I was struck by the last line on this amud that continues onto the next page. "Rabbi Abba of Caesaria said: Humiliating oneself is not as bad as being humiliated by others." According to the gemarra, this is the reason that the leaders of the community have ash put on their heads by the people -- it is more humiliating than if they were to do it to themselves.
Of course we know this is true, and for rabbis a little self-deprecation can go a long way. But it seems that our culture has a fascination with people being humiliated. From SNL bits to everyday "news" stories, there is a lot of public humiliation that goes on in our culture. It may well seem like just deserts for some, but does that really matter?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Yes, in a society where self-immoliation. Fox news style, is a great way to garner fame and attention, I am not sure what a shame culture based ritual like this could accomplish.
It is interesting, now that I have mentioned it, to think about the role of shame for the rabbis, and how it operated, as opposed to say, Greek culture. I am sure someone has written on this. Anyone know?
Post a Comment