“So pleased that they decided to let you go…” Yiftach muttered to himself.
“What?” Evyatar asked.
“No, nothing,” Yiftach said dismissively. “If I may,” he continued, briskly changing the subject of their conversation, “I will ask you several questions, and we’ll see how we progress from there.”
Evyatar became very anxious and found it hard to speak. “Yes,of course…” he replied after a moment, trying to sound assertive and self-assured.
“Let’s assume the following: Michal is driving her car carelessly and hits Yogev, ever so slightly, who is standing on the sidewalk. Apparently, Yogev—who was extremely frightened—has a heart condition, a fact Michal has no prior knowledge of, as she isn’t acquainted with him, nor are there any external signs that reflect his illness. Now, let us assume that as a result of the fright and excitement that overwhelmed Yogev, he suffers a heart attack and dies instantly. I wish to emphasize that any direct injuries that Yogev sustained as a result of the accident are very slight. In your opinion, can Michal be accused of causing death by negligence, according to Section 304 of the Penal Code?”
Yiftach knew that such cases are nicknamed ‘thin skull,’ and are characterized by the fact that the victim of the crime suffers from a special sensitivity that is not outwardly visible. He hoped that Evyatar would give a correct answer and say that according to Israeli law, Michal apparently will be forced to accept criminal responsibility for causing death by negligence. For though heart disease is considered a pre-existing condition that is not outwardly visible and constitutes a ‘thin skull,’ according to past cases the offender is responsible for the harm he or she has caused.
Different answers kept running through Evyatar’s mind, circling like crazy bats in a dark cave. Finally, he replied laconically: “I think that a conviction for the offense for causing death by negligence would be excessive in this case. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to convict her of the offense of severe injury under Section 336 of the Penal Code.”
Yiftach’s eyes narrowed with concern. “The offense of severe injury is set in Section 333 of the Penal Code,” he corrected him, “but I pointed out to you that the injuries sustained by Yogev were very slight... in any event, I believe that it is enough fornow. After all the candidates are interviewed for this position, we will send our responses. Thank you for your time.”
They both stood up and shook hands. “How long do you think it will take?” Evyatar asked.
“You will have the answer by the end of the week.” Weissman’s instructions still echoed in his head.
The two following candidates also did not meet expectations. One was totally lacking in self-confidence, whereas the other was manifestly overconfident. The cases that Weissman had given to Yiftach were complicated and difficult and, in order to effectively help him with them, he needed a lawyer who was knowledgeable and talented. Yiftach looked at his watch and stared at the second hand turning.
Weissman entered the room. “So, how is it going?” he inquired.
“Not great,” Yiftach looked directly at him, “these guys are young, Rafi. They still don’t have a handle on the material, and I don’t blame them. The issues we are dealing with are complex and the lawyers I’m interviewing have only now completed the bar exam. They don’t have the knowledge, experience and expertise required for handling materials of this nature.”
“Well, there’s no other option,” Weissman replied, “our budget doesn’t allow us to hire a lawyer with seniority at this stage. That’s why you’re here. Besides, remember, experience is something acquired and, as you said, the candidates are still young and are at the start of their professional careers. So don’t look for knowledge, but rather a thirst for knowledge; don’t look for success in court, but a hunger for winning; don’t seek out excellence, but rather the ability to excel. A candidate that has those traits will become an excellent lawyer after several months under your guidance. I’m certain of it. Don’t forget, time grants us knowledge that can’t be found in textbooks.” Weissman ended his speech with a wink, as he rushed out: “Okay, I’m on my way to the Supreme Court, we’ll talk this evening.”
After Weissman left the room, Yiftach buzzed Julie. “You can send in the next candidate, the last for today.” He glanced at all the binders stuffed with the material for the upcoming meeting and stared at the piles of paper that he hadn’t yet been able to go through. When would he learn all this? Will he find the person who is capable of fighting alongside him and helping him?
“Good afternoon…” a hesitant voice was heard from the doorway.
He raised his eyes towards the source of the voice. His heart skipped a beat and a wave of excitement ran through his body. She had straight blonde hair, a bright, gleaming round face, large, sparkling blue-green eyes, a sculptured nose and full lips that smiled at him with genuine shyness.
“Good afternoon,” he replied. “Please, have a seat,” he indicated with his hand.
She entered the office, sat down on one of the visitors’ chairs and removed her handbag from her shoulder.
“What’s your name?” he asked, searching for her CV under the pile of papers.
“Melody, Melody Geva,” she said.
Chapter Six
“And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to
his brethren, and said: ‘Behold, I have again dreamed
a dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon
and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
Book of Genesis, 37:9
“Your CV was here somewhere…” Yiftach said as he was trying to put some order into the chaos on his desk. As he was searching among the papers, his finger collided with a staple that was holding some pages together and it started to bleed. “Shit!” he yelled, losing almost all control. “I could swear I saw it here just the other night...” he continued searching among the papers, then stopped. “Okay, let’s do the interview without it.” For a brief moment, Melody thought he resembled a child who was hurt while playing a forbidden game. He looked at her young face as he pressed one finger against the other to stop the bleeding and didn’t speak. There was a spark in her eyes that caused anyone looking into them to smile. Perhaps it was their bluish-green color, or the gleam that shone from them, or simply the goodness and innocence they reflected. But perhaps there is no reason to guess the secret of her charm, for any attempt to diagnose the secret of a person’s charm is doomed to fail. Either way, Melody was blessed with it, unmistakably so.
“Melody,” he cleared his throat, “tell me a bit about yourself.”
She pressed her lips together and gathered her thoughts. With her hands resting on her knees, she began in a calm voice: “As I said, my name is Melody Geva. In the army, I served as an Air Force simulator instructor. After that, I attended Law School at the University of Haifa and graduated with honors. When Ifinished my studies, I was torn between my love for the kibbutz where I grew up and my understanding that all the big law firms are located in the big, central cities.”
