Judaism is full of the spirit of life, but it does not view life only in terms of external beauty; rather, it sees the religious, moral aspect of nature as well. The Jewish faith is not an encumbrance on one’s ability to live his life, but its spirit influences every creative act.

The distinction between Greece and Israel:

The difference between Greece and Israel has already been explained: The Greeks are the nation of beauty, and the Jews are the nation of the spirit. This expression has become somewhat distorted as a result of having been rehashed so many times. It would be more precise to say that the Greeks viewed the world from the perspective of beauty. The sights of nature and the evaluation of those experiences were processed from the point of view of aesthetics. The multiplicity of color and hue that is found in the experience of nature excited aesthetic pleasure in the Greek viewer. By contrast, the Jewish prophet experiences nature also from a religious, moral perspective.

How the Greek poets sang of the beauty of the forest, and how the poets of Israel did so:

The Greek poets sang of the forest. Its blossoming trees lined up in their unique way roused their lyrical senses. This is revealed in numerous representations of the beauty absorbed by their eyes and souls from this magnificent sight. The religious poet was also moved by the forest, and his lyrical sense, too, was inspired to form images, but these images are entirely different: “All the trees of the forest will then cry out for joy before the Lord when He comes” (Psalms 96:12–13). This is not merely a poetic phrase, but reflects the sensory vision of Jewish religiosity, which perceives trees as praying softly.

The Jewish approach to the spirit of vitality:

Jewish religiosity is not a reaction against the spirit of vitality; rather, it is itself the surging experience of life. It does not come in order to suppress creativity; rather, it is a bursting forth of creative abundance. Therefore, we see that the Jewish faith does not view life with anger, nor does it consider it to be its competitor.

Judaism influences everything that the human spirit contemplates:

The Jewish faith was never considered by its followers as a stumbling block to a vital life. The spirit of life and the spirit of religion were not hostile competitors; rather, they merged and blended together. Religion did not constrict itself or life; rather, it expanded to all areas of life and impressed its seal on them. It did not constrict itself to the four cubits of religious worship [that is, to that which pertains directly to Torah and mitzvot]; rather, it enfolded all human activity and thought within itself, and its spirit cultivated and influenced all creativity, whether in nature or art, science or politics, everything that the human spirit pondered. (Rabbi Yeĥiel Yaakov Weinberg, Lifrakim, vol. 1, pp. 180ff)

Further reading: See p. 290 for another example of religious significance that is found in a seemingly secular matter.

It was Hanukkah in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. A large group of Jews gathered together, and the Bluzhever Rebbe lit the Hanukkah candles. After he had recited the blessings and lit the candles, one of the inmates approached him and asked:

“Rebbe, I thought that in terrible circumstances such as these it is better not to light Hanukkah candles. But if you do insist on lighting the candles and making the blessings, how could you say the Sheheĥeyanu blessing? Why would one say the blessing, ‘Who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this time,’ when thousands of Jews are suffering and being murdered in unspeakable ways?”

The Rebbe answered him: “I also considered this, and in the end, I found the answer. In such terrible circumstances, when so large a group of prisoners come together with true self-sacrifice to see and hear the lighting of the Hanukkah candles, we must recite Sheheĥeyanu over the fact that there are still Jews such as these!”

Self-sacrifice for God and His Torah is not the pinnacle of strength that it is possible to have for the sake of Torah. Instead of dying for Torah, it is better to live for it, and to fight courageously for its triumph. (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch)

The primary illumination of Hanukkah for everyone who is able to do so is to extend the holiness toward those who are still standing outside and who cannot perceive that holiness, and to illuminate the world so that all will recognize and know that God alone is the Ruler over all the earth. (Rabbi Yisrael of Kozhnitz, Avodat Yisrael)

Further reading: For more on Purim, see A Concise Guide to the Sages, p. 298; A Concise Guide to Halakha, p. 262.