The Goal of JudaismI found his straightforward answer very inspiring. I continued, "Please tell us, what is the goal of Judaism?" "The goal of Judaism," he answered, "is to somehow carry out the ideals — the values — which man apprehends to be godly in our lives. So the goal of Judaism is to live lives in harmony with God." "And how do you do that? I recognize you have these four pathways but ...." "That’s right," he said. "What Jewish tradition and experience has offered us are insights into all four pathways. Ultimately, belief is not the significant achievement or criterion of Jewish consciousness. The ultimate criterion is: what impact does one of these four pathways have on your behavior, how do you live your life as a consequence of whatever experience you have had? The Jewish concept of love, for example, is a good image in that regard. Love as a feeling is not enough in Jewish tradition. If you sit in your living room in front of the fireplace and you extol and exalt about how you love God but that love does not implore you to go out and do anything about your relationships with your fellow man or the world in which you live, or in developing your own talents and abilities, then somehow that love is insufficient. Spiritual experience has to somehow create differences in your behavior, have an effect on the way you live. |
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