My Name Is Asher Lev | Themes

My Name Is Asher Lev Themes

Destiny vs. Free Will

In the Hasidic community, people cannot exercise total free will, because the Rebbe helps guide their lives. However, he does not advise people blindly. Instead, he bases his decisions on the community members' innate personalities and talents. Asher's gift for art, which seemingly defies Jewish values, forces the Rebbe and others around Asher to question what role personal choice should have in his life.

Aryeh feels that his ancestors' devotion to Hasidism requires him to serve the Rebbe also. Aryeh honors his family members' memories by continuing the work that they were unable to finish during their lifetimes. It seems logical to Aryeh that his son will finish the work he cannot do, because he is a Lev. However, Asher exhibits a unique set of skills and motivations almost from birth. Aryeh sees Asher's devotion to art as a willful rejection of his ancestors' role in Hasidic history. Both Asher...
(read more)