Battles and Baubles

“Hellenism and Judaism: when examined in depth, they are found to be the two leading forces that are again today struggling for mastery in the Jewish world.”

While these words were written by Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch in the mid-19th century in his Collected Writings Volume II, we know all too well how true they ring today. Hellenism, a worldview rooted in Greece whose emphasis on beauty has influenced the world, clashes with Judaism, both as a doctrine and a civilization. Both compete for mastery of the world and of our mind and spirit.

Yet in Judaism, we do not believe in the wholesale rejection of beauty. We use it to enhance our mitzvos, utilizing material possessions to complement our service of Hashem. So why does finding the right balance in today’s consumerist society sometimes feel like a battle of Hasmonean proportions? Why do we feel like we’re losing the war to stuff and baubles, despite our understanding that material goods are but means to an end and not ends in and of themselves? And why are we attributing so much importance to it all, as evidenced by our investment of time, energy, and resources?

It is crucial here to note the distinction between aesthetics and materialism. The dictionary defines aesthetics as a set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art. Materialism, on the other hand, is a way of thinking that gives too much importance to possessions and money and not enough to spiritual or intellectual matters.