Emunah: Reb Elchonon's Approach part 2

8G Sunday Zoom Shiur - October 25

Meeting Purpose

To explore the psychological roots of disbelief and the nature of divine existence.

Key Takeaways

• God exists outside of time, which is a creation. This makes the question "Who created God?" invalid, as "before" is a concept that only applies within the created universe.
• Disbelief is often a rationalization of desire, not a logical conclusion. People create belief systems to justify forbidden actions or claim sole credit for their accomplishments.
• The mitzvah of emunah (belief) is a command to maintain intellectual honesty by not letting personal desires distort one's perception of truth.
• A logical person, observing the world's complexity, must seek its purpose and "instruction manual" (Torah), making belief a universal responsibility.

Topics

The Nature of Divine Existence

• Problem: If everything needs a creator, who created God?
• Solution (Rambam): God created time itself and exists outside of it.
  • "Before" is a concept that begins with the universe's creation.
  • From God's perspective, all time (past, present, future) occurs simultaneously.
  • Analogy: A split-screen TV shows two places at once; God's perspective collapses time similarly.
• Implication: Past and future events have a present impact.
  • Akeidas Yitzchak: Its merit is remembered annually because it is eternally present to God.
  • Rosh Chodesh: Celebrates a future event (universal pilgrimage to Jerusalem), showing the future's influence on the present.

The Problem of Disbelief

• Question: How can great thinkers deny God?
• Answer: Disbelief is often a rationalization of desire (negiyah), not a logical conclusion.
  • Analogy (Dubna Magid): An archer shoots an arrow, then draws the bullseye around it.
    • People often decide what they want → then create a belief system to justify it.
  • Example: A desire for forbidden pleasures (e.g., ham) can lead one to deny the Torah to remove the prohibition.
• Two Primary Motivations for Disbelief:
  1. Justifying Forbidden Pleasures: Denying God removes the authority behind prohibitions.
  2. Claiming Sole Credit: Denying God allows one to attribute accomplishments solely to oneself, not divine help (siata d'Shemaya).

The Universal Obligation to Believe

• Core Principle: The world's complexity is a clear witness to a Creator.
• Logical Progression for Any Rational Person:
  1. Observe: The world is complex and designed.
  2. Deduce: It must have a designer.
  3. Ask: What is the designer's purpose?
  4. Seek: The "instruction manual" for this complex creation.
  5. Discover: The Torah, which the Jewish people claim is that manual.
• The Mitzvah of Emunah:
  • It is a command to maintain intellectual honesty by not letting personal desires distort one's perception of truth.
  • With a clear mind, belief in God and Torah is a natural, compelling conclusion.

Q&A: Specific Challenges to Belief

• Question: Why is eiver min ha-chai (eating a limb from a live animal) forbidden for non-Jews?
• Answer: It's one of the Seven Noahide Laws, which establish a just society.
  • This specific prohibition bans extreme cruelty, which fosters violence and can lead to cruelty toward humans.
• Question: How can a Holocaust survivor be expected to believe in God?
• Answer: Anger or questions directed at God are not a lack of emunah (belief).
  • One can believe God exists while struggling with His actions, similar to being angry at a parent or sibling.
  • The existence of legitimate questions does not negate the reality of God's existence.

Next Steps

• Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer: Address the question of how a 12-year-old in a non-religious family can fulfill the obligation of belief, given their lack of independence.

 

Torah Im Derech Eretz: Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer's Moriah pt 14: Our System of Justice Forged Our Nation

Moriah by Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer - October 25

Meeting Purpose

To analyze Rabbi Dr. Isaac Breuer's philosophy on the nature of the Jewish nation.

Key Takeaways

• Am Yisrael is a "Unity of Justice," not land. Unlike other nations formed by blood, language, and land, the Jewish nation was created by the Torah (Mishpat) in the desert.
• The Torah is the nation's essence; land is a tool. The Torah is the cause of the nation's existence, while Eretz Yisrael is an effect—a "new Garden of Eden" given for a specific mission.
• Breuer's philosophy critiques religious nationalism. He argues that Zionism's focus on land without Torah is a fundamental error, as it misidentifies the nation's true identity and purpose.

Topics

The Nature of Nations: A Fundamental Distinction

• Other Nations: Formed by blood (Mishpacha), language (Lashon), and land (Eretz).
  • Their justice systems (Mishpat) are a derivative of the nation's existence.
  • National permanence is intrinsically linked to land.
• Am Yisrael: A "Unity of Justice" (Mishpat).
  • The Torah is the cause that created the nation.
  • This is why the nation was formed in the desert (Midbar)—a place with no land, economy, or existing society—to prove that its foundation is purely divine law, not material conditions.

The Torah as the Nation's Essence

• The Torah is the "meta-Mishpat" (meta-justice) of Am Yisrael, making it a "nation of metaphysics" and "nation of meta-history."
• Breuer connects this to the three parts of Shabbos:
  • Friday night: Shabbos of Metaphysics
  • Shabbos morning: Shabbos of Meta-Justice
  • Shabbos afternoon: Shabbos of Meta-History
• The nation's existence is entirely dependent on the Torah.
  • "Am Yisrael without Torah is nothing... it doesn't even have a body."
  • Rebelling against the Torah is a national betrayal.

The Role of Eretz Yisrael

• Eretz Yisrael is an effect of the Torah, not its cause.
• It is a "new Garden of Eden" given to the "new humanity" (Am Yisrael) for a mission: "to work it and safeguard it" (Mitzvah Saseh).
• The land's unique character demands divine sovereignty, rejecting any other rule.
  • It requires rain from heaven, unlike Egypt's reliance on irrigation.
  • It is "a land that Hashem constantly quests after."
• The relationship is a "wedding" (Kiddushin) between the nation and the land, not a birth.
• Breuer uses the Shemitah cycle as an example of the land's unique spiritual demands.
  • It forces a choice between using the land for selfish gain or for its divine purpose.
  • Failure to observe Shemitah was a cause of the Golus (exile).

 

Rischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 8: The Infection of Dangerous Euphoria and Chillul Hashem Per Your Prejudice: with Rabbi Elchanan Poupko

 

Rischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 8:

The Infection of Dangerous Euphoria and Chillul Hashem Per Your Prejudice:

with Rabbi Elchanan Poupko

https://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/126687

Emunah: Reb Elchonon's Approach part 1

Fathom Summary:

Meeting Purpose

To explore the logical foundations of Jewish faith (Emunah).

Key Takeaways

• The shiur began by posing four paradoxes about Emunah (belief): its emotional vs. intellectual nature, its commandability, its requirement for youth, and its universal expectation for non-Jews.
• The initial answer, "Muska Rishon" (basic logic), argues that the universe's complexity proves a Creator, just as a watch proves a watchmaker.
• This leads to a new, central question: If the proof is so simple, why do so many intelligent people deny it? The answer will be explored next week.

Topics

The Paradoxes of Emunah

The shiur opened with four questions from R' Elchanan Wasserman that highlight the paradoxes of belief.

1. Emotional vs. Intellectual Nature: The Torah warns against following one's heart (libo) to avoid heresy. Since heresy is an intellectual error, why is it linked to the heart (emotions) and not the head (intellect)?
2. Commandability: The Rambam lists belief as the first mitzvah. How can belief be commanded? It is a conclusion, not an action.
   • Counterpoint: The Bahag argues belief cannot be a mitzvah, as it is a prerequisite for accepting any command.
   • Significance: Denial of God is a more severe sin than idolatry, punishable by death without formal court proceedings. This severity implies a universal, undeniable truth.
3. Requirement for Youth: How can belief be required for a 12/13-year-old? Even great philosophers like Aristotle failed to reach a complete understanding of God.
4. Universal Expectation: Non-Jews (Bnei Noach) are commanded to believe in God and the Torah's origin at Sinai. How can this be expected of someone with no access to Jewish tradition?

The "Muska Rishon" (Basic Logic) Argument

The initial answer is that belief is a simple, logical conclusion from observing the world's complexity.

• The Ink-on-Paper Analogy (Chovos HaLevavos): Randomly pouring ink on paper cannot produce a coherent, written text. Orderly writing requires a writer.
• The Monkey-Typewriter Experiment (Huxley): The claim that random typing by monkeys could produce Shakespeare was disproven by a real-world simulation, which only produced gibberish.
• The Garment Analogy (R' Akiva): A garment implies a weaver. The universe, being infinitely more complex, implies a Creator.
• The Watchmaker Analogy: A complex watch with intricate mechanisms cannot have assembled itself; it requires a watchmaker.

The New Central Question

If the proof for a Creator is so simple and compelling, why do so many people deny it? This question will be the focus of the next shiur.

Next Steps

• Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer: Explain why people deny the Creator's existence, despite the simple logic.
• Chana Mellner: Re-ask the question about the specific choice of Avim and Hachai for the Sheva Mitzvot Bnei Noach.

 

Torah Im Derech Eretz: Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer's Moriah pt 13: The Am HaTorah Forged At Mt Sinai

Moriah by Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer - October 18

VIEW RECORDING - 39 mins (No highlights)

Meeting Purpose

To analyze Rabbi Dr. Isaac Breuer's philosophy of the Jewish nation's creation and its eternal, non-negotiable covenant with God.

Key Takeaways

• Synthetic Unity: The Jewish nation's unity is "synthetic," not "analog." It is an intrinsic, divinely-imposed reality established at Sinai, not a voluntary agreement that can be rejected.
• Compelled Covenant: The covenant was compelled by a "danger of death" (e.g., the mountain-over-heads midrash), making it non-negotiable. This is because the Torah is absolute justice, not a human convention.
• Torah Precedes Nation: The Torah created the nation, not the other way around. The nation's existence is the primary historical witness to the Torah's divinity and the Exodus.
• National Education: Jewish education must be "national" to integrate individuals into the collective historical witness, redeeming them from the "terrible loneliness" of individualism.

Topics

The Nation's Creation: A Compelled Covenant

• The covenant at Sinai created the Jewish nation from a mass of freed slaves.
• This was a compelled covenant, not a voluntary agreement.
  • Rationale: The Torah is absolute justice, which cannot be opted out of, unlike human conventions.
• This compulsion is reflected in the midrash of the mountain held over their heads.
  • Interpretation: Even if not literal, it signifies a non-negotiable reality where free will was transcended by the overwhelming divine revelation.
• The nation's "Naseh v'Nishma" (we will do and we will hear) was a gift, but the covenant itself was a non-negotiable capture, making the nation "slaves" of God.

The Nation's Nature: Synthetic & Eternal

• The nation's unity is "synthetic," meaning it is an intrinsic, divinely-imposed reality, not an "analog" unity based on shared characteristics or a collective will.
• This unity is eternal and cannot be broken.
  • Analogy to Nature: The laws of Torah are like the laws of nature—absolute, non-negotiable, and not contingent on human agreement.
  • Key Difference: Torah requires free will and ongoing application, unlike the automatic, un-rebellious laws of nature.
• The nation's existence is the primary historical witness to the Torah's divinity and the Exodus.
  • Guzari Proof: Jewish history itself is the proof of its foundational events.
  • Core Principle: History cannot be contradicted, only remembered or forgotten.

The Individual's Role: National Education

• The nation's existence is the primary historical witness to the Torah's divinity and the Exodus.
• Jewish education must be "national" to integrate individuals into the collective historical witness.
  • Goal: To redeem individuals from the "terrible loneliness" of individualism and make them inseparable parts of the nation.
• A fully developed Jewish personality is a synthesis of the individual ("Ishiut") and the national ("Lumiut").
  • Progression: Individual → National → Personality.

Next Steps

• Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer: Continue the analysis of "Moriah" in the next session.

 

The Sins of the Generations of the Flood & the Tower & Avraham Avinu's Fix For Them - Uganda Shiur

Fathom Summary:

Uganda Shiur - October 16

Meeting Purpose

Analyzing the sins of Noah and Babel and Abraham's role as a corrective.

Key Takeaways

• Two Opposite Sins: The generation of the Flood sinned via extreme individualism (hamas), while the Tower of Babel generation sinned via negative unity, using their collective power to defy God.
• Unity's Power: Unity is a force so powerful that God must break it (via language confusion) before punishing the Tower builders. This principle is illustrated by King Ahab's wicked but unified generation succeeding in war, while King David's righteous but disunified generation suffered casualties.
• Abraham's Corrective Role: Abraham is the solution to both sins. He teaches individual dignity (chesed) to counter the Flood's individualism and founds a nation that blesses others to counter Babel's self-serving unity.
• Consequence of Disunity: The Second Temple's destruction and the ongoing exile (galut) are attributed to sinat chinam (baseless hatred), demonstrating that disunity is a graver sin than those between man and God.

Topics

The Sins of the Flood & Tower of Babel

• Generation of the Flood:
  • Sin: Extreme individualism and lawlessness (hamas), viewing others as resources to exploit.
  • Consequence: World destroyed.
• Generation of the Tower of Babel:
  • Sin: Negative unity, where individuals were sacrificed for a collective goal.
  • Goal: Defy God, believing their unity would make them immune to punishment.
  • Consequence: Unity broken by language confusion and scattering, not destruction.

The Power of Unity

• Principle: Unity is a powerful force that God respects, even when used for negative ends.
• Illustration (Talmud):
  • King David's Generation: Righteous but disunified → suffered casualties in war.
  • King Ahab's Generation: Wicked but unified → succeeded in war without casualties.
• Significance: God had to break Babel's unity before punishing them, proving that unity itself is a force God must work around.

Abraham's Corrective Mission

• Abraham's mission directly addresses the two sins.
• Correcting the Flood's Individualism:
  • Teaches individual dignity and chesed (kindness).
  • Example: His tent was open on four sides, welcoming all.
  • Example: Treated visitors (angels) with respect, even believing them to be idolaters.
• Correcting Babel's Negative Unity:
  • Founds a nation whose purpose is to be a blessing to all others, not just itself.
  • Significance: This creates a new model for nations, shifting from a world of scattered individuals to one of interconnected communities.

Q&A

• Q: How did Noah's family repopulate the world?
  • A: God uses the minimum necessary miracle. With vast resources and few people, populations naturally explode.
• Q: How did Abraham survive his father's idolatry?
  • A: Abraham was already a mature, influential leader (in his 70s) when he left his father Terah. Terah even followed him part of the way.

 

Rischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 7: Flood and Faith: Emunah and Scientific Knowledge

Rischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 7:

Flood and Faith:

Emunah and Scientific Knowledge

https://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/124982

Torah Im Derech Eretz: Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer's Moriah pt 12: Metaphysics & Metahistory & Shabbos x2

Moriah by Rabbi Dr Isaac Breuer - October 11

VIEW RECORDING - 36 mins (No highlights)

Meeting Purpose

To explore Rabbi Breuer's concepts of history, meta-history, and the Jewish role.

Key Takeaways

• Two Shabbos Concepts: Shabbos HaBriah (creation) signifies God's control over nature, while Shabbos HaHistoria (history) signifies His control over nations.
• Am Yisrael's Unique Role: We are a "meta-historical" nation, a direct tool for God's plan, unlike other nations that seek autonomous sovereignty.
• Freedom Through Submission: Our freedom is contingent on being "slaves of God," a legal status that grants us immunity from human masters and makes us subjects of a constitutional monarchy.
• Universal Purpose: We represent God's universal kingship to the world, refuting the slander that we have a "nationalized God."

Topics

History vs. Meta-History

• History: The story of human autonomy and the resulting power struggles (e.g., Tower of Bavel, social/international wars).
• Meta-History: The story of God's direct intervention to fulfill His will (e.g., Yetziat Mitzrayim).

Shabbos: A Dual Testimony

• Shabbos testifies to both creation and history.
• Shabbos HaBriah (Creation):
  • Signifies the completion of creation, after which the world operates by natural law.
  • Refraining from melachah (creative work) acknowledges a Creator beyond nature.
  • Violating Shabbos is an act of kefirah b'briah (denial of creation), asserting the eternity of nature.
• Shabbos HaHistoria (History):
  • Commemorates Yetziat Mitzrayim, where God broke the autonomy of a powerful nation.
  • Our own rest on Shabbos demonstrates God's sovereignty over all nations.

Am Yisrael: The Meta-Historical Nation

• Am Yisrael is a unique nation whose creation lacks a "natural cover," making us a direct tool for God's plan.
• Our history is distinct because it is God's story, not merely our own.
• Breuer connects this to the Zohar:
  • Melachah (work) during the week is a symbolic "conquest" of nature.
  • Shabbos is when the "conqueror" (man) returns the conquered world to its Creator.

The Paradox of Freedom

• Our freedom is contingent on being "slaves of God" (Avdei Hashem), a legal status that grants immunity from human masters.
• Matan Torah: This event transformed our status in three stages:
  1. Slaves of Pharaoh → Slaves of God (post-Yetziat Mitzrayim)
  2. Subjects of an Absolute Monarch (pre-Torah covenant)
  3. Subjects of a Constitutional Monarchy (post-Torah, with the Torah as our constitution)
• This constitutional framework explains how rabbis can rule on halachah independently, even against a perceived divine will.

Universalism vs. Particularism

• Breuer refutes the slander that Judaism has a "nationalized God."
• God is the universal King of the world.
• Am Yisrael's role is to represent this universal kingship to all nations.
• We are the nation that was sanctified by God, not the nation that nationalized God.

Next Steps

• Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer: Continue the study of Rabbi Breuer's "Moriah," focusing on how these concepts of metaphysics and meta-history manifest in Jewish history.

 

Understanding Creation: The Beginning of Bereishit - Uganda Shiur

Meeting Purpose

Exploring the spiritual and inspirational lessons of Bereshit (Genesis).

Key Takeaways

• Creation as a Spiritual Blueprint: Bereshit is an inspirational guide, not a scientific text. Rashi's view holds that the 6 days were blueprints, activated by Adam's prayer, making prayer the key to creation's function.
• Cycles of Creation: The Torah's opening (earth already present) is explained by Kabbalistic views of prior creation cycles. This accounts for fossils (e.g., dinosaurs) from previous worlds.
• Humanity's Role as a Reflection: Created b'Tzelem Elokim (in God's image), humans are meant to reflect God's light (kindness, compassion) into the world, just as the moon reflects the sun.
• The Tree of Knowledge & Teaching Integrity: Adam's miscommunication about the Tree of Knowledge (adding a "no-touch" rule) led to Eve's doubt. This teaches that leaders must distinguish between divine commands, rabbinic interpretations, and personal advice.

Topics

The Torah's Opening: A World in Flux

• The Torah opens with an existing, unformed world (tohu va'vohu), not with creation from nothing.
• Kabbalistic Interpretation: This implies prior creation cycles.
  • Worlds were created and destroyed before ours.
  • This explains fossils (e.g., dinosaurs) as remnants of previous cycles.
  • Our cycle is unique as the first to receive the Torah.

Days 1–4: Establishing the Framework

• Day 1: Light
  • The first light was spiritual, not the sun.
  • It was hidden for the next world, as it was too holy for this one.
• Day 2: Sky
  • Separated waters above (heaven) from waters below (earth).
  • Teaches that our actions on earth impact spiritual blessings from heaven.
  • This is the source of Yirat Shamayim (fear of heaven), emphasizing our responsibility.
• Day 3: Dry Land & Plants
  • Dry land emerged, preparing the stage for land-based life.
  • Plants were created as the first, simplest life form.
  • Rashi's Interpretation: The 6 days were blueprints. Plants didn't grow until Adam prayed for rain on Day 6, making prayer the activator of creation.
• Day 4: Sun & Moon
  • The sun and moon were made to function, replacing the hidden spiritual light.
  • Symbolism:
    • Sun: Constant light of God.
    • Moon: Reflective, waxing/waning light of the Jewish people.
    • Stars: Constant, smaller lights (angels).
  • Humanity's Role: Reflect God's light into the world, especially during its "nighttime" (darkness for free will).

Days 5–7: The Culmination

• Day 5: Fish & Birds
  • Creation progresses from simple (plants) to complex.
  • Birds (lighter) were created before fish (heavier).
• Day 6: Animals & Humanity
  • Land animals were created as a bridge to humanity.
  • Humanity was created from earth (adamah) and a divine soul (nishmat chayim).
  • b'Tzelem Elokim (in God's image):
    • Tzelem → Tzel (shadow/reflection).
    • Humans reflect God's attributes (kindness, compassion) into the world.
  • Pre-Flood Diet: Vegetarian. Killing animals for food was forbidden to foster compassion.
• Day 7: Shabbat
  • The world was completed on the seventh day.
  • Significance: Shabbat is essential for the world's completion, providing a day to reconnect with God and remember creation's purpose.

The Garden of Eden & The Tree of Knowledge

• Human Purpose: To "till and tend" the Garden, meaning to work and improve the world.
• The Tree of Knowledge:
  • Pre-Tree: The evil inclination (yetzer hara) was an external force (the snake).
  • Post-Tree: The yetzer hara became an internal drive, creating an inner conflict between good and evil.
• Adam's Miscommunication:
  • God forbade eating from the tree.
  • Adam added a "no-touching" rule when telling Eve, presenting it as God's command.
  • When Eve touched the tree and didn't die, it undermined her trust in God's word, making her vulnerable to the snake.
• Lesson for Leaders: Distinguish clearly between divine commands, rabbinic interpretations, and personal advice to maintain credibility and prevent misguidance.

Next Steps

• Yosef Gavriel Bechhofer: Continue the discussion on the Garden of Eden and the Tree of Knowledge in the next session.

 

Rischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 6: Storming the Cockpit of Israeli Politics: The Tzibbur HaCharedi Party - with Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein

Rischa D'Araisa Season 14 Episode 6:

Storming the Cockpit of Israeli Politics:

The Tzibbur HaCharedi Party

- with Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein

https://listen.jewishpodcasts.fm/yeshivaofnewark/123474

or

https://youtu.be/mN3HgN7zQgc