What I am about to say is subjective. It might not resonate with everyone.
One can use mystical teachings to escape reality or to engage reality. I've spent years studying Jewish mysticism. Despite all my years of studying, today I finally came to an understanding of what makes the Lubavitcher path different.
I grew up in "Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn" in the 1970's & 80's. My Torah education had a real emphasis on finding God in the hereafter. Finally, a stream of Torah teaching came along and said to me, "Find God here! Find Him in this world. There's no need to wait until the next world (as spiritually dazzling as it might be). He's as much on earth as He's in heaven."
To me, that's Lubavitch!
One can use mystical teachings to escape reality or to engage reality. I've spent years studying Jewish mysticism. Despite all my years of studying, today I finally came to an understanding of what makes the Lubavitcher path different.
I grew up in "Orthodox Jewish Brooklyn" in the 1970's & 80's. My Torah education had a real emphasis on finding God in the hereafter. Finally, a stream of Torah teaching came along and said to me, "Find God here! Find Him in this world. There's no need to wait until the next world (as spiritually dazzling as it might be). He's as much on earth as He's in heaven."
To me, that's Lubavitch!
FaceBook Comments:
ReplyDeleteIris G. : The whole point of Lubavitch is accessibility of God to everyone, isn't it? I love the joyous worship of their approach. That's where I find God in this world! BTW, I always enjoy your posts! Good Shabbos!
Hadassah C. : Sounds beautiful to me... ... Shabbat Shalom friend!!!
Shayna N. : This is beautiful and true. But why is this specifically Lubavitch? To me it describes any Jewish spiritual path that includes kabbalistic thought. I think all the teachings I feature on my website would fit in this description and only a few of the authors are Lubavitch. Shabbat Shalom.
Miriam L. : Happy for you Choni, Lubavitch is so beautiful, and also love Breslover way and Rebbe Nachman!
Ze'ev G. : Beautiful!
Reuven S. : Good Shabbos. Very true.
Choni : To Iris G. : I am so touched. I had no idea that you enjoy my posts. Thank you for telling me. Shabbat Shalom
Choni : Shabbat Shalom Hadassah C.
Choni : To Shayna N. : It's a question of emphasis. Ultimately, all paths in Judaism say the same thing. They smoothly blend together and easily complement each other's concepts. For example, I can show the same ideas running through Ramchal, Rav Ashlag, Rebbe Nachman and the Ba'al HaTanya. However, what each path mainly emphasizes and puts it's energies into is slightly different. What you'll see over and over again repeated in each of their works will be slightly different. That's beautiful! I love it. I was just emphasizing the unique beauty I find in Lubavitch and I had to draw on it today to stay spiritually balanced.
Choni : Yes Miriam S., I agree that it's all beautiful. Today I had an incident that jolted me into drawing on what I learned from Lubavitch in order to remain spiritually balanced.
Karen Z. : YUP.
Elizabeth M. : Amen! He is everywhere. We always need to acknowledge him and invite him in our days. psalm 91-1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Shabbat Shalom
Shlomo D. : I am a Talmud of Rav Matis Weinberg in the Od City of Jerusalem, and I feel that Hashem brought me to Israel to follow this path. He is the grandson of the Slominer Rebbe who decided to embrace rather than isolate himself from the best that the modern world has to offer, and it suits me to a T. Thanks to Choni for starting this thread.
Tikva C. : it would be nice if you share Shlomo from time to time some Slominer Rebbe Torahlas. He is gevaltich!
Choni : Shavuah Tov Shlomo D. & Tikva C. : This is the first I am hearing about Rav Matis Weinberg - though I've heard of the "Nisavat Shalom" and even had the pleasure of peeking at his Torahs a little bit. I probably don't know most of the contemporary Torah personalities in Eretz Yisrael. So please share. In general I love mystical thought. And I was sharing was what I love about the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Torahs; namely, that he expresses a mysticism designed to engage immediate reality in the moment. It's possible to use mysticism as escapism and it's also possible to use mysticism as a tool for engagement. He it's very obvious that does the latter.