PART THREE
As soon as Daniel walks through the bakery door, he instantly feels a draft between his legs and realizes that he is now a woman. He looks down and confirms that he is indeed wearing a dress. He also notices that the steel pipe in his right hand is now a sterling silver carving knife.
“Dinah! Do not just stand there! Get that table set, quickly!”
Daniel snaps to as he looks over and sees an older and larger woman who is barking the orders at him. He knows exactly what to do as he sets the carving knife down, walks over to the buffet and begins gathering plates and silverware. He takes them over to the dining room table and meticulously sets places in perfect order for each seat at the table.
As the older woman brings a beautiful ornate menorah into the dining room and carefully places it on one of the side tables, she says, “We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has kept us alive and well so that we may celebrate this holy occasion.”
She then respectfully and ceremoniously lights each of the seven wicks that are resting in their respective bowls of oil on the menorah.
The entire dining room is bustling with servants who are preparing for the celebration in a variety of different ways. Some are bringing in fresh flowers and arranging them in centerpieces on the large dining table. From there, they move to the side tables and carefully insert the rest of the flowers into gorgeous cut glass vases placed perfectly at each serving station. Other servants are lighting candles that stand perfectly straight like soldiers inserted into the grand candlesticks, which are strategically posted at various locations in the room.
The smells of food cooking in the kitchen are wonderful. Daniel has never encountered such inviting aromas.
“What is wrong with you?”
Dinah looks up at another servant girl who is setting places across the table from her.
Then suddenly, from behind her, Dinah hears, “What are you two jabbering about? Get busy! We do not have all day!”
The other servant girl scurries away to the kitchen and Daniel turns around and observes one of the most beautiful women he has ever seen. She has a perfectly shapely body and long dark shiny wavy hair. Her eyes are brilliant green and...
“I said get busy!” orders the woman. “Everyone is ready for the meal!”
So, Dinah quickly finishes the table settings. Then, as people begin to enter the dining room, she also scurries away into the kitchen.
The other servant girl stares at Dinah in unbelief, and says, “Are you out of your mind? She will have your head if she catches you doing that again!”
“What is going on here?” barks the older larger woman.
“Sorry, Rebekah, we were merely... ” starts the servant girl.
“I know. I know,” says Rebekah, pointing behind her. “Now you two scoot over there and get ready to serve the salad.”
As Daniel helps the other girl put salad on small plates, he realizes that he now understands and speaks Yiddish. He searches for more information in his mind and discovers that he has now assumed the identity of a sixteen-year-old Jewish servant girl in Krakow, Poland, in the 1930s.
Back in the dining room, the guests have all found their seats at the dining table and are ready to begin celebrating their annual Passover Seder.
At the head of the table is an elderly gentleman, Solomon Barshevet, the patriarch of the family. Seated to his right is his son, Judah, who is extremely handsome and strong and charismatic. Next to Judah is the beautiful woman who Daniel saw earlier, Deborah, Judah’s wife. Mrs. Barshevet, Solomon’s wife, is seated at the other end of the table, which is lined on both sides by other family members of varying ages.
Dinah and the other servant girl, Tamara, set the salad plates in front of each person at the table, while other servants fill the wine glasses. Solomon then raises his wine glass and nods to a boy seated at Deborah’s right, who then asks, “How is this night different, Grandfather?”
Solomon raises his glass, and answers, “I will bring you out from under the burden of Egypt.” Then he looks across the table to his wife, Esther, and she lifts her wine glass, and says, “We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.”
Esther then looks at Judah and he raises his wine glass, and says, “We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has made us holy through mitzvot and lovingly has given us this Festival of Matzot, celebrations of our freedom, and a holy time to recall our going out of Egypt. We praise You, Adonai our God, Who makes holy the people Israel and the festivals.”
Deborah raises her wine glass, and says, “We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has kept us alive and well so that we may celebrate this special time.”
As the family drinks their wine, Dinah and Tamara place pitchers of warm water and bowls and towels between each person at the table. Silently, Judah positions his hands above the bowl that is between him and his father. Solomon lifts the pitcher that is next to the bowl and pours out warm water over Judah’s hands. Simultaneously, Deborah and her son, Caleb, the boy seated at her right, perform the same ritual, as do every other pair of family members seated around the table.
Judah dries his hands with the towel as Solomon positions his hands over the bowl. Judah then pours water over his father’s hands, and the same ritual continues around the rest of the table.
After this, Dinah and Tamara systematically clear the table of the washing items and replace them with bowls of salt water and plates with sprigs of parsley on them.
As each family member takes a sprig of parsley and dips it into the salt water, and then gently shakes drops of water back into the bowl, Solomon says, “We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the earth.”
While each person around the table eats their parsley, Solomon looks over at Judah, and adds, “Soon, instead of this being a symbol of our tears of sorrow, it will be a symbol of our tears of joy.”
At this point, Judah reaches out to a plate in front of him that is covered with a fancy linen cloth. He removes the cloth to reveal three flat pieces of matzo. He picks up the middle matzo, breaks it in half and then puts one half back on the plate. Next, he wraps up the other half of the matzo in a different linen cloth and hands it to Caleb, with a wink, saying, “Hide it well, my boy.”
The other children at the table smile gleefully as Caleb leaves the dining room with the wrapped up matzo.
Judah replaces the linen cloth over the matzo plate, saying, “This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in the land of Egypt. All who are hungry, come and eat. All who are needy, come and celebrate Pesach with us. Now we celebrate here. Next year may we be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves. Next year may we be truly free.”
As the servants are filling a second glass of wine, Solomon adds, “We may indeed be in our Land of Israel next year. Is that not correct, Judah, my son?”
“It certainly does appear as though we may be, Father. That, or possibly the year after,” answers Judah.
“No. It will be next year,” asserts Deborah, as she gently, but deliberately jabs Judah with her elbow. “Certainly, it will be next year.”
Caleb then re-enters the dining room, and says, “How is this night different, Grandfather?”
Solomon raises the second glass of wine, and answers, “I will deliver you from bondage.”
Rebekah then motions and instructs all of the servants to take their seats in chairs lining the walls of the dining room. After which, Solomon begins telling the story of the deliverance of the children of Israel out of bondage in the land of Egypt.
As Solomon retells the events of the exodus, Dinah is comforted by how well she knows the story. She thinks about how it has been woven into the fabric of her being throughout her entire life. She recognizes the story of Moses being rescued from the Nile by the daughter of Pharaoh and subsequently being raised in the house of Pharaoh. She remembers the part about Moses returning to Egypt as an
eighty-year-old man and calling down the ten plagues that finally convinced Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go. She can almost feel herself walking across the dry Red Sea bed between two giant walls of water. And she trembles at the thought of Mount Sinai smoking and thundering with the presence of God as Moses is given the tables of the Law.
Solomon raises his glass again, and says, “God promised Abraham that after four hundred years of servitude, his descendants would leave the foreign land of their bondage and witness the judgment of their oppressors. It is this promise that has sustained the Jewish people in each generation as enemies arose to destroy us. And it is the Holy One of Blessing Who saved us from their hand, enabling us to say, ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ the Jewish people lives.”
Esther then says, “Adonai took us out of Egypt... ”
Which is followed by everyone in the room saying, “Dayenu.”
After which, Judah says, “...punished the Egyptians and destroyed their idols... ”
Again, everyone replies, “Dayenu.”
Deborah says, “...divided the sea and led us across on dry land... ”
Again, “Dayenu.”
Caleb adds, “...took care of us in the desert for forty years and fed us manna... ”
Again, “Dayenu.”
Esther bows her head slightly, and continues, “...gave us Sabbath... ”
“Dayenu.”
Judah adds, “...brought us to Mount Sinai and gave us the Torah... ”
“Dayenu.”
Deborah looks at Judah, and finishes by saying, “...brought us to the Land of Israel and built the Holy Temple.”
“Dayenu.”
Solomon finally says, “For all these, alone and together, we say, “Dayenu.”
“Dayenu.”
Everyone at the table lifts their wine glass, and says, “It is our duty to give thanks, sing praises, and offer blessings to the Holy One Who did these miracles for our ancestors and for us; and Who brought us from slavery to freedom, from sadness to joy, and from darkness to light.
“Let us sing a new song. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Give praise to Adonai. Sing praises, those who serve Adonai. Blessed is the Name of Adonai now and forever.
“We praise You, Adonai our God, Who has freed the people of Israel. We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.”
Everyone at the table then drinks the second glass of wine.
Rebekah stands and signals the servants to stand up and begin to perform their next duties for the meal. Dinah and Tamara quickly bring a second set of pitchers and bowls and towels to the table and everyone performs the washing ritual a second time.
Judah again removes the linen cloth from the matzo plate and takes one of the full pieces, and the one remaining half piece. He breaks a small piece off each of them and then hands one of the larger remainders to Solomon and the other larger piece to Deborah. They in turn each break off a small piece and hand the larger remainder to the person next to them.
When everyone has a piece, Judah says, “We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.”
Everyone then eats their own piece of matzo.
Deborah signals for two of the younger children to come and help her make sandwiches with the last piece of matzo, some grated horseradish and a mixture of raisins and nuts from a bowl on the table.
Each person is given a sandwich and, following Deborah’s lead, they all eat them in unison.
Immediately after the sandwiches are eaten, all of the servants shift into high gear and begin to serve the Passover meal. A lentil soup is served and plates of salad are brought out. Platters of gefilte fish and lamb are set on the table with large bowls of potatoes and steamed vegetables.
The meal is heartily consumed amidst light conversation and laughter, and then, after the dessert of egg glazed fig tarts, Caleb asks, “How is this night different, Grandfather?”
The servants then work their way around the table and fill the third glass of wine, after which Solomon raises his wine glass, and says, “I will redeem you with outstretched arms and great judgments.”
Immediately, all of the children let out squeals, push away from the table and run out of the dining room.
Judah looks at Deborah, and says, “I hope he did not make it too difficult for them this year.”
After several moments of the sounds of children running throughout the house, Caleb’s younger sister, Miriam, pokes her head into the dining room, and says, “Momma, we cannot find it! He made it too hard to find again!”
The adults at the table laugh a little and then Caleb comes up next to Miriam, kneels down next to her and whispers in her ear. Miriam’s eyes widen and she dashes back into the living room.
“It will not be long now,” says Deborah.
“Afikomen! Afikomen!” squeals Miriam gleefully, as she races back into the dining room waving the hidden piece of matzo in her hand.
All of the other children return to the dining room laughing and assuring each other that they would be the one to find it next year.
As Caleb pulls up the rear, Solomon raises the third glass of wine, and says, “We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who in goodness, mercy and kindness gives food to the world. Your love for us endures forever. We praise You, Adonai, Who provides food for all life.
“May the Holy One, Who makes peace in the heavens, make peace for us, for Israel, and for all the world.
“We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.”
After the first few drinks of the third glass of wine, Esther slowly and quietly begins to sing a psalm of praise. Solomon joins in, followed by Deborah and then Judah. Soon the entire room is filled with beautiful psalms of praise to God.
As the tempo of the singing slows down, Rebekah signals the servants to go around the table and fill the wine glasses one last time.
After a good long worshipful silence, Caleb asks, quietly, “Grandfather, why is this night different?”
Solomon slowly raises his wine glass for the last time, and says, “I will take you for My People.
“We praise You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
“Our Seder is now completed. May our service be acceptable to You, Adonai our God, and may we be granted the blessing of celebrating Pesach for many years to come. Pure and Holy One, dwelling on high, raise up Your people with love, and lead us to Zion in joyful song.”
Deborah stands up, and says, “May we celebrate Pesach next year in Jerusalem!” She gives Judah a cool glance, and then looks to the children, and says, “Come children!”
Esther stands up and motions to all of the children to leave the table and follow her. Deborah and the rest of the women join them as they all walk out of the dining room.
Caleb lingers until they leave and then turns to Judah, and asks, “May I stay, Father?”
Judah is inclined to say yes until he looks over at his father, who has a commanding look on his face.
“Come here, my son,” says Judah, turning his chair sideways.
Caleb walks up to his father.
Judah looks at Caleb eye to eye, and says, “I know how you feel. This time of life is difficult. The bridge from boyhood to manhood is troublesome at best and treacherous at worst. And it is certainly never good to walk alone. I am with you, Caleb. I am right here with you. You know that, do you not?”
“Yes, Father,” answers Caleb.
Judah puts his hands on Caleb’s shoulders and looks him in the eyes, and assuringly says, “You will be a Son of the Covenant next year. This time next year, you will be seated at the table with us. You will be seated right here with me and your grandfather and your uncles.”
“You are a good boy, Caleb,” agrees Solomon. “You may be ready now, but it is never wise to rush God. He operates according to His pre-determined plans, according to times and seasons.
&n
bsp; “We merely have to look at our Father Abraham to see this principle in practice. If he had not listened to Sarah and had been obedient to the promises of God, there would be no Ishmael. Ishmael is an example of what happens when we are impatient with God, and take things into our own hands, and attempt to help God. God does not need our help, Caleb.”
Caleb looks back at Judah, and says, “I understand, Father.”
“We love you dearly, my son,” says Judah, as he warmly embraces Caleb. Judah then gets a serious look on his face, and says to Caleb, “Now, please swear to me by an oath that you will report to us immediately if Elijah comes to take his seat. That will be very crucial information for us to know.”
Caleb salutes, and says, “You have my word as my vow, sir.” Then he quickly skips out of the dining room.
Rebekah always waits and allows enough time for those types of intimate family moments to become fully realized. She is keenly aware of how the family feasts frequently stimulate that type of togetherness. She believes that this is the reason why God instituted the annual feasts. She knows His Word. She knows His Law. She knows about His admonition for the parents to teach the children these things for generation after generation until the coming of the Messiah.
The servants under Rebekah’s management have also learned this from her, so all it takes is a quick look and a nod from her to put them back into action. They immediately enter the dining room, clear the table and put all of the food away.
Other servants bring a few small incense censors into the room and place them on the various serving stations. After they are lit, and the smells of dinner are replaced by the fragrant aromas of frankincense, Solomon says, “Rebekah, will you please... ”
“Right away, sir,” she answers, without letting him finish. She leaves the dining room and, moments later, returns and hands Solomon his well-worn Torah.
“Thank you, Rebekah,” says Solomon. “And thank you, of course, for another magnificent feast. Everything was perfect. You are a treasure to this family, and we greatly appreciate you and your wonderful staff.”
“You are most welcome, sir. It is our esteemed pleasure to serve this family,” says Rebekah, as she bows and then retreats to the kitchen.
“Thank you, Father,” says Judah. “I certainly felt myself bending.”
Solomon looks puzzled.
“I mean, about Caleb,” explains Judah. “He is such a mature boy that I find it difficult to view him as a boy. He is such a little man.”
“Yes, I agree,” nods Solomon.
After a few moments, Judah poses, “But are we not doing the same thing?”
“What,” questions Solomon.
“Are we not rushing God? Are we not moving too aggressively with our plans?” continues Judah.
“On the contrary, Judah,” says Solomon. “Everything is falling perfectly into place. These are clearly not the plans of mere man. God’s mighty Hand of providence is all over what is happening around us. He is moving and we must move with Him. We have been over this and over this. What is troubling you now?”
“There are people there, Father,” says Judah, quietly. “There are people living right there in the Land. There are families. There are farms... ”
“You must be strong, Judah,” interrupts Solomon. “They will be cared for. They will be allowed to live in the Land. Their families will be safe and provided for -- under our rule. I have no evil intention toward them. They will be well cared for in our Land and under our rule.”
Judah ponders the short silence.
Solomon then continues, “Unless they resist.”
“Yes, unless they resist,” sighs Judah.
“Judah,” says Solomon. “You are assuming that they are like us. You are thinking that we are going to break into families like ours here in Poland, and begin to rip away at decent civil lives like ours. They are not like us. They are dogs, Judah. They are like wild animals.”
Solomon picks up his Torah, and continues, “Even Moses teaches us that. Right here in the Torah. Moses himself describes Ishmael as ‘a wild ass of a man’.
“Judah, we will not be marching into places like this here in Krakow. We will be marching into Zion, miles and miles away from here. And anyone who stands in our way will feel the fury of the Holy One of Israel.”
+ - + - + - +
Dinah busies herself in the kitchen and, while understandably tedious and uninteresting, she finds the task of washing dishes peaceful and somewhat refreshing. Daniel is able to put his busy mind on autopilot, which is quite helpful in the process of transitioning from Diener’s life into his new identity as Dinah.
As the last of the sparkling clean dishes and utensils are returned to their proper places in the kitchen, Rebekah finally says, “The Pesach is finished. May we celebrate it next year in Jerusalem. Good evening, everyone. Tomorrow is another day.”
“Ugh, at last,” says Tamara, tiredly, as she takes off her apron and hangs it on a hook. “Let us go home, shall we?”
The sun had set a couple of hours earlier, so it is a dark, but pleasant evening. The spring air is crisp on the girls’ faces, and it carries the refreshing aromas of new growth and budding flowers into their noses as they walk along the sidewalk to their apartment in the Jewish District of Krakow.
Daniel is enjoying the stroll home, but he then senses a conflict in his mind, and tunes out Tamara’s meaningless chatter for a moment. He suddenly remembers that he is a young girl walking down a dark street at night. His masculinity was providing him with a sense of security in this potentially dangerous situation, but then he realizes that it would be of no use to him in his new identity as a sixteen-year-old girl.
Unfortunately, Daniel’s intuition proves to be accurate. Suddenly, a group of young men rush out from an alley as Dinah and Tamara walk by. The men quickly grab both girls and gag them before they can let out a scream. They are then forced deeper back into the alley.
Daniel is completely horrified and shocked by his inability to fight back. He keeps expecting his male body strength to be employed against the grip of his assailants, but Dinah’s young female frame simply will not respond.
He is jarred into overwhelming terror and complexity of mind as he is shoved to the ground and stripped naked of his clothing. Shock takes over as his legs are forced open and the rigid male penis repeatedly penetrates Dinah’s virginity.
Unconscious blackness follows as he finds himself completely incapable of preventing the assault on his being. His last memories of the horrible event are the jeering faces of the young men and the terror-stricken face and eyes of Tamara lying next to him.
+ - + - + - +
As Daniel walks out of Sarah’s kitchen and back into the living room, he is surprised to see Sarah sleeping peacefully on the sofa. ‘Poor thing,’ he thinks, as he quietly puts the glass of water down on the coffee table in front of the sofa.
He kneels down next to her and begins to gently stroke the side of her head. She has never looked as beautiful to him as she does now, as thoughts of their future together waft into his mind. He envisions their wedding and their mutual dreams of establishing their home and raising a family together.
Daniel becomes somewhat lost in the rapture of these dreams, but then is brought back to the moment when his hand senses some resistance in Sarah’s hair. He continues to gently stroke her head, but then he feels a gooey liquid in the palm of his hand. As he turns his palm toward him, he is shocked to see it is covered with blood. He looks at Sarah and is startled to see bruises forming all over her face and blood flowing from several wounds.
“Sarah!” he cries, as he reaches over to see what is happening to her. “Tamara!” she cries.
Then the entire apartment begins to slowly transform into a dark alley. The walls of the living room become the exterior walls of buildings. The furniture in the room changes to a variety of large boxes and trash cans. The air in the room becomes cool, and the sounds of an early morning quiet street start to fill Dina
h’s ears.
Dinah is lying naked in a heap next to Tamara. She looks over at her. Tamara is not breathing. Dinah begins to weep, as she reaches over and caresses Tamara’s face. The life that once filled those twinkling green eyes is gone.
“No,” she sobs. “No... no... no... ”
Dinah can barely move. Her whole body feels ravaged. Pain is throbbing in every limb, and she feels like there is a fire burning on her belly and between her legs.
The darkness in the alley is beginning to vanish as the rising sun initiates a new day. Dinah looks over and sees the street several meters away down at the end of the alley. Slowly, and with great difficulty, she manages to get up to her hands and knees, and begins to crawl toward the street. She sees a few early risers making their way hurriedly down the street, but her hoarse voice is unable to call out loudly enough for them to hear her.
Slipping in and out of consciousness, Dinah finally makes it to the end of the alley, and collapses there in a fetal position.
Moments pass and then, “Oy! Oy vey!” screams Rebekah, as she lifts her hand to her mouth. “Oy... oy... oy... Adonai... El rafa na... ” prays Rebekah, as she takes off her coat and covers Dinah’s naked beaten body. “Come! Quickly!” she calls to a few of the other servants who are following behind her.
Carefully, and as quickly as possible, they wrap Dinah in Rebekah’s coat and begin to carry her to the Barshevet house. Two other servants run down into the alley and find Tamara’s lifeless naked body lying in a heap on the pavement. They quickly wrap her up as well and gently lift her into their arms. Then they rush to catch up with the others.
+ - + - + - +
“Master Judah! Master Judah!” Rebekah screams as they all rush up to the house. Judah is awake, but still lying in bed. When he hears Rebekah, he jumps out of bed and hurries over to the bedroom window quickly enough to see her and all of the servants carrying Dinah and Tamara into the back of the house.
Deborah rolls over sleepily and sees Judah quickly put on a robe and then rush out of their bedroom and down the stairs to the kitchen.
When Judah comes into the kitchen and sees what is happening, he says, “Take them to the guest room. I will call the doctor.”
The next several hours are devoted to cleaning and bandaging wounds, and assessing the damages from the attack. The doctor is able to provide adequate treatment at the Barshevet house and determines that a trip to the hospital would be less helpful than the quiet healing process there in the servants’ quarters. Solomon and the rest of the family are completely willing to open their house for the benefit of the servants. In their way of thinking, the servants are a part of the family and are entitled to all of the basic privileges that the home can provide.
Fortunately, Dinah suffered no broken bones or internal injuries as the result of her trauma. She is made as comfortable as possible and stays in the downstairs quarters.
For the next few days, Dinah slips in and out of consciousness as her body works to heal its injuries. She is not quite sure what is real and what is imagined as a wide variety of images splash across her groggy mind. She sees a man being harassed in a parking lot and then being comforted at a homeless shelter. She sees the terrified face of Rebekah as she kneels down and wraps her coat around her. Then Rebekah’s face dissolves into an extremely concerned look on the doctor’s face as he bandages some wounds on her abdomen. After that, she sees some friends sitting across the table from her at the annual Likewise banquet, but then they dissolve into the faces of the three ruffians in the tavern in Linz as they notice Adolf and rush out the door after him.
The complex mixture of madness and confusing unfamiliar scenes finally resolves to an image of herself sleeping peacefully on the living room sofa in Sarah’s apartment. Daniel is kneeling at her side and gently caressing her hair.
She smiles and sighs with contentment as she slowly opens her dreamy eyes and sees Daniel bending over her and looking longingly into them. She loves him so much and her heart is warmed as she reaches up to put her hand on the back of his neck. As she does this, she is troubled to see Daniel’s face begin to change its appearance. Then she looks over and notices that the entire living room around her is also starting to change. She soon realizes that she is lying on a bed in the Barshevet house, and that it is Judah, not Daniel, who is sitting next to her in a chair by the bed, praying.
Startled, Dinah instinctively tries to sit up and then is immediately halted by a sharp pain in her midsection.
“Hey, hey,” says Judah, softly as he stands up and gently helps her back to a lying position on the bed. He cradles her head back onto the pillow, and says, “Calm down, Dinah. Calm down. Everything is all right. You are safe now. Do not worry. You are here at our house. You are... you are going to be well again.”
Dinah blinks slowly a few times and slows her breathing.
“There, that is much better,” says Judah, tenderly. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head, and says, “It looks like you have made it back. Yes. It certainly does look like you have made it back. Just lie still. I want to tell the others that you are back with us.”
A short while after Judah leaves the room, Dinah hears a few joyous exclamations from outside the room. Rebekah comes in and rushes up to her side, and says, “Dinah! Oh, Dinah, my dear Dinah. Oh, Adonai, Aleinu l’shabeach la’Adon hakol... ”
Judah re-enters the room followed by Deborah. He says, “I knew she would make it. Our Dinah certainly is a strong young girl.”
“Indeed,” agrees Deborah. “Well... maybe now we are on the way to getting this house back in order. Praise to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”
“Momma?” comes a young voice from the bedroom door.
“No! No, Caleb. You cannot come in here,” orders Deborah.
But Judah walks over between Deborah and Caleb, and says, “No. This is good. This is a good lesson for you, Caleb.”
Deborah scowls as Judah reassuringly escorts Caleb into the room, and says, “This is an example of courage for you, Caleb. Dinah put her trust in the hand of God and she fought for her life.”
Judah brings Caleb over to the side of the bed and kneels down to look at him eye to eye, and says, “Life is harsh, Caleb. Dinah has been through a harsh and terrifying experience. But through it, she learned the lesson of King David. She listened for the voice of the Shepherd, and He led her through the valley of the Shadow of Death. He comforted her with His goodness and mercy. This is a good lesson for you, my son. Great is the loving faithfulness and mercy of our God.”
+ - + - + - +
Dinah is not in a deep sleep, so she awakens when she hears the bedroom door unlatch. Sleepily, she turns her head toward the door to see Judah looking in.
“Oh, I am sorry,” says Judah, quietly. “Did I wake you?”
There is something calming about Judah’s voice. And there is also something simply reassuring in the way he carries himself. He is not only handsome in appearance, but he also has a certain air about himself. He is a perfect blend of disarming when things are a little tense, and charismatic when things need to be energized.
“I am terribly sorry, Dinah,” Judah continues, as he walks into the room. “The doctor asked me to check in on you regularly and... well, I just tucked the children into bed and... Are you well? Do you need anything?”
Dinah’s mouth is parched, but she manages to quietly say, “I am fine, thank you.”
“I need to bring you some water,” says Judah, kindly. “Your voice is dry.” He turns and leaves the room.
A few moments later, Judah returns with a glass of water and walks across the room, and says, “The doctor says you are doing quite well, Dinah. God’s hand of healing is upon you.”
Dinah winces slightly as she rolls over and props herself up on her left arm.
“Do you need help?” offers Judah.
Dinah reaches out her right hand and takes the glass from Judah.
“I brought this in case you spill,” says J
udah, holding out a small white towel.
Dinah giggles and then takes a drink.
“I suppose that was a little silly of me,” says Judah. “It must be a habit. You would be surprised at how often I still need it for my children.”
The water tastes wonderful. Dinah takes another drink and then hands the glass back to Judah.
“I will leave it right here in case you want more,” says Judah as he places the glass down on the bedstand. “Are you sure you do not need this?” he says, smiling and holding out the towel.
Dinah gingerly rolls onto her back and lays her head down on the pillow.
Judah takes a deep breath, and says, “I am so sorry this happened to you, Dinah. And poor Tamara... poor, poor Tamara. I should have been more aware of the potential dangers out there. I have been so blind... so focused on events going on out in the world that I was not even aware of what is going on in my own neighborhood. It is terrible. I should have been more aware that the same thing that is happening over in our homeland has already crept in right here as well.”
Dinah blinks a few times, and quietly asks, “Is Tamara dead?”
Judah sighs heavily, and says, “Oh... I am so sorry, Dinah. I thought... yes, she did not make it. She was not as fortunate as you. I am sorry. I thought you knew. I thought they told you. I am so sorry.”
The memory of Tamara’s bloody face lying in the alley rushes into Dinah’s mind, and she weeps, “She was my closest friend.”
“I know,” says Judah, tenderly. “I am so sorry, Dinah.”
“I should have stopped them,” weeps Dinah. “I should have protected her.”
Judah looks puzzled, and says, “How... ”
Daniel realizes how stupid that must have sounded. He didn’t think about the fact that he was remembering the event as though he were a strong young man.
“It is fine, Dinah,” says Judah, kindly. “I think I know what you mean. I think I know how you feel. But in my case, I am in fact, responsible. I should have known. I should have known our safe neighborhood is a thing of the past. The dogs are coming into the country and we do not seem to be able to keep them out.
“But do not be concerned, Dinah. Things are changing. The time is now. The time is perfect. God is moving and Zion is ours. We are going to go home. I vow to you. We are going to go home.”
+ - + - + - +
Almost a week after the attack, Dinah is lying in bed in the afternoon when Judah, Deborah, Rebekah and the doctor come into the room.
“Good afternoon, young lady,” greets the doctor. “Judah tells me you are healing well. May God be praised. We thank Him for his ever-healing hand upon us.”
The doctor pulls up a chair next to Dinah’s bed, while the others stand a few feet behind him. He says, “I am going to take a look at your wounds today and then redress them with new clean bandages.”
Dinah looks past the doctor, and is confused by the severe looks of concern on the faces of Judah, Deborah and Rebekah, who is quietly muttering prayers.
The doctor carefully removes the bandages from Dinah’s head and comments about how well those wounds are healing. Then, after the doctor removes some bandages from her abdomen, she knows something is seriously wrong. Deborah gasps and turns her face away. Rebekah looks up toward heaven and prays more fervently. And Judah lowers his head slightly and gets a stern glare on his face. He looks as though he is an angry bull getting ready to charge.
Dinah’s abdomen is quite bruised and starting to scab over, but they are all shocked and dismayed because they can still clearly see the symbols that were blatantly carved deeply into Dinah’s pure white skin.
“What?” asks Dinah, quietly.
The doctor turns to the others, and says. “It is Arabic. It says, ‘Jihad.’ The men who did this to Dinah and Tamara are Muslim.”
Judah’s face grows even angrier. He turns and storms out of the room.
“No... no... no... ” weeps Rebekah.
Dinah closes her eyes. She is overcome with confusion. She has no idea what is going on.
The doctor turns his attention back to Dinah, and cleans up and redresses her wounds.
Deborah simply stands there motionless and in shock. Tears begin to fill her eyelids and then spill out onto her cheeks. She has not cried in many years, but under these traumatic circumstances, her maternal instincts for Dinah’s well-being start to well up inside her. This type of yearning has become latent in Deborah, and she does not quite know what to do about it. So, she wipes her tears and simply says to Rebekah, “Come. We must let the doctor do his work,” as she escorts Rebekah out of the room.
+ - + - + - +
A few days later, Dinah is healing nicely, so she begins to spend the afternoons outside the house in the gardens. The spring air is refreshing in her lungs, and she feels as though her skin conducts the radiance of the sun -- sending its healing warmth throughout her entire body.
She feels slightly guilty about not getting back to her duties, but no one is expecting her to do so. They are all simply happy that she is alive. To them, she is a daily reminder of the goodness of God and of His providential hand of care upon their lives. They all are fully experiencing the grief of losing Tamara, but that does not diminish their faith in God’s almighty sovereignty. They faithfully believe that it was Tamara’s destined time to make her passage, and join the multitude of God’s children before her who went to be gathered to their people.
“Good day, Dinah,” says Judah, as he walks up behind her.
“Oh,” says Dinah, startled. “And good day to you, Master Judah.”
“So, what is the report?” queries Judah.
“The report?” asks Dinah.
“Yes,” answers Judah, pointing to a large garden area adjacent to the house. “What have they been telling you?”
“Who?” asks Dinah, confused.
Judah smiles and points, and says, “Them, of course. The doves. You have been out here frequently, and they are the only other ones out here with you. So, I was supposing they were giving many important messages to you.”
Dinah thinks for a moment and then smiles. She points over to a few doves pecking away near some bushes, and says, “Well... do you see that one there? The one by the lavender bush?”
“Yes,” answers Judah.
“Well, that one reported... ”
“Yes... ” says Judah, curiously.
“She reported that the Feast of Unleavened Bread is over,” says Dinah, cleverly.
“Oh... I see... yes, that is very interesting information,” says Judah, stroking his chin. “But, I could smell the leaven as I walked by the kitchen. Certainly a dove of her stature would have something more important to report.”
“Yes... of course... you are correct, of course,” says Dinah, allowing herself to be drawn into Judah’s make believe game. “It was that and... it was that and, that the dry land has appeared.”
“Oh, so she is that dove, is she,” says Judah.
“Yes. She wants us all to know it is safe to go out now,” says Dinah.
A thoughtful and somewhat incredulous look appears on Judah’s face. ‘How does she do it?’ he thinks. ‘How can she be so brave? After all that has happened to her, how can she have such faith? Such faith and such a strong sense of rest and safety in God’s hands.’ He looks at Dinah kindly, and says, “You are quite a young woman, Dinah. You are very courageous and very insightful.”
Judah takes a deep breath of fresh spring air and looks out over the beautiful garden, and says, “What else do they say?”
Dinah breathes in and also looks out at the garden, and says, “They say that it is time for war.”
Judah turns his face quickly toward Dinah, and says, “What?”
“It is time for war,” Dinah repeats, as she continues to look out over the garden. “You and your father talk about it all the time. So, I know it is coming.”
“My, my,” says Judah. “You certainly do not miss a thing, do you.”
/> Still looking out, Dinah answers, “I do not miss anything that happens in your house. It is all very important to me. Your family is kind, and generous, and good to all of us. So, I want to do everything I can to serve you well.”
“Which includes listening in on my private conversations?” smiles Judah.
“They are not exactly private,” says Dinah, looking at Judah.
Judah laughs, and says, “Yes, I suppose you are correct about that. They probably hear us in the next house over.”
“More like the next country over,” quips Dinah.
Judah gets a serious look on his face, and says, sharply, “Young lady, your disrespect is intolerable. You must leave these premises at once.”
A look of surprised shame comes across Dinah’s face. She gasps and puts her hand to her mouth.
Judah laughs out loud, “Ha, ha, ha! Now that was a look! Ho, ho! That was a priceless look!”
Somewhat relieved by Judah’s laughter, Dinah sighs for a moment. Then she furrows her brow and cocks her head slightly, and says, sternly, “You are terrible, Master Judah. You are simply a terrible cruel man.”
“I know. I know,” laughs Judah. “Believe me, I know. Oh, that was a funny one.”
They laugh together for a few moments.
Then Dinah asks, “Why do you talk so much about war?”
Judah answers, “It is not so much about war, Dinah. It is about going home. It is about going home to the Land of Israel, and... well, war may happen to be the best means to that end.”
“Have we not already had enough war?” comments Dinah.
Judah is somewhat taken by her comment, and says, “Where do you get your... How old are you?”
“Sixteen,” answers Dinah.
“You were barely alive during the Great War!” says Judah. “What do you know about war?”
“I know that it is bad,” says Dinah.
Judah takes a deep breath, and agrees, “Yes Dinah, you are correct, but let me explain the good that has come out of the Great War. You see, before the war there were powerful imperialistic empires. There was the German empire, and the Ottoman empire, and the Russian empire. But now, after the war, they are all gone. For all intents and purposes, they killed each other off trying to gain each other’s empires.”
“And that is good?” asks Dinah.
“Yes, it is very good... for us,” answers Judah. After a short pause, he asks, “Have you ever heard of Teodor Herzel?”
“Yes, I was told some things about him and how he wanted all of the Jews to go back to the Land of Israel,” answers Dinah.
“He was a genius and a visionary,” continues Judah. “He saw all of this coming. Oh, how I enjoyed sitting for hours listening to him and my father and the other men. We lived in Austria at that time. They talked for hours and hours about Zion. Oh, the dreams we had.”
Judah’s excitement saddens somewhat as he continues, “I was about your age when he died. It was a sad sad day. But, we are working to keep his vision alive. He would have been so amazed and excited to see how perfectly things have taken shape in the world since the war. It is all lining up perfectly.”
“What is?” asks Dinah.
“They are all out of our way now. That is what,” answers Judah as he breathes in and looks out at the garden again.
Following several moments of reflection, the conversation shifts when Juday says, “You know, it was quite strange... I have to tell you... But, one day not all that long ago, I was sitting out here, and I was watching the blackbirds and the squirrels out there by the trees.”
“What?” asks Dinah.
“I could not believe... well, I could believe it, but it still amazed me,” continues Judah. “You know the blackbirds out there, and the squirrels, correct?”
“Yes,” says Dinah.
“Well, one day when I was sitting here on the patio, I looked out into the garden and noticed one of the squirrels scampering around with a nut in its mouth. It was sniffing around in the grass looking for a place to bury the nut for later. Then I also noticed a few blackbirds perched up in the trees, watching the squirrel. Well, the squirrel finally decided upon a place to bury the nut so, he dug into the grass, dropped the nut into the hole, and then scampered away.
“Right away, one of the blackbirds swooped down near where the squirrel buried the nut and began searching for it. Is that not amazing? Never in a million years would I have been able to find that nut, and I was looking right at the area where he buried it. But these birdbrain blackbirds are able to zero in on the exact place where the squirrel buried the nut. Is that not amazing?”
“Yes,” agrees Dinah, tentatively. “I suppose so.”
“So, of course, the squirrel ran out from the bushes and chased the blackbird away,” continues Judah. “And this happened over and over again. The blackbird got chased away, the squirrel left, the blackbird swooped down and then got chased away, and on and on it went.”
“This is quite an interesting story,” says Dinah, sarcastically.
“You have not heard anything yet,” assures Judah. “Because then I noticed that during the entire time all this fighting on the ground was happening, there was this one woodlark perched calmly and patiently in that tree right over there.”
Judah points out across the garden, and asks, “Do you see it?”
Dinah looks out, “The woodlark?”
Judah laughs, and says, “No, no, the tree. He was on that one tall tree to the left. He was perched out there in that nice high vantage point watching the whole war over the nut going on down below him.
“Well, finally the squirrel and the blackbirds both gave up and left. Then the woodlark simply flew down, hopped around a little, found the nut and flew away. It was amazing!”
“Yes,” says Dinah, unenthusiastically. “Amazing.”
Judah looks at her, and says, “We are the woodlark, Dinah. We get the nut. They fought and fought and neither one got the nut. All we do is wait patiently and observe everything from a higher perspective. And that is why we will get the nut.
“Oh, if Teodor could have only seen this. Everything is perfectly set up for us to move in and get the nut.”
“Jerusalem is the nut?” asks Dinah.
“Yes, Jerusalem and all of the Land of Israel,” answers Judah.
“And the blackbirds and the squirrels are the Germans, and the Arabs, and the Russians?” asks Dinah.
“Amazing, is it not?” says Judah.
“Is that truly the status of the world?” asks Dinah.
“Very much so,” answers Judah. “There are still a few other squirrels and blackbirds in the Land, but they do not appear to have all that much interest in the nut.”
“And you believe that God made it all happen this way?” asks Dinah.
“Who else could have?” says Judah. “We are going home, Dinah. Zion is ours.”
+ - + - + - +
Deborah and the children are in Vienna for a visit with her parents and siblings. The children always thoroughly enjoy these ‘away from home’ excursions to spend time with their cousins. It is a magical experience for them to be in a different place doing different things and reconnecting with family.
Dinah had only a few vague memories of her parents before they were killed in a tragic fire accident in the garment factory where they worked. She did have some memories of being with her mother before she died, but her father merely occupied a vacant hole in her soul. She was only able to make a few memories of her younger brothers and sisters because they were taken away and incorporated into the families that adopted them many years ago. She and Tamara were the oldest, and were therefore never even considered for adoption. Dear, dear Tamara. She was the only person in Dinah’s life who ever felt like a real sister. But now, she was gone also.
Daniel is wrestling fiercely with his thoughts as he sits at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. It is about midday. The house is quiet for a change. ‘What am I doing here?’ he thinks. ‘Why
in the world am I a sixteen-year-old Jewish girl? I know I am in Krakow, Poland and that it is the early 1930s. What happened to Hitler? Did he die, or not? Are the Germans going to invade? Am I going to be taken to a concentration camp? Am I going to be a victim of the Holocaust?’
“Oh, excuse me, Dinah,” says Judah, as he walks into the kitchen and sees Dinah seated at the table.
Dinah immediately stands up, and says, “May I get you something to eat, Master Judah?”
“No, no, please sit down, Dinah,” says Judah. “I do not even know why you are back to work. Are you well enough to be working?”
Dinah, still standing at attention, says, “It feels better to be working a little. I was going somewhat out of my mind sitting around all day.”
“Please, Dinah. Please sit down and enjoy your tea,” says Judah. “I am fully capable of getting myself something to eat.”
“Thank you, sir,” says Dinah as she sits back down at the table.