Confirmation B:

This post was almost titled cookie dough because twice I accidentally convinced people to buy cookie dough that I got a piece of once lifeguarding someone mentioned they should have a cookie drive through and I was like and also sell cookie dough I went up on stand and when I got down they had boughten cookie dough; before that I was at Diedre's and they mentioned something about cakes and I was like or cookie dough next thing I know I'm driving Diedre to the store so we can get cookie dough. mmmm I do love cookie dough.

ok now I'm sorry because most of my friends agree with me that religious nuts are ok. . . I'll leave it but today I get to be a religious nut sorry. so if you ignore this post I won't mind, but they get better as they go lower so if you don't like prayer type stuff skip the top one or two.
OH right forgot to explain a bit Friday the 2nd was my brother Brandon's confirmation and it shouldn't make me all excited but it does, hearing those speeches and my rabbi, and ahh seeing some of the prayers they normally don't do (english ones I understand) just made me remember why I love being jewish, and so here are some stuff from the book. This is in honor of my brothers confirmation, and really I do think ya'll should read this it willl give you a little insight on me, but if you don't care then dont worry. and if the religious bothers you that much I certainly won't hold it against you. ps the first one is the longest and most godly so . . . yeah


P.63
"There are no words more challenging than
"You shall be holy!"
There is no command more basic than "You shall love!"

There is no insight more fundamental as "In the beginning, God,"
No words so life-enhancing as "You shall rest!"

No cry is more compelling than "Let my people go!"
No consolation more comforting than
"I am with you in your distress."

There is no vision more hopeful than
"They shall beat their swords into plowshares,"
And no summon more demanding than
"Justice, justice shall you pursue!"

These words have out lived monuments and empires;
We want them to live through us, until the end of time. . .

We owe it to the world to keep Torah alive;
This is a message which the world needs to hear."

P.106 (this ones kind of long too I don't think as long though. ps I am the living extension of the 2nd type)
" Why do we say "Our God and God of our ancestors?"
There are 2 kinds of people who believe in God. One believes in virtue of tkaing over the faith of the parents; the other has arrived at faith through thinking and studying.
The difference between them is this: The advantage of the first is that, no matter what arguments may be brought against it, the faith cannot be shaken; it is firm because it was taken over from one's parents. But there is one flaw in it: it is faith only in responce to human command, acquired without studying or thinking for oneself.
The advantage of the second is that, because God has been found through much thinking, the believer has arrived at a personal faith, independently. But here, too, there is a flaw: it is easy to shake faith by refuting it through evidence.
But the person who unites both kinds of faith is invincible. And so we say "Our God" with reference to our studies, and "God of our ancestors" with an eye to tradition. "

P. 163 I AM A JEW
"I am a jew because Judaism demands no abdication of my mind.

I am a jew because Judaism asks every possible sacrifice of my soul.

I am a jew because wherever there are tears and suffering the jew weeps.

I am a jew because the message of Judaism is the oldest and the newest.

I am a jew because the promise of a Judaism is a universal promise.

I am a jew because, for the Jew, the world is not finished; human beings will complete it.

I am a jew because, Judaism places humanity above nations and above Judaism itself."

A Russian proverb and a jewish midrash: (as well as I remember them)
Russian proverb:
There was a fox about to cross a river when a scorpion asked if he could cross on his nose, and the fox said no you will sting me I and I will drowned. The scorpion replied but if I sting you and you drowned I will drowned to. Following this logic the fox agreed and half way across the river the scorpion stung the fox and while the fox was drowning it asked why did you sting me now we will both drown, and it said but it is in my nature.

jewish midrash: There are two rabbi's sitting near a river and suddenly the old rabbi sees a bee floating down it reaches in and scoops it out to save it, it stings him and he yells ouch before putting it down next to the river. The bee crawls back into the river and the old rabbi once again goes back to the river scoops it out, yells ouch when it stings him and puts it even further from the shore to make sure it doesnt' get back in. The young rabbi asked, rabbi why do you keep doing that it is in the bees nature to sting you. The older rabbi replied, ahh but it is in my nature to save him.

Quote of the post: It is not your obligation to complete the task [of perfecting the world], but neither are you free to desist [from doing all you can].

- Ethics of the Fathers

final note: ok so reading these they weren't exactly what I thought but they reminded me of why I'm jewish especially the I am a jew one, some were just small hints others not even really mentioned, others out right told to you, but these prayers if you want to call them that, are a small peek into why I love Judaism and why I am a jew. Part of what I find so amazing about this religion, that I tend to spend more time criticizing and . . . bad talking, that it doesn't really deserve. I love . . . a lot of things, and this is one of those things I hold close to me. And with most things that I hold close to me, I tend to rip it to pieces when I get frustrated, but lately lately the people I've brought close to me don't get tangled in that mess.