[Avodah] priorities

[Arie Folger]

RJoel Rich cited a pastor named Timothy Keller, who cited CS Lewis' "Aim at
heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither."

RJR then asked: Do we reflect this? Should we?

Well, the Maharal seems to have a version thereof in this week's parsha. To
Bereishis 1:11 or 1:12, on Rashi commenting on eitz peri osseh peri, Mahral
states that the material world (in his terminology, the earth) is
inherently imperfect, and that if we aim for the earth, we become
defficient, which he finds captured in the verse ki adam ein tzaddik
baaretz asher yaaseh tov velo ye'htah. If you reach for the heavens, i.e.,
in Maharal's context, you understand that blessing comes from heaven, and
it is heaven which gives trees their fruits, and through heavens blessings,
the earth becomes blessed, as a mekabbel, then you will find inherently
more than if you reach for the earth.
-- 
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Yours sincerely,

Arie Folger
Visit my blog at http://rabbifolger.net/

<http://rabbifolger.net/2016/01/28/wir-missionieren-nicht-aber-warum-nicht/>
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