Mitzva 1; Know HaShem

The first mitzvah that Rambam lists in his list of the 613 mitzvos is the mitzvah to know HaShem is the only Being that truly exists and that all existence as we recognize exists only because He wills it to be.

This mitzvah is articulated in the first commandment of the Ten Commandments. “I am Adonoi your G.D Who took you out from the land of Egypt from the house of slaves…”

The following question needs to be addressed. It is of a philosophical nature. How HaShem can instruct us to know Him. It is possible to instruct someone to know how HCl is formed or who America’s allies were during the war, because these are facts that are researchable and are verifiable. However with respect to HaShem’s being the only Being that truly exists is something that mortal man can scarcely comprehend and even if it is comprehendible he certainly cannot not research it or analyze its truth. At best, HaShem might instruct us to believe that He is the only Being that truly exists, but not to know Him. Knowledge implies an awareness in which there is no question of it’s’ veracity. Belief would be more appropriate to something that might be questionable but you accept it as belief.

Before answering this question let us pose a different notion of knowledge than we have thus far identified. There is a knowledge that although you cannot prove it, nor can you research it and analyze it’s veracity, nevertheless, you know it to be true. I speak about a solid knowledge, not a belief which is unverifiable. We find such knowledge about so many things that are closest to us. Let us take the knowledge that your sister is your sister. Anyone else could question whether she is your full sister, perhaps she is only your sister from your mother. And even that she is your sister from your mother could be questioned. The only way for you to verify that she is your sister would be through several packets of documents many of which are not necessarily reliable. And yet, from your perspective there is no question about who she is. Even if the documents could not be found you would not consider your recognition of being your sister a function of belief; it is absolute knowledge. It is a knowledge that only you know because you know who your sister is and someone else may not know. But that lack of veracity does not minimize your absolute knowledge.

Let us return to the mitzvah of knowing HaShem. Let us articulate the mitzvah a bit sharper now. Know, with an absolute unquestioning knowledge that needs no veracity, that HaShem is the only being whose existence is absolute.

Now the question is how HaShem can instruct us on this knowledge. If we have this knowledge then there is no need to instruct to have it; we already have it. And if we do not have this intrinsic knowledge how can HaShem instruct us to have it; it cannot be verified, as mentioned earlier?

The answer is that every Jew knows without question that HaShem is the omnipotent Being from Whom all existence emanates. The reason we are commanded to know this is because so often we lose this knowledge. We lose this knowledge because this knowledge is situated deep inside the consciousness of our neshoma (soul). As a person detaches himself from his neshoma by attaching himself to the physical world this consciousness become buried and we relate to this information like a stranger who does not know who my sister is. We actually begin questioning the very existence of a G.D. We need proofs that there is even a Creator.

Hence, the mitzvah to know HaShem is to open ourselves up to allow that knowledge to become apparent.

There is another approach to answer this question as follows.

I would like paraphrase Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in his book on the mitzvos, Horeb.

Life lived properly should be the flower of one’s knowledge. However, in order for this flower of knowledge to blossom it is not sufficient that one has acquired knowledge in his mind and brain. The knowledge must be transmitted from the brain to the heart for it is the heart that guides man in all his life’s decisions. So long as the knowledge remains in the head the flower of life will not blossom. Man must take all he knows and work on internalizing it till the knowledge becomes a part of his very essence. At that point his knowledge will blossom and the knowledge will take on a life of existence.

Let us return to our original question; how can HaShem instruct us to know something that we cannot verify? And if we already know it just like our sister, then why bother instructing us if we know already?

In the Hebrew language the word of da-as refers to an intimate form of knowledge.; a knowledge that is part of man’s very essence. The first mitzvah as Rambam articulates it is “Know (using the Hebrew word of da-as) that HaShem is the only Being that truly exists…”

Although our knowledge of HaShem as being the only Being of true existence is something that is already known, just like you know that your sister is your sister, nevertheless, HaShem instructs us to internalize that knowledge and make that knowledge a part of who we are. HaShem is instructing us to allow that knowledge of Him to penetrate our every fiber of existence. So that our lives should be the flower of that knowledge.