Intellectual giant with a common touch who continues to shape our lives

One year since his passing, Rabbi RALPH GENENDE salutes Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, whose fusion of Western intellectual and Jewish tradition made him one of Judaism's finest leaders

"Occasionally in the history of the Jewish encounter with God, a thinker arises who lets us see our ancient tradition in a new light, like a poet describing an emotion we instantly recognise but never before were able to articulate. When this happens within a faith, old texts reverberate with new meanings. Acts we had performed unthinkingly a thousand times stand revealed in their depth and power. As if for the first time, we begin to understand why those who came before us did as they did, and we and the tradition are renewed."

THESE ARE THE sentiments of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks about the prodigious contribution of Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, the profound leader and intellectual giant of the twentieth century.

They could equally be a description of his own immense impact on Jewish life and thought over the past 50 years. He opened our eyes to the depth and breadth of our pregnant texts, he reminded us of their relevance and power in our own lives.

Like a skilful miner of words, Jonathan Sacks revealed new and rich seams of meaning in countless Torah texts from the Biblical to the Talmudic, the legal to the liturgical. It was like we were seeing them for the first time. Like a brilliant virtuoso he did it with beauty and style; his finely articulated thoughts made our minds leap and our souls sing.

Rabbi Jonathan stood on the shoulders of giants like Soloveitchik and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, whom he acknowledged as leading forces in his development. Like them, his message enraptured countless people across our planet. He guided the philosophy and practice of generations of Jewish teachers and leaders.

He was, at once, a superstar, modern day global prophet, respected by royalty and rabbis, political leaders and influencers, philosophers and poets, clerics of diverse faiths and the pintele Yidden, the grassroots ordinary Jews.