The Magic Barrel
Uploaded by xFaustus9 on Mar 27, 2001
The story opens with the character of Leo Finkle a dedicated rabbinical student reaching an end to his six long years of study. Leo, during these six years has been transfixed with his studies neglecting most everything else. One thing he denied himself was a social life by secluding himself in his studies, thus making a prospective wife seemingly out of reach, and when it was suggested that being married would help gather a congregation, Leo begins his search with match maker Pinye Salzman. Pinyne has brought with himself a portfolio, which includes six potential brides drawn from his magic barrel. Leo carelessly dismisses the first three for trivial reasons and before the matchmaker can go further Leo becomes frustrated and ends the meeting. This meeting strangely affects Leo seeping into his mind and affiliating his daily activities, this proves to be the beginning of Leo's transformation.
Pinye Salzman makes a reappearance the next evening bearing some new information, a correction in one of the prier women’s age, bringing her from an withered thirty-two to a youthful twenty-nine. With this new information at hand Leo reconsiders and agrees to meet this woman with some resentment. Leo met Lilly on a Saturday afternoon by the riverside by which they walked and talked. Lilly causally questions the studying theologian, yet one causal question unraveled a truth that started a domino affect leading to a new Leo. "That I came to god not because I loved him, but because I did not", Leo said socking both him and his companion. He later sat in his apartment in despair stewing on revelation upon revelation. He finally determined he was a man unloved and loveless, a man of utter lonelyness. This knowledge of himself destroyed him and he seaced to care, letting responsibilities and enjoyment slip away.
Pinye Salzman arrives a Leo's door once more to follow up, and here is where Leo decides he will redeem himself by seeking out "love" by his lonesome, no longer needing a matchmaker. Pinye attempts to sway his enlightened refocused client, but is unsuccessful and thus forces a folder of pictures upon Leo. Eventually Leo opens the folder and peruses through the pictures. In the file he sees women aged faces portraying lives unlived, an existence that has pasted them by, and knowing he has embarked on the same lonely path. Then he comes across the snap photo of...