Difference between revisions of "Philosophy:Anthropomorphism/1"
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<h2>Does Hashem Have a Body?</h2> | <h2>Does Hashem Have a Body?</h2> | ||
| − | <p>Many verses in Tanakh attribute to Hashem physical properties, including body parts,<fn>These include references to a: head (Yeshayahu 59:17), face (Bemidbar 6:25, | + | <p>Many verses in Tanakh attribute to Hashem physical properties, including body parts,<fn>These include references to a: head (Yeshayahu 59:17), face (Bereshit 3:8, Bemidbar 6:25, and more), eyes (Bereshit 6:8, 38:7, and more), ears (Bemidbar 11:1, 18, 14:28), nose (Shemot 4:14, 15:8, 22:23, and more), mouth (Vayikra 24:12, Bemidbar 14:41, 22:18, and more), lips (Tehillim 89:35), hands (Shemot 3:20, 9:3, 16:3, and more), finger (Shemot 8:15, 31:18, Devarim 9:10), heart (Bereshit 6:6, 8:21), intestines (Yirmiyahu 31:19), and legs (Shemot 24:10).</fn> human emotions,<fn>These include anger (Shemot 4:14, Devarim 4:25), sadness (Bereshit 6:6), jealousy (Shemot 20:4), pride (Shemot 15:1), and happiness (Tehillim 104:31).</fn> and actions.<fn>Hashem speaks (throughout Tanakh), sees (throughout Tanakh), smells (Bereshit 8:21), hears (Bemidbar 11:1), sits (Yeshayhu 6:1), stands (Shemot 17:6), remembers (Bereshit 8:1), and sleeps (Tehillim 78:65).</fn><sup><br/></sup></p> |
<p>Perhaps the most explicit verse is Bereshit 1:26-27:</p> | <p>Perhaps the most explicit verse is Bereshit 1:26-27:</p> | ||
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Version as of 23:46, 26 April 2017
Anthropomorphism
Introduction
Does Hashem Have a Body?
Many verses in Tanakh attribute to Hashem physical properties, including body parts,1 human emotions,2 and actions.3
Perhaps the most explicit verse is Bereshit 1:26-27:
(כו) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ וְיִרְדּוּ בִדְגַת הַיָּם וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה וּבְכׇל הָאָרֶץ וּבְכׇל הָרֶמֶשׂ הָרֹמֵשׂ עַל הָאָרֶץ. (כז) וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים בָּרָא אֹתוֹ זָכָר וּנְקֵבָה בָּרָא אֹתָם.
(26) And God said: 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.' (27) And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
These verses tell us that Hashem created humanity in His image and likeness, suggesting that since we have a body and Hashem created us like Him, He also must be corporeal.
There are other verses which suggest that Hashem is physical but does not necessarily have a body. In Devarim 4:24 and 9:3 it says that Hashem is a burning fire.4
However, many philosophers and exegetes are troubled by these verses, since the notion of Hashem's physicality seems to negate the concept of Hashem's perfection. According to these philosophers a physical body is inherently limited and therefore this clashes with the idea that Hashem is an unlimited being.
