The music beneath the noise: Faith and joy in the writings of Rabbi Sacks

Abstract

One of the central themes in the writings of Rabbi Lord Sacks was that of identity, and its connection to meaning; and one of the central sources of Rabbi Sacks’ own joy was, evidently, the experience of music. In this brief essay, I join these two aspects of Rabbi Sacks’ writings and life in reflecting on a famous, Pulitzer-Prize-winning story in The Washington Post featuring the celebrated violinist, Joshua Bell. Utilizing several reflections of Rabbi Sacks, inspired by the Talmudic comparison of Torah to a song, I discuss why faith truly is, in Rabbi Sacks’ words, the “ability to hear the music beneath the noise.”