Why do I get the feeling that those who very strident in denouncing yichus are not proud of their family history?
I have not been very strident and I have been very open about the fact that I have no special yichus. I have nothing to be ashamed of, but nothing particularly special either.
Is there something wrong in being proud of your family history?
Is there anything wrong with it? No… but I think it’s silly to take pride in something that you have no hand in.
I’m a big Yankees fan, and when they win, it makes me happy. But I take no pride in it… I didn’t pitch an inning or come to bat. I didn’t design the training program or help clear the field after games. I didn’t engineer the trades that brought in the stars or scout out the rookies. In short, I did nothing to help the team, so why should I feel pride when they win (or shame when they lose)? Likewise, even if I had illustrious ancestors, *I* didn’t do anything to make them illustrious, so why should I pride myself on them? By all means, cherish your family history (I do), but I see no reason to be excessively prideful about it.
I would take far more pride in the accomplishments of my kids than in those of my ancestors.
The Wolf