B’reisheet – Brad Moore and Brian Chima
In this first lesson of a new Torah cycle, members Brad Moore and Brian Chima fill in for Grant as he continues his trip to South Africa. Brad focuses our attention on the question, “What does it mean to be made in God’s image?” Brian takes as his focus the topics of sin and remembering.
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3 Comments
by Ruth Brooks
On October 8, 2018
Hi. Thanks for the thought provoking talks on shabbat. I got thinking about the relationship between zachar meaning male, and memory.
So the first use is in genesis 1:26-27. In the same context it talks about tzlem(shadow) and damut ( image) of God. Maybe what the man God made is remembering or representing for us to remember is the image of God.
by Dani
On October 9, 2018
Shalom,
Just heard your podcast for the first time and I was quite shocked that early in the podcast you say that God can’t manifest physically. What!?!
How then did the Lord eat Abraham’s food at Mamre? And by the way He ate milk curds with the meat so there goes another sage myth. My point is that there’s too much leaven from the so-called sages that mixes man made concepts in with the word of God so that it ends up muddying the understanding.
The concept that God can’t manifest physically is rooted in Maimonides teaching, which is rooted in his upbringing in Islam. Islam says that God can’t physically manifest or “beget” a son, etc. Torah is chock full of references to God manifesting physically, eating, etc. it’s in every book of scripture! Please get this straight, brothers & sisters, I’m not saying you are false teachers, but you might be inadvertently propagating the false teachings of the “sages” which are no substitute to the Torah. Shalom.
by L. Grant Luton
On October 11, 2018
Dani, Thank you for your email. One of our elders (Brad M.) did this teaching, and here is his response:
I think I did initially misspeak in my nervousness on Saturday. What I meant to say was that God does not have a physical form or makeup in our physical realm like we do (but that he DOES manifest Himself in the physical world), thus it’s not in the physical that we are made in His image–since He is Spirit (John 4:24). This is what was in my notes to say–but I do think I initially said He doesn’t manifest physically instead of not having a physical form. However, I thought I caught it and corrected it, though, perhaps I didn’t do a good enough job. The last thing I want to do is say something wrong–especially about God! Today on teaching rounds I misspoke on 1 of the 3 diagnostic criteria for Acute Liver Failure and later had to reach out to my residents and students and correct my error. So I’m not unused to having to take back something I’ve said.
I hope that helps clarify! Shalom, Grant