Monthly Archives September 2015

It’s the High Holidays of “Rosh Hashanah” where a person of the Jewish faith ponders am I living a good life? There are many who follow the path of traditional observant way and that appears right for them but could their be a different path for me that is acceptable as well?  “BASIC JUDAISM” says yes to this question for although we respect and believe that path is correct alternate paths to the faith based on the Torah also exist.

One example is driving to Synagogue on the Sabbath and Hi Holidays which is strictly forbidden by the more “Traditional Jew” because it says in the Torah one must not kindle a fire on the Sabbath and because (please pardon my layman verbiage)  some wise men also said that work includes moving a physical object from one location to another.  Yet another path might suggest kindling a fire had to do with the act of rubbing two sticks together to get heat to cook or keep warm not to move such an object. There might be other interpretations that I’m missing but we can see the basic pattern.  We also can see in today’s times how the movement of a person by such a vehicle might allow them to be loved ones they might not be able to see any other way or receive insight that they might be missing at a different Synagogue. Therefore it is possible that a greater good could be achieved in some cases where a vehicle is used then if left out.   The understanding of a different path doesn’t invalidate the other route it just suggests that movement can be made in different directions to the same ultimate goal to be a good person.