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30th out of 188 books
—
61 voters
The Sabbath
Elegant, passionate, and filled with the love of God's creation, Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath has been hailed as a classic of Jewish spirituality ever since its original publication-and has been read by thousands of people seeking meaning in modern life. In this brief yet profound meditation on the meaning of the Seventh Day, Heschel introduced the idea of an "arch...more
Paperback, 136 pages
Published
August 17th 2005
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
(first published January 1st 1951)
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Continuing my education on the third commandment and why we need to take it seriously. Ok, I'm already converted to the concept and live it to the best of my ability ... but I want to elevate it in my mind and heart (if that makes sense). I think Heschel would understand what I want to do because this book is obviously written for that concept. Although I have to admit that the three rabbis parable is leaving me a bit stranded as it goes on for some time.
I meant to add that observing the sacred...more
I meant to add that observing the sacred...more
Een bundel godsdienstfilosofische essays van de Duits-Amerikaanse rabbijn en hoogleraar (1907-1972).
Het wezen van de joodse godsdienst is naar zijn woorden de betrokkenheid op de dimensie van de tijd. Niet de ruimtelijke zaken staan in het middelpunt, maar de 'heiliging' van de tijd. De sabbat is het teken en het voorbeeld van die beleving en is, zo stelt Heschel in het eerste essay van zijn indrukwekkende boek 'een paleis in de tijd'. Vanuit dit thema wordt de verhouding met God, de eeuwigheid...more
Het wezen van de joodse godsdienst is naar zijn woorden de betrokkenheid op de dimensie van de tijd. Niet de ruimtelijke zaken staan in het middelpunt, maar de 'heiliging' van de tijd. De sabbat is het teken en het voorbeeld van die beleving en is, zo stelt Heschel in het eerste essay van zijn indrukwekkende boek 'een paleis in de tijd'. Vanuit dit thema wordt de verhouding met God, de eeuwigheid...more
This was selected by my Jewish philosophy book club, and on the whole our impression was favorable. However, we thought that it was a bit scattered: it couldn't quite decide whether it was a philosophy, inspiration, kabbalah, legalisms, or what have you. One of us described it as "a cute book."
Heschel's great insight which drives the book is that instead of sanctifying space, Judaism primarily sanctifies time - and the sabbath is the most obvious and clear example of that. He differentiates betw...more
Heschel's great insight which drives the book is that instead of sanctifying space, Judaism primarily sanctifies time - and the sabbath is the most obvious and clear example of that. He differentiates betw...more
http://jonathanstephens.wordpress.com/
Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) was a scholar, author, activist, and Jewish theologian. While browsing on amazon.com for books on the sabbath I came across this one. Let me say from the start that although Heschel comes from a fairly different point of view when it comes to God and the Bible, and uses extra-biblical sources to build his theology on sabbath, I took a great deal from this book.
From the start Heschel pushes his readers to take their eyes off...more
Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) was a scholar, author, activist, and Jewish theologian. While browsing on amazon.com for books on the sabbath I came across this one. Let me say from the start that although Heschel comes from a fairly different point of view when it comes to God and the Bible, and uses extra-biblical sources to build his theology on sabbath, I took a great deal from this book.
From the start Heschel pushes his readers to take their eyes off...more
This is the most poetic book that isn’t actually poetry I’ve ever read. Heschel was in love with the Sabbath. Seriously in love with it and its place within Judaism and the world. This 100 page book is love song to it. When I took the Big Dunk one of the questions my Beit Din asked me was what particular observance meant the most to me and I said Shabbat. At the time my Shabbat observance was only a fraction of what it is now but even then it really was a sanctification of time for me.
Now Shabba...more
Now Shabba...more
Thoughtful book about the importance of the Sabbath because it is about "time" not about "space."
"There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord. Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern."
"We must conquer space in order to sanctify time. All week long we are called upon to sanctify life through employing things of space. On the...more
"There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord. Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern."
"We must conquer space in order to sanctify time. All week long we are called upon to sanctify life through employing things of space. On the...more
The Sabbath is 101 pages long, plus there are a few pages of prologue and notes, and it is an extremely compelling 101 pages. Heschel shows us how the Sabbath is an aspect of “sacred time”, and not “sacred space”. He demonstrates within the history of the Sabbath, how Jews have built a foundation of “sacred days”, and how time is sanctified through the Sabbath.
Time is an extremely important element in Judaism, from seasons to agriculture, to holidays and rituals, time is the force behind everyt...more
Time is an extremely important element in Judaism, from seasons to agriculture, to holidays and rituals, time is the force behind everyt...more
I started this book long ago, got within three chapters of finishing it, and put it down for months. I took the opportunity of a beautiful day off to head to a park and go ahead and finish it.
I have mixed feelings about the book (which is part of the reason I didn't finish it all the way through initially). On one hand, there were many wonderful gems within the book, but I often felt like the work required to "push through" to find them was a little more than I could take. Alternatively, I imagi...more
I have mixed feelings about the book (which is part of the reason I didn't finish it all the way through initially). On one hand, there were many wonderful gems within the book, but I often felt like the work required to "push through" to find them was a little more than I could take. Alternatively, I imagi...more
Abraham Joshua Heschel's The Sabbath is a beautifully poetic and profound meditation on the Sabbath and its continuing importance in modern life. This book is a rare jewel: a deeply literate and complex book that is, nevertheless, highly accessible and enjoyable to read. Heschel draws deeply from the wells of Judaism, not only from Torah but also from the generations of halachah, midrash, and mysticism. The result is an exquisite elucidation of the Sabbath as a sacred palace in time.
Heschel argu...more
Heschel argu...more
I loved this book right from the introduction. He explores so much in terms of rest, work and that the Sabbath is not a simply a place, it is a place in time that we come into. He explores the parameters of rest on the Sabbath taking it to new depths that seem extreme on one hand, like not thinking or discussing things like politics, not arguing or allowing yourself to get mad on the Sabbath. Can you really keep yourself from getting mad on a specific day? Perhaps you can. Maybe its more than th...more
This is my first book of modern Jewish theology. I chose to finish it on a book on the Sabbath on a Sunday mostly for the irony factor (here's to you Terry Hoitz of the Other Guys!) I find some of Heschel's points worthwhile, but the method of argumentation, while rhetorically beautiful, is unusual. I especially like that he argues against the view that the Sabbath is made to fulfill our need to rest. I'm not sure it is true, but I like it anyway. As for the rest of the book, I feel like I could...more
For starters, Heschel is an amazing writer. His use of words and his flow from topic to topic is wonderful and makes such a heavy book seem like an easy read, until you realize that you will have to read it several more times to truly get to the crux of what he is writing about.
While I do not agree with all of his views on The Sabbath, I was at least able to follow his argument and I could see his point of view.
If you want to better understand the meaning behind the Sabbath and ways to think a...more
While I do not agree with all of his views on The Sabbath, I was at least able to follow his argument and I could see his point of view.
If you want to better understand the meaning behind the Sabbath and ways to think a...more
This is a must-read for anyone in the Jewish or Christian tradition interested in the Sabbath. For six days we labor, toil, consume, and are involved in the things which take up physical space. "The faith of the Jew [and the Christian] is not a way a way out of this world, but a way of being within and above this world; not to reject but to surpass civilization. The Sabbath is the day on which we learn the art of surpassing civilization."
"The Sabbath as a day of abstaining from work is not a de...more
"The Sabbath as a day of abstaining from work is not a de...more
Genius is overused, like all superlatives I guess. Like Awesome, like love. Heschel is a poet, a master, absolutely a genius. Reading this book was like swimming into a waterfall. It felt soothing and exhilarating all at once. Read him even if you aren't a Jew, or particularly religious or even because you don't read books about spiritual matters, just to be difficult to yourself.
What we have with The Sabbath is an exploration of the distinction between space and time; the divisions that remain...more
What we have with The Sabbath is an exploration of the distinction between space and time; the divisions that remain...more
Again, this was recommended by my rabbi friend, and because I'm not Jewish obviously some parts of this were more and less resonant with me. But I did grow up in a Christian household, where we had a similar Sunday concept (I realise not the same for lots of reasons, but this sense of the Sabbath or Sunday as a holy space), so there was a fair amount of resonance. I liked the writing because it is Heschel, and I liked the idea of the Sabbath as an encounter with the divine.
--- QUOTES I LIKED --...more
--- QUOTES I LIKED --...more
It has been nearly a decade since I read Jewish mystical texts with Drs. Keshavarz and Nelson at Washington University in St. Louis, and I find myself just as fascinated now as I was then. However, my experience this time was greatly enhanced by being unchained from the fundamentalist drive toward apologetic which marred much of my undergraduate experience. I was glad to take Heschel as he came without feeling the need to construct an effective counterargument.
As for the book itself, it is a de...more
As for the book itself, it is a de...more
This is a very beautiful book about the Sabbath and finding G-d and meaning/happiness through time. The other six days of the week are about creating space but you must allow yourself time on the Sabbath to disconnect(from Space) and find happiness in time. He expresses his feelings and the overall jist of the book in the first few pages or even in the prologue by his daughter(which is well written and endearing.) I was going to read a chapter a night but by the third day just plowed through it-...more
The key concept of this book I think is Sabbath as the metaphor for the 7th day of the creation following the 6 days(Genesis). The author notices a very far difference between the 7th day and others. It is not a result of former 6 days but the destination of the whole process & at the same time it has the character of the beginning, when there was no time and space. He supposes that when we remember & cerebrate Sabbath we could be at the Presence, the place where time and space are creat...more
Absolutely beautiful book about the concept of "sacred time" as opposed to "sacred space." It resonated a lot with me, even as an atheist, because it was focused on how we choose to perceive the reality of time around us. Whether you think sacred time is blessed by a supernatural being, or if, like me, you believe that is a gift we give ourselves, this book has something in it for you. Gorgeously written.
Probably the best book written on The Sabbath, Heschel shows clearly how Sabbath dignifies time, allowing it to trump the human love affair with things. Space is temporal, time is eternal. Therefore, when we focus our attention on time (through embracing Sabbath practices), we will find God. A thought provoking book!
Beautifully written. Reflects the essence of the Sabbath. About how the Sabbath is an architecture in time, a palace in time. A reminder not to get caught up with much of the "space" in life, but to live also in the dimension of time. That the Sabbath is both the Queen and the bride. A day to be yearned for.
Very interesting perspective on the Sabbath Day (Shabbat) in Judaism. Says Heschel, our world is too focused on space and things, sanctifying space and things. Shabbat, however, teaches that what should be sanctified and honored is time. It's all about a perfect moment in time, a moment that propels one forward for the rest of the days. It's a classic work and a quick read. It has my sincerest approval.
A lovely meditation on the meaning of the Sabbath. Counsels us to find meaning not in space and the materials that fill it, but in time and the eternity that pervades it. I'd love to make every day a Sabbath like the one the author describes, but short of that I plan to shoot for once per week.
I feel that this book is quite repetitive. I understood the meaning and symbolism of the Sabbath within the first couple pages. It felt as if the meaning was drawn out and forced into 136 pages when, I believe, the meaning can be understood in much less amount of pages.
This is a classic, and it's actually a kind of mystical meditation on God and time. Pretty incredible; the kind of book you could keep on your bedside table for years and years and read regularly and find new things each time.
A very inspiring book about the Jewish Sabbath. A short read (only 100 or so pages) it leaves the reader feeling motivated to approach the Sabbath from a spiritual and even mythic perspective. Great read for new Jews.
Abraham Heschel rescues the Sabbath from being a day that makes you more efficient for the rest of the week. A short book, I took to reading a section every week on my Sabbath and found it compelling. I'll probably keep re-reading sections. As a Christian, I am now curious about some of the theology around the keeping of the Sabbath.
I have wanted to read this book for a long time, but somehow never could get into it. Yet, now I have.
This is a beautiful meditation on the meaning of the Sabbath. Its primary premise is that the Sabbath is a sanctification of time and thus an experience (small as it may be) of eterminty. Heschel makes the point that the rest of human life is involved with things (space) and that only the Sabbath allows us the chance to experience the true holiness of time, which we cannot control or possess.
Th...more
This is a beautiful meditation on the meaning of the Sabbath. Its primary premise is that the Sabbath is a sanctification of time and thus an experience (small as it may be) of eterminty. Heschel makes the point that the rest of human life is involved with things (space) and that only the Sabbath allows us the chance to experience the true holiness of time, which we cannot control or possess.
Th...more
I love this book. I loved it three years ago, and I love it again now. The idea of "cathedrals in time" has been cited often since, but it rings true for me and makes me look at Shabbat in a new light.
Mar 01, 2011
Robert Fischer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
theology-philosophy-religion,
spirituality
Even though I am not Jewish, this is a profoundly moving spiritual text, and a passionate love letter to the Sabbath—to a state of being in sync with God's order at a cosmic level. It's wonderful.
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Heschel was a descendant of preeminent rabbinic families of Europe, both on his father's (Moshe Mordechai Heschel, who died of influenza in 1916) and mother's (Reizel Perlow Heschel) side, and a descendant of Rebbe Avrohom Yehoshua Heshl of Apt and other dynasties. He was the youngest of six children including his siblings: Sarah, Dvora Miriam, Esther Sima, Gittel, and Jacob. In his teens he recei...more
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