Yeshivat Hadar Week 3 Day 3

[desh]

For the first time I can ever remember, I left a singing circle before an hour had passed and before it ended. Of course, it was 10:00pm, and I have to be back at yeshiva by 7:30am tomorrow. Though that's also true of everyone else there -- more than half of the entire yeshiva was sitting around and singing when I left.

It was mostly Jewish songs, and mostly slow/quiet ones, but I'm totally bringing my Rise Up Singing next time to see if we can't shift the vibe up a bit.

In other news, in the second machshavah (Jewish Thought) lecture/discussion session of the day, I asked, "If your definition of faith in G-d implies some sort of personal connection with a being, then what does it mean to have faith in a G-d conceived of in a Maimonidean/transcendent way rather than a Heschelian way? Is it totally impossible or meaningless?" So, uh, I guess the fact that I was able to ask that question means I'm learning something about machshavah? Even if it was a relatively easy question to articulate (and for the teacher to "answer") compared to the deeper and probably more sophisticated questions that others were asking and that I could barely comprehend. But dammit, my question was a good one too! And I think the answer may lead to a very slight shift in my religious approach to life. Yay!

Comments

[msschein.livejournal.com]

I actually don't understand your question. Which is to say: (1)Feel free to add more detail, if it will help you to learn by also teaching. (I'd love to read it.) and (2)Don't sell yourself short. Sounds like you're learning a lot and asking deep questions to me.

Shabbat shalom!

[desh]

Thanks, though I'm sure it would've made sense to you if you'd sat through all the machshavah classes so far.

Basically we've been learning a lot about Heschel, who conceives of G-d as "in search of man", a being with "pathos" (emotion, I think) and who cares deeply about how humans act and relate to G-d. He often railed against Rambam who, by contrast, conceives of a G-d who is completely unknowable and indescribeable. Rambam would very probably consider Heschel's view of G-d as avodah zarah. I tend to relate more to the Rambam conception of G-d, which seems very much the minority view in this community.

So in this particular discussion, we were talking about faith, and the teacher described it in terms of a personal relationship with G-d. Or something. The definition really wasn't resonating with me, especially because I like Rambam's G-d. So I asked my question.

[(Anonymous)]

So what was the answer?

BZ

[desh]

That in a very real way, faith in Rambam's G-d is harder and requires more...something, since you clearly have faith without any expectation of reward or relationship. It's a more selfless act. And that in the end, the manifestation of that faith will be acts of hesed, which is among the most important (if not the single most important) results of faith anyway.