Defining God as “what He commands must be done”
I heard the rabbi say several times that we are obligated to fulfill the commandments, because God said so.
And whoever asks, “Why must we do what God commands?” has not understood what God is.
Well – I didn’t understand what God was.
That is: I didn’t understand why I had to obey him.
I would be grateful if the rabbi could explain what the person who asks why we must obey God did not understand.
Additionally, who defines God this way?
Perhaps you could also clarify what you mean by “must”: is it something that is on the other side, or also in a trait within me? And if it is also within me – I would be happy to expand.
God is the one who created the world and us and also commanded us all sorts of things. We must obey His commandments simply because He is who He is. I have no explanation beyond that. You can read my article on philosophical gratitude, where there is a little more detail.
I know and agree with the definition of God, as the Rabbi described it.
What is still not clear to me is why I must obey.
That is, if a lack of understanding of a certain thing means that I did not understand what God is – even though I understood and agreed with everything else – perhaps we can simply say that this is the thing that is not clear to me.
What is the basis for this obligation?
Is the obligation a duty of gratitude?
Is it possible for a person to say to himself, “I do not have to,” and indeed not have to?
That is, he will be punished, etc.
But is this obligation something that a person decides whether to commit to?
I have no way to explain. It's like a person who understands moral values but doesn't understand that they oblige him to do something. But clearly it doesn't depend on you deciding. Every person must obey. If you don't understand this, you are at most a coercive person. Like someone who doesn't see a fact, it doesn't change the fact.
Entering into the discussion -
If we must obey by virtue of being God and not because we have committed ourselves to it
What is the meaning of the oath to keep the Torah that we swore at Sinai, to the extent that we swear to cancel the commandment does not apply, because it is an oath upon an oath because He swore and stood at Mount Sinai.
After all, he is obligated by the very commandment even without an oath
Until you ask why we should swear, ask whether we swore. There is no hint anywhere that there was an oath. The Gemara of the one who swore and stood is probably a halachic fiction.
In any case, God could have commanded us without expecting agreement, but He decided that He only wanted a people who would agree. His right.
The question is whether every norm should ultimately be based on ontology. Attached is an article I saw on the subject on the website “Knowingfaith.co.il/%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1%D7%A8/%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%AA%D7%94-%D7%95%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%9D
I will also ask about morality
Who said that moral laws are binding?
How is this a fact?
Morality is of course an important thing that is very worth acting on, but not mandatory.
What is a “mandatory” anyway?
Isn't claiming "I have nothing to explain" exactly the despair of reason that the rabbi complains about so much?
No. The despair of reason is the failure to use it where it is possible to use it. There are always basic concepts and assumptions about which there is no possibility of discussion.
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