ng it utterly (Halio 373).In almost all of Potok's novels, father-son relationships are central to our understanding of the various conflicts that occur. It is the task of the fathers to pass on the Jewish heritage to their obedient sons. Critics have pointed out that the stress put on the authority of the father parallels a similar stress in traditional, patriarchal Judaism on God as King, Judge, and Father; hence the high level of respect, based on mutual love, that the sons display towards their fathers (Buning).Mr. Bader (Davids teacher) who guided David in his studies would welcome David warmly into his apartment. Mr. Bader and David would sit at his desk and he would remind David to be patient (Potok 279). David learned in his journey to adulthood that he could not swallow the entire world at one time. David would remind himself consistently before a new class at the beginning of a school year or about to start a new book or research paper; that all beginnings are hard. David would touch his raw nerves of faith, the beginning of things (Potok 289).Mr. Bader taught other important lessons to David. Mr. Bader taught that is it more important to learn the important questions than it is to learn the important answers. There are some questions that do not have good answers. There are some rich and some poor. How much money a man makes has nothing to do with his wisdom or the good he is able to do for others.David shows us the universal joys and universal guilts of childhood, but the special excitements and the added burdens of a rare spirit and mind destined for rare achievement and the cruel choices that such destine demands of child, boy, youth and man. David reminisced, "I can remember hearing my mother murmur those words while I lay in bed with fever. Children are often sick, that is the way it is with children. All beginnings are hard. You will be all right soon. (Potok 280) David bursts into tears one evening bec...
