Chaim Potok Trivia

1. "Human beings do not live forever, Reuven. We live less than the time it takes to blink an eye, if we measure our lives against eternity. So it may be asked what value is there to a human life?" Who said this in "The Chosen"?

From Quiz "The Chosen": Best Book Trivia

Answer: Reuven's father, Mr. Malter

Reuven's father starts talking about death and Reuven gets really scared. Reuven's father wants to show Reuven that he must want to work hard to achieve his goal. He works very hard for a Jewish state.

From Quiz Judaism in Potok's "The Chosen"

Answer: A Jew educated in Judaism who denies basic tenets of faith

Reuven takes great offense to the term, as he believes in both G-d and Torah. To Danny's father, however, any Jew not sticking to the strictest interpretation of the rules is an apikorsim. Danny later confesses to Reuven that he told his father they were playing an apikorsim team in order for his father to allow the game in the first place.

From Quiz The Life of "Asher Lev"

Answer: Drawing

This should have been an easy one. From the age of five, Asher discovers that he loves to draw. At times it seems he cannot even control his urges to draw, much to the dismay of his father.

From Quiz 'The Chosen'

Answer: Playing on opposite teams at a baseball game

Reuven's Orthodox yeshiva was playing against Danny's Hasidic one. Reuven was pitching and Danny hit a low fast one at Reuven and it hit him in the eye and put him in the hospital for a week.

From Quiz "The Chosen": Best Book Trivia

Answer: Reuven's father, Mr. Malter

Mr. Malter wants Reuven to make Danny his friend. He wants them to be connected to one another. He wants them to be like two bodies with one soul.

From Quiz Judaism in Potok's "The Chosen"

Answer: Knotted fringes

Tzitzit are knotted fringes that are worn by observant Jews. The commandment to wear tzitzit comes from Torah - both from Numbers and from Deuteronomy. Danny, coming from a very Orthodox family, wears tzitzit, whereas the more liberal Reuven does not.

From Quiz The Life of "Asher Lev"

Answer: Aryeh

Aryeh Lev works for the Rebbe of the community, frequently travelling to other countries to help Jews. Because "My Name is Asher Lev" takes place during the fall of Stalin in Russia, Aryeh Lev travels often to Russia to help misplaced Russian Jews. Asher feels abandoned by his father when he is younger.

From Quiz "My Name is Asher Lev" Quotes

Answer: Yudel Krinsky

Yudel Krinsky, as introduced to Asher as one of the few Jews that escaped the Russian camps alive, thanks to the works of Asher's father, describes here the lands of Siberia to Asher. Apparently they see Siberia in an extremely negative spotlight, and Siberia (coldness, ice, etc) becomes a significant symbol in the book.

From Quiz 'The Chosen'

Answer: Reuven's father was an advocate of the Zionist movement

Hasidic Jews are against the idea of rebuilding Israel until the Messiah comes.

From Quiz "The Chosen": Best Book Trivia

Answer: Danny's brother

Danny's brother has a serious problem with his blood chemistry. He will eventually become a tzaddik instead of Danny. He goes to the hospital a lot and doesn't eat much. He isn't very aware of what is happening outside his world.

From Quiz Judaism in Potok's "The Chosen"

Answer: Uprising of Cossacks against Polish nobility

The Chmielnicki uprising was about Ukraininan Cossacks rebelling against the Polish szlachta, or nobility. It ended up with Ukrainian lands being incorporated instead into the Tsardom of Muscovy (Russia). Since the Jews served as szlachta's intermediaries and collected taxes, they became an easy target during the conflict. While estimates of the casualties vary greatly, most scholars agree that tens of thousands of Jews were slaughtered (earlier estimates placed a figure around 100,000, but this number has come under increased criticism).

From Quiz The Life of "Asher Lev"

Answer: Vienna

Asher cannot bear to move away from the home that is filled with artistic inspiration to him, and finally breaks down and tells the Mashpia that this is the reason he has been acting out. Aryeh Lev moves to Vienna alone, leaving Rivkeh and Asher behind.

From Quiz 'The Chosen'

Answer: With silence

The Talmud says that 'a word is worth one coin, silence is worth two.'

From Quiz "The Chosen": Best Book Trivia

Answer: Danny

Danny doesn't want to be a tzaddik, although Reuven does want to be a rabbi. They are both surprised at each other's choices. Danny's little brother will be a tzaddik instead of him. Reb Saunders doesn't like his choice, but eventually accepts his son's final decision.

From Quiz Judaism in Potok's "The Chosen"

Answer: The righteous one

Tzaddik is a Hebrew word meaning the righteous one. In Talmud, the term is often used to describe a person who has achieved a level of piety and holiness; it may also imply someone capable of performing miracles. According to Kabbalistic thought, only a few predestined souls can achieve this level. In the Hassidic tradition, the community leader was considered a Tzaddik, and this role often became an inherited position, going automatically from father to son.

From Quiz The Life of "Asher Lev"

Answer: Jacob Kahn

Kahn, an old Jewish man who has lost his faith during WWII, tries to convince Asher not to study art, as it doesn't mesh with Judaism. Asher is determined and Kahn sees quickly how talented the boy is.

From Quiz "My Name is Asher Lev" Quotes

Answer: Uncle Yitzchok

Uncle Yitzchok is the first person shown in this book to recognize Asher's artistic gift. He is the first to purchase a drawing from Asher, and Yitzchok exhibits characteristics that are contrary to those of Aryeh. Chagall is a famous Jewish painter (in real life) whom is many times compared with Asher.

From Quiz 'The Chosen'

Answer: A rabbi

He originally wanted to be a mathematician, but decided to get behind the pulpit instead.

From Quiz "The Chosen": Best Book Trivia

Answer: Reb Saunders

Reb Saunders is against a state of "Jewish goyim". He wants a Jewish state to exist when the Messiah comes. Reb Saunders is against Zionism because he only wants "true Jews" to live in Israel.

From Quiz Judaism in Potok's "The Chosen"

Answer: System of assigning numerical values to words

Gematria assigns numerical values to words and phrases. Kabbalistic scholars seek mystical meaning of passages from Torah and other texts based on those numerical values.

From Quiz The Life of "Asher Lev"

Answer: A crucifixion

Painting a crucifixion is the only way that Asher knows to portray his parents' pain. Unfortunately, his parents cannot forgive him for this, and he is forced to live in Europe with little contact from them for many years.

From Quiz 'The Chosen'

Answer: His neighborhood's tzaddik

It's an inherited position, and since Danny's father was a tzaddik, Danny was supposed to become one too.

From Quiz "The Chosen": Best Book Trivia

Answer: Danny's younger brother

Danny's brother will become a tzaddik instead of Danny. He is Danny's younger brother. He has a blood chemistry issue and goes to the hospital a lot. Danny is often worried about him.

From Quiz "The Chosen": Best Book Trivia

Answer: Through a baseball game

Reuven pitches and Danny is batting. Danny hits straight to the Reuven and Reuven gets hit in the eye. Later they meet in the hospital where Reuven is staying.

From Quiz Judaism in Potok's "The Chosen"

Answer: German

Yiddish literally means "Jewish" in German. The language developed in the Rhineland in the 10th century, and was based on High German. While it is a dying language in general, there are ultra-Orthodox communities that insist on speaking it, reserving Hebrew for liturgy. This view was far more pervasive before the formation of Israel, which is the time described in the book.

From Quiz The Life of "Asher Lev"

Answer: His Uncle, Yitzchok

When his Uncle Yitzchok dies, Asher plans on returning to the US just for the Jewish week of mourning, but in the end his family wants to stay much longer.

From Quiz "My Name is Asher Lev" Quotes

Answer: The Mythic Ancestor

At the very end of the book, the Mythic Ancestor that haunted Asher for so long turned tides; he represented Asher's guilt and conscience, and we see by this quote that the Mythic Ancestor is a guide and friend.

From Quiz "The Chosen": Best Book Trivia

Answer: Hirsch College

Danny and Reuven go together to Hirsch College. Danny majors in Psychology while Reuven majors in Math.

From Quiz The Life of "Asher Lev"

Answer: An art collection

Asher had no idea that his uncle collected rare art, and spends a lot of time with the collection before the will is read, which states that the collection is to go to him, much to the dismay of his cousins.

From Quiz "My Name is Asher Lev" Quotes

Answer: Dov Lieberman

This was Lieberman's comment speaking to Asher (when Asher's art career brought him to Europe) on Aryeh's work for the Rebbe in creating Hasidic schools in Europe.

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