JLI Series

Lesson Outline

Lesson One: The Basics   Let’s become familiar with G-d’s basic bio:
What is G-d and where is He? Does G-d have a gender? And who created G-d?

Lesson Two: His Nature   Let’s learn a bit about how G-d operates:
Does G-d have feelings? Does He communicate with us? Does He ever act illogically? Why does He have so many names? And why is it that many write “G-d” with a hyphen?

Lesson Three: His Reasons   Let’s discover why G-d does what he does:
Why did G-d create me—does He need me? And why did He create evil—does He need evil? Can I question G-d? And why is He described in the Bible as “wrathful” and “jealous”?

Lesson Four: His Expectations   Let’s discuss G-d’s expectations of us:
Do I have to believe in G-d to be Jewish? What if I have doubts about G-d?
Do I need to fear G-d? That doesn’t sound very appealing!
Lastly, I’m okay with believing in G-d, but I’m not religious. Can I still have a relationship with Him?

Lesson Five: His Paradoxes   Let’s delve into some of the deeper Divine mysteries and enigmas:
Can G-d create a rock that He can’t lift? Does His foreknowledge of events preclude my free choice? Is there anything that G-d finds difficult to do? And if G-d has decided to do something, can I change His mind?

Lesson Six: Our Relationship   Let’s deepen our understanding of our relationship with G-d:
Why can’t we see G-d? Because we can’t see Him, can we reconcile His existence with science?
Why is Judaism so obsessed with idolatry—is G-d jealous?
Last of all: I’m a spiritual person; do I need to follow the Torah’s “system” to have a relationship with G-d?