I don't like him, but I can pity him, and I can see he had some things to struggle with, indeed.
I doubt Severus would appreciate your pity. My mother says she'd rather be sworn at than pitied, and I have a feeling Severus is the same.
Following my earlier response about how Severus compared with other Hogwarts teachers regarding caring for their student I was reminded of a Hillel quote and looked it up.
It is from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers, sayings of most significant rabbis from roughly 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE)
He would also say: A boor cannot be sin-fearing, an ignoramus cannot be pious, a bashful one cannot learn, a short-tempered person cannot teach, nor does anyone who does much business grow wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man. (Avot 2:5)
Severus fails by being a short-tempered teacher, but his greatest achievement is that despite living in the wizarding world and in Hogwarts, which is its microcosm - both places where there are no men - he never stops striving to be a man.
schemeingreader, in her AU Snupin fic where Hogwarts is a 19th century yeshiva named her Severus after Shammai - Hillel's colleague and rival, a great scholar but strict and severe - with himself and others.
And apropos Severus and Judaism, I'd like to refer to the dispute between Yochanan and his brother-in-law, Resh Lakish about Genesis 6:9 - why does the biblical text say "Noah was a righteous and blameless man in his generation"
Yochanan said: "In his generation, but not in other generations." (ie while Noah was the most righteous of his times, the same level of behavior wouldn't have been considered righteous at times of higher moral development.)
In contrast, Yochanan's brother-in-law Resh Lakish said "If in his generation, how much more so in other generations?"
For background, Resh Lakish was a gladiator, or perhaps a bandit, who repented. (The trigger for his repentance was the offer of Yochanan's sister's hand in marriage, after Resh Lakish admitted to finding Yochanan beautiful. If there are any Talmudic slashers I'm guessing this would be a popular pairing.) He was someone who could appreciate the amount of growth needed to be righteous in an evil society. And following Resh Lakish, I paraphrase. Severus was a righteous man in his generation.
no subject
I doubt Severus would appreciate your pity. My mother says she'd rather be sworn at than pitied, and I have a feeling Severus is the same.
Following my earlier response about how Severus compared with other Hogwarts teachers regarding caring for their student I was reminded of a Hillel quote and looked it up.
It is from Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers, sayings of most significant rabbis from roughly 1st century BCE to 3rd century CE)
He would also say: A boor cannot be sin-fearing, an ignoramus cannot be pious, a bashful one cannot learn, a short-tempered person cannot teach, nor does anyone who does much business grow wise. In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man.
(Avot 2:5)
Severus fails by being a short-tempered teacher, but his greatest achievement is that despite living in the wizarding world and in Hogwarts, which is its microcosm - both places where there are no men - he never stops striving to be a man.
schemeingreader, in her AU Snupin fic where Hogwarts is a 19th century yeshiva named her Severus after Shammai - Hillel's colleague and rival, a great scholar but strict and severe - with himself and others.
And apropos Severus and Judaism, I'd like to refer to the dispute between Yochanan and his brother-in-law, Resh Lakish about Genesis 6:9 - why does the biblical text say "Noah was a righteous and blameless man in his generation"
Yochanan said: "In his generation, but not in other generations." (ie while Noah was the most righteous of his times, the same level of behavior wouldn't have been considered righteous at times of higher moral development.)
In contrast, Yochanan's brother-in-law Resh Lakish said "If in his generation, how much more so in other generations?"
For background, Resh Lakish was a gladiator, or perhaps a bandit, who repented. (The trigger for his repentance was the offer of Yochanan's sister's hand in marriage, after Resh Lakish admitted to finding Yochanan beautiful. If there are any Talmudic slashers I'm guessing this would be a popular pairing.) He was someone who could appreciate the amount of growth needed to be righteous in an evil society. And following Resh Lakish, I paraphrase. Severus was a righteous man in his generation.