The largest distances in the universe are found between Man and God, Man and his full potential, and Man and an Other.
Yet man can meet God in a cup of coffee, manifest his Soul with a pencil, and melt into an Other with a smile.
בקוסמוס של ההיסטוריה היהודית, החידוש של הפסיכולוגיה המודרנית נועד להקדים את ההרס הנורא של השואה כדי לפתוח את היהודי הדתי הנלהב לאפשרות לגלות את האינדיבידואליות שלו בעבודת הקדוש ברוך הוא, תורתו ומצוותיו. כדי להוסיף מימד חדש ל"גברא" של היהודי, בשונה מה"חפצה" של היהדות.
@QuoteJung The eros in logos was found in the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Theserpent seduced Eve with hubris. The commandment was to eat of the Tree of Life...
Hubris is the result of an imbalance between inflation and deflation, grandiosity and inferiority, transcendence and immanence.
The highs and lows of life swing us and down, the question is whether we can contain them and not only not let them define us but become fluent in their rhythms. And allow them to inspire us to become who we are meant to be. The point is to live it and not be lived by them.
בָּקִי בְּרָצוֹא, בָּקִי בְּשׁוּב
לקוטי מוהר"ן ו:ד
העולם נוצר מתוך תוהו ובוהו,
הקליפה קדמה לפרי,
החומריות והגסות הקדימה לבא,
הדינים הקשים והגבורות שלטו לפני התגלות החסדים,
העיגולים קדמו ליושר.
ובעולם הפנימי,
בעולם הרוחני,
הציורי, האידיאלי והאמוני,
גם שם הדבר נוהג כן,
קדימת הקליפה לפרי.
העזות, המרוצה, השטיפה החזקה,
מתבצרת במקום נמוך ומזוהם,
ומשם יוצאת ונלקטת תמצית שמתעדנת ומתרחבת,
מתטהרת ומתקדשת,
עד שנותנת את ריחה הנפלא,
ריח ניחח לה'.
בזוהמתה של עבודה זרה גודל רוח האמונה בכל פראותו וגסותו,
ברתיחתו וכח סוסיותו...
בשיקוע של כל תועבה וכל תאוה גסה ועמוקה הושרשה.
ומתוך הזבלים הסרוחים הללו,
צמח האמונה עלה,
יצא הבניין מתוך התוהו,
ויהי לנטיעה משמחת אלוהים ואנשים,
לגפן פורחת נאדרה בקודש,
בטוהר ועילוי,
בזיו חכמה ובמרץ קודש קדשים,
מצא מקומו בסגולת עמים של כנסת ישראל,
בגוי קדוש שומר אמונים.
(שמונה קבצים ה, קמז)
The Maharal discusses the concept of מצות לאו להינות ניתנו and says that even though man may benefit in some ways by performing a מצוה as he might enjoy its performance and it might enhance his life, the sole purpose of commandment is for man to be a מצווה, for man to be commanded.
The Maggid of Mezritch:
And the peel (the destructive devouring cover of the holy sparks) are called “nukba” (the destructive feminine) for she longs to receive libidinal energy from man when he sins, this might seem similar to the physical form of a woman who is designed to receive but is not the same. In holiness we also have this feminine energy but in the form of “the woman who fears God (Proverbs 31:30)”. She receives pleasure when a person does one of God’s commandments. The difference, though, is that in holiness there is also masculine energy. The masculine energy is derived from God as the commandment to do and is then actualized by man through his intention and action while the feminine energy is received by man in the form of the pleasure and transformation the act brings to the person. In this way of holiness, the feminine and the masculine are found within together. But the destructive feminine just wants to receive. And she searches high and low to find whatever she can just to receive. But she has no impregnation of the Godly energy to do because she shirks that. And so she only knows to devour.
This coincidentia oppositorum, or integration, of ones own internal masculine and feminine opposing forces is the internal psychological process of one who is commanded, accepts and actualizes God's commandment. This is one who is living, as the Maharal says, as "commanded".
This is not merely being responsible per se. It is a receiving from the Divine of a commandment and allowing oneself to be transformed by the energy that is flowing from God through the commandment. Once transformed the "commanded" actualizes the energy inside him through an act or abstinence, depending on the commandment. And is then further changed by the act.
The energy of the commandment, metabolized by man and actualized through him, also transforms the initial energy sent by God. Similar to the way Kopi Luwak coffee is made. And in this way both man and the cosmos are forever changed by God, through man.
Hence, as the Mahral further explains, nothing in God's commanding is for the purpose of God wanting to do good in this world. Nothing in this equation is for the benefit of man. It is, rather, that man should live his life as "commanded"...
@NhavsMaimonides playfully. And yes, also there are other ways. Ways that you've called idolatrous. I also see realms of relating to God other than "service"