by Nathan Erez
“Take it easy. We have everything under control,” came the voice of the man’s superior.
According to the reporters who wrote all about it later, had all the missiles indeed been launched, not a single person would have lived to tell the tale. The radioactive fallout that would have enveloped the world would have wiped out every living thing, down to the minutest single-cell creatures. The blasts would have blown open the atmosphere, letting all the world’s oxygen escape, irreplaceably. In fact, the force of the blast would probably have blown the earth itself to smithereens, its pieces scattered throughout the solar system.
However, the catastrophe had been averted. The theories that emerged as to what had almost caused - and equally, what had averted - the end of the world abounded. The Internet was swamped with millions upon millions of communications, and theories, and surmises, and conjectures. There were those who noted that this Chinese year was a combination of the year of the dragon and the year of the snake, a combination full of challenges and dangers. Others quoted various texts, from Nostradamus to the Zohar, to prove that all of this had been anticipated, pre-destined. All the world’s secret services were accused of crimes against humanity. Americans accused the CIA, the Arabs accused the Israeli Mossad and Russians thought that members of the former KGB were to blame. Tens of thousands - if not hundreds of thousands - of Internet sites analyzed every conceivable aspect of what had nearly been the catastrophe to end all catastrophes. In many places, anyone who might possibly have been involved was seized, tried, and summarily executed.
When Elijah reached home, he said he had a headache. He collapsed on his bed and slept through until mid-morning the following day.
“Eli, you’re finally awake. Do you have any idea what happened while you were sleeping?” Orna summarized everything that had happened worldwide and then added. “Oh, yes. I’m sorry to tell you that Nissim Toledano died.”
For some reason, Elijah was not surprised. He sat quietly, but was grateful that he had at least had the opportunity to say goodbye to the old man - the only person still alive who had known his middle name.
“Eli, what happened yesterday? You came home looking as if you had been in a major battle. And then you slept right through until now, as if making up for all those sleepless nights you’ve had over the past weeks.”
Elijah was afraid to tell his wife the truth. He thought she might think he had lost his mind. All he told her was that he and Norman had exchanged harsh words, and that in the end they had pushed each other around, that Norman had threatened him with his cane, that he had been forced to pull the cane out of Norman’s hands, that Norman had fallen, and that when Elijah had left, Norman was still lying on the floor.
Now he asked himself what his next step should be. In the end, the two decided to go to the Old City to check on Norman; they arrived at about noon and Elijah led the way to the alley where the Alkabetz Institute was located. As they approached, they saw moving men carrying out boxes of equipment that they had packed. Elijah saw a man who looked vaguely familiar. It was Orna who recognized the man as Israel Noy, the law expert, who often appears on Israel Television.
Israel Noy, a lawyer by training, was a short, stout, balding man with glasses. His bald spot was covered by a large black yarmulke, and he had a habit of twisting clumps of the little hair remaining on his head.
“Professor Shemtov!” Noy cried enthusiastically, and held out his hand. “I’m so happy to see you.”
Elijah shook his hand and asked, “Have we met?”
“Well, maybe not in person,” Noy agreed. “However, I was fascinated by your article about the point on the Hebrew letter Shin, although I’m not sure I agree with your conclusions. We had a big argument in our synagogue about your article. According to some people, you deliberately ignored the Yemenite script, as it did not fit into your thesis. Others reckoned that the documents you cited were from groups that had left the Jewish mainstream. In any event, there is no doubt that the article was a most stimulating one, and people will be discussing it for years to come.”
Up until two days earlier, Elijah would have been deeply moved by the flattery, but not today.
“I would love to discuss it further with you, but we are in a huge hurry at the moment, and this is really out of nowhere. This is Orna, my wife.”
“Actually, this is not ‘out of nowhere’ at all. In fact, I’ve been waiting for you here since the early morning. A client of mine expected you to come here and asked me to deliver a letter to you. Pleased to meet you, Orna.”
Noy removed a letter from his pocket and handed it to Elijah. Elijah took the letter out of the envelope, read it and reread it, and then read it a third time. The letter was brief and to the point. The Alkabetz Institute, through its attorney, Israel Noy, was pleased to inform Elijah that the work he had been engaged to perform had been carried out fully to its satisfaction. The Institute had no further demands or claims. In return, it was paying him the specified amount, which had already been transferred to his bank account. That terminated the agreement between them. They were delighted with the work Elijah had performed, and hoped for continued cooperation in the future. They wished him the best of luck. The amount transferred was a million dollars!
Elijah read it over and over, not fully understanding what was going on. And what he did understand he didn’t like. Noy interrupted him. “There is a small procedural matter to be completed, Professor Shemtov. Please sign this document.” The document stated that in accepting the payment, Elijah waived any future claims against the Alkabetz Institute and/or any other organization connected to it in any way.
“I’m not about to sign anything,” said Elijah, becoming agitated. “I don’t understand what this figure is based on, and I do happen to have certain claims.”
“I understand,” said Noy. “My principal told me you would probably refuse to sign, but he has no intention of pressuring you into doing so. The money is in your account regardless. You have a reputation for being a man of your word and I believe you will agree that the amount is a fair one. As to your claims, you probably realize that I’m not the one you should address them to. I was not empowered to deal with that aspect. All I was empowered to do was deliver the letter and nothing more. For added security, we also sent a copy of the letter to your home.
“I don’t understand. Who sent you? And what is this payment for?”
“Professor Shemtov, I don’t ask questions. I’m a lawyer and I try to carry out assignments to the best of my ability, in the interest of my client. Whatever I don’t know can’t hurt me, and I have no interest in knowing. However, taking into account that you are the world's expert in your field, and as I know that the Institute deals with various ancient manuscripts, I assume you provided advice which saved it a fortune.”
Elijah left him without saying goodbye, and went with Orna to show her the Luzatto Institute. He was not surprised to see that the name on the mailbox had been removed. A large sign stated that the building was for sale, and listed the real estate agent. One of the agents happened to be there, and he gladly showed them around the building, which was completely empty, without as a stick of furniture in it. According to the agent, the building belonged to a foreign company named Alkabetz. The company had planned to open a branch in Israel, but due to the recession in the country had decided not to do so.
Orna was impressed with the beauty of the building and suggested, “Maybe we should buy it?” Elijah did not want to give the impression of a person who believed in superstition, but he gave her a withering look, which explained exactly how he felt.
The next day, when Orna got home from work, she told Elijah: “Norman didn’t come in for the operation, but don’t be upset. I checked under all the names he’s used, and there has been no death reported under any of them. He must have left the country.”
The summer came to an end and life resumed its normal tempo. The Shemtov family paid off its mortgage and moved to a larger apartment. Here,
Elijah had a big study of his own. Whatever money was left over was entrusted to Gabi Moldovan, Elijah’s childhood friend, and the one who had told him about the supercomputers that Luria Investments had purchased.
Six months later, Landau, the department head, burst into Elijah’s office. It appeared that the Kim Foundation of Los Angeles had decided to fund two new chairs at the department. The budget was quite a lavish one and included funds for research assistants and the construction of new offices and laboratories. One of the two chairs was to go to a professor who specialized in studying Ancient Hebrew texts and the second to a professor who specialized in Ancient Hebrew grammar. “This position fits you like a glove, like anxiety fits a Jewish mother, as if it was tailor-made for you.” When the position was announced, Elijah was named the head of the Moses ben Shemtov de Leon Department for the Study of Ancient Hebrew Manuscripts.
Life went on as normal, and Elijah’s family flowed along with it. He conducted research, lectured in his field of expertise and published scholarly articles in academic journals. Three years later he was even awarded the Jerusalem Prize for his contributions in the field. As the awards committee put it, “Professor Shemtov has forged new paths and opened up new horizons in the study of Hebrew texts in Spain in the 12th and 13th centuries.”
He knew that his papers would not change the world, but as he said to himself, the world must be grateful to those who do not try to change it, to those who will never enter the history books. It is because of such people that the world still exists.
Epilogue
When the Lord Conquered Jerusalem
At the beginning of time and of space, or - to be more accurate - before either time or space had been defined, God conquered Jerusalem and through it He created the entire world. According to the Kabbalistic Jewish tradition, the Torah, the Sabbath, and Jerusalem were all created before the world was created. The Torah preceded it in thought, the Sabbath in time, and Jerusalem in space.
How was Jerusalem conquered? God “compacted Himself” so as to leave room for the world, and left a very small opening, the size of a small needle, through which the light could shine in. For this purpose, He sowed a series of quanta within the emptiness, created matter out of nothing, and expanded it many times over. He merged protons and anti-protons, neutrons and anti-neutrons, and breathed life into the photons that were produced from this merger.
He created neutrons and surrounded them with helium nuclei. After making and arranging the elements, He transformed them into the prime building blocks. He fashioned black holes and set up giant red and dwarf white stars. He spread galaxies throughout, set up comets and moons, extracted light from darkness, and wove together strands of light as one does in weaving a fabric. He bound matter together and fashioned everything which He had created and which He was yet to fashion. Everything was conducted in accordance with a master plan, in accordance with His directions and His code. As the Jewish sages put it: “He looked in the Torah and - using it as a blueprint - created the world.”
Once finished, He left a thin strand of the light of creation from Jerusalem on High to Jerusalem below. This thin strand was one of mercy, and was exempt from the fear of harsh judgment. This passed through the Even Shetiyah, which is the center of the world and the gate to Heaven. It was on it that Jacob rested his head and from it he saw angels ascending to and descending from Heaven. It was there that Isaac was brought as a sacrifice, that God spoke to King David, that the Holy of Holies of the First and Second Temples were built, and it was from that point that the Great Shofar (ram’s horn) will be sounded to herald the final redemption. Only in that one place is there a direct tie between the spiritual and the material worlds. Should that strand break, Heaven forbid, the world will come to an end.
Whoever is closer to the Source of Truth will be answered more easily than his fellow, for he is imbued with a spirit from on High. Even if he ignores that fact, and even if he does not believe in it, he will still be answered more easily. Very special people would rise to pray early and would attempt to pray opposite where the Holy of Holies used to stand, and to combine the proper words, and to do so at a propitious time. Thus we are told, “When you pray in Jerusalem it is as if you are praying directly in front of God’s heavenly throne. And when you pray in Jerusalem on the Sabbath you are like an infant begging his father. And if you use the secret prayers on the Sabbath in Jerusalem you are among those who will bring redemption to the world.”
