Abraham Joshua Heschel
Abraham Joshua Heschel
Abraham Joshua Heschelwas a Polish-born American rabbi and one of the leading Jewish theologians and Jewish philosophers of the 20th century. Heschel, a professor of Jewish mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, authored a number of widely read books on Jewish philosophy and was active in the American Civil Rights movement...
NationalityPolish
ProfessionEducator
Date of Birth11 January 1907
CountryPoland
civilization voice knives
In the midst of our applauding the feats of civilization, the Bible flings itself like a knife slashing our complacency; remind us that God, too, has a voice in history.
creativity dark night
Proximity to the crowd, to the majority view, spells the death of creativity. For a soul can create only when alone, and some are chosen for the flowering that takes place in the dark avenues of night.
father compassion people
God is everywhere or nowhere, the father of all people or of none, concerned about everything or nothing. Only in His presence shall we learn that the glory of humankind is not in its will to power but in its power of compassion.
wonder fame asks
Never once in my life did I ask God for success or wisdom or power or fame. I asked for wonder, and he gave it to me.
morning sunshine evil
I would say about individuals, A Individual dies when they cease to to be surprised. I am surprised every morning when I see the sunshine again. When I see an act of evil I don't accomodate, I don't accomodate myself to the violence that goes on everywhere. I am still so surprised! That is why I am against it. We must learn to be surprised.
spiritual integrity enjoy-life
To abstain completely from all enjoyments may be easy. Yet to enjoy life and retain spiritual integrity - there is the challenge.
spiritual healing goal
The higher goal of spiritual living is not to amass a wealth of information, but to face sacred moments.
life faith appreciation
Just to be is a blessing. Just to live is holy.
spiritual long audacity
We forfeit the right to worship God as long as we continue to humiliate negroes. ... The hour calls for moral grandeur and spiritual audacity.
spiritual decay failing
Spiritual life begins to decay when we fail to sense the grandeur of what is eternal in time.
ideas talent capacity
I have one talent, and that is the capacity to be tremendously surprised, surprised at life, at ideas. This is to me the supreme Hasidic imperative: Don't be old. Don't be stale.
faith religious attitude
Wonder or radical amazement is the chief characteristic of the religious man's attitude toward history and nature.
mean doe surrender
To serve does not mean to surrender but to share.
disappointment frustration world
We can all do our share to redeem the world in spite of all absurdities and all frustrations and all disappointments.