Am I Cursed?

I need help Rabbi. My family are from Jewish descent however I have never personally practised Judaism. I have never felt very connected but for reasons I will explain I now feel like now is the time to explore and get answers. My family on my mothers side (the Jewish side) have always had an abundance of bad luck. Family members die very young, addiction is prevalent, cancer and other illnesses, very bad luck, financial issues, love issues and almost everything else you can think of. And what confuses me is that my immediate family are very kind people, we should have good karma however we rarely have anything good happen to us. I am starting to believe that my family are cursed by something. I don't know if it's because we aren't practising Judaism or if a family member sinned and we are now being punished. I need guidance Rabbi and I am scared for my family. I don't know where to start hence why I am writing to you. Could it be a Jewish curse on my family?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

I am sorry to hear of your situation.

As a general rule, we don’t believe that there is such a thing as an extended family being cursed and having bad luck. We don’t know why bad things happen to good people. However, I can assure you that bringing G-d into your life can only help you in every way.

First of all, you must reach out to a rabbi in your area to determine whether you are Jewish according to Jewish law or not.

If you are Jewish then connect to an orthodox rabbi and synagogue and become part of the community. Study Torah, attend classes, and attend services. Your life will totally change for the better.

If you are not Jewish, well, all you have to do is believe in the One God of Israel...the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Judaism believes that God loves all mankind. One does not need to become Jewish to go to heaven. All that God wants from the non-Jewish world is that they observe 7 precepts, or commandments. They are known as the “Noahide Laws.” They are called “Noahide Laws” because the requirement to observe these seven laws was given Noah, a righteous non-Jew (yes, the fellow from the story with the flood).

The 7 laws are:

1. Don’t murder.

2. Don’t steal.

3. Don’t worship false gods.

4. Don’t be sexually immoral.

5. Don’t eat a limb from an animal that is still alive.

6. Don’t curse God.

7. Establish a system of justice.

Any human being who observes these laws goes to heaven. There is no need to follow any other religion. You can pray to God in your own words and your own language.

Take a look at the website https://www.netivonline.org/ which specializes in helping non-Jews with religious beliefs. There is a wealth of information there that you will find useful and inspiring. It is also worth looking up the “Noahide” or "B'nai Noach" movement and consider joining them!