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Lubab:
--- Quote from: Tzvi Ben Roshel on February 24, 2008, 10:26:12 PM ---
--- Quote from: lubab on February 24, 2008, 07:59:17 PM ---
--- Quote from: Baltimore on February 24, 2008, 02:23:31 PM ---Great answer! Thanks so much. On the marketing side of things we live in a society in the USA with so much religious corruption. In LA, Baltimore, NYC... where ever, there are inner city churches on the verge of bankruptcy that have little old ladies giving every extra penny they have to the church while the pastor drives around in a fancy car and lives in a rich suburban enclave. So when outsiders read a line about giving money to a good cause and G-d will bless you they become suspicious because it appears that the majority of people who use that line in the USA are incredibly corrupt. Here at JTF we are trying to attract new people and that probably is not the best line for new people, but if the old people properly understand it like you explained then they will be more likely to give money that can be used to attract new people in different ways.
Now 2 more questions.
1. Do you come from a religious family?
2. If you encountered a 30 year old Jewish male who wanted to become more religious but he had some problems, what problem would you tell him to eliminate first in order to become more religious? Here are his problems:
a. Unmarried
b. Has had relations with non-jewish women and continues to do so
c. Does not Keep Kosher
d. Does not Keep the sabbath
e. Does not goto an Orthodox Shul, only goes to Shul on: High Holidays, to avoid the fast of the first born before Passover, and on Shavuot
f. Does not Study Torah
Keep in mind some of these problems are easier to eliminate than others. It is also noteworthy to mention that he has already eliminated Pig and Crab from his diet, he has always fasted on yom kippor, he fasts on Tisha B'av, he gives to Jewish charity on occasion, a Lubavitch rabbi gave him a mezuzah that he properly put on his front door entance.
Thanks
--- End quote ---
Not knowing this person it's a difficult thing to answer.
In general he should focus on doing positive things before stopping himself from doing negative things.
In general he should focus on things that are easy for him to do and things that he is excited about. This will make the more difficult things less difficult.
I would put regular laying of tefillin at the top of the list of positive things he could do if he is willing to do that.
After that I would put Torah learning, and keeping Kosher. All three of those are part of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's 10 mitzvah campaigns which were geared to help fix up the world so all three of those are wonderful things to start doing.
--- End quote ---
Whatt :o , with all due respect I thought its the exact opposite. Whats Tefillin worth if one is sleeping with a gentile women (the worst sin in Judaism), I agree that the first positive thing one should do is learn Torah but thats because by learning Torah one is able to understand the mistakes and do Tishuva G-d willing.
Anyway in Judaism isn't it better not doing a sin, then doing a Mitzva.
I would think that not doing the Averot would come first (right away without an exception, stop sleeping with women, both not married Jewish and gentile women) and keeping Shabbat - which is the covenent between the Jewish nation and G-d, repeatedly mentioned in the Torah and to learn Torah which will open the mind and soul and would give the person the chance of making Real Tishuva.
--- End quote ---
Ask your Rabbis about "Asei Doche Lo Saaseh". The positive commandments ALWAYS take precedence over the negative ones.
You also need to understand that there are two ways to heal a sickness. You can heal the sick organ, or you can also strengthen the rest of the body so it can heal the sick one on it's own. We are taking the second path here and you really need to get your own show.
You also need to understand that when you make Judaism out to be only about what you can't do, people will lose interest and will not want to keep the negative or the positive commandments.
You start with what you CAN do and what you enjoy and mitzvah goreret mitzvah...this is the proven way of success in bringing people to the path of torah.
Please Tzvi, next time: PM me for comments like this.
I don't really want to have debates here. I want to have questions and answers only.
P.S. The tefillin is a mitzvah unto itself no matter what you have done the rest of the day. It is one of those mitzvot that is in a way keeping the whole Torah through that mitzvah. It will also help bind a person's intellect to G-d in a way that they won't really want to sleep with a shiksa in good time.
MassuhDGoodName:
What if you were with a gentile woman but couldn't get to sleep?
Does that mean that "the greatest sin in all of Judaism" (what?) was not committed?
:P
Lubab:
Thanks for pointing that out.
It is NOT the worst sin in Judaism.
It does not even carry the death penalty. It carries Makas Mardus "lashes instituted by the Rabbis". Nowhere close to the worst sin if you are going by the punishments but in a sense each aveira does separate us from G-d equally.
Raulmarrio2000:
--- Quote ---Noahides (non-Jews) are allowed to have marital relations without marriage.
It may even be preferable to just move in with a girlfriend and specifically state that you are NOT married to avoid the very strict consequences of adultery (the death penalty).
--- End quote ---
Even being allowed by Hallacha, if a Noahide has a relation with a woman, but no marriage, no steady family? Who would take care of the child they may have? And if they use a contraceptive (even a contraceptive not forbidden by the Noahide Law), wouldn't it be to pervert the purpose of sexual relations, which are meant to preserve human race on earth? What do you think?
MassuhDGoodName:
lubab: "...Nowhere close to the worst sin if you are going by the punishments but in a sense each aveira does separate us from G-d equally..."
How about a case where a Jew lives in a land of few if any Jews, and the Jew's relationship with a non-Jewish woman is the only catalyst in his life teaching him various Biblical concepts (regardless of her faith being Christian) to the extent that the Jew is made curious enough to begin a search to reclaim his Torah and heritage, and then takes it upon himself to read the entire Torah and begin seeking guidance from more knowledgeable Jews? (thanks to the internet now making such communications commonplace).
Isn't it possible that G-d truly works in mysterious ways?
One of my very favorite movies of all time: "The Left Hand of G-d" starring Humphrey Bogart...a brilliant story of how G-d can even make use of sin in His Work of redemption.
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