Yentl

- Morning. - Good morning.

When I was in Lublin studying last week, I found this wonderful book.

Can you believe the price of cabbage?

For instance, he gives 25 different interpretations of Genesis alone.

Best in the market. Parsnip, turnip, everything for soup.

Storybooks for women, sacred books for men.

Lovely picture books for women.

In each sentence.

Fish, fish. Fishy fish.

- Mama. - Rachel.

Fish. Fish.

Come, look at this. Look at this, ladies. Look at this.

Fine herring, carp, beautiful silver carp.

- Delicious, delicious. - See the difference?

The skin should be tight, firm, and the scales shiny like diamonds.

Yentl, how's Papa?

- He's much better, thank you. - Good, good.

And then there's the smell.

Lovely picture books for women, sacred books for men.

Storybooks for women, sacred books for men.

Yentl? Yentl, what would you like to have?

Yentl, a pike or a carp?

- Fine. Fine. - A nice carp.

Novels for women, sacred books for men. Picture books for women...

Yentl, what's this I hear? You finally got engaged.

- I don't know. - What do you mean, you don't know?

- Did you or didn't you? - What, hear about it or do it?

If she can make jokes about finding a husband at her age, I shouldn't worry.

Here you are, darling. So beautiful, it'll cook itself.

And what's so funny? What are you laughing about?

- Are you going to buy my fish today? - I'll eat chicken.

Storybooks for women, sacred books for men.

Yentl, did you hear about Helen Shipman?

- I haven't got time today. - You never do.

- Buy your gruel. - Novels for women, sacred books for men.

Lovely picture books for women.

So, in the second part, he relates the mysticism of creation

to the mysticism of language.

There are things in here we shouldn't even be reading.

- Can we afford it? - No, but we can read it.

There's one in the rabbi's study. Come on.

What a nice girl. There's your change.

- You're in the wrong place, miss. - What?

Books for women are over here.

- Novels, very romantic. - I'd like to buy this one, please.

- Sacred books are for men. - Why?

- It's a law, that's why. - Where is it written?

Never mind where. It's a law.

Well, if it's a law, it must be written somewhere, maybe in here. I'll take it.

Miss, do me a favor. Do yourself a favor.

Here, buy a nice picture book.

- Girls like picture books. - What if I told you it's for my father?

Why didn't you say? Fifteen kopecks.

And if you want to know where that's written, it's inside the cover.

Thank you.

Good. And who's wise?

- He who knows a lot. - No, try again. Who's wise?

- He who... - He who learns from all men.

- He who learns from all men? - Good. And who's rich?

- Who's rich? Oh, I know that one. - You know?

He who has a full heart.

He who is content with what he has.

Yentl, is dinner almost ready?

Yes, he who has a full heart, and also, he who is content with what he has.

But, Reb Mendel, how can one question have two answers?

David, sometimes there are many answers to the same question.

Now, the last one. Who is strong?

- Strong... - No, no, no. Who is strong?

- He who controls his passions. - Concentrate, David.

Controls his passions.

- Try, David. - I'm trying.

- He who... - He who controls his passions!

Yentl knows Talmud?

I think that's enough for today.

My father says that a woman who studies Talmud is a demon.

She's not a demon. She just has big ears.

So you don't have to mention this to your father.

- Goodbye, Reb Mendel. - Goodbye, goodbye.

- Bye, David. - See you tonight.

Now you'll have the whole village talking about us.

Papa, you shouldn't be smoking.

Do you think the angel of death will be frightened away by cough medicine?

Open.

In the first place, you don't have to drown him in it.

Again.

And in the second place, I think he's beginning to like it.

- Oh, you want some more? - Yentl.

You know something? Baked apple is good a little burnt.

- I'm sorry, Papa. - No, no, no. I mean it. I like it this way.

- Really? - Oh, yes.

Go on, your move.

Papa?

Why is it that every book I buy, every bookseller who comes

has the same old argument?

- You know why. - I envy them.

- The booksellers? - No, not the booksellers, the students.

Talking about life, the mysteries of the universe.

And I'm learning how to tell a herring from a carp.

Yentl, for the thousandth time, men and women

- have different obligations. - Have different obligations, I know, but...

And don't ask why.

Go on. Get the books.

- Get the books. - Thank you, Papa.

- "Thank you, Papa. Thank you, Papa." - Thank you.

- The shutters, darling. - The shutters.

If we don't have to hide my studying from God, then why from the neighbors?

Why? Because I trust God will understand. I'm not so sure about the neighbors.

Questions, questions, even when you were little.

- "Does a goat have a soul?" - Does it?

- "What was before the universe?" - I'd really like to know.

- Where were we? - We were up to Hillel's argument.

Hillel's argument that knowledge...

Papa?

Papa?

Oh.

Papa, I'm a little tired tonight.

Do you mind? We'll study tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

Oh, Yentl, Yentl. Oh, Yentl.

You're such a comfort to me.

But you should have a young man to take care of you,

preferably one who doesn't like to eat.

- Good night, darling. - Good night, Papa.

- Are you all right? - Yes, I'm fine. Fine, fine.

God, our merciful father,

I'm wrapped in a robe of light,

clothed in your glory

that spreads its wings over my soul.

May I be worthy.

Amen.

There's not a morning I begin.

Without a thousand questions running through my mind.

That I don't try to find the reason and the logic.

In the world that God designed.

The reason why.

A bird was given wings.

If not to fly.

And praise the sky.

With every song it sings.

What's right or wrong.

Where I belong.

Within the scheme of things.

And why have eyes that see and arms that reach.

Unless you're meant to know there's something more?

If not to hunger for the meaning of it all Then tell me what a soul is for.

Why have the wings unless you're meant to fly?

And tell me, please, why have a mind.

If not to question why?

And tell me where.

Where is it written what it is I'm meant to be.

That I can't dare.

To have the chance to pick the fruit of every tree.

Or have my share.

Of every sweet imagined possibility?

Just tell me where.

Tell me where.

If I were only meant to tend the nest.

Then why does my imagination sail.

Across the mountains and the seas.

Beyond the make-believe of any fairy tale?

Why have the thirst if not to drink the wine?

And what a waste to have a taste.

Of things that can't be mine.

And tell me where.

Where is it written what it is I'm meant to be.

That I can't dare.

To find the meanings in the mornings that I see.

Or have my share.

Of every sweet imagined possibility?

Papa!

Just tell me where.

Where is it written?

Tell me where.

Are you all right?

Or if it's written.

Anywhere.

Did you hear, Albert?

- Yentl is learning Talmud. - Learning Talmud?

- That's impossible. - It's true.

- David's mother told me. He was there. - It can't be.

Better she should learn how to get a husband.

He came all the way from Riga to see you.

So, why, Yentl, why won't you at least meet him?

- What for? - "What for?"

I want to dance at your wedding. I want to see you happy.

I'm happy with you, Papa.

- I don't want to get married now. - I noticed.

I don't want to just bear children and darn my husband's socks.

What is it you want? A husband who will darn your socks?

- Sounds interesting. - And bear your children?

Go on, turn the world upside down and inside out.

- You won't have a moment's peace. - I didn't say I never wanted...

Children are more important than the Talmud.

Without children to pass it on to,

the learning, the studying, the Talmud dies with old men when they die.

- I'm sorry. - I'm the one who's sorry.

You're a woman, but I didn't teach you how to be one.

- You taught me everything I know. - Too much you know.

You know too much, but not enough.

- And it's my fault. - Papa, please, don't say that.