Timeline for Does God need us?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
10 events
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| Apr 15 at 0:00 | comment | added | Tom W | @Rabbi Kaii - yes, thanks, I get it now - I see my sinner is making the same mistake as the bachur in the example you opened with - the narratological ‘need’ is not his need, but… I won’t say anymore - thanks for clearing this up for me :) | |
| Apr 14 at 19:22 | comment | added | Rabbi Kaii | @TomW thank you! Means more than you know. Great question too. Contemplate this: Why does one need to return? Because one's soul needs Him. This is real and true unchanging need, from which the need to close any distance (return) gets its reality from. Or deeper still, the need to return is one authentic expression of the need for Him that is the truth of our essence. The narratology is the expression, and thus manifests different for the narrative of the baal teshuva vs. the sinner. What do you think? | |
| Apr 14 at 19:04 | comment | added | Tom W | @Rabbi Kaii - yours in an outstanding answer in my opinion, BTW :) | |
| Apr 14 at 19:02 | comment | added | Tom W | Shalom @Rabbi Kaii - just wanted to dispute one of your points here: that a need that changes with time is not a real need. My contention: a young person who sinned greatly in their youth and repented may need redemption in the eyes of the world (for turning / returning to HKBH), whilst an older baal teshuvah who has already received some kind of personal redemption in their life may not have this need to the same extent. Is the younger man’s need not real? Are not ‘narratological reasons’ valid in determining the reality of a need? No worries if you have dropped this - blessings. | |
| Jan 25 at 1:34 | comment | added | Rabbi Kaii | I am glad you are able to see Hashem's need so simply and plainly. I am deeply jealous @MauriceMizrahi. For many, it is a huge mountain to surmount, so I made sure to try to account for people who have heard their whole life that He doesn't need it, with huge edifices of philosophy and law to back that up under threat of being branded a fool at best, a heretic at worst. Many have not been exposed to the legitimate sources I brought in the answer so, even though it wasn't of use, and was too over-the-top for you (be thankful), I hope it is of some use to others who have a different background | |
| Nov 17, 2023 at 21:28 | comment | added | Maurice Mizrahi | I'll be brief. Shabbat is about to start. Too wordy, too complicated. You get lost in superlatives and infinities applied to God. God clearly wants us to do certain things, but chose not to force us. So He must need these things. It can't be that the mitzvot are purely for our benefit, because He didn't have to create us at all. We don't know what this need is, and I didn't ask. I just wanted confirmation this is not a heretical thought. Shabbat Shalom. | |
| Aug 15, 2023 at 19:18 | history | edited | Rabbi Kaii | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Aug 15, 2023 at 18:30 | history | edited | Rabbi Kaii | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
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| Aug 13, 2023 at 19:52 | comment | added | Rabbi Kaii | Kind request: 30,000 characters have been used to give a very thorough discussion, although more space would have been useful and I imagine there will be quite a few questions. Please could I ask people with questions, especially kashes, to put in similar effort by opening a chat, demonstrating they have read the whole answer and checked the sources, and phrase their question appropriately, as well as politely, and invite a response. Thank you! | |
| Aug 13, 2023 at 19:51 | history | answered | Rabbi Kaii | CC BY-SA 4.0 |