138 · 4 panels
The flashlight lit their feet. Dawn revealed the bridge. At the fork, they unfolded a map.
Before sunrise, Jin and Ara set out for the bridge.
On the riverside path, they stopped where the ground grew uneven.
There's a root sticking out here. Step around it.
His flashlight picked out the roots and pebbles underfoot.
I can see the bridge now. Which path leads there?
Dawn revealed the river and bridge. The path ahead split in two.
That bend is on the map, too. Let's go this way.
Jin found the same bend on the map. Together they chose the riverside path.
With a torch, the traveler avoided the obstacles underfoot. At dawn, other dangers receded. Only at the crossroads did he know which way to go.
The source idea in our own words · Not a direct quotation
Sotah 21a:7–8 · Read the source ↗Jin and Ara used a flashlight to avoid the roots underfoot. As it grew light, they spotted the bridge they were heading for. They worked out which path led to it by matching the bend in the river to the map. The clue that helps with the next step, the clue that shows the surroundings and the clue that points the way can be different.
A modern interpretation for this story
When have I needed one kind of clue to take the next step and another to decide where to go?
Share the question together with a link to this story.
Sotah 21a:7–8 in the Babylonian Talmud tells a parable about a traveler walking at night. The preceding passage interprets Proverbs 6:23, distinguishing the lamp of a commandment from the light of Torah. In the parable, a torch helps the traveler avoid nearby obstacles. Other dangers recede at dawn, but the way becomes clear only at the crossroads. Segment 13 offers several readings of what the crossroads mean. The wisdom line paraphrases segments 7–8. Jin, Ara, the riverside path, the flashlight, the map and the dialogue are modern fiction inspired by the parable and created with AI assistance.
Read the source ↗AI-generated artwork · Creative adaptation
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