My Name Is Asher Lev, Book One
Chapter 1
At the beginning of the chapter, Asher Lev introduces himself and explains that "it is time for the defense, for a long session in demythology" (3), which is the reason for the book: to defend and demythologize himself. He goes on to talk about his parents' ancestors. He also describes his first memory of using his "gift" and his mother's illness when he was young. When Asher was sick, his mother became ill upon learning of her brother's death in a car accident. Until then, his father had traveled a lot for the Rebbe. Rivkeh, Asher's mother, gets the Rebbe's permission to go to college so she can continue her brother's work. Asher stopped drawing. (E.C.)
| Page | Reference | Explanation and Source |
| 3 | observant Jew | a Jew who observes the commandments and traditions |
| 4 | goy | non-Jew, Gentile |
| 4 | sitra achra | Other Side (Hebrew Glossary--S) |
| 5 | Hasidic | "Hasidism: A movement founded by Baal Shem Tov in 18th century southeastern Poland. An idea common to the varieties of Hasidism is the pervasiveness of the divine presence behind and in all created things through the divine sparks. The task of the true Hasid is to rescue the divine sparks by engaging in mitzvah, moral acts in all one’s worldly dealings, In order to sanctify the world" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 5 | Rebbe | "Pronounced REBB-uh, or REBB-ee, for Hasidism, the Rebbe is regarded as a spiritual master and guide in a mystical sense. The Rebbe is a saintly mystic who understands the various levels of the soul and can advise the members of the community on all aspects of life. Each Hasidic groups is centered on the teachings of a particular Rebbe, and the sects are usually named after the town where the Rebbe was from, even if the Hasidim no longer live there" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 6 | skullcap | also called a yarmulka, a small cap worn by male Jews--Observant male Jews would wear the skullcap at all times |
| 6 | Krias Shema | "The Jewish declaration of faith from Deuteronomy, that God is one. Deuteronomy states that this recitation of the central proclamation should be spoken of when lying down and when rising up. It is a custom to teach children to say the first verse of the Shema as soon as they begin to talk" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 9 | Modeh Ani | "Name of a thanksgiving prayer recited upon awakening each morning" (Hebrew Glossary--M). |
| 11 | tefillin | "Leather boxes worn as an "ot" (visible sign) on the forehead and arm arranged to form the Hebrew letter (shin) to represent the Name Shaddai, a Name of G-d. These are worn by Torah observant Jewish men during weekday morning (Shacharit) prayer containing specially written parchments of Devarim 6; not worn on Shabbat or holidays" (Hebrew Glossary--T). |
| 11 | Shabbos | "The Sabbath, the central holy day celebrating the connection between God and the people. Celebrated every week, it begins Friday at sunset and lasts until nightfall on Saturday. Aspects of the Sabbath include refraining from ‘work’ and seeking rest. The Sabbath is a day when all human effort comes to a standstill in order for people to give their attention solely to God" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 11 | Yom Kippur | "Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is judgement day, the culmination of the Ten Days of penitence that begins with Rosh Hashanah. The Rabbis say that Moses came down from the Mount on Yom Kippur with the second stone tablets, bringing the people the message that God had shown mercy to them and had pardoned them for the sin of worshipping a false god. Although Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and self-denial, it is also a day of joy on which sin is pardoned and reconciliation achieved with God and one’s neighbor" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 11 | Succos | "Jewish harvest festival" ("Succos") |
| 11 | Talmud | "A collection, spanning thousands of pages, of interpretations and commentary on the Torah as well as stories about ancient saints and sages that illustrate how one should live" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 11 | tractate Sanhedrin | a section of the Talmud |
| 12 | zemiros | "Songs sung at the table on Shabbos. Each community, and even individual families, often has its own special melodies for the zemiros. The idea behind the zemiros is the need to celebrate Shabbos as a day of joy" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 12 | Yoh Ribbon Olom | Master of the Universe (?) |
| 15 | light left on | Observant Jews do not do any work on the Sabbath, including turning lights on and off. |
| 31 | Chagall | Jewish painter (see Marc Chagall Paintings) |
| 31 | Picasso | Spanish painter (see Picasso.com) |
| 36 | kosher | "The most frequent use of the term kosher is in connection with dietary laws. A food that is permitted for a Jew to eat is called kosher if it has been prepared in the right way" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 36 | matzos | unleavened flatbread like a large cracker |
| 37 | Reb | "The word is a Yiddish title of respect for a Jewish teacher or other respected person in the community. It is always used with a person’s name (e.g. Reb Lev)" ("Partial Glossary"). |
| 38 | Pesach | "Passover, a spring festival lasting seven days (eight for Jews outside of Israel), that celebrates the Exodus from Egypt. The historical character of the festival emphasizes the birth of the Jewish people and their freedom. One of the holiest celebrations, it begins with a feast on the first day and ends with a feast on the eighth day, Jews are commanded to eat only unleavened bread (matzo) rather than leavened bread during this time (referring to the story of the Exodus)" ("Partial Glossary"). |
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Asher begin to see things changing with his artwork, his eyes begin to change and starts to see things artistically. His father argues with him about wasting his time with his drawings and concentrate more on his studies at school. The family is making their plans for the move to Vienna and are to get their passports. Asher is still resisting the move. (HG)
Chapter 5
Asher's mother takes him to visit many types of doctors after he the Ladover building burning and draws the Rebbe's face on his Chumash (religious book). He visits Yudel Krinsky's store and plans to use oil colors. Asher's parents try to convince Asher to go with them to Vienna, but he refuses. After a discussion with Rav Yosef Cutler, Asher discovers that his father chose to go to Vienna alone while Asher and his mother stayed home. (SG)
Page Information
|
Wiki Information |
Recent PBwiki Blog Posts |
Create your own educational wiki!