Great Throughts Treasury

This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.

Talmud or The Talmud NULL

Scholarly Interpretation including the Mishnah and Gemara, First Codification of Jewish Oral Law, Talmud meaning "instruction, learning", Central Text of mainstream Judaism consisting of 63 tractates expressing the opinions of thousands of rabbis on subjects including law, ethics, philosophy, customs, history, theology and lore

"A big sin is forgotten, a little sin is not."

"Always judge your fellow with a leaning to the side of merit."

"As my mouth, so my heart."

"All men are responsible for one another."

"Any love which depends on a cause, once the cause disappears, the love disintegrates; but a love independent of any cause will never disintegrate."

"Be wary of anyone who advises you according to his own nature."

"Charity must be given in secret."

"Be humble, that you may not be humbled."

"Condemn no man and consider nothing impossible, for there is no man who does not have a future and there is nothing that does not have its hour."

"Do not look at the vessel, rather at what it contains."

"Do not worry about tomorrow's troubles for you know not what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow may come and you will not be, and it thus turns out you have worried about a world which is not yours."

"Do things for their own sake."

"Entertain no wanton thoughts by day, and you'll avoid pollution at night."

"He who is in a position to intercede on behalf of his fellow, but does not, is considered a sinner."

"He who has much learning but no good deeds is like an unbridled horse, that throws off the rider as soon as he mounts."

"Even a poor man, who receives charity, should give charity."

"Goodwill is the mightiest practical force in the universe."

"God did not create woman from man's head, that he should command her, nor from his feet that she should be his slave, but rather from his side, that she should be near his heart."

"Greatness flees from him who seeks it, and follows him who flees from it."

"He who shares the afflictions of others will merit to behold the comforting of humanity."

"He who honors a friend for the sake of gain will ultimately leave him in disgrace."

"Loving kindness is greater than laws; and the charities of life are more than all ceremonies."

"Loving kindness survives death."

"Regard as enormous the little wrong you did to others, and as trifling the great wrong done to you."

"Shaming another in public is like shedding blood."

"The deeper the sorrow the less tongue it has."

"The whole worth of a benevolent deed lies in the love that inspires it."

"The highest praise is silence. Even a pearl of infinite value, any praise given it detracts from it."

"The glory of wisdom is in humility."

"Three things are weakening: fear, sin and travel."

"Thy friend has a friend, and thy friend's friend has a friend; be discreet."

"Verbal wrong is worse than monetary wrong. The former affects the victim's person, the latter only his money."

"We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are."

"We presume none sins unless he stands to profit by it."

"When you do not know, be not ashamed to admit it."

"What is hateful to you, do not unto your neighbor."

"Who is wise? He who foresees results."

"You must know that ethical conduct is inspired neither by hope of reward nor fear of punishment. It stems solely from the love of God and the desire to do His commandments."

"Who can protest and does not, is an accomplice in the act."

"A dream which is left uninterpreted is like a letter which is not read."

"Who is mighty? He who makes of an enemy a friend."

"Who is wise? He who learns from all men. Who is strong? He who controls his inclinations. Who is wealthy? He who is content in his portion. Who is honored? He who honors others."

"A tree in the desert is still a tree."

"A child tells in the street what its father and mother say at home."

"A learned bastard takes precedence over an ignorant high priest."

"According to the effort is the reward."

"Happy is he who hears himself abused and ignores it, for a hundred evils will pass him by."

"He who adds not to his learning diminishes it."

"He who has acquired knowledge, what does he lack? He who lacks knowledge, what does he possess?"

"He who is happy in spite of the suffering that afflicts him brings salvation to the world."