By Rabbi Dovid Markel
There is an expression that “an animal never saw the heavens[1].” An animal that walks on four legs only sees the earth. Animals understand physicality and the coarseness of the world. Man, however, possesses the ability to stare at the heavens and to contemplate G-d and to connect with the spiritual.
Explaining spirituality to our animalistic soul is akin to explaining culture to a savage. Though the barbarian indeed has the intellect to understand, the entire concept is foreign to him. In order to explain him culture one must simplify the ideas and explain it to him in his own terms.
The same too is with our animal soul. Though man was created with intellect, his animal soul does not naturally relate to spiritual concepts. One must therefore explain to his animal G-dliness and spirituality using the language that our animal can understand. We must be patient with it, as the concept is one that is entirely foreign to it.
