Year 5383: Rabbi Yozef Shemesh mentioned above studied in the yeshiva of the elder Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu, author of the Shem, in the holy community of Worms. He told him that the holy community of Worms was a community from the time of the destruction of the First Temple. There were great and important nobles named Holberger, and one of them had an intelligent and handsome son who wished to travel to distant lands to learn their languages.

He also wanted to learn the Ishmaelite language and traveled to Jerusalem. From the strain of the journey, he spent all the money his father gave him. One day he became ill and was near death, lying on a garbage heap crying in Ashkenazic language with tears, saying that if only someone knew who he was and who his family was, they would have mercy on him, for his father's house could pay double and triple to whoever would do him good.

But for shame, for they did not understand his language. A certain Jew passed by who recognized the language mentioned above and immediately sent for a doctor. He took him to his house and gave him all his needs, laying him in a fine bed and paying the doctor who healed him. He gave him to learn the Ishmaelite language.

He wrote to his father all that a certain Jew did for him who saved him from death and gave him money as he needed. His father rejoiced greatly and sent him much money with instructions to give the Jew double and triple. When he returned to his home, his father passed away and all the wealth and honor of his father, great riches, remained to him. He wrote in his record book to do good to all the Jews for all the generations that would descend from him.

From this came the custom in Worms that when there is a funeral or wedding, two servants from Holberger go out with a staff in their hand to accompany the deceased. Also two servants as above go before the groom and bride to the wedding canopy and on their return home, and one servant before the brides. So it was until the holy community of Worms was destroyed - they always had men of his army go before the deceased and the groom and bride.

All the above was told by the Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu, author of the Shem (ibid., siman 2).