Questions tagged [theology]
Questions regarding our understanding of God, such as it is. NOT for every question about Jewish beliefs.
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Distinction of concepts בעל and אדון
When referring to the modern Hebrew word for husband, we usually use בעל. However, Sarah in Bereshis 18:12 uses אדון. What is the difference between the two, and why we do not refer to G-d as בעל and ...
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How should religious Jews (and Noahides) respond to these criticisms
I’m curious how the community here would recommend responding to these criticisms of the claim that God exist: https://youtu.be/ExBsyaiRYW4?feature=shared. To summarize (although please for anybody ...
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How is it possible that man can sometimes dissuade HaShem if HaShem's will cannot be changed and He knows best?
For example, G-d wanted to annihilate the Israelites in ch. 32 of Shemot and yet, Moshe was able to change G-d's mind. This happens again Bamidbar 14. Yet, we see in Bamidbar 23 that G-d is not a man ...
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When G-d spoke to a particular individual, does anybody else hear what He is saying?
At one point, the whole world heard G-d during the revelation in Mt. Sinai, but when G-d specifically spoke to someone, could anyone have eavesdropped and heard what He said or could it be only heard ...
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Meaning of "Av Harachamim"
Time-sensitive question (today is 29 Elul..!)
Artscroll translates the phrase "Av Harachamim" as "father of mercy".
What does this mean exactly? How can G-d be the Father of a ...
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Why is "giving nachat ruach" to Hashem not considered "giving to Him" or "Him receiving from us"
There is a theme throughout all Torah thought, that we cannot give to Hashem. He is perfect and lacking nothing; He needs nothing; He has no desire to receive; He cannot receive; we have nothing to ...
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Is God glad when punishing us?
Devarim 28:63 reads:
וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׂשׂ י״י עֲלֵיכֶם לְהֵיטִיב אֶתְכֶם וּלְהַרְבּוֹת אֶתְכֶם כֵּן יָשִׂישׂ י״י עֲלֵיכֶם לְהַאֲבִיד אֶתְכֶם וּלְהַשְׁמִיד אֶתְכֶם וְנִסַּחְתֶּם מֵעַל הָאֲדָמָה ...
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Optional personal requests in prayers according to Rambam
Following "Praying-for-too-many-people".
In my understanding, Rambam had a peculiar and somewhat unorthodox view of God's immutability and inability to be influenced by our Earthly prayers. ...
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The Mitzva to Know Hashem = get to know Him. Diyyuk in Mishneh Torah?
I once heard Rabbi Manis Friedman Shlita prove, from the wording or some other clever diyuk, in the first perek of Mishneh Torah, that the Mitzva of (paraphrased) "knowing that there is a first ...
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Descriptions of G-d's attributes as white and red in connections with signs of tumah
In a number of places we have descriptions of G-d as "white" and "red". For example, Shir ha Shirim 5:10: My beloved is clear-skinned (white) and ruddy, preeminent among ten ...
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Why thank HaShem for skirting (larger) tragedy when He orchestrated the situation in the first place?
If one subscribes to a theory of hashgacha that ascribes everything to HaShem (which altho not taken by most rishonim seems to be the prevailing opinion nowadays), then why, when say someone gets sick ...
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What is the problem with moral polytheism?
Ostensibly the issue with polytheism is in believing in an amoral god (or gods) that does not hold mankind to account for its (mankinds) amoral actions only caring about its (the god[s]) own personal ...
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Source for a day for Hashem equaling 1,000 years for us
Where is the source for the idea that a day for Hashem equals 1,000 years for us and what does it mean exactly (Hashem doesn't have "days", at least I don't know what that would even mean)? ...
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Reconciling Maimonides' Interpretation of Theodicy in the Book of Job: Eliphaz vs. Elihu
A question has been on my mind, and I would appreciate your opinion.
While studying chapter 23 of the third book of the Moreh Nevukhim, Rambam (Maimonides) seems to acknowledge the traditional view of ...
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Where does Rambam say: "The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision"?
BH
Hi according to https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/maimonides-quotes
Rambam said the quote “The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision.”
Where does he say this though?
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What are the most widely used responses to Christian claims of supersessionism?
Christians claim that the Jewish nation is no longer chosen by God, and has been replaced or superseded by Christianity (Supersessionism). I would like to know what the most popular or frequently ...
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Is God Ever in Two Places at Once?
Are there any instances, ideally in Tanakh, where God's physical manifestation of Himself is present in two separate locations at once? Or more poignantly, are there instances of God speaking/...
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If saying a Beracha over a worldly benefit is a logical mitzva, are non believers exempt? Are Chazal saying Hashem's existence is a svara?
According to the Gemara (Brachot 35a), the halacha of saying a beracha before benefiting from the world is a svara; a halacha derived from logic:
סברא הוא: אסור לו לאדם שיהנה מן העולם הזה בלא ברכה
...
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Can God Consider Himself to Be Wrong? [duplicate]
The Hebrew Bible has at least 2 places where God changes course or even regrets his actions. Does that mean God from the Biblical perspective can consider Himself to be wrong?
I'm not asking from our ...
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Are these verses about Hashem's anger a contradiction?
In Micah 7:18, it is written:
מִי־אֵ֣ל כָּמ֗וֹךָ נֹשֵׂ֤א עָוֺן֙ וְעֹבֵ֣ר עַל־פֶּ֔שַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית נַחֲלָת֑וֹ לֹֽא־הֶחֱזִ֤יק לָעַד֙ אַפּ֔וֹ כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ חֶ֖סֶד הֽוּא׃
Who is a God like You,
Forgiving ...
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What is Ramban's true opinion regarding the scope of hashgachah pratis? [duplicate]
Ramban seemingly contradicts himself regarding this subject.
In Bereishis 18:19 (and Iyov 36:7) he says explicitly that only the righteous are under total divine protection; others, which comprise the ...
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Where is God in Judaism? [duplicate]
I am actually a Sunni Muslim, only asking this question out of my interest in Jewish interpretations of God as they are similar and distinct in many ways with the Islamic ones.
So in Sunni Islam, ...
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Does Kabbalah really teach this?
Israel Shahak in his book Jewish History, Jewish Religion: the Weight of Three Thousand Years claims that the majority of Orthodox Jews believe the following quotation. He does not give sources for ...
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Where do Shedim (demons) fit in?
We have discussions regarding Shedim in Jewish history. I believe they're described as having chicken feet in one source.
While the topic doesn't really seem to come up much in modern Judaism, the ...
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What is Koheles' view of the Torah?
Koheles doesn't mention the special election of Israel, Maamad Har Sinai or Nevuah.
It does talk about God, right and wrong and reward and punishment.
Do any major Jewish thinkers entertain the ...
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1000th generation, and creating the world out of Rachamim
I recently saw in a (Chassidic) sefer that the concept of "Hashem intended to make the world out of justice, but saw that it wouldn't last, so made it out of mercy" (Rashi on Bereshit) means ...
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Hashgacha question - why does Hashem influence the nations to chastise us, in order for us to do Teshuva?
What is the explanation that in many cases the Tanakh speaks about nations (e.g. Aram) that Hashem sends to chastise the Jewish nation? It implies that Hashem is able to influence pagan nations, but ...
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Who is THE LORD and who is my lord?
Who is David referring to when he wrote in
Psalms 110:1
"The Lord said to my lord"
Who is he referring to when he says "THE LORD," and who is he referring to when he says "...
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Examples of Hashem changing His mind - is the explanation always the same?
There are times where there is a hava amina (automatic assumption) that Hashem changed His mind, and the standard commentary is "obviously, Hashem didn't really change His mind, it is to teach us ...
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Why did Eve Believe the Snake?
Rashi in Genesis 3 states:
כָּל אֻמָּן שׂוֹנֵא אֶת בְּנֵי אֻמָּנוּתוֹ, מִן הָעֵץ אָכַל וּבָרָא אֶת הָעוֹלָם (בראשית רבה):
כי ידע FOR [GOD] KNOWS — Every artisan detests his fellow-artisans (“Two of a ...
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Do we have free will or does Hashem know everything? [duplicate]
Does Hashem know the future? If not, how is he God? Doesn’t God know everything?
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History of religiosity decline after haskalah
Is any reason given by religiously Jewish theologians and thinkers for why religiosity and observance amongst Jews declined after the Haskalah?
Are there any opinions rabbinic authorities have given ...
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What does "אל" mean?
I am talking about the Lashon Hakodesh appelation, אל, which is often translated as "God".
What, precisely does it mean? How do we relate to a God, vs say, a King, or an Eternity, or a Lord ...
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Why did G-d allow for the serpent to be in the Garden (which is a sacred space) when the serpent is deceitful by nature and thus, evil?
According to the Ancient Israelite view, the Garden is a manifestation of sacred space (this is the sacred space theology. The Holy Temple was a manifestation of sacred space on Earth), guarded by ...
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Do we have the capacity to bless Hashem?
When children are taught that Baruch Ata Ado... means " the source of all blessings' ' as opposed to "blessed are you Hashem' ' because we don't have the capacity to bless our creator.
Is ...
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How did the early Kabbalists reconcile the belief in sefirot with the absolute unity of God?
It's possible the question has already been asked here, but wasn't able to find. So please excuse me for posting this again.
The early Jewish philosophers/thinkers (Saadia, Ramabam, Bachya Ibn Pakuda ...
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Repent, but NOT Because God Commands So ...?
The L'Dofkei B'Tshuva cites the Beit Yitzchak (B"Y) who states that the act of Teshuva needs no specific accompanying intent to fulfill the mitzva - unlike other mitzvot. Teshuva is all about ...
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How can He reign over no subjects? [אדון עולם אשר מלך בטרם כל יצור נברא]
אדון עולם אשר מלך בטרם כל יצור
How can He have "reigned" over no one? Shouldn't another term have been used?
אין מלך בלא עם !
(I'd also like to hear an explanation from Chassidus.)
Possible ...
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Plague of Hails
Shemoth 9:23-"So Moses held out his rod toward the sky, and Hashem sent thunder and hail, and fire streamed down to the ground, as Hashem rained down hail upon the land of Egypt."
Shemoth 9:...
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What is אנדרלמוסיא
It is quite clear from context that it means a type of heavenly group punishment, like a flood or a plague* where both good and bad die, l'a. It seems mainly connected with the sin of זִּמָּה/זְנוּת i....
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Where do our thoughts come from? [closed]
Source:
https://nehoraschool.com/are-our-thoughts-ours/
Are there any torah or talmudic sources for the statements in this article here?:
Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ashlag, the great master Kabbalist, teaches ...
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עוֹשֶׂה חֲדָשׁוֹת - what is this referring to?
In the morning berachot of Shema, we call Hashem עוֹשֶׂה חֲדָשׁוֹת - Doer/Former of Novelties. What does this mean? What is it referring to? Possibly referring to the "הַמְחַדֵּשׁ בְּטוּבוֹ ...
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Kabbalah/chasidus explanations of theodicy
Are there any kabbalistic or hasidic explanations given to the question of theodicy? Beyond “rational”/philosophical explanations, are there any mystical reasons given to why bad things happen? If so, ...
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Source that we are inherently deserving
The question is about the concept not the song.
I noticed an interesting difference in the lyrics of two versions of the song "Ribon" by Beri Weber. The original English version contains the ...
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Meaning of Shmuel 2:22:26
עִם־חָסִיד תִּתְחַסָּד עִם־גִּבּוֹר תָּמִים תִּתַּמָּם׃
With a kind person, You are kind. With a person strong in innocence,
You are innocent. Shmuel 2:22:26
תָּמִים could also be translated as whole,...
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Ger chassidus teachings
Does the community know what defines Ger chasiduss ideologically and Hashkafically? Is there an English translated sefarim or article that explains the basics of the Hasidic dynasty’s teachings?
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(Why) did God take away free will from the sons of Eli?
In 1 Shmuel 2:25 it indicates that the sons of Eli don't repent for their sins because God wanted to kill them
וְלֹ֤א יִשְׁמְעוּ֙ לְק֣וֹל אֲבִיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ ה' לַהֲמִיתָֽם
But [the sons of Eli] ...
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Is it commendable to be fearful of God's wrath?
In the daily recitation of the Shema, we mention God's anger (וחרה אף) as a potential motivation for adhering to the Torah. However, there seems to be a concern that some individuals might ...
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Proof of Hashem via Talmud/Amora/Tanna
Does anyone know of the places where a Tanna/Amora offers a proof for the existence of Hashem.
ie: Bereshit Rabbah 39:1 Avraham Avinu passes a castle on fire (see below)
Is there perhaps a list, or a ...
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Man like God or separate from God
Bereshit 3:22:
ויאמר ה' אלקים הן האדם היה כאחד ממנו לדעת טוב ורע
Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us,
to know good and evil"
Is this the correct translation? ...
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