Judaism: Religion or Relationship
Rabbi Benzion Klatzko spoke to the students of the Yeshivah of Flatbush recently, posing the question,what is Judaism? The first assumption that most of us made was Judaism is a religion; after all what else would it be? If Rabbi Klatzko would be asking about Christianity, Buddhism, Islam etc that answer would be correct. We learned that Judaism, however, is much more than a religion. Every aspect of Judaism and being Jewish encompasses the idea of building and maintaining our relationship with G-d. Every single Mitzvah, Halacha and Minhag that we follow is for the sole purpose of bringing ourselves closer to G-d and confessing our love to him. Shabbat for example is our "date with G-d." It is the one day that we set aside to show G-d we will stop everything, because we love Him and want to spend time with Him. All week we are too busy to even think about G-d. It is hard with all that we have going on in the week to continuously build on that relationship. That one day a week where we try to connect to G-d the most is Shabbat. We are actively proclaiming our love to Him, and in return G-d promises to take care of us and help us throughout that week. G-d also allows us to do this through his Torah. It allows us to have a constant and ultimate relationship of giving and receiving with Him.
-Miriam Einhorn
Class 3HN
Class 3HN
Rabbi Klatzko is the founder of Shabbat.com, a website which connects hundreds of Jews around the word for shabbat meals, shidduchim and more. As a hands-on and loveable ambassador for the Jewish faith, he reconnected literally thousands of young Jewish men and women to their heritage. He also made an impressive splash in the broader Jewish community, earning the moniker “The Hollywood Rabbi.” Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and producers including cast and staff from Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, Third Rock From the Sun, and Directors and Vice Presidents of Sony, Disney, and Warner Brothers, became regulars at his popular monthly class on Jewish thought. Rabbi Klatzko and his family currently live in Monsey, New York, where hosting 50 or more people for Shabbos in the norm.