The Chosen - Chapters 4-7

The Chosen Chapters 4-7

I’m so amazed at how much I’m learning by reading this book. I’m trying to find a balance between really enjoying the book and bogging myself down with vocabulary! There are many words that I know, but want to understand more fully, so I look those up. Then there are words I’ve never even heard and those definitions have words in them that I don’t know. I actually had to stop and not write out the definition of “recondite”. My favorite word to say is “catechetical”. I think Doug found a way to use “catechetically” in a sentence and he even Tweeted it! Jackson, Doug and I had fun saying it over and over and trying to use it in different sentences. Anyway, back to the book. I wanted to summarize how Hasidism came about, but I’m not ready to do that with much accuracy, so for now, it will just be enough for me to personally have a better understanding of it myself.

In chapter 4 during one of Danny’s visits to Reuven in the hospital, the two are discussing the fact that according to Danny’s father (a Hasidic Rabbi) a Jew’s mission in life is to obey God. Danny said, “Sometimes I’m not sure I know what God wants, though.” I copied that down because it reminded me of my own questioning. What does God want? Is it easily found in the Bible (His Word). And, is God only in His Word (the Bible)? No, because He was before the Bible was. The Bible is not God. And, if the answer was as simple as reading the Bible, then why do so many people who believe in God have a different answer to that question?
In Chapter 7 Reuven is going with Danny to meet Reb Saunders (Danny’s father) and the crowds part as Danny walks past. Reuven questions Danny about this and Danny says, “Number one on our catechism: Treat the son as you would the father, because one day the son will be the father.” Wow. I don’t know why that stood out to me enough to write it down, but it really did. I think it was just the reality of the dynastic nature of the Hasidic religion.

Aside from the Jewish (mostly Hasidic) history and vocabulary, the story itself is very compelling. I really admire Reuven’s father, Mr. Malter. He has been helping Danny find worthwhile secular reading material in the library and while Mr. Malter knows who Danny is, Danny doesn’t know that Mr. Malter is Reuven’s father. But, what really strikes me about this is that Mr. Malter never tells Reuven that he has a relationship with Danny.

I’m going to type out from the book (Chapter 4) because I was very moved (and a bit convicted) by what Mr. Malter says…This conversation is between Mr. Malter, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders…

“But all this week, even after the accident, you never said a word!” (Reuven says)
“I did not think it was for me to tell,” my father said quietly. “A boy comes into the library, climbs to the third floor, the room with old journals, looks carefully around, finds a table behind a bookcase where almost no one can see him, and sits down to read. Some days I am there, and he comes over to me, apologizes for interrupting me in my work and asks me if I can recommend a book for him to read. He does not know me, and I do not know him. I ask him f he is interested in literature or science, and he tells me h is interested in anything that is worthwhile. I suggest a book, and two hours later he returns, thanks me, and tells me he has finished reading it, is there anything else I can recommend. I am a little astonished, and we sit for a while and discuss the book, and I see he has not only read it and understood it, but has memorized it. So I give him another book to read, one that is a little bit more difficult, and the same thing occurs. He finishes it completely, returns to me, and we sit and discuss it. Once I ask him his name, but I see he becomes very nervous, and I go to another topic quickly. Then I ask the librarian, and I understand everything because I have already heard of Reb Saunders’ son from other people. He is very interested in psychology, he tells me. So I recommend more books. It is now almost two months that I have been making such recommendations. Isn’t that so, Danny? Do you really think Reuven, I should have told you? It was for Danny to tell if he wished, not for me.

I really like how discreet Mr. Malter is. I think if it had been me, I would have come home after the first day at the library and asked Reuven, “Do you know that Danny Saunders? He asked me for books to read in the library! And, they weren’t religious books, but secular books. Isn’t that interesting? I don’t think I’d see it as gossip, but really that is what it would be. Just something for me to think about. I admire how Mr. Malter handled the situation.

During Mr. Malter’s discussion of the history of Hasidism, he tells Reuven that legend is of no interest to him. I found this interesting because I see that he wanted to just give Reuven the facts, but I think that legend is very telling as well, as long as it is presented as such.

In Chapter 7, reference is made to the Ark in Danny’s synagogue. I wondered if all synagogues have an Ark? According to a slightly reliable source (Wikipedia): The Torah ark or ark in a synagogue (Jewish house of worship) is known in Hebrew as the Aron Kodesh by the Ashkenazim and as the Hekhál amongst most Sefardim. It is generally a receptacle, or ornamental closet, which contains each synagogue's Torah scrolls (Sifrei Torah in Hebrew). In most cases, when possible, the ark is located on the wall of the synagogue closest to Jerusalem.

So, which words did I not know? I hope by writing these out, I will be learning them even more. In the future, I will look the words up as I come upon them. I was at the water park and just jotted down the words I wanted to look up without giving page numbers, so two days later when I looked them up, I couldn’t remember the context.

They are, in no particular order:

Shabbat – Sabbath
Talmud – the collection of Jewish law and tradition consisting of the Mishnah and the Gemara.
Torah – 1. the Pentateuch, being the first of the three divisions of the Old Testament. 2. The Old Testament itself 3. The entire body of Jewish law as contained chiefly in the Old Testament and the Talmud.
Vestibule – a passage, hall or antechamber between the outer door and the interior parts of a house or building
Gaunt – extremely thin and bony; haggard and drawn, as from great hunger, weariness, etc.
Aristocracy – class of persons holding exceptional rank and privileges esp hereditary nobility.
Beadle – 1. (in British Universitites) an official who supervises and leads processions; macebearer 2. A parish officer who keeps order during services, waits on the clergymen, etc.
Kabbalah (Cabala) - book of Jewish mysticism (study of Kabbalah was forbidden by rabbis at certain times in history). A system of esoteric theosophy and theurgy developed by rabbis from about the 7th to 18th centuries, reaching its peak about the 12th and 13th centuries, and based on a mystical method of interpreting the Scriptures to penetrate sacred mysteries and foretellt he future.
Esoteric – 1. Understood by or meant for only the select few who have special knowledge or interest; recondite 2. Belonging to the select few 3. Private, secret, confidential
Unaffected – free from affectation; sincere; genuine; unpretentious
Affectation – a false appearance or assumption of a state, quality or manner
Amulet – a charm worn to ward off evil ro to bring good fotune; talisman
Ba’al Shem Tov – the Kind or Good Master of the Name (the rabbi who founded Hasidism) also called Besht by his followers. According to Ba’al Shem Tov the purpose of man is to make his life holy – every aspect…eating, drinking, praying, sleeping…
Hasidism – pios ones
Mitnagdim – opponents of Hasidism
Kaddish – considering someone dead and buried
Tzaddikim – Hasidim leaders “righteous ones”
Treatise – a formal and systematic exposition in writing of the principles of a subject, generally longer and more detailed than an essay
Caftan (in the Near East) – a long coat like garment tied at the waist with a sash
Tractate – a treatise; tract
Catechism – 1. An elementary book containing a summary of the principles of a Christian religion in the form of questions and answers 2. A series of formal questions and answers used as a test 3. Catechetical instruction
Catechetical – pertaining to teaching by questions and answers
Exposition – 1. A public exhibition or show 2. The act of expounding, setting forth or explaining
Expound – to set forth or state in detail

I’m still trying to figure out how to organize my thoughts. I want to have my own list of vocabulary, but I feel it is getting in the way of my enjoyment of and writing about the actual story. I’ll get there!