The Yeshiva
Covers of volumes 1 and 2
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| Author | Chaim Grade |
|---|---|
| Original title | צמח אטלס |
| Translator | Curt Leviant |
| Cover artist |
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| Language | Yiddish |
| Published |
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| Pages | 394 (v1), 399 (v2) |
| ISBN | (v1) (v2) |
The Yeshiva is an English translation by Curt Leviant of the Yiddish novel Tsemakh Atlas (צמח אטלס) by Chaim Grade. It was published in two volumes in Yiddish and also in translation. It was also published in a Hebrew translation, with the same title as the Yiddish.
The first volume was published as if it were standalone, with no volume number and no mention of a continuation. The second volume was subtitled "Volume II: Masters and Disciples." The second volume, and later books by Grade (for example, Rabbis and Wives) explicitly refer to the first volume as "Volume I" in their "by the same author" lists.
The main protagonist is Tsemakh Atlas, who at the beginning of the novel is a junior Novaredker rabbi sent out to open his own yeshiva in a small town. He grapples with his uninspired devotion, atheist-leaning doubts, and frequent disapproval of most everybody's behavior, based on the tenets of the Musar movement.
The character of Reb Avraham-Shaye the Kosover is very closely based on Reb Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz from Kosova, commonly known as the Chazon Ish. As is common, the rabbi is known by the title of his most famous work. The title Chazon Ish is Hebrew for Vision of Man, but "ish" in Hebrew can be understood as an acronym for Avraham Yeshaya, that is, the title is Vision of Avraham Yeshaya. In the novel, the fictional Kosover's most famous work is The Vision of Avraham.
The character of Chaikl Vilner is very closely based on Grade himself. The name is one Grade had used as his persona in poetry: Chaikl is the diminutive of Chaim and a Vilner is someone who hails from Vilna. In the novel, further similarities are that Chaikl is the son of a Hebrew teacher and maskil, as was Grade, Chaikl's father is named Shlomo-Motte, a Yiddish corruption of Grade's father's name Shlomo Mordechai, and just like Grade learned extensively with the Chazon Ish, so too does Chaikl learn extensively with Reb Avraham-Shaye.
Tsemakh Atlas is an advanced Talmudic student/teacher in Nareva, committed to the Musar philosophy, which puts him at odds with most of his fellow Jews, observant or not, learned or not. He initially spends his time recruiting children from the Soviet Union, mostly without their parents' permissions, and smuggles them into Lithuania. After the death of Rav Yosef-Yoizl Hurwitz, his rabbi sends Tsemakh to Amdur to found a new yeshiva, knowing this mission will not succeed. Tsemakh ends up engaged to the plain, quiet daughter of an Amdur storekeeper, but he is told by townspeople that the man is vicious and cruel, and certainly lying about the dowry. He flees to Lomzhe, his hometown where his aunt and uncle live. Their three sons work for Volodya Stupel, a wealthy flour merchant who fondly remembers Tsemakh from childhood school days, but whose arrogance offends Tsemakh. Tsemakh meets Volodya's sister Slava, a wild and vivacious beauty who is so impressed by Tsemakh that she decides to definitely break up with her married lover and instead to marry Tsemakh. When he doesn't return, after a few days Slava befriends Tsemakh's aunt and pays her own visit, impressing Tsemakh with her displays of ordinary kindness.
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