Every week, I try to attend services across from our house. Sometimes I opt for a women’s group which focuses on weekly in-depth studying of different sections of the Torah or “parshas.” This past week, the group organizer passed out slips based on important sections from the Torah and what prominent figures like Moshe or Avraham or Ruth said. There were names of tribes and daughter and sons whose names I didn’t recognize or couldn’t even pronounce clearly.
We read these section aloud, gave our own spiritual interpretation and tried to associate them with the trials and tribulations of modern life. I find that spiritual fulfillment gives enthusiasm to study–especially when we can associate the deeper meanings with areas to which all Jewish women can relate.
My section was connected with the importance of self-sacrifice which I found quite interesting especially when it involves slaughtering an animal. In biblical times, slaughtering an animal was considered a godly deed as one gives something up for God such as his/her own food. In Jewish terms, when an animal is slaughtered, its soul or the “neshama” is elevated; thus the act of slaughtering becomes a godly act of divine providence.
I brought up the example to the group of self-sacrifice and generating income with my educational and freelance writing business. Even as it’s just starting to take off, I brought up the need to become spiritually connected, which is an important part of my life. For me, it’s the daily act of performing mitzvahs, or doing good deeds that elevates me spiritually as opposed to galvanizing towards making money for the purpose of becoming more popular, richer, more well-known, etc.
Rabbi Pinchas Winston relates to concept of self-sacrifice “mesiros nefesh” (literally, “handing over of one’s soul”), “because that is what one is doing when he gives of himself for another cause. This is why stores owners often place their first-earned ten dollar bill up on the wall. It is not that they have never seen or possessed a ten dollar bill before; they have. But that is not just any ten dollar bill up there on the wall–that is ten dollars of the owner up on the wall, if not more.” (Rabbi Pinchas Winston, torah.org)
Now I can relate to business owners putting up bills on their walls. I could never understand that yet I saw this over and over agian in Israel.
Mitzvahs including those of self-sacrifice for every generation help promote knowledge and belief of bringing divine providence for the soul The Torah is there to guide and show you what is morally correct. Of course, this is also morality in God’s perspective. Our own personalities and challenges help us find our own particular mission in life.
I think there is much to be said of finding your own spiritual grounding before you go out and make a buck.