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Do we need to understand Hashem better? Is it a commandment?

There is Kabbalah, Torah, Talmud and so on. But is there a commandment that says we need to understand Hashem better? His plan for creation, angels, deep knowledge of the Torah.

Is it enough to be a good person and do teshuva and so on?

This question is for conservative and orthodox judaism, not reformed.

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here is a quote from the end of part 1 of chovos halevavos which I think answers your question. The next section called the shaar bechina (gate of examination) goes into this topic more.

Therefore, you should exert your mind until you know the Creator through the evidences of His works and not strive to know Him in His glorious essence. For He is exceedingly close to you from the side of His deeds but infinitely remote in any representation of His essence or comparison with it. As already stated, we will never be able to find Him in this way. When you arrive at the stage where you abandon (trying to find Him) through your thoughts and senses because He cannot be grasped in this way, and you instead find Him in the evidence of His deeds, as though He were inseparable from you - this is the pinnacle of knowledge of Him which the prophet exhorts us on in saying "Know therefore this day, and consider it in your heart, that the L-ord He is G-d in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else" (Deut. 4:39).

And a quote from the shaar bechina ch.2

The examination of created things and deducing from them the wisdom of the Creator is a duty which can be demonstrated from Reason, Scripture, and Tradition (the oral torah)...

Likewise in Rambam's mishne Torah (yesodei torah ch.2)

It is a mitzvah to love and fear this glorious and awesome God, as written: "And you shall love God, your Lord" and, as [Deuteronomy 6:13] states: "Fear God, your Lord." (Deut. 6:5) What is the path [to attain] love and fear of Him? When a person contemplates G-d's great and wondrous deeds and creations, and he observes through them His infinite wisdom which surpasses all comparison, he will immediately love, praise, and glorify Him, yearn with tremendous desire to know God's great name, as David stated: "My soul thirsts for the Lord, for the living God" [Psalms 42:3].

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  • Good answer,If I don`t get a better answer soon I will accept this one."Evidences of His works " I like that.Sound fair,I wish there was more on this "topic" and I guess there is...But the answer tells much about what we are looking for,but not if we "need to",saying "you should"Is not a commandment.
    – Aigle
    Mar 31, 2016 at 20:36
  • @Eagel there is lots more. infinitely more, especially in our times. have a look at this to see what i mean dafyomireview.com/446 regarding your 2nd point. i'll update the question
    – ray
    Mar 31, 2016 at 20:38
  • In your edit:You write "duty" from the oral Torah.But not a clear Torah commandment,I would say.Thanks for the edit
    – Aigle
    Mar 31, 2016 at 20:43
  • @Eagel duty means mitzva. I added the quote from the Rambam also which says the words u want
    – ray
    Mar 31, 2016 at 20:49
  • Ok,but would you say"another question" that to study Kabbalah is a mitzva?
    – Aigle
    Mar 31, 2016 at 21:04

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