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Thoughts to Ponder is a weekly invitation to think dangerously and question passionately. Drawing on the Torah portion, classical Jewish sources, philosophy, and the crises of contemporary life, Rabbi Cardozo challenges religious complacency and spiritual comfort. These essays are written for readers who seek a Judaism that disturbs, questions, and ultimately deepens the human encounter with God and responsibility.
Ten Questions for Rabbi Cardozo - Question 1
In Education and Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
I was recently asked by Rav Ari Ze’ev Schwartz of the Society of Independent Spirituality: Can you say a little about the educational and spiritual goals of your weekly articles? What do you want your readers to experience when they read these articles? How do you yourself experience these goals and articles? Here is my response.
The Non-Existent God and the Need to Serve Him
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Is God really perfect as we always maintain? God Himself tells Moshe Eheyeh asher eheyeh—I will be what I will be. Not “I am what I am” as the Septuagint mistranslates. But how can that be? It means that He is not yet what He should be and that He never will be. Apparently He is incomplete, because He seems capable of changing and moving toward perfection, but He will never be able to actually reach perfection. God is trapped in a contradiction. So, is God a verb? Always “godding”? Always imprisoned in a becoming mode? What then is God? An unending trial to be God?
In Halacha, Jewish Thought and Philosophy and The Ishbitzer by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
In last week’s Thoughts to Ponder (no 623), we published the first half of an interview with Rabbi Cardozo. At the end of his observations, Rabbi Cardozo discussed the codification and dogmatization of Jewish Law and religious beliefs as they took place in the diaspora and showed that these developments did not do justice to—and in fact opposed authentic Judaism. Here is the continuation of his arguments.
The Beauty of the Jewish tradition is that it is not always precise and consistent, because ife is not clear-cut or coherent. We need flexibility to work out the different opinions so that Jewish Law and beliefs stay fresh and thriving. The moment we codify or dogmatize it all, we destroy it.
The ideology of the Cardozo Academy
Judaism is not suffering from a lack of knowledge—but from a lack of courage. In an age overflowing with information, we have forgotten how to think, to question, to dare. We need to break the chains of conformity and rediscover a Judaism that lives, struggles, and breathes through bold, unsettling ideas.
To be righteous, with the full awareness that nobody will ever know the real story, and to have one’s deeds condemned, is one of the most painful human experiences and is a great tragedy. Only the knowledge that the One Above knows the real story, and the conviction that it is more important that others benefit from one’s deeds than to be assured of the recognition of one’s real intentions, gives the ultimate feeling of spiritual satisfaction for which the tzaddik strives.
Rather than ignore the body, Halacha draws a person’s attention to its complexities. It informs human beings not to fall victim to grandiose dreams.
When even God can make a "mistake", and admit it, we can rest assured that it is nothing less than honorable to act similarly.
A Brief Insight while on the Road in Europe
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Moses and Parashat Ki Tisa by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
While scientific data is absorbed only in the brain, faith permeates all parts of the human personality. Nothing is untouched, all spiritual limbs quiver, and everything is transformed.
Parashat Noah
In Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Maimonides, Theodicy and Parashat Noach by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Must we believe that the whole universe was created only to test man’s moral and religious conduct? Is it not be more logical to conclude that God’s reasons for creating the universe are much greater and more significant than the problem of human behavior?
In Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
On Simchat Torah we begin reading the Torah all over again. Even the greatest Torah scholars once again come to the conclusion that they need to reread it, since they failed bitterly the previous year. After all, we only start reading the first words and already we get stuck, unable to understand the actual meaning; and we can never really get beyond that place. While in the non-Jewish world the whole point is to finish a book, in Judaism we are all just perpetual beginners.
In Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah by Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo
Ours is a future-orientated religion. We are not afraid of the latest technologies. And yet, the very text that defines us does not allow for any changes in its content nor changes to manner of its writting.