The Hasid and the Zionist
The saying, “Opposites attract” actually comes to life in The Chosen, by Chaim Potok. There are both similarities and differences between Reuven and Danny. Usually, close friends have more similarities than differences, but not Reuven and Danny. They really are total opposites. They have differences on almost every aspect of life. They have different beliefs and ways of living. They even have differences in almost all of their relationships. Reuven and Danny are completely unlike.
Reuven Malter is a Zionist; he was a Jew who wanted a Jewish state, before the Messiah came. He has always been good at math, not like Danny. He wanted to be a Rebbi when he grew up, although at first he wanted to be a mathematician. “The gematriya for prozdor is five hundred and thirteen (134).” Reuven really doesn’t think for himself, he always has his father help him with his problems. “I told him (251).” This pretty well sums up Reuven’s relationship with his father, he told him absolutely everything and never solved his own problems. Unlike Danny, Reuven and his father communicate really well together. Reuven hates Reb, Danny’s father, but Danny “Respects” him. “I hate Reb (221).” Contradictory to Danny, Reuven goes out with women on his weekends, while Danny sits at home studying. Reuven said, “I was dating regularly now on Saturday nights (250).” There are even some differences in appearance, such as, Reuven wears glasses and he doesn’t have ear curls.
Danny Saunders is an anti-Zionist, which means he opposes Zionists. Danny was great in the study of the Talmud; Reuven on the other hand was kind of slow at it. Danny never actually wanted to be a Tzakkid; he always wanted to become a psychologist. “I don’t know, Probably a psychologist (69).” He constantly showed that he thought for himself, because every problem he had, he usually solved it by himself, he never got the answer like Reuven. Between Danny and his father, there is an uneasy silence, but Reuven and his father get along perfectly. “There was never any simple human kind of conversation between him and his son (184).” This is talking about Reb and Danny. Danny never says he loves his father, he only respects him, but Reuven however, despises Reb Saunders.
Rabbi Saunders tries his hardest to have his son’s soul be ready for taking over the task of leading the Jewish people. The reason that a person must have a strong soul is so that they can handle the burden that Danny’s followers will heap onto him. Rabbi Saunders believes that only speaking to his son in Talmud discussions will enhance his sons soul. That is why Reb Saunders raises his child in silence. It is understandable to raise a son in the way Reb Saunders did, because Danny was destined for such great things. All Reb Saunders wants is that hi...
The basis of all the conflicts in the entire novel stem from the differences in family life, which are brought on by the discrepancies of religious beliefs. Rueven, who is an Orthodox Jew, goes to a parochial school where Hebrew is taught instead of Yiddish (which would be considered the first Jewish language). Rueven's school is also very integrated with many English-speaking classes. But on the other hand, Danny, who attends a yeshiva (also a Jewish school), considers himself a true Jew because he (unlike Rueven) wears the traditional side curls and is educated in Yiddish. At first the two boys cannot stand each other, many times Danny refers to Rueven as "apikorsim," (32) which basically translates to... someone who is not true to their religion. These differences between the two soon become obsolete with one unfortunate accident, and make them realize they could use each other to get through some hard times. "Silence is all we dread. There's ransom in a voice--But Silence is infinity."-Emily Dickinson
The relationship between the two fathers and the two sons is a very important theme in this book. Because of their different backgrounds, Reb Saunders and David Malters approached raising a child from two totally different perspectives. Despite the obvious differences in the two men’s beliefs, both did what they thought was right for their sons. Reb Saunders was a Hasidic tzaddik and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. He raised Danny in silence, hoping to teach him to listen to silence, to learn compassion, and to develop a soul to go with his mind. Unless it had to do with religious studies, Reb never had an actual conversation with Danny after the age of 3. Reb wanted Danny to find things out for himself. On the other hand, Reuven’s father, Mr. Malters, felt it very important that he had good and frequent communication between himself and his son. The two would sometimes talk for hours about life, different religions, friends and anything else Reuven would want to ...
Intriguing with sapphire eyes, a face chiseled out of stone, and golden ear locks stands Danny Saunders. In Chaim Potok’s book The Chosen Danny Saunders is a dynamic character. Son of Reb Saunders, a tzaddik, Danny lives a life infused with the Talmud. He studies and Talmud by heart but longs to study beyond religious manuscripts. The reading of non-religious books in Danny’s sect earns social rejection¬¬¬, but Danny yearned to study more and did so. Danny Saunders possesses a brilliant mind, a theological understanding, and an inquisitive sprit.
David Malter was part of the Jewish sect that took on a more modern approach. He is very understanding, and he cares very deeply for his son Reuven. Reuven and his father's relationship would be considered healthy by most people. They love each other very much, and they have a very open communication with each other.
Johnny and Dally are both similar, yet at the same time they are different. In S.E Hinton's book The Outsiders, Dally and Johnny both do not value their lives and they both are mentally tough. Contraversly Dally is much stronger than Johnny, but Johnny has a softer heart than Dally. Johnny and Dally are like a ying yang, with all good there is some bad and with all bad there is some good. In this case with Johnny and Dally, with all similarities there are differences and with all differences there are similarities. But is it really possible for two different people with different surplus be alike, or are they just pretending they like each other.
They became friends and kept seeing each other after Reuven got out of the hospital. One day, Reuven went over to Danny’s house to meet his father. Danny’s father was a rabbi and raised his son in silence. They never talked except when they studied the Torah together. Reuven’s father was a Zionist and Danny’s father was an anti-Zionist.
In all of their conversations, Mr. Malter seeks to pass his moral wisdom onto Reuven. At the beginning of the novel, after Reuven refuses to listen to Danny’s apology, his father visits him at the hospital to discuss his ignorance: “‘You did a foolish thing, Reuven,’ he told me [Reuven] sternly. ‘You remember what the Talmud says. If a person comes to apologize for having hurt you, you must listen and forgive him’” (96). Reuven’s father teaches him about applying the Talmud to his daily life and about becoming a better person. After Reuven and Danny begin to become friends, Reuven begins to look at the baseball game in retrospective. He tells his father he is shocked how such a strong friendship can emerge from such a meaningless occurrence. His father replies, “‘Reuven, as you grow older you will discover that the most important things that will happen to you will often come as a result of silly things, as you call them‘ordinary things’ is a better expression. That is the way the world is’” (110). Mr. Malter shares his wisdom of Jewish morals and way of life with Reuven so he may pass his knowledge on to his children, or perhaps his future followers. Mr. Malter tries to pass more wisdom to Reuven as the ...
Chaim Potok’s novel, The Chosen, describes a friendship between two Jewish boys raised in two different Jewish sects. Danny Saunders, a Hasidic Jew, slowly develops a true, long-lasting friendship with Rueven Malter, a modern Orthodox Jew. Although, Danny and Rueven experience difficulties early on in their friendship because of their different religious beliefs and practices, they learn to work through their differences and form a friendship that surpasses all of their religious inconsistencies. The story takes place in the 1940s in the neighborhood of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, New York. Jews inhabit most of the Williamsburg area and few non-Jews live here. During this time in the United States Jews experienced an immense amount of persecution because of World War II and the Holocaust. Potok uses his novel to describe the differences between the different sects of Judaism and how the different sects learn to appreciate one another.
Reuven and Danny are friends when they enter Hirsch College. While they are at college, many of the students and faculty members have different stances on Zionism. During this time, David Malter organizes a pro-Zionist rally at Madison Square Garden that turns out to be very successful and over joys Reuven. However, when Reuven returns to school, he finds out that Danny is not allowed to be friends and talk with him anymore because of the rally. Reuven is extremely upset and furious. He calls Reb Saunders a "fanatic" and cries about Danny. Danny and Reuven do not talk for the whole semester and Reuven feels horrible about the situation. He thinks that silence is "cancerous, [and] was death" (221). By the next semester, Reuven promises to forget Danny and his silence; but he can't, even if he's mad. Later, Reuven and Danny start communicating in silence. David Malter told Reuven in the beginning of the novel that "two people who are true friends are like two bodies with one soul." (74) This shows the reader that Danny and Reuven still had to communicate with each other, even in silence, because they were bonded with a "true" friendship.
The way in which Reb Saunders and David Malter raise their children reflect the conflict between tradition and modernity in this story. David Malter raises Reuven with a modern approach. He encourages Reuven to learn about the modern world as well as hold on to his religion. Reb Saunders to shelter Danny from modern ideas. With the exception of teaching Danny about the Talmud, he raises Danny in silence. He has his own reasons for raising Danny this way. “I did not want to drive him away from God, but I did not want him to grow up a mind without a soul” (Page 266). Reb Saunders raises his son through a tradition that has been in his family for a long time. However, he accomplishes his goal. His method of raising his son is dramatically different from David Malter’s modern practice. The results are also different. Danny has gone through much more pain and suffering than Reuven, and he chooses to carry on this practice if he must. Modernity and tradition present in the different ideas of these men influences the lives and ideas of their children as well.
Firstly, one’s identity is largely influenced by the dynamics of one’s relationship with their father throughout their childhood. These dynamics are often established through the various experiences that one shares with a father while growing up. In The Glass Castle and The Kite Runner, Jeannette and Amir have very different relationships with their fathers as children. However the experiences they share with these men undou...
Roosevelt’s death is followed by Reuven’s fever, and David Malter’s and Reb Saunders’s illnesses (Potok 189). They are both ill on the day in May when the war in Europe was over. Furthermore, the reports of the German concentration camps shock the Jewish community. Reuven is devastated by the stories of destruction, and David Malter and Reb Saunders weep for the loss of millions of European Jews. Hence, the revelation of the Holocaust in Europe is followed by David Malter’s heart attack. Although the historical tragedies do not directly cause the characters’ illnesses, its consequences imply that World War II is not merely a setting for the novel, but an essential influence on its characters’ lives. In addition, although both David and Reb are pained by the mass slaughter of the Jewish people, their political responses are profoundly different. Hence, the revelation of the Holocaust and end of World War II emphasizes their conflicts based on opposing beliefs on Judaism. Reb Saunders accepts the Holocaust as God’s will and, thinks that Jews should wait for the Messiah to come to lead them to the Promised Land according to a conservative interpretation of Jewish tradition. On the other hand, David Malter argues that Jews cannot wait for God any longer, and they must found a Jewish state in
All through the entire book, Chaim Potok attempted various endeavor in order to express the emphasis on developing his central characters, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders. One of the main themes Chaim Potok tried to express in The Chosen is that true friendship plays a vital role in maintaining the welfare of any friends. To backbone his idea, Chaim Potok demonstrated several scenarios when Reuven and Danny are in difficult situations and ultimately have to sort out solutions before the problems could corrupt their relationship. Reuven Malter, son of a Modern Orthodox teacher, is smart, athletic and has a particular nick for mathematics. However, Reuven's desire is to become a rabbi of his own sect for he feels that he could " be more useful to people as a rabbi ," ("The Chosen" 74) by doing things such as to " teach them, and help them when they're in trouble " ("The Chosen" 74) Danny Saunders, on the other hand, is the son of a Russian Hasidic rabbi leader, Reb Saunders.
Similar to honesty, a big part of loyalty is trust. When I was a freshman in highschool, I was in a relationship with someone, but it was kept a secret because we did not want anyone to find out. I only told my closest friend, Julian, because I trusted him the most. However, the relationship got emotionally and psychologically abusive. I told Julian, but I did not want anyone else knowing because I feared that it was my fault and I would get in trouble. Julian stayed loyal to keeping my relationship a secret, but when he found out it was abusive, he told my counselor. I was against getting help at first but with Julian’s loyalty to me and my protection, he helped me get out of the relationship with the support of an adult. Although it was not to the extent of my situation, a similar situation can be seen in The Chosen. Reuven tells his father Danny’s secret when he is worried about him. When Danny’s brother becomes very ill, Mr. Malter notices that Reuven is greatly disturbed and confronts him about it. Worried about his best friend, Reuven explains how Danny is in a panic over his brother’s illness; without his brother, he will not be able to break away from his father and he will destroy the family dynasty. Upset, Mr. Malter asks Reuven why he did not tell him about Danny’s future sooner. Reuven justifies himself and says, “It was a secret between us, abba” (270). Although Reuven and his father have a very close relationship, Reuven and Danny’s friendship proves to be just as strong because he is willing to keep Danny’s secret from his father, who he trusts with anything. He only tells his father when he believes Danny may be in trouble and needs help. This demonstrates Reuven’s loyalty to Danny and how dedicated he is to protecting