05-07-2009, 07:11 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-08-2009, 03:17 PM by Director Michael.)
Thank you for your question to the forum!
Because we are limited human beings, we can only really have conceptions about our infinite G-d that are based on analogies to human terms. In the analogy, we envision a wise, understanding, kind and merciful king, who rules over his subjects in his kingdom with individual attention and care. Of course the king has love for his loyal subjects who look to him and approach him with love. The objects of the analogy, G-d and yourself, should be obvious.
As the King's loving subject, of course you would not wish to do anything that would displease the King, and if you did, you would humbly ask for His forgiveness. Therefore, if you found out that the King had issued a few basic commandments for His subjects to live by, for their very own good and with rewards as only the King can bestow, of course you would want to learn all the details and fulfill these wishes of your King to the best of your ability. That is what Noahidism is about. Learning that there is such a thing, through which you can come even closer than you imagined before, should be an uplifting new dimension in your relationship with G-d.
And now, you can understand that you also aren't limited to connecting to G-d with just your own very limited understanding. He was so kind as to condense His infinite wisdom into a human-intelligible context, His Torah, and through this you can not only have a love for Him, but also a true understanding of Him at whatever level you are presently at. By applying yourself to understand Him better through Torah (and at the same time understand yourself better through Torah), you can come to an even deeper and more meaningful love for Him.
This is predicated on the fact that through Noahidism as it is ideally meant to be, you connect directly to G-d, and not through any levels or beings that you might imagine to be necessary intermediaries or partners with Him, G-d forbid.
That is not correct. A person could know very little about Torah, and be close to G-d. And a person could know a great deal of Torah, and be far from G-d.
However, a person is a finite creation, and inherently limited. Therefore, the desire of the faithful should be to develop not just "closeness," but an *attachment* to G-dliness that will also be *eternal.* The "medium" (as you expressed it) for accomplishing this eternality is through fulfillment of G-d's desire for you to please observe the eternal precepts that He presents to you (as presents) in His eternal Torah.
Assume that you were experiencing good feelings about being close to the One True G-d, Who is the G-d of Israel and the Giver of the Torah of Moses. But are those good feelings all you want from G-d, or are you also concerned about what it is that G-d wants from you? By putting yourself(ness) aside a bit, and making room in your life for serving G-d as He desires - through the Noahide Code - you will develop a more personal *relationship* with G-d.
If you claim that G-d could not hate, then you are putting a limitation on G-d, which is impossible, because G-d is not limited. And what would G-d consider to hate, if not the evil actions of those who tenaciously persist in hating Him and purposefully rebelling against Him, as long as they choose to continue in that way, and teach their children and their children's children to do the same? But it is a general principle that G-d hates the sin, and not the sinner, because when a sinner repents sincerely to G-d, he will be forgiven and accepted. And G-d loves it when such people repent and accept Him as He is (because He is not going to change).
Human beings were created to be an eternal and righteous race, created in the Divine image, on an eternal world that will be a place for Him to be openly revealed, more so than He was in the Garden of Eden. What you see now, that there has been a period of time in which not all Gentiles have been righteous yet, is a brief and temporary state of affairs, and part of the preparation that is necessary to set the stage for the eternal Messianic Era.
“For then I shall turn to the peoples a pure tongue that all shall call upon the Name of G-d to serve Him with one consent.” (Zephaniah 3:9)
"All will form a single band to carry out the will of G-d, blessed be He." (From the Rosh Hashanah liturgy)
"The earth will be as filled with knowledge of G-d as water covering the sea bed." (Isaiah 11:9)
“G-d shall be King over the entire earth; in that day G-d shall be One and His Name One.” (Zechariah 14:9)
The Messiah, who will be descended from King David and King Solomon, will inspire people of all nations to turn to G-d in righteousness through their Torah commandments, as these prophetic verses promise. But the true reward for an individual is that which is earned by one's own faith and actions, by inspiring one's self to move in this direction, before the Messiah makes his appearance speedily in our days.
You're welcome!
greengirl47 Wrote:Does G-d actually love me?
I used to feel so close to Him, and I experienced Him consciously in every facet of my life. I rarely worried about anything, because I knew that whatever happened, He and His infinite love were behind it. I experienced indescribable inner transformation because of my connection to Him.
Because we are limited human beings, we can only really have conceptions about our infinite G-d that are based on analogies to human terms. In the analogy, we envision a wise, understanding, kind and merciful king, who rules over his subjects in his kingdom with individual attention and care. Of course the king has love for his loyal subjects who look to him and approach him with love. The objects of the analogy, G-d and yourself, should be obvious.
greengirl47 Wrote:This was before I knew about Noachism and Judaism.
As the King's loving subject, of course you would not wish to do anything that would displease the King, and if you did, you would humbly ask for His forgiveness. Therefore, if you found out that the King had issued a few basic commandments for His subjects to live by, for their very own good and with rewards as only the King can bestow, of course you would want to learn all the details and fulfill these wishes of your King to the best of your ability. That is what Noahidism is about. Learning that there is such a thing, through which you can come even closer than you imagined before, should be an uplifting new dimension in your relationship with G-d.
And now, you can understand that you also aren't limited to connecting to G-d with just your own very limited understanding. He was so kind as to condense His infinite wisdom into a human-intelligible context, His Torah, and through this you can not only have a love for Him, but also a true understanding of Him at whatever level you are presently at. By applying yourself to understand Him better through Torah (and at the same time understand yourself better through Torah), you can come to an even deeper and more meaningful love for Him.
This is predicated on the fact that through Noahidism as it is ideally meant to be, you connect directly to G-d, and not through any levels or beings that you might imagine to be necessary intermediaries or partners with Him, G-d forbid.
greengirl47 Wrote:Although some aspects of my life have been greatly enhanced by Torah's teachings, others teachings have proven to be a stumbling block in my relationship with G-d. Because I felt close to Him before *without* the medium of Torah, and it seems that a person can only be close to Him *through* Torah
That is not correct. A person could know very little about Torah, and be close to G-d. And a person could know a great deal of Torah, and be far from G-d.
However, a person is a finite creation, and inherently limited. Therefore, the desire of the faithful should be to develop not just "closeness," but an *attachment* to G-dliness that will also be *eternal.* The "medium" (as you expressed it) for accomplishing this eternality is through fulfillment of G-d's desire for you to please observe the eternal precepts that He presents to you (as presents) in His eternal Torah.
greengirl47 Wrote:was I just attaching to kelippah that made me feel good? Or was I truly connected to Him? The thought that it was anything other than G-d Himself is truthfully devastating to me.
Assume that you were experiencing good feelings about being close to the One True G-d, Who is the G-d of Israel and the Giver of the Torah of Moses. But are those good feelings all you want from G-d, or are you also concerned about what it is that G-d wants from you? By putting yourself(ness) aside a bit, and making room in your life for serving G-d as He desires - through the Noahide Code - you will develop a more personal *relationship* with G-d.
greengirl47 Wrote:I also struggle with statements that either outright say or imply that G-d hates some people(s) and loves others.
If you claim that G-d could not hate, then you are putting a limitation on G-d, which is impossible, because G-d is not limited. And what would G-d consider to hate, if not the evil actions of those who tenaciously persist in hating Him and purposefully rebelling against Him, as long as they choose to continue in that way, and teach their children and their children's children to do the same? But it is a general principle that G-d hates the sin, and not the sinner, because when a sinner repents sincerely to G-d, he will be forgiven and accepted. And G-d loves it when such people repent and accept Him as He is (because He is not going to change).
greengirl47 Wrote:I can't see what the point of human beings is if most humans are not Jews or righteous gentiles,
Human beings were created to be an eternal and righteous race, created in the Divine image, on an eternal world that will be a place for Him to be openly revealed, more so than He was in the Garden of Eden. What you see now, that there has been a period of time in which not all Gentiles have been righteous yet, is a brief and temporary state of affairs, and part of the preparation that is necessary to set the stage for the eternal Messianic Era.
greengirl47 Wrote:and the concept seems to be that G-d therefore does not love them. What happens to everyone else?
“For then I shall turn to the peoples a pure tongue that all shall call upon the Name of G-d to serve Him with one consent.” (Zephaniah 3:9)
"All will form a single band to carry out the will of G-d, blessed be He." (From the Rosh Hashanah liturgy)
"The earth will be as filled with knowledge of G-d as water covering the sea bed." (Isaiah 11:9)
“G-d shall be King over the entire earth; in that day G-d shall be One and His Name One.” (Zechariah 14:9)
The Messiah, who will be descended from King David and King Solomon, will inspire people of all nations to turn to G-d in righteousness through their Torah commandments, as these prophetic verses promise. But the true reward for an individual is that which is earned by one's own faith and actions, by inspiring one's self to move in this direction, before the Messiah makes his appearance speedily in our days.
greengirl47 Wrote:Thank you for your time.
You're welcome!