Pure Oil
One of my daughter's friends is a little boy named "Binyomin". Binyomin's mother is Jewish and his father is not Jewish. Binyomin, like most children of intermarriage, is being brought up to celebrate both Chanukah and X-mas. This is certainly not something uncommon these days.
Who knows what the future holds for Binyomin. My prayer is that the holy and pure neshomah within him gives him the strength to discard the influences which are harmful to him as a Jew. I daven that one day he realizes that he is Jew, and a Jew doesn't celebrate on December 25th.
May it be Hashem's will that little Binyomin gets in touch with the "pure oil" that is inside him.
4 Comments:
Yes, this time of year we witness the dreaded Chrismakkuh rearing its ugly, hybridized head. I know interfaith families have the right intentions, but I wonder if they truly comprehend the irony of celebrating both holidays together. Do they truly understand anything at all about either holiday, and what it represents?
Since this child is Jewish, I too join you in praying that he will find the right path in his life, the one that will truly allow his neshama to fluorish.
Did the father 'convert' to marry her or did she just go ahead and marry a gentile? This is something I think about a lot because I'm very happily married to a gentile with whom I hope to spend the rest of my life. But if he truly wanted to convert to Judaism, then I'd be super happy because then I could and we could raise our kids Jewish. (I'm a Bat Noach. Became one after our marriage. And he's fully supportive.) So when people fake convert (although to God they are a Jew) I wince for many reasons. I know people worry a lot about Jews assimilating. I do too and I'm not even Jewish. : ) I guess my point is this: Would her faith be any stronger of she had married a Jew who thinks like she does? Is the problem marrying gentiles or is the problem that she doesn't really believe her own religion? I'm not trying to judge her. I believe in the Torah, but clearly she has free will. And only God knows what is going on in her head.
Alice, you asked, "Is the problem marrying gentiles or is the problem that she doesn't really believe her own religion?"
I do not know the answer. Like you, I do not know what is inside the minds and hearts of others. Only Hashem does.
A have a friend who's in that situation. B"H for her, her mom became frum and pretty much raised her-sent her to frum girls' schools-it was ultimately her decision, though. She used to go to her dad's for Christmas every year even so, but one year she said that living the double life was crazy and didn't go. She has a strength of will that I am constantly amazed by.
Post a Comment
<< Home