The Ramchal's Essay on Fundamentals - Part 1 - Rabbi Yirmiyahu Ullman

[Music] okay so uh the the book that you're recognizing is em that's what you've see people walking around with a small version of We're not actually doing deem we're doing an essay which is printed in the back of deem and it should be entitled the essay on fundamentals Okay so this version if you if anybody else wants an English version you could find the English in the back I saw that the essay of the foundamentals has been translated into English um but in this version we want to go to page 171 so this is uh an an uh an essay on the fundamentals that was written by the ram the author of hasem and in many ways the essentials that he brings here in the essay correspond to Major ideas that he actually brings inem so in a way this is a type of a of a review of SE and since uh the scheduling here only allows us a short module not too long rather than going through all of uh what we're going to do is just do this this essay in the fundamentals and um it's a series of it's really a series of essays on different topics just to give you a preview I don't know if there's here an index table contents but um leaping through the first one is concerning the uh God as Creator the second is dealing with the spiritual realm the metaphysical realm the non-physical realm the uh third essay is dealing with Torah and mitzvos the fourth is dealing with Gul that is reward and Punishment after that you have a here on Gan Eden and gam okay somebody was asking about that the other day I think it was youon right Gan Eden and gam is that paradise in hell yeah then hash Divine Pro Providence then a section on NAA prophecy in general and then specific prophecy of mosenu then you've got a section here on Gula that is redemption then a section on Miracles what's that all about how does that take place and how are we to understand them and then I believe this is the last section it concludes with the discussion on things having to do with t vas right the oral Torah the oral Torah and the relationship to the written Torah yes that's correct that's the last section so let's get started then on page 171 you write this yes I said a lot like I said you know why you write another book this is like uh tool he does that yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah well yeah like I said just now that this is the fundamentals in many way parallels only it's um it's a discuss in more concentrated form some of the major themes of the book so when I'm explaining it you know when one learn learns this one should have in mind what you know what the r says about this in where in many cases he elaborates it on more more fully where he doesn't do that and I'm able to I'll try to provide what I understand to be the Ram's take on these types of things okay so very good let's begin the first one is essay concerning God understanding God as creator what you need to know from the outset before everything else is there is one being who is the master over all things that exist who brought them into being at the time that he desired and he maintains them as long as he wants he has complete control over them this is our God may his name be blessed okay so these are things which a person absolutely must know from the outset that there is one being which is the master over all that exists how did this master or what's the relationship of this master to all that exists the point is he brought them into existence how long have they been there the answer is as long as he as long as he wanted it's from the time he created we don't know when that is well he doesn't necessarily we don't know when that is but the point is for creation has been around for as long as he's as he's will that to be the case and it will continue to be around for as long as he desires that to be the case and he has complete Mastery over all this so where does this come from what's the basis for the ramal saying this so in the beginning God created okay Torah tells us this right it's elaborated on by the tradition as well but the Torah doesn't necess tell us that there's only one such being it just said in the beginning God created but there might be other gods who did other things right God forbid here it's true that later on in the Torah it says God is one but the idea that the ram is putting forth here is based on the teachings of the rambam and the ram writes in Torah in his section in in Mish Torah which is putting forth the foundational beliefs of the Torah ran basically writes the fin idea that it's not our experience that things come into being spontaneously on their own things don't spontaneously generate so if we're using a table right it's not our experience that the table came into being out of nothing or brought itself into being from nothing rather if there's a table the existence of the table points to somebody something that fashioned made constructed that table namely the carpenter okay a watch doesn't simply come into being its parts don't simultaneously formulate into some system whereby it's able to regulate time if the if the watch exists it's because someone fashioned it somebody built it somebody constructed that's the watch maker so things don't just come into being the fact that things to exist actually points to a creator of that thing in the case of the table it's the carpenter in the case of the watch it's the watch maker now if the premise is that things in the physical finite world don't come into being spontaneously of their own and rather the existence of the thing actually points to its creator so just like the table points to the cre to the to the Carpenter and the watch to the watchmaker so the carpent of the watchmaker point to the existence of some other fashioner or creator of them so you have a scenario where something can be simultaneously a Creator and a creation the watchmaker is the creator of the watch but it itself was created by something because the watchmaker didn't come here from nothing so it has a Creator and therefore that Creator can only be a limited Creator it's not the Creator it is a Creator it is a Creator which itself is also a creation and therefore has a Creator the existence of that Creator let's say in the case of the carpenter is The Carpenter's parents press that back button Time and Time and Time and Time and Time and Time and Time and Time Again you're going to reach the rational conclusion it would seem that there must be only one being that brought every other being into existence that being being the creator of everything where that Creator was itself not created because if it was created then it is simultaneously a Creator and a creation and its creator is the creator correct and that Creator would be the Creator with the capital c and if that Creator was created then its creator would be the capital c but you have to co point where there's some point where thing brought everything that exists into being but itself was not brought into being that would lead us to the rational conclusion that there is one being that brought everything into existence he goes on to say that that being sustains existence and controls it as well which are points we have to clarify further okay but let's try and elaborate a little bit on on the point that we were discussing we got to the point where logically speaking arguably there is just one being that brought everything else into being that being would therefore be the Creator correct what's the necess what's the necessity that there's only one right why is there necessarily only one such Creator can you not have more than one for example this Creator by definition must be not non physical why because all of existence that it brings into being is physical but it being the creator of all that transcends obviously the physical and therefore it must be outside of space and therefore also outside of time because time is a function of space without space you have no time time comes into being through space so this creator of space is also the creator of time and must by definition be outside of both space and time because it is the creator of those things so this Creator you're following me must be nonfinite or infinite okay so since rationally speaking this Creator is nonfinite or infinite one could make the argument that there is only one right you agree with that argument I'm going to bite my Tong until I read further we haven't really read anything at all that's the point yeah why is it only one has one why can you have multiple okay why can't you have multiple infinite beings multiple infinite beings that's what I'm asking who says there only only one why can't there be M give you EX if you tell me that Infinity by definition is exclusive there can only be one Infinity right infinity plus anything finite is by definition infinity and infinity includes everything so that Infinity is actually like Mo mutually exclusive there can by definition be only one Infinity I'll argue that that's not the case use a mathematical model OKAY use math for example a line represents inity Infinity no beginning and no end how many parallel lines can you have an infinite number of Infinities so you see that just because something is infinite doesn't preclude other infinities to exist simultaneously you can have an infinite number of parallel infinities so even if we go from the realm of finite to infinite why does the author assert that there must only be one such being that brought all of creation into existence can't there be a multiple number of beings that did that just because you transcend from the finite to the infinite doesn't preclude multiplicity prob that would contradict the idea that the infinite being controls everything because if every infinite being controls everything then nothing controls anything very good so that that's why before even going on to those details right I'm trying to explore the first premise because if what we're saying about the first PR this question would then call into question what he says right afterwards which is that he sustains it and controls it he it so right the way of reconciling this is that it's true that when you transcend from the finite to the infinite you're in a realm where there might be parallel Infinities in fact an infinite number of parallel Infinities you are no longer in the finite realm you're in the realm of the infinite there a is an infinite number of Infinities but all of those infinities are what I want to call relative Infinities okay relative Infinities by which I mean to say it's not absolutely infinite the fact that a line represents Infinity mathematically speaking is only true in two planes right it's well two Dimensions right but when we're talking about the Infinity of God we're talking about the Infinity of Creator we're talking about the Infinity of that being that brought everything into being we're talking about not a relative Infinity but an absolute Infinity the infinity within which infinite number of Infinities exist within which exists the plane of the finite as well so when we talk about God being infinite we don't mean infinite with a lowercase ey we mean infinite with an uppercase eye God the Creator created the plane of relative Infinities as well so if you were to take for example every possible expression of infinity that would exist within the absolute infinite that I'm that I'm trying to describe here so take for example a point which is intersected by lines right the result would be the absolute Infinity that I'm trying to describe or at least the absolute number of lines that would intersect the absolute number of points or the infinite number of lines that would intersect an infinite number of points would create an absolute Infinity all relative Infinities would be absolved within that larger Infinity that's what we're talking about when we're talking about the Creator so what is this realm of the relative infinite it's neither finite nor absolutely infinite It's relatively infinite what's that plane that's the spiritual realm that's the non-physical realm that exists between the physical world and God the realm of Infinities but relative Infinities and in that realm or that realm would obtain within it things like the soul things like Angels things like forces okay and all the types of St and all the types of uh of uh of of energies and forces that are described as as as intervening between the Divine realm and the Physical Realm in so far as they are nonfinite they are infinite and in fact the soul is infinite an angel is infinite energy good forces negative forces infinite demons infinite meaning they're infinite they're not finite but they're only relatively infinite existing within the absolute Infinity of the Creator which brought into existence not only the physical world but also the non-physical metaphysical World which is the realm of relative Infinities okay God brought that into being as well God created that as well okay that is what we're talking about for this reason when we're talking about God there can really only be one absolutely infinite being that brought everything into existence you might have you might have a infinite number of relative infin yeah but they're just relative Infinities you can only have one absolute Infinity okay I thought I was lost and now I'm like really lost oh yeah why what uh what's the matter I think I couldn't followed infinites which one the relative infinites or the absolute infinite I don't get what talking about so shall I put it simply simply stated as best as you can it's not our experience that anything in the physical finite world comes about on its own if something exists it points to a fashioner press the back button you're going to get to a point where there's one thing which brought everything physical and finite into the world that is the creator that Creator must by definition be non-finite because it created space and therefore not bound by time either because time is a function of space and therefore this Creator is infinite infinite not finite why must there only be one because even though when you transcend from the finite to the infinite there can be let's say infinite parallel lines yes you can have parallel Infinities that would describe a realm which I'm calling arbitrarily a realm of relative Infinities but when we're talking about the creator of all the Creator created that realm as well not only the finite realm but the nonfinite realm okay the infinite realm with the lowercase i okay and our creator creating not only the finite but the infinite is the originator of all and is therefore outside of even that realm of relative infinities so the Creator therefore becomes absolutely infinite and in the realm of absolutely infinite there can only be one relativity therefore does not excuse me Infinity doesn't preclude other infinities yeah that's if it's relative Infinity but something which is absolutely infinite by definition precludes the the possibility of there being any other thing which is absolutely infinite I I mean absolute to the extent absolute with no bound with no end is that is that is that clear I is the problem that the what the the the logic is faulty or just diff me though okay what are we gonna say I mean I come from a scientific family so if you start talking about infinite and infinite infinites then you're discussing infinite possibilities infinite potential yet this world was created Bound by certain laws the law of gravity the law of time um and a in an infinite being outside of those laws that has the infinite potential of creating infinite possibilities is I mean I can comprehend the idea of the idea but there's no way I can truly comprehend that idea okay what's I don't think we can grasp an infinite number of possibilities so that's F that's fine I mean we we we we can't and and we shouldn't uh we shouldn't have the uh you we shouldn't have the you know the misconception that we can it's true that you know it's it's it's open-ended once you go into the realm of the absolute infinite so it's absolutely beyond our comprehension that's true unless you know but unless part of what you know what what's bothering you is that um if you're talking about as you originally said that we are in a physical world which does have physical limitations of infinity space and time but the originator of that is the absolutely infinite so are you troubled with the idea that we're kind of delineating a certain place within absolute infinity and imposing upon that limitation which would which would become problematic how can you have finity Within mean if you look at the first paragraph in here of this you know take bring it back to the book a little bit in the first paragraph we're taking this infinite being and labeling him a heat right away we're trying to you can say it but even if we say it we're still trying to subjugate it to human terms of understanding well you have no choice other than to call it it it he she Hashem it we're still trying to label an infinite amount so that we can comprehend it on some basic level right you need a finite amount we were trying to label we're quantifying quantifying quantifying the infinite with a with a label so that we can hope to grasp it straws to comprehend this and when you start talking about an infinite Creator I mean for me you know say so I would go back to the Big Bang the Creator created The Big Bang therefore creat you can create more Big Bangs the Creator may have already created other Big Bangs we could be a echo of another big bang I mean I'm I'm looking right here Echoes of Jerusalem I mean there's a book right here saying Echoes so for all we know we're just an echo fine of creation fine and a very important echo in God's eyes but an echo nonetheless that's all fine on the open end side of things I don't see what's bothering you I agree that you know the the the the the the the possibilities are are endless but how can we impose fine fine how but how can it seems seems to be that part of what's troubling you is that the the the kind of Converse of all this is that finity in a way has been imposed upon something which is absolutely infinite how can that be it's almost as if the infinite being has limited itself in the expression of physical creation how can can that be and and I believe in a Creator I do I do believe in a Creator and because the Creator is infinite we we have the Torah and I always think that you know the Torah was a covenant between man and God right we made a covenant he made a covenant with our ancestors and we're carrying and trying to complete this Covenant for all we know this could be chapter one of the Covenant and it's and to take this finite way of connecting to an infinite being it's it's I don't know I find that very narrow in scope sometimes MH well because we are taking a finite limitations we could have been created in the infinite realm but we weren't And discussing last weeks that we're created we are connected beyond the Physical Realm right and there is a spiritual side to all this right and so kashem obviously also created a spiritual world that's beyond the physicality right right so even that is saying that the physicality that we experience in the universe the king of the universe has created a deeper level of understanding that in the last 2,000 years we haven't even been able to comprehend truly ever since a f Li it's hard it's a hard pill to swallow is all I'm to say yeah um I can comprehend the idea of a Creator but a Creator in my mind might be different than it is in some of the other men's Minds sitting at this table right and the only thing that that we can come to as a way of sharing this belief in the Creator is through the Torah because it allows us to connect on a level that we can all understand and relate to I just find it difficult to take a finite object to try to transcend to an infinite level okay so maybe again if I'm understanding correctly it seems like like a corollary of all of this is that um we're running into a problem that if the being as the the being that we're ident that we're describing as Creator is absolutely infinite then that would result in absolute Infinity creating something finite the universe no matter how large that is right infinity plus something finite equals infinity which means that really we should not exist really we should not exist how can you impose Infinity on Infinity or how can Infinity create within itself something finite nothing can exist within the absolute intensity of God's absolute Infinity the right the absolute intensity or the intensity of that absolute Infinity should preclude the possibility of anything other than God to exist God should not be able to create unless there's an infinite number of possibilities and living an infinite number of Dimensions or realities but the physical world seems to be finite through human eyes right it seems to be finite at least through human eyes but but it seems to be finite so did God limit itself and it's not in this place uh if it's not then how could this exist in you know in the place of God it should not be able to so kabala addresses this uh and we've discussed a little bit in other sessions you know the notion of Tsum where Tsum is the idea of gods existing equally everywhere but not with the same intensity but not with equal intensity that's basically what it comes down to that even within the physical finite expanses of the universe there is a presence of infinity and in truth that is the real reality only the intensity of that reality has been diminished in order to give the facade the impression that something other than godliness exists there of course but in truth in the spectrum of of of divine Vision it's all one God is absolutely infinite hasem God is one absolutely one one there is nothing other than God there's nothing other than God isn't there a tree the tree is God isn't there a stone the stone is God it's all God it's all God and God's presence is equally pervasive everywhere it almost you know might be again if we go mathematical about it if you take that line which represents Infinity at least you know in two Dimensions that line has Within it a segment that segment is understood generally as being finite from point A to point B but in truth there's an infinite number of points in that segment so that the infinity or the the essence of the Infinity of the line of which this segment is a part is actually simultaneously infinitely infused within that part so the part has within it the very Infinity of the line of which it's a part correct so that finite physical existence is really part of the spectrum of the absolutely infinite and it has within it the degree of of absolute infinity and in truth that's what it is the demarking of it as a segment is a fictional arbitrary demarcation correct because in truth like I said even a segment is infinite how many points can you put between the ends of the segment an infinite number of PS which means that the finite nature of the segment is really just an arbitrary ascribing of limitation to the Infinity of the line itself and that the Infinity of the line is infused within its part and that's what that's what you know that to my mind that's an analogy what helps us understand which can help us understand the cabalistic way of viewing creation the absolute Creator being absolutely everything which means fundamentally nothing other than God exists and everything is God which is really why the ancients for example Came To Worship we've discussed this a bit thing in the past why the Ancients Came To Worship things in the physical finite world because they were spiritually Sensi enough to feel the presence of the Creator in the creation of the infinite within the finite and they therefore ascribe Divinity to the finite objects which they saw the Divinity emanating from they lacked the cohesive perception of attributing that Affinity to to being the underlying presence of one Creator in everything as a result of that they came to deify the parts the tree is part of the Infinity of God seeing the Infinity of the Creator emanating from the tree resulting in they ascribing the Divinity of God to The Venue through which that Divinity is revealed namely the tree tree so they worship the tree or the bald eagle or the stone or the water or the beetle or the ant or the star or the constellation or the planet or the case may be whereas in Judaism what we're saying is every piece of finite reality even though it's emanating the underlying Infinity of God within it it's still just a part of that absolute infinity and therefore when we ascribe Divinity to something it should not be to the part it should be the whole and there's a big difference between saying yeah that God is everything or that God isn't everything in truth God is everything that's true but we were created by God in a way which gives us the sense of being physical finite and separate there are laws and impositions part of those laws and restrictions on the on the realm of infinity making things finite are you may not live your life practically with the realization that everything is God because if you do you'll come to worship creation rather after God's having imposed this limitation as it were on what it this what's what appears to be a limitation on itself we are required to be aware of that distinction and therefore worship not the parts but the whole within the part or really everything just one one one classic now when you point to this you mean to be right the book yeah yeah so so so the same thing applies there as well you're pointing to the physical tangible expression of of Infinity of divine wisdom but of course when you point to it you're not referring to the cover the pages or even the ink yeah but even when you refer to the words the messages that's also a fizzing if there's such a word yeah of the infinite wisdom of God so that right so that the book itself what we perceive to be the book itself which even when you go from the physical expression of the book to the more intellectual even spiritual of the book that's also that segment but infused within that segment are is the Infinity of God the Infinity of God's intelligence in which case right you're not relating to God in some restricted way because that book itself is a segment within which there exists the infinite intelligence of God and if we were know if we if we were able to go deeper and deeper and deeper into that book we would actually right Ascend further and further away from the finite expression of God to the infinite realm of God all within the same place just like you can transcend the segment into the Infinity of the line of which it's a part you see what I'm saying so so in this way right the Torah has also undergone what we call Sim Tsum just like Divine just like divinity has undergone tsim Tsum to create the perception of some physical finite reality is separate from God so the wisdom of God underwent simum and it's expression through the Torah and the Torah can be understood on many many many different levels but they all ultimately reach to they all have within it the underlying Infinity of God and as you peel away level upon level going higher and higher and higher you you actually get to the same thing does that help address your point yes would I explain to me what I just said yeah that's more or less more or less the idea so ramal is saying this um based on on the you know what the what the ram is saying here is you know is well known to be based on what the ramom writes about these ideas and I'm just elaborating on what I think the ramom meant when he wrote what I said in you know in more simple straight direct language right but it's all there in other words this part of the Jewish concept of of God of the Creator okay did you follow uh like yes no no really no so what should we do talk about it again after class no is everything in creation Bound by law except the one who created the law itself um so it would follow then that yes if everything is God then everything is bound by God the way you put it was that everything that exists is what is bound by God except for God himself yeah I mean that reases an interesting question I mean could God choose to cease to exist negative no so God can't we've just limited God no because then that puts a limit on it saying that he can't will himself out of creation is also putting a Liv on is he outside the rules but it's but it's but God is unlimited so it can't put a limit onto something that's unlimited if God is unlimited then he should be able to it should be able to will itself out of existence you could say yes but the answer is no because because it can't can't if if God doesn't if you say let's say God can Will Creation in and out of existence so can God will itself in and out of existence can't because because if it Wills itself out of existence then nothing else will exist so God can do everything but again creation itself is limit law like he said there's a law to it and nature is bound by laws you cannot step outside of the laws as much as you want to or you wish to it so God can't step out of the laws that's what I'm saying you said God is the one since God is the one who created the law for he is you said everything is bound by law other than God so the cre then the Creator himself himself itself yeah couldn't the laws change yes and the only one who could change it would be God yeah that's correct that's why the Govern of but it sounds like you're saying that God is not bound by the laws but you're saying that there's a law here which bounds him namely that he can't will himself out of existence well that's where space and time is Again by law space and time is law let's say God step one God Wills existence out of existence that's it no place no time out of existence is not a problem because existence is only existence only existed because the exist the the one who existed will it to exist okay once okay wait okay so so wait a minut so now God has just willed existence out of being good now no well nothing now there's no place and no time no place in time okay now there's only God correct okay now can God now take step two will itself out of existence and if you tell me no then you're bounding it by you're binding him by some law which I'm having trouble understanding but then if you say the other way around you're going to be bound by the same question okay what would the other way around be he is theu without okay so what we're saying is that everything that seems to exist outside of God is God okay but I'm saying let's take so let's take let's take God's uh let's take God's um expression how should we put this let's take the manifestation of God's existence in the form of the world out of the equation by God's deciding to unexist excuse me uncreate okay okay so now there's only God right and and no creation okay so I'm just asking what about step two can now God can can God undo itself if it if undo if you tell me no then there's something you can't do and then if you say yes and you say yes you say yes yeah it's going to you're going to say what the opposite of it that God is Not infinite right why why because you're saying yes it's it's like okay so this is like a more sophisticated uh version of the well-known question which is can God create a stone that he can't lift this right can God create a rock that they can't lift most people say of course not God doesn't need to lift The Rock he just need yeah can God created a stone a physical Stone which it can't lift so what is your answer and positively the answer is no but the on the Trap cuz if you say no then you've just lied God yeah God can't create a stone yeah so what are you going to say well no I meant to say God can't create a stone that you can't lift he could wait a minute oh oh oh oh oh he can the opp oh he can create something oh if you can't create a stone now you create a scenario of something you can't do why doesn't have to LIF this if want if you wanted to if you wanted to could he or not that's right so the answer if he tendance to not lift the stone then you've accomplish your goal yeah but if if he wants to live yeah so so so my answer would be kind of like what I think what R was suggesting as well which is when let's take this simple example God created a stone that you can't lift our intuitive response is no right our two respon no no when we say no to that question we're not intending to limit God on the contrary we are well I'll put it this way right we're expressing our understanding that there can be no such Stone which he could not lift when we say God can't create such a stone we don't mean to say that God can't create the stone what we mean to say is we're not liviing God we're actually expressing his greatness we're expressing the idea when we say no to that question what we're really saying is there can be no such Stone which he can't lift meaning any stone that he creates he can certainly lift the problem is with the wording of the question and it throws you into right so the same thing which was yours like right there can be no given given the reality of God's absolute Infinity there can be no reality in which God does not exist it's not that God is limited and can't will itself out of existence on the contrary God is so great that that greatness dictates that it must exist and cannot cease to exist and God was not by definition ever in a state of non-existence such that was brought into existence because if it did then it would be a creation and either it was created by itself or something else in which case it would not be that absolute Creator so by definition the absolute being that brought everything into existence itself must never have been brought into being where it came from we don't know it's beyond our comprehension it's in the realm of the absolute infinite and beyond our capability to understand but but but one one second but but but but if it were able as it were to will itself out of existence that would actually Express a limit to the being which does not exist which its Perfection prudes which means right by definition God cannot not exist not because God can't will itself at existence but because is so great that there can be no reality that God does not exist so we're not limiting God on the contrary it's an expression of our perception of its greatness yeah what are we going to say I was going to say we metaphorically speak of a stone can God create a stone that he can't lift what made me think what I just thought when you said that is as human beings God created us with the choice to believe in him or not to believe in him right can God create a Heart of Stone so heavy that he can't change it to believe in him huh I didn't get the question if you're talking about a stone that's metaphorically can God create a stone that's that he can't lift yeah and he created man with the ability to Cho choose whether or not to believe in him okay can you create a Heart of Stone so heavy that he can't change it to believe in him any heart that God creates he can manipulate any heart that God creates he can manipulate however we have the free will to harden our hearts and God has the option not to intervene but other but God can always intervene right either way God can also intervene to harden the heart like we saw in Pharaoh Pharaoh harded his heart several times before God started hardening the heart right once Pharaoh hardened his own heart several times so he basically forfeited Free Will and that P he became um a tool for for for the fact that God Harden the heart on the other hand uh God can also soften a part a person's heart as well and I believe our sources say that God will circumcise our hearts at some time in the future as a reference to the fact that we will do Chua and return to God interesting question interesting discussion this is all I guess really in just one sentence we actually haven't finished the first paragraph but uh maybe in the minute minute or two we have left let's try and finish off the paragraph he is the master over all that exists why because he brought them into being what he wanted it was up to him implying that creation was not just some natural result of the aspect of the Divine but it was an actual conscious decision on the part of the design of the Divine now once God of its own valtion chose to create it didn't just leave that creation to operate on its own according to to fix laws without exercising any providential care or interest no God also maintains that existence as well but it's also conditional for as long as he desires implying that can God can certainly choose to create and uncreate at any time and while something is and while creation exists God is in full control as well he has complete control over existence or the lack thereof so this one infinite being which has absolute conscious control over the existence and the running mean the presence and the existence or the the presence and the and the and and the running of existence this is this is the god that we recognize okay this is the god that we recognize all right I think we should stop here food for thought and um um continue next time seeing some more of the details that the author outlines here [Music] okay