At the beginning of Chapter 5, Asher draws a picture of the Rebbe in his chumchah, which is a holy book. To draw in it is discretion in the name of God. Asher did not even realize what he was doing, and when he saw what he had done, he was in shock. Drawing is so natural to him that it is like an instinct, and he does it subconsciously without realizing what he is doing. Thanks to this unusual phenomenon, one can explore Asher’s subconscious mind. He draws a picture of the Rebbe, but he makes the Rebbe look evil. His eyes are narrow, and his eyebrows slant down in the middle. Asher subconsciously is very angry at the Rebbe, because the Rebbe is sending Asher and his family to Vienna. Asher can’t bring himself to understand how the Rebbe, whose decisions are trusted by so many Jews, decided to send Asher’s family away from their home. The Rebbe’s decision is very painful for Asher, because Asher feels very attached to his home and his neighborhood.
No one understands how it is possible for Asher to be able to draw something and not know that he is doing it. I can understand how it might be hard for them to believe, because they have probably never experienced something like that before. Asher’s father insists that only animals cannot control their actions, and humans always know what they are doing. “’An animal can’t help it’, my father said. ‘Do you understand me, Asher? The Ribbono Shel Olom gave every man a will. Every man is responsible for what he does, because he has a will and that will directs his life. There is no such thing as a man who can’t help it.’” (Potok, 166-167). The fact that this happened to Asher shows how rare and powerful his gift is. In any creative field, there are very few people who are ultimately gifted. Asher must be one of these people. He may never meet anyone who can understand him and his gift because there are so few others that have an incredible gift. Maybe no one in his lifetime will have such an extraordinary gift. It is obvious that Asher cannot ignore the gift, so he will probably continue to use it. He is doomed to a life in which many people will try to understand him and his actions, but probably never will be able to.