The Joker: A Hashkafic Analysis

8/6/2019 The Joker: A Hashkafic Analysis

1/19

The Joker

A Hashkafic Analysis

Adapted from a Sicha by R Yehuda Amital(The Sicha was about Amalek, not The Joker. Adapted is the key word here)

Also, for those who hae not seen the moie, Spoilers abound.


2/19

Amalek! "ational or #deolo$ical %ar&

" , ,,

, , ' , , , ' '." "/ . +/Rambam 'ilchos elachim hapter * 'alacha +

#f they do not a$ree to a peaceful settlement, or if they a$ree to a peaceful settlement, but

refuse to accept the seen mitot, war should be wa$ed a$ainst them. All males past

ma-ority should be killed. Their money and their children should be taken as spoil, but

neither women or children should be killed, as euteronomy /0!1+ states! 23ut the

women and the children... take as spoil.4 2The children2 refer to males below the a$e of

ma-ority. The aboe applies to a milchemet hareshut fou$ht with other nations. 'oweer,

if either the seen nations or Amalek refuse to accept a peaceful settlement, not one soul

of them may be left alie as ibid. /0!1561* states! 2o this to all the cities that ... are notthe cities of these nations. 'oweer, from the cities of these nations,... do not leae a soul

alie.2 Similarly, in re$ard to Amalek, euteronomy /5!17 states! 28bliterate the memory

of Amalek.2 'ow do we know that these commands are only referrin$ to those who did

not accept a peaceful settlement& Joshua 11!176/0 states! 2There was no city which


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accepted a peaceful settlement with the children of #srael e9cept the hiites who lied in

:ibeon. All the rest, they con;uered in battle. This was inspired by :od, %ho

stren$thened their hearts to en$a$e in battle a$ainst #srael so that they would be

destroyed.2


4/19

. %hat does this show about the nature of the war a$ainst Amalek& %hat kind of war is

it&

+. =eepin$ all of the aboe in mind, in order to understand the command to wipe out

Amalek, what must we attempt to fi$ure out&

The #deolo$y 8f Amalek! Bart 1

ikreh! Cerythin$ #s oincidence

!

Devarim#$%&!&()***- 0 123 405*6 727 88 98:, ;< =>? @4A 1*B 98: 30*8: 8C ?D9E. F8- *9 >4GG?


5/19

"S8-7*602 857 2 8C 055 0 07 0EE*B*7 8 2 O karahuQ" T >* J027 8>006% K8 0B7 *55 *- O?J*-Q, "=* 7*J3*B70B 8C 'karahu'0J 38*:E8B 98:" T 0J 2 2J 1-2*B, "=*9 * 98: OkarekhaQ 8B * 109." OEstherRabba(%$Q

&. 4338-72BD 8 * 27-0J 2B A056: L8B2, 10 18-7 30-03*-2U*J405*6V#. =* 18-7 W26-*X *0BJ 382B327*B3*. >81 18:57 0 B028B30-03*-2U*7 9 * 18-7 W26-*X Y2*1 * 18-57VZ. >81 2J [B*2 A2J-0*5 30-03*-2U*7 1*B*Y*- 405*6 0EE*0-JV\. >81 18:57 0 B028B 30-03*-2U*7 0J *2BD W8B * 109X Y2*1 * 18-5772CC*-*B59 0B 405*6V

T'C B'#D8S8B'Y 8< #=RC'

As #llustrated by the transformation of

'arey ent into Two 0-Y*9, N 6B81 *J* -2*CJ 03610-7J.

Harvey Dent% @*55, C02-'J C02-. [draws coin]>*07J N'55 06* 2, 025J 2'J 055

98:-J.

Rachel Dawes% ; 9*0V A8: 10B 8 C52E 0 382B 8 J** 18 5*07JV

Harvey Dent% N'J 9 C0*-'J 5:369 382B. 4J N -*3055, 2 D8 * 9 C2-J 70*

12 98:.

Rachel Dawes% @8'7 5*0Y* J8*2BD 526* 0 8 30B3*V

Harvey Dent! >flips coin? # don2t. >atches and reeals it to be heads up? # make

my own luck.


6/19

'ow does 'arey ent iew the world in this ;uote&

#s this a EbaderechF worldiew, or a mikreh worldiew& #s it neither& #s it both&


7/19

Gnder the stress of his $irlfriend bein$ threatened, what tendency in ents worldiewbecomes apparent&

#s he closer to a baderech worldiew, or to a mikreh worldiew&%hat worldiew is 3atman&

Harvey Dent% A8:- *B, 98:- E50B]

The Joker% [smirks slowly]H8 N -*0559 5886 526* 0 D:9 12 0planV A8: 6B81 10 N 0V

N' 0 78D 30J2BD 30-J. [giddy]N 18:57B' 6B81 10 8 78 12 8B* 2C N caught2] A8:

6B81, N... N ^:J do2BDJ. =* 8 0J E50BJ. =* 38EJ 0Y* E50BJ. Gordon'sD8 E50BJ.

=*9'-* J3**-J. L3**-J -92BD 8 38B-85 *2- 525* 18-57J. N' B8 0 J3**-. N -9 8

J81 * J3**-J 81pathetic*2- 0*EJ 8 38B-85 2BDJ -*0559 0-*. L8 1*B N

J09R [grabs arvey's hand! arvey struggles a little]0, 38* *-*. @*B N J09 0 98:

0B7 98:- D2-5C-2*B7 10J B82BD E*-J8B05, 98:'55 6B81 0 N' *552BD * -:. [starts

unstrapping arvey's wrists "rom one side]N'J * J3**-J 0 E: 98: 1*-* 98: 0-*.

A8: were0 J3**-, 98: hadE50BJ. 4B7, :... [starts unstrapping arvey's other

wrist]5886 1*-* thatD8 90.

[#nce arvey's other wrist is "ree! he attempts to grab $he %oker! the two struggle with

each other until $he %oker grabs a hold o" arvey's hands! moving them "rom side to

side]

The Joker% N ^:J 727 10 N 78 *J. N 886 98:- 525* E50B 0B7 [sing&song tone]N :-B*7 2

8B 2J*5C] [arvey stops struggling! $he %oker looking down at him]M886 0 10 N 727 8

2J 329 12 0 C*1 7-:J 8C D0J 0B7 0 38:E5* 8C :55*J. >V A8: 6B81!T98: 6B81 10

N'Y* B823*7V


8/19

%hat worldiew does the Joker espouse& %hat worldiew does he contrast it to& 'owdoes he show the adanta$es of his worldiew&

'ow does The Joker portray the former 'arey ent& %hat worldiew is 'arey ent inby the end of this conersation&

Sal Maroni:NC N *55 98:, 1255 98: 5* * D8V

Two-Face:N 30B' :- 98:- 30B3*J.

Sal Maroni:N 10J )02-*U. [Dent pulls out his gun! cocks his pistol! and starts to "lip the

coin][: 98: J027!

Two-Face:N J027 2 38:57B' :- 98:- 30B3*J. [$he coin lands on the clean side]A8:'-*

0 5:369 0B. [)aroni smiles in thanks to Dent *ut Dent then "lips the coin again! and this

time! it lands on the scarred "ace][: *'J B8.

Sal Maroni:@8V

Two-Face:["astens his seatbelt]A8:- 7-2Y*-. [promptly shoots the driver! sending the car

"lying o"" the road and crashing into the railroad yard]

Later..

Two-Face% N'J B8 08: 10 N 10B, 2'J 08: 10'J "air] A8: 8:D 1* 38:57 *

7*3*B *B 2B 0B 2B7*3*B 2*] A8: 1*-* 1-8BD] =* 18-57 2J 3-:*5, 0B7 * 8B59

8-0529 2B 0 3-:*5 18-57 2J 30B3*. IB20J*7. IBE-*^:723*7. F02-. >2J J8B'J D8 * J0*

30B3* J* 07 ! C2C9!C2C9.

%hat are the practical and philosophical implications of the worldiew 'arey ent,now Two6


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Wuert:N 78B' 6B81 ! *'7 B*Y*- *55 *. N J1*0- 8 K87, N 727B' 6B81 10 *9 1*-* D8BB0 78

8 98:.

Two-Face:[takes out his coin]F:BB9. '_0:J* N 78B' 6B81 10'J D8BB0 0EE*B 8 98:

*2*-. ["lips the coin It lands on the scarred side Dent promptly shoots +uert, dead]

The #deolo$y 8f Amalek Bart /achar! "othin$ Dasts


10/19

2Tomorrow, # will stand at the top of the hill.2 Similarly Csther said, 2And tomorrow # willdo as the kin$ commands.24

Ra Yehuda Amital

The aharal e9plains that the word 4tomorrow4 e9presses e9istential, moralduality! today we do that which is appropriate today, and tomorrow we do what isappropriate tomorrow. This e9presses constant flu9, a lack of fi9ed priorities and alues!that which is $ood today will not necessarily be $ood tomorrow@ eerythin$ chan$esdependin$ on the circumstances. Csther understood that she faced an Amalekiteworldiew, and therefore she used the word 4tomorrow.4

8ld Jewish Joke!There were three chassidim talkin$ about the $reatness of their respectie rebbes. Thefirst one said, Ey rebbe is so $reat, he needed to cross a street, so he looks at the streetand poofI, cars on one side, cars on the other, empty space in the middle, and he walks

throu$h.FThe second shakes his head and says, EThats nothin$. y rebbe is so $reat, he needed tocross a rier, he holds up his hands, and poofI Rier on one side, rier on the other side,dry land in the middle, and he walks acrossFThe third $ets up and says, E"either of your Rebbeim are as $reat as my Rebbe. yrebbe, it was shabbos, and theres a bi$ ba$ of money lyin$ on the $round. 'e raises hishands, and poofI Shabbos on one side, shabbos on the other, money ba$ free for thetakin$ in the middleIF

1. %hat word appears to typify Amalek in these sources&/. %hat, accordin$ to the aharal, does that word represent& 'ow does the old

Jewish -oke, despite its icious slander of hassidim, illustrate this tendency&. 'ow is a EmacharF worldiew tied to a EmikrehF worldiew&+. 'ow would those contrast with a EbaderechF worldiew&

T'C A'AR K#C% 8< '#ST8RY

>LMN OPN? Q UNV LNWU XWZP [W\X

LXLW \W WMXWP LXLW WVUM Z WLXMNLW ] W LXL ^Q_ ]XPW^ _NX WXL LP XW XN NP_^Q_ `^_ ]L L_N UXXW LXW LW_N `ZV W Q\W _WLW X Q\ WX_ NPW_W VQ N^ L_WN ]L

LO NPW_ U_W Q\W X_ \P LU_ LP MW XVUM Z MWN LU_ L[W 4_ __ U_ UX_N LX NP_W^\L `VX\L `XNPP _NX W_XM M .WMW M _ WVUM ZP WMXL WX_ LZ LP X_ U_ UX_NWXQUL `LXMN M `L ]U ]WXM .`L ]U ]P W\ ,WLWX WLWX NP_ ^WM XZ 2O _WL WNXNL `M ZX^WP X_ `MXXQ XZ `UNLNL _WL WN W^\L `L NP_ WN\ 2L XL `XNPW_W `XNLNLP_QO ]X^LM QNV \PZ _XW NP_ \PZ LO LO X_W `MU_ WW _ MLRabbi Dei said! To what could #srael be compared& To a person who had a son@ hecarried him upon his shoulders and led him throu$h the marketplace. The son saw thin$s


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that he liked, and he said to his father! 43uy it for me4 and he bou$ht it for him, a firsttime and a second time and a third.The son saw someone and said to him, 4'ae you seen my father&4The father said to him! 4Silly boy you are ridin$ on my shoulders, and eerythin$ thatyou ask for # $ie to you, and you ask this person, 2'ae you seen my father&24

%hat did the father do& 'e cast him off his shoulders and a do$ came and bit him.So it was when #srael came out of C$ypt! the 'oly 8ne surrounded them with seenclouds of $lory@ they asked for manna and 'e $ae to them. 8nce 'e had proided allof their needs, they be$an to wonder and ask, 4#s :od in our midst, or not&4(Shemot1H!H). The 'oly 8ne said to them, 4You ;uestion y Bresence& 3y your lies, #tell you that a do$ will come and bite you4 and what did this refer to& This was Amalek

1. %hat assumptions would the boy in the parable hae to make to ask whether his fatheris there&/. %hat kind of iew of history would 3nai Yisrael hae to hae in order to ask the;uestion , 4#s :od in our midst, or not&4&

. 'ow does this tie in with the idea of EmacharF& 'ow would a philosophy of EmacharFiew history& %ould it een care about history at all&

T'C A'AR K#C% 8< '#ST8RYAs #llustrated in The ark =ni$ht

Mayor Anthony Garcia:[examining the Joker]%hat do we $ot&

Lt. James Gordon:"othin$. "o matches on prints, "A, dental. lothin$ is custom, no

labels. "othin$ in his pockets but knies and lint. "o name, no other alias.

1. hristopher "olan, the director of The ark =ni$ht, said repeatedly in interiews that

he would present no ori$in story for the Joker. %hy mi$ht he hae chosen to do that&

The Joker! >holding a knife inside Gambol's mouth? %anna know how # $ot these scars&y father was... a drinker. And a fiend. And one ni$ht he $oes off craier than usual.ommy $ets the kitchen knife to defend herself. 'e doesn2t like that. "ot6one6bit. So 6me watchin$ 6 he takes the knife to her, lau$hin$ while he does itI Turns to me, and hesays, 4why so serious, son&4 omes at me with the knife... 4%hy so serious&4 'e sticksthe blade in my mouth... 4Det2s put a smile on that faceI4 And...>looks sidelong at Gambol's thug, watching the whole thing in horror?The Joker! %hy so serious&
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Dater!

The Joker! %ell, you look nerous. #s it the scars& You want to know how # $ot 2em&>e grabs !achel's head and "ositions the knife b# her mouth?

The Joker! ome here. 'eyI Dook at me. So # had a wife, beautiful, like you, who tellsme # worry too much. %ho tells me # ou$ht to smile more. %ho $ambles and $ets in deepwith the sharks... Dook at meI 8ne day, they care her face. And we hae no money forsur$eries. She can2t take it. # -ust want to see her smile a$ain, hm& # -ust want her to knowthat # don2t care about the scars. So... # stick a raor in my mouth and do this...>the Joker mimics slicing his mouth o"en with his tongue?The Joker! ...to myself. And you know what& She can2t stand the si$ht of meI She leaes."ow # see the funny side. "ow #2m always smilin$I

1. Are the two stories presented by The Joker in harmony&/. %hat mi$ht this show about how the Joker iews history&

. %hy then, does it make sense that he has no ori$in story&+. %hat philosophical implications mi$ht this hae&

A A'AR K#C% 8< 8RAD#TY

Bank Manager$ You think #ou're smart, huh% But the gu# that hired #ou, he'll &ust do the same to #ou. he

criminals in this town used to belie(e in things. onor... res"ect... )ook at #ou* +hat do #ou belie(e in,

huh% +hat do #ou belie(e in%* [Boo "uts a grenade in the manager's mouth]

Bozo$ - belie(e, whate(er doesn't kill #ou sim"l# makes #ou... [remo(es his clown mask, re(ealing that he is

the Joker]....stranger*

Salvatore Maroni! >to Batman who is interrogating him about he Joker? "o one2s

$onna tell you anythin$. They2re wise to your act. You $ot rules. The Joker, he2s $ot no

rules. "o one2s $onna cross him for you. You want this $uy, you $ot one way. And you

already know what that is. Just take off that mask and let him come find you. 8r do you

want to let a couple more people $et killed while you make your mind&

1. %hat is a rule&

/. %hy, based on what we hae seen, would the Joker not hae rules&

Batman! You2re $arba$e who kills for money.

The Joker! on2t talk like you2re one of themI You2re not... een if you2d like to be. To

them you2re -ust a freak, like me. They need you ri$ht now, but when they don2t, they2ll
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13/19

cast you out. Dike a leper. See, their morals, their 4code4... it2s a bad -oke, dropped at the

first si$n of trouble. They2re only as $ood as the world allows them to be. #2ll show you.

%hen the chips are down, these uh, these 4ciilied people4, they2ll eat each other. See,

#2m not a monster. #2m -ust ahead of the cure.

[Batman grabs the Joker b# the la"els and lifts him u"]

Batman! +here's ent%

The Joker! You hae all these rules, and you think they2ll sae youI

[Batman slams the Joker into the wall]

Batman! # hae onerule.

The Joker! 8h, then that2s the rule you2ll hae to break to know the truth.

Batman! %hich is&

The Joker! The only sensible way to lie in this world is without rules, and toni$ht,

you2re $onna break your one ruleI

%hat does the Joker beliee the purpose of morality is& %hat are rules for& Are they

bindin$, or -ust a matter of conenience& 'ow permanent are rules&

The Chechen! You said you were a man of your word.

The Joker! 8h, # am. #2m only burnin$ my half. [throws the /hechen's cigar onto the

mone#, setting it ablae]All you care about is money. This town deseres a better class

of criminal, and #2m $onna $ie it to 2em. Tell your men they work for me now. This

is m#city.

The Chechen! They won2t work for a freakI

The Joker! [mocking the /hechen's accent]4


14/19

Alfred enny!orth! 3ecause some men aren2t lookin$ for anythin$ lo$ical, like money.

They can2t be bou$ht, bullied, reasoned or ne$otiated with. Some men -ust want to watch

the world burn.

%hat is The Jokers motiation& %hat messa$e is he tryin$ to send&

The Joker! >o(er the 12? Toni$ht you2re all $onna be part of a social e9periment.

Throu$h the ma$ic of diesel fuel and ammonium nitrate, #2m ready ri$ht now to blow you

all sky hi$h. Anyone attempts to $et off their boat, you all die. Cach of you has a

remote... to blow up the other boat. At midni$ht, # blow you all up. #f, howeer, one of

you presses the button, #2ll let that boat lie. So, who2s it $oin$ to be! 'arey ent2s most

wanted scumba$ collection, or the sweet and innocent ciilians& You choose... oh, and

you mi$ht want to decide ;uickly, because the people on the other boat mi$ht not be so

noble

3ased on what we hae seen, what is The Joker tryin$ to proe in this social e9periment&

Joker! Ghh,#ou... You -ust couldn2t let me $o, could you& This is what happens when an

unstoppable force meets an immoable ob-ect. You truly are incorruptible, aren2t you&

You won2t kill me out of some misplaced sense of self6ri$hteousness... and # won2t kill

you because you2re -ust too muchfunI # think you and # are destined to do this foreer.

Batman! You2ll be in a padded cell foreerI

Joker! aybe we could share oneI You know, they2ll be doublin$ up at the rate this city2s

inhabitants are losin$ their minds.

Batman! This city -ust showed you that it2s full of people ready to beliee in $ood.

Joker! Gntil their spirit breaks completelyI Gntil they $et a $ood look at the real'arey

ent, and the all heroic thin$s he2s done. You didn2t think #2d risk losin$ the battle for

:otham2s soul in a fist fi$ht with you&3o. You need an ace in the hole. ine2s 'arey.

Batman! [horrified]%hat did you do&Joker! # took :otham2s 4%hite =ni$ht4, and brou$ht him down to our leel. #t wasn2t

hard. See, madness, as you know, is like $raity! all it takes is a little "ushI [laughs

h#stericall#4 Batman lea(es and a S+2 arri(es to take the Joker into custod#]
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15/19

1. %hy does 3atman think the social e9periment the Joker has en$ineered has failed&

%hy did it fail&

/. %hy does Joker think otherwise& %hat is The Jokers 4Ace #n The 'ole4& %hat does

he think he has proed&

. 'ow does all of this tie in with our conceptions of the ideolo$ies of Amalek&

+. %hat ideolo$y does 3atman represent&

The followin$ is an e9cerpt from a comic by Alan oore, called The =illin$ Joke. #t is

one of the comics upon which hristopher "olan based his conception of The Joker on,

and one of the comics that 'eath Ded$er locked himself in a hotel room with for 0 days.

The basic plot outline is! The Joker escapes from -ail, kidnaps omissioner :ordon, and

locks him in a room of horrors in an attempt to make him $o insane. These e9cerpts are

probably the best sum6up of what The Joker represents. %hen readin$ this, keep in mind

all of the themes deeloped aboe about Amalek.


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The Joker: A Hashkafic Analysis

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