A people's memory is history; and as a man without a memory, so a people without a history cannot grow wiser, better. I. L. Peretz More Quotes by I. L. Peretz More Quotes From I. L. Peretz [About Jews] By nature we are like all other human beings, yet our people is unlike others, because our life is different, our history is different, our teacher is the Exile. I. L. Peretz different teacher people In the second and third exiles we have served as a living protest against greed and hate, against physical force, against "might makes right"! I. L. Peretz greed hate might The Hebrew language... is the only glue which holds together our scattered bones. It also holds together the rings in the chain of time.... It binds us to those who built pyramids, to those who shed their blood on the ramparts of Jerusalem, and to those who, at the burning stakes, cried Shema Yisrael! I. L. Peretz pyramids together blood In this world it is very dangerous to be weak. I. L. Peretz this-world weak world [About Jews] Among other nations, the vital problems are: a good crop, extension of the boundaries, strong armies, colonies; among us, if we wish to be true to ourselves, the vital questions are: conscience, freedom, culture, ethics. I. L. Peretz army strong wish A letter depends on how you read it, a melody on how you sing it. I. L. Peretz depends melody letters Yiddish, the language which will ever bear witness to the violence and murder inflicted on us, bear the marks of our expulsions from land to land, the language which absorbed the wails of the fathers, the laments of the generations, the poison and bitterness of history, the language whose precious jewels are the undried, uncongealed Jewish tears. I. L. Peretz land jewels father [About Jews] Sheer egotism compels us to the purest love of mankind as a whole.... Our hearts are like a sponge, receptive to all the newest humanitarian ideas; and our sympathy goes out to all the unfortunate, all the oppressed. I. L. Peretz humanitarian heart ideas Prosperity may be found in small as in big business. I. L. Peretz prosperity bigs may The worst dog gets the best bone. I. L. Peretz bones worst dog Time is change, transformation, evolution. I. L. Peretz transformation evolution A heap of bricks is not yet a house. I. L. Peretz bricks house We take a drink only for the sake of the benediction. I. L. Peretz benediction drink sake Ugliness is the greatest of all sins. I. L. Peretz ugliness sin Don't look up to heaven, for what will you see in the sky, except stars, luminous but cold, wholly insensitive to pity? I. L. Peretz stars sky heaven Purim is the birthday of the first Schutz-Jude , the first Jewish toady to foreign royalty. I. L. Peretz toady royalty firsts It is not only individuals peoples too cannot live merely for themselves. The whole world must be redeemed. I. L. Peretz redeemed individual world At the Throne of Glory it is not the nobly-born that are beloved, but the nobly-risen. I. L. Peretz thrones beloved glory [About the diaspora] Canaan is too small for God's children. The Land of Israel will spread through all lands! I. L. Peretz israel land children Youth is fair, a graceful stag, Leaping, playing in a park. Age is gray, a toothless hag, Stumbling in the dark. I. L. Peretz parks age dark
