Ever since my undergraduate days, I’ve had a deep appreciation for Henry David Thoreau. Of all the great thinkers, the works of Thoreau, one of the main intellectual architects of America’s Transcendental Movement of the 1800s, rang most true. He was a man who strove with vigor to live each day in wonder. He was willing to test his ideals in the flesh and blood of life, and to fight for his beliefs.
Thoreau’s philosophy offers an unequivocal appreciation that our physical reality has infinite depth and meaning, and that much of our life’s task is to engage and experience the physical as a gateway toward a more transcendental connection to reality.
Unlike Hedonism, it does not take physical pleasure as an end in itself, but limits the value of physical pleasure to being within the terms of a transcendent and infinite Truth. And unlike Asceticism, Transcendentalism does not reject all worldly enjoyment as a distraction from Truth, but rather understands that the physical is a necessary part of human experience that serves as the means through which we connect to a higher reality.
If this sounds familiar to you – it should. The resonances with Judaism are unmistakable, and it is not by accident that they appear. The main intellectual founders of the Transcendental Movement, Emerson and Thoreau, both graduated from Harvard Divinity School where they were students of the Torah (what they called the “Old” Testament).
Spending a year learning Torah at Aish HaTorah, I have a greater appreciation of these connections. It is enthralling to discover that Thoreau’s ideas have their roots in Jewish consciousness. It turns out I was studying Torah all along!
Here are three spectacular examples of parallels between Torah and Thoreau.
Interweaving of Thought and Action
“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not yet stood up to live,”1 Thoreau wrote. He wasn’t just a philosopher; he was also an activist. During the Abolition Movement in the build up to the Civil War, he was an active participant in the Underground Railroad – frequently risking his life in order to help escaped slaves navigate through the forest at night. And when the United States waged war on Mexico to steal land, he protested and ultimately boycotted the U.S. government by refusing to pay taxes. When a friend paid his bail after being jailed for his activism, Thoreau was livid because it undermined the ultimate impact of his civil disobedience.
These are the actions of a man who did not merely intellectualize and pontificate. Indeed, he abhorred the intelligentsia. He understood that ideals must be rooted in action; we must stand-up and engage our beliefs.
Thoreau understood that ideals must be rooted in action; we must stand-up and engage our beliefs.
Jews have recognized this truth since our inception as a people. Taking ideals and putting them into action is part of the spiritual DNA encoded in our very souls. It is no mistake that a startlingly disproportionate number of Jews are leaders in movements for social justice, have positions as non-profit heads, philanthropists, and activists. Legislating ideals into impassioned action is part of who we are.
Perhaps Ethics of the Fathers states it most succinctly citing Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa who used to say, “Anyone whose [good] deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom will endure; but anyone whose wisdom exceeds his [good] deeds, his wisdom will not endure.”2 In this passage Rabbi Chanina is emphasizing that wisdom unaccompanied by good deeds will necessarily deteriorate and that sustaining true wisdom requires real-life application.
Torah is not meant to be a one-dimensional intellectual endeavor. It is meant to be a Torat Chaim – a Living Torah – which calls upon us to transform both ourselves and the world through real change. The two come together. In Judaism, life is not solely about inward personal growth and it is not solely about external practical action. The marrow of life is attained through wrestling with the tension between the two, and synthesizing them.
Choose Life
In describing his two-year living experiment to establish a framework of life that would focus his efforts toward wholly pursuing the highest truth, Thoreau writes:
I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation [. . . .] I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. 3
This passage challenges the reader to appreciate the fact that each moment of life presents the opportunity to connect to a transcendent reality. Thoreau offers the moral challenge to live awake and with an enduring pursuit toward truth. It is all too easy to allow “non-essential” facts of life to creep their way in and supplant the true life we wish to uphold. As Thoreau explains, “For the most part we allow only outlying and transient circumstances to make our occasions. They are in, in fact, the cause of our distraction.” Instead of becoming mired in hollow business, we must “live deep and suck out all the marrow of life.”
The ethic in this passage echoes the final speech from Moses to the Israelites when he says in the name of God:
For this commandment which I command you this day, is not concealed from you, nor is it far away. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it?’ [. . .] Rather, [this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it. See – I have placed before you today the life and the good, and the death and the evil [. . . .] I have placed before you blessing and curse; and you shall choose life” (Deuteronomy, 30:11).
Both passages place us in a constant and direct relationship4 to truth, making it incumbent upon us that we strive to adhere to that reality. There is the overwhelming mandate to live with vigor and not get lost in falsity that is equivalent to a living death. Thoreau contends that “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation” because the majority of us have not dedicated ourselves to “choose life” – we do not abide by the truth we hold dear, and so we are, in a sense, not living to our greatest potential. For each of us, what it means to really choose life boils down to the most intimate and personal question possible. It is each person’s responsibility to determine if s/he is working whole-heartedly to grow and pursue truth.
We might ask ourselves such questions like: When we read the news are we genuinely seeking important facts, or are we following a routine and seeking distraction? When we sit down to a cup of coffee after a long day, are we using that time proactively or as an escape? Do we allow our lives to be focused on material and transient possessions, or do we focus on only the most important and meaningful aspects of life?
True Wealth
In his first chapter describing the proper structuring of one’s life, Thoreau discusses the problem of overemphasis on worldly gain:
What I have heard of Bramins sitting exposed to four fires and looking in the face of the sun. . . or chained for life at the foot of a tree; or measuring with their bodies, like caterpillars, the breadth of vast empires . . . – even these forms of conscious penance are hardly more incredible and astonishing than the scenes I daily witness. . . .
I see young men, my townsmen, whose misfortune is to have inherited farms, houses, barns, cattle and farming tools; for these are more easily acquired than got rid of . . . . But men labor under a mistake. The better part of man is soon ploughed into the soil for compost.
By drawing parallels between legendary acts of penance around the world and the townsmen’s toils to win luxury and comfort, Thoreau conveys the profound degree to which we become overtaken by the world of practical demands and financial success. He even goes as far as to call it a kind of slavery, writing, “[W]orst of all [is] when you are the slave-driver of yourself! Talk of the divinity in man! Look at the teamster on the highway. . . Does divinity stir within him? His highest duty to fodder and water his horses!”5
Through simplicity, we are given the freedom and space to focus on what is truly important in life
In providing his definition of true wealth, Thoreau advocates for a life of simplicity writing, “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to leave alone” (79). He refers to the luxuries and comforts of life as “positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind”, noting that the great sages of history all lived humble and simple lives. The idea is that through simplicity, we are given the freedom and space to focus on what is truly important in life and to make those pursuits our real life priority.
This ethic is closely mirrored by Ethics of the Fathers when Ben Zoma is recorded as saying, “Who is the rich? He who is satisfied with his lot.”6 This pithy statement reminds us that true happiness is not to be found in money but in our appreciation of what we have. As it says in Ecclesiastes, “One who loves money will not be satisfied with money” (5:9).
The confusion that Ethics of the Fathers and Thoreau are warning against is the allure that worldly pleasures have upon us. Rather than using money as a tool to build the foundation for a good life, it is all too easy to treat money and the luxuries it affords as ends in themselves. The result is as described in Ecclesiastes that “one who has one hundred wants two hundred.” In other words, once we start to treat money as the goal, then the demands of physicality will never cease!
This message is especially important to us in our current era of consumerism where status and honor are often perceived as being gained through wealth and worldly achievement rather being based on the integrity of the actual person.
Before becoming an observant Jew and building my relationship to Reality through the framework of Judaism, these values presented by Thoreau rang true to me, but I always retained a certain reservation. Though I agreed with much of his philosophy and was inspired by his poetic style, one man’s personal philosophy was not something I could fully invest myself in. But upon discovering these ideals within the framework of my own heritage, that stretches back thousands of years to Sinai, a fundamental shift has taken place. These ideals now speak to me in a deeper way. My hesitation is gone and I can commit to striving to live-up to these ideals. These ethics are no longer just one man contemplating the good and the evil; they now carry the power of the spiritual heritage and ancestry to which I am inextricably connected.
1 Written August 1851, in his Journal, vol. 3, p. 378
2 Ethics of the Fathers 3:12
3 Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Yale University Press, 2004. 88. Print.
4 In an echo of Moshe’s focus on Torah not being in Heaven but directly available to us, Thoreau further writes, “Nearest to all things is that power which fashions their being. Next to us the grandest laws are continually being executed. Next to us is [. . .] the [W]orkman whose work we are.”
5 Thoreau, Henry David. Walden. Yale University Press, 2004. 7. Print.
6 Ethics of the Fathers, 4:1
(23) Yonassan Gershom, December 30, 2014 2:02 PM
Thoreau's love of nature is something we can all learn from
I have always loved Thoreau's writings. No, he was not Jewish and no, he was not 100% in agreement with everything in Judaism BUT we could all learn a lot from his love of nature and respect for G-d's creation. Sadly, most Jews today are suffering from a bad case of "nature deficit disorder" -- a lack of contact with nature or the outdoors or awareness that anything beyond the urban world exists. Visit my blog at JewishThoreau.com for my own insights about Judaism, nature, and experiences living on the land in Minnesotya, Shalom.
(22) Ron Stahr, September 21, 2012 5:23 PM
Torah is for All
I am a 'God Fearer" - my decision to live a Torah lifelstyle has been the most eye opening journey. I have chosen to believe in the one true God and am most greatful for this site and the gems that it contains. Thank you AISH.
(21) mysteries, August 17, 2012 9:05 PM
One never hears of the philosophy maybe because the authors went against American state politics; although transcendentalism fits well with Americanism mythic philosophy. Respect given to wit, leader, philosopher, grand personality, noble, Abraham Lincoln, frith and rest, bright, full and great, Omen.
(20) Yaron, August 17, 2012 7:02 PM
Over-generalized
Outstanding! Only problem with articles such as this is that it's so generic as to be meaningless. Here's a guy who is intelligent and productive (Harvard Law & MBA), who saved a large business and then was governor of a state. He's a "choose life" guy more than Judaism itself -- he opposes abortion. He has a wife and 5 children. And "Uses wealth wisely" -- he's endlessly rich but is fully absorbed in public service. His name is Mitt Romney. So isn't it grand that a MORMON really derives all his meaning from Jewish values? Now you try: Can you compose the same article, plugging in Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, Stonewall Jackson, Charles Darwin, Bella Abzug, Thomas Aquinas, Pericles, Sophocles, Euripides, Eumenides, and possibly Rin Tin Tin?
(19) brad seruya, August 17, 2012 1:23 PM
excellent article
this article hit home for me! i read alot of torah and do less action. now this will push me to be more pro active.thank you!
(18) Anonymous, August 16, 2012 2:51 PM
I think Thoreau's ideas has less to do with Jewish consciousness and more to do with the fact of universal values and thoughts. This being said, it goes beyond Jewishness and makes it an innate global consciousness. However, I am no fan of Thoreau as he advocated evolution, which is in direct contrast of what is taught in the Torah.
G. Finch, August 17, 2012 5:18 AM
Accept truth wherever you find it, said Rambam
To Anonymous, Truth is a Torah virtue, and the author of the article applauds Thoreau's quest for truth. Evolution is scientific (and probably true). That doesn't negate Torah, chas ve-shalom. It just means that we might need to understand it differently. If you admire truth I suggest that you could admire Thoreau. >>> It is each person’s responsibility to determine if s/he is working whole-heartedly to grow and pursue truth. >>>
Anonymous, August 17, 2012 11:10 AM
Thank you! Another very interesting issue raised! For me, at the heart of your comment lies the question: Can we find value in an author that presents a variety of views, some of which we may find attractive/true and some of which we find false. As I alluded to in the essay, there is much of Thoreau's philosophy that I applaud, however that does not mean that I embrace all of it. As the Gemorra in Chagiga encourages us to do — "we are obligated to develop a discerning heart" (daf gimmel amud beis). It seems possible to see the truth an offer has to present and appreciate the force of language with which he so effectively communicates and leave behind the chaff. Quoting the Midrash, Chief Rabbi Sacks cites: “If you are told, there is wisdom among the nations, believe it. If you are told there is Torah among the nations, do not believe it.” Rabbi Sacks concludes his essay “Universal Wisdom” by writing: “This suggests a quite new way of looking at ‘secular’ studies and their place in the religious life. They are not secular at all. Instead we can define wisdom as everything that leads us better to understand the universe as the work of G-d, and humanity as the image of G-d. R. Hayyim ibn Attar’s remark about Yitro contains within it a profound insight. Wisdom teaches us about creation. Torah tells us about revelation. When we apply revelation to creation the result is redemption, the third fundamental category of Judaism. We cannot transform the world without understanding the world. That is why wisdom – otherwise known as the arts and sciences – has an honourable place in the intellectual landscape of faith.”
(17) Lexah Ashlee ברכה ביילא רבקה, August 16, 2012 1:17 PM
Torah Values in Literature
I find it very interesting that you have found Torah values in literature. I, also having come to observant Judaism while in college, have done the same. I will be focusing on Jewish concepts in British literature (specifically in the Victorian Era with hopes to expand) for my dissertation. I am wondering what you will be doing with this knowledge: is this a hobby for you or will you be pursuing it further? Either way, hatzlachah raba in all your endeavors.
Anonymous, August 17, 2012 11:14 AM
I look forward to reading your dissertation! For me it is currently just a hobby as I am a full-time student at yeshiva. Thank you for your interest!
(16) Anonymous, August 15, 2012 8:05 PM
Inspiring article!
Brilliant and articulate the way Joseph Bornstein combined the philosophy of Thoreau and Torah. So many profound truths are explored with new perspective and inspiring clarity. Amen.
(15) Melbourne AU, August 15, 2012 5:31 AM
Brilliant!
Joseph, thank you for revealing the connection between Thoreau's philosophy and Jewish thought, with such clarity and well researched erudition. You have helped me in my path to living truthfully and i think you have done us all a great service. Yasher Koach!
(14) Velvel Dov, August 15, 2012 2:09 AM
Is reality wherever you think it is?
The author says that our physical reality has infinite depth, then says that the physical is only a "gateway" to the more transcendent reality -- the latter being, I would guess, the reality of infinite depth. >>>Thoreau’s philosophy offers an unequivocal appreciation that our physical reality has infinite depth and meaning, and that much of our life’s task is to engage and experience the physical as a gateway toward a more transcendental connection to reality.>>>
(13) Ellery, August 14, 2012 9:05 PM
Thoreau hated the intelligentsia? Nonsense
<<< he abhorred the intelligentsia. >> Is this a joke? Thoreau's friends were the leading intellectuals in America!! How does one define "intelligentsia" so as to exclude Emerson, Alcott, Hawthorne and so many others?
Joseph Bornstein, August 17, 2012 10:59 AM
Thank you for bringing-up such an interesting point. I think that you are hitting on a fascinating dynamic that ran through the core of Thoreau’s life — the tension between thought and action and how to practically apply one’s beliefs in the real world with integrity. Part of what was so noble about the Transcendental Movement was that the intellectual architects leading it aspired to break-away from the classical trap of intellectual elitism that is inherently removed and disconnected from social action and the wider populace. Referring back to Thoreau’s quote “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not yet stood up to live,” it is clear that the kind of intellectual pursuits he found distasteful were those that were not honorable in their pursuit to affect real change. It is for this very reason that Thoreau found figures such as Emerson inspiring — at least initially. That said, where these leaders ultimately landed on the spectrum of the tension between action/philosophy, and how their ideals were realized within the necessarily compromising reality of practical action is diverse. Between Emerson and Thoreau for example, profound philosophical differences lead to a falling-out in their friendship after Thoreau’s publication of A Week in Concord in 1849. In his essay “Paradoxes of True Friendship” professor Hodder refers to this falling out as originating from a deep “philosophical rift” between the two. For further reading perhaps you’d like “When He Became My Enemy,” “Emerson and Thoreau: Figures of Friendship” and even Emerson’s eulogy of Thoreau. Thanks again for raising a great issue of concern!
(12) Andre de Pieri Spina, August 14, 2012 9:01 PM
We are people as others are but "Taking ideals and putting them into action is part of the spiritual DNA encoded in our very souls. It is no mistake that a startlingly disproportionate number of Jews are leaders in movements for social justice, have positions as non-profit heads, philanthropists, and activists. Legislating ideals into impassioned action is part of who we are" this part made me to gain a clever look at what makes the difference and it is so true.Thanks for the marvelous reading I just had.
(11) ruth, August 14, 2012 8:14 PM
Thanks for your tribute to Thoreau
I was happy to read such a sincere appreciation of Thoreau. His life and ideas and character are very inspiring. There's a very long, but worthwhile, article about him written by Edward Emerson, Ralph Waldo's son. http://transcendentalism.tamu.edu/authors/thoreau/youngfriend.html A favorite Thoreau saying quoted by our rabbi's (I think, Rabbi Dessler) is "I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." Thanks again and continue having success in Torah.
(10) David Barrett, August 14, 2012 3:26 PM
Know where Thoreau was coming from
Thoreau was an active Freemason and many of his views will have been influenced by the aims of Freemasonry bearing in mind that many non Jews were deists/theists believing implicitly in the OT as well as the NT. Today the aims of FM are the same as they were and there is no conflict for a religious Jew to be a brother in this fraternity especially in Israel
(9) David Frank Bartl, August 14, 2012 2:41 PM
Thank you! You have built a beautiful intellectual and real bridge between Torah and Thoreau's Transcendentalism. Shalom
As a young and impresionalbe college student, I was drawn towards the writings of the American Transcendental Movement. Your succinct and literate piece ties together all of those spiritual elements that make up our lives: it truly and definitively outlines the basis of human sprituality. Thank you. David Bartl
(8) Anonymous, August 14, 2012 12:57 AM
joseph, your essay is helping me solidify my committment to live wholly and in the present. thank you. your essay is brilliant! with love and mucho admiration. g-ma ruti
(7) DANIYEL Y. N., August 13, 2012 11:37 PM
Splendid indeed
I must attest to the fact that this publication is informative and educative. Kudos for your good work.
(6) Anonymous, August 13, 2012 8:17 PM
Thoreau
Joseph, what a beautiful piece! I found myself most engaged by transcendentalism as an English/Creative Writing major. I used to carry Emerson around with me. Guess I should have had the Thoreau volumes on deck, too. Mazel Tov on the time, energy, and ultimate achievement that this work is.
(5) E. Mersohn, August 13, 2012 2:37 PM
Thoreau, Whitman and my dentist
You may not care a whit for Whitman, but if you plumb the greater truth you'll need a plumber not a dentist. Mystical dentist practiced transendental medication. At least Walden Pond wasn't walled in. Thoreau had a retreat but saw the world. What a treat. And what a world!!
(4) Steffen Lauge Pedersen, August 13, 2012 1:55 AM
Torah & Thoreau
;My compliment to Joseph Bornstein for his article about Thoreau. It reminds me of captain Marriat's "The Children in the New Forrest" (have I remembered the title title correct ?) Ying and Yang. Tranquility and action at a time of disturbance.
(3) Adam P.L. James, August 12, 2012 5:54 PM
Torah and Thoreau
An absolutely brilliant article! I first discovered the writings of Henry David Thoreau when I was sixteen. Two years ago, at the age of 49, I welcomed the Torah into my heart. Torah and Thoreau are, on many levels, the perfect synergy. To the author of this article, I would like to pay you the ultimate compliment: You made me think about ways to simplify my life's journey and, thusly, enhance the whole incredible experience. Thank you for the gift. "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." - Henry David Thoreau
(2) ruth housman, August 12, 2012 2:52 PM
Thoreau
Thoreau also wrote, "In wilderness is the preservation of the world". He found sanctity and deep truths in his love of Nature exemplified by his Walden diaries, essays and letters. He eas 'thoroughly' right and the Eau in his name means Water in French.. what nourishes and sustains life. The transcendentalists, such as Whitman, wrote poetically about the spirit of universe. A spiritual one ness. It is not surprising to find this in Judaism and beyond, within spiritual sensitivity and writings around the world. The roots and routes to this sensibility are varied but all draw from the Source. When i went to the dentist for a 'root canal' I was able to joke about having a transcend dental experience, and we laughed. But there is also a greater truth to be plumbed from this.
Jeffrey Cramer, August 13, 2012 11:57 AM
Correction
Thoreau wrote "In wildness. . . " not "In wilderness. . . "
(1) e., August 12, 2012 2:26 PM
BEAUTIFUL!
Incredible. Thank you for writing!