Summary

In Chapter 19, the night after Shuli visits the yeshiva, he has a dream in which he and his father are sitting across from each other at a table, possibly in the afterlife. Their elbows refuse to bend, so they must feed each other, fighting selfish impulses in order to make the afterlife a heaven rather than a hell. However, instead of paying attention to the food, Shuli’s father begins to scream and flail about in a startling fit. He then begins to squawk like a bird and wave his arms about. In the morning, Shuli feels unsettled and tries not to think about the dream. On his way back to the yeshiva, he encounters a woman who sells seeds to eat. She gives him some seeds for free in order to honor his pilgrimage. In Chapter 20, Shuli arrives at the yeshiva for a...