the citron -- why was it important?
Can someone explain the significance of the lemon? Why was it so important? And why was having a nice one worth paying 1000 shekels for?
shareOn the holiday of succot, besides for living in a temporary dwelling, Jewish people are also required to purchase the "arba minim", four species and use them in a their ritual holiday prayers. They symbolize many things but the citron for example symbolizes the pious person who is also charitable, where the smell AND taste are pleasant. Jewish custom is to try and purchase a citron that is as clean as possible.
Also if you remember in the beginning he mentions that is is written that purchasing a clean citron (esrog) is a "segulah" (something like good luck) for good children, hence the 1k shekel.
but c'mon, i live in israel and paid 100 shekel for almost flawless.
share[deleted]
As someone who lived in both Israel and the US, 100 NIS is expensive for an esrog in Israel but dirt cheap for the US. I got a beautiful esrog when I was in Israel for 100 NIS (about $22) but it cost me $90 in the US!
(Spending 1000 NIS is outrageous in either place. There were a lot of Jewish themes in the movie, and that particular one, paying the highest price without compromise because it is so important to you that money or an issue later that the seller didn't get enough is less important... i.e. when Avraham buys the burial place for his wife.)
At the beginning of the movie, the shop keeper recognizes Moshe as a poor Breslauer hasid who can't afford 50 shekels for an etrog, much less 1000. This hurt Moshe's pride. So when the miracle of the $1000 occurs, he extravagantly marches into the shop and buys with outrageously priced etrog without bargaining.
All through the movie, Moshe struggles to overcome personal flaws that he believes are preventing him (and Malli) from being blessed with a child. At first he thinks it's insufficient piety. Then he thinks it's because he was inhospitable to their ushpizin. Then he thinks it's because he inadvertently stole a sukkah. But none of those assaults the core of his being.
It's only when his precious etrog is served up as salad dressing that he faces his personal demon, his real test - pride.
I loved this movie.
*SPOILERS*
I agree - they should re-title this the man who loved his etrog too much ;-)
In the scene where Mali is leaving him and he is explaining it is all to do with the inadvertently stolen sukka, she says somthing like "you are losing it" - good motif for the film
Whilst I enjoyed the film as an insight into the lifestyle and attitudes and whilst the plot had holes (how many film plots don't) it was a reasonably constructed story and appealingly done in my view
However, even in its own terms, it raises some pretty basic questions. Here is a couple having trouble conceiving - have they tried to get any medical advice? That is not to say there is no place for prayer but there is no need to live as if there had been no progress since the middle ages, except when it suits
And what about the money - ok , he wants to learn rather than get a job, but if the yeshiva won't support him, he needs to find a way of earning a living not just dependent on random acts of kindness and earnest prayer at times of deepest crisis.
Having said all this, whilst there are all sorts of issues regarding insularity, viability and impact on wider society of the a certain (and quite "extreme" - quite a few were Toldos Aharon - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toldos_Aharon) subset of the ultra-orthodox communities esp in Israel, this film did demonstrate the many good qualities of these communities such as the dedication and good will of the people and not all within their own confines.
This was a rare chance to share the genuineness of an insider's view of a community which in many ways keeps itself to itself and this is welcome.
"Here is a couple having trouble conceiving - have they tried to get any medical advice? And what about the money - ok , he wants to learn rather than get a job, but if the yeshiva won't support him, he needs to find a way of earning a living not just dependent on random acts of kindness and earnest prayer at times of deepest crisis"
Hi Dan-Rickman, to your questions: Ultra-orthodox couples CAN'T consult a doctor, they believe fully in God's decision. Also, among them -as far as I'm concerned- the man lears at the yeshiva, the woman works; also, if a couple is not conceiving, the man leaves the woman, for it's believed the woman is the barren one.
I suggest you to watch "Kadosh" in case you haven't, it'll answer these questions and maybe more!
Greets!
um, sorry but ultra orthodox can consult doctors and most do.
shareI agree with your comment although I think you missed the mark slightly regarding Moshe's true demon. It wasn't pride, it was anger. We know he got insulted years back in a bar and assaulted an American with a bottle. We know he has a shady past. And when Yossef slices up the esrog, Moshe is truly tested - and in fact acknowledges his demons in the forest as he is crying and saying that he doesn't want to be angry. Of course pride and anger are interwoven.
shareYour assessment gets to the very heart of the storyline. I watched this film nearly a decade after you and felt its significance. This speaks to its enduring value.
shareDo you mean that someone has located a citron with ideal appearance and resells it to interested parties who want it an ideal piece for the ritual?
Ordinary bulk lots of citrons still sell for ordinary prices right? Why wouldn't someone just search through the lots of ordinary citrons to find a good one. Why go to a markup vendor?
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