Greed born out of despair and misplaced trust in a stranger are the themes that propel this story. A wealthy widower from Cracow appears in an impoverished town and, with the promise of riches, tempts the poor villagers to abandon their traditions. At a magnificent ball, he chooses a wanton woman as his bride and reveals himself as the "Chief of the Devils." During this night of frenzy, lightning strikes the synagogue, setting the village on fire. The rabbi awakens to find the town full of sinners whom he guides to repentance.
Raphael Soyer illustrated one other Yiddish tale by Isaac Bashevis Singer, The Mirror, as well as the Nobel prize winner's memoir Lost in America. He is best known for his figurative paintings and sympathetic studies of isolated or downtrodden individuals in the urban environment.