Difficult Freedom

From Emmanuel Levinas, Difficult Freedom. Essays on Judaism:

"Belonging to Judaism presupposes a ritual and a science. Justice is impossible to the ignorant man. Judaism is an extreme consciousness". (p. 6)

"For Judaism, the goal of education consists in instituting a link between man and the saintliness of G-d and in maintaining man in this relationship". (p. 14)

"(...) education for the Jew merges with instruction and (...) the ignorant man can never really be pious". (p.15)

"The knowledge of G-d comes to us like a commandment, like a Mitzvah. To know G-d is to know what must be done". (p.17)

"Judaims believes in this regeneration of man without the intervention of extrahuman factors other than the consciousness of G-d, and the Law: 'Everything lies in the hands of G-d, except for the very fear of G-d'. Human effort has unlimited possibilities. There is finally the help given by a just society from which the unjust person may benefit". (p.20)

"Jewish wisdom is inseparable from a knowledge of the biblical and rabbinical texts; the Hebrew language directs the reader's attention towards the true level of these texts, which is the most profound level of being. In an increasingly homogenous world, nothing can oppose the pressure on us to be brought outside, out of our knowledge; knowledge as an unique power of reversion. Judaism can survive only if it is recognized and propagated by lay people who, outside all Judaism, are the promoters of the common life of men". (p.250)