Kitzur Chapter 31:2 - 32:1: Intention for the Sake of Heaven
Rabbi Aryeh Weinstein is the Director of the Jewish Learning Academy at Lubavitch of Bucks County, Pennsylvania as well as the Rabbi of The Shul at Newtown. Rabbi Weinstein is the host of the Beginning Within podcast and the creator of The Bar Mitzvah Prep School to help Bar Mitzvah boys prepare for their Bar Mitzvah in a meaningful way.
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Anonymous
December 18, 2011
I am not a Tzadick
Rabbi:
After listening to this Halacha, I do not feel I will ever attain the level of being able to observe the Halacha as it is meant to be observed.
Am I not supposed to enjoy the pleasures that Hashem has blessed me with, such as marital relations and the like?
Reply
RE: I am not a Tzadick Judaism never discourages the pleasure of a positive act, such as marital relations. Indeed, it isn't possible to experience without pleasure. What the halachah teaches is that we ensure that all pleasure is for an elevated purpose. One shouldn't engage in any activity just for the pleasure of it but rather for th elevated purpose of it. In fact, what one may find is that through connecting ones activities to a deeper meaning, the actual physical pleasure it heightened. I hope this suffices in clarifying your question.