Splendor and despair

Halakhic man enjoyed the splendor of sunrise in the east and the swelling sea in the west, but this very experience, which contained in miniature the beauty of the cosmos as a whole and the joy of sheer existence, precipitated in him despair and deep depression. The beauty and splendor of the world on the one hand, and the fate of man, who can enjoy this mysterious magnificence for only a brief, fleeting moment, on the other hand, touched the chords of his sensitive heart, which sensed the entire tragedy concealed with this phenomenon: a great and resplendent world and man, “few of day, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1) - Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, "Halakhic Man"

Holiness

Holiness does not wink at us from “beyond” like some mysterious star that sparkles in the distant heavens, but appears in our actual, very real lives. “And one called to the other and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; and the whole earth is full of His glory.” - Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, "Halakhic Man"

Of choice

“All is foreseen yet freedom of choice is given” - Pirkei Avot 3:15

“We have to believe in free will: we have no choice.” - Isaac Bashevis Singer

"We and God are co-authors of the human story. Without our efforts we can achieve nothing." - R. J. Sacks

A sad truth

Let me first tell you one thing: It doesn't matter what the world says about Israel; it doesn't matter what they say about us anywhere else. The only thing that matters is that we can exist here on the land of our forefathers. And unless we show the Arabs that there is a high price to pay for murdering Jews, we won't survive. - David ben Gurion