Persona
In a course I once took, Reading the Zohar for Beginners, the lecturer talked about how the God of the Zohar has a persona. Something like human character traits – angry, happy, etc. Of course, it’s a little more complex – with the whole family of the Sefirot.
I thought that such an approach gives life to the observance of mitzvot – such as prayer, Torah study, even Havdalah, compared to an approach that treats God as a kind of computer (not sure if this is a good illustration) – which is very strange to talk to, and certainly try to please, (like certain readings in the Rambam).
Is this a correct, legitimate view, or perhaps idolatry?
The question here is not whether it is a Z, but whether it is true or not. These attributes represent him and he appears here through them. But that does not mean that these are his attributes in the sense in which we have attributes.
The question of whether this brings animals into the service of God is irrelevant. The question of whether it is true. One does not invent God to bring animals into his service.
Does God exercise discretion in making decisions? (When it does not concern the natural conduct of the world)
I didn't understand the question. What is decision-making without judgment? A lottery?
I meant something like a computer that provides an automatic answer without judgment compared to a judge who weighs things up and decides (and has the flexibility to make different decisions regarding the same circumstances). Maybe the gap is emotion or intuition.
It turns out he's not a machine.
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