By Francesca P., 6th Grade Student, Krieger Schechter Day School of Chizuk Amuno Congregation
There are many different kinds of books; some are historical and realistic, while others are fiction and fantasy. Despite these differences, all books have something in common; they teach readers important lessons. Two well-appreciated books in the world, Harry Potter and the Torah, could not be more different. The texts have different purposes, characters and settings. However, many key factors in the books are surprisingly similar, such as the magic, characters, and, of course, the lessons.
The Harry Potter series contains seven books about a boy who goes from living with his cruel aunt and uncle to a boarding school that trains children to be wizards. There he learns that he is famous in the world of wizardry and that a very dangerous, powerful wizard is after him. In general, the Torah focuses on God’s creation of the world, as well as the hardships our Jewish ancestors endured.
The Harry Potter series is popular for many reasons, most notably because of its magical appeal. “What I honestly like about [Harry Potter] are the characters, and the magic and everything,” said Sarai S., Harry Potter fan and 6th grade student at Krieger Schechter Day School (KSDS) of Chizuk Amuno Congregation.
These books likely appeal to the masses because so many people like magic. “I think many people can identify with the wish that everything can magically turn around for them,” said Rabbi Marci Aronchick, a KSDS alumna and a Harry Potter fan herself.
In Harry Potter, each character owns a wand, sees many magical plants and animals, receives mail by owl delivery, and completes household chores using magic. Magic, in the world of Harry Potter, is performed daily by everyone.
On the contrary, in the Torah, magic is not an every day event. It can only be performed by God or certain prophets. The Torah even discourages any kind of witchcraft or magic. Even so, there is magic in the Torah, like in Harry Potter. For example, in the Torah, Moses makes water come out of a rock, and in Harry Potter, there are many instances when the characters get water from their wands by saying “aguamenti.” Another magical example in the Torah is when Moses turns his staff into a snake to prove God’s existence to Pharaoh. Similarly, in Harry Potter, there is a character who makes a snake appear just by saying “serpensortia.” This shows that the magic in the Torah is very similar to the magic in Harry Potter.
Furthermore, in Harry Potter, there are characters who share similar personality traits as those in the Torah. For example, Dumbledore and Moshe are similar, but not just because they both have long beards. According to Rabbi Aronchick, Dumbledore is like Moshe because he is an elder, a great teacher, but flawed. Dumbledore and Moshe are both leaders, and when they die, the people they are leading are left confused and not ready to let go of their leader.
Other similar characters include Hermione, who can be compared to Devorah or Miriam. “I like to think that Hermione is similar to Devorah or Miriam because they are very strong females who guide the leaders to the path of victory,” explained Sarai.
Furthermore, though both texts convey lessons, those in the Torah are very different from the ones in Harry Potter. In the Torah, the lessons are more common sense and straightforward. Miriam gossips and gets leprosy, thus teaching readers that gossiping is inappropriate. In Harry Potter, on the other hand, the lessons are more complex and often take some time to understand. Readers learn that changing the past has terrible consequences and having ultimate power is not what it seems.
But a main lesson that Harry Potter and the Torah share is the reason the characters or people in the stories are chosen. Rabbi Aronchick claims in the Harry Potter books, the only reason Harry is destined to defeat Voldemort (the villain obsessed with killing Harry) is solely because Voldemort chooses him. Similarly, in the Torah, the Jewish people are chosen by God for no particular reason. Ultimately, both Harry Potter and the Torah teach readers and believers that they do not have to be the biggest, or the strongest, or the richest to be recognized.
There are significant similarities between Harry Potter and the Torah, including the magic, characters and lessons. As it turns out, Harry Potter and the Torah are not as far off as they seem.
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