Chaim Potok

I spent the nice long Deepavali break reading 3 books by Chaim Potok. The best thing about reading authors like Mr Potok, is how he totally transports you into his world. Even if the books are not part of a series, the writing, imagery and situational literariness is so consistent, that I feel a little uncomfortable in my own skin after a marathon session like this one. Very few authors can acheive this for me - OSC of course, Anita Shreve does too, and now Chaim Potok.

The Chosen
15 year old Reuven Malter makes a difficult decision to be friends with Danny Saunders, the boy who hit his eye with a baseball and almost blinded him for life. His decision goes beyond forgiveness into true acceptance for his new friend who is a Hasidic Jew. Danny Saunders also has had a rough childhood, raised in silence by a father who was afraid his son's brilliance will make him hard hearted, and hopes his silent treatment will cause enough pain to teach Danny compassion. He expects Danny to take his place as Tzaddik (spiritual leader) of his synagogue, but Danny wants to walk a different path - a path frowned upon by Godly Jews.

This book is about the most basic, and most important of relationships - that between a father and his child. It is also a sort of allegory for man's relationship with God. As long as we see him as G.O.D all in capital letters, He remains unreachable and constantly watching for you to slip. But when you can embrace Him and call Him Father, then you don't have to worry about pleasing Him. You already are.

The Promise
This book taught me a very important lesson. You can agree with the questions that are asked, without agreeing with the answers. I know what probably sounds too simple, but I am a simple person .

There are alot of times when you are taught not to question. In school, at home and even in church, sometimes asking questions is anathema, because noone wants to admit that they don't know the answer.

Reuven Malter faces this situation when his whole Yeshiva is up in arms against a new scientific method of studying Talmud. He is especially persecuted by his teacher, Rav Kalman, who threatens not to let him pass his Rabbinical exams unless he denounces the method altogether.

Reuven realises that sometimes, you have to walk a different way to find answers for yourself, even when the world, as you know it, is against you. And that being pleasing to God is often far removed from being pleasing to men.

The Life of Asher Lev
Of the three books, this one is my favourite. Asher Lev is a Hasidic boy who grows up with an absentee father, a pining mother and an unusual, genius talent for art. He starts drawing startlingly poignant pictures of his life in New York in the early 30s to make up for his father's absence. His father, who spends his life travelling to East Europe to emancipate Jews for his Rebbe, or spiritual leader, does not seek to understand his son's talents, which he calls "nonsense".

Again, Mr Potok has masterfully drawn out the intricacies between a father and his son to tell a touching and painful story of the importance of being accesptable to your father.


By the way, Chaim in Hebrew means "life" or "alive".
To read his own commentary on these books, click here.