Who doesn’t love a good simcha?
Family, friends, and, of course, great food!
Many of us appreciate a delicious meal, but have you ever thought about its spiritual impact?
In this week’s Torah portion, Jethro converts to Judaism, and as part of the celebration, “the dignitaries of Israel join him in a festive meal”. 1
Of course, a meal is a nice way to celebrate, but there is a deeper purpose to it as well.
As humans, we are made up of a soul and a body. When the body is feeling peaceful and grounded, through healthy enjoyments – such as music or good food – our soul is able to connect more easily to spiritual pleasures.
Jethro’s welcome to the Jewish people included a festive meal. This helped everyone to enjoy the celebration in a physical way – through delicious food, and it also helped them to enjoy the celebration in a spiritual way, and brought them to “a heightened awareness of G-d”. 2
Think about it – have you ever tried to pay attention to a Jewish class with a rumbling stomach? It isn’t easy. Bring in some good snacks, and suddenly, your capacity for learning increases.
While we aim to put our souls “in charge”, caring for our bodies is an important part of this process.
I love the following analogy from my Rebbetzin in Toronto: she compares the body to a horse, and the soul to a horseback rider.
Body = horse
Soul = horseback rider
We want the horseback rider to be in control.
We don’t wantthe horse pulling us all over the place, based on every whim and desire. That said, we do need to keep the horse reasonably happy in order to keep moving.3
A festive meal is a great way to satisfy our body, in order to allow our soul to fully engage in a simcha.
While a delicious meal is lovely, it is nothing compared to connecting to the spirituality of a simcha, which is the ultimate goal.
May we all find a healthy balance in our lives, and use the physical world to heighten our connection to deeper spiritual realities!
Shabbat Shalom,
Danielle
I like the analogy of horse/human. I would only add that as with riding a horse, it takes practice to achieve balance and direction the rider wants. This is also very similar to what the balancing body and soul requires. No one can achieve the balance immediately, it takes practice.
I am still practicing!