Shabsi looked at him with tired eyes. “No, don’t bother. I’m too old to listen to stories, my boy. Please just return from where you’ve come from, and I’ll go back inside the house with Pinchas.”

Shimshon let out a deep sigh and looked at Shabsi in the eye, “Please, listen to me!” he pleaded, “there’s a man that I’m trying to warn you about, Sylvester. He’s very dangerous and very evil. If he captures you, which he will if you don’t leave with me immediately, he’s going to force you to create more golems. And you know that means that these new golems will be creatures of destruction, wreaking havoc and mayhem, upending empires, and sparking wars across the globe.”

Shabsi stared at Shimshon for a long time. Then he smiled slightly.

“You remind me of my friend, Shimshon,” he said. “He was always the stronger one in our friendship, outspoken, brave…. Not… not like me… I was always in the shadows, too scared to voice my opinion, afraid that I would be put down.”

“What would he have told you to do, Reb Shabsi? If he were alive today, what would he be telling you?”

“To run away with you, I suppose. But, but… I didn’t always listen to him. I disobeyed his wishes more than once, and the consequences…. Oh, the consequences were not pretty at all.” Reb Shabsi’s face suddenly darkened. “I remember what happened like it was yesterday. No one could have predicted the tragedy that unfolded…”

Shimshon stood frozen in his spot. “What happened?”

Shabsi snapped back into the present as he turned around. “It’s no one’s business, what happened. Enough questions, I must go.”  He hobbled toward the hut. “Come, Pinchas.”

Desperate, Shimshon reached out and grabbed Reb Shabsi’s shoulder. “This is pikuach nefesh! If you don’t come with me, you will perish, and many people will get hurt or worse!”

Before Shimshon could continue, he felt a threatening squeeze as massive fingers clamped down on his ribs and he was thrown into the air, the ground beneath his feet fading at a dizzying speed. Far above the ground, squashed in the iron clad grip of Pinchas, he found himself staring at the golem’s massive, angry eyes.

His body shook violently as the golem growled. Shimshon could feel the wind of its breath washing over him.

He heard Shabsi yelling far below, his voice sounding like a tiny squeak because of the great distance.

“Put him down, Pinchas! Down! Now!”

Pinchas swung his huge eyes from Shabsi to Shimshon, back and forth, as he mulled over his options, hands still squeezing Shimshon like a lemon.

As Shimshon struggled to breathe, something in the distance caught his attention. A caravan was heading toward the forest. No doubt, Sylvester was approaching…. His heart began to pound.

After a few more seconds of agonizing torture, Pinchas returned him to the ground with a whoosh, sucking all the air out of Shimshon’s lungs and making his stomach churn. His feet touched the ground softly, as Pinchas released him with surprising gentleness.

Shabsi turned to him. “Probably best not to touch me, without warning.”

“Yeah…” Shimshon gulped, his heart still hammering inside his chest. “I’ll remember that.”

“Reb Shabsi,” Shimon started, as he began to regain his equilibrium, “I spotted Sylvester’s caravan approaching. They’ll likely be here by nightfall. We need to move now if we want to escape.”

Shabsi didn’t look convinced. “Shimshon, why should we need to escape? Look at the power of Pinchas. Don’t you think he can handle whatever trouble this man brings to my doorstep?”

Shimshon was stumped. Come to think of it, what could Sylvester possibly do to successfully capture Shabsi when Pinchas was around?

Smiling with satisfaction at the look on Shimshon’s face, Shabsi clapped his small hands together.

“There, that settles it, then. Good day to you.”

Shabsi limped back inside his hut, and Pinchas followed, bending low as he passed through the tall doorway. The door shut softly behind them.

Shimshon stood there, unsure of what to do next.

The door opened again, and Shabsi stuck his head out.

“You must be hungry, Shimshon. Come inside before you leave. I’ll make you something to eat.”

Shimshon followed Shabsi inside the dimly lit hut, littered with scrolls and broken shards of pottery. He sat on a thick carpet spread out on the floor and watched as Shabsi prepared some sort of porridge for him. Pinchas was folded up uncomfortably in the corner, his big gleaming eyes glued on Shimshon.

“So, Reb Shabsi…” Shimshon asked, “why did you and Reb Shimshon create a golem in the first place? What was the purpose?”

“It’s a long story, my boy, and the end of it isn’t pleasant to hear. It shattered my friendship with Shimshon and… terrible things occurred.”

Before Shabsi could elaborate, they heard the sound of a caravan with ferociously barking dogs outside.

“We have to go!” Shimshon leaped to his feet. “I told you they were coming!”

There was no time to think about escaping. A loud rapping sound was heard from the front door.

“Come out, old man! We know you’re in there! We just want to talk to you. Come out nicely and we won’t have to kick your lovely door in.”

Shabsi was silent, his forehead creased in thought.

“I never thought I’d need to do this, but, for ‘everything there is a time.’ ” Shabsi looked at Pinchas. “Pinchas, old friend, go outside and deal with our visitors, please….”

The End

 to be continued in part 2… 

(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 965)