The Tamar Scroll

Finally, we reached the encampment of Yehuda. I was made to wait in a tent by myself for a full week whereupon I was summoned before a council of Yehuda's men headed by Yehuda himself. I searched the faces of the assembled men for one shred of pity and found nothing. My heart fell within me for I was doomed. This was not a court of law but the means of expediting my execution. Every man in the tent wished me dead. Yehuda would have me killed because he believed that it was me who had brought disaster upon Er and Onan. My death would keep his son Shelah safe from harm, or so he believed. His chief shepherd, Nachman, knew that I knew of his liaison with my maid Avishag and my death would save his name and his job amongst the Habiru. His tentmaker, Lihor, resented that I had advised his wife to cut him off when she discovered him lying with her younger sister and likewise wished my demise. The head sheepshearer.... Well, you get the idea of what a hostile audience I faced.

Yehuda arose from the rug on which he sat. He began these sham deliberations with a pompous speech: "Tamar my daughter-in-law who is my daughter-in-law no longer. You have played the harlot. The child within your belly is the offspring of whoredom. The name of b'nei Yisrael, my family and once yours, hath been dishonoured by you and your wanton behaviour. The sentence is death! Bring her forth, and let her be stoned outside the encampment in the manner of an adulteress."

With one accord, the men within the tent arose to take me outside to the pile of sharp stones prepared for my impending execution. I put forth my hand and they fell back from me. "Wait! You have not let me speak in my defense. Do you not know the code of the desert? The accused, yea even the accused of harlotry, is permitted to speak in her defense."

Yehuda nodded in acknowledgement at my words. "Let this accursed woman speak as our code allows. Then we shall kill her." Yehuda knew not the means by which I was with child or he would not have granted me the right to speak. "Men of the house of Yehuda, hear me well. I am with child by the man, who owns these objects." I removed the signet, the bracelets, and his staff from within my robes and held them high for all these men to observe. Amidst the hush that ensued, for they immediately perceived whose possessions these were, I pressed home my advantage. "Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, oh men of this house. My child is the child of this man who presumes to sit in judgment of me. Do you also judge me, oh men of the house of Yehuda? If I am to be executed, then the adulterous man whose child I bear must join me in death."

Yehuda hung his head in shame, acknowledging that he had given them to me as his pledge. His manservant peeked through the tent flap and announced that the execution must take place speedily as the slave women were almost ready to serve dinner. Yehuda looked up and spoke softly: "There will be no execution today. This is a righteous woman and I have wronged her twice. I did not let her marry Shelah my son and I did not acknowledge our liaison at the time of the shearing of sheep." The other men shuffled out of the tent leaving Yehuda alone with me.

"Was that really you on the path outside Adullam?" Yehuda asked. ……I screamed..……..Thou art complete shit you momser offspring of an ibex and goat……..

Francis Lajeunesse paused in her reading. "As you can see, Dr. Altman, this portion contains the only noteworthy lacunae in the entire scroll. It's no loss because it's not necessary, in my opinion, to reproduce curses from the third millenium BCE to get the drift of the narrative."

Yehuda fell to his knees and begged forgiveness of me. "Oh Tamar, I am so sorry that we meet again under these circumstances. I want to make things right for you. I shall take you as my wife and you will lie with me when the cold nights befall the hill country. Say yes to this and my reputation, not to mention yours, will not suffer."

"I cannot lie with a man who would have me killed in order to hide his dalliance with me in my own home. However, I will stay in your tents only if you acknowledge my child as yours and as the heir to your patrimony. In this manner, your precious reputation will be preserved."

I remained in the tents of Yehuda thereafter so that I should remind him always and he should never forget his treatment of me. He denied me his third son and he sought to kill me because of our liaison. I even followed him to Egypt in order that I and my children could eat during the Great Famine. Yet I refused his advances and he came not again into me for all the days of my life.

"There are several things in this part of the scroll that bother me, both from a theological perspective and looking at our own relationship. Yehuda's behaviour in this part of the scroll becomes absolutely reprehensible. He tries to get the better of his brother-in-law in a goat deal and, at the same time, get off cheaply with the so-called harlot. When he doesn't, he shortchanges God with the animal sacrifice. I knew what to expect from the Bible story but seeing it through Tamar's eyes makes the story even more disgusting. But it's his treatment of women that really disgusts me.

It's obvious that Yehuda has no respect for Tamar after their encounter on her rug, never mind the doggie on the Timnath road. He didn't even bother to send her flowers afterwards. Instead, he tries to have her stoned to death in order to keep their encounter secret. This illustrates perfectly the universal feminine conundrum. Why does a man make love to a woman and then proceeds to distance himself? You didn't talk to me for weeks after we had sex in my office. In the scroll, Yehuda portrays Tamar as a promiscuous woman rather than his lover. I don't know why Yehuda is considered such a hero in the Bible."

Avi Altman looked thoughtfully in silence for a moment. Francis feared that he was about to launch into his lecture mode but instead he moved slightly closer on the sofa to his assistant. Avi began pouring out his heart concerning religious matters. Instead of his formal classroom style, Avi Altman spoke directly and in personal terms.

"The Torah isn't just a philosophical document, even though it contains 613 mitzvot for how we are to conduct our lives. The Torah is also a historical document that portrays human beings faithfully with all their faults and virtues. The humanity of the characters of the Bible isn't found in the writings of any other religion. It is this accurate picture of historical events and the people who populate those events that gives me and millions of Jews faith that the Torah is true and the 613 mitzvot must be followed.

Yes, Yehuda is an imperfect being, just as you and I are and he did everything you said. His imperfection is not the reason why we revere him as a hero, although it is the reason why we identify with him. This confrontation with Tamar marks a turning point in Yehuda's life. Tamar confronts Yehuda with his sin and duplicity. As a result, Yehuda sees himself for what he is, a sinful man needful of redemption. Torah states that Yehuda lives a life beyond reproach from this point on. He apparently humbled himself because he made a rapprochement with his family. His father, Yitzchak, entrusts him with making sure his younger brother makes it safely back on their journey to Egypt to buy food. In Egypt, Yehuda is the brother who insists on honesty and returning the money Joseph has hidden in their baggage.

Tamar is, of course, not entirely blameless in all of this. She has seduced Yehuda by deceptive means and quite likely intended to keep Yehuda's property for a later sale. It's her pregnancy that causes her scheming to come apart at the seams. Her redemption comes through allowing Yehuda to raise her children and continue his patrimony through these descendents. It's lucky for both of us that Tamar took this difficult step because Jews wouldn't have David as king and you Christians wouldn't have Jesus.

The story of Tamar and Yehuda is a story of very heavy-duty sins but it's also the story of public confession of sin and redemption from sin. Judaism became a redemptive religion thousands of years before you Christians thought you held the patents on salvation." Avi Altman paused and reflected for a moment. Had he offended his assistant's religion? In the months they had worked together, they had never discussed in any depth their respective religious situations. Even if he hadn't offended or meant to offend, the situation still called for a quick save.

"If I can bring our relationship into this discussion, I believe that, as in Yehuda's relationship with Tamar I owe you an apology, Francis. Initially, I opposed your appointment to the Project team because, well, you're a woman and a goy. I didn't think any shikse, much less a good-looking woman, had the depth in the Hebrew language needed to keep up with my team. I admit that I was wrong. A woman was exactly what I needed to work on this particular scroll and to shake up my scholars. And I must also apologize for thinking that someone of your religion wasn't capable of research in the Hebrew language."

"I accept your apology, Avi. But, tell me why you think that a Christian is incapable of understanding Judaism? Don't you recall that Jesus was a Jew and many of his teachings have parallels in contemporary sections of the Talmud?" The two scholars became on a first-name basis at that point in their relationship and never addressed each other by their family names and titles in private, ever again. Their conversation grew more and more personal and intimate. The unspiritual person cannot comprehend how spiritual intimacy can possibly be a prelude to physical intimacy. As the two scholars talked about their religious beliefs, any differences of age, culture and gender disappeared. They began to connect at a deeper level, revealing their true nature to each other. Instead of the hardened exteriors each had developed in defense against the world, they discovered that both were sensitive and passionate creatures. After an hour, they had moved together on the couch, side by side with Francis' head lying on Avi's shoulder. Their hands were clasped together.

This intimate moment was interrupted by Francis getting up and walking to the bathroom. Avi wondered what he had said wrong or whether his lover was just answering a call of nature. He was so wrapped up in his Jewish feelings of guilt that he failed to notice that Francis took her briefcase with her. In the bathroom, Francis extracted from her briefcase the designer teddy that she wore for the 2003 Victoria's Secret catalogue from her briefcase. This lingerie had cost her a night with one of the buyers. The guy was nothing special in bed but he picked a good restaurant and an expensive hotel. The teddy hadn't seen any service yet in Israel.

In front of the mirror on the door of the old-fashioned bathroom, Francis reached behind her head, releasing her hair from the French roll she sported around Hebrew University. With a shake of her head, her hair cascaded down to her shoulders. Francis admired her body in the mirror. She had gained a little weight since her modeling days but it just made her more of a woman than a stick figure. Walking up and down the Jerusalem hills had preserved the wide gap between her thighs.

As she was admiring herself in the mirror, she could see the old-fashioned bathtub on four curved feet. The water closet sat high above the toilet with a chain with a cast-iron weight dangling down the side. Everything in the apartment was so quaint, she thought. Francis hadn't seen such old-fashioned plumbing since the time she visited the farm of her Oncle Rogatien Frigon in the Gaspé. Hopefully, Avi was just as old-fashioned in bed.

Avi sucked in his breath as Francis emerged from the bathroom. Francis' body was so beautiful and so desirable that Avi was rendered speechless. Francis sat down on the couch and whispered:

"Avi, make love to me now."

She cupped Avi's face in her hands and placed a kiss on his lips. His lips were warm and soft as he responded. They tenderly kissed for what seemed an eternity to Francis. She decided to move things along and tentatively opened her lips. Avi followed her lead. Francis ran her tongue playfully along Avi's teeth and Avi responded in kind. Soon the couple was exploring each other's mouth in a deep French kiss. Francis thought: "It's a real job to get the man going but once he gets started, he knows what he's doing. I hope he keeps his slow hand going."

Francis was concentrating so much on exploring Avi's mouth and being explored that she hardly noticed Avi's slow hand caressing her bare back. They disengaged from their kiss but Avi began kissing her neck and shoulders, first one side, then another. It was so good, what the old man was doing. Younger men were in such a hurry to get into her pants that they never fully aroused her. This was building up to the fuck of her lifetime.

Slowly, Avi slipped the straps of her teddy down her arms, first the left arm and then the right. The top fell loosely in Francis' lap, exposing her breasts to view. Her breasts were small, as they were with most French women. Francis was always insecure about her small breasts, even though they had served her well during her modeling career. In Israel she was even more insecure when she compared her own boobies to the huge racks on Israeli women. Her insecurity melted away as Avi's hand cupped one breast in his hand, slowly massaging the firm mound of flesh.

Avi was in heaven, feeling a young woman's breast in his hand once more. He was careful not to apply too much pressure as he stroked her breasts without touching the nipple. His other hand moved gently along her waist. Finally his hand climbed to the summit of the firm mound. Avi felt Francis' nipples become hard and erect, as he felt his own member entering the same state. Francis began to moan, unconsciously unbuttoning her lover's shirt. She ran her hands over the hair on Avi's chest and then pressed her breasts to his chest.

As Avi kissed her breasts, Francis unbuckled his belt. The belt was old had been taken a few notches. The old man hadn't been eating well since his wife died. Avi needed a woman to take care of more things than just his scrolls. She reached into Avi's underwear and found his huge member. She stroked the long, thick shaft as Avi ran his tongue around first one nipple and then the other, taking each one in his mouth in turn. Francis pushed Avi away from her breasts, leaned over and extracted his zain from his briefs. Then she began slowly licking along his shaft. Francis tried to match Avi's patience and not to get to the tip too quickly. She took the circumcised tip in her mouth and fit as much of Avi in her mouth as she could without gagging. After 10 minutes, Francis stopped and she took Avi by the hand.

"Let's go to your bedroom. It's more comfortable there."

The sheets were freshly laundered and turned down. She was expected. Avi got undressed, exposing his glistening zain to her admiring view. Aside from his huge asset, Avi had the smooth, unmuscular body of a typical Talmudic scholar. His thin body confirmed the story of his belt. Francis resolved that she would fix that with some French cooking. Avi removed her teddy, laying naked the damp patch of hair between her legs. He loved a woman's scent emanating from between her legs but Francis was special.

Avi climbed in the bed beside Francis and they embraced tightly. Their two bodies lay side by side, Avi's zain poking Francis' stomach and her firm breasts on his hairy chest. In his mourning for Hannah, Avi had almost forgotten what it was like to feel a woman beside him. He loved the sound of a woman moaning in ecstasy, the look on a woman's face as she orgasmed and the smell of her body. Avi drank in Francis with all his senses.

Francis whispered endearments in Hebrew into Avi's ear. Avi moved his hand slowly over Francis' hips, arousing her again to moaning. His hand moved down to her knee. He didn't need to force Francis' legs apart. As Avi's hand travelled up the inside of her thigh, Avi felt the wetness and the warmth emanating from the secret place between her legs.

Francis's breathing rose in frequency in anticipation of what was to happen next. Avi's hand rested on her damp mound and he began rubbing her mound gently. In response, Francis moaned softly, then louder with finally the scream of a full orgasm as Avi parted her pussy lips and drew his finger along her slit up to her clitoris. That was the first of many orgasms Francis would experience that evening. Avi then gently caressed her clitoris and raised Francis to orgasm again. She was discovering the sexual expertise of an older man and she had just discovered that she was multi-orgasmic.

Avi's hand was on his zain, an obvious sign that he was getting ready for the lay but Francis desperately wanted to prolong the moment longer. She needed to be extra-well lubricated to take all of Avi tonight. Could she teach the old man to go down on her first? Or was he so old-fashioned and religious that he thought oral sex was perverted? Francis decided to take the risk.

"Avi, did you ever do to Hannah what I did to you in the office? Have you ever in your life pleasured a woman with oral sex? Can you give me oral sex before you enter me? Just do with your tongue what those magic fingers just gave me."

Avi hesitated as he determined whether there were any rabbinic prohibitions against oral sex. Mentally scanning the Talmud, the Kabala or the writings of the Rambam, he could find none. Despite his inexperience in the subject, Avi plunged between Francis' legs like a world-class muff diver. He eagerly ran his tongue up Francis' slit to the clitoris. Avi was surprised but he loved Francis' taste. He ran his tongue gently over Francis' clitoris making the woman writhe with another orgasm. In the distance, he heard Francis begging:

"Now, Avi. Now. I want you now."

Avi placed himself strategically between Francis's legs. Then he ran the broad head of his penis up and down the inner lips of her slit, as was his custom before entering Hannah. This ensured that as much lubricant as possible was available to the difficult job that lay ahead. Avi had forgotten how wet a young woman could be. Of course, his introduction to cunilinguis had increased Francis' moisture content. When they were young, Hannah was so wet she squirted on Avi when she was on top. In her post-menopausal years, Hannah refused hormone therapy and was never wet when they had sex. It was so good to have a wet young woman on the end of his zain once again.

Francis gasped from the pressure as Avi's zain entered her. He felt just as overwhelmingly huge as the first time they had sex in her office. Avi almost withdrew completely and then reentered further, hitting her g-spot. Francis's head rolled from side to side, flinging her long, black hair in all directions. Her wayward hair obscured her face but Avi could see that it was contorted by ecstasy.

Francis's orgasm subsided and she brought her legs up and locked them upon Avi's back. Francis forced her lover ever deeper inside her. Another orgasm welled up inside her, wave after wave of divine pleasure. Finally, Francis could come no more. She released her lover to his own pleasure. She never met a man who could last so long that he could exhaust her. Were all older men like that?

Avi began to slowly and rhythmically withdraw and reenter. He had almost forgotten the friction of tight, young, wet pussy on his bare zain as he moved in and out. Sex was so much better without a condom. He loved the increase in intensity at the tip of his zain as his orgasm approached. Francis listened as now Avi screamed, losing himself in a complete full-body orgasm.