417
PARTISAN REVIEW
body bent towards him, yet I controlled myself, with all my
strength I held back.
-It's unbelievable-! think. It really is Janec Polnievsky, the
town administrator's son; it really is my old friend who wanted
to embrace the whole world and kiss each part, except for the dis–
gusting warts which needed to be excised! But who can tell these
days? Perhaps he has become anti-Semitic; perhaps we Jews are
today's warts which have to be excised from Europe's beautiful
nose. Perhaps he will survey me with a pair of cold eyes, even
hug and kiss me, but say that I am different from the other Jews...
But I was mistaken . Polnievsky recognized me and fell on
my neck, and before I even had time to discuss it with him, he
asked me what I thought of the fateful anti-Semitism.. .
* * *
-It is-he says, in Polish of course-it's a kind of
cholera, an epidemic...
-Some say that it is political...
-Don't believe it-Polnievsky declares-politics doesn't cre-
ate new realities. It can only take advantage of those that exist,
suppress some parts and intensify others. It can blow up a tiny
spark and turn it into an inferno; but it can't kindle a new spark.
Human nature, not politics, spins the thread of history. Politics
twists, turns, ties in knots, and entangles them. Anti-Semitism is
a disease, and politics stands by the sickbed like the stupid, bad
doctor who wants to prolong the illness... Politics makes use of
anti-Semitism: a stone flies in the air, so Bismarck's assistant di–
rects it into the window of the synagogue; if not, other windows
would break. A protesting fist is raised, so they shove an emaci–
ated, stooped, Jewish back under it; if not other bones would
crack...But the stone, the fist, the hate exist independently...Who
dies because of physical collapse? Weak children, old and feeble
men and women, sick people. Who succumbs to a moral
dilemma? The spoiled child, the effete aristocrat, and a few
madmen who jump out and lead the sick group in a wild dance!
Only healthy minds endure!
-How many healthy minds do we have?-1 ask.
