Book Three, Chapter Fourteen Summary

The chapter opens as the weeks pass and Reuven focuses on preparing for his smicha examination. He does not see Rachel or Michael and talks to Danny only occasionally. The reviews of David's books continue to come out and they are uniformly positive and substantially raise David's profile. This intensifies the debate at Hirsch, with Kalman giving tirades against the formation of a rabbinics department. But he continues to meet with Reuven after class, asks him if he is still seeing Gordon and asks about Michael, in whom there is no change - Michael simply sits motionless on the mattress in his room.

Eventually, Kalman refuses to come to class, apparently in protest against the actions of the Dean and the formation of the department. He is out during the time when Reuven is to take his...