Why are you a religious/torah observant Jew?

Because Hashem said I must be.

it is a zchus to be part of Hashems treasured nation & to serve the KING OF KINGS Hashem

I believe in Hashem and have seen his hashgacha in my life. It follows that I must keep my obligations to Him.

This world is temporary. We all die sooner or later, and the game is up, and you go on to your eternal reward (hopefully). If you don’t do Mitzvos, then what was the point of your life? What do you have to take with you to Olam Haemes (the True and eternal world)?

The purpose of this world is to merit reward in the Eternal World-to-come. If you don’t do Mitzvos, you have missed the point and your life and death are meaningless.

Also, as Mobico said, it is incredibly fulfilling and brings meaning to your life and to everything you do. Being Frum, learning Torah and doing Mitzvos, and living a life dedicated to serving Hashem is the most amazing and awesome thing in the world!

Everyone values and needs relationships. That is probably the main thing that any human needs and wants. A relationship with Hashem is the best and most fulfilling relationship a person could ask for. (which is also the reason that I don’t consider being single to be a crisis.)

Winnie:

That is precisely the essence of the Aleinu Tefillah. Our appreciation that we are able to recognize and give reverence and thanks to our Great Creator.

in general its best not to get into theological discussions with people who are anti-religious.

szb1: It really has a lot to do with the individual person – are they more emotional or more intellectual? What are their reasons for being anti-religion? You may have to listen to them first and see what they say and where the conversation goes, first empathize with them and then steer the conversation accordingly.

I would probably talk about the purpose in life. Point out to them that there HAS to be a purpose in life. Maybe ask them what they think life is about? Point out that it ends one day, and then what?

But the specific approach may have to take a more emotional bent if the person is a more emotional type. If they are more logical and intellectual, you can focus more on the intellectual reasons why it makes sense to be Frum, and if she is more emotional, you may have to talk more about meaning and fulfillment.

Aish HaTorah put out a video years ago about doing kiruv. I never saw it, but it sounds like it could be helpful. I think it was called Inspired or something like that.

Lightbrite – I think it should be both.I think both are important. One is probably more connected to Ahavas Hashem and the other to Yiras Hashem.

You need both. If you are only doing things for Yiras Hashem and reward in Olam Haba, you are missing the point, and you are missing out on a relationship with Hashem, and your Avodas Hashem is liable to be superficial.

On the other hand, if it is only about Olam Hazeh and Ahavas Hashem, while that is wonderful, you still need the Yiras Hashem part to keep you from stumbling. What happens when you are faced with temptation and Ahavas Hashem is not enough to keep you from giving in? What happens if at some point, c”v, you don’t feel so happy being Frum (hopefully just as a temporary stage while going through a hard time)?

In any case, as always, I am exceedingly impressed by your Ahavas Hashem, your love for Yiddishkeit, and your understanding that the main thing is our relationship with Hashem which takes place now and should be for its own sake and not for the sake of a reward. That is an attitude that some are missing, and I agree that it is a problem since this should be the main thing.

I think that it can be a matter of chinuch and/or personality. I think that for many years, I only had the Yiras Hashem/focus on Olam Haba aspect because somehow the other aspect had been lacking in my chinuch somehow. Boruch Hashem, I eventually picked it up, although of course, there is always room for growth.

LB- Also, not to pressure you or anything, since I know that you are in a process, and it’s crucial to take things slowly and grow in a healthy pace. But, it is also important to know what our goals are. So you should be aware that part of Yiddishkeit is believing in certain things. And I think we are supposed to believe that there is reward and punishment in the World-to-Come. Not just to prevent us from straying, but because it is Emes and we are supposed to believe it.

If you prefer not to think about it too much, that is fine, but it is important to believe in it (when you feel ready). In Judaism, the beliefs are important and not just the actions.

Again, I do want to stress my great admiration for your love for and enthusiasm for Yiddishkeit for its own sake. I have a lot to learn from you.

Thanks!

Thanks lilmod ulelamaid!

Because of Joseph’s posts. They showed me how beautiful the torah is and how it makes its adherents into good people.

Because i believe in Hashem. You CANT truly believe in Hashem if you dont keep the Torah. You cant keep by the Torah and not believe in Hashem. They go together you need to be an observant Jew in order to truly believe in Hashem and in order to believe in Hashem you must keep the Torah.