Quotes by Rabbi Cardozo

"Judaism is the art of making a problem out of every solution. It correctly believes that what is taken for granted is boring; it does not get our attention and therefore has no significance. Only when we see something as a challenge and give it thought do we come alive."

"Religion will regain its old power only when it can face change in the same spirit as does science. Its principles may be eternal, but the expression of those principles requires continual development."

"Synagogues — whether Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform — are no longer His primary residence. Surely, while some of the worshippers are pious people who try to communicate with their Creator, overall, the majority of these places have become religiously sterile and spiritually empty. So God is moving to unconventional minyanim (prayer groups) and places such as Israeli cafes, debating clubs, community centers, unaffiliated religious gatherings, and atypical batei midrash (houses of Jewish study). The reason is obvious. In some of those places people are actually looking for Him. And that is what He loves; not those who have already found Him and take Him for granted. He is moving in with the young people who have a sense that He is there but cannot yet find Him."

"The Beauty of the Jewish tradition is that it is not always precise and consistent. And that is a very wise thing. You have to have flexibility, because life is not clear-cut or coherent. Moving here, moving there, you work out the different opinions somehow, and you let it be. This way, Jewish Law and beliefs stay fresh and thriving. A musical symphony. But the moment we codify or dogmatize it all, we are basically destroying it."

"We owe almost all our inner strength, not to those who have agreed with us, but to those who have opposed us."

"Theodicy, in claiming that God can be justified in human terms, is a form of idol worship."

"It is impossible to live without embarking on a search for meaning, whether one finds it or not. It is the search that is important; the end result much less so."

"The Torah speaks to that part of us that understands but cannot articulate what it understands. It allows us to go beyond the realms of the definable, perceivable, and demonstrable. It is a form of religious metaphor, a mirror that enables us to form mental images of the indescribable."

"The art of biblical interpretation is more than just knowing how to understand the deeper meaning of the words and expressions. It is impossible to treat the biblical text as one would any other classical work, because the people of Israel, according to Jewish tradition, are not the authors of this text; the text is the author of the people. Truly learning Torah requires human authenticity. It means standing in front of a mirror and asking yourself the daunting question of who you really are."