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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 (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.
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