Serializing a new novel.
Chapter 13: Mir Yeshiva (April 2001)
We return to Dean-Daniel who has spent the recent months
in Israel in a chareidi environment that he "happened" into
when fleeing criminals. He has made a lot of progress.
Part 1
Rav Dov listened carefully to the words of the person who
some months before had been Dean Barton, and was now Daniel
Bar-on.
"Your brother-in-law doesn't need me any more. He can walk to
shul on his own. He didn't want his old chavrusa to
come and learn with him just because he was sorry for him.
Now his mobility is much improved. More important still, his
speech is nearly totally clear. There is an odd slurring here
and there, but nothing that bothers him so much that he
doesn't want to meet with people. His old chavrusa was
invited to visit and they plan to start learning together
again."
Rav Dov knew these things, but he listened patiently. He knew
what would be coming next, a request to join the Mir yeshiva.
But the young man could not possibly be ready for such a step
and it would be his unpleasant duty to tell him so.
"You did a good job. My sister told me about the exercises
you did with him."
"No, he did it himself. He was determined to get fit. I am
telling you this because now he no longer needs me. But now I
need your help once again. You said when I knew more I could
come and learn here."
Rav Dov remembered the conversation. "I meant in a few
years, not little less than a year."
However Daniel was not to be put off so easily. "Perhaps that
is what you meant. But it is not what you said. Why don't you
test me? You know that I had a good teacher, an excellent
teacher. He invested all his energy into teaching me. He
showed me a whole new world."
Rav Dov opened his gemora, selected a passage and
slowly began to find out what the young man before him had
managed to learn. His initial look of discomfit slowly turned
to one of pleasure. "You have learned a lot. I can't believe
this is the same person who didn't know his alef beis.
Go to the dining room, have some lunch and come back to
me at four o'clock. I need some time to think."
Daniel went to the dining room. It was crowded and noisy. He
took some food and went to a corner table. After bentching
he went to the beis medrash, opened a gemora
and began to learn quietly by himself. At four sharp, he
knocked at Rav Dov's door.
He went in and he was motioned to sit on the chair. Daniel
was nervous now, wondering if he would be accepted. He felt
safe within these walls. He rubbed a small piece of trouser
material back and forth between his fingers, and then,
realizing what he was doing, stopped and clasped his hands
together. Once again Rav Dov had this strange feeling that
something obvious was staring him in the face and he was
missing it.
After some moments of heavy silence Rav Dov began to speak.
"There are twins who have applied here. They're not
identical. One boy learns easily and one with difficulty. How
can I accept one and turn away the other? It is not an easy
thing. This problem came to me this morning a little while
before you arrived.
"If you will learn with the less able boy, then I can accept
you. You must be as patient with him as my brother was with
you. Usually the young men here have freedom to change
chavrusas, to arrange things among themselves. With
you, there will be no such freedom. Do you understand
precisely what I am telling you?"
Even as he spoke, Rav Dov was worried about the decision he
was making. There were other young men, already at Mir, who
could prove as suitable — no, maybe more suitable
— for this task.
"Yes, I understand. At present I am not up to standard. Even
should I improve, I will have to learn with the same
bochur. Yes, it seems fair to me. After all, it is a
small way of paying back all that has been taught to me in
these last months."
"Good. I will call my sister. I will make arrangements here.
You will begin on the first day of the next zman."
