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Zionists who make Societies for the Land of Israel thus annulling the Salvation that has to come by a miracle. All those who fear their words or are in awe of them are afraid to be called Zionists, but obstreperous individuals permit themselves to split hairs about it. They gather in Simon Kumer’s store and find people like themselves and fire each other up with words that are food for the soul.
    Thus passed the days of Isaac’s youth, days that should form the foundation of a man’s future. He didn’t notice that he was spend-ing them idly, or he did notice and wasn’t worried, because his dwelling Outside the Land wasn’t worth anything in his eyes, for all of Isaac’s desire was to be in the Land of Israel. He remained alone in the shop, sitting and counting the Zionist Shekels he sold and making calculations, such as, if every single Jew gives a penny every day to the Jewish National Fund, how many acres can you buy with that small change and how many families could be settled on them. If a customer comes in to ask for some merchandise, Isaac glances at
    him like someone who is sitting on a treasure trove and people come and bother him.
I
    When Simon, Isaac’s father, saw Isaac’s activities, he was bitter and depressed and worried. He would stand in the door of his shop and wring his hands in grief, or would sit on the chair and lean his head back and blow out his lungs inside him. If you haven’t seen Simon Kumer, the father of Isaac Kumer, sitting in front of his son you never saw a father’s grief. Before his son Isaac was grown up, his wife was his helpmate, and when she passed away leaving behind her a house full of orphans, Simon expected his son would help him. And what does the son do? Is it not bad enough that he doesn’t help him, but he also drives the customers away to other shops? Simon neither quarrels with his son nor consoles him, for he has learned that neither quarreling nor conciliatory words will do any good. A curse has descended on the world, sons do not heed their fathers and fathers do not rule their sons. And Simon has despaired of getting any joy and satisfaction from his son and has started worrying lest his other sons learn from Isaac’s deeds. He pondered the matter and agreed to send Isaac where he wanted to go. True, there is no prospect for the Land of Israel, but at any rate there may be some profit in that, for when he sees there is really nothing there, he’ll come back to his hometown and settle down like everybody else, and the other sons will be saved and won’t get dragged into this nonsense.
    Simon didn’t spare his son’s dignity and would joke, For what reason do I agree to his journey? So he’ll see with his own eyes that the whole business of the Land of Israel is a fiction the Zionists made up, and he’ll remove it from his heart. Isaac heard and wasn’t vexed. For the sons of Israel, if they aren’t the sons of rich men or geniuses, grow up meekly, hear their disgrace and keep silent. And Isaac said to himself, Let Father say what he wants, in the end he will see that my way is the right one. Thus Isaac received his father’s consent to the journey. From the day he was born not a thing had been done to his desire until that thing came and was done to his desire.
I
    So great was the power of Isaac’s trust in the Lord that even the town wags who make a joke of everything didn’t laugh at him. His father began to think that perhaps God sent him to be a sustenance and a refuge for us. When Simon considered the journey, he started worrying and groaning and sighing, May I drop dead if I know where I’m going to get the money for the trip. Even if I sell all my wares it won’t be enough. And even if it is enough, nobody comes in to buy, for Isaac has already made the customers forget the way to my shop. And even if my customers do come back they don’t pay cash. All Simon Kumer’s days were worries about money. Three generations had drawn their