By: Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui
Anybody who is somebody, wants more of a spiritual connection in life. Some of us are not sure why that is so but the desire is there. For some they aren’t even sure what spiritual means. To some, spiritual means nonphysical, transcendent. To others, spiritual could mean a whole range from psychic to mystical to divine.
For the sake of our conversation, spiritual means divine and G-dly.
When G-d revealed himself to the Israelites at Mt Sinai the verse says, “And G-d descended over Mt Sinai…” The mystics tell us, that with the giving of the Torah, with this great gesture on G-ds part, a bridge was formed and sealed between the lower worlds and the higher worlds. It became possible for people in this physical world to connect and attach themselves with the infinite G-d.
When G-d gave the Ten Commandments, and the infinite G-d revealed His wisdom from above, all the sick were cured of every illness. There is no place for illness weakness or any shortcomings when the infinite perfect G-d is discovered.
How can a puny human being ever connect with this great G-d so they as human beings become more spiritual and divine? Only by fulfilling the requests and wishes of G-d, we develop this bond and connection with Him.
Our sages tell us the word Sinai come from the word to hate. In order to be recipient of G-dliness and spirituality one must hate materialism and worldly pleasures. They say, “just like water and fire can never live together, so too, it is not possible for the love of G-d and the love of this world to dwell together.”
For somebody to truly and completely receive G-d in their life they must totally liberate themselves from the hold of this corporeal world which conceals and therefore challenges G-ds existence. They must evolve from any of the worldly limited and finite paradigms. A great sage was once asked where is G-d? He answered, “Wherever He is allowed to enter.” The place must be one that is welcoming and hospitable to the awareness of G-d.
The book of the Zohar says, “The strength of the body is the weakness of the soul, the weakness of the body is the strength of the soul.” A person is commanded to have a healthy body, however the strength of the body, passion and zeal, enthusiasm and excitement for worldly and materialistic pursuits weaken the possibility for the spiritual and the soul.
“I am G-d your G-d… you shall have no other G-d…” is the first and second commandment. The relationship between G-d and his People is likened to the relationship between a husband and wife. Just like the slightest distraction in a relationship will compromise the bond between a husband and wife the same is also true in the relationship between us and G-d.
When a person is focused on his body, materialistic pleasures, and everything is done to please and satisfy the body, the relationship with one’s soul, the G-d within, is ignored and seriously compromised. When however the ultimate goal is to satisfy and fulfill the spiritual goals by fulfilling G-ds commandments with the help of whatever physical a person is blessed with, then the world becomes a vehicle for the spiritual. Then, we have allowed G-d in, to our world.
G-d put us in this physical world not to ignore the beautiful blessings He so kindly granted us. We however have the G-dly given free will to use what is in this world to serve our hedonistic side which conceals G-dliness, or to use what is in this world purely to serve G-d. Then, we have become a dwelling place for the divine, within ourselves.
To read more articles from Rabbi Ezagui visit him at http://koshercaffeine.blogspot.com
