Is A Psychedelic Trip the Derech HaShem?

Good morning and thank you for all you do. I’m writing with an idea. A large kollel/yeshiva in EY just unveiled the world’s most opulent Aron Kodesh, complete with marketing videos showing off how much gold and silver went into it, and the hand craftsmen from around the world involved in designing and building it.

I want to think this is Lshem Shamayim. That this is the beauty of kavod hatorah. But it also doesn’t feel right to me. Especially the marketing video. On the one hand, there are roshei yeshiva coming to the US and Canada to raise over a hundred million dollars. There are families who are struggling. On the other hand, it is not ones place, and certainly not mine, so decide where someone puts their tsedaka money. And the Rosh Yeshiva is, from what I understand, a real yarei Shamayim.

This isn’t the first such Aron Kodesh. Ponevich had a stunning Aron, also built in a time where there were other concerns.

How should we, as baala batim and bnei Torah approach this topic?

Sincerely,
Avi

Shalom, I enjoyed immensely the podcast about psychedelics and spirituality. I would love to flesh this topic out even further. I think it was very comprehensive. I think it just missed one important piece. You did touch on the idea that wine is a requirement of certain rituals despite its potentially deadly nature, as long as it’s done at the right context with the right contention in the right dose. Yet they seem to be more reticence with marijuana and psychedelics and the caution is justified. I would propose however, that Judaism is very clear that herbal incense was an integral part of Jewish spirituality. Does that give license to smoke marijuana? No. But we know that the high priest could not perform his function without burning it well prescribed incense. Meaning he needed to have this in order to get close to Hashem. Additionally, the flowers that suddenly bolted on Har Sinai were not simply decoration. The tradition was that the fire came down over the mountain and just enough for the flowers to smoke. Through that flower smoke the Jews were able to understand their role, vis-à-vis God, and the Torah. The simple read even says that there was synesthesia occurring during this highly herbal experience. And, does this give license to recreational marijuana or psychedelics? No, but the right dose at the right time have brought many jews to a higher level at the right time with the right dose.