But here in our little village of Anatevka, you might say everyone of us is a fiddler on the roof, trying to scratch out a pleasant simple tune without breaking his neck. You may ask why do we stay up there if it s so dangerous. We stay because Anatevka is our home. Tevye sees his Jewish tradition as the one all-important thread weaving together his life as a poor dairy farmer. If you pull away the thread of tradition, the whole garment begins to unravel.
Tradition is the voice of wisdom which past generations speak to the present.
We take tradition for granted because it s so much a part of our lives. Then along comes Jesus in today s gospel to wake us up. That s why it s necessary to distinguish between various kinds of tradition. First of all, let s understand what the word tradition means. It comes from the Latin verb tradere which means to hand on.