God of Our Understanding: Jewish Spirituality and Recovery from Addiction

by Shais Taub

Many philosophical and religious systems view the idea of God’s wanting something as problematic. How can an infinite and perfect being want, or be in want of, anything? Does this not imply a lacking of something or someone? Judaism, however, is not at all troubled by this concept. Indeed, the very foundation of Judaism as a covenantal religion is that God most certainly does want something from us. God promises to uphold His end of the deal, but He asks for certain things in return. As God told Abraham, father of the Jewish people: “I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant . . . As for you, you must keep My covenant, you, and your descendants after you for the generations to come” (Genesis 17:7–9). Again, just prior to the Revelation at Sinai, God tells Moses: “Now if you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession . . . ” (Exodus 19:5). God is clearly asking for something. The particular aspects of His will—what He wants and does not want—are the very basis of Torah law. The commandments are not technical rules but an expression of God’s desires. Indeed, as the kabbalists describe it, God made Himself vulnerable, so-to-speak, by articulating His likes and dislikes and allowing His creations free choice of whether or not to abide by these wishes. This is how God makes Himself available for intimacy with His creations. As such, Judaism does not view adherence to God’s commandments so much as a matter of obe...