Great quotes from Jewish people in history and who they were

1. “A righteous man falls down seven times and gets up.” – King Solomon, Proverbs, 24:16.

King Solomon, was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a fabulously wealthy and wise king of the United Kingdom of Israel who succeeded his father, King David.

The conventional dates of Solomon’s reign are about 970 to 931 BCE, normally given in alignment with the dates of David’s reign. He is described as the king of the United Monarchy, which broke apart into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah shortly after his death. Following the split, his patrilineal descendants ruled over Judah alone.

According to the Talmud, Solomon is one of the 48 prophets.

2. “Gam Zu l’tova. This too is for the good.” – Nachum Ish Gamzu, Talmud,

Nachum was a teacher of Rabbi Akiva, and taught him the exegetical principle of inclusion and exclusion.

3. “If I am not for me, who is for me; and if I am (only) for myself, what am I. And if not now, when?” – Hillel, Ethics of the Fathers, 1:14

Hillel was a Jewish religious leader, sage and scholar associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud and the founder of the House of Hillel school of tannaim. Born: 110 BC, Babylon Died: 10 AD, Jerusalem

4. “Who is wise? One who learns from every man… Who is strong? One who overpowers his inclinations… Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his lot… Who is honorable? One who honors his fellows.” – Ben Zoma, Ethics of the Fathers, 4:1

Simeon ben Zoma, also known as Simon ben Zoma, Shimon ben Zoma, or simply Ben Zoma, was a Tanna of the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. His name is used without the title “Rabbi” because, like Ben Azzai, he died at a young age, remaining in the grade of “pupil” and never receiving semikhah (Rabbinical ordination). Ben Zoma and Ben Azzai are often mentioned together as distinguished representatives of this class.

5. “L’fum Tzara Agra, according to the effort is the reward.” – Ben Hei Hei, Ethics of the Fathers, 5:26.

In English, we say no pain, no gain (or “No gain without pain”)

Like Ben Bag Bag, Ben Hei Hei was a convert and a disciple of Hillel (some … of an individual faced with the choice of saving his own life or that of his companion. … better than both drink and die, rather than one behold his companion’s death.

6. “I do not want followers who are righteous, rather I want followers who are too busy doing good that they won’t have time to do bad.” – Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk

Menachem Mendel Morgensztern of Kotzk, better known as the Kotzker Rebbe (1787–1859) was a Hasidic rabbi and leader

Born to a non-Hasidic family in Goraj near Lublin, Poland, he became attracted to Hasidic philosophy in his youth. He was known for having acquired impressive Talmudic and Kabbalistic knowledge at an early age.

7. “If you are not a better person tomorrow than you are today, what need have you for a tomorrow?” – Rebbe Nachman of Breslov

Nachman of Breslov, also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover, Nachman from Uman, was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. Rebbe Nachman, a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, revived the Hasidic movement by combining the esoteric secrets of Judaism with in-depth Torah scholarship Born: April 4, 1772, Medzhybizh, Ukraine: Died: October 16, 1810, Uman’, Ukraine

Place of Burial: Rabbi Nachman Breslev Grave Site, Uman’, Ukraine

8. “I don’t speak because I have the power to speak; I speak because I don’t have the power to remain silent” – Rabbi A.Y. Kook

Abraham Isaac Kook, also known by the acronym הראי״ה (HaRaAYaH);7 September 1865 – 1 September 1935) was an Orthodox rabbi, the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of British Mandatory Palestine in the Land of Israel, the founder of Yeshiva Mercaz HaRav (The Central Universal Yeshiva),

9. “There are two things that are infinite, the universe and man’s stupidity….. And I am not sure about the universe.” – Albert Einstein

“In Jewish history there are no coincidences.” – Elie Wiesel

Eliezer “Elie” Wiesel (September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books, written mostly in French and English, including Night, a work based on his experiences as a prisoner in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

A Mother’s Prayer

Rabbi Cohen is talking to Esther’s young son.

“So David,” he says, “you tell me that your mother always says prayers for you every night. That is really nice of her. It’s a mitzvah, you know. So tell me, what does she say during her prayers, David?”

“She says, ‘Thank God my son’s in bed.’”