“But I want to explain it to you. I was trying to divorce Gershon—”

“Honey—”

“He refused to give me a get. I was stuck. It wasn’t supposed to work out like that. I didn’t…”

“I know,” Decker said. “You went to the Rebbe for help, didn’t you?”

Honey was quiet, her eyes far-away. “It’s too bad you and Rina didn’t know Gershon when I first married him. He was…wonderful! Handsome and kind…a wonderful father.”

She closed her eyes and opened them.

“The changes happened so subtly. I blinked…and the next thing I knew I was married to a stranger. Looking back, I wonder if it wasn’t something organic—a tumor or a mental breakdown. Because a person doesn’t change just like that.”

She adjusted the black scarf that covered every inch of her hair.

“It was so subtle. First it was the davening all day. Then it was him becoming a Nazir. It was only when he started in on the children that I knew it was hopeless. Preaching to them. He’d sit them down and preach to them for hours, screaming at them if they moved a muscle or squirmed or blinked.”

She licked her lips.

“He’d make them wear sackcloth when he sermonized. Then, when he started making them fast once a week, I knew I had…do you know what kind of mental damage he did? Baruch Hashem, the Rebbe was there to neutralize him.”

“Why didn’t you just leave him, Honey?”

“He swore he’d see me dead before he’d give me a get. The Rebbe tried to get a dispensation…you can divorce a crazy person. Unfortunately, Gershon was rational in his fanaticism. If you talked to him, he could answer you back. He was coherent…but he wasn’t.”

“Did the Rebbe talk to him?”

“Of course!” Honey said. “Everyone could see what was happening to him. They all did what they could to try to make Gershon see reason.”

“But he wouldn’t listen to reason. His yaitzer harah had invaded his yaitzer tov.”

Honey broke into tears and nodded.

Decker said, “No one meant any harm, only to get Gershon’s yaitzer tov back.”

“So you do understand.”

“Of course.” Decker spoke very softly. “The Rebbe had no choice. He did what he had to do. What he was allowed to do halachically, what he was permitted by Jewish law.”

Honey’s head shot up. “What? What are you suggesting?”

Her voice had turned cold. She wasn’t about to incriminate her beloved leader.

“Honey,” Decker said. “You may not verbalize what happened. But I know what happened. I know it was probably an accident. But that doesn’t mean it’s not murder. Keeping quiet to protect individuals isn’t going to help anyone.”