תקיעת כף (1937)

According to an old Jewish tradition, the future spouse of a baby is determined forty days before its birth. So two friends make a sacred pact, betrothing their newborn children, Rachel and Jacob, to each other. The guarantor of this promise is to be the Prophet Elijah himself. Years pass, Rachel’s father dies, and the two children, who know nothing of their fathers’ promise, meet for the first time and fall in love. Rachel, however, lives modestly and in poverty with her mother, while Jacob has a wealthy father who has forgotten the oath he once made. He intends to break his word and insists that his son, like himself, study at the Vilnius Yeshiva. Rachel’s wealthy, elderly landlord insists that she marry him. But Jacob is so preoccupied with his love for Rachel that he neglects his studies. His father brings him home and betroths him to another bride. This situation forces the Prophet Elijah to intervene: he appears seven times, each time in a different form. As a result, the father suffers increasingly severe business losses, and after a forest fire, the Prophet Elijah reminds Jacob’s father that he must fulfill his vows. The father and Jacob arrive in the city just as Rachel’s wedding ceremony to the wealthy landlord is underway. In the end, however, Rachel marries Jacob.