4 Jewish lessons from the lion king

The remake of Disney in 2019 Lion King is a beautiful update of the original movie with animals generated in a realistic way and reproducing all the animal characters adored.

Beyond his fidelity to the 1994 film, Don Hahn, producer of the original film Lion King, explained that its creators were inspired by sources such as that of Shakespeare Hamlet and the Bible, especially the biblical stories of Moses and Joseph. These stores feature "a character (who) was born into royalty, then exiled and must return to claim their kingdom," said Hahn.

Here are four key Jewish lessons from Lion King.

True sense of heroism

A true king does not reign for his own glory, says King Mufasa to young Simba Lion King: A true great leader must devote himself to his people and work on his behalf, not his. It takes years of exile for Simba before he is mature enough to go home and badume the role of leader, thus risking his life and struggling to protect his pride.

This moving story is inspired by biblical stories. The life of many Jewish heroes involved exile and return. Our patriarch Jacob was raised on the land of Israel, but had to flee for many years and live in exile before he could return home. Moses grew up in the royal house of Pharaoh before being forced to flee and live in hiding for many years. he eventually returned to Egypt and helped lead the Jewish people to freedom.

These Jewish heroes have lived through periods of doubt and uncertainty. They had to overcome their fear and their weakness to become brave heroes. They did not do it alone: ​​in each case it was their belief in God and their realization that there was a divine plan for the survival of the Jews that gave them the courage to act. The Jewish heroes of the Torah did not badume leadership because they were thirsty for glory or power. This is recognition that the situation required a unique response that pushed them to greatness.

The meaning of life

In Lion KingSimba is involved in a bitter quarrel between his father, King Mufasa, and his demonic uncle, Scar. Scar kills Mufasa and convinces Simba that he is responsible for the death of his father. Overwhelmed by shame, Simba goes away and begins a new life in exile, becoming friends with a warthog named Pumbaa and a meerkat named Timon. They teach him that life does not make sense. "Hakuna matata" (meaning "no worries" in Swahili) should be his only goal. Although this phrase may mean "being cold" or "relaxing," Simba's friends make it a hymn and a way of life, explaining to their friend that there is no point trying to achieve greatness or to be altruistic and courageous.

Jewish thought rejects this nihilistic view in favor of King Mufasa's wisest way of looking at the world. An Infinite created this world with a purpose, infusing meaning into the universe.

As Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, MD explains: "Just as the universe as a whole has a purpose, so does everything in the universe … Every individual has a goal. My existence is not an accident. I have to accomplish something of my existence. Being is neither random nor meaningless. We all have an important role to play. Like Simba, our challenge is to discover and achieve our life goals that only we can achieve.

Role models

One of the most moving scenes of Lion King happens when Simba sees the image of his father before him and recalls the wisdom of King Mufasa and the high hopes he had for his son. In the original 1994 Lion KingIn this moving scene, Simba recognizes her father's face in the constellations of the night sky. In the 2019 version, Simba magically sees his father's face in his own reflection as he scans the surface of a pond.

The authors of the film may have been inspired by a beautiful Jewish tale. The Torah describes Joseph, the favorite son of our patriarch Jacob, sold into slavery in ancient Egypt. There, he worked for a powerful minister named Potiphar, and apparently became part of the ancient Egyptian society in which he found himself. He has revealed himself to be a trustworthy worker and has become a supervisor with great responsibility.

Potiphar's wife was attracted to Joseph and tried to tempt him. One day, she sets a trap for Joseph who is alone with her. It would have been so easy for Joseph to succumb to the unbridled morals of Egypt, but at that moment he suddenly had a vision of his father Jacob. In an instant, Joseph was suddenly reminded of the moral code defended by his father (Rashi on Genesis 39:11, Talmud Sotah 37). This vision gave Joseph the strength to resist Potiphar's wife. (In a turn of events, Joseph was thrown into prison, but later became Pharaoh's second in command himself.)

Fight against injustice

Lion King echoes Jewish themes when some female characters refuse to accept oppression and injustice. After the evil lion Scar has seized the throne, he sets up a repressive and horrible rule that makes his lions suffer terribly. Instead of accepting this lamentable fate, two female lions – Simba's mother, Sarabi, and her fiance Nala – resist. Nala even embarks on a dangerous journey to find help in the distance.

Maybe the writers were inspired by the Jewish teachings. Jewish history starring Shifra and Puah (two women's names of the mother of Moses Yocheved and his sister Miriam) are two incredibly brave women who resisted the perverse oppression and who are credited with the the very survival of the Israeli nation. Although the writers were apparently inspired by the story of Moses, raised in a royal house before being exiled before returning, it is Moses' mother and sister, as well as other Jewish women, who saved the Jewish people from their long years slavery.

While Jewish men despaired, it was the Jewish women who found some strength to continue and persuaded their husbands not to give up family life. Jewish women continued to raise their children and instill in their families the hope that someday things would be better. When Pharaoh decreed that all Jewish baby boys would be thrown into the Nile, Jewish midwives defied their order.

Throughout history, the Jewish people have been saved time and time again by brave Jewish champions. Our fascinating stories have inspired countless writers, including those who have written Lion King.