The whole bible is the working out of the relationship between God and man. God is not a dictator barking out orders and demanding silent obedience. Were it so, there would be no relationship at all. No real relationship goes just one way. There are always two active parties. We must have reverence and awe for God, and honor for the chain of tradition. But that doesn't mean we can't use new information to help us read the holy texts in new ways.
A. J. JacobsI thought religion would eventually wither away and we'd all be worshiping at the altar of science.
A. J. JacobsThis is what the Sabbath should feel like. A pause. Not just a minor pause, but a major pause. Not just lowering the volume, but a muting. As the famous rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel put it, the Sabbath is a sanctuary in time.
A. J. JacobsA few weeks later, Iโm in a fluorescent-lit classroom in Chelsea awaiting the start of the official Mensa test. Iโm sitting next to a guy whoโs doing a series of elaborate neck stretches, like weโre about to engage in a vigorous rugby match. Heโs neatly laid out four types of gum on his Formica desk: Juicy Fruit, Wrigley Spearmint, Big Red, and Eclipse. I hate this guy. I hope to God heโs not a genius.
A. J. Jacobs