Nathan finished the meal. Eleven friends sat around him at his Seder table, completing the twelve tribes of Israel with him. Everyone was chatting. The Haggadah reading had gone smoothly, half in Hebrew, half in English. Dreidel, our dog, behaved well. The afikoman was under the toaster, being searched for by the kids. I took a moment to praise Nathan for the wonderful meal.

“It went OK, David. We should offer the next cup to Elijah.”

As Nathan turned to fill the cup in front of the empty chair, a young man sat there with a commanding presence, a lean, resilient build, deep-set, thoughtful eyes, and dark, wind-touched hair framing a face marked by both weariness and calm confidence. His movements as he took the cup from Nathan were gentle and deliberate, showing humility and quiet authority. Nathan was surprised, but everyone around the table kept talking, completely ignoring the figure who had just joined.

“I........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)