Free Black Box by Amos Oz Page A

Boaz’s pranks. Yesterday she admitted to me that she had sent you without my knowledge another personal letter, following your financial payment. As you might imagine I was very angry with her, but I immediately withdrew my anger and forgave her because she had owned up and especially because suffering atones for sins. And Mrs. Sommo is someone who has suffered exceedingly, thanks to you, Mr. Professor.
Naturally, for my part, it did not occur to me to investigate what she put into these letters (such a thing would be beneath my dignity), but she of her own accord told me that you had not replied to her. In my opinion, by your silence you are adding insult to injury. Don’t worry, I won’t read what you write to her, not only from religious scruples but because I consider you, sir, to be tainted. Maybe she will forget a fraction of the suffering you caused her if you write her a letter explaining why you treated her so badly and apologizing for all your sins. Without that, all your money was given in vain.
C. The money. You, sir, sent me from Geneva on the seventh day of March an arrogant and even insolent letter, telling me to take the money and stop my mouth and not say thank you. Well, take note that it never even occurred to me to say thank you! Thank you for what? Because you deigned to remember very belatedly to pay a small part of what fairness and justice demanded you should give to Boaz and Mrs. Sommo, and in fact also to our little daughter? It would seem that there is no limit to your impudence, sir. As it is written: a brazen brow.
From the size of the sum you saw fit to send (one hundred and seven thousand U.S. dollars in Israeli pounds in three unequal installments) I understood that the contribution to the redemption of Alkalai House in Hebron had been summarily abandoned. I shall nevertheless take advantage of this unfortunate occasion to urge you once again to contribute without delay the sum of one hundred and twenty thousand U.S. dollars to this sacred cause: here too there may be an element of life-saving, as in the previous two items, albeit in a broader sense. As stated above, were it not a matter of life and death, I would not be communicating with you for good or for ill. I shall explain this below. According to our faith there is a connection between your wrongdoings and Boaz’s troubles together with his mother’s sufferings. It is possible that your repentance and your contribution will arouse the divine compassion for the boy and he will return safely. There are rewards and punishments, there is divine justice, even if I am unworthy to presume to understand its workings, or why your sins should be visited on this woman and child. Who knows? Could it be that some day your own son may be privileged to dwell in Hebron beneath the very roof we intend to redeem from alien hands by means of your donation, and in this way justice will be redressed, and He Who sitteth in Heaven will laugh? As Scripture saith, “The wind goes round,” and it is written, “Cast your bread upon the waters for in the fullness of days you shall find it again.” And perhaps this donation will serve to counterbalance your sins when your day comes to stand before a Judge before Whom there is neither laughter nor levity. And remember, sir, that there you will have no lawyer and your plight will be parlous.
Which leads me to stress, in conclusion, that I am obliged to send this letter through your lawyer, Mr. Zakheim, for reasons not of my choosing, since Mr. Zakheim simply refuses to let me have your address, and I will not ask my wife because I do not want to tell her about this letter—her nerves are strained enough even without that.
I wish hereby to complain about Mr. Zakheim’s conduct. It would appear that he has in his head some cheap film about threats and blackmail, a thriller with Michael Sommo in the role of Don Corleone of the Mafia or something of the sort. If such a thing had come from someone else, I would