Ok, so there's 613 mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah, so I thought I'd start there as I began the thought process on what Torah means to me. WHOA... I am much farther off base than I thought! While I've pretty much nailed down honoring my folks, I've never had relations with a relative or an animal (ewwww), and I almost never take revenge on someone (unless they really deserve it), pondering the remaining 610 made me nauseous; I am for sure going to hell.
But the written laws of the Torah are not what connect me to Judaism and spirituality. The connection for me is that Jews all over the world are bound by this book. It is the historical stories in the Torah and how they relate to my life, right here, right now. It is the songs that were derived from those stories that make me feel spiritual. Sure, I feel a little spiritual when I am living righteously, but the laws that govern my life are those that have been passed down from my parents and grandparents, my friends, classes I have attended, teachers I admired, and by society itself.
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3 comments:
At least you'll be in good company!
You bring the wine, I'll take care of the chafing dishes!
Wow, what a balance of words for I too struggle with the literal meaning of the 613 laws. Only a few that I can actually relate too in 2010. I especially like how you tie the generation to generation links into it.
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