Quotes by Matisyahu

Life will go on without you, because in the end its not about you.

Vocal rest is awesome. It is like any kind of fast. Firstly, it is a purification of speech. It made me realize how not careful I am with the things I say. It also makes you find new ways of communication and new methods to connect with people.

The real reason Jews dont have more Hanukkah music is that, historically, American Jewish singer-songwriters were too busy making Christmas music. White Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Silver Bells and The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting) were all written by Jews.

Is it possible Hanukkah doesnt inspire folksy songs? Plot lines may be a part. The Christmas story has a lot of material to work with. Theres Jesus and his birth, the wise men, their gifts and tons of frankincense.

Songs that arent even remotely connected to Christmas are now officially canonized Christmas tunes. Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells and Winter Wonderland never mention anything religious but are still notches in Christmas belt of musical dominance.

The No. 1 best-selling Christmas album of all time is from Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, the Jewish smooth-jazz legend Kenny G. American Jews have always produced a lot of holiday music, just not Hanukkah music.

When people feel a certain religion claims to have all the answers, thats what turns them off.

Music has always been such an amazing tool for me to access self and emotion.

When a person listens to a good song, and they can look out at the world and their lives and see the dark and the light, the negative and the positive, all the different elements, all come together in one holistic poem, that is a very healing and very reductive thing, and thats what my music is about.

The idea that Gods mercy is connected to whether or not I shave is ludicrous, and I need to just trust myself, and that, you know, if Im deserving of Gods mercy, Ill get it, regardless of, you know, my beard.

I would say that as Ive gotten older, I trust my intuition more; I allow myself more freedom both musically, creatively and my own life existentially.

Growing up, the way that I looked was very important to me. I was always trying to impress people, and when I grew my beard there was a certain freedom, a separation, getting past this the way I looked, identify myself as a spiritual seeker.