“I think I am doing everything right: Shabbat, kashrut, tefillah, daf yomi, but I don’t get a spiritual high. What am I doing wrong?” This is not an uncommon question.
The Talmud Yerushalmi says that on Judgment Day everyone will be asked, “Did you enjoy and appreciate My world?”
Proper enjoyment of the world is a mitzvah, as we acknowledge the grandeur of G-d’s creation. Indeed, Rambam says that the way to achieve love of G-d is to study His magnificent creations (Yesodei HaTorah 2:1–2). The incomparable wonders of the world—whether the macrocosm of super galaxies, the microcosm of molecular structure or the intricate design of a leaf—declare the awesome wisdom and majesty of G-d. A physician specializing in infertility once said, “I peered through a microscope at a tiny fertilized ovum. I realized that from this point on, all this single cell will receive is a variety of chemicals, from which it will fashion a full human being, with a liver that puts all chemical plants to shame and a brain of 100 billion interconnecting cells. It was then that I appreciated the infinite wisdom and omnipotence of G-d.”
The Shulchan Aruch lists a number of berachot to be recited in appreciation of the marvels of creation, and I have been fortunate to say them, as I have seen the glaciers of Alaska, the snowcapped mountains of the Alps, a display of the aurora borealis, the oasis of Ein Gedi, the breathtaking Grand Canyon, the tropical forests of the Amazon, the mighty Niagra Falls, the giant redwood trees in California, the sunrise and sunset at the western and eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee and the birds and beasts of the jungles of South Africa.
Proper enjoyment of the world is a mitzvah . . . the way to achieve love of G-d is to study His magnificent creations.
Chazal made it abundantly clear that both prayer and Torah study require an appreciation of the majesty of G-d, which, as Rambam says, can be achieved by reflecting and meditating on the miracle of nature. This idea is evident in Psalms (19:8–9), where King David prefaces his praises of the Torah with, “The heavens declare the glory of G-d, and the expanse of the sky tells of His handiwork” (19:2). Furthermore, in chapter 104, he says, “Bless Hashem, O my soul. Hashem, my G-d, You are very great” (1), and then follows with a description of nature so enrapturing that some say it is worthwhile to learn Hebrew if only to read chapter 104 in the original. Similarly, the daily prayer of Shema, in which we accept the sovereignty of G-d, is preceded by several paragraphs lauding the grandeur of the heavenly bodies.
Some people who pray regularly admit that their prayer lacks fervor and that their performance of mitzvot lacks enthusiasm. Think what it would be like if all the necessary nutrients were provided for us in tasteless food. We could survive, but there would be no pleasure in eating. Prayer, mitzvot and Torah study are indeed the nutrients of the soul, but they are sometimes performed without “flavor.” King David was right. Appreciating the majesty of G-d through His wondrous works is a necessary prerequisite for prayer and Torah study.
One does not have to be a world traveler, astronomer or microscopist to appreciate G-d’s magnificent creations. When one recites the berachah for fruit, “Borei peri haeitz,” and reflects that a tiny seed disintegrates in the ground and produces a tree that will bear abundant fruit for many years, one can appreciate the Divine grandeur.
The unwillingness to stop and reflect on the wonder of G-d’s world reminds me of the story of a museum visitor who was looking at artistic masterpieces but complained that he saw “only colors.” The museum guide removed the visitor’s glasses, which were dirty. Looking through clear lenses, the visitor could see the beauty of the paintings.
If we take the time and make the effort to meditate adequately on the majesty of G-d, our prayers, Torah study and performance of mitzvot will be spiritually uplifting.
Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski, zt”l, was a prolific writer and one of the country’s leading experts in alcoholic and drug rehabilitation. He was the founder of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has written and published many works.