Proverbs 3:13-18 and "In Search of Oil"
Before You Read
Focus Question
What does it mean to have wisdom? What are some experiences that have made you wiser?
Background
The most sacred writings of the Jewish faith are found in the Hebrew Bible—known as the Tanakh—and the Talmud. The Torah, the first section of the Tanakh, is the written law. The Talmud is a collection of laws, stories, and teachings that explain the Torah. The selection from Proverbs comes from the first complete English translation of the Tanakh. The parables from the Talmud are simple translations of important teachings. Together, these selections reflect themes in the novel.
Responding to the Reading
1. According to Proverbs 3:13–18, what is the real reason people should seek wisdom? What descriptive words does the passage use to show the importance of wisdom?
2. In “In Search of Oil,” what is the buyer’s first reaction to the man in the field? What is inaccurate about the buyer’s first impression?
3. What lesson does “In Search of Oil” teach? According to the lesson of the parable, for what should people always be searching?
4. In The Chosen, Reuven and Danny gain wisdom and understanding in a variety of ways. Explain how, when they first meet each other, each is like the buyer in “In Search of Oil.” Explain how learning this lesson brings some of the rewards promised in the reading from Proverbs.
Focus Question
What does it mean to have wisdom? What are some experiences that have made you wiser?
Background
The most sacred writings of the Jewish faith are found in the Hebrew Bible—known as the Tanakh—and the Talmud. The Torah, the first section of the Tanakh, is the written law. The Talmud is a collection of laws, stories, and teachings that explain the Torah. The selection from Proverbs comes from the first complete English translation of the Tanakh. The parables from the Talmud are simple translations of important teachings. Together, these selections reflect themes in the novel.
Responding to the Reading
1. According to Proverbs 3:13–18, what is the real reason people should seek wisdom? What descriptive words does the passage use to show the importance of wisdom?
2. In “In Search of Oil,” what is the buyer’s first reaction to the man in the field? What is inaccurate about the buyer’s first impression?
3. What lesson does “In Search of Oil” teach? According to the lesson of the parable, for what should people always be searching?
4. In The Chosen, Reuven and Danny gain wisdom and understanding in a variety of ways. Explain how, when they first meet each other, each is like the buyer in “In Search of Oil.” Explain how learning this lesson brings some of the rewards promised in the reading from Proverbs.
from The Classic Tales
Before You Read
Focus Question
Recall a time in which you were unsure about something but decided to believe in a good outcome despite the circumstances. Would you call that having faith? Explain.
Background
In The Chosen, Reuven’s father tells the story of Israel ben Eliezer, the peasant who reveals himself to be Ba’al Shem Tov, a holy man and worker of miracles. This man’s teachings were the foundation for Hasidism, one of the strongest movements in the history of Judaism. After Ba’al Shem Tov’s death, his followers shared his teachings through stories. These selections from The Classic Tales reveal some of the ideas that shaped Hasidism.
Responding to the Reading
1. What does the rabbi’s son feel he needs to do? Why is the rabbi so firmly against his son’s wishes?
2. Why do the rabbi and his son decide to end their journey? What consequences must the rabbi face as a result of this decision?
3. In the second selection, what different paths do the simple son and the clever son take when they leave their fathers?
4. At the end of the tale, the clever son reaches a turning point. What forces him to see things in a new way? What lesson does he learn about faith?
5. How does the decision by Reb Saunders to raise Danny in silence demonstrate an intense faith? Why, in Reb Saunders’s view, is Danny in danger of being the “clever son” of the tale? How does Danny demonstrate his strong faith in his religion and his father, despite the fact that he chooses to follow his own dreams?
Focus Question
Recall a time in which you were unsure about something but decided to believe in a good outcome despite the circumstances. Would you call that having faith? Explain.
Background
In The Chosen, Reuven’s father tells the story of Israel ben Eliezer, the peasant who reveals himself to be Ba’al Shem Tov, a holy man and worker of miracles. This man’s teachings were the foundation for Hasidism, one of the strongest movements in the history of Judaism. After Ba’al Shem Tov’s death, his followers shared his teachings through stories. These selections from The Classic Tales reveal some of the ideas that shaped Hasidism.
Responding to the Reading
1. What does the rabbi’s son feel he needs to do? Why is the rabbi so firmly against his son’s wishes?
2. Why do the rabbi and his son decide to end their journey? What consequences must the rabbi face as a result of this decision?
3. In the second selection, what different paths do the simple son and the clever son take when they leave their fathers?
4. At the end of the tale, the clever son reaches a turning point. What forces him to see things in a new way? What lesson does he learn about faith?
5. How does the decision by Reb Saunders to raise Danny in silence demonstrate an intense faith? Why, in Reb Saunders’s view, is Danny in danger of being the “clever son” of the tale? How does Danny demonstrate his strong faith in his religion and his father, despite the fact that he chooses to follow his own dreams?
"My Father Sits in the Dark"
Before You Read
Focus Question
Think about a time when someone close to you misunderstood your feelings. What emotions did this generate?
Background
In this story, author Jerome Weidman portrays one son’s attempt to deal with what appears to be troubled and remote behavior of his father. The son feels helpless as he struggles to understand his father’s feelings. The story, originally published in 1934, appears in a collection called Jewish American Stories. The collection’s editor, Irving Howe, called Weidman’s story “one of the most memorable stories composed by an American Jewish writer.”
Responding to the Reading
1. What does the narrator find frustrating and upsetting about his father’s behavior?
2. According to the narrator at the end of the story, what could be occupying the father’s thoughts?
3. What is the tone, or feeling, in the last line of the story? Explain.
4. Like the narrator of the short story, Danny and Reuven care deeply about their fathers but do not understand everything about the older men. Their fathers have learned from experiences that the boys have not had. Give examples from the novel that illustrate this point.
Focus Question
Think about a time when someone close to you misunderstood your feelings. What emotions did this generate?
Background
In this story, author Jerome Weidman portrays one son’s attempt to deal with what appears to be troubled and remote behavior of his father. The son feels helpless as he struggles to understand his father’s feelings. The story, originally published in 1934, appears in a collection called Jewish American Stories. The collection’s editor, Irving Howe, called Weidman’s story “one of the most memorable stories composed by an American Jewish writer.”
Responding to the Reading
1. What does the narrator find frustrating and upsetting about his father’s behavior?
2. According to the narrator at the end of the story, what could be occupying the father’s thoughts?
3. What is the tone, or feeling, in the last line of the story? Explain.
4. Like the narrator of the short story, Danny and Reuven care deeply about their fathers but do not understand everything about the older men. Their fathers have learned from experiences that the boys have not had. Give examples from the novel that illustrate this point.
"Walking Away" and "Paths"
Before You Read
Focus Question
What would you say is the most difficult part of growing up? Have you ever wondered how the people who raised you from childhood feel as they watch you grow more independent? What do you think they find most difficult about this experience?
Background
Cecil Day Lewis (1904–1972) was a respected English poet and novelist. In this poem—written for his first-born son—Day Lewis captures how a parent might feel when having to part with a child. Josephine Miles (1911–1985) was born in Chicago. In addition to writing poetry, she taught for many years at the University of California at Berkeley. Her poem uses images of nature to show a young adult on a journey.
Responding to the Reading
1. What does Lewis mean when he compares his son to “ . . . a satellite / Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away”? Judging from this line, how does the speaker feel about parting with his son?
2. What might the speaker mean when he calls his experience an example of “nature’s give-and-take”?
3. In “Paths,” what do the lines “We shake the dew from the grasses. / All is new” tell you about what the speaker is experiencing? What might the speaker be seeking?
4. In the final scene of The Chosen, Danny is walking away toward his apartment near Columbia to pursue his studies. With this in mind, explain why Danny’s father could be the speaker in “Walking Away” and Danny, the speaker in “Paths.”
Focus Question
What would you say is the most difficult part of growing up? Have you ever wondered how the people who raised you from childhood feel as they watch you grow more independent? What do you think they find most difficult about this experience?
Background
Cecil Day Lewis (1904–1972) was a respected English poet and novelist. In this poem—written for his first-born son—Day Lewis captures how a parent might feel when having to part with a child. Josephine Miles (1911–1985) was born in Chicago. In addition to writing poetry, she taught for many years at the University of California at Berkeley. Her poem uses images of nature to show a young adult on a journey.
Responding to the Reading
1. What does Lewis mean when he compares his son to “ . . . a satellite / Wrenched from its orbit, go drifting away”? Judging from this line, how does the speaker feel about parting with his son?
2. What might the speaker mean when he calls his experience an example of “nature’s give-and-take”?
3. In “Paths,” what do the lines “We shake the dew from the grasses. / All is new” tell you about what the speaker is experiencing? What might the speaker be seeking?
4. In the final scene of The Chosen, Danny is walking away toward his apartment near Columbia to pursue his studies. With this in mind, explain why Danny’s father could be the speaker in “Walking Away” and Danny, the speaker in “Paths.”
"The Dispersal of European Jewry" and "40,000 Here Seek Way to Save Jews"
Before You Read
Focus Question
What kinds of experiences tend to make people stronger and more vocal?
Background
Jewish physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955), one of the great thinkers of the twentieth century, is well known for his scientific essays. He also wrote and gave speeches on philosophical and political issues. In this 1939 piece—delivered prior to the outbreak of World War II in Europe—Einstein examines the plight of the European Jewish population and stresses the importance of solidarity. The New York Times article from 1944 describes the information Americans had on the actions of Hitler at this point in the war.
Responding to the Reading
1. According to Einstein, why are Jews being persecuted? What does he feel will happen to Europe if the persecution is allowed to continue?
2. From where do the Jewish people draw their strength and power, according to Einstein? Describe the test he believes they all must face in the near future.
3. What is the general feeling of President Roosevelt and the governor toward the situation in Europe? What resolution is adopted at the gathering?
4. Thinking about Einstein’s speech, discuss why Mr. Malter might feel connected to Reb Saunders on a deeper level. Keeping in mind the newspaper article, explain why Mr. Malter would risk his health for his political causes
Focus Question
What kinds of experiences tend to make people stronger and more vocal?
Background
Jewish physicist Albert Einstein (1879–1955), one of the great thinkers of the twentieth century, is well known for his scientific essays. He also wrote and gave speeches on philosophical and political issues. In this 1939 piece—delivered prior to the outbreak of World War II in Europe—Einstein examines the plight of the European Jewish population and stresses the importance of solidarity. The New York Times article from 1944 describes the information Americans had on the actions of Hitler at this point in the war.
Responding to the Reading
1. According to Einstein, why are Jews being persecuted? What does he feel will happen to Europe if the persecution is allowed to continue?
2. From where do the Jewish people draw their strength and power, according to Einstein? Describe the test he believes they all must face in the near future.
3. What is the general feeling of President Roosevelt and the governor toward the situation in Europe? What resolution is adopted at the gathering?
4. Thinking about Einstein’s speech, discuss why Mr. Malter might feel connected to Reb Saunders on a deeper level. Keeping in mind the newspaper article, explain why Mr. Malter would risk his health for his political causes