It was the last year of the Russian revolution and civil war. Chaos and devastation prevailed everywhere. Travelling to far places, even walking inside a town, had been dangerous. That was the reason of Aaron Hittin’s stay at home for several months. He was in a forced vacation from the Rabbinical religion high studies ‘Yeshiva’. But he was hopeful, despite the cloudy morning, which brought a feeling of frost and made the town look very grey.
Aaron was an average height youth of about twenty two, wearing a black capshaded hat. His nice black beard was waving in the wind, like the wings of his worn out robe, called ‘kaftan’. But his white cotton shirt had still remained pressed and nice looking, since his mother prepared it toward his meeting with a young and fascinating girl, Esther. Her brother– Elya Ruhin - had studied together with Aaron. So, she had heard about him before, but never met him.
Elya, his sister and their mother were living in one of several wooden grey huts, not far away. It was made of styrax tree boards, each of about five inches wide. During his walk toward that house Aaron was thinking about his friend Elya, who had just recovered from the flu, so his mother informed Aron’s Mom.
‘But what if his teenager sister,’ thought Aaron, ’would not seem so charming to me? Or it might be the opposite: she would dislikes my loud debate with her brother? He thinks that the Rabbies today are too much fanatic. ‘They were not enough social minded, and they disregarded the world’s modernization’- so he said. . . But Elya is wrong, I’m sure about that.’
Aaron’s mother had told him that teenager Esther was studying obsterics in the general hospital school, practicing to be a midwife. They would call it ‘birth giving science’. In these studies – Jewish maiden would take part together with Christians. They work in teams: check, watch, treat and nurse Jewish women, as well as Christians. They would watch in their lessons - most intimate parts of the body, including the male’s organs. ‘Is that allowable, from a religious point of view?’- Aaron asked himself. ‘The present days, however, are not regular. “No more Jewish old midwives,” said Esther’s mother to my Mon, “would teach obsterics to the young maidens - as in the past. My Esther is having a sharp mind and good hands. In no way she would be influenced by her Christian classmates. She keeps our Jewish religion, and has Jewish collegues there…”
‘It seems like Esther is good natured’, reflected Aaron, ‘having chosen a profession that would help women to bring new life.”
The hut in which Esther’s family was living, was built at the end of a ‘Gessel’, German-Yiddish word for a narrow alley. It was full of pitsfalls, very frequently overflowed by water. Aaron arrived there and knocked on the front door. Esther, of whom he had been thinking, opened it with a smile on her good looking face.
”Elya! Your friend Aaron has come!” she was calling inside.
She indicated Aaron to come in, and he felt a smell of medicinal liquid. He saw a room at the side, from which his friend’s voice was heard: “I’m here, Aaron. Come in. My high temperature has gone.”
Esther entered her brother’s room together with Aaron. She opened the worn out window, to let light and fresh air come in.
“God will send you a complete cure and good health,” Aaron blessed his friend, and looked curiously at Esther, who nodded.
Esther brought a chair and handed it to Aaron, and he was seated beside the bed. He looked at Elya, then viewed the bare walls.
“Have you heard recently - about our classmates?” asked Elya, “or about the schoolmaster, Rabbi Borukh?”
“No,” answered Aaron. “But maybe he had returned to Lithuania.”
“Now –all the situation has been changed.” reckoned Elya.
“The main thing that should interest us,” said Aaron, “is not to forget the Talmud, that we had learned. And of course - keep our religious duties.” Elya was silent.
“The ‘days of Forgiveness’ are ahead,” said Esther, “Will you both – go to the nights’ prayers in the town synagogue?”
“Not me,” said Elya, “I am still weak…and I also think: why pray too much? Would it help?”
Aaron’s still thought that it was a slip of tongue by his friend.
“I remember that last year, when we had still studied together,” he said to Elya, “before Yom Kippur, we... confessed to each other about our sins in the previous year.”
“This year – I will fast in Yom Kippur,” said Elya, “but pray at home.” His lips were clenched, and his voice became weaker and impatience.
”I thank you for your visit , Aaron,” he added, “I need rest.”
Elya turned his back to Aaron, looking at the wall next to his bed.
“Let’s leave Elya.” said Esther, “he’s really still weak from the flu.”
Aaron followed Esther to the kitchen. Her mother was boiling there water for tea. Esther was looking at Aaron with a smile, while they sat down.
“Elya is impatient to everybody,” said Esther to Aaron, “That’s due to his long stay at home. I am busy in studying and practicing in hospital. Even earning some amount by that...While you - both fellows - are now in a long vacation, quite enjoying your idleness.”
Esther’s audacity, though quite humiliating for Aaron, made her seem to him even more lovely and vivid. But her mother, who had just come back, was resented by her talk. She asked Esther to bring three glasses of tea to the table, while she became seated near Aaron.
“As you see,” she told Aaron cautiously, looking at her daughter, “Esther is very independent in her views, very mature minded.”
“Very well,” said Aaron, “I appreciate that.”
“And she has gotten excellent marks in her studies. At first, her late papa was against her choice to become a midwife, but at last he relented. He saw how she had succeeded there...”
Esther brought tea glasses and sugar to the table, and Aaron was gazing again at her pretty face. Her tall figure and nice full breast - made his heart pound.
‘I’m so impressed’, he told himself, ‘that I’ll surely agree to an engagement with her. . . I mean, if she would like me.’
The three were chatting while drinking, and Aron rose from his chair, murmured: ‘thanks for the good tea’ and walked to the entry.
“I still hope to debate with your brother Elya,” he said to Esther, who escorted him. “Perhaps he doesn’t see how much erroneous and murderous – are the Bolshviks.
“Elya would become wiser,” she told him, “but it will take time.”
“I am angry on him. Of course- not on you- Esther,” said Aaron, “Well, I’ll come again on next Sabbath. Will it be comfortable?”
“Of course. . . I don’t work in the holy day. See you, Aaron”. . .
Aaron visited again his friend’s sister, as he had promised. He was seated opposite to Esther in the small living room. She began telling him about her obsterics studies.
Aaron became bored. Maybe because he was anxious that his friend was absent from home.
“Esther, excuse me,” he interrupted her, “Where is my friend?”
“He’s meetings his uncle, Red Mogid,” said Esther, “he could not come last time, at the day that you had been here.”
“Is his uncle still an Officer in the Red Army?” asked Aaron.
“Yes,” said Esther, “and before going out- Elya told me…” she stopped, and looked straight in Aaron’s eyes, ”that he would also join the Red Army. . .He had become an atheist, it’s terrible!”
Aaron’s hatred to the communist regime had grown. One day his sister, Gittel, told him that she had found a smuggler. The man would lead her to Poland, where her boyfriend was living. She asked Aaron if he could persuade Esther to join. So, the three of them could escape from the vicious regime. .. Aaron offered that to his fiance Esther, and she agreed to come with them. She had become to hate Russia –she said, despite her brother’s enthusiasm of
its regime. . .
The border smuggler waitd for the small escapade group at the town-square. They were carrying backbags and had some wrapped packages in their hands. The wagoner Bearl, their acquaintance – was hired for the voyage toward the border line. He had a wagon drawn by a white horse, and they fixed with him a low price for driving along the deteriorated road leading from Minsk to the town Brest Litovsk.
Along the way Esther chatted with her fiance- Aaron- and his sister. . She told them that her Mom had been brought to hospital, and she became afraid to remain alone there. Of course she had contradicted her daughter’s escapade. She sobbed and moaned, but at last became asleep from weakness.
Gittel embraced Esther, who described how she had left her small family, decisive to travel toward an unknown future. Gittel expressed her worship of Esther’s courage. She discerned Aaron, sitting next to the wagon’s driver, reading Psalms- his beloved book, and from time to time looking back at his fiance with adoring eyes.
“I am sure,” he said to the girls, “that we will get very soon to Poland, the three of us. I am excitingly waiting to meet some Rabbi there, and begin to study regularly again.”
They began walking, follwing the smuggler, who defected from the Red Army.
Just as he had brought them to a woods, they paid him the second half of the agreed amount. There they met a group of additional seven men and women, who intended to smuggle the border. The group began walking in a quite dark path, surrounded by heavy trees. At midnight they were said to meet a guide on the Polish side of the border. He would show them the way further on. . .
But before having arrived to the woods’ edge, they suddenly heard loud shouts. They were sorrounded by shooting. Gunfire flickered in the darkness, and a havoc of running and shouting ensued. Russian Red Army soldiers attacked them, illuminating the area with kerosene torches and burned woods. They had red stars signs on their ‘boat’ hats – and were dressed in military old uniform.
Aaron and the two girls got into panic. Aaron was grabbing Esther’s hand and they did not separate while trying to run. But soon they had lost the sight of Aaron’s sister- Gittel. They heard her shout from far in Yiddish:
“Aaron, I am out ! I’ll write to you, Aaron.”
She seemed to be the only one who succeeded to find her way and pass the border. Aaron and Esther and the other escapees were soon caught by the armed border guards. They seized the women violently and some even tried to remove their underpants. But soon their commander came by, and threatened them by his gun: “Comrades, behave humanely. Drag the refusers by force, but don’t humiliate the women.”
The hunted were brought to what seemed to be a camp in the border town’s suburb. They saw some drunk soldiers, who tried to kiss local girls by force. Perhaps the vodka’s smell - or the tension caused by the unsccessful smuggling, had brought Esther to vomit. She asked for water and was refused by her captors. They shouted at her: ‘swallow your urine, krasavitsa’(=pretty girl- in Russian) and brutally laughed. Soon she disappeared from Aaron’s sight, following the other women, who were seperated from the men.
Aaron and the other male detainees were entered into a long military barracks. Only a pale morning sunlight had penetrated the corridor, when Aaron was called for inquiry. The guard who was leading him to the investigation room- intentionally rattled his tied keys’ bundle, as to indicate that many rooms had been filled with captives.
The investigation was carried out in Russian, by a blond youth of thirty, nicely shaved and dresssed. Aaron anticipated to see a pistol or at least a whip- or a heavy stick on his desk; but the interrogator preferred to pretend a nice fair guy, at least at the first moment of his inquiry. He gazed penetratingly at bearded Aaron.
“I’d better talk Yiddish,” said Aaron in Russian, “I not speak Russian.”
“Well, we have enough Yevreys (Jews) among us,” said the investigator. He called the guard from outside, telling him to “send in our Volia – Velvele”.
The Jewish nice guy entered the room, and took his seat at the other side of the investigator’s desk, opposite to Aaron. From now on- the
Investigator turned to the interpreter, and he would explain Aaron some Russian words that he had not recognized.
“Where do you come from? Lithunia?” asked the Inquiring Officer.
“I am from Minsk. I was trying to cross the border to Poland.”
“Which town in Poland did you want to reach?”
“Vilnius. There I could have found a very good Yeshiva, Rabbinical school.”
“So, you admit that you had intended to leave our Bolshevik State. We know- that you have been sent here by Denikin or Kolchak- or the Polaks, who are enemies of the revolution.”
“It’s not true,” said Aaron.
“You had a mission: to spy and and mobilize agents, that would harm our regime. What do you say about that?”
“I went for my own subjective aim,” said Aaron, “and I have taken with me my girlfriend; we are engaged.. .”
“Oh! What’s her name?” asked the inquirer..
“Esther, she’s also in your hands. Ask her, to validate my story.” Aaron saw an ironic smile on the interpreter’s lips.
“You could have coordinated your witnessing previously,” he shouted. “We are not fools.”
“If you think so, you do with me what you want. Only release her.”
“Not many people get alive from here!” the inquirer shouted. He pulled a pistol from a drawer, and threatened Aaron by it.
“You want to kill an innocent man.” said Aaron calmly, “You will be responsible for that- before the Creator!”
A guard took Aaron out. He began to tremble from cold and from fear. The Investigator’s room had been warmed, at least, but in the small room to which he returned he had no additional clothes. The soldiers had confiscated all the passengers’ bags and parcels.
At the following night he was called again to witness. This time Esther was present in the inquiry room. They exchanged looks and smiled weakly to each other. They understood that the investigators had crossed examined their evidences, that had been found to be identical.
“I see that you have a pretty girl-friend,” smiled the man, and Aaron felt like he was jealous.
“She has also claimed, like you, that you were engaged.” He added.
“You see that I had spoken only the truth,” said Aaron.
The investigator pulled a Form out of his pocket, his face still severe.
He put it on the table and pointed on it.
“This is your confirmation,” he told Aaron, “ that you have no claim against our Red Army border Guards. We will set you free… In fact, you have to thank your Krasavitsa(pretty girl),” he pointed on Esther, “she has not only approved that you have come from Minsk. She also revealed, that her uncle is a famous Colonel of the Red army. Mogid is my friend from the civil war.”
“I have told them everything,” apologized Esther before her future-husband. She was smiling and blushing. Before she had joined Aaron and Gittel, her brother Elya had warned her not to mention Red Mogid- in case that she is caught in the border. It may defame Mogid’s reputation as devoted communist. ..But she had disregarded that.
“I have found Colonel Mogid ,” told them the investigator, “and talked to him on the phone. I expect him to arrive here tomorrow – to take both of you with him.”
Aaron’s eyes became wet, as he was looking at his sweetheart; she was smiling, happy about their winning back their lives.
Next afternoon they were called outside, to the barracks’ courtyard. ‘Uncle Mogid’ was dressed in a simple old uniform. He shook Aaron’s hands warmly, and was kissing Esther, his niece, on her cheeks. Then rebuked both for their ‘hasty and unresponsible journey’.
“You see, great events happen in our Soviet country,” he turned to Aaron, talking as a teacher, “The Jewish people were many times in history like a
bee, which dusts the flowers and sucks their liquid, taking and giving. We have to be proud of our taking part in Lenin’s and Trotsky’s revolution. So, why run out?”
Red Mogid embraced and kissed Esther again, and pointed on his military vehicle, with which he would bring them back to Minsk.
“When are you going to be married?” asked Mogid.
“Next month,” said Aaron, and Esther was shouting:
“Oh, Aaron you have surprised me now!” She kissed him by the beard, her pretty face shininge from happiness .
“I’m sorry that I would not be able to attend the wedding,” said Mogid. “Have a good luck!”
After their wedding, a week before the Jewish Passover holidays, Aaron Hittin renewed his religious studies of the Holy Talmud books – joining the official Chief Local Rabbi Haneles: This Rabbi was allowed by the regime to lead the congregation of Minsk. He gathered around him five students, who were called ‘Assistant Rabbis’, getting symbolic salaries from the community members, whose number decreased from day to day.
The chief Rabbi liked Aaron and allowed him have a Stand (like Christian pulpit) in the small Synagogue, for preaching and haranguing once a week - before tens of Jews, who used to come for the prayers on Sabbath days.
At that time Aaron and his wife needed his parents’ help. They were sending him a monthly amount from Vitebsk, to where they had moved. Aaron and his wife remained living in his parent’s hut. An additional amount Aron would get from the Public Jewish Charity Boxes Cash, managed by the Chief Rabbi.
The hard financial condition forced Esther to work in a partial job- as a midwife and nurse in hospital. She stopped studying- when they had tried to escape from Russia. After their return to Minsk- she would nurse two nights a week in the obsterics department. She had been working there even in the five first months of her pregnancy.
Only once she had complained to Aaron, commenting about his forgetfulness to bring some food she had asked him. But he had shown her signs of love, by warm words and embraces and kisses at nights, before and after she had become pregnant.
Esther seemed to enjoy the warm and illuminous days of the summer, which made her feel light weighted, despite her swelling belly. One day she imagined that her dress had been put off, and wings were connected to her arms. She was looking like a bird, that the wind would carry to some stream of water at the edge of a town. The pure water was flowing moderately and quietly, caressing her breasts and arms and buttocks and belly. Every curvy limb in her womanish pregnancy would be like a part of an apple, tasted by the lips of invisible angels.
She surely thought about the blossom, that the new life developing in her would bring. The little embryo is her ruler. He is already biting her belly, shaking- and soon he’ll break out…
CHAPTER 3