There lived two merchant companions. One was called Elya. It was a young man with a beautiful black beard. The other was called Reuben. This one was older, with gray hair in his head, on his own. One day they went to buy goods from a landowner with whom they had been doing business for many years, not knowing that she was a witch. We bought a lot of goods from her: sheepskin, wool, dried mushrooms and all other good things. We paid, packed the goods and got ready to head back. Reuben left to hire a cart, and Elya and the goods remained with the landowner-witch in the house.
And the landowner, a middle-aged lady who was widowed many years ago, had long been attracted to the handsome young man Elya. She took advantage of the fact that they were alone and began to seduce him, but Elya did not give in to temptation. Then she decided to seduce him with her beautiful dresses. She put on a black silk dress with a deep neckline on the chest and back. Then she changed her clothes - she threw a transparent dress with pink lace over her naked body, then a dress with golden scales, then she came out all covered in pearls. Each time she caressed him, kissed him and coaxed him, as if she were burning him with coal. Elya began to tremble, almost succumbed to the charms of the beautiful lady, but overcame himself and resisted. And the witch still gets her way. She hugs Elya, opens the box and, having counted out half of the money she recently received from two companions, puts it in his pocket. The lady came out again and returned naked, only with a veil on. She pulled Elya towards her, whispering hot words of love and promises. Here Elya could not resist... His will was broken, he surrendered to the woman witch who conquered him.
An hour later both companions returned home. Reuben was very pleased with the completed transaction: he chatted, joked, laughed and did not immediately notice that his companion would not utter a word, sat in sadness, fixed his eyes on one point and either heard or did not hear his cheerful companion. Finally Reuben noticed this and pestered Ela, tell him and tell him what happened. Elya is silent. Reuben realized that the matter was serious and became even more persistent. In the end, Elya admitted to a friend:
- Reuben! I must confess to you the great sin I committed today.
-Have you committed a sin? Enough for you. “We were almost never apart today,” said Reuben.
“And yet I managed to commit a grave sin, prohibited by the seventh commandment - “thou shalt not commit adultery,” Elya said sadly and told his companion about everything that happened to him when he left to hire a cart.
Reuben did not believe it at first, began to make fun of his friend, and only when he took money out of his pocket, which was exactly half of what was paid to the landowner for the purchased goods, was he convinced that Elya was telling the truth, but instead of lamenting his companion’s fall from grace, he envied him. He began to laugh at Elya and say that he would not mind being in his place. Seeing that Elya was still gloomy, Reuben said to him like this:
- You know what? I agree to take your sin on my soul in exchange for the money that the landowner returned to you. I take the sin upon myself with all the consequences!
- Agree! - said Elya. He gave Reuben the money, and as a sign of approval of the deal, both partners sealed it with a solemn handshake.
A year later, Reuben died. Soon, Elya dreamed of her deceased companion: he says that he went to hell for the sin committed by Elei, and demands that the deal be terminated. Two days passed, and Elya again dreamed of his companion and again began to demand termination of the deal. After that, Reuben began to disturb his former companion every night. Ela had to turn to the rabbi.
The rabbi called the two people, they gathered in the synagogue, where they erected a curtain in the corner for the deceased, and the court began to examine the litigation between the living and the dead. Elya told how it all happened, how Reuben persuaded him to sell him the sin, and how he received money for it. Then the rabbi turned towards the curtain and asked:
- You who were once called Reuben! Do you confirm what your ex-companion says? If so, what can you add to this?
- Yes, I confirm! - Reuben’s voice came from behind the curtain. “But I didn’t know that I would be punished for it.”
“You were a merchant,” said the rabbi, “tell me: did you buy off this sin from your partner?” Did you get money for it?
- Yes, I bought it and received the money.
“Well, if so,” said the rabbi, “I received the money, then it’s lost!”
And at that moment a terrible scream was heard from behind the curtain:
"Ay-ah-ah-ah!!!"
From then on, Ela stopped dreaming about Reuben.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru