Faye Kellerman - Sanctuary

The car turned silent.

Decker said, “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Yes, you did.”

“I didn’t mean to be hurtful. I’m sorry.”

“Peter, where is it written that you can’t be traditional and a feminist at the same time? One doesn’t preclude the other.”

“You’re right. I apologize-”

“I know who I am and I’m happy. There are still a few relics like me who are proud to be full-time mothers.”

“I’m proud of you, Rina. I’m proud of who you are and I wouldn’t want you to change for the world.”

He was really trying! Biting back a smile, Rina gave him a mock sneer. “You’re just kissing up to me because you’re lost in Israel without me.”

Decker was hurt. “I’m being sincere!”

“Sincere, my foot!” Rina held back a laugh. “Besides, it’s not the feminists who look askance at us stay-at-home moms. It’s everyone else. Especially the men-”

“What?”

“Men today have such unreasonable expectations-”

“Is this conversation going to deteriorate into a petty battle of the sexes?”

“It’s not enough for us poor women to keep house and take care of the kids.” Rina began to tick off her fingers. “We’ve also got to be beautiful, charming, sexy, physically fit, good cooks-amend that to gourmet chefs-”

“I don’t believe I’m hearing-”

“…who can make cappuccino. You haven’t the faintest idea how to steam milk, have you?”

“You got me there, Rina,” Decker said. “For your information, lady, I don’t drink cappuccino.”

“And we also have to work full time and bring in enough money to pay not only our own way, but also help pay for the kids’ clothes, the baby-sitters, the groceries-”

“Are you done yet?”

“Basically.”

“Never once have I asked you to work outside the home. And never once have I asked you to pay bills. So I must be way ahead of those other schmucks you’re talking about.”

“Indeed, Peter, you are neither a chauvinist nor a jerk.”

“So how about a little appreciation?”

“You’re a saint.”

“I didn’t say that! How’d we get on this stupid topic?”

“You were talking about Jewish divorce,” Rina stated. “It’s not the law that’s bad, it’s the implementation of the law that’s the problem. In biblical days, if a husband was recalcitrant, the rabbis had ways of making him cooperate. They might starve him or beat him until he relented and gave his wife a get. Harsh methods weren’t considered inhumane acts.”

“You don’t think starving or beating a guy is inhumane?”

“He doesn’t starve or get beaten if he relents, Peter. He only gets into trouble if he remains unreasonably stubborn. Then the rabbis take action because they feel they are actually doing the man a favor-”

“They’re doing him a favor by beating him up? This I’ve got to hear.”

Rina said, “Any man who would blindly refuse to give his wife a get was under the control of his yaitzer harah-his evil impulses. The rabbis considered it appropriate to beat the yaitzer harah out of his soul until he came to reason, until he felt the compassion and kindness of his yaitzer tov-his goodness.”

“A lot like leeches. You bleed to death but it’s good for you.”

“Peter, the process wasn’t irreversible. At any time, when the husband saw reason and gave his wife a get, the beatings were stopped.”

“They just whopped him until he cried uncle?”

“I’m not a rabbi, so don’t take what I say as fact. But I think the process went something like this. They’d ask him if he was going to give his wife a divorce. If he said no, they’d strike him. Then they’d ask him the same question again. If he said no again, they’d strike him again. And so on. Each time, they’d stop to ask him, hoping that the yaitzer harah had left his soul and he saw reason.”

Decker didn’t speak right away. Then he said, “And what happened if his yaitzer harah refused to leave? What happened if he never saw reason?”

Rina was quiet.

“Rina, did you hear my question? What happened if the guy kept on refusing to give his wife a get?”

“Again, I’m no rabbi.”

“I understand. Answer the question to the best of your ability.”

Rina exhaled forcefully. “I think that if he died during the procedure, it was not considered murder. It was considered the ultimate liberation of his yaitzer harah. The man has seen reason through death. His wife was free.”

“Are you saying if he consistently refused, he was beaten to death?”

“You should ask Rabbi Schulman-”

“To the best of your knowledge, darlin’.”

“I think he could be beaten to the point of death. If he was that desperate or vengeful to hold on to his wife, he was possessed.”

“So this whole ritual is kind of like an exorcism?”

“Peter, I don’t want to misrepresent the law. Ask Rabbi Schulman.”

Decker reflected upon her words as the Subaru continued its upward path to Jerusalem. The whole approach to divorce seemed not only arcane and unnecessary, but dangerous. A frustrated woman, a vindictive man, and no way out. Decker cleared his throat. “Does it have to be beating or starving the man?”

“What do you mean?”

“Suppose the rabbis…” Again, Decker cleared his throat. “Can they exorcise the demons by drowning instead?”

“Gershon was shot, Peter.”

“But he died from drowning, Rina. And it makes sense, doesn’t it? Because if anyone was possessed, it was Gershon Klein. It wasn’t his fault per se, just his yaitzir harah acting up-”

“You’re making fun of me.”

“I’m trying to make sense out of something that’s irrational to me. I’m trying to think like Honey’s Rebbe, putting myself in his position. Because that’s who she’d run to. The Rebbe probably figured what would it hurt to give him a few minor dunkings. It’s better than a beating because it doesn’t leave marks-”

“Peter, the main objective of the process wasn’t to kill anyone. It was to bring the man to reason.”

“But what if the man is simply incapable of reason, Rina?” Decker heard another honk. Instead of pulling over, he pressed the pedal to the metal. The car bucked, then flew upward, jolting them back in their seats.

“What are you doing?” Rina cried out.

Decker said, “Car doesn’t accelerate too well, does it? You like my theory?”

“No.”

“Why? Because you don’t want to picture a bunch of holy rabbis methodically drowning a crazy man?”

“Even if you’re right, even if they were trying to bring Gershon to reason, I’m sure they didn’t mean to kill him.”

“But Gershon’s still dead all the same. No wonder the great Rebbe didn’t want me on the case. He wasn’t protecting Honey. He was trying to save his own hide.”

“Maybe he was doing both.”

“One thing is for certain. He was being obstructionist for his own gain. Because he couldn’t see beyond the absurdity of what he was doing. Talk about blindly following the letter of the law.”

Rina didn’t answer. They drove the next few minutes in heavy silence. Finally, she said, “I’m very religious, Peter. I accept lots of laws on faith. Even laws that don’t make a lot of sense to me. Even so, I am a product of the twentieth century. The way Jewish divorce has been used by some men against their wives is a crime. Resentful husbands basically blackmail the women. They use gets as weapons-to obtain better property settlements or better visitation rights…to get lower alimony and child-support payments. It’s terrible. Some of the rabbis are very sympathetic to the women’s plights.” She paused. “But others are not.”