As he invariably came to
the synagogue for the morning prayer, and never left it until after
the evening service, his breakfasts and dinners were brought to the
house of worship. His wife usually came with the meal herself.
Waiting on one's husband and "giving him strength to learn the
law" was a "good deed."
She was a large woman with an interesting dark face, and poor
Reb Sender cut a sorry figure by her side
Men of his class are described as having "no acquaintance with the
face of a coin." All the money he usually handled was the penny
or two which he needed to pay for his bath of a Friday afternoon.
Occasionally he would earn three or four copecks by participating
in some special prayer, for a sick person, for instance. These
pennies he invariably gave away. Once he gave his muffler to a
poor boy. His wife subsequently nagged him to death for it. The
next morning he complained of her to one of the other scholars
"Still," he concluded, "if you want to serve God you must be ready
to suffer for it. A good deed that comes easy to you is like a
donation which does not cost you anything.
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