Tevye the Dairyman and the Railroad Stories

Entries in this glossary appear in the same order as in the text, according to page number. Included are translations, source attributions, and when necessary, explications of Tevye’s Hebrew quotations and of those made by the narrator of “Burned Out”; explanations of Jewish customs that may not be familiar to the general reader; and identifications of historical personages and events mentioned in Tevye and The Railroad Stories. Glossarized words, phrases, and names appearing more than once in the volume are generally cross-referenced — unless they occur in the same chapter or story, in which case they are listed only once. English translations of Biblical quotations use the King James text, with occasional emendations to suit the context. Translations of other Hebrew sources are my own. In the case of fragmentary quotations from the Bible, the prayer book, etc., the English translation often includes the entire verse or passage from which these are taken; in such instances, the English words that correspond to the Hebrew fragment in the text appear in italics. Quotations not translated in the glossary have already been translated in the text itself.

As mentioned in the Introduction, Tevye’s Hebrew is transliterated here according to the East European pronunciation. Readers wishing to pronounce it as he did should follow these rules:

“Kh” is a guttural pronounced like the “ch” in “Bach” or the Scottish “loch.” (In proper names like Chava or Menachem Mendl, the “ch” is pronounced in the same way.)

“Oy” is as in “boy.”

“Ey” is as in “grey.”

“Ai” and “ay” are like “ie” in “pie.”

“O” and “oh” are like “aw” in “law.”

“I” is like “ee” in “seen.”

“U” is like “oo” in “boot.”

“A” is as in “father.”

“E” and “eh” are as in “get.”

In multisyllabic words, the next-to-last syllable is generally stressed.

Tevye the Dairyman

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1 Revakh vehatsoloh ya’amoyd layehudim—“For if thou holdest thy peace at this time, then shall enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place”; Esther, 4:14.

2 Shavuos — Shavuoth or Pentecost, a two-day holiday in late spring commemorating the giving of the Torah.

3 Rashi — The acronymic name of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki of Troyes (1040–1105), whose popular commentary on the Bible is commonly read by observant Jews on the Sabbath in the course of reviewing the weekly portion from the Pentateuch.

4 Targum — The first-century Aramaic translation of the Bible by Onkelos the Proselyte that, like the commentary of Rashi, is traditionally studied with the weekly Torah reading.

5 Perek — The Mishnaic tractate of Pirkey Avot, The Ethics of the Fathers. (See this page.)

6 Zon umefarneys lakoyl—“For He is a God who nourishes and supports all life”; from the grace regularly recited after meals.

7 Mi yorum umi yishofeyl—“Who shall be raised up and who shall be brought low”; from the unesaneh toykef prayer on the High Holy Days, in which God is described as deciding the fates of everyone for the coming year. In the prayer book the phrase occurs as mi yishofeyl umi yorum, “who shall be brought low and who shall be raised up.”

8 Atoh bekhartonu—“For Thou hast chosen us among all the nations”; from the holiday prayer book.

9 Vayehi hayoym—“And it came to pass”; a common Biblical phrase introducing a new story or episode in a narrative.

10 Shimenesre—The “eighteen benedictions,” a lengthy devotion recited as part of the morning, afternoon, and evening prayers and structured around nineteen (originally eighteen) blessings, the first of which begins, “Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.” When praying by himself, a Jew says the shimenesre silently and without moving from his place — which only heightens the comedy of Tevye’s shouting the prayer out loud while running after his horse.

11 Mekhalkeyl khayim bekhesed—From the second benediction of the shimenesre, as is umekayeym emunosoy lisheyney ofor.

12 Re’ey-no be’onyeynu—From the seventh benediction.

13 Refo’eynu veneyrofey—From the eighth benediction.

14 Boreykh oleynu—From the ninth benediction.

15 Velamahhinim al tehi tikvoh—From the twelfth benediction.

16 Ov harakhamon—From the sixteenth benediction.

17 Shma koyleynu—“Hearken to our voice”; from the sixteenth benediction.

18 Khus verakheym oleynu—“Have mercy and pity us”; also from the sixteenth benediction.

19 Retsey—“Accept Thy people Israel, O Lord, our God, and hearken to its prayers, and restore its worship to Thy holy temple”; from the seventeenth benediction.

20 Hamavdil beyn koydesh lekhoyl—“Blessed art Thou, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who separateth the holy [Sabbath] from the profane [week]”; from the havdalah, the prayer formally ending the Sabbath that is said on Saturday night. Tevye’s comic rhyme implies that God not only keeps the Sabbath and the rest of the week well apart from each other, but also does the same with the rich and the poor.

21 Bemokoym she’eyn ish—“In a place where there are no men [of moral or religious stature], try to be a man”; from The Ethics of the Fathers. Tevye’s rhyme stands this adage on its head: whereas the original quotation means that in a place where ideals of conduct are disregarded one must nevertheless try to live up to them, he himself is saying that when the reality falls short of the ideal, one makes do with what there is.

22 Vehayeled eynenu—“And he returned unto his brethren and said, ‘The child is not’ ”; Genesis, 37:30.

23 Yom Kippur songs — Being a penitential fast day, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, does not have festive songs, though some of its prayers are sung in the synagogue. Tevye’s choice of these inappropriate melodies reflects how drunk he is.

24 “King Solomon wasn’t joking”—Tevye is referring to the verse in Ecclesiastes, 7:28, “One man among a thousand I have found; but a woman among all those have I not found.”

25 Koyl oyreyv lemineyhu—“Every raven after his kind”; Leviticus, 11:15.

26 Raboys makhshovoys belev ish—Proverbs, 19:21.

27 Kulom ahuvim, kulom brurim—“All are beloved, all are elect, all are intrepid, all are holy, all perform the will of their Maker in awe.” From a description of the angelic hosts in the morning prayer.

28 Yehalelkho zor—“Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth.” Proverbs, 27:2.

29 Odom yesoydoy mi’ofor—“Man is but dust.” From the High Holy Day prayer.

30 Hakoyl hevel—“All is vanity.” Ecclesiastes, 1:2.

31 Koyl dikhfin yeysey veyitzrokh—Tevye is jokingly misquoting the opening line of the Passover seder ritual. According to the Haggadah, the seder liturgy, Jews sitting down to the ceremonial meal begin by inviting the homeless and hungry to join them, saying, Koyl dikhfin yeysey veyeykhul; koyl ditzrikh yeysey veyifsakh—“Let all who are hungry come and eat; let all who are needy come and observe the Passover.” Tevye’s version, however, means, “Let all who are hungry come and be needy.”

32 “If you don’t mind my quoting King David”—Tevye is clowning, for he knows perfectly well that this verse from Ecclesiastes is attributed to King Solomon, not to King David, who is traditionally considered to be the author of Psalms.

33 Akudim nekudim uvrudim—“And behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.” Tevye likes these words from Genesis 31:10 because of their rhythm and internal rhyme, and uses them to refer a series of something without being overly pedantic about their literal meaning.

34 Begapoy yovoy uvegapoy yeytsey—“If he comes [to his master] with nothing, he shall depart with nothing.” Exodus, 21:3, from a passage dealing with the Israelite laws of slavery and manumission.

35 Rashi The “commentary” on the verse from Exodus attributed to him by Tevye is, of course, Tevye’s own

36 “I’m talking Purim costumes and you’re talking Hanukkah candles”—On Purim, the holiday celebrating the foiling of Haman’s plot to kill the Jews, it was a custom in parts of Eastern Europe to dress in costume and go mumming; on Hanukkah, which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees, candles are lit on each of the eight nights of the holiday.

37 Hazoyrim bedimoh berinoh yiktsoyru—“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” Psalms, 126:5. Tevye’s misattribution of the verse to Abraham is again deliberate buffoonery.

38 Lav akhboro ganvo—“It’s not the mouse that’s the thief, but the hole [that beckons to it].” A Talmudic proverb.

39 Revakh vehatsolohya’amoyd layehudim.

40 Vayisu misukoys—“And they journeyed from Succoth and encamped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.” Exodus, 13:20.

41 Oylim veyordim—“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth … and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.” Genesis, 28:12. Tevye seems to be associating the words either with the rotary motion of wheels or with the coming and going of supplicants to a rich man’s house.

42 Eyn oymer ve’eyn dvorim—“Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor utterance where their voice is not heard.” Psalms, 19:3.

43 Vehayeled eynenu.

44 Vayivrakh Ya’akoyv—“And Jacob fled with all that he had.” Genesis, 31:21.

45 Ka’asher ovadeti ovadeti—“If I perish, I perish.” Esther, 4:16.

46 Loy dubim veloy ya’ar—Literally, “neither bears nor woods”; a rabbinic expression (based on the story of the prophet Elisha and the bears in Kings II, 24) that means, “There’s neither hide nor hair of it,” “It’s a figment of the imagination,” etc.

47 Lekhayim veloy lamoves—“For life and not for death, for a blessing and not for a curse.” From the prayers for dew and rain.

48 Altis’haleyl beyoym mokhor—“Boast not of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what today may bring forth.” Proverbs, 27:1.

49 Vetso’akoh hane’aroh—“For he found her in the field [and abused her] and the maiden cried, and there was no one to save her.” Deuteronomy, 22:27.

50 “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away”—Job, 1:21. 341 Li hakesef veli hazohov—“The silver is mine and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of Hosts.” Haggai, 2:18.

51 Be’al korkhekho atoh khai—“Regardless of thy will thou art conceived, and regardless of thy will thou art born, and regardless of thy will thou livest, and regardless of thy will thou diest.” From The Ethics of the Fathers; a favorite quote of Tevye’s.

52 Koyl ha’odom koyzev—“I said in my haste, all men are liars.” Psalms, 116:11. Apparently Tevye is referring to the bill of goods that Menachem Mendl has sold him — unless he is confusing the verb koyzev, “lie,” with koy’ev, “hurt.”

53 Bonim gidalti veroymamti—“I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.” Isaiah, 1:2.

54 Loy mi’uktsokh veloy miduvshokh—“Neither from your sting nor from your honey”; a rabbinic expression meaning, “Just do me no harm and I’ll gladly do without your favors.”

55 Askakurdo dimaskanto dikarnaso difarsmakhto—This is a sheer nonsense phrase, although one whose Aramaic prefixes and suffixes give it a Talmudic sound.

56 Odom koroyv le’atsmoy—“A man is closest to his own self”; a rabbinic saying.

57 Im eyn kemakh eyn Toyroh—“If there is no flour, there is no Torah”; from The Ethics of the Fathers, meaning that before one can study, one has to eat.

58 Rashi Here again Tevye is putting his own words in the commentator’s mouth.

59 Rokheyl mevakoh al boneho—“A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted for her children, for they are gone.” Jeremiah, 31:15.

60 Gemara — The larger and more difficult part of the Talmud, consisting of lengthy and involved Aramaic commentary on the shorter and simpler Hebrew Mishnah.

61 Haggadah

62 Haneshomoh lokh—“The soul is thine and the body is thine.” From the penitential prayers said before the High Holy Days. For the sake of the witticism, Tevye overlooks the second half of the verse.

63 Tsoholoh vesomeykhoh—“And the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.” Esther, 8:15.

64 The hallel prayer — A prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God, composed of Psalms 113–118, that is recited in the morning service on major holidays. All Tevye’s quotations on this and the following page are from it.

65 Hashomayim shomayim ladoynai—“The heavens are the Lord’s.” Psalms, 115:16.

66 Veha’orets nosan livney odom—“But the earth He hath given to the children of men.” Psalms, 115:16.

67 Loy hameysim yehallelu yoh—“The dead praise not the Lord.” Psalms, 115:17.

68 Ve’anakhnu nevoreykh yoh—“But we will bless the Lord.” Psalms, 115:18.

69 Ohavti ki yishma—“I love [the Lord], because He hath heard my voice and my supplications.” Psalms, 116:1.

70 Ofafuni khevley moves—“The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.” Psalms, 116:3.

71 Ani omarti bekhofzi

72 Koyl ha’odom koyzev—“… all men are liars.” Psalms, 116:11.

73 Oydkho ki anisoni—“I will praise Thee, for Thou hast answered me and art become my salvation.” Psalms, 118:21.

74 Hakoyl hevel

75 The Four Questions — At the beginning of the Passover seder the youngest child present customarily asks four questions about the nature of the occasion that are designed to elicit from those present the recital of the story of the exodus. The Four Questions begin with the words ma nishtanoh—“how is this [night] different?”

76 Solakhti kidvorekho—“And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word.” Numbers, 14:20.

77 Vehashtiyoh kedos—“And the king made a feast … and the drinking was according to custom” Esther, 1:5,8.

78 Borukh shelo osoni ishoh—“Blessed be [God] that hath not made me a woman”; a blessing in the morning prayer, recited by males.

79 Bonim gidalti veroymamti

80 Veheym poshu vi—“And they have rebelled against me.” See note to this page on bonim gidalti veroymamti. Here Tevye supplies the second half of the verse that he omitted at the beginning of the story.

81 Odomyesoydoy mi’ofor vesoyfoy le’ofor. Tevye completes the quote here by adding the words vesoyfoy le’ofor—“and dust is all that remains of him.”

82 Kabdeyhu vekhoshdeyhu—A rabbinic adage meaning literally, “Respect him and suspect him,” i.e., some people must never be trusted even though you honor them.

83 Haneshomoh lokh vehaguf shelokh.

84 Kitoyvas mar’eh hi—“For she was fair to look on.” Esther, 1:11.

85 Kulonu khakhomim, kulonu nevoynim—“And even though we allarewue, we all are learned, we all are versed in the Torah, we are commanded to recite the story of the exodus from Egypt.” From the Passover Haggadah.

86 Al tishlakh yodkho—“And he said, lay not thine hand upon the lad.” Genesis, 22:12 (see Introduction, this page).

87 Vesomakhto bekhagekho—“Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days … and thou shalt rejoice in thy feast.” Deuteronomy, 16:13–14.

88 Vayehi hayoym.

89 “Help the jackass of your neighbor”—“If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden … thou shalt surely help him.” Exodus, 23:5.

90 Vaya’as eloyhim—“And God made … every thing that creepeth on the earth.” Genesis, 1:25.

91 Kulom ahuvim, kulom brurim.

92 Bekhoyl levovkho uvekhoyl nafshekho—“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” Deuteronomy, 6:5.

93 Vehayeled eynenu—See note this page.

94 Vayehi erev vayehi voyker—“And there was morning and there was evening.” Genesis, 1:5 and passim.

95 Revakh vehatsoloh ya’amoyd layehudim mimokoym akher—See note to this page. Here Tevye completes the verse by adding mimokoym akher, “from another place.”

96 Akudim nekudim uvrudim.

97 Yo’oh aniyuso leyisro’eyl—“Poverty is becoming to Israel.” The Talmudic adage implies that God gave the Jews poverty as a gift because it is spiritually good for them, but Tevye reverses its meaning.

98 Im eyn kemakh eyn Toyroh.

99 Loy bashomayim veloy ba’orets—“Not in heaven or on earth.” While the phrase bashomayim uva’orets, “in heaven and on earth,” occurs in the Bible and other Jewish sources, its formulation in the negative is Tevye’s own.

100 Bo’u mayim ad nefesh—“Save me, my God, for the waters are come in unto my soul.” Psalms, 69:1.

101 Ohavti es adoyni es ishti—“I love my master, my wife.” Exodus, 21:5.

102 Eyn Esther magedes—“And Esther spoke not of her nativity or her people.” Esther, 2:20.

103 Eyn koyl ve’eyn kosef—Tevye is thinking of the verse in Kings I, 18:29, “And it came to pass, when midday was past, they [the priests of the Baal] prophesied until the time of the evening sacrifice; yet there was neither voice … nor any heed [e’eyn koyl … ve’eyn koshev]”—but, whether intentionally or not, he has confused the word koshev, “heed,” with kosef, “money,” so that he ends up by saying. “There was neither voice nor money.”

104 Kerakheym ov al bonim—“Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.” Psalms, 103:13.

105 High Holy Days — The solemn holidays of Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which occur ten days apart in early autumn.

106 Sukkos — The seven-day holiday of Sukkoth or the Feast of Tabernacles, occurring five days after Yom Kippur, during which observant Jews eat and sometimes sleep in a sukkah, a thatch-covered hut or booth erected especially for the festivity.

107 Atoh … veshorkho … vekhamorkho—“But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: on it thou shalt not do any work, neither thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates.” Deuteronomy, 5:14. Taking advantage of the fact that the verse fails to mention one’s wife, Tevye parses veshorkho, “thy ox,” to mean “thy wife”—and since the verse makes no mention of horses either, he interprets vekhamorkho, “and thy ass,” to refer to his nag.

108 Al keyn ya’azoyv ish es oviv ve’es imoy—“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife.” Genesis, 2:24.

109 Lomoh rogshu—“Why do the heathen rage?” Psalms, 2:1.

110 The Book of Life — The divine register in which, according to both rabbinic tradition and popular Jewish belief, God annually inscribes the fate of every individual. The predestined year is said to run from one Yom Kippur to the next, the ten-day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur being set aside for entering the next year’s fates, which can still be changed for the better by penitence and good works. At the end of Yom Kippur God’s decision is stamped and sealed — yet the Book of Life is left open for last-minute changes until Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of Sukkoth, thus creating a grace period of several additional days in which one can still ward off a cruel destiny. It is only on Hoshana Rabbah that the Book is shut irrevocably for the year; hence the custom referred to by Tevye of staying up all night in prayer and study on Hoshana Rabbah eve.

111 Hoydu lashem ki toyv—“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.” Psalms, 136:1.

112 Tsa’ar gidul bonim—“The sorrows of child raising.” A rabbinic expression.

113 Ad kan hakofoh alef—“That’s the end of the first hakofoh.” A hakofoh is a circling of the synagogue with the Torah scrolls on the holiday of Simkhat Torah, the Rejoicing of the Law. Seven such rounds, accompanied by singing and dancing, take place. At the end of each the sexton announces, “That’s the end of the — hakofoh,” and the Torah scrolls change hands for the next round.

114 Eyl rakhum vekhanun—“And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth.” Exodus, 34:6.

115 Hamekhaseh am mey’Avrohom—“And the Lord said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?” Genesis, 18:17.

116 Rotsoh hakodoysh borukh hu lezakoys—“Rabbi Hananiah ben Akashya said, The Holy One Blessed Be He wished to bestow merit upon Israel and so He gave them many laws and commandments.” From The Ethics of the Fathers.

117 Midrash — See this page.

118 Gorky — Maxim Gorky (1868–1936), Russian writer and revolutionary supporter. Gorky, who burst spectacularly on the Russian literary scene in the 1890s with his stories about the Russian lower classes, was especially popular with young Jewish readers because of his outspoken opposition to anti-Semitism and his sympathy for the Jewish victims of Czarist persecution.

119 Yegia kapekho ki toykhal—“For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands.” Psalms, 128:2.

120 Meyayin boso ule’on atoh hoyleykh—“Akavia ben Mehalelel said, Keep in mind three things and you will not fall into sin: know whence you come, and whither you go, and to Whom you will owe an accounting.” From The Ethics of the Fathers.

121 Ish kematnas yodoy—“Every man as he is able.” Deuteronomy, 16:17.

122 Hanoyseyn lasekhvi binoh—“Blessed art Thou, O Lord God, King of the Universe, Who giveth the rooster knowledge to tell the dawn from the night.” From the opening blessings of the daily morning prayer.

123 Shivoh dvorim bagoylem—“The fool has seven traits and so does the wise man: the wise man does not speak to his superior in knowledge without being spoken to, and does not interrupt his companion, and does not answer rashly, and replies to the point, and puts first things first and last things last, and says ‘I do not know’ when he does not know, and always admits to the truth; and the fool does just the opposite.” From The Ethics of the Fathers.

124 Holakh Moyshe-Mordekhai—“Off went Moyshe-Mordekhai”; a parodistic pseudo-verse.

125 Ma pishi uma khatosi—“And Jacob answered and said to Laban, what is my trespass? What is my sin?” Genesis, 31:36.

126 Mah onu umeh khayeynu—“What are we and what is our life?” From the morning prayer.

127 Kerakheym ov al bonim.

128 Al tiftakh peh lasoton—“Do not open your mouth to the Devil.” A rabbinic proverb meaning, Do not speak of what you do not wish to happen, lest the evil eye bring it to pass.

129 “And against the Children of Israel not a dog stuck out its tongue.” Exodus, 11:17.

130 The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

131 Loy omus ki ekhyeh—“I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” Psalms, 118:17.

132 Be’al korkhekho atoh khai.

133 Odom kiveheymoh nidmeh—“Man … that understandeth not is like the beasts that perish.” Psalms, 49:20.

134 Oylom keminhogoy noyheyg—“The world goes on its accustomed course.” A rabbinic saying.

135 Al tistakeyl bakankan—“Rabbi [Yehuda Hanasi] said, Look not at the storage jar but at what it stores.” From The Ethics of the Fathers.

136 Kerakheym ov al bonim.

137 The ashrey—The opening section of the afternoon prayer, which begins with the verse, Ashrey yoyshvey veysekho, oyd yehalelukho seloh, “Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; they will still be praising Thee, Selah.” Psalms, 84:5.

138 The shimenesre

139 Ish lefo’aloy ve’odom le’avoydosoy—“Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labor.” Psalms, 104:23.

140 Ad kan oymrim beshabbes hagodol—“Thus far one says on the Great Sabbath.” On the Sabbath before Passover, “the Great Sabbath,” as it is called, it is customary to recite the opening section of the Haggadah. At the end of this section, therefore, many Haggadahs bear the notation “Thus far one says on the Great Sabbath,” in order to indicate where to stop.

141 Vayishkokheyhu—“And the chief butler did not remember Joseph. And he forgot him.” Genesis, 40:23.

142 Pogroms in Kishinev — See this page.

143 The new Constantution—Tevye is referring to the Constitution of 1905 (see this page), but mispronounces the Russian word. And Sholem Aleichem has made a mistake of his own here, too: since “Hodl” was published in 1904, “Chava” in 1905, and “Shprintze” in 1907, it is inaccurate for Tevye to say in “Shprintze” that the two of them have not met since the time before the 1903 Kishinev pogroms.

144 Harey ani keven shivim shonoh—“Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said, ’Lo, I am nearly seventy years old, and never did I know that one is obliged to mention the exodus at night until I heard it from ben Zoma.” From the Passover Haggadah.

145 Be’al korkhekho atoh khai.

146 Rotsoh hakodoysh borukh hu lezakoys.

147 Borukh merakheym al ha’orets—“Blessed is He Who hath mercy upon the earth.” From the prayer book.

148 Vayisu vayakhanu, vayakhanu vayisu—“And they journeyed and they camped, and they camped and they journeyed.” This is not an actual verse but rather Tevye’s version of the Biblical account of the wanderings of the Children of Israel in the desert, with its of trepeated formula of “And the Children of Israel journeyed from — and camped in—.”

149 Vayehi hayoym.

150 Shavuos. It was traditional among East European Jews to eat dairy foods on Shavuos, unlike other holidays, when meat (if affordable) was the preferred main course.

151 Lo blintzu avoyseynu bemitsrayim—Tevye has creatively taken the Biblical verse (Numbers, 10:5), “We remember the fish, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic which we did eat in Egypt,” made a Hebrew verb out of the Yiddish word blintz, and said quite Biblically to Ahronchik, “My wife will serve you such blintzes fit for princes as our forefathers never blintzed in Egypt.”

152 Kesef vezohov ma’asey yedey odom—“The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.”—Psalms, 115:4.

153 Hashomayim shomayim ladoynai.

154 A Jew doesn’t ride on Shavuos — Among the activities that are prohibited to observant Jews on Sabbaths and most major holidays is traveling in any form except by foot.

155 Hashleykh al hashem—“Cast upon the Lord thy burden.” Psalms, 55:22.

156 Vayehi erev vayehi voyker.

157 “The wise man has eyes in his head.” Ecclesiastes, 2:14.

158 Holakh Moyshe-Mordekhai.

159 Raboys makhshovoys belev ish—“Many are the thoughts in a man’s heart but the counsel of the Lord shall prevail.” Proverbs, 19:21.

160 Keshoyshanoh beyn hakhoykhim—“As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.” Song of Songs, 2:2.

161 Sheli shelkho and shelkho sheli—“What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine.” Tevye is alluding to the saying in The Ethics of the Fathers that goes, “There are four kinds of men. [He who says,] ‘What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is yours’ is the average man … [He who says,] ‘What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is yours’ is the artless man. [He who says,] ‘What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is yours’ is the righteous man. [He who says,] What’s yours is mine and what’s mine is mine’ is the wicked man.”

162 There’s a time for everything, as King Solomon once said—“To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose.” Ecclesiastes, 3:1.

163 My tongue clove to my mouth, as the Bible says—“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my tongue cleave to my mouth.” Psalms, 137:5.

164 Koyl zman shehaneshomoh bekirbi—“As long as the soul is in me, I shall thank Thee, O God and God of my fathers.” From the daily morning prayer.

165 Two mountains never meet … — A rabbinic proverb.

166 Al tistakeyl bakankan.

167 Im kevonim im ka’avodim—“Judge us whether as [Thy] sons or as [Thy] servants: if as sons, pity us as a father pities his sons; and if as servants, our eyes are cast to Thy mercy.” From the Rosh Hashanah service. Tevye first wrenches the phrase out of its religious context and then, in his next sentence, restores it there.

168 Ki zeh koyl ha’odom—“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God and keep His commandments, for that is the whole of man.” Ecclesiastes, 12:13.

169 Mah onu umeh khayeynu.

170 I hired a Jew to say the mourner’s prayer — During the year following a death in his immediate family, a male Jew is required to recite the kaddish, the mourner’s prayer, several times daily in the synagogue. (The kaddish is one of the few prayers that cannot be said in solitude.) Since there is no synagogue in Tevye’s village and a daily trip to Boiberik or Yehupetz is impractical, he has no choice but to pay someone else to say the prayer for him — a common practice in such circumstances.

171 Charm is a liar and Beauty a cheat—“Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” Proverbs, 31:30.

172 Makdim rakhamim leroygez—“For all men believe that He is slow to anger: the Merciful One Whose pity comes before His wrath.” From the High Holy Day service.

173 Vayehi hayoym.

174 The name rings a bell from the Bible — Tevye is thinking of Gamliel the son of Pedahtsur, the head of the tribe of Menasheh. (Numbers, 2:20.)

175 Lanokhri toshikh—“Unto a stranger [Gentile] thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother [Israelite] thou shalt not.” Deuteronomy, 23:20. The Bible permits the Israelite to lend money at interest only to the non-Israelite, since to his brother he is commanded to lend it free; Tevye, however, humorously construes “usury” to mean bribery.

176 Lay orkhu hayomim—“Before many days went by.” A pseudo-verse: the phrase orkhu hayomim, “the days went by,” occurs in the Bible, but not in the negative.

177 Holakh Moyshe-Mordekhai.

178 Vayeyleykh khoronoh—“And he [Jacob] went to Haran.” Genesis, 28:10.

179 Mah zeh ve’al mah zeh—“Then Esther called for Hatach, one of the king’s chamberlains … and gave him a commandment to Mordecai to know what it was and why it was.” Esther, 4:5. Here Tevye makes a question of it, i.e., what’s the point of it all?

180 Lehoyshivi im nedivim—“He raiseth the poor man up out of the dust … that He may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.” Psalms, 113:7–8.

181 Royv godloy veroyv oshroy—“The multitude of his riches and wealth.” Tevye is misquoting, apparently unintentionally: the verse he has in mind (Esther, 5:11) reads, “And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted him [gidloy; Tevye reads it godloy—“his wealth”].”

182 Lomoh zeh anoykhi—“And she [Rebecca] said, If it be so, why am I thus?” Genesis, 25:22.

183 Mah yoym miyomim—“What is [different about] this day among days?” A rabbinic expression.

184 Mekimi mi’ofor dal—“He raiseth up the poor out of the dust …” Psalms, 113:7. From the hallel prayer.

185 Meyashpoys yorim evyoyn—“ … And lifteth the needy out of the dunghill.” Psalms, 113:7.

186 Shloyshoh she’okhlu—“Rabbi Simeon says, Three men who eat together at the same table and speak no words of Torah may as well have eaten the flesh of a pagan sacrifice.” The Ethics of the Fathers.

187 “A righteous man knows the soul of his beast.” Proverbs, 12:10.

188 Marbeh nekhosim marbeh da’ogoh—“He [Hillel the Elder] used to say, Much meat, many worms, much possessions, many worries.” The Ethics of the Fathers.

189 Loy dubim veloy ya’ar.

190 Holakh le’oylomoy—“He has gone to his world.” A rabbinic euphemism for saying someone has died.

191 What Onkelos has to say in his Targum.

192 Miznavto dekhazirto loy makhtmen shtreimilto—A comic concoction of Aramaic and Yiddish meaning, as Tevye tells Podhotzur, that one cannot make a shtreimel, a Hasidic round fur hat, out of the tail of a pig.

193 Wailing Wall — The western wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the one remaining feature of the destroyed Temple and the holiest of Jewish shrines.

194 Rachel’s Tomb — A small mausoleum near Bethlehem supposedly containing the grave of the matriarch Rachel, who died in childbirth, according to the Bible, on her way to that city. It is traditionally a place where Jews, particularly women, come to ask for their prayers to be granted.

195 Cave of the Patriarchs — A structure in Hebron which is a shrine for Jews and Moslems. According to popular belief it houses the graves of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob, and Leah.

196 Kheyt shekhotosi lefonekho—“The sin that I have sinned before Thee.” A recurrent phrase in the confessional section of the Yom Kippur prayer.

197 Vayisu vayakhanu.

198 Im eyn ani li mi li—“He [Hillel the Elder] said, If I am not for myself, who will be? And if I am for myself what am I? And if not now, when?” The Ethics of the Fathers.

199 Veyoda shor koyneyhu—“The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master’s crib.” Isaiah, 1:3. Tevye is punning here, as koyneyhu, “his owner,” can also mean “his buyer.”

200 Zeh khelki mikoyl amoli—“And this was my portion of all my labor.” Ecclesiastes, 2:10.

201 Each of the hundred-and-seven-and-twenty lands of King Ahasuerus — Esther, 1:1.

202 Harey ani keven shivim shonoh.

203 Shmo’eyni—“And Abraham … spoke unto Ephron, saying … I pray thee, hear me.” Genesis, 23:12–13.

204 What Bible reading — The Pentateuch is traditionally divided into fifty-four weekly readings (there are occasional doublings), each chanted in the synagogue on one Sabbath of the year. Each reading is named for one or two of the words occurring in its first verse; thus the third reading in Genesis, which starts with Genesis, 12:1, is called Lekh-Lekho, “Get thee out.”

205 Lekh-lekho … meyartsekho … umimoyladitkho … el ha’orets asher arekko—“And the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee.” Genesis, 12:1.

206 Al tashlikheynu le’eys ziknoh—“Cast us not away [O Lord] in our old age.” From the penitential and High Holy Day prayers.

207 Al hatoyroh ve’al ha’avoydoh—“Simeon the just … said that the world rests on three things: on Torah and on work and on charity.” The Ethics of the Fathers. Tevye is being ironical, of course: the only “Torah” Motl knew was work itself.

208 Vayomos Moysheh—“And Moses died.” Deuteronomy, 34:5.

209 The battel prayer.

210 Mekimi … mi’ofor dal.

211 Oylim veyordim.

212 Be’al korkhekho atoh khai.

213 Nakhzor le’inyoneynu harishon—“Let us return to our original matter.” A rabbinic expression used to terminate a digression in a scholarly discussion.

214 The story of the Amalekites — Exodus, 17.

215 “Then came Amalek and fought with Israel.” Exodus, 17:8.

216 Bo’u mayim ad nefesh.

217 Ka’asher ohavti—“And Isaac … called Esau, his eldest son, and said unto him … make me savory meat, such as I love.” Genesis, 27:1,4. Tevye, however, means “such as you love.”

218 Vayehi bimey Mendel Beilis—“And it came to pass in the days of Mendel Beilis.” On the Beilis case, see Introduction, this page.

219 Zdrastvoytye—“Good day” in Russian.

220 Tsoras rabbim khatsi nekhomoh—“The troubles of others are half a comfort [for one’s own].” A rabbinic proverb.

221 Mah onu umeh khayeynu.

222 Li hashomayim veli ha’orets—“The heavens are mine and the earth is mine.” Psalms, 89:12; there, though, it says, “The heavens are Thine and the earth is Thine too.”

223 Lekh-lekho meyartsekho.

224 El ha’orets asher arekko.

225 Ad kan oymnm beshabbes hagodol.

226 Kerakheym ov al bonim.

227 Eyl erekh apoyim—A long-suffering God.

228 Solakhti kidvorekho.

229 Bonim uvney vonim—“Sons and sons of sons.” A rabbinic expression for “sons and grandsons.”

230 Mi ke’amkho yisro’eyl goy ekhod—“And who in the whole earth is like the one nation, thy people Israel?” Samuel II, 7:23. A vintage Tevyism. Whereas in the Bible the word goy simply means “nation” and refers here to the Israelites themselves, Tevye construes it in the postbiblical sense of “Gentile” and ungrammatically but ingeniously reinterprets the verse to mean: how can even one goy (goy ekhod) be like a Jew (ke’amkho yisro’eyl)?

231 Ashrekho yisro’eyl—“Happy art thou, 0 Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord?” Deuteronomy, 33:29.

The Railroad Stories

232 Places Jews are barred from — See this page — this page.

233 “As much as a catcall on Purim bothers Haman”—On the holiday of Purim, when the Book of Esther is read in the synagogue, it is customary for the congregation to boo, stamp its feet, and jeer whenever the name of Haman is mentioned.

234 Darovanomu konyu vzuby nye smotryat—Russian: “One doesn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”

235 Rashi.

236 Vedno pana po kholavakh—Russian: “You can tell a squire by his boots.”

237 Sukkos.

238 Eating a chicken cooked in butter — Jewish dietary laws forbid the eating of meat and dairy products together.

239 Going beardless or hatless — Not shaving one’s beard and keeping one’s head covered at all times are two of the hallmarks of the Orthodox Jew and (a litmus test mentioned more than once in The Railroad Stories) the chief signs by which he is immediately recognized as such by other Jews.

240 Matsoh Fund — In the days before Passover it was customary in Jewish communities to collect money for the poor to enable them to buy matsos — the flat, unleavened bread eaten on the holiday — and other necessities.

241 A lulav and esrog — The lulav, or palm shoot, and esrog, or citron, are both part of the Sukkos ritual. Since neither was grown in Russia, they had to be brought by special dealers from abroad.

242 Chto nada—Russian: “Is there something [that you want]?”

243 Chtotakoye, golubchik—Russian: “What is the matter, my pigeon?”

244 Nichevo—Russian: “There’s no need.”

245 Purishkevich — V. N. Purishkevich (1870–1920), leader of the anti-Semitic faction in the Duma, the Russian parliament, and founder of “the Black Hundreds” (see this page).

246 Azef — Yevno Fishelevich Azef (1869–1918), a secret agent of the Russian police planted in the illegal Social-Revolutionary Party, where he rose to a top position while informing on its members and activities.

247 Nikolai the First — Czar of Russia from 1825 to 1855.

248 Blessing the New Moon — In accordance with the lunar nature of the Jewish calendar, it is customary among Orthodox Jews to hold a prayer for the new moon at the beginning of every month. The ceremony is held outdoors — where, the moon being young, there is little light in the absence of artificial illumination.

249 Emigration Committee — An arm of the Jewish Colonization Association, an organization established by the Jewish philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch (1831–1896) for the purpose of encouraging Jewish rural settlement in Argentina.

250 Yeshiva — An advanced school for Talmudic studies and the training of Orthodox rabbis.

251 Hanukkah candles.

252 Elul — The last month of the Hebrew year, occurring in late summer; it is followed by the month of Tishri with its High Holy Days. During Elul it is customary for observant Jews to rise each day before dawn for special penitential prayers in the synagogue and to visit the graves of loved ones.

253 Artsybashev — See this page.

254 Bohopoli, Heysen, etc. — Towns in the southern Ukraine, several hundred miles southwest of the Kiev (“Yehupetz”) region.

255 Witte — Count Sergei Yulievich Witte, Russian statesman and a rail-road engineer himself. He served as minister of communications in 1892.

256 Poliakov — Lazarus Poliakov, a rich Russian Jewish banker who lived in Moscow.

257 Hoshana Rabbah — See note to p. 67 on the Book of Life. 1861 Sukkos.

258 Waved his palm branch

259 It’s only half a holiday — The major Jewish holidays, such asSukkoth, are divided into yomim toyvim (singular, yom tov), days on which most of the restrictions in force on the Sabbath, including that on work and travel, apply, and khol hamo’ed, days on which they do not. Hoshana Rabbah is a khol hamo’ed day, but the following day, Shemini Atzeret, the Day of Solemn Assembly, is a yom tov. It is followed by Simchat Torah.

260 The Book of Life.

261 Simkhes Toyroh — The holiday of Simchat Torah, which celebrates the completion of the yearly cycle of Torah readings. It is a day on which there is much dancing, singing, and sometimes drinking, and is considered the merriest festivity of the Jewish year.

262 A married woman’s hair — Among Orthodox Jews a married woman’s hair must be covered at all times. (Among the extreme Orthodox, it is commonly shaved before marriage, the bare scalp being covered by a kerchief or wig.)

263 Put up his samovar on the Sabbath — Among the many Sabbath restrictions is one on lighting fires and cooking food.

264 Tisha b’Av — A fast day, commemorating the destruction of the Temple, occurring in midsummer.

265 Koshering his dishes for Passover — In accordance with the prohibition on keeping any leaven or leavened foods in the house during the eight days of Passover, observant Jews either change all their dishes for the holiday or else “kosher,” that is, ritually purify, the dishes they have been using.

266 Tallis koton—A small, rectangular undergarment that slips over the head and has fringed tassles hanging from each of its four corners. It is worn at all times by observant male Jews, in obedience to the commandment, “And the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, Speak unto the Children of Israel and bid them that they make them fringes on the borders of their garments, throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a riband of blue.” Numbers, 15:37.

267 Tefillin — The phylacteries, or leather thongs, to which are attached small, hollow cubes containing verses written on parchment, that a Jew binds to his arm and forehead every morning when praying. This is in accordance with the biblical commandment, “And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.” Deuteronomy, 6:8.

268 General Tolmachov — The governor of Odessa and a well-known and-Semite.

269 Sixty-six — A two-handed card game belonging to the pinochle family. It is played with a 24-card deck, containing the ace, king, queen, jack, ten, and nine of each suit, and the cards rank in that order except for the ten, which is next-highest to the ace. Points are scored for king-queen melds or marriages (40 for a trump marriage, otherwise 20) and for tricks taken, and the first player to score 66 points wins the hand. If his opponent has over 33 points, the winner is awarded one “game-point”; under 33, two game-points; and none at all, three game-points. Seven game-points generally win a match.

270 Tallis — The fringed prayer shawl worn by observant Jews during the morning prayer.

271 Tefillin.

272 Hanukkah.

273 A two in arithmetic — In the Russian system, students were graded on a scale of one to five.

274 Chto vam ugodno—Russian: “What is it that you want?”

275 Gospodin Direktor, etc. — These words, spoken in broken Russian, are translated by the father himself in the lines that follow.

276 Tak chto-zhe vam ugodno—Russian: “But what is it that you want?”

277 A guaranteed … exemption — Only sons, according to Russian law, were automatically excused from the army.

278 Itsik — An affectionate form of Yitzchok, the Hebrew for “Isaac.”

279 Alter — When a child was seriously ill or otherwise feared for, it was the custom among East European Jews to change his name for good luck. Alter, which means “old one” in Yiddish, was one of the substitute names most frequently used, the belief being that it would throw the Angel of Death off the child’s tracks.

280 Eisik — The Germanized form of “Isaac,” which also had currency among Yiddish-speaking Jews as a name.

281 Government rabbi — As a way of tightening its control over the Jewish communities under its rule, which preferred to conduct their internal affairs with minimal recourse to civil authority, the Russian government enacted a law in 1857 requiring each community to employ a publicly licensed or “crown” rabbi, who was a graduate of a state-run rabbinical school. Such rabbis, who acted as go-betweens for the community and the government bureaucracy, were held in low esteem by the Jewish population, which made as little use of them as possible.

282 Molodyets—Russian: “wonderful!”

283 Stupaytye—Russian: “Get out of here!”

284 Stupaytye, vi nodoyedli veyevrei—“Get out of here, you Jewish pest!”

285 Baron de Hirsch.

286 Amo pezizo—“The impulsive people.” A rabbinic epithet for the Jews, based on a traditional commentary on the Israelites’ answer to Moses when making ready to receive the Law at Mount Sinai (Exodus, 24:7), “We will obey it and hear it”—for, as the rabbis pointed out, “We will [first] hear it and [then, if it suits us] obey it,” would have been the more prudent response. On the narrator’s use of Hebrew quotations, see this page — this page.

287 Oylom keminhogoy.

288 Bekharbi uvekashti—“Moreover, I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.” Genesis, 48:22.

289 Kidibo’ey—“As is proper.” A common Talmudic term.

290 Begapoy yovoy uvegapoy yeytsey.

291 Al tehi boz lekhoyl bosor—“Show disdain for no man”; a misquotation from The Ethics of the Fathers, which has odom instead of bosor. Although bosor also means “man,” its primary meaning is “flesh” or “meat,” which may be why the narrator associates it with garlic. In any case, though, he clearly does not know what he is saying.

292 Koyl yisro’el khaveyrim—“All Jews are brethren.” A rabbinic saying.

293 Hamibli eyn kvorim bemitsrayim—“And they said unto Moses, Are there not enough graves in Egypt that thou hast taken us to die in the wilderness?” Exodus, 14:11.

294 Tovar voborotye—Russian: “The merchandise is moving.”

295 Ulai yerakheym—“Perhaps He will have mercy.” There seems to be no traditional source for this quote.

296 Pshoyt neveyloh … ve’al titstoreykh—“[Better to] skin carcasses in the marketplace [for a living] rather than depend on others.” A Talmudic proverb.

297 Koyl dikhfin yeysey veyitzrokh.

298 Hekhiloysoh linpoyl … nofoyl tipoyl—“Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him [Haman], If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but thou shalt surely fall before him.” Esther, 6:13.

299 Tallis kotons.

300 Tomus nafshi im plishtim—“Let me die with the Philistines.” Judges, 16:30.

301 Purishkevitch.

302 A heder teacher — The heder was a schoolroom in which small children were taught beginning subjects, mostly religious ones.

303 The Torah reader — Reading the weekly portion of the Torah in the synagogue is a highly specialized task, as the reader must know by heart the chant notes, vocalization, and punctuation of the text, none of which appear in the Torah scroll itself.

304 Pravozshitelestvo, Gospodin Yevrei—Russian: “Your permit, Mr. Jew!”

305 Khorosho, Gospodin Obradchik—“All right, Mr. Cleric.”

306 Prayer group — Though any Jew can pray privately, ten male Jews (a minyan) are needed for public prayer to be held.

307 Deathday — On the Hebrew anniversary, the yortsayt, as it is called in Yiddish, of a family member’s death, a memorial candle is lit and the male survivors are expected to say the kaddish — which can only be recited in a minyan.

308 Girded his waist — Extremely pious Jews belt their jackets at the waist when they pray, in order to symbolically divide the upper or “spiritual” part of themselves from the lower or “animal” part.

309 Ashrey yoyshvey veysekho ….

310 On the eighth day — The day of life on which, barring illness, all Jewish male children are circumcised. The circumcision too must be performed in the presence of a minyan.

311 Sholem aleykhem—See this page — this page.

312 After the candles had been lit — The lighting and blessing of the Sabbath candles on Friday evening marks the onset of the day of rest.

313 Hallah — The braided bread that is blessed after the wine and the ritual washing of hands at the beginning of the Sabbath meal.

314 But it was the holy Sabbath — Among the many acts prohibited on the Sabbath are lighting and extinguishing a fire. Jewish law, of course, permits the Sabbath to be violated when human life is endangered, but to a sufficiently pious Jew the mere burning down of his house does not fall into that category. Furthermore, though a non-Jew is allowed to put out the fire, the Jew must not openly request him to do so, for that too would be a violation of the Sabbath laws.

315 Chvedka, serdtse—Russian: “dearest Chvedka.”

316 Never before … had he been without a hat.

317 Tefillin.

318 Kiddush wine — The wine, generally sweet, that is blessed at the beginning of Sabbath and holiday meals.