There are some people I love to read. It could be what they write or the way they write it. One of those people is the late twentieth century Jewish theologian, Abraham Joshua Heschel. He is an incredibly articulate writer. And he had some amazing experiences in life that where challenging, to be sure, but eventually shaped his soul such that he looked at life---and particularly the life of faith---in ways most of us can’t. He was a Jew living in Europe during the time of the Nazis.
At some point he came to this country. He was a rabbi in the truest sense of the word—a teacher. He was grounded in the Torah---the Bible and Jewish tradition. He understood that tradition was a living tradition. It was not simply musty history. The God of the Bible and tradition was a living God, who still was at work in the world today. For Heschel, religion was life, not simply a part of his life.
I have an array of his books. His work on the prophets is magisterial. For Heschel prophets were not just a bunch of really old Jewish thinkers who have books in the Old Testament named after them, such as Jeremiah, Isaiah and the like. Heschel was convinced that there were prophets among our midst. One such prophet was Martin Luther King, Jr. Anyone who knows anything about Heschel can conjure up the image of King and Heschel marching across the bridge in Selma during a peace march.
Recently, I read a section in Heschel’s book, Quest for God, which challenged my thinking about spirituality and the spiritual life. Heschel reflects on what he calls “the Jewish order of living.” I was reminded that for the Jew, religion is first of all action and only secondarily a set of beliefs or doctrines. This is exactly the opposite from most Christians, which means we Christians often don’t get it!
I was intrigued by Heschel’s comments on spiritual meaning. He says, “The order of Jewish living is a spiritual one; it has a spiritual logic of its own which cannot be apprehended unless its basic terms are lived and appreciated.” This is an example of why I like Heschel. It is simple, he tells us. Jewish living is a spiritual living. I dare say, the same must be true of Christianity. I am intrigued, then, when he further tells us that it has a spiritual logic of its own. He soon develops this when he recognizes that this spiritual living does not depend upon reason alone.
Let’s follow Heschel down this path. He says that “Indeed, any reason we may advance for our loyalty to the Jewish order of living merely points to one of its many facets.” Next he introduces the Jewish idea of mitzvoth to the reader. Mitzvoth is plural for the word, mitzvah, which means a “deed” or “action.” A mitzvah is part of the covenant God made with the people of God, namely, Israel. God chooses this particular people and establishes relationship. Part of the deal, so to speak, is that the people of God will “keep the covenant,” which means they agree to do the things the covenant asks. An example of this would be to keep the Ten Commandments. If they keep the covenant, then God will be to them a God who blesses. Good things will come from this covenantal relationship.
Hence the Jewish action or life of deeds comes from this relationship. It is not so much an issue of belief or doctrine, as it is relationship. We know who God is in this relationship and we know who we are supposed to be. It is a matter of doing it, not simply believing it. This is where the meaning will come from---from the relationship and “doing” the relationship. In this sense it is not unlike a marriage or a good friendship. Those are not so much matters of belief as they are action.
Here is how Heschel puts it. “To say that the mitzvoth have meaning is less accurate than saying that they lead us to the wells of emergent meaning, to experiences which are full of hidden brilliance of the holy, suddenly blazing in our thoughts.” I like the idea of emergent meaning. In effect, Heschel assures us the mitzvah---they deed---acquires meaning because it leads us to an experience. Emergent meaning is like a well.
At this well we will be given experiences which are full of hidden brilliance. In doing the deed, this brilliance will break out in full splendor! Suddenly thoughts will blaze in our heads. I can image Heschel going on. Life will become special, indeed, holy. We will know that we are children of God and children of the covenant. Our lives will become lives of thanksgiving because we now know the meaning of life itself.
I like how Heschel talks about emergent meaning. I contrast this with so many things people do in the hopes that meaning will be found. Often what we find is a dead end. I think about all the illusions our culture and media tries to sell us. Try this: be beautiful, happy, rich, famous, etc. We don’t have to do, just believe! Typically, there is no emergent meaning.
Heschel offers another option. He is not selling anything. What he offers is relationship with the living God and the consequent emergent meaning.
At some point he came to this country. He was a rabbi in the truest sense of the word—a teacher. He was grounded in the Torah---the Bible and Jewish tradition. He understood that tradition was a living tradition. It was not simply musty history. The God of the Bible and tradition was a living God, who still was at work in the world today. For Heschel, religion was life, not simply a part of his life.
I have an array of his books. His work on the prophets is magisterial. For Heschel prophets were not just a bunch of really old Jewish thinkers who have books in the Old Testament named after them, such as Jeremiah, Isaiah and the like. Heschel was convinced that there were prophets among our midst. One such prophet was Martin Luther King, Jr. Anyone who knows anything about Heschel can conjure up the image of King and Heschel marching across the bridge in Selma during a peace march.
Recently, I read a section in Heschel’s book, Quest for God, which challenged my thinking about spirituality and the spiritual life. Heschel reflects on what he calls “the Jewish order of living.” I was reminded that for the Jew, religion is first of all action and only secondarily a set of beliefs or doctrines. This is exactly the opposite from most Christians, which means we Christians often don’t get it!
I was intrigued by Heschel’s comments on spiritual meaning. He says, “The order of Jewish living is a spiritual one; it has a spiritual logic of its own which cannot be apprehended unless its basic terms are lived and appreciated.” This is an example of why I like Heschel. It is simple, he tells us. Jewish living is a spiritual living. I dare say, the same must be true of Christianity. I am intrigued, then, when he further tells us that it has a spiritual logic of its own. He soon develops this when he recognizes that this spiritual living does not depend upon reason alone.
Let’s follow Heschel down this path. He says that “Indeed, any reason we may advance for our loyalty to the Jewish order of living merely points to one of its many facets.” Next he introduces the Jewish idea of mitzvoth to the reader. Mitzvoth is plural for the word, mitzvah, which means a “deed” or “action.” A mitzvah is part of the covenant God made with the people of God, namely, Israel. God chooses this particular people and establishes relationship. Part of the deal, so to speak, is that the people of God will “keep the covenant,” which means they agree to do the things the covenant asks. An example of this would be to keep the Ten Commandments. If they keep the covenant, then God will be to them a God who blesses. Good things will come from this covenantal relationship.
Hence the Jewish action or life of deeds comes from this relationship. It is not so much an issue of belief or doctrine, as it is relationship. We know who God is in this relationship and we know who we are supposed to be. It is a matter of doing it, not simply believing it. This is where the meaning will come from---from the relationship and “doing” the relationship. In this sense it is not unlike a marriage or a good friendship. Those are not so much matters of belief as they are action.
Here is how Heschel puts it. “To say that the mitzvoth have meaning is less accurate than saying that they lead us to the wells of emergent meaning, to experiences which are full of hidden brilliance of the holy, suddenly blazing in our thoughts.” I like the idea of emergent meaning. In effect, Heschel assures us the mitzvah---they deed---acquires meaning because it leads us to an experience. Emergent meaning is like a well.
At this well we will be given experiences which are full of hidden brilliance. In doing the deed, this brilliance will break out in full splendor! Suddenly thoughts will blaze in our heads. I can image Heschel going on. Life will become special, indeed, holy. We will know that we are children of God and children of the covenant. Our lives will become lives of thanksgiving because we now know the meaning of life itself.
I like how Heschel talks about emergent meaning. I contrast this with so many things people do in the hopes that meaning will be found. Often what we find is a dead end. I think about all the illusions our culture and media tries to sell us. Try this: be beautiful, happy, rich, famous, etc. We don’t have to do, just believe! Typically, there is no emergent meaning.
Heschel offers another option. He is not selling anything. What he offers is relationship with the living God and the consequent emergent meaning.
Comments
Post a Comment