Moishe the Beadle in Night

Moishe the Beadle

A poor, foreign Jew who lives in the town of Sighet, Moishe the Beadle is a teacher. A compassionate man, he befriends Eliezer to teach him Kabbalah, but he also returns to Sighet after a massacre of foreign Jews to warn the Jews of Sighet of coming danger. Moishe the Beadle, one could say, is like a prophet: he talks about strange, mysterious, and horrible things that he has seen, warning his people of the dangers to come, but nobody gives him the time of day. The Jews of Sighet prefer to remain foolishly optimistic about their situation.