“Hei Ha-olamim” (in Baruch She-amar and Yishtabach) can be interpreted two different ways. It could mean that God gives life to the universe, meaning that God is a Being of some kind who gives life to others or it could mean that God actually is the life of the universe meaning that God is the process of life and nature, not an actual being. My interpretation of this verse is a combination of both of these ideas.
When I was younger, we used to have a big stuffed doll that was bigger than I was. It had a blue coat, white hair, and a long white beard. That is what I imagined God to look like, up in the clouds. When I was in kindergarten, my sister learned a song in school, “Hashem is here, hashem is there, hashem is truly everywhere. Up, up, down, down, right, left, and all around, here there everywhere, that’s where he can be found.” This song made me question my vision of God. If God is a person, how can he be everywhere at once?
My Zayde is the retired rabbi of Congregation Chizuk Amuno in Baltimore
I believe that it is easier to pray to a spirit. Other religions pray and cow tow to one person or thing like a king, idol, or ruler of their country, (or perhaps even a cow). In Judaism, we are taught to believe in one God, but it does not say if we need to believe that God is a person or spirit. It is up to each individual to determine how he wants to picture God. In those religions, I think it would be harder for people to have their prayers listened to since the ruler can decide if he wants to listen or even veto their request. Judaism teaches us that God loves everyone and listens to everyone’s prayers. Whether he announces it or not is not the issue.
My Zayde told me a funny story about payer. There once was a boy who prayed and prayed to God asking for a car. He was frustrated that God was not answering his prayers. He told his mom that he had been praying to God but God was not answering his prayers. So, the boy decided that he wasn’t going to pray anymore and he told his mother his plan. His mother told him that God actually did answer him; God's answer was, “No!” (-Mikayla D, Kitah Het)
I agree that it would be harder it pray to G-d if G-d was a person. It is easyer when G-d is a spirit.
ReplyDeleteSidra
i agree with you! This is an amazing thing! MAZOL MAZOL TOVV!
ReplyDelete-gabbbyy rose<3
ps: i believe that you should pray in spirit
I agree that it would be harder to pray to God if he/she was a physical being like a person. It is a lot easier to think of God as a spirit or as energy... Good job!
ReplyDeleteYes it is easier praying to a spirit. Science, you don't have to pray to one person in one place rather you can pray everywhere. If g-d was a human he would seem less special, he would be like everyone else. And it says specifically in the ten commandments to not pray to people or objects so this way you're praying to a spider that is everywhere including yourself.
ReplyDeleteThe "Life of the Universe"
ReplyDeleteThe phrase "Hei ha-olamim" could be translated in many different ways. The two main translations are: God gives life to the universe, and God is the life of the universe. In this assignment I am going to prove my interpretation of hei ha-olamim. Also, there is the controversial topic of which people would prefer to pray to: a being or a “process.” I will share my side of the controversy and state why I am on that side.
Hei ha-olamim could be interpreted as God being the life of the universe or God gives life to the universe. With that being said, my interpretation of the meaning of hei ha-olamim is that God gives life to the universe. I believe this because it is said in bereishit that God creates the world in six days and gives the process of the creation, which indicates that God is the one that gives life to the universe. This proves that my interpretation of hei ha-olamim is correct. If God would not have created the world, there would not have been any life to the universe. God is responsible for creating everything in the universe, for example: plants, animals, and, of course, humans.
I think that it is easier to pray to a being who gives life rather than a “process.” I believe this because being aware of who I am praising makes it easier for me to pray them/ it. Not being able to see who you are praising makes it harder to believe that there is someone to pray to. With that said, it might be easier but I still do believe that there is a God and when I pray, I know that God is listening to me.
I agree that it should be called g-d gives life to the universe. Not g-d is the life of the universe. I don't disagree with anything that it says here. I would also rather pray to a being than a "process"
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