G‑d is not understandable.
But G‑d ponders Himself.
And this mode of pondering Himself He gave to us, dressed in many stories and rituals and ways of life.
Dressed in those clothes, we unite with G‑d in His pondering of Himself.
That is a beautiful notion. When read the Torah we follow also H' being different. By different I mean grown in understanding of how to treat the human creatures created. The G-d of Adam is very narrow in comparison of the G-d interaction with Abraham and later with Moses. Yes, H"\ ponders and the interaction continues to make this world better- in the true meaning of Tikun Olam Am I correct? The "dressing" is part of that collaboration. Yes? Reply
Coincidentally the thought entered my mind that G-d ponders himself, having created the world and man as tests for our capabilities and reaction in various situations, much like a child plays with or perhaps arranges toy soldiers. Father Abraham was put to 10 tests.
מעשי אבות סימן לבנים.
What's the bottom line?
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G-d is pure consciousness. Consciousness is the Light of Eternal Mind which permeates the entire creation and occurs in sentient beings. This transcendent Consciousness is experienced when someone reflects upon his experiences and thus become self-aware. Since G-d created everything, including all events in the Torah, which he wrote (in the third person singular) which exists as His recorded i "diary". As G-d reflects upon his creation and the numerous stories he tells of in his Torah, He creates Reality, thru which he can better view his entire creation, for purposes unknowable to us. Reply
The Image Behind The Clothes
The Torah instructs us how to attain G_d's image and to become like Him.
The Kabbalists penetrated that dress code and revealed that image for all humanity to attain.
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Dressed in G-d's Clothes
There is a difference in saying, G-d is not completely understandably but he created man to learn of him and his teachings. Anything we learn is certainly a path to understanding G-d. Philosophying about G-d is not learning about G-d, but stirring up questions that cannot be answered. I have never asked a Rabbi
a question and got an answer. I always get from 1 to 3 quotes from some Rabbi that died hundreds of years ago. In this, every person can give a different interpretation of the same verses. Check Rabbi Rashi and Schneerson on their many differences. Reading the Talmud or Zohar you find a lot of the same thing.
I am 84 and been around a long time but philosophy does not give me a difnitive
answer. I take the word just as it is written much of the time and do not speculate as to why Moses of Abraham did something.
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RE: For Dr David Bruenning, John C Shore and others
Re: my comment "Behind the Facade" - I wish to append backup source from the Holy Books:
The great 20th Century Kabbalist Baal HaSulam (Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag) attained complete revelation of the Crerator.
He wrote a 'Commentary on the Zohar' and an introducion to 'The Study of the Ten Sefirot' in which he explains how we climb the 'ladder' (Sulam means 'ladder)to reveal the the Creator and His G_dliness.
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God Ponders Himself We have established that God is "undefinable". So how could you write that God ponders himself? How can a being that is undefinable be defined as being able to ponder himself? Also, you use the phrase "himself" in terms of God, so God is a man? A male? This maamar is "unintelligible". It is a cute play on words, but is has no real meaning. Does anyone think "God can either ponder himself or not ponder himself"? and then come to an answer of this question? Again, this is a quote to make you feel that you are somehow "holy" by doing rituals, and the rituals make you holier than those who do not do them. You should have written, "dressed in the stories and rituals and ways of life that the holy Rabbis tell you to follow". Reply
Dressed in G-d's Clothes
If G-d is not understandable then why are we reading the Torah or any other book
in the Tanach? Of course we begin to understand as we study who G-d really is and understand his plan for those who accept his teachings..
Please explain why we don't understand G-d??
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Because the more we learn about G-d the more we understand how much we really don’t understand Reply
back it up! G-d ponder himself? G-d know all, is all, is so far above our punny minds we can't ever begin to comprehend him. I really don't see much scripture to back up the statement that G-d ponder himself.. Reply
How can you make such a statement without really knowing the answer or thinking it through? your response is emotional, not rational, as if afraid to question, but take things on blind faith. not for me. Question, question, question, and question again, till I get what satisfies me. Reply
Behind the Facade
The purpose of creation is the revealation of the Creator to his Creatures.
Rituals and stories are mere symbols and reminders of the Upper Force.
We are immersed in His Light of the Spiritual world - we can't perceive it with our egoistic senses - we need to become like Him first.
By connecting with others who desire to reveal Him through studying the Zohar which describes His qualities, we draw His Light that enables us to connect as one man with one heart - then he reveals His Godliness to us step by step. He reveals pure Love and unity and interdependence of everything.
This is were we must be aimed at - our inner work - not the outer dressings.
He desires us to understand his Nature - the Good and Benevolent.
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I think that may be done, but very spiritual. ( To unite with Hashem's pondering) Reply
Re: Confused G-d is the ultimate mystery. There's an awful lot there to ponder. Reply
Confused. I love seeing the daily dose when I check my emails--but this one confuses me. What does it mean that G-d ponders Himself? Thanks. Reply
WOW! How divine. Thanks. That brought a smile! Have a joyful G-d centred day. Reply
dressed
interesting...;.
it would never enter my mind to feel like G-d (let alone become G-d) while experiencing and living stories, rituals and ways of life. Ponder, sure, all the time; again, never thought to relate it to a G-dly thing....but then again, everything is G-dly, so why not?!! what a connection! i'll try it!
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Feigue,
In my lay opinion your analysis is correct. Historic progress as well as progress in other fields proceeds by two steps forward and one step backwards. This was the truth that was developed by Hegel and applied by Marx.
Pre-Oct.7/23 Israel and notable Jews were on the wrong side of progress. The massacre on that date was a step backwards. The ensuing war is the beginning of a new era of progress which unfortunately is claiming the lives of His creatures on both sides of the barricades.
ד' איש מלחמה
Specifically, we can look forward to peace, security and prosperity here in Israel at least via theever expanding Abraham Accords. I am less optimistic about the fate of American Jewry.
The Rebbe himself stated that America is no different i.e. Golus remains Golus.