Thank you for joining us for the fourth lesson of The Kabbalah of You, "The Quest for God: Faith vs. Intellect."
Introduction
G-d wants us to have a relationship with him. But to do so, we must first relate to him. Without being able to sense G-d, it is difficult to make G-d a real part of our consciousness. How do we go about relating to G-d?
The Rational Approach
Philosophers have argued that we can approach G-d from a rational perspective by simply looking at the universe and recognizing its creator. While true, the rational approach only tells us about the existence of G-d. It doesn't speak to the goal of having a relationship with G-d. We know that G-d exists, but what does that mean to me?
The Faith-based Approach
The Faith-based approach begins with understanding that which is common between G-d and myself. The essence of our existence, the essence of our Soul is G-dliness and that connects me to G-d and creates our relationship. So its not simply about Faith, its about being true to ourselves. We express this in our simplicity of prayer like a child speaking to their parents.
Can We Question G-d?
Faith does not negate our ability to question G-d. Even Moses challenged G-d's actions. Why did this happen and what was the reason for that event? The questioning is built upon the truth of our connection to G-d. The questions never affect the validity of that connection, just as a child's questions does not change the essential bond between them and their parent.
After Faith, Use Your Mind
Chasidic Philosophy, Mystics and others delve into religious theology. After the foundation of faith, we have to bring those concepts into our world and daily lives. We confirm our relationship with G-d by using our minds and hearts to understand G-d to our greatest ability.
Daily Faith
We start each day with a statement of faith, the Modeh Ani, where we thank G-d for our renewed life. This provides the daily foundation for our relationship with G-d.
Please enjoy the video posted below of Rabbi Yehuda Shemtov discussing the "Role of Faith in Judaism."
