What Does God Want?

so when you say purpose to life you have to be talking about the purpose that preceded life did life come to be out of purpose or not if it came out of purpose it's God's purpose if you say God has a purpose then he wants something what could God possibly want [Music] let's talk a little bit about God [Music] what we can know about the non-existent to help us understand exactly what does it mean that God has a purpose and that we exist with a purpose for a purpose when we think of God creating the world we usually think planets right God created the universe what does that mean well the stars the planets that's kids stuff compared to the other things God had to create the planets as magnificent as they are and as awesome as they are the cosmos those are the physical results the last final step in creation before they came into existence other things had to be created for example the idea of space the notion of here and there where did that come from what makes here different from there God invented that before God created the world there was no here and there was no there that's harder to create than a planet a star is just a star but the fact that the star is there and we are here that's amazing we talk about the divine attributes kindness and severity everybody you know popular Kabbalah kindness is on the right side and severity is on the left side and everybody wants to know yes so what's kindness what is severity I want to know what's right side what's left side who invented these things so it's not like God created kindness and severity and he put the kindness on the right side there was no right side God had to create right side left side like here and there or now and then now here's a really interesting question going back to the question about the Kabbalah God created right and left which one did he create first the answer is he created the right first then the left well if right came before left doesn't that constitute time first there was kindness then there was severity first there was the right side then there was the left side well first and then isn't that time isn't that before and after that's what the debate about time is so what did God create first most schoolchildren would say the first thing God created was light because that's what it says God said let there be light that was the first thing but of course that's no that's in the beginning it's not the beginning what did God create first well the question here about going from theory to fact before God created any thing God created principles which did not exist they are part of creation God created the idea of opposites that one thing is opposite another thing before creation there were no opposites there was only God in fact we have to wonder why would God create opposites that's a kind of a negative it has a negative connotation opposites that's war that's conflict in fact talking about the numbers it is said that the number two stands for war one is peace to his war three is reconciliation if you have one everything's wonderful you have two nothing is wonderful that's conflict that's tension that's bad three means bringing the two together so every number is really the result of a principle why is there a one why is there a two why can you add one to one why are they edible why do they work together so when you say one plus one really you can do that the numbers accumulate they build up they add to each other who invented that and if you can add one to one then you can subtract one from two who invented that so before God actually created the physical universe he first created a universe of principles but that universe didn't satisfy and so he continued on to create the physical universe in the physical universe God created heaven and earth heaven didn't satisfy so after creating heaven God never mentions it again so the Torah begins in the beginning God created heaven and earth and the rest of the conversation is about Earth nothing more is said about heaven so as fascinating as heaven might be that's not the end goal but let's back it up a little before God creates principles what was there before God creates a physical University has to create the principle that is the structure or the skeleton behind creation which means in Kabbalistic language creation happened in seven days but those are the seven emotions divine emotions kindness severity and so on before that there have to be the world of principle those are the other three divine attributes that are intelligence so there are three intelligent functions there's sometimes malfunction there are three intelligent functions and seven emotional the seven emotional produced the physical universe the three mental faculties produced the the principles let's look at the principles the Mishna says the world stands on three pillars because that's how it began it began with three principles principle number one either something is or it's not positive negative yes or no that was the first principle that God invented for his universe to be or not to be not physical existence just principle if something is then it is and if it's not then it's not because something can be or not be that's the idea of creation God is there is no option in creation there is option either it will be or it will not be all we have is a principle nothing is created yet nothing physical now when you have being and non-being you can also combine them and get a third product that which is in between a combination a blend and so you have three pillars being non-being and something in between principle number two every existence will have an effect and will be affected there is an interplay nothing exists independently that is the principle of relativity everything effects everything else and is affected by everything else that is the principle with which God created the physical universe effect and being affected you have these two polar opposites you also have a combination affecting or being affected at the same time a blend again three pillars the third principle with which God created the world is that everything in the world will either increase or decrease nothing stays at the same place or in different words the effect that one thing has an on another what will that effect be either an increase or a decrease it will either enhance or diminish the other's existence these are the three original principles with which God created the world everything else is commentary what came before the principles logically before God set out principles for existence what was there so obviously there was God but that doesn't tell us anything yes desire before there was a principle there was an interest why why create the principles are the manner in which he is going to create but what motivated what moved God to principles the answer is will divine will that means that before God created anything he wanted this changes our whole view of the world we always perceive the world as something God created and then made choices I want this I don't want that I like this I don't like that as as if God's will God's opinion was a reaction to the creation it actually sounds that way in the description of creation and God saw all that he had made and it was very good as if he didn't expect it to be good there was only upon examination that he discovered it is not bad before God creates anything there is already a will the question is what is that will directed at we must believe simple logic that God created the world willingly what could force him so he created the world willingly we know therefore hmm that when God decided that the world is going to look the way it looks well that's what he wanted but is that what his will was directed at meddra puts in a strange way the meddra says the script the description of creation says God said let there be light and there was an evening and there was a morning one day then God said let there be a firmament there was an evening and a morning one day in other words there was a nighttime there was a daytime and that's a day the meddra says God created the nighttime and the daytime to make a day I don't know which of the two he prefers the night or the day but then when I read a little further it says God saw the light and it was good uh-huh so he likes the light not the dark but the Midrash puts it in a strange way why don't you just simply say God created night and day and he likes the light because look what it says instead the measure I don't know which one he likes Oh read a little further sure I think it just read a little further and it says he likes the light so what is this drama I don't know which one and another thing it would mean you don't know which one what you think he prefers the dark the answer is he can't tell with God you know maybe he prefers the dark we can't say things about God simply because we assume it although have people say I don't believe in God but if there was a God he would never come on but why would he do that now he would never do that you don't know with God until he tells you so until God says the light is good dark and light good and bad right and wrong who knows who knows what is in the mind of God so the man which is telling you you don't know you can't assume that God prefers the light over the dark unless he tells you you can't assume it what is it that he wants it could be that his will ends when the world is created so he wanted the world to have a night and a day that's where his will is complete now does he prefer light or day who says he prefers either his will is now complete he's got a world that's all he wanted now whether the world is gonna be good or bad light or dark he doesn't care he's done his will is finished it's possible so God doesn't know I'm not finished I want light where does that primal will land what is it directed at what is it that he wants okay so now logically speaking God cannot be compelled to create it must be voluntary it must be more voluntary than anything we can imagine because when we're doing something voluntarily it's not completely a free choice we're influenced that's like saying I voluntarily ate breakfast this morning oh yeah sure very voluntarily well nothing forced me but then again I don't have to be forced I'm already inclined to do that so is it voluntary or is it programmed but with God it's completely voluntary so God creates the world willingly what is that we'll focus that is it the will to have a word or is it the will to have the world produce or do or amount to something more than just a creation that is the entire debate that is legitimate in religious thinking it is not legitimate to say I'm not sure there's a god that's that's nonsense fifteen-year-old said to me achieve a girl he says I have a very serious problem and I don't know if I should continue with yeshiva I'm going to drop out I don't know what to do I'm a big mess I said what's the problem she says I'm not sure there's a God now you can't go to yeshiva if you're not sure there's a God she doesn't want to be a hypocrite she's got a serious problem she thought she had a serious problem but I said to her are you kidding just no I really I really am not sure there's a god I said that's not what I'm impressed by I'm impressed by the fight you think that's a problem you're 15 and you should know by now whether there's a god are you kidding how are you supposed to know for sure that there is a God at 15 at 50 and 80 how are you supposed to know that there's a god and you're upset that you don't know it's rather arrogant of you how in the world are you supposed to know on the other hand maybe there's no God what kind of ridiculous notion is that you're about five thousand seven hundred and sixty-eight years too late for that God has been around for all those years maybe there is not a god that's ridiculous it just doesn't make any sense hey somebody said to me I'm I don't I don't know why I have to believe in God I said because his name was on the cover of Time magazine remember a couple of months ago something God and whatever the word God was on the cover of Time magazine yrden that your name was never on the cover of Time magazine and you're not sure God exists so the question whether there is a God or not is is is so empty and meaningless the question that derails people the question that discourages people the reason people hesitate to live a fully observant life is not because they doubt God's existence they don't know God's will because initially if God is really God then he shouldn't want anything I mean what's the point of being God if you have problems you would think that God at least at least God has no needs that's the perk of being God God has needs what kind of God is that so God wants something that doesn't sound like God in my imagination or God wants nothing so when you come along and say Oh God got angry because people come on do me a favor kind of God is that how can something people do anger God Tevye says would it spoil some vast eternal plan if I were a wealthy man it's a regular question what's God's problem that's the problem we have with God it's not whether there is a God the question is does he want and what does he want that's where we get messed up that he wants I think we can resolve pretty quickly that he wants is evident in the in the act of creation if God didn't want to create nothing would happen there would be no principles there would be no actual creation so before there are the principles of existence there is an interest a want where does the ones come from although want precedes intelligence it still has some relationship to intelligence a person wants to live for no particular reason and that's as it should be you don't need a reason to live unless you're suicidal a healthy person who's not suicidal doesn't need a reason to live he just wants to because the will comes before the intelligence in fact if you don't want to you'll never be intelligent we develop our intelligence as a response to our want we want to know if you don't want to know you'll never learn anything so will stimulates intelligence but it must precede intelligence and yet will has some relationship to intelligence there's got to be some connection you don't just want something for no reason at all what made you want this we want to live without any particular reason because life is pleasant because life is good life is good for no particular reason but it is good so what preceded the will what precedes will is pleasure there was something pleasurable about the creation that attracted God that made him want to create that made him develop the principles of creation that made him actually produce the physical universe what is that pleasure why did God create the world because he wants to I mean yeah you're right I mean who's gonna tell him not to me if he wants to he'll do it but if you're asking the question why did God create the world and then you say because he likes it what kind of answer is that there's a very profound and fundamental message here God created the world because there's pleasure in it for him what pleasure can this world possibly give God now you can't ask questions about pleasure what possible pleasure can you get from eating a vegetable don't know it doesn't make any sense but gives us pleasure but we understand our experience of pleasure what kind of pleasure does God have so the Midrash is telling us God has a desire it gives him pleasure to have a dwelling place in simple words it works something like this where is God everywhere isn't that the same as nowhere it's true God is everywhere there is no place devoid of him that's not a dwelling place if you're everywhere you're also nowhere if you are everywhere you don't belong anywhere God's pleasure comes from exchanging the everywhere to somewhere he wants a dwelling place he dwells everywhere that's not a dwelling place in other words he wants to go from being everywhere to being somewhere and that gives him pleasure he wants to go from being the only exclusive existence to being one with something else he wants to join something belong somewhere be part of something the fact that he is already everywhere and part of everything that's not the same in other words he wants to go from being impersonal to personal that's what gives him pleasure oneness not exclusiveness not alone this oneness that's what we mean when we say hashem echad we're not reminding ourselves that there's only one god we don't need to say that three times a day what we're saying is not how many gods there are but the nature of God the nature of God is that he is one not exclusive because the word for exclusive would be Yahud he doesn't want to be your kid he wants to be effort to be one means to be joined not exclusive or alone and that's why the first commandment that God gives human beings who are created in His image therefore should a man leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife and become one in the image of God where can God become one with what with whom this is why heaven will not do angels are not candidates for oneness because angels don't understand intimacy angels don't have a place and they don't desire a place angels don't have a sense of mission although they'll go on a mission but they don't particularly care if there's no mission their existence is somewhat generic impersonal Yaakov wrestles with the angel and he says to him what is your name and he says well I haven't got no name I'm an angel I have no personality there is no me that has a name attached to it and so God looking for oneness will not find it in heaven or with angels where God finds this pleasure is necessarily in the lowest of all worlds because oneness demands simplicity you can't become one if you're complex to complex people will remain to complex people the place in which we make contact where there can be an intimacy is in that place where we are simple uncomplicated God can't find oneness with sophisticated creatures like angels God finds one this only with human beings who are quite simple what does that mean how does God experience himself he has no parents he has no origins he has no allegiance he has no debt he has no dependents angels can't understand that at all because they do have origins they have a creator they're indebted to the Creator they have allegiance to the Creator they can't think of themselves without that connection without that source and so they see themselves as the result of and therefore they worship God to the point of extinction they die or stop existing ad of ecstasy a human being on the other hand to our credit as well as to our to our shame we don't feel any allegiance to God unless we think about it we don't feel any debt we don't feel connected we don't feel obligated we don't feel our origins at all I am that's my experience should you care to know where I come from I can explain it to you but what's the difference I am and my existence is simple I am a stone would be even more simple a stone is there's a part of us that's that way too I am I am me did I come from somewhere if we must talk about it yes am i obligated am I am I in debt to my parents yeah I guess if I think about it do I have a creator only only if I stop to pay attention only if I care to notice only if I'm willing to submit otherwise by my instinct I am that's how a child is born a child is born aware only of its own existence I want I need give me that's it God says this I can relate to we can understand each other when God comes along and says I want only a human being can understand that an angel would say what do you mean you want your God you don't need anything be happy don't worry your God only a human being understands this I am I am I just am and I want we can understand God I can be me without you but I don't want I can exist independently and separately from everybody else I don't want poetically we can say no human being can exist on his own yes you can exist on your own we don't want to it gives us no pleasure to belong everywhere is frustrating to a human being I want to have a place of my own where I belong why do I need that I don't know but without that there's no pleasure because I'm created in God's image so now what have we got so far number one we know that before God creates a world there are principles that need to be created that we take for granted time space right lift up down higher lower good bad right and wrong these are all inventions so when God created mitzvahs and sins he first had to create the notion of right and wrong of good and bad and then say okay this belongs to the bad this belongs to the good God didn't put the Sun in its orbit and then oh look at that but they just went by that's not how it worked God created day and God created night and he put the Sun into the day and he put the moon into the night the day doesn't doesn't result from the Sun the sun's job is to work during the day because the day is a principle the Sun is just a thing the principle comes first before the principle there is will God's will is not the result of observation or experience God created people he watched them behave he saw them kill each other and he said no I don't like that thou shalt not kill from that one huh it didn't work that way first God created the principle that human beings may not kill then he created human beings that can be killed so that human beings will refrain from doing it the principle comes first then the fact God wanted kosher that's why he created animals that were and animals that are not it's not God created a bunch of animals and he looked at the pig and he said you're disgusting first God created disgusting then he created the pig to fit the bill why because he wanted something that's where we get the notion of purpose of life what does it mean is there a purpose to life there must be a purpose to life what is the purpose of life I'm gonna kill myself because I don't have any purpose though what is that when you say purpose to life you're talking about God you're talking about the Creator because the only way life can have a purpose is if it was preceded by a purpose you can't create something and then think of a purpose because then that thing you created had no purpose purpose precedes the event otherwise it's not a purpose it's an excuse you created a machine you don't know for what so you make up an excuse like the treadmill it's to hang stuff on well that's not really its purpose yes that's the purpose I'm giving it so when you say purpose to life you have to be talking about the purpose that preceded life did life come to be out of purpose or not if it came out of purpose it's God's purpose if you say God has a purpose then he wants something what could God possibly want he wants a dwelling place in the lowest world why because it gives him pleasure why the lowest world it's the only world that resembles him in Reverse he is the ultimate simple existence because he's everything and we are simple existence because we're nothing because of how little we know and how little we are capable of we are therefore simple simple and simple can create intimacy when you put aside your complex sophisticated needs you are capable of being infinite if you have a scheme if you have an agenda it's not intimacy two people with two schemes no intimacy there the way to achieve connection oneness intimacy is to put aside all agendas and just be simple only human beings are capable because we are created in God's image so what is our purpose in life our purpose in life is to elevate ourselves from the simplicity of a created being to the simplicity of the Creator and the result is oneness whose need does that satisfy since we are created in God's image it's got to be both the purpose originates with God but rests in us that's what makes us different from all the rest of creation God has a purpose for everything but the purpose of this lectern does not rest within the lectern it doesn't have to fulfill its purpose I have to fulfill its purpose by using it correctly why do I have to do it because I am the seat of that purpose it rests in me and that's why I am driven to achieve that purpose to put it somewhat poetically this capacity for simplicity that we have can also be called silence there's noise activity within the human being we have abilities talents functions we can do many things we have many schemes but behind all that noise there's also a quietness there's a silence when Aaron's sons run into the into the Michigan and die the Torah says Aaron remains silent that doesn't just mean he couldn't think of anything to say or had nothing to say it means that he was able to go into that place within himself where there is no noise there is silence there is simplicity what is is what's true is true what's right is right uncomplicated simple simple is silent and in that silence we perceive reality better than in the noise so god forbid when something tragic happens we are pushed beyond the noise into that silence sometimes when something wonderful happens it moves us beyond the noise into the silence or as its described in God the still small voice we have that too and when we are silent enough to hear that still small voice what do we hear can we hear our longing our homesickness which we block out in our daily lives we're busy we got places to go people to see things to do we're busy we're busy but when we go into this quiet place then we come face-to-face with our longing because we are purposeful creatures and the purpose gnaws at us are you doing it are you closer are you getting there do you even know what it is it gnaws at us because we are by nature purposeful creatures if we should ever be convinced that there is no purpose we would not be able to survive I was faced with this person who was suicidal threatening to kill himself why cause life has lost all meaning life has lost all meaning nothing means anything it's all meaningless it's all empty it's all vain it's all nothing it's nothing now so well in that case why kill yourself just sit and be quiet nothing means anything right it's all the same what's the difference okay so sit there and be quiet what is this grand scheme where I go climb a bridge and jump off don't make a big deal it's nothing it's meaningless sit sit until you die what's the difference can't can't do it well if you're really convinced that mean that everything has become meaningless that it doesn't make any difference whether you live or die well then just sit there no can't too painful why because a human being is essentially motivated by purpose we cover it up we get distracted we're busy with the noise but when you get down to it if you're not fulfilling your purpose you can't you can't live you can't let it be you can't just sit you have to believe that you are fulfilling some purpose or you have to distract yourself from the entire subject when you go into that quiet place you come face-to-face with that longing this longing is not a frustrating one because what we long for is achievable so in the longing when we face it we experience a certain hopefulness and optimism I can do it I need to do it and I can so there's a longing and there's a confidence a hopefulness and then we remember what our mission is because it's built in when we were born well when we were conceived our soul took an an oath to serve God by fulfilling the commandments and avoiding the prohibitions in the birth trauma we forget but in that quiet place there is no forgetting so when we go into that quiet place we suddenly experience the reciprocal love that we have for God that is a reaction to his need for us which moves us to merge with him to become one with him which means to fulfill our vows and then all of a sudden you want to keep Shabbos well you want to keep kosher or you want to go to the mikveh well you want to read the Torah this is what we mean when we say and why do we serve God why do we allow God to play a role in our lives why is God meaningful to us because he is our God if you ask the average Jew do you love God you're obviously so religious and so Jewish you must love God and the average Jew would say I don't think so I can't honestly say I love God I don't think about him that much when I think about him it's kind of vague I can't say I love God it would be it would be dishonest then why are you so Jewish then why do you persist in being Jewish then why do you keep all of these traditions why do you keep these Commandments the answer is cause he's my god which means to say I cannot love him because I am NOT the Creator I didn't start this but he started it because he wants a relationship with me too that I can respond so do I love God not what I would call love but then why am I so stuck on him because because he came to me because he wants the relationship he created the world with a purpose it gives him pleasure to become one with me and I can't resist that so if it was up to me I would not have started this relationship because I don't love God that much but he started the relationship and I can't I can't refuse it I can't resist it so although I may get distracted at times and I may be off being busy with other things but in a moment of silence as a result of either a tragic thing or a wonderful thing or simply because I decided to think about it I will find that quiet space that still small voice that makes me like God and in that place I will remember our relationship and I will serve Him that is the meaning of the verse this is my god and I will glorify him I don't choose him that's not how he became my god he chose me I don't worship him because of his greatness I don't understand his greatness and I'm not particularly moved by it it's good for him that he's great what does it do for me and I'm not looking for a God that can beat up your God so what then is my relationship with God he is my God and therefore I will glorify him I will serve him in the most beautiful way because he's mine not because not because he's big not because he's nice because he's mine and that's where we get this family strength that Jews have been famous for had been famous for what is the power of Jewish family I glorify you because you are mine nobody said anything about your being nice or powerful or wonderful but you're mine and that's what counts the most and mine doesn't mean you belong to me mine means this is the relationship that I belong in this is my purpose I don't have to invent it it's mine and that makes it more precious than all the talents and all the beauty and all the goodness that exists in places that are not mine that's called intimacy intimacy means I know where I belong and that's the only place I want to be although I can be many places I don't belong in many places that's what I discover when I find that quiet place I just want my place not a good place a big place my place and if my place includes some pain and it often does it's mine I'll take it but if I'm looking for a nice place when any pain becomes intolerable can't handle it so we connect to God the way God wants to be connected to us that's called my god and when we do that the world can become what God and visioned and it must because God doesn't fail so the world will not come to some tragic end it won't peter out it won't burn itself out it will become more it will become greater it will become divine that justifies creation that justifies our devotion and that makes us partners with God because we're not just here to do a task the mission is not just a job the mission is to become one with him and thereby making the world one with him that's a real partner and that puts intimacy back into the center of our lives because that's what it's all about the God of all the worlds wants a dwelling place he can have all the angels and all the heavenly worlds doesn't give pleasure he wants a personal intimate relationship that is the purpose of the world and that purpose is real it's what makes it all happen in the beginning God wanted that's the key to everything the pleasure that we can provide that's the that is the sum and substance of what makes this world planets and stars and that's that's just details the real substance of this world is God's pleasure and we participate in that pleasure by keeping his laws his desires if you had to make a choice between an incomplete theory of evolution that will explain where you came from and where you're going or you can respond to your God for whom you yearn when you're honest and quiet what are you gonna choose there really is no choice there's no choice its pleasant to speculate about evolution it's brilliant in some ways flawed in other ways but it's it's enjoyable but it can't replace our purpose in life particularly when you're talking about children you don't want to tell your children that they came for no reason and it's all gonna end for no reason and in the meantime just be safe so don't get hurt you don't want to tell that to your children you want to tell your children that God waits every morning for your child to do their part his or her part in this vast eternal plan that makes sense that's something you can live with that's something that actually gives life so if we can get enthusiastic about that we would be healthy we would be strong we would be wise and we would be very good for our children what else can what else can you want so we should all be blessed with this wisdom and we should raise our children with this wisdom so that maybe maybe we will have a little nice from them after all God wants pleasure from us we want pleasure from our children we're created in His image partner with Rabbi Friedman visit it's good to know org ford slash support [Music]

Channel: Rabbi Manis Friedman

Views: 75,484

Rating: 4.8448935 out of 5

Keywords: Rabbi Manis Friedman, Manis Friedman, god, religion, life purpose, rabbi, judaism

Id: K1v-Cf8gcRM

Length: 66min 36sec (3996 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 11 2019