carriages with horses truly does not give in to the description. Went from every quarter of the city, stopped on all length of streets. One went in expensive carriage with the four of expensive horses, and horses with a harness all were in silver and gold; the driver with the footman were decorated with gold and silver too. The second landowner went the four too, but Zug, on two couples in a row which are even more decorated, and at the third the team consisted of six horses: four at the carriage and two ahead.
For greater beauty other footmen held beautiful silver pipes and blew at entry into the city, and drivers clicked long whips – all this inspired fear in all. Even those from a shlyakhta who owned pomestiyets in only several tens serfs spared no expense for the carriage with couple of horses too.
Having left church, began to part. Other landowners came around to Hayche Trinkovskoy, to take there a bottle of kind wine and good tea. Behind carriages high long-legged hunting dogs in expensive, trimmed with silver collars ran.
In Kamenetsa there were two churches. One – the Polish church for landowners. Catholic peasants went to rural churches, but not, My God keep, in landowner. On the street where there was a church, peasants were not visible.
The Polish priest with two assistants lived near church on the big yard, with a fine orchard, as well as with a flower garden, with the most beautiful and most fragrant flowers. From the yard of the priest such smell recognized that the Jewish nose could not sustain it, from smells at people dizziness began.
The priest lived princely, with silver and gold ware. Actually, as tsar. Big landowners came on Sundays from church to it for breakfast. It had different carriages – covered and opened, and expensive strong horses for driving by Zug – on two couples in a row, one by one. He owned also many fields and meadows, and peasants, landowner serfs, processed to him the earth. From landowners he often received as a gift on couple of peasants. This gift was given it for life.
Still it had a lot of cattle and a different bird, and in its yard there was an artificial pond with a large number of fish. To all other, the maids presented by the peasant's landowners served the priest of unprecedented beauty.
In my times when I was a boy, we lived against the yard of the priest, directly at it in tavern - the beautiful house built by it on purpose to earn from it. As the priest is free from any payments which are due to the landowner from the city, such as, for vodka, beer, salt, candles, tobacco, etc. and as we kept rent in the city, we had to remove also at the priest and his tavern that there was no free competition. We paid the priest three hundred rubles a year for tavern where we lived. I remember that the priest had four sisters - high, harmonous, rare beauty, they went, richly dressed up and also vykholena were so decorated, and are so richly dressed up as the rich women holding the highest position.
In the house at it it was day and night full of guests who danced around marvelously beautiful sisters. Day and night there was a lavish feast. At the same time played different musical instruments, and from clicking of kuchersky whips and from sounds of pipes it was impossible to fall asleep all night long.
But only the poor Russian priest ready to burst with envy, looking at rich life of the Catholic priest, swore to peasants, landowner serfs, as well as Jews that young beauties are not so his sisters that they to him – absolutely others that they are his mistresses, but as the Catholic priest should not have the wife, he spread rumor that it is his sisters. It turned out that the poor orthodox priest is right: they really were his mistresses, but not sisters.
The second church - Russian and poor, stood in the city on the mountain (in Kamentsa there were four mountains in the middle of the city: The tower mountain, the Church mountain, the mountain Adolinaya and the Palace mountain where there lived the landowner's commissioner. All mountains were high). In church the Russian orthodox peasants went to pray. It is natural that no orthodox landowners and a shlyakhta existed in general, and it is clear how there could live that Russian priest with the wife and the child. He lived in some poor house and went always on foot. Besides it was big shlimazl [6]: somehow he nevertheless bought a dray-horse with a britska for thirty rubles, so at him this dray-horse died, and he went on foot further, dressed in the burned-out, old, zaplatanny clothes with a simple stick in a hand which to it was brought as a gift by the peasant, having cut off in the landowner wood.
They say that the landowner, having learned about the presented stick, sent to the priest of an asessor that that gave a stick and told which of peasants gave it to it. Being itself an Orthodox Christian, the asessor, naturally, could not offend the priest. The asessor did not select a stick, but the priest had to give the peasant. And for the innocent gift he received from the landowner sixty rozog. And made of the same rods, and from the same tree.
The priest had a piece of the field from which he reaped a crop which sold. But it so grew poor that Jews paid to it in advance, till a new harvest.
Kamenets belonged to the landowner by the name of Oserevsky. He was an old bachelor and the former Polish colonel since even before the first revolt. Serfs it had about five thousand. Around Kaments he had many possession including the city. Still it had fifteen million zloties.
Said that it collected all the state by a card play. Probably, it is the truth since the gambler it was great and extremely successful. He constantly sat in Warsaw and played with the richest landowners. Said also that he was engaged in sorcery and won the money by means of sorcery.
Once a year it ran in the picturesque manor of Prusk which is in eight versts from Kaments.
There was a landowner, apparently, him called Motsiyevsky, and somehow it, playing with Oserevsky, in one night was completely lost. Game was to the death. At first it lost to Oserevsky thirty thousand rubles cash. Then began to stake carriages with horses, the big estate from six hundred serfs. And it lost all this about what signed paper with the full name and a surname.
Though this paper had no price as there was no signature of the notary, but Oserevsky was in good relations with the Warsaw deputy as well the vilensky governor general was his great friend therefore he was confident in papers. And in this case all papers signed by the landowner had iron force. However business on it did not end. After Motsiyevsky with a big crash lost everything and had no anything any more to stake, he staked the wife for the sum of twenty five thousand rubles, and lost it too. Then he asked Oserevsky:
If I am shot, you will come to my funeral?
As the typical Polish landowner, Oserevsky answered with mix of pity and wild cruelty:
"I feel sorry for you. I offer the transaction: you will kiss me in …, and for this trifle I will return everything to you".
Motsiyevsky agreed. But Oserevsky warned:
"You have to make it in the face of all landowners, as well as in the face of the wife. You sold it without her permission therefore it should be present.
The condition was not pleasant to Motsiyevsky.
"I will better be shot", - he told.
"And I it will not allow you", - Oserevsky threatened and right there disposed to take away him to the certain room and to lock. Two servants had to be at it and to guard it.
For the next day Oserevsky called all landowners and organized a ball on which brought the lost landowner and where there was also his wife. At a table Oserevsky told about the unusual prize and added that the prize is not necessary to it. He only wants that that kissed him on such place which it is ugly to mention and if not it, so let - the old peasant.
It is clear, that history was pleasant to wild landowners. Brought the old peasant, and it was necessary to the lost landowner, the poor creature, to kiss three times … His wife at this moment after all was brought out of the room that she did not see an awful scene with kisses. After execution Oserevsky returned it money with all papers.
But home the wife did not want to go together with the husband any more. He went one and next morning was shot.
It is visible, he still was able to kiss Oserevsky, but to kiss the serf – it it could not transfer any more.
On a funeral there was neither Oserevsky, nor the wife shot. Both of them soon went to Warsaw. From a shame it any more never came to Kamenets though had the father with mother there - big landowners, and all family.
In fifteen estates around Kaments Oserevsky had fifteen special commissioners who behaved there as full owners. Were also the house-keeper and Voight is a volost foreman. Voight executed punishments which the commissioner or the house-keeper imposed. Flogging was punishment. Voight was a performer, and dared to do any concessions, that is, to give less. But if gave more – it disturbed nobody and nobody dared to complain – for the slightest complaint new birches relied. The chief commissioner over all possession lived in the middle of the city, on the mountain, in the big palace.
In Kamenetsa annually everyone paid the landowner a tax for the space occupied by his house, nobody also dared to buy neither beer, nor vodka, except as from the landowner. To it there were still different taxes: on salt, on skin – in a word, everything that is necessary for the person for life, was assessed with a tax. And clever Oserevsky pulled under the contract from inhabitants very much that in this sense Kamenets was likely the unique city.
However, he often absolutely forgot to levy a tax because of the terrible wealth. Well that for it make city money of Jews when it all is filled by gold?
On all three sides of the city (and on the one hand the river flew) there were barriers where on Sunday, and also on exhibition days took five kopeks from each coming horse. Between Kaments and Zastavy there was also big dam with three bridges and three water-mills. It belonged too to the landowner who handed over all this to my grandfather, Aron-Leyzera Kotiku. It was called "rent", and the grandfather with brothers and with all children lived with it.
Oserevsky in old age ceased to come to Kamenets where he has nobody was to spend time. Usually he sat in Warsaw. Nevertheless time in three years it there for a month was. He lived eighty five years and all life was a bachelor, and coming to Kamenets, carried the ware in the separate big carriage. The four of horses hardly dragged the carriage with ware, and at big dirt it was necessary to harness six horses.
Closer by eighty years, Oserevsky made the will in which ordered to divide the big state into thirty people from among familiar landowners. It is natural that among these people there was a lot of such who did not need inheritance at all, but to the family it did not leave kopek. Even to the sisters who, maybe, just needed financial support it left nothing.
It otpisat money to different landowners, but for the manors, for five thousand serfs and for the city of Kamentsa, he chose the successor from notable, impoverished landowners. The successor was an orphan of seventeen years and to look at his behavior, he appointed it to test, having sent to Prusku with the letter to the High Commissioner. In the letter it was said that it, the commissioner, has to allow to the young landowner to operate the estate under the supervision and to teach how to be the real owner as the young man – future owner of these estates, i.t.p.
The commissioner, Oserevsky noted, has to watch closely behavior of the successor and send it every month the special report on his behavior. Of course, it has to support him as the landowner – own child, and to give on expenses every month two hundred rubles, but at the same time strictly to watch how that spends this sum.
The successor arrived to Prusku, right there got acquainted with neighboring landowners, visited at them all balls and in several months knew already all local gilded youth. But here trouble: to himself he could not invite landowners as Oserevsky warned that it that will only come into a huge fortune when he is convinced that the successor quietly behaves to a ball, solidly and decently, and, above all – is engaged in economy.
But as it contacted gilded youth, two hundred rubles a month which were for it as a drop in the ocean began not to be enough for it: it is necessary to play cards, it is necessary to spend money for other things. It is necessary to lend money; and his companions, knowing its need in money, advised it to go to Kamenets and to get acquainted with Jews at whom he, of course, will be able to receive so much money how many it is required.
The successor and made. In expensive carriage harnessed by the four of horses Zug with the elegant footman, he went to Kamenets and arrived to Hayche Trinkovskoy - the place, known in the city. The successor declared to Hayche that he wants to take the loan under a certain percent and asked to recommend it the necessary people. That at once reported about it to several kamenetsky Jews who did not keep themselves waiting long. The successor declared to these Jews that he is future owner of estates of Oserevsky together with the city and though has no all powers at present, actually nothing means: Oserevsky is the eighty-year-old old man … and how many there lives a person? … Therefore he, the successor, wishes to make a loan under good percent that actually for the creditor – a great luck.
Jews, without knowing anything about this business - that Oserevsky appointed the successor to test, gave it, of course, so much money how many this dismissed small asked. Soon them he, together with young landowners and their maidens, lowered and so many owed in Kamentsa that more there could not receive and went to Brisk – too, thank God, the city - where snipped off fifty thousand rubles.
In the beginning it was careful of the commissioner, but through short time that learned that the successor – the real swindler that he picked up where it is possible, large sums of money also became famous all around.
The commissioner wrote to Oserevsky about behavior of the successor. That ordered to tell all creditors to whom the successor ran into debt that will be paid them, but next time if they want to lend that to money, then any more nothing will be received. So the commissioner has to tell them that that and having sent the list of all holders of bills to Oserevsky who ordered to pay the taken sums. And still something ordered: to give to the successor fifty lashes and right after it to send home, to the Kalishersky province.
Approximately in half a year Oserevsky sent other successor, the beautiful young man of twenty two years. Together with the successor the commissioner received the letter in which the same was told, as in the first, sent with the first successor.
The second successor, however, was still a big charlatan, than the first, only much more cleverly. Seeing that not to do without commissioner that differently the end will be the same that at the first, he decided to draw it on the party and then already to do everything that will like.
He began to come to the commissioner home, kept modestly, long sat with his family, in particular with the commissioner's wife, the elderly, but clever woman, trying to prove to it that her husband was unfair with the first successor. Do not act this way. Her husband of that successor, the son of such respectable parents, made unfortunate. Wishing to please Oserevsky, he, the commissioner, did not understand that he does.
"I spoke to the husband too, - she agreed, - that he should not have shown that something notices. Why was to worry about the old bachelor who has so many millions? And the husband to me admitted that after flogging of the successor he regretted because of all this business a little".
This talk it drew the commissioner's wife on the party. She understood its intention and prepared the husband. Calculation which the successor presented it was simple: he, the successor, can receive together with her husband on credit hundreds of thousands of rubles. Everyone will lend to them, and it will be somehow possible not to return until the old man closes an eye. It is clear, that the more, the more her husband will get the taken sum, and after Oserevsky's death to her husband there will be happiness at all. He, the successor, to it otpisht, will present, will give. In a word, rare fortune. Considered the transaction and made the plan how to receive money.
It was decided that the successor it will become frequent to run in Kamenets and will get acquainted there with a certain Moyshele K., the obliging, successful and dexterous Jew who will be able to help him in many respects, in particular, to borrow money.
The successor got acquainted with Moyshele and brought it to himself to Prusku. On the road he, of course, told it for what it is necessary to it, and in Prusk called to himself the commissioner at once to discuss three together on what conditions it is possible to receive money right there.
Moyshele offered that borrowing money, it is necessary to stipulate directly that it is necessary to return them after Oserevsky's death. And so it was necessary to wait not for long; to it already more than eighty, it is weak and sick, every day it is necessary to be ready to his death. It is clear, that the successor should pay considerable annual percent, but for it it should not play any role. Therefore it is so important that the commissioner – on his party: it is possible to take money and to get out somehow to Oserevsky's death. It is possible to give and take again, to give and take again, and so indefinitely. The plan was pleasant, and Moyshe advised that the commissioner chose for the successor of the dexterous footmen with whom it is possible to deal capable it is good to cope with different instructions, in particular, to borrow money that the successor could be quiet.
Also were accepted for good reason with might and main. Moyshele found out such Jews who have money and which do not know what with them to do. These Jews met halfway, and before the young landowner the new world opened.
Somehow time Oserevsky unexpectedly arrived to Prusku. Usually there in three months it was known of his arrival, were ready to it, and Oserevsky found everything in the best possible way.
But now he appeared suddenly suddenly to check behavior of the successor on whom it left the huge fortune. Having deceived with the first successor, he wished to learn character of new.
Having arrived to the estate, Oserevsky found "panich" in the company with the commissioner, Jew Moyshele K., and with several Jews and landowners. Sudden arrival of Oserevsky of all frightened. Having looked at their faces, he understood at once that he it looks crooked, right there took a young panich in the certain room for cross-questioning.
"What for affairs at you with Jews and with all others?" – he Interrogated him with addiction, on the of manners.
The successor became puzzled and inarticulately muttered that Jews have affairs with the commissioner for the sake of which they met now. Oserevsky right there called footmen and interrogated everyone that that knows about behavior of "panich". And the footman who usually went with "panichy" and knew all its secrets connected with monetary loans and other affairs in detail told about all to Oserevsky.
Right there Oserevsky summoned the commissioner and told that he knows all that he with "panichy" in his adventures at the same time that he robs him. The commissioner only has to admit to it, and he will present it life, but it it will bungle not that to death.
The commissioner fell to Oserevsky in legs and sobbing admitted that all this the truth. He at it, at Oserevsky, in hands also appeals to mercy. Oserevsky called "panich" and the footman Stepan. "Panich", the poor creature, had to confirm that Stepan with the commissioner told. Forgave the commissioner Oserevsky and sent, and ordered to give to "panich" so many lashes how many to that was one or twenty two years of blow. And after that looked for again the successor to whom could transfer the huge fortune.
At last, the successor somehow was, not such young, twenty eight years any more. Oserevsky sent it to Prusku and approximately in half a year died.
The successor became a landowner, and the serfdom was cancelled. He sold estates together with the city of Kaments to some Russian. But this Russian turned out such drunkard that at once got into big debt and died soon. Estates were sold after that one behind another. Jews bought under a name of Christians.
Asessor, except the salary, had the good income from Jews. There were more than hundred benches, and four had permission to trade, maybe, Asessor received in a year from each seller three rubles – and an order. Was also with shanks: paid an asessor ten rubles – and it is ready. The auditor was once a year to check permissions what the asessor knew day for two about and ordered to close shops by this time. First of all the auditor was to an asessor, they together as it is necessary, went to check with the volost foreman and eighteen desyatsky and were on street with the closed shops. Asessor spoke to the auditor: and it is small benches, they so stand for a long time. Then he brought it into those not numerous shops which owners had permissions, and that already signed: "kosher" [7], and between times took fifty. Several years the dachshund was such. Asessor ordered to raise money even before arrival of the auditor, and then the Jew already came, said that he is the representative of the city and it put money in a hand to the auditor.
Still the income from the fact that was an arbitrator in disputes between Jews had an asessor. The payment for arbitration depended on "business" – since a three and to ten.
There lived the asessor as the count, in the big house with a spacious garden, with all conveniences. He paid fifty rubles a year for it to one landowner at whom in the house there lived all asessor. It held couple of cows for milk, to steam of horses with a carriage and the driver who not a stiver did not cost to it.
Kamenetsky landowners sent to an asessor hay and oats and from everything that they had in a manor. In servants there was no shortcoming too: the barin was served desyatsky. Landowners knew that they did: for gifts the asessor hid all their crimes – and they could mark the peasant or the peasant to death and to beat Jews, to the top of the bent – nobody dared neither to complain, nor to protest. For this purpose they an asessor also humoured.
He often visited landowners and there from cards had couple of one rubles too. Never lost – the landowner tried that the asessor came back home with couple of rubles in a pocket. Directly it is inconvenient to give money in such evening, it is better to pretend that he lost.
In my times, I remember, Shirinsky – cunning gy which knew how to take money both from Jews, and from landowners was an asessor. It had the real keg, with lots of money. Said that, maybe, thirty thousand rubles. Who only needed money – the Jew or landowners – all took from Shirinsky. And that took a ruble more for each ruble. Through some time, having laid out big money, he became a district police officer in Sokolke, in the Grodno province.

Day of the man, naturally, began with a prayer. Everyone prayed in the bet-ha-midrashe [8]. At bet-ha-midrashe there was usually a library, each member of a community could be engaged there, there lived pupils eshiv, and poor wanderers sometimes spent the night). Them was two: big, so-called "old", and "new", it is less. Still was absolutely small "bet-ha-midrash reb Hirshl" as him called, and also "шуль" [9] and two "штибля" [10]. All of them were in one yard before which the road was crossed by a big ditch – in slightly human Rostov depth. This ditch reached the river. During a big rain water so filled in coast of a ditch that down the street it was difficult and dangerous to pass to the truck. The ditch had no fencing. And one more bet-ha-midrash was on the following street, Adolina on whose one party there is very high mountain.
In it bet-ha-midrashe already talked politics, and after a prayer part taught Gemara, and part – Mishnayot [11]. At a separate table Jews listened as one of them is read aloud by "Eyn-Yakov" [12]. Others talked city business, tsadika and wise men. Especially brainy Jews were big politicians and the whole day – over a table and at a table, before and after a prayer, argued on war and peace, on world news and on policy. These politicians went twice a week to Brisk on affairs and from there brought all news.
And one was a table at which absolutely old Jews with white beards sat and told a story about ancient tsars and queens, about Ekaterina and about Pyotr, about Pavle and about war with Russia which was conducted by Napoleon in the twelfth year.
And still there was one table. There devout Jews and porush [13] – those who abandoned wives with children sat, went to study to other city and were fed in turn at local Jews and at the same time were held in general respect. They told about other world, about paradise and hell and to that similar stories, silent and sad.
At tables young eshibotnik who lived on bread in the house of the father-in-law, master's children and sons-in-law who stirred about the test and the mother-in-law and about good food turned. They already opened for Gemar and were going to learn, but to stir more with pleasure – and Gemara and lay open.
At ten o'clock go home to eat. Ate and if it not Sunday nothing to be engaged also more, go back to a synagogue, sit down to tables again, again open for Gemar and again start conversation and, having settled all other subjects, speak about city sins, about forbidden books, about freethinking [14], etc.
In my times in Kamentsa was three Jewish misers rich men who behaved as beggars. A certain M.G. having hundred thousand rubles, lived in a small, low lodge with a straw roof. Instead of candles at it burned down vegetable oil and ate black bread and potato in a uniform. It carried a fragmentary caftan, and to buy from landowners the goods went on foot. He was the largest dealer in wheat and vodka.
They say that he grew rich thanks to the landowner Bukhovetsky from Ristich that near Kaments for whom he bought everything and the account wrote with a stick on sand. The stick was a vystrugana from the tree belonging to the landowner, and M.G. wrote it on sand and erased. And thus for several years collected the capital.
The second avaricious rich man, SH.S., became known suddenly, when trimming the son of the friend. Before he was a miller on a landowner mill for ten zloties a week. Then he constructed maslodavilnyu, with a press and horses. But nobody knew from where at it a lot of money, maybe, fifteen hundred rubles how many had to cost approximately davilnya undertook. Then it in one night burned down. It began to go with the merchant A.T. in his britska. Sh.S. drove a horse, and A.T. which had, maybe, one thousand rubles became suddenly the big dealer in grain and vodka. He sat in a britska from above, went to all landowners and ran ten-thousand business. And here also nobody knew from where at A.T. a lot of money undertook, and so there passed several years.
Once SH.S. was together with A.T. on trimming. There were several bottles of strong alcohol, made punch – tea with alcohol – and quite strongly got drunk. Went to dance in circular, and drunk SH.S. told:
"Not for nothing A.T dances. These tens of thousands of rubles which it has – all this my money".
Noise was made. And already the next day both went to court to the rabbi – to divide among themselves money. Dispute was about five thousand. A.T. swore on the Torah, and SH.S. himself became the merchant and the rich man. Also became it has peas instead of potato in a uniform.
D.B, the rich man upstart who made a fortune on Alexander P. hunting was the third avaricious rich man. What hunting was, it is difficult to imagine. It was not from creation of the world. The whole year there went soldiers, the site with the area of square verst was protected from all four parties, and in the middle arranged a menagerie where brought thousands of different animals from all over the world, and the tsar with all European princes stood on a wall and shot at animals who had enough place to escape.
D.B had a tavern near Belovezhya, precisely, where the whole world gathered and where lodged troops. During hunting it gained for a glass of vodka thirty kopeks, and for premium vodka ruble. For a roll took thirty kopeks, for a sheet of paper to write the application to the tsar – ruble. Took how many wanted, and almost nobody contradicted it. And so collected two hundred thousand rubles, and his wife who did meanwhile deal too earned sixty rubles by silver.
D.B. bought the estate near the river, in two kilometers from Kaments, put a water-mill on the river and handed over it to the relative for 160 rubles a year. But having noticed that the relative has the income, selected a mill, and his sons dragged bags on a mill.
From river fish it had advantage too. Employed peasants that those caught fish. The hooked fish was kept in the river in big boxes with small openings, and every Thursday to it dealers for fish whom bought at the price up to 12 pennies for pound came from Kaments.
From fish he received enough, but is her did not afford, except, as on Saturday when the hostess gave everyone on a piece.
Its avarice was shown in everything. Even he did not dare to try oils from thirty cows and not that to eat.
There was it, however, quite clever Jew, and even educated. Then already read the Russian newspaper. Just he dared to buy it and absolutely not bad understood Gemara's leaf.
Going to Warsaw to buy two mill millstones for three hundred rubles in Prague from Sorkin, he stopped in a tavern in Prague where slept and had dinner for 15 kopeks. And to Warsaw did not want neither to go, nor to walk: suddenly there it will want to buy something. And left Prague, without having visited Warsaw.
From the rich families playing a large role in the city Trinkovsky was the first reb the Yoni. It held shanks for landowners, the house was arranged on the first class. His Hayche's wife was the real hostess, the exemplary wife, the successful and clever woman. In shank she disposed, and it regularly had landowners. Came usually on rich horses, with elegant drivers, Zug – on two couples of horses, one by one. Others sounded the trumpet.
At Hayche it was always possible to receive expensive wines, the best cigars and good food, and it from landowners helped out quite enough, besides her husband, reb the Yoni, was an agent of belostoksky manufacturers and bought wool in Russia. It happened to receive to it in former years when the kopek cost as now costs ruble, on three thousand rubles a year. But they lived incredible richly and all money lived.
Having come back home, Yoni called the bathhouse attendant, gave him three rubles on purchase of two carts of firewood to prepare a bath, and the bathhouse attendant went down the street and convoked in a bath; and as it happened usually in the middle of a week, all already knew that reb Yoni returned from a trip and though the bathhouse attendant called in a bath, nevertheless owners went to ask at reb Yoni of a permission to come to it to a bath. Rab Yoni who by nature was a big arrogant man had from it great pleasure.
At itself(himself) in the city it played a role someone in Rothschild's family. And his sons, daughters and daughters-in-law were same. Quite decent youth from rich families felt flattered, talking to children reb the Yoni and when reb the Yoni or its children with someone spoke, it was clear that from their party this improbable favor.
Reb the Yoni could never be seen going down the street. Beth-ha-midrash was at it in the yard, in his house, under the roof. The ware in the house was silver, Saturday candles – in candlesticks for couple of thousands of rubles. But thousands of rubles cash of course were not available for it.
The son-in-law family reb the Yoni, Dovid-Itskhoka was other family such. He owned to shanks too and played the same role, as his father-in-law. Zhrachka at it in the house was even better, than at Hayche, namely: among a week of a fir-tree of cutlet, fried in a shmalets, and also geese, hens and turkeys.
Dovid-Itskhok had in Tiktin a rich father, reb Isay-Haim, that had big shanks and sixty thousand rubles cash too. Said about it that silver ware in the house it has, maybe, up to 10 poods. It imitated the big belostoksky rich man, reb to Itsele Zabludowsky playing Rothschild's role at Jews of Russia.
With the governor of Grodno which in its time was replaced he lived as with the brother and when the belostoksky chief of police was not to the taste to the Jewish city top, came to ask to Itsele that appointed another. He answered it: "In eight days you will have other chief of police, Jews", sent the letter to the governor of Grodno that the chief of police is no good, and the governor right there sent that to other city, and belostoksky Jews received the new chief of police.
The father Dovid-Itskhoka, reb Isay-Haim, lived very well with reb Itsele and imitated him in the behavior. He very much helped the son. To organize a wedding to someone from children – any more was not Dovid-Ytskhok's care. The father gave one thousand rubles of a dowry. Then it was one of biggest given. Besides also paid with a generous hand all expenses on a wedding, including clothes. For the daughter's wedding Dovid-Itskhoka the father sent a van of table silver, candles and Saturday candlesticks, and at a wedding candlesticks stood on the earth, reaching height of tables, at all windows silver candlesticks and other silver utensils sparkled.
And if such wedding fell on time before easter week when there was a big dirt, then the street was dimmed boards from Dovid-Itskhok's house to a synagogue.
And kleyzmer came from two district cities: Brisk and Kobrin. All city boiled. Especially at that time kleyzmer from Kobrin led by reb differed in Shebsl who did not know any notes, but the game forced all to cry. Sweet of its game cannot be described.
Shebsl became so famous that his name reached the Russian deputy in Poland Paskevich. That behind it sent, and Shebsl played to it a violin. Paskevich touched by his game suggested it to be christened and right there asked whether he can play from music.
Shebsl with a guilty look answered: "I cannot".
"Nothing, - Paskevich patted it shoulder, - I will teach you to notes, be only christened".
Here reb Shebsl felt disappointment and answered that if he was even suggested to be become the prince, he would not agree.
Paskevich nevertheless took him at himself three days. Every evening invited to himself the best-known guests, and Shebsl played at dinner at a table for two-three hours.
Shebsl did not agree to taste either wines, or vodka at him, and Paskevich disposed to bring food to him from the Jewish restaurant.
Having seen that nothing can be done with it, Paskevich gave to Shebsl one thousand rubles and the diploma where wrote that he has divine musical talent though did not study anywhere. At parting suggested to present it to the tsar, saying that it will bring happiness to it and his family, or perhaps and to all Jewish people. Shebsl, however, evaded and with the world left.
For one thousand rubles he bought the house and from now on went to play on all Grodno province at all rich weddings. There was no rich wedding where Shebsl would not play. He got at himself a chapel of musicians on eight persons. Besides, it had one very successful badkhan [15] by the name of Todros executing at each wedding the new couplets devoted to all present relatives with a mention of names and surnames. At the closing ceremony the groom of the face of the bride a veil he said so touchingly that he even made of iron would thaw from tears, and here still Shebsl's game!
At each rich wedding when reached the closing ceremony of the face of the bride, such crying with cries began, and women just thawed from tears, without having the power more to cry that it was necessary to ask Todros and reb Shebsla to stop.
In the chapel there was a funnyman, Ruvele, the Jew elderly already too, but from his jokes at a holiday table too all burst with laughter. Women, happened, so laughed that absolutely lost forces. Again it was necessary to ask: will be enough already, women have no forces any more to laugh.
I remember, once at a wedding at someone from our family – I still was a boy – Ruvele loudly told at supper:
"I want to ask a riddle, and the one who will not guess will have to pay ten kopeks".
Put a plate, and Ruvele asked:
"Misters! How can be that four persons divided among themselves three apples and that to everyone got on the whole apple?"
It is natural that nobody guessed. Threw ten kopeks and when eighteen rubles were gathered into a plate, Ruven quietly took a plate with money and overturned to himself in a pocket. Then put an empty plate on a table and told:
"Misters! I do not know too, here to you twenty pennies [16] as we agreed".
It is clear, that the burst of laughter was distributed, and Ruvele earned by this joke, so much hardly earned from three weddings.
After death of the wife of Dovid-Itskhok, the daughter Hayche and the beautiful hostess, he took other wife. Through short time – a third, also began to lose the status and ceased to play such large role.
Only Isay-Haim supported the son and helped it to keep standing. But that did not play a former role in the city any more as when his wife, the daughter reb the Yoni, was living. She was a big clear head and understood affairs; to it also often there came landowners, but after her death when Dovid-Itskhok began to change wives, almost all landowners began to go to reb the Yoni which had the first in the city of shanks before the revolt of 1863 * (About revolt in general and in connection with position of Jews, see below). After death of his wife case was processed by the daughter-in-law with the daughter.
The third family there were my grandfather Aron-Leyzer and his brother Mordkhe-Labe Kotik. They lived in grand style too though they in the big apartment had simple, wide tables and benches and everything was conducted more in a national way. They held shanks too, but simple type, and lived in grand style, richly, in a big way – so that the present Warsaw rich man could envy them.

The grandfather's brother Mordkhe-Labe Kotik was a scientific person and it is clear that in youth it was a little suitable for earning. When his father died, there was a big house in the middle of the market, with shanks and three thousand rubles of money. The grandfather gave the house to the brother Mordkhe-Labe, and divided money between scientific fathers-in-law and a family. He told that he does not need money as can earn a living, and they did not.
The brother Mordkhe-Labe always had a lot of income, but as the income happened only on Sundays and on market days, all week he lived very quietly. All week and on Saturday it collected at itself(himself) minyan [17], simple people prayed at it in the majority, and he both read the Torah, and prayers, and in shofar [18] blew, and on Saturdays read to the audience the Torah. During a week he daily read for himself Gemara and Midrash [19] leaf before a prayer, absolutely early in the morning and at night, and the whole day at him was constantly full the house to the people – householders with whom all news were discussed and talk about Rotshildakh was carried on, about what is eaten and drunk by the tsar, and then it, Mordkhe-Labe, played with familiar householders in checkers.
At a big table continued talk on tsars and on princes and on miracles which was managed by our wise men, and Mordkhe-Labe, playing checkers, listened as if by the way, these stories.
He was very honest and worthy person and moving a checker, heard, sometimes, as someone puts too much salt in the story or tells tales, and he then asked:
"It is not necessary to tell a lie, it is bad!"
It was the first mokhely [20] in the city. Nearly an every day, from eight in the morning till twelve in the afternoon, it was in the city and in neighboring villages on trimmings, and there on a hair did not try from the laid table of food, especially drink. To take with itself a piece of pie is yes. It brought this piece of pie home for the wife and children: let though the crumb will be tried from a holiday table.
"It is a mitsva" [21], – he said.
On holidays in his own family its business was to serve. At weddings and trimmings he fussed by the sweat of the brow, setting the table, placing plates, and young people, young men and girls, helped it. When reached blessings of a meal, it first of all, having lifted a glass of sweet wine, spoke to all: "le-haim" [22] had also a snack on rigid cheese which at it was always ready for such a case.
It conducted something like loan cash desk for market dealers, and he lent up to twenty five rubles. At most it never had money as his outstanding only son lived very in grand style. Mordkhe-Labe had to borrow others to lend to sellers. So he behaved all life, to seventy with something years.
It is unknown whether it happened to Mordkhe-Labe to have dinner for all his life in others house, at least for money. Going behind something to Brisk, for five versts from Kaments, it took a tilt cart, i.e. two-wheeled crew, a good horse and one went. He liked to go quickly and in five hours came to Brisk. In Brisk he spent a maximum of hours ten.
In a tilt cart he had with itself(himself) a small bottle of sweet wine with rigid cheese and couple of flat cakes, and on the road had a snack. In Brisk it should not have eaten any more. Further it did not go that it was not necessary to eat in others house, at least and for money.
His Huy-Gitl's wife was a diligent hostess and the big philanthropist. Often endowed, and in large quantities, always went with a leather purse from where took and distributed, apart from, to one – a small handful of silver, another – handfuls has more, copper coins.
Usually at it ate the person on six pupils of Talmud-Tory [23]. Daily and heartily they at it received all best; at it old, poor Jews often ate. There was no shortcoming at a table of preachers, interpreters, hazana and the rabbis who were regularly going to Kamenets and from it. Especially often at it one ate tear down which forty with something studied years in Kamentsa in new bet-ha-midrashe. He was nicknamed Panchoshnik [24]. He was considered as the kabbalist, and in bet-ha-midrashe it had a big bag with books on a cabbala, he them learned every day, singing on a special harmony.
It had a clear, thin voice which attracted all. On Saturdays he learned in Mordkhe-Labe's house "Pirkey avot" [25] and midrash. He told about paradise, and it was something that you will not find in any Jewish book. He never mentioned hell. There were in paradise all best, fine and most tasty things which can only be described human language, and he reported that it seemed about them the strange singsong collected by it, such delightful vote, he visited there.
When once there arrived to Kamenets a kelemsky preacher to moralize, Mordkhe-Labe held him at himself month. He was fed and given to drink royally, and coming back from Kaments, he looked, as after giving.
In happy life of Mordkhe-Labe there was one shortcoming – he badly lived with the wife Hayey-Gitl. He often became angry about it and in these cases to spite of it ate nothing. Apparently, he by the nature was irritable – became angry about the son, about the grandson. It to it often prevented to live. But besides, he was, maybe, the happiest person in the world. Besides, it was exclusively beautiful: large, with the fresh, the very picture of health, person, with a big black beard – very representative!
There was still the fifth family: father-in-law Hayche, reb Simkhi-Leyzera. It was the big expert on the Torah, pious and wise, worthy behavior, the rare Jew. Besides, he was also lucky, and once, about eighty years ago, he won in "a Saxon lottery" twenty five thousand rubles pure. And he disposed of money so: gave five thousand on the poor though under the law of people should not give more fifth part on charity. Gave three thousand a dowry of the daughter and received big ilyuya [26] of Bialystok. The son-in-law soon got sick and died. It to it cost six thousand rubles, and for the rest of money he bought two stone shops from which he had the income five hundred rubles a year.
Still he bought in Kamentsa the land – small imenyeets with very fertile soil what Jews call "pot of gold" with which had the good income. The wife to its Watering can ran business on a site, and he day and night sat and was engaged. I remember how he sits in old bet-ha-midrashe after an evening prayer and is engaged till eleven in the night. I very much loved it.
Big experts came to it to find out with it the difficult place from the Torah. Having come back home – very from far away, more, than far off, he had breakfast and was engaged further. Books at it was for five thousand rubles. Earlier it had many books, and after a prize he bought still. Books were very beautifully bound.
At heart it was kind and modest. Treated all exactly, and small children loved it as prophet Shmuel. When spoke, it is silent, quiet. And no rage, God forbid, in it existed as there is no water on fire.
Every summer he called experts from the city to make "the protected matzo" [27]. "The protected matzo", for especially devout, prepares with acceptance of special measures for prevention of process of fermentation, as is described further). It is known that such matzo is cooked from wheat which was not overripe over necessary, in order to avoid moisture penetration. But wheat is usually reaped by go, thresh go and melit go, and it already for our reb of Simkhi-Leyzer a problem. He prepared small, sharp serpik for wheat harvest and, having called two minyan of experts kabbalists, porushy, young, diligent people in the doctrine, went with them in the field and learned how to reap.
It kept wheat compressed and connected in sheaves for drying in the special room, and after drying reb Simkha-Leyzer with pupils beat her with sticks, vymolachivy grain. It in the house had a desktop mill bought for couple of honeycombs rubles with stones and a knee, pupils rotated a knee, collected flour in a beautiful can and put in boxes of a big case with holes for airing.
Flour remained to later Purim [28] Togd there he called the same pupils, and "the protected matzo" was baked; for this purpose it produced glass rolling pins and all work became with pleasure.
Before work there is a lot of fir-tree and at the same time spoke about the Torah. And after work ate again and again spoke about the Torah. And who did not see their pleasure in a harvest-time, drying and a grinding of wheat, and then pastries – that did not see the real pleasure in the life.
Simkha-Leyzer divided the matzo which is taken out from the furnace between the pupils participating in work that was enough on all Pesakh. And as each part was not such small, pupils sold "the protected matzo", having usually by a holiday not bad revenue.
So was every year, and so there lived a kind Jew in former years: did good deeds much, observed the Law and it was beautiful.
Simkha-Leyzer not old died reb: in sixty years.
These five families were decoration of the city. By then they still were the rich. But the town grew poor. And people overstrained for the sake of a small piece of bread. During a week nobody saw some meat. Even rolls and fresh bread were eaten in only a few houses. All week ate black bread which everyone baked for itself(himself) once a week or two as was considered that the bread is more stale, the less eat it. Ate a krupnik in the morning - pearl barley with potato, or in a big pot with a krupnik put on a family of six people, maybe, two ounces of oil or half-quart of milk or even the whole quart of milk that costed kopek.
For lunch ate borsch with bread and with a piece of herring or with oil. For dinner cooked trickled pastries or noodles with the same amount of milk. Who is poorer – cooked noodles from cornmeal.
On Saturday all Jews, even the poorest, ate fish. The rich bought big fish, and the poor – little small fishes whom they milled with onions also did cutlets. Fish was caught at themselves in the river, and half of zloty for pound was considered expensively. And when broke twenty pennies for pound of fish, in the city big shout and indignation against the dealers in fish who were buying up fish and taking away to Brisk because of what in the city there is no fish on Saturday rose; dealers were threatened to beat and never to invite to the Torah [29] if they take away further fish from Kaments and to arrange a rise in price.
Meat was veal, mutton and beef, but lean. Butchers bought the thinnest cows who had no forces to stand on the feet any more. A cow it was possible to buy for six-eight rubles, ten was considered expensively. The rich, clear, bought beef, and the poor – veal, and absolutely poor people, for example, melameda and handicraftsmen who had no landowners bought mutton.
Kugeli were different, but all – fat and tasty, even at poor people. On Saturday all Jews well lived. How fir-trees among a week, the Saturday food was imperial.
In each house baked challah and put cholnt [30]. On Friday evening shames [31] went down the street and shouted: "Bless candles!". And all Jews, vykupavshis and having washed up the head, went to pray in bet-ha-midrashi, and then sat down at a big Saturday meal. Saturday chants sounded, candles burned at everyone in candlesticks and in trailing lamps, and everyone rejoiced to expensive and favourite Saturday. Troubles and poverty of all week receded, the whole Saturday day the person rejoiced, from all corners breathed Saturday, sanctity, nobody dared to talk business that was considered as a great sin.
In the afternoon on Saturday were engaged much and slept much. Both in summer, and in winter days studied after a dream and in the company. At one table in bet-ha-midrashe taught Gemara together with the rabbi, behind another taught Mishnayot, for the third – Midrash, for the fourth – "Shulkhan arukh" [32], and all – with rabbis. Simple, ordinary Jews who were not able to study at all sat at all tables. But they were able to read beautifully psalms – with feeling, with taste, abated behind a verse, one after another, and it touched hearts. Then said an after-dinner prayer, and after that went on the third meal – a piece of fish for owners, for all others – herring with challah that was already poor.
Then went for evening church service when read big chapter from psalms "Those whose way is pure" [33] are happy – the everyday melancholy will stretch with the touching tune saying that again there is a week with her sorrows and cares again.
On an end of Saturday in rich houses drank the tea made in a jug in a prikuska with a piece of sugar. With one piece it was possible to drink two-three glasses of tea. If were not lazy, then made still a jug and again supped.
Having finished tea, undertook everyday calculations. Dealers discussed with wives the list of the goods necessary for all week, shinkar again – quantity of alcohol, and the Jews trading with landowners decided what to do at the landowner as with it it is worth behaving and how to speak.
Having discussed on an end of Saturday with the wife of business, began on Sunday usual everyday work next morning.

Kamenets was famous as the city of scientific experts; his rabbis were from the most known though salaries paid no more than three-four rubles a week there.
To arrival of the rabbi kamenetsky experts, old and young, prepared questions and objections that to test it, and before the first sermon he felt that heart at it nearly fell for fear of kamenetsky experts. The first sermon was something like test. It had to consist of sharp interpretation and reinterpretation and if experts were with it satisfied, he already knew that there took place examination.
In those days it was accepted among the young people married and the having children, to leave the houses and to go to study to other cities. Because at home it is impossible to study quietly, and they went to others cities and there sat day and night and studied. It was not necessary to worry about livelihood: such tear down everyone at someone ate – according to the knowledge of Gemara: the most capable received to eat at tables of rich men, and it is worse – fir-trees in poor houses. Each smallest owner fed at least one or two times in a week of a porush, the same as the poorest owner allowed to eat to the pupil Talmud-Tory.
Except study, the porush had one more calculation. In those days, as we know, city bosses handed over in recruits who were wanted, and for this purpose had haper [34] by means of whom were enough young men whom city bosses wanted to catch. Hapera for this purpose were not limited to the city, and went to searches to other cities where young men hid and though in revizsky fairy tales they were not registered, nothing could be done. The monthly head [35] wrote down them and when handed over such not written down soul, it was named one of sons of rich owners, written down in "fairy tales". The soul turned into the master's son, and unfortunate went to serve. The owner received such release from a duty to deliver the soldier even then when it had six sons, but for it it gave to the city money – hundreds were enough …
In those days handed over in soldiers even of men is more senior than thirty years which already had five-six children. The thirty-year-old bachelor in general was difficult to be found. The unmarried guy of seventeen years was considered as the old bachelor, and it was already big shame. Taken in soldiers therefore happened fathers, sometimes, of several children.
It is clear, that the porush was welcomed in those days and in any soldiers did not hand over. In the hometown, however, he was afraid to sit. But the trouble is that sometimes someone from influential citizens, having become angry about his father or about his father-in-law, could hand over it in soldiers. It happened, and nothing could be done.
In Kamentsa there was a lot of porushy which sat and studied. My grandfathers, in stay by monthly heads, besides collectors [36] never handed over anybody who somehow could study. While he still sat in bet-ha-midrashe and could learn something, he was sure that from service it is free.
In Kamentsa there were best porush, the most great experts on the doctrine. In big bet-ha-midrashe there were more than sixty copies of the Talmud – old and places shabby, but managed also such: having reached on the torn leaf, took from another for a while his Gemara. In big bet-ha-midrashe experienced awe of sanctity: there the most great authorities learned, the largest owners prayed there, there the oldest people sat at a big table near a big oven and told any stories.
In general, Kamenets was considered as the most noble city in all Grodno province. There were scientists and philosophers who learned and philosophized and were regularly busy with Gemara's interpretation, exercising the wit in causticity. Having come in bet-ha-midrash, it was always possible to meet Jews at all tables, occupied by either Gemara, or Additions [37], or Makharsha [38]. Especially young people in Makharsh's studying differed. They and were called - "Makharsh's heads"; days and nights exercised the wit they, explaining such expressions of Rabi of Edels as "be exact" and "the question is still stronger than the answer" [39].
New bet-ha-midrash, "zavidyvavshiya" to old, attracted to itself porushy and scientific experts, thanks to the I gabat [40], to very vigorous Jew. In the same place there were most capable of master's children. But the senior experts and just elderly people did not leave old bet-ha-midrash, and thus there were two bet-ha-midrasha, full the Torah.
It was said above that Kamenets was the most noble city in the Grodno province. And still there was no lack of quarrels. City problems divided the town into two camps at once, and in festive week when it was not necessary to do any lot of work, the people crowded groups on a market square, at shops, looking for what to argue on. There were famous intriguers capable to give so a fist that the person will get sick, sharp on language, the famous rude fellows. And when in the city there was a meeting which place was old bet-ha-midrash, they were with the fists and the shouts broke meeting. There was one plasterer, the real city hooligan there. It always supported the poor to whom to it there was no business at all. Business to it was only to the tricks - he knew that he shouts will achieve nothing, but all the same had to shout that was considered that it is right.
There were also silent intriguers who at meetings were not able to open a mouth, but among themselves, on a market, overturned everything upside down, attacked at each other, and almost did not pass any festive week without war. They found because of what to battle.
In Kamentsa there were many handicraftsmen but only very poor. Landowners addressed mostly handicraftsmen in Brisk.
In those days there was no city without informer. It is clear, as in Kamentsa such was available, by name Ich Sheytes. He was a tailor, repaired clothes, but received for the craft a little. Its main work was to inform. But it did not limit itself(himself) to denunciations of individuals, and informed on all city. Walked in Grodno and informed on all city, especially as regards "fairy tales". From the governor the audit commission concerning "fairy tales" was, and the city fell into poverty as officials from the commission had to bribe, and not small. In the end it was necessary to pay Ich Sheytesa that ceased to inform. It just made destitute all Grodno province, became the reason of a grief and grief though he still felt sorry for the city of Kamenets and therefore all had to it be grateful, without stinting flattery, and everyone in soul thanked God when the informer left Kamenets alone.
To Rosh - ha - Shang [41] and Yom Kippur [42] he prayed in a synagogue on an eminence and all prayer cried and groaned by such thin voice, so screamed that even those who were incapable to begin to cry during a prayer began to cry with crying and plaints Ich of Sheytes. It shook with the crying praying to bones. He cried as the person who is beaten all the time and tormented.
I remember how on the eve of Yom Kippur when I was nine years old, crying Ich of Sheytes so on me worked that I, having broken into tears, fainted and in the middle of after-dinner church service I had to be taken away home. But at once after Yom Kippur it went on foot to Grodno to inform to the city.
Kaments had a suburb under Zastavye's name beginning at the river above which there were three bridges with three water-mills. On the river alloyed big logs from Bialowieza Forest. From there delivered to Europe any wood, even a mast timber for the ships. High trees were forbidden to be cut, and dealers in a tree from Bialowieza Forest – still before reb Itzhak Zabludowsky from Bialystok became a millionaire thanks to this wood – stole high trees, bribing the forest warden. On Zabludowsky informed that he steals a mast timber, there arrived the commission from St. Petersburg, and Zabludowsky bribed the head of the commission. So he overcame difficulty which smelled of penal servitude.
After it the right to cut the woodlands one German by the name of Siegmund bought. He stole even more. He lived so in grand style that in the town said that the Prussian duke ordered to build the palace on a sample of the palace of Siegmund. He became one of foremost representatives of gilded youth in Prussia and stole a mast timber very much that he earned in a year one million rubles, then, clear, wasting them.
When the treasury forbade to sell the wood in Belovezhye, Siegmund bought for half a million rubles a manor in Seltsa to the Grodno province and moved from Berlin there. For Berlin of its money was not enough. Lived in the manor several years, then, because of magnificent balls which he suited, wasted also this manor and died the poor.
The logs sent from Belovezhya to Danzig were alloyed through Kamenets. From Siegmund and other Germans Kamenets had the big income. When all this occurred over kamenetsky water, Siegmund lived at reb Dovida-Itskhoka who then earned much.
Zastavye geographically was near Kaments. But on character they from each other differed as the East from the West. Though Zastavye had neither the rabbi, nor rabbinic court, nor a reznik, nor a cemetery – even bought Zastavye's goods in Kamentsa – but Zastavya had other advantages. There were gardens, and all almost lived with these gardens. Women and girls sat all summer in a garden and processed it. Took with themselves rye bread and ate with a cucumber and a radish. Lived in poverty, but had earnings. Only couple of families were wealthy owners, with the situation in the city, with capable children there. But they regularly intrigued and in all city disputes were the first fighters. Supporters they had a weight, and time having begun, disputes could last many years. Still they constantly argued with my grandfather who was at the head of the management of the city; and though they were afraid of it, but nevertheless and dug under it – but so that nobody noticed.
Melameda were tutors of children, as usual. Yakov-Bør at whom almost all city children began to study was the main thing from them melamed. The child of three years or even less already began to learn at him the alphabet and at it continued, was not trained well yet and to pray quickly. It proceeded about two years. Then children passed to special melameda for studying of the Torah and Gemara's rudiments - chosen, easy mishnayot for children under the name "Leks of t" [43]. From these melamed passed to more and more serious, did not reach yet big, outstanding experts at whom mature young men and master's children studied. But the biggest and outstanding were also the angriest.
From big melamed there were in the city two who terribly beat and flogged children. The biggest punishment was called "to make a package". For this purpose melamed lowered to the boy trousers and rolled up upward a shirt. Rabi at this moment held a good birch or a lash in hand, and in such situation the boy had to read a lesson from Gemara. And if he did not know any word, Rabi it with a force whipped so on a body there was a blue trace. So he read within an hour, and it occurred on Thursdays: boys had to read independently to Gemar whom Rabi with them passed all week as on Saturday melamed came with each boy to his father that that listened as the son reads to Gemar. The father who was not able to be engaged, asked some scientific expert or a porush that that listened and if the boy did not know something, the father did not listen to any justifications and blamed a melamed for everything. It is clear, that it was not pleasant to that and all the rage it broke on that part of a body of the boy which cannot be mentioned in literature.
Dovid Lokhmaty was one of two mentioned evil melamed. It had the whole head of a shaggy hair. In rage it became terrible and just tortured boys. At it it was accepted to raise the boy up and to throw on the earth that that fell dead; and such case, really, occurred. After a funeral of the killed boy his father and mother did not dare even to ask reb Dovid for what he killed their child. So, it is visible, the Lord that Rabi killed him wanted it is, so, visible, has to be, and nobody in the city thought that Dovid Lokhmaty committed the real murder. Even M.S. sons who were trying to discover sins in all the city to argue and intrigue, here too kept silent, and reb Dovid Lokhmaty remained melamedy. He taught adult young men, master's children and all left him cripples.
The second melamed, more scientific, than reb Dovid Lokhmaty, was Dovid Slepoy. While he saw one eye, he became the big expert Uchenya, and many children with his help became scientists too. But he was cruel incredible and constantly ruthlessly beat and flogged children. At this melamed also I studied, but about it later.
As it was already told, married very much early, both young men, and girls, namely aged from thirteen till seventeen years. Young men received a dowry, depending on learning, from two hundred to one thousand rubles, and the father-in-law provided to young people housing and a table. In "conditions" wrote down – who exactly, the father of the husband or the father-in-law, has to contain for him a melamed. If, having celebrated a wedding, the young husband continued to eat at the father, then he continued to study at the same melamed, as to a wedding, and melamed continued to flog it, as well as to a wedding.
In my times already got out of fashion that after a wedding continued to go in a heder, but my Rabi, reb Dovid Slepoy, complained about it and missed for those times when flogged master's sons. Happened, he told how it occurred. For example, as mother of the pupil came in a heder to congratulate him on the newborn and came across the locked door, and at that moment – told Rabi – as it approached a window to knock on glass and to congratulate, I just congratulated him a birch. I congratulated on each blow: "mazl-t, mazl-t, the such scoundrel, with the boy you".
In Kamentsa there were no professional clerks. Learned to write into Yiddish the same melameda. Only, to what taught, there was Gemara with interpretation, the Torah was learned, but not on a whole chapter, and on a half [44]. Learned the Tanakh only one Motka-melamed. He taught children of middle age, 9-10-tiletnikh, to Gemare with a piece of Additions. Hour a day he taught the Tanakh and hour a day told about wonderful acts of wise men and very vividly described hell (about paradise it had the most insignificant data). He even drew on paper the plan of hell – its sizes and even in what party there is a door. But the sizes of paradise and in what party there is a door in it, it, the poor creature, did not know. From the Tanakh he learned not further the early prophets: Iyekhoshua, Shoftim, Shmuel-alef and Shmuel-bet, Melakhim, aleph and Beth, and more than anything. But all melameda teaching with adult young men Gemara with Additions and with all comments, did not learn with them the Tanakh at all. To learn the Tanakh was considered as heresy [45].
The tuition fee was from sixty rubles for term [46] to one hundred. Melamed receiving about four rubles a week was considered as a rich.
At the melamed beginning to pass the alphabet with children was till 60-80 three-year-old children. For such kids the salary on ruble for term was appointed. The rich paid ten zloties for term. On reaching five years the boy went into the disposal a melamed on the Torah to which about three rubles were due for the boy.
In honor of the beginning of studying of the Torah of daddy arranged an entertainment for a melamed and for all boys of a heder together with their families. Each owner suited this feast in honor of the Torah by the opportunities. My grandfather Aron-Leyzer arranging a feast for the son or the grandson, disposed to pin up a small bull-calf and ordered from Trinkovsky wine with rich snack.
Two-three years boys learned the Torah, that is the first section – at most three sections from the head - then transferred them to melameda across Gemara for beginners at whom happened from fifteen to twenty boys. The tuition fee for such boy was on four rubles for term, for rich – on five.
There were such melameda which trained in both the Torah, and Gemara's beginnings. With the most capable of learning the Torah they already began to pass "Lekakh-tov".
After two-three terms of training of Gemare with melamedy for beginners the father transferred the boy to more advanced melamed passing with it during the first period Gemara's page, and in the second – a leaf. Such melamed had already twelve boys, and for everyone the tuition fee was six-seven rubles for term. After three terms the father transferred the boy to the following melamed teaching Gemara with Additions again. Such melamed had ten boys on eight rubles for term, etc. Everyone melamed learned other treatise with boys, without asking pupils what treatise they passed at other melamed earlier. It is clear, that in the doctrine therefore there was nobody about, and change of treatises at each melamed or more often completely destroyed every year system of training.
The heads having insufficient abilities long sat in one heder, however children having insufficient abilities from rich houses passed to the following melameda as precisely as capable, at the same time fathers asked to learn more advanced melamed with their children what they can understand and not that capable children learn. They give it three rubles more for term. Owners were ashamed if their son, already big guy, studied at less advanced melamed. In each heder were simple, crude, studying together with capable boys. But did not hesitate of it. As most of capable pupils was from a poor class, thus a certain balance in sense of "ikhus" was maintained [47]. Capable boys were not proud of the learning, and children from notable families were not proud of the origin, and so all were equal.
Boys from nine o'clock in the morning to two o'clock in the afternoon studied. Then went to have dinner for an hour. Exactly at three o'clock it was necessary to go in a heder again, and is not present – you will receive a slap, a box on the ear or even a birch.
From three o'clock studied: in the summer to sunset when melameda went in bet-ha-midrash to an after-dinner prayer, in the winter – with little boys to eight, and with big – to nine. In the winter after-dinner and evening prayers happened already in a heder, together with boys. And so there passed the whole week, except Friday. On Friday boys studied: in the winter till two o'clock, and in the summer – to three-four o'clock in the afternoon. But also on Saturday boys had no rest. First melamed brought each of them before eyes of the father or other expert from outside that the boy could retell that he learned in a week. Then it had to go in a heder and teach with melamedy a fragment or midrash.
Boys never had free time, except holidays: Pesakh and Shavuot [48], Rosh - ha - Shana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot [49] – in total - twenty six days in a year.

The Non Jews living in the city together with Jews were not serfs. In number they made about a quarter of the Jewish population. They lived in two different parts of the city in houses with the roofs covered by straw. The majority they were Catholics, Orthodox Christians there were, maybe, several tens.
Everyone had the earth and the house with barns and stables, bulls, cows and birds - and all were the rich. They had no shortcoming of anything. There were among them even certain rich men with a state to several hundred rubles sending children to study to Brisk. Also there was certain Yermolovich whose conditions nobody knew. Said that he trades with devils and they, devils, bring him a lot of money. In former times, if someone had a lot of money and nobody knew from where they at it undertook, said that he trades with devils. Such person was afraid to be irritated that did not set on them the devils.
All were afraid of Yermolovich also everyone expressed him the respect because of his devils; in Kamentsa all, young and old, already knew that Yermolovich trades with devils. People were afraid to go by his house as are afraid to come into the wood full of evil animals.
He lived, however, with calculation – sent the son to a gymnasium in I Will wag. Yash there was a wild, spoiled guy of whom both the Jewish, and non Jewish children were afraid. It finished a gymnasium with a gold medal and thanks to big communications became an asessor in one town of the Grodno province.
By rules of that time at an asessor had to be eighteen desyatsky led by a key-voytom. Desyatsky all were Catholics as it was wanted by landowners whom, clear, the district police officer obeyed. Few Orthodox Christians looked at it without claims as they all the same felt below Catholics and were poorer than them.
The doctor in Kamentsa just was good – the famous doctor from Vilna by the name of Lyasovsky. He lodged in Kamentsa because of the wife who had him small folvark near Meshchanskaya Street and which had the sum of thirty thousand rubles. He lived in Kamentsa long. Drugs should be carried from Brisk and if the doctor ordered to go to the patient to Brisk behind medicine once again, then for this purpose once again sent the carrier. Often happened that on delivery drugs the bottle broke, then went once again, and the patient recovered meanwhile or died.
The payment for visit of the doctor was fifteen kopeks, it came in the carriage harnessed by couple of kind horses.
In the city there were several doctors [50]. The best of them, the doctor Yashka, was well-known. He lived at doctor Lyasovsky.
Avigdor, Hatskel and Dovid, simple doctors, came on Friday to a bath and put to whom it is necessary banks. Tens of Jewish owners, healthy people, put to themselves on Fridays in a bath banks. Whom the hand, a leg, a stomach or the head hurt – there was one treatment: banks, and more. Sometimes blood flew from shoulders as if the person was cut.
But large owners, such as my grandfather or Yonya Trinkovsky, already called doctors on the house. My grandfather put to himself cups several times a year. If something hurt, right there called the doctor Dovid to put cups.
On Sundays doctors and vrachikh, their wives, did inoculations or bled peasants and peasants.
David and Avigdor lived on our Briskskaya Street and on it in the majority peasants came. I remember how at doctors in the apartment it was jammed by peasants and peasants. In the summer of a window were open, it was possible to glance. On their terrace it was full too. Doctors held big bowls with blood at hand of peasants and peasants. Banks, they considered, take blood a little: it is necessary more! … They believed only in bloodletting at which followed almost a blood half-pot. But the doctor Yashka was the real doctor. Alone it did not do operations, but it had the guy who studied as the doctor, and it cut veins. After death of doctor Yashk became in Kamentsa the full doctor and did all ointments which learned at doctor Lyasovsky.
In our Talmud-Tore there were twenty boys and two melamed. Boys in turn in different houses ate. At Talmud-Tore was three gaby which raised money, mostly on villages and settlements. In the period of the Hanukkah [51] took with themselves three important owners and went to the countries to raise money for Talmud-Toru. They did not pass any village around Kaments and asked money. Settlements supported Talmud-Toru who was really kept in a big order. It was located in the beautiful building, boys were well dressed, almost like children of the rich, there was no lack and of food. Two good melamed taught boys. One, is less growth, taught Gemara's rudiments, and the second, large, properly learned Gemara's leaf with Additions. On Saturday gaba brought experts that those listened to children. Talmud-Tora of that time existing sixty-seventy years ago definitely surpassed present, even in big cities.
After Talmud-Toroy the bath is involuntarily remembered. The Kamenetsky bath was in the yard, behind a synagogue, at the river. The pair bath was absolutely even not bad. At an entrance on the one hand the heap of the hot stones which were heating up by means of the oven located under them was piled. Everyone who wanted could pour out a water ladle, and the second and third, and couples from which it was possible to cook began to start to boil. In the bathing room there was a cold mikva [52]. In a waiting room there was an iron copper boiling on Friday all day walled in a wall. From there all scooped hot water ladles. The bathhouse attendant added water by means of the collar established on a well in other end of a waiting room all the time.
In a big hall there were on walls wide benches, and there all undressed. Walls in a waiting room were old, with big cracks and cracks, from all directions strongly a barrel. Leaving a hot bath and putting on, all shivered. Every Friday happened a lot of chilled, but nobody guessed to tell that it is necessary to repair walls that so did not blow.
As well the steps conducting to a well in a waiting room were chilled – pure ice, and it was necessary to pass naked legs eight ice steps behind water in the winter. It was necessary to pass several times, and it is simply amazing that did not die of it. The bathhouse attendant leased a bath at the city. In a year paid hundred rubles that was an additive to a salary of the rabbi. The payment for a bath was from three pennies to three kopeks.
The river near a bath was small and very dirty, green from a mold. It is clear, that presently when hygiene became really a question of life and everyone understands its value, can tell that from this pool which then was in Kamentsa there were all epidemics in the city. Epidemics of small children, really, happened annually, and in one city so many small children, as in Kamentsa did not die. There were measles, smallpox, scarlet fever and still different children's diseases. But who could think in those days that from such thing there can be an illness? It was known that an illness – from God, and the moldy pool is a pool.
A little far away from a pool the river on which alloyed from Belovezhya to Danzig the biggest logs already flew. Near the sinagogalny yard, against big bet-ha-midrasha, there was in the river a pure place with sandy soil. There men bathed. Undressed under the open sky, put things on boards which were held there by dealers in a tree, but to steal things or hours – there was no such concept. Undressed, wrapped things in a caftan or did not turn, and so bathed for hours. Then everyone came for the things.
Women bathed in a distance from men, but there water was almost such, as near a bath: small, dirty and mouldy. Water purer was farther on a current up, logs were drifted there, but there it was far to go and, besides, there in places it was deep. In effect, on my present concepts, men had to exchange with women. Men should have bathed where women: they would not be lazy to reach clear water that for women was too far, and women should not have bathed in such terrible dirt. But men yet so knightly were not ready in those days to care for clear water for women.
Kamenets was famous for the swimmers. On the one hand the river was narrow, with deep and quiet water where boys could float verst - two, and the charter, to come to the meadow located from two sides of the river, to have a rest and float further.
Near a bath there was an almshouse. Intended not for patients, God forbid, but only for passersby, for the poor people passing through the city. There constantly there lived about three-four families of poor people.
The type of almshouse was awful. Something like an old wreck with the lop-sided roof. The windows with the broken glasses which are stopped up with black dirty rags with the broken door. Often there lived together with babies. It is impossible to describe it, and I cannot still remember without shudder despair, melancholy and extreme poverty being there both adult, and small. And almost none of a city top and the owners holding big authority on the city looked in almshouse as if and it is necessary.
The rabbi [53] was a big expert on the Talmud and very well-born: it was a son-in-law of the author of the book "Bases and Root of Service" [54]. Ekhezkel, the son-in-law of the Vilensky gaon [55] and the son reb Shmuel, the rabbi of the Minsk district was his father reb. This reb Ekhezkel together with the wife voluntarily doomed themselves to wandering. They walked on foot on villages, in the winter – in summer clothes, and in the summer – in fur coats, ate water with bread and slept on the naked earth. The wife reb Ekhezkel eventually died of such sufferings. Rab Ekhezkel took the daughter reb to Simkhi, the Grodno rabbi. Rab Simkha asked the count Radzivill to pay him hundred thousand ducats which that owed it. Because of such requirement Radzivill wanted to arrest it. Rab Simkha escaped and became the rabbi in Grodno. At reb Ekhezkel there was four sons, all – gaona, rabbis in other cities, and one of them became the kamenetsky rabbi.
Salaries he received three rubles a week and sat day and night over the Torah. Children at it was five sons and one daughter, and all very difficult lived. Ravvinsha convinced the husband to ask to add to him at least a ruble more a week, but he wanted to ask nothing. Then, as it strongly bothered it, he began to start talking about that to it added salary ruble a week. It was necessary to ask to it long. At last, called big meeting in old bet-ha-midrashe. Also it was decided that each owner from the rich has to give at each ignition of candles kopek on expenses for the rabbi. Shames went every Friday and collected kopeks from which hardly knocked together ruble, and then it is even less. So difficult there lived the rabbi all life. To celebrate a wedding to children, it had to go to rich relatives. There he was given on wedding expenses.
Kamentsa loved magid [56], did not pass any. from those who went over the country with moralizing speeches to the world. And the hazana [57] which were driving about with the supporting voices on the cities and places for earnings happened also in Kamentsa.
Having arrived to the city, magid first of all it was presented to the rabbi and declared that he, for example, wants to read the funeral speech in honor of one, two, three rabbis who died that year. The rabbi usually agreed: it is necessary to tell several words about the person – and sent to I gabat big bet-ha-midrasha that that declared arrival of a magid. Shames declared in bet-ha-midrashe that he for the next day, between after-dinner and evening prayers, will act magid.
Beth-ha-midrash it was already crowded with people, and too stood the head to the head on a female half. Usually magid began the funeral speech with loud groan and crying, having nearly thawed: "The rabbi died, misters, the last victim. Who will atone now for our great sins (he forgot that twenty more rabbis can die) the Audience sobbed violently.
And as magid could force so many people to cry, was considered that it good magid. He was invited for the next day, and for the next day cried again, again raised for him money, and day through three after its departure was new magid, with the new funeral speech which, naturally, was even more capable to cause tears, and so the city cried all the year round.
I remember, time magid told the funeral speech in honor of three rabbis at the same time. By the sharp, slightly shivering voice he shouted that the righteous person dies not for the sins, and for sins of all Israel and as the Lord took three wise men and righteous persons for our sins, and there is at all no such big righteous person left whom the Lord as the victim can take for our sins therefore God will take small children, directly from a maternal bosom.
He proclaimed all this awful shout, and all in a voice sobbed: and small children will be taken too! …. And women nearly fainted.
I then too had a little sister by the name of Feygele, the one-year-old child with wonderful volosika whom I very much loved. And here I hear that the Lord will take small kids, so, as my beloved sister … I so burst out crying that I fell unconscious to the ground.
Magid left, and to the God's help there was measles epidemic, and many small children died, and among them and my sister. The city became angry about a magid, said that it sent a damnation on the city. It was wanted to be caught and brought to Kamenets that to pay off with it, but nothing from this left also our kamenetsky Jews, poor creatures, and continued to cry regularly.
Several times in a year came on Saturday well-known hazan with the chorus. From them in the city there was already a fun. There came such hazana as reb Izroel Skuder, reb Borukh Karliner, Jascha Pinsker, etc., etc. Such hazan could take twenty five rubles on Saturday.
The grandfather regularly invited hazan on Saturday to himself, and other hazana were eaten in houses at other big owners. On an end of Saturday the grandfather arranged singing, calling the biggest owners of the city. Drank tea, saw off the queen Saturday a dinner, and hazan with the chorus sang till the morning. The next evening the same is at Trinkovsky, for the third evening – at Dovid-Itskhok, etc. Each owner put a hazana in a pocket on a silver coin, and that left Kaments and full, and with money.
There was in the city a custom – the young man who married and went to the father-in-law to bread to other city, said goodbye before a wedding to all important owners. Shames from big bet-ha-midrasha went with the groom to all houses to say goodbye.
Hupa [58] was put near big bet-ha-midrasha, and the rabbi who lived nearby celebrated wedding ceremony. During a celebration, at the time of closing of the face of the bride, the groom preached a sermon which he learned month for two before. It is natural that capable young people prepared big, sophisticated sermons. Even simple-minded grooms learned some sermon too. Let small, easy if only there was a sermon. Not somehow, if only to get off, and the present wedding, "gift" sermon.
The cemetery was quite big if to judge by revizsky fairy tales. But as and not written down in fairy tales too died, it would be advisable to have a cemetery more. It was fenced, of course, with a wooden fence, and monuments were almost all identical: from a simple stone, not really big, with the beaten-out inscription.
Before Pesakh, during big rains, water flew, overturning monuments, and graves filled in with water – just graves of the most dear citizens. A little farther the platform was higher, the dokud was not reached by water, but Kaments's inhabitants preferred this place for less dear and where water regularly flew, regularly buried all notable. Somehow did not look at it. Preferred to dig graves in the lowland and why – I still do not understand.
Any funeral organizations as now, was not, except one hevra-kadish. They took money from the rich, and they had no shortage in bread with borsch. The price from the rich was with three to ten rubles. I remember when the wife of the famous miser died somewhere before New year, the city from it wanted to take five hundred rubles, but he insisted on ten. The dead woman lay three days, and the miser came to my grandfather, the head of a community, and shouted:
"Though salt it, I will not give very much!"
It, however, gave hundred fifty. Such sum of money since Kamenets costs, did not happen yet.
All easter week funeral campaign cooked punch. I remember how drank hot honey that was absolutely quite good. Time in three years during the Hanukkah set a big feast for which weight to the people gathered. Ate big portions of fish and goose meat. One of gabayev a hevra-kadisha had a pot-belly and was a big eater. He knew that here – such place where it is possible to eat how many you want. But what to do if does not climb any more? In the middle of a feast he leaves the house, puts a finger in a throat and throws out eaten. Having returned, again eats a sex of a goose. Cost such feasts a great lot of money.
Prejudices in the city were very strong. Believed in devils, demons, in everyones evil spirits. Melameda hammered into the heads of the pupils different baizes about devils. Also all knew what happens to people in future world from the moment of death. What happens at once and as it gets on the sky – precisely as if saw it with own eyes.
As soon as the person died, he is put a floor, but not on a bare floor, and on straw. Straw pricks it as needles, and a row evil spirits right there are, accompany it during a funeral, and after lowering in a grave the angry demon is and asks:
"How to call you?"
But that, on the grief, forgot. The death angel opens to him a stomach, takes out guts and says directly. Then overturns, beats with iron rods, torments and tears to pieces, etc. Everyone trusted in it how he believed that he lives on light.
At us carried the dead to a cemetery. Bore usually in turn. And usually in such city as ours, all already knew everything and as to see off the dead person is a mitsva, on a funeral all city was. The grave-digger with a big tin mug went ahead, rattled big Nikolaev three - and four-cheap coins which were thrown by people, and plaintively shouted:
"The alms will save from death!"
I remember how the fear got to bones. Everyone feared angry demons who turn around the dead man, everyone reflected on awful position of the dead man and at the same time remembered, as his own end will be same.


[1] To the 3rd partition of Poland in 1795 and accessions to Russia - the town of the Brest voivodeship and a povet. During the described period – the Brest County, Grodno lips. Now the Brest Region where Mr. Kamenets is located, is a part of Belarus therefore the former name Kamenets-Litovsky is not accepted.
[2] Ancient Russian weight equal of 409,5 g.
[3] At new system responsibility of a community for granting from the environment of a certain number of recruits was cancelled, the general compulsory military service for the citizens of the state who reached 21 years was entered. The special commissions were guided by constant selection criteria, the maximum service life did not exceed 15 years.
[4] From the word "eshuv" - the settlement, i.e., inhabitants of suburbs and neighboring villages.
[5] In the text: "fir shock". Schok (German) – a shock, and also sixty pieces, in is given. a case – the harvest measure consisting of 60 sheaves.
[6] Loser.
[7] Ironical remark. The certificate on a kashernost – suitability in food under religious laws - of course, were given by the rabbi, and the auditor had to testify that in the city everything is all right with the permissions to trade.
[8] House of the doctrine, place of studying of the Torah, Talmud and posleravvinistichesky literature. Throughout history existed separately from the bet-Knesset – a synagogue (in the ancient time), in one building or nearby (since the Middle Ages).
[9] In this case word meaning: synagogue.
[10] Premises, room. So called the Hasidic "house of the doctrine" and the synagogue combined in one room.
[11] Gemara and Mishna (the plural – Mishnayot) – Talmud components, i.e. "doctrines" – the arch of legal and religious statuses of the Judaism created by religious teachers Erets Israel - in the Russian tradition "Country of Israel", later "Palestine" – and Babylonia throughout about eight centuries, from 3 to 7 centuries. Mishna - "theory", "system" – meeting of various resolutions and rules, local laws and customs, religious establishments and legends ("agadot"). Consists of six sections (we age): Zraim (Semyon), Moed (Term, is devoted to the laws concerning Saturday and holidays), ours (Woman), Neziky (Damages), Kodashim (Shrines), and each section – from several treatises (massekhot), in total contains 63 treatises. Gemara – letters: "end", "studying", "apprehended from the teacher" – the arch of discussions and analyses of the text of Mishna. In use Gemar's term often designate the Talmud in general, and also each of the treatises making it separately.
[12] The book made by river Yakov ben-Havivom, one of wise men of Spain of the period of exile sent to Thessaloniki. The book in which talmudical legends are collected and explained used, thanks to simplicity of a statement, great success among masses, having sustained many tens editions.
[13] Letters. - "hermit", the "ascetic" who "separated" in different values of this word. In the ancient time – one of currents in Judaism – in Russian Pharisees - (unlike Sadducees and Essenes), differing big, in comparison with others, religious eagerness. In Poland in 19 century – the married eshibotnik who left the house and a family for ascetic reasons trained in other cities – see in the text.
[14] The last two subjects are given a lot of place in further heads.
[15] Professional joker.
[16] Twenty pennies are equal at the price of ten kopeks.
[17] The men who gathered for a joint prayer and separate groups of praying, it is minimum – ten people.
[18] A horn, the most ancient musical instrument used, in particular, during religious holidays.
[19] Letters. "interpretation" – a genre of the literature representing allegoric interpretation and lectures on bible texts unlike their direct interpretation ("pshat"). The same word designate also collections separate midrashy, created during an after and talmudical era, from 5-6 century, in the Middle Ages and till 12 century. Differed agadichesky (the most ancient of remained – Easter agate) - and galakhichesky midrash, according to their contents.
[20] The special person authorized to make a trimming ceremony over the baby.
[21] Command, the instruction of the Jewish religion, in usual word usage – any good deed.
[22] Letters. "For life!", corresponds to Russian: "To your health!".
[23] The educational institution for poor Jewish children which is financed communities. Arose at the end of the Middle Ages in Europe for teaching the Torah and the Talmud and exists up to now.
[24] Possibly, from the Polish-Ukrainian word meaning "chulochnik" and relating to the clothes accepted in this environment.
[25] "Lectures of fathers" – the most widespread of talmudical treatises keeping transfer in a chronological order of the Jewish religious teachers with their program statements which became a kernel of outlook and ethics of Judaism. In many communities it was accepted to read and study the treatise on Saturdays so it became part of religious ritual.
26 The young man who is especially differing in studying of the Talmud and rabbinic literature.
[27] Matzo, in Russian "feast of unleavened bread", prepare on Pesakh – in the Russian tradition it is accepted to call "Passover" - a spring holiday in memory of an outcome of Jews from Egypt, begins the 15th date of Nissan and also 8 days in diaspora last week in Erets Israel. Matzo is cooked from not fermented test, in honor of an outcome from Egypt when Jews did not manage to make bread, having taken with themselves in the road unleavened cakes
28 The holiday devoted to wonderful rescue of Jews of Persia from intrigues of the imperial dignitary Aman that is keeping of "Meghilat Esther" - the bible Book Esfir is celebrated the 14th dates adar – it falls on March.
[29] A call for reading of the head from the Torah during sinagogalny church service. On Saturday for reading of the weekly chapter seven people, in the Doomsday - six are called. The invitation to reading the Torah is considered honourable, and each Jew considers a duty periodically to be invited. Invite members of a community who had within a week an important event, joyful or sad. Rich members of a community "bought" the invitation, the same as they "bought" places of honor in a synagogue, bringing a payment on the maintenance of a synagogue that was considered as the appropriate behavior for dear member of a community.
[30] The haricot, potatoes dish and pieces of meat, was put in the closed ware in the furnace on the eve of Saturday and cooked all night long by means of heat which remained since Friday.
[31] In a Sephardic pronunciation "шамаш" – sinagogalny a whisper.
[32] "The laid table" - the fundamental code of religious instructions of orthodox Jewry made by Iosef bin-Efraim Caro (1488, Toledo-1575, Tsfat), is the simplified processing of his more extensive work "Beth-Yosef" ("Iosif's House").
[33] Teillim (Psalms), 119.
[34] The messengers of a community occupied with catching of the children for mobilization in army, vv the main who are not registered in revizsky fairy tales and also having "bad reputation" – poor people, violators of an obshchetvenny order and religious instructions, etc.
35 "Parnassus-hodesh" - in Poland in the 16-18th centuries and in the Russian Empire it is formal between 1772 and 1844, before cancellation of communal system, and actually later – the head of the Jewish community who is the intermediary between it and the authorities. Each of number of seven-eight chosen city foremen in turn consisted within a month such head of a community.
[36] The collectors of taxes as well as responsible for mobilization in a community.
[37] "Тосафот" – the comment to the Talmud, the attendant, together with comments of the largest medieval talmudist from Northern France of Russia – an abbreviation from Rabi Shlomo Itskhaki, 1040-1105 - all printing editions of the Talmud. Additions in the 12-13th centuries in the centers of talmudical learning of Germany, France, England and Italy were created.
[38] Abbr.: A moraine ha - Rabi Shmuel Idels – more precisely, Samuil Eliezer bin-Iyeguda of Edels, 1555-1631 – one of the most important interpreters of the Talmud, the head of rabbinic school in Lublin and in the Jail Volynsk lips.
[39] Many interpretation of Edels often came to an end in these expressions.

[40] Sinagogalny head
[41] The Jewish New year, is celebrated in the fall, in a month tishry
[42] The Forgiveness Day, atonement, the Russian name Doomsday - the most important Jewish holiday, is celebrated in the tenth day of month tishry.
[43] "A kind lesson" – these popular collections included also fragments from Gemara, Additions, interpretation of Russia, etc. material for beginners to study the Talmud
[44] I.e., in heder taught "the week chapter of the Torah" – the same that read within a week in bet-ha-midrashakh, but managed to pass only a half of the head.
[45] See about it and in other places in the text. Really, it was not accepted to learn entirely the Tanakh in the traditional environment, that Bol, among Hasidim. Torahs were usually limited to studying, in fragments. And occasionally – certain Prophets.
[46] A semester, the training period proceeding 4-6 months. In a year there were two terms, winter and summer.
[47] The status connected with wealth or noble an origin.
[48] In the Russian tradition Pentecost – "the holiday of the first fruits" and Sinai revelation, is celebrated in the summer, the 6th date Sevan,
[49] In Russian a feast of Tabernacles - a seven-day autumn holiday in memory of tents in which there lived Israelis in the desert after an outcome from Egypt.
[50] The cat distinguishes "doctors" and "doctors" probably the healers who did not get vocational education to which during this period, by the way, Jews had no access so most of the "real" doctors in places were Poles are meant.
[51] "Consecration" - a holiday in memory of clarification of the Jerusalem Temple from objects of a pagan cult, renewal of church service in it after a victory of army of Iyeguda Maccabee over Greek-Syrian and their exile from the Temple mountain in the 2nd century BC. Revolt Makkaveev is described in two of four apocryphal Books Makkaveev. The books Makkaveev united by the general subject of opposition of Jews to prosecutions of the Hellenistic tsars are canonized by Christian church and included in structure of the Bible, except Protestant.
[52] The pool for ritual ablution.
[53] The Kamenetsky rabbi whose name is not told by the author is Abraham-Dov Ha - Levi, about his death in 1866 from cholera see below, in hl. 27.
[54] The moralizing treatise of the Grodno rabbi Alexander Ziskind who died in 1794, the distant relative of the author.
[55] "Gaon" – the wise man. Vilensky gaon - to Eliyakh bin Shlomo Zalman (1720-1797), the head of "misnagid", opponents of Hasidic Judaism, for the Lithuanian Jews – a sample of the ideal expert Uchenya
[56] Preachers.
[57] Cantors.
[58] A wedding canopy on four poles under which the official ceremony of wedding is made.

 

• From the translator
• Dov's preface
• Instead of the preface
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2-5
• Chapter 6-8
• Chapter 9-12
• Chapter 13-17
• Chapter 18-21
• Chapter 22-26
• Chapter 27-29



• Chapter 1-2
• Chapter 3-4
• Chapter 5-8
• Chapter 9-11
• Chapter 12-13
• Chapter 14-15
• Chapter 16-17
• Chapter 18-21
• Chapter 22-25
• To return back