The greatest commandment to me in the Bible is not the Ten Commandments. (First of all, it’s too difficult to observe; second, we all pretend to obse… - Elie Wiesel

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Engraved portrait of Elie Wiesel, facing right

The greatest commandment to me in the Bible is not the Ten Commandments. (First of all, it’s too difficult to observe; second, we all pretend to observe.) My commandment is ‘Thou shall not stand idly by.’ Which means, when you witness an injustice: Don’t stand idly by. When you hear of a person or a group being persecuted: Do not stand idly by. When there is something wrong with the community around you or far away: Do not stand idly by. You must intervene. You must interfere. And that is actually the motto of human rights.

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About Elie Wiesel

Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (30 September 1928 – 2 July 2016) was a Romanian-born American Jewish writer, professor, political activist, Nobel Laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored 57 books (mostly written in French and English), including Night, a work based on his experience incarcerated in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.

Biography information from Wikiquote · Portrait adapted from Wikimedia Commons, David Shankbone (CC BY)

Also Known As

Alternative Names: Eliezer Wiesel A-7713 Élie Wiesel

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There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.

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