Judaism is characterized by the special combination that exists between earth and heaven, between the earthly and the spiritually sacred.
The verse "A ladder is set on the earth, its top reaching to heaven" well expresses the Torah's approach to life. Not a detachment from worldly life and seclusion in the four private cubits, but exactly the opposite - the introduction of holiness into earthly life.
In other religions, by contrast, the concept of holiness means abstinence from worldly life. A person who wishes to be holy is required to shut himself away in a monastery, not to come into contact with the hustle and bustle of the world, and in some religions, not even to marry.
But in Judaism, the wedding ceremony is actually called 'Kiddushin', because the concept of holiness in Judaism is completely opposite. Holiness means to sanctify the world, to infuse holiness into matter.
It believes and it sees.
Hasidic teachings strongly emphasize this element. They teach that a Jew is required to worship his Creator not only in the synagogue and the Beit Midrash, but also while engaged in his work, in a factory or in the office. Furthermore, a Hasidic proverb states that a 'yoshav ohel' (a Jew who sits in the tent of Torah) Believer, while a business owner seer. It is precisely those who live within the physical world who see the personal providence and the hand of the Creator that directs the steps.
This is one of the explanations why the Torah commandments, most of them, are fulfilled in the physical world.
Only a few commandments are related to the purely spiritual realm, to thoughts or emotions. Most of the commandments require us to come into contact with physical, material things. Tefillin through the skin of an animal, tzitzit through wool, the four species – plant items, matzah – material food; and so on.
Because this is the entire purpose of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai - to infuse holiness into the material world, to connect heaven and earth, and to make the physical world an abode for God Almighty.
We also see this connection in the great Hasidic leaders. These are spiritual giants whose teachings reflect immense depth and a striving for the highest spiritual levels; at the same time, they are involved in the most basic daily lives of their flock and deal with simple, earthly problems of individual Jews and of all Israel.
The whole truth
And this is, in fact, true greatness. Intellectuals and thinkers tend, by nature, to be enthusiastic about great, world-encompassing matters, while the small details of everyday life are perceived by them as a burdensome nuisance. The ability to combine the two and give full attention even to small, earthly problems – is true perfection.
This is the complete truth, which connects all the ends. A system that is limited to spiritual matters only or to earthly things only, cannot be the complete truth. The truth embraces all areas of life, both spiritual and physical. It guides man in the most delicate and sensitive areas of the soul's life, while at the same time providing inspiration and direction for earthly, physical, and daily activity.
This is the right balance between the head reaching for the 'heaven' and the feet planted on the 'earth.' And thus one achieves both the 'heaven' and the 'earth.'.
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