Part II - Hashkafa - Ikarei Emunah

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1. Introduction: “What” of Yiddishkeit versus “Why” of Yiddishkite
    

2. Ma'amad Har Sinai - How we know it happened - it was 3,500 years ago!
    

3. Bereishis till Egypt - Why Bnei Yisroel believed “Moshe’s version” of the   first 2,000 years of the history of the world.
    

4. Torah SheBiksav - How we know every word was dictated by Hashem?
    

5. J.C. - How we know he did not change it all? We are a minority - how can billions of people can be wrong?
    

6. Am Nivchar - Chosen People: But there are “bad” Jews and “nice” goyim!
   Miracle of Jewish Survival
    

7. Summation of this section; Why Jewish Nation suffers if we are Hashem’s Chosen People?
    

8. Torah SheBaal Peh and the Mesorah:
   - What constitutes Torah SheBaal Peh?
   - How do we know there must be a Toshbap?
   - Why was it given Baal Peh davka?:
   - If so - why was it written down?
   - If it was handed down orally for so long, how do we know there was no “broken telephone” in the mesorah?
    

9. Machlokes; Eylu v’Eylu; Asey Lecha Rav; Lo Sasur Yamin Usemole
   - If there was no “broken telephone” - How did machlokes arise?
   - Eylu V’Eylu - How can opposite opinions both be “correct”?
   - So if both opinions are “Divrei Elokim”, practically what do I do?
   -How can all those different opinions get along?
   - What if psak does “not make sense”? Lo Sasur
    

10. Medrash Agadah - Meforshi HaTorah:
    How can they argue about what happened?
    Why didn’t Hashem just write the story clearly?
     

11. Materialism
     

12. Tzadik V’ra Lo
    - All that happens cannot be simply random with no plan
    - But if so, why can’t we understand Hashem’s plan?
    - Ramchal - Hashgacha Pratis - possible reasons why “bad” things happen.
    - Can davening or zechusim change one’s situation - and why?
    - Why does Hashem turn down our requests?
    - But the concept of an unchangeable Mazal Elyon seems unfair!
    - But if a tefilah did not change that Mazal Elyon, what did we gain by davening?
     

13. Bechira Chofshis
    - What is and what is not bechira - Kuntres Habechira
    - Positive power of making mistakes
    - yediyah ubechira
     

14. Appendix I - Additional sources: responses to “refutations and critics” of the materials presented here.
     

15. Appendix II- Ramchal - Hashgacha Ishis
     

16. Appendix III - Nekudas HaBechira explained - and its importance in healthy religious growth for teens and how we educate our students.

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