Imagine
a religion that was not just a faith to be believed in, but also a tradition…a
culture…a way of life. It is the oldest religion to believe that there is only
one God and that He made an agreement with the people of the land that if they
follow His way, they will always be protected; meaning that amongst themselves
there would be peace and harmony and no shortages.
That
the name of God was the same as God, meaning it was as holy and sacred. A
religion that has the written word of God as it was spoken and later recorded,
to be used as a guide to inform us. That God has given us 613 ways of
connecting to ourselves and connecting our environment to God, as well as Ten
Commandments to live by.
This
written word also reveals that God’s purpose in creating the world is that we
sanctify all of creation and imbue it with holiness and spirituality.
That
religion is Judaism and the written word is the Torah.
It
is a lifestyle of study, worship, family and so much more. Having a day of peacefulness
where we rest, contemplate and give thanks for what we have. We promise to
serve God faithfully, to teach our children God’s law and to observe these laws
both at home and away.
Of
course, the 613 connections are too many to list here, but the Ten Commandments
of Judaism are below. The first five (first tablet) are said to identify our
relationship with the Lord, while the last five five (second tablet) are said
to identify our duties regarding our relationship with other people.
- I Am Adonai
thy God - Thou shall
have no other gods before me - You shall not
take my Name in vain - Remember to
keep the Sabbath day holy - Honor your
father and mother - You shall not
murder - You shall not
commit adultery - You shall not
steal - You shall not
bear false witness against your neighbor - You shall not
covet
I
don’t know about you, but they seem sound and just to me. I think this world
would be a much better place for all to live in if these principles were
followed.
Shalom,
Michael
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