Impact of Shmul-Leibele's faith on other areas of his life

In narrative fiction, there are many character details that the author includes that may seem unimportant to the reader but in actuality are essential to a character's development. Singer begins the piece by laying the background of the two characters, Shmul-Leibele, and his wife Shoshe. The married couple are very religious, and the description of Shmul's job serves as an analogy of his spiritual relationship with God. Singer goes to considerable lengths to foray into the nuances of Shmul-Leibele's occupation as "half tailor, half furrier, and a complete pauper" to illustrate his complete devotion to his religion. Shmul is a tailor, and is described as having "never mastered his trade" and being slow and inefficient with his work. However, "despite his shortcomings, it must be said that Shmul-Leibele was an honorable man. He used only strong threads and none of his seams ever gave." (p 67). Singer's portrayal of Shmul's commitment to doing the right thing by giving his best effort and using the best materials parallels his commitment to his faith because while he may not always be the most knowledgeable, etc. when it comes to religion ("although Shmul-Leibele was a poor scholar, unable to memorize a chapter of the Misnah, he was well-versed in the laws") his effort and dedication is unwavering (p 68). He tries to live his life in the manner his faith instructs him to, and this is reflected in his commitment to tailoring, his kindness to those who ridicule and mock him, and also his commitment to his wife. His love for Shoshe is consistently demonstrated throughout the story, whether through bits of dialogue, "God forbid! You must remain in good health. I'd rather rot in Gehenna" (p 69) or his physical affection for her "How was it possible, he would think, that he, Shmul-Leibele, should have such a treasure all to himself?"(p 72). While Shmul and Shoshe are made fun of by the young children at the synagogue who go to "cheder" and receive formal education in Hebrew, the Bible, and prayers, the couple tries to live in a virtuous and holy manner. When they both die at the end of the story, they are taken to Heaven together, as a reward for living a life of unwavering dedication to their faith and each other. Singer shows that it is not just how many times a week one goes to synagogue, or how many times a day that they pray, but rather the intent and meaning behind those actions. This, and whether one treats another in the manner their faith instructs, ultimately determines if one will go to Paradise when they die.