I got an email from Aish Hatorah, with their latest Flash animation.
In this, a handicapped boy (unable to learn like others) joins a baseball game. The losing team goes out of its way to make him feel good, and the winning team does too, intentionally dropping the ball repeatedly so that his little grounder turns into a home run. Thus the other boys reach perfection.
Huh? So my inlaws had to exert huge efforts in caring for my handicapped brother-in-law so that *others* might reach "perfection"? What perfection? What about him? If his mission is for "everyone else", why isn't "everyone else" chipping in to share the burden? Once he gets too old for home care, and has to go into a State or private facility, where's the benefit for other Jews? other non-paid people? Is the goal in life "perfection" - and if so, how does one maintain that state for more than a moment?
It's a nice story about how people can help the handicapped feel good about themselves, although, what message does it send the handicapped person to know that only by having others compromise their own personal integrity (by intentionally acting against their interest) can they feel good, feel a part of society?
Something just bothers me about this. Perhaps parents of handicapped (intellectually, physically, emotionally) children could chip in here.
In this, a handicapped boy (unable to learn like others) joins a baseball game. The losing team goes out of its way to make him feel good, and the winning team does too, intentionally dropping the ball repeatedly so that his little grounder turns into a home run. Thus the other boys reach perfection.
Huh? So my inlaws had to exert huge efforts in caring for my handicapped brother-in-law so that *others* might reach "perfection"? What perfection? What about him? If his mission is for "everyone else", why isn't "everyone else" chipping in to share the burden? Once he gets too old for home care, and has to go into a State or private facility, where's the benefit for other Jews? other non-paid people? Is the goal in life "perfection" - and if so, how does one maintain that state for more than a moment?
It's a nice story about how people can help the handicapped feel good about themselves, although, what message does it send the handicapped person to know that only by having others compromise their own personal integrity (by intentionally acting against their interest) can they feel good, feel a part of society?
Something just bothers me about this. Perhaps parents of handicapped (intellectually, physically, emotionally) children could chip in here.
1 comment:
what message does it send the handicapped person to know that only by having others compromise their own personal integrity
the thing is, the handicapped person never knew....
your questions are good questions though...
it is an emotional story and that is how much of kiruv works - playing on emotions..
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