In our society, we confuse our feeling of love for infatuation. In the short story "The Magic Barrel," the main character in the story, Leo Finkle is a rabbinical student at the Yeshivah University. After six years of study he was to be ordained and he was advised my a colleague that if he were to be married he might find it easier to build a congregation.
             Leo found this a difficult matter because he had no personal desire to be married. His career as a rabbi had left him little time for personal to build relationships. So he pondered with the idea and he decided he needed help so he contacted a man named Salzman. Salzman is the antagonist in the story. Salzman had a business set-up as a match maker service. When Leo met Salzman he was disappointed by his narrow selection. Salzman's excuse was he has so many at home he has to keep them in a barrel and not every woman is good enough for a rabbi.
             Later, Leo realizes he cannot trust Salzman because he finds out he lied about the age of one of the selections. Leo found this out after he met with Lily Hirschorn. Salzman also misled Lily about Leo. He said Leo was a man enamored of God. He was infuriated with Salzman, which brought out feelings unknown to him. Leo said, "I am not a talented religious man. I came to God not because I loved Him, but because I did not." It seemed to Leo that his whole life stood before him for the first time he felt "unloved and loveless." This unexpected revelation brought him to a point of panic. The week that followed was the worst of his life. He seriously considered leaving Yeshivah but the thought of giving up all of his hard work deeply troubled him. He finally regained his composure to go on with his life, he decided to find and fall in love before he married his bride. Salzman told him" he has many beautiful clients that he would fall in love with the minute he sees them."
             Salzman left a manila envelope with pictures ...