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 Copyright

KINGDOM HEARTS II: THE NOVEL, Vol. 2

TOMOCO KANEMAKI,
ILLUSTRATIONS: SHIRO AMANO,
ORIGINAL CONCEPT: TETSUYA NOMURA, KAZUSHIGE NOJIMA

Translation by Melissa Tanaka

Cover art by Shiro Amano

KINGDOM HEARTS © Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Characters from FINAL FANTASY video
game series © 1990, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001,
2002, 2003, 2005 Square Enix Co., Ltd.
All rights reserved.

English translation © 2017 by Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to
encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual
property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please
contact the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

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New York, NY 10104

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First Yen On Edition: December 2017

Yen On is an imprint of Yen Press, LLC.

The Yen On name and logo are trademarks of Yen Press, LLC.

The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Kanemaki, Tomoko, 1975– author. | Amano, Shiro, illustrator. | Tanaka, Melissa, translator.
Title: Kingdom hearts II : the novel / Tomoco Kanemaki ; illustrations, Shiro Amano; translation by Melissa Tanaka.
Description: First Yen On edition. | New York, NY : Yen On, 2017–
Identifiers: LCCN 2017016091 | ISBN 9780316471930 (v. 1 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316411790 (v. 2 : paperback)
Subjects: | CYAC: Fantasy. | Friendship—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Fantasy & Magic. | JUVENILE FICTION /
Media Tie-In.
Classification: LCC PZ7.1.K256 Ki 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017016091

ISBNs: 978-0-316-41179-0 (paperback)

978-0-316-41180-6 (ebook)

E3-20171123-JV-PC
 CONTENTS

COVER
INSERT
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT

TEARS OF NOBODY
CHAPTER 1 CONFRONTATION
CHAPTER 2 UNDER THE WORLD
CHAPTER 3 THE LAND OF DRAGONS
CHAPTER 4 BEAST’S CASTLE
CHAPTER 5 DISNEY CASTLE
CHAPTER 6 TIMELESS RIVER
CHAPTER 7 PORT ROYAL

ANTHEM—MEET AGAIN / AXEL’S LAST STAND

CHAPTER 1 RADIANT GARDEN
CHAPTER 2 WAITING FOR YOU
CHAPTER 3 AXEL’S LAST STAND
CHAPTER 4 MEET AGAIN
CHAPTER 5 WAY TO THE DAWN
CHAPTER 6 ANTHEM FOR XEMNAS
CHAPTER 7 SOMETHING YOU COULD NEVER IMITATE
EPILOGUE YOU’RE HOME

YEN NEWSLETTER
TEARS OF NOBODY
CHAPTER 1

CONFRONTATION

AS THE TERRIBLE RUMBLING ECHOED THROUGH HOLLOW BASTION, Sora and the others dashed
outside.
They had no idea what was happening, but it was definitely something.
“I hope everybody’s okay…,” Goofy worried as they ran.
Sora heard the muttering behind him, but he kept running. Even if people were in trouble, the trio
would help. They could fight.
Kairi, Riku, and the people of Hollow Bastion—they were more important than Kingdom Hearts or
Nobodies.
Because Sora was on this quest to save Kairi, find Riku again, and help everyone.
“Let’s go!” he shouted as they hurried toward the castle postern.

Riku gazed at the woman clad in black-and-violet robes.

This was Hollow Bastion, the empty castle.
This place had once been called Radiant Garden, before it fell under Maleficent’s rule. Sora and his
friends had driven her off and were finally beginning to restore the town to its former glory, but once
again, Maleficent and the Heartless—and now the Nobodies—were trying to put a stop to that.
“So you are alive, Riku,” said Maleficent coldly.
“And you’re back from the dead, like I thought,” Riku answered quietly from under his hood.
“But of course. Like the darkness itself, I will not be vanquished. And aren’t you the same? You may
change your form, but you cannot change your heart,” she said with a smile.
That scent particular to human beings could not be hidden so easily. And try as he might to disguise
himself, with her magic, Maleficent could easily tell whose heart it was.
“Do you know about Organization XIII?” Riku asked.
“I have heard of it. Those fellows in black cloaks like yours?”
He nodded. “And the Nobodies.”
“Nobodies?” Maleficent repeated. He stood close enough that she could feel the breath from his
words.
“I’m sure you’ve seen them. Those weird white creatures.”
Just as Riku spoke, the castle shook with a terrible rumble.
“They’re here.” He frowned, turned his back on Maleficent, and began to run.
“Wait, boy!”
“You’d better fight, too, if you don’t want to lose this castle,” he told her, ignoring her command, and
plunged himself into inky darkness.
“Hmph. What could he have been after…?” Maleficent muttered.
Then she heard Pete shouting from behind her. “This is bad! Maleficent!”
She turned deliberately to ask, “Now what?”
“Those things. The white things…!” Pete gasped out, pointing behind him.
“Well, speak of the devils…” Maleficent laughed softly, quite unruffled, and advanced toward them.

Just after Sora and his friends rushed outside because of the noise…a man in a black cloak stole into the
empty computer lab.
The screen displayed a picture of a man with a white beard.
Axel quietly pushed back his hood, revealing a shock of bright red hair. He squinted, leaning closer to
peer at the screen.
But there was something else that grabbed his attention more than the man in the picture—something
about the computer system itself.
The interface looked familiar. It was a lot like the one the computers in the organization headquarters
used.
That wasn’t the only thing giving Axel déjà vu. He stared at the screen…
“…What are you doing here?” said a voice behind him.
Axel spun around to find another man in black standing there.
Seeing that Axel was ready to fight, the newcomer pushed his hood back and shifted his shoulders.
“Ansem… Oh, Riku, it’s you.” Axel breathed a sigh of relief, recognizing the face. “Don’t scare me like
that, okay? I got people after me, y’know.”
“Well, if so, you should be a little more cautious.” Riku pulled up his hood again and went to join Axel
in front of the computer. “You’re weak anyway,” he added, and a small laugh escaped him.
“Wh— Hey, I just let my guard down for—”
“So this is Ansem’s computer?” Riku interrupted Axel’s protest. “Who’s the man in this picture?”
“Beats me.” Axel shrugged.
“…I thought someone in the organization would be more help.”
“I’m not in the organization!”
Ignoring Axel, Riku began typing on the keyboard, and the screen displayed some data about the man.
It seemed Sora and the others had left the information unlocked.
“…Ansem? …That’s the real Ansem?” Riku murmured, reading the text above the picture.
Beside him, Axel stayed quiet. A little while back, when he and Riku had exchanged information,
they’d both come to understand that the man who called himself Ansem had only stolen Ansem’s name.
“Oh!” Axel blurted.
“What is it?”
“I remember now! The screen looks like that computer in Twilight Town!” he exclaimed with certainty.
The details of the system interface were the same.
The one in Twilight Town had seemed more advanced, though. As if this one was its predecessor.
“It has the same layout and the functions. That computer was managing Twilight Town, and this one is
managing Hollow Bastion. Both of these systems were developed for town administration. There’s no way
anyone else could’ve designed this. It has to mean they both have the same creator.”
As Axel rushed to explain, Riku only kept staring silently at the computer.
“…So where did the real Ansem go?” Axel said finally.
“There is one person whose true identity we don’t know,” Riku muttered.
At that, Axel looked up from the screen, meeting Riku’s eyes.

Someone was there.

After she’d come to Twilight Town, Naminé had never set foot outside of the white room. She hadn’t
gone to the lab in the basement or to the town itself. She just prayed and drew pictures.
Today was different.
She could sense someone in the basement lab—a presence she didn’t recognize at all.
Uncertainly, heart pounding, Naminé left the white room. She crossed the long hallway to the room at
the far end and, step by step, descended the stairs to the basement.
In front of the single door, Naminé paused.
There was no doubt—he had returned.
She took a deep breath and opened the door.
A man was there, illuminated by the blue-white glow from a computer screen. “I thought you went
with Riku.”
“DiZ?” said Naminé. “When did you come back?”
“Exactly what I’d like to ask you, Naminé.” DiZ turned in his chair, looking somehow amused.
“I…”
“Ice cream?” DiZ held out a blue ice cream pop. “It’s sea salt.”
Still nervous, she accepted it.
“Sora really is something else,” DiZ mused. “It seems he infiltrated the system and restored that
modified program to normal.”
“What do you mean?” asked Naminé.
DiZ only smiled and took out another ice pop, then bit into it.
“Hey, DiZ. Are you a bad guy or a good guy?”
“…Well…I can’t answer that myself.”
At that ambiguous reply, Naminé lowered her eyes, disappointed.
“Oh, that’s right. I have something more important than ice cream to share with you.” He stood up and
handed her a single photograph.
“This is…”
It depicted Hayner, Olette, Pence, and Roxas.
“Those are all the presents I have for you. Now I’m afraid I must disappear.”
“Wait—DiZ!”
“Oh yes.” He shrugged and pointed to a small door under the computer. “There’s lots of sea-salt ice
cream in the freezer there. Have as many as you like. Or share it if anyone comes by.”
“Hey, DiZ, hold on!” The moment she tried to run after him, he vanished.
She didn’t know what he was planning.
When he’d taken Sora from that castle, he’d said it was for his protection.
But DiZ had hurt Roxas—even let him be destroyed—to wake Sora up.
Roxas had to disappear. I know that. I understand it, but something inside me makes me reject that.
Did he really have to disappear?
The heart probably had secrets unknown even to DiZ.
The Heartless were an embodiment of the darkness in the heart. When a Heartless was born, it
created a Nobody, too—an empty physical form.
Then…a Nobody is……
Sora had to be the one who held the key. By coming into contact with him, the heart would awaken.
And that means……
 “…It’s salty…but sweet,” Naminé murmured after taking a bite of the ice cream.

The Nobodies and the Heartless grappled in the open hall.

“Hear me, my Heartless!” Maleficent called, looking down upon the battle. “Attack the white husks.
Sweep them away!”
Behind her, Pete hid his face in terror. The Nobodies clearly had the advantage. “Maleficent, we’re
never gonna win! I don’t know about you—but I’m outta here!”
He ran off.
“You pathetic coward!” Maleficent fumed, but Pete didn’t look back.
Meanwhile, the Nobodies were cutting swaths through the Heartless, and Maleficent took a step back.
That moment, a certain trio hurtled into the great hall—Sora and the king’s lackeys.
But King Mickey, the leader, was no longer with them.
“Maleficent!”
At Sora’s shout, she glanced toward them and gave a small contemptuous laugh. “Heartless! Leave the
white ones. Turn your attention to Sora and his friends!”
With that, she vanished from the scene.
All at once, the Heartless turned from their fight with Nobodies and set their sights on the trio.
“Uh-oh…,” said Goofy.
“We can take ’em both!” Sora dashed into the swarm of Heartless and Nobodies.
Both enemies posed a danger to this world, so to Sora and the others, there was hardly any difference
between them. It just meant they had more than one kind of adversary.
“Fire! Fire!” Donald yelled, waving his wand.
“Gee, I guess we gotta.” With his shield out, Goofy joined the melee.

Outside the castle, Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith battled the onslaught of Nobodies.
They were just beginning to restore the town of Hollow Bastion. They couldn’t let a bunch of Nobodies
destroy it now. They had to stop the Nobodies from infiltrating the town any further.
“They just keep coming…,” Aerith murmured, facing the Nobodies that poured endlessly from the
castle.
“But it’s up to us to protect the town!” Yuffie shouted back, shuriken in hand, but a Nobody knocked
her to the ground.
“Yuffie!” Aerith gave her a healing potion. “Right now would be…”
In the throng of Nobodies, she looked up at the sky. Right now would be a good time for him to come.
And just then, a blade flashed among the swarm.
“Cloud…!” Aerith cried.
The owner of that blade—an enormous sword that he had to rest on his shoulder—was a blond youth
dashing through the Nobodies toward Leon.
“Tch.” Surrounded, the latter made a noise of frustration.
Cloud turned to face the Nobodies, back-to-back with Leon.
“Think you can handle this many?” Leon said with his gunblade ready.
“Well… Might be tough if one more shows up,” Cloud replied without much concern.
Leon smirked. “Then that’ll have to be the one I take care of.”
“What, you’re fighting, too?” With that good-natured jeer, Cloud sprang into the sea of silver and
whirled into action. Not a moment later, Leon began carving a path through the Nobodies.
They would both fight to protect their home.

Axel and Riku stood at the cliff by the postern, gazing down at the writhing mass of Nobodies.
“Now what are you gonna do?” Axel wondered.
Riku never took his eyes off the battle with Leon and his friends as he retorted, “What about you?”
“I’m not telling.”
Apparently, Axel had something in mind.
“I’m gonna try to help Sora and the gang,” Riku informed him. “They’ve got their work cut out for
them, fighting a horde like this.”
He was about to leap down from the cliff, Soul Eater in hand, when—
“Riku!” a voice called from behind him, and he froze.
“…Your Majesty?” Quietly, Riku turned.
“Good thing I found ya!” King Mickey ran to him.
Riku instinctively glanced in Axel’s direction and noticed the redhead was averting his gaze
uncomfortably.
“Who are you…?” the king asked warily.
“Axel,” he replied, mildly annoyed. “Got it memorized?”
King Mickey nodded, then confirmed his suspicions. “…You’re a member of the organization, huh?”
“You guessed it,” Axel said, quite unabashed.
“He betrayed them, though,” Riku added.
At that, the king looked between the two, then focused on Riku. “Is he on our side?”
“No idea,” Axel interjected.
 “It’s true,” said Riku, finding it a bit funny. “We’re not sure whose side he’s on.”
“But you’re friends,” said King Mickey.
Mildly surprised at that, Riku looked at Axel.
“Nobodies don’t have friends,” Axel snapped.
“I’m glad to see you’re not all alone, Riku!” the king said with genuine relief as Axel slumped
wordlessly.
“Where’s Sora?” Riku asked, unable to hold the question in any longer.
“He’ll be along soon,” King Mickey replied. “He said he’s looking for you and Kairi… He really wants
to see you.”
Riku shook his head. “Well, I don’t want to see him.”
“But Riku—”
“Please don’t, Your Majesty.” He didn’t let the king finish. “You already promised, didn’t you? Don’t tell
Sora about me.”
“All right. But it won’t be easy to keep him off your trail.”
Riku smiled slightly. “Well, it is Sora, after all. Anyway…did you find any clues about where Ansem the
Wise might be?”
“I just don’t know,” said King Mickey. “It felt like I was awful close to him at one point…”
“So you did feel his presence…?” Riku looked down.
The real Ansem the Wise…and there was one more whose true identity they didn’t know. What if they
were connected…?
“Hey, Your Majesty… Where did you feel like he was close?” Axel leaned down to ask. “Was it…in
Twilight Town?”
King Mickey stared back at him, startled. “It sure was! But how’d you know?”
Axel and Riku exchanged a glance.
“Naminé’s in danger…isn’t she?” Axel muttered, his expression darkening.
“Your Majesty, I’ll go to Twilight Town,” said Riku. “If Ansem the Wise is there, maybe I’ll find him.”
“Riku?”
As the king looked up at him, mystified, he nodded once more and brought the darkness of the rift up
about him.
“Gosh… Riku’s always running off like that.” King Mickey gave Axel a bemused look. “What’ll you do
now?”
“Uh…” Axel was similarly at a loss.
“Well, I’m getting a whiff of a good friend of mine from you.” The king stepped closer, his nose
twitching. “I thought it was from Riku, but it’s from you.”
“Do I smell?” Axel hurried to sniff his clothes. He couldn’t smell anything.
“I wonder where Pluto went…” The king heaved a sigh.
“Pluto? What, that dog?”
“Yup! Oh, boy, you did meet Pluto!” Overjoyed, King Mickey grabbed Axel’s hand and shook it
vigorously.
“…I mean, I’ve had a shower since then…,” Axel mumbled, still confused.
“So, what are you gonna do now?”
The king’s bright, clear eyes were trained on him. Axel frowned and took a deep breath. His voice
came out faint. “I want to tell Sora I’m sorry.”
“…Axel. You’re…a Nobody, right?”
He gave a tiny nod. “So I can’t destroy other Nobodies,” he said, more quietly than before.
Unless he was actually in danger, Axel couldn’t fight Nobodies. Not when he was one himself. He
didn’t want to make them disappear.
But even about that, he had his doubts.
Weren’t Nobodies supposed to be destroyed?
He didn’t know what to do. He just couldn’t fight something so similar to him.
“I’m thinking I’d like to get Sora and the others off this world, and soon,” said King Mickey. “I’m not
sure either whether we should be fightin’ the Nobodies or the organization.”
“What about the Heartless? Don’t you have to fight them, too?” Axel asked, back to his usual tone.
“What d’you mean?”
“Well—,” Axel began, but the king suddenly turned.
“Oh no! Here they are!” King Mickey leaned over the cliff face and shouted to him, “We’ll talk later,
Axel!”
Then he leaped from the cliff. Watching him descend, Axel gazed over the edge for a while.

When Sora, Donald, and Goofy left the postern, they came across some ruins. The path that should have
been there was destroyed, leaving only the sheared-off edge of a cliff. All around there were deep cracks
in the earth.
And in the distance, they could see a swarm of Nobodies steadily advancing toward them.
They rushed forward to meet it.
Then a figure in a black cloak hurtled down from overhead, somersaulting through the air before
landing.
“Your Majesty!” Donald called out.
It was none other than King Mickey. But with his back to them, he spread his arms to stop them.
“Okay, fellas—you’ve gotta go find Riku and Kairi!”
“But Leon and the others are our friends, too!” Sora protested.
“Don’t worry,” the king told him without turning around. “There’s already lots of help here. We’ll take
care of this fight.”
“I promised Leon…” Sora hung his head. Even if the king was instructing him to go, he couldn’t just
run away from a promise.
I want to help Leon and everyone. I want to protect the town, Sora thought. Riku and Kairi will still be
there… Please just let them wait a little longer.
“Donald, Goofy! Take Sora and get goin’!”
Hearing that, Donald and Goofy looked at each other.
“Quick!” King Mickey urged them.
They couldn’t see his face or guess what he was thinking. Still, Donald stood at attention. “Your
Majesty!”
“We’ll go look for Riku and Kairi!” Goofy declared.
“Right. Be careful!” said King Mickey, his back still turned.
“You too, Your Majesty!” Donald replied.
Sora turned to him. “Wait—you guys!”
Donald and Goofy gazed back at him, stiff as soldiers.
“Hurry up, Sora!”
“You’re comin’ with us whether you like it or not!”
But despite their words, they didn’t move.
“C’mon, do as you’re told!” Donald said with a wink.
A smile came to Sora’s face, and he nodded. “Okay, okay.”
“Well then, skedaddle!” said Goofy.
Sora mouthed his reply.

Thank you.

“Let’s go!” Donald prompted, and Sora sprinted away as hard as he could—past King Mickey—leaping
down the stairs.
“Sora! Wait!” The king started after them.
“Sorry, Your Majesty!” Sora shouted his apology and kept going.
“Hope you can forgive us!” added Goofy.
“Quack!” Donald agreed.
“…Fiddlesticks,” King Mickey said under his breath.
“Kind of a handful, aren’t they?” Axel was there behind him. “And somebody from the organization’s
about to make an appearance, too.”
“What…?!” King Mickey was about to resume chasing them when Axel grabbed his shoulder and
stopped him.
“Look, I know the guy. Those three can handle him.”
The king anxiously looked down the stairs after them.

The door to the computer lab suddenly opened, and Naminé whirled around.
“Naminé!” the visitor exclaimed.
She said his name, sea-salt ice cream in hand. “…Riku?”
“Is DiZ here?” he asked, a little out of breath.
Naminé shook her head. “He left. But how did you know he would be here?”
“The computers.” Riku crossed the room to DiZ’s computer and tried typing, but all he got was an
error message and an automated reply:
“Please enter the password.”
“What about the computers?” said Naminé.
“The system on this one and the system on the computer in Hollow Bastion are almost exactly the
same. That means there’s a good chance the same person designed them.” Riku tried typing in the words
that came to mind, but every time, he got the error message. As he uneasily pecked at the keyboard, he
went on explaining. “Sora restored the system in Hollow Bastion. If something went wrong with it there, I
thought DiZ would come back here.”
“…So DiZ made the computer system in Hollow Bastion?” Naminé asked.
Riku turned to face her. “No—Ansem the Wise made the one here.”
“But that means…”
“Right. I think DiZ is Ansem the Wise.”
Naminé’s breath caught, and uncertainty clouded her expression. “But why…why would someone like
that…?”
“—DiZ didn’t tell you anything?”
“No. Nothing. He just gave me this ice cream and a picture.” She showed Riku her treat, minus a
single bite, and the photograph.
“Sea-salt ice cream…?” Riku turned back to the computer as if something had occurred to him and
typed in a few words. “There. I’m in.”
“The ice cream was the password?” said Naminé. “Then does this picture mean something…?”
 Riku peered at the photo of Roxas and his friends. “It was taken in front of the mansion. Maybe…”
He fell silent, glaring at the monitor.
“When DiZ looked at me this time, he didn’t seem as cold as before. I wonder why…?” Naminé
murmured. “Oh, the ice cream. He said I could share it if anyone comes by.”
She knelt down and opened the little door beside her feet, releasing a gust of cold air. The inside was
stacked with sea-salt ice cream pops.
“Want one, Riku?” She held one out to him.
He accepted and took a bite. “…It’s salty…but kind of sweet…?”
“It’s good, though, isn’t it? It was Roxas’s favorite.” Sorrow crossed Naminé’s face.
“Sea-salt ice cream and a photo…” With the ice pop in his hand, Riku eyed the transporter device in
the center of the room. “Is he saying to give it to Sora…? As a hint pointing to this place?”
Naminé nodded. “That might be it. I think DiZ—I mean, Ansem the Wise—has some kind of plan.”
“Hey, Naminé… Is there something you haven’t told me—well, haven’t told us?”
She looked at the floor. “…I’m not sure of it yet. The secrets of the heart…aren’t something I can talk
about, not yet,” she told him in a tiny voice and took another bite of ice cream.

The trio hurled themselves straight into the mass of Nobodies.

Or they were about to—but someone stood in their way.
“Wak!” Unable to stop in time, Donald crashed into the man at full speed. “Get outta the way!”
Holding his bruised bill, Donald glared up at him—then noticed that the man wore a black cloak and
jumped back.
“You guys sure are looking lively,” the man remarked.
Sora recognized the face and the voice. “Hey, didn’t we catch you messing around in the Underworld?
How’d a wimp like you get into Organization XIII?”
Demyx backed away, pretending to be cowed.
“Can you even fight?” Sora taunted, folding his arms.
“We won’t hold back!” Donald added.
“It’s wrong to judge people by appearances,” Demyx told them with a self-confidence completely
opposed to his earlier attitude.
“You sure about that?” Sora held the Keyblade ready.
“…I told them they were sending the wrong guy.” Demyx’s expression fell again, and he scratched his
head in frustration, confidence gone.
“…What’s up with him?” Sora muttered, baffled at his constantly changing mood.
“Remember, Sora?” said Goofy. “The organization’s made up of Nobodies.”
“Oh, right! No hearts!” Sora nodded and fixed a glare on Demyx.
“Aw, we do too have hearts. Please don’t be mad!” Now he looked apologetic.
“You can’t fool us!” shouted Donald, waving his wand.
“Silence, traitor.” Pointing at Sora, Demyx had transformed again, grimly furious. He dashed at the
trio and brandished his weapon, which resembled a huge stringed instrument—a sitar.
“Who’s this traitor?!” Sora demanded, blocking the attack.
“Traitors are traitors!” Demyx sprang into the air, and a wave of water gushed out of the ground.
“Whoa!”
The ferocious wave knocked them back, and the spray took on shapes—watery copies of Demyx
surrounding them.
“Ack!”
“Fire! Blizzard!” Donald shot off spells at the copies, which splashed into nothing with one hit.
The trio made quick work of the rest of the clones and then began to chase down Demyx. But jets of
water spouted up from near his feet, and they couldn’t get close.
“That’s cheatin’!” Goofy complained.
“I don’t see how!” Demyx retorted and fired more water at them.
“Thunder!” Donald managed to stop one of the jets with a spell.
“Nice work, Donald!” Sora saw the opening and rushed at Demyx.
“Quick, take him down!” Donald called.
“You got it!” Sora leaped up to attack—and so did Demyx, sitar poised.
“Having fun yet?”
“Not really!” Sora brought down the Keyblade.
“Gah!” Demyx yelped. That was all it took to send him crashing into the ground. He let out a pitiful
whine as his sitar dissolved into water trickling between his fingers. “Aw, c’mon, no way!”
“Yes way.” Sora stared down at him.
Before his eyes, a dark mist enveloped Demyx, and then he was gone.
“Anyone from the organization who wants to be next?” Sora shouted at the empty square.
“Hey, Sora…” Donald tugged at his hand, then stood up to scold with his arms folded. “Don’t
antagonize them!”
“Yeah, we gotta go help out our friends first,” Goofy said cheerfully, running over to join them.
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Sora rubbed his head sheepishly.
“Then let’s go!” said Donald.
Sora nodded, but that moment, the king’s piping voice rang out. “Aha! There you are!”
Donald and Goofy stopped in their tracks just before they could run ahead. They turned to find a very
unhappy-looking King Mickey.
He glared at the trio for a few tense moments—then broke into a grin. “You sure do have a lot of
friends to help.”
All three of them exhaled in relief.
“All right,” said King Mickey, “we’d better pull together and finish this battle for good!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” the trio replied in unison and then smiled at one another.
But before they could set off, there was an explosion above. Boulders came tumbling down.
“Look out!” cried Goofy, but there was no time. He darted forward, knocking the king aside—and a
falling stone struck him.
“Goofy?!”
The others rushed to where he was sprawled on the ground.
His eyes didn’t open.
“Hey! You’re the king’s captain! Get yourself together!” Donald desperately shook him by the
shoulders.
Goofy stayed limp and motionless.
“C’mon, wake up!” Sora was shouting, too.
“Goofy, it’s time for dinner!” Donald tried. But Goofy didn’t respond even to that.
At a slight distance from the others, King Mickey edged away.
“Goofy…?” Donald thumped on Goofy’s chest, and his voice came out half-sobbing. “G-Goofy…”
“This isn’t happening… It can’t be happening…” Sora peered at Goofy’s face. “You’ve gotta be
kidding…right?”
“They’ll pay for this…!” King Mickey flung off his cloak and stared furiously ahead, his fist clenched
around his Keyblade.
And then he dashed toward the writhing Nobodies.
“Waaaaak!” With his own battle cry, Donald followed.
Sora reached out for Donald and grabbed his hand, turning back for one more look at their fallen
friend.
Then he ran, as if to escape his own emotions.
CHAPTER 2

UNDER THE WORLD

THE MAN’S BLACK CLOAK FLUTTERED BEHIND HIM as he marched forward.

The present, the past, the future.
Human, Heartless, Nobody.
Xehanort, Ansem, Xemnas.
His plans had already advanced past the point of no return.
With Demyx’s demise, the group calling itself Organization XIII had lost more than half of its
members.
Vexen, Lexaeus, Zexion, Marluxia, Larxene, Demyx. And Roxas.
All the fallen ones—do they bear a grudge against me?
But they were Nobodies. They had no hearts with which to hold any ill will. They couldn’t even
understand what the heart is.
Now, then… I wonder if that little king remembers me?
Xemnas gazed up at the enormous moon in the night sky.

Sora carved a path through the untold thousands of Heartless.

“Leon!”
The members of the Restoration Committee all fought with everything they had to protect their town.
Sora and his Keyblade fought their way toward them. He couldn’t see Donald or King Mickey anymore.
Where did they get to…?
Or Goofy.
Who would never wake up again.
That can’t be real. Can it?

The people of Radiant Garden had lived in peace, with Ansem the Wise maintaining the balance of their
world.
In the center of the town was a small research facility where Ansem and his apprentices carried out
their many experiments.
His apprentices numbered six—Xehanort, Even, Ienzo, Braig, Dilan, and Aeleus—and each was
brilliant in his own way.
Ansem, however, had only one objective: to uncover the secrets of the darkness in the heart.
With Even’s assistance, Ansem performed a little experiment on Xehanort. It was meant to awaken the
memories sleeping in Xehanort’s heart.
Ansem no longer understood what had precipitated it. But at some point, the research slipped from his
control, and his apprentices found experimental subjects on their own. They continued the studies in an
enormous laboratory built under Ienzo’s direction.
And then the night when they opened the Door to Darkness, meteors rained down on their world.
That meteor shower was the reason his apprentices’ unusual activities even came to Ansem’s
attention.
“You’re conducting experiments without my supervision?!” he bellowed at his apprentices, all
gathered in his study.
“But Master Ansem—,” Xehanort began.
“I don’t want to hear it. Shut it down immediately!” Ansem snapped. “I won’t have anyone opening the
Door to Darkness.”
Xehanort, the young man who had once lost his memory, desperately persisted. “But the truth of the
worlds is there.”
“I will not allow it! Out. I’m sealing off the entire laboratory.”
At that, the apprentices all gloomily hung their heads and left the lab. Ansem made sure the door was
closed and locked behind them before he sank into a chair and let out a bone-deep sigh.
Could those six have hit upon anything about the darkness in the heart?
Had they grown entangled in that darkness themselves while pursuing its mysteries?
There was no doubt Ansem himself had led to all this as the one who’d begun these experiments. He
tried to think what he could do to correct this grave mistake—
And that was when it happened.
Axel looked down at Goofy where he lay sprawled on the ground and uncertainly scratched his own head.
“Uh…hello?” he tried, not too loud, and then he prodded at Goofy’s cheek. “C’mon, get up already.”
“A-hyuck?” Goofy didn’t open his eyes, but he managed to slightly move his head, which had a sizable
bump.
“Seriously…” Axel sighed. “For a king, that guy sure doesn’t know what he’s doing.”
“—?”
Goofy’s eyes blinked open.
“Oh, there you are.” Axel had been peering into Goofy’s face, so he retreated a step.
“Organization XIII…?!” Goofy jumped up with plenty of life in him and readied his shield, but then a
dizzy spell washed over him. He spun around on one foot and fell flat on his behind.
“Take it easy, will you?” Axel crouched down and dabbed a potion on Goofy’s head.
“Who’re you?” Goofy rubbed at the bump and looked up at Axel.
“I’m not telling.”
“Gee, you’re not in the organization?”
“Again, not telling.” Axel folded his arms, smirking down at Goofy.
“…You smell like Pluto,” said Goofy.
“What, that again?” Axel let out a sigh and gave him a hint of a real smile. “Sora and the others went
that way, Goofy.”
“Without me?!” Goofy sprang to his feet.
“You better go catch ’em.”
“Well, uh… Thanks, pal.” He nodded and waved to Axel, then ran off with plunking steps.
Axel watched him go and then vanished into a dark rift himself.

It was a while after the night of the meteor shower.

“Xehanort!” cried Even, bursting into the experimental lab in the basement. The other apprentices
looked up from the various computers where they were sorting their data.
This lab also served as a facility for producing Heartless in mass quantities.
“What’s the matter?” asked Dilan with a nasty smirk. “Did Master Ansem say something again?”
“No—there’s a visitor from somewhere else,” Even replied. “Apparently, there really are other worlds.”
Xehanort frowned. “What does that mean?”
“Someone calling himself the king of one of those worlds came to visit Master Ansem. And from his
appearance, it’s obvious he is indeed from another world. Said his name is Mickey, I believe…”
“So, the opening of the door affects the worlds,” Ienzo said quietly.
Aeleus and Braig had nothing to add.
“Let’s go and see.” Xehanort got to his feet and wasted no time heading for Ansem’s room upstairs.
Even followed him.

As he helped Leon and his friends fight, Sora eventually reached the shelter of a small ravine, created by
heaps of boulders crashing against one another.
“You okay?” King Mickey asked. He and Donald were already there waiting for him.
“I’m fine, but…” Trying to catch his breath, Sora looked away, hanging his head.
“Oh… Goofy…” Donald’s gaze dropped, too, as he spoke the name of their dear departed friend.
Silence fell—but it was soon broken.
“Hey, fellas!” called an easygoing voice.
Sora, Donald, and King Mickey exchanged a glance and turned toward the sound.
It was Goofy, waving to them cheerfully. “Why’d ya go and leave me behind like that?”
“Goofy!” They ran to him.
“Y’know, that bump on the head really hurt.” Goofy ran to meet them.
The king was the first to reach him and throw his arms around him. “Aw, Goofy!”
“Gawrsh, Your Majesty, it’s okay. I get bumped all the time,” he said, totally innocent.
Sora and Donald’s eyes met, and they broke into grins.
“Quack!” Then Donald stepped forward and whacked Goofy in the shin with his wand.
“Ouch! That hurt, too!”
“You’re really here!” Donald blurted, as Goofy hopped about in pain.
“Whatcha talkin’ about?”
“Don’t ever do that again!” Donald was about to burst into tears.
“Do what?”
Then Donald and the king looked at each other and laughed.
“You had us really worried there, Goofy!” Now Sora launched himself at Goofy in a tackle hug.
The four of them huddled together.
“So, I guess we gotta keep fighting, huh?” said Goofy. Sora nodded.
They could still see the horde of Nobodies in the distance. But the creatures had stopped moving.
“Huh?” King Mickey cocked his head.
“What’re they doing?” Sora’s heart started pounding as he squinted at them.
“Well, we better go find out!” said Donald, and the four friends set off again.
As they emerged from the ravine, they saw someone there—a man in a black cloak.
He turned toward them and slowly pushed back his hood. The face underneath strongly resembled
Ansem’s, with silver hair and sharp glinting eyes staring down at them.
“It’s him!” cried Donald. “The guy who’s not Ansem!”
“You mean his Nobody!” Goofy corrected him.
“And the leader of Organization XIII…” Sora glared at the man.
Then King Mickey exclaimed, “Wait a minute—that’s it!”

Ansem’s study was piled high with books and documents. At the large desk in the center of the room,
Ansem sat munching on an ice cream pop, listening intently to the visitor from another world.
The blue salty-sweet ice cream was his favorite—sea-salt ice cream.
“Wise Ansem, I’ve come to seek your advice,” said the king.
Ansem smiled. “I’m glad we have an opportunity to speak like this, my friend. Your hypothesis is most
intriguing. To be frank, it’s not easy to stave off the urge to test it.” He paused there, taking another bite
of ice cream, and his expression darkened. “Still, I’m concerned about the stability of the worlds.”
He knew that the door had already been opened. It was the reckless actions of his apprentices, merely
based on his own experiments, and yet he couldn’t help but feel the blame lay entirely with him.
“Yep, that’s what worries me, too,” the king replied.
“The doors that appeared and the place the Heartless seek… I fear my research may have brought this
upon us…” Ansem rested his forehead in his hands.
Then there was a knock at the door. A young man stepped into the study—Xehanort. “Master Ansem,
regarding the experiment I presented the other day… With your permission—”
“Which is denied! Forget this talk of doors and the heart of all worlds!” Ansem stood to stare down
Xehanort and told him with quiet finality, “That place must not be defiled.”
The heart was sacrosanct. And the darkness within the heart must never be tampered with.
Darkness in the heart would invite darkness in the world… The world would be corrupted, and its
stability would break down. And they must not let that happen.
“But Master Ansem… I’ve been thinking that—”
Ansem shook his head. “Xehanort, those thoughts are best forgotten.”
Defeated, Xehanort took a step back, nodded, and left the room.

“I remember now! It was Ansem’s apprentice Xehanort!” cried King Mickey.

The Nobody only smirked.
“The leader of Organization XIII is Xehanort’s Nobody!” The Keyblade flashed in his hand as the king
rushed at him.
“Let’s go!” Sora tried to follow—but found Nobodies blocking his way. He lashed out with the
Keyblade. “Move it!”
“We can’t let Xehanort get away!” Donald called.
“Right!” Sora replied. Donald and Goofy gave him a thumbs-up, and Sora turned.
Then he ran straight into a mass of Heartless.

Xehanort pondered what he’d heard of the conversation between Ansem and King Mickey.
So there was a key called the Keyblade, said to have the power to open any door.
There was a strange material that enabled one to fly through the Other Sky—Gummi blocks, fallen
pieces from that meteor shower.
And something about women known as the Princesses of Heart.
All these immensely important shards of information began to fit together in Xehanort’s mind.
“What in the world were they talking about?” said Even, who had been trying to eavesdrop.
Xehanort ignored him and continued down the stairs to the basement laboratory. He flung open the
door, and the others all turned to him at once.
“Aeleus, where is the girl?” Xehanort asked.
“She’s asleep…” Aeleus pointed to the capsule room in the back.
The girl was very particular—unique among people. They had not been able to create any Heartless
using her heart.
Perhaps because she was too young, or perhaps…
Xehanort disappeared into the capsule room.

He had no idea how many Heartless he’d taken down. Sora gasped for breath as he waited for Donald and
Goofy to catch up.
“Sora!” They hurried up to him.
“Where’s the king?” Sora asked, a little worried.
Donald and Goofy frantically scanned the area. Then Donald pointed. “Over there!”
“Your Majesty!”
They dashed to where the king gripped his Keyblade and glared at a silver-haired man atop the cliff.
“Xehanort!”
“How long has it been since I abandoned that name…?” the man murmured as if to himself, not even
turning to glance at the king.
 “Out with it, Nobody!” Sora readied his own Keyblade. “Where’s Kairi? Where’s Riku?!”
“I know nothing of any Kairi.” Xehanort’s Nobody slowly turned to face them. “As for Riku…you might
try asking your king.”
Then a dark space opened behind him, and he slipped into it.
“Stop!” King Mickey leaped into the darkness after him.
“Your Majesty—!” Sora scrambled to follow, too, but the rift closed before his eyes, and they were
gone.
“…” His outstretched arm fell limply to his side, and he slumped to the ground.
The king knows something about Riku? Then why wouldn’t he tell me? I missed my chance to find
out… Riku, where are you?
“Sora…” Goofy put a hand on his shoulder.
“Sora, Goofy!” Donald shouted from behind them. “The Nobodies are all gone!”
Sora got up, and they peeked over the edge of the cliff.
The land below had been swarming with Nobodies—and now they couldn’t see a single one.
Goofy cocked his head. “Gawrsh, what’s that mean?”
“Means you fell right into their trap.”
At the sudden voice from behind them, the trio jumped and whirled around. It was the red-haired
organization member, Axel, leaning against a boulder.
Sora and Donald automatically prepared for a fight, while Goofy tilted his head again.
“It’s a setup by Organization XIII, okay?” said Axel. “Xemnas is using you to destroy the Heartless.”
“Xemnas?” Donald repeated.
“The guy you just saw. He’s their leader. Got it memorized? X-E-M-N-A-S.”
Goofy rubbed at the bump on his head. Isn’t this the same fella who just helped me out?
“So Organization XIII wants to get rid of the Heartless?” he wondered aloud.
“Pfft, no. Look, every time you take down a Heartless with the Keyblade, a heart gets released, right?
That’s what the organization is after.”
“What are they gonna do with all those hearts?” Donald demanded.
Axel shrugged. “Not telling.”
“You’d better!” Donald began waving his wand.
Then Sora realized something and peered into Axel’s face. Wait—do I…know his name?
I’ve never seen him before, but I know him.
He felt sad somehow, like he missed someone.
That voice, that attitude… Axel. His name is Axel.
But who is he? Oh—I remember. The guy with the scar on his forehead said he was trying to find Axel.
Sora’s mind raced. No, there’s something else… He…he did something…!
“You— You’re the one who kidnapped Kairi!”
Axel twitched a little at that. “Bingo. The name’s Axel. Got it memorized?” he replied, eyes narrowed
as he smiled sardonically.
“Where is she?!” cried Sora.
He flinched again and then scratched his head.
“Please just tell me!”
Seeing Sora nearly hunched over in his desperation, Axel’s gaze rose to the sky. “Look, about Kairi…
I’m sorry.”
The air began wavering.
“Axel!” another voice called. Someone stepped out of a dark portal—the man with the terrible scar on
his forehead, Saïx.
“Uh-oh.” Axel preemptively shielded himself and stepped back, and then another rift in space opened
up to absorb him.
“No, wait!” Sora rushed to stop him.
Saïx blocked his path. “We’ll ensure that he receives a suitable punishment.”
Before their eyes, the darkness engulfed Axel.
“I don’t care about any of that! Just take me along with you!” Sora pleaded.
Saïx slowly turned and looked down at him. “If it’s Kairi you’re worried about, don’t. We’re taking very
good care of her.”
“Let me see her.”
“Is she that important to you?”
“More than anything.” Sora clenched his fists. He had to see Kairi, no matter what it took.
“Show me how important.”
Sora lowered his eyes for a moment, and then quietly knelt down, his head bowed low. “Please.”
“So, you really do care for her,” Saïx mused. “In that case…absolutely not.”
Sora sprang to his feet again. “You rotten—”
“Are you angry? Do you hate me? Then take that rage and bring it down upon the Heartless.” Saïx
snapped his fingers, and an array of Heartless appeared one by one behind him.
The trio quickly assumed their fighting stances, as Saïx went on with a low monologue. “Pitiful
Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. And yet they know not the true power of what they hold. The rage
of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free…until they weave
together to form Kingdom Hearts. And when that time comes at last, we can truly exist.”
He almost sounded as though he were reciting an incantation.
 “Was that supposed to—?” Sora began, but someone else spoke over him.
“What do you think you’re prattling on about?”
Sora knew that voice. And indeed, Maleficent had appeared behind them.
“Kingdom Hearts belongs to me! The heart of all worlds, the heart of all that lives. A dominion fit to be
called Kingdom Hearts must be my dominion!” She raised her staff.
“Maleficent, no! No more Heartless!” cried Sora.
“I do not take orders from you!”
With that, a ring of Heartless appeared around Saïx, creeping closer and closer.
“Fool…” Saïx snapped his fingers again, summoning Nobodies, and in a matter of seconds they
defeated the Heartless. Having completed their task, they turned on the trio.
“Oh no!” Sora braced himself for the Nobodies to attack, but a green haze rose up before they reached
him. “…Huh?”
It was Maleficent, now standing in front of them. “While I keep these creatures at bay, you devise a
way to vanquish them—forever!”
The blast of green flame, for once not directed at Sora, began obliterating the Nobodies.
“Maleficent…?” Sora tried to approach her.
“Do not misunderstand me,” she said without turning around. “I shall have my revenge on you yet.”
“Maleficent!” he shouted again. The Nobodies were swarming her.
“Go! Now!” Maleficent was covered in those silver creatures.
“I don’t take orders from you!” He was about to run ahead and help, but Donald caught his sleeve.
“Sora, c’mon!”
“But…we can’t just…” As Sora stood there hesitating, emerald fire rose from her. She vanished, and a
writhing cluster of Nobodies fell in a pile.
“Maleficent!” he called, but she was nowhere to be found.
“Now, then—where were we before that interruption?” Saïx snapped his fingers once more, and the
Nobodies disappeared only for the Heartless to replace them.
“Which side are you guys on, anyway?” Sora complained.
“The Heartless ally with the strongest,” said Saïx, as if the rhetorical question needed an answer. At
his signal, the Heartless advanced.
“…Rrgh!” They couldn’t very well not fight something that wanted to hurt them. The Keyblade arced
through the air, and the Heartless turned to light and dissolved.
And in each burst of light, a tiny heart floated into the sky.
“No—the hearts!” Sora cried, clutching the Keyblade tight.
The more Heartless he defeated, the more hearts would become part of Kingdom Hearts. And if that
was exactly what Organization XIII wanted, he couldn’t let himself slay any more Heartless.
But the creatures were closing in.
“Keep going, Sora. Give us more hearts!” Saïx said by way of farewell and disappeared into a dark
portal.
“But…if I can’t use the Keyblade…,” Sora murmured, his fingers still gripping it.
“Imbeciles. You can’t be trusted to do anything!”
As Maleficent’s voice rang out again, darkness spread beneath their feet, swallowing up the trio.
And then, a huge and brilliant light…

“Sora! Donald! Goofy!” Leon called, seeing a great flash from atop a distant cliff. At the same time, the
Nobodies surrounding them disappeared.
“Relax. Those three won’t go down that easily,” Cloud said beside him. “The Keyblade’s chosen one…
Good deal for him.”
He stowed his enormous sword against his back and walked away.
“Sora…” Leon watched the light shoot up into the sky and fade. He smiled and murmured, “We’ll meet
again.”

Sora, Donald, and Goofy found themselves in pitch-black darkness. They could hardly see a hand in front
of their faces, but Sora knew that Donald was sprawled on top of him, and Goofy on top of Donald.
“Ohh, ouch…” Goofy massaged his bruised behind.
“Get off already!” After Donald shoved him away, Sora could finally stand up.
Goofy scanned the darkness, although there was nothing to see in any direction. “Gawrsh, what is this
place?”
“It must be the realm of darkness!” Excited, Sora started pacing. “Kairi! Riku!”
Maybe they were here somewhere. He had to try.
But there was no answer.
And then they heard faint footsteps in the distance.
Donald turned toward the sound. “Who’s there?!”
A small box had been placed on the ground. Someone was here—they could almost see a person, but it
was too dark to tell.
Donald rushed toward the box and picked it up. “What’s this…?” He held the box up to his ear but
didn’t hear anything strange.
“Are you sure you wanna open…that?” Goofy worried. But Donald had already done so before the
sentence was over.
Inside, there was a single photograph and an ice cream pop.
Sora took out the picture to examine it, peering at the four people in it.
“Gawrsh, it’s the gang from Twilight Town,” said Goofy. “There’s Hayner, Pence, Olette…and…uh…
um…”
He could only name three of them. The other was a boy he’d never seen.
But Sora said the name. “Roxas.”
“You know him?” Donald asked, mystified.
“No… The name just popped into my head.” Sora stared at the boy in the picture. “That’s Roxas.”
The wave of emotion he felt reminded him of the moment when he’d remembered Axel’s name… A hint
of sorrow, like he’d left something behind.
“Hmm… But we don’t know him, do we…?” Perplexed, Donald picked up the ice cream bar.
“Are you sure you wanna eat…that?”
Donald popped it into his mouth before Goofy had finished the sentence. But he took it out again.
“Salty! No… Sweet!”
The ice cream floated into the air and began glowing. A beam of light shone upward and illuminated a
keyhole.
“Another gate’s open!” Sora held up the Keyblade to release a matching beam of light. They heard the
click of an opening lock.
And then brightness surrounded them.
“Huh…?”
They disappeared into the light.

Keeping his breath quiet in the inky dark, Riku watched Sora and the others from a distance. He couldn’t
simply tell them the answer outright, but he could give them a hint.
He really did want to see Sora and talk. But that was impossible with this appearance.
The things that mattered the most were what he couldn’t tell Sora. It had always been that way.
No one would teach you the important things. You had to figure them out for yourself.
But he could hope…that Sora might discover the secret of the two objects.
Riku cloaked himself in the darkness and vanished into it.
CHAPTER 3

THE LAND OF DRAGONS

NAMINÉ WAS TYPING AT THE MANSION’S COMPUTER. She wasn’t quite used to it yet, and slowly
pecking at the letters with her index fingers took all her concentration.
“Here…?” She turned to Axel.
“Right. And then like this, see? Man, this is a pain, though.”
The computer here worked nearly the same as the ones the organization had, so Axel knew how to use
it to some extent. But there was still plenty he didn’t get. And when they tried to look things up, they kept
meeting a “No data” message. Apparently, it wouldn’t be that simple to find out everything they wanted to
know.
Naminé let out a small sigh and looked down at the sketchbook in her lap. DiZ—no, Ansem the Wise.
What is he trying to do? What is he trying to get us to do?
Then they heard the door open. Naminé and Axel turned.
“Welcome back, Riku,” she said. He had just returned from the brief meeting with Sora and his
friends.
“What should we do now, Naminé?” Riku asked as he reached for the little freezer under the computer.
He removed a bar of ice cream and took a bite.
“…Aw, is it good?” Axel teased. “Seriously, you’re like a little kid. Even though you look like a mean old
man.”
Riku made no response, keeping his gaze fixed on the computer screen. The comment did rub him the
wrong way. But mentally, Axel was definitely older than him by at least a little. Not that you could tell
from looking.
“Axel, any idea what the organization’s up to next?” he asked instead.
“Well, if I was in charge,” said Axel, “I’d be working on getting Sora to replenish the ranks and destroy
the Heartless at the same time.”
Riku looked up from the computer. “How?”
“By finding someone really powerful somewhere and making them into a Heartless. If you pulled that
off, there’s a pretty good chance it’d create a powerful Nobody. And then it’d be up to Sora to take down
the Heartless, too.”
Riku folded his arms. “So, do you know where ‘someone really powerful’ might be?”
“I know,” said Naminé without turning away from the screen. “If it has to do with Sora, I know.”
I can feel it. It might be faint now, but I can feel him.
“What do you mean?” Riku asked, and Naminé hung her head, uncertain how to answer.
In the sketchbook on her lap, there was a drawing of Sora and his two friends. As Riku sighed, Axel
stole the ice cream out of his hand.
“There’s plenty in there. Just get your own. And you call me a little kid,” Riku grumbled.
At his irritation, Axel only shrugged and chuckled to himself.

When they woke up, the trio found themselves aboard the Gummi Ship, which was flying smoothly
through the Other Sky.
“Oh man…” Sora’s shoulders slumped. “I thought I would get to find Kairi…”
“Hmm… Y’know, Sora,” Goofy said to distract him from feeling so discouraged. “The photo and the ice
cream…I wonder if they’re some sorta clue.”
Donald picked up the thread. “Who would’ve left ’em for us?”
“…Riku?” Sora softly said his oldest friend’s name.
“A-hyuck! Ya think so?”
“I’ve got a feeling…” Sora stared at the photo.
He sensed that Riku had left this picture and ice cream for them. That his friend had been watching
over them this whole time.
When he thought of that, Sora’s spirits rose, just a little.
“Gee, maybe you’re right,” Goofy said brightly.
“Look, there’s the new world!” Donald dashed to the porthole. Pressing his bill against it, he could see
red buildings with wide, flat roofs. “Doesn’t look like anything we’ve seen before…”
“Hey, what if there are more Heartless? I can’t use the Keyblade…” The weapon materialized in his
hand, and Sora eyed it anxiously. “That would just help the organization.”
“But Sora, I think ya have to use it,” Goofy said carefully. “If we don’t fight ’em, the Heartless’ll just
keep on hurting folks.”
“Yeah…I guess you’re right.” He gave Goofy and Donald a hopeful smile. “Okay, let’s go!”
 His friends nodded.

The members of Organization XIII were gathered in the usual marble hall—all five of them.
This organization, formed with thirteen members, was now whittled down to only five. Xemnas, Xigbar,
Xaldin, Saïx, and Luxord.
Of the Nobodies who as humans had once been Ansem’s apprentices, half remained.
“So Demyx is no more. So sad…,” Xigbar said flatly. Not a hint of emotion showed in his face. But that
was only natural for a Nobody, with no heart to feel anything.
“And we still haven’t found out where Axel went?” said Xaldin.
Saïx scowled with displeasure at the name.
Unexpectedly, Xemnas spoke up. “Everything is proceeding according to plan.”
The others all turned to him.
“What we don’t yet understand is the nature of the Keyblade’s chosen—this Sora. Saïx, you will
eliminate Axel. Luxord, Xaldin, Xigbar—I have a special task for you three.”
It was a rare occurrence for Xemnas to deliver specific orders from his own mouth.
“Turn great hearts into Heartless and let Sora defeat them.”
Saïx raised his head at that.
“And you know where to find suitably substantial hearts, I trust?” Xemnas went on.
The other three nodded.
“Change a great heart into a Heartless, and you might end up with an extra-useful Nobody. Leave it to
our fearless leader to figure out how to replenish our personnel,” Xigbar remarked with a nasty grin.
“Again, everything is proceeding according to plan,” said Xemnas. “Do not let anything interfere.”
With that, he stood up and summarily disappeared.

The ship landed at the foot of a mountain. Bright white snow covered about half the slope, all the way up
to the peak.
It was their first time visiting this world—the Land of Dragons.
“Gawrsh, it’s kinda chilly,” said Goofy, gazing up at the snowy peak.
“Oh, wow! I’ve never seen snow before!” Sora dashed up the slope.
They climbed through wooded hills until they reached a ruined village amid the snow.
The place had been burned down deliberately, or so it seemed. The small houses were charred black,
and the scorched timbers here and there told a vivid story of misery.
“This is terrible…,” Sora breathed.
Goofy kept walking into the center of the village. “Ya think the organization did it?”
Even as he said it, they caught sight of someone—a man in a black cloak, like the organization
members, over at the other edge of town.
“Wait!” Sora started chasing after the figure, but another voice called out to them.
“You three!”
They stopped in their tracks and turned to see a boy with glossy black hair and fine features, slender
enough that his ability to move in armor was surprising.
“Uh, sorry, can’t talk,” Sora told him. “We gotta catch that guy…”
“I’m following him, too,” said the boy.
The trio exchanged glances.
“What’s your name?” Sora asked.
“I’m Mulan—er, I mean, um…” The boy looked at the ground in apparent frustration, and then a tiny
dragon poked out from behind him.
“Ping!” the dragon exclaimed.
“Hey, little guy,” said Goofy, leaning toward the dragon.
“What now? Excuse me? The name is Mushu! And I may be little, but I’m also lithe, lethal, and
legendary! Now y’all scram before I get my dragon dander up!”
“Um…” Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at one another again. This was an odd pair they’d
encountered.
“Mushu is one of my family’s guardians,” the boy explained. “I am Ping, son of Fa Zhou.”
“How come you’re pretendin’ to be a boy?” Goofy wondered.
Ping, or Mulan, looked sheepishly at Mushu. Sora and Donald jumped in surprise.
“You’re a girl?!” blurted Sora.
Encouraged, Mulan grinned. “…You didn’t notice?”
“Never would’ve guessed!” Sora could still hardly believe it, peering at Mulan to see what he’d
missed.
“Well, maybe I don’t have to keep it up for now,” she murmured to Mushu.
“I’m Sora,” he introduced himself. “That’s Donald, and that’s Goofy. We’re—wait, what are we doing?
We gotta catch that guy!”
Mulan nodded.

Riku ran through the mountain snow and came to a rocky ridge. With a glance behind him, he let out a
deep breath.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
but we are told, “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own
wisdom” (Prov. xxiii. 4). One of the various duties of parents towards
their children is to take good care that they learn a trade, and “he
who does not teach his son a trade,” say our Sages, “is as guilty as if
he directly taught him to rob” (Babyl. Talm. Kiddushin, p. 29a).

There is an erroneous opinion abroad, that commerce is more

congenial to Judaism than handicraft. In our Law no trace of such
preference is noticeable; on the contrary, agriculture was the
principal occupation of the Israelites. “When thou eatest the labour of
thine hands, happy art thou, and it is well with thee” (Ps. cxxviii. 2).
“Love work, and hate lordship” is a well-known lesson of the sayings
of the Fathers (Aboth i. 10). Bible and post-Biblical literature equally
teach us the lesson that our comfort and happiness do not depend
on the amount of wealth we have amassed, but on the degree of
contentment our heart has acquired. “Sweet is the sleep of the
labourer, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich
will not suffer him to sleep” (Eccles. v. 11).

Industry is one of the sources of human happiness; but the blessing

of industry is easily lost, if it is not combined with thrift and
temperance. In days of prosperity we must bear in mind that days of
misfortune may come; we must, so far as we can, provide for them,
so that we may be able to hold out “till the storm has passed.”
Temperance is inseparable from thrift [323]and industry. Intemperance
not only consumes the products of thrift and industry, but in course of
time destroys these very sources of our prosperity. Even with regard
to Sabbath, in honour of which some degree of comfort and even of
luxury may be indulged in, the principle is laid down: “Treat thy
Sabbath like an ordinary day, if additional expense is likely to make
thee dependent on charity” (Babyl. Talm. Shabbath 118a).
3. Knowledge.—God has made man “a little lower than the angels,
and has crowned him with glory and honour” (Ps. viii. 6); He has
endowed him with the faculty of acquiring knowledge: “There is a
spirit in man, and an inspiration of the Almighty, that gives him
understanding” (Job xxxii. 8). It is our duty to cultivate this faculty, to
nurse it with all possible care, that it may grow, produce beautiful
blossoms, and bear goodly fruit. The training must begin very early,
at an age in which we are entirely dependent on the assistance and
guidance of others. Parents, to whom the Almighty has entrusted the
care of their children, are therefore commanded to provide for their
education; and as parents are not always capable of doing this, the
duty devolves on the community or on the State. Every civilised
country has its schools, colleges, and seminaries for the
development of the intellectual and moral faculties of its inhabitants,
and as these institutions increase in number and efficiency, the
prosperity of the nation grows in like proportion. But the success of
these educational institutions, however well provided they may be
with an excellent teaching staff and the best appliances, depends on
the regular and punctual attendance of the children, their attention,
[324]and their industry. It is the duty of parents to see, as far as it is in
their power, that these conditions be fulfilled. Among the various
branches of knowledge we seek to acquire, there is one branch of
paramount importance, the absence of which would make all other
knowledge valueless: it is—

4. Moral and Religious Training.—“The fear of the Lord is the

beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and correction” (‫‏חכמה‬
‫ומוסר‬‎Prov. i. 7). The author of the Book of Proverbs teaches that
knowledge must be combined with ‫‏יראת השם‬‎“fear of God;” and that
it is a perverse idea to separate wisdom (‫‏חכמה‬‎) from moral training
(‫‏מוסר‬‎), and to seek knowledge (‫‏דעת‬‎) without the fear of the Lord
(‫‏יראת ה׳‬‎). Our Sages teach us that our training should include both
fear of God and wisdom. “If there is no wisdom, there is no fear of
God; and in the absence of the latter there is no wisdom” (Aboth iii.
17). Fear of the Lord, however, and fear of sin must have
precedence. Rabbi Chanina, son of Dosa, says: “If a man’s wisdom
is preceded by fear of sin, his wisdom is well established; if the fear
of sin is preceded by wisdom, his wisdom is not well established”
(ibid. 9).

The result of our training must be the acquisition of good manners

and noble principles. Avoid extremes, and hold to the golden mean,
is an excellent rule that leads us safely through the various
conditions of life and wards off many troubles and dangers. The
following examples may serve as an illustration of this rule: Do not
ignore your own self; let self-love and self-respect influence your
conduct; but these must not be allowed to develop into selfishness
[325]and arrogance. Look after your own interests, but do not
consider them as the supreme rulers of your actions. Be self-reliant,
and keep equally far from self-conceit and self-distrust. Haughtiness
and self-contempt are extremes to be avoided: be modest. When
wronged or insulted by your neighbour, be neither callous nor over-
sensitive; ignore insult and wrong in most cases, forgive them readily
in others, and resent them only when forced to do so. In disputes
and discussions be neither weak nor obstinate: be firm. Be neither
passionate nor indifferent: be calm. Do not trust every one, lest your
credulity mislead you; do not suspect every one, lest you become
misanthropic: be discreet. Do not seek danger, nor fear it; but be
prepared to meet it with courage. Be temperate in eating and
drinking, and avoid both excess and needless privation. In spending
your earnings show neither niggardliness nor recklessness: be
economical. Work, but not in such a manner as to ruin your health.
As to your future, be neither too sanguine in your hopes, nor
despondent: do your duty, and trust in God.
There are, however, exceptions from this rule; for in certain cases
there is only the choice between two extremes. Such is Truthfulness.
It is our duty to approach nearer and nearer the extreme of this
virtue, and to consider the least deviation from it as vice. From our
earliest youth we should train ourselves in the practice of this virtue.
Every word that we desire to utter should be well examined before it
passes our lips. We must be on our guard that nothing should
escape our lips that is not in harmony with what we [326]feel or think.
In small matters as well as in important things truthfulness must be
the principle which guides us in our utterances. “The lips of truth
shall be established for ever, but for a moment only the tongue of
falsehood” (Prov. xii. 19). “Keep thee far from a word of falsehood”
(Exod. xxiii. 7). “Falsehood,” say our Sages, “has no legs to stand
upon; whilst ‘truth’ is declared to be the seal of the Holy One,
Blessed be He” (‫‏אמת חותמו של הקב״ה‬‎).

Our moral and religious training is based on the Word of God, on the
Torah, and the study of the Torah, ‫‏חלמוד תורה‬‎, is an essential
element in Jewish education. The term Torah is to be understood in
no narrow sense, but as including the written and the oral Law, all
the books of the Holy Writings, and such works as have from time to
time been composed for the purpose of facilitating and promoting the
study of the Torah. The importance of this duty has been recognised
from ancient times, and Jewish congregations, before building a
synagogue, made provision for the religious education of the young
and for the study of the Law, by establishing schools and colleges
(‫‏בית ספר‬‎or ‫‏בי רב‬‎and ‫‏בית המדרש‬‎).

Talmud-torah is one of those duties to which no measure was fixed

(‫‏אשר אין להם שיעור‬‎Mishnah Peah i. 1). Whenever we can find time
and leisure, we ought to turn to the Word of God, every one
according to his capacity and his opportunities. The readings from
the Torah, both the written and the oral, which form part of our
Service, have been introduced for the purpose of facilitating for the
general public the fulfilment of the duty of Talmud-torah. [327]

The study of the Law and the regular and punctual attendance at the
Beth-hammidrash belong to those religious acts which “bear fruit
here on earth and procure bliss in the future life” (ibid.). Our Sages
exhort us in various sayings to devote ourselves earnestly to the
study of the Torah. The object of this study is, in the first instance, to
enable us to live in accordance with His Commandments; secondly,
to purify our thoughts by turning them from common, ordinary things
to higher and loftier subjects; for while we are reading the Divine
messages and reflecting on them, we move in a purer atmosphere
and must be inspired with holy and noble thoughts.

The book which is expected to produce these results must be

approached “with awe, with meekness, with cheerfulness, and with
purity” (Aboth vi. 6). Our intention must be to be instructed and
guided by what we read. We must not presume to criticise the Divine
decrees therein recorded. If we meet with passages that strike us as
strange or objectionable, we may be sure that we have not yet
comprehended the true sense of the Divine words. Modesty must
cause us rather to assume shortcomings on our part than to find fault
with the Holy Writings. “Turn it over, and read it again and again; for
all is in it, and behold everything through it; and even when old and
weak, cleave to it, and do not move away from it; for there is no
better guide for thee than this one” (Aboth v. 22). There is one great
advantage in the study of the Torah; it constantly supplies us with
one of the best means of promoting our moral training, viz., with
good company.

The society in which we move and the persons [328]with whom we

associate are an important factor in the formation of our character.
Bad companions corrupt us, and lead us to ruin; good companions
improve our moral conduct by their example and not rarely by their
words. “If one joins mockers, he will be a mocker; if he joins the
lowly, he will show grace” (Prov. iii. 34). “Keep away from a bad
neighbour; do not associate with the wicked, and do not believe
thyself safe from evil” (Aboth i. 7). In our daily prayers we ask God
for His assistance in our endeavour to act according to this principle.

The aim and end of all our moral training must be to keep our mind
pure from evil thoughts, to make our heart the seat of noble and lofty
desires; to accustom our tongue to the utterance of that which is
good and true, and to lead a pure, honourable, and godly life. If we
succeed, we establish our well-being during our life on earth, and
secure Divine blessing for our soul in the future world.
[Contents]

III. Signs as Outward Reminders of God’s

Presence.

The voice that comes from within, from our own heart and
conscience, is the best reminder of God’s Presence and Will. But it
does not always sound with sufficient force to make itself heard, and
we, weak mortals, have the weakness of forgetting even most
important duties, unless we are reminded of them from time to time.
The Divine Law has therefore set up signs as outward reminders.
Such are the commandments of ‫‏ציצת‬‎“fringe,” ‫‏תפלין‬‎“ornaments,” and
‫‏מזוזה‬‎“door-post symbol.” [329]

‫‏ציצת‬‎“Fringe” or “Tassel.”

“Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four corners of thy vesture,
wherewith thou coverest thyself” (Deut. xxii. 12). The object of this
commandment is described as follows:—“It shall be unto you for a
fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the
commandments of the Lord, and do them, and that ye seek not after
your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go astray:
that ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy
unto your God” (Num. xv. 39, 40).

In obedience to this commandment, we have two kinds of four-

cornered garments provided with “fringes.” The one is small, and is
worn under the upper garments the whole day; it is called arba’
kanfoth, “four corners,” or talith katan, “small scarf.” The other and
larger one is worn over the garments during the Morning Service. 17 It
is called simply talith, “scarf,” or talith gadol, “large scarf.”

The form of the blessing which accompanies the performance of this

mitsvah varies according as it refers to the small talith or to the large
one. In the former case the blessing concludes with ‫‏על מצות ציצת‬‎
“concerning the commandment of tsitsith;” in the latter with ‫‏להתעטף‬
‫בציצת‬‎, “to wrap ourselves with a garment provided with tsitsith.” 18
[330]

The tsitsith, which is appended to each of the four corners, consists

of four long threads drawn through a small hole about an inch from
the corner; the two parts of the threads are bound together by a
double knot; the largest thread—called shammash, “the servant”—is
then wound seven, eight, eleven, and thirteen times round the other
seven halves of the four threads, and after each set of windings a
double knot is made.—If one of the four tsitsith is not in order, e.g.,
two of the threads being torn off, the talith is called pasul,
“disqualified” for the mitsvah, and must not be worn till that tsitsith is
replaced by a new one.

There is, however, an important element in this Divine

commandment, which is now altogether neglected, viz., “And they
shall put upon the fringe of the corner a thread of ‫‏תכלת‬‎purple blue
wool” (Num. xv. 38). Tradition determined the exact shade of the
purple blue indicated by the term ‫‏תכלת‬‎; in the Talmud (Menachoth
42b) the various ways of its preparation are given. But the colour
seems to have been rare, and we are warned against using
imitations of techeleth. Regulations were also made providing [331]for
the case when techeleth could not be obtained. The natural white
colour was then substituted, and no other colour was allowed. After
the conclusion of the Talmud doubts seem to have arisen as regards
the exact shade of the purple blue demanded by the Divine precept
in the term ‫‏תכלת‬‎, and thus the use of the thread of purple blue wool
gradually ceased to form part of the tsitsith. The exact time when it
ceased cannot be fixed.

‫‏תפלין‬‎19 “Ornaments.”

Four times the Law repeats the commandment concerning the

tefillin: “And thou shalt bind them”—the words of God—“for a sign
upon thy hand, and they shall be for a frontlet between thine eyes”
(Deut. vi. 8 and xi. 18); “And it shall be unto thee for a sign upon thy
hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, in order that the Law
of the Lord be in thy mouth” (Exod. xiii. 9); “And it shall be for a sign
upon thy hand, and for a frontlet between thine eyes” (ibid. 16).

The object of this commandment is to direct our thoughts to God and

His goodness, and to remind us of the important lessons taught in
the following four paragraphs, in which the commandment of tefillin
is mentioned:—

The(1.)
first paragraph (‫‏קדש‬‎Exod. xiii. 1–10) teaches
[332]that we must, in various ways, express our belief in
God as the King and Ruler of the universe. Two laws are
contained in this paragraph which are to serve this object
—the sanctification of the first-born to the service of the
Lord, and the celebration of the Feast of Unleavened
Cakes.
The(2.)
second paragraph (‫‏והיה כי יביאך‬‎Exod. xiii. 11–16)
reminds us of the wonderful way in which God delivered
our forefathers from Egyptian bondage. Remembering
this deliverance, we are strengthened in our faith in God
in days of trouble, for His ways are not ours, and when
we do not see any prospect of relief God may be
preparing help for us.
 The(3.)
third paragraph (‫‏שמע‬‎Deut. vi. 4–9) proclaims the
Unity of God, and teaches us to love God and obey Him
out of love.
The(4.)
fourth paragraph (‫‏והיה אם שמע‬‎Deut. xi. 13–20)
teaches that Providence deals with men according to
their merits, according as each deserves reward or
punishment.

Tradition has handed down to us the way in which this precept is to

be carried out. The four above-mentioned paragraphs are written
twice on parchment, once on one piece, and once on four pieces,
each piece containing one paragraph. The two sets are put into two
leather cases (‫‏בית‬‎), one of which is divided into four compartments,
for the four separate slips of parchment, and marked outside by the
letter shin. 20 Through [333]a loop attached to each bayith a leather
strap (‫‏רצועה‬‎) is passed, the two parts of which are tied together 21 in
such a manner as to hold the bayith on the arm or on the head. On
the arm the case is placed that contains the four paragraphs written
on one piece, on the head that which contains them written on four
pieces. The former is called tefillah shel yad, “tefillin of the hand;” the
latter tefillah shel rosh, “the tefillin of the head.”

The tefillin are put on in the following way:—(1.) Tefillah shel rosh.
The case is placed in front, just over the forehead in the middle, and
the knot of the straps (‫‏קשר‬‎) on the back of the head over the middle
of the neck; the remainder of the two straps hang down in front, one
on each side. (2.) Tefillah shel yad. The case containing the
parchment is placed on the inner side of the left upper arm, near the
elbow; the knot is kept near it, and the strap is twisted seven times
round the arm and three times round the middle finger; there are,
however, different customs with regard to this latter practice.
Tefillah shel yad is put on first, being mentioned first in the Divine
precept. The reverse order is observed in taking off the tefillin.
Originally the tefillin were worn all day long, 22 but at present they are
worn only during the morning prayer. [334]

The tefillin are not worn on Sabbath or Festival. The observance of

these days is “a sign for ever” of our belief “that in six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth.” The very days of rest thus remind
us of the truths of which the tefillin are “a sign.” The tefillin became,
therefore, unnecessary on those days.

The commandment of tefillin applies to all male persons from their

thirteenth birthday. 23

The performance of this commandment is preceded by the usual

benediction (‫‏ברכת המצות‬‎), concluding ‫‏להניח תפלין‬‎, “to place the
tefillin,” scil., on the arm and on the head. According to the German
rite, a second benediction is recited before placing the tefillah shel
rosh on the head, viz., ‫‏על מצות תפלין‬‎, “concerning the commandment
of tefillin.” 24

In order to prevent a mere perfunctory observance of this

commandment, we are taught to reflect on the importance and the
object of the tefillin, and to declare that by placing the tefillin on the
head and on the arm, near the heart, we indicate our consciousness
of the duty to employ the thoughts that rise in our mind, and the
desires of our heart, in the service of the Lord, who gave us the
powers of thought and will. 25 [335]

‫‏מזּוזה‬‎Door-post Symbol.

The Mezuzah is a piece of parchment on which the two first

paragraphs of Shema (Deut. vi. 4–9, xi. 13–20) are written. The
parchment is rolled together, put into a small case, and fixed on the
right-hand door-post. A small opening is left in the case, where the
word ‫‏ַׁש ַּד י‬‎“Almighty,” written on the back of the scroll, is visible. 26

The object of the mezuzah, commanded in the words, “And thou

shalt write them on the door-posts of thy house and upon thy gates”
(Deut. vi. 9 and xi. 20), is to remind us of the Presence of God, of His
Unity, Providence, and Omnipotence, both on entering our home and
on leaving it; of the all-seeing eye that watches us, and of the
Almighty who will one day call us to account for our deeds, words
and thoughts. The mezuzah thus serves to sanctify our dwelling and
protect it from being polluted by evil deeds.

Signs of God’s Covenant.

Besides the signs mentioned above, there are two other signs of the
covenant between God and Israel.

1. Sabbath is called “an everlasting covenant,” and “a sign between

God and the children of Israel for ever” (Exod. xxxi. 16, 17). See pp.
254 sqq. and 339 sqq. [336]

2. The covenant of Abraham (‫‏ברית מילה‬‎“the covenant of

circumcision”). God made a covenant with Abraham, and said, “Thou
shalt keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee in their
generations. This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me
and you, and thy seed after thee: Every male child among you shall
be circumcised when eight days old” (Gen. xvii. 9, 10, 12). If the
eighth day happens to be on a Sabbath, the circumcision takes place
on that day; but if, because of illness, or from any other cause, the
rite has not been performed on the eighth day, it must be done on
some other day, but not on a Sabbath or Festival.

Notes.—1. In reference to the importance of these mitsvoth, Maimonides, in

Mishneh-torah, says as follows:—
“Although we are not commanded to get a talith, and to put it on in order to join the
tsitsith (“fringes”) to it, a religious person will not consider himself free from this
duty, but will always endeavour to wear a garment to which fringes must be affixed.
During prayer we must be especially careful to provide ourselves with a talith. It is
a disgrace for a scholar (Talmid chacham) to say the prayer without the talith. We
must be particularly anxious to perform this mitsvah; it is of great importance with
regard to all the precepts, according to the words, ‘And ye shall look upon it, and
remember all the commandments of the Lord’ ” (2nd Book, Ahabhah, Hilchoth
tsitsith iii. 12).

“The holiness of the tefillin is great, for so long as the tefillin are upon the head and
the arm of a man, he is humble and God-fearing, keeps away from levity and idle
talk, does not conceive evil thoughts, but turns his heart exclusively to words of
truth and justice. We ought therefore to wear them all day long; this would be the
proper way. It is said of Rab, the pupil of Rabbi Jehudah, the Holy, that he was
never seen otherwise than with torah or tsitsith or tefillin.

“Although we ought to wear tefillin all day long, it is our special duty to wear them
during prayer. Our Sages said, ‘He who [337]reads Shema without tefillin rejects,
as it were, his evidence concerning the Almighty as false’ ” (ibid., Hilchoth tefillin iv.
26).

“We should be particular with regard to the mezuzah, which is a duty incumbent
uninterruptedly on every one. Whenever we enter or leave the house our eye
meets with the name of God; we remember His love, and rousing ourselves from
our torpitude, we are led to regret our foolish devotion to the vanities of the time,
and recognise that nothing remains for ever except the knowledge of the Rock of
the universe. We shall then at once devote ourselves to know Him, and walk in the
way of uprightness. Our ancient Sages said, ‘He who has tefillin upon his head
and upon his arm, tsitsith on his garment, and mezuzah on his door, he is safe
from sin, since he has many reminders of his duties, and these are the angels that
protect him from going astray; and to him the following verse applies: “An angel of
the Lord encampeth round those who fear Him” ’ ” (ibid., Hilchoth mezuzah vi. 13).

2. The great importance of the tefillin, as described by Maimonides, was not

understood or recognised by all Jews. Various sayings occurring in the Talmud
indicate the existence of laxity or even opposition with regard to the carrying out of
this precept in its literal sense. When persons with tefillin on their head and on
their arm showed by their conduct that their heart was not filled with the holiness
and uprightness of which the tefillin are the symbol, it was but natural that not only
were these persons accused of hypocrisy, but the Divine precept itself was
discredited. But the greater the opposition by one section of the Jewish
community, the more the enthusiasm of the other section grew in its favour. Hence
the numerous Talmudical and Rabbinical utterances concerning the sanctifying
force inherent in the tefillin (comp. Tur Orach Chayyim xxxvii.). Thus, when a
Rabbi was cautioned not to be over joyous, as excess of joy led to sin, he replied,
“I lay tefillin;” i.e., “The thoughts which the observance of this precept awakens
protects me from sin.” This idea of protection from sin may be the origin of the
Greek name phylacterion, “protection.”—In times of persecution, when the Jews
were forbidden by their oppressors to perform any of their religious rites on penalty
of death, the precept of tefillin was not included among those which they
performed even at the risk of their life. To this circumstance Rabbi Simeon b.
Elazar ascribes the laxity with regard to the tefillin (Babyl. Talm. Shabbath 130a).
[338]

3. There occurs in the Midrash (Sifre on Deut. xi. 18), in reference to tsitsith and
tefillin, the following passage: “Also when in exile deck yourselves with mitsvoth, in
order that on your return to your own land the Divine precepts should not seem to
you new and unknown.” This passage has been misinterpreted as if the author of
that passage were of opinion that precepts like tsitsith and tefillin did originally not
apply to those who are outside the Holy Land. The meaning is rather this: Although
a large portion of the laws is not in force outside Palestine, yet continue to wear
these reminders in exile, in order that by this act your attention may constantly be
turned to the whole Torah, to those precepts which are in force at present as well
as to those which are not. Thus all the precepts will be familiar to you, and when
the time comes in which the observance of all the laws will again be possible, none
of the laws will appear to you new and strange.

4. There is, on the whole, no difference between men and women with regard to
the obedience due to the Divine commandments. All Jews are equally bound to
obey the Will of God expressed in the Law. This is absolutely the case with all
prohibitions (‫‏לא תעשה‬‎). In the case of positive commandments (‫‏מצות עשה‬‎) the
following rule has been laid down by our Sages: Women are exempt from the
performance of such religious duties as are restricted to a certain period of time
(‫‏מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא נשים פטורות‬‎). The object of the seeming anomaly is probably
this: the principal duty and the privilege of women is to manage the household, a
task that demands constant attention. Religious acts which are to be performed at
a certain time might involve an interference with such of their household duties as
demand immediate attention; e.g., nursing a patient, a task which generally falls to
the lot of the female section of the family. Jewish women, nevertheless, zealously
fulfil most of the duties from which the above rule exempts them. They thus are
most eager to obey the laws concerning shofar on New-year, lulab on Tabernacles,
and the like; and some of them are named as having conscientiously laid tefillin
(Mechilta on Exod. xiii. 9). [339]
[Contents]

IV. Sabbath and Festivals.

The daily work which has chiefly the well-being of the body as its aim
must be interrupted on certain days which the Almighty has
appointed for the promotion of man’s spiritual well-being. Sabbath
and Festivals are the days thus appointed, and are therefore called
‫‏מועדי יי‬‎“the seasons of the Lord,” and ‫‏מקראי קדש‬‎“holy convocations.”
The blessing derived from the observance of Holy-days in the true
spirit is described by the prophet as follows: “If thou keep back thy
foot because of the sabbath, from doing thy business on my holy
day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable,
and shalt honour it, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own
business, nor speaking thine own words: then thou shalt delight
thyself in the Lord: and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places
of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob, thy father”
(Isa. lviii. 13, 14). To those who fail to observe the seasons of the
Lord in the true spirit, the prophet says in the name of the Almighty:
“Your new-moons and your festivals my soul hateth: they are a
trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them” (ibid. i. 14).

Maimonides 27 comprehends the various duties and observances of

the Holy-days in the following four terms: ‫‏זכור‬‎“remember,” ‫‏שמור‬‎“take
heed,” ‫‏כבוד‬‎“honour,” and ‫‏עונג‬‎“delight.” The first two are found in the
Pentateuch, and form the beginning of the fourth commandment in
Exodus and Deuteronomy respectively; the other two occur in the
above description [340]of the Sabbath quoted from Isaiah (lviii. 13,
14). Following the example of our great teacher, we shall likewise
treat of the laws and customs of Sabbath and Festivals under these
four heads: 28—

a. ‫‏זכור‬‎“Remember.”

Remember the Sabbath-day; speak of it, of its holiness and its

blessings. We fulfil this duty when Sabbath comes in, by the
Kiddush, “the sanctification of the day,” in which we praise the
Almighty for the boon bestowed upon us by the institution of the
Sabbath; and when Sabbath goes out, by the Habhdalah, in which
we praise God for the “distinction” made between the holy and the
ordinary days. We have both Kiddush and Habhdalah in a double
form: (a) as a portion of the Amidah in the Evening Service; the
Kiddush being the middle section of the Amidah, the Habhdalah
consisting of a prayer added to the fourth paragraph beginning ‫‏אתה‬
‫חנן‬‎; (b) as a separate service especially intended for our homes. It is
this home-service that we generally understand by the terms
Kiddush and Habhdalah, and in this sense they are employed in the
following. 29

Kiddush.

There is a traditional explanation of the term zachor: ‫‏זכרהו על היין‬‎

“remember it over the wine.” As “wine [341]gladdens the heart of man”
and forms an important element in a festive meal, it has been
ordered that our meal on the eve 30 of Sabbath and Festival should
be begun with a cup of wine in honour of the day, and that mention
should be made of the holiness of the day before partaking of the
wine. The Kiddush consists of two blessings (‫‏ברכות‬‎): one over the
wine, 31 and one that refers to the holiness of the day. On Holy-days
—except the last days of Passover—a third blessing (‫‏שהחינו‬‎) follows,
praising God for having granted us life and enabled us again to
celebrate the Festival. On Friday evening a portion from Genesis (i.
31 to ii. 3) is added, which contains the first mention of the institution
of Sabbath. If a Festival happens to fall on Sunday, we add part of
the Habhdalah to the Kiddush on Saturday evening, 32 [342]referring to
the distinction between the holiness of the Sabbath and that of the
Festivals.

The Kiddush is part of the Sabbath or Festival evening meal, and in

the absence of the latter the Kiddush is omitted. 33 In Synagogues of
the German and Polish Minhag the Reader recites the Kiddush at
the conclusion of the Maarib Service. This custom is a survival of the
ancient way of providing for the poor and the stranger. In the
absence of better accommodation lodging and food were given to
the needy in rooms adjoining the Synagogue, or even in the
Synagogue itself. It was for these that the Reader recited the
Kiddush, before they commenced the evening meal, as most
probably wine was not served to all. Although circumstances have
changed the mode of maintaining the poor, and the latter find no
longer lodging and board in the Synagogue, the Kiddush has been
retained as part of the Maarib Service, except on the first two nights
of Passover, when there had never been an occasion for reading
Kiddush in the Synagogue. The poor were treated on these nights
with four cups of wine each, and they recited Kiddush by themselves
as part of the Seder. [343]

Habhdalah ‫‏הבדלה‬‎.

Habhdalah is recited in the evening following Sabbath or Holy-day,

after the Evening Service. A cup of wine is raised, and the ‫‏ברכה‬‎over
wine is followed by another ‫‏ברכה‬‎, in which God is praised for the
distinction made between the holy and the ordinary day (‫‏בין קדש‬
‫לחול‬‎), or between two kinds of holiness (‫‏בין קדש לקדש‬‎) in case
Sabbath is followed by a Holy-day.—On Sabbath night we take a
candle and a spice-box, and add two blessings after that over wine;
in the one we thank God for the enjoyment of the fragrance, in the
other for the benefit He bestowed on us by the creation of light. A
few verses from the Bible, especially the Prophets, precede the
Habhdalah.

The origin of the introduction of the blessings for light and for spices
in the Habhdalah may be the following:—The principal meal of the
day used to be taken about sunset; light and burning incense were
essential elements of a festive meal. On Sabbath these could not be
had, and were therefore enjoyed immediately after the going out of
Sabbath. Although the custom of having incense after the meal has
long ceased, it has survived in the Habhdalah, and has, in course of
time, received another, a more poetical interpretation. The Sabbath
inspires us with cheerfulness, gives us, as it were, an additional soul
—‫‏ְנ ָׁש ָמ ה ְיֵת ָר ה‬‎—traces of which are left on the departure of Sabbath,
and are symbolised by the fragrance of the spices. For the use of the
special light there has likewise been suggested a second reason,
namely, that it is intended at the commencement [344]of the week to
remind us of the first product of Creation, which was light.

There are a few customs connected with the Habhdalah that may be
noticed here.

(1.) The wine, when poured into the cup, is allowed to flow over, as a
symbol of the overflowing Divine blessing which we wish and hope to
enjoy in the coming week.

(2.) Some dip their finger in wine and pass it over their eyes, in
allusion to the words of the Nineteenth Psalm (ver. 9), “The
commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.” The act
expresses the love of the Divine commandments (‫‏ִח ּבּוב ִמ ְצ ָוה‬‎).
(3.) Only male persons partake of the wine; they have more interest
in the Habhdalah as the signal for the resumption of ordinary work
and business.—The exclusion of women from the wine of Habhdalah
may also have its origin in the fact that Jewish women generally
abstained from taking wine, considering strong drink suitable only for
the male portion of mankind. They only partake of the wine of
Kiddush on account of its importance; to Habhdalah less importance
was ascribed.

(4.) On reaching the words ‫‏בין אור לחשך‬‎, “between light and
darkness,” some hold their hands against the light, the fingers bent
inside, in illustration of the words which they utter, showing darkness
and shadow inside and light outside.—With the practice of these and
similar customs we must take good care that we should not combine
any superstitious motive, or join actions which are really
superstitious, and did not originate in Jewish thought and Jewish
traditions. [345]

We further remember the Sabbath-day to sanctify it by increased

devotion, by reading special Lessons from the Pentateuch and the
Prophets, and by attending religious instruction given by teachers
and preachers.

Besides various additions in the Service, and the substitution of one

paragraph concerning Sabbath or Festival for the thirteen middle
paragraphs of the Amidah, there is another Service inserted between
the Morning and the Afternoon Services; it is called Musaph, “the
Additional Service,” and corresponds to the additional offering
ordained for Sabbath and Festival (Num. xxviii. 9, sqq.).

An essential element in the Morning Service is the Reading from the

Torah (‫‏קריאת התורה‬‎) and the Prophets (‫‏הפטרה‬‎). A periodical public
reading from the Law was enjoined in the following words: “At the
end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in