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A HUMAN BEING
- State University of New York Press
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208 ʨʰʲʮ ˋ ʹ ʨʱ˒ʥʥʲʢ ʨˌʤ ʸʲ : ʨʩʰ ˋ ʦʩʠ ʸʲ - ʨʰʲʮʩʸʲ˝ʱʷʲ ʸʲʨʷʩʣʰʲʸˋ˦ ʯʨ˦ˋʹʰʣٷʬ ʲʱʩʥʸʢ ʯʩʠ , ʺʮʠ , ʲʦˌ˝ , ʨʩʰ ˋ - ʲʦˌ˦ʸˌʮˋʨʲʮ ʲʰʲʷˋʡʸʲʣ ʷʰˋʣʲʢ ʯʷʩʨʥʬʢ ʯʫʩʥʤ ʯʥ˦ ʨʥʬʡ ʯʥʠ ʹʩʩʬ˦ ʭʲʸˌ ʯʩʠ , ʡʬˋʤ ʲʸʲʣʰˋ ʯʲʰˌʩʬʩʮ ʨʩʮ - ʡʬˋʤ ʯʥʠ ʯʦʩʸ - ʯʲʮˌʰʢ ˌ˝ʹ ˋ ʦٷʥʥʠʡ ʸʲʫʲʬʶʩʰʮʥʠ ʸʲʹʩʨ , ʪˋʥʥʹ ʯʲʷ ʸʲʷʩʨʫʲʮʬˋ ʸʲʣ ʦˋ ʪˋ˦ ʯٷʦ . ʯʨʫˋʸʨ ʸʲ ʨʢʲʬ˦ ʬˌʮ ʨ˦ˌ , ʡʥʨʹ ʯʩʠ ʷʩʣʰʲʰˋ˝ʹ : “ ʯٷʦ ʬˌʦ ʢʸˋʡ ˋ ʩʣ˗ , ʡʥʸʢ ˋ ʯٷʦ ʯʲʣ ʦʥʮ ? ” “ ʥʰ , ʨʥʢ , ʲʥʥ ʪʩʠ ʬʥʲ ʭʲʣ ʦʩʠ ʨʩʰ ʩʥʥ ʯ˝ʲʬʹʸʲʣ ʬ ” . ʢʥʬʷʸʲʡʩʠ ʯʥʠ ʣʩʮ ʯʲʬʫʩʩʮʹ ʨʢʲʬ˦ ʸʲ ʯʥʠ , ʪʩʬ˝ ʭʲʣ ʪʩʦ ʯʨʲʬʢ , ʬˌ˝ ʯʸʲʫʩʩʸ - ʬˌʮ , ʲʣˋʩ ʯʥ˦ ˝ʲʸʨ ʸʲʡʩʠ ʩʥʥ ʯʲʦ , ʨʱʩʨʲʮˋ ʢʲʨ ʩʣ ʪʩʦ ʯʲʬʷٷʷ ʪʲʬʲʮˋ˝ . ʣʥʱ ˋ ʩʥʥ ʯʲʩʥʸʨʸˋ˦ ʬˌʮ ˋ ʯʩʩʬˋ ʪʩʦ ʯʥʠ : “ ʯʩʡ ʪʩʠ ʩʥʥ ʣʑ ʩʩ ˋ ” ... ... 209 A HUMAN BEING He knew with a real though affected passion, he was not a completed experiment a half-baked metamorphosis of elevated glowing thoughts and paltry flesh and blood, along with millions of other half giants and half gnomes, mocking and needless proof that the Almighty barely knew His trade. Sometimes, pacing the house, he would speculate: “Can you have a mountain without having a pit?” “Well, fine, I’ll bear it as if it weren’t a burden”. And he would smile wearily, too clever by half, smoothing his bald pate, smoking Pall Malls, watching jade and amethyst spill over the steps as the days slowly unfolded. And sometimes, would tell himself in secret: “As I am a Jew. . . 210 ʣʑ ʩʩ ˋ ʯʩʡ ʪʩʠ ʩʥʥ ” , ʯʨʩʩʷʹʩʣʬʲʤ ʯʹʩʥʥʶ ʲʨʱʰʲʬʷ ʩʣ ʨʩʰ ʦʩʠ ʱʲ ʲʥʥˋʷ ʲʶʸˋʥʥʹ ʯʲʷʰʩʸʨ ʷʩʬʡʰʢʩʥʠ ʯˋ ʯʩʠ , ʯʨʩʩʷʩʡʩʩʠ ʯʹʩʥʥʶ ʸʲʫʩʦʮʥʠ ʨʢʰʲʤ ʱˌʥʥ , ʨʱˌʨ ˋ ʸˋ˦ ʲʥʥˋʷ ʩʣ ʯʡʩʩʤ˦ʩʥʠ ʯʥʠ ” “ ʨˌʢ , ʬʧʥʮ ʸʩʣ ʯʥʡ ʪʩʠ , ʨʱʸʲʤ ? ʸʩʣ ʯʩʡ ʪʩʠ ʬʧʥʮ , ʨˌʢ ” . 211 as I am a Jew . . .” It isn’t the smallest of heroics to drink black coffee in the blink of an eye that hangs uncertainly between eternities, and raise the coffee in a toast: “God, I forgive You, You hear? I forgive You, God”. ...