Premonition
Page 40
Flickering shadows sprang out in front of her. Rivka turned and saw several torches hurrying toward her from the palace. Shapes behind them. Men. Ari’s friend, Yoseph. Yoseph’s father, Mattityahu, the master of this palace. Several other men followed them, and in their center was ...
Hana’s husband, Baruch.
Rivka’s heart lurched. Suddenly, it was all clear. Her breath began coming in short gasps, and her head felt strangely light. Rivka stumbled over to Hana and put her hand around her shoulders. “Hana, they’re not going to—”
“Why have you disturbed my gate, Hanan ben Hanan?” The old man, Mattityahu, stopped just inside the iron gate and put his hands on his hips, his gray beard quivering with anger. “I have sworn protection to these. What is the meaning of this?”
Hanan ben Hanan stepped forward, and the bitter gleam in his eyes frightened Rivka. He gave Mattityahu a cold smile. “You have sworn protection to certain women and children and to Kazan, is this correct?”
“You know it is,” Mattityahu said. “I have sworn by the Temple of the living God. Leave now. I will not violate my oath.”
“I do not ask for those under your protection.” Hanan turned and pointed his finger at Baruch. “You are harboring this man who stands under sentence of death. I know with certainty that you have not sworn to protect him. He entered your palace yesterday, not at your invitation, and not under promise of protection. He stands under the curse of the court, and you will give him to me now.”
Mattityahu said nothing.
Rivka saw that Baruch was lost. Everything Hanan ben Hanan had said was true.
“Baruch!” Hana screamed and ran to clutch him.
Baruch’s face was calm, placid. He threw his arms around her. “Hanaleh, Hanaleh.” He stroked her head softly and held her for a long moment. “Kiss my son Dov for me.”
“No!” Hana shrieked. “Take me instead!” She flung herself at the iron gate. “Take me and leave him alone!”
Baruch signaled to Rivka. “Please, you will give comfort to her.”
Feeling sick with rage, Rivka hurried to Hana’s side.
Hana screamed a long wail of despair.
Baruch put his hands on Hana and calm seemed to flow from his fingers.
Hana stopped screaming. Her frame shook with silent sobs.
Baruch turned to Rivka. “Please, you and Brother Ari will take care of Hana and my son.”
Rivka stared at him and she read in his eyes that he had seen this coming, had known all along when he came back into the city to heal Ari that he would die. And yet he had come. To save Ari.
Hanan ben Hanan spit at her feet. “Mattityahu, you will give me the man called Baruch now.”
Cold fury stuck a sword through Rivka’s heart. Boldness welled up inside her. She jabbed a finger at Hanan ben Hanan. “You ... you son of Satan! Hear now the curse of the seer woman. Before the third month of your high priesthood, you will be deposed. Before seven years have passed, you will see the destruction of all you hold dear, and you will die in your own house at the hand of an Edomite!” Rivka put her face up to the bars in the gate and spat in Hanan’s beard. “I am unclean with niddah uncleanness, and now you also are unclean until evening!”
Black rage slashed across Hanan’s face.
For an instant, Rivka felt certain he would slip a dagger through the bars into her heart.
Instead he spun away and stalked into the blackness of the night.
Rivka sagged against the iron gate. What had she done? Cursing the high priest—that was foolishness.
Hana put a quivering hand on Rivka’s cheek. “You were very brave.”
Rivka heard whispering behind her, and it was clear that the men thought she had acted foolishly. One did not antagonize Hanan ben Hanan. Shame pierced her heart. She had done it again—used her knowledge of the future to manipulate people. That was wrong, but what else could she have done? Hanan ben Hanan was an evil man, a murderer. Had she done nothing, he would have killed Baruch tonight—right now.
“Sister Rivka.” Baruch’s voice, very strong, unafraid. He was looking directly at her, contrary to the customs of this city. Baruch put a hand on her arm.
Rivka felt a little shiver run through her. In this society, a man did not look a woman in the eye, nor talk to her in public, not even to his wife. Certainly, a man would never touch another man’s wife in public. Rivka could not remember Baruch ever doing any of these things, though he often spoke to her in private, knowing that the customs were different in the far country from which she came. But to touch her now in public? That was dishonor. Furthermore, she had said she was unclean. Therefore, Baruch had now made himself unclean. What could have got into him? Baruch had always been a man of honor.
Baruch took both of Rivka’s hands in his and knelt before her. “I have spent much time in prayer since Brother Yaakov was murdered, and HaShem has told me that I must ask a thing of you.”
Rivka felt her ears glowing as hot as the torches in the hands of the men around her. She risked a look at them.
They were all staring at Baruch as if he had a demon.
“Please, my sister ...” Baruch began weeping. “I ask your forgiveness for treating you as the men of this world treat women, as less than a child. I beg your forgiveness.”
Rivka felt a rush of heat in her frozen heart.
Baruch fell on his face before her and ...
... and kissed her feet.
A horrified hiss ran around the circle of men. Baruch had just destroyed his reputation for all time among these men. Ruined his honor, his precious honor.
Baruch kissed her feet again.
Rivka felt something melt deep inside her soul. Love flooded her heart. Tears murked her vision. A great lump rose in her throat. She smeared the sleeve of her tunic across her eyes. “B–brother Baruch, please.” She reached down and pulled at his sleeve. “Please ... yes, of course I forgive you. I ...”
Now she could not speak. It seemed that all heaven broke open in that moment, that somehow, the universe changed, that the Kingdom of God flooded in on her. Rivka clutched at Baruch’s arm. “My brother, yes, please stand.”
Slowly, Baruch stood up. Dust smeared his beard, and his eyes gleamed red with weeping.
Rivka threw her arms around him. “Yes, my brother. Yes, and I also ask your forgiveness.”
Baruch hugged her—a strong bear hug, such as no Jewish man would ever give a woman in this city. No man except a tsaddik, a man so righteous he could not be tempted by the desires of the flesh.
Rivka laughed for joy. Whatever Hanan ben Hanan did, he could not take away this moment, not if he came back and took Baruch away now. Only days ago, Hanan ben Hanan had killed Yaakov the tsaddik, the holiest man in all Jerusalem.
But HaShem had raised up another tsaddik. Blessed be HaShem.
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