[Avodah] Are "Gedolim Stories" Good for Chinuch?

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 8:35:13AM -0500, Prof. Levine wrote:
:                         Either we are surprised to see great people 
: behave in a human and kindhearted manner, or we consider it to be an act 
: that only a true tzaddik can achieve.

I think a problem with it may be authors whose writing doesn't reflect their
own belief in the message being transmitted.

Here's an example, from my Google Reader this morning (I'm leaving out
the URL so as not to publically castigate the site):

    Even in his last moments on earth, Rav Yisroel Salanter spent his
    time thinking about the feelings of others. In his final illness as
    he lie in bed in Koenigsberg, he had a man attending his needs. On
    the last day of his life Rav Yisroel turned to this simple man and
    started talking to him about the fear people have to be alone with
    a dead body. Rav Yisroel told him that it is a really foolish fear
    since a dead person cannot do anything.

    A few hours later Rav Yisroel was niftar and lo and behold there
    wasn't anyone else around at the time, and the attendant was alone. It
    became clear to the attendant that the strange conversation he had
    had with the Tzaddik a few hours ago was meant to dispel his fears
    that would engulf him later that day.

    Surely Rav Yisroel who knew his time was near was deep in thought
    about life and death, tshuvah and torah. Yet he had the presence of
    mind in his weakened condition to concern himself with the possible
    fear of another person. (HaMi'oros HaGedolim)

With one simple word, they defeat the entire lesson. To really reflect
the message RYS left us, that last paragraph should have read:
    Surely Rav Yisroel who knew his time was near was deep in thought
    about life and death, tshuvah and torah. THEREFORE he had the presence
    of mind in his weakened condition to concern himself with the possible
    fear of another person.

By saying "yet", the author makes it clear that deep down he thinks
that this concern for his gabbai (who likely wasn't a "simple man")
is a break from thinking about Torah -- the exact reverse of the point
of the story, and the message most readers would end up internalizing.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Spirituality is like a bird: if you tighten
micha at aishdas.org        your grip on it, it chokes; slacken your grip,
http://www.aishdas.org   and it flies away.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                            - Rav Yisrael Salanter