Much of our focus during the High Holidays is on our relationship with G-d. We ask for our needs. We confess our sins. We proclaim G-d’s sovereignty. We ask G-d to remember us for good. We consider the extent of our commitment to fulfilling G-d’s precepts. We approach G-d as children to a father, and as subjects to a king. We spend a lot of time praising G-d and the wonderous works of creation.
Despite all of this focus on G-d, for many of us G-d remains an abstract concept. How much do we actually know about G-d? We might wonder, if G-d is so powerful, why does He need our incessant praise? How many of us have a real relationship with G-d? Do we really communicate with a Being, or do we mouth prayers to an abstract presence that floats in and out of our consciousness?
If any of these questions or issues resonate with you, I would strongly encourage you to consider our upcoming 6-week course called: My G-d – Defining the Divine. The course begins at Chabad Uptown on Wednesday, November 2. It will also be offered in Metairie within a similar timeframe.
Our founding assumption is that G-d is. But that is all; everything else is on the table for prodding and dissecting. We will be addressing 25 questions about G-d. From “does G-d have feelings,” to “how did G-d come to be,” to the very meta “can we question G-d?”
For more information or to register for the course, www.chabadneworleans.com/jli. Feel free to try the first class with no commitment, on Wednesday, Nov 2 at 7:00 pm.
For information on the Metairie class with Rabbi Mendel Ceitlin, www.jewishlouisiana.com/jli.
The best way to connect to G-d, is through a Mitzvah. Over the last few days, we have been following the horrific destruction wrought on Southwest Florida by Hurricane Ian. My cousins run the Chabad in Venice, Florida, which is at the center of the chaos. They and their Chabad colleagues in the area, are on the frontlines of the relief efforts. To support those efforts, please generously contribute at www.ianhurricanerelief.com. May G-d protect us all from harm.
Shabbat Shalom and G’mar Chatima Tova
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin