“‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself’ (Lev. 19:18) – Rabbi Akiva says, ‘This is a great principle of the Torah’” (Sifra Kedoshim 2:4). Less well known is the opinion of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, who states, in a midrash quoted in the introduction to Ein Yaakov, that the foundational principle of the Torah is a verse from Parashat Pinĥas that deals with the daily tamid sacrifice in the Temple: “The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at dusk” (Num. 28:4).

Rabbi Akiva’s choice to frame love as a foundational principle appears obvious, for all of us, it seems, ascribe importance to love and see it as one of life’s main values. In contrast, Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi’s choice seems odd.

It seems that Rabbi Shimon does not select that verse to highlight the importance of the burnt offerings, but rather due to a value that it teaches us: persistence and consistency. There is no shortage of talk about love: everyone seeks it out and suffers in its absence. We are not generally as conscious of persistence as a value. Many people’s lives are paved with difficulties due to a lack of perseverance, and could stand to benefit greatly from Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi’s words.

Today, more and more people are realizing – thanks to New Age practices, among other causes – that they will not attain happiness and meaning merely by improving their material conditions, but rather that they must develop their inner worlds. Yet, it seems that only few attain the spiritual experiences for which they yearn. The flaw is not necessarily in their methods, but rather in their inability to commit to, and persist in, the work. Deep, significant change is not an easy thing to sustain. No single workshop has the power to effect a transformation in life, and those who think it can are deluding themselves. A workshop is good for learning a technique, but only a regular, long-term practice can actualize a technique’s potential benefits.

I have a friend who was deeply influenced by Vipassana meditation. Impressed by the change I witnessed in him, I looked into signing up for a basic Vipassana retreat,........

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