What is the point of the myriad commandments governing every aspect of a Jew's life? Why does Judaism require action at all? Why do religious feeling and contemplation not suffice? Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, the great twentieth-century theoretician of Jewish law (Halakhah) who died twenty-five years ago today, addressed these questions within the context of his own tradition—though his answers are relevant to people of all faiths.
On the one hand, explains Rabbi Soloveitchik, Judaism wants people to live full, natural lives, and the commandments pertaining to the physical side of existence—such as festive meals, conjugal relations, or offering first fruits—force people to involve themselves in the natural world. In this manner, one who follows the Halakhah can avoid the temptation of a purely ethereal, otherworldly spirituality, which leads to a dualistic affirmation of the spirit and rejection of the world.
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