Q&A: A Look at the Creator
A Look at the Creator
Question
A- Isn’t it obvious that just as it is obvious that there is a Creator of the world, because inanimate matter (and even animate matter) cannot create itself, so too it is obvious that it also cannot continue to exist unless at every moment its Creator continues to sustain it? Like consciousness, which our physical brain clearly shows points to something spiritual—a soul and so on—outside the body. So how could one say, according to the views that do say this, that He does not know every single thing at every given moment?
B- In one place you wrote: “There is no infringement on His omnipotence if I claim that He cannot solve the problem of evil, because He cannot create a world in which there is no evil but His purposes are still realized.” What are “His purposes”? Is He really limited and lacking perfection, with some purpose that He cannot achieve except in a particular way? How exactly do you conceive of the Creator, who created the world out of nothing, and who Himself has no creator? And you also wrote: “This does not indicate a deficiency, but rather a goal/purpose for which He acts. Not because He Himself lacks something, but because something is lacking in the world.” But He Himself created the world lacking, so did He create a purpose for Himself, or is He just playing a game with Himself?
And your claim there, “There is justification for this; we just do not understand it,” does not justify it, because why does He let us think about it, and about all kinds of painful things such as how He came into being?
C- And just generally, what does it mean that He cannot make a square triangle? If we accept the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world “out of nothing,” then that “nothing” should be seen in an absolute sense—that is, including the laws of thought and logic. It makes no sense that He should be subject to His own limitation. In practice, there is no fundamental difference between, for example, the law of gravity and the law that says 2+2=4. Both were “invented” and established by the Creator.
D- We were commanded to learn from His attributes: just as He is, so you should be. So does that mean He cares for His own people only—that is, does this provide support for people who care only for their own group? (Though then there would be the difficulty from the stork, which is therefore non-kosher because it does kindness only with its own companions.)
E- Ever since I left the Haredi bubble and discovered that the Talmud is full of mistakes and is not divinely inspired, I don’t really understand why Torah study is considered the most important commandment, equal to all the others, “you shall meditate upon it day and night,” overriding all the commandments, that every moment one is forbidden to neglect Torah study—“neglect of Torah”—and this is even about the Oral Torah?
Answer
I suggest that next time you devote a separate thread to each question. The discussion is not efficient this way.
A- No, that is really not obvious to me. Nor is it clear to me what this has to do with the Holy One’s knowledge.
B- Search here for discussions about the problem of natural evil in the world.
C- Search here for discussions about the laws of logic and whether the Holy One, blessed be He, is subject to them.
D- I didn’t understand the question.
E- The Oral Torah is the human translation of the Written Torah. The Written Torah was given to us on the understanding that we would interpret it. This has nothing at all to do with the question of whether it contains mistakes or not. If it contains mistakes, try to correct them. And if you do not know whether something is a mistake, the assumption is that this is the interpretation of the Torah that has come down to us unless proven otherwise.
Discussion on Answer
Why is that so obvious to you?
As I said, to me it is not obvious at all. On the contrary, the opposite seems fairly obvious to me.
Okay, then I’d be glad if you would kindly explain how inanimate matter (or animate matter) can physically exist and not be dead, as when the divine force leaves me.
In any case, there are atheists to whom it is equally obvious that the whole world is not from God and not from anything, and they also ask you why it is so obvious to you.
I like making people happy, but I like working for them a lot less.
You need to moderate the number of questions you raise. We’re not study partners.
And note well: I’m not asking you not to ask, but to ask after you’ve thought about the question and after you’ve checked here on the site and looked for answers.
Okay, so I’ll continue with one question.
The first: why isn’t it obvious, just as it is obvious that there is a Creator of the world because inanimate matter (and even animate matter) cannot create itself, so too it is obvious that inanimate matter cannot continue to exist unless at every moment its Creator continues to sustain it?