Living Life's Greatest Joy

"At the end of the evening, I thanked my hosts very much and left. Outside, it was pouring rain. As I got into my car, I saw the man walk out of the house and down the street in the rain with no jacket. I thought, "Where is this guy going?" My friend who had arranged the initial meeting shook her head and said, "Poor man."

"I beg your pardon. What is so poor about him?" I asked her.

"Didn't you see that he couldn't sit for a second? Didn't you see that he couldn't even listen to your class? Look at him now walking in the rain. The poor thing doesn't sleep at night. He often seen walking the streets though out the night."

This rich man was a very poor soul. Although he lived in a mansion — as a soul he was spiritually homeless.

To realize this truth, we have to disengage from the outer trappings of our career, money and social status and direct our "I" to bond with G-d and to serve G-d. This is the power of the teachings of Torah and living the mitzvahs. They enable us to consciously anchor our "I", our souls, in G-d and be in service of the Ultimate I.

This is what the Jewish people experienced when they received the commandments from G-d at Mt. Sinai. Imbued with the ability to identify completely with the Master I Am, they experienced the difference between freedom from oppression and freedom to expression. For example, after the Jews were freed from Egyptian slavery, they were then free to be themselves and actualize themselves to serve as channels for the presence of G-d on earth.

We, too, can be freed from being victimized by our addictions or by other people, but that does not guarantee us the freedom to be ourselves. To reach this second goal, we have to find out who the self really is; what is its' eternal root and what is its' purpose on earth.

When you do a mitzvah, you should intend to unify your individual self with the "Great Self" — G-d. Your aim, simply, is to accord and unite your will with G-d's will. Every mitzvah is an opportunity to bond with the Divine, and in so doing you're transformed. You are not longer a slave to your outer trappings and but rather the master of your inner life because you have become a servant of G-d; a channel for the flow of G-d's loving presence into the world."

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http://jewishworldreview.com/david/aaron_greatest_joy.php3