{"id":68250,"date":"2020-01-07T12:03:24","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T10:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=68250"},"modified":"2023-07-31T14:15:45","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T11:15:45","slug":"a-different-sort-of-thirst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-different-sort-of-thirst\/","title":{"rendered":"A Different Sort of Thirst"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[415,676,804,386,616,410],"acf":{"old_id":"68250","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34250,"related_cahpter":"389","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Where in Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs is the Torah?","content":"

I once overheard a friend on the phone with another friend, saying that they really had to speak more often, and impressing upon her that she wasn\u2019t just saying it, as one does, but felt a deep lack when they weren\u2019t in touch often enough. \u201cLike I have to breathe, I have to talk to you!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Abraham Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs may categorize friendship as a less fundamental necessity than air to breathe, but for those of us fortunate to have our physical needs met \u2013 and maybe for those who aren\u2019t \u2013 there will always be things we feel we cannot live without in the same way we cannot live without air to breathe, food to eat, or water to drink.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is a well-circulated story of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein, of blessed memory, who headed Yeshivat Har Etzion for many years: At the end of the 9<\/span>th<\/span> of Av, while others would run to the dining hall to break their fast, he would run to the study hall. After all, he pointed out, eating and drinking aren\u2019t the only things forbidden on the 9<\/span>th<\/span> of Av; Torah study, because of the great joy we like to think it brings, is also prohibited on that day of mourning. After 25 hours without it, Rav Lichtenstein thirsted for Torah.<\/span><\/p>\n

In chapter 55 verse 1, the prophet Isaiah invites \u201call who are thirsty, come for water; even if you have no money, come, buy food and eat.\u201d Which food and water could be so readily available, even without funds? As the prophet continues, the metaphor becomes clear: \u201cWhy do you spend money for what is not bread, your earnings for what does not satisfy? Give heed to Me, and you shall eat choice food and enjoy the richest viands\u201d (v. 2). Sustenance for the soul can be gained simply by attending to God\u2019s words; this \u201cfood and water\u201d is free to all who desire it and more deeply nourishing, the prophet suggests, than much of what we squander our money on.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to the Talmud (Bava Kama 82a), the tri-weekly Torah reading was established when the Jewish people in the wilderness went without water for three days and began to feel faint. Based on our text from Isaiah, \u201cwater\u201d is understood there too as a metaphor for Torah; as tradition has it, the leaders resolved then and there that we would never again let three days go by without Torah. It would be irresponsible to deny ourselves such a basic need.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMan cannot survive on bread alone, but lives on the word of God\u201d (Deut. 8:3).<\/span><\/p>\n

Jewish tradition is clear that fundamental physical needs take priority over the spiritual; we can agree with Maslow on that. But prioritizing one doesn\u2019t negate the crucial nature of the other. Like we have to breathe, we need our friends; like we have to eat and drink, we need our connection with Torah.<\/span><\/p>\n

Image: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, represented as a pyramid with the more basic needs at the bottom \/ wikipedia<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":68251,"id":68251,"title":"is55-maslow","filename":"is55-maslow.png","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow.png","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-different-sort-of-thirst\/is55-maslow\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"is55-maslow","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":68250,"date":"2020-01-07 10:03:11","modified":"2020-01-07 10:03:22","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1280,"height":905,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-300x212.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":212,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-768x543.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":543,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-1024x724.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":724,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":905,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":905,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-1200x848.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":848,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-594x420.png","home_baner-width":594,"home_baner-height":420}},"embedded_video":"","video_duration":"","show_fb_comments":true,"credit_media":""},"tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"A Different Sort of Thirst","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"Where in Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs is the Torah?","preview_embedded":"","preview_image":{"ID":68251,"id":68251,"title":"is55-maslow","filename":"is55-maslow.png","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow.png","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/a-different-sort-of-thirst\/is55-maslow\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"is55-maslow","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":68250,"date":"2020-01-07 10:03:11","modified":"2020-01-07 10:03:22","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1280,"height":905,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-150x150.png","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-300x212.png","medium-width":300,"medium-height":212,"medium_large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-768x543.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":543,"large":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-1024x724.png","large-width":1024,"large-height":724,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow.png","1536x1536-width":1280,"1536x1536-height":905,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow.png","2048x2048-width":1280,"2048x2048-height":905,"post_full_size":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-1200x848.png","post_full_size-width":1200,"post_full_size-height":848,"home_baner":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/is55-maslow-594x420.png","home_baner-width":594,"home_baner-height":420}},"preview_video":"","external_link":"","link_for_pay":false,"tile_gallery_items":false,"credits":""},"alternate_tile":{"top_caption":"","main_caption":"","main_caption_size":"1","sub_caption":"","hide_media":false},"tile_group":{"preview_image_url":false,"main_caption":"","sub_caption":"","":null,"popup_package_extra_content":"","read_time":""},"home_color":"","home_gallery_top":"","home_gallery_middle":"","home_gallery_book":"","home_gallery_bottom":"","seo":{"seo_title":"","seo_description":"","seo_default_title":"","seo_default_description":""},"links":false,"send_noty":false},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68250"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68250"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116893,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68250\/revisions\/116893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}