Duties of the Heart - Ancient Wisdom for Today’s Spiritual Needs

In eleventh century Spain Rabbi Bahya ibn Paquda first linked the ethical science of the West with the emotional and spiritual morality of the East in a unique work entitled Duties of the Heart.  Com­bining elements drawn from the Arabs, the Bible, rabbinic Judaism, and Greek thought, ibn Paquda laid out the spiritual foundations of universal ethics and the moral law of the Bible in the light of pure reason, paving the way to the common ground on which all moral religions and non-religious systems of morality are rooted. 

In a program of seven Wednesday evening classes beginning April 18, Rabbi Joshua Cohen of Temple Emanuel of North Jersey explores the human need to continue to develop individual relationships with God, which can only be done by confronting fears and concerns and moving beyond the obstacles, finding, as ibn Paquda urged and exemplified, the right ingredients and then the right mixtures, each for his own taste.  In describing the program’s focus, Rabbi Cohen says, “We can either choose to hide behind the façade of ignorance, or we can choose to take the leap of faith and question who we are and why we are here.  The leap of faith is in the question­ing—the answers are all there for the taking.” 

The program is free and open to the public.  Classes run from 8:00 until 9:15.  Pre-registration is not required.

Temple Emanuel, located at 558 High Mountain Road, Franklin Lakes, across from the Haledon reser­voir/Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve, is a welcoming egalitarian spiritual community affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.  For more information, please visit www.tenjfl.org or call (201) 560-0200.