Does Judaism have a purpose?
I don’t know of any reference to this, does the rabbi have a position on the matter?
PS I want to thank the rabbi for sharing his opinions, it’s very important to finally have someone with whom you can discuss important issues without emotion and accusations but rather out of consideration for the facts, even though the rabbi sometimes brings up the issue with me… 🙂
It is rare to find this in our region.
Is it rare to find someone who brings up this section for you? 🙂
To your question, I don’t know. There is a difference between the goals He had and the goals that should be before our eyes. I suppose that God has goals, otherwise He would not have created the world and us. But these goals are not accessible to us, and I don’t think that hypotheses about them would be well-founded. From our point of view, we must keep the commandments and worship God. Why do you have to pay the price for the sheep of Drachman?! Why do you have to pay the price for the work of a laborer…
Hi Rabbi Avraham,
I hope the Rabbi didn't think I was angry with him, I really appreciate the Rabbi and his opinions, the Rabbi really deepened my faith. It's just that psychologically it's difficult. The Rabbi does important work in instilling rationality into religion, but it shocks many people (like me) whose faith comes from innate psychological needs, and suddenly it turns out that many of the foundations of our faith are quite shaky, and this terrifies the deepest parts of the soul. The soul erupts against it and we direct our frustration at the Rabbi.
I say these things seriously despite my dramatic nature, at university my friends warned me about the "heretical views of Rabbi Michael Avraham"
But Torah is and I need to study it as much as the evil inclination tries to fight reason
To our point: If the goals of the Torah are unknown to me, why even uphold them?
Why should I do things that I don't know are beneficial to me or to society?
Because I have to trust in God, who is wiser and knows more than I do?
I have the feeling that I am performing commandments like a fool out of some religious emotion without any logic.
Hello Shay. Everything is fine, I was just joking.
Regarding my heretical views, see column 74: https://mikyab.net/%D7%A2%D7%9C-%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%95%D7%92%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%90%D7%95-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%9D-%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%99-%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A1/
The Midrash states that when God courted the nations and asked them if they wanted to receive The Torah they asked what is written in it. And Israel said, "Let us do it and listen." Indeed, that man is not mocking Rava, who belongs to a reckless people who "advance and do not follow their own desires" (see Shabbat Fah). The difference is that Israel accepted the Torah not because of identification with its goals but because of trust in God. Just as I take medicine and have no idea how it works. I have trust in the doctor.
For details, see my article Here:
https://mikyab.net/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9B%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%91%D7%95-%D7%96%D 7%9E%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%AA-%D7%9C%D7%9E%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%9B%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%9E%D7%98%D7%99%D7%91%D7%99%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%9E%D7%A7/
In short, if you have faith in God, then it is reasonable to keep the commandments. And if you don't, then even knowing the goals won't help, because who said that keeping the commandments will lead to those goals? God? After all, there is no faith in Him.
This is similar to someone who asks why be moral? Simply put, the answer is to benefit others. But that is not true. The reason is to be moral. The definition of morality is to do good to others, but the reason for being committed to it is: like this. Morality, like any value, is the cause of itself. Why is there value in life? Like this.
This ”like this” is not just arbitrariness. Rather, it is a starting point. Every explanation rests on assumptions. And what do the assumptions rest on? On themselves. Like this. This is how it is that is not arbitrariness but something that is understandable for its own sake and does not need anything outside of it to establish it. The work of God is a fundamental premise and cannot be based on anything else. If it is based on a moral obligation (like gratitude), then Halacha and religion become part of morality. This is clearly unreasonable. What is more, morality also stands on its own and is not explained by anything else.
See all this in the fourth book, part three.
Regarding why to work God, see also the end of the fifth book (on philosophical gratitude). There is also an article about it here:
https://mikyab.net/%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D/%D7%94%D7%9B%D7%A8%D7%AA-%D7%98%D7%95%D7%91%D7%94-%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%A1%D7%A8-%D7%9C%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%98%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%92%D7%99%D7%94/
Leave a Reply
Please login or Register to submit your answer
