That night, David admits to Reuven that he feels weird about giving Danny books to read behind the Reb’s back.

Danny is deep into studying German, and plans to start on Freud soon.

Danny and Reuven meet at the library again the following week, and Danny isn’t pleased with David’s assessment of Graetz – he’s now read other books on Hasidism that bring doubts to his mind.

He’s not too pleased about the Freud thing – he feels Danny might be too young for it, and he confirms Reuven’s suspicions that Graetz was biased and his sources were inaccurate.

That night at the supper table, Reuven tells David about Danny’s reading.

Many Jews speak German, and much important philosophy is written in German. Yiddish, Danny tells Reuven, is a language derived from Middle German.

Danny explains that, just because Hitler speaks German, German is not an evil language.

When Reuven hears that Danny is planning to learn German, so as to read Sigmund Freud’s work in the language it was written in, he is horrified!.

Reuven has heard of the 'subconscious,' but hasn’t heard that many psychologists think that our deepest fears and desires live in the subconscious and express themselves in dreams.The topic shifts from Hasidism to psychology.The book gives Danny a really weird image of himself, and Reuven suggests he talk to David about this book before he comes to any conclusions.Apparently, David did not give Danny this book, but recommended that he study Jewish history.Angry, he talks about how much his father cares for his followers (which we know from the story Danny told Reuven yesterday), and then goes on reading disturbing things to Reuven from the book. Danny asks Reuven if that meets what Reuven saw yesterday at his father’s temple.Graetz has some awful things to say about the Hasidim – charges of drunkenness, debauchery, and inappropriate behavior.Danny is perturbed by something he’s been reading, a controversial 1898 book called The History of the Jews by Heinrich Graetz.Reuven announces that he wasn’t napping, just reviewing the old logic in his head.Then, he hears Danny’s voice calling him 'sleepyhead.'.Reuven, not wanting to interrupt Danny, and irritated at not being able to read even though surrounded by books, chills in a chair and tries to do symbolic logic in his head.Apparently, the Danny is speed-reading like crazy, and Reuven is amazed.Reuven stands back and watches him read.Up on the third floor, Reuven finds Danny reading, almost hidden by a bookshelf.The library sounds totally amazing and beautiful.Around 2pm, he leaves school to keep his date with Danny at the library.At recess, he looks at the baseball field, remembering the crazy game a week ago.All the kids think he’s a hero, and talk some trash about Danny.The next day is Sunday, and I guess Reuven goes to school on Sundays, because he goes to school.

The promise chaim potok sparknotes