I watched the film "Ushpizin" last night (my mother wanted me to!) and learned a few things from it:
1. An idea which I recently made concise; "every action has an equal and opposite reaction" in regards to our actions and their consequences (punishment). Non-Jews have a harder time with this concept. (The guy attached everything that happened to him to things he did wrong).
2. כח התפילה. Thoughtful prayer could change reality.
3. גיבור על היצר. The guy in the movie was a good example of forcing ones self not to take the easy road, and to force ones self to do something they don't want to do.
4. It also connecting with the 'סוגיא' I was looking into that evening about parnasa v.s. Talmud-Torah. The 'Yalkut Yosef' says it's "better to learn, and suffice with the kollel stipend". We see from the movie, that he was in kollel, but because of his poverty his mind wasn't "open to to concentrate on perfecting his G-dly service".בית נאה...מרחיבין דעתו של אדם וכו
5. From one of the previews I learned about how much we should appreciate and take advantage of life in the way we're living it.
6. And I suppose I (to a very small extent) also thought about slightly rethinking my position about films and theater (could be 'מותר לשיעורין'- in order to think about topics you otherwise wouldn't, to help in G-dly service.
ממני הצעיר-
5 comments:
I watched Ushpizin a few months (or maybe even a year) ago with my mother. It was a pretty good movie.
"6. And I suppose I (to a very small extent) also thought about slightly rethinking my position about films and theater (could be 'מותר לשיעורין'- in order to think about topics you otherwise wouldn't, to help in G-dly service." -- So you don't believe in watching movies as a distraction or a form of escape?
Good movie. Most Israeli films have been about such nonsense until recently. ..there're so many topics to make movies about in the Jewish outlook, and all we got was "burekas films"!
"So you don't believe in watching movies as a distraction or a form of escape?"- My opinions have greatly changed since then. At that time I didn't really believe movies should be watched at all. ..I mean, if it's a choice between watching a movie and opening a mussar sefer, it seemed pretty clear to me which is the preffered option. But from around this time I started considering the "religious legitimacy" of watching movies. ..I mean, I still admit you should be watching movies as a "distraction and escapism" (if you want that, then get involved in a gemara...or smoke pot!). Everything a person does should at least have a purpose. Ideally that pupose should only be "will this help me better serve G-d?"
"I mean, if it's a choice between watching a movie and opening a mussar sefer, it seemed pretty clear to me which is the preffered option." -- Of course! When you just have free time and want to do something with it, it is obvious that it should be spent on Torah or Jewish subjects. But when your primary goal is to distract yourself from reality and relax for a bit...
"I mean, I still admit you should be watching movies as a "distraction and escapism"" -- I should or I shouldn't? :]
"(if you want that, then get involved in a gemara...or smoke pot!)." -- Oh, I am sure my parents would be so glad to hear that you recommend that I smoke pot.
Unfortunately, I don't know how to study Gemara, and my understanding of Hebrew is not very good, while my understanding of Aramaic is nonexistent.
Don't get me wrong -- I enjoy learning Torah. I have English translations of Rav Hirsch's commentary on the Torah, Ramban, Sforno, Kli Yakar on Shmot (my newest addition -- I just got it on Sunday), and I love studying them. I also have many books on spirituality and self-improvement, which I read. But sometimes one wants an imaginary world to go into for a little while.
"Everything a person does should at least have a purpose. Ideally that pupose should only be "will this help me better serve G-d?"" -- I completely agree.
Escapism my friend. It's a big big big subject in todays day and age. The legitimacy of escapism and leasure actually. I should really try to write a post about it sometime..
"I should or I shouldn't? :]"- Ha. I keep doing that!
Mazal Tov on your Kli Yakar by the way! ..as it happens, I became religious by reading Messilat Yeasharim! (more or less). But there's obviously already a huge variety of "English sefarim" (in quotes because it's a huge grammatical misnomer), which you seem more facilitated to read than most girls your age (..or any age!).
"I should really try to write a post about it sometime.." -- Yes, do.
"Mazal Tov on your Kli Yakar by the way!" -- Thank you. Another one is on its way (as soon as I go to a Judaica store again, which should be before the end of the month). I love Kli Yakar's commentary on the Torah, but so far I have only found a translation for Sefer Shmot. So I usually end up reading it in Hebrew and trying to understand at least something.
"..as it happens, I became religious by reading Messilat Yeasharim!" -- Oh, I have a copy of Mesillat Yesharim with Hebrew on one side and English on the other, which is very convenient. I started studying it, and I hope to have more time to do so in the summer.
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