Definition of the word parable. What is a parable? What are they needed for? What is your favorite parable? What gives a person an understanding of a parable?

Representing a short edifying story in an allegorical, allegorical form. Reality in the parable appears in an abstract form, without chronological and territorial signs, and there is no attachment to specific historical names actors. To make the meaning of the allegory clear, a parable necessarily includes an explanation of the allegory. A parable is sometimes called or compared to a “parabola” for its special composition: the thought in the parable moves as if along a curve, starting and ending with one object, and in the middle moving away to a completely different object. Thus, the Gospel parable about the workers hired in the vineyard begins and ends with discussions about the Kingdom of Heaven, which frame the story about the owner’s settlements with workers hired at different hours. The meaning of the parable is that God Himself will have to judge who will be first and who will be last in the Kingdom of Heaven. However, the construction of a parable does not always strictly adhere to the parabolic character; in addition, there is a tendency to use the term “parabola” only in relation to the literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. The genre of parables has been known since ancient times, European culture parables from the Bible, especially from the New Testament (the parables of the sower, the barren fig tree, the ten virgins) had a special impact. A parable is close to a fable; in the 18th century they were not even always distinguished; however, parables, unlike fables, claim a deeper, universal generalization, while a fable focuses on more specific issues.

IN Ancient Rus' the parable (or in the more ancient version - “parable”), both translated and original, enjoyed wide popularity. There were known plot-allegorical ones (“About the soul and body”, “About Emshan”), aphoristic ones (“The Wisdom of Isusov, the son of Sirakhov, “The Wisdom of Menander the Wise”), proverbial parables (“Parable, or proverbs, the most popular in alphabetical order”) and parables-riddles (“About Tsaregod”, “About the human body”). As inserted narratives, parables were included in many works of ancient Russian original and translated literature: in “The Tale of Varlaam and Joasaph”, “The Tale of Bygone Years”, “The Tale of Akira the Wise”, “Teaching” by Vladimir Monomakh, “Prayer” by Daniil Zatochnik, as independent works replenished the collections (Prologue, Bee, Great Mirror).

The parable genre was used by writers of the 19th century(A.S. Pushkin, M.Yu. Lermontov, N.A. Nekrasov, A.N. Maikov, L.N. Tolstoy). In the 20th century, not only stories (F. Kafka, W. Borcherg), but also plays (B. Brecht, J. P. Sartre) and novels (The Plague, 1947, A. Camus) began to be created in the form of parables. Parables are still used as an insert narrative in epic works(novels by M. Pavich, Ch. Aitmatov, etc.).

PARABLE. V. Dahl's dictionary interprets the word “parable” as “teaching by example.” This is very close to the interpretation modern literary criticism: a parable is a short moralizing story in an allegorical form. This definition brings the parable closer to the fable. These genres have much in common, but there are also significant differences. A parable may not have a developed plot. Here, for example, is a Jewish parable:

“Rabbi Zusi decided to change the world. But the world is so big, and Zusi is so small. Then Zusi decided to change his city. But the city is so big, and Zusi is so small. Then Zusi decided to change his family. But Zusya’s family is so big, there are ten children alone. So Zusi got to the only thing he can change, being so small - himself.”

The main characters of fables are people or animals endowed with certain human qualities, usually placed in everyday situations. Characters parables have neither external features nor “character”. The above parable says nothing about Rabbi Zusi. She is the answer to the question: “What can a person do? What is he capable of? And this is another difference between a parable and a fable. A fable, as a rule, formulates a moral; a parable leaves the listener or reader to draw their own conclusions on how to solve the riddle.

The “wisdom” of a parable is of a “higher” character than the “wisdom” of a fable. If a fable often teaches worldly wisdom, then a parable is usually characterized by philosophical or religious issues. As a rule, a higher style of parable is associated with this. Favorite themes of parables are truth and falsehood (biblical parables about the court of King Solomon), life and death (medieval parable Belly wrestling with death), man and God (numerous gospel parables: about the prodigal son, about the mustard seed, etc.)

A parable generally exists and can only be properly understood in a specific context. For example, the Gospel parable of the sower.

“Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the wind and birds came and devoured them. Some fell on rocky places where there was little soil, and soon sprang up because the soil was not deep. When the sun rose, it withered, and since it had no root, it dried up. Some fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew and choked it. Some fell on good soil and bore fruit: one a hundredfold, and another sixty, and another thirty. He who has ears, let him hear!” (Matt. 13:1–9). Out of context, the parable is incomprehensible. It’s another matter if you know that this is the sermon of Christ, which he delivers to a crowd of people. Then it becomes clear that the “Sower” is Jesus Christ, the “seed” is the word of God, the “earth”, “soil” is the human heart.

Ancient and medieval man sought to clothe an abstract thought in an image. In the phenomena of life, in every plot, there was seen not only a direct, but also an allegorical meaning. Almost any story was interpreted as a parable. Therefore, the parable did not have clear genre boundaries. Under certain conditions, other genres could also act as parables: fairy tale, proverb, legend, aphorism (“Do you want to be happy? Learn to suffer first”).

Parables exist in folklore and literature of all nations. Sometimes they are similar in content. Here, for example, is an ancient parable (first recorded by Aesop): a father, seeing that his sons were not living together, ordered a bundle of twigs to be brought and asked to break it - nothing happened. Then the father gave his sons one twig each - naturally, each one was easily broken. The “testament” of Genghis Khan, who told his sons a parable about a seven-headed and seven-tailed snake, has the same meaning in Mongolian folklore.

The parable did not disappear in the literature of modern times. Works of other genres often contain parable content. So, in essence, A. Pushkin’s poem is a parable Shoemaker:

Once the shoemaker was looking for the picture,
And he pointed out the mistake in the shoes;
The artist immediately took up his brush and corrected himself.
So, with his arms akimbo, the shoemaker continued:
I think the face is a little crooked...
Aren't these breasts too naked??»…
Here Apeless interrupted impatiently:
Judge not over the boot, my friend!

I have a friend in mind:
I don’t know what subject he’s in
He was an expert, even though he was strict in words;
But the devil hates him to judge the world:
Try to judge boots!

Often the plots of parables are introduced into the fabric of a literary work. The collision of the universal meaning of the parable with specific events seems to raise the description to a higher, philosophical level. Thus, the parable about the eagle and the raven, told by Pugachev, seems to “highlight” his own fate. IN Crime and Punishment F. Dostoevsky's Gospel parable about the deceased and resurrected Lazar is, as it were, projected onto the fate of Raskolnikov, talking about the possibility of the hero's moral rebirth.

F. Kafka relied on the centuries-old traditions of Jewish and Christian parables (for example, the parable At the gates of the law in the novel Process). Such European writers of the 20th century as J. P. Sartre, A. Camus, J. Anouilh and others also gravitated towards the parable, who attached special importance not so much to “characters” and “circumstances” as to ethical issues.

They often use parables (or other genres that have a parable meaning) and modern Russian writers. (For example, the legend of the Mankurts in the novel by Ch. Aitmatov Buranny station).

Sophisticated poetics modern literature Every now and then it turns to the parable as a counterweight: a genre that is simple in form and reminiscent of well-known, but, alas, often forgotten truths.

Lyudmila Polikovskaya

old glory – leak) – short story, transmitting main idea in an allegorical form, dedicated, as a rule, to moral teaching, but not containing a direct conclusion or instruction. This earthly history, full of heavenly meaning. The moral of the parable-story is extracted by the listener himself. It's like teaching by example. “Parable” is an Old Slavonic word, it means “case” indicating the path - “techa” in the sense of “to flow”, to go. This is something necessary on the way - “along the way.” In Russian culture, the “path” is an enduring symbol life path person. So a “parable” is a moral message that makes you think, understand yourself, your actions, looking at the events described in this short story. A parable always teaches morality, its understanding is accessible, art form makes it easy to remember and pleasant to hear. In parables in simple life examples it is expressed folk wisdom, summarizes the result of observations of human nature, its strengths and weaknesses. The ultimate goal of parables is to show the standards of moral behavior of people. Jesus Christ often used such parables. Through feelings and earthly examples, He explained the heavenly essence of earthly life. This speech genre has a strong impact on a person. The teacher can use them when explaining material, when resolving conflicts, or as an argument in a dispute. Parables are indispensable family education, they may well replace notations.

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PARABLE

close to a fable short story, containing teaching in an allegorical form, but without morality, without direct instruction. Everyone extracts morality (or does not extract it) from P. himself. Dictionary V.I. Dalia interprets P. as “teaching by example.” In a well-known story first recorded by Aesop, the father, seeing that no amount of persuasion could force his sons to live together, ordered a bundle of twigs to be brought to them and offered to break it at once. No matter how hard the sons tried, nothing worked. Then the father untied the bundle and began to give his sons one twig, each of which they easily broke. Before us simplest form P. is a clear example to prove a moral idea: “As much as agreement is invincible, discord is so powerless.” The secret of P.'s popularity lies not only in specific features its content and artistic form, but also in its accessibility to any listener. P.'s language is simple, artless, close to colloquial: words and expressions are given in their direct, immediate meaning, which contributes to the clarity and accuracy of the meaning. P. is easy to remember and stays firmly in the mind. P. combines the desire to evaluate and generalize the phenomena of life, on the one hand, with the sophistication of content and form combined with an entertaining and colorful narrative, on the other. Unlike a fable, which immediately presents an unambiguous conclusion-morality, P. has a freer, “open” form. It requires the listener or reader to transfer himself into P.’s situation, to actively comprehend its meaning, and in this he becomes closer to the riddle. Being an argument in a conversation or dispute, P. must be unraveled, that is, compared, empathized and understood as a result of a person’s independent intellectual and moral work. The genre of poetry has come to us from the depths of pre-literate antiquity; it arose in the East, where they liked to speak in riddles and allegories. At the turn of the classical era and Hellenism, P. enters the rhetoric school and begins to be one of the preparatory exercises with which the training of a rhetorician began. The student was prepared to use P. as one of the means of argumentation in public speech. About the exercises for which P. served as the material, we have the most detailed instructions in “Preparation for Eloquence” by Aftonius (IV century AD). WITH late XVI V. reading P. Aesop in the original language is also included in the programs of Western Russian schools. When compiling the “ABC” L.N. Tolstoy widely used the plots of the ancient Greek poet Aesop, who, according to legend, lived in the 6th century. BC e. Borrowing plots from Aesop, L. Tolstoy subjected them to radical processing and alteration. In fact, works were created based on the original, subordinated to educational and pedagogical purposes. The teacher uses P. in his speech in order to teach the children to consciously relate to their feelings, to their inner world; as an argument in a conversation or dispute. This can be a classically completed P., or a mention of common subjects dating back to the most ancient P. The form of presentation of the P. is entirely determined by the purpose of the speech: it can be short and lengthy, more often - brief, so as not to distract attention from the main train of thought. The literature teacher turns to P. when analyzing many literary works, since the plots of famous P. are introduced into their artistic fabric (P. about the deceased and resurrected Lazar in F. M. Dostoevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment”; P. about Kif Mokievich and Mokiya Kifovich in “ Dead souls» N.V. Gogol, etc.). In Russian language lessons, P. is used as an entertaining form of communicating new knowledge, arousing interest in certain facts of the language, raising problematic questions that activate students’ activities, and as a didactic material. A literature teacher must not only know as many phrases as possible, but also be able to tell them in a given situation in such a way that the student can discover its deep meaning behind a specific word that he understands. Lit.: Prokofiev N.I. Old Russian parables and their place in the genre system of literature of the Russian Middle Ages // Literature of Ancient Rus': Interuniversity collection scientific works. - M., 1988; His own. Old Russian parable. - M., 1991; Tovstenko 0.0. Specifics of the parable as a genre artistic creativity/ Parable as an archetypal form of literature // Bulletin of Kyiv, Univ. Roman-German philology. - Kyiv, 1989. - Issue. 23. L.E. Tu mine

an allegory, an instructive life example, which the Lord Jesus Christ especially often used in His conversations with the people (the disciples were given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God - Matthew 13.10,11,34). Through parables, the Lord tried to encourage those listening to understand the highest, spiritual things through understanding the simple, earthly things (Rom 1.20).

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Parable

euro machille A parable, a story taken from history or surrounding life, the purpose of which is to capture spiritual or moral truths. The Greek word “parabole” (parable) also means “comparison,” for with the help of parables they make comparisons between natural and spiritual objects and show the correspondence between the sensory and spiritual worlds. It was common for Eastern sages and scientists to speak in parables and riddles. It was unbearable to listen to a parable from the lips of a fool (Prov. 26:7) Sometimes the word parable has the meaning of a proverb (Luke 4:23 - “proverb”), an unclear expression (Matthew 15:15) or even a comparison (Matthew 24:32 "similarity"). The prophets often used parables to impress the people and princes. So, Nathan expressed his sin to David in the parable of the rich man who took away and killed the poor man’s only lamb (2 Samuel 12; Compare Judges 9:7ff; 2 Kings 14:9ff). The Savior also often used this way of presenting His teachings. Almost all of His parables are intended to present the Kingdom of God from various points of view. For the reason for this presentation of His teaching, see Isa. 6:9 and Matt. 13:10 and gave. Examples of parables in the Old Testament: Jotham: The trees that chose a king for themselves (Judges 9:8ff.). Nathan: The poor man's only lamb (2 Kings 12:1ff.). The Tekoite women: Quarrelsome brothers (2 Kings 14:6ff.). Joash: Thorn and cedar (2 Kings 14:9 et al.).

Isaiah: A vineyard yielding wild grapes (Isa. 5:1ff.). Parables of Jesus: The Sower (Matthew 13:3ff; Mark 4:3ff; Luke 8:5ff). Tares: (Matt. 13:24ff.). Mustard seed: (Matt. 13:31ff.; Mark. 4:30ff.; Luke 13:18ff.). Leaven: (Matt. 13:33; Luke 13:20ff.).

Hidden treasure. (Matthew 13:44). Pearl of Great Price: (Matthew 13:45ff.). A net thrown into the sea: (Matthew 13:47ff.). Unmerciful Lender: (Matthew 18:23ff.). Workers in the vineyard: (Matthew 20:1ff.). Sons sent into the vineyard: (Matthew 21:28ff.). Evil vinedressers: (Matthew 21:33ff; Mark 12:1ff; and Luke 20:9ff). Invitation to the wedding feast: (Matt. 22:1ff.; Luke 14:16ff.). Ten virgins with lamps: (Matthew 25:1ff.). Talents: (Matt. 25:14ff.). Sheep and goats: (Matt. 25:31ff.). The imperceptibly growing seed: (Map. 4:26ff.). Two debtors: (Luke 7:41ff.). Good Samaritan: (Luke 10:30ff.).

Asking bread from a friend: (Luke 11:5ff.).

Crazy Rich Man: (Luke 12:16f.). The master who must return from the marriage: (Luke 12:35ff.). The barren fig tree: (Luke 13:6ff.).

The Lost Sheep: (Luke 15:4ff.; Matt. 18:12ff.). Lost drachma: (Luke 15:8ff.). Prodigal son: (Luke 15:11ff.). Unfaithful steward: (Luke 16:1ff.)

The Rich Man and Lazarus: (Luke 16:19ff.). Unjust judge: (Luke 18:1ff.). Pharisee and tax collector: (Luke 18:10ff.). Ten talents: (Luke 19:11ff.). The Good Shepherd (John 10:1ff.). Grapevine: (John 15:1ff.). In order to correctly understand parables, the following points must be taken into account: 1) It is not necessary that everything that is narrated in the parable happened in reality; the event described might not have happened. In addition, not all the actions of the persons mentioned in the parable are absolutely good and blameless. And the purpose of the parable is not to accurately convey an event or natural phenomenon, but to reveal the highest spiritual truths. (See 2 Kings 14:6; Luke 16:1ff.). 2) It is necessary to understand the purpose of the parable, which can be understood from the explanation, if there is one, from the preface to the parable, or from the circumstances that prompted it to be said, also from general communication with context. 3) It follows from this that not all the details or details of the parable can be understood in spiritual sense; some, like light or shadows in a painting, are added to illuminate the main idea more clearly or to present it more clearly to the listener. 4) Despite this, the parable, except main idea which she intends to record may sometimes contain details that recall or confirm other truths. Let's give an unnecessary example - detailed interpretation the Savior's parables about the merciful Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). In it, Christ gives many details: an inn, robbers, two denarii, etc., which are subordinated main goal: to capture love for one's neighbor. Christ’s simple explanation of the parable is: “go and do likewise.” This purpose has been obscured and distorted by various arbitrary interpretations. Already from the fifth century they began to explain this parable in the following way: a man who went to Jericho is Adam; robbers - the devil with his angels who stole Adam's immortality; the priest and Levite denote governance according to the Mosaic law, the good Samaritan - Christ; oil and wine - the blessing of the Gospel; the animal on which the Samaritan brought the sick man, the human nature of Christ, the inn - a community or church, and two denarii - the current and future life. It is clear that such an explanation is nothing more than a perversion. See "Prototype".

In the Russian Bible, the word “parable” corresponds to two Greek words “παροιμία” and “παραβολή”, which have different meanings. Παροιμία is a short saying expressing a rule of life, a speculative truth, or an observation of the course human life, such are many of Solomon's parables. The word “παροιμία” is translated literally as “adventurous,” that is, an indicator of the path of life, the same is the literal meaning of the word “parable.” Παραβολή is a whole story using images and phenomena taken from Everyday life people, but allegorically expressing the highest spiritual truths and serving to facilitate their knowledge for spiritually coarsened people. The Gospel is replete with such parables. .

The main source of parable structures in European literature is the New Testament. In the Old Testament there is not yet that clear genre formation that is usually called a parable. Individual stories, for example, about Job, Abraham, etc., can also be conditionally called parables, but in them there is still no final division of time and eternity, which fundamentally distinguishes the Gospel parable.

Proverbs of Solomon- it is rather wisdom, “presented as everyday advice, justified by the will of the one God, giving wisdom an objective and enduring character.” But their interpretation is not identical in nature to the Gospel. The interpretations that Jesus Christ gives to his parables speak of eternal, heavenly, true, spiritual life, and Solomonic parables entirely addressed to everyday everyday life and ritual practice person. Plot connecting the earthly, temporary and heavenly, eternity, plot talking about the individual moral choice and there is no individual responsibility for this step at all.

Interpretation in gospel parable- this is its essence, the main task of the plot is to illustrate the interpretation. The Gospel parable is designed to make any truths and ideas of Christianity more “tangible”. That is, there are certain elements of consciousness that are not accessible to the senses. human perception, after all, both God and the Kingdom of Heaven cannot be seen or grasped by the mind, and the parable makes these ideas, fundamentally devoid of a visual and tactile image, “visible and tangible.” In the parable, there is a gradual disembodiment of earthly realities towards spiritual abstraction. In the Gospel parable, interpretation is an integral part, unlike in subsequent eras.

It is the Gospel parables that play special role in the evolution of this genre and, so to speak, the “allegorical type of consciousness” in general, which can be called dominant for many centuries of human history.

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Notes

Links

• - Catalog of parables in RuNet
• - Video parables, series.

Literature

• Agranovich S.Z., Samorukova I.V. Harmony-goal-harmony: Artistic consciousness in the mirror of a parable. M., 1997.
• Berestovskaya, L. E. Biblical parables in the context of religious cognitive science // Vestn. Pyatigor. state linguistic un-ta. - Pyatigorsk, 2000. - N 2. - P. 60-63.
• Davydova T., Pronin. V. Fable and parable // Lit. studies. - M., 2003. - N 3. - P. 195-197.
• Danilova T.V. Archetypal roots of the parable // Rationality and semiotics of discourse. - Kyiv, 1994. - pp. 59-73.
• Kafka F. About parables // Kafka F. Transformation. M., 2005.
• Kuzmina R.I. Parable as a conventional artistic form // Method, genre, poetics in foreign literature. - Frunze, 1990 - pp. 19-37.
• Kushnareva L. I. Evolution of the parable // Sphere of language and pragmatics of speech communication. Krasnodar, 2002.
• Kushnareva L.I. Parable as a genre // Language. Ethnos. Consciousness = Language, ethnicity and the mind. - Maykop, 2003. - T. 2. - P. 205-208.
• Levina E. Parable in the art of the 20th century: Musical and Theatre of Drama, literature // Art of the XX century. In 2 volumes - N. Novgorod, 1997. T. 2. - P.23-39.
• Melnikova S.V. The role of the Gospel tradition of parable-like forms in Russian literature // Higher school: problems of teaching literature. - Ulan-Ude, 2003. - pp. 144-148.
• Muskhelishvili N. L., Schrader Yu. A. Parable as a means of initiating living knowledge // Philosophical Sciences. - 1989. - No. 9. - P. 101-104.
• Smirnov A.Yu., Chikina O.N. The use of parables in psychological support, motivation, career guidance // Ed. Navigatum. M., 2016
• Tovstenko O. O. Specificity of the parable as a genre of artistic creativity: Parable as an archetypal form of literature // Vestn. Kyiv. un-ta. Roman-German philology. - Kyiv, 1989. - Issue. 23. - pp. 121-124.
• Tumina L. E. Parable as a school of eloquence. - M.: El URSS, 2008. - 368 p. - ISBN 978-5-382-00457-0.(region)
• Tyupa V. I. Facets and boundaries of the parable // Tradition and literary process. Novosibirsk, 1999. pp. 381-387.
• Tsvetkov A. Possibilities and boundaries of the parable // Questions of literature. - 1973. - No. 5. - P. 152-170.

Passage characterizing the Parable

As soon as Pierre laid his head on the pillow, he felt that he was falling asleep; but suddenly, with the clarity of almost reality, a boom, boom, boom of shots was heard, groans, screams, the splashing of shells were heard, the smell of blood and gunpowder, and a feeling of horror, the fear of death, overwhelmed him. He opened his eyes in fear and raised his head from under his overcoat. Everything was quiet in the yard. Only at the gate, talking to the janitor and splashing through the mud, was some orderly walking. Above Pierre's head, under the dark underside of the plank canopy, doves fluttered from the movement he made while rising. Throughout the yard there was a peaceful, joyful for Pierre at that moment, strong smell of an inn, the smell of hay, manure and tar. Between two black canopies a clear starry sky was visible.
“Thank God this isn’t happening anymore,” thought Pierre, covering his head again. - Oh, how terrible fear is and how shamefully I surrendered to it! And they... they were firm and calm all the time, until the end... - he thought. In Pierre's concept, they were soldiers - those who were at the battery, and those who fed him, and those who prayed to the icon. They - these strange ones, hitherto unknown to him, were clearly and sharply separated in his thoughts from all other people.
“To be a soldier, just a soldier! - thought Pierre, falling asleep. - Login to this common life with their whole being, to become imbued with what makes them so. But how to throw off all this unnecessary, devilish, all the burden of this outer man? At one time I could have been this. I could run away from my father as much as I wanted. Even after the duel with Dolokhov, I could have been sent as a soldier.” And in Pierre’s imagination flashed a dinner at a club, at which he called Dolokhov, and a benefactor in Torzhok. And now Pierre is presented with a ceremonial dining room. This lodge takes place in the English Club. And someone familiar, close, dear, sits at the end of the table. Yes it is! This is a benefactor. “But he died? - thought Pierre. - Yes, he died; but I didn't know he was alive. And how sorry I am that he died, and how glad I am that he is alive again!” On one side of the table sat Anatole, Dolokhov, Nesvitsky, Denisov and others like him (the category of these people was as clearly defined in Pierre’s soul in the dream as the category of those people whom he called them), and these people, Anatole, Dolokhov they shouted and sang loudly; but from behind their shout the voice of the benefactor could be heard, speaking incessantly, and the sound of his words was as significant and continuous as the roar of the battlefield, but it was pleasant and comforting. Pierre did not understand what the benefactor was saying, but he knew (the category of thoughts was also clear in the dream) that the benefactor was talking about goodness, about the possibility of being what they were. And they surrounded the benefactor on all sides, with their simple, kind, firm faces. But although they were kind, they did not look at Pierre, did not know him. Pierre wanted to attract their attention and say. He stood up, but at the same moment his legs became cold and exposed.
He felt ashamed, and he covered his legs with his hand, from which the greatcoat actually fell off. For a moment, Pierre, straightening his overcoat, opened his eyes and saw the same awnings, pillars, courtyard, but all this was now bluish, light and covered with sparkles of dew or frost.
“It’s dawning,” thought Pierre. - But that’s not it. I need to listen to the end and understand the words of the benefactor.” He covered himself with his overcoat again, but neither the dining box nor the benefactor were there. There were only thoughts clearly expressed in words, thoughts that someone said or Pierre himself thought about.
Pierre, later recalling these thoughts, despite the fact that they were caused by the impressions of that day, was convinced that someone outside himself was telling them to him. Never, it seemed to him, had he been able to think and express his thoughts like that in reality.
“War is the most difficult task of subordinating human freedom to the laws of God,” said the voice. – Simplicity is submission to God; you can't escape him. And they are simple. They don't say it, but they do it. The spoken word is silver, and the unspoken word is golden. A person cannot own anything while he is afraid of death. And whoever is not afraid of her belongs to him everything. If there were no suffering, a person would not know his own boundaries, would not know himself. The most difficult thing (Pierre continued to think or hear in his sleep) is to be able to unite in his soul the meaning of everything. Connect everything? - Pierre said to himself. - No, don't connect. You can’t connect thoughts, but connecting all these thoughts is what you need! Yes, we need to pair, we need to pair! - Pierre repeated to himself with inner delight, feeling that with these words, and only with these words, is expressed what he wants to express, and the whole question tormenting him is resolved.
- Yes, we need to mate, it’s time to mate.
- We need to harness, it’s time to harness, your Excellency! Your Excellency,” a voice repeated, “we need to harness, it’s time to harness...
It was the voice of the bereitor waking Pierre. The sun hit Pierre's face directly. He looked at the dirty inn, in the middle of which, near a well, soldiers were watering thin horses, from which carts were driving through the gate. Pierre turned away in disgust and, closing his eyes, hastily fell back onto the seat of the carriage. “No, I don’t want this, I don’t want to see and understand this, I want to understand what was revealed to me during my sleep. One more second and I would have understood everything. So what should I do? Pair, but how to combine everything?” And Pierre felt with horror that the entire meaning of what he saw and thought in his dream was destroyed.
The driver, the coachman and the janitor told Pierre that an officer had arrived with the news that the French had moved towards Mozhaisk and that ours were leaving.
Pierre got up and, ordering them to lay down and catch up with him, went on foot through the city.
The troops left and left about ten thousand wounded. These wounded were visible in the courtyards and windows of houses and crowded in the streets. On the streets near the carts that were supposed to take away the wounded, screams, curses and blows were heard. Pierre gave the carriage that had overtaken him to a wounded general he knew and went with him to Moscow. Dear Pierre learned about the death of his brother-in-law and about the death of Prince Andrei.

X
On the 30th, Pierre returned to Moscow. Almost at the outpost he met Count Rastopchin's adjutant.
“And we are looking for you everywhere,” said the adjutant. “The Count definitely needs to see you.” He asks you to come to him now on a very important matter.