Tuesday, August 01, 2006

What I love about Judaism

1. The belief in a single source of origin and universal power - G-d, who cannot be defined. The Kabbalah calls this Ein Sof - without an end.
2. The Oral Law to supplement the written law.
3. 4000 + years of continuous history and tradition.
4. The scholastic principles of analysis, arguement and interpretation as emphasized in the Talmud.
5. The Jewish emphasis on Ethics and Morality.
6. The Sabbath as a day of rest and contemplation.
7. An emphasis on a personal relationship with G-d.
8. The religion does not seek converts - if one wishes to become a Jew the onus is very much on them.
9. The umbrella of groups each enriching the religion by their own interpretation: Ultra Orthodox, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist
10. The importance of family and respecting one's parents.
11. Tikkun Olam - How its each person's obligation to do their bit to heal the world.
12. The accomadation (except for a few hardliners) of science.
13. The prohibition against speaking ill of others.
14. Israel as a Holy Land.
15. No matter how far one strays from the religion its always possible to turn back.

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