Guest Rambler, Sydni Burg
Continuing the Spiritual High
and Why I Chose Shabbos
It’s the tenth of October and I am sitting at my desk in my dorm room. My laundry is in the dryer in the basement of my building (after weeks of neglect), and I am finally sitting down to "ramble."
This may sound like an extremely uneventful way to lead into something that I hope people will read, but what I will try to highlight throughout my writing is a very unique dichotomy that we as Jews face, and it begins with the typical mundane afternoon.
After either going home to Cleveland, or practically living at my campus’s Chabad for the past handful of weeks, I am grateful that I can finally do my laundry, sit down with a snack, and write on this fundamental Jewish topic.
With the rapid succession of holidays over the last month, I have hopped from one spiritual high to the next, almost uninterrupted. After experiencing each holiday in such a meaningful way last year when I was in seminary, I was determined to observe a couple holidays while back home.
Being at college for Yom Kippur meant walking to Chabad for meals, having to wait outside my dorm until someone walked in before me (to avoid using my digital swipe card), and waiting for my non-Jewish roommate to turn on the lights at her will so I could read. Albeit extremely difficult, my experience was enhanced immeasurably. The effect left me wondering how I could continue to soar on the feeling even after all the holidays would inevitably end.
The dichotomy I previously mentioned was the clear-cut contrast between physicality and spirituality which manifested through my observance of the holidays. Seemingly removing myself from the demands of the physical world actually elevated me spiritually. Only, what I didn’t realize was that I was doing the opposite of removing myself from physicality: I was subjecting myself to its authenticity by eliminating surface distractions.
My meals at Chabad led me to new friendships and conversations that lasted hours. Not carrying my cell phone forced me to recognize the beauty of the flowing river along campus (which I literally did not know existed). Freeing my ears from headphones allowed me to hear the chaos of life around me from which I was detached for just a while longer. I realized that I was savoring the true physicality of the world around me because I was actually experiencing it properly.
In order to connect to God in Judaism, it is absolutely essential to utilize the physical world around us as the vehicle. God put us on this earth as physical beings, with physical drives and concrete needs.
The Torah recognizes human nature in its most genuine form, and therefore advises us accordingly. The real way to connect is to sanctify the physical world around us, elevate it to something spiritual and unlock God’s divine presence. Some mitzvot that exemplify this concept are saying blessings over the food we eat, saying tfillat haderech (the Traver's Prayer) during travel, toveling dishes by dipping them in a mikveh, kashering kitchens, the laws of modesty, and even a baby boy’s bris.
In order to understand just how unique Judaism is, comparisons from other major religions of the world must be drawn. Beginning with Christianity, the ultimate level of godliness is practicing nunnery in a seminary, almost completely secluded from the outside world. To become a pastor, one must remain celibate and is not permitted to start a family. Buddhism is the religion of monks sitting on remote mountain tops for days at a time, and one of Hinduism’s most known religious traditions is a vow of silence called “Mauna.”
With a simple Google search, the list would continue. If you haven’t already guessed it, the major commonality derived from these religions is removal in one way or another from the physical world in which we live. Whether it’s lack of intimate human connection, inability to verbally express one’s self, or isolation from society, other religions deem it necessary to impair aspects of physicality in order to achieve spirituality.
Judaism, however, could not be more different. While we have the same lofty goals of striving for spirituality, we have a very different way of attaining it. And that is exactly what I was able to realize as a collective lesson from all of the holidays with Shabbats sprinkled in between.
So, how exactly did I decide to continue the spiritual high? Shabbos was the obvious next step in my eyes. Beginning with only observing Friday nights, and progressing from there, gradually working my way up to keeping Shabbat became my new year’s promise to God, and to myself. In my eyes, Shabbat captures the essence of the beautiful contrast AND marriage of the wonderful world God created for us and our ability to use it as a vessel for spirituality. It enhances my one-on-one connection from Friday to Saturday night as well as strengthens my relationship and thoughtfulness during the week.
While I know it’s well past Rosh Hashana, and the fast-paced holidays have come to a close, I hope everyone was able to generate the inspiration to connect in one new way this year. Whether it’s keeping Shabbat or posting one mezuzah in your home, every seemingly small step is a leap in the right direction.
Shabbat Shalom,
Sydni Burg
