What is interesting to me about this first round of Acher stories is that it not clear what he did wrong, or what led him astray. The trip to pardeis seems to be the motivating factor, but that story is so obscure that is not clear what went wrong, or what it means to "mutilate the shoots." (Though given how the amud starts with a rather explicit discussion about ejaculation, I am tempted to read the phrase as a euphemism for masturbation. Not really.) The story of the cut up school boy seems to be an obviously later attempt to match a crime to the words. We learn Acher went forth into evil culture, but this occurs, at least here, after he has already been placed outside salvation by Metatron (a great name for a Decepticon, by the way.) Why are his merits struck out, and why does it take a punishment of this divine scribe to do it? This is some crazy stuff.
Someone should write a book about this guy...
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The Elisha ben Abuya story is also an interesting commentary on reconciliation. There is the moment, in speaking with Rabbi Meir, that it seems as though he is thinking about being chozer b'teshuva, but decides that it won't matter b/c of the interpretation of the verse about returning. What happened to all of those nice pithy statements we quote on the high holidays about teshuva? Why don't they apply to him?
I think I read that book in preparation for my rabbinical school interview...it really came in handy then!
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