I’m pretty beat, but I don’t want to miss a Torah Tuesday post, so I’ll give you some food for thought, and would love to hear what you have to say about it.
This past Motzei Shabbos my husband and I attended a big dinner, you know, with lots of speakers and some shmoozing as well. The guest speaker, Rabbi Aharon Feldman of Ner Yisroel in Baltimore, gave a very powerful speech. One thing which really stands out was that he asked us why we were frum. He mentioned that there are many nice aspects of being frum.
“Cholent is nice,” he said. “Shabbos is nice. Spending time with family is nice.”
But he reminded us that we aren’t supposed to be frum because it makes us feel good. We’re supposed to be frum because we want to serve Hashem.
Thoughts?
Rivki Silver ~ thoughts & music 
That’s a very good question and each person should ask themselves at least once in their lifetime. We shouldn’t just sail through life without contemplating why we do the things we do.
I’d like to say that I’m frum because I love everything about it and it’s the most beautiful way to live. A life with connection to Hashem, Torah and mitzvos is the best way to live. So even though I was brought up frum, didn’t discover it on my own and didn’t have fight for it, I can still say I have found the beauty in it on my own by searching, asking and finding answers to all the questions I’ve ever had. Judaism is the most special and beautiful way to live!
What a great endorsement!
I am frum because my parents raised me that way. But I stayed frum because the Torah is the most brilliant, complete, infinitely deep, challenging, ethical, mind-blowing document I have ever encountered. The more I learn about Judaism, the more I recognize that happiness, beauty, and success are directly proportional to how much Torah one incorporates in one’s life; but more profoundly, the more I recognize that this is ultimate truth. If ultimate truth were ugly or painful, would I walk away? Now that’s a good question. But it’s not. It’s a Tree of Life – for real. And that’s why I’m frum. Nice sitting with you btw :)
Beautiful. It was lovely sitting with you, too. I just realized that I never wrote my own blurb as to why I’m frum! Later today, IY”H.
I can relate to this, as sometimes the things we do to get closer to G-d really do make us feel good, but we are here to serve G-d only and should never loose sight of that.
One hundred percent correct Rabbi!
Thanks Lamya! Nice to see you again!
I enjoyed your post about what you learned at the conference, insightful and prodding at the same time. The speaker is a wise man!
Serving the Creator does bring me joy when I
remember who He is and i am. :)
It was a great speech; glad you got something out of it!
Beautiful post. I once heard a Rabbi compare Halacha to gravity. The principle exists whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. By being frum I am accepting the true reality of the world and doing my best to fulfill the purpose for which Hashem created me. The fact that this life choice also makes me happy and fulfilled with a bracha of a beautiful family and community is just Hashem’s gift.
ah, well put. All the nice things about being frum are like a bonus. :)
That’s a very difficult question. I am frumi(ish) because that is what I feel most comfortable with.
It is a difficult question, indeed. My husband and I were discussing how it’s the kind of question that everyone, no matter their beliefs, should ask themselves at least once in the course of their life (and preferably more frequently than that). It’s very easy to go through the day-to-day without stopping to think about why we’re doing what we’re doing.
I had this conversation with my husband a few weeks ago as well. I think this is an even more difficult question to answer as a woman with children. Men daven three times a day in schul (at least if they can!), but with raising a baby and a household, sometimes its hard for me to even daven once! I cover my hair, wear tznius clothes, but what about my heart and mind makes me Frum? Rabbi Kohn of She’arim once told our class that it will be easier for us to remain on a Frum high, as Baalee Teshuva, than it will be for our children. We experienced something huge that made us turn religious- for me it was converting. But our kids will be FFB. They will need to learn from our actions everyday why it’s the best job in the world to be a servant of Hashem.
That is something I think, and worry, about somewhat regularly: In between doing all the dishes and cleaning and cooking and laundry, how am I going to transmit my love for Yiddishkeit to my kids? I try to say my brachas out loud in front of them, and to thank Hashem for things (like when the sun is out during these long, gray Cleveland winters), and to put Hashem as much in their lives as possible. I think that’s what Yiddishe Mamas do. I sense a post coming on….
This is such a good question that my husband and I talk about often – I also sense a post coming on! Thanks for sparking this thoughtful discussion!
Thanks for reading and commenting! It’s good food for thought; I’ll look forward to reading your post!