Jewish Kryptonite

1/7/2013

The other day I was discussing my take on a favorite movie of mine and elaborating on the various Torah ideas that are represented through the story. The other individual asked me if I thought the representation of these ideas was deliberate. Now, not having spoken with the writer, director nor producer I can't say with certainty whether they were or not. What I do believe is that Torah ideas embody the Human existence and anyone with some insight into Human relationships will be able to express Torah ideas in a variety of different formats. Take for example, super-heros. I am sure there might be some exceptions but focussing on the more prominent heroes one can't but help notice Judaism's basic understanding of the individual's desire for greatness. Each character has two distinct identities. One of a regular individual who on the surface is just like everyone else and another person filled with amazing power. Even Bruce Wayne, who on the surface appears to have this already without the super-hero imposed over his existing identity; he is a billionaire playboy, still needs the alter-ego of the powerful batman. That is because engrained in each one of us is the realization that we have so much more potential than we are actually utilizing. We should be able to leap over tall buildings. We should be able to dodge bullets or climb walls. We should be able to living lives that are extraordinary. Yet we are not. Those images are relegated to the stuff of movies or comic books. However, what the creators of those characters were able to capture was this notion that within each one of us there is greatness. We just need to figure out how to identify it. What makes each of us unique is that special gift that only we have. That is the lesson of Superman and Kryptonite. Kryptonite reminds Superman of a place where he is just like everyone else. That is the tragic state of the Jewish people today. When we realize that we are unique then we can utilize our identity to do great things. However, when we try to assimilate and be like everyone else then we lose our power and potential. We fall prey to our own Kryptonite.

1 Comment

Anon

1/7/2013 12:28:28 pm

The pursuit of greatness is the pursuit of meaning, and the pursuit of meaning is the pursuit of importance. Everybody wants to feel like they matter, that their life is endowed with depth, so we all spend the bulk of our energies pursuing this affirmation. What most people forget is that by virtue of their existence, necessarily what is implied is that they are valuable, their lives are meaningful, and that they deeply matter. The G-d of love fashioned us, created us, sustains us, and guides us with love.

No two human beings are the same and thus no form of greatness is the same. Every human being has the capacity to reach the highest level of greatness as the greatest human being, but not the same form of greatness. To live the life of someone else is a grave misunderstanding of the beauty of our selves and is tantamount to suicide - for imitation is suicide. This goes whether it be for a company or a country, a person or an organization.

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