"Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holy of holies of Jewish time. It is that rarest of phenomena, a Jewish festival without food. Instead it is a day of fasting and prayer, introspection and self-judgment when, collectively and repeatedly, we confess our sins and pray to be written into God's Book of Life."

Religion

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This quotation examines the core nature of Religion as articulated by Jonathan Sacks. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Religion provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

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About Jonathan Sacks

Jonathan Henry Sacks, Baron Sacks was an English Orthodox rabbi, philosopher, theologian, and author. Sacks served as the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. As the spiritual head of the United Synagogue, the largest synagogue body in the United Kingdom, he was the Chief Rabbi of those Orthodox synagogues but was not recognized as the religious authority for the Haredi Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations or for the progressive movements such as Conservative, Reform, and Liberal Judaism. As Chief Rabbi, he formally carried the title of Av Beit Din (head) of the London Beth Din. At the time of his death, he was the Chief Rabbi Emeritus.

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More by Jonathan Sacks

"The people of Israel are entitled, as is any other nation, to live in peace and safety."

— Jonathan Sacks
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"To defend a country you need an army, but to defend a civilization you need education."

— Jonathan Sacks
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"If you want a free society, teach your children what oppression tastes like. Tell them how many miracles it takes to get from here to there. Above all, encourage them to ask questions. Teach them to think for themselves."

— Jonathan Sacks
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"In the post-enlightenment Europe of the 19th century the highest authority was no longer the Church. Instead it was science. Thus was born racial anti-Semitism, based on two disciplines regarded as science in their day - the 'scientific study of race' and the Social Darwinism of Herbert Spencer and Ernst Haeckel."

— Jonathan Sacks
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More about Religion

"I can very well do without God both in my life and in my painting, but I cannot, suffering as I am, do without something which is greater than I am, which is my life, the power to create."

— Vincent van Gogh
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"I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over everything. The sun came up like gold through the trees, and I felt like I was in heaven."

— Harriet Tubman
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"If everything isn't black and white, I say, 'Why the hell not?'"

— John Wayne
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"Godliness, as well as the doctrine of our faith, is a mystery."

— William Gurnall
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