Lea works tirelessly to serve her family and her community. Being the granddaughter of a well-respected figure in their Jewish community, Lea wants to uphold the image of her ancestors and of the family she is currently raising. It is no easy task, given that her husband, Shloime, is useless, spending all his time at the synagogue; though he claims to be a godly man, it does not make him a decent one, thus he leaves Lea to pick up the pieces of their family while he drinks wine at the synagogue. Following the death of one of their daughters, Lea was distraught, but all she could do was focus on raising the one daughter she had left. As her daughter has come into adulthood, they've been looking for a suitor for her, but having almost no money for a dowry has made this an odious task. One day, Lea excitedly returns home to inform her husband that she's found a suitor for their daughter and that she will be getting married soon. Elated about the news, Lea also hides information that burdens her with shame: in order to afford the dowry, she sold off the precious menorah of her grandfather.