The Weight of Ink

The narrative resumes in February 1665. A new rabbi, Rabbi Sasportas, has gained influence within the London Jewish community and urges his followers to be more conservative and severe. Rabbi Mendes is less influential, but Ester urges him to consider exploring whether he can publish some of his teachings as a book. One day, Ester also asks Rabbi Mendes about Spinoza, who studied with him in Amsterdam before being excommunicated for his heretical beliefs. Rabbi Mendes expresses his admiration for Spinoza’s intelligence, and his regret that he was unable to find a way for the Jewish community in Amsterdam to accept Spinoza. Rabbi Mendes also admits that he sometimes wishes he could correspond with Spinoza again.

Ester secretly writes to a rabbi in Amsterdam, asking for confirmation as to whether it is completely forbidden for anyone to correspond with Spinoza. She tells herself that she does so in order to potentially help Rabbi Mendes, but she also secretly fantasizes about the many philosophical and theological questions she would like to debate with Spinoza herself.

Shortly afterward, Rabbi Mendes confronts Ester: He has learned that there is a potential offer of marriage for Ester, despite her attempt to hide this information from him.