Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, of blessed memory, was one of the great spiritual teachers in the Conservative movement in the 20th century. He brought together Talmud, philosophy, and Chasidic thought. He taught about the biblical prophets and marched for civil rights with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I'll put up a page on this site next week about him; in the meantime there is much to read and a terrific recent program to listen to from public radio's "Speaking of Faith."
From now until Shavuot, I'm trying something out -- a weekly e-mail with a short passage from the writings of Rabbi Heschel. Here is first sample for everyone. If you are interested in subscribing and getting a weekly "electronic Heschel', send me a note with "Heschel" as the subject or the message by clicking here and I'll add you to the list.
A person cannot see the beauty of life unless he remembers that the Finite (Sof) and the Infinite (Ein Sof) kiss each other; that the One who is enthroned on high is concerned with all below. We live always at one with eternity. Eternal life has been planted in our midst. A family table is an altar in our house...And the most common acts that a person does are compared in their importance to things which are eternal. Judaism teaches us to view any injustice--robbery or violence--or human oppression as a major tragedy, and to feel divine joy at bringing happiness to a mortal. One who curses a human is insulting his Maker, and one who loves others gives pleasure to God.
Every human being is a kind of reminder of God, and all things are like traces of God's footprints in a barren desert. Through all the things in the world it is possible to come close to the Source. It is incumbent upon us, as Jews, to imitate the footprints, and remove the veil from God, who is masked in the costume of the world.
--from "Pikuach Neshama: To Save a Soul"
Comments