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SYNOPSIS OF
HERMAN LIEBERMAN'S "DER NAYDER" (prepared by Maximilian
Hurwitz)
Introductory
Note: "Der nayder" (The Vow)" is described by the author as
a folk drama. Save for its happy ending, it might also be
described as a tragedy in the Aristotelian sense, that is,
one in which misfortune comes to essentially good and noble
people because of some fault in human nature, or through
circumstances beyond their control Rochele, the heroine of
the drama, is a sweet and gentle girl, dutiful daughter, and
devoted wife who comes to grief because she once had a love
affair with a Gentile boy. The story of her sin, atonement,
and final redemption forms the theme of the play, a play
abounding in finely etched characters, dramatic situations,
and quiet humor, and enacted against an Old World background
of fifty years ago, with its profoundly religious life,
wonder-working rabbi, quaint superstitions, and colorful
folkways.
The author of
the play, Herman Lieberman, is on the editorial staff of the
Jewish Daily Forward. He is a brilliant essayist and
literary critic, whose Catholic taste ranges from Dante to
Schnitzler. Of his many published books, perhaps the finest
is "Eugene O'Neill: An American Dramatist."
PROLOGUE
Rochele, only
daughter of the patriarchal Shloima, a wealthy and pious
Chassid, is about to be married to Yisroel, a learned,
handsome and rich young man of fine family, whom her parents
have chosen for her. Now Jewish brides in Eastern Europe
shed tears in profusion on their wedding day, but Rochel's
grief is more than usual. This does not escape the notice of
her mother Rivka, who is naturally fearful for her only
child; but to all her questions, Rochele gives only evasive
replies. The secret of her sorrow is Volodia, son of the
Greek Orthodox priest who lives next door They have long
been in love, but neither would hurt his or her parents by a
change of religion. Rochele is not overjoyed when Malania,
her faithful but rough-spoken Gentile nurs, who has sensed
her secret, brings her a love potion with which to win
Yisroel's affection When, contrary to the custom, the bride
is left alone for a moment, Volodia steals in for a final
parting.
ACT ONE
Eight
years later. Rochele has proven a model wife, and Yisroel
loves her dearly. She has born him three children, all of
whom, however, died in their infancy. Now she is with child
again. In order to invoke divine mercy upon the unborn
child, Isroel, upon advice of the Rabbi has hired a pious
Torah scribe to write the Law upon a scroll on parchment for
presentation to the synagogue. The idea of saving the life
of the unborn child in this manner disgusts Yisroel's sister
Golda, a sour old maid and village atheist, combining the
worst features of each, who keeps on telling Yisroel that
the reason his children die is because Rochele is a sickly
woman. When the Scroll of the Law is finished save for the
last three letters, a celebration is arranged at Yisroel's
home to which the Rabbi and other prominent men of the town
are invited. Yisroel donates hundreds of roubles to charity
for the privilege of writing the last three letters of the
sacred text. Thereupon the Rabbi delivers a short sermon,
basing his text on the verse in which the Lord is described
as "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children,
and upon the children's children, unto the third and unto
the fourth generation." His remarks terrify Rochele, who now
feels that her children have perished because of her sin.
When the Rabbi calls upon her to place the silk mantle over
the scroll, she approaches with faltering steps, then
collapses. Thereupon he sends everyone out of the room, and
soon obtains a full confession from her. She tells him how
one night, before her betrothal to Yisroel, she felt
restless and went to sit under the cherry tree which her
father had planted in his garden on the day of her birth;
she fell into a deep slumber, and when she awoke, she found
herself in the arms of Volodia. She tells him also how, when
her third child lay dying, it asked to be kissed by its
mother; but before she could touch its lips, the infant
passed away. The Rabbi tells her that this was because the
pure soul of the child did not want her unclean kiss. She
implores the Rabbi for a penance with which to atone for her
sin, and he makes her take a vow not to kiss the child soon
to be born from the moment of its birth until the moment
when it shall stand under the marriage canopy. After she
makes her vow, he summons the people back into the room; the
celebration is resumed where it was interrupted, following
which the Scroll of the Law is carried in procession to the
synagogue.
ACT TWO
In due time
Rochele gives birth to a fourth child, a girl named Zirele.
In order not to be tempted to break her vow, Rochele keeps
away from the child, -- so much so, that the whole town is
gossiping about her coldness to Zirele, now a girl of five.
And now Zirele is in turn gravely ill, with a doctor in
attendance day and night. The doctor declares that unless
the child can manage to fall asleep, her case is hopeless.
All sorts of superstitious practices are resorted to in a
vain effort to save her; she is "sold" to a woman who has
never lost a child; she is given a new name, etc. Finally,
the child, whose playmates used to tease her because her
mother never kissed her, begins to cry in her delirium for
Rochele to come and kiss her. The doctor declares that if
the child's wish is granted she may calm down, fall asleep
and recover. Rochele runs to the Rabbi for advice whether or
not to break her vow. The Rabbi, in mystical, oracular
words, devolves the great moral decision upon herself.
Rochele, more mystified and forlorn than ever, returns home,
where she is met by her husband and family who implore and
demand that she kiss the child. In order not to weaken, she
flees from her home and disappears.
ACT THREE
Ten years
later. Rochele has never been seen since her disappearance,
and it is generally believed that she is dead. Her daughter
Zirele, on the other hand, recovered from her illness and
developed into a healthy and beautiful girl. At the Rabbi's
command, she was betrothed at an early age. He also ordered
that a great feast be prepared for the poor on her wedding
day, and that news of the feast be spread far and wide so
that the poor of the whole district might come. As the
curtain goes up, the great day is at hand, and we witness
typical wedding-day scenes such as were common in the
smaller Russian-Jewish communities of that period. Though
everything is ready for the ceremony, the Rabbi keeps on
delaying it. Finally he sends word that they may start it.
It commences in the presence of a larger number of wedding
guests and beggars, with the traditional prayer for the
dead, in this case the bride's mother, Rochele. But at the
first mention of her name, Rochele steps forth from among
the beggars. They all think it is her ghost ,and implore her
to return to her grave. But just then the Rabbi arrives and
tells her that her ordeal is at an end, and now she may kiss
her daughter. She asks to see the bridegroom and is
astonished to find out that he is the son of her deceased
lover, Volodia. The bridegroom tells her that before his
father died, he called him to his bedside and told him that
he too had loved a Jewish girl, but had lacked the courage
to change his religion: then he bade him become a Jew. |
