12 Elul
It was obvious there would be little work done today. The judges from the local Sanhedrin arrived bright and early to hear the petitions and see the disputed land. The people of Chorazim lined up on one hill and our folk on the other. We did not want to miss anything! These occasions are rare and will be the main topic of conversation for weeks. The men walked round the area first with our elders and Yov talking as they went, then they did the same with the elders and farmers of Chorazim. Only then did they sit down on the benches that had been set out for them. They took testimony and consulted scrolls. And they talked and argued together in the way only lawyers can. They talked so fast. Suddenly, there was a commotion as the children arrived with the hand cart laden with food and a long line of older girls carrying pitchers of lemonade and little ones with cups and ladles. My heart sank. Aunt Tirzah was right! The procession passed us by and the children took the food straight to the elders of Chorazim! You should have seen Shmuel's face! He was purple! But he was with the Sanhedrin and I was hemmed in by the crowd... Then I realised... they were not selling, they were serving! Then the children of Chorazim began to a serve us ... but not before I saw a very embarrassed looking Elder Binyamin being served a bread and fish with lemonade lunch by Galit and two of his little sisters. All at once I became aware of Shmuli and my sister's children serving the judges. I was so proud of all of them. And I doubt if anyone from either place was not humbled by it all. Even the lawyers were speechless! The verdict? As I understand it, we can graze our flocks on the land until they decide to cultivate it again. I'm no lawyer, but I trust these men to know what they are doing.
It was obvious there would be little work done today. The judges from the local Sanhedrin arrived bright and early to hear the petitions and see the disputed land. The people of Chorazim lined up on one hill and our folk on the other. We did not want to miss anything! These occasions are rare and will be the main topic of conversation for weeks. The men walked round the area first with our elders and Yov talking as they went, then they did the same with the elders and farmers of Chorazim. Only then did they sit down on the benches that had been set out for them. They took testimony and consulted scrolls. And they talked and argued together in the way only lawyers can. They talked so fast. Suddenly, there was a commotion as the children arrived with the hand cart laden with food and a long line of older girls carrying pitchers of lemonade and little ones with cups and ladles. My heart sank. Aunt Tirzah was right! The procession passed us by and the children took the food straight to the elders of Chorazim! You should have seen Shmuel's face! He was purple! But he was with the Sanhedrin and I was hemmed in by the crowd... Then I realised... they were not selling, they were serving! Then the children of Chorazim began to a serve us ... but not before I saw a very embarrassed looking Elder Binyamin being served a bread and fish with lemonade lunch by Galit and two of his little sisters. All at once I became aware of Shmuli and my sister's children serving the judges. I was so proud of all of them. And I doubt if anyone from either place was not humbled by it all. Even the lawyers were speechless! The verdict? As I understand it, we can graze our flocks on the land until they decide to cultivate it again. I'm no lawyer, but I trust these men to know what they are doing.
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