meaningless tradition?

[Vor]

Deuteronomy 11:18-19

18"(E)You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
19"(F)You shall teach them to your sons, talking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.



Jews twice a day, because of tradition, physically do this. There is a whole ritual to it with rapping the arm, head and hand. They don't just put the words on for a moment. Do a google for Teffilin to know what I'm talking about...anyway, contrast that with this proverb and I'm thinking...is it truly literal? Don't get me wrong, a necklace that says kindness and truth would be pretty cool but are Jews following meaningless tradition?




Proverbs 3:3
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

 

[tomspug]

If it was meaningless, then why would they do it? They obviously follow this tradition for a reason. Are you implying that Jews are stupid or something for doing things without a reason?

 

[Popeyesays]

Actually, not every Jew around the world does this--only the orthodox and ultra-orthodox.

Seen as symbolic terms, it makes sense to dedicate the strength of your arm and your mind to those words.

Spiritual reality is the issue, literal obedience breeds little but literal obedience.

Regards,
Scott