Jews read the books of Moses not just as history but as divine command. The question to which they are an answer is not, 'What happened?' but rather, 'How then shall I live?' And it's only with the exodus that the life of the commands really begins.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes living by moral and ethical principles derived from divine teachings rather than merely viewing religious texts as historical accounts.
Jonathan Sacks highlights that the Jewish engagement with the Torah transcends mere historical understanding; it is about deriving personal and communal meaning that guides daily living. The focus is not solely on past events but rather on how those events inform our ethical and moral choices today. The mention of the Exodus signifies the beginning of a life that is shaped by commands, suggesting that true understanding of faith comes from active application in one's life.
In practice
During a sermon, a speaker can refer to this quote to emphasize ethical living.
Stabilizing the euro is one thing, healing the culture that surrounds it is another. A world in which material values are everything and spiritual values nothing is neither a stable state nor a good society. The time has come for us to recover the Judeo-Christian ethic of human dignity in the image of God.
Governments cannot make marriages or turn feckless individuals into responsible citizens. That needs another kind of change agent.
Why did God create mankind? Because God likes stories.
Find people not to envy but to admire. Do not the profitable but the admirable deed. Live by ideals.
Some years ago there was a study to discover the most stressful occupation. It turned out not to be the head of a large business, football manager or prime minister, but rather: bus driver.
The Holocaust survivors are among the most inspiring people I have had the privilege to meet.
When I go to Afghanistan, I realize I've been spared, due to a random genetic lottery, by being born to people who had the means to get out. Every time I go to Afghanistan I am haunted by that.
Are we in love with God or just His stuff?
Civilization survives on the constant discovery of amity and an equal supply of damnation.
I like to explore different ideas of race, how the concept of race has evolved in the country. It's one thing I enjoy talking about, but I don't feel compelled to talk about it.
If, in the name of combating terrorism, we so restrict our own freedom, have we not thereby lost part of the very battle we seek to win?
The question I'm always asking myself is: are we masters or victims? Do we make history, or does history make us? Do we shape the world, or are we just shaped by it? The question of do we have agency in our lives or whether we are just passive victims of events is, I think, a great question, and one that I have always tried to ask.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.