Episode
S10, E9 In Pursuit of Knowing Hashem: Why We Need the Torah and Why Freedom Is Impossible
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- Jan 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 6868
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Summary
0:00 What is Judaism all about? 2:00 Did the forefathers know the Name of Hashem or not? 4:00 Exodus initiated two seemingly different things: knowledge of Hashem and freedom from bondage 5:55 Where does the Torah fit into Exodus? 9:00 "Nobody is free but for he who studies Torah" – how does the Torah make a person free? 13:15 The prophets' opposition to sacrifices, in contradiction to the Torah 18:45 Midrash is the insistence to read verses closely and exactly 21:30 The focus of the prophets on da'as Hashem 25:45 The response to "I am Hashem" is da'as Hashem 29:30 Summary of the points made thus far 32:00 Moshe asked to know Hashem, and his request was denied 36:30 The contradiction between the Torah and the Prophets about whether Hashem can be seen 38:30 Two meanings of "seeing" and two meanings of "knowing" 43:00 A creature of super-human intelligence once visited earth and revealed that the totality of human knowledge is folly 46:15 It's easy to see Hashem – but then you die 48:00 Why sacrifices and da'as Hashem are mutually exclusive 50:30 Why suicide is the root problem of philosophy 1:02:00 Law is for those who don't have da'as Hashem 1:13:00 Moshe thought that his mission was one of bringing da'as Hashem to the people, just like all the prophets 1:18:45 Hashem told Moshe that the impossibility of da'as Hashem is also a fundamental component of the Torah 1:20:30 The one who has da'as Hashem is truly free, since his mind is the mind of Hashem 1:25:15 Judaism is fundamentally about freedom 1:28:45 "They did not listen to Moshe because of shortness of spirit and because of hard labor" – they refused to embrace da'as Hashem 1:31:30 You cannot understand anything about the Torah without realizing that there are two co…