The Idea
I owe a huge conceptual debt to Rabbi Jamie Korngold and her book God in The Wilderness. It could not possibly be put better than this:
For thousands of years we have been taught to focus on the words that were given, rather than the place in which they were given. The actual mountain, we are told, is unimportant. Why would religious leaders negate such an important factor of the Mountain Sinai experience? … Is it possible that we lost a crucial part of the revelation when we left the mountain behind?
However, my own personal spiritual life has always been focused on the wilderness, the mountains, and on nature.
That is not paganism or idolatry. The places and things aren’t gods, and they aren’t controlled by spirits. But they are masterworks that reflect the varying emergent levels of Creative Force.
Many Jews are seeking a more spiritual experience. How about welcoming shabbat on the top of a peak?