For very poor Jews in Eastern Europe, summer fruits from such Edens were not meant for casual indulgences. The orphaned hero of Aleichem’s story recalls longingly the one peach he ate years before—a Sabbath treat. The entire harvest of Menashe’s beautiful pink-streaked peaches was destined for the jam pot. Other Jews reserved their precious fruits—especially berries and cherries—for juice to be drunk strictly for medicinal purposes.
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