I Asked For Wonder: A Spiritual Anthology

by Abraham Joshua Heschel, Samuel H. Dresner (editor)

Considered by many to be one of the most significant Jewish theologians of the 20th century, Abraham Heschel finds just the right words to startle the mind and delight the heart. He addresses and challenges the whole person, portraying that rarest of human phenomena—the holy man.

Genres: Judaism, Spirituality, Religion, Jewish, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Theology

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1983

About the author

Heschel was a descendant of preeminent rabbinic families of Europe, both on his father's (Moshe Mordechai Heschel, who died of influenza in 1916) and mother's (Reizel Perlow Heschel) side, and a descendant of Rebbe Avrohom Yehoshua Heshl of Apt and other dynasties. He was the youngest of six children including his siblings: Sarah, Dvora Miriam, Esther Sima, Gittel, and Jacob. In his teens he received a traditional yeshiva education, and obtained traditional semicha, rabbinical ordination. He then studied at the University of Berlin, where he obtained his doctorate, and at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums, where he earned a second liberal rabbinic ordination.

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading this book, I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, but now I want to read much more of his work. As the title describes, this is an anthology of particularly poignant passages culled from Heschel's expansive oeuvre. If I had not read so in the foreword, I would never have guessed that English was not Heschel's native language, because he describes the ineffable with striking precision, eloquence, and effortlessness. There is not a word he uses that was not deliberately chosen for its connotations, and because of this, his writing is extremely dense. It is not inaccessible from a technical standpoint, but it does demand a degree of patience and willingness to contemplate his writing. The editor of the anthology also did a skillful job of organizing the excerpts and creating a harmony between them. There were no jarring transitions between them, and often times there were related quotes from entirely different works that complemented one another quite nicely. I suspect I'll be digesting this anthology for some time, but once it's done percolating, I'll pick it back and read it a second time.

[Truthful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome. This book is chock full of short jewels that even as a dementia patient I can continue to appreciate!!

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't interested by the majority of this anthology. However, those passages which spoke to me were forceful.

Quotes:

- “Worship / is a way of seeing the world / in the light of God.” (p. 41)

- “While man is attached to the ultimate at the root of his. being, he is detached and uncurbed in his thoughts and deeds, free to act and free to refrain; he has the power to disobey. Yet a tree is known by its fruits, not by its roots. There are no ugly trees but there are wormy fruits. Only one question, therefore, is worthy of supreme anxiety: How to live in a world pestered with lies and remain unpolluted, how not to be stricken with despair, not to flee but to fight and succeed in keeping the soul unsoiled and even aid in purifying the world?” (p. 80)

- "It is in deeds that man becomes aware of what his life really is, of his power to harm and to hurt, to wreck and to ruin; of his ability to derive joy and to bestow it upon others; to relieve and to increase his own and other people's tensions. It is in the employment of his will, not in reflection, that he meets his own self as it is; not as he should like it to be. In his deeds man exposes his immanent as well as his suppressed desires, spelling even that which he cannot apprehend. What he may not dare to think, he often utters in deeds. The heart is revealed in the deeds.” (p. 84)

[Niki Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an author I wanted to explore because Bro. Mooney referred to his writing/books. With his being a Jew there are some ideas I disagree with as a Christian, but there are many beautiful ideas here. The chapter on the Bible is worth the whole book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to live more fully. How to be awake to our surroundings, our neighbors, our lives. Everyone struggles with this on some level. Heschel's beautiful words seek answers and sometimes the reader finds them. His books are best read in very small doses, savored, in the way life should be lived.

[Michael A Milton, PhD, MPA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have devoured everything I could get my hands on by Heschel. This is a wonderful introduction to the masterful philosophical theologian. Is this book theological-philosophical writing or is this magnificent prose? Yes. One need not agree with all of Herschel to appreciate his intellect and benefit from his unsurpassed expression of that carefully prepared mind. I highly commend the reading of Heschel to my students. Reading Abraham Joshua Heschel trains the seminary student to conduct critical thinking by aid of theological reflection. After the grasp of confessional truth derived from divine revelation, I consider the work of theological reflection leading to critical thinking (assessment, diagnosis, treatment) the most important part of theological higher education. The great Heschel is an ally in this goal, our convictions about Jesus the Messah not withstanding.

[Lorri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Asked for Wonder: A Spiritual Awakening, by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel is much more than the title implies. After reading Heschel’s book entitled The Sabbath, I wanted to read more of his work. I Asked for Wonder did not disappoint me in any aspect.

I asked for wonder, and received it through Rabbi Heschel’s writings, which are masterful, magnificent and filled with wonder within his wise words. I Asked for Wonder, by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, is an anthology of his works that I highly recommend to everyone, no matter your faith.

[Drew]

I can’t bring myself to rate this anthology. It would feel sacrilegious. I take “holy” to mean the presence of God. Surely this anthology is holy.

[Shelby Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rabbi Abraham Heschel is an author I have been longing to read for a while now. I am always so blown away by the poetic nature of Jewish theology. It carries the same energy as the psalms: God's wisdom made simple. This little book says more in its simplicity than many western theologians can using many more words. I'm coming to realize that God doesn't want us to try to understand all the minute details of his grace. He wants us to rest in the fact that he is sovereignand his grace is enough.

[rachkatr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant compilation of essays and thoughts from Heschel’s other books. I Asked For Wonder oozes with spiritual truths, deep traditions, fresh insights. It took me almost a year to finish only because each sentence contains layers of meaning which seem to be revealed anew every time I read them.

[Molly Erwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who believes Jesus was & is the messiah, i am obviously at odds with a Jewish rabbi’s basic beliefs. However, this book was chock full of wisdom and wonder. I was inspired by the awe-filled view of God and holiness.

[Lindsay Mizell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A breath in a dreary season.

[ezra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book when I was fifteen, and it is a great introduction to the sometimes poetic, always helpful philosophy of Heschel. Sometimes Dresner messes around with the visual text of some passages, turning prose passages into what looks like poetry, but I personally think he does it tastefully and in a way that underscores the beauty Heschel found in Jewish thought. I reread passages of this book all the time, which can be easily selected at random and it's just amazing. Makes me feel the grandeur of life, and it did when I was fifteen, too.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was listening to the American Public Media podcast of On Being and there was a gentleman on taking about Abraham Joshua Heschel. I was fascinated about this twentieth century Jewish mystic,Rabbi, teacher, freedom marcher, pacifist, descendant of hundreds of years of Hassidic tradition. This book is mystifying and meditative. Heschel's writing is sublime about the sublime. His humility is humbling. I love this book! I give it as a gift to special friends.

[Alan Marr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book but it is not what I was looking for. It is an anthology of theological reflections by Heschel rather than a complete work in itself. There was enough in this to send me searching for more of his work.

[Naomi Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this and would like to read more by him :)

[Taylor Flowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

God is of no importance,
unless He is of supreme importance.

[The pious man's] desire is to taste the whole wheat of spirit before it is ground by the millstone of reason.

Worship
is a way of seeing the world
in the light of God.

Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living.

The experience of not being at home in the world is a motivation for prayer.

Set apart one day a week for freedom: a day of armistice.

A discipline is a reminder of adjacency to eternity.

It is because of his being dust
that his iniquities may be forgiven,
and it is because of his being an image
that his righteousness is expected.

We are subject to terrestrial gravitation, yet we are confronted by God.

Be neither enticed nor horrified by the powers of passion.

And, above all, let them remember . . . to build a life as if it were a work of art.

This is the meaning of death: the ultimate self-dedication to the divine. Death so understood will not be distorted by the craving for immortality, for this act of giving away is reciprocity on man's part for God's gift of life.

Irrefutably, indestructibly, never wearied by time, the Bible wanders through the ages, giving itself with ease to all men, as if it belonged to every soul on earth. It speaks in every language and in every age. It benefits all the arts and does not compete with them. We all draw upon it, and it remains pure, inexhaustible and complete. In three thousand years it has not aged a day. It is a book that cannot die.

The prophet did not leave information behind. All we have is the prophet's certainty, endless awe and appreciation.

Theology of common deed: God is concerned with everydayness, with the trivialities of life.

Dedication of the will is itself a form of worship.

[Vin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The man of our time may proudly declare: nothing animal is alien to me but everything divine is."

I hope the person who gets the copy I have of this book appreciates that my annotated notes are 50% "theology is hard to relate to when you aren't a cis-gender man because gender roles affect the power exchange and relationship structure of being and divine" and the other 50% being me underlining all of the passages that speak to Heschel's infallible love and compassion for the human condition with special attention to the chapter "The People" which is one of the most intimate reading experiences of my life. This perhaps is the secret of our history; to chose to remain in the wilderness rather than be abandoned by Him. Heschel combining his thesis on matters of faith with his very real fear and grief over the suffering in the world and concern for the longevity of his faith moved me in a way that for one brief moment I understood what would make someone believe in absolutes.

I don't know if Heschel's theology is something I'll ever feel comfortable in consumption. In the way that all theology becomes inaccessible for me, my beliefs in the role and meaning of G-d will always be in odds with someone who derives such impassioned, almost romantic connection to the divine. I almost gave up halfway through this after his chapter on "Man" left me feeling like some theology books should only be consumed by people who can meet the author at the crest of their faith. I'm glad that I pushed past my misgivings because the last three chapters are profound. 3 1/2

Judaism is the track of G-d in the wilderness of oblivion. By being what we are, namely Jews; by attuning to our own yearning to the lonely holiness in this world, we will aid humanity more than by any particular service we may render

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An anthology of excerpts from the writings of the Jewish theologian, poet, mystic and historian Abraham Joshua Heschel.

I'd expected it to be a fairly quick read, but I should have known better, given the usual profundity of Heschel's work. It's not that it's difficult to read, just that meaning is packed into a small space, and in this excerpt form without padding, calling the reader to drastically slow down.

The section on the nation of Israel (written in 1969) is a stunning insight into Jewish yearning and longing for Jerusalem after 2000 years of homelessness. His writing here verges on the romantic and one can't help wondering what he would have made of the situation today.

My favourite were his sections on prayer. Where his poeticism merges with the profound, Heschel is always at his most powerful.

Here's something:

"The ineffable has shuddered itself into the soul. It has entered our consciousness like a ray of light passing into a lake."

Oh my.

Most famously, not long before his death in 1972, during a TV interview for NBC, he was asked if he had a message for young people.

"Let them remember that there is a meaning beyond absurdity. Let them be sure that every deed counts, that every word has power, and that we all can do our share to redeem the world in spite of all absurdities and all frustrations and all disappointments. And, above all, [let them] remember ... to build a life as if it were a work of art."

[Jo|Ruth Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings with this book. I feel like about half of it was wonderful, and then the second half spoke mostly of the Jewish people and Israel. I would be okay with this , given he is Jewish, so much of his thoughts and beliefs will surround that. But there were some insights that just didn't sit right with me. Statements such as: "they are the most challenged people under the sun." I don't believe that statement to be true. Also, statements like "We are God's stake in human history, the dawn and the dust, the challenge and the test." And... "Christians need to know that without Israel is a world without the God of Israel." *The idea that Israel is needed for the presence of God in his own creation, is incorrect. God was and will always be. I love the Jewish people, and I appreciate the respect and honor they show to God and the Old Testament. But I do not place any man whether Jew, Gentile, Black, White on any pedestal or proclaim anyone holy, and believe them to be better than anyone else. God, and God alone can make the distinction correctly.

It was a good book, the good outweighed the bad, in my opinion. So 3 stars is the best I can give. *His book about the Sabbath is also very good.

[Michael Warden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book to be savored rather than read, which is exactly what did. I read just a paragraph or two in each sitting, which was more than enough to carry me through the day, or week, in rich contemplation.

Here’s just one example: “To become aware of the ineffable is to part company with words … The tangent to the curve of human experience lies beyond the limits of language. The world of things we perceive is but a veil. Its flutter is music, its ornament science, but what it conceals is inscrutable. Its silence remains unbroken; no words can carry it away.”

So rich! For any spiritual seeker, this is a must read. Beautiful writing. Deeply contemplative, challenging thoughts.

[Gideon Yutzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Varied collection of Rabbi Heschel's writings in which he ponders the imponderable. Excellent insights about God, sabbath, religion, prayer and more. My copy was given to me by a colleague from a school where I teach English classes. The colleague said he is thinking of asking his loved ones to inscribe Heschel's phrase on his gravestone for his epitaph; he asked for wonder. Great idea. It's growing on me too, to be honest, now that I've read the book. I was glad to see an "ironman" portrayal of Jewish faith and thought after growing up in a context where I encountered many strawmen.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heschel es uno de mis autores favoritos. El libro se centra en el concepto de “asombro” (wonder), que Heschel considera una actitud esencial para vivir una vida espiritual. Según él, el asombro ante la creación y la experiencia de lo sagrado son fundamentales para acercarse a Dios y comprender el propósito de nuestra existencia.

Heschel también aborda temas como la responsabilidad social, el significado del tiempo, la oración y la importancia de vivir con una conexión profunda con lo divino. Sus palabras nos invitan a reflexionar sobre su relación con Dios, con los demás y con el mundo.

[Laura Haske · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dear friend gifted this book to me and this book was a gift to read. The author's short writings are grouped by topic. His collected thoughts examine what it means to be human and holy, recognizing God's design for our pursuit of goodness and truth and justice.

In each short message is a call to return to awe and wonder at the majesty of God, to recognize the value of a vibrant inner life and how our living, our deeds, reflect the condition of that inner world.

[Aaron White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A staggeringly beautiful ode to wonder, to hope, to endurance, to truth, to love. Heschel’s words are drawn from his many writings by editor Dresner, on topics like God, Faith, Humanity, Israel, and more. Heschel was a poet and rabbi, a profound teacher, thinker, and activist, one who saw truth and pursued it as far as it could take him. He was like a prophet, speaking words that were sometimes hard but also inviting and transformative

[Brad Dell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t want this to end. At every page, Heschel’s brilliant awe blinds me to the mundane, unremarkable, desecrated. To read this is to freshly embrace the presence of God. I’ll read it again and again.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a collection of moving quotes from Heschel’s other writings that can be savored slowly and meditated on daily. I read The Sabbath, but after this one I feel I need to get my hand on all of his works.

[Sarah Koz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dude kicks ass.

[Grace Houghton · Rating 3 out of 5]

three stars only so more complete expositions of his philosophy/theology get four!

[Nyrb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the time to read. The poetic images mixed with Jewish wisdom benefits all who are seeking more.