It is written in the psalm: “I shall not die, but live.” In order really to live, man must first give himself to death.
Martin Buber
Really to Live
Theme: Life Beyond Death
It is written in the psalm: “I shall not die, but live.” In order really to live, man must first give himself to death. But when he has done so, he discovers that he is not to die, that he is to live.
Martin Buber (February 8, 1878 – June 13, 1965) was a Jewish philosopher, theologian, and teacher, best known for his philosophy of dialogue, particularly the "I–Thou" relationship. Born in Vienna, Buber was raised in a Jewish family but later pursued secular studies in philosophy. His work initially aligned with the Zionist movement, and in 1902, he became editor of Die Welt. However, he later shifted away from political Zionism to focus on spiritual and philosophical concerns.
In 1923, Buber published Ich und Du (I and Thou), his most famous work, which explored the nature of human relationships. He distinguished between the I–Thou relationship, characterized by deep, personal connection, and the I–It relationship, where others are seen more as objects. This book cemented his role as an important existential thinker. Buber also contributed to Jewish thought with his translation of the Hebrew Bible into German, starting in 1925.
Throughout his life, Buber remained committed to fostering dialogue across religious and cultural divides. He was nominated multiple times for the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Nobel Peace Prize. His storytelling, especially through Hasidic tales, and his philosophical work continue to inspire those seeking deeper understanding of human relationships and spirituality.
Ten Rungs
Buber, Martin. “Ten Rungs: Collected Hasidic Sayings by Martin Buber, Olga Marx,” 1938, p. 53, Readings.com.au, www.readings.com.au/products/4828122/ten-rungs-collected-hasidic-sayings.
Martin Buber
Theme: Life Beyond Death
About This Martin Buber Quotation [Commentary]
Martin Buber’s statement, “It is written in the psalm: ‘I shall not die, but live.’ In order really to live, man must first give himself to death,” explores the connection between life and death in understanding true existence. By referencing the psalm, Buber points to the idea that real life emerges through a confrontation with death—not as an end, but as a transformative process. This surrender, not of physical life but of the self and worldly attachments, opens the way to a fuller experience of being.
Buber explains that once a person gives themselves to death, they discover they are meant to live, not die. This realization suggests a spiritual awakening, where fear of mortality is replaced by a deeper sense of freedom and vitality. True life, then, is found by moving beyond the fear of death, allowing one to live with a renewed awareness of life’s sacredness.
The theme of “Life Beyond Death” fits well with Buber’s message, as he emphasizes that life begins where the fear of death ends. His insight, rooted in Hasidic tradition, points to spiritual renewal available in the present moment, not in some distant afterlife. Buber reminds us that life’s meaning is not in avoiding death but in embracing existence more fully through this transformation.
Ten Rungs: Collected Hasidic Sayings
‘For there is no rung of being on which we cannot find the holiness of God everywhere and at all times’ The sacred tales and aphorisms collected here by Martin Buber have their origins in the traditional Hasidic metaphor of life as a ladder, reaching towards the divine via ascending rungs of perfection. Through Biblical riddles and interpretations, Jewish proverbs and spiritual meditations by turns profound, fanciful and tender, they seek to awaken in the reader a full awareness of the urgency of the human condition, and of the great need for self-recognition and spiritual renewal. Progressing from The Rung of God and Man through to the ultimate Rung of Redemption , Ten Rungs provides a profound, exquisite insight into the mystical piety and joy that defines Hasidic lore. Yet, true to Martin Buber’s own faith in the dialogic relation between men as a mirror of God’s eternal presence with us, they never cease also to emphasize practical advancement and the central meaningfulness of earthly existence. ‘No one can really be devout in relation to God, if he is not devout toward His creation And so, dear reader, these pages are not concerned with the mysteries of heaven, but with your life and mine, in this hour and the next.’
—Martin Buber, Olga Marx [Ten Rungs: Collected Hasidic Sayings (via Readings Website)].
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