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From **The Great Sources with Rabbi Shnayor Burton** by R Shnayor Burton.
- **Published:** Thu, 22 Jan 2026 07:44:03 GMT
- **Duration:** 01:54:28
- **Audio:** https://anchor.fm/s/fb5467c/podcast/play/114377543/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-0-22%2F416606013-44100-2-152f67c453a0f.mp3
- **Page:** https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/shnayor-burton/episodes/S10--E9-In-Pursuit-of-Knowing-Hashem-Why-We-Need-the-Torah-and-Why-Freedom-Is-Impossible-e3e11c7
- **TorahApp:** https://torahapp.org/share/p/3P_r_shnayor_burton_great_sources/e/6a7c39e3-19c1-499e-a328-4fbe0c508ad1
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 bondage5:55 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 Torah18:45 Midrash is the insistence to read verses closely and exactly21:30 The focus of the prophets on da'as Hashem25:45 The response to "I am Hashem" is da'as Hashem29:30 Summary of the points made thus far32:00 Moshe asked to know Hashem, and his request was denied36:30 The contradiction between the Torah and the Prophets about whether Hashem can be seen38:30 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 folly46:15 It's easy to see Hashem – but then you die48:00 Why sacrifices and da'as Hashem are mutually exclusive50:30 Why suicide is the root problem of philosophy1:02:00 Law is for those who don't have da'as Hashem1:13:00 Moshe thought that his mission was one of bringing da'as Hashem to the people, just like all the prophets1:18:45 Hashem told Moshe that the impossibility of da'as Hashem is also a fundamental component of the Torah1:20:30 The one who has da'as Hashem is truly free, since his mind is the mind of Hashem1:25:15 Judaism is fundamentally about freedom1:28:45 "They did not listen to Moshe because of shortness of spirit and because of hard labor" – they refused to embrace da'as Hashem1:31:30 You cannot understand anything about the Torah without realizing that there are two contradictory paths throughout the Torah1:33:30 Is it impossible to be completely free; human beings cannot allow themselves to be completely free1:36:30 In order to being thinking freely, there must be guardrails beyond which one wouldn't think1:41:45 How the Torah is a function of the servitude in Egypt1:43:30 True da'as Hashem is the hypothetical ideal 1:45:45 How the Torah supports the convincing illusion of da'as Hashem1:47:30 Many people make the mistake of trying to make the Torah make sense and have it replace da'as Hashem1:49:20 The stronger your da'as Hashem, the stronger your Torah needs to be
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