“Did I write it so as not to go mad or, on the contrary, to go mad in order to understand the nature of madness?”

“In my lifetime I was to write only one book, this would be the one. Just as the past Lingers in the present, all my writings after night, including those that deal with biblical, Talmudic, or Hasidic themes, profoundly bear it's stamp, and cannot be understood if one has not read this very first of my works. Why did I write it? Did I write it so as not to go mad or, on the contrary, to go mad in order to understand the nature of the madness, the immense, terrifying madness that had erupted in history and in the conscience of mankind?”

“If I do not write to empty my mind, I go mad.”

“i'm going mad, i told myself. let me not be mad.”

“Why do you persist in being so frivolous, Urgit?""Why don't we just call it a symptom of my incipient madness?""You're not going to go mad," she said firmly."Of course I'm going to go mad, mother. I'm rather looking forward to it.”

“Everyone has to go mad, it's essential fir everyone to go mad - as soon as possible! It's essential - I know.”