Questions and Answers from ' IF NOT HIGHER '

Questions and Answers of the short story "If Not Higher". "If Not Higher" was written by Isaac Leib Peretz. Isaac Leib Pertez (May 18, 1852 – April 3, 1915) was a Polish-born author and poet who is counted among the three great classical writers in the Yiddish language. In the short story "If Not Higher", Pertez has emphasised good deeds on the earth than the heaven and also he tries to give a message us that doing good deeds on earth may be a more exalted activity than doing God's will in heaven. It is needless to go heaven if we can do good on this earth.

In this story, every Friday early morning, there are performed religious services at the time of Penitential Prayers. Every day the Rabbi of the Nemirov vanishes when all the people gather for the prayer. Most people believe that Rabbi goes to the heaven. One day Litvak, a Lithuanian Jews wants to follow him to know where he goes at that time. To solve the mystery, Litvak secretly goes to his room and hides under the bed. Early mornings when others are praying, the Rabbi disguises himself as a peasant and leaves the house. Litvak follows him. The Rabbi reaches the forest near the town and cuts a bundle of sticks. He goes into a hut where lives a Jewish woman. He forces her to buy the wood on credit and starts kindling the fire. After putting the wood into oven he recites the 1st portion of the Penitential prayers. As the wood starts burning he recites the 2nd portion and when the fire sets, he recites the third portion. Litvak sees all his activities and becomes a disciple of Rabbi. He realizes that he is happy and satisfied even in this world. He is not worried about the heaven and he knows the real meaning of virtue of heaven.

Questions and Answers Of 'If Not Higher':

1. Retail the plot of "If Not Higher" in one paragraph. ( यो कथाको कथानक एक अनुच्छेदमा भन्नुहोस्। )
Ans: As the Rabbi of Nemirov would vanish in the previous night of Penitential prayers, people had a strong belief that he ascends to heaven for welfare of the people. But once, a Litvak came there and laughed at them. Pointing out the story from Gemraha, he mocks at them and said that Moses was suspended two and half feet below the heaven. Then, the Litvak decided to test the Rabbi, and secretly entered into the room of Rabbi and hid under the bed. Next morning, the Rabbi woke up realizing the sorrow of people in Israel. He disguised himself as a simple peasant. He took an axe and a bundle of rope and got out of the house, the Litvak followed him. The Rabbi, passed by the village checked every house and headed towards the jungle, cut the firewood, and came back to the village. He stopped in front of an old hut of a lonely old woman. The Rabbi sold the firewood for her but the woman was very weak and unable to put the fire on. So, the Rabbi helped her to burn the fire. When he put the firewood in the oven, he recited the first portion of the penitential prayer. When the fire was in flame, he recited the second portion of the penitential prayers, and recited the third portion of the penitential prayer when he set the fire. After observing all the events, the Litvak knew the reality of heaven and became the disciple of the Rabbi. He said if he could not reach the heaven of higher, he reached it on the earth.

Also Read:

1. Four Levels Of "If Not Higher"

2. Summary of "If Not Higher", Word Meanings and Translation In Nepali

2. One interpretation of "If Not Higher" may be: Doing good deeds on earth may be more exalted activity than doing God's will in heaven. Offer another interpretation of "If Not Higher". ( यस लोकमा असल काम गर्नु स्वर्गलोकमा ईश्वरको इच्छा पूरा गर्नु भन्दा पनि बढी आनन्ददायी हुनसक्छ भनेर यो कथालाई व्याख्या गर्न सकिन्छ। यो कथाको अर्को अर्थ के हुन सक्छ लेख्नुहोस्। )
Ans: The story "If Not Higher" written by I.L.Perez gives the message that selfless service is the path that leads someone to heavenly glory. The person who is dedicated to social service achieves heavenly glory on the earth. It also may is trying to tell us something about the true spirit of religion and reality of god or heaven. People generally think that heaven is very high and there dwell the gods and goddess and they become happy only by their prayer and worship. Worship and prayers are necessary a sincerely religious person. Going to the temple or the holy place and reciting the holy books are enough for them. But people do not understand the reality of virtue and try to apply what is mentioned in the prayers and the holy books. The Rabbi of Nemirov knows that there is virtue in the help of the poor and the needy spirits, so he goes to the forest and helps the poor sick woman by bringing fire wood for her. Only then he starts reciting the Penitential Prayers. The more he serves the humanity, the more pleasure he gets. Even heaven is not important for him. It is not necessary for him to go to the Synagogue and to conduct the prayers to reach heaven. To him the house of the sufferer is the holy place, and to help the poor is the real worship of God.


3. Explain whether the Litvak is a critical thinker. In your view, does he carry his skepticism too far ? Why or why not ? Note that at the end the Litvak is converted into a staunch supporter of the Rabbi, but that he has his combative nature into the intact as he must still see things a bit differently from the rest. ( ब्याख्य गर्नुहोस् की लिटभाक एक विश्लेषक वा केलाएर विचार गर्ने व्यक्ति हो। तपाईको विचारमा के उसले अति शङ्का गर्छ ? किन गर्छ वा किन गर्दैन ? कथाको अन्तमा लिटभाक धर्मगुरुको कट्टर अनुयायी भएर निस्कन्छ, तर उसको लडाकु स्वभाव यथावत् नै भएकोले अरुको भन्दा उसको हेराइ अलिकति फरक छ। )
Ans: A critical thinker always sees things clearly and objectively to find out the truth. A skeptic habitually doubts the truth of the accepted beliefs. In this connection, we can say that the Litvak is a critical thinker. As all others are thinking doubtfully or just guessing he tries to know where the Rabbi of Nemirov goes at the time of Penitential Prayers. Unlike the ordinary people, he is not satisfied with the accepted belief that the Rabbi goes to heaven at that time. He wants to see skepticism to the end. When he sees the Rabbi recite the Penitential Prayers after helping the sick Jewish woman, he understands the true spirit of religion and becomes his disciple. Then he knows that the pleasure one gets after helping the person in trouble is more delighted than the pleasure one gets in heaven. As a critical thinker, he shows some different behaviour  and thought after being the disciple of Rabbi. Always he used to love and have a doubt. At last though he becomes a disciple of Rabbi says that if not higher. This shows that still he does not support solely ( पूर्णरुपमा ) all things as other say. He makes a conditional support. This is the nature of a critical thinker.

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