Friday, February 19, 2010

A Jewish spiritual life

At one time I thought that the Hasidim lived the way of my dreams; somehow their garb seemed indicative of holiness. But later on, I found that theirs was no different than any other orthodox sect, who live more by the letter of the law than by its spirit. I also thought that guru-types, modern day mystics or new age priests were holy people, just to find out that most are still keeping their psychotherapy appointments. I think the shock of all these delusions pointed the way to realizing that Jewish tradition itself holds, within it, the keys to successful Jewish spirituality.

On one hand, many of us seek a certain level of spirituality in our lives. Why not, after all, Judaism, with its holy Temple and the its priestly caste, was built on a spiritual foundation. Yet on the other hand, many Jews are fascinated by the exotic religions of the Far East. What could Judaism hold in store that would rival the esoterica of Asian cultures?

Retreats are not necessarily a Jewish thing; Shabbat is our retreat in time, but sometimes it is helpful to a live for a few days under in an insulated environment, away from daily distractions, to get a sense of what it means to live spiritually. We were under the tutelage of several high-powered, spiritually evolved rabbis who functioned as our spiritual mentors for those days.

They taught that to live spiritually is to confront the stronghold of our tradition with a little stretch of our mental abilities. This extra step is what's defined in the Talmud as "directing the heart", a gesture which means approaching every action with a clear intention or attention. In Hebrew it's called "kavannah", without it, every act we do, whether religious or not, loses meaning; it is acting unconsciously.

While the Eastern religions preach the contemplative aspects of life, Judaism finds its spirituality and connection to God in the ordinary events of every day life. We find ours in the workplace, in the supermarket and in the home. I would be inclined to say that Jewish spiritual life rests on a foundation of three pillars: community, sacred actions (Mitzvot), and ordinary everyday activities. It's ironical that the very features of traditional Judaism that seems so foreign contain the very conditions that bring us closer to God. It's like having an oil well in your backyard without even knowing it.