Emunah: Reb Elchonon's Approach part 3

[YGB]

To explore the motivations behind belief and the role of secular knowledge in faith.

---

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://rygb.blogspot.com/2026/11/emunah-reb-elchonons-approach-part-3.html

[mberger (Micha Berger)]

I moved this series to Avodah because I think it deserves critical discussion.

@YGB

• Belief is simple; denial is often self-serving. People deny God to avoid the “yoke” of religious obligation, preferring personal freedom over divine will.

Making this an absolute statement is very problematic to me.

As is ascribing a single motive to any individual’s decision, never mind to the full set of OTD people.

There are people who feel lied to by their rabbanim, or shot down when they tried to ask a question, or had some other negative reaction to the overly simplified not-quite-Torah perspective someone was teaching them.

How many people can honestly say נער הייתי … ולא רעיתי צדיק נעזב? I mean, simple peshat? If someone were to leave because they found the problem of evil overwhelming?

My kids belong to a huge clique of friends who didn’t make it in Yeshiva because of ADD, hyperactivity, dyslexia, and left the system that made them feel inferior. Add to that their being more ethical and giving than the kids who were getting lauded because they really shteiged. Why go in for a Torah that is all about inferior human beings?

Of course, that goes back to the over-simplified not-quite-Torah problem.

Then, most people don’t think in terms of ideals, but in terms of community. Again you have the seedy underbelly of any community, but what do you expect from their victims? Someone who gets cheated on by two many O establishments or partners… they could well leave, and not because they want freedom from rather than freedom for.

[mberger (Micha Berger)]

Here is R @YGB’s complete abstract (so far?):

Part 1:

Meeting Purpose

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

Key Takeaways

• Belief is simple; denial is often self-serving. People deny God to avoid the “yoke” of religious obligation, preferring personal freedom over divine will.
• Judaism’s goal is heroism, not happiness. Its 365 negative commandments (vs. 248 positive) are a rigorous training regimen to build character, not to maximize comfort.
• Motivation is paramount for good deeds. Actions done to fulfill a divine command are superior to those done for personal satisfaction, as the latter is self-worship.
• Secular knowledge is essential for faith. Understanding science and history reveals God’s greatness in creation, making it a critical component of Torah study.

Part 2:

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.

Part 3:

Meeting Purpose

To explore the motivations behind belief and the role of secular knowledge in faith.

Key Takeaways

• Belief is simple; denial is often self-serving. People deny God to avoid the “yoke” of religious obligation, preferring personal freedom over divine will.
• Judaism’s goal is heroism, not happiness. Its 365 negative commandments (vs. 248 positive) are a rigorous training regimen to build character, not to maximize comfort.
• Motivation is paramount for good deeds. Actions done to fulfill a divine command are superior to those done for personal satisfaction, as the latter is self-worship.
• Secular knowledge is essential for faith. Understanding science and history reveals God’s greatness in creation, making it a critical component of Torah study.

[mberger (Micha Berger)]

And here is RYB’s complete outline (so far?):

Part I

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.

Part 2:

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.

Part 3:

The Motivation for Belief vs. Denial

• Denial of God is often a rationalization to avoid the “yoke” of religious obligation.
• This aligns with Rabbi Soloveitchik’s view that Judaism’s goal is heroism, not happiness.
  • Rationale: The rigorous training required to become a hero (e.g., an athlete) necessitates self-discipline and deprivation.
  • Evidence: The 365 negative commandments (vs. 248 positive) are a training regimen to build character, not to maximize comfort.

The Superiority of Commanded Actions

• The Rambam states that non-Jews are considered righteous only if their good deeds are performed because they know God commanded them.
  • Rationale: This demonstrates submission to a creator, not just personal preference.
  • Critique: Actions done for personal satisfaction are self-worship, as motivation is tied to feeling good, not to what is objectively right.
• Chazal’s Principle: “One who is commanded and does is greater than one who is not commanded and does.”
  • Tosafot’s Explanation: The commanded person feels greater anxiety about fulfilling their duty, making their action more precious.
  • Example: A man’s reward for shaking a lulav is greater than a woman’s, as he is commanded and she is volunteering.

Secular Knowledge as a Path to Faith

• Secular knowledge (science, history) is essential for appreciating God’s creation.
• The Vilna Gaon’s Example:
  • Mastered all secular knowledge except medicine.
  • Rationale: Feared that practicing medicine would distract from Torah study.
  • Key Insight: Stated that music theory is the most important secular subject for understanding Torah.