A Profoundly Pondering Purim Parody
A Profoundly Pondering Purim Parody
Purim: A parody guest post from a SHVERkite
Hi, my name is SHVERkite. This is a Pondering Jew parody.
It has been said that “one of the best-kept secrets of life is to think and to ponder.”
Eh? Sounds pleasant and profound. But is there really any truth to this statement? What does it mean to ponder? How is it done, and why do it?
Let us take a step back to start at the beginning, which, according to "The Sound of Music", is a very good place to start. (Duh! No major chiddush here!). It is always good to start with a definition.
To "ponder" is a pompous or fanciful word which, in common parlance, means “to think, muse, reflect, analyse, and meditate on anything and everything.” But there is much more contained within this exercise. A ponderer exchanges an adrenaline-driven adventure for a brainy-fuelled voyage.
Pondering is going on a journey of the mind rather than a journey of the body.
This is the “wow factor”, which makes it so compelling. It is the ability to contemplate G-d’s marvellous universe and everything within! What is life? What do the various components of life mean? Nothing (well 'almost') is off limits or will be spared the ponderer’s probing: the divinely designed world, the natural laws of science, social commentary, psychology, history etc.
In the poetic words of Chat-GBT (with some good old-fashioned non-artificial human intelligence added to the mix)
Do you ever stop and wonder?
To think and to ponder.
About what lies yonder?
Not unlike a shot of Glenfiddich to warm your innards or a bowl of spicy cholent to give you heartburn, the thinker engages his mind to venture forth by entering a brave new world.
Who needs an African safari when you can immerse yourself in a Shev Shemaysa? Why bother exploring the outside world when a far more compelling inside world lies right inside you? But the ability to use your mind should relate to all avenues in life.
Rav Yerucham Levovitz, the great Mirrer Mashgiach, obligated his students to live in a "world of contemplation". Everything that man ever encounters, he urged, must be probed to uncover the hidden treasure of wisdom buried beneath. Without pondering matters, we cannot attain human greatness. Ideas and wisdom are far more valuable than assets or talents. He expressed this mindset using the Yiddish expression:
"Kinder - lebt ir poshut, vet ir bleiben poshut, Children, if you live like simple people, you will remain simple people!”
To ponder brings our mind to bear on the important issues of life, from simple to sophisticated, from black-white to technicolour, from being small to becoming great.
Against this backdrop, A Pondering Jew dramatically bursts onto the cyberspace scene…and what a scene he has made! In this enterprising enterprise, he approaches imponderable ponderings. Topics, to date, include the nature of suffering; what it means to be free; how to celebrate our struggles; managing feelings of anxiety; the isolation of the ego; human vulnerability amidst technological advances; and the interplay of a distinct individual versus the indistinct generalisation of community.
Every week, we are dazzled by his superlative language, his perceptive mind and his autodidact knowledge to fiercely address the pressing issues of the day.
Masquerading as a yungerman in a halacha Kollel in Ramat Eshkol, the mastermind behind A Pondering Jew humbly claims that his writings are penned by “just a guy” (his words, not mine!). Nothing could be further than the truth. Do not be fooled by what is probably the understatement of the century!!!
The Heilige Ri’Vel (an acronym for Rabbeinu Yaacov Boruch Lyons) revels (!) in pondering life Jewish-style! He is the mighty "lieb sheb'chabura" (translation: "the Lyon of the Group"). He demonstrates that “to ponder” is, actually, a quintessential yeshivish endeavour – even if the yeshiva world has no idea what the word “quintessential” means! Or who Yaacov Lyons is!. Or that he writes a blog!
Forget the white shirts and black hats. That's merely the external dressing. But his discussions are the real stuff - the internal truth of the Torah. These investigations are not meant as an intellectual curiosity, a quasi-academic study or a foray into controversial hot waters. Quite the contrary.
A Pondering Jew is enthused with the Mussar directive – to go beyond and drink the deeper waters of knowledge within Hashem's amazing universe - and of man's yearning to connect to it. Everything he knows must ultimately translate into action in the service of Hashem.
With this understanding, readers will surely gladly forgive his fanciful predilection for the "name-dropping" of philosophers and erudite scholars in his writings! This is not, G-d forbid, to give credence to secular sources or to confer onto them an equal footing with Torah sources. More likely, it denotes the breadth of his knowledge. Or it is a kabbalistic attempt to elevate the sparks of holiness that lurk within chochma chitzonius (non-Torah sources of wisdom). These, he convincingly assures us, are hand-maidens of the Torah rather than full-fledged wives.
Moreover, he graciously accommodates those more linguistically challenged readers that would otherwise be stumped by his superb command of the English language and talented writing skills (not bad for an ex-Hasmo boy). He creatively illustrates his essays using epic, cutting-edge AI photos for those who prefer pictures to words.
Thankfully, the death of the unthinking and superficial Western world is, to paraphrase Mark Twain, exaggerated. Out there in some far-flung corners of the galaxy, there is an audience of deep thinkers thirsting for a more “nuanced” take on contemporary life in a secular age from a Torah perspective. You know who you are. Or you think that you know. So, like me, you will thank A Pondering Jew for sharing his “world of contemplation” with others. Let us psyche ourselves up to follow his lead and respond to his weekly signature tune…
Keep Purim and Good Pondering!
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