If Not Higher Summary and Critical Analysis

If Not Higher Summary and Critical Analysis

If Not Higher Summary Literal Comprehension: The story If Not Higher, is about the mystery of where the Rabbi of Nemirov goes and what he does during the Penitential Prayers.  Everyone in the village seems to wonder where the Rabbi is during this time, but while the Jews of the village are content to assume the Rabbi is in heaven, the Litvak doesn’t believe it.  The Litvak tries to pretend that he doesn’t care where the Rabbi of Nemirov goes during the Penitential Prayers or what he is doing, but he secretly wants to discover the secret.  The Litvak decides to spy on the Rabbi, hides under the Rabbi’s bed, and then follows him when he leaves, all the while believing that he, as a Litvak, is more clever than others and is the only one who could accomplish this goal since Litvaks would never get caught or become tired waiting as others would.  The Litvak successfully follows the Rabbi and sees him pretend to be a peasant, chop wood and deliver it to a poor sick Jewish woman.  What the Lit…