Gestural......the Language of Sign

[Guest guest]

Fifteenth century, Italy. These were terrible times for the Jews. A

day did not go by without adding another humiliation or hardship to

their miserable existence. But this last blow was the worst.

 

That morning, the wicked bishop of the town had summoned the chief

rabbi to challenge the Jewish community to a theological debate—

through sign language! If the Jews' champion lost, they would all be

put to death. If they won, they would be allowed to live in peace.

 

His heart sinking, the rabbi gathered the congregation in the great

synagogue and broke the terrible news. They had thirty days to select

a candidate. If none appeared at the debate, they would lose by

default.

 

Frantic questions raced through the air.

 

" Who will represent us? "

 

" Who has mastered Christian theology? "

 

" Who knows sign language? "

 

No candidate could be found. The rabbi declared a period of mourning

and instructed the community to spend the month in fasting and

prayers. Maybe the Almighty would inspire someone to take up the

challenge…

 

 

 

Days turned into weeks, and still no one came forward. On the eve of

the appointed day, a poultry trader returned from his business

travels. Finding his home empty, he went to the usually bustling

market, which was closed. " What happened? " he wondered " Did the

plague strike here? "

 

Roaming throughout the town, he eventually found the entire community

huddled inside the great synagogue. There were his neighbors, his

friends, and, at last, there was his family.

 

" Hello there, what is going on? Why the pale faces, and the tears?

Someone pretty important must have died… "

 

" Oh Daniel, you were away, you do not know the calamity that has

befallen us. By tomorrow, we will all be dead. " They explained the

situation.

 

" That's all? No problem. I'll be your man. " Daniel walked over to the

chief rabbi and sought his blessings.

 

" Lord, is this truly our savior, " wondered the rabbi, " an uncouth,

illiterate poultry-trader? " He reflected for a moment on God's

mysterious ways. " Thy will be done, " he said to himself, and blessed

Daniel. " May the Lord Almighty inspire you and deliver us from evil. "

 

The next morning, Daniel stood calmly in front of the bishop in the

great cathedral, his favorite hen tucked under his arm.

 

" The cream of the Jewish scholars, no doubt " thought the bishop,

sneering at this pitiful contender.

 

 

Launching the attack, the bishop stuck out three fingers high in the

air. Daniel immediately raised his palm.

 

The bishop lifted the chalice of consecrated wine and the holy wafer

above his head, to which the poultry trader responded by taking an

apple from his pocket.

 

Finally, the bishop took a handful of grains and scattered them with

a flourish on the ground. Daniel set his pet chicken down where she

quickly gobbled up all the seeds.

 

The bishop remained silent for a long time. He finally rose and went

to embrace the merchant. " I concede you the debate. If all Jews share

only a fraction of your profound wisdom, you are indeed a noble

people who deserve our respect and friendship. "

 

What was the meaning of this silent exchange?

 

The Bishop explained, " I first held up three fingers, to establish

the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. But he raised his whole hand, to

show me that the fingers are attached to one hand—one God. I then

demonstrated that God had absolved us of our sins through the

consecrated wine and wafer. He took out an apple to remind me of the

original sin. Finally, I threw the grains on the floor to instruct

him that the Jews are, and always will be, scattered all across the

earth. And that's when he unleashed his master stroke: he had his hen

demonstrate how the Messiah will come and gather all Jews unto one

nation. "

 

Meanwhile, the news of Daniel's victory had spread to the whole

community before he even reached the synagogue.

 

" How did you do it? "

 

" This is a miracle, glory unto the Most High! "

 

" What did the bishop ask you? " finally asked the rabbi, when the

commotion had subsided.

 

" Well, he started pretty aggressively, showing me that we had three

hours left to live. So I stuck out my hand to tell him `not so fast,

you big shmuck. We haven't started yet.' "

 

" And then? " asked his wife, breathlessly.

 

" That big phony, he wanted to impress me with his lunch—fine wine and

crackers. But I showed him, I am perfectly content with Nature's

gifts—a nice red apple.

 

" So what happened next? " cried several people at once.

 

" Well I guess he regretted his rudeness, because he offered a nice

lunch to my chicken. "

 

This Jewish tale illustrates with great humor the nature of

theological debates and religious arguments. We are only operating

within the limited confines of our own prejudices and beliefs, and

are enlisting the help of religion and scriptures to vindicate them.

As the Talmud stated, " We do not see the world as it is, but as we

are. "