Pillars of Judaism

There is an old joke about a young idealistic rabbi who wanted to inspire his congregation. He first spoke about the importance of Shabbat. The next week he spoke about the observance of Kashrut laws and keeping a kosher home. The third week he spoke about the laws of Family Purity.

The president of the synagogue reprimanded the young rabbi, and told him never to speak of these three topics. He explained that the people were not that religious and they didn’t want to hear about these topics. The frustrated rabbi said to the president, “If I can’t talk about Shabbat or Kashrut, or Family Purity, what can I talk about.” The president answered, “Talk about Judaism!”

The importance of this little story is to emphasize that these are the three pillars of Judaism. When one becomes lax in any of these areas, his foundations in his observance become weakened.

Shabbat, Kashrut, and Family Purity, must be observed meticulously. This is what grounds us in living the proper Jewish lifestyle. When one lives according to these laws, he is able to understand their benefits. We appreciate the sanctity of Shabbat. We understand that we need to be careful what we eat, as we are affected by what we ingest. Family Purity laws greatly enhance the bond between husband and wife. It elevates the bond between them.

There are certainly more than these topics that reflect Jewish teachings. But we must be reminded from time to time, what are the three pillars of Judaism. These reminders are necessary to keep us focused on what is important and what is not.