Questions tagged [theology]
Questions regarding our understanding of God, such as it is. NOT for every question about Jewish beliefs.
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Why is the name of mercy YHWH is mentioned exclusively in the story of Sodom?
The name YHWH is associated with mercy whereas the name Elokim is associated with justice (Refer to Rashi on Devarim 3:24 quoting the Sifrei here).
I noticed that the name of YHWH is used exclusively ...
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If God has no body, then how does He act in the world?
The Rambam in beginning of Hilchos Deos asserts that God has no body - physical or otherwise.
Hence, God is totally intangible. If so, how can the untangible affect anything in this world?
If He has ...
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Proper definition for an idol/idol worshiping? [closed]
What is the proper definition for an idol/idol worshiping?
I'm asking this because in Christianity, an idol can be any person or thing that consumes your thoughts, words, time, energy, or money other ...
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Hashem too holy to abide by us, yet closer to us than we can imagine - how to resolve?
It seems like, when it comes to Hashem's closeness to us, we have 2 different sides, and they go in opposite directions and I would like to know how to resolve them.
A) On the one hand, the reason why ...
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Not inquiring about pre-creation - why?
ואמר רב אחא בר יעקב עוד רקיע אחד יש למעלה מראשי החיות דכתיב (יחזקאל א,
כב) ודמות על ראשי החיה רקיע כעין הקרח הנורא עד כאן יש לך רשות לדבר
מכאן ואילך אין לך רשות לדבר שכן כתוב בספר בן סירא (בן סירא ג, ...
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Theological issues to certain brachot
According to Rambam in Mishneh Torah but especially in Moreh Nevuchim, and many other Jewish Philosophers, when the Torah uses any words to describe Hashem, they are just a mashal, i.e. it is just ...
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If God is infinitely good, why did He create finite people to bestow good to?
Assuming God is absolutely good to the furthest extreme possible and there are no other worlds out there like ours (with torah observant creatures), if so, why did He create finite number of worlds to ...
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What is the source of the teaching that Hashem, unlike humanity, perceives time continuously?
I recall once reading a passage that discussed divine perception of reality. The idea was something like this: Humans blink their eyes, and so do not see everything that happens in time. Hashem, ...
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How do we know that God exists?
Simple enough question, and very much related to the topic.
According to traditional Jewish sources, on what basis should people believe that there's a God?
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Is Panentheism considered heretical?
(Closely related to this post, but I think it is still a bit different)
Panentheism: A doctrine that the universe subsists within Gcd, but that Gcd nevertheless transcends or has some existence ...
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Why is God so hidden from us
Why did God institute a natural order so that His presence would be hidden. I know so many people who are hopelessly convinced of the scientists' belief that the world is basically a machine running ...
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How come the world was doing Avodah Zara, while Noach and Shem were still alive?
Noach and Shem were alive during the time of Avraham, and I know midrashim say he lived in their house for some time learning about Hashem, but how come the whole world was practicing polytheism, when ...
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Source for "God created this world so that we serve Him with free will"
Rabbi Manis Friedman has (in my opinion) a very beautiful and logical teaching as to why God created this world. He says (although I might be mixing my own ideas in here) that God created this world ...
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Difference between the First and Second Commandments
In the Ten Commandments, the First Commandment prohibits having false gods. The Second Commandment prohibits making carved images. Is the problem with carved images that they can be worshiped? If so, ...
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Imagining G_d in your mind
Disclaimer: I am not planning on doing what is in this question. It is a purely theoretical question.
Everyone has some sort of a general idea about him, who spoke and the Universe came into being.
If ...
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Hashem and the Platonic World
2 + 2 = 4, right? If I have 2 things, and you have 2 things, we have 4 things between us. This is a logical reality that is inescapable. If we want a coherent, consistent set of rules for counting, ...
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Are the sefirot created?
The sefirot are said to be attributes / emanations by which the Ein Sof reveals Himself to his creation. G-d is said to be the eternal one. But are His sefirot also eternal or are they created?
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Why did Hashem wait 2000+ years to give the Torah?
I think the question is self explanatory: Why wait so long?
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What is God? A definition?
I wondered "What is God?", a question often turned into "Who or How is God". People often tend to describe who He is instead of defining the word "God" itself. In ...
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Hashem calls people twice and Hinneni
In many places in the Tanach Hashem uses a name twice (ie Avraham, Avraham in Breshit 22:11; Jacob Jacob in Breshit 46:2; Shmuel shmuel in Shmuel Aleph 3:10 and more).
Rashi says that this is an ...
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Sources to Learn about Bechina
I'm studying Chovos Halevavos. Can you provide me with some further sources to learn more about Chovos Halevavos's "bechina", i.e., reflecting on God's kindnesses in creation. Books/articles/...
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Finding Meaning in the fulfilment of Mitzvos and Torah [closed]
How do we find meaning in the Torah and Judaism?
I understand some will respond that Hashem created us, so therefore that's all the reason we need to fulfil His mitzvos but, is there any meaning in it ...
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Questions about the Talmud
Does the Talmud have things that are not laws like stories of prophets
Is all of the Talmud just explanation of things in the Tanakh?
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How would you define this list of breakaways from Judaism?
I don’t know so much about history and theology, but I saw the following list and I was hoping that someone could help me understand it;
I saw R Dovid Gottlieb in "Reason to Believe" ...
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How Jewish would this gentile's explanation of the problem of evil be?
This is my personal explanation of why there is evil in the world. I don't believe evil contradicts a loving G-d, I believe it is evidence for a loving G-d. I will explain my point of view and would ...
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Does God need us?
Does God need us?
In Nitzavim, God says:
This commandment [in the singular], that I command you today, is not hidden from you and is not distant. [Deut. 30:11]
The Midrash explains:
What [single] “...
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What were the 10 instances when the Torah reports that God descended?
What were the 10 instances when the Torah reports that God descended?
This question is inspired from reading this statement from the Wikepedia entry on parashat Noach:
Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai taught ...
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Was the concept of Godhead (one God in multiple persons) known to Judaism? [closed]
Was the concept of Godhead (one God, but multiple persons) known to Judaism? Were there Jews that held a Binitarian, Trinitarian or similar "Godhead" theology as a result of studying and ...
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Is it wrong (or at least off) to refer to Judaism as a "faith"?
I teach Jewish Studies to primarily non-Jewish college students. One of my students referred to Judaism as a "faith." I associate the term "faith" with Christianity since it is ...
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What was the original Noahide theology passed from Adam as presented in Job?
Rethinking the Book of Job: we're all aware of the 7 Noahide laws. However, beyond the commandments there's a large body of theology, explaining what God is, how He works, and what one should expect ...
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If Hashem doesn't change, how does prayer work?
If Hashem is perfect and unchanging, how can we pray to Him to have mercy on us? Doesn't that imply a change?
I've heard it implied that the way this works is that the prayer itself has the effect ...
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What if someone is unable to believe in God?
Suppose someone really truly wants to believe in Hashem, but is simply unable to. Even after much trying and learning Torah, he still is simply unable to believe in God. Would that person be ...
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Am I yotzei in my davening if I believe that God communicated with Mohammad?
I have been reading through the various questions about Islam and its relationship to Judaism, and about the Rambam's view that Islam is a monotheistic religion and not idolatry and I am wondering: If ...
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Does God love non-Jews?
I've read the topic of whether or not God discriminates between Jews and non-Jews, but does God love non-Jews? Does it say anywhere that He does love non-Jews. I don't believe that God hates non-Jews ...
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May one study medieval Christian philosophers such as Augustine or Aquinas? [duplicate]
Many colleges and graduate schools require their students to read Christian philosophers such as Augustine or Aquinas. Does this pose a halachic problem?
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Is Hashem only God of the Jews?
According to Exodus 20:2-3
"I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall not have the gods of others in My presence.
There are various ...
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Bad Jew or Good Gentile?
Whom does Hashem love more: Gentiles who love Jewish people and Israel or Jews who are against Jewish people and Israel?
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Is God "lonely"?
In modern Jewish literature, there are references to God being "lonely", which justifies His involvement in our fortunes; witness the piece below by 20th-century rabbi Eliezer Berkovits. ...
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Is there any concept of "troubling" G-d?
Is there any idea mentioned on Judaism of not wanting to "trouble" G-d with something too trivial? Obviously, G-d is infinite, and it's no more trouble for Him to do a thousand things than it is to do ...
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Does the fact that "Elohim" is plural indicate that parts of the Tanakh hearken from a pre-Jewish polytheistic culture?
(disclaimer, I am a gentile and don't know how to type in square script)
My question applies to the whole Tanakh, but I'm specifically curious about Genesis. Translating strictly literally (ie, ...
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Why didn’t the sages sense a problem with "in God's image"?
The Talmud (Megillah.9b and Tractate_Sefer_Torah.1.9) lists the 13 places/verses that felt problematic in the translation into Greek.
"י״ג דברים שינו בה:
אלהים ברא בראשית.
אעשה אדם בצלם ודמות
...
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Created in the Divine Image
The Torah tells us that Adam was created in the divine image (Gen 1.26-27; 5; 9.6). If the divinity had a body, then we would suppose this means that Adam was created as the divinity's Doppelgänger, ...
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Where does 'lev melochim beyad hashem' apply
Someone was discussing with me siyata dishmaya during the second World War. He spoke about how Churchill came to power and inevitably fought against Hitler. So he quoted Rav Miller from gateshead ...
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If I deny G-d access to my thoughts. Would He read it anyway? Are my thoughts publics by default?
If I deny G-d access to my thoughts. Would He read it anyway?
For G-d, Are my thoughts publics by default?
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Why are blessings preceded by suffering?
In Torah there are about 6 or 7 people/groups I can think of whose suffering preceded some blessing. The first is Abraham’s prolonged childlessness and his subsequent test to sacrifice his son. The ...
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What are some fundamental chasidic works of philosophy / theology?
Which books are fundamental in terms of presenting the philosophy / theology of mainstream chasidut?
I know Chabad has Tanya, and Breslov has Likkutei Moharan.
Which sefarim are philosophically ...
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What should our response be to ancient scripts that mirror the Torah?
There are quite a number of ancient documents that have been found that (supposedly) predate the Torah, and yet they share many lines practically verbatim. If the Torah is truly divine, how could this ...
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God as the Father of converts?
Chizkuni on Numbers 5:8 refers to God as the "Father of the convert". Do any other, earlier sources convey this idea?
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Question about Joseph the Righteous, Yoshke, and Capture and Enclothing by the Sitra Ahra
Still aspects unanswered, please see edit at bottom of post if interested.
The book Divine and Demonic in the Poetic Mythology of the Zohar (p. 247) discusses the concept of the "Other side" ...
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Rambam on the relationship between oneness and incorporeality
One of Rambam's arguments for the existence of only one God is that the existence of multiple gods by definition implies some form of corporeality.
Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 1:7
אלוה זה אחד הוא ואינו ...
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