JLI: My G-d! Defining the Divine

Lesson Outline

Lesson One: The Basics   Let’s become familiar with G‑d’s basic bio:
What is G‑d and where is He? Does G‑d have a gender? And who created G‑d?
 

Lesson Two: His Nature   Let’s learn a bit about how G‑d operates:
Does G‑d have feelings? Does He communicate with us? Does He ever act illogically? Why does He have so many names? And why is it that many write “G‑d” with a hyphen?
 

Lesson Three: His Reasons   Let’s discover why G‑d does what he does:
Why did G‑d create me—does He need me? And why did He create evil—does He need evil? Can I question G‑d? And why is He described in the Bible as “wrathful” and “jealous”?
 

Lesson Four: His Expectations   Let’s discuss G‑d’s expectations of us:
Do I have to believe in G‑d to be Jewish? What if I have doubts about G‑d?
Do I need to fear G‑d? That doesn’t sound very appealing!
Lastly, I’m okay with believing in G‑d, but I’m not religious. Can I still have a relationship with Him?
 

Lesson Five: His Paradoxes   Let’s delve into some of the deeper Divine mysteries and enigmas:
Can G‑d create a rock that He can’t lift? Does His foreknowledge of events preclude my free choice? Is there anything that G‑d finds difficult to do? And if G‑d has decided to do something, can I change His mind?
 

Lesson Six: Our Relationship   Let’s deepen our understanding of our relationship with G‑d:
Why can’t we see G‑d? Because we can’t see Him, can we reconcile His existence with science?
Why is Judaism so obsessed with idolatry—is G‑d jealous?
Last of all: I’m a spiritual person; do I need to follow the Torah’s “system” to have a relationship with G‑d?