• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Right Attitudes

Ideas for Impact

Wisdom from The Talmud (Inspirational Quotations #353)

December 2, 2010 By Nagesh Belludi 2 Comments

Hanukkah, Jewish 'Festival of Lights', 'Festival of Dedication'

In observance of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, I present wisdom from the Talmud, a sacred text of the Jewish faith.

Hanukkah, “Festival of Lights”

This year, the eight-day Hanukkah festival began at sunset on December 1 and concludes on December 9. Hanukkah was established in 165 BCE by the warrior-leader Judah Maccabee to commemorate the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem following a past desecration of the temple by invaders. Hanukkah (‘Dedication’ in Hebrew) is also known as the “Festival of Dedication,” or the “Festival of Lights.”

Jewish families celebrate Hanukkah by kindling the lights of a nine-branched candlestick called the ‘Menorah‘. They kindle one light on the first night, two on the second night and so on. Each night, they also kindle the ninth light, the ‘Shamash‘, for kindling the others. The Shamash is usually higher or lower than the other eight in the Menorah.

The Talmud

Wisdom from the Talmud, Inspirational Quotations The word Talmud is short for ‘Talmud Torah,’ which means “study of the Torah” in Hebrew. The Torah is the Hebrew term for the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.) The Talmud is composed of several volumes of rabbinical discussions about the interpretation of the Biblical text related to Jewish history, philosophy, ethics, and customs—the meaning and conduct of life, in general.

The central part of the Talmud is the Mishnah, a record of the core teachings of Jewish faith that were previously preserved only orally. Surrounding the Mishnah is the Gemara, the interpretation and commentaries of the Mishnah. The Talmud has no single author. Rather, it is a collection of several volumes, to which Jewish scholars have added their accumulated knowledge over the course of time since about 220 CE.

For an introduction to the significance and the development of the Talmud, I recommend the excellent video documentary, “The Talmud” (available on NetFlix.)

The world’s most recognized dictum, the “golden rule,” is based in the Talmud: “Do not unto others that which you would not have them do unto you. That is the entire Torah; the rest is commentary.”

29 Inspirational Teachings from The Talmud

First correct thyself, then correct others.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Sinful thoughts are even more dangerous than sin itself.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

No Israelite is allowed to lend usuriously to a non-Israelite.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Learn first and philosophize afterwards.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

As a tree is known by its fruit, so man by his works.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

A miser is as wicked as an idolater.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Even for the rebuilding of the Temple the instruction of the children must not be interrupted.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

A dream that is not interpreted is like a letter that has not been opened.
—The Talmud (Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith)

Wondering what to read next?

  1. An Olympian History of Humanity // Book Summary of Yuval Noah Harari’s ‘Sapiens’
  2. Gandhi on the Doctrine of Ahimsa + Non-Violence in Buddhism
  3. It Pays to Understand Religion
  4. Legendary Primatologist Jane Goodall on Spirituality
  5. Making Exceptions “Just Once” is a Slippery Slope

Filed Under: Belief and Spirituality, Inspirational Quotations Tagged With: Books for Impact, Religiosity

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Edwin Vogt says

    January 22, 2015 at 9:52 PM

    He who shares his bread, eats twice!

  2. Z. Taher says

    September 12, 2016 at 11:19 AM

    My favorite Talmud quote:
    Things are not the way they are, they are the way we are.
    This quote has helped me more than any thing I have ever read.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

Get Updates

Signup for emails

Subscribe via RSS

Contact Nagesh Belludi

Explore

Anxiety Attitudes Balance Biases Books Coaching Conflict Conversations Creativity Critical Thinking Decision-Making Discipline Emotions Entrepreneurs Etiquette Feedback Getting Along Getting Things Done Goals Great Manager Leadership Leadership Lessons Likeability Mental Models Mentoring Mindfulness Motivation Networking Parables Performance Management Persuasion Philosophy Problem Solving Procrastination Relationships Simple Living Social Life Social Skills Stress Thinking Tools Thought Process Time Management Winning on the Job Wisdom Worry

RECOMMENDED BOOK:
How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life

How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life: Russ Roberts

EconTalk podcast host Russ Roberts on how morality comes from imagining being judged by our fellow man. A rendition of Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments.

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Belief and Spirituality
  • Business Stories
  • Career Development
  • Effective Communication
  • Great Personalities
  • Health and Well-being
  • Ideas and Insights
  • Inspirational Quotations
  • Leadership
  • Leadership Reading
  • Leading Teams
  • Living the Good Life
  • Managing Business Functions
  • Managing People
  • MBA in a Nutshell
  • Mental Models
  • News Analysis
  • Personal Finance
  • Podcasts
  • Project Management
  • Proverbs & Maxims
  • Sharpening Your Skills
  • The Great Innovators

Recently,

  • Book Summary: Jack Welch, ‘The’ Man Who Broke Capitalism?
  • A Quick Way to Build Your Confidence Right Now
  • Inspirational Quotations #950
  • Don’t Manage with Fear
  • Great Jobs are Overwhelming, and Not Everybody Wants Them
  • Inspirational Quotations #949
  • How are You: Always Have to Say ‘Good’

Unless otherwise stated in the individual document, the works above are © Nagesh Belludi under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. You may quote, copy and share them freely, as long as you link back to RightAttitudes.com, don't make money with them, and don't modify the content. Enjoy!