The Rabbi Who Tricked Stalin Page 8

Rabbi Aaron agreed with Blooma that she would be a permanent caretaker for his kid. She would arrive at his home at eleven a.m. and remain with the boy until seven p.m. when the Rabbi would return from synagogue. In the morning Aaron would stay at home, waiting for Jewish ‘clients’, who would still want Kosher butchery.

  Natalya came to see them a week after her first visit. She arrived with cash in her purse, and paid Blooma for her job- a month ahead. She received from her a written receipt, on which also Rabbi Aaron signed, as a witness.

  “The principle for providing good education to the boy,” reckoned Natalya to Blooma, “should be: to train him in his movement”.

  Aaron told Natalya, that they had been afraid to let him stand without leaning his body on something. She suggested that for going out with him, Blooma – or he - would buy a special small leather harness, tie it to his chest and back. It will be connected to the reins, which by it they will be able to control his walk, and train his movement left and right, forward and backward.

  Natalya also paid Aaron for ‘these accessories’ as she called that. She requested that on her next visit he would show her what they had done, and hand the receipt for the purchase.

  Blooma became to be a good teacher, and the little one began to advance with the harness and reins. His father, who stayed with him mainly in the morning and laid him to sleep in the evening, was happy to know every day - of some new words that he had acquired. Of course, they had been in the Yiddish language.

  Blooma tried to teach Raphael also some Russian words, which he had heard in the park, to which they used to go in the afternoon. And one important additional thing had she taught the boy: to stand and sip from a pot of water, that she told Aaron to put on the floor in the kitchen’s corner. If something happens, and there is no one with the boy- God forbid- then Raphael will not be thirsty, due to his drink from the pot - like a horse or donkey would do. . .

  One day the caretaker was washing his dirty clothes in the external tub (the toilet was in the backyard) and he remained alone. The fruits shelf was attainable to him, and he tried to bite an apple by his teeth. He became dizzy, fell down and began to scream. Luckily he had fallen on his side, like she had taught him to do in such a case.

  Blooma did not shout on him for his failure, but re-trained him how to be cautious. For that she put two cushions beside him, so that he could train a ‘smooth fall’ without being hurt.

  When Aaron came home and heard about that – he praised Blooma: “You have really a wise mind and good hands for helping the boy”, he said, and her face reddened. He saw that, and decided that next time he wouldn’t to talk about her abilities. She may delude herself, that he will become to love her some day, which he would not. He still dreams and decisively aspires to leave the vicious state - Sovet Russia. God knows that, but would not show a sign for realizing that yet… But he, Aaron Hittin, must hope. How? When? - Since the Jewish Temple had been devastated by the Romans- Prophecy has disappeared from the Jews. They are scattered over the countries, among hundreds of nations. Only after Doomday they will be redeemed. ‘But sometimes God would helps a man, who is decisive to push his fate forward’ – he reflected, ‘now I have a good example for that: My sister Gittel. She ran out from Russia - and now I have received from her a postcard, in which she tells me shortly how nice is New York. God may help some people to be lucky.’

  Aaron started to believe- for a moment- in a quite better future. It happened when Lenin, the Soviet Revolution engine, had passed away. It was on the beginning of 1924.

  The day after his death - thousands of memorial ceremonies had taken place in the Soviet Union. All was well organized. That has brought Aaron to know, that the regime would stay in power; no civil war will come out again, as others had thought.. Redemption is still very far, he told himself.

  In the Memorial day - Elya held a speech before a multitude of young and old people in the center of Minsk. He promised them:

  “The present secretary of the Party- Stalin - who is the true and ardent follower of Lenin, theoretically-deologically and practically, will fulfill Lenin’s testament, and take care to make everyone of us work, make a living, and feel much better than in the capitalistic social system.” (Maybe Elya did not know, that Lenin wrote in his testament, deposited in his wife’s hands, that the cruel, brutal and dangerous Stalin should be removed from his powerfull post. But Stalin’s propaganda has overwhelmed any rumor against him).

  At that night Elya Ruhin met Natalya, finding her in a very bad mood because of the Leader’s death. She was bewildered, saying that Lenin had been a Prophet and a Messiah together, and what will happen now? She had known, like many people, that due to his ilness- he would not stay long in office. How will the revolution continue without him? Maybe a civil war would soon arrive again. Yes, in her opinion there is a good inheritor to him – Trotsky. His enthusiastic speeches had always made her believe, that ‘a streaming revolutionary activity’ will soon bring Europe in hands of communism.

  “That is not practical,” reckoned Elya, “Darling, you can learn from the Bible: how a modest man and heavy mouthed, like Moses- had led a new nation, being buried before under the ground. Such is the man that I see as our best leader: Joseph Stalin. He finds it sufficient to be called only: The General Secretary of he Party, and he is so great –though not euphoric speaker, like others.”

  “I am sure that Leib Davidovitch Trotsky is the best,” she said, “he is a brave man. He has a deep insight about history, events, people.”

  “To your safety and well being, Natalya,” he said suddenly, “please don’t talk publicly, and even with close friends in your work. . . about such political matters. Especially about the quarrelling leaders. This is a hard time.You should know that many conspiracy theories and practices have taken place lately. Please, Please- don’t talk too much. I tell you that, because I love you - and I am worried.”

  “Are you a coward?” she asked, “why should a citizen, whose leader has died, suddenly stop talking about politics? All future leaders are in the same party, which is almost united about all the central matters. I mean, about the necessary steps to improve our social and economic life?”

  “I warn you again,” he said, and she turned her head from him in their common bed. She had moved to live together with him a few months before. He had received his two rooms flat from the communist Party. It was an old building out of the Jewish old ghetto, replenished inside.

  ‘Russia is still being ruled by absolutist rulers,’ thought Natalya, whose sleep did not come for a long time, ‘in Lenin’s time I thought that he would still bring back a regime with freedom of thoughts. . . Its seems like the Russian people have souls of slaves.. . ’

  CHAPTER 9