“They have sworn loyalty, yes. But at the end of the day, everyone is only loyal to his own interests, would you not say?”

IT is almost noon, and Leonora is expected at the wool factory. She should have been there directly after the morning meal, but was delayed by petitioners. She must get Amram to see them next time, but they all want her, even if it is just to complain about their neighbor’s fruit tree that brings bees into the courtyard and does she not know that a bee sting could kill her child?
She tries her best to listen, even as she sifts through the people who would be able to help them, trying to find the right person. Mostly, she tells people to go to their rav.
“Tzfat is filled with chachamim,” she tells them. “Go and ask their advice. I am just a woman.”
Now, she strides down the hallway. The foreman will be there already, and some of the workers must have already assembled.
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