Where’s the Meaning?

We Jews are different from all the other people in our customs, like the way we dress, in the way we speak and our belief in Hashem. Those that think we are strange in the way we live our lives have one big problem, they never had a chance to know how it feels to be religious.

Now I want to talk to your hearts, I know you asked yourself at least once in your life this question: "Who said that the way Orthodox Jews live their lives is the real way? It's so hard to be a Jew, who needs it?” I understand your question but I can't convince you to be orthodox, I am only 15 years old and also sometimes think about my religion and feel bad that it's so hard to be Jewish in keeping all the laws. For example, an Orthodox Jew that makes a desecration of Hashem's name has the entire society around him say, "He's called a Jew, Hashem's son?!" The reason they say that is because they think that because we are orthodox, we need to act more than perfect; it’s not easy always being perfect. If we are not perfect, we're labeled negatively.

If you think the secular Jews hate us, it's not true because they are still Jewish. Even though they are secular Jews they still believe in Hashem even if it’s a little, by learning ethics and parts of the Torah. But on the other hand they are still not like us, because we put the Torah at the first place above anything else. I know in my heart that this is the real way to live and I can see it because there are a lot of things that have happened to me during my life that showed me Divine providence.

Think about it, is it the real meaning of life to get up in the morning, go to work, come back at night and then go to the club, watch a movie then get drunk and pass out? If you ask people like this "why do you work?" they answer: "to get money to eat.." "And why do you eat?" "To have strength to work", they answer, with no real reason to live. But we Jews have the Torah, we have the Mitzvoth, we have a real reason why to wake up in the morning.

Everyone needs to love the Torah even a little bit but it's not easy to love something when you don’t really know what it is. After you have been in a yeshiva and you learn, you see how it's so good and you start loving it. Although this is easy to say it doesn't happen so easily and fast, studying Torah requires commitment. It starts with a small love and it gets bigger and bigger. Remember, I am like you, I also like watching movies and reading books that don't have to be connected to religion, but when you learn deeply the Talmud and you understand it, believe me there's nothing better in the world.

You can go learn anything you want in life whether it's in university or at work but remember to put in your daily schedule a little bit of Talmud learning to keep you connected to the religion. If you learn some Talmud a day it can make your life better, it can give you satisfaction that you're not working for no reason, you also have some connection to Hashem. But if you only work, you have no reason to wake up in the morning, like we already said: "why do you work?" They answer: "to have money to eat." "And why do you eat?" "To have strength to work". "And why do you work?" "To have money to eat" and so on….. With no real reason why they are living.

Think about it, you will reach, G-D willing, the age of 80 years and what happens if you don’t have anyone that really cares about you because you're just an old man that did nothing with his life. No one has anything to learn from you and you finish your life in the four walls of your home alone. But if you do something valuable with your life, people will not forget you even hundreds of years later. In my opinion we all want to live a life with a real meaning, in which people won't forget us and leave us alone like we aren’t important. But the choice is ours, what will yours be?

Make a commitment to increasing your Torah study. Maybe you are busy and can’t seem to find the time, but work at it and slowly you will have a more meaningful and connected life. Wishing you the best!