Essay Questions Exam 2 Flashcards
The climactic scenes of the chosen and does my head look big in this take place during Passover and Ramadan. How does the spiritual meaning of these holidays relate to the characters new understanding of himself/herself into his/her relationship to other characters? You should use explicit points from the novels
Ramadan is a time of looking inward to reflect on one’s sins and transgressions against others. During this when I’m off confronts her friends mother she realizes that she was being judgmental and only lookign at things from her point of view and that she was acting better then her mother becuase of her liberal thoughts.
Passover is a reminder of what god has done in freeing the peiple to do his will. Danny and reuvan find out why dannys father raised him in silence and it was to, even when he was free, make him a priest to the world.
What is the relationship between Islam and Christianity in the Qur’an, according to the article by Amir Hussain? How does he explain passages that seem to contradict his view?
According to Hussain, Christians and islam follow the same God and are allowed to intermarry and have friendship between each other.
The passages that contradict his view need to be taken in historical context, because they were written in a time of war. Also the Quran says not align with anyone who does wrong, not just Christians.
In Islam thought the area around Mecca is understood to be the ancestral land of Abraham and aspects of the Hajj are tied to the story of Abraham and his family. Describe to traditional practices or aspects of the harsh and explain how they are connected to the story of Abraham Hagar or Ishmael.
1) there is a run/fast walk between two hills as Hagar did in desperation to get water for her son.
2) they sacrificed an animal to commemorate when Abraham almost sacrificed his son but excepted a sheep instead
In the end of the novel the chosen, Danny’s father explains why he chose to raise Danny in silence. What is his reasoning and how does it relate to his conclusion that Danny will be a tzaddik to the world?
He explains why he raised the Danny the way he did. From a very early age, he saw that Danny had an unbelievably brilliant mind, but possessed little soul. As a young boy, Danny felt no compassion for the suffering of others, no empathy, no sense of mercy. Reb Saunders tells the story of his brother, who forsook Jewish observance in favor of intellectual pursuits and then died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. He explains that only knowledge of the immense suffering in the world can redeem one’s soul.
Reb Saunders reveals that the silence he imposed upon Danny was a way to teach him compassion, to teach him to feel the suffering of others. His own father raised him that way. Reb Saunders learned through silence to turn inward, to feel his own pain and, in doing so, to suffer for his people. He says that bearing this burden of suffering is a fundamental part of being a tzaddik.
In America, Reb Saunders explains, he could not prevent Danny from his ravenous pursuit of knowledge. He decided to raise Danny in silence, understanding that it would drive Danny away from becoming a rabbi, because he felt it was most important that Danny’s “soul would be the soul of a tzaddik no matter what he did with his life.”
Compare and contrast the Yom Kippur and Ramadan and standing at Arafat during the Hajj. How do these practices relate to the idea of atonement? Discuss the practices of recognizing sin and seeking forgiveness that are important to these holidays,
The Jewish holiday Yom Kippur involves internal sacrifice or fasting to atone for sins. Ramadan is also a time of fasting an self reflection. Standing at Arafat is like standing before God seeking atonement and forgiveness. All these rituals and traditions are to reflect on yourself what you have done wrong and to ask forgiveness.
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1917, who controlled the region around Palestine and Jerusalem? What happened in 1948 after WWII? How is this related to ongoing tensions in the area, including the rise of Muslim fundamentalism and Jewish Zionism?
1917, British controlled surrounding regions. After WWII, the British granted Zionist Jews a region to make a new Jerusalem. This caused a major migration of Jews to that region, that had been predominately Muslim. Tensions grew as thousands of Palestinian people were displaced from the region now that is now Jerusalem and have become refugees.
How does the message of the prophets writing during the time of the kingdom of Israel differ from when they were conquered?
In times of the kingdom, when they were wealthy, it was warning not to be greedy or take advantage of others. When they were conquered it was to repent to God and warnings of destruction.
