Now that the YU Beacon is free to do what they want, they’ve decided the only way to change the perception that almost everyone who didn’t go to YU has of YU is to write about sex. Like the Chassidic rebels at Unpious.com quickly learned at the beginning, sex, drugs and controversy may sell at the beginning, but at some point you actually need to put up good stuff that isn’t all about the same topic. Since the only two articles anyone (out of 70,000 monthly readers during the 6 years of this blog) has ever sent me from the YU Beacon have been about sex, I’m willing to bet that they can’t actually put out consistently good content to keep non-YU peeps interested in their work.This time it’s about a newly married frum couple who decide to abort their first child. I’ve decided to publish it below, because I’m sure they will remove it at some point.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
SHIRA, 23, Jewish Orthodox wife with a sheltered upbringing
DUVI, 25, Shira’s husband, also Jewish Orthodox, set in his ways
SETTINGS
The Breakfast-nook, or dining room in Shira and Duvi’s home.
TIME
After midnight, 2011.
It’s after midnight in the breakfast-nook of DUVI and SHIRA’s apartment. SHIRA is sitting at the table, head in her hands, DUVI is standing on the other side of the table, bracing himself on the back of a chair. They are both in pajamas and robes. DUVI wears a yarmulka.
DUVI
I didn’t expect it to happen like that.
SHIRA
How could we?
DUVI
But the wedding night was good, right?
SHIRA
It hurt a little, but yes. It was nice.
DUVI
It hurt?
SHIRA
Well, yes, it hurt the first time. It’s supposed to.
DUVI
Oh. Did it hurt tonight?
SHIRA
Duvi, I-
DUVI
Shira, please. I just want to know if I hurt you. If maybe I was too aggressive, or… It’s new for me too.
SHIRA
It did.
DUVI
Hurt?
SHIRA
Yes. But my mother told me that’s normal. My body’s just not used to it.
DUVI
Oh. Okay.
(silence)
Shira. I am really sorry. I never seek to hurt you.
SHIRA
It’s okay. Please, Duvi, don’t apologize. We’re not like the people who have been … doing it … since high school. We waited for each other, and I am very happy we did. Both of us.
DUVI
Me too.
SHIRA
And HaShem will look kindly upon us for our modesty.
DUVI
Of course.
SHIRA
So don’t you worry, Duveleh. I am fine.
DUVI
So what should we do about tonight?
SHIRA
I don’t know. What did the Rabbi say when you asked about condoms in the first place?
DUVI
It’s complicated.
SHIRA
Tell me. I’m a big girl.
DUVI
I know. But-
SHIRA
I’m your wife for God’s sake. This is about me too. Tell me.
DUVI
Yes. I know. Okay. I told the Rabbi that we want to have kids, and that we understand that it is our purpose as husband and wife to make a strong Jewish family, but I also told him that we are young and I’m still in med school, and you’re getting your teaching license, and that we just need a little more time before we start having babies.
SHIRA
Did you mention the finances too? Because Gittle Katz told me that she and Shlomo told their Rabbi that they were waiting to have the means to support themselves too, and that’s why they wanted protection.
DUVI
I didn’t want to talk money with the Rabbi.
SHIRA
Duvi, you always talk about money. The cashier at the supermarket knows about your loans!
DUVI
But not with the Rabbi.
SHIRA
Fine. So what did he say?
DUVI
Well he obviously gave me permission for the condoms.
SHIRA
Yes…
DUVI
And I told you he said that he doesn’t encourage birth control.
SHIRA
That I know.
DUVI
So…
SHIRA
Please, Duvi, I am tired and scared, and I want this all to be over. Please.
DUVI
He said that if perchance a condom did break, and you conceived a child, even though we didn’t plan to… It is a sign from HaShem. And from that point on, we begin our family.
SHIRA
Oh.
DUVI
I really don’t think I could live with any other choice.
SHIRA
I see.
DUVI
It’s not that I don’t love that you work, and that you’re going for your Masters, but I mean, we always knew we wanted a large family. So why not start now?
SHIRA (processing)
Why not start now?
DUVI
Yes. Maybe we weren’t planning for it but-
SHIRA
Why not start now?
DUVI
I’m sorry? I don’t understand…
SHIRA
Everything you just said. Everything you told the Rabbi, what did that mean? Did you lie to him?
DUVI
God forbid. Shira, I’d never lie to the Rabbi. I don’t lie, period. I wanted us to, you know, have sex, I wanted that. We’re married, it’s about time we get to touch each other and do, you know, stuff life that.
SHIRA
(a short laugh)
“Why not start now?” Seriously Duvi, we’re not ready for kids.
DUVI
We’ll be fine. Your mom and dad live right around the corner, and she can help out. We’ll be-
SHIRA
Duvi, don’t say we’ll be fine. We’ll not be fine. You’ll be fine.
DUVI
And you’ll be great. I know.
SHIRA
You know? Do you want to start changing your eating habits? Do you want to take pre-natal vitamins? Do you want to get fat?
DUVI
That’s ridiculous, Shira-
SHIRA
I’m twenty three. I’m not ready to push a stroller, and wake up all night to feed the – And my breasts? I’ve only just began to appreciate them and-
DUVI
Calm down. Shira, please. Do you want some juice? I’ll get you some juice. Maybe a few rugalach too?
SHIRA
No! I don’t want cookies and juice, or whatever. I am too young for this.
DUVI
Shira, I just… I don’t know what to say. What to do.
(Silence. DUVI paces and then finally sits. SHIRA stands.)
SHIRA
What does halacha say about not having the baby?
DUVI
I don’t understand your question.
SHIRA
You know exactly what I am asking.
DUVI
Abortion?
SHIRA
I hate how that word sounds. Abortion. So evil sounding.
DUVI
Because it is.
SHIRA
No, it’s – I don’t know. I don’t know. In principal I think yes, yes, HaShem gave me the ability to conceive, whereas He leaves others barren. So I should remember that life is a miracle, and it would be a slap in Hashem’s face, to take away that life, metaphorically, obviously god doesn’t have a face.
DUVI
You’re right. It would be.
SHIRA
But now I don’t know.
DUVI
Shira, it says in the Torah that killing is a sin. It’s one of the Ten Commandments, this isn’t like the blurry line of when you can eat dairy after eating meat. This isn’t a question of kosher, it’s a question of a life.
SHIRA
Right. My life.
DUVI
Your life. My life. The baby’s life.
SHIRA
So, what if you’re raped?
DUVI
Me?
SHIRA
It’s possible. But I mean me, a woman. What if a woman is raped? Should she keep the baby?
DUVI
Shira we have to thank Hashem for not being in those circumstances. This is you and me here, this is husband and wife. The holiest of unions.
SHIRA
No. Tell me. We’ve never talked about this stuff, and I want to know what you think.
DUVI
It’s not something you bring up on a first date. Let alone on any date. It’s like discussing politics or money on a date. You leave that stuff ‘til marriage.
SHIRA
Duvi!
DUVI
I’ve never thought about it.
SHIRA
Honestly?
DUVI
Honestly! And if I had to right now, I think that I’d say that the same ruling is in affect. Hashem gave you the baby, the ability to carry it, so you should and raise it right. If the man’s not Jewish, then maybe that’s a different story.
SHIRA
Duvi-
DUVI
Ask a Rabbi.
SHIRA
Why? Why do we have to wait for the Rabbi’s approval? If the Rabbi let me take birth control we’d actually be controlling this situation and not, you know, stuck.
DUVI
We’re not stuck.
SHIRA
Oh? Really?
DUVI
Stuck people are the people who aren’t married to each other, but then like BOOM! She’s pregnant. Those people are stuck, because then they have to marry each other.
SHIRA
Why?
DUVI
Why what?
SHIRA
Why would they have to do anything?
DUVI
Shira, this isn’t rocket science. A baby should be raised by its mother and father.
SHIRA
I just don’t understand how everything can be so clear cut for you.
DUVI
I don’t understand why you’re questioning everything.
SHIRA
The Torah teaches us to ask questions. I am only being the best Jew I can by asking what I want to ask. It’s not my fault that all of your answers are single minded and dumb.
DUVI
Shira, who are you? One moment you’re my wife. My b’shert. The woman God put on this earth for me, and the next minute you’re some crazy liberal talking about abortion.
SHIRA
This is who I’ve always been. You just never asked.
DUVI
What are you going to tell me now? What other bomb do you wanna drop on the night we conceive our child? Do you believe in gay marriage too? Or bestiality? Or – or – or what!
SHIRA
You’re such a jerk.
DUVI
No way.
SHIRA
Yes. You’re being a complete jerk.
DUVI
You know what? I’m going to bed.
SHIRA
Fine.
DUVI
Fine. And then tomorrow I’m taking you to the doctor and we are gonna see if you’re pregnant. And if you are, we are keeping the baby. End of discussion.
SHIRA
No. No. Fine. This is the end of your discussion. But I’m not done yet.
(SHIRA digs into her robe pocket and pulls out a plastic bag with a little pill in it.)
DUVI
What’s that?
SHIRA
Plan B.
DUVI
What?
SHIRA
For a med student you’re really dumb.
DUVI
I know what Plan B is, but how did you get it?
SHIRA
I bought it.
DUVI
Did the Rabbi give you permission?
SHIRA (mimicking)
“Did the Rabbi give you permission?” Do you hear me? I don’t care. This is my body. My choice.
DUVI
Okay. Relax. Calm down. We don’t need to do anything rash tonight.
SHIRA
No. I’m not calming down. I am realizing that I married a close minded schmuck! There I said it. SCHMUCK!
DUVI
Shira please, language?
(SHIRA grunts)
Sorry. Please! How do you even know about that stuff?
SHIRA
A girl on the bus was talking about it. Said she made a stupid decision at a party and was gonna pick some up from Walgreens. And I thought, hey, that’d be a good thing to have. Incase maybe God forbid I was raped. But apparently, you think even that’s a sin. So…
DUVI
Shira. Please. That girl is a stupid girl, who probably shouldn’t be procreating in the first place. But you’re
beautiful and smart and kind and full of Torah. You’d be the perfect mother. Please.
(SHIRA grabs the glass of juice. Holding to her lips she softly recites the prayer.)
SHIRA (Hebrew prayer)
Barukh atah Adomai Elokeinu Melekh ha’olam, she’hakol nih’ye bidvaro.
(She pops the pill, and drinks. DUVI lunges towards her, but it’s too late. She swallows.)
My body. My choice.
BLACKOUT.
Cassie M. Seinuk is a Boston based playwright, Jewish, Cuban, and raised in The Five Towns, with work produced nationally including The Samuel French Off Off Broadway Festival and winner of Best Play at SWAN Day Boston. She is currently recieving her MFA in Stage and Screenwriting at Lesley University.
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