Jacob Schpitendavel Quotes in The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968)

Jacob Schpitendavel: Louis Minsky, thou art father to the Minsky what has the theater?

Louis Minsky: Yes.

Jacob Schpitendavel: If I were thee, I would thrash thy son to within an inch of his life.

Louis Minsky: You are not me, and you may still do it.

Jacob Schpitendavel: I do not know, Louis Minsky, if we pray to the same God.

Louis Minsky: We must. Only a God who could tolerate me, could possibly tolerate you.

Jacob Schpitendavel: Louis Minsky, if you do not now go at once to prevent thy son from bringing my daughter to such ignominy, I shall, as Agnon

[?]

Jacob Schpitendavel: did, raise the finger of righteousness

[raises index finger]

Jacob Schpitendavel: to call down the wrath of heaven.

Vance Fowler: My father, an Episcopal vestryman, used this

[raises pinkie finger]

Vance Fowler: as the finger of righteousness.

Louis Minsky: Bah! And again, Bah! There is no finger of righteousness. This

[raises pinkie and turns it in his ear]

Louis Minsky: is the finger of cleanliness. This

[raises ring finger]

Louis Minsky: is the finger of marital bliss

[points to wedding band]

Louis Minsky: . This

[raises index]

Louis Minsky: is the finger of vengeance. This

[levels middle finger toward Fowler, palm downward]

Louis Minsky: is the finger of meddling in other people's lives

[pokes Fowler in chest with middle finger]

Louis Minsky: . And this

[sticks out thumb]

Louis Minsky: is the finger of transportation. It will get us a taxi to the theater. You speak with the fist of authority, gentlemen, but you do not know your fingers.

Jacob Schpitendavel: Whore! To stand thus so prideful, with thy, thy protuberances. How thou dost shame me.

Jacob Schpitendavel: I need your help, Louis Minsky. My daughter will not be welcome in my home if she stays the night to dance upon your son's stage. There is a train in 51 minutes. You must tell your son to see she is on it.

Louis Minsky: You see this chair? Tell it to dance. See if it listens. That's how much my Billy listens to me.

Jacob Schpitendavel: [raising his index finger] Louis Minsky, if you do not now go at once to prevent thy son from bringing my daughter to such ignominy, I shall, as Agnon did, raise the finger of righteousness to call down the wrath of the heavens.

Vance Fowler: [raising his pinky finger] My father, an Episcopal vestryman, used this as the finger of righteousness.

Louis Minsky: [to Fowler, then to Schpitendavel] Bah! And again, Bah! There is no finger of righteousness.

Louis Minsky: [raising his pinky finger and turning it in his ear] This is the finger of cleanliness.

Louis Minsky: [pointing to his ring finger] This is the finger of marital bliss.

Louis Minsky: [raising his index finger] This is the finger of vengeance.

Louis Minsky: [leveling his middle finger, poking Fowler in the chest] This is the finger of meddling in other people's lives.

Louis Minsky: [sticking up his thumb, then forming his hand into a fist] And this is the finger of transportation. It will get us a taxi to the theater. You speak with the fist of authority, gentlemen, but you do not know your fingers.