Thursday, September 24, 2009

Glee Channels Alphabet of Ben Sira

Watch this clip from the TV show "Glee" from 5:34 onward.

Alternatively, here's my transcription below.

Finn: Quinn. Quinn. Hey, what’s with the silent treatment? [He walks over to her; she is crying.] Whatever I did, I’m sorry.

Quinn: [a tear slipping down her cheek] I’m pregnant.

[Everything seems far, far away to Finn, who is reeling.]

At first I wasn’t sure …I’m so sorry that I didn’t tell you sooner.

Finn: [totally shocked] Mine?

Quinn: Yes, you. Who else’s would it be?

Finn: But we- we never-

Quinn: Last month? Hot tub?

[Flashback to Finn & Quinn in the hot tub. Finn replays the scene in his mind but is totally bemused.]

But we were wearing our swimsuits!

Quinn: AskJeeves said a hot tub is the perfect temperature for sperm; it helps it swim faster…

Finn: Ohmigod. [taking a breath] Ohmigod. Are you- are you- are you gonna get a-?

Quinn: [shakes head] No.

~

When I saw this scene I laughed out loud because it's taking the famous story of Jeremiah and his daughter and the fact that she becomes pregnant because there is sperm in the water of the mikva in "The Alphabet of Ben Sira" and giving us a modern-day application. (I think the idea of someone becoming pregnant through sperm in the mikva also appears in Gemara, but I don't remember where.) The point is...however unlikely or odd, there is always Torah (or that which relates to Torah, in any event) in TV shows. Huzzah!

6 comments:

הצעיר שלמה בן רפאל לבית שריקי ס"ט said...

...I actually tried to watch a few minutes of ‘Glee’ the other day but found it exceedingly difficult...

הצעיר שלמה בן רפאל לבית שריקי ס"ט said...

Also: how is that a 'famous' story? I never saw that before in my life (as Ben Sira isn’t the most popular yeshiva curriculum). It’s funny that it speaks of masturbation, since I don’t think it’s at all mentioned in the tanach (or apocrypha) itself...

..crazy story by the way..

הצעיר שלמה בן רפאל לבית שריקי ס"ט said...

Ohh, the ‘Alphabet’ of, ..then I rescind my comment...(whoops)

הצעיר שלמה בן רפאל לבית שריקי ס"ט said...

Ha. Just saw this, "אין בהם חכמה ולא תועלת אלא אבוד הזמן בדברים בטלים".

drnelk said...

It's in the 2nd perek of Bavli Chagigah.

Jan said...

Ha. Just saw this, "אין בהם חכמה ולא תועלת אלא אבוד הזמן בדברים בטלים".