why are we happy to be frum?

Mon, May 15 2017, 6:57 am

Hi all,

I posted earlier about making Shavuos more meaningful for our children, and have been thinking about it a lot.....I realized that before I can convey anything to my kids, I have to have clarity in my own mind for why I am happy to be frum and have the Torah. I definitely FEEL it and I KNOW logically and intuitively that it's the best thing in the world for us, and I am a baalas teshuvah, so I chose this path for myself and I know why.

But, I think I could benefit from concrete examples (as well as other people's experiences) to both strengthen my own appreciation and to convey it to the kids (on their level).

So, ladies, help me out here.....why are YOU happy to be frum? What does the Torah do for YOUR life?

amother

Tan

Mon, May 15 2017, 7:28 am

This isn't what you're going to want to hear. I'm not "happy" to be frum any more than I'm "happy" to be female. I've never been not female and or not frum. Both being integral parts of my identity, I have no way to imagine life as a nonJew or frei Yid any more than I can imagine life as a male or person of ambiguous gender.

seeker

Mon, May 15 2017, 7:35 am

This is not something that I can really explain on one foot, but religion definitely gives meaning and structure to my life. It gives me strength when I need it and improves my emotional health by keeping life in a bigger perspective which I don't think I'd be able to pull off on my own.

ckk

Mon, May 15 2017, 8:10 am

yksraya wrote:

I'm lucky we are the chosen nation. I'm hashems daughter. We have the torah to guide us and protect us. My life is meaningful, I live for a purpose.

This, the sense of a higher purpose, that my life has meaning, that even the tiny details are part of a bigger picture.
Keeps me balanced.

bobeli

Mon, May 15 2017, 8:13 am

that Hashem is my father, I can talk to Him, cry to Him, thank Him, and whatever happens in my life he lovingly chose especially for my benefit.
So all this gives meaning to every single moment and thing in my life

amother

Mustard

Mon, May 15 2017, 8:31 am

when I watch a movie and see people in situations of extreme pain or worry or fear like in the hospital waiting room while a loved one has a serious procedure or someone getting chemo that's when I realize how lucky I am that I can call out and daven for everything that goes on in my life.

harriet

Mon, May 15 2017, 9:14 am

amother wrote:

You know that non frum people (ie Catholics, Muslims or other people) pray to God too, right?

zaq

Mon, May 15 2017, 10:33 am

bobeli wrote:

Wouldn't this still be the case if you were a devout Christian?

amother

Lawngreen

Mon, May 15 2017, 10:56 am

I'm a spiritual person. Even without being frum, I would still feel awe that I am part of something bigger and I would still feel comfortable praying. Praying is a thing people do to comfort themselves that actually has very little to do with religion - meaning people would pray in dire situations even if no one taught them to. It's a coping mechanism that religion elevates to a higher level. But at its base level it's a coping mechanism. As for feeling part of something bigger, that's easy to do when you look at the photo taken by the Hubble space telescope where you can see countless galaxies, each with their own solar systems, suns, planets and stars.

The reason why I'm happy to be frum is because Jews are "my people." I know without a doubt that Jews have my back when I need them. If I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere I would feel helpless. If I found a Jew in the middle of nowhere I'd feel relief.

I'm not saying that only Jews look out for each other or even that Jews always look out for each other. I'm saying Jews are my bros. It's nice to have that extra connection to a stranger. We instantly have something in common. But I guess this doesn't explain why I'm happy to be frum. It only explains why I'm happy to be a Jew.

CEF

Mon, May 15 2017, 11:13 am

Quote:

I know without a doubt that Jews have my back when I need them. If I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere I would feel helpless. If I found a Jew in the middle of nowhere I'd feel relief.

In my line of work - supporting the elderly - my non-Jewish colleagues have often said to me that I am so incredibly lucky to be Jewish because the extent of support services available to Jewish people is unprecedented. We have gemachim, chessed organisations, think of any situation you could be in (post-natal, sick, bereaved, single, etcetc) and there are a bunch of people who dedicate all their free time to helping people in that situation.
I know many non-Jewish people (Muslim taxi drivers, work colleagues etc) and repeatedly they tell me that there is nothing like that in their cultures. Mi k'amcha yisroel!
And obviously you don't have to be davka frum to experience this but as a baalas teshuva I can say that the level of chessed within orthodox circles is much greater compared to more secular ones.

amother

Silver

Mon, May 15 2017, 11:19 am

I'm happy to be frum because of the greater potential for S'char in the next world. Had I been born to a stable upper middle class non-Jewish family very likely I would have had things better in this world. But the next world which is eternal is what I'm more concerned about.

shevi82

Mon, May 15 2017, 11:22 am

Because we have the torah. It is a tree of life, a guide written by hashem who created us. There are instructions for every aspect in life which when done in a healthy happy way can truly make your life meanigful.

amother

Puce

Mon, May 15 2017, 11:31 am

I can never imagine myself being not frum. its my identity. its what I life for. I have given so much in my life for being frum. I spend so much of my money and my efforts go to being frum. we spend more on clothes and food and our education all of it for being frum. and beleiving that hashem is our father and we are his chosen people. that ultimately whatever we do is for ourselves for chayei netzach. and to bring kedusha into this world.

that the torah was given to us to be better people. every challenge is ment for us to elevate us. and if I wasnt frum I dont know if I would have such thoughts. being a non jew doesnt make you necessarily think that I have to ultimately answer for everything. sure there are other religions. none of them outlived the jewish nation. none of them sacrificed as much as we have.