philosophising | Imamother

Tefila

Thu, Nov 11 2004, 12:14 pm

Feeding one of my twins and was thinking
How would we give examples of having Belief and being Spiritual and how it applys in ones life...?

Last edited by Tefila on Sun, Dec 12 2004, 12:49 am; edited 1 time in total

Motek

Thu, Nov 11 2004, 12:24 pm

re examples of being spiritual:

I read something from a woman who was not yet frum, and was first beginning to study "Jewish mysticism" after studying Buddhism for 18 years. She did not care for the psychological twist given to Jewish mysticism, I.e. explaining Chasidus in psychological terms.

She asked the question: What is the difference between psychology and spirituality? and answered it by saying that although both address the soul, they are worlds apart. The psychology oriented personality is seeking to improve his life, while the spiritualist is seeking the truth of existence. Psychology waters down the truth so that the information should be able to help people in what they are searching for, while spirituality demands from one to conform his or her identity to the undiluted truth.

Although not yet frum, I think she gets the essence of it. It's "what does G-d want of me," rather than "what makes me feel good or better."

I think baalei teshuva who became frum because they wanted to know "what does G-d want of me" are examples of spiritual people. Likewise, anyone who seeks to learn and do what G-d wants of them, is spiritual.

Tefila

Sun, Dec 12 2004, 12:48 am

Why are we Here?
This, the mother of all questions, is addressed in turn by the various streams of Torah thought, each after its own style.

The Talmud states, simply and succinctly, "I was created to serve my Creator." The moralistic-oriented works of Mussar describe the purpose of life as the refinement of one's character traits. The Zohar says that G-d created us "in order that His creations should know Him." Master Kabbalist
Rabbi Isaac Luria offered the following reason for creation: G-d is the essence of good, and the nature of good is to bestow goodness. But goodness cannot be bestowed when there is no one to receive it. To this end, G-d created our world—so that there should be recipients of His goodness.

Chassidic teaching explains that these reasons, as well as the reasons given by other kabbalistic and philosophical works, are but the various faces of a singular divine desire for creation, as expressed in the various "worlds" or realms of G-d's creation. Chassidism also offers its own formulation of this divine desire: that we "Make a home for G-d in the material world."

Motek

Sun, Dec 12 2004, 10:41 am

Quote:

Chassidism also offers its own formulation of this divine desire: that we "Make a home for G-d in the material world."

it's actually a quote from the Medrash Tanchuma on parshas Naso, and it means that that this physical world is "where it's at," not spiritual worlds like Gan Eden.

the proof? Techiyas Ha'Meisim!

if Gan Eden was where it's at, then souls wouldn't be resurrected back into physical bodies!

Rivka

Mon, Dec 20 2004, 3:46 pm

philosophy doesn't take spirituality away, Rambam was a philospher and that was why there was so many people against him, but now-a-days we see him as one of the greatest.
One of the most common questions. Is it better to have been born or not at all. Two theories. Some say better not to have been born as our neshamos didn't want it and we would be in heaven learning torah next to Hashem.
Other theory is, it is better to be born, once you are in the physical world we can do mitzvot and make ourselves spiritually on a higher level, so when we eventually do pass on to the spiritual world which we came from we will be learning next to Hashem, but on a higher level. As the saying goes. No pain, no gain.

Motek

Mon, Dec 20 2004, 4:06 pm

true, Rambam is great

but also true that many of those who philosophized got into trouble

a great man in the time of the expulsion from Spain said that the simple people, when faced with the choice: conversion or leave, left

the intellectuals, the philosophizers, rationalized why they could stay ...

philosophizing, without a strong grounding in yiddishkeit, particularly chasidus, can easily lead to kefira

strong statement, but true

Tefila

Thu, Dec 23 2004, 7:04 pm

Two Souls battle within the person, seeking to express themselves and gain their respective goals through the individual's Thought, Speech and Action. According to Tanya, a person is able to ensure that the Divine Soul always wins this battle, and that his or her practical life connects with G-d, through observance of Jewish teaching, rather than separating from Him by behaviour contrary to the Torah. However, further levels of attainment are possible, such as the silencing of the Animal Soul so that it ceases to act as a force for evil, or even its transformation so that it becomes a positive force for good.

This section of Tanya includes central Chabad teachings such as the importance of joy and of love of one's fellow