"Look there! On the tree. I see a scarf," one soldier
exclaimed.
"It's her kerchief!" called another soldier. "She was
here!"
"She is still here! This tree leans against the house. She
must have climbed up to the roof. Let's hurry before she
disappears again!"
The two soldiers rushed to the tree and began climbing up
quickly. Donna Dina Yichye looked down from her hiding place
and saw them approaching. She picked up her bundle of clothes
and ran to the far end of the roof. When she reached the
railing, she saw the soldiers coming fast after her. There
was not a minute to lose! She picked up the bundle and threw
it over the railing to the ground below. She climbed over and
leaped to the ground, calling out "Shema Yisroel!"
She lay motionless on the ground.
"Did you see that? She must be dead by now. Look at her.
Let's go fast before someone from her family catches us."
"She was a brave one. Too bad she died. Let's give her a
present." The soldier threw the scarf he had found on the
tree and the wind blew it onto Dina's face. For a moment, the
soldiers studied the motionless body, then they climbed down
the tree and disappeared from the scene.
A light wind blew the scarf upon Dina's face. It moved
slightly and tickled her face. Slowly, she opened her eyes
and turned her head to the side. She scanned the area and was
relieved to see that there was no one in sight. She shuddered
as she recalled the chase of the two soldiers, and decided to
act carefully. She listened for any suspicious noise and
could hear nothing.
Crawling slowly, she reached a boulder. She leaned against
it, trying to sit up, as she looked around for her bundle of
clothes. She saw it on the ground, flattened out, just on the
spot where she had fallen. "What a miracle!" she whispered,
realizing that it had broken her fall and protected her from
hurting herself. She sat still, whispering words of
thanksgiving.
Still very shaken, she sat there for a while, wondering what
to do. The sun was turning westward and soon darkness would
be upon her. She must have a plan. She couldn't wander
aimlessly in this strange land and risk being chased
again.
Dina climbed to the top of the boulder and looked about. The
city of Pisa lay before her, peaceful and quiet. "I must
reach the Jewish Quarter," she thought, "but where is it? How
will I find it?" There were many church spires dotting the
horizon but to the right, the area seemed bare. "That must be
the Jewish Quarter. I must head there and reach it before
darkness."
Dina began walking in that direction. She walked close to the
old buildings. She wanted to reach a safe place where she
could stay for the night, and began scanning the houses along
the narrow roads. Up ahead she saw a lamp lit in one of the
windows. "I must not err," she prayed. She stood by the
window and listened to the voices inside the house.
"Rashi says that . . . " an older man was saying. Dina
breathed a sigh of relief and knocked on the door. A young
woman opened it and looked askance at Dina.
"I know it is improper to walk on the street at this hour
alone, but I am a stranger here. I am a Jewish woman from
Portugal; I have run away from the Inquisition. I arrived in
Pisa this morning and need a place to stay until I find my
husband. I believe he is here, in Pisa . . . " her voice
trailed off weakly.
The woman looked intently at Dina and then invited her in.
"Sit down here a moment. I shall call my husband and ask him
if he knows where your husband might be."
The hostess left the room and soon two men entered. Then she
bustled off to bring some refreshments, returning with a
platter of fruit. Famished, Dina made a brocho and
began eating one after the other. When she realized that she
was being watched, she excused herself, saying, "I haven't
eaten a decent meal since I left Portugal."
Having satisfied her immediate hunger, she sat back and
waited for the questions. "You are looking for your husband?"
asked the younger of the two men.
"Yes, I was told he fled to Pisa."
"What is his name?"
"David ben Yichye. He and his father and brother ran away
from Portugal just as they were about to be imprisoned. They
would surely have chosen to die rather than convert to
Christianity . . . "
"And you were left behind?"
"A maid brought me a note in which my husband instructed me
to follow him. In the boat, I dressed as a man and stayed in
my cabin most of the way, eating the dry bread and fruits I
brought along. At first, we stopped in Castilla. I inquired
about my husband and was told that he was on his way to Pisa,
in Italy. I continued after them and now that I am here, I
beg of you to help me find my family."
Dina was so exhausted that her eyes began to close. Her
hostess led her to a washroom and then showed her to a room
with a clean bed. Dina drifted off into sleep but was soon
awakened by a nightmare in which she relived her recent
experiences, from the note she had received from her husband
to flee Portugal, culminated by the chase and her jump to
safety. She tried to think happy thoughts, of her lavish
wedding, of the spacious and luxurious home they had
established and the many guests which always filled it, and
then, the good news of a baby on the way. How she hoped that
her fall had not injured it.
Soon, she was able to relax. Her heart beat stronger and she
prayed, "Hashem! You helped me reach safety. Help me now to
find my husband, David, safe and sound. And bless me with a
healthy baby!" She closed her eyes once more and fell into a
healthy, restful slumber. As soon as daylight filtered into
the room, she awoke.
She looked around at the simple furniture and sighed. "If
anyone had told me a month ago that I would be overjoyed with
such a room, I would have laughed. Why, even my servants had
quarters far more lavish than this. But I am not complaining.
I am very grateful, Hashem, to have left Portugal alive."
The door to the room was slightly ajar. The hostess poked her
head in. "Are you up, already?"
"Oh, yes. I must not lose any time in searching for my
husband."
"The men have gone off to the synagogue to pray. There, they
will inquire about him. In the meanwhile, get up and have
something to eat. Prepare yourself for whatever news they
will have for you. Who knows? Your family might have wandered
on to some other place . . . "
Dina sighed. She got dressed and went to the living room,
where she began praying to Hashem, "Let me find him soon."
Sounds from the outside filtered into the room. Dina leaped
to her feet. "I think I hear my husband's voice!" she
exclaimed.
Her hostess laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But the men
left only a short while ago. It will take a while for them to
return."
There was a knock on the door. The hostess opened it and
there stood Don David ben Yichye . . .
The family was reunited and found a new haven in Italy, as
did so many of the Jews expelled from Portugal. This story
can also be found in Shem Hagedolim by the Chida.
Don David ben Yichye settled down to a life a Torah study and
authored the work Dinei Taharos.
