Words / By Dovid Taub
I had some trouble coming up with an idea for this one. I kept on coming up with stories about escaping from the “flood” of life’s pressures by retreating into the words of Torah and prayer. And every time I finished watching these ideas in my head I asked myself “What does this accomplish, and do I even believe the message it conveys?” Eventually I had my moment of realization and I knew exactly what to do – call my editor and ask for an idea. And it worked. After a short conversation, my whole approach shifted and I came up with the cartoon you just watched – a story about a guy who realizes that he must invest himself in his words in order to have a real and genuine effect on the world around him.
Honestly, thinking about it now, it’s so obvious. Everything I’ve learned from Judaism always points back to action and how to make our words and deeds important and useful. So why was I so hung up on escapism? I think it’s just human nature. I think we often think of religion as a safe place to get away from the world. And, on the surface, Noah’s ark seems like a safe place for Noah to escape from the flood. But if we look at the facts, the Ark wasn’t Noah’s idea, it was G-d’s. And it wasn’t so Noah could get away from the world, it was to make sure he was able to rebuild it. Judaism was also G-d’s idea, and as comforting as our faith can be, I think it’s important to remember that G-d’s reason for giving it to us was to make sure that we can continue building the world, making it the kind of place it is supposed to be.
All that from a little dude throwing words at another little dude? Yeah, at least that’s what I took from it. What do y’all get out of it?
To watch the second episode – click here
