Yiddish Heroes the Jewish People

Yiddish Heroes

The Jewish people have a long and rich history, much of which consists of them being cast out of many of the world's nations and often being persecuted when they were allowed to stay. This depiction of the Jewish people is even readily apparent in the Old Testament of the Bible, where they are more accurately known as the Hebrews. Each of the forefathers of Judaism and many of the other leaders, both political and spiritual, had experiences as outcasts or outsiders; underdogs in one situation or another that they are consistently able to turn around to their benefit. This is true of Jacob, who manages to secure the prime birthright from his father despite being the second born, and who tricks his uncle Laban out of much of his flock despite -- and because of -- his uncle's own attempt at trickery. Joseph and Daniel both find themselves prisoners, and both find their paths to power and glory through this imprisonment (and, of course, God's assistance). Moses rises from a basket in a river to a prince, the young Shepard David slays the giant Goliath and eventually becomes king -- the list goes on. All of this has added up to a picture of the Jewish hero that bears some definite similarities to other Western conceptions of the heroic figure, but which also contain important differences.

This tradition has continued long past the Biblical heroes and into the folk traditions and even the modern stories of Yiddish writers. Poor men, simpletons, innocents, and charming well-meaning tricksters are common heroes in Yiddish tales. These heroes are arguably unique, when compared to the heroes of other genres, in their ability to resist adversity or even succeed in spite of it without actually demolishing or conquering the forces against them. Even this definition of success can be seen as distinctly and endearingly Yiddish, and an examination of several examples of Yiddish heroes bears this interpretation out.

Tevye the Milkman, one of Sholem Aleichem's many characters, is one of the best-known examples of this type of Yiddish hero. Long before Fiddler on the Roof, he was the subject of several of Aleichem's short stories, and almost every one shows him going through several reversals of good and bad fortune. Yet whether Tevye's luck is up or down, he seems basically unflappable. He complains at times, but he never despairs. Sholem Aleichem's choice to portray him this way seems to be that is an explanation for and reflection of the Jewish way of life, which is of course heavily influenced by the Jewish faith. Aleichem makes this explicit when he has Tevye say, in the tone typical of this character's address to his author, "as long as a Jew lives and breathes in this world and hasn't more than one leg in the grave, he musn't lose faith" (Aleichem 3). This is the reason behind Tevye's slightly foolish-seeming construction.

This same basic sense of faith is what leads everyone in Isaac Bashevis Singer's story "Gimpel the Fool" to call Gimpel...well, a fool. Gimpel does not do things that are especially foolish; he is not dimwitted or unable to properly care for himself or his family. instead, he is "foolish" only because he is gullible. But no matter how many times the meaner individuals in his town trick him -- into running away in fear, kissing wall, or marrying an unclean and rather sharp-tongued woman -- Gimpel consciously refuses to become skeptical. As he puts it, "What's the good of not believing? Today it's your wife you don't believe; tomorrow it's God Himself you won't take stock in" (Singer). Gimpel is kind, eager, and open-hearted, and he recognizes that if stops believing, he will lose these qualities. In this way, Gimpel the "Fool" is actually shown to be a very wise role model for the other Jewish people living in the village.

The character of Bontshe the Silent is not quite so easily shown to be heroic. The creation of I.L. Pertez, Bontshe the Silent's unique quality is his complete avoidance of complaining throughout is entire life -- he even seems to have no desire to complain; like Gimpel, he simply accepts things, and like Tevye, he has an unflappable faith. His continued silence in the face of adversity earns him instant entrance into heaven, and he is told he may have his greatest wish granted. Bontshe the Silent proves his unusualness again when he says "what I'd like most of all is a warm roll with fresh butter every morning" (Peretz). This illustrates his simplicity, not in the sense that he is stupid, but that he is easily made content. The lesson to be happy with simple things amuses the heavenly court, but it had great resonance with a Jewish community often forced to live in poverty, and Bontshe the Silent is shown to be not really as foolish as the heavenly court believes. He is portrayed this way to reflect the continued forbearance of his people, who have little need9according to the Jewish faith) to want anything other than God's love and the promise of the messiah brining peace to the world.

Benjamin the Third, the protagonist based on a traditional Jewish folk hero in Mendele Mocher Seforim's novel The Travels and Adventures of Benjamin the Third, is a very different figure than these others. Engaged in high pursuits with high ideals, Benjamin is more of a traditional hero. His explorations and discoveries, however, take place completely within the Jewish world. Seforim presents a character who is able to explore Jewish interiority without shame.