Domestic Bliss
by Y. L. Peretz
Read by Mindy Sterling
Chaim, a street porter, may not have a great deal of book learning. With his back-breaking work and meager pay, he is eager to take comfort in the hope of heavenly reward and to avoid the threats of damnation offered by holy books and their interpreters.
Mindy Sterling, who you may know better as Frau Farbissina from Austin Powers, reads this poignant Y. L. Peretz monsa, originally written in 1891.
You can also read the Yiddish original here: שלום בית. Its Hebraic title, sholem bayis, refers to the harmony that follows compromise between partners. In the end, though, it isn’t Chaim or his wife Hannah who ought to concede but rather a greater power that demands submission and servility.
