In Beit Midrash, by the sink, there was an announcement that on a certain date and our, the famous Magid will deliver a sermon concerning daily matters, and blessed be those who attend. ...Usually, the magid would come to the Tzefer Kloyz between the prayers of Minkha and Ma’ariv. I would hurry from our house on Radzimont street, cross through the market, passing by Rup’s pharmacy - on the porch of which the “intelligent” youth used to sit discussing or just flirting in Russian - and then through a bent small bridge on Tzefer Street.

In Kloyz it is warm and lighted. At the table, left of the entrance, Motes Breslav holds a teaching session. He is a merchant of grain and flour, but he is also a Torah scholar with a Rabbinical diplome.

What interest does such a person have to trade with the villagers stinking of alcohol drinks? Well, God blessed him with a Petit Hinde who managed the whole trade. She dealt with the muz’ikes on market days conversing with them in their language mixed with Yiddish.

Epshtein describes maggidim that he remembers. He mentions the Polish pronunciation of Yiddish unlike the way they spoke Yiddish in Kleck. Ye instead of Yo, Git instead of Gut, Grois instead of Greis, broit instead of Breit, etc. He mentions several other examples. On the other hand he mentions a Magid from Vilna with a rich Yiddish, and beautiful content.

Kleck had its own local Magid - Shlimke was his name. He delivered his sermons in the butchers’ kloyz. His sermons were some interpretation of the week’s daily Torah portion, some legend, some chapter of the Shulkhan Arukh. He was also the official funeral orator.... When he lectured, his listeners, common people, licked their fingers…