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Is Hashem in time?

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Pio, this question is very vague. Would you care to explain what you mean? Am I "in time"? Is the shape circle "in time"? I can conceive of, think about, and deal with circle all with no relation to time whatsoever. If so, this is a pretty low threshold and many many things could be thought of as qualifying for it, including of course, Hashem. Please explain what you mean. – WAF Apr 19 '10 at 3:29

closed as not a real question by Isaac Moses Aug 15 '11 at 22:08

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

3 Answers

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No, Hashem is not "in everything" - that would make him physical. Hashem himself is not inI creation - physicality cannot contain Him. See the Rambam at the beginning of Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah, where he describes that all of the creation emanates from Hashem and if you could God Forbid imagine that Hashem would not exist, all of existence would cease to be. But he is very clear that Hashem has no body, and if you says that he is "in everything," and you mean it in a literal sense, then you are saying that he has a body. This is a terrible misconception.

The Rambam also says in halacha 11 there that Hashem exists outside of time.

I think some rishonim including the Ralbag held that Hashem existed within time but I can't remember where he says this.

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It is in Milchemes Hashem. Not a mainstream opinion at all! – Yahu Apr 19 '10 at 3:01
See the details of this argument in a discussion of another post mi.yodeya.com/questions/709/… – SimchasTorah Apr 19 '10 at 4:12
Don't bother trying to remember what some rishonim say about HaShem being within time. G-d cannot be withing an accident of motion. – Ben Masada Dec 17 '10 at 19:17
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Hashem is completely incorporeal, and unchanging. According to the Rambam, Hashem is outside of time, the idea of His existence within time makes it possible for Him to change, and is a compromise of his incorporeality. This is part of what is meant by 'Hashem is one'.

As it relates to creation, Hashem is outside time when man is looking backwards at creation, however, Hashem is within time only if you look forward at creation from Hashem's perspective.

There's sort of a paradox depending on how you're looking at it.

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Yes Hashem is in time he created it and he is in everything.

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First that is already wrong because hashem is not in everything, he is the source and he is everywhere, but not in everything. – Pio Apr 15 '10 at 5:24
He is in and is the source of everything I would like to know where y6ou get y6our Ideas from. – SimchasTorah Apr 15 '10 at 12:09
ys i think hashem is beyond time not in his own creation!' – Carrot monster Apr 15 '10 at 16:11
And you are right he is both beyond time and within it. – SimchasTorah Apr 15 '10 at 22:48
I don't get all my ideas from this but my rebeyim told me that one and I agree – Pio Apr 15 '10 at 23:24
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