What do jewish believe is spirituality?

Question

like some people thing it is about "being" what do jewish people believe

Answer 1

I answered you the other day on this, so I've just reposted that answer here again :)

Check out some of the websites listed at the end, you may find them helpful :)

Judaism is concerned with trying to 'repair the world' or as we say in Hebrew, 'tikkun olam'. We believe that it is entirely possible to draw closer to G-d by behaving ethically and by trying our best to uphold his laws, as conveyed by G-d to the Israelites when he gave them the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Judaism is a very pragmatic faith; we focus on this life, and on making it moral, meaningful and yes, enjoyable where possible! So you don't tend to find Jews fretting about the afterlife or anything like that.

If it's the more mystical side to Judaism you are interested in, then I think it's probably Kabbalah you are asking about. This is NOT what Madonna etc study. Proper Kabbalah involves studying the Torah in a particular way and doesn't make sense to anyone not well versed in Judaism. I personally don't know any Jews who study Kabbalah but I recommend a book called Kabbalah For Dummies by Arthur Kurzweil. He also wrote Torah For Dummies; get them both, read the Torah book first as it will help to explain the other book.

http://www.askmoses.com

http://www.ajewwithaview.com

Answer 2

I don't understand the question. We believe in faith and good works. Living by the Torah.

Is that what you mean?

Answer 3

Spirituality doesn't play much part in Judaism except for the mystical Kabbalah which we don't study until we have a full understanding of Judaism.

Judaism is about living our lives here on earth according to God's will.  Just as a fetus has no idea what's in store for it, we have no idea what the afterlife will bring, if there is one.  Judaism is a *journey* not a destination.  In Judaism, beliefs flow from behavior, while in Christianity, behavior flows from beliefs.  The Jewish tradition doesn't ask us to believe in doing good, or even to feel good, before actually doing good.  We're supposed to do it anyway.

Learn to do good;

Seek justice,

Reprove the ruthless,

Defend the orphan,

Plead for the widow.  (Isaiah 1:17)

“So now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?  Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord your God and His decrees that I am commanding you today, FOR YOUR OWN WELL-BEING.  Deut. 10:12

Some people believe that the principal goal of man is personal salvation.  To them man’s first concern must always be to climb the mountain of righteousness for himself, to ensure that his every act  and thought is just and pure.  Judaism rejects this view.   From the vantage point of Judaism, it is not personal salvation but world redemption that is man’s first responsibility.  Therefore, when man comes before God to express his deepest desires, when he calls forth his most private thoughts, he must do so in the company of the community.  For although his words remain private, his prayers must not be only for himself.  

Judaism came into this world to replace paganism with ethical monotheism: replacing the worship of all-too-visible personalities and objects with worship of the invisible and indivisible God who is the unifying force behind nature.  And Judaism delivered unto the world a code of conduct by which man must live if he is to draw in closer proximity with his creator.  Man is free, but his liberty must not be mistaken for license.

Above all, Judaism established divisions within empirical existence such as the separation between the holy and the mundane, between animal life and human life, and between the Sabbath day and the rest of the week.  The strongest distinction it established is that between “Creator” and “created” or, more appropriately, between God and man.  The Hebrew word for “holy” is kadosh, literally, “separate” or “distinct.”  God is holy by virtue of the fact that He is completely distinct from anything human, just as the Sabbath day is holy by virtue of the fact that it is treated differently from the other days of the week.  Ancient pagan worship and Greek mythology are replete with references to human deities, but powerful biblical verses assure us that God is not human and has no corporal form.

God gave us the law out of love and our observance is a reciprocal expression of love. If you love someone, nothing gives you more pleasure than doing that which you know will please him or her. The concept of Ahavat haShem, love of God, is of paramount importance in our tradition. To separate love and observance of the law is a misleading distortion.  

http://www.jewishledger.com/articles/200...

When Nobel Prize winner Isaac Rabi was asked to what he attributed his success, he said he always remembered that every day when he came home from school his mother would ask him, "Did you ask any good questions today?" What he imbibed was that we ultimately gain more from questions than answers. Answers bring a subject to a close; questions open us up to ever more profound and deeper understanding. That perhaps more than anything else may explain Jewish genius. From youth we explore the Torah, Talmud and commentaries with inquisitive minds encouraged to ask even when no clear response is in sight. To do otherwise would be to imply that our faith cannot withstand scrutiny, that our commitment to God is so tenuous that it is afraid of critical analysis.

In Judaism, we are taught to think, to ask questions, and to be skeptical; we are encouraged not to accept things on faith, but to look for proof. This constitutes one of the biggest differences between Judaism and Christianity. While faith plays a vital role, Judaism places great emphasis on learning and education.

Bertrand Russell, British philosopher says  Ã¢Â€ÂœMany people would sooner die than think.  In fact, they do.”   For Russell, faith is definitely not a virtue because it silences questioning.

The Book of Proverbs reminds us that “Zeal without knowledge is not good.”

He that cannot reason is a fool;

He that will not is a bigot;

He that dare not is a slave.