--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are…" description: "\"“Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are each tied to God with a string, and that every time we sin, the string breaks. To those who repent of their sin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/rachel-held-evans-2876_humble-heart_some-rabbis-say-that-at-birth-we-are-eac_15615.png" --- # Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are each tied to God… ![“Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are each tied to God with a string, and that every time we sin, the string breaks. To those who repent of their sins, especially in the days of Rosh Hashanah, God sends the angel Gabriel to make knots in the string, so that the humble and contrite are once again…” quote by Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/rachel-held-evans-2876_humble-heart_some-rabbis-say-that-at-birth-we-are-eac_15615.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/rachel-held-evans-2876_humble-heart_some-rabbis-say-that-at-birth-we-are-eac_15615.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/rachel-held-evans-2876_humble-heart_some-rabbis-say-that-at-birth-we-are-eac_15615.png) > ““Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are each tied to God with a string, and that every time we sin, the string breaks. To those who repent of their sins, especially in the days of Rosh Hashanah, God sends the angel Gabriel to make knots in the string, so that the humble and contrite are once again tied to God. Because each one of us fails, because we all lose our way on the path to righteousness from time to time, our strings are full of knots. But, the rabbis like to say, a string with many knots is shorter than one without knots. So the person with many sins but a humble heart is closer to God.”” [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The metaphor illustrates that repentance and humility, despite past sins, bring one closer to the divine, as each acknowledgment of wrongdoing creates a knot that shortens the spiritual distance to God. **In simple terms:** Humility and repentance shorten the distance to God. Key Takeaway Knotty strings symbolize redeemed humility. Themes repentance humility spiritual proximity redemption Jewish tradition Mood reflective hopeful reverent Type proverbial theological inspirational When to use this quote - confessing wrongdoing - seeking forgiveness - observing Rosh Hashanah - reflecting on personal failings - practicing humility Key Concepts string metaphor Rosh Hashanah angel Gabriel sin forgiveness Practical Applications - spiritual counseling - personal reflection Questions to Reflect On - How does acknowledging sin change one's spiritual journey? - What role does humility play in religious practice? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humble heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble-heart/) [Rosh hashanah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rosh-hashanah/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Looking back over sixty-odd years, life is like a piece of string with knots in it, the knots being those moments that live in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald-fraser/looking-back-over-sixty-odd-years-life-is-like-a-piece-of-string-with/) [George MacDonald Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald-fraser/) > [For life is a fire burning along a piece of string--or is it a fuse to a powder keg which we call God?--and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-penn-warren/for-life-is-a-fire-burning-along-a-piece-of-string-or-is-it-a-fuse-to/) [Robert Penn Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-penn-warren/) > [Even when tied in a thousand knots, the string is still but one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/even-when-tied-in-a-thousand-knots-the-string-is-still-but-one/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Even though you tie a hundred knots, the string remains one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/even-though-you-tie-a-hundred-knots-the-string-remains-one/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [Life is a yo-yo, and mankind ties knots in the string](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-a-yo-yo-and-mankind-ties-knots-in-the-string/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happy Rosh Hashanah to those who celebrate. Wishing you a sweet and prosperous New Year!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-rosh-hashanah-to-those-who-celebrate-wishing-you-a-sweet-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [May your boss not attend the synagogue you pretend to be going to during the Jewish holidays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/may-your-boss-not-attend-the-synagogue-you-pretend-to-be-going-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happy Jewish New Year to all my friends. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-jewish-new-year-to-all-my-friends-we-pray-for-the-peace-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“On the last day of the Jewish year, the child is present at the solemn ceremony of Rosh Hashanah. He hears thousands of slaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/on-the-last-day-of-the-jewish-year-the-child-is-present-at-the-solemn/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Celebrating the Jewish New Year is like celebrating the regular New Year except we blow into a ram's horn and have the exact opposite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/celebrating-the-jewish-new-year-is-like-celebrating-the-regular-new/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“While the American synagogue was built with the financial support of what are commonly called three-day-a-year Jews, referring to those who may attend the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-m-olitzky/while-the-american-synagogue-was-built-with-the-financial-support-of/) [Kerry M. Olitzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-m-olitzky/) > [As our Jewish friends celebrate this most holy time of year, I wish all those who are observing Rosh Hashanah a Happy New Year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-our-jewish-friends-celebrate-this-most-holy-time-of-year-i-wish/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not Jewish but would still appreciate some acknowledgment for working on a Jewish holiday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-not-jewish-but-would-still-appreciate-some-acknowledgment-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happy Rosh Hashanah to a Jew who knows more about the iPhone 5 than about Rosh Hashanah.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-rosh-hashanah-to-a-jew-who-knows-more-about-the-iphone-5-than/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To all those of us celebrating Rosh Hashanah, Happy New Year to and your families. Let is be an awesome year for everyone!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-all-those-of-us-celebrating-rosh-hashanah-happy-new-year-to-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Rachel Held Evans > [“So what did God say to me in the silence that morning? I’m not sure, but I think God said something like, Don’t try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/so-what-did-god-say-to-me-in-the-silence-that-morning-i-m-not-sure/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [I'm a Christian because Christianity names and addresses sin. It acknowledges the reality that the evil we observe in the world is also present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-m-a-christian-because-christianity-names-and-addresses-sin-it/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [One of the most destructive mistakes we Christians make is to prioritize shared beliefs over shared relationship, which is deeply ironic considering we worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/one-of-the-most-destructive-mistakes-we-christians-make-is-to/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [This is what God's kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/this-is-what-god-s-kingdom-is-like-a-bunch-of-outcasts-and-oddballs/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“I don’t know for sure, but I think maybe God was trying to tell me that gentleness begins with strength, quietness with security. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-don-t-know-for-sure-but-i-think-maybe-god-was-trying-to-tell-me/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [Whenever we show others the goodness of God, whenever we follow our Teacher by imitating His posture of humble and ready service, our actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/whenever-we-show-others-the-goodness-of-god-whenever-we-follow-our/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [Faith isn't about having everything figured out ahead of time; faith is about following the quiet voice of God without having everything figured out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/faith-isn-t-about-having-everything-figured-out-ahead-of-time-faith/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [Christianity isn't meant to simply be believed; it's meant to be lived, shared, eaten, spoken, and enacted in the presence of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/christianity-isn-t-meant-to-simply-be-believed-it-s-meant-to-be-lived/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“In the years preceding the Civil War in America, Christian ministers wrote nearly half of all defenses of slavery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/in-the-years-preceding-the-civil-war-in-america-christian-ministers/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“Cynicism may seem a mild transgression, but it is a patient predator that suffocates hope, slowly, over many years,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/cynicism-may-seem-a-mild-transgression-but-it-is-a-patient-predator/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“I suppose that the moral of this story is that trying to copy another woman, even a woman from the Bible, is almost always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-suppose-that-the-moral-of-this-story-is-that-trying-to-copy-another/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“I played my role as the good Christian girl and spared everyone the drama of an argument. But that decision to remain silent split…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-played-my-role-as-the-good-christian-girl-and-spared-everyone-the/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [“Madeleine L’Engle said, “the great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” 58 I think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/madeleine-l-engle-said-the-great-thing-about-getting-older-is-that/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [In an age of information overload ... the last thing any of us needs is more information about God. We need the practice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/in-an-age-of-information-overload-the-last-thing-any-of-us-needs-is/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) [Explore all 147 Rachel Held Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) ## More Humble heart quotes > [“Hear me Isis as I pray. See her pain and take it all away. Let the heaven's light shine bright from above. And wrap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/hear-me-isis-as-i-pray-see-her-pain-and-take-it-all-away-let-the/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [Jesus had a humble heart. If He abides in us, pride will never dominate our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/jesus-had-a-humble-heart-if-he-abides-in-us-pride-will-never-dominate/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [Ever tell me of a humble heart where I see a stubborn knee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-adams/ever-tell-me-of-a-humble-heart-where-i-see-a-stubborn-knee/) [Thomas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-adams/) > [“Not one thing we've done changes that we are his. That he created us and loves us with a love more fierce and loyal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-shankle/not-one-thing-we-ve-done-changes-that-we-are-his-that-he-created-us/) [Melanie Shankle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-shankle/) > [O Immaculate Heart of Mary, full of goodness, show your love towards us. Let the flame of your heart, O Mary, descend on all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/o-immaculate-heart-of-mary-full-of-goodness-show-your-love-towards-us/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My favoured temple is an humble heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-james-bailey/my-favoured-temple-is-an-humble-heart/) [Philip James Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-james-bailey/) > [“The ties that bind the wealthy and the proud to home may be forged on earth, but those which link the poor man to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-ties-that-bind-the-wealthy-and-the-proud-to-home-may-be-forged-on/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The Enemy is cunning. In the most subtle of takeovers, he lies to us about everything, and especially about what we “deserve.” He wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/the-enemy-is-cunning-in-the-most-subtle-of-takeovers-he-lies-to-us/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [“You will never overcome your self righteousness if you continue to believe that God prefers you over other people. The moment you feel entitled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/you-will-never-overcome-your-self-righteousness-if-you-continue-to/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“The road to success is paved with hard work, long hours, honorable intentions, and a humble heart. When you lose your humility, life becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-wallace/the-road-to-success-is-paved-with-hard-work-long-hours-honorable/) [Carlos Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-wallace/) > [A brilliant mind is useless without a humble heart!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-brilliant-mind-is-useless-without-a-humble-heart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Righteousness and love, law and grace, life and death, as well as time and eternity all intersect at the cross; displaying a divine wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cook/righteousness-and-love-law-and-grace-life-and-death-as-well-as-time/) Steven Cook > [“benefit. A humble heart is a great help towards profitably hearing the gospel. The engrafted soul saving word is not received except with meekness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon/benefit-a-humble-heart-is-a-great-help-towards-profitably-hearing-the/) [Charles H. Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon/) > [Nothing stirs God’s heart more than a humble heart and a merciful spirit. God responds to mercy, because it is through compassion that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-cruz/nothing-stirs-god-s-heart-more-than-a-humble-heart-and-a-merciful/) Nicky Cruz > [“Aim high in your career, but stay humble in your heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/korean-proverb/aim-high-in-your-career-but-stay-humble-in-your-heart/) Korean proverb [Browse all 54 Humble heart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble-heart/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are each tied to God with a string, and that every time we sin, the string breaks. To those who repent of their sins, especially in the days of Rosh Hashanah, God sends the angel Gabriel to make knots in the string, so that the humble and contrite are once again tied to God. 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