Chapter 2, Zemyock, Part 2 Summary

Brother Beast mourns at his father's bedside. The New Just Man wishes to change nothing in his life. The thought of marriage terrorizes him. His only friend is his nephew, Joshua Levy, whois called the Absentminded. Brother Beast names Joshua as the next Just Man. Joshua promises his second wife that her child will be the next Just Man, but on his deathbed, he names a nephew. This leaves the Levy family looking for some form of reason by which God makes his choice of the next generation's Just Man.

Jews can not take a job in the new Polish factories because of their Sabbath rules and die of hunger. Other Jews, flee to other countries. Mordecai Levy chooses to seek work. He finds the world cruel and must fight for every crumb. Rather than following Jewish tradition and...