Mishpatim 5781: And They Saw the God of Israel? Language, Allegory and Representation

The essence of Judaism seems to be encapsulated by a broad reading of the first two of the Ten Commandments: There is one God, and God has no body. With that as a basis of faith, we may be unnerved by reading the verses from this week’s parashah, Mishpatim, when we come to Shemot 24:9-11 which describes a visual encounter with God. What does it mean to represent God in language, and how are linguistic representations different from visual ones? Turning to classical commentators, philosophy and abstract art, we will try to expand our notion of what it means to "see God." Sponsored by Zara 4.5, Jules Scarlett 2.5, and their parents Sacha Litman and Rochelle Behrens in memory of their grandfather, Jack T. Litman, Z”L on his 11th Yahrzeit. His only regret was to not have had the opportunity to meet his grandchildren. Download the Source Sheet Please let us know your comments and thoughts about the podcast, write to us at [email protected]. We appreciate you leaving us a review with 5-stars if you enjoy these podcasts. For more information about Pardes, visit our website www.pardes.org.il. Get started with the Pardes Daily App today by visiting www.pardes.org.il/pardesdaily. Credits Rabbi Leon Morris - President of Pardes and Host for Pardes from Jerusalem Rabbi Adam Titcher – Lead Consultant and Producer Arlene Harel – Faculty Coordinator