Shtisel (2013) s03e02 Episode Script

1
A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
Libbi!
"I thank you, living and enduring king,
for You have graciously returned
my soul within me."
Dad?
Dad?
-Where's Dvorah?
-Listen to me, Kive.
This is the last time
I'm dropping her off at daycare.
If you wake up at noon tomorrow,
so will your child.
Kive, you reek of alcohol.
This is unacceptable. Come on.
Okay. You're right, Dad.
No, Grandpa! It's me.
I just wanted to see if it's working.
This is no good.
Step by step, Grandpa. It takes patience.
Please remind me, in Yiddish
How many parents have called
to enroll their children so far?
None.
Good. None and?
None and nothing.
I think I might go
get myself a cup of tea.
Would you like anything?
No, thank you. I have to run home
and heat up Hanina's lunch.
Well! What did you cook for him?
Some soup, schnitzel, rice.
Simple food. That's what Hanina likes.
That's not simple.
Soup, rice, schnitzel.
What more does a Jew need?
I'll bring some back for you, Grandpa.
Chances are Hanina won't come home
and we'll eat it together.
What do you mean by it?
"Chances are Hanina won't come home"?
I cook every day.
I'm never sure whether or not he'll come.
When he gets into his studies,
he can stay there all day.
All evening, sometimes. So I eat alone.
-That's what it's like most days.
-Well, God is great.
What's there to talk about?
You are very lucky.
Husbands committed to their studies
aren't common.
Right. It's a great gift.
You go cook now.
I'll be going out soon, too.
-What about the enrollment?
-Tell you what.
If the mouse won't come to the Rabbi,
the mountain will go to Muhammad.
What?
If the parents won't call us,
we'll call them.
We'll call them
and talk to them, one by one.
Torah of Issachar Talmud Torah,
how may I help you?
Hello? Ruchami, is that you?
Zvi Aryeh.
Zvi Aryeh, right.
How are you? How's your grandpa?
-Thank God.
-How is it? How many have enrolled so far?
Zvi Aryeh, you are occupying our line.
Dad, you're there too! How are you?
That's why I'm calling,
to enroll the children.
Okay, take his information.
Okay. Zvi Aryeh?
Give me their names,
birth dates and ID numbers.
I believe you already know the names.
The birth dates
I have the Gregorian dates
written down somewhere.
I know the Hebrew dates by heart,
by the way.
As well you should.
You're their father.
You'd be surprised.
Some fathers don't remember
their kids' birthdays.
I won't mention any names,
but some people don't remember
their children's birthdays.
Just tell me what you need, Zvi Aryeh.
Candles? A cake?
A cardboard crown to wear on your head?
A birthday throne?
Just tell me what you need,
and we'll take care of it right now.
I don't need anything, Dad, thank God.
You know I think the way you brought us up
was the best way possible.
So why are you holding the line
for 30 minutes now?
-You need the dates.
-You're holding the line.
The world wants to enroll to our Cheder.
Go figure, Dudu. Good luck.
Why do 50,000 dollars
for a Balaklav sound too much,
while 90 million for a line
Newman drew makes sense?
Okay, Dudu.
Get another barter
and we'll sit down for a talk.
Get another barter. We'll talk.
It'll be okay.
See what I have to deal with?
Hello, Kauffman.
Hello, Shtisel. Have a seat.
I am sitting.
I mean, what's with the long face?
You should be happy.
See what people write about you.
Take a look at the guest book.
See how much people love your work.
Listen, Kauffman, I'm here to
I want to cancel
the sale of the paintings.
Give them their money back and just
It was a mistake, that's all.
An indecisive artist on our hands.
What a surprise.
Please, Kauffman. Just cancel it.
Here, there's the money.
I haven't touched it or anything.
Shtisel, it's too late now.
What do you mean?
Did he already take her?
He took it and two other pieces.
Rightfully so, I think.
No. I won't have it!
Shtisel, relax. Breathe, sit down.
Have some water.
I am sitting, Kauffman, and I'm calm.
Please, just help me out here.
I made a mistake.
I shouldn't have sold her.
Shtisel, I feel for you, I do,
but a sale has been made.
Those three paintings
aren't yours or mine anymore.
They are still your work,
but they belong to someone.
You need to understand that.
Honestly, I think it's for the best.
You've gotten a nice sum
for those paintings.
Here, make a new life for yourself.
Who is the buyer? I'll go see him myself.
You can't go see him.
That's not how it works.
Listen to me.
I don't know what I'm supposed to do.
Should I threaten you? Beg you?
I don't know, but I'll do what it takes.
I'll do what I must to get my wife back.
The paintings of my wife.
Here, Shtisel.
But please, be polite. Be a gentleman.
Be a mensch.
Wife?
Are you here?
I was just about to give up.
I thought you wouldn't come.
Wouldn't come?
Today?
On our anniversary?
I can't believe I forgot.
Can you believe it's been five years?
Five years.
-Blessed be God.
-Blessed be God.
Come on, it's cold.
I'll heat it up for you.
No, that's okay. Let's eat.
It's warm. It's still steaming, look.
I'll heat it up a bit more.
Wait, Ruchami.
This is for you.
I hope the writing isn't too small.
"At the Well's Mouth.
A new exegesis for the love
of Jacob and Rachel
and the removal of the heavy stone,
following the Maharasha's teachings
regarding the clearing of the pile."
It's a new thought that suddenly
came upon me in the morning.
On my way to the Kollel.
Thank you.
Sit down, Hanina. Let's eat.
I thought you'd be more excited about it.
I am excited.
Okay.
You know
Maybe there was a reason
I forgot our anniversary.
I've been trying to ignore the fact
it's been so long and we still
And I still love you.
As much as I did the first time I saw you.
Right.
That, too.
We don't contemplate the ways
of the Almighty, Ruchami.
"I will give within my temple
and its walls a memorial and a name"
Enough with that verse!
Ruchami, these new Torah thoughts
are not simple.
We must be thankful
for these blessings we receive.
Have you asked Rabbi Soloveichik yet?
I know the Halakha, Ruchami.
It's forbidden.
There's nothing to ask.
Akiva Shtisel?
What?
-Yes, hello.
-Nice to meet you, I'm Racheli.
Racheli.
Racheli?
So you're the one who
-I thought
-What?
Never mind.
Hello. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you.
Hey, how are you?
Would you like to order anything?
-Akiva?
-Nothing.
Nothing for him.
I'll have my usual. Thank you.
So you're the
You're the collector?
I am, sort of.
I manage an art trust fund.
I'm not sure I understand.
You choose the paintings
the trust fund buys?
That's right.
But I I need to talk to the owner.
No offense, of course.
I appreciate that you agreed to see me,
but I must talk
to the owner of the paintings.
It's the Warburgs' family trust.
I'm Racheli Warburg. Nice to meet you.
Warburg. Right.
Sorry.
If I may, let me cut to the chase.
This is actually the reason
I asked for this meeting.
It's not that complicated.
I want to cancel the sale.
That's all.
Cancel what?
The sale of my three paintings.
First of all, I must say I'm grateful
for the interest you and your trust,
your family's trust,
have shown in my art,
but there's been a misunderstanding.
I don't want to sell them.
Here's your money. I just need
I want to cancel
I want my paintings back.
Here.
Want to have a drink after all?
No, I just want this
to be done with and
Thank you.
Look, Akiva.
I obviously appreciate you as an artist.
But understand, the reason
I put all that time and money in it,
both in entirely unusual amounts
for a budding artist of your caliber,
is simple.
I think it's a good investment.
I estimate that the value of those works
will increase significantly.
So I'll pay you more.
I'll pay you more than you paid for them.
You don't get it.
We have more than enough money, thank God.
We need more good paintings.
So I'll get you good paintings,
other good paintings.
That's an option worth discussing.
So let's discuss it.
I'll give you as many as you like.
Just give me back my wife
Give me my paintings back.
The three paintings of my wife.
Three.
Three for three.
They must be just as good.
Of course.
So it's a deal?
It's a deal.
Hello.
Hello, Professor Mishnayot.
Thank you for seeing me
on such short notice.
How are you? How is your husband?
It's been a while since I've seen you.
True.
And thank God, all is well.
Almost all.
Good. So what can I do for you?
I want you to remove my IUD.
Remove it?
We've decided we want
to get pregnant, God willing.
We've given it some thought
and decided that's what we want.
Mrs. Tonik, we've talked about it
more than once.
Childbirth is a considerable risk for you.
It's literally life-threatening.
Like I said, we've given it some thought.
We are religious Jews, Professor.
That's our decision.
Look.
It's too late in the day
for such a procedure anyhow.
And there are many other
patients waiting, so let's do this,
make another appointment
with Varda for next week.
We'll do what needs to be done, okay?
Careful, sweetie.
Write this down, sweetie,
"Painting number 1."
"Yossi son of Yoezer, man of Zrida,
and Yossi son of Yohanan,
man of Jerusalem,
have concluded unholiness"
Jose ben Yoezer of Zeredah
and Jose ben Jochanan of Jerusalem
Hello.
Yes?
Hello, Professor Mishnayot.
Can I call you back?
An emergency?
Yes, I'm listening.
So what you're saying is,
there is a chance
she will bear a child,
but we must fear it will pose danger.
Not just any danger.
A grave danger, according to the doctors.
Due to the way her tools,
her bodily tools, her body
It might kill her.
Conception. Childbirth, mostly.
On the other hand,
preventing her from getting pregnant
is dangerous too.
What do you mean by that?
I know my wife, Yeshiva Head.
How shall I put this?
I worry that she'd try
to get pregnant anyway,
which will be a grave danger,
both for her and for the child.
"Or else, I die."
A grave danger if she does,
a grave danger if she doesn't.
"Deep calls unto deep."
Deep calls unto deep,
unto deep forevermore.
So what's the solution?
Maybe this might be the solution.
I need Torah guidance, Yeshiva Head.
Yes.
My wife wants
She wants us to look into
Into
Into surrogacy.
Surrogacy.
From what I gather, it cannot be allowed,
but I wanted to ask
the Yeshiva Head for guidance.
Perhaps at a time of great need,
when it's a matter of life and death?
Ideally, most rabbinic authority states
that having a child by surrogacy
is by no means legitimate.
The question is, are you now
in an ideal or non-ideal situation?
No, Yeshiva Head.
We are in a non-ideal situation.
Very much non-ideal.
Yes. Very much non-ideal.
Listen, Hanina.
In your current position
the Torah does not exist outside of you.
It is your flesh and blood.
Therefore, any decision you will make
will be in itself Torah guidance.
EFRAIM
-Hello?
-You're welcome.
This is Rabbi Shulem Shtisel.
Rabbi Shtisel! How are you doing?
Can't complain.
Look, I'm calling to offer
to enroll your righteous son
Efraim Fischel, to our brand new
Talmud Torah we are starting.
-We are
-Good.
Our secretary will call you
with the details later today.
Rabbi Shtisel, quite honestly,
it's just that we are
Efraim Fischel is used to the old Cheder.
All of his friends go there.
That's great.
All of them will be joining us as well.
I don't know.
If his friends enroll,
we'll consider it too.
That's what they all say.
I'm sorry, Rabbi Shtisel.
We must keep this brief.
It's my wife.
Very well.
Your wife comes first, naturally.
All the best.
INCOMING CALL: WEINBACH, PTA
INCOMING CALL: RESTRICTED
Hello?
Rabbi Shulem?
Certainly. To whom do I owe the pleasure?
It's me, Rabbi Shulem.
Don't tell me
this is Weinbach or anything.
It's Weinbach,
what do you mean, "or anything"?
What do I mean? I mean that even you
are ashamed of who you are.
You're calling me
from a restricted number.
Because you're screening my calls.
-Just say what you have to say.
-I'm calling to warn you.
I heard you and your granddaughter
have started calling students' parents
trying to get them to join your Cheder.
The PTA frowns upon it.
-Stop this or we'll go and issue
-All the best, Weinbach.
I think I'll have some tea
and a pecan tart, please.
What about you?
Coffee, tea.
It doesn't really matter, actually.
What's important
is that we are here together, talking.
Make it coffee.
What did you want to talk about?
Actually, I had an idea.
We could have
this Hebrew poetry section at the Cheder.
A section? What are you talking about?
At the Cheder,
a memorial section for Issachar.
Certainly, yes.
But what do you mean by poetry?
We could put up a different poem
every once in a while.
Maybe with an image next to it,
some written information.
Issachar loved poetry.
He had a particular liking
for Alterman and Halfi.
That's a nice idea.
Maybe not with those guys you mentioned,
but certainly,
the People of Israel have many bards.
King David, Ibn Ezra,
Rabbi Yom Tov Ehrlich.
Have you heard of Rabbi Yom Tov Ehrlich?
Is he a poet?
Maybe not a poet,
but he is a wonderful bard.
He was one of the first to warn
about this whole technology business,
long before the Internet
and all that mess.
Interesting.
But Nechama,
why are we sitting here talking
about Rabbi Yom Tov Ehrlich and Alterman,
and Issachar and all of those Jews
who have moved on to selling bagels.
Let's talk about us,
about ourselves, the two of us.
Shulem Shtisel and Nechama Yoktan.
What would you like to talk about?
Thank you.
You know
It's been seven years
since my dear wife Dvorah,
rest her soul, had passed on.
I thought to myself,
"Shulem, maybe it's time
for you to move on.
Maybe it's time
that you found yourself a new wife,
make a new life for yourself."
And here we are, sitting here together.
What is there to say?
-I agree. I absolutely agree.
-I'm glad to hear that.
"Blessed are you, Lord our God."
-What are you glad to hear?
-That you are lovely.
-Lovely? Thank you.
-I mean, that you agree.
That you agree, you are lovely.
You're certainly lovely.
But Nechama, help me understand
if we are on the same page here.
We are sitting here together and all,
but why are we sitting here together?
To talk, right?
Right. To talk about what?
About the Cheder, right?
We already talked about that.
And we will again.
The Cheder will be fine, God willing.
But we are here to talk about us.
The two of us, like I said.
Shulem Shtisel and Nechama Yoktan.
What do you mean?
I am considering, as they say,
to be in touch with you, Nechama.
If you'd be interested.
I'm sorry, Shulem.
I didn't realize that's what you meant.
It's okay. It's fine.
I'm sorry, Shulem.
You are a very special Jew,
and I'm very glad I met you,
but I only ever loved one man
in my life, Issachar.
I don't think there's room
in my heart for anyone else.
-Shulem?
-It's okay.
Praise God. What is there to talk about?
Come here, I want to pay.
All the best, Nechama.
There's no need to run off.
God forbid.
Everything is fine.
All the best to you. Praise God.
Shulem.
What's this? October's paycheck?
It's a ruling saying
you can't steal away our students.
It's trespassing.
Fax it to me.
I only accept correspondence by fax.
All the best, Weinbach.
If you don't stop it,
we'll issue a siruv against you.
We'll say that you are breaking
the law and trespassing.
You're a trespasser!
Trespasser?
You brat!
Do you think I'm some Modern Orthodox
lottery ticket salesman?
Answer me, Weinbach!
Do I look like a poor Modern Orthodox
lottery ticket salesman to you?
I am a Cheder headmaster.
A Cheder headmaster!
You will speak to me with respect!
Do you hear me?
I gave my heart to the Cheder!
My heart and my spleen, and my lungs,
smoke-filled as they are!
I gave both of my black lungs
to that Cheder!
If I trespass,
I only trespass on my own property.
Rabbi Hazkel, how many times
have I ever asked you for anything?
I'm only asking that you ask your sons
that they enroll their children
to the new Cheder for a trial period.
Suit yourself.
All the best.
I didn't think it would be this hard.
Still, you have 11 children enrolled.
It's not enough to start a Cheder, but
it's something.
There is no despair.
I'm not so sure it's true
that there is no despair.
It isn't written anywhere.
It's a Breslov invention or something.
What's more, a lot of the world's problems
would have been solved
if people despaired a bit more.
Or not. I don't know.
I don't know anything anymore.
Shame on you!
What's that yelling?
-Shame on you!
-Shame on you, Shtisel!
Come here. It's a protest.
Against whom? The clouds?
-Against you, I think.
-What?
-Rebellious Elder!
-Kirshenbaum.
Rebellious Elder!
"Rebellious Elder"?
Have they lost their minds?
They're being rebellious themselves.
-Half of them were your students.
-Forget about it.
A thousand wise men can't produce
what one idiot spits
into the well from which he drank.
Just so you'd know,
this doesn't affect me or sway me.
I'm sending my children to your Cheder,
no matter what happens.
I'm not so sure
anything will happen anymore.
-I'll shout back, they should be ashamed.
-Forget about them.
Let them shout at the walls.
That will drive them crazy
more than anything.
Don't you know what people are like?
They always want what they cannot have.
It's a well-known fact.
Meaning?
That when a man can't get someone,
I mean, something
He wants her much more.
Do you understand?
Interesting. That's right.
Tell me, Zvi Aryeh,
you are a very good singer.
How's your "actating"?
Can you act, too?
Shame on you, Shtisel!
Shame on you
for what you did at our Cheder!
Shame on you, Shtisel!
Shtisel, shame on you!
-Shame on you!
-Shtisel, shame on you!
Shame on you, Shtisel!
What are you talking about?
You are a Shtisel!
And I am ashamed.
I'll tell you something
you'll never believe, Galinski.
I tried to enroll
my children to the new Cheder.
My father wanted my children
to take an entrance exam.
His own grandchildren.
That's not all, he gave them the test.
-And then what?
-What?
-He said he can't accept them.
-Why not?
Because the new Cheder
is only for aces, not the mediocre.
Let me ask you this.
A man calls his grandchildren,
his own flesh and blood, mediocre.
Can a man like that manage a Cheder?
Shame on you, Shtisel!
Shame on you, Shtisel!
Shame on you, Shtisel!
Shame on you, Shtisel!
You protest against your own father?
I'll tell you something
you'll never believe, Kurzveil.
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov used to say
There is no despair
There is no despair, never despair
There is only joy
Hanina, what are you doing here
at this time of day?
I came to get you. We need to go.
Go where?
We have an appointment, but we must hurry.
Won't you tell me what it is?
I'm not sure I understand it myself.
What?
That's it.
We're here to guide and help,
both practically and mentally,
which can be just as complicated.
Could you please tell my wife
about what we talked about on the phone?
About the discrete option?
Of course.
Your surrogate will sign an NDA.
She cannot tell anyone
who the pregnancy belongs to.
It's protected by financial guarantees.
It goes without saying
that we maintain complete discretion.
Right.
I meant the thing with the pillows
Of course. Right.
It's best to just let you
see for yourselves.
Is that what I think it is?
No one needs to know
you didn't give birth to the child.
Wear the pillows, and to the world,
you'll be pregnant.
No one needs to know anything.
Just you, me, and the people
here at the foundation.
And when it's time,
we'll go to the hospital.
The surrogate will be there, too.
We'll go to the hospital for the birth
and leave with a baby.
Our baby.
Your husband described it beautifully.
And if you wish,
we can start looking for the right
surrogate for you as early as today.
We can even make an appointment
for the extraction of eggs and sperm.
The only thing left
is the financial aspect.
I already told your husband,
this will be expensive.
-How expensive?
-It doesn't matter.
As long as we start the process.
Thank you.
Thank you, and I'm so sorry.
I don't know what came over me.
I'm sorry.
This next question is for you, Averimaleh.
It's a tricky question,
so count to four before you answer.
-Okay?
-Okay.
Here it is.
"Nun" is not only a letter.
It is also someone's name. Whose?
One, two, three, four
Joshua's father, Joshua son of Nun.
Good. Very good, certainly.
Rabbi Galinski,
your children are very talented.
This is the sort I want in my Cheder.
Well done.
Good. Good for you.
Next.
Come on. Good.
Farewell.
Yes, come on in.
Excuse me.
Rabbi Shulem, we need to talk.
With pleasure, Weinbach.
Find your place in line.
-Hello, Akiva.
-Hello.
Come on in.
Is that an original Guttman?
Very good.
Is that a Levitan?
Yes.
An original, too?
Let's not go too far, it's a reproduction.
Do you like Levitan?
-And who's this in the stroller?
-That's Dvorah.
-I'm sorry.
-No.
I'm sorry.
I should teach her some manners.
There. Yeah.
-Right.
-Shh That's it.
-What do you have for me?
-Paintings.
Three of them, as agreed.
I'm curious to see them.
Well
They're yours.
Enjoy.
I'll take these.
Wait a minute.
Hold on.
May I tell you a joke, Akiva?
A joke?
-Now?
-It goes like this.
A man tells a circus manager,
"I want to work for you."
The manager says,
"What can you do?"
The man says,
"I can impersonate a bird.
I can do a bird impersonation."
The manager is unimpressed.
He says he's not interested,
anyone can impersonate a bird.
The man doesn't argue,
he just opens the window, and flies away.
It's nice. Very nice.
Every artist has works
that are a bird impersonation.
And they also have those rare pieces
where they actually fly.
When you fly, you fly.
I don't understand
what you're trying to say.
I think you do.
We had an agreement.
We had an agreement.
I intend to leave
with my wife's paintings.
I'm sorry, Akiva.
You didn't hold your end of the deal.
Do you realize these are
private paintings of my late wife?
I think we're done here.
Please take the paintings
you brought with you.
If you have anything new,
something good, I'd love to see it.
Now I know why my baby
was alarmed by you.
She could see right through you
straight away.
See right through me?
You are a cold person, with a cold heart.
Do you think buying paintings
makes you creative?
I'm sorry, it doesn't.
I don't even know you
and I can tell you're lonely.
I can imagine why, too.
Promise me that these paintings
you brought here today
have even an ounce of the intent,
heart and talent that the other ones have.
Of your wife.
Hello, my baby girl, my beautiful,
sweet, beloved little girl,
whom I love more than anything.
Where are you?
Maybe at the Soul Trove?
Somewhere up there,
waiting to descend here?
Where are you?
Tell me, and I shall cross every sea
and every desert to get to you.
Every night of pain and disappointment.
I am lonely, my beautiful girl.
Until you get here, I am very lonely.
-Hello?
-Miss Yoktan, good evening.
I apologize for calling so late.
That's not the only thing
I have to apologize for.
I'd also like to apologize for last night.
It's okay, Shulem.
Feelings can be misleading.
-It was a misunderstanding, that's all.
-Certainly, yes.
I'm actually calling
to tell you
that things have come to pass,
and I've reached an arrangement
with the Cheder PTA.
I'll be staying on
as Headmaster after all.
I won't be starting a new Talmud Torah.
You don't say.
-So that's good news, isn't it?
-Yes. Very good news.
So I think this is where we part ways.
Miss Yoktan, I really do wish you
the best of luck in life.
Wait a minute.
Is that it?
What about my donation?
Issachar's memorial?
God willing, Miss Yoktan,
we'll talk with ease and find a way.
I apologize for the inconvenience again.
Like you said, feelings can be
a strange thing and so on.
We'll be in touch.
Okay. Good night, Shulem.
Good night, Miss Yoktan.
Sometimes I feel like
there is a hole pierced inside of me.
This dark black hole.
A very beautiful hole.
And how can a black hole
be so beautiful, you ask?
It's simple.
This hole inside of me
is shaped like you, my girl.
My sweet baby girl.
My most beloved little girl.
LETTERS TO THE DAUGHTER
I WILL NEVER GIVE BIRTH TO
LETTER NUMBER ONE:
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL GIRL