PRAISE TO KNOWLEDGE

Before I start, I must clear the air and announce one of my favorite concepts:

Credit will be given to the author of the fine words I will use In my text, since an old Aramaic saying goes:" Whoever says something in the name of its author brings Redemption to the world.

I refuse to take credit for something that is not mine. I find this to be a good lesson in humility.

Who has not taken note of the famous two words of Socrates:'' Know yourself''

Was it the first time that the notion of knowledge hit us in the face? One must believe that in the course of time and as generations passed, men tried to acquire as much knowledge as possible. Was it to give us a better worldù

Who knows?

They did not know the Chinese proverb will teach them that:'' To know one's ignorance is the best part of knowledge.

The other strong word after that of Socrates is the one by Francis Bacon: "Knowlege is power''.

And I have known people who put into practice this saying and became wealthy.

And I shall start by none other than Leo Tolstoy:

''Life consists in penetrating the unknown, and fashion one's actions in accordance with the knowledge thus acquired.''

Here is an interesting way to put his knowledge to work, going towards the unknown. In other words, before visiting a country you do not know, go and learn as much as you can and augment your knowledge about this new destination. For??A traveller without knowledge is like? bird without wings.

This I learned from Mosharef Sa'di, a Persian classical Poet (ca 1213-1292)

This same Tolstoy warns us:''What is important is not the quantity of your knowledge, but it's quality. You could know many things without knowing which one is the more important.

It is our duty to be cautious in what we learn, for sometimes too much is too much. So one must be able to obtain the right dose.

Consequently, ''It is better to know less than what is necessary than more than what is necessary . Do not fear a lack of knowledge, but fear rather the knowledge that is not necessary, acquired only to satisfy your vanity.''

In fact, this awful vanity makes us what we are not. This vanity destroys our world, making us all egotistic so and full of ourselves.

One must however know that''Knowledge has no limits. Consequently, there is a minute diffence between those who know a lot and those who know very little'

Talking about limits, it is John Ruskin who reminds us that:''Knowledge is limitless, and the most scholarly and educated person is as far from true knowledge as an uneducated peasant''.

'And for those who wish to know what is the use of knowledge, Elie Wiesel has this simple answer:'' Listen, it helps to comprehend the creation, meaning to grasp it, to act towards it and its author, it helps us to get closer at the same time of the beginning and the end, it helps in provoking a freedom in the being amongst the beings, of the eternal during its duration.

Knowledge is a key, the most precious of all, the most dangerous too, for it opens two identical doors: one leading to truth, the other to gloom.

Let's now find out what our Jewish wisdom has to say about knowledge.

''It is hard to imagine how anyone could achieve true knowledge without committing good deeds as well. Knowledge is itself a product of good deeds.

For indeed actions are always better than words.

Is knowledge something we can teach?

I can easily imagine a class starting in primary schools, before even university where a teacher will take it upon himself to instruct in wisdom his students the importance of knowledge.

That teacher is Aristotle. He will tell them: ''Knowledge and teaching are inseparable. A man cannot pretend to know his subject unless he is able to transmit his knowledge to others.''

These same words have been taken by the Dalai Lama.,,Share your knowledge, it is a way to achieve immortality

Jean Jacques Rousseau comes to mind when I mix knowledge and wisdom.

For indeed, these two make a great pair. He said: "We live in an age of philosophy, science and intellect.Large libraries are open to all. Everywhere we have schools, colleges and universities that give us the wisdom of preceding thousands of years".

And what then?

Have we become wiser by all this?

Do we better understand our life, or the meaning of our existence?

Do we know what is good for our life?''

I will finish with these few wise words taken here and there but having their full value: ''Never be ashamed to admit that you do not know.'' Arabic prover''.

''You should study more to understand that you know little.''...Michel de Montaigne

''All men, by nature wish to know''...Aristotle

''The only source of knowledge is experience''. ...Albert Einstein

''Let your tongue learn to say '' I don't know''...Asian wisdom''

And before closing this exchange, Leo Tolstoy will come to encourage us to live a better life: ''The only true science is to know how a person should live his or her life.

And this knowledge is offered to the whole world. Popular content