Rabbi Stuart Dauermann, one of the leaders in our movement and a man I respect greatly, recently wrote a post on his blog discussing the need for covenant faithfulness among the Jews in our movement. I appreciate and applaud his comments with every fiber of my being.

Covenant faithfulness is about heeding the words of the Torah and putting them into practice. It is amazing and sad to me that I see so many Jews in our movement who have become so assimilated that they do not know Hebrew, or are so anti-Torah ("free from the Law") that they have no problem eating treif food. Common complaints about following Torah include the idea that it is hard to do and that it is restrictive. I have been progressively becoming more observant for the last 7 years, and I can honestly say that it is not an extremely hard lifestyle to live. It takes time and energy to think about your actions, but the time is certainly well spent. I have gained more understanding of G-d and more closeness to Him in my time studying and implementing Torah than I ever had before, and that is saying a lot.

If you are Jewish, I encourage you to read Rabbi Dauermann's words and take them to heart. Your covenant with G-d is a major part of His redemptive plan for mankind. If you are Gentile, I encourage you to read Rabbi Dauermann's words and consider what you can do to encourage your Jewish friends to become more faithful to their covenant. Can you work to ensure that they do not have to eat non-kosher food? Can you help them rest on Shabbat? Can you encourage them to daven (pray)?

The world hangs in the balance. Which side are you adding weight to?

Labels: Biblioblogging