Norman Lamm

“We must distinguish between synthesis and syncretism. Synthesis is creative, syncretism is chaotic.”

“The challenge is to be 'in' the world but not completely 'of' the world.”

“The task of the modern Orthodox Jew is to be a citizen of two worlds, to live in both the sacred and the secular.”

“Community is not a collection of individuals, but a sacred covenant.”

“At the heart of the Torah is the idea of human dignity.”

“Zionism is not only a political movement but a spiritual imperative, the reunion of a people with its land.”

“Faith is not the same as certainty. Faith is the courage to live with uncertainty.”

“Halakhah is not a straitjacket but a framework for creative spiritual living.”

“Without an ethical dimension, religion is hollow, and without a religious dimension, ethics is rootless.”

“Leadership means accepting responsibility, not making excuses.”

“The Bible is not a book of science, but a book of meaning.”

“Awe is an intuition for the dignity of all things, a realization that things not only are what they are but also stand for something.”

“In our tradition, study is a form of worship.”

“To be a Jew is to be an agent of hope in a world that is often despairing.”

“Judaism is not a religion of convenience; it is a religion of commitment.”

“The essence of prayer is not to influence God, but to be influenced by Him.”

“The university must be a marketplace of ideas, but it must not be a moral vacuum.”