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How can we be commanded to believe in God when belief must precede our ability to accept any commandment? The shiur contrasts Rambam (רמב"ם)'s view that emunah (אמונה) means recognizing ourselves as created beings with Ramban (רמב"ן)'s emphasis on accepting our role as God's servants. True emunah is making God's existence part of our active daily consciousness, not just intellectual knowledge.
This shiur analyzes the first of Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Faith - belief in God's existence. The speaker explores a fundamental philosophical paradox: how can we be commanded to believe in God when such belief must precede our ability to accept any commandment? The lecture examines two approaches to emunah (אמונה) (faith): Rambam (רמב"ם)'s view that belief means recognizing God as creator and that we are created beings (removing ourselves from the center of the universe), versus Ramban (רמב"ן)'s position that belief must also include accepting our role as God's servants. The discussion includes analysis of Avrohom's recognition of monotheism, the meaning of 'Anochi Hashem (ה׳) Elokecha asher hotzeiticha mi'eretz mitzrayim' (I am the Lord your God who took you out of Egypt), and why emunah is considered a constant mitzvah (מצוה) rather than a one-time obligation. The speaker concludes that the mitzvah of emunah is not merely intellectual knowledge but making God's existence part of our active consciousness and daily reality.
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How can there be a commandment to believe in God when one must already believe God exists to accept any commandment? The Rambam sees emunah as recognizing God as creator, removing ourselves from the center of existence. The Ramban requires accepting our role as God's subjects with obligations to serve Him.
