Conversation # 4 of the series

In this conversation, Zev and I analyze the first step of the prophetic path to Da’as Hashem – its logic, practice, and universal relevance.5:00 The four-step discipline of the prophets for reaching Da'as Hashem

13:00 The doctrine of Da'as Hashem is universally intelligible and meaningful even without accepting Torah or Judaism

16:45 The universality of Da'as Hashem as opposed to the particularism of the Torah

22:30 The secret society of Da'as Hashem

24:30 Live demonstration of the first step of the Path

43:25 Purifying the soul and serving Hashem circumvents the need for having a developed philosophy of morals

48:45 The connection between tefillah and Da'as Hashem

52:00 The Jewish national experience as the training ground for achieving Da'as Hashem

57:30 Why pure Da'as Hashem is impossible in exile

1:01:45 Why Rabbi Chiya never had kavanah during davening

1:06:30 Questions on the first step

1:14:15 The stark difference between those who know and those who don't: https://x.com/shnayor/status/1950646482291347817

00:00 The project of the Guide is the rectification of the challenges associated with prophecy2:30 The need for the Torah to be unlocked12:00 King Solomon was a Messianic figure who commenced the unlocking of the Torah, which was then completed by Rabbi Akiva20:45 The innovation in the Torah which is itself rooted in the Torah: Rambam's rereading of the Torah's mission to uproot idolatry and his application of its teaching to God's incorporeality 36:30 The Oral Torah can undermine the surface-level meaning of the Written Torah40:45 How Moshe both did and didn't wage war against the erroneous belief in the corporeality of God44:00 It takes much knowledge to know that knowledge is limited48:45 How Rabbi Akiva's new teaching about parables improved on King Solomon's teaching about parables51:00 The endless sea and the infinitude of wisdom: The meaning of the parable of water is that we can’t know the true meaning of the parable of water54:30 The purpose of parables is not to explain something but rather to make an abstract truth attractive to the body1:01:15 Rabbi Akiva's teaching about the water that has no end; how he faced endless waves and how Rabbi Meir faced endless waves1:12:30 Two kinds of parables1:15:30 What will be treated of in the next lecture

"Exodus, Exile and Redemption" is a study of the profound significance of Judaism's history.

Written essays are published bi-weekly ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Please subscribe!

This series is made possible by the Jacob Lights Foundation. To support this and other ongoing foundation initiatives, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to the Substack newsletter or making a tax-deductible donation via Zelle to jacoblightsfoundation@gmail.com.