Great Throughts Treasury

"Fear not death. It is just a matter of going from one room to another, ultimately to the most beautiful room."

"Everything in the world can be imitated, except truth, for truth that is imitated is no longer truth."

"Peace without truth is a false peace."

"Do not be satisfied with the speech of your lips and the thought in your heart, all the promises and good sayings in your mouth, and all the good thoughts in your heart; rather you must arise and do!"

"When a man makes a reverent face before a face that is no face — that is idol worship!"

"If I am I because I am I, and you are you because you are you, then I am I and you are you. But if I am I because you are you and you are you because I am I, then I am not I and you are not you!"

"God is only where you let Him in."

"First, a man is created in his own image, and only afterwards in the image of God."

"All that is thought should not be said, all that is said should not be written, all that is written should not be published, and all that is published should not be read."

"People are accustomed to look at the heavens and to wonder what happens there. It would be better if they would look within themselves, to see what happens there."

"There is nothing so whole as a broken heart."

"He who thinks he is finished is finished."

"There are few things as straight as a crooked ladder. There are few things as crooked as the straight face of a con-artist. There is nothing blacker than the white garments in which a corpse is dressed. And there is nothing more complete then a broken heart."

"Be holy in a human way; be holy while dealing with the temptations of normal people. G-d already has enough angels."

""Some day I will do it" -- is self-deceptive. "I want to do it" -- is weak. "I am doing it" -- that is the right way."

"Man must "guard himself and his uniqueness, and not imitate his fellow ... for initially man was created in his own image', and only afterwards in the image of God."

"Intolerance lies at the core of evil. Not the intolerance that results from any threat or danger. But intolerance of another being who dares to exist. Intolerance without cause. It is so deep within us, because every human being secretly desires the entire universe to himself. Our only way out is to learn compassion without cause. To care for each other simple because that ‘other’ exists."

"Question: Where is God to be found? Answer: Wherever we let God in."

"Everything must be done Lesheim Shamayim (for the sake of Heaven), even [actions done] Lesheim Shamayim."

"Once when there were cold mikvahs there were warm Jews, now there are warm mikvahs and cold Jews."