If Not Higher

E77832

"If Not Higher" is a classic Yiddish short story by I. L. Peretz that gently satirizes religious hypocrisy while celebrating genuine piety and compassion.


Statements (30)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Yiddish literature work
short story
author I. L. Peretz
centralConflict tension between outward religiosity and inner devotion
characterType Hasidic rebbe
skeptical misnaged
countryOfOrigin Poland
culturalSignificance classic of Yiddish short fiction
frequently anthologized in Jewish literature collections
educationalUse taught in courses on Jewish literature
used to illustrate themes of Hasidism and ethics
genre Jewish literature
short story
language Yiddish
literaryDevice irony
satire
symbolism
literaryMovement Yiddish classic literature
mainTheme compassion
genuine piety
religious hypocrisy
moralLesson appearances of piety can conceal deeper virtue
true holiness is expressed through acts of kindness
narrativeMode third-person narration
originalScript Hebrew alphabet
religiousContext Judaism
setting Jewish shtetl
tone gently satirical
humorous
reverent toward genuine faith

Referenced by (2)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
I. L. Peretz
I. L. Peretz
notableWork

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