"Forty? Been about ... fifteen, by us," Lev says, watching Hawk making the hot chocolate. "And by me, maybe 'tis right to be merciful, but ..." he shrugs, and raises his hands, palms up, the kind of gesture a Sholem Aleykhem character might make. "By me, I can't help but want revenge. Well, like. Usually I just deal with it, nu? I am not the Judge, nor am I the Accuser what serves him. And yet this night, it's on my mind."
He grins at Hawk's reaction, and doesn't admit to being relieved that he was on the mark.
"Well, I'll have time to explain to thee," he says, smiling. "Payos are these," he bats at one of his curled forelocks. "No shaving the corners of the head, for those of us what keep men's mitzvos, and I only shave my face with the electric blades. And khavrusa ... uh." He pauses, and frowns. This one's hard to translate, never mind explain. "A friend. A friend one makes in one's youth, often, when first learning Torah as one no longer too young to be obligated to carry the Law. I met her when mine uncle began to teach me so I'd be a rabbi like he is. Her teacher was across town and I was always one of my uncle's students, but her teacher sent her to be taught by my uncle since the two of us were the youngest, and thus paired off by default. Think I was sixteen. Maybe less." He looks wistful all of a sudden.
no subject
"Forty? Been about ... fifteen, by us," Lev says, watching Hawk making the hot chocolate. "And by me, maybe 'tis right to be merciful, but ..." he shrugs, and raises his hands, palms up, the kind of gesture a Sholem Aleykhem character might make. "By me, I can't help but want revenge. Well, like. Usually I just deal with it, nu? I am not the Judge, nor am I the Accuser what serves him. And yet this night, it's on my mind."
He grins at Hawk's reaction, and doesn't admit to being relieved that he was on the mark.
"Well, I'll have time to explain to thee," he says, smiling. "Payos are these," he bats at one of his curled forelocks. "No shaving the corners of the head, for those of us what keep men's mitzvos, and I only shave my face with the electric blades. And khavrusa ... uh." He pauses, and frowns. This one's hard to translate, never mind explain. "A friend. A friend one makes in one's youth, often, when first learning Torah as one no longer too young to be obligated to carry the Law. I met her when mine uncle began to teach me so I'd be a rabbi like he is. Her teacher was across town and I was always one of my uncle's students, but her teacher sent her to be taught by my uncle since the two of us were the youngest, and thus paired off by default. Think I was sixteen. Maybe less." He looks wistful all of a sudden.