#hefker

The research that I had to do to supplement my reading of Ragtime didn't enhance my reading experience at all. I found that the book depicted all of the characters in a much more intimate, fascinating way than Wikipedia could ever dream of doing. I'm glad, though, that I decided to do the research after finishing the entire book. I opened up that first page with a clean slate and an open mind, which is how, I believe, most books should be read. This allowed me to fully consume the contents of each page without any pretense. This strategy, of coming into something with an open mind, is something I delved into this summer. The Hebrew word "hefker" means to be ownerless, chainless, and free of any biases. This concept of being hefker is a complicated one, both in literature and in life. Imagine going into a political conversation without any prior knowledge about the subject, and no strong beliefs that would make you more inclined to choose a side. How much more open would you be to listening to other peoples' viewpoints with appreciation and curiosity? In examining the idea of being completely unchained, it's clear that most people don't follow this principle. We each have a story, emotional attachments, biases, and political affiliations. Each one of us judges other people's opinions based on our own calculated perspectives. But how can society advance if so many humans are not willing to be hefker, not willing to be totally open to other opinions? It's true that being completely free is nearly impossible, especially nowadays in the age of technology (when opinions and arguments spread like an infectious spider bite), but it can also be quite dangerous. All of the positive aspects still remain, like reading a book with wide open eyes, or listening to someone else with open ears. However, there are times when prior research must be done, and being hefker is perilous. To be one hundred percent unchained could also be called being naive. Naivety, in children, is to be expected. But as time goes on, it becomes less tolerated, and could be mistaken for ignorance. In the case of the novel, Ragtime, I'm elated that I could go into this reading experience pure of mind- allowing me to digest every scene and character without any judgement. There are times in my life that I wish I could go into without any prior research- being totally hefker. But how hefker can I be in a cutthroat society that sags heavily with judgement?

When I am only empty eyes, I need to be burned. When I am weightless and moon color. I will be distributed to everything I have amounted to. They will take me to the Negev desert. This time I won't need two liters of water and a hat. I will still rest in the pond that we ate Popsicles by on the third afternoon. When I was alive, that desert made me feel Hefker, owner less. I will finally return to its outstretched body. Prepared to prove how truly Hefker I can be.