My interpretation is different. God asks Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" [Genesis 4:9] And Cain answers "Lo yadati, "I don't know" or "I didn't know." Then comes a period, followed by "Am I my brother's keeper?" Elie Wiesel More Quotes by Elie Wiesel More Quotes From Elie Wiesel I try to see their moral relevance [in the Bible] and, of course, to admire the literary beauty of the text. Prophetic poetry: No one has written the way Isaiah does. Elie Wiesel doe trying way I remember one day I came home and shouted to my grandmother, "Grandma, Sarah is pregnant!" Poor Sarah! For weeks before I had read how difficult it was for her to get pregnant. "Grandma! I have news for you!" "What did you learn?" "I have news, Grandma: Sarah is pregnant!" [Genesis 16 - 21]. Elie Wiesel grandmother grandma home I want to go back to the child I used to be, and to read with the same naiveté [the Pentateuch]. I want to leave science aside and go back to the pure perception offered to me in the text that is waiting there for me year after year. Elie Wiesel waiting children years In Talmudic literature, certainly in the beginning, he was like a human being - except he was a serpent. But he was talking and walking and probably dreaming. Elie Wiesel literature dream talking I was never without a book in my hand. Elie Wiesel book hands In Jewish tradition the Talmud is said to have been given on Sinai. Elie Wiesel sinai jewish-tradition said Not to remember is not an option. Elie Wiesel remember I really don't teach the way Professor [Frank Moore] Cross does. I don't teach the text the same way he does. I teach Biblical themes, Biblical events. Elie Wiesel biblical events doe No one has written the way Isaiah does. The royal style, the majesty of the language. He is called the prince of the prophets. No one has written like that. I've studied ancient literature, Homer, for example, but it's not the same thing. Elie Wiesel ancient-literature style example I think so. 9/11 has been a turning point in American history, there's no doubt about that. Elie Wiesel american-history doubt thinking If you make a determination that [story of Abraham and the sacrifice of Isaac] is not historical, do you throw it away? I don't think we can say whether it's precisely, scientifically historical. Elie Wiesel sacrifice determination thinking I say to myself, if the text was good enough for my father and grandfather, it must be good enough for me. I admit, that is a rather personal way of approaching the text - or a prayer. Elie Wiesel prayer father way I may be a descendant of Seth. I say to myself, What does [the story of Cain and Abel] teach me? So I go back to all the interpretations in the Talmud, which to me are a source of pleasure and joy. Then I say, maybe this story is not for then; maybe it's for now! It's possible for brothers to kill one another in civil wars. But most important, whoever kills, kills his brother. That's a moral conclusion that may not be there; but that must be my conclusion. Otherwise, why read it? Whoever kills, kills his brother. Elie Wiesel brother joy war My teachers [ had the most impact in my life]. Of course, my father and grandfather, but after my family, my teachers. Elie Wiesel impact teacher father Refugee today means somebody who has no home. No homeland. No security. No government to protect him or her. And it is of course one feels not only uprooted, one feels useless. One feels always surrounded by hostile forces. Arousing suspicion. Elie Wiesel government home mean I think [teacher] is the noblest profession. Elie Wiesel profession teacher thinking My approach is not a scientific approach. For that, we have greater minds than mine. My approach is: I am in the possession of a text, it has survived so many centuries, and it is my task, my pleasure, to try to decipher it and find all the things that have been said about these few words by generations and generations of commentators. That is what I'm doing. I don't innovate anything. I'm just repeating. Elie Wiesel tasks mind trying The Biblical text does not have punctuation marks like periods and question marks. Where we end sentences is a matter of interpretation. Elie Wiesel punctuation-marks biblical doe The term is piqua nevish [?] it means to save a soul, to save a life. And that commandment supersedes all others. It means literally you may violate almost everything except, I think, three commandments of the heart, 613, - you may do anything, violate any commandment and the injunction simply to save a human life. And there are enough lives to be saved in - in Tibet. Elie Wiesel heart mean thinking That [Exodus] occurred, I have no doubt. Elie Wiesel exodus no-doubt doubt
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