Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Convictions

      How much would you do for someone else if your beliefs don't coincide ? Would you observe more just because your kids wanted you to ? Would you observe a particular mitzvah if your spouse wanted you to but you would not do it otherwise? I guess for most people the answer would be that it depends on what it is , how much the other person wanted you to do it, and how much it bothered you or did not bother you to do it.
       I think the most difficult questions occur when people are married for a long time and one  person's convictions change. Perhaps one person has less emunah and does not want to be as observant as the  other spouse and the other spouse does not want to change. This can also go the other way where one person wants to be more observant and the other person does not. There are not simple answers to these questions especially if there are children involved. The truth it is complicated even when there are no children involved. When a couple is together for a long time people change and if the two people are committed to each other it is not so clear cut. I guess it all hinges on what someone is willing to do to stay with someone else even if one's beliefs may have changed.
       

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