Jewish Home Blessing - Jewish Doorways

The following Ten Principles establish that Jews should believe in Judaism because they believe in these fundamental ideals: Judaism teaches us that all human beings are created in the divine image and therefore are linked to God by the Divine Spark within them. Judaism teaches us how to nurture the Divine Spark within us, elevating us in moral worth and dignity and linking us to The Divine. Judaism rejects intermediaries. It is never the responsibility of any one individual to determine and define our lives. We can learn from a great many individuals, from prophets and sages to ordinary people. Judaism teaches us that the revelations of God cannot be limited to one document, person or time. Life, knowledge and reality are alive and changing. Therefore, Judaism cannot be bound by any particular text without the possibility of modification. The improved status of women today is one result of this perspective. Judaism teaches us that ritual without ethics is not only fruitless, but idola...

  By Rabbi Young, Seven Acres & The Medallion Chaplain “Honor your father and your mother.” The Torah states this commandment twice, almost verbatim, and also restates it in several different forms. Clearly, the commandment amounts to a fundamental principle in Judaism. When an aging parent requires increasing levels of personal care, an adult child or children may find themselves in a quandary. What is the best way to honor the parent while also meeting their gradually increasing care needs? According to traditional texts, a child must personally take care of their parent’s needs. Maimonides, the 12th Century scholar, suggests an exception. In a case where a child is disturbed by a parent’s dementia, he concludes that one may hire someone else to provide the needed care for them. In response, Rabbi Abraham ben David of Posquieres, a contemporary of Maimonides, asked: “Whom can he command to take care of him?” In other words, who but the children can provide an appropriate leve...

  Wedding / Marriage Inspiration “A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we’re two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we’ve found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.” From The Bridge Across Forever by Richard Bach. Prayer May you never take each other for granted but always experience the wonders of your union. May your love consist not only in gazing into each other’s eyes, but also in looking outward in the same direction. May your life together be a source of strength and ...

  God  is inside you. Instead  of finding a way to communicate with  God , I would suggest you keep praying. Praying every  morning  can help you to reduce stress and think  clearly .  Prayer  is the act of surrendering oneself to God. It helps  a person  grow out of his own limitations,  helplessness , and a sense of insecurity. We surrender ourselves to the feet of the Lord realizing that it is the only way to touch the universal  consciousness . The  importance  of  prayer  in our daily life should  never  be underestimated. The purpose of  prayer  is not to demand or  beg  from God — I don’t have a job, so I want a job or I don’t have a child, so I want a child. Demanding or begging to fulfill one’s wants and desires will  definitely  limit our human  efforts . It  slowly  leads to lethargy and  dependency  by making one feel that...