Shai Held on Abraham Joshua Heschel and the Call of Transcendence

In the popular imagination, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel is remembered for his involvement in civil rights, the anti-Vietnam War movement, and the cause of Soviet Jewry. But, as Rabbi Shai Held demonstrates in his new book, Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence, Rabbi Heschel was first and foremost a theologian and philosopher of religion.
This event was recorded before a live audience on February 25, 2014 at the Tikvah Center in New York City.

[@ricardogondim3831]

As a Christian minister, I say, thank you, Rabbi Shai Held. Thank you.

[@Green-zw9pv]

Ricardo Gondim // they plotted to kill ur god. You’re a traitor to ur own religion

[@josephboharon9343]

Well done raby Abarham jhusha heshel

[@AdamSolomon]

Thank you for making this available.

[@GnosisMan50]

I wish this guy would talk to Netanyahu..and what are the chances of this? Nil....so much for transcendence. you can talk about it all you want, but if it's not manifested here on earth as a living breathing reality, it's worthless.

[@Filo-nn9yphe]

What rubbish "Gnosis man", blinded hubris self appellation.

[@moishegoldstein501]

Gnosis Man: Then why bother writin! 🤮

[@GnosisMan50]

@@moishegoldstein501 Shai Held makes a lot of sense but what he is saying is nothing new. The question arises: what prevents us from self transcendence and what are the direct means by which we can genuinely embody it? There is an unwitting risk of talking ABOUT transcendence ad nauseaum as an end in itself with grand theories but when that happens, it's spiritual bypassing; it's all too easy to fall in love with ideas and not know it. If a man who is black and another white genuinely achieve self transcendence, they no longer perceive each other in terms of race but as two human beings who just so happens to be of a difference race. The key here is: HOW do we achieve the kind of transcendence that, as Held implied, goes beyond our ego? Monks spend practically their entire lives in ascetic practice in order to seek enlightenment. What makes us think we can do the same by talking about it or reading about it and countless lectures? I believe there are certain individuals who are enlightened i.e. achieved a high degree of self transcendence but few are listening to them. As it often happens, the wisest of men and women who want to make this a better world are often not welcome because what they have to say is a threat to the established order. Socrates, Jesus, Gandhi, MLK, Mandela, and many others new better but we persecuted them. To me, self transcendence means letting go of your religious, political, and cultural conditioning because it is these ideologies and beliefs that impair transcendence. But letting go of all this is not for the fainthearted. It takes enormous courage and humility to rise above our conditioning. I believe Heschel achieve it and because of this I believe he would take issue with Held's understanding of self transcendence. Talking ABOUT transcendence and manifesting it your very being are not the same and so where is Held on this?

[@moishegoldstein501]

@@GnosisMan50 None

[@GnosisMan50]

@@moishegoldstein501 none what?