“Why are you frum?”
I wasn’t sure if this was a trick question or if she was seriously asking me this. But she wasn’t joking around.
I’m not going to give you my own answer here (maybe I’ll save that for another post…maybe not :) ) but I want to pose that question to you.
Did you ever think about why you are frum?
In this weeks parsha, Parshas Yisro, the entire Jewish Nation stood at Har Sinai and received the Torah. K’ish Echad B’lev Echad-like one man with one heart. Each and every person wanted to receive the Torah, wanted to be a part of our special nation.
Are you keeping the Torah because it is what you want?
* * *
My son came home with a project yesterday. It showed Hillel laying on the roof of a beis medrash with shimmering pieces of snow. He told me all about it, how Hillel wanted to learn Torah but he didn’t have money to pay so he climbed onto the roof of the beis medrash so he could listen to everyone learning Torah…and it was so cold and there was snow…
It got me thinking.
Why?
What was it about the teachings of the Torah that someone would lay on the roof of a building to listen to others learning? And stay there no matter how cold it got?
Do you know?
What does the Torah mean to you?
What does being frum mean to you?
This shabbos, think about those questions. See if you can come up with some answers.
Have a wonderful and uplifting shabbos!
What does it mean to you? I would love to hear that :). Your perspective is always so inspiring to me.
ReplyDeleteOh Devorah, I can't stress enough how important it is for every frum person to be able to answer this question. I was at a Discovery seminar with Rabbi David Mechanic and he said that when they did a survey of Bais Yaakov girls, 90% (maybe even more) girls said they were shomer Torah because that's how they were raised. Oy vey is mir! Any child of a cult member could say the same thing...Rabbi Mechanic told us that we must absolutely answer "Because Torah is the truth" and we have to believe that. Torah is beautiful, fulfilling, and often enjoyable but we keep it because we believe it (both emunah peshutah and evidence) to be true.
ReplyDeleteThis is not answering the question of what Torah means to me or you, but I think it has to be the yesod upon which we will base our answers.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and mini-Kabbalas HaTorah!
I think it is so special and we are really blessed to be part of such a special nation. The am hanivchar. It is so beautiful to be frum and do things to serve Hashem, our loving father who does so much for us. The torah guides us in the best way and teaches us whats right. When we follow the torah and serve Hashem, we are living a true life. A life of meaning and connection to Hashem.
ReplyDeleteIt is so beautiful being frum.
There are boundaries, to help us not fall into things or mess up. It holds us back from doing wrong.
I once learned this amazing concept in school- Every time a yid learns torah, it is like a little maamad har sinai- Hashem is like the chavrusah on the other side, and he is putting the chachma into the other person so that they can learn. Isn't that Amazing???
Thanks for the question devoiry!!!
luv ur thoughts! i happen to be asked to speek about this topic in school... thanks a lot for your coment! ill use it!:)
DeleteAnon-hmmm...maybe one day I'll type that up. :) I think I have enough to say to fill up a whole blog post!
ReplyDeleteMichal-that's a pretty scary thing but I know that is true. If girls are frum because their parents are frum-because that is the way they were raised and there is no heart, they are not given the basics, how are they supposed to get that foundation themselves? You are right that the main reason should be that I am frum because it is the ultimate truth even though that is not the first thing that came to my mind when I was asked that question. My answer would be laoded :) Maybe one day I'll type it all up. And explain what Torah means to me. The pressure is on! lol
Rivky-wow, that is amazing. And you are so right. It's a beautiful feeling to be part of such a special nation and to know that we are living a life of truth and connection to Hashem. Thank you!
this is actually how all teens feel... i know because we once had rabbi mechanic coe to our school to speek and this is what he had said....he also said that we unlike any other nation doesnt have one person as a leader that "heard" or "saw" Hashem; that went around spreading the religion.we actually were there-not 1 or 2 of us like the other nations but a few thousand-we had the whole nation as an open eyed witness!....after that a lot of girls said thaey doubted it (unfortunitaly) but kept it cz they were brought up this way...yet they still do have some doubt but not as much; just to baleive the whole concept. one thing that someone said that now really got to us is-if it is true-why be frum? u cud believe something but not keep to it 100%-no?
ReplyDelete