Mezuzah

I'm picking up The Gift of Asher Lev for the flight home. I read it years ago and am all excited to read it again.

I finished The Gift of Asher Lev last night.

It helped clear up some of the confusion I had regarding the prohibition against Asher's art. It also seemed as though Asher interacted with a lot more people (Jewish and non-Jewish), and, although it was still told through Asher's point of view exclusively, these interactions made the world more tangible and accessible.

Going back to My Name is Asher Lev, I think the reverence for the Rebbe comes from the fact that so many people in the Ladover community feel they owe their lives to the Rebbe and his mission. I think that many of the people in the Ladover community in general are being confronted with freedoms and choices that they are not accustomed to and rely on the Rebbe to help them navigate this new world.

Of course Asher's family has been in the US for a little while, so the situation isn't entirely new to them. Asher's father remains tied to the Rebbe because he believes in the mission, but his uncle, who has built his jewelry stores, doesn't seem as dependent on the Rebbe beyond careful and respectful observence.

But wasn't Asher's uncle the one encouraging Aryeh to go to the Rebbe for advice when Rivkeh was sick, while Aryeh resisted, with something like, "We're not that kind of people"? I agree with your point about Aryeh believing in the mission.

I got the impression that, when Rivkeh was sick, Asher's uncle was suggesting that Aryeh consider a divorce from Rivkeh. I returned the book to the library and don't have it, but I recall a lot of phrases like "The boy needs a mother," "You need to continue your life," etc. I wish I could remember it better. I think Uncle Yitzok was suggesting that Aryeh go to the Rebbe about that possibility, which is an extreme situation I think would definitely warrant the consultation of one's spiritual leader.

It helped clear up some of the confusion I had regarding the prohibition against Asher's art. It also seemed as though Asher interacted with a lot more people (Jewish and non-Jewish), and, although it was still told through Asher's point of view exclusively, these interactions made the world more tangible and accessible.

The second book is a lot more narrative in it's, well, narration. The first book seems to be pure gut emotion that relays a story.

He's still subtle though. I'm only about eighty pages in but I wonder if Devorah was allowed to marry such a controversial figure not only because it was Paris, but because she was pretty old to be marrying.

And Asher has softened a lot. For the bulk of the last book he was pretty critical of his Uncle and that hasn't come up at all... and I don't think it's just because of his death.

I think Devorah was allowed to marry Asher because (spoiler) her parents were dead, and her surrogate parents (her aunt and uncle) were the parents of an artist (Max), though not as controversial as one. Also, there is a point make about Asher's daughter that, although she is Ladover, she is also French.

I think the fact that the artisitic tradition is such a part of French history and tradition means there may be different attitudes toward art, even in the French Ladover community. That is, I believe, part of the reason the Rebbe sent Asher to live in France.

I got the impression that, when Rivkeh was sick, Asher's uncle was suggesting that Aryeh consider a divorce from Rivkeh. I returned the book to the library and don't have it, but I recall a lot of phrases like "The boy needs a mother," "You need to continue your life," etc. I wish I could remember it better. I think Uncle Yitzok was suggesting that Aryeh go to the Rebbe about that possibility, which is an extreme situation I think would definitely warrant the consultation of one's spiritual leader.

I didn't get that impression at all. I just looked back at that passage, and the argument there really seems to be about whether or not to go to the Rebbe to ask for advice or blessings. Yitzchok says that their father once went to the Rebbe when he was having problems, and that plenty of people go to the Rebbe when they have a cold, and Aryeh responds, "I'm not such people." The conversation about how Asher need a mother and the "You need to continue your life" statements was when Asher's Aunt Leah was talking to his mother.

Hmm. I may need to get the second book.