I heard you say in your 7th podcast episode that Mother Nature is another word for G-d, and that G-d can’t do certain things. Isn’t that antithetical to the Torah?
In Iyov 42:2 it says “YaDati Ki Kol Tuchal” meaning “I know that you (G-d) can do anything.”
Like the cow example you gave in the podcast, we shouldn’t try to understand how that’s possible. It transcends human understanding.
Why limit god to nature, to our understanding? He answers prayers, he’s not just nature. He’s the source of everything including nature, he’s the creator of nature. As you said on the podcast, he’s our father/mother who loves us unconditionally.
I guess I feel confused, I think I’m misunderstanding something. Can you clarify? Thank you! 🙏
Thank you for your thoughtful question. I really appreciate how carefully you’re listening and engaging with these deep ideas — and your feelings of confusion are totally valid. Let me clarify.
When I said “God is Mother Nature,” I was not saying God is only nature or limited to it. I was trying to express that nature is one of God’s expressions — not a separate force, not random, and certainly not mechanical. When we say “Mother Nature,” we often picture a nurturing, life-giving force — and that’s a metaphor many people relate to. But of course, God is beyond all metaphors.
So yes, you’re absolutely right — God is the source of nature, the creator of nature, and transcends all of it. And also, God is not limited by anything, certainly not by our understanding. That’s exactly why I say God doesn’t get angry — because anger is a human emotional reaction to external events. And God, being perfect and self-sufficient, doesn’t react. He knows, guides, and sustains, but He doesn’t get “mad” like a human does.
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🧠 What About “God Can Do Anything”?
You referenced Iyov 42:2:
יָדַעְתִּי כִּי כֹל תּוּכָל
“I know that You can do everything.”
Absolutely — we believe that God can do everything that is possible. But here’s the key: not every nonsense sentence becomes a “thing” just because it’s grammatically valid.
For example:
“Can God make a square circle?”
“Can God turn Himself into a pencil?”
“Can God destroy Himself?”
These are classic philosophical paradoxes — and they’re not new. Even the Rambam (Maimonides) and other Jewish philosophers discussed them.
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📚 Rambam on “Can God Do the Impossible?”
In Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed) 1:15 & 3:20, Rambam says:
“That which is intrinsically impossible remains impossible, even for God.”
(Translation paraphrased from Moreh Nevuchim)
He explains that contradictions — like a square circle — are not “things” that exist. So to say “Can God do X?” where X is a logical absurdity, is like asking:
“Can God make 2+2 equal 5?”
The answer is: no — but not because He is “limited.”
It’s because the question is nonsense to begin with.
Similarly, emotions like anger, which involve physical change, time, reaction, and imperfection, are simply not applicable to a perfect, infinite, timeless God. That’s why the Rambam writes:
“ה’ אינו גוף ואין לו דמות הגוף ואינו בעל רגשות כלל.”
“God has no body, no likeness of a body, and no emotions at all.”
(Yesodei HaTorah 1:11)
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🙏 So How Do We Understand God’s “Anger” in the Torah?
Great question — the Torah speaks in human terms so that we can relate to it. This is called דיברה תורה כלשון בני אדם — “the Torah speaks in the language of people” (Rashi, Bereshit 6:6).
So when the Torah says God is “angry,” it really means we did something that disconnects us from God, and the consequences feel like anger — but the source is actually justice, not emotion.
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💡 Final Thought
So no — I wasn’t limiting God to “Mother Nature” or denying that He can answer prayers. Quite the opposite. I was saying: God is so far beyond our emotional world that we must approach Him with love and awe, not fear of mood swings. He doesn’t “get angry” — He is love, wisdom, and justice itself.
And yes — He’s our Father, our Mother, our Creator, and much more than all of that. He’s not just loving — He is love.
Thank you for your understanding. I really appreciate your in-depth explanation.
All of it makes sense, expect for G-d not being able to create a square triangle for example. I would have to agree to disagree on this point and side with rebbe Nachman. Rebbe Nachman would say that that verse from the guide to the perplexed is disagreeing with the Torah. At least for me, it only feels right to take the simple understanding of the verse. G-d, literally created logic, so of course he can transcend it.
I guess it comes down to agreeing to disagree. Let me know if I’m off on anything. Thank you!