Ashes of the Red Heifer Read Online Free PDF Page A

if in challenge.
    Annie quietly knelt by the calf and sliced a tiny section of liver. Let them have their pissing match; it gave her more time with the calf.
    “The government wouldn’t release a claim if they didn’t feel it was founded. I think we have no choice but to believe the Silim is behind this,” David said in his reasonable voice.
    Hassan shook his head, his curls bobbing. “The Silim’s mission is to protect the Dome of the Rock. This kibbutz is too far away from Jerusalem for the Silim to be here.”
    “I haven’t seen a lot of proof that Islamic extremists care where they hit,” David said.
    Annie tried not to hear. She hated these stand offs between the Jewish David and the Muslim Hassan. Most of the time they respected a cease fire of religious diatribe. But sometimes the tension surfaced. If they kept at it, though, it might give her time to gather more tissue samples.
    Annie picked up the scalpel. “Why do the Muslims need to defend the Dome of the Rock?”
    Hassan broke his stare with David and addressed Annie. “Because Jews don’t acknowledge Islam’s claim.”
    “It is Judiasm’s holiest site and doesn’t belong to Islam,” David said.
    “Allah, bless his holiness, has seen fit to give it to us and Muslims are duty bound to protect it with our lives. To die defending the Dome of the Rock is one of the greatest honors in all Islam.”
    “Allah didn’t give it to you,” David said. “Moshe Dyan handed it over. That’s something some Jews will never forgive.”
    “Say what you will, it is ours.”
    David nodded. “For now. But the Temple Mount will return to the Jews someday.”
    Annie only half listened. “What does the Temple Mount have to do with the Dome of the Rock?”
    David’s eyes narrowed. “The Muslim’s built the Dome on the Temple Mount, trying to cover up evidence of previous Temples.”
    “The Jews never had a temple on that site. Let alone two, as they claim,” Hassan said.
    David’s mouth hardened. “That is Muslim propaganda.”
    Annie pressed a cover on a slide and realized the conversation had come to an impasse. She wanted to get another slide of the calf’s heart. “Why is the Temple Mount so important to Jews?” She felt guilty about baiting them to give her more time. But the guilt was nothing compared to the irritation she felt having to stomach the religious malarkey they spewed at each other. Her experience taught her where God was concerned the only result was irrationality and anger.
    David answered, keeping his eyes on Hassan. “A Jew yearns for the Temple. Three times a day we pray, ‘May the Temple be built speedily and in our time.’ Three times. Every day. We have six hundred thirteen Commandments and fully a third relate to Temple worship. The Temple is where God lives. And the Muslims don’t care about the sacred ground, except to keep us away.”
    “That’s not true,” Hassan said. “It has always been important to Islam.”
    “Jerusalem isn’t mentioned in the Koran.”
    Hassan let out an exhale. “The Jewish faithful aren’t even allowed on the Dome of the Rock by their own rabbis.”
    “You!” The shout and sudden movement toward the front of the barn made them turn.
    Natan, another cook on the kibbutz stumbled through the clutter, eyes burning into Hassan. His thick accent didn’t mask his words or his hatred. “It is your fault!”
    Annie stood up. Hassan took a few steps backward.
    Natan rushed toward him, his face twisted with rage. “You killed Avrel. You cursed pig!”
    Hassan held up his hand. “I didn’t…”
    Natan barreled through the wreckage, his intent to harm Hassan clear. Hassan stood paralyzed, starring at him.
    With a sudden move David stepped in front of Natan and put his hand on Natan’s chest. “Hassan didn’t do anything. The bomb fell on him, too.”
    With effort Natan pulled his gaze from Hassan and focused on David. He spoke rapid Hebrew.
    David answered in the same language. Natan