Isaac Abravanel Quotes
Don Isaac ben Judah Abravanel was a Portuguese Jewish philosopher, biblical exegete, and statesman whose life spanned the upheavals of the Iberian Jewish communities at the end of the Middle Ages. He served as treasurer to Afonso V of Portugal and to Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain before going into exile in 1492 with the rest of the Spanish Jewish community. The quotes below are attributed to Isaac Abravanel, organized by topic.
Isaac Abravanel on God
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Attributed to Isaac Abravanel:
“The Messiah will come in his own time, not by our reckoning.”
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Attributed to Isaac Abravanel:
“Faith without deeds is incomplete; deeds without faith are blind.”
Isaac Abravanel on Knowledge
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Attributed to Isaac Abravanel:
“Prophecy is the highest form of human knowledge.”
Isaac Abravanel on Politics
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Attributed to Isaac Abravanel:
“Monarchy is not the natural form of government, but the consequence of human weakness.”
Isaac Abravanel on Virtue
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Attributed to Isaac Abravanel:
“The wise man does not despair, even in exile.”