We explained (here) that the soul finds pleasure in the constant and calm, not like the body that thrives on thrills. This is because the body is earthly and therefore temporary. On the other hand the soul is godly and therefore everlasting.
The Gemara relates a story about how Rav Sheishes (who was blind) got up to go and greet the king who was coming through his town. On the way he met a heretic. The heretic asked, "Why do you come at all? You can't even see him?" Rav Sheishes replied, "I can sense him better than you." They went to the appointed location and waited. With great noise and theatrics a battalion approached. The heretic said, "Here comes the king." Rav Sheishes replied, "Not yet." A second brigade approached with even more fanfare, "Now he is certainly coming." Rav Sheishes answered, "Now he is certainly not." This repeated itself a third time and the same exchange occurred between them.
Then the scene reached a certain euphoric calm... Then Rav Sheishes said, "Now the king appears." And so it was. The Gemara explains that we can learn from earthly kings as a parable to the King of Kings.
A sensitive ear hears that the three platoons and then the appearance of the king parallels, לא ברוח ה', לא ברעש ה', לא באש ה', - ואחר האש קול דממה דקה.
Radical spurts of spiritual growth cannot last. That is attaining a connection to the soul in the style of the body. Erratic religion is on a short fuse. Real growth is done in an organized way. Slowly but surely.
A third installment coming soon...
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