Which Rabbi Sacks book had the biggest impact on you?
Shtark Tank guests and listeners share how they were impacted by the late Chief Rabbi
Today marks the fifth yahrtzeit of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks z”l. last year we did a 3-part podcast series about how his ideas can inspire Bnei Torah in the workforce. This year we had one mega episode, speaking with his bodyguard and editor. In addition, I reached out to many past guests, and a few listeners, to ask them: Which Rabbi Sacks book had the biggest impact on you?
The responses were fascinating. Rabbi Sacks wrote dozens of books, each one deep, brilliant and beautiful. And while there were certainly common themes, and certain ideas repeated themselves, it is still remarkable to think about the broad range of topics that Rav Sacks tackled in his writings. That’s why I was interested to see how different books resonated with different people.
Michael Bloch
A letter in the scroll, because it really anchored the idea of personal responsibility to hand over the mesorah to the next generation, as well as the pride we should feel to be the inheritors of such a rich and wise inheritance. More broadly Rav Sacks’s Torah brought to the front how much Western civilization owes to Judaism - and we should never feel inferior to other traditions
Allen Pfeiffer
I regularly learn from Covenant and Conversation. I appreciate the depth, simplicity, and yet creativity of the messages on each Parsha along with a broad world perspective. However, a small book, Celebrating Life had a large impact on me, as it provides a personal hashkofa to life’s ups and downs through vignettes.
Rav Gil Student
In terms of what I recommend to others, A Letter in the Scroll is by far the best kiruv book of our generation. Rabbi Sacks avoids a lot of the tricky historical and philosophical issues and instead focuses on the most compelling reason to embrace Judaism — becoming part of this glorious chain of Jews and Judaism. I strongly recommend it. In terms of my own personal understanding, his articles from the early 1990’s about biblical criticism (in The Jewish Action Reader) and against the ordination of women (in the first Orthodox Forum volume) gave me the language and intellectual framework to articulate the traditions I was taught on those subjects.
Rav Chezkie Glatt
There are many excellent ones to choose from, but for me, I would have to say the most impactful book among Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’s vast library is a lesser-known work called Arguments for the Sake of Heaven. You can actually find it for free online on Sefaria.
In it, he explores the history of different Jewish groups and sects, describing how each responded to modernity and how those responses shaped the communities we know today. What’s so striking about this book is that although it was written decades ago, it feels even more relevant now. Rabbi Sacks doesn’t just describe the various worldviews; he examines the roots of the tensions between them and, most importantly, offers guidance on how to bridge those divides. He shows how to have sincere and serious disagreements while still maintaining respect and camaraderie.
He begins and ends the book with the image of a Jewish family, using it as a metaphor to frame his message. At its core, his view is that all Jews are part of one larger family. If we embraced that perspective more deeply, then even with our important differences, we could truly have arguments for the sake of heaven and in doing so, continue to fulfill our destiny as one united nation and family.
Rav Shmuli Sagal
Although I grew up in London during Rabbi Sacks’ chief rabbinate, it was in the Yeshiva University library that I fell in love with Rabbi Sacks’ books. Reading his early books, Traditional Alternatives and Arguments for the Sake of Heaven, gave me a framework to better understand the contemporary Jewish community. With his trademark sophistication and eloquence, Rabbi Sacks explores the major shift Jews experienced due to the enlightenment and emancipation and how the range of significant Jewish thinkers responded to this. In particular, he scopes out the various Orthodox responses to modernity and Medinat Yisrael, demonstrating the strengths and beauty of each approach. In these early books, Rabbi Sacks combines his deep scholarship with a searching spirit to understand and appreciate the Jewish People with all its complexities. Without a doubt, these books encouraged me seek out a way to play my part in reaching out to Jews wherever they may be at.
Rav Sam Fromson
Great Partnership. I first read this book as a natural sciences and physics undergraduate at University of Cambridge. I was surrounded by brilliant people fully immersed in their scientific worldview, while I had just transitioned from Yeshiva. This brilliant book gave me the language and tools to hold on to these different parts of my life, my love of science and my religious worldview. This had a massive impact on my life.
Rafael Dembovsky
One approach in confronting thorny questions is to delve into the realm of intellectual gymnastics and often unsatisfying hair-splitting analysis. Another approach is to define and refine the overarching categories, such that questions simply melt away. Rabbi Sacks’ “The Great Partnership” is a wonderful example of this second approach. His demonstration of the fundamental differences in the objectives of religion and science opened my eyes to new ways of conceptualising and contextualising the various aspects of lived experience, without compromising sacred beliefs or intellectual honesty.
Marc Lesnick
I enjoy Rabbi Sacks writings on the parsha, but one book that stands out is The Great Partnership: Science, Religion, and the Search for Meaning. Often when I engage in conversation with non-religious people they raise conflicts between science and religion. Rabbi Sacks brilliantly explains how the two coincide. One of his famous quotes is: Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean. In a nutshell: Science reveals the mechanisms of the universe, religion reveals its meaning and purpose. Conflict arises only when one side overreaches: When science claims to explain moral or spiritual purpose, or when religion claims scientific authority over empirical facts. True wisdom comes from respecting each domain’s boundaries and allowing dialogue between them. Among his many talents, Rabbi Sacks’s ability to bridge the gap between the world of Science and Torah is greatly missed.
Rav Ellie Fischer
I’m not a big Rav Sacks reader, but among his writings, the most impactful one for me was his article “Creativity and innovation in Halakhah” from the Orthodox Forum volume, “Rabbinic Authority and Personal Autonomy” (1992).
It was the first time I encountered a really good argument that halakhah must change not because the Torah changes, but because halakhah is the application of Torah to real circumstances, and circumstances change
Dr. Jonathan Donath
His introduction to davening at the beginning of the Koren Siddur has had the biggest impact on me because it has affected my davening every day.
Rav Simi Lerner
While a great deal of Rabbi Sacks’ work has profoundly shaped my thinking, the one I return to most often is Not in God’s Name. There I first encountered the idea of “leaving space for the other” that Judaism, grounded in deep confidence, does not demand others be like it. There is something profoundly powerful in a worldview that embraces truth with conviction while allowing others their own relationship with the Divine. This confidence without exclusion is a lesson I carry with me always and share often with my students...
Simon Baum
As is well known, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Z”L possessed a rare gift: the ability to blend eloquence, scholarship, authenticity, and—most meaningful to me—moral guidance on the ethical challenges of our time. I have been reading Rabbi Sacks’ books and essays for more than thirty years, across different stages of my own religious and spiritual journey. Choosing one particular work as a favourite is therefore no simple task.
If, however, I had to choose the book I return to most often, it would be To Heal a Fractured World. In it, Rabbi Sacks makes a compelling case for living a moral and ethical life as partners with Hashem in the work of mending our society and the world as a whole.
For me, the hidden treasure of this book lies at its conclusion, where Rabbi Sacks presents more than thirty concise, deeply insightful life lessons. He introduces them with characteristic humility: “I make no claim to wisdom, but this I have learned.”
Among them, I am particularly moved by the following:
“That where what we want to do meets what needs to be done, that is where God wants us to be.”
“That religions reach their highest levels when they stop worrying about other people’s souls and care, instead, for the needs of their bodies.”
“That the world is a book in which our life is a chapter, and the question is whether others, reading it, will be inspired.”
“That those who give to others are the closest we come to meeting the Divine presence in this short life on earth.”
Each reflection is his gift to us — something to return to, to ponder, and to carry as a compass. They remind us to stay focused on what truly matters: not the glitter, not the wealth, not the distractions of the world, but the acts of kindness, purpose, and responsibility that give life meaning and help us make a real difference.
Jonathan Ross
I remember reading more his parshah sheets. One that touched me deeply was about the difference between Religion and Science.
Torah is not meant to be proven in a lab empirically, even though there is a modern tendency to require empirical evidence, seeing is believing and show me the money. Contrast that to the Torah’s focus on listening, as manifested in the Shema.
Yoni Romm
There’s a powerful idea that Rav Sacks writes on Parshas Shelach. The fear of failure causes us to fail. The willingness to fail allows us to succeed. He uses this idea to explain the difference between Yehushoa, Calev and the other spies. I personally avoided taking various risks, because I felt the world around me expects perfection. Even though these decisions would have been good for me, I was afraid of failure. Reading this idea from Rabbi Sacks opened my eyes to a whole different world. The only way to succeed is by being willing to fail. Ever since reading this, it has impacted my decisions on a daily basis.
Rav Shlomo Fishman
One meaningful moment of astute Jewish pride and inspiration that stands out in my mind is the recorded debate he held with Richard Dawkins.
Aaron R. Katz
For me, I’d like to tweak my response to note that that hearing him speak live in person left the biggest impact, because every time he spoke there was such a large crowd that would appear and would listen intently to his magnificent and deeply powerful words. I was lucky to hear him many times across many venues, including a one-on-one talk with Rabbi Lamm zt”l at YU, at community wide events in LA and Chicago, and at OU events in Jerusalem. He truly was an unparalleled public speaker.
Jeremy Lustman
Lessons in Leadership has been the most impactful Rabbi Sacks book for me as it has provided real context and contemporary perspectives on the Torah portion of the week with tangible takeaways on how to improve our strength of character and leadership capabilities. Not only for me, but perhaps most importantly for my family sitting around the shabbat table. In a world where we are always trying to show the relevance of our beautiful Torah for the younger generations, being able to discuss leadership skills, what will help you not only in in your religious world, but also in your personal and professional worlds, and being able to tie it to a Torah figure and incident(s), makes it feel very real, current, and actionable.
Bini Maryles
Lessons in Leadership. The ability to understand, with great depth, the concepts in the world of leadership, and to apply a Torah prism to them, is extremely rare. Add on to that the ability to explain deep concepts clearly, and then expand upon them and make them relevant for leaders in the modern world, is incredibly powerful and beautiful.
Yaakov Wolff
It’s hard for me to single out one book, since so many of then touched me deeply. But I would like to mention Not in God’s Name. My father bought me a copy when it first came out, and for years it sat on my shelf. I was hesitant to read it, because I wasn’t sure what to expect from a book about religous violence. I ended up starting it after one of the ‘minor’ Gaza operations, after numerous trips to the bomb shelter with two young kids. What really shocked me was his ability to take many central stories from Bereishit and turn them upside down. He showed how pshat and drash both leave space for us to empathise with the ‘other son’ who is kicked out. Beyond the brilliant parshanut, it provides a vision for world peace that includes many religous faiths.