Moments of crisis and challenging times invite two typical theological responses that are paradoxically at odds with one another: One natural response is alienation from God and a feeling of abandonment, borne of theological uncertainty; the second common response is the craving for, and sometimes the adoption of, a kind of conviction that can get in the way of deep personal introspection.
In an age of divine absence – or at least uncertainty about God’s presence – how can we cultivate a meaningful process of teshuvah that doesn’t force easy answers, and at the same time a culture of heshbon ha-nefesh that isn’t blocked by our impulses to defensiveness?
Rabbinic High Holiday Webinar 5775
September 4, 2014
