Theme Of Wisdom In Chaim Potok's The Chosen

Wisdom is one of the traits of hero, but what is wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to make the right judgment, the right decision, because the situation is fully understood. A wise person has a complete understanding of the situation and makes the soundest decision for the best result. The connotation for a wise person is a person that

Danny and Reuven’s relationship was a link between father and son, but this grew into something more, something life-long and unchanging. This friendship was true, it meant a lot to both of them, and their parents. However, after large disagreements in both Danny and Reuven’s religious lives and families, Reb Saunders excommunicates Reuven from the Hasidic community and Danny’s life.

    An examination of contextual similarities reveals that both texts clearly laud the value of wisdom. Koheleth says to have "set [his] mind to study and to probe with wisdom all that happens under the sun" (1:13) in much the same way that Socrates dedicates himself to a life of thought. Though Koheleth warns, "as wisdom grows, vexation grows" (1:18), he decides after exploring the alternatives that "vexation is better than revelry"(7:5) and that "wisdom is more of a stronghold to a wise man than ten magnates that a city might contain" (7:19). Socrates offers a similar explanation: "there is no way to escape form evil or salvation for it except by becoming as good and wise as possible" (107c-d). Clearly these two men, aged and at a pinnacle of wisdom from which they can view their prior follies,

Danny and Reuven’s relationship progresses from tension in the beginning to an intimate friendship because of a mutual trust that is established. Danny says, “Sometimes I’m not sure I know what God wants though…I’ve never said that to anyone before” (80). From early on Danny feels comfortable confiding in Reuven. He shares his innermost feelings with Reuven and they form a closely knit bond. Danny and Reuven have a conversation; Reuven asks Danny, “Are you going to like being a Rabbi?” (82). Danny replies, “No, but I have no choice, it’s like a dynasty, if the son doesn’t take the father’s place, the dynasty falls apart” (Ibid.). This piece of evidence once again displays a profound trust the boys have. This conversation is a turning point for the book because Danny admits he does not want to carry on his father’s rabbinic dynasty. The fact that Danny openly shares this shocking information with Reuven shows how strong the boys relationship is. After a personal conversation Reuven narrates as he observes Danny, “I saw him begin to play absent-mindedly with one of his earlocks. We were quiet for a long

Danny is a Hasidic Jew, and Reuven is a Modern Orthodox Jew. Hasidic Jews are particularly strict with their faith. They must study the Talmud for most of the day, and they refuse to accept to learning English subjects in school. In fact, they refuse to use the scientific method. Hasids believe God literally wrote the Torah, the holy book that includes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. They have a strong, faithful devotion to their leader, the tzaddik. They believe the tzaddik is a messenger of God. In contrast, Modern Orthodox Jews practice a more rational, less restrictive form of Jewish faith. They must also study the Talmud, but they do not spend as much time studying as the Hasidic people do. They are much more open to learning English subjects in school and are taught scientific method. As a matter of fact, Hasidics look down on Modern Orthodox Jews because they do not spend enough time studying the Talmud, the book of Jewish law. Unlike the Hasidics, Modern Orthodox believe God inspired man to write the Torah. In the novel, the different ways Danny and Reuven approach Judaism is shown

1) Wisdom is thought to be the collective and individual experience of applying knowledge to the solution of problems.

In today’s world, knowledge is useless without the wisdom to apply it to real life situations. The great biblical author, King Solomon, once wrote, “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!” (Proverbs 16:16). Wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. In Chaim Potok’s novel The Chosen, the main characters Reb Saunders and David Malters display their immense wisdom when raising their children. In addition Danny Saunders also shows wisdom with the way he handles his friendship with Reuven Malters. The theme of wisdom exists throughout the chosen but, it remains mostly evidenced by the characters Reb Saunders, Danny Saunders, and David Malter.

Why do we even need wisdom? Wisdom is essential because how is the human race going to learn how to survive efficiently and fully without wisdom? How are people going to learn once you do something and get in trouble you don’t do it again, thus, making you wiser.

When is stubbornness a good thing? In the story of Ruth, the qualities of diligence, care, and stubbornness are exhibited. Because Ruth’s husband dies, her mother in law Naomi decides to go back to her homeland and start a new life there. Ruth insists on accompanying her, even though Naomi wants her to stay in her old home. When they arrive in Bethlehem, Ruth immediately goes to work gathering left over wheat in fields. Every night, she comes home to care for Naomi and bake bread with the grain she has gathered. Reuven from Chiam Potok’s The Chosen also exemplifies these qualities. His diligence, stubbornness, and care are clearly shown in his personality.

In his novel, Siddhartha, Herman Hesse implies that wisdom plays a huge part of the story since it seems to be a topic we’re jumping into a lot. For example, that is what inspires Siddhartha to go on his long life learning journey, to look for more knowledge and find wisdom. Along with that, to represent Siddhartha finding wisdom, he puts him through different kinds of experiences, since wisdom can be gained only from that.

What does it mean to have wisdom? Some may say to be wise is to have enough knowledge and good judgment to make well thought out life decisions. Wisdom is a common term mentioned throughout out the New Testament Epistles and the entire Bible. The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom and knowledge. It talks about ways to be wise and ways to be foolish. Through out the Bible there seems to be different types of wisdom and it is described in different ways. Analyzing all types of wisdom and knowledge will help us decide what the Bible means to be wise.

What does it mean to be wise? Webster's Dictionary defines the word "wise" as being "marked by deep understanding, keen discerment". Through the telling of the ancient Mariner's tale, the Wedding-Guest became sadder and wiser. He became sad in that he identified himself with the shallow and self-absorbed mariner. However, the mariner changed his ways. The Wedding-Guest became wise through realizing that he himself needed to alter his ways.

Reuven says to Danny, “you look like a Hasid but you don’t sound like one. … You sound almost as if you don’t believe in God” (Potok 81). Here, Reuven is bringing light to the fact that Danny is not as truly Hasidic on the inside as he appears on the outside. It is also obvious that Danny will not be keeping his tzitzit forever when Danny reads Graetz’s volume that chastised Hasidism aloud to Reuven and then calls him a great scholar; “But Graetz was a great scholar .... He was one of the greatest Jewish scholars of the century” (Potok 154). Danny is saying that even though Graetz wrote about the dark parts of Hasidism, he was still able to overlook that and admit he was a great scholar. Another example that proves that Danny will leave Hasidism when he goes to Columbia can be found when Danny begins to read the works of people such as Darwin and Freud. A true Hasid would never read something that contradicted their religion such as that and most certainly, never enjoy it. The fact that Reuven notices the traces of apikorsim in Danny early on, Danny names Graetz a great scholar and that he not only reads but enjoys the works of Darwin and Freud are all evidence that when Danny leaves for Columbia, he will also be leaving

Wisdom, for the majority of people, is viewed as valuable or desirable, but how is wisdom defined? Aside from Oxford Dictionaries description of wisdom: “The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise,” in what other degrees can wisdom be characterized? Regularly, in many cultures, children are taught to respect their elders because they are wise; because wisdom resides in their elders as old age has brought them crystallized intelligence. In Greek and Greek-American culture, old age is honored and celebrated, and respect for elders is central to the family; and in Korea, respect for one's parents, filial piety (Xiao), is considered the most fundamental of the Confucian values, the root of all others.

Wisdom is the Holy advocate and comforter, the enabler, she is absolute knowledge and those who are taught by her enrich their minds with goodly thoughts wisdom is the saver of the human soul, she has the key to the limitless and infinite mind of God, she knows the mind of God and helps us to understand the Devine Will Wisdom in herself is incomprehensible she is all that we can perceive and more than we can fathom she was there from the begining of time and by her all things are created. Wisdom is infinite inteligence she is witty and subtle, she is loving, kind and compassionable, she is the pull embodiment of God, she is Full of Grace. Wisdom discerns all things she is understanding, she knows the begining and the end of all things yet she has no end. Widom is the overseer of our thoughts she guides us in our thinking and with her inate ability to discern all things she leads us to the truth. Wisdom is the knowing mind of God without her we will be in