Novels of Bernard Malamud and Jewish Literary Tradition

““Who is a hero?” rhetorically asks a sage in the Talmud. “He who becomes master over his passions”, is his own answer. The pursuit of virtue as a heroic quest is a fundamental tradition in Jewish life and lore. It is the seal of the Jews’ ethical individuality as a people. It is their moral justification in their own eyes. For countless generations they have been encouraged by their leaders and teachers to pattern their lives on this religious – social ideal in both thought and action. Their folklore reflects this with dazzling clarity. The righteous, the wise man, is the hero, not the warrior who sheds blood”.