Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Part 1: The Call to Responsibility

1 The Ethics of Responsibility
2 Faith as Protest
3 Charity as Justice
4 Love as Deed
5 Sanctifying the Name
6 Mending the World
7 Like a Single Soul
8 The Kindness of Strangers
9 Responsibility for Society

Part 2: The Theology of Responsibility

10 The Birth of Responsibility
11 Divine Initiative, Human Initiative
12 The Holy and the Good
13 The Monotheistic Imagination
14 The Faith of God
15 Redeeming Evil

Part 3: The Responsible Life

16 Transforming Suffering
17 The Chaos Theory of Virtue
18 The Kind of Person We Are
19 Who Am I?
20 On Dreams and Responsibilities

Index

About the Author

Jonathan Sacks has been Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth since 1991 and has received honorary degrees from universities around the world. He is the award-winning author of a dozen previous books, writes frequently for The Times (London) and other periodicals, and is heard regularly on the BBC. Rabbi Sacks was knighted in 2005. He lives in London.

Reviews

In this engaging, accessible, insightful, instructive, and delightful book, Sacks (chief rabbi, United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain & the Commonwealth) explores traditional interpretations of the Bible, Jewish law, and theology, as well as the works of philosophers and ethicists from other cultures, to examine what constitutes morality and moral behavior. He seeks "to honor the image of [God] in other people and thus turn the world into a home for the divine presence" in a book he considers a "personal protest against suicide bombers, religiously motivated terrorists and preachers of hate of whatever faith." Chapters 3-9 set out Judaism's key concepts of social ethics: justice, charity, love-as-action, sanctifying God's name, the ways of peace, and "mending the world" (Tikkun Olam). Interspersed throughout are snippets from other peoples' lives that have inspired Sacks. This brilliant book is not only for Jews but also serves as a moral Jewish voice in the conversation of humankind. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries. [In June, Sacks was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to the Jewish community and interfaith relations.-Ed.]-David B. Levy, Ner Israel Rabbinical Coll. Lib., Baltimore Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

"I have rarely met anyone who combines spirituality, intelligence, wisdom,
and compassion in quite the way Dr. Jonathan Sacks does. He has taught me
so much about the Abrahamic faiths. He is truly a spiritual Master, which
is why I believe he can be called Mahatma, or Great Soul."
--Professor Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University

"Upon receiving this latest volume by Rabbi Sacks, I appreciated again his
well-deserved reputation for marrying high content to elegant style. There
are no pious preachments here, and no self-conscious intellectual
posturings. To Heal a Fractured World is carefully reasoned yet warm,
intellectually engaging, and entirely quotable."
--Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor, Yeshiva University