I have some difficulty understanding your speech but no difficulty understanding your love for *THE CHOSEN.* I love this book very much. It always brings tears to my eyes. I say “always” because I’ve just listened to it for the I-don’t-know-how-many-th time. Over the half century that I’ve read and reread this novel, I never grow tired of it. I love especially Potok’s depiction of learning, studying, the pure joy of reading and discussing. My favorite scene is actually two scenes: Reuven studying and then reading and analyzing a very short but extremely difficult passage in the Talmud. Over 4 days in Rav Gershenson’s class he displays a wealth of knowledge, some from memory, some from considered analysis, and finally, privately, alone with his teacher, from de- and reconstruction of the passage from his initial impression of it as pilpul. I’m sure you know the scenes. They take place in Chapter 14, while Reuven is alone at home while his abba is recovering from a 2nd heart attack in the hospital. Although I was born into a Jewish family, I’m a lifelong atheist when it comes to deities. However, I’m a cultural Jew, as are many of my ilk. I love learning, reading, engaging in disputation and discussion. Instead of any gods, my idol and inspiration comes from Socrates, who himself may not have been real, but I believe he was. If Socrates were to have read *THE CHOSEN,* he would have loved it as I do.
This is FANTASTIC book, and FANTASTIC movie!!
I have some difficulty understanding your speech but no difficulty understanding your love for *THE CHOSEN.* I love this book very much. It always brings tears to my eyes. I say “always” because I’ve just listened to it for the I-don’t-know-how-many-th time. Over the half century that I’ve read and reread this novel, I never grow tired of it.
I love especially Potok’s depiction of learning, studying, the pure joy of reading and discussing. My favorite scene is actually two scenes: Reuven studying and then reading and analyzing a very short but extremely difficult passage in the Talmud. Over 4 days in Rav Gershenson’s class he displays a wealth of knowledge, some from memory, some from considered analysis, and finally, privately, alone with his teacher, from de- and reconstruction of the passage from his initial impression of it as pilpul. I’m sure you know the scenes. They take place in Chapter 14, while Reuven is alone at home while his abba is recovering from a 2nd heart attack in the hospital.
Although I was born into a Jewish family, I’m a lifelong atheist when it comes to deities. However, I’m a cultural Jew, as are many of my ilk. I love learning, reading, engaging in disputation and discussion. Instead of any gods, my idol and inspiration comes from Socrates, who himself may not have been real, but I believe he was.
If Socrates were to have read *THE CHOSEN,* he would have loved it as I do.