Ashers early years consisted of an abundance of drawings ranging from sketches of his mother to draw the world as a dreadful place. As years passed, he slowly became a fanatic of artistry; however, drawing was frowned upon and served as an opposition to his religion. Ashers craze of art gradually became extreme when he unconsciously drew in a Chumash and was frightened at the picture [he] had drawn of the Rebbe. (Potok 24) A Chumash is one of the five books of the Torah and drawing in one is seen as a desecration of the Name of God as it disrespects their beliefs entirely. (Potok 23). Additionally, the Rebbe is recognized as the charismatic leader of a Hasidic sect, drawing him unsympathetically is regarded as profane. Ashers carelessness in the situation depicted how art served as an obstacle to his studies and more importantly, his religion. Subsequently, prior to Asher having his bar mitzvah, the Rebbe called him into his office. At the end of their confrontation, Asher disc
overs he has been assigned to a Jewish mentor named Jacob Kahn who is specifically there to guide Asher in his artwork. In spite of this, Ashers father, Aryeh, was never too fond of the idea of his son fulfilling his dreams of becoming an artist. The continuous disagreements between Asher and his father resulted in the distance, yet Asher [didnt] want there to be trouble
In My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok, the main character, Asher, is born a Hasidic Jew with devoted religious parents. Since childhood, he was placed in a difficult situation where he was torn between following his religious views or pursuing his passion for art. Being a Hasidic Jew means abiding by the Torah and adhering to the lifestyle it suggests. Jews are strictly prohibited from drawing figures, yet Asher still became absorbed in the artistic realm. Despite the contradictions Asher was faced with, he learned to persevere in his fascination with art, which ultimately outweighed his religious expectations.