Jewish Wisdom: January 2008 Archives

One hour of repentance and good deeds in this world is more beautiful than all the life in the world to come.

--Rabbi Jacob b. Kurshai, Mishna: Abot

Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.

God is identical with His attributes, so that it may be said that He is the knowledge, the knower, and the known.

--Maimonides, "Eight Chapters"

Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.

When you cannot love or hate any more, then where is the charm of life?

--Arthur Schnitzler, "Professor Bernhardi"

Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.

When you cannot love or hate any more, then where is the charm of life?

--Arthur Schnitzler, "Professor Bernhardi"

Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.

The sun gives light by day, the Torah by day and night.

--Asher b. Saul, Kol Bo

Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc.

When you cannot love or hate any more, then where is the charm of life?--Arthur Schnitzler, "Professor Bernhardi"Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

Death was decreed for all, so that men may not be righteous just for the sake of life.--Jonathan ben Eleazar, Jewish scholar of the third century, PalestineReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson...

One pang of conscience is worth more than many lashes.--Jose b. Halafta, Talmud: Berakhot, 7aReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

Man's advocates are repentance and good deeds.--Talmud: Sabbath, 32aReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

So follow the way of the good, and keep to the paths of the just.--Proverbs 2:20As cited in "Jewish Wisdom" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin....

You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old: You shall fear your God.--Leviticus 19:32As cited in "Jewish Wisdom" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin....

Judge not your neighbor till you've been in his place.Hillel, Mishna: AbotReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

It is the lot of man to suffer, it is also his fortune to forget.--Benjamin Disraeli, "Vivian Grey"Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

When the rabbis speak of paradise and hell...these are only metaphors for the agony of sin and the happiness of virtue.--Kaufmann Kohler, "Jewish Theology"Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

He is great who is not ashamed to admit he does not know.--Judah HaNasi, Talmud Jerushalmi: HagigaReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

If I knew God, I would be God.--Midieval Jewish proverb...

Rather suffer an injustice than commit one.--Yiddish proverb...

Do not steal, do not deceive, and do not lie to one another.Leviticus 19:11As cited in "Jewish Wisdom" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin....

Perhaps a human being does not die until he no longer sees anything but the past and the present moment.Leo Baeck, "The Pharisees"Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

A Jew can be Jewish with God, against God, but not without God.Elie WieselAs cited in "Jewish Wisdom" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin....

A man is led the way he wishes to follow.--Huna, Talmud: Makkot, 10bReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

A good man does not sell his beast to a cruel person.--Medieval Sefer HasidimAs cited in "Jewish Wisdom" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin....

The first step toward liberty is to miss liberty; the second, to seek it; the third, to find it.--Leopold Zunz, German-Jewish scholarReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

Regard as trifling the great good you did to others, and as enormous the little good others did to you.--Talmud: Derech Eretz (Way of the Land)Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

His revelation is continuous. New aspects of the Torah unfold constantly. The more we study it, the more it expands.--Judah Arieh, "Sefat Emet"Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

Prompted by love is greater than prompted by fear.--Rabbi Simeon ben Eleazar, TalmudReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

The test of good manners: to bear patiently with bad ones.--Ibn GabirolReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

He who repeats what he has learned one hundred times cannot be compared to one who repeats it a hundred and one times.--Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah 9bAs cited in "Jewish Wisdom" by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin....

Always think of the end, and you will never do amiss.Apocrypha: Ben Sira 7:36Reprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....

Even if all the world tells you. "You are righteous," consider yourself a sinner.--Rabbi SimlaiReprinted from 'A Treasury of Jewish Quotations,' edited by Joseph L. Baron, Jason Aronson Inc....