Rabbis Sherwin and Cohen present and discuss the central elements in the creation of an ethical Jewish life. Here is a passage on the spiritual practice of beauty.
"While little Jewish genius was invested throughout the ages to create works of fine art, much Jewish genius and effort were expended on the endeavor to create lives that were works of art. Rather than concentrating on things of beauty, Jewish teachings focused on the creation of people of beauty. The primary goal was not physical prowess, or comely appearance, or even commercial success. Rather, the goal was to become a shainer yid — a beautiful Jew — to create one's life as a work of art.
"The Jewish people produced no edifices to rival Notre Dame, no paintings like those of Michelangelo or Raphael. The particular art form cultivated by the Jews was not architecture, painting, or sculpture, but human existence. The artistic masterpieces of the Jewish people do not hang in any museum. They appear in no tourist's guidebook. The great works of art that emerge from Jewish history are the lives and teachings of the greatest people it has engendered.
"An artist viewing a great painting in a museum may stand in awe, gazing at its beauty, inspired by the artist's ability and creativity. Similarly, as Solomon Schechter observed, 'the great saintly souls are lovely to look at just as a great piece of art is.' "