164
" Cateodata doamna Agnon spunea ceva cu o voce ascutita, poruncitoare, si o data domnul Agnon i-a spus, cu capul un pic inclinat intr-o parte si cu o umbra de zambet sarcastic: " Fa bine si ingaduie-mi sa fiu stapan in casa mea cata vreme oaspetii mai sunt aici. Dupa ce pleaca, tu vei fi stapana". Imi amintesc limpede aceasta faza, nu numai din cauza neasteptatei malitiozitati pe care o continea (pe care in zilele noastre am numi-o subversivitate), dar in primul rand din cauza folosirii cuvantului "stapana", care este rar in ebraica. L-am intalnit din nou dupa multi ani, cand am citit povestea lui "Stapana si negustorul ambulant", In afara de domnul Agnon n-am mai intalnit pe cineva casa sa foloseasca cuvantul de "stapana" in sensul de stapana casei. Cu toate ca atunci cand zicea "stapana" poate ca se gandea la ceva un pic diferit. E greu de spus: la urma urmei, era un barbat cu trei sau mai multe umbre. "
― Amos Oz , A Tale of Love and Darkness
166
" I believe that if one person is watching a huge calamity, let’s say a conflagration, a fire, there are always three principle options.
1. Run away, as far away and as fast as you can and let those who cannot run burn.
2. Write a very angry letter to the editor of your paper demanding that the responsible people be removed from office with disgrace. Or, for that matter, launch a demonstration.
3. Bring a bucket of water and throw it on the fire, and if you don’t have a bucket, bring a glass, and if you don’t have a glass, use a teaspoon, everyone has a teaspoon. And yes, I know a teaspoon is little and the fire is huge but there are millions of us and each one of us has a teaspoon. Now I would like to establish the Order of the Teaspoon. People who share my attitude, not the run away attitude, or the letter attitude, but the teaspoon attitude – I would like them to walk around wearing a little teaspoon on the lapel of their jackets, so that we know that we are in the same movement, in the same brotherhood, in the same order, The Order of the Teaspoon. "
― Amos Oz
167
" Niekedy mám dojem, že sme globálna „kindergarten“. Sme v stave akejsi infantilizácie ľudskej rasy. To obrovské vymývanie mozgov, ktoré sledujeme, je iné, ako bolo vymývanie mozgov v komunizme či nacizme. Dnešné vymývanie mozgov sa zakrýva ideou šťastia jedinca, humanity. Hovorí o tom, že život je príjemná hra, všetko je krásne a všetko je ako v škôlke hravé. Ale pritom nám chce globálny svet všetko predať, to, čo reálne nepotrebujeme, ponúknuť nám zábavu, ktorá nás robí detskými. Ale deti sú najlepší zákazníci, lebo nepremýšľajú, nechajú sa rýchlo zviesť a ľahko sa udržia vo svojej naivite.
Kdekoľvek v Amerike, v Európe, na Blízkom východe sa nechávame zabávať. Ľudia prestávajú čítať noviny, knihy, nepozerajú televízne správy, nevedia, čo sa deje. Hrajú hry na svojich smartfónoch, vlastné vzťahy riešia ako spoločenskú hru. Je to globálna tendencia byť infantilným. A to sa reflektuje aj v politike: ľudia volia zabávačov, ľudia volia klaunov, volia tak, akoby voľby boli zábavný program. Ľudia v Británii hlasovali za brexit preto, že čakali, aký z toho bude škandál, ak sa to podarí. Keby nehlasovali za brexit, bola by to nuda a oni sa chceli zabávať. Vôbec netušili o ekonomických vzťahoch s EÚ, čo to spraví s medzinárodným obchodom, ako to zasiahne do života miliónov ľudí. Len čakali, že to bude isto vtipné, keď budú hlasovať za brexit. "
― Amos Oz
171
" Веднъж, бях на седем-осем, с мама отивахме до магазина за обувки или до поликлиниката, не помня точно, но бяхме седнали на последната седалка на автобуса, и тя ми каза, че с годините книгите се променят точно като хората, н с тази разлика, че хората могат да те изоставят, ако вече нямат полза, интерес или поне някакво чувство към теб, но книгите никога няма да те напуснат. По-скоро ти ги забравяш за няколко години или завинаги, но те никога няма да ти обърнат гръб, дори и да си ги предал, ще чакат тихо и скромно на някой рафт, докато се върнеш при тях. Ще чакат и десет години, няма да се оплакват. И една нощ, когато неочаквано ти се прииска някоя книга, дори и в три през нощта, дори и да си я бил зарязал отдавна, да си я изтрил от съзнанието си, бъди сигурен, че тя няма да те разочарова, ще слезе от рафта и ще бъде с теб в този момент на нужда. Няма да се прави на обидена, да търси претекст да ти откаже, да се пита, дали си заслужава, дали ти заслужаваш, дали все още си подхождате, а ще дойде веднага щом я потърсиш.Книгата никога няма да те разочарова". "
― Amos Oz
174
" A kiemelkedő izraeli író, Szami Michael egyszer mesélt egy hosszú autóútról, amely során a sofőrje egyszer csak elkezdte fejtegetni, milyen fontos, sőt halaszthatatlan, hogy mi, zsidók "megöljük az összes arabot". Szami Michael udvariasan meghallgatta, és ahelyett, hogy szörnyülködéssel, tagadással vagy undorral reagált volna, feltett a sofőrnek egy ártatlan kérdést:
- És a maga véleménye szerint ki ölje meg az összes arabot?
- Hát mi! Zsidók! Meg kell tennünk. Vagy ők, vagy mi! Hát nem látja, mit csinálnak velünk?
- De pontosan ki ölje meg az összes arabot? A hadsereg? A rendőrség? A tűzoltók? A fehér köpenyes, fecskendős orvosok?
A sofőr megvakarta a fejét, eltöprengett a kérdésen, végül azt mondta:
- Fel kell osztanunk a feladatot. Minden zsidó férfinak meg kell ölni pár arabot.
Michael nem hagyta ennyiben:
- Jól van. Tegyük fel, hogy magának mint haifai lakosnak kijelölnek egy lakóépületet Haifában. Ajtóról ajtóra jár, becsönget és udvariasan megkérdezi a lakókat: "Elnézést, ön arab?" Ha a válasz igen, lelövi. Amikor az összes arabot megölte az épületben, elindul haza, de alig tesz pár lépést, hallja, hogy egy kisbaba sír a legfelső emeleten. Mit csinál? Visszafordul? Visszamegy? Fel arra az emeletre és lelövi a babát? Igen vagy nem?
Hosszú csend következett. A sofőr töprengett. Végül azt mondta:
- Maga nagyon kegyetlen ember, uram! "
― Amos Oz , Dear Zealots: Letters from a Divided Land
176
" Personally I do not believe in world reform. No. I do not believe in any kind of world reform. Not because I consider that the world is perfect as it is—certainly not, the world is crooked and grim and full of suffering—but whoever comes along to reform it soon sinks in rivers of blood. Now let’s drink a glass of tea and leave aside these obscenities you’ve brought me today. If only all religions and all revolutions vanished from the face of the earth someday, I tell you—all of them, without exception—there would be far fewer wars in the world. (p. 68)
Only in one window a feeble light glowed, and he pictured a young rabbinical student sitting there reciting psalms. He said to him in his heart: You and I are both searching for something that has no fixed measure. And for that reason we will not find it even if we search till morning and the next night and every night to come until the day of our death, and maybe after that. (p. 184)
“The eyes,” Gershom Wald said, “will never open. Almost everyone traverses their lifespan, from birth to death, with eyes closed. Even you and I, my dear Shmuel. With eyes closed. If we open our eyes for just a moment, a great and terrible cry will burst forth from us and we shall scream and never stop. And if we don’t cry out day and night, that’s a sign that our eyes are closed... ” (p. 192)
Anyone willing to change,” Shmuel said, “will always be considered a traitor by those who cannot change and are scared to death of change and don’t understand it and loathe change...” (p. 230) "
― Amos Oz , Judas
180
" Niemand weiß nix über den andern. Und am wenigstens weiß man's bei der Liebe. Liebe sei nach ihrer Meinung ein total destruktiver Zustand: Zwei Fremde, die einander plötzlich sehen, oder nicht wirklich sehen, riechen, und in Nullkommanix stärker verbunden sind als Bruder und Schwester. Fangen an, miteinander im selben Bett zu schlafen, obwohl sie nicht zur selben Familie gehören. Oft sind das zwei, die nicht Freunde, nicht Bekannte, nicht Kumpels sind, bloß ineinander verknallt, und wenn die ganze Welt untergeht. Und guck dir doch an, was für ein Desaster. An Liebe sterben vielleicht mehr als an Drogen. Vielleicht müßte man auch dafür eine Entziehungskur schaffen. "
― Amos Oz
