Question of the Week:
What do you say to someone who does not find Judaism to be fulfilling? He says the drudgery of performing religious duties doesn't do it for him. Could it be that some Jews need to find fulfilment elsewhere?
Answer:
The search for fulfilment is one of the plagues of our generation. Today we seek fulfilment in our careers, await fulfilment in our relationships, and expect fulfilment in our spiritual life. Maybe this is why we are so dissatisfied.
Fulfilment is like your favourite pair of nail clippers. When you look for it, you can't find it. Then, when you are not looking, it appears. When you seek fulfilment, it eludes you. But when you go about the business of life and get on with your job, that's when fulfilment appears.
Fulfilment is the by-product of living a life with meaning. And true meaning can only come from living a life that serves a purpose that is beyond self. It's not about fulfilling yourself. It's about fulfilling your soul's task in this world.
Judaism does not promise to provide a feeling of uninterrupted fulfilment. It does promise to provide clarity of purpose and a well-articulated mission for life. The obligations and duties that Judaism places upon us challenge us to reach beyond self-preoccupation and start to serve our purpose.
If you want to find your nail clippers, stop looking for them, and they'll turn up. If you want to find fulfilment, stop seeking it, and it will come. But only when you forget about fulfilling yourself, and start fulfilling your soul's duty.
What do you say to someone who does not find Judaism to be fulfilling? He says the drudgery of performing religious duties doesn't do it for him. Could it be that some Jews need to find fulfilment elsewhere?
Answer:
The search for fulfilment is one of the plagues of our generation. Today we seek fulfilment in our careers, await fulfilment in our relationships, and expect fulfilment in our spiritual life. Maybe this is why we are so dissatisfied.
Fulfilment is like your favourite pair of nail clippers. When you look for it, you can't find it. Then, when you are not looking, it appears. When you seek fulfilment, it eludes you. But when you go about the business of life and get on with your job, that's when fulfilment appears.
Fulfilment is the by-product of living a life with meaning. And true meaning can only come from living a life that serves a purpose that is beyond self. It's not about fulfilling yourself. It's about fulfilling your soul's task in this world.
Judaism does not promise to provide a feeling of uninterrupted fulfilment. It does promise to provide clarity of purpose and a well-articulated mission for life. The obligations and duties that Judaism places upon us challenge us to reach beyond self-preoccupation and start to serve our purpose.
If you want to find your nail clippers, stop looking for them, and they'll turn up. If you want to find fulfilment, stop seeking it, and it will come. But only when you forget about fulfilling yourself, and start fulfilling your soul's duty.
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