Q&A: Commandments
Commandments
Question
Hello Rabbi, some time ago I read somewhere (in Notebook 5, I think) that you wrote that even after we know that God exists, we still don’t actually know in what way we are supposed to serve Him and which religion to choose. And you wrote there that you are Jewish because of your biased and subjective point of view, and you think that even if you are mistaken, God will still accept that.
But you basically started from the assumption that God commanded human beings to observe certain commandments and not to do certain acts.
So my question is: how do we actually know that God commanded us anything at all? Maybe He exists but doesn’t demand anything from us? Maybe in fact all religions are mistaken on this point??
Answer
Maybe yes and maybe no. My assumption is that we have some kind of role, and therefore it is reasonable that we have some kind of task, and we have no way to know that without command and revelation. Beyond that, a tradition has reached us, and the burden of proof rests on whoever claims that it is an invention.
I think my point of view is justified and correct, but I am aware that I may be mistaken, because I am a product of my native landscape.
Discussion on Answer
All this was explained there. First, you don’t need to assume it. The tradition tells us that. Second, if something is created, it is reasonable to think it has a purpose.
Why do you assume that we have some kind of role?