Sanctifying Moments

I want to talk about what I believe is at the heart of Judaism...the practice of making ordinary moments holy. It helps to explain what may seem like legalistic details to many such as dietary laws and Sabbath restrictions. Without proper context, it all seems unnecessary and lacking spiritual vitality. But when properly understood, these same rituals lead to a deeply spiritual faith with meaning and purpose.

So does God really care if we eat a ham and cheese sandwich, or turn on the lights on Shabbat? Probably not. But it is not for divine approval that we have these limits. Rather, it is a reminder of our true spiritual purpose and a way of sanctifying our otherwise daily, mundane lives. From previous posts, you'll remember that we are each unique aspects of the Divine Presence and co-creators of our world. Our role is to redeem creation and to bring about "heaven on earth" by raising the divine sparks concealed everywhere to spiritual consciousness through our individual choices. In Jewish teachings, this is known as Tikkun. It is our task to provide the remaining element of goodness and mercy necessary to sustain and perfect the universe.

Prayer and rituals such as the previously mentioned dietary laws are the daily means of raising our spiritual awareness above our mundane existence and to help us, as Jews, become the "holy nation of priests" mentioned in the book of Exodus. Each moment is an opportunity to raise another spark and to perfect our being and the world around us. This is supercharged in the weekly celebration of Shabbat which is meant to be a 24-hour period of meditation and rest. It is a chance to tune in to the natural cycles and rhythms of the universe rather than trying to fight and shape it according to the needs of our usually limited perspective. I haven't always understood this, but now that I do find it interesting that the same people that protest and rebel against the legalisms of Judaism will gladly accept and follow the detailed and foreign rituals of Eastern religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism in order to find spiritual growth. I think the movie, Karate Kid best illustrates how seemingly ordinary events, like the washing of a car, can with the right focus be a chance to find spiritual enlightenment. This focus, or intention, is known as Kavannah in Jewish belief. But let's look at the concept of Shabbat a little further.

Since we were children, each of us has been taught that Shabbat, or the seventh day, is holy as God rested on the seventh day following the work of creation and also as a reminder that we were once slaves in Egypt and should appreciate our current freedoms. On the surface, it seems like a nice set of concepts, but hardly spiritual. But this is because many of us don't proplerly understand the concept of rest being spoken about. In Hebrew, the word for rest, nafash, comes from the same root as that for soul, nefesh. Shabbat is not just about physical rest, but also spiritual elevation to a Edenic state of consciousness where we are in harmony with the world around us. The prayers, music and seemingly restrictive rituals are meant to help foster an environment where this soul-consciousness can emerge.

So do we have to follow all of the rituals and restrictions laid out by the rabbi's and Talmudic Judaism? Not being Orthodox myself, I believe the answer is no. We are each individual aspects of divinity like the "raindrop in the sea," (Rabbi Dov Baer, disciple of the Baal Shem Tov) and each of us has a unique path and purpose to fulfill. We should focus on those rituals that best enable us to reach spiritual enlightenment, or what the rabbis refer to as the additional soul of Shabbat. In his book, "To Life," Rabbi Harold Kushner says that Judaism offers a buffet of choices and we are each free to choose what we like and to leave behind what we don't like. I would combine this with the thoughts of another famous Jewish scholar, Franz Rosenzweig, who when asked if he followed certain Jewish practices said not yet. It is all about individual spiritual growth and we each move at our own pace.

The practice of sanctifying the ordinary moments of life is something that definitely reveals Judaism's origins as an Eastern religion. It's closest comparison would be with Zen Buddhist rituals. But the extent of this concept as encompassing all aspects of our daily lives is, I believe, unique to Judaism among the world's major religions and shows just how advanced and refined Jewish spiritual thought has become.

We will explore Shabbat rituals and meaning further as part of a series of posts that I'm tentatively calling "Sanctifying Shabbat" that will start soon. I want to look into the mystical concepts of Shabbat and how it fits in with modern themes of spiritual enlightenment and environmental awareness. I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Until next time....

Shmuel