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'However, if we examine life, we see that there are many forms of pleasure. Relaxing at a movie is nice - but would you spend your whole life doing it? A good time is fun for a while - but it doesn't satisfy, and we start seeking lasting pleasure. All lasting pleasure is connected with what we would call "spiritual pleasures."
We strive for a career - not because of money alone, but because we think it's "meaningful" - it's "a challenge," through it we can "help people," we can "gain a respected position in society," it will make us "happy."
We seek a relationship - not because of sex, or even companionship, but a search for "love." We look for friends - not because of what they can do for us, but because of the pleasure we get from being with other human beings.
We travel to experience nature - not because of the physical pleasure of a walk in the woods, but because of the "beauty" of it. We help others - not because of what we can get from it but because it's "good" to do so.
Physical pleasures are all short-term. Today, you can't remember what yesterday's food tasted like. Spiritual pleasures are permanent - you can still remember what it felt like to love someone you knew years ago. Physical pleasures are momentary experiences that are superficial to our lives; spiritual pleasures are what we direct our life toward. Yet, if we're not aware of this distinction, we may spend a good part of our lives seeking the physical pleasures that are less important to us, and neglecting the spiritual pleasures that we really look for.
So, even for someone who doesn't believe in God, there is a fundamental principle about life to be learned: what we want out of life is to seek the most real spiritual pleasures, the ones that pay off for us much more than the pleasures we often spend time involved in, that have little or no lasting effect on us.'
{ taken from Rabbi Kalman Packouz's contribution to Shabbat Shalom Weekly for March 24,2008}
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