Judaism teaches us how to nurture the Divine Spark within us, elevating us in moral worth and dignity and linking us to The Divine.
Spirituality is inner growth nurtured by ethical behavior. Spirituality deals with those potentialities in our natures that elevate us in moral worth and dignity,and thereby link us to God.
This is what makes us uniquely human – the taking upon ourselves the tasks of character development, the paths of righteousness, and the acceptance of responsibility to live an ethical life. It is this striving that realizes and embodies in others and ourselves a higher, broader and more enhanced way of life.
For Judaism, there is no spirituality without responsibility and the facing of the burden of moral ascent.
Through this work, we can transform ourselves, transform others, and ultimately transform the world. It is in this sense that spirituality gives us the possibility of growth in being.
The spiritual path begins with a dual awareness of those elements in us that are expressions of our basest desires and motivations, as well as those elements that are conducive to our highest aspirations.
It begins when we learn how to understand and manage both the ‘good’ and ‘evil’ we confront in ourselves.
The connectedness between the physical and the sacred in oneself is the ground for our transcending and transforming ourselves, thus lifting us to a higher spiritual plane.
One can ascend to a higher level by gaining a fuller sense of self, toward a dimension that links us to the best in ourselves and others.
Or we can descend, giving up the higher for the lower so as to become less than what we could have been.
This is why proper ideals are so important.
Principles of Judaism ( Principle 2) Nurture The Divine Spark Video:
