Explanation and Meaning

Religion and science are two quite different things and we need them both. Science takes things apart to see how they work. Religion puts things together to see what they mean. And the pursuit of explanation — how do things work — and the pursuit of meaning — why am I doing this, why am I here — those are two really fundamental areas of human intelligence and they’re just different.

via A Conversation with Rabbi Jonathan Sacks | February 20, 2015 | Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly | PBS.

Explanation and meaning. Absolutely brilliant.

Rabbi Sacks is not everyone’s cup of tea, but he is as quotable as Hillel. His great gift to us all is his ability to pithily clarify complex issues without oversimplifying them. Every time I read one of his books, I find myself stopping to think about every two paragraphs.

What a gift.