My ongoing journey through the Torah

Working on the Shabbos (שבת)

For those of you that don’t know the Jewish "Sabbath" (litterally שבת pronounced as Shabbos or Shabbot) starts on Friday at sunset lasting until Saturday at sunset.  These twenty four hours are meant for rest and prayer and definitely no working.  It is part of Jewish Law and is one of the 10 Commandments.  It is very difficult for many Jews to observe שבת because in the American society, we are expected to be available to our work, to our friends, to a million obligations. 

What constitutes as work, rest and prayer is up for debate.  e.g. Does turning on a light so you can see in the middle of the night and not step on the cat that is winding itself around your legs considered work?  What about your child’s soccer practice or games?

I’m currently at a job that requires that I be available for working at any time regardless of whether I’m on-call.   The computer systems that I maintain aren’t ready to be left alone during the שבת…. yet.  If the stuff hits the fan, they call me.  I’m building a series of monitoring systems and maintainance routines that should allow the me to observe the שבת within a few months but I feel guilty about working on the שבת.

Part of observing שבת is to turn off all cell phones, computers, regular phones, so we can rest and pray.  I know that an employer can’t hold it against me for observing the שבת, but when the stuff hits the fan, which it will no matter what we do, many people within the company will be calling for my head because I wasn’t available.  They wouldn’t be able to fire me or even write me up about it, but they could make my work a living hell.

I really really want to observe שבת but I also can’t leave them out there on their own.

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Just not cut out for Judaism?

Just not cut out for Judaism

Barney Zwartz

October 27, 2006

A BOY on the verge of his bar mitzvah was told that he wasn’t properly circumcised and therefore wasn’t Jewish.

Orthodox rabbis in Sydney said he had to be recircumcised within four days or the ceremony — which marks the official transition to adulthood Jewish boys make at 13 — could not go ahead.

The boy’s mother, Sydney journalist Ros Reines, said she was shocked and sickened, and refused a second circumcision. "He’s undoubtedly circumcised. It’s just a matter of degree," she said.

 

Read more…

 
If the article is true, do the Orthodox Rabbis in Sydney have any authority to say who is Jewish and whom is not?

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My ongoing journey through the Torah

It has been brought to my attention that the subtitle of this blog My ongoing journey through the Torah could be taken in a flippant sort of way.  That is not at all what I mean.  The word Torah means different things depending on the context.

When I wrote the subtitle, I meant it as looking at the world through new jewish eyes. — meaning my eyes.  I’ve converted from being a Methodist Christian to a Reform Jew just a few weeks ago so it is almost like looking at a brand new world using Torah tinted glasses.  I’m alot more aware of the darker side of being a Jew such as anti-semetic remarks in the media as well as just how much we (the Jews) have influenced western society.

Reading and understanding the Torah is a life long endeavor whose meaning will change depending on my point of view (thanks ObiWan! ;-).  I think the Torah is the ultimate guide to living.

Many of the laws in the Bible (Torah = Bible IMHO) no longer apply as health standards of living have increased dramatically.  We try to keep all the laws laid down in the Torah, even those that don’t really apply any more, out of respect of tradition but mostly because Adonai told us to.

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