Are you someone or Tevye?

While there's someone who prefers to stay poor in order to be more spiritual and devoted, most of us (including me) always mistaken that if we fix our living first, we could be as spiritual and devoted as we want ourselves to be -- Tevye, played by Topol in the Oscar-winning musical Fiddler on the Roof, is one who thinks this way. In his prayer, Tevye told God that,

"If I were rich, I'd have the time that I lack
To sit in the synagogue and pray,
And maybe have a seat by the Eastern Wall.
And I'd discuss the holy books with the learned men
Seven hours every day.
That would be the sweetest thing of all."

Are you Tevye, or the someone who can truly live by faith?

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Fiddler on the Roof is my most favorite musical other than The Sound of Music. Every song in the film has wonderful melody and touching lyrics which also have much spiritual implications. The most memorable one traces far back to the days when I was in primary school, when my music teacher taught the song Sunrise, sunset long before I came across the film in the 80s. The song is a must-know for dads of daughters -- it describes vividly the sigh of moms and dads when they see their daughters getting married:

"Is this the little girl I carried? Is this the little boy at play?
I don't remember growing older. When did they?
When did she get to be a beauty? When did he get to be so tall?
Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?

(chorus)
Sunrise, Sunset, Sunrise, Sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze
Sunrise, Sunset Sunrise, Sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

What words of wisdom can I give them? How can I help to ease their ways?
Now they must learn from one another day by day..."

Recently they have a special edition of DVD with Chinese subtitle released. Don't miss this great film!