maimonides

“ Inspire me with love for my art and for thy creatures. In the sufferer let me see only the human being. ”

“ I will destroy my enemies by converting them to friends. ”

“ When the Rabbis stated that obedience or disobedience to the commandments depends not on the will of Hashem but on mans free will, they echoed Jeremiah, who said, 'Out of the mouth of the Most High there comes neither the bad nor the good.' ”

“ We each decide whether to make ourselves learned or ignorant, compassionate or cruel, generous or miserly. No one forces us. No one decides for us, none drags us along one path or the other. We are responsible for what we are. ”

“ Consequently he who wishes to attain perfection, must therefore first study Logic, next to the various branches of Mathematics in their proper order, then Physics, and lastly Metaphysics. ”

“ The basic principle is that there is a First Being who brought every existing thing into being, for if it is supposed that he did not exist, then nothing else could possibly exist. ”

“ Silence is the maturation of wisdom. ”

“ Teach thy tongue to say 'I do not know', and thou shalt progress. ”

“ The definition of a thing includes its efficient cause; and since God is the Primal Cause, He cannot be defined, or described by a partial definition. ”

“ It is necessary to bear in mind that Scripture only teaches the chief points of those true principles which lead to the true perfection of man and only demands in general terms faith in them. ”