AN ESSAY RECEIVED FROM CHAVA

Guard your Sacred Torah

"You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son and you shall not take his daughter for your son, for he will cause your child to turn away from after me and they will worship the G-d of others" (Deuteronomy 7:3-4)

This is a nice verse and clearly says I cannot intermarry yet why is the Torah even significant- significant enough for me to abide by it.

Here is a little background on the Torah and its content. The Torah has been around for thousands of years, passed down from generation to generation, through wars, pogroms, inquisitions. Anti- Semitism, destruction, eradication, yet us Jews preserved it, guarded it and internalized it. We didn't let our enemies rip it away from our hearts; we didn’t let them tear us away. Why? Because Torah is truth and truth is everlasting.

Moreover, the Torah was the ultimate first book, spelling out thousands of morals, to teach us the proper way us humans should behave. If you are living anywhere in the western culture, all your civil laws actually stem from Torah; the first book of morals. Any humane moral has its primary source- The Torah! Making peace treaties between countries, freeing slaves, not stealing, not killing, all find its origin in the first book of morals- The Torah!

The Torah isn’t a book to restrict our lives and pin us down to its words, it is a book of beauty and truth- to rather enhance our lives with its pearls of wisdom. The Torah commands us Jews to keep the Shabbos day holy. Someone could view this Mitzvah with a veil over its beauty and focus on the many restrictions and rules it comes with. Yet if we remove this peel and look at the value and advantage Shabbat brings, we can appreciate its magnificence. It brings families together, leaving behind all worldly distractions that distance ourselves from family and friends during the week. It is a warm and pure day to bond and share with the people that matter in our lives. No work. No technology. Just our pure selves. This is what the Torah values. How can we disregard such a sacred book full of wisdom and opportunity!

In the past Doctors would consult with the Rabbi's regarding bio- ethics due to their vast knowledge in Torah and wisdom in which it feeds us. The Torah doesn’t just give laws and commandments, it also gives guidance on how to approach complicated situations- tools for life {in this twisted world}. A lot of science being discovered now is- you guessed it- found in this over 3000 year old book! It is life's turning wheels in every respect. How can we not admire and cherish this gift given to us and guard its holy contents?

Ezra Hasofer was one of the priests, and later on became a high priest, of the Jewish people. There is an account in the Torah about Ezra. Upon hearing that the Jewish nation was mingling with the other nations and interpreting, he reacted very extremely. He tore his garments and robe, he ripped his hair and beard off and sat bewildered until the evening. (Ezra 9:2) Ezra was devastated on account of the situation to the extent of inflicting pain to himself and tearing his clothes. This may seem quite extreme yet doesn’t fail to relay the importance of this commandment.

There is a verse that states, "The children of an intermarried couple will not follow the path of Torah and will be distant from it." (Paraphrased- Malachi, 2:12) A person may think "I'm a Jewish women; my kids will be Jewish. What is the issue? Albeit the children will be Jewish, very quickly her future family's Jewish identity will vanish due to lack of Jewish practice and insensitivity to the issue of intermarriage. Continuous intermarriage, repeatedly, will soon cut off all ties with Jewish identities in this well expanded family!

To add emphasis on the crisis at stake, the Jewish civil law does not allow intermarriage. we are not talking about a religious prime minister implementing such a law, the prime minister of Israel is secular, yet feels the detrimental effect this situation has. This law is so strongly regarded, that a government-approved orthodox rabbi, to ensure there is no intermarriage going on, must conduct every wedding taking place in Israel.

There are also blessings that come along with it; it does have a positive side! G-d says that one who follows his laws will not be delayed in receiving a repayment. He will bless you and multiply you. "He will bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your soil, your grain your wine and your oil" He will protect you just like you are protecting his laws! (Deuteronomy 7:3/10-13)

The Torah isn’t just an old book that doesn’t apply to our lives now. It is actually a very present book with a lot of relevance nowadays. The Torah spells out many prophesies been given to sacred prophets thousands of years ago. These prophesies were not G-d forbid empty words, but rather many of these foretellings are actually occurring now in our days. Where do you find this but in Torah?

No Jew was placed by accident in this holy nation; we were chosen- handpicked by the almighty G-d, and for good reason! We are all product of bygone generations- the Jews. We are the decedents of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. We as a nation were subsequently constituted at the mountain of Sinai- the Torah being the wedding contract with G-d. We profusely proclaimed, "We will do and we will listen" as one man with one heart. We are the chosen nation and have good reason to take pride from it!