1
GET GET THE TRIAL OF VIVIANE AMSALEM
I'm sad to say, Your Honor,
that the husband, Elisha Amsalem,
has refused to come to court
and to cooperate.
We don't even know his position
on my client's request
for a divorce.
She filed three years ago
and hasn't lived at home since.
For three years her husband
has kept silent
except once, when he visited her
after her brother's death.
What did he say then?
He asked her to come home.
- What was her response?
- She asked him for a divorce.
Mr. Amsalem,
don't you have an advocate?
No, Your Honor.
Would you like to grant her
a divorce?
No, Your Honor.
This woman has not lived at home
for three years.
Yes, Your Honor.
- Are you willing to take her back?
- Yes, Your Honor.
Do you suspect her of adultery?
- I can't hear you, sir.
- No, Honorable Rabbi.
- Your Honor...
- Silence, please.
Are you sure about this?
Yes, Your Honor.
Why don't you want to grant
this woman a divorce?
Viviane, come home, I beg you.
There's nothing out there...
We speak Hebrew in this court.
We must understand!
Come, let's forgive and forget.
The kids want you back, too.
Come home, Viviane.
We'll start all over.
She seems faithful.
She doesn't want him anymore.
Translate, don't interpret.
The children want her back.
Have all the kids left home?
All but the youngest,
who lives with his father.
And his mother abandoned him.
She sees him every day
and cooks him meals,
which her sister-in-law brings
when the father's not home.
And who takes care of this woman?
My client lives with her brother
and his wife as well as her sister...
They can all attest to her decency.
How has your client supported herself
since she left home?
My client has had a profession,
for over 20 years now.
She's a hairdresser.
Has her husband supported her
since she left home?
No, my client has supported herself,
and her children, by herself.
- So she's demanding alimony?
- No.
- So what does she want?
- A divorce.
Your Honors, she wants a divorce.
Mr. Amsalem, why are you refusing?
Your Honor, as you can see...
Quiet, please!
The question wasn't addressed to you.
Mr. Amsalem, answer the question.
Never, Viviane.
Never, Viviane.
Did the husband beat his wife
or treat her violently?
It depends on
what you mean by violence.
If you mean physical violence,
he didn't harm her.
He didn't harm her.
Did he provide for all her needs?
- That's debatable.
- Don't be smart.
Did he provide her with money, food?
My client lives separately.
Does the husband fool around?
Commit adultery?
No, Your Honor.
Does the husband have a deformation
that repels the woman?
No, Your Honor.
Did the husband threaten
his wife in any way?
Is the woman's life in danger somehow?
As I said, he hasn't spoken
with her for three years now.
For better or worse.
They haven't spoken for three years?
She won't speak to me,
I want to speak with her.
- So what are the grounds for divorce?
- She doesn't love him anymore.
- No grounds for divorce.
- They don't live together.
Rabbi De Medina ruled:
That 18 months apart
are grounds for divorce.
- There are grounds.
- No grounds.
That's an opinion, not a ruling.
Rule for "Reconciliation."
Sir,
are you willing to take
this woman back
and give her another chance
to be a faithful wife and mother?
Yes, Your Honor.
I'm not going back.
I'm not going back.
We'll see about that.
He said, "We'll see about that."
Viviane Amsalem,
for three years
you've lived away from home,
and he wants you back.
I suggest you go home.
Please, try your very best
to save your marriage and family,
and with God's help,
we won't see you here again.
This hearing is adjourned.
Haim, see the couple out, please.
Advocate Carmel Ben Tovim,
next time wear a skullcap.
What's the next case?
SIX MONTHS LATER
Come here, please.
Come in.
Come in.
Bring the husband in, too.
- He's late.
- We've no time to waste.
Let the next couple in
and you two wait outside.
We fear that my client's husband
won't come.
Then why did you come?
Two days ago,
the husband said he'd come.
But later that day,
he decided not to.
The next day, he said he'd come
and then cancelled again.
Impossible to predict.
Why did you come
if the husband said he wouldn't?
My client thought
he was just threatening.
We'll wait a few minutes,
perhaps he'll come.
Wait outside, please.
Thank you.
Did your client
return to her husband?
- Yes. For three months.
- And?
She had to leave home.
Had to? The Head of the Court
recommended six months.
He wouldn't speak,
so she decided to leave.
What do you mean, "decided"?
It doesn't matter,
Your Honor, she left.
That's why the husband
decided not to come.
Do you support
the husband's actions?
We'll wait a few minutes.
Your Honor, it's a trick.
There'll be no hearing without him.
That's enough for today.
Haim, bring in the next couple.
TWO MONTHS LATER
He won't come.
Let's wait.
We've been waiting
for an hour and a half.
What can we do?
Carmel, your shirt...
Tuck it in.
Okay?
Adva and Shmulik Sade,
please come in.
- Haim. If I may...
- No, not yet.
Put on a skullcap, please.
Your Honor,
we're waiting for the husband and...
Let's go.
Let's wait a little longer.
What time is it?
Almost 10:00.
Normally, when a person is
summoned to court, he appears.
THREE MONTHS LATER
In respect of my client's rights,
impose sanctions on the husband!
Since the law favors a husband's will
over a wife's wishes,
at least he could show up!
What are you angry about?
We summoned him.
What else can we do?
Everything in your power.
Who is here on his behalf?
Speak up!
Hello, Viviane.
I'm the husband's messenger.
Why didn't he bother
to come himself?
I don't know, Your Honor.
What do you have to say?
Your Honor, the husband asked me
to tell you that
he will not appear in court
until his wife comes home.
I'm not going back.
I'll have you removed.
In my court you speak
when spoken to.
I'm not going back again.
Look, good woman,
return for the period
I recommend.
Your Honor,
what is this disgrace?
Calm down, you.
You know we can't force
the husband at this stage.
You're bending my client's will.
Does it bother you
that she returns of her own free will?
Her own free will?
Your Honor!
Madam, help me and I'll help you.
Return to your home,
and if you cannot reach an accord,
I give you my word,
before these witnesses,
I will force him to appear in court,
like it or not.
The husband wants reconciliation,
and so do we. She must go home.
This hearing is adjourned.
Carmel Ben Tovim, you listen...
FIVE MONTHS LATER
You keep shouting.
Don't raise your voice...
It's a religious court.
Don't show contempt!
- I'm not.
- You're shouting and...
You're in contempt
and you're shouting.
You won't even give me
15 minutes.
Gentlemen, we can't communicate
with screams and shouts.
Pardon me, Your Honor.
My client fulfilled
her husband's conditions
and he doesn't do his part!
But they live together now?
- Yes, as requested.
- Then what's wrong?
Everything is wrong,
that's why we're here.
Why are you fanning the flames again?
The husband's behavior is infuriating.
How long must my client wait?
Look, I stand by my word,
although I repeat:
I cannot force him to appear.
Why not, Your Honor?
His refusal to answer your summons
constitutes valid grounds.
- What are you waiting for?
- You're out of order, Carmel.
I will do so
because this poor woman
fulfilled her obligations
to me and to her husband.
If the husband doesn't appear
at the next hearing,
in three months...
Three months, Your Honor!
Three months?
Carmel, shut up!
You're annoying me!
If the husband doesn't appear
at the next hearing,
three months from today,
I will take exception
with the law
and suspend
his driver's license for a year.
Really?
He doesn't have one.
He doesn't have one.
No license?
I see.
- Was it revoked?
- No, he never had one.
His credit cards will be blocked.
He doesn't use credit cards.
His bank account will be blocked.
A joint account?
Even if they're separated?
My client deposits her salary
into their account.
They're still paying off
their mortgage.
How many years are left?
11 years.
You want us
to threaten him with jail?!
Precisely, Your Honor.
He wants reconciliation,
it's she who refuses, not him.
Bring him here,
and we'll try to appeal to him.
He won't appear,
the last four hearings are proof!
What's going to change?
Your Honor...
Just a minute.
Let me hear her now.
Your Honors,
I upheld my side of the bargain.
Make him appear.
You, as promised.
Haim, bring the lady some water.
I don't want water.
You promised, Your Honor.
Let's not mince words.
I'll do all I can to make him appear.
THREE MONTHS LATER - A YEAR
AND A HALF SINCE THE TRIAL BEGAN
Welcome, sir.
Thank you, Your Honor.
We've waited for you a long time.
Your refusal to appear
shows contempt for this court
and wastes our precious time.
Fulfill this court's orders
or we will harden our hearts.
Understood?
Yes, Your Honor.
Have you any regrets?
Yes, Your Honor.
What have you come to tell us?
Your wife fulfilled your every wish,
yet your marriage
is not working.
Have you made up your mind?
Will you grant this woman
a divorce?
No, Your Honor.
- You won't grant her a divorce?
- No.
Then why are you here?
To say no?
Yes.
Do you realize
that if you continue to refuse
I can force you
to grant her a divorce?
On what grounds, Your Honor?
On what grounds?
Yes, on what grounds?
After driving your wife crazy,
you want to drive us crazy too?
Your Honor,
we can't live together.
We aren't compatible.
Be quiet!
No court in the world can oblige
this woman to live with that man.
Do you hear?
She doesn't want to live with you.
It's my punishment.
It's in His hands.
If you see her as your punishment,
grant her a divorce
and free yourself, too.
No, Your Honor.
I don't want to live with him.
I don't want to.
Listen, in 15 days you will
bring witnesses before me.
If they don't provide me with cause,
you will be sent home
to work it out!
I need grounds!
- I can't talk right now.
- Goodbye, Your Honors.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Hello, Carmel.
Hello.
It's been a long time.
- Is Elisha here?
- Yes, he's in the restroom.
If we keep this gracious,
it'll be all right.
How's your mother?
She's fine, thanks.
Your father was...
What a prodigy.
He always knew...
Knew what?
He knew a lot...
A lot of things.
Yes.
He knew many things.
Amsalem?
The husband.
Leave it to me, don't talk.
Didn't we say
that you'd bring witnesses?
Your Honor.
We couldn't gather them,
people work, they're busy.
I'm here on behalf
of my brother,
and may my sister-in-law
pardon me,
I have no intention to slander.
Your qualities are well-known,
Rabbi Shimon. Speak.
This is my brother,
ten years my junior.
Back in Morocco, he was
a respected and admired man.
Your Honor,
we are a family of scholars,
people of the Book.
And in my humble opinion,
perhaps the couple's incompatibility
stems from the inability
of my sister-in-law, Viviane,
to run a kosher home
and observe Jewish law,
as my brother would like.
If she'd only follow the laws,
as my brother wishes,
he would give her the world.
And yet you demand
that this man grants her a divorce?
What for?
What for?
Your brother didn't appear in court
when summoned
and he forced us to be
heavy-handed with him.
What do you ask this man to do?
To renounce his Torah?
She doesn't allow him
to wear a skullcap outside.
And that hurts my brother.
He wishes to return to his roots.
Which should he choose:
His religion and faith or his wife?
He refuses to give up either,
which is commendable.
It's a serious problem.
That's my opinion.
Do you think that herein lies
both the problem and the solution?
The beginning of a solution,
Your Honor.
I won't bad-mouth this woman,
but my brother too,
suffered from his wife's wrath.
And kept silent.
Your Honor, if I may...
What does observance
have to do with incompatibility?
Carmel, your late father...
My father has nothing to do with this,
please leave him out of it.
How can we not mention and praise
Rabbi Sasson Ben Tovim,
venerable as he was,
when his son stands before us?
Not before you, Shimon.
Your father was a guiding light
to many good men.
Many good men.
I'm not standing before you.
We're standing before
these honorable Rabbis
to find a solution for this couple.
True.
My client is a secular woman.
And when they married?
When they got engaged she was 15,
and came from a religious family, too.
But she knew she was marrying
into a renowned rabbinic family.
Her family is just
as respectable as his.
Thank God.
I'm certain that for another man
my client would even wear a wig.
If she left religion,
it's because of him.
Because of him!
He and his deeds
ruined religion for her.
Carmel, be brief.
We have no need for theories,
just facts.
It's a fact.
What did he do, God forbid,
to make her hate her faith?
Why doesn't the husband
have a driver's license?
- Driving can desecrate the Sabbath.
- Not on a weekday.
My brother is afraid
that if he had one
his wife would make him
desecrate the Sabbath.
Many God-fearing Jews
have driver's licenses.
My brother never had great eyesight,
which is another reason
to avoid driving.
We are men of Torah, why "excuses"?
- Excuses...
- Why excuses?
Excuses are a dime a dozen,
Shimon, my friend.
What does this court prefer,
observance or domestic harmony?
Without witnesses,
we won't continue.
Why? Even with 10 witnesses,
no grounds will be found.
This hearing is now adjourned.
A notice will be mailed to you, go.
You're wasting the court's time.
Excuse me.
After you.
We don't want witnesses either.
TWO MONTHS LATER
They're both stubborn.
I can't force him
to grant her a divorce.
And I can't force her to return,
I'm sorry to say.
Therefore, I summoned witnesses.
This isn't a murder trial,
this woman wants a divorce.
Who's to say what happens
behind closed doors,
you're trying to read
their thoughts.
Don't doubt our abilities,
granted by both Heaven and Earth.
This woman's truth is hers alone.
My client made up her mind
30 years ago.
So why didn't she ask
for a divorce 30 years ago?
She was very young
and she lacked the means,
both physical and emotional.
The court should not
dishonor this woman.
Let Rabbi Solomon decide what to do.
We've waited for his ruling
for years now
but he's taking his time.
- Is His Honor afraid to rule?
- One more insult and we're done.
Rabbi Solomon has
the ability to rule
on the most complex cases.
I have a question.
Are you married?
Do you have a family?
No, Your Honor.
The truth comes out.
Why not?
Do you have a defect?
I'm not on trial, Your Honor.
Everyone is on trial.
Every man's life is on trial.
Yours is worth the same
as that of your client, the defendant,
and every witness who appears here.
True.
We are all witnesses,
all of us, Your Honor.
Without witnesses, we won't continue.
Haim, please bring the witness in.
So?
Let's go.
Your name?
Emil Amzaleg,
son of Shmuel and Rachel,
Viviane Amsalem's eldest brother.
Do you know the Amsalem couple well?
Of course, Your Honor.
She's my sister.
I know her well.
She's a good wife
and a wonderful mother.
The truth is, Your Honor,
as far as I know, she's done
everything she could
to stay with this man...
Elisha, whom we love and respect.
He's a wise man...
A good man.
But the truth is, Your Honor...
they just don't get along.
We tried to talk to them,
to settle matters between them,
but...
it never worked.
All in all, we like him a lot.
When they married,
we were glad.
What's that look?
Isn't it true?
Don't interrupt the witness.
Believe me, Your Honor,
we always said,
"What do you want?"
Elisha is a good man. Where will
you find another husband like him?
He gives you his salary,
he helps around the house,
he doesn't throw away money,
he doesn't fool around,
he doesn't gamble,
not on cards nor on the lottery,
he doesn't beat you,
"Sister, it's in your hands."
He always agreed
with her decisions.
He comes to our home,
and honors us on holidays,
and treats us to his beautiful voice.
When he sings in synagogue
even the birds stop to listen!
That's it, everyone will tell you,
he's the perfect man.
What are you trying to say?
I think, Your Honor,
that my sister,
as much as I love her,
is hard-headed, stubborn.
We've tried to talk to her,
to no end.
I told him time and time again,
"Elisha, you have a problem."
A woman needs a strong hand.
"A woman needs boundaries."
But he...
It's not his way.
I, personally, have always wished
she'd go back to him.
Didn't I tell you?
Your sister's husband, Elisha,
an honest man, right?
My client also says
he's a good man,
but he isn't a good husband for her.
Carmel, watch your mouth!
He's a good man
and a good husband.
How should I know
if they're compatible?
What does it matter?
Is my wife right for me?
No.
I make her right for me,
and that's that. No nonsense.
- Your Honor, may I?
- Go ahead.
Emil Amzaleg,
is your sister a good wife?
A good wife, a woman of valor.
And is he a good man?
You heard what I said.
Head and shoulders
above the crowd.
In your opinion, having seen
them together for over 20 years,
do you think they've had
a good life together?
We're waiting.
Speak.
No, Your Honor.
And in your opinion,
has your sister suffered in
her marriage to this man?
Answer.
She's suffered a lot.
Good, describe their married life
in a word or two.
We're waiting.
I'm thinking, Your Honor.
That's a tough question.
Answer, Emil.
Bitter as heck.
That's all.
Does the defense
have any questions?
Yes, Your Honor.
Just a few questions, if I may.
Go ahead.
Honorable Emil,
family man that you are,
is my brother good to your sister?
Of course, Rabbi Shimon.
And has he given her
everything he could?
Above and beyond.
And did they build
an exemplary Jewish home?
Yes, Rabbi Shimon.
And did they raise children
to the glory of Israel?
And how!
If you answered positively
to these questions,
why should we separate them?
I never said we should separate them,
God forbid...
Thank you, sir.
You may go, Emil Amzaleg.
Ignorants!
Haim, see the witness out.
Thank you.
Just perfect.
Thank you, Emil.
The witness, Ms. Evelyn, please.
Madam.
I just wanted to say hello.
What's the big deal?
She hasn't yet been permitted to speak.
State your full name.
Sure.
Evelyn Ben Chouchan, daughter of
Massouda and Jacob Ben Chouchan.
For the defense?
The defense?
I'm the sister-in-law of Emil,
who's just spoken.
- On our behalf.
- Let's begin.
Your relation to the plaintiff?
I live with my sister Rachel
and her husband.
For how long?
Eight years, Your Honors.
The plaintiff lives with you?
Yes, in the yard.
- Are you in close contact?
- What do you mean? Of course!
As soon as she gets home,
I'm at her place.
I also take the food she cooks
to her son and to...
her husband.
Every day? To her husband?
Yes, sure. It's not far.
A ten-minute walk.
Not on the Sabbath.
Has the plaintiff lived honorably
since you've lived together?
Can I?
Of course!
I know every step she takes.
When she goes to work,
comes home, where she's been...
I also clean her beauty parlor,
almost every day,
for extra income.
We're very close.
Do you know
if the plaintiff
has seen other men?
She hasn't.
Every day, it's:
Home, work, home, work.
You're always home to see that?
- Where else would I be?
- And you?
Do you go on dates?
Singles' events?
Maybe once or twice.
And the plaintiff never came with you?
No, that's for singles,
Viviane's married.
Do you know of any suitors
she's had during this time?
- No.
- Why did you hesitate?
Your Honor makes me nervous.
Your Honor, my client
has never cheated on her husband.
Cheated? God forbid.
Did I say cheated?
Of course not!
But now that she's available...
No, not available,
but since she doesn't live with him
people think she's available,
so they look at her, how not?
And probably they want her...
It's irrelevant.
Of course, it's irrelevant!
She hasn't even bought a new dress,
let alone cheated...
We're chaste.
That's how it is.
Your Honors, we never claimed that.
My client doesn't have a lover.
Never! I don't have one,
how could she?
Men have always admired my client.
We can summon every man
who ever looked at a married woman.
Ridiculous.
- Your Honor, may I?
- Go ahead, Carmel.
Thank you.
Ms. Ben Chouchan.
Yes, Carmel?
How would you describe Viviane?
She's... an amazing woman.
I'm crazy about her.
And Elisha?
Special.
A special man.
What would you wish for her?
A good life,
and to end this story.
You can't force it.
How long must one wait, Carmel?
How long?
Right.
And while waiting in limbo,
do you think she's happy?
A chained-up dog
has a better life.
She doesn't enjoy a minute.
Thank you, Evelyn.
There you have it, torture.
That's all, Your Honor.
Your Honors, just a few questions.
May I?
Go ahead. Come forward.
Thank you.
Have you ever lived on your own?
No, sir.
With my mother,
and when she died, with my sister.
- Never alone.
- So never with a man?
What does it matter, Your Honor?
Pardon me. I'll rephrase.
You haven't built a Jewish home,
right?
No, as I said.
I've been single all my life.
- Do you envy Viviane?
- Huh?
Me, envy Viviane?
What is this crap?
Is he crazy?
What's my colleague getting at?
If she envies her, she might wish
for other women to share her fate.
In her position, barren!
What's he talking about?
Don't let him get away with this!
Thank you. You can go now.
What do you want to know?
Make him retract his words!
Thank you.
Your testimony is over.
He ought to retract his statement.
I asked a question.
I didn't ask you anything, Carmel.
Sit down!
I'm Rachel Amzaleg
and I'm married, thank God.
So no one can humiliate me
with questions of that kind.
What's there to say?
This woman doesn't want
to live with him.
And I wouldn't live with him
for one day.
There, you see?
The witness is out of order.
No one asked for your opinion.
Why is he talking
to my sister like that?
Don't you dare shout
in my courtroom.
How long have you known
the couple?
For ages, sir.
Your Honor!
Your Honor.
I met my husband, Emil,
before Elisha proposed to her.
- But they got married first...
- We're talking about the couple.
They aren't compatible.
Oil and water, they don't mix.
That's all.
Why force them to stay together?
- Any questions, Rabbi Shimon?
- Yes, Your Honor.
Isn't it hard to share your house
with both your sister and sister-in-law?
Not at all!
They can stay with me forever.
You think marriage is a picnic?
They give me both
physical and emotional support.
Your Honor, between us,
it's not that I'm not dying
to marry off my sister Evelyn.
I've been trying for years.
Before we came here,
I told her, put on makeup,
do your hair, dress up nice.
At 50, all you can get
is a divorced man.
And they're all here!
Can I continue interrogating?
Go ahead, Rabbi Shimon.
"Interrogation"!
Do you speak to the plaintiff?
She lives with me!
And in your conversations,
have you ever tried
to convince her to go back home?
Your Honor,
I've told her time and again
that it's best to make up
and move back.
A divorced women in Israel eats shit!
Watch your mouth.
Excuse me,
Your Honor, but you tell me
who wants to marry
a divorced woman?
I'm telling you,
the Russian immigration did us in!
Did us in!
If you're divorced,
all your girlfriends stay away.
They're afraid
you'll steal their husbands.
But I understand her, Your Honor.
That man is intolerable!
No woman would stay with him.
Your Honors,
I think the lady has gone too far.
She wasn't asked about Elisha.
30 years of marriage is too much.
If you ask me,
this poor woman paid her debt
long ago.
So enough!
Set her free.
That's enough, get out.
I'm not leaving until I finish.
Get out.
I don't want to hear
any more from you, all right?
Emil! What is...
Her purse.
Madam, your purse!
Mrs. Amsalem.
TWO MONTHS LATER
Your name?
Simon Abecassis.
Profession?
Merchant.
- What do you deal in?
- Spices.
Sir,
you are the Amsalem's neighbor.
True.
For a long time?
True.
What can you tell us about them?
What's to tell?
They're like any couple.
I go to synagogue with Elisha.
Viviane and Dona are friends.
We've been next-door neighbors
for 20 years.
His kids come over, we go there.
Like brothers.
I couldn't ask for better neighbors.
What kind of husband is he?
An exemplary husband.
- How does he treat his wife?
- Exemplarily.
I haven't a bad word to say about him.
He's a man and husband
of example.
Simon, dear,
since you are neighbors,
can you tell us
if you've ever heard them fight?
Fight?
Like me and my wife Dona do.
Thank you, that's all.
The witness is dismissed.
If you please.
Come in, madam.
The witness may go.
Stand at the podium.
The witness may go.
- I'm staying.
- No, go.
I do nothing without him.
Your Honor?
Please step back a little,
toward the wall.
Please move, Abcassis. Back.
- Abecassis.
- Excuse me, Abecassis.
Further back, to the pillar.
Behind the pillar, please.
A little more...
Perfect, thank you.
Name and profession?
Dona Abecassis, homemaker.
And I work in our spice shop.
Go ahead, Rabbi Shimon.
You were summoned
because you may be
the couple's closest friends.
True.
We're next-door neighbors
and our doors are always open.
When she needs a cup of oil or sugar,
I give her a kilo.
Friends.
Mr. Abecassis, please keep quiet.
Mr. Abecassis, please.
Thank you.
Your husband said
that you've never heard
the Amsalems fight or argue.
True.
Mr. Abecassis!
Did you ever hear fights?
Nothing special.
Do you think Elisha
is a good husband to Viviane?
- Sure he is.
- Mr. Abecassis!
He's a good, respectable man.
Every woman should be so lucky!
My Simon, God bless him,
won't even put
his dirty glass in the sink.
She'll never find another like him.
He lets her go out with the children,
or with friends.
Whoever heard of that?
Would my Simon let me go out alone?
Mrs. Abecassis,
as you know the couple,
can you give this court grounds
to force Elisha to divorce her?
God forbid.
Divorce her? For what?
That would be a shame.
Thank you, Dona.
No more questions.
20 years together?
Yes, we met at a model housing expo.
Who do you think
is a better husband,
your husband
or Viviane's husband?
That's immaterial, Your Honor.
What a stupid question!
I'm trying to determine
the witness's point of departure.
What departure?
Go ahead.
Are you happy with your marriage?
Sure, I'm happy.
In your opinion,
what makes your marriage
a happy marriage?
Look, sir, we each have our roles.
Simon supports us,
I work in the shop,
do the housework, raise the kids,
clean, cook, like normal.
And as God is my witness,
he never raised a hand to me.
Never raised a hand to her.
Did you ever refuse Simon a request?
What do you mean?
I do what I have to do.
Mrs. Abecassis,
do you have
your own bank account?
No.
Did you ever want
your own bank account?
What does she need
a bank account for?
She has everything she needs.
Good.
Mrs. Abecassis,
how many children did you want?
Four, like normal.
And you have three daughters.
They're perfect,
may God protect them.
Can you tell us
why you had six miscarriages
after you had your three daughters?
Your Honor, what is he driving at?
Shimon, be quiet, please.
Answer, Mrs. Abecassis.
We wanted more kids.
You did or your husband did?
What do you mean?
I was pregnant.
You have three healthy daughters,
and you keep getting pregnant
despite the miscarriages
that put your life at risk.
Are you afraid of your husband,
Mrs. Abecassis?
She isn't afraid.
You're afraid?
Tell him.
Tell him!
She's not afraid.
I'm not afraid.
- I give him the respect he deserves.
- Respect?
You wanted sons.
Your husband wanted a son.
Dona, let's go.
Mrs. Abecassis,
there's an Earthly court
and a Heavenly court.
He's intimidating her.
I'm not intimidating her,
I'm stating a fact.
It's her husband who intimidates her.
Madam, are you afraid
to speak your mind?
I'm not afraid.
Then tell us why
Elisha lets Viviane go out,
and go on vacation alone?
Look, sir,
Elisha doesn't like those things.
And he doesn't want to say no,
so he lets her.
Liberal.
Liberal?
He doesn't have to like it.
I want you to come home.
I'm begging you, come home.
No, Simon.
Let me speak.
It's hard for a woman to be alone,
when everyone else has a partner.
Elisha,
forgive me.
I'm sorry.
I told you:
What was she supposed to say?
You went away,
you were at work,
you have errands to do.
She didn't want to lie.
So she didn't go out a lot.
But for the kids' sake,
so they'd feel like everyone else,
she took them out.
Should she have stayed home?
Normal...
So what are you saying?
Who is the perfect husband, Dona?
Simon or Elisha?
I'm leaving.
Wait, Simon.
He wants her to shame her husband
in public?
Carmel, I'm warning you!
Your Honor, I apologize.
I don't need an answer.
Excuse me.
Mrs. Abecassis, think carefully.
It's 8:00, your husband is asleep,
and you, after working all day,
you are awake.
Cooking.
Cooking, into the night.
Did you ever hear
the Amsalems fight?
Once in a while.
What do you do
when you hear them?
I wait a little and then I go in.
You wait and then go in.
That's what I said.
That's what you do.
You want to drive me crazy?
Yes!
That's what you're used to doing?
Leave me alone! Yes!
It's a habit, Your Honor.
Fine.
Why do you wait?
I wait to see if it'll blow over.
I wait to see if I have to go in.
- Why would you have to go in?
- I don't have to, but it's better.
Anyway,
one of the kids comes to get me.
Dona, I'm warning you,
why do you have to go in?
They shout,
it's frightening.
How often do you have to go in?
As I said, once in a while,
when it's necessary.
What's "once in a while"?
Once a year? Once a month?
Once every week or two.
What does he want from me,
Your Honor?
Once every week or two
you go in and see Viviane crying,
screaming,
and Elisha doesn't
raise his voice, right?
He doesn't raise his voice.
He's gracious.
Why do you think she cries?
I don't know.
Everyone has their needs.
What do you see when you go in?
Viviane's crying.
Then she throws something.
And he?
He closes the windows.
That's normal.
It's normal that she screams
and he runs to close the windows?
Do you want everyone
to hear them screaming?
What does he do
that makes her cry?
Mrs. Abecassis,
does she cry for no reason?
I told her...
A smart woman...
should know when to keep
her mouth shut.
What do they want?
Respect, that's all.
He's a liberal man,
and then she can do
whatever she wants.
Viviane, I told you.
Nothing but respect.
Respect, that's all.
Then you can do
whatever you want.
Mrs. Abecassis,
Viviane...
She speaks to you?
Yes,
mostly about the home.
Do you know if the couple
has friends?
Friends?
Yes, friends.
Answer the question, madam.
I don't really know.
No, Your Honor.
We have no friends.
We don't go anywhere with anyone
and no one ever comes over.
That's a lie.
Ask him if we have friends.
- Mr. Amsalem, do you have friends?
- Yes, Your Honor.
Ask him who, please.
Just one name.
The only people who tolerate him
are Victor and Yvette
who refused to testify
out of respect for him.
All lies.
I want to hear only the couple.
Everyone else, out.
Thank you, Mrs. Abecassis.
Rabbi Shimon, please go out.
Thank you, Carmel.
Close the door, please.
Your Honor...
I make concessions.
I even let her go out on the Sabbath.
The kids watch TV, turn on the lights,
don't come to synagogue.
He makes many concessions
on the Sabbath.
Is that true, Mrs. Amsalem?
Yes.
What does it matter?
All the witnesses say so.
That's how she was raised,
Your Honor.
You ingrate.
You have no shame?
He has no shame.
I always prepare
a big Sabbath dinner,
I make the kids stay home.
I start preparing on Wednesday.
And I'm making meatballs,
fish, salads.
Do you cook?
Tell the truth, do you cook?
Thankless.
Ingrate.
Here we go again.
That's right, here we go again.
He sneaks his words
in below his breath
so no one can hear, but I hear.
He said nothing.
Your Honor,
you can't talk to her.
She attacks me
as I open my mouth.
Don't start in.
Don't you start in.
If you want to talk to me, come home.
No, I'm never coming home again.
It's over.
I did,
as I was asked, so what?
I slept with him in the same bed
and nothing happened.
The whole time I was home
he didn't say a word to me.
He was happy for his victory,
and still he kept sulking.
That's a lie.
I spoke to her a thousand times.
- You spoke to me?
- Yes, I spoke to you.
I was sick and he didn't even
bring me a cup of tea!
- He slept in the living room!
- A tea for Elijah the Prophet!
I don't want to talk to him,
that's my right.
- Your Honor...
- Yes, let him write this down.
Never a kind word to say...
But I'm not here to argue with him.
I have enough of that at home.
Enough!
No, Viviane.
What's over?
What?
Never, Viviane!
Your Honor...
if she doesn't apologize
for everything she's done
I'll never give her a divorce.
Your Honor, I'm warning him,
I'm warning him
and you're all my witnesses,
if he doesn't meet me halfway
I'll do what I please.
I'm not scared.
I've been kept
like a dog in a yard,
but not for long.
I'll rent an apartment
and start to live...
Show respect.
He'll come begging for a divorce.
And he'll never find me.
He'll regret this day, you'll see.
I already regret all the years
I've lived with her,
it's a failure.
She shames herself, the children.
What does she have to gain
from all this?
It's you who will lose.
We'll see who loses.
We'll see.
You want to keep me by force?
Try.
TWO WEEKS LATER
You're here to testify
on behalf of your friend Elisha?
Yes, Your Honor.
What is your relationship
to both parties?
The defendant has been a good friend
for many years.
He brings great joy
to the congregation.
And the plaintiff is...
well-known.
Well-known?
I mean known for her beauty
and elegance.
A professional hairdresser.
Rabbi Shimon, if you please.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Mr. Jacob Ben Harouch,
you've known Elisha for many years.
Do you know of any incident
that would attest
to a flaw in his character?
As I said, he's a saint.
Never imposed himself on anyone?
No. Always gracious.
Always.
- Well-liked?
- Very.
There's gossip in the synagogue, no?
Thou shall not gossip,
or however the saying goes...
So you happen to hear:
"This one went here,
that one went there..."
I know what everyone else knows,
no more, no less.
Everyone sees the sun, right?
It's like that.
And among all the rumors...
unwillingly, of course,
did you ever hear anything
about my brother Elisha Amsalem
or his home?
Nothing, never.
And even if something happened,
we never heard about it.
So if you don't hear,
it never happened.
- Everyone sees the moonlight.
- True.
If you had a daughter,
would you let your daughter
marry him?
Without hesitation.
Sunlight, moonlight,
interesting.
Jacob Ben Harouch, could it be
that the sunlight has blinded you?
What do you want, Carmel?
Didn't you hear
that Elisha Amsalem lives alone
and that his "well-known" wife
moved out four years ago?
- For two and a half years, we didn't.
- How can that be?
- Elisha didn't tell us.
- And then he did?
- No.
- Then what?
- People talked.
- What did they say?
They said she left him because
they aren't compatible.
That's what they said.
What else?
They said he let her go
and now he's waiting
for her to calm down.
He never said no to her. Never.
Domestic harmony
is all that matters to him.
You've been praying together
for a long time?
Yes.
Did you ever have to mediate
between Elisha and anyone?
Mediate?
What do you mean, mediate?
What it sounds like. Mediate.
Mediate? Yes.
Go on.
Look...
Elisha, how should I put it?
He's pedantic.
He likes things done his way.
When you say "pedantic,"
you mean "stubborn."
Your Honor, he's interpreting!
Did you hear me say stubborn?
I said "pedantic."
Okay. Give us an example.
If a congregant doesn't
follow his advice,
or sings differently,
Elisha...
doesn't spare the rod.
I suppose not all the congregants
sing like him
so you've had to mediate
between Elisha and...
two, three congregants.
It's a synagogue,
that's how it goes.
Everyone has someone
he doesn't speak with.
So does he.
They don't speak.
What's the big deal?
So what?
Can you give us a name?
A name?
A name, please.
Give us a name.
Abraham Zagouri.
Zagouri.
They had a disagreement
and since then they aren't speaking?
Yes.
For how long?
It's not my business.
Isn't it your job
as the Synagogue manager
to conciliate the congregants?
Of course it is.
Try to remember.
- How long haven't they spoken?
- A while.
How long?
A long time.
- How long?
- Many years.
- How many years?
- 15 years. Okay?
Excellent.
For 15 years,
they haven't spoken
because of a prayer
sung out of tune.
Why nitpick?
Elisha talked, the other did too,
and no one has forgiven.
Is that a crime? No.
It's not a crime.
Did you try to mend the rift?
- How many times?
- Plenty of times.
How many?
I don't know, on holidays...
Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah.
Abraham Zagouri apologized
to Elisha Amsalem.
Yes.
How many times?
Several times.
How many?
Until he gave up.
And he didn't forgive him. Did he?
He didn't.
So what if my brother doesn't
speak to a congregant?
That's not the point, Shimon.
The point is his endless patience.
He's made us wait five years!
And he could make us
wait even longer.
15 years, Your Honors.
15 years!
No more questions.
- So what?
- So nothing.
The witness is dismissed.
The witness may leave.
ONE WEEK LATER
Thanks for coming.
Your testimony means a lot
- because you know all the congregants.
- For 20 years.
I heard what Mr. Ben Harouch said.
Nonsense.
Zagouri doesn't speak
to half the synagogue. Really.
Good to know.
Elisha is one of the best congregants
in our synagogue.
He's humble. Special.
A true friend.
That's all, Your Honor.
Your Honor, if I may.
So...
- Zagouri is the problem, not Elisha.
- Not Elisha!
Zagouri is ignorant,
he comes to synagogue twice a year,
and wants to teach us
how to sing a verse!
A guest doesn't tell his hostess
how to cook her stew.
The problem isn't him, it's her.
Her?
No.
What?
Yes.
I think...
If I may...
this woman is deceitful.
Excuse me?
Sit down, Mrs. Amsalem.
Why do you say she's deceitful?
Your Honor, I work in the mall.
So what?
Just a minute!
Across from my store,
there's the Kapulsky Caf.
Yes.
And I saw this woman
with a strange man
at the Kapulsky Caf.
He's lying, Your Honor!
Silence, Mr. Amsalem.
Maybe it was a relative?
No, it's a big, respectable family.
I know them all.
He wasn't a relative.
Maybe someone
from the extended family?
He didn't look like a relative.
- Did you see them holding hands?
- No.
- Did they touch each other?
- No, Your Honor.
It's all lies.
Elisha, people talk.
I'm just trying to help you.
Help me?
Elisha, hold on.
Shmuel, are you absolutely sure
that the woman you saw
was Viviane Amsalem?
I could never mistake her.
Viviane Amsalem,
is this man, Shmuel Azoulay,
speaking the truth?
Yes, Your Honor.
- Did you commit adultery?
- No.
Your Honor,
my client isn't an adulteress.
Idiot!
Watch yourself, Mrs. Amsalem,
I heard that.
Know your place, woman.
I know my place, Your Honor.
In the Kapulsky Caf is where
I met with my advocate,
Carmel Ben Tovim.
- In the Caf?
- Yes.
Didn't you hear that?
Carmel Ben Tovim, do you confirm?
Yes, Your Honor.
Why were you sitting in a caf
with this woman?
Your Honor,
my office is on Mt. Carmel,
and since I have a number
of clients in the suburbs
on Thursdays I meet them
at the Kapulsky Caf,
so as...
to make it easier for them.
We have short meetings.
Dubious.
Is something wrong?
A public place, total visibility.
The caf owners will confirm.
Shmuel Azoulay,
do you recognize
Mr. Carmel Ben Tovim
as the man you saw sitting
with Mrs. Viviane Amsalem
at the caf in the mall?
I'm not sure, Your Honor.
The man was wearing a skullcap.
The day I had an appointment
with Mrs. Amsalem,
I came from a funeral and forgot
to take the skullcap off my head.
I forgot about it.
You forgot.
Is there a problem?
The son of Sasson Ben Tovim,
the light unto the nations,
forgot to remove his skullcap?
Out of excitement...
I beg your pardon?
You're pardoned.
I don't need it, Shimon.
A man who wrote half a ruling,
thinks of himself as a great Rabbi!
This isn't the place
to insult Rabbi Shimon.
Rabbi Shimon's rulings were
dismissed by Rabbi Abouhatsira.
Shimon Amsalem
is a student, not a rabbi.
I never claimed to be one.
I never asked
to be called "Rabbi."
I know my place
and trust in God and Him alone.
And thank Him every day
for what He's given me.
What are you doing, Mrs. Amsalem?
What are you doing, Mrs. Amsalem?
Pull your hair back!
ONE MONTH LATER - THREE YEARS
SINCE THE TRIAL BEGAN
Elisha,
did you let friends
come over or not?
Very few came over.
Not often, I admit it.
I didn't want it.
Why not?
Your Honor...
I'm a man whose privacy
and modesty are important to him.
Just like my parents,
may they rest in peace.
But she...
She tells her friends
and siblings everything.
And they came over.
That's normal.
- Why did they come over?
- To reconcile between us.
It was intolerable.
They came over so often
I started to detest them.
Every time they came over
I had to defend myself.
They were all on her side.
How could we be friends?
They never took my side.
I'm not like her,
I can't express my feelings.
Your Honor...
I was orphaned
of a father all my life.
- And the children?
- Always on her side.
They saw their mother fall apart
and their father standing there,
motionless, speechless.
What were they to think?
Children always take
the mother's side, it's normal.
I didn't abandon my mother either.
I was with her to the day she died.
No one took care of her.
None of my brothers helped me.
Thank God,
they each had
their own wives and children.
And I...
was with my mother.
You couldn't talk to each other?
You can't talk to her.
All she does is scream.
I feel sorry for you, my brother.
I'm sorry we didn't see you.
Elisha,
does this woman respect you?
No, my brother.
Then why do you want her back?
She's my destiny and I'm hers.
We will never part.
And that's that?
I love her.
I've always loved her.
That's all.
Orphaned of a father.
It's sad.
But now you're a husband and a father.
True.
You said she never compromises.
Your mother lived with you
for over 20 years!
I was always grateful for that.
How did you show it?
And how, Elisha,
how can you mend the relationship?
This woman...
doesn't want you.
She doesn't love you anymore.
Isn't that reason enough
to let her go?
Can you really live with someone
who doesn't love you?
Not to say, is sick of you?
One more question,
Elisha Amsalem.
Have you tried
to meet your wife halfway?
To give her what she asks for?
Like what?
When did you last
take her to a caf?
A caf?
It's not kosher.
You could pack sandwiches
and take her to the beach.
You live by the sea, no?
Right.
So?
I never thought of that, I admit.
Movies are kosher.
And I hear you love cinema.
I love cinema,
I know all the stars
from Charles Bronson to...
Gregory Peck.
But now there's a problem
with indecency.
Indecency, Your Honor.
They show things I don't want to see.
It didn't use to be that way.
A flower... When did you last
come home with flowers and say:
"Viviane, these are for you"?
When did you last tell her:
"Viviane, I love you"?
Begging the court's pardon,
I must ask a question,
perhaps I'll finally find grounds
for divorce.
When did you last have relations?
When?
She doesn't want to.
I see.
No more questions.
Thank you, Elisha Amsalem.
Mrs. Viviane Amsalem,
please take the stand.
Your Honor, may I?
Viviane Amsalem.
Yes, Shimon?
Do you love my brother?
Have you tried to understand him
and his needs?
Yes.
Did you ever give
the relationship a chance?
I tried every possible way.
Why, then, did you insist
on putting my brother in situations
where you knew he couldn't deliver?
Why did you embarrass him
time after time
in front of friends and family?
He's ignored me and my needs
all my life.
He acts as if I was thin air.
Have you turned
your children against him?
And told them what transpired
between you?
He didn't spare them either.
He'd bring them into the room
to talk behind closed doors.
You shamed him
in front of the neighbors.
You screamed and swore at him.
You beat him in front of strangers.
Why?
That's not how it was.
You didn't beat him?
You didn't break dishes,
throw things at him?
I had outbursts.
Yes.
It's easy to blame
the one who yells.
The one who whispers venom
is innocent.
He went to hell and back
with you
and now you want to shame him?
To rub his failure in his face?
You always wanted
your marriage to fail
and your husband was loyal
and despite your actions
he protected you and your children.
Why must you harm him
again and again?
What did Elisha Amsalem ever do
but make you happy?
If I were happy,
would I want to go?
Don't you think
I'd rather grow old peacefully?
With my children?
Surrounded by my family?
Did you know, Viviane,
that my brother could be rid of you
because you refuse to abide
by the be fruitful and multiply
commandment?
Let him do it!
I gave him four children.
And he was a good father
to your children.
Yes.
And supported you.
Yes.
Yes, he supported you!
- And never raised a hand to you!
- No.
Viviane Amsalem,
you are a wayward woman.
- Your Honor...
- Calm down, Shimon.
You exploited him all your life.
He provided you with a home,
family, children, security, honor
and a good name!
And now you want
to throw all that away?
Your Honor,
I don't want to live with this man.
It's my right.
It's your right,
but it's not your choice.
- Yes.
- No.
- Yes.
- No, it's not up to you.
If we were dealing with a man
who beats his wife,
who refused her pleasure,
clothes or food,
then we'd have
something to discuss,
but before you stands a woman
whose wishes are irrational.
A woman who beats her husband,
embarrasses him, refuses his needs,
and he still wants her back!
And you want to force this man
to grant her a divorce?
If that's how it is,
my duty in this court is over.
What else can I say?
You're right, I'm crazy.
No more questions.
It's a shame that Shimon chose
to ramble on
instead of listening.
Watch your tongue,
Carmel Ben Tovim!
Ignoring my client's answers,
time and again.
I know how to talk, too, Shimon.
How long have you thought
about leaving this man?
Seriously, about 10 years.
- For 10 years he's ignored your wishes.
- Yes.
And not seriously?
From the day we married,
my whole life.
Why did you marry?
Why?
Because.
That's life.
We got married.
Viviane, why did you stay with him?
I didn't want to break up the family.
Have you been a good wife?
Make her answer!
Sit!
Answer, madam.
I don't think
I've been a good wife to him.
I wanted things
he couldn't give me.
Did you love him?
Yes.
I wanted us to be happy.
Viviane Amsalem,
how long has your husband
not come to you?
A long time.
How long?
A long time.
How long?
How long is a long time?
You wanted and he refused?
Viviane, I'm asking,
did you want it and he refused?
A long time, Carmel.
We haven't had relations
in many years.
No more questions, Your Honor.
Your Honors, if I may.
No relations for a long time?
- He says you don't want to.
- He can say whatever he wants.
Interesting.
- And when he wanted it, did you agree?
- No.
There you have it!
She didn't want to.
You admit it?
Still, you have four children.
Explain! We want to understand.
Speak up, Mrs. Amsalem.
- Answer, madam.
- What should I say?
How we had four children?
Nothing to tell.
Your Honor, we have grounds.
She's lying.
It's her word against his.
Want the truth, Shimon?
I'll tell you, if you insist.
Yes, my sister.
Don't call me your sister
and then curse me.
Enough hypocrisy!
Do you think I liked
living with your mother?
No. I suffered.
She made me suffer.
And I suffered when
he kept me away from my family,
and from my friends.
That he never said to me:
"My wife, how are you?
Are you sad today? Are you happy?
How was your day?"
That he never touched me,
never held me,
neither at night nor in the day.
Not in front of others, not at all.
I respected him, Shimon,
and you know it.
But he was never satisfied. Never.
Neither what I cooked
nor what I did.
He'd come into the kitchen
and criticize.
Always unhappy.
He wouldn't eat what I cooked.
As if to punish me,
to insult me.
He always found a reason
to offend me, to ruin things.
Your brother hates me, Shimon.
He hates me.
He hates me, Your Honor.
All he wants is
to see me unhappy.
Until he sees me torn to pieces,
down on my knees,
he won't be satisfied.
And even that won't be enough.
What are you looking at me for?
You're in love with this woman.
You cannot hide your feelings.
You're as clear as water.
Your Honor,
I ask that you disqualify
Carmel Ben Tovim
since under the circumstances
he cannot serve as her advocate.
I love this woman?!
I don't love her, she's just...
You don't love this woman?
No.
I don't love her
in the way you're implying.
Then how do you love her?
How?
What are you saying?
Who said I love her?
Vivianne Amsalem is...
Carmel Ben Tovim.
Is it true that you love this woman?
This is turning into...
You're all out of your minds.
Your Honor, I urge you,
put an end to this farce.
- I call you to order!
- Excuse me?
You're abetting a denial of justice.
- Shut up.
- You aren't judging honestly.
- Shut up!
- You could have set her free long ago.
So she could bask in her delights?
Carmel, is it true?
Your Honor, I'm warning you,
you're dishonoring me.
You're risking the offense of slander.
Shut up!
I'll sue this court!
Shut up, I said.
Rabbi Solomon,
your judgment is biased.
You're a dishonest judge.
Disqualify yourself...
Your Honor, disqualify yourself!
Shut up!
I've had enough.
Find yourselves another judge.
THREE MONTHS LATER
Rabbi Shimon,
is your brother going to appear?
I don't know, Your Honor.
He said he'd come.
My brother, unfortunately...
isn't talking to me.
He isn't speaking with you?
How can you represent him
if he isn't talking to you?
He didn't ask me to quit
representing him, explicitly.
I'll say this once,
bring your brother,
or he'll go to jail.
Thank you, Your Honor.
TWO MONTHS LATER
Amsalems, please rise.
Elisha Amsalem,
did you enjoy jail?
- No, Your Honor.
- Of course not.
But since you missed three hearings,
you left me no choice.
But here you are.
All's well that ends well,
and I'm glad.
Where is your advocate,
Rabbi Shimon Amsalem?
- I'll speak for myself.
- So be it.
What we need to do today
is just a formality.
After much consideration
and in light of events,
it was decided by a majority
of three judges under my authority
that you, Elisha Amsalem,
must grant this woman
a divorce.
Thank you.
Thank you, Your Honor.
I'll begin by asking:
Elisha Amsalem,
are you, Viviane Amsalem's husband,
after these many hearings,
and having been obligated
to do so by this court,
willing to grant this woman a divorce
and repudiate her?
No, Your Honor.
No? Elisha?
No.
People,
I thought you made a decision!
So did I.
I ask to interrogate the defendant.
Speak up!
Elisha Amsalem,
is it true that we met,
you, your brother Shimon and me,
in prison?
Yes.
And what was said at that meeting?
Is it true that you stated
before me and your brother
that if the court obliges you
to divorce, you will?
Yes.
- So what happened?
- I changed my mind.
- He changed his mind, what do you say?
- What do you want me to say?
My hands are tied.
I demand that the court sentence
the husband to six months in jail.
Maimonides said:
"Force him until he says: I wish it.
Lash him to his last breath."
People,
this court has had enough of you.
Come back with a solution
or don't come back at all, now get out.
No. Why?
Listen to me.
This hearing is adjourned.
Notice will be sent by mail.
Why are you making me
run around in circles?
Why, Your Honor?
Why?
Why have I come in and out
for years now
and nothing's changed?
Why?
You can't force him to divorce
nor to appear,
and you can't this or that,
and what about me?
When will you see me?
When I'm too exhausted
to stand before you?
When?
If it were up to you,
it could go on for 10 years.
I could drop dead in front of you
and all you'd see was him!
But nobody is above the law.
There's a God and there's justice
and He'll judge you as you judge me.
Mercilessly.
You don't care about me!
In America,
if a man doesn't show up twice in a row,
it's over!
They divorce him,
whether he's there or not!
If he doesn't honor the law,
the law doesn't honor him!
And who do you honor?
For God's sake, have you no fear?
So send me to hell.
Go to hell, too!
Enough!
Goddamn it!
Enough!
This lady has finished.
No, I haven't!
One day someone will take
the power from your hands.
What will you have left?
Conversions?
No one will want that either.
It's over.
Skullcaps on your heads?
Rabbinical court!
Shitty court!
Are you cursing?
Shitty job.
Shitty people!
I suspend this woman from court
for 24 months.
- I'm the idiot!
- Disgrace and infamy.
A woman like her
should go back to her husband,
if he's still willing!
TWO MONTHS LATER
Speak up, Ben Tovim.
Welcome back, Your Honor.
We were worried about you.
For your well-being.
My client also sends her regards.
She's here?
She's outside... waiting.
How can I help you?
See her.
Hear her.
I can't.
My colleague ruled,
and I must respect his ruling.
- Your Honor...
- Final judgment, Carmel.
If you don't like it,
file an appeal.
FOUR MONTHS LATER
Appellants only.
Come in.
The advocates.
Thank you for seeing me,
Your Honor.
I know that my client is still suspended
but there are new developments.
Speak up, Carmel.
The husband wants to grant a divorce.
Be merciful and see them.
How do you know
this isn't another trick?
He approached us.
I understand.
The boys came over last night.
Evyatar started his new job.
Really?
He told me a week ago
that he doesn't want to do it.
Did it go well?
Yes. He's happy, thank God.
And how are you, Viviane?
I'm fine.
How much do you smoke a day?
Not much.
How much?
I don't count.
Viviane...
THE NEXT DAY
FIVE YEARS SINCE THE TRIAL BEGAN
Witnesses, go ahead.
Please, come in.
Give me the divorce papers,
please.
Thank you.
Mrs. Amsalem,
come stand here.
Hold your elbows against your sides.
Put your hands together.
No, not like that.
Parallel to the floor.
Your husband will place
the divorce papers in your hands.
And when it is...
Not like that, cup your hands.
Do as I say, cup your hands.
And when the divorce papers
are in your hands
you'll close both hands
around the divorce papers,
place them under your arm,
walk to the door
and back,
and thus you buy your divorce.
You, Elisha Amsalem,
take the divorce papers.
Hold the divorce papers
over her hands.
I'll recite and you'll repeat after me
and when finished,
you'll place the divorce papers
in her hands and let them go.
- Is that clear?
- Yes.
Repeat after me.
"This is your divorce."
This is your divorce.
"Which you receive from me."
Which you receive from me.
"And you are hereby divorced
from me hereafter."
And you are hereby divorced
from me hereafter.
"And you are hereby permitted
to any man."
"And you are hereby permitted
to any man."
Repeat after me.
Repeat after him.
"And you are hereby permitted
to any man."
Elisha, say it.
Please don't interrupt.
Tell her:
"And you are hereby permitted
to any man."
I...
- I can't do it.
- What can't you do?!
Take this couple out of here.
I never want to see them again.
Take them out now.
- Take them out now!
- Madam, let's go.
Send them out now!
Madam, let's go.
Viviane, come here.
Please talk to him.
Madam, please leave.
Please go.
Please talk to him.
We've done all we can.
Please go.
Witnesses, lead her out.
Elisha...
Take them out.
Madam, let's go.
Let's go.
- Your Honor...
- It's over.
Witnesses, get this couple
out of my courtroom.
- May I talk to you?
- There's nothing to talk about.
Please, take them out.
Let's go.
Please let me talk to you.
I don't want to hear you.
Enough!
- I'm not going anywhere.
- You're in contempt of court.
- Out!
- Let's go, madam!
I'm not moving.
Let's go, please.
Let's talk outside.
- Take this woman out!
- I want my divorce.
Take the desk with her.
I'm not leaving!
Elisha.
Move away.
I want to talk to my husband.
Elisha.
Move back.
Please!
Give me my freedom.
Give me my freedom, please.
Leave me alone!
It's useless, Viviane, let's go.
Give me my freedom!
Give me my divorce.
Give me, give me!
Viviane, it's useless.
Give me my freedom!
Give me my divorce.
Don't force her,
she'll go alone.
It's no use, Viviane.
He won't give it to you.
Give me...
Shimon, tell Viviane
I want to talk to her.
What?
I have to talk to her. Please.
Please, Shimon.
Viviane, Elisha wants to talk to you
in private.
Not now.
Just a few minutes.
Please. Do you agree?
You'll give it to me?
Don't mess with me.
I'll give it to you.
And you, Viviane,
what will you give me?
What do you want?
Elisha,
that's what matters to you?
That's what you want?
Why ask such a thing of me?
I don't want to lose you.
It's already over.
I love you.
All right, Elisha.
As you wish.
There'll be no one after you.
- You'll give me my freedom?
- I will.
Do forgive me, Viviane.
Are you sure?
Yes.
All right.
Witnesses, come in.