Take the phone off the hook and disappear for a while You know you can’t always see when you’re right… You’re so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need The problem of the song’s protagonist is not only that he is on the verge of giving up on his dreams, but that his intense work ethic itself is damaging: In the very same breath, however, “Vienna” also imparts a seemingly contradictory message. Only after laboring for years can we look back and see how far we have come. Torah study, in the midrash’s example, requires a lifetime’s worth of patience and perseverance. Rabba 8:3): Torah demands we dream big, but we cannot expect immediate satisfaction. These themes are also found in our own tradition (see, e.g., Deut.

You’re gonna kick off before you’re even halfway through…ĭon’t you know that only fools are satisfied? You better cool it off before you burn it out… Where’s the fire, what’s the hurry about? Joel’s narrator warns of this impending danger: Often the moment we contemplate the grandness of our goals and the intensity of our efforts, we become impatient with our slow advances, deem ourselves fools for striving towards the impossible, and toss up our hands in defeat. Yet, a dreamer runs the risk of his ambitions turning against him and harming his progress. For the religious individual, aspiration is necessary for avodat Hashem, Torah study, and fulfilling one’s unique role or potential in this world. Why this is The BEST: Ambition is a powerful force that can lead one to accomplish the unthinkable.

Vienna waits for you