Yoelish was one of the modern ones. Already in his youth he spouted the “enlightened” ideas of the day, eager to contribute his cosmopolitan perspective to whatever discussion swirled around the table. But don’t think for a moment Yoelish was some sort of innovative thinker. Hardly. He was merely one of those who confused the current with the advanced.
Nor should you imagine that Yoelish was some kind of radical. In fact, he was a proper Chasidic Jew, as were most people in his shtetl [town]. He dressed like a Chasid and participated in all the appropriate rituals; on occasion, you might even catch him swaying during prayers with all the fervor of the genuinely pious. But people in town knew better. They heard him talk; they read his expressions. There was no doubting that the fellow had been infected with the virus of heresy.
That was long ago. These days, the elderly Yoelish spent his days in the public park, reading the papers, talking politics and gossiping with his companions.
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Author: Joshua Halberstam
Keywords: Satan, Adversary, Yetzer hara, Yetzer ha ra, Yezer hara, Yezer ha ra, Yetser hara, Yetser ha ra, Evil inclination, Fallen angel, God Satan, Satan Evil Inclination, Devil, Devil Satan, Elderly, Aged, Old, Aging, Idleness, Idle hands, Devil workshop, Idle hands devil workshop
Bible reference(s): Psalm 90:10, Ecclesiastes 11:8-9, Ecclesiastes 12:1
Source: “The Sins of the Old,” Jewish Link of New Jersey, September 24, 2015.
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