I signed up for a class called "Universal Truths: Jewish Roots" at Mishkan after emailing the rabbi and learning that we were going to do some Talmud study, and since I wasn't going do Daf Yomi this cycle, I signed up for it immediately. britshlez was going to take it with me, but ended up deciding not to due to scheduling and cost.

But I forged ahead and took notes! Here they are:

• Not exhaustive


• Check in with chevruta during week


• Track personal growth


• Laasok blessing on board at front (could read Hebrew!)


• Four posters: G!d, G?d, G✖️d, or G❤️d. I picked G!d, because strong reactions whether anger or joy


• A Mystic's Introduction to Religion--read together with chevruta


• Mystical experience? Is it actually universal? Is the "Ultimate Reality" is same as G-d?


• Religions need to be renewed: Christian perspective? "Uncomfortable Agitators"? What about tradition?


• Structure is the point. Bureaucracy? Fire or rock? What is the fire? Who is preserving it?


• Story of Korach--"who are you to call yourself the leader?" vs deserve for power


• Leaving faith and returning to it is extra strong. Betrayal turns into faith


• Second naïveté


• "So this essay is basically a defense of Vatican II"--Christian perspective as I said!


• Events can also be a fire of renew. Destruction of the Temple led to rabbinic Judaism


• New movements of Judaism were disruptive, but are being disrupted now


• Paper about religion, not about G-d? Another religion/spirituality divide?


• "What makes them agitated? It's the yearning, the intensity, the heat."


• Nothing is inherently holy? Hmm...


• What is G-d like? "Old white man on a chair!" Jealous, creative, involved. Jackson Pollak? G-d as an artist. G-d who can be argued with


• "When you read it as a kid, you're like oh, cute, animals! But actually, it's about global destruction by rising sea levels."


• Printouts don't need a geniza!


• "When I say G-d, I’m talking about a character in the Torah"


• The original fire--what is G-d's name?


• Moses raised as a polytheist. Which god is he talking to? Need a name


• Who is "the people"? Is this something Moses specifically wants to know?


• Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, "I will be that which I will be"


• Did Moses know who Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were?


• G-d gives Moses both an eternal secret name and says he's the god of his ancestors


• All are part of G-d? The Name is a version of the verb to be, so all is G-d


• If G-d is everything and so many things are terrible, is G-d terrible? Next week!


• G-d as a verb instead of a noun. Noun is limited, verbs change. Noun is English, verb is Hebrew


• Letter to G-d

Homework: connect with chevruta, talk about letter-writing experience. Talk to G-d, since no one looks crazy talking to themselves anymore