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May 5, 2000/30 Nisan 5760, Vol. 52, No.35
Every aspect of life is spiritual journey
Torah Study
RABBI EMANUEL ROSE
Kedoshim, Leviticus 19:1-20:27
The rage of our age is "spirituality." I have grown weary of this word because within the Jewish context, it leads people down a questionable path. To us Jews, the supreme challenge is found in Parashat Kedoshim, which explicitly and implicitly encompasses the Jewish understanding of the word "spirituality."
In Judaism, spirituality is understood in terms of our relationship with God, our behavior toward others and what goes on in our souls. Every single aspect of life is a spiritual journey. Our Torah portion teaches that our relationship with God is spirituality, that righteous behavior is spirituality and that our internalized soul wrestling is spirituality:
"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. You shall each revere (your) mother and (your) father, and keep my sabbaths. ... You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger. ... You shall not steal; you shall not deal deceitfully or falsely with one another. ... You shall not defraud your fellow. ... Love your fellow as yourself: I am the Lord. You shall observe my laws" (Leviticus 19:1-19).
The goal of the Jewish life is to reflect a sense of kedushah, holiness, in all dimensions of our being. The disciplines of Judaism are the source of our search for spirituality. As we develop a sense of kedushah within, we increase our glimpses of what Jewish spirituality means.
I specifically use the word "glimpses" because in the reality of life, glimpses should be our goal. Our life situation at any given time and our response to it define the nature of our personal sense of kedushah. Occasionally we will "get it," at other times we will not. Life is dynamic, and, therefore, so are our responses.
Certainly there are other definitions of spirituality, but they are not Jewish definitions, which is why I would love to eliminate the use of the word "spirituality" from contemporary Jewish life. Our sense of this incredible universe and the mystery of the complex nature of human beings, along with a profound gratitude for all that surrounds us, are a few of the foundation stones for the development of a feeling of kedushah. But from a Jewish standpoint, there is much more, and it is demanding.
Regular prayer is a must, for it is only through regular prayer that we discover what it means to truly pray. Admittedly, our prayer may often be mechanical, but without it we would deprive ourselves of those moments when we have glimpses of profound prayer.
Carefully chosen rituals are also a must for they, too, provide glimpses of kedushah.
Regular Jewish study also produces glimpses of kedushah, as do interactions among human beings. All these disciplines provide us with a soul-fulfilling life.
Keep in mind the following simple thought: A daily peck on the cheek as we say good-bye to a loved one in the morning is sometimes a mechanical act, but at other times that little peck on the cheek is a soul-fulfilling moment. Without such disciplines, there are few great glimpses. It is that simple, and it is that complex.
Emanuel Rose is the senior rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in Portland, Oregon. Torat Hayim, from the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, is available on the Internet at www.uahc.org/growth.
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