tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post1123065434442282563..comments2024-03-18T03:40:39.185-04:00Comments on The Curious Jew: true heroesChanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17655144434904957767noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-43948310278711714062010-10-15T13:59:34.179-04:002010-10-15T13:59:34.179-04:00professional answer to this insurance question: Do...professional answer to this insurance question: Do all states require car insurance? http://insuranceinstates.com/texas/Dallas/Doc%20E%20Curtis%20Insurance%3A%20Curtis%20Doc%20E/75229/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-2423239030820800532010-10-01T09:29:51.113-04:002010-10-01T09:29:51.113-04:00The restaurants list with thousands of restaurants...The restaurants list with thousands of restaurants reviewed by visitors. http://restaurants-us.com/tx/Dayton/Jose%27s%20Mexican%20Restaurant/77535/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-35646028729437837042007-08-24T13:48:00.000-04:002007-08-24T13:48:00.000-04:00And with the Prince Lir and Lady Amalthea, wasn't ...And with the Prince Lir and Lady Amalthea, wasn't Lir's "heroic" act just the fear of responsibility? Woudn't he be scared of his beloved one getting old and reproaching him for withdrawing her from her ultimate quest? Or scared of upcoming yearning in her eyes for her incomplete task, for her lost brethen, for her immortality?<BR/>I didn't feel he was doing hero's stuff, rather ordinary, that is to say pusillanimously noble, man's stuff.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-9842302463767910032007-08-24T13:31:00.000-04:002007-08-24T13:31:00.000-04:00I think the true hero in Tolkien's story is Sam, t...I think the true hero in Tolkien's story is Sam, the most faithful and reliable friend imaginable. He took the big part of Frodo's burden, never left him no matter if his "master's" recognition was there or not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-25985315318496446212007-08-17T02:25:00.000-04:002007-08-17T02:25:00.000-04:00Did u just wrote about bravery and courage and wha...Did u just wrote about bravery and courage and what is the different between them. you were talking about them because what harry potter did?? Or is it in my mind?Stubborn and Stronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17343902285678273948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-83648228957610809872007-08-15T19:28:00.000-04:002007-08-15T19:28:00.000-04:00oh why oh why did Frodo have to leave?Couldn't Gan...oh why oh why did Frodo have to leave?<BR/><BR/>Couldn't Gandalf just propose to fly in to Mordor with the eagles and just drop the ring from the air? Saving all the hassle!Holy Hyraxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17704030181702087485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-12442144575033816372007-08-14T12:54:00.000-04:002007-08-14T12:54:00.000-04:00>E-kvetcher, I'd never seen or heard that song bef...>E-kvetcher, I'd never seen or heard that song before<BR/><BR/>Well, <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7A8Mkg1qYQ" REL="nofollow">here</A> you go! it is actually a very good song...e-kvetcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11235994048517019317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-53563076064651264632007-08-13T11:59:00.000-04:002007-08-13T11:59:00.000-04:00I don't know if I've ever been in the position to ...I don't know if I've ever been in the position to have to make such a decision. And part of me is very scared to ever be in that position, because I'm not sure if I'd really make the right decision. I'd like to think I would, but when you get right down to it, I just don't know...Scrapshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15911315552965685448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-6718724989434562732007-08-12T13:07:00.000-04:002007-08-12T13:07:00.000-04:00“Who is the true hero? The true hero is the person...“Who is the true hero? The true hero is the person who knows what it means to sacrifice.”<BR/><BR/>You call to my mind a relevant passage from Ronnie Zeigler's analysis of the Rav's "Catharsis". <BR/>(http://vbm-torah.org/archive/rav/rav07.htm)<BR/><BR/>In contrast to the Rav's redefinition of catharsis, his redefinition of heroism is more subtle. He begins by presenting gevura as military victory, then gradually changes our understanding of it to include bold action taken contrary to pragmatic reasoning, and ends up by defining it as the paradoxical strength to withdraw, not to consummate victory.<BR/><BR/>This is a good example of a common phenomenon in Rav Soloveitchik's writings. He takes loaded terms which carry positive connotations in the ears of modern man - e.g. heroism, boldness, creativity, mastery, autonomy - and shows that they are really demanded by Judaism. These terms would seem to many to be the very antithesis of Jewish religiosity, which they perceive as being conservative to the point of ossification, and submissive to the point of slavishness. So what is the Rav doing when he applies these epithets to halakhic life? One of two things: either 1) informing us that these qualities, as we commonly understand them, are actually Jewish values; or 2) reinterpreting them (sometimes subtly) and showing us that the new understanding is part of Judaism. Clearly, we have here an instance of the second type. For the Rav, there is more heroism in humility than in majesty.<BR/><BR/> Why, then, does he use the term "heroic"? Again, there are two possibilities.<BR/><BR/>1) This could be a pedagogical device geared to make halakhic life more attractive to modern man - we have positive associations with the word "heroic," so we will be attracted to something described this way. Eventually, we will come to appreciate the values inherent in the new definition of heroism.<BR/><BR/>2) He is uncovering a deeper or more authentic meaning of the term. At the core of the concept of heroism (or creativity, autonomy, etc.), there is a powerful idea which, over the generations, has been covered with layers of dross. If we remove some of our preconceived notions, if we perceive things within a framework of kedusha and avodat Hashem, then we will behold the positive root of the idea in its pristine purity. Or, perhaps, in another formulation: the idea itself is neutral and can be turned in better or worse directions depending on the surrounding framework within which we see it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-7989597296708249022007-08-12T10:44:00.000-04:002007-08-12T10:44:00.000-04:00Mordy, Ilan, Daniel and E-kvetcher,I'm so glad you...Mordy, Ilan, Daniel and E-kvetcher,<BR/><BR/>I'm so glad you all understand what I mean. Mordy, that game sounds beautiful, although I am sure you realize it's a little different from what I mean, because the man did not know going into it what he was going to lose. Ilan, I love Neil Gaiman and have read all his books; he's one of my favorites. Of his works, I love <I>Neverwhere</I> and <I>American Gods.</I> Daniel, yes, it is quite hard to actually choose to act. That is another distinction between bravery and courage. Bravery is a <I>reaction.</I> One reacts to a stimulus. You see a child standing in the street or in a burning house and you <I>run</I>; it is instinctive and uncontrollable. Courage is an actual <I>action</I>; you begin the process. It is therefore, of couse, much harder. E-kvetcher, I'd never seen or heard that song before, but it's absolutely true. The only difference is that in my conception of the world, one has to <I>choose</I> the test, not wait until he is tested. <BR/><BR/>Mordy, back to your point- it actually fits better with the ideas similar to this brought by the Torah. The most famous is probably Moses. Moses led the people through the desert; he was the absolute greatest leader. And yet he had to give up his right to enter the land. He begged and pleaded with God to no avail and finally he accepted his fate. This was his sacrifice. He did not choose it, but he had to accept it.<BR/><BR/>The same occurs by David. David fights so many battles for God, hoping to build and create His dwelling place on earth, the Temple. But this is forbidden him. David so desires to erect this temple and monument to God, but he is not allowed to do so. This is his sacrifice. <BR/><BR/>The most obvious example of sacrifice in Tanakh is that of Isaac by Abraham, but in that case, Isaac does not necessarily choose (although the midrash says he does;) the focus is more on Abraham and the fact that Abraham is willing to sacrifice what is most precious to him to prove his love and devotion to God.Chanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17655144434904957767noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-6621434457272661062007-08-12T09:54:00.000-04:002007-08-12T09:54:00.000-04:00The Impression that I get<A HREF="http://www.lyricsfreak.com/m/mighty+mighty+bosstones/the+impression+that+i+get_20093435.html" REL="nofollow">The Impression that I get</A>e-kvetcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11235994048517019317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-2564784514938026332007-08-12T09:29:00.000-04:002007-08-12T09:29:00.000-04:00I have wondered for a long time what it is that I ...<I>I have wondered for a long time what it is that I would have to sacrifice. And I have wondered whether I would have the courage to do so, knowing the price, knowing the consequences, knowing full well what it would cost.</I><BR/><BR/>Yes, that's how I've been feeling recently. Maybe not exactly; I'm not quite exactly sure what I'd be sacrificing, although I'm sure there would be sacrifices, if only to my peace of mind. But I know what needs doing, and I'm quite sure that if don't do it, no one will, I'm just still uncertain if I can actually do it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-66763096044655064342007-08-12T06:12:00.000-04:002007-08-12T06:12:00.000-04:00Orson Scott Card repeatedly does this well, and ta...Orson Scott Card repeatedly does this well, and takes it to an extreme. He most often tells the story of one solitary person who (even if he/she has friends) must bear a heavier burden than anyone deserves, because no one can do so better, and it must be done.<BR/><BR/>By the way, Chana, have you ever read anything by Neil Gaiman? He does fantasy that feel so totally different than your typical swords-magic-dragons fare that I think it might deserve another category.ilanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03348559130150486122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12970718.post-58658897655099211412007-08-12T03:38:00.000-04:002007-08-12T03:38:00.000-04:00The Greatest Computer Game Ending Of All Time:Ther...The Greatest Computer Game Ending Of All Time:<BR/><BR/>There is an old RPG game called Fallout. In this game, you - a member of a post-apocalypse vault - are chosen to leave and find a water chip for your Vault. Apparently the vault's water chip has broken, and they need a repair. And for the first time in a hundred years, you leave the vault for the nuclear wasteland.<BR/><BR/>And you find the chip. Among other things - a mutant conspiracy, a number of frontier towns, civil war, and a religious cult. But you find the chip and bring it back to your Vault. And then you go out again and save your Vault from possible destruction at the hands of a group of mutant sociopaths. <BR/><BR/>And finally, you return to your vault. The Vault Leader is waiting for you outside the vault - which is unusual. Generally, you need to go down to the 3rd floor to meet him in the control room. But here he is, standing outside the enormous vault padlock door. And he thanks you very much.<BR/><BR/>And then informs you that you can't be allowed back inside. You've seen too much of the world. You'd be a bad influence on the vault dwellers - they'd want to see the world too. So he asks you to leave.<BR/><BR/>The final cutscene shows you walking off into the sandy distances, and the theme song of Fallout begins to play;<BR/><BR/>Maybe you'll think of me. <BR/>When you are all alone.<BR/>Maybe the one who is waiting for you,<BR/>Will prove untrue, then what will you do? <BR/>Maybe you'll sit and sigh, <BR/>Wishing that I were near.<BR/>Then maybe you'll ask me to <BR/>Come back again<BR/>And maybe I'll say "Maybe"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com