Exactly a year ago, I visited the Vatican City. Among the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, I searched for any Jewish symbol. After realizing that I would only find the golden lampstand in an engraving on the side of the Arch of Titus, I went up to the Pio Cristiano Museum at the entrance to the Vatican Museums, where, according to 'shy' inscriptions, there were supposed to be Jewish discoveries that were thousands of years old.
Deep in the winding corridor, my eyes rested on fascinating 'Jewish paintings' of the lulav and etrog, the work of Jews from the days of the diaspora. But when I looked at the right corner, I realized that that was where the Jewish flag was placed. I approached slowly, and it was clear that an impressive discovery was hidden there. The entire area was enveloped in splendor and splendor and in smooth glass. With two spotlights overhead raining precious light as if saying to each other: Down here, glory resides.
With courage and trembling, I lowered my head at a measured angle, straight to the text blooming in the air, straining my eyes with excessive holiness to the shining letters down there, and this was their inscription:
"To His Holiness Pope John Paul II. Shimon Peres, Prime Minister of Israel. A Hanukkah menorah made from a Jewish oil menorah from the Roman period.".
So much for the Holy Scriptures.
האבולוציה המחשבתית שלי קרמה לה לפתע עור וגידים. מצאתי את עצמי כועס ותועה בשלשות. ראשית, עלתה בי תגובתו הספונטאנית של היהודי הישר: "מהיכן יש למר שמעון פרס את הזכות ליטול 'מנורת חנוכה עשויה מנורת שמן יהודית מהתקופה הרומית' ולהעניקה להוד קדושת האפיפיור? וכי מר פרס ביקש את רשותו של אותו יהודי קדמון שעמל לבנות את 'מנורת חנוכה העשויה שמן'?Even if we assume that that Jew gave Mr. Peres his approval, did Mr. Peres take permission from the Israel Antiquities Authority? Where did he get the courage to steal sacred antiquities and distribute them among his friends?
I calmed down a little, and then I managed to get to the bottom of Mr. Peres's mind.
''Mister Shalom' understood that for the sake of peace and the connection between religions, it was appropriate for the Jewish people to give up parts of their property for the benefit of foreign peoples.
But then something else didn't work out for me. 'Simon, can you hear yourself?' I thought. After all, that unknown Jew from the Roman period, who bothered to build the Hanukkah menorah, surely built it secretly and covertly, perhaps to hide from the Roman soldier who, God forbid, would catch him and kill him in front of the crowd celebrating in the nearby piazza, and you, Simon, are you the tinkerer? Are you here to inform on that poor Jew? To turn him in? And to whom? To the Pope himself?
I angrily left the place and went down to the main courtyard to calm down a bit. While looking for a corner to hide me from the rain that had just begun to drizzle, I noticed that I was once again in the midst of a self-dialogue, this time in the person of the merciful Jew: "Yaakov, why do you see the papal congregation as the enemies of Israel, when, in the summary of a verse, their own situation is dismal. 33 of them met their deaths violently, 12 of them were martyred, 8 more died as a result of assassination attempts, and 13 of them died mysterious deaths. Well, Abisele Yiddish Rahmones, what happened, so Peres gave the Pope the Hanukkah menorah?... So what? All in all, it was a gesture and identification with suffering and misery.".
I was convinced.
•
And after a year, a reunion.
The strings tied to the hands and head rise and fall again - on a giant poster of a dove with an olive leaf from the Roman period. The hall is packed to the brim, someone told me that the theater was closed for renovations, and this is the last show of the season. Someone also whispered that the main puppet will probably be replaced with a new one tomorrow.
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