Free Song of the Magdalene by Donna Jo Napoli Page B

hair.
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    Abraham yanked at his hair. “I should have sung with you.” He yanked and thrashed. His mouth screwed up in agony.
    â€œOh, Abraham.” I took his frantic right hand and forced the fingers free of the hair. I held it with both my hands and smoothed the back of it against my cheek. “Don’t say silly things.”
    â€œI should have joined you.” Abraham’s voice broke. “I’m not brave, Miriam. I have so little to lose, but what little I have I desperately want tokeep.” A tear made its way down Abraham’s cheek and got lost in his thin beard. “I couldn’t face their anger.”
    â€œThere would have been no purpose in your joining me. And this way they’re angry only at me, not you. That’s better.”
    Abraham gave a sad laugh. “They’ll be angry at me. I taught you the words.” He whispered now. “I taught you to read.”
    My heart fell. “I thought you said it was not written in the Torah that women cannot read.” I shook my head. “Even Father spoke of women that read. I heard him telling you. And you told me yourself that there are women heads of the houses of prayer in other places. You spoke of a woman in Rome. You spoke of a woman in Lower Egypt. You said Daniel told you all about them.” My words rushed out. They had to prevail. I was crying. “That’s where Daniel is now. Egypt.” I squeezed Abraham’s hand in entreaty. “Tell me Daniel went to Egypt to study with this woman scholar.”
    â€œDaniel went to Egypt to incite the Jews against the Romans.”
    â€œWhat?” I laid Abraham’s hand carefully onhis chest and sat back on my heels. The coldness of danger made me move slowly. “Why?”
    â€œIt was a terrible harvest, the year he left. I was eleven. I remember talk of famine in Egypt. Then the emperor Tiberius distributed grain to the Greeks in Alexandria. But he gave nothing to the Jews. He wanted them to starve.”
    â€œBut the Jews were under Tiberius’ care.”
    â€œThat same year he expelled all Jews from Rome. Many were sent to Sardinia to fight in battles without weapons. To be slaughtered. Such was Tiberius’ care.” Abraham’s eyes were limpid. Only his voice showed anger.
    â€œThe Romans hate us,” I said dully, wishing my words would be proved stupid.
    â€œNot all of them. It is said a woman close to Tiberius, his wife or sister, converted to Judaism.”
    â€œAnd for that our people should be starved?” I put my fingertips to my numb lips. “May the Creator keep Daniel safe.”
    Abraham looked away. “My uncle never feared breaking unjust laws, even when the price might be his life. But I wouldn’t break a law, when the price was only their anger.”
    â€œNo. It cannot be against the law to teach a woman to read. You told me that. Why do you torment yourself? They cannot be angry at you.”
    â€œThe laws of Moses and Israel are not the strongest laws, Miriam. We pretend they are. But we break those laws more easily than the unwritten laws, the laws people enforce through shame and isolation. There may be women who head synagogues in other places, but it will not happen in our small village. It will not happen in Magdala.” Abraham’s head jerked spasmodically. “I have broken so many unwritten laws. They will know it now. They will figure out that I taught you.” He threw himself back into the pillows. “I should have sung with you. They will vent their anger on me anyway. So I lost what I valued most in life for no purpose whatsoever.”
    I leaned over Abraham and gently wiped the tears from his cheeks. His anguish was more biting than my own. “What? What did you lose, Abraham?”
    â€œYour respect.”
    â€œNever!” I stood up and paced about the room. It was impossible to stand still. My Abraham feared