A Little More About Me

Shalom, my dear friends and family!

Dr. Eli is here. Before I forget, I wanted to clarify something about my name. Eli is short for Eliyahu (Elijah), the prophet. It is not the name of Eli the priest in 1 Samuel, as some have assumed.

The two names look the same in English, but they are different in Hebrew. The priest’s name, עֵלִי, begins with ayin (ע), while my name, אלי, begins with aleph (א). My name is also pronounced “Elee,” not the usual English “Eli.” By the way, if you want to understand me better, you can read more here.

Now, back to what I wanted to share with you! (Part II can be read here).

Today I spent some time organizing old pictures, files, and other things when I came across a list of 36 powerful quotes that had made a deep impression on me several years ago.

None of the quotes below are from the Bible. But these sayings do reflect some of the ideas and convictions that have shaped the way I think. Here are the top ten:

1. 1. Character is how you treat those who can do nothing for you. (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
   2. Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It’s thinking of yourself less. (C.S. Lewis)
   3. Loyalty to a petrified opinion has never broken a chain or freed a human soul. (Mark Twain)
   4. Only those who risk going too far can find out how far they can go. (T.S. Eliot)
   5. Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist. (Pablo Picasso)
   6. You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother. (Albert Einstein)
   7. Never argue with stupid people; they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. (Mark Twain)
   8. Ceaseless work, analysis, reflection, writing much, and endless self-correction—that is my secret. (Johann Sebastian Bach)
   9. If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done. (Thomas Jefferson)
   10. Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace. (Jonathan Lockwood Huie)