No community start suggestion yet.
How can there be a commandment to believe in God when one must already believe God exists to accept any commandment? The Rambam (רמב"ם) sees emunah (אמונה) as recognizing God as creator, removing ourselves from the center of existence. The Ramban (רמב"ן) requires accepting our role as God's subjects with obligations to serve Him.
This shiur explores the profound philosophical and practical dimensions of the first of Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Faith - belief in God's existence. Rabbi Zweig begins by presenting a fundamental philosophical paradox: How can there be a commandment to believe in God when one must already believe God exists in order to accept any commandment from Him? This creates a logical impossibility where belief must precede the very commandment that establishes that belief. The discussion contrasts two major approaches to understanding emunah (אמונה) (faith). According to Maimonides (Rambam (רמב"ם)), the mitzvah (מצוה) of belief primarily involves recognizing God as creator and ruler of all existence, understanding that our existence is contingent upon His, and that we are created beings rather than the center of the universe. This philosophical recognition transforms one's worldview by removing the self from the center of existence.
Looking for the full summary?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Dedicate a Shiur in Hashkafa
L'ilui nishmas a loved one. In honor of a simcha or yahrzeit. As a zechus for a refuah sheleimah. Your dedication helps carry Rabbi Zweig's Torah to learners around the world.
Up Next in this Series
Why is divine unity a separate principle from God's existence? The shiur shows that unity means all creation participates in one indivisible reality - God's existence is the only true reality (emes), making everything interconnected. This transforms how we view death, space, and daily life, since no place or moment exists outside divine presence.
Why does Megillas Esther interrupt Torah study for a message the world deemed ridiculous—that every man should rule his home? The shiur develops the yesod that the moon's willingness to "make itself small" doesn't diminish it but creates unified sovereignty. A woman who enables her husband to lead isn't relegated to second class—she is the king-maker, comfortable creating oneness where a man cannot.
Does going to doctors contradict relying on Hashem as our healer? The Ramban holds medicine is a concession for those not on high spiritual levels, while the Rambam views medicine as a science—a domain Hashem established. The shiur resolves this by explaining that illness uniquely separates a person from Hashem, making self-cure through teshuvah impossible and necessitating medical intervention.
Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
Already a member? Let the admin know!
Why does the Rambam insist that believing God has physical form renders someone a non-believer? Most people intuitively conceive of God as a 'superman' - an enhanced human with infinite abilities - which fundamentally distorts our relationship with Him. The Rambam's principle corrects this by teaching that God's essence and knowledge are qualitatively different from ours, not merely superior in degree.
