Who Is God and Why Should I Care?
In this course, you will explore topics like:
- HOW AND WHY - How we know God exists and why He created the world
- THE JEWISH VIEW - The Jewish outlook on free will and suffering, and how this impacts your day-to-day life
- WHAT IS SUCCESS - Why Jews define the four elements of success differently than the rest of the world
What's included?
Gain clarity
Find purpose
Discover meaning
Rabbi Nechemia Coopersmith
Rabbi Nechemia Coopersmith is the founder and chief editor
of Aish.com, one of the world’s largest Jewish websites, with 400,000
weekly subscribers. He is also a senior lecturer at the Aish
HaTorah World Center and was a close student of Rabbi Noah Weinberg, its
founder and Rosh Yeshiva. An expert on Jewish philosophy, he has
written several books on Jewish wisdom and philosophy, including Rabbi
Weinberg's 48 Ways to Wisdom.
While Rabbi Coopersmith might look like your typical rabbi, there was a time in his life that he wasn’t even sure if God existed. Thinking that religion was a man-made creation, he related more to the rational atheism that he credited to intellectuals. But as an inquisitive teen, he asked the questions that would jump-start his philosophical journey: How do I know I’m right? Is life really only about money and success? Why was I created? His first encounters with Jewish philosophy and wisdom convinced him that he needed to readjust his bias — and he’s never looked back.
A peek inside the course
Thinking Out
of the Box
Blind Faith, Belief & Knowledge
Recognizing
the Truth
The Finite/Infinite Connection
The Ramifications of
God’s Existence
Exploring Our Purpose
in this World
Dynamics of
Free Will
Wrestling with
Suffering
The Jewish Perspective on the Four Drives
Stuck Inside My Box
What students are saying
Frequently asked questions
Where is the content of this course taken from?
- The classic philosophical Jewish text Derech Hashem, written by 16th century kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto and considered one of the foundational manuals of Jewish thought. Rabbi Coopersmith takes concepts discussed in this famous work and makes them easily understandable and relatable to a contemporary audience.
- The teachings of the legendary Rabbi Noach Weinberg, the founder and visionary behind the Aish HaTorah World Center, Aish.com, and the general Aish worldwide movement. Rabbi Noach Weinberg taught his students that Judaism is rational and can withstand scrutiny — and that they have a moral obligation to question and seek out truth instead of remaining mere products of their societies. Rabbi Nechemia Coopersmith, a close protege of Rabbi Noach Weinberg, accepted the challenge and began questioning his own biases, beginning a personal, spiritual, and intellectual odyssey that led him to become an observant Jew and eventually create this course.
Whom is this course designed for?
Whether you are:
- Just getting your feet wet, taking your first steps learning about Judaism and Jewish thought
- A truth seeker who has learned about Jewish philosophy before but wants to gain a deeper understanding of certain concepts
- An observant Jew who wants a refresher on the foundations of Jewish thought — whether for your own understanding or to teach others
I really don’t have a lot of free time. How do I know this course is worth the time investment?
Get your questions answered.
For real.