Are you Religious ?

B"H

The question "Are you Religious ?" seems to have different meanings in Israel. 

Secular Jews normally refer to me as frum because in their opinion, a Jew who knows quite a bit about his own religion must be frum. No way that someone knows some Torah, Talmud and Chassidut; about the Rebbes and chassidic content without being religious.

For Haredim I am not religious at all because I simply don't look like it. Pants, T - shirts, sneakers or Crocs. Does any "anstaendige" (modest) Chassida dress this way ? No, and therefore, I must be totally secular. However, as soon as I start talking, Haredim start showing their surprise: A Chiloini (secular) knowing Chassidut ?

Just a short while ago, a secular Jew asked me "Are you Religious ?"

I said that I consider myself religious but sometimes I am not.

"And how about you", I asked back.

"I don't know anymore what I am", he responded and told me that he was confused by a variety of teachings. "Sometimes he just couldn't believe all those stories and Midrashim. How people know that this is true ?"

Almost every day I see some Breslover standing somewhere and handing out the little Tikun prayer for your soul rectification. In case they hand me one over, I usually respond that I have done so many Tikunim and nothing ever made me really really frum. The only question is whether every Jew has to be totally frum ?