The Crucible of Life: On Challenges and Tests

A thorough demystification of Gan Eden, lending clarity to an
oft-misunderstood feature of Jewish belief. This paper reaches into centuries
of literature to define what the purpose of Gan Eden is, what transpires there,
and what a person must do to gain entry to this exclusive realm.

How can we reconcile the fact that the length of a person’s life is predetermined by G-d and those behaviors that can shorten one’s life? Do we have any control over life expectancy? How much significance ought one give to medical intervention in terms of lengthening life?

If we believe that G-d is the ultimate good who does only good, why would we pray for a change to our fate? This paper solves the paradox between perfect belief in G-d’s benevolence and the centrality of prayer in Jewish belief.

Accustomed as we are to the world’s natural order, our notion of sorcery and other occult arts is accompanied by some level of fascination and intrigue.
How does the Torah explain the mechanisms used to achieve divination and witchcraft? More importantly, how do we reconcile the existence of evil forces that are capable of inflicting harm on humanity that was not ordained by Heaven?
Finally, how does one attain immunity against ominous spiritual realities?

The belief that the world is created and sustained by G-d at every moment is commonplace. Recently some have challenged the assumption that this is the classical understanding of mainstream Jewry. Is he correct?

The human soul has always sensed the presence of a greater power. Yet the “G-d of ​Concealment” has somewhat evaded logical discovery.
​Study some of the classic proofs for the existence of the Creator as presented by ​c​lassic Jewish Philosophers (R​. Saadya Gaon​, Rambam, R’ Bachye ibn Paquda, Ralbag and others), the challenges presented by some more modern authors (including Hume, Kant, Neizche, Darwin​ and Dawkins) and some of the responses offered to their ideas.
​Including a summary and some suggested reading​s​.