"Union with God' is not a Jewish aspiration as this Jew understands it. The Zaddikim spoke of "turning to God' or "clinging to God" and the older Biblical notion is "searching for God" or "returning to God." Man cannot merge with God as in the Vedic realization of Atman, or if he can, it's not a realistic goal for 99.99 percent of us. Wh…
"Union with God' is not a Jewish aspiration as this Jew understands it. The Zaddikim spoke of "turning to God' or "clinging to God" and the older Biblical notion is "searching for God" or "returning to God." Man cannot merge with God as in the Vedic realization of Atman, or if he can, it's not a realistic goal for 99.99 percent of us. What we can reasonably do is to seek the presence or holiness of God sincerely. Above all through prayer, but also in many other ways including deeds of compassion and charity. God wants us to be people, good people. Not to be God Himself.
We become good people by striving to be more like God through worshipping Him. A key Jewish concept which has influenced me is the idea that the effect of idolatry is that we become like what we worship. Whichever God one chooses to worship, one will take on the qualifies of it. And so the same with the God of the Bible.
And mysticism is essentially a form of worship, just to a much more intense degree. As one gets close to God through compassion, charity, prayer, one also does so through mystical rituals capable of producing mystical experiences. And note that "union with God" is not the same thing as "becoming God." Growing very close to someone and becoming more like them is not the same as becoming them.
"Union with God' is not a Jewish aspiration as this Jew understands it. The Zaddikim spoke of "turning to God' or "clinging to God" and the older Biblical notion is "searching for God" or "returning to God." Man cannot merge with God as in the Vedic realization of Atman, or if he can, it's not a realistic goal for 99.99 percent of us. What we can reasonably do is to seek the presence or holiness of God sincerely. Above all through prayer, but also in many other ways including deeds of compassion and charity. God wants us to be people, good people. Not to be God Himself.
We become good people by striving to be more like God through worshipping Him. A key Jewish concept which has influenced me is the idea that the effect of idolatry is that we become like what we worship. Whichever God one chooses to worship, one will take on the qualifies of it. And so the same with the God of the Bible.
And mysticism is essentially a form of worship, just to a much more intense degree. As one gets close to God through compassion, charity, prayer, one also does so through mystical rituals capable of producing mystical experiences. And note that "union with God" is not the same thing as "becoming God." Growing very close to someone and becoming more like them is not the same as becoming them.