A Path Toward Jewish Observance

For those that have not been raised in an observant home, the many facets of Jewish observance can be daunting. This guide provides a starting point for those that are interested in Jewish observance but do not know where or how to begin. Our objective is to highlight those components of observance that are important, in that they are based on Torah commandments (mitzvos) and, at the same time, are accessible in that they do not require large time commitments, knowledge of Hebrew or the mastery of some of the more complex parts of Jewish law.

What has been selected is intended to be a foundation on which to build. Therefore, an explanation is provided for what is being excluded in these first steps. This helps provide an awareness of how it is possible to move down the path of Jewish observance.  But equally important, it lets you know what commandments you are not fulfilling.  It is better to be aware of what these commandments are and recognize that they remain to be done, rather than either be ignorant of them or believe that they are unnecessary. 

In this regard this program is philosophically joined to Orthodox Judaism and is distinct from the Conservative and Reformed movements.  It may be that some of the commandments you fail to observe are those that are eschewed by the Conservative movement.  The difference, and this is a most critical difference, is that you will be doing it with a belief that these commandments are nonetheless weighty and the goal is to progressively move to full observance.

You might find a few surprises as you read through the manual.  You will see that a number of things that you naturally do in your daily life actual fulfill various mitzvot.  Once you are aware of that, and start to do these things with that in mind, you will be already be making progress towards observance.  You also will see that some of the most important mitzvot are different from what you might have thought.  For example, most Jews associate Sabbath observance with attending synagogue.  While doing so, and more specifically while some of the prayer that are recited there are important, synagogue attendance per se is not a requirement to keep the Sabbath.  As another example, many Jews would consider the Yom Kippur service as being the critical aspect of the observance of that holy day. But far more critical – since it is an explicit Torah commandment – the act of fasting.