I was having lunch with two friends of mine, one Jewish, the other Christian. My Jewish friend mentioned that Jews have certain obligations or commandments that they are expected to fulfill during their lifetimes. The purpose of performing these commandments, called mitzvot (mitzvah is singular) is to experience the Divine in the moment -- to make sacred time in which to communicate with the Divine. My Christian friend, knowing that Jews do not believe in Hell, asked, What happens if you dont perform the mitzvot? What is your incentive to keep these commandments? My Jewish friend replied, The assumption is that performing the mitzvot brings you closer to God. If you dont do it, your only punishment is that you stunt your own spiritual growth. You dont really answer to God; you have only yourself to answer to. If your spiritual growth is important to you, you dont need anyone else to hold you accountable for your actions -- you do it yourself. --Amber Laine Fisher, The Philosophy of Wicca #learningaboutjudaismfromabookaboutwicca #What
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:36:36 +0000
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