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Jewish Obligation?


Question:

Dear Rabbi, I have a couple of serious questions that I hope you could answer. I was born Jewish. My mother was Jewish and so was my father. But, I had an absolutely zero Jewish upbringing and was raised extremely secular. I had no Bar Mitzvah or anything at all. As a hereditary Jew, do I have an obligation before God to become religious? Could I follow my own path as long as I followed the Noahide code? Thank you for your time and have a good day.



AskTheRabbi.org answered:

If you are Jewish then God wants you to investigate your Judaism and to try and become closer to Him. Of course, that is easier said than done! Personally, I would recommend that you read a wonderful book called Gateway to Judaism by Rabbi Mordechai Becher, published by ArtScroll, that will answer all your questions. It is a fascinating and very easy to read "mini-encyclopedia". It is written in an informative and humorous style and it covers the spectrum of Judaism, both the practical side and the philosophical/theological side.


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