FAITH AND REASON

My Dearest Aaron Hershel,

 

Now a son to compement your daughter! Mazal tov! And a good name you have given him; Chayyim (life). May he be a blessing to all who know him. And then there is the news of your new job—a man with his own store! G’valt! You are becoming a pillar of your community. You make me very proud.

But you write me not only to share news, but to hear my opinions. And today you want to know about the interplay of faith and reason. You know it wasn’t so long ago when it was thought that there was no interplay between these two, that they were, in fact, mortal enemies. Thankfully those days are passing, though there are still some who continue the old battle.

For me this issue is not so complicated: I have faith that my reason is reliable, and I find it reasonable to have such faith.

Can you prove to me that you are awake and not dreaming? Are not dreams sometimes so vivid that they are as persuasive as waking? Can you be sure that you are actually reading this letter? Or is it at least a dim possibility that you are asleep and dreaming that you are reading it? But you have faith that when your reason says it is reasonable to assume you are awake, you are in fact awake.

Yet how reliable is faith? Can we test the postulates of faith? Can we find God with a telescope? Among the Christians there is a saying: “I believe because it is absurd.” One of their great theologians said this, and when he said it it made perfect sense to him. In other words, he thought it reasonable to believe in the absurd.

Tell me, why do you not believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the only begotten son of God? Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of good, wise, and decent people believe exactly this. And yet you do not. Do you know something they do not know? Or is your belief simply the product of your upbringing?

Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of good, wise, and decent people believe that the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, brought the final revelation from God into the world. And yet Christians do not believe this. Why? Do they know something the Moslems do not? Or is their rejection simply the product of their upbringing?

People believe what they believe because it seems reasonable to them to do so. Why it appears reasonable may have nothing to do with reason and everything to do with faith: they trust the teachings of their parents.

I do not have such trust. I cannot say for certain that Christians are wrong or that the Koran is not God’s final holy book. I can only say that given my limited ability to reason these things out, it does not seem reasonable to me that God would impregnate a Jewish woman or limit humanity to a single revelation found in a single book, whether it be Torah or Koran. But I cannot prove any of this. So I must hold my opinion lightly, humbly. I tell you, the people with the deepest faith ought to be the people with the greatest humility. How sad just the opposite proves true.

The Rambam composed what he called the Thirteen Principles of Faith. While never officially accepted and sometimes hotly debated, these principles have over time become the standard statement of Jewish belief. While I do not agree with the Rambam, I find his list helpful in answering your question as to what it is I do believe. So let me list the famous principles of the Rambam and offer the far less famous principles of Yerachmiel ben Yisrael as my own alternatives.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, creates and guides all creatures, and that He alone made, makes, and will make everything.

I humbly believe that God is the Source and Substance of all reality.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, is unique; there is no uniqueness like His in any way, and that He alone is our God, Who was, Who is, and Who always will be.

I humbly believe that God is one, and that God’s oneness necessitates one world, one humanity, and one moral code—justice and compassion for all.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, is not physical and is not affected by physical phenomena, and that there is no comparison whatsoever to Him.

I humbly believe that God includes and transcends the physical world; that nature is God manifest in time and space.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, is the very first and the very last.

I humbly believe that God is the Ever-Present Reality dwelling in, with, and as all things.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that it is to the Creator, Blessed be His Name, and to Him alone that is it proper to pray and it is not proper to pray to any other.

I humbly believe that God can be understood and approached in many ways, and that no one way is wrong if it leads to universal justice and compassion.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.

I humbly believe that the prophets of all nations speak truth when they speak to universal justice and compassion, and false when they do not.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him, was true, and that he was the father of all the prophets—before and after him.

I humbly believe that Moses is among a select group of world teachers who articulate universal truth in a manner suited to their time and historical circumstance.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah now in our hands is the same one that was given to Moses, our teacher, peace be upon him.

I humbly believe that Torah is a historical document reflecting both temporal mores and timeless truths, and that the proper study of Torah sifts through the one to find and affirm the other.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the Torah will not be exchanged nor will there be another Torah from the Creator, Blessed is His Name.

I humbly believe that revelation is never-ending, and that Torah is one of many sacred texts created by prophets who have opened themselves to God and godliness.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, knows all the deeds of human beings and their thoughts.

I humbly believe that our thoughts, words, and deeds can lead us closer to or farther from God and godliness.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, rewards with good those who observe His commandments, and punishes those who violate His commandments.

I humbly believe that our thoughts, words, and deeds have consequences and that we must consider them before we speak or act.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah, and even though he may delay, nevertheless I anticipate every day that he will come.

I humbly believe in the future perfection of the world, and understand Judaism at its best to be among the ways to achieve it.

Maimonides: I believe with perfect faith that there will be a resurrection of the dead whenever the wish emanates from the Creator, Blessed is His Name and exalted is His mention, forever and for all eternity.

I humbly believe that I am a temporary manifestation of God, the singular Source and Substance of all reality; that I can glimpse my true nature through meditation and prayer; and that I will fully and joyfully awake to my true nature upon my death.

So, that is what I think. What matters is what you think, for that will determine what you do.

 

B’Shalom