The Ineffable Name of God: Man

by Abraham Joshua Heschel

The 66 poems, published here in English and Yiddish on facing pages, were collected in the first book Abraham Joshua Heschel ever published. They appeared in Warsaw in 1933 when Heschel was 26 years old and still a doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of Berlin. Written between 1927 and 1933 - and never published in English before - this is the intimate spiritual diary of a devout European Jew, loyal to the revelation at Sinai and afflicted with reverence for all human beings.

Genres: Poetry, Religion, Judaism, Jewish

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2004

About the author

Abraham Joshua Heschel was a Polish-born Jewish-American rabbi, theologian, philosopher, poet, and one of the most influential Jewish thinkers of the twentieth century. Raised in a distinguished Hasidic family in Warsaw, he received a traditional yeshiva education before pursuing advanced studies in philosophy and Jewish scholarship in Berlin, where he earned a doctorate and rabbinic ordination. Alongside his academic work, he wrote Yiddish poetry and developed an intellectual approach that combined classical Jewish tradition with modern philosophical inquiry. Following his arrest and deportation from Germany during the Nazi persecution of Jews, Heschel briefly returned to Poland before escaping to London and eventually immigrating to the United States in 1940. Many members of his family perished during the Holocaust, an experience that profoundly shaped his moral outlook and religious thought. After teaching at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, he joined the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, where he served for the rest of his career as professor of Jewish ethics and mysticism. Heschel gained international recognition through influential books including Man Is Not Alone, God in Search of Man, The Sabbath, The Prophets, and Who Is Man?, works that explored faith, revelation, prayer, prophecy, and the relationship between humanity and God. Drawing on the Hebrew prophets, Hasidic spirituality, Kabbalah, and medieval Jewish philosophy, he emphasized wonder, reverence, and the belief that religious life must unite intellectual reflection with ethical action. His writings argued that God seeks a relationship with humanity and that genuine spirituality demands compassion, justice, and responsibility rather than mere ritual observance. Heschel rejected purely legalistic interpretations of Judaism, insisting that inner devotion and moral sensitivity were inseparable from religious practice. Beyond scholarship, he became a prominent public voice for human rights and social justice. Inspired by the prophetic tradition, he actively supported the American Civil Rights Movement, marching beside Martin Luther King Jr. in the historic Selma to Montgomery march, an experience he famously described by saying that he felt as though his "feet were praying." He also spoke forcefully against racial segregation, poverty, and the Vietnam War, believing that religious conviction required engagement with the moral crises of society. Heschel further played an important role in improving relations between Jews and Christians by advising representatives of the Catholic Church during the Second Vatican Council, helping encourage changes in teachings concerning Judaism. His commitment to interfaith dialogue reflected his conviction that no single religious community possesses a monopoly on spiritual truth and that authentic faith fosters mutual respect. Through his scholarship, teaching, public activism, and enduring literary legacy, Heschel transformed modern Jewish thought while influencing theologians, philosophers, religious leaders, civil rights advocates, and readers around the world. His works continue to inspire discussions of spirituality, ethics, human dignity, and the enduring responsibility to unite contemplation with courageous action in the pursuit of justice.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fresh breath of new psalms to meditate on. Incredible.

[WallofText · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review for The Ineffable Game

It's a fun crossover romp but I found the characters to be acting rather unconvincingly compared to their canon equivalents and the general plot left more to be desired. The social media elements were by far my favourite!

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeds of greatness lurk

These translations of the poems of the young man who would become a great theologian and activist, see at times youthful and naive and at other times sophisticated and world weary.

It is tempting to read them with the holocaust in mind. Almost impossible not to. But these were written before that darkest tragedy, yet they cry out to God for answers. And also to man.

There is a more recent acclaimed translation and these fit the mood, in some ways of the Jewish Renewal movement founded by the translator. Still this is worthy in its own right.

[B. Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

heshel in poetry. he was already good in prose. "I and You" is terribly powerful poem of a vision of love and relationship.