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The Sabbath (Paperback)

~ (Author), Ilya Schor (Illustrator) "He who wants enter the holiness of the day must first lay down the profanity of clattering commerce, of being yoked to toil..." (more)
Key Phrases: technical civilization, ancient rabbis, Rabbi Shimeon, Rabbi Judah ben Ilai, Ten Commandments

4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)

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Hardcover $11.53 In Stock. Published September 8, 2003	Hardcover, September 8, 2003	$11.53	$9.10	$6.92
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Paperback $9.36 In Stock. Published August 16, 2005	Paperback, August 16, 2005	$9.36	$4.98	$5.32
Paperback Available from these sellers. Published January 1, 1975	Paperback, January 1, 1975	--	$2.23	$2.22
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Unknown Binding Published December 31, 1983	Unknown Binding, December 31, 1983	--	--	--
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Clearly Heschel's most beloved book, The Sabbath is much more than a book about the Sabbath. It is, rather, our century's most illuminating study of the dynamics of Jewish ritual living."--Dr. Neil Gillman, author of Sacred Fragments

"Timeless. Read it, and be ready to be changed."-The Reverend Richard John Neuhaus, editor in chief of First Things

"Heschel's The Sabbath is easily the primary text for all subsequent American Jewish spirituality."-Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, author of God Was in This Place
-- Review

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Product Details

Paperback: 126 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (January 1, 1975)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0374512671
ISBN-13: 978-0374512675
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #313,759 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#11 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( H ) > Heschel, Abraham Joshua

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
He who wants enter the holiness of the day must first lay down the profanity of clattering commerce, of being yoked to toil. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
technical civilization, ancient rabbis

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Rabbi Shimeon, Rabbi Judah ben Ilai, Ten Commandments

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Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 5 books:

Who Is Man? by Abraham Heschel in Front Matter
The Legends of the Jews: From Joshua to Esther (Volume 4) by Louis Ginzberg in Back Matter
Rest Days by Hutton Webster in Back Matter
Grand Canyon (Holmes, Burton, World 100 Years Ago.) by Burton Holmes in Back Matter
History of Religions by George F. Moore in Back Matter

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	94% buy the item featured on this page: The Sabbath 4.8 out of 5 stars (47)
	3% buy God in Search of Man : A Philosophy of Judaism 4.8 out of 5 stars (21) $12.24
	1% buy The Prophets 4.9 out of 5 stars (19) $19.77
	1% buy Man Is Not Alone : A Philosophy of Religion 5.0 out of 5 stars (12) $10.20

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Customer Reviews

47 Reviews

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
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4.8 out of 5 stars (47 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

102 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have classic about "sacred time", July 23, 2000

By	Rabbi Yonassan Gershom (Minnesota, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Sabbath (Hardcover)

Perhaps no aspect of Jewish religious observance has been so poorly understood by the outside world as the Sabbath. Gentile expressions such as "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" have tended to give the impression that the Jewish Sabbath is something oppressive. Not so, says Rabbi Heschel. The Sabbath, when understood properly, is a gift of freedom.

In this now-classic book, first published in 1951, Heschel shows how the Sabbath is a "palace in time," a carefully structured retreat from the hustle and bustle of the marketplace. The laws of the Sabbath are the spiritual architecture with which the "palace in time" is built. Once you understand the blueprint for that palace, then all of the restrictions and to-do things on the Sabbath make sense.

Heschel was the first Jewish theologian (as far as I know) to explain how traditional Jews live more in sacred time than in sacred space. While other religions have devoted their energy to building physical temples and cathedrals in sacred places, Jews have erected sanctuaries in the form of sacred days. Time, like physical space, has a varied texture to it. Just as there are differences between mountains and oceans, so, too, are there are there differences between the Sabbath and the ordinary days of the week. The Sabbath is more than just a secular "day off." It's a specific creation made by God in the very dawn of Creation. The Sabbath is as real as the physical things we see and touch everyday in the natural world. But in order to experience the specialness of the Sabbath, one must step inside the structure of its special rules and observances -- to enter the "palace in time."

This book is beautifully-written in poetic prose that will inspire both Jews and non-Jews. It goes in and out of print with various publsihers, so, if it is not available on Amazon right now, track down a used copy or borrow it from the library. You will be very glad you did! s

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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, October 16, 1999

By	Alan Schwartzstein (Dane County, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

Quite simply, this is one of the most beautiful, inspiring books I have ever read. Abraham Joshua Heschel, in a very short, accessible, clear manner, spells out the meaning of the Sabbath. I have been Jewish all my life, but realize now that I never truly understood Sabbath. The lessons in this book, which takes very little time to read, come back to me now every Friday night when I sit down with my family to say Shabbat prayers. It also has changed my approach to life the rest of the week, as Mr. Heschel explains the blessing of work and rest, and the place for each in life. Followers of other religions (certainly Christians) who have a day of rest will appreciate and benefit from the message of this book as much as Jewish individuals.

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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to the spirituality of the Sabbath, November 27, 2001

By	A. Doug Floyd "pilgrim" (Louisville, TN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I never fully grasped the significance of Sabbath-keeping until reading this book. Heschel introduces several key ideas about the nature of time and how the Sabbath sancitfies time. I am a Christian minister and found this to be an excellent resource, so I would recommend this to anyone who is seeking to understand the important of rest and rhythm in life.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars 1st time review
I don't write reviews, I read them. However, I felt strongly compelled to give my opinion on this one. This is without a doubt the best book I have ever read. Read more

Published 9 days ago by T. Jessup

4.0 out of 5 stars A Prose Poem to the Sabbath
Not surprisingly, given the subtly of his thought and the lyricism of his writing, Heschel's The Sabbath is a beautiful expression of the singularity of the Sabbath in Jewish... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Eric Maroney

5.0 out of 5 stars Sabbath Renewal
This is a beautifully, beautifully written book that renews the soul and enhances one's appreciation of the Sabbath. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Annie Bornstein

5.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT READ
READ IF YOU ARE THE KIND OF PERSON THAT WISHES TO KNOW OF TRUTH

Published 3 months ago by Truth Seeker

1.0 out of 5 stars Poetic Prose
To be honest, I didn't enjoy this book. In fact, I only continued reading it because my wife gave it to me. Read more

Published 4 months ago by Jared P. Haller

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Just For Jews
I am not Jewish but have always contended that God hallowed the seventh day when he finished creation - there were no Jews on earth when He did that. Read more

Published 4 months ago by JGA

5.0 out of 5 stars Profoundly moving
Rabbi AJ Heschel's book, "The Sabbath" is a short, but densely profound book. Even if you know the abriged version, i.e. Read more

Published 7 months ago by David J. Vargas

5.0 out of 5 stars The Sabbath and Sacred Time
The Sabbath (2005) is a genuine gem of a book. It is written to help explain the value and importance of the Sabbath, but in the process becomes a universal touchstone for... Read more

Published 8 months ago by G. Reiner

5.0 out of 5 stars Most significant and relevent thing I've ever read.
Most inspiring book not only on judaism, but on spirituality in general. A must buy for anyone actively seeking a personal relationship with spiritual understanding.

Published 9 months ago by S. Steele

4.0 out of 5 stars pretty deep
A good book. Short and sweet, but you may have to read it twice if you want to get the deeper meaning. There's a lot to think about.

Published 10 months ago by Lula Torintza

› See all 47 customer reviews...

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