This document, like life, is a work in progress.
The idea for the format of this came from RamBams’s 13 Principles. I read them and thought about them a great deal. I then developed this list of seven principles of belief. I originally wrote this in 2004, and have made minor edits over time. The most recent edit was to move the Sabbath to the seventh principle. It seemed appropriate. If you have written a statement of your beliefs or theology, please add it to the comments to share. Here are two others that I am aware of: Velveteen Rabbi and Six Principles of Telshemesh. I also recommed reading Magickal Judaism by Jennifer Hunter. It’s primarily made up of interviews with Jewitches (including me) about what we believe and our view of Judaism.
“Thou shall have no other God before me.”
I believe that the God is the Source of Life, the Wellspring of the Universe, the Divine Spark that Inspires All, and a thousand other names. I believe “The Divine abounds in everything and dwells in everyone. The Many are one.” (Marcia Falk)
I believe that the Gods and Goddesses of other cultures are part of the great Wellspring of Life. Judaism has seventy-two names for God and a chorus of angels, demons, and heavenly creatures. Each of these has a different meaning and speaks to a different aspect of God. I believe that each culture has been given its own set of names and ways to access the Breathing Spirit of the Universe, but in the end it is all One.
I believe that all things carry a “spark” of the Divine and are connected through this spark.
Abarah K’Dabarah – “I create as I speak”.
I believe the spark of Divinity inherent in all things allows people to influence the world through reaching out to the threads of energy, which connect all things. This skill can be learned, but some will have a natural ability that will give them access with our without training.
The interconnectedness of all things requires us to live interconnected lives. One should not lie, cheat, steal, or willfully harm others and expect to interact with Divine energy without consequence. Food should not be consumed without thought the animals and plants that died to provide sustenance. Products should not be purchased without thought to the harm they may cause the earth.
The Torah is a Tree of Life
I believe that the Torah is the sacred story of my tribe. Through this medium all we need to know is available; words, letters, the ability to communicate. The gift of language and letters allows us to communicate through the centuries, that is the legacy of Torah. The written Torah is to be studied, evaluated, and interpreted.
By knowing where we have been we can map the way to the future. We know thoughts of ancient scholars because they were written down. I believe that these writings are springboards to the future, not necessarily cannons never to be wavered from or questioned.
I believe that new ideas and interpretations must be written down continuing the story that the ancients began. This is the gift of our ancestors and the sacred trust we must maintain.
The Renewal of the Soul
I believe in the renewal of the soul. I believe that souls do not die with the corporeal body. The spark of Divine that we carry within us is renewed through many lifetimes. In each lifetime we learn or experience a new facet of existence, which adds to our knowledge throughout time. I believe that one of the many reasons we are compelled to leave so many writings behind is to communicate not only those come after us, but also to remind ourselves in each lifetime of what has already been done.
When a soul has experienced all there is to experience then that spark is able to rejoin the Divine Fire, and become part of the whole once again.
The Messiah
I believe there will come a day when the all souls incarnated on the earth, will be ready to rejoin the Sacred Wellspring of Life. This will be the time of the Messiah. Existence as we know it will cease and a new world will begin. I do not pretend to know what form this new world will take.
The Power of Blessing
I believe in the Brachot. The act of thanking the Eternal Wellspring of Life for what seems trivial is powerful. It creates a life consciously lived. Pouring libations of wine, giving offerings of herb sachets, or simply saying “Thank for this beautiful sunset,” each is an act, which nourishes not only ourselves, but also the flow of Divine energy around us. Just as negativity can breed negativity, so can acts of blessing breed good things in the world. Each prayer said, each offering made, each good deed done, each simple act of kindness not only affects us, but everyone around us.
Blessed are those who keep the Sabbath
It is said that the Sabbath is a taste of Heaven, a glimpse of the world to come. This weekly rest is our reward for working and toiling. It serves as a reminder of why we do these things. The Ten Commandments tell us to “Honor the Sabbath and Keep it Holy.” I believe the form this takes is unimportant. Anything we do on the Sabbath to remind ourselves of this chance to rest is return many times over. We are blessed when we bless. No matter if you have a simply ceremony on Friday night, follow the modern traditions for keeping the Sabbath to the letter, or just wear a special piece of jewelry for the Sabbath – the simple act of acknowledging and remembering will bring great rewards.
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This is so beautiful! I have just discovered Earth Based Judaism, and am rapidly beginning to feel that this is what I’ve been searching for my entire life (I am all ready a converted Jew by Choice). You wonderfully put into words the same things I feel. Thank you for sharing! : )
Wow! thanks! If you’ve just discovered Earth Based Judaism, be sure to check out http://www.telshemesh.org — that’s the website of R’Jill Hammer who runs the Kohenet priestess program you’ll find me writing about.
I look forward to hearing about what you learn too!
I am so glad I found this site, I have been following Wicca for many years, but after marring a Jew and raising our Child Jewish I find myself drawn to Synagogue life with a deep hunger for knowledge…..this site is truly a Divine gift
Carly… I’ve just realized how amazing this whole thing is. I’ve looked through your website before, but this time, it ACTUALLY made sense!!!lol…
In my case, reading the book about Yoga really helped. I was already feeling bits and pieces of it, but when I read it in words, it felt right. Anyway, just wanted to know that I’ll be reading more and reading all your past posts are well! Keep it up and HAPPY BIRTHDAY again
Wow, thatnks! I know that Yoga has really been effective for you. I really look forward to discussing your experiences with you!
(and thanks for the happy birthday wishes!)
I really like your interpretation of “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” It is very true that imagery from, or similar to, other cultures/religions of the area show up in the Psalms, creation story, and even the sacred stone Jacob put where he had the angels on the ladder dream. All these images are ways of relating to God, from wings to comparing God to a pine tree. I think a lot of people get caught up in the “not” without paying attention to the divine that is not just in one place or metaphor or tradition. A lot of my friends have asked the question of their churches as to why God would not reveal himself to the great majority of the ancient world. I believe that God did reveal the divine to all people in some form, and they hear it differently. Kind of like a trumpet heard through a marine environment when it is played just above the water, in the air. We hear the trumpet and imagine what it is like. If God were sound, God would be both in the water and in the air, here but “there” also. And everyone doesn’t hear the trumpet in the same way.
Esther
That’s really insightful! I actually just read something about the angels turning into the stone-pillow Jacob used, but I never thought of it this way. very interesting.
I love the trumpet metaphor. Very appropriate and effective.
I practiced Wicca for over 20 years in it’s conventional form. I then experienced some outstanding revelations that led me to convert to Christianity (details on my web site). I now am a member of a Messianic Congregation. I adore the Judaic heritage of Yeshua haMoshiach. That is how I found your site: searching on Purim, actually. It is a lovely site, however I find it amazing that one who loves Torah could rationalize a way to practice magick through it. Seems rather dangerous. So I am quite curious as to how you have do this. What is your logic around the mitzvot concerning sorcery? I also am confused by the concept of Yah as One but, simultaneously, many. If Yah is kewl with all the other gods of other philosophies, why then did He command the Israelites to commit genocide on those people with other gods as they came to their promised land?
You also have a reference to Asherah worship! Isn’t that another explicity forbidden practice in Torah?
hasatan is most crafty in continuing to convince us to sin by believing we can be gods/goddesses. I am so curious as to how you wrangle with these concepts.
I also wonder if you have looked at the astonishing number of messianic prophecies that were fulfilled by Yeshua. It merits looking into, for if He is indeed the One, His Teachings are most important.
I look most forward to your reply.
Blessed, Healthy & Prosperous Be,
Shalom
Shalom,
I think I actually answered a lot of your questions on the What I Believe Page. But let me tackle just a couple in more detail.
You asked about the prohibition against sorcery. I don’t practice sorcery. Magick to me is prayer and is perfectly in line with the way of things, not an attempt to subvert the natural order and God.
Your questions about other gods — there are many conflicting statements in the Torah. In some the jews are told to just put YHVH before other gods in other to slaughter everyone and destroy others. I consider myself an intelligent, thoughtful person and am capable of the former. The torah also expressly prohibits eating pigs and lobsters — and lots of people seem to ignore that too.
I don’t worship Asherah — I think I just mentioned people who do.
I simply do the best I can to live decently and truthfully. I listen and challenge what I hear. I read and challenge not only other interpretations but also my own. And in Jewish tradition, hasatan is an agent of God sent simply to challenge us.
I honestly have no interest in Messianic Judaism. To me that’s Christianity. I’m a Jew. You are welcome to your beliefs, but I do not wish to discuss that particular path on this site any further. I’m glad you have found a path that works for you.
All the best,
Carly
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I just discovered your site a few minutes ago on bliss chick…and I am delighted to find myself here!
This “document” or “declaration of beliefs?” is beautiful and very much aligned with my core beliefs…except for perhaps Moshiach…this is something I am really trying to conceptualize for myself…a healing/honing/discerning kind of thing…not a struggle…for me…in this moment…moshiach feels like a continuous unfolding, not an end point…and like the process began at the beginning and we are part of this process…gathering sparks and kindling the flame so that it becomes brighter each time we see God’s face in another being…and we share heart/soul ONENESS…ok, maybe I’m rambling a bit…but like I said, I’m trying to work this out in my heart/mind/body/soul awareness.
Chag orim sameach (almost)
laura
@laura
Wow. I love when new people find my site and make me go back and read things I’ve not reviewed in a while. I honestly couldn’t quite remember what I had written about the concept of Moshiach. Your comment made me go back and look.
I might need to refine that statement just a touch. I actually agree with you. But I see the idea of Moshiach as the tipping point. The moment in time when the world fundamentally changes so radically that no one can question that the change happened.
I checked out your site! I love the idea of creativity as spiritual practice. Chag sameach to you!
Carly,
Thank you so much for your website and the insights you provide. My whole family just recently completed the conversion process and I was kinda caught in a pickle when I started studying Earth-based religions and saw how much I personally connect to some of their beliefs. I asked one of the Rabbi’s about my feelings and he told me that “it’s not what you believe in but what you are a part of that is more important.” So that settled in me that I could still be Jewish and apart of the Tribe and still be open-minded about Magick etc. I agree with you that Magick is prayer. Jewitch or not your are still a Jew and I think your personality and beliefs would fit in, in any Reconstructionist circle I have attended
Shalom
Dear Carly,
Your website is lovely and inspiring- and helpful. I practiced Wicca for a long, long time- it was great to celebrate the change of seasons in a ritual form. But I ‘moved on’ studying Judaism and learning Biblical Hebrew. (and later Yiddish, the language which nourishes my soul.)
This website is dedicated to all the subjects which are dear to me.
Thank you!
Annelize