584 A FOLK TALE
for himself a great and beautiful name, for he was known to all as "the benefactor."
The Eabbis gave him the honor due to a pious and influential Jew, who is a wealthy man and char- itable into the bargain.
But the Jew was thinking :
"Now the Eabbis will let me into the secret which is theirs, and which they share with those only who are at once pious and rich, that great and pious Jews must have blood for Passover."
For a long time he lived in hope, but the Eabbis told him nothing, the subject was not once mentioned. But the Jew felt sure that the Count would never have lied to him, and he gave more liberally than before, thinking, "Perhaps after all it was too little."
He assisted the Eabbi of the nearest town for a whole year, so that the Eabbi opened his eyes in astonishment. He gave him more than half of what is sufficient for a livelihood.
When it was near Passover, the Jew drove into the little town to visit the Eabbi, who received him with open arms, and gave him honor as unto the most power- ful and wealthy benefactor. And all the representative men of the community paid him their respects.
Thought the Jew, "Now they will tell me of the commandment which it is not given to every Jew to observe."
As the Eabbi, however, told him nothing, the Jew remained, to remind the Eabbi, as it were, of his duty.
"Eabbi," said the Jew, "I have something very par- ticular to say to you! Let us go into a room where we two shall be alone."
