Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Rashi, born Shlomo ben Yitzchok, aka Salomon Isaacides, Rabbi Shlomo Itzhaki NULL

French Rabbi, Biblical Scholar, Author of Commentaries on the Talmud and Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)

"Each person is a one time phenomenon, an occurrence that has never been before and will never be again. You have a unique blend of character traits and personality. You are unique in your particular family constellation, born in a specific time of history and in a specific environment. This uniqueness gives you great importance. Only you can accomplish your unique life tasks."

"Who rears his son to be righteous is like an immortal."

"The less gratitude you receive for doing a kind act, the greater the value of the act. True kindness is when we do not receive anything in return for what we do."

"Teachers learn from their students' discussions."

"A causeless curse will rebound on its utterer in the end."

"A daughter only tells her secrets to her mother."

"A warning to a man is a warning to the whole community."

"Because of charity the world abides."

"Even a blind man realizes when he is naked. So why does it say "

"A falsehood in which some truth is not stated at the beginning, cannot be maintained in the end."

"A man may hide himself from his enemies, but not from his friends."

"I will make the land [so] desolate- This is [actually] a kindly measure for Israel, for their enemies will not find any satisfaction in their land, for it will be desolate of its inhabitants."

"If, after eating, you do not walk four cubits before bed, your food will stay undigested."

"It is cruel not to forgive one who begs for forgiveness."

"Life is full of attachments, so being single is a state of inadvertent denial."

"Like father, like son."

"Never rebuke a man in such a way as to shame him in public."

"No father should give his son the name of a wicked man."

"From here [we derive] that one should not maintain a dispute."

"God knew where he was, but he asked so as to start a conversation with Adam and avoid startling him too much to reply."

"Obeying from love is better than to obey from fear."

"One misfortune invites another."

"Receive with simplicity everything that happens to you."

"So is the Land of Israel: It cannot sustain sinners."

"The prayers of the sick are more effective than the prayers of others, and are answered first."

"The Torah begins with an account of the Creation so that if there ever comes a time when the nations of the world accuse the Jewish people of having stolen the Land of Israel, the Jews can respond: "

"The world exists for the sake of kindness."

"They were not aware of the way of modesty, to distinguish between good and bad. Even though there had been put in man knowledge to be able to call the animals names, there had not been put in him the drive towards evil."

"Too honor an old man one should not sit in his place or contradict his words."

"We learn from here the humility of the Holy One, Blessed is He. Since man is in the likeness of the angels, and they would be jealous of him, for this reason, He consulted them."

"We learn from this that we tell only part of a man's qualities in his presence, and all of them when he is not present."

"We must endeavor to teach even the unintelligent."

"When a man is at ease, so is his mind."

"When they gather together as a single unit, and there is harmony among them--- then He is their king, but not when there is dissention among them."

"With your own blemish do not taunt your fellow."

"Women are more compassionate than men."