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Knowledge of the Holy One, Blessed be He

שו”תCategory: philosophyKnowledge of the Holy One, Blessed be He
asked 4 years ago

Hello and thank you for the helpful information you post!
I watched the series on free choice and one small question remained open for me: If the Holy One, blessed be He, created creatures who have a choice and thus “caused” that He could not know what we choose, then we can say that He created something that He cannot know about. It is basically like the famous question, can the Holy One, blessed be He, create a stone that He cannot lift. If I compare the two, even though your answer and the obvious answer is that He cannot, He actually can, just as He created us and He cannot know what we choose. I am sure you have an explanation for this and I would like to know where I went wrong in my questioning. Thanks in advance!


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מיכי Staff answered 4 years ago
right. He created something he couldn’t know about. What is the question?

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איתי יחזקאל replied 4 years ago

The question is, if He created something He cannot know about, why can't we claim that He can create a stone He cannot lift?

מיכי Staff replied 4 years ago

You might be asking how it differs from the stone, where it seems that he cannot create. It is not different. In principle, he can create a stone that no one can lift (it is not liftable) and then he will not be able to lift it either. The question is whether the concept of a stone that is not liftable is defined and has any content. It is not a matter of the weight of the stone because any weight is liftable. So it should not be liftable for another reason. If there is such a reason, then he can really create such a stone. Regarding choice, it is well defined and understandable to us. Therefore, there it is clear that he can create information that is not accessible to him in advance.
By the way, it was not he who created this information, but we (by our choice). He only gave us the power to create it (the ability to choose).

איתי יחזקאל replied 4 years ago

Okay, that definitely answers my question, and of course another one popped up in my mind following your answer: Can we say, following what you said, that the Holy One, blessed be He, can grant us the ability to know information that He Himself does not know, such as, for example, information about how to build a stone that is not liftable from His perspective, but we will know the “technique” for lifting it? The question is theoretical and not so connected to reality, but still interesting. In short: Could we have/could we have the knowledge to create a stone that we could lift and the Holy One, blessed be He, could not? (In the abstract sense of a stone that is lifted, not in the sense of a heavy stone)

מיכי Staff replied 4 years ago

Giving us knowledge of information that he himself does not know is one thing, and giving us knowledge to create a stone that we can lift and he does not – is another matter entirely.
It seems to me that you yourself do not really understand what you are asking. Think again about the question and the wording, and if for some reason you think there is still a point for discussion here, raise it clearly.

פאפאגיו replied 4 years ago

Ask the plant Zemach Tzedek if God can create a stone that he cannot lift? And he answered that of course he could, for He created free choice…
The depth of the matter, which is the root of all questions, is how God created another subjective existence besides Himself.
And in this question lies all the questions

הפוסק האחרון replied 4 years ago

The LORD will take vengeance, he will take vengeance. The Judge of the earth will judge the nations. How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be exalted? They will speak, they will speak, they will speak, all the workers of iniquity will say, …. And they will say, “He will not see, nor will the God of Jacob understand.” There are fools among us, and fools among the people, when will they understand? He who plants an ear will not hear; he who forms an eye will not see. He who punishes nations will not teach a man knowledge. The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.

איתי יחזקאל replied 4 years ago

I'm talking about the second issue you raised, can the Holy One, blessed be He, give us the knowledge to create a stone that we can lift and He doesn't?
And by the way, is the series on faith continuing? It's on YouTube until episode 25

מיכי replied 4 years ago

This morning we gave lesson 26. Recording will be uploaded soon.
Your gibberish question lost me. I suggest you finish.

איתי יחזקאל replied 4 years ago

Absolutely. Thank you again, I really appreciate your knowledge and willingness to help.

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