Spirituality and Intimacy: Where Heaven and Love Meet

Spirituality and Intimacy: Where Heaven and Love Meet
Rabbi Raphael Aron
Mosaica Press / 196 pp.

Rabbi Raphael Aron, a Chabad Rabbi from Melbourne with a proven record of experience and expertise in the world of “Love and Judaism,” has released yet another title on the subject.

In Spirituality and Intimacy, the author presents many different facets of marriage, intimacy, and child rearing, explaining Judaism's position on the issue from philosophical perspectives. The book does a great job in highlighting the beauty of each of these issues. This is true even regarding the temporary restrictions between husband and wife that can frustrate a relationship. The author weaves material from a variety of Torah sources and genres highlighting comparisons, metaphors, and symbolism from other areas of Torah and observance.

For example, the are citations from throughout scripture on romance in Judaism, a comparison between the restrictions of marriage and the restrictions of Shabbat, marriage modeled on various biblical couples, a woman’s distinct role and capabilities based on biblical precedents, the airport as a model for the monthly cycle, the ideal manner of sexual activity based on a variety of unexpected sources, and much much more.

Spirituality and Intimacy does not touch upon the realm of halacha, but rather, simply endeavors to show the beauty of Judaism’s approach to intimacy with the hope that it will help readers revitalize their relationships. The presentation, purpose and content of the book brings to mind the words of the Mesillat Yesharim “I have not written this book to teach you things that you do not already know, but rather to remind you of things that you do know, and that are clear to you. But precisely because these things seem so clear, we forget them and ignore them, and seldom give them our attention.” And this, the book does quite nicely.

http://mosaicapress.com/spirituality-intimacy/

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