Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, of Blessed Memory

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi of the United Kingdom, died on Saturday at the age of seventy-two. Sacks was the unusual figure who commanded respect from wide swathes of the Jewish world, and was deeply learned in Judaism’s sacred texts, the Western tradition, and contemporary social science. Although a consummate Englishman, he had an abiding appreciation for the American Founding as well as for his own country’s political traditions. He also became a widely admired public figure in Britain, able to reach far beyond Jewish circles. Earlier this year, Mosaic published an excerpt from his final book, Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times, quoted below. We have also often linked to his essays and speeches over the years; some of these can be found here.