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Product: Book
ISBN-10: 0-374-52495-5
ISBN-13: 9780374524951
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Country:
Year: May 16, 1997
Size: 15.49 x 22.86 x 3.05cm
Number of pages: 464
Weight: 522gr
Binding: Paperback
ISBN-10: 0-374-52495-5
ISBN-13: 9780374524951
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Country:
Year: May 16, 1997
Size: 15.49 x 22.86 x 3.05cm
Number of pages: 464
Weight: 522gr
Binding: Paperback
editions
Abraham Joshua Heschel, Susannah Heschel (Eds.)
Farrar, Straus & Giroux; 1996
Hardcover
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Product Description
This first collection of Heschel's essays – compiled, edited and with an introduction by his daughter Susannah Heschel, is a stunning reminder of the virtuosity of one of the most well respected minds in Judaic studies.
This first collection of Heschel's essays – compiled, edited and with an introduction by his daughter Susannah Heschel, is a stunning reminder of the virtuosity of one of the most well respected minds in Judaic studies.
reviews
There is no limit to this man's understanding. 
I knew Heschel's spiritual power. But, these essays demonstrate his understanding of the world and its need for grand thinking and courage that only a few like Heschel are have been able to muster. This man is a treasure. He just may be what God wants of us.
I knew Heschel's spiritual power. But, these essays demonstrate his understanding of the world and its need for grand thinking and courage that only a few like Heschel are have been able to muster. This man is a treasure. He just may be what God wants of us.
Beautiful words, but not too consistent IMHO 
This book is a collection of essays, articles, interviews, etc. collected posthumously by Heschel's daughter. I think she did a nice job of arranging the chapters. Heschel is very emotive, expressionistic, politically liberal, religious (seems more Orthodox in practice than Conservative though he taught at the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary), and poetic. His writings include many beautiful turns of phrase and quotable quotes (e.g. page 263: »Our grasp of the depth of suffering is comparable to the scope of the perception of a butterfly flying over the Grand Canyon«). Of the 3 of his books I've read (the other 2 are »The Sabbath« & »God in Search of Man«), I liked this one best. It is, however, huge and not (at least for me) easy reading despite its limited philosophy content. Unfortunately, my reaction to him isn't very positive, perhaps because he seems to preach so much and speaks in too authoritative a manner. For example, he says again and again, Jews believe or do this or that and Americans do this or that. People are simply not that consistent or similar. Perhaps he's just following his expression on page 4: »A noble person does not compare himself with anybody else.« But, people are almost invariably Normally Distributed. And, Heschel is hardly at the mean/average. I take a moderate stance, and his extremism annoys me. If you take his perspective, I'd think you'd love this book. But, Heschel doesn't speak for me. True, he does wish to balance Halachah (religious law a la the Shulchan Arukh) with Agada (wisdom stories etc. – everything not the law). Further, his background in Eastern European Hasidism ( his family traces back to the Great Maggid of Mezerich) explains much of his point of view. He is quite critical in these essays. I agree with his statement: (page 4) that »Man is creative only when he is neither apologetic nor propagandistic.« But this should apply to Heschel too. He seems propagandistic to me. Furthermore, he continues on page 4, »Yet the strength of truth lies not in refuting others but in understanding itself, in being consistent with itself.« I think he needs to follow his own valuable advice-& per page 20: »A human being must be valued by how many times he was able to see the world from a new perspective« and page 126: »We must not continue to cherish a theory just because we embraced it forty years ago.« On the other hand, Heschel has a sense of humor and irony: (page 7): »If a man is not more than human, then he is less than human,« (page 20): »Most people think only once in their lives, usually when they are at college,« and (page 164): »All concepts are but glittering motes in a sunbeam.« He also displays considerable insight into religion: (page 126): »Faith is not something we acquire once and for all. Faith is an insight that must be acquired at every single moment,« (page 243): »Religion is a means, not an end. It becomes idolatrous when regarded as an end in itself … to equate religion and God is idolatry,« (page 245): »The Torah as given to Moses, an ancient rabbi maintains, is but an unripened fruit of the heavenly tree of wisdom.« And yet, he doesn't seem to me to have been able to balance his feelings with his intellect. He states on page 317 that »Man's task is to reconcile liberty with service, reason with faith« and »Man has to understand in order to believe, to know in order to accept.« But his works don't seem to reflect this very much IMHO. Finally, he decries the following (page 408): »One of the most popular definitions of God common in America today was developed by a great Protestant theologian: God is the Ground of Being. So everybody is ready to accept it.« Heschel finds this appalling. Interestingly, The »Ground of Being« is a Dzogchen/Mahamudra (highest forms of Nyingma and Kagyu forms of Tibetan Buddhism) term. I identify it with the Kabbalistic Ein Sof (which Heschel speaks of occasionally since the Hasids study/practice Kabbalah). Maybe I'm dense, but I don't see much (if any) difference between what I believe to be the highest or ultimate conceptions of the All in Judaism (Kabbalah), Buddhism (Vajrayana), and Hinduism (the Brahman of the Upanishads). Seems like an ultimate vision is an ultimate vision. But, Heschel doesn't see it that way. Too bad.
This book is a collection of essays, articles, interviews, etc. collected posthumously by Heschel's daughter. I think she did a nice job of arranging the chapters. Heschel is very emotive, expressionistic, politically liberal, religious (seems more Orthodox in practice than Conservative though he taught at the Conservative Jewish Theological Seminary), and poetic. His writings include many beautiful turns of phrase and quotable quotes (e.g. page 263: »Our grasp of the depth of suffering is comparable to the scope of the perception of a butterfly flying over the Grand Canyon«). Of the 3 of his books I've read (the other 2 are »The Sabbath« & »God in Search of Man«), I liked this one best. It is, however, huge and not (at least for me) easy reading despite its limited philosophy content. Unfortunately, my reaction to him isn't very positive, perhaps because he seems to preach so much and speaks in too authoritative a manner. For example, he says again and again, Jews believe or do this or that and Americans do this or that. People are simply not that consistent or similar. Perhaps he's just following his expression on page 4: »A noble person does not compare himself with anybody else.« But, people are almost invariably Normally Distributed. And, Heschel is hardly at the mean/average. I take a moderate stance, and his extremism annoys me. If you take his perspective, I'd think you'd love this book. But, Heschel doesn't speak for me. True, he does wish to balance Halachah (religious law a la the Shulchan Arukh) with Agada (wisdom stories etc. – everything not the law). Further, his background in Eastern European Hasidism ( his family traces back to the Great Maggid of Mezerich) explains much of his point of view. He is quite critical in these essays. I agree with his statement: (page 4) that »Man is creative only when he is neither apologetic nor propagandistic.« But this should apply to Heschel too. He seems propagandistic to me. Furthermore, he continues on page 4, »Yet the strength of truth lies not in refuting others but in understanding itself, in being consistent with itself.« I think he needs to follow his own valuable advice-& per page 20: »A human being must be valued by how many times he was able to see the world from a new perspective« and page 126: »We must not continue to cherish a theory just because we embraced it forty years ago.« On the other hand, Heschel has a sense of humor and irony: (page 7): »If a man is not more than human, then he is less than human,« (page 20): »Most people think only once in their lives, usually when they are at college,« and (page 164): »All concepts are but glittering motes in a sunbeam.« He also displays considerable insight into religion: (page 126): »Faith is not something we acquire once and for all. Faith is an insight that must be acquired at every single moment,« (page 243): »Religion is a means, not an end. It becomes idolatrous when regarded as an end in itself … to equate religion and God is idolatry,« (page 245): »The Torah as given to Moses, an ancient rabbi maintains, is but an unripened fruit of the heavenly tree of wisdom.« And yet, he doesn't seem to me to have been able to balance his feelings with his intellect. He states on page 317 that »Man's task is to reconcile liberty with service, reason with faith« and »Man has to understand in order to believe, to know in order to accept.« But his works don't seem to reflect this very much IMHO. Finally, he decries the following (page 408): »One of the most popular definitions of God common in America today was developed by a great Protestant theologian: God is the Ground of Being. So everybody is ready to accept it.« Heschel finds this appalling. Interestingly, The »Ground of Being« is a Dzogchen/Mahamudra (highest forms of Nyingma and Kagyu forms of Tibetan Buddhism) term. I identify it with the Kabbalistic Ein Sof (which Heschel speaks of occasionally since the Hasids study/practice Kabbalah). Maybe I'm dense, but I don't see much (if any) difference between what I believe to be the highest or ultimate conceptions of the All in Judaism (Kabbalah), Buddhism (Vajrayana), and Hinduism (the Brahman of the Upanishads). Seems like an ultimate vision is an ultimate vision. But, Heschel doesn't see it that way. Too bad.
An Excellent Work!
A warm yet intellectual compilation of that great thinker. To the Heschel Scholar, it once again proves the undeniable fact, that though he was liberal in his political views, his views on Judaism were deeply rooted in his pious Chassidic ancestry. This book like Heschel's classic »The Earth Is The Lord's« makes you wonder if Heschel – though a faculty member at JTS, is to be considered a »Conservative Jew«? or perhaps it is time to acknowledge that he may have been an Orthodox one after all. All in all a wonderful, warm book for all people of all persuasions.
A warm yet intellectual compilation of that great thinker. To the Heschel Scholar, it once again proves the undeniable fact, that though he was liberal in his political views, his views on Judaism were deeply rooted in his pious Chassidic ancestry. This book like Heschel's classic »The Earth Is The Lord's« makes you wonder if Heschel – though a faculty member at JTS, is to be considered a »Conservative Jew«? or perhaps it is time to acknowledge that he may have been an Orthodox one after all. All in all a wonderful, warm book for all people of all persuasions.
A Vital Work
This collection of essays is a bold and intimate portrait of Heschel's Judaism and what it means to us as American Jews.
This collection of essays is a bold and intimate portrait of Heschel's Judaism and what it means to us as American Jews.
partially timely; classic Heschel 
Mostly addresses and lectures aimed at specific issues to specific audiences and constituencies. Nevertheless, there is a core of brilliance in every work. And, more importantly, there are some very enduring lessons. The material on interfaith dialogue is possibly the only clear, Halachically correct yet openminded approach ever presented. He
Mostly addresses and lectures aimed at specific issues to specific audiences and constituencies. Nevertheless, there is a core of brilliance in every work. And, more importantly, there are some very enduring lessons. The material on interfaith dialogue is possibly the only clear, Halachically correct yet openminded approach ever presented. He
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Abraham Joshua Heschel, Susannah Heschel (introduction)
Farrar, Straus & Giroux; 2005
Paperback
© 1994–2010 Sascha Hendel
last update: 3/10/2010
URL: http://www.book-info.com/isbn/0-374-52495-5.htm
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