Rashi's Daughters, Book III: Rachel (34 page)

This is how Elizabeth the Midwife became half owner of the new cow. When the animal did eventually give birth to a bull calf, she gladly sold her share in the mother back to Salomon in exchange for the offspring. Owning their own cow brought a new benefit to Salomon’s household. Besides fresh milk for the children at breakfast, Anna used the afternoon milking to make a sweet creamy cheese that tasted wonderful on freshly baked bread. Plus the cow’s dung was excellent for the garden.

Though Eliezer had assured her that he was content with their two children, Rachel, whenever she saw Anna milking the cow or Joheved feeding little Jacob, named for Meir’s grandfather, thought longingly of the comfort she’d received from nursing little Rivka again after baby Asher died. Surely she’d have gotten pregnant by now if she were able. But if she were barren, she’d have to appreciate the children she had.

Past her first taste of Torah study, Rivka now eagerly pestered everyone in the family with questions, especially her older brother, Shemiah. Sometimes he showed off his knowledge with erudite answers, especially when Rachel or Eliezer were present. But usually he ignored her, preferring to discuss Mishnah with Shimson. Rachel tried not to intervene in her children’s squabbles and gave thanks that, even if they didn’t have siblings of the same gender, their cousins provided plenty of companionship.

Despite endless speculation over the shooting stars’ meaning, one forecast that did come true in the next six months had nothing to do with the heavens. As Guy predicted, Pope Urban presided over a Church council at Clermont that fall, during the third week of November. But Troyes’ attention was focused elsewhere. In the middle of the Cold Fair, on November 28, Count Hugues married Princess Constance of France with all the pomp a royal wedding demanded. His daughter’s marriage was exactly the excuse King Philip needed to ignore events in Clermont, where, since he’d made no effort to separate from Bertrade, the pope reaffirmed his excommunication.

The first warning Salomon’s household received about other events in Clermont came from Guy when he unexpectedly joined them for
souper
during the final week of the Cold Fair.

“Eliezer.” Guy’s ominous tone chilled Rachel’s heart. “I urge you in the strongest terms to delay your departure from Troyes.”

Everyone within hearing turned to Guy as Eliezer asked, “Why? What happened?”

“His last day at Clermont, standing in an open field before nobility and clerics, Pope Urban gave an extraordinary speech.” Guy fell silent, his expression full of wonder. “First he chastised the knights for breaking the Truce of God by wantonly attacking pilgrims, clerics, women, and merchants. He accused them of waging unjust wars on each other, to their mutual destruction, for no other reason than covetousness and pride, and said they were deserving of eternal damnation.”

Rachel stared at Guy with curiosity. The pope had long rebuked men of arms for such crimes, but Guy’s awed voice showed that something new was involved. “Then he began speaking of Jerusalem, the navel of the world, of how the accursed Turks invaded her confines and depopulated them by sword, pillage, and fire. He described how her holy altars were destroyed and Christians subjected to unspeakable degradation and servitude. He urged the knights, most valiant soldiers and descendants of invincible ancestors, to be not degenerate, but to recall the valor of their progenitors.”

“What did he want from them?” Salomon asked, his voice heavy with dread.

“To let their quarrels and wars cease as they entered upon the road to the Holy Sepulchre, to wrest the Holy Land from that wicked race of infidels and make it subject to them,” Guy replied. “Pope Urban further proclaimed that they should not let their possessions, nor solicitude for their families, keep them from undertaking this holy pilgrimage, for which they would receive remission of their sins and assurance of the Kingdom of Heaven’s glory.”

Guy shook his head in amazement. “With that, the crowd cried out as one, ‘It is God’s will! It is God’s will!’ The pope then told those who would undertake this holy war to sew crosses on their chests for all to see, and within moments men began tearing at their clothes to produce crosses.”

“That was a month ago,” Eliezer said. “What has happened since?”

“The pope has been preaching throughout France, staying clear of the king’s lands while Philip remains excommunicated. In addition, itinerant preachers have appeared, attracting flocks of pilgrims as well as bands of less-innocent folk.”

“But you said the pope’s appeal was to knights.” Meir wondered which, if any, of Count André of Ramerupt’s men would participate.

“That was Pope Urban’s intent, but the enterprise has spiraled out of his hands, so that we now see poor townsfolk and villeins selling their possessions to provision themselves for the journey. My uncle is besieged by men, and women, asking for their bishop’s blessing.”

Joheved exchanged anxious glances with Meir. “I hope these preachers don’t seduce too many of our villeins to leave. The villagers know nothing of warfare; they would never survive.”

“The pope has promised eternal salvation to those who die on pilgrimage,” Guy said. “And as further inducement, whoever undertakes this holy war is exempt from repayment of debts.”

“Their debts are discharged?” Rachel asked with dismay, thinking of the women who owed her money.

“For the duration of their pilgrimage,
oui
,” Guy said. “And more than that: those vowed to retake Jerusalem may substitute the journey for all penance.”

“So all kinds of scoundrels will join them,” Eliezer said, recognizing the danger such undisciplined mobs would pose.

“The officially sanctioned group of knights and foot soldiers is to begin its journey in August, continuing to Constantinople, where it will meet up with Alexius’s troops,” Guy explained. “But these impatient preachers have urged their followers to start immediately, and I fear that thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of Frankish pilgrims will be heading in our direction.”

“What will we do?” Miriam whispered in horror.

“I believe I will delay my departure for Toledo until after these pilgrims have passed through Champagne into the east,” Eliezer declared.

Rachel squeezed his hand under the table and sighed with relief. But along with the rest of her family, she could not find the appetite to finish
souper
.

nineteen

“How long before these pilgrims finally leave?” Eliezer pounded the table in frustration. “For months they’ve been milling around Troyes, living off our lands, terrifying the women and children. Let them go to Jerusalem already. I’ve had enough.”

“There’s nothing we can do about them, so let’s just continue our Talmud discussion.” Judah was determined to force Eliezer to accept his interpretation of Tractate Kiddushin. The text was complicated and hopefully could distract them from their worries. “You cannot derive a woman’s obligation to eat matzah at Passover from the law in Deuteronomy that obligates her to assemble every year to hear the king read the Torah. Therefore women should be exempt from time-bound positive mitzvot.”

Eliezer refused to capitulate. “I say a woman’s obligation to assemble is derived from her obligation to eat matzah.” He turned Judah’s argument around. “For without the verses about matzah, we would say that a boy’s obligation is stronger than a woman’s, since he will eventually grow to perform the mitzvah. Yet a woman is commanded to eat matzah while a child is not.”

“Then you agree with me. Since women are obligated to eat matzah while children are not, then if minors must attend the assembly, surely a woman, who is treated more strictly, must do so as well,” Judah said. “But even so, these two mitzvot don’t teach that women are commanded to perform the other time-bound positive mitzvot.”

Eliezer sighed with exasperation. “While they certainly show that women are not exempt from them, at the moment I cannot think of a better argument.”

Judah looked at his study partner with alarm. For Eliezer to acquiesce so easily was proof of how stressful life was for the Jews of Troyes. “I admit that I also cannot think of another refutation.” Even Talmud study couldn’t divert their minds from the threat outside the city walls.

Their Talmud debate finished, Eliezer cradled his head in his hands. Over two months had elapsed since Guy convinced him to remain behind when other merchants left at year’s end, and there was nothing to suggest that he’d be leaving any time soon. For two months some crazy preacher from Amiens, Peter the Hermit they called him, had been urging the Notzrim to come with him to free Jerusalem from the infidels, convincing them that the Holy Spirit was with them, God’s own army.

Crowds gathered around Troyes, camping in field and forest, the lucky ones sheltering in barns. So far the pilgrims had done no harm, but that was only because Countess Adelaide, partly out of Christian charity and partly fearing they’d pillage the city otherwise, provided provisions.

But every Jew in town knew that a mob of so-called pilgrims had attacked the Jewish community of Rouen, shouting, “Here we are, going off to attack God’s enemies in the East, having to travel great distances, when before our eyes are the Jews, more hostile to God than any other race.”

Thus Eliezer hadn’t been able to study astronomy for months, a situation that became almost unbearable when February brought an eclipse of the moon and no way to measure its passage. Yet how could he leave when the countryside was infested with armed idiots who believed in such things as Peter the Hermit’s talking donkey?

Anna’s urgent whisper interrupted his indignant thoughts. “Eliezer, there’s a man here who says you know him.”

He took in her frightened features, but before he could ask what the fellow looked like, she added, “He’s one of those pilgrims.”

Eliezer and Judah jumped up to follow her outside where Baruch and Pesach were keeping a close watch on the fellow.

“Call off your guards. I won’t hurt anyone,” he said, eyeing Salomon’s two menservants with trepidation. “Master Eliezer, it’s me, Jehan, from the forest in Burgundy.”

“Jehan, it’s good to see you again.” Eliezer never would have recognized him. The young man looked better fed than before and a bit taller as well. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m going to Jerusalem. All of Geoffrey’s men are.”

“I mean, how did you get in the city?” Eliezer asked.

“At first the guards wouldn’t let me past the city gate. They don’t let anyone in who doesn’t have money to shop with, and even those only come in a few at a time.”

“But they did let you in,” Judah pointed out.

“Only because Geoffrey came with me, and they could see that he was a knight.”

Eliezer nodded, waiting to hear what Jehan wanted with him.

“Geoffrey, all of us actually, need your help,” Jehan said. “He’s waiting just outside the Près Gate.”

Judah reached for his mantle. “I’ll go with you.”

“So will I,” Baruch said, grabbing a length of wood that could be used as both a walking stick and a weapon.

Eliezer had a suspicion of what Geoffrey wanted, but he waited patiently as his old captor explained how he’d repented of his former banditry and turned to offering safety, for a fee, to those who crossed the Forest of Burgundy.

“But my men aren’t cut out to be toll takers,” Geoffrey said. “They long for their former lives as men of action.”

Eliezer nodded. “So you’ve joined Peter’s army.”

“What could be more ideal?” Geoffrey grinned. “Instead of being condemned for fighting, we’ll be rewarded, both materially and spiritually.”

“When we reach Jerusalem, the booty will be greater than a man can imagine.” Jehan’s eyes shone with enthusiasm. “And those who die in the attempt will instantly ascend to Heaven.”

Geoffrey’s brow furrowed. “But we have a long road ahead, and most of Peter’s pilgrims scarcely have food to eat each day, never mind enough for a journey to Constantinople.”

“Of course not,” Eliezer said soothingly. “Not with so many peasants among you.”

“Peter wants everyone to participate.” Geoffrey’s tone made it clear that he disagreed with this view.

“What if more supplies can be arranged?” Eliezer asked. “Will Peter start on his way?”

“I believe so, but you must talk to him about it first.”

Eliezer looked questioningly at Judah, who nodded in return. “Can you set up a meeting between us, as soon as possible? Once we understand his needs, the leaders in our community will discuss how to provide for them.”

 

Salomon, Bonfils haParnas, and the other Jewish leaders avidly endorsed Eliezer’s efforts to bribe Peter into leaving.

“The sooner these people are gone, the better,” Bonfils said. “Trade in town is terrible. Half the shopkeepers shutter their doors out of fear, and the other half have no goods to sell because so little traffic enters the city.”