But Yentl Says...

Real questions, submitted by actual OU Torah followers, with their real answers. NOTE: For questions of practical halacha, please consult your own rabbi for guidance.

Q. How would you describe the movie Yentl? They mention the contradictions in the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) because that is as far you go into the Bible. Why do you stop there? In the movie Yentl there is also a very passionate questioning of the Talmud and its contradictions. Is the movie different from the real Jewish belief system? They also mention demons, which you seem to have a different stance on….

A. Thanks for your questions. We don't stop with the Five Books of Moses; that’s just the first part. The Jewish Bible – what we call “Tanach” and you might call the "Old Testament" – has a total of 24 books, including Esther, Job, Psalms and many more. Here's some information: OU Tanach pamphlet

It has been many years since I saw the movie Yentl so I don't recall the details. I do recall that in high school, I wrote a report about the short story on which the movie was based and I pointed out all the matters of Jewish law that the characters got wrong. I can assure you that the author of that story, Isaac Bashevis Singer, knew his stuff wayyyy better than Barbra Streisand, who co-wrote and directed the film in addition to starring in it!

Movies like Yentl and Fiddler on the Roof aren't documentaries. They're works of fiction and full of inaccuracies. (And even documentaries can be misleading). Everyone thinks that Jews don't believe in Hell because they said so on The Simpsons! So I wouldn't put too much stock in such movies or TV shows. If you'd care to tell me any particular "contradictions" they cite, I'll do my best to resolve them for you, but they're usually just fictions, contrived for the film.

As far as demons, have you heard of Maimonides, the great 12th-century Jewish philosopher? (If not, I recommend that you Google him.) He taught that there's no such thing as demons. Some other authorities disagree so while I may consider demons to be a superstition, other people may believe in them.

Rabbi Jack's latest book, Ask Rabbi Jack, is now available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.