‘The minute you prove God exists, there’s no more Judaism.”
So says HaRav Aharon Bina in an interview by the YU Comentator.
For those who don’t know him, Rav Aharon Bina is the son of Yeshivat HaKotel founder Rav Aryeh Bina. Having left Yeshivat HaKotel he is currently on the faculty of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh, whose senior Rosh HaYeshiva is Harav Avigdor Nebenzahl.
At first glance Rav Bina’s statement may seem a bit shocking. But in fact he is quite correct. He explains what he means:
What does emunah mean? If I see that there is a table in front of me, it is not emunah. I see the table. Emunah is something which you cannot prove. There’s no pictures. There’s no DVD.
These comments were preceded by a reference to Rav Solovetichik, the Rav, who said, that ‘…everyone is allowed to be unsure about God. We all have times when things about God are unclear to us.’
This is the time of year when Jews are thinking about Teshuva and God’s relationship to man. And this can sometimes give rise to recurring questions about Him. Does God in fact really exist? His existence cannot be proven. Maybe we should just chuck the whole thing? But of course, just as God cannot be proven, so too He cannot be disproven. And that is perhaps the key element of Emunah.
Asking questions, however is part of human nature. The rational mind naturally seeks answers to questions that arise. When confronted with contradictions, it can easily create doubt. That is part of human nature too. It is almost impossible to totally ignore these kinds of questions once they come up and one begins to think about them.
Although many questions can be answered to the satisfaction of the rational mind, many cannot. Thus the creation of doubt. One might say that seeking truth is therefore to be discouraged as doubt can lead someone astray and away from belief in God. That is obviously true as is the case of many once religious Jews who are now skeptics and atheists. So if seeking truth is so dangerous that it can lead to atheism how can one be permited to even ask these kinds of questions? The answer is obvious. The questions are there. And very few of us can simply ignore them.
Institutionally it is criminal for Yeshivos do so. Questions should never be ignored in the quest for truth. If one has such questions and seeks answers one should be provided an environment to do so. Questions, as indicated by Rav Bina’s statement, are by nature the very essence of Emunah. Belief in God, as Rav Bina asserts requires a certain degree of uncertainty. Because once you are certain, belief is no longer required.
Very few of us are capable of Emunah Peshuta, simple faith. If I recall correctly, the Baalei Machshava, Jewish theologians (…perhaps it is even a Gemarah, I don’t recall) have the consensus that simple faith is purer and therefore the more preferable form of belief. Unquestioning faith fosters a climate of D’veikus… a clinging to God. This helps generate a more enthusiastic approach to God. The faith is pure and unfettered when there are no questions asked. Questions that come up are simply put out of mind. No time is spent dwelling on what are in many cases unanswerable questions. But thoughtful people who are raised to think critically are rarely capable of doing that.
There is a very thoughtful article in The Commentator by a student who articulates these issues clearly and recommends a structure within Yeshiva University to deal with them. I agree and think that every Yeshiva should have one.
It is important that anyone who thinks about these issues be given the right atmosphere to deal with them. Belief in God not a subject that should be taken for granted. I think that Rav Bina is right when he says, ‘I like to believe that every Jew is born with something inside them, but it has to be developed.’ And there is no better place than a Yeshiva environment to do so successfully.
Warning:
This post is not meant as an opening to for a debate about God’s existence. It is meant only to recognize that questions of faith and doubt exist in the minds of many Yeshiva students of all stripes and that these thoughts should not be ignored. There will be no debating God’s existence or the authenticity of Judaism on this blog. Any such attempts will be deleted.
