The Dignity of Humanity: Reflections on Personalism

For our debut episode, we felt we could hardly find a better example of our theme than the life and work of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.

To recover the spirituality of Heschel is to re-enter a state of awe and wonder, especially if we recognize, as Heschel taught, that “God takes humankind seriously.” That is, we are not merely worshippers but also covenant partners in tikkun olam, the ancient notion of repairing the world.

An acclaimed interpreter of the Hebrew prophets, a popular theologian drawing on his own traditions of mystical Judaism, and an activist unafraid to plunge into both the Civil Rights movement and the protests against the war in Vietnam, Heschel exemplifies the “moral grandeur and spiritual audacity” he once exhorted President Kennedy to display in an urgent telegram.

In this debut episode, our guest is Rabbi Shai Held, author of The Call of Transcendence, a study of Heschel’s spirituality. His latest book is Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life.

In this conversation, Pete and Elias interview Rabbi Held about Heschel's influence on other mid-century prophets, his background in Hasidism, and his relationship with Martin Buber. The conversation delves into Heschel's views on American culture and militarism, as well as his interpretation of Exodus theology.

Some themes and takeaways from our conversation:

* Heschel’s view that God is everywhere: we search for his presence through a life of spirituality.

* The key ideas of radical amazement, spiritual audacity, moral grandeur — and Heschel’s emphasis on the importance of the capacity for surprise.

* Heschel’s memories of the warm humanity of Hasidic culture and his experience of growing up amidst people he could revere, concerned with problems of the inner life, spirituality, integrity.

* The prophet must first have been shattered himself/herself. Rather than focusing on thought palaces, the prophet takes us on tours of the slums, as Heschel put it.

* Heschel found himself in what he felt was a moral emergency rooted in a spiritual emergency. The ultimate and spiritual cause of the Shoah: distance from God, a lack of piety.

* What the prophets have discovered: that history can be a nightmare.

* The sanctity of time for the Jews—how to convert it to eternity.

* Heschel’s prophetic anti-militarism. A favorite question to provoke his students: “Nuclear weapons—are they kosher?”

* His view of education: “Reverence for learning and the learning of reverence”.

* His wonderful humor: “I’m an optimist—against my better judgement.”

* Heschel as a brilliant practitioner of mystagogy—he leads us into the mysteries.

* Religion should not be used as a mere accessory to preconceived political beliefs, he argued, but should guide and shape one's politics.

* Heschel's interreligious solidarity was bold and unapologetic, seeking to find common ground and learn from different religious traditions. “No religion is an island,” as he liked to say.

Episode Timestamps:

Introduction (00:00—15:52)

* Why a Podcast about “lost prophets”?

* Impact of the neoliberal “ice age” and our need to recover these mid-20th century thinkers

Heschel’s Background (15:52—29:29)

* His life and work

* Hasidic upbringing in Warsaw

* A move to America, eventual involvement in the burgeoning Civil Rights movement

Heschel’s Major Works (29:29—44:59)

* Overview of The Sabbath

* Discussion of The Prophets and his concept of divine pathos

* His critique of modern society and consumerism

Heschel and Civil Rights (44:59—1:01:00)

* His spiritual alliance with Martin Luther King Jr.

* Activism in the Civil Rights movement, then Vietnam anti-war movement

* His interfaith work

Interview with Rabbi Shai Held (1:01:00—2:01:10)

* Rabbi Held’s discovery of Heschel’s greater depths

* Exploration of his theology and views on prophecy

* Relationship between Heschel and Martin Buber

* The relevance of Exodus theology; views on American culture and militarism

* His relevance and legacy today, views on Judaism and love, the use of the term “prophetic”

Conclusion (2:01:24—end)

* Our key takeaways from the conversation

* Discussion of Heschel’s emphasis on wonder, surprise, and breaking through callousness

Recommended:

* The Prophets, A.J. Heschel (1962)

* The Sabbath, A.J. Heschel (1951)

* God In Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism, A. J. Heschel (1976)

* Spiritual Audacity, documentary film biography (2021)

* The Earth Is the Lord’s, A.J. Heschel (1995)

* Heschel’s Last Interview — YouTube (1972)

* A. J. Heschel: A Life of Radical Amazement, Julian Zelizer (2021)

* Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence, Shai Held (2013)

* Judaism Is About Love, Shai Held (2024)

Many thanks to the great band NOBLE DUST, who provides the music for Lost Prophets. Their latest album A Picture for a Frame is here.

[Note: This episode and interview was recorded in December 2023, in the early months of Israel’s invasion of Gaza, a topic we will return to in more depth in a later episode.]