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 In my town we studied the five Books of Moses, but rarely the prophets. We studied the Talmud so much that I sometimes knew the prophets because of the prophetic quotations in the Talmud. We almost never studied the prophets themselves. Elie Wiesel towns sometimes book I do not deal with the text [of the Bible] scientifically. I read it, I'm interested in its layers of meaning, but my relation to it is much more an emotional one. Elie Wiesel layers emotional relation [Shirat ha-Yam ] is one of the earliest, if not the earliest, pieces of Biblical literature that we possess. It is much closer to history than later traditions of the Exodus. Elie Wiesel yams biblical pieces Judaism is in a sense a Rabbinic, Talmudic religion, rather than a Biblical religion. Elie Wiesel judaism biblical [Tibet] never sought any territory. All it wanted is the conquest of the soul, that people should attain a kind of inner sovereignty, inner independence, inner freedom. And inner strength to attain the absolute. Elie Wiesel independence soul people My students are very special. They are my source of pride, my source of joy, my source of hope. I am terribly fond of my students. Elie Wiesel pride special joy The Bible is interpreted by the Talmud. Except, in Rabbinic tradition, a Talmudic law has the weight of the Biblical law. Sometimes we say in a prayer, "Blessed are Thou, O God, who has ordered us and commended us," to do something. But you don't find that "something" in the Bible; you find it in the Talmud. So Talmudic law becomes as important as Biblical law. Elie Wiesel biblical blessed prayer I wrote my first book, I published it in 1955, it was in Yiddish and it was called And The World Was Silent. Elie Wiesel book world firsts I read the text; and then I come to the Shirat ha-Yam, to the Song of the Sea [Exodus 15], to the poetry. Who could have written such a poem except someone who went through it? It is so full of life, so full of truth, of passion, of concern. And the thousands and thousands of commentaries in the Talmudic tradition that have been written on it. It had to have happened. But even if not, I would attribute the same beauty to the text as I do now. Elie Wiesel yams passion song It takes more than a few generations to change a human nation. Those who are intent to bring (change) will do so. Elie Wiesel nations generations humans Even if people tell me they have historical proof [that it is not historical], that doesn't really bother me. Elie Wiesel proof historical people I would say to [Chinese government], You don't need Tibet really. You don't need all the problems Tibet creates for you. It's so small, so far away. Give them their religious freedom and I know that they wouldn't misuse it. Elie Wiesel government religious giving [Moses] Mendelssohn was a religious Jew. I felt sorry for him. Elie Wiesel moses religious sorry I feel very close to French culture and to the French humanism, which occasionally one finds, even in the highest places. And therefore, all of my books have been written in French. Elie Wiesel french-culture feels book When I see what is happening all over the world today - the violence - the stupid, arrogant, grotesque violence that is dominating humankind. I cannot not remember that there were other times, of course [the Second World War]. I never compare. Elie Wiesel arrogant stupid war The Holocaust is the most documented tragedy in recorded history. And therefore, later on, if there will be a later on, anyone wishing to know will know where to go for knowledge. Elie Wiesel holocaust tragedy wish [ Rabbi Shlomo ben Isaac] was the greatest commentator [of the Bible] we ever had. Elie Wiesel rabbi commentators isaac Abraham is trying to obey God, but not to kill. I feel that moment is one of the defining moments of Jewish faith. Elie Wiesel defining-moments jewish-faith trying Personally, as a student who loves words, who loves texts, I am concerned with finding something in the text from within. Elie Wiesel findings concerned students I believe a human being - if he or she wants to remain human, then he or she must do something with what we have seen, endured, witnessed. Elie Wiesel humans want believe
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