Jewish writer

Explore 22 quotes by Jewish writers

Nature abhors a vacuum.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Nature

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Axioms and precepts

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 1, prop. 15, note.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 1, prop. 15, note.

Man is a social animal.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Man as social animal Nature of man

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 4, prop. 35, note.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 4, prop. 35, note.

What is hateful to you do not to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary.

Hillel the Elder

More information about this quote

Topic

Golden rule Reciprocity

Author

Hillel the Elder

Source

Talmud

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Statement Type

Orders and commands

Language

Hebrew

Time

10 10s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

The Talmud. The William Davidson Talmud. Shabbat 31a.

Current Citation

The Babylonian Talmud, translated by A. Cohen. Cambridge University, 2013, Shabbat 31a.

It therefore comes to pass that everyone is fond of relating his own exploits and displaying the strength both of his body and his mind, and that men are on this account a nuisance one to the other.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Bragging and boasting

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 3, prop. 55, note.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 3, prop. 55, note.

Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.

Baruch Spinoza

Tractatus Politicus

More information about this quote

Topic

Peace

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Tractatus Politicus

Statement Type

Definition

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 1

Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Tractatus Politicus [Political Treatise]. 1677, ch. 5, sect. 4.

God and all the attributes of God are eternal.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Nature of God

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 1, prop. 19.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 1, prop. 19.

The things which...are esteemed as the greatest good of all…can be reduced to these three headings: to wit, Riches, Fame, and Pleasure. With those three the mind is so engrossed that it cannot scarcely think of any other good.

Baruch Spinoza

More information about this quote

Topic

What the world values

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Tractatus de Intellectus Emendatione [Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect]. 1677, ch. 1, sect. 3.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. "The Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect." Ethics: with The Treatise on the Emendation of the Intellect and Selected Letters, edited by Seymour Feldman, translated by Samuel Shirley. Hackett Publishing Company, 1992, ch. 1, sect. 3.

He who would distinguish the true from the false must have an adequate idea of what is true and false.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Truth and falsehood

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 2, prop. 42, proof.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 2, prop. 42, proof.

Pride is therefore pleasure arising from a man's thinking too highly of himself.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Pride

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Statement Type

Definition

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 3, prop. 26, note.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 3, prop. 26, note.

Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Hope Fear Yin and yang

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 3, def. 13, explanation.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 3, def. 13, explanation.

God, or in other words, Nature.

Baruch Spinoza

Ethics

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Pantheism God and nature Nature of God God

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Medium

Treatise

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 4, preface.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 4, preface.

Everyone ought to worship God according to his own inclinations, and not to be constrained by force.

Flavius Josephus

Read The Life of Flavius Josephus at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Freedom of religion

Author

Flavius Josephus

Genre

Historical literature

Statement Type

Precepts and axioms

Language

Greek

Time

99 90s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Josephus. Ἰωσήπου βίος [The Life of Flavius Josephus]. c. 99.

Current Citation

Josephus. "The Life of Flavius Josephus." The New Complete Works of Josephus. Kregel Academic & Professional, 1999.

The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure; and he that hath little business shall become wise.

Ben Sira

More information about this quote

Topic

Wisdom Leisure

Author

Ben Sira

Source

Ecclesiasticus

Genre

Religious literature Wisdom literature

Language

Greek

Time

175 BC 170s BC 2nd century BC

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 0

Original Citation

The Holy Bible: The King James Version. 1611. (Ecclesiastus 38:24).

Current Citation

The Bible: Authorized King James Version, edited by Robert Carroll and Stephen Prickett. Oxford University Press, 2008. (Ecclesiastus 38:24).

Astrology is a disease, not a science.

Maimonides

More information about this quote

Topic

Astrology

Author

Maimonides

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Judeo-Arabic

Time

1195 1190s 12th century

Era

Middle Ages

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Maimonides. Letter to Marseille. c. 1195.

In the realm of Nature there is nothing purposeless, trivial, or unnecessary.

Maimonides

Guide for the Perplexed

More information about this quote

Topic

Efficiency of nature Elegance of nature Nature

Author

Maimonides

Source

Guide for the Perplexed

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Judeo-Arabic

Time

1190 1190s 12th century

Era

Middle Ages

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Maimonides. דלאלת אלחאירין [The Guide of the Perplexed]. c. 1190.

Current Citation

Maimonides. The Guide of the Perplexed, translated by Chaim Rabin. Hackett Publishing Company, 1995.

Say not, When I have leisure I will study; perchance thou wilt never have leisure.

Hillel the Elder

More information about this quote

Topic

No time like the present Procrastination

Author

Hillel the Elder

Source

Talmud

Medium

Scripture

Genre

Religious literature

Statement Type

Orders and commands

Language

Hebrew

Time

10 10s 1st century

Era

Classical antiquity

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

The Talmud. The William Davidson Talmud. Pirkei Avot 2.

Current Citation

The Babylonian Talmud, translated by A. Cohen. Cambridge University Press, 2013, Mishnah "Pirqei Avot 2:5."

If men were born free, they would, so long as they remained free, form no conception of good and evil.

Baruch Spinoza

Buy Ethics at Amazon Buy Ethics at Amazon
Read Ethics at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Freedom Good and evil Human nature

Author

Baruch Spinoza

Source

Ethics

Genre

Philosophical literature

Language

Latin

Time

1677 1670s 17th century

Era

Age of Enlightenment

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Spinoza, Baruch. Ethica, Ordine Geometrico Desmonstrata [Ethics, Demonstrated in Geometrical Order]. 1677, pt. 4, prop. 68.

Current Citation

Spinoza, Benedict. Ethics, translated by Michael Silverthorne and Matthew J. Kinser. Cambridge University Press, 2018, pt. 4, prop. 68.

The business world contains plenty of successful men who have no brains.

Abraham Cahan

The Rise of David Levinsky

Buy The Rise of David Levinsky at Amazon Buy The Rise of David Levinsky at Amazon
Read The Rise of David Levinsky at Project Gutenberg

More information about this quote

Topic

Success in business Success Business

Author

Abraham Cahan

Source

The Rise of David Levinsky

Medium

Novel

Language

English

Time

1917 1910s 20th century

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Cahan, Abraham. The Rise of David Levinsky. Harper & Brothers, 1917.

Current Citation

Cahan, Abraham. The Rise of David Levinsky. Dover Publications, 2002.

The foundation of our faith is the belief that God created the Universe from nothing; that time did not exist previously, but was created.

Maimonides

Guide for the Perplexed

More information about this quote

Topic

Judaism Creation of the universe Time

Author

Maimonides

Source

Guide for the Perplexed

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Judeo-Arabic

Time

1190 1190s 12th century

Era

Middle Ages

Authentication Score 1

Original Citation

Maimonides. דלאלת אלחאירין [The Guide of the Perplexed]. c. 1190.

Current Citation

Maimonides. The Guide of the Perplexed, translated by Chaim Rabin. Hackett Publishing Company, 1995.

When I find the road narrow, and can see no other way of teaching a well established truth except by pleasing one intelligent man and displeasing then thousand fools-I prefer to address myself to the man.

Maimonides

The Guide for the Perplexed

More information about this quote

Topic

Intellectual integrity

Author

Maimonides

Source

The Guide for the Perplexed

Genre

Religious literature

Language

Judeo-Arabic

Time

1190 1190s 12th century

Era

Middle Ages

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Maimonides. דלאלת אלחאירין [The Guide of the Perplexed]. c. 1190.

Current Citation

Maimonides. The Guide of the Perplexed, translated by Chaim Rabin. Hackett Publishing Company, 1995.