An accountant by profession, Milton Bookman felt sure that his love of books had much to do with his name. In his mid fifties, he concluded years back that a meaningful name influences its bearer. This was confirmed when he came across a Hebrew expression that roughly translated means’ ‘œa man becomes as he is named’. Be it as it may, Milton Bookman had a special love for books.
His family name had been anglicised from Buchbinder, some two generations back; his first name from the Hebrew, Menachem meaning, to console. He not only had a strong love of reading, he also enjoyed the feel of a good book in his hand.’ Like so many who enjoy a good read, a quality paper and binding increases that enjoyment in no small measure.
In order to keep his library in good condition, Milton learned to repair books. At the risk even of being labelled a romantic, he felt that books have a life of their own. As he gained experience he began receiving requests from friends and relations for a repair to a book which had become precious to its owner. Many were of a religious nature, this making them only the more valuable. Largely due to his natural tendencies to volunteer for anything going, he began fixing the prayer books of his synagogue these being in a most sorry state. The word spread that he not only fixed books that had seen better times but that he put much love into his work.
It happened one day that he was approached by a very pious, young man whom he had seen only on rare occasions in synagogue. The stranger approached holding a package. ‘œProbably,’ Milton thought, ‘œ from a set of the Talmud.’
‘œI have a very special request, Menachem – Milton used his Jewish name in synagogue. ‘œI have heard that you not only repair books but you do them with special care. My name is Itzhak Litzky. This tractate belonged to my great grandfather and is the only one left of a set destroyed in the terrible pogrom of Kishinev.’ So many were slaughtered ‘“ my great grandfather and mother among those killed.’ This is very precious to me and my family and I’™m prepared to pay whatever you want for putting it back into the best condition possible.. Will you do this? It will be a great service to me and my family. You’™ll be blessed for a good deed.’
Milton was touched not only by the man’™s obvious love for the book but its sentimental value to the family. The youth’™s hands even trembled slightly as he handed over the package.
‘œYes, I shall be glad to repair it’ Milton replied. ‘œRest’ assured, I shall treat it with the veneration it deserves. As for money, I never charge for a repair. If you give the worth of the repair to a charity, that will be quite sufficient.’
‘œMy phone number is inside the book. Thank you a thousand times, Menachem. may God reward you greatly,’
With that, and with his eyes fastened on the package until it disappeared into a briefcase Milton always carried, the man turned, leaving him wondering just how precious certain books can be to some. He decided not even to look at it until after work that day .
As occupied as he was, the book frequently broke into his thoughts. His curiosity became so strong that as soon as he reached home he felt he just must open the package without any delay ‘“ a thing he had not done before.
It was not without some tension that he removed the old volume from its wrapping. As he withdrew it he felt a kind of kinetic energy, mildly electric perhaps in his hands. He felt also a special deference towards it as he placed it on his work table and lifted the cover.
It was from a Talmud set as he had thought; the Tractate Blessings. The top cover had become disengaged completely and he found himself holding a heavy board, leather covered on one side, beautifully embossed with a leafy pattern. The paper glued to the inner side was brown with age but obviously newer than that of the back cover board which was still attached to the spine. On the inside of the front there was a hand-written text in Hebrew. He immediately recognised the special carbon ink and letters used in religious orthodox scripts in which the writer was obviously a master. He examined next the volume itself. The pages, although of a good quality had not only browned with age but had become brittle toward the edges. These he handled as one would’ dried butterfly wings. Excitement was building up in him. He was tempted to continue but hearing his wife calling urgently, decided he just had to postpone further examination until later.
That evening he returned to it, the feeling of tension still in him. He noted the Hebrew script on the inside of the front cover.’ רק ×”× ×מן ×™×ž×¦× ×›×ן ×”×מת: ‘œOnly the faithful will find here the truth.’ A natural enough inscription in a holy book but on close examination Milton noticed that the cover had not come off the book by age, for the gauze holding the front cover to the spine was of a fine quality and still strong. It had been deliberately torn off the spine.
Most repairers don’™t bother to prize off the old gauze holding the cover but simply glue a new one over it but Milton was not one to cut corners so he began separating the old gauze from the heavy board. He was surprised when the centre section came up too easily ‘“ a section of gauze had been deliberately left unglued! This he found hard to believe. When he lifted it, there was exposed part of the original, much more yellow backing sheet with another inscription upon it. Even on close examination Milton could not make sense of the words.
It took him a while to realise that it may have been encoded. He tried the simplest decoding; the movement of one letter backwards or forwards in the alphabet.
One letter backwards revealed nothing but moving a letter forward a word came to light – דלת ‘“ a door or a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Then came another: ×מות. Together they now became a measure ‘“ דלת ×מות – a little less than two square meters. His excitement strong he continued: בביה”×¢’ -‘ this could be a cemetery. Then לימין – to the right of ‘¦’ רבי יצחק זצ”ל ×–×™×¢”× The Pious Rabbi Itzhak ‘“ may his good deeds protect us .
Milton decided that he was not going to investigate any further but’ without further delay called Itzhak. You must see what I’™ve found, Itzhak. Its very exciting,’ and he handed the transcription to Itzhak with the book. ‘œAfter examination you may return it and I shall carry on with the repair.’
‘œThis is all so surprising ! I don’™t know what to say,’ said the young man much agitated. ‘œThank you, Menachem.’ He left with the precious package beneath his arm.
A few days later the matter was forgotten as far as Milton was concerned. In fact it was only some five months later that he was strongly reminded of it with a phone call from Litsky.
‘œis that you, Menachem? Itzhak. I want to see you most urgently. It’™s about the script you found in the book. Can I come?’
‘œOf course,’ Milton answered becoming excited. ‘œAbout six?’
It was promptly at six that Litsky sounded the buzzer. He entered holding two packages this time. He had hardly seated himself when he began: ‘œWe owe you a great debt, Menachem. The Rabbi named is my great grandfather after whom I, too, am named. He lived in the outskirts of Kishinev with several other communities and synagogues nearby. After the riots and killings, all dispersed.
When we came there we found the old cemetery much desecrated and without a keeper. We began our search. It took us quite some time to find my great-grandfather’™s tombstone for it had been toppled onto its face.
My brother and I with two more young men dug in the dead of night. We worked silently and with great care, We began digging at the place indicated. About fifty centimetres down we struck something solid. It turned out to be a crate. You can just imagine our excitement. It was very heavy and it was only with great difficulty that we removed it. It measured two and a half meters long by one and a half width and height. You must know that these are the proportions of the ark of the covenant.
‘œWith much difficulty, the four of us carried it to the only pious Jew still living in the area.’ The box contained religious treasures from several synagogues to protect them from desecration and looting that was sure to take place. The burial had been hastily arranged and not properly organised. Although several distinguished Rabbis had been given a note of the place, only the one you found has come to light. The find is of enormous value.
Some of the owners were located; some in New York. But most of the find was handed to the Central Rabbinical Council in Jerusalem for allocation to synagogues. Some pieces were presented to the museum. For my family and myself the grandest treasure is a scroll written in a beautiful hand by my great grandfather himself.
‘œBy you and the grace of God were we led to this great find, My family and I wish you to accept this as a token of our gratitude and thankfulness,’ and Itzhak handed Milton the second package which was somewhat larger than a shoe box.
‘œOpen it, please only after I have gone. Now, please, all that remains is for you to so kindly finish the work you began so well. With these words Itzhak’ handed over the wrapped tractate. Itzhak left, leaving Milton holding the box and the book in wonder at what the few words had brought to light. Milton looked at the first parcel. It weighed about four pounds. There was nothing written on the wrapping and he decided he would not open it until he had repaired the tractate.
For a new spine, he found among his scraps a piece of matching leather. When finished, the book not only looked good but could be handled with the comfort of knowing that it was once again firm and strong. ‘œIt’™s ready, Itzhak. You can pick it up whenever you want.’
Itzhak came that same evening. When he saw the book his joy was boundless. He turned it this way and that, opened it with eyes that glistened. ‘œHow beautiful! How remarkable! May god bless you and your God given hands, Menachem,’ Milton’ began to wonder if Itzhak would ever let go of his hand.
‘œI haven’™t opened the package you gave me, Itzhack. You know I don’™t take payment for such work.’
‘œIts not for the binding of the Tractate, Menachem. It’™s for the discovery of the message and the find. Which book repairer would peel off the old gauze? It’™s from God. It really belongs to you, Menachem. Open it, please and you will see why for yourself.’’ While Itzhack spoke he was fondling the Talmud in his hands with obvious love.
Milton opened the package which was doubly wrapped. Under its outer gift-wrapping it had another strong brown wrapping paper. What came to light was a dark, camphor-wood box with a curved cover, beautifully carved with vine leaves. The intials, M.B. were boldly engraved in the lid, each letter inset with gold-leaf. It was so beautiful, Milton just stared for a long moment enjoying the craftsmanship that went into its making. He looked at Itzhack, who, with a nod encouraged Milton to continue.
‘œNooh, open it!’, he said.
Milton did so.
Inside, contrasted beautifully against a lining of deep red velvet, was a hand-crafted gold-plated Chanukah lamp that was sheer joy to behold. Again he looked at Itzhak a query in his eyes, too overcome to speak for a moment. Finally finding speech he said, ‘œThis is a gross exaggeration for a little discovery.’ A Gross exaggeration.’
‘œI told you, Menachem. This gift is from God and, therefore, not an exaggeration.’ It was found just as you see it with all the other things in the box. We tried, God knows, to find an owner. There just wasn’™t one. Only after much thought it was my father who asked, ‘œItzhak, what’™s the name of the man who found the script ‘“ who repaired the Tractate?’
‘œMenachem Bookman,’ I replied, ‘œWhy?’
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