The other significant aspect is “purpose” which in Aristotelian thought is called “telos” and is embodied in his system of teleology. Purpose is considered one of the 4 causes by which we arrive at an understanding of the universe and is referred as the “final cause”. The final cause when it comes to humankind is reflected in the “good life” we are capable of leading when we may realize more fully our highest potential of our existence ( contrasted with an acorn whose final cause in realizing its full potential is an oak tree) . Aristotle in his ‘Nichomachean Ethics” this primarily is a life ruled by reason, but recognizing, as does Judaism, that humankind has a non-rational side and that other conditions must also be satisfied such as good health, friendship, family, our aesthetic needs and even our sensual needs. This is referred as a life of true happiness or what Aristotle refers to by the term “eudemonia” sometimes more precisely translated as a flourishing life. It is a theme that the Jewish modern philosopher Viktor Frankl clarified further in his classic work “Man’s Search for Meaning” dealing with developing meaning beyond the Shoah.
There are some additional parallels with a Jewish perspective here, particularly with role of “purpose”. However, the content of such purpose is different. Significantly the need for a purposeful life is highlighted in Koheleth with a clearly implied reference to a golden mean, but the values here are God’s revealed values rather than a focus on a purely rational life. A focus on God’s values, however, steers us firstly towards the ethics of Judaism as opposed to simply the Greek virtues Aristotle embraced ( e.g. courage, rational understanding ,temperance etc.); and this Judaic outlook means holding universally life itself sacred and entails the kind of equality and egalitarianism mentioned earlier. It means building a community where the dignity of humankind itself is revered and the opportunity for all to realize their full potential is a reality. This however does not mean that all persons are to be regarded with the same esteem or even freedoms, since negative conduct can deprive some of certain options. However it does entail sensitivity to the sufferings of all, requiring their rights before the law is recognized. This overall perspective is reflected in such guiding Talmudic principles as “He who takes a human life (unjustly) is the same as one who destroys the world”. It is the very basis of the notion of humankind being created in God’s image and signified by the distinctive notion of God creating humankind by the Nishmat Hayyim (God’s breath infusing humankind in creation). We find it reflected in such moving passages of Isaiah 57, 14-58:14 read on the High Holidays (“This is chosen fast: to loosen the bonds that bind men unfairly…”).
There is a second component to a purposeful life here contrasted with Aristotle, namely the reservoir of personal inner experiences that Judaism provides that imbue life with meaning and purpose thereby rendering the Jewish version of Aristotle’s final cause. This may be found in spiritual study, observation and prayer, meditation and the sometimes fortunate spontaneous awareness of connections to God as the ultimate benevolent power. We encounter it in biblical context through Jacobs’s awareness of God’s presence upon his resting in Bethel upon his flight, and later by Moses in seeking God by his soul searching subsequent to the golden calf breakdown. (Exodus 33:18 “Oh, let me behold your presence be revealed” and his vision in partially perceiving God (symbolized by His Back). This pursuit is addressed in the Kabbalah through meditative exercises such as those advocated by Isaac Luria and Rebbe Nachman with the use of Hebrew mantra phrases and getting in tune with the magnificence of creation.
