GOD SQUAD: Resurrection is the ultimate sign of divine love – Kenosha News
Posted By admin on October 8, 2022
RABBI MARC GELLMAN
Question: This probably isnt your bailiwick, but maybe you and Father Tom Hartman talked about it. Did God feel pain (not literally) as he watched his son being tortured and crucified? Anonymous
Answer: What a wonderful and difficult question.
Tommy and I did talk about it and this is what he taught me.
Because God is not a person, it is wrong to ascribe human emotions like pain to God. It is called anthropopathism. However, Tommy felt, and I agreed, that God feels a kind of love that is not human but is real and is infinitely compassionate.
Therefore, it makes sense that God felt pain at the torture and death of Jesus. Pain and love. Pain because of the torture and death Jesus had to undergo to make his sacrifice real but also love that Jesus was willing to suffer for the sins of humanity.
People are also reading
For Christians, Jesus Resurrection is the ultimate sign of that divine love.
Also, Tommy taught me that since Jesus came to Earth precisely to suffer and die, no blame for his death is appropriate or fair given his divinely ordained sacrificial mission. That did not make it easy for Jesus or God, but it made it necessary.
There is a text from the Hebrew Bible in Genesis Chapter 22 that I then shared with Tommy. This passage has some similar theological conflicts.
It is Gods command to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac to prove his faith.
Abraham had to believe two contradictory things: He had to believe God wanted him to sacrifice his innocent son, and he also had to believe God would never make him go through with such an abominable command.
If he believed God would never make him do it, he does not pass the test. If he believed God would make him do it, then God is a monster.
The life of faith is filled with such leaps of faith in which we are tested in our beliefs. Only God knows how we score on such tests. Our job is to be willing to sacrifice for God and to believe that such sacrifices cause God as much pain as they cause us.
In Gods image
Question: I dont understand the biblical statement that God created man in Gods image. That makes no sense to me at all! It cannot mean physically, because God seems to be a spirit and not a defined physical being. I do not believe it could possibly mean spiritually, because while mankind is capable of wonderful acts of kindness and self-sacrifice, mankind is also capable of horrific acts of violence and cruelty.
What does that biblical phrase mean? I would really appreciate an answer. Thank you. From P
Answer: Another wonderful question. I wrote a childrens book entitled Does God Have a Big Toe? And the answer is no, God does not have a big toe, even though we have big toes and even though we are made in the image of God.
God is not a human being, even though for some Christians Jesus is an exception to that rule.
What it means to be made in the image of God is that, like God, we have free will to make choices about our lives.
It also means that, like God, we can know the difference between good and evil. We are aware of the moral good.
It means that just as God cares for us, we must care for each other.
It means that just as God wants justice in the world, we must strive to pursue justice in the world.
It means that just as God has filled the world with life, we, too, must fill the world with life.
It means that just as God feeds all of us through Gods creation, we must feed the hungry among us.
It means that just as God rested on the seventh day, so, too, we should rest on the Sabbath.
It means that when we kill an innocent person, we are killing the image of God in this world.
It means that we must see every other human being as an image of God in the world.
We learn all this from an old Jewish story of how the great sage Rabbi Naman of Berditchev was walking along the street with his disciples in tow and suddenly he stopped and asked them, Who is that across the street? One of them said, Rebbe, that is just Moshele the water drawer. That is nobody. The Rabbi chastised them and said, You are not my students until you can say about any person you see walking on the street, There goes the image of God. And that is what it means to be made in the image of God.
Send questions and comments to The God Squad via email at godsquadquestion@aol.com. Rabbi Gellman is the author of several books, including Religion for Dummies, co-written with Fr. Tom Hartman. Also, the new God Squad podcast is now available.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
View original post here:
GOD SQUAD: Resurrection is the ultimate sign of divine love - Kenosha News
- The 50 Most Influential Rabbis in America - Newsweek - January 25th, 2023
- Orthodox pilgrimage to the grave of Kabbalah rabbi buried in Istanbul picks up after COVID slump - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - January 23rd, 2023
- Science News Roundup: Meat cultivated from cow cells is kosher, Israel's chief rabbi rules; Space startups funding halved in 2022 as investors shift... - January 23rd, 2023
- Film about rabbi, civil rights activist to be screened Feb. 5 at Fox Theater - The Bakersfield Californian - January 10th, 2023
- The Granada massacre of 1066: When a Muslim mob crucified a Rabbi and murdered almost the entire Jewish population in a city - OpIndia - December 31st, 2022
- www.the-temple.org - December 27th, 2022
- Sunday Sitdown: Local rabbi reflects on meaning of Hanukkah on first night celebration - WAVY.com - December 25th, 2022
- Why Is Naftali Bennett Suing This Rabbi for Defamation? - Israel News - Haaretz - December 13th, 2022
- Spanish rabbi shares story of bridging religions with Mandel JDS - Cleveland Jewish News - December 11th, 2022
- Rabbi: Lets recommit to one another and get the polio vaccine | Opinion - NJ.com - October 15th, 2022
- A Shared Scripture Conversation between a Rabbi and a Pastor - Alpena News - October 15th, 2022
- A Kosher Vape? Meet The Rabbi-Certified Jewish Vape Brand, Oy Vapes! - Herb.co - October 15th, 2022
- Judaism and feminism: how far we have come, how far we need to go The Stute - The Stute - October 15th, 2022
- Six Greater Phoenix rabbis, other clergy highlight Arizona's 'draconian' abortion bans - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix - October 15th, 2022
- Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley: October 21-27, 2022 - Sedona.biz - October 15th, 2022
- In tribute: A man of dignity, Oklahoma's Ben Shanker, died 'at the high point of Yom Kippur'. He and his wife Shirley, of blessed memory, were my... - October 15th, 2022
- It's splendorous. It's packed with meaning. It's the etrog. J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022
- Herzog presides over quasi-biblical gathering revived by his grandfather - The Times of Israel - October 15th, 2022
- On Ohlone land: How Bay Area Jewish activists are honoring Indigenous people J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022
- Twinsburg Chabad welcomes first two Torah scrolls - Cleveland Jewish News - October 15th, 2022
- Book takes Jewish children to 'The Very Best Sukkah' in Uganda J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022
- Local Jews render aid to those hit by Hurricane Ian - jewishpresspinellas - October 15th, 2022
- We Need to Support Chabad of Cutler Bay - Miami's Community Newspapers - October 10th, 2022
- Guest Commentary: Of Voting and Atonement - The Philadelphia Citizen - October 10th, 2022
- Islamic Tahrif, Jewish Metaphors And The 99 Names Of Allah OpEd - Eurasia Review - October 10th, 2022
- This is the year to be an influencer of goodness: Rabbi Levi Greenberg - El Paso Times - October 8th, 2022
- Rabbi Leonard Lewy is here to help staff chaplain at Ascension Columbia St. Marys Hospital in Ozaukee - The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle - October 8th, 2022
- Rangers predicted XI as Malik Tillman offered redemption chance with Rabbi Matondo to start against St Mirren - Scottish Daily Express - October 8th, 2022
- The Rev. Sara LaWall, Rabbi Dan Fink and the Rev. Andrew Kukla: Faith leaders unite in condemning Idaho's abortion ban - The Spokesman Review - October 8th, 2022
- Portlands Jewish Music Fest to bring music, food and fun - KOIN.com - October 8th, 2022
- A good answer to a cheeky question: If God is perfect, how can God create? J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 8th, 2022
- Rabbi Avrohom Luban Announced As Associate Director Of Agudath Israel ... - October 4th, 2022
- Meet the rabbi who made it possible to live a Jewish life in the UAE - JNS.org - October 4th, 2022
- Messianic Rabbi: The Last Words of Moses, Yeshuaand You - Charisma Magazine - October 4th, 2022
- Rabbi Rose leaving B'nai Amoona, will assume CEO of Cleveland JCC in 2023 - - St. Louis Jewish Light - October 4th, 2022
- Letter to the Editor: Rabbis do take political stands when morality, ethics and national threats are involved - Summit Daily - October 4th, 2022
- In the path of Hurricane Ian, rabbis open their homes and safeguard Torahs - Forward - October 4th, 2022
- HappinessThe Real Scoop - Boca Raton's Most Reliable News Source - The Boca Raton Tribune - October 4th, 2022
- Lexington rabbi speaks with communities impacted by recent gun violence - LEX 18 News - Lexington, KY - October 4th, 2022
- Lessons from the Book of Jonah - Yom Kippur - Aish.com - October 4th, 2022
- Indelible interfaith progress has been made in last year - Arab News - October 4th, 2022
- Cleveland area rabbis reflect on journeys to the rabbinate - Cleveland Jewish News - September 25th, 2022
- Phoenix rabbi wants to spread kindness this Rosh Hashanah - The Arizona Republic - September 25th, 2022
- Is it okay for a rabbi to be anti-Israel? - JNS.org - September 25th, 2022
- Podcast: Dan Talks with Rabbi Josh Franklin, Jewish Center of the Hamptons - Dans Papers - September 25th, 2022
- How the First Woman Rabbi in Italy Kept a Promise to Her Father - Guideposts - September 25th, 2022
- Hiding Their Jewishness - aish.com - Aish.com - September 25th, 2022
- There is so much to come at Rangers from Rabbi Matondo - Ibrox Noise - September 25th, 2022
- Purely Commentary: The Fast I Have Chosen | Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News - September 25th, 2022
- The Inadequacy of Thank You to a Retiring Rabbi - Guideposts - September 25th, 2022
- Return of the Love Rabbi: Netflix has already expressed interested in a reality show based on new Montreal film - The Suburban Newspaper - September 21st, 2022
- Rabbi reflects on nearly three decades with Bet Haverim - Davis Enterprise - September 21st, 2022
- Two men indicted on 10 federal counts in carjacking of rabbi, others - Cleveland Jewish News - September 21st, 2022
- The Rosh Hashanah when America's most prominent rabbi criticized FDR - JNS.org - September 21st, 2022
- Messianic Rabbi: The Increasing Excitement of the Red Heifers in Israel - Charisma Magazine - September 21st, 2022
- Chabad of the Hospitals to spread holiday cheer on Rosh Hashanah - thejewishchronicle.net - September 21st, 2022
- Community, mental health and gratitude all have a place in this year's High Holiday sermons - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix - September 21st, 2022
- Sacramento-area school fills void for growing Chabad community J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 21st, 2022
- Leading Ukraine rabbi tells Jews to stay away from Uman this year - JNS.org - September 4th, 2022
- Mini Mitzvah: Special light-weight Torah dedicated at Aishel House will give medical patients big boost - Jewish Herald-Voice - September 4th, 2022
- 600 years of animosity: Conversos want to return as Jews are leaving Palma de Mallorca - Ynetnews - September 4th, 2022
- Celebrating the High Holy Days together - Australian Jewish News - September 4th, 2022
- Mikhail Gorbachev dismantled the Iron Curtain and allowed Russian Jews to live openly again - Forward - September 4th, 2022
- The Tzedek Needs to Be with Tzedek Torah.org - Torah.org - September 4th, 2022
- State bill will extend California nonprofit security grants 'indefinitely' J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 4th, 2022
- Second man charged in armed carjacking of rabbi in Solon - cleveland.com - August 22nd, 2022
- Im a rabbi who witnessed the attack on Salman Rushdie in Chautauqua. Here is how we can combat this type of hate - Forward - August 22nd, 2022
- Ben Gvir names scion of prominent rabbinic family to his far-right slate - The Times of Israel - August 22nd, 2022
- 'God is life,' Rabbi Yonatan Neril on ecological conversion and the war in Ukraine - Religion News Service - August 22nd, 2022
- "Come To Punjab, Sardars Will Protect You": Singer Rabbi Shergill To Bilkis Bano - NDTV - August 22nd, 2022
- Is this Russian rabbi fair game for sanctions, or being held to a double standard? - Forward - August 22nd, 2022
- Catholic Gestapo agent who spied on Nazis and became anti-Zionist rabbi - Ynetnews - August 22nd, 2022
- Of Thorns And Thistles (Part II) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 22nd, 2022
- The Gates Of Tears - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 22nd, 2022
- Being Aware of Awareness - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 22nd, 2022
- The Complex Truth Of The Haskalah - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 22nd, 2022
- The Violence Of The Stranger - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 22nd, 2022
- I had sex with a rabbi. There were big red flags. - Los Angeles Times - July 31st, 2022
- Married Rabbis Take Over the Pulpit at Tamaracs Temple Beth Torah Shaaray Tzedek Tamarac Talk - Tamarac Talk - July 31st, 2022
- Rangers new boy Rabbi Matondo: The rapid winger ready to ignite World Cup dream - The Athletic - July 31st, 2022
Comments