But there in the valley they introduced
themselves to me with the names they were called by at home: Yekil,
Shimele, and Ruvek. I found out later that the valley was their
meeting-place. It was a sort of Klaus, "Rabbi Yekil's Klaus" the
boys called it. Yekil was a boy of about fifteen, who was
well-equipped with knowledge of the Torah when he was taken away
from his home.
In the long years of our exile we had forgotten the Jewish calendar
completely. But Yekil prided himself on being able to distinguish
the days "by their color and smell," especially Fridays; and his
friends confirmed his statements. He used to boast that he could
keep track of every day of the year, and never miss a single day of
the Jewish holidays. Every Jewish holiday they met in the valley on
Peter's estate. According to Yekil's calendar, the eve of the Fast
of the Ninth of Av fell on that very day. That is why they had
gathered in the valley that night. "If so," said I, "what is the
use of reciting that Psalm? Were it not more proper to recite
Lamentations?"
"We do not know Lamentations by heart," explained Yekil, with the
authority of a rabbi, "but we do know some Psalms, and these we
recite on every holiday.
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