Quotes from Abraham Joshua Heschel

Morally speaking, there is no limit to the concern one must feel for the suffering of human beings, that indifference to evil is worse than evil itself, that in a free society, some are guilty, but all are responsible.

Remember that there is meaning beyond absurdity. Know that every deed counts, that every word is power...Above all, remember that you must build your life as if it were a work of art.

The course of life in unpredictable, no one can write his autobiography in advance.

Worship is a way of seeing the world in the light of God.

Racism is man's gravest threat to man - the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.

Our concern is not how to worship in the catacombs but how to remain human in the skyscrapers.

Man's sin is in his failure to live what he is. Being the master of the earth, man forgets that he is the servant of God.

The course of life is unpredictable... no one can write his autobiography in advance.

We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.

Self-respect is the root of discipline: The sense of dignity grows with the ability to say no to oneself.

Our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. ....get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal; everything is incredible; never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed.

People of our time are losing the power of celebration. Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained. Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation. To be entertained is a passive state--it is to receive pleasure afforded by an amusing act or a spectacle.... Celebration is a confrontation, giving attention to the transcendent meaning of one's actions.