24601

Okay, so musical nerds probably get the reference from the title name, but for those of you who aren’t nerdy like me, it’s the number of a character from the musical Les Miserables. The most recent version of this musical is a movie starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe.

While I was in high school I had the opportunity to be involved in musicals by being a pit musician. And I have watched many musicals and things growing up (love them!). One musical that I got the opportunity to watch instead of play for, was Les Miserables (school edition).

This is a somewhat depressing and not child friendly musical about the French Revolution. The main character was a pauper sentenced to 19 years of hard labor because he stole some bread and broke a window to feed his starving niece/nephew. The musical begins with the scene where he is released. Shortly thereafter he takes shelter for the night in the home of a bishop/priest. The whole encounter with the bishop lasts 3.5 minutes but I think is the most powerful part of the whole musical. You can find this particular scene/song on youtube if you wish to see it, however, I am going to post the script below:

~Bishop~
Come in sir for you are weary
And the night is cold out there
Though our lives are very humble
What we have we have to share
There is wine here to revive you
There is bread to make you strong
There's a bed to rest till morning
Rest from pain and rest from wrong

~Valjean~
He let me eat my fill
I had the lion's share
The silver in my hand cost twice what I had earned
He knows those nineteen years that lifetime of despair
And yet he trusted me
The old fool trusted me
He'd done his bit of good
I played the grateful serf and thanked him like I should
But when the house was still
I got up in the night
Took the silver
Took my flight!!

[Taking the silver cup, he runs off, but is brought back
by two constables.]

~Constable 1~
Tell his reverence your story

~Constable 2~
Let us see if he's impressed

~Constable 1~
You were lodging there last night

~Constable 2~
You were the honest Bishop's guest.

~Constable 1~
And then, out of Christian goodness

~Constable 2~
When he learned about your plight

~Constable 1~
You maintain he made a present of this silver -

~Bishop~
That is right.
But my friend you left so early
Surely something slipped your mind

[The bishop gives Valjean two silver candlesticks.]

You forgot I gave these also
Would you leave the best behind?

So Monsieurs you may release him
For this man has spoken true
I commend you for your duty
May God's blessing go with you.

But remember this, my brother
See in this some higher plan
You must use this precious silver
To become an honest man
By the witness of the martyrs
By the Passion and the Blood
God has raised you out of darkness
I have saved your soul for God!

            The music that accompanies this also lends to the powerfulness of this scene. When the constables are singing it is fast, loud and aggressive but the bishop’s part is slow, calm and soft. The police are accusing (accurately!) Jean Valjean of stealing the silver but, the bishop, instead of allowing justice to be served, stepped in and showed mercy by saying the silver was indeed, a gift. The bishop lost the only things of value he had, but he didn’t even think twice about it because it meant showing love and compassion to someone in great need.

            The musical goes on from there and Jean Valjean changes his name, becomes very successful and ends up helping others in need, including taking in the orphaned daughter of a prostitute and raising her as his own. This gave the orphan the honor and credibility she would need to just be a normal woman in society, when children in her place would have a hard time surviving let alone having any honor, innocence or credibility.

            But let’s look at two things about this opening of the musical:

1)      I can’t help but notice that Jean Valjean is known by a number while in a labor camp (24601). That just creeps me out as a Jew and a World War 2 nerd. That’s all I am going to say, it just weirds me out.

2)      The 3.5 minute scene with the Bishop. The bishop is one of the smallest roles in the musical (and the novel as well from my understanding) but his encounter changed the course of the character’s life.

How many times are we given the same opportunity but we are so preoccupied and worried about “us” and “justice” that we fail to see how one act could change the course of someone’s life, who then could impact someone else, and so on down the line. Yes, it may be a sacrifice for us, or make us uncomfortable, or it may be a small thing, who knows? But are we ever so in tune that we can think like the Bishop did?

Obviously, this musical and novel are fictional but the event and culture were real. Times are different know for sure, but does the kindness of the Bishop ever not apply anymore? Maybe in a different way, yes; but just think about it.

Until next time. May Adonai bless you and your homes.