Unfortunately there are some
people that feel that adhering to Jewish laws (halacas), especially the twenty
four plus hours on Shabbos,  feels overly
restrictive and limiting.  How can we
therefore explain to others how to truly appreciate the inner beauty and
expansiveness that is actually achieved through strictly adhering to each
halaca and keeping the Shabbos?

             First let us clearly acknowledge
that the nature of everyone is to feel free and unrestricted, That being said
also at the same time all of us without complaint or negativity everyday strictly
follow the exact rules and regulations for “dialing up” our cell phone or
activating our e-mail in our computer. We willingly and even joyfully push each
button in an exact order because any variance will a cause a malfunction of
some sort.

                  Therefore if we are so
willing to follow perfectly the cell and computer manual  instructions to a tee then why should we find
it so challenging to follow the Torah’s “manual” for keeping Shabbos or other
halacas? After all if that is what works – then do it!

                 Perhaps the following thoughts
will clearly explain the fundamental difference between our cell phone and computer
dial ups and our spiritual “dial ups”. Since no one wants to feel restricted or
limited we are always trying to find new ways to expand our horizons. Whether
though travel, entertainment, hobbies or numerous other intellectual or
emotional outlets each one of us in our own way try to fill our lives with
activities that help make us feel happy and fulfilled. The problem is that we
clearly see that many of those people who have everything they could possibly
want are not truly happy and definitely not feeling fulfilled. Therefore let us
ask why is this so?

              Perhaps we can answer that
although the need for expansion is legitimate and reasonable the direction that
most follow to try to expand is only in the horizontal direction. Take another vacation
or buying another gadget brings temporary pleasure at best. True joy comes
through connecting ourselves to eternal values.

   What is needed for true happiness and
fulfillment is veridical movement. Traveling vertically is the spiritual
component of our lives that connects us to our souls true purpose of living in
this world. This means for example that the same money that can be used to
awaken our physical senses for corporeal pleasures, but that same money can also
be used for acts of kindness.    

   Our problem is that our physical senses are
only calibrated to experience ephemeral joy and happiness which is within the
corporeal horizontal realm of existence.

                Therefore our goal is to learn
how to tune into our spiritual “senses” which can feel the vertical everlasting
joy and happiness that radiates from the fulfillments of mitzvos and keeping
Shabbos.

              Shabbos is a day of total
transformation from the mundane to the supernal, from the transient to the transcendental.

               To all our blog audience – Have a nice Shabbos                     

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