Orthodox Conundrum
Orthodox Conundrum

Can We Still Believe in God Today? The Problem with How We Talk About Faith, with Rav Simi Lerner (287)

April 20, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

"Do you believe in God?" — a question that sounds straightforward but, according to Rabbi Simi Lerner, gets almost everything wrong from the start.

The problem is not the question itself but the assumption buried inside it: that faith is a binary, something you either have or don't have. Lerner argues that emuna (faith) is not a possession but a process — something you grow into, not something you acquire all at once. "Nobody gets emuna in their pocket," he says. Drawing on Erich Fromm's distinction, he frames it as a "being" rather than a "having." And yet, much of Jewish education, he believes, treats it as a yes/no test, leaving students who struggle feeling like failures or frauds.

Why the binary model fails

Lerner points to a basic logical problem with commanding belief. If you need a commander to tell you to believe in God, you already believe in the commander — so the command is redundant. If you don't believe, no command can force it. The medieval thinker Joseph Albo raised this exact difficulty, and his solution was to reframe the first commandment not as "believe" but as "work toward belief" — an active, ongoing effort.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 Outline
  • 2 (00:00) **Emuna Is Not Binary** - Rabbi Simi Lerner introduces the central thesis: faith is a developmental process, not a yes/no possession
  • 3 (04:41) **Beneath the Surface of Faith Struggles** - Lerner argues that struggles with emuna are complex, mixing psychology, philosophy, and meaning
  • 4 (08:21) **Rejecting the "Obviousness" Model of Faith** - Lerner pushes back against the view that disbelief is always a moral failing
  • 5 (12:14) **How Emuna Is Taught Is Part of the Problem** - Lerner argues that the way faith is commonly taught in Orthodox schools harms students
  • 6 (14:34) **The Rambam and the Commandment Problem** - Lerner uses classical Jewish sources to show emuna can't be a simple binary
  • 7 (17:53) **Rationalism vs. Mysticism: Defining the Terms** - Lerner distinguishes two broad approaches within Orthodox hashkafa

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

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When people talk about emunah, faith, it is often framed as a simple question. Do you believe in God, or don't you?

But what if that question misses the point?

In this episode, Rabbi Simi Lerner argues that emunah is not a binary yes or no. It is not something a person simply has or lacks. It is something that develops over time, shaped by experience, thought, and personal struggle.

Together, we explore why so many thoughtful people find themselves wrestling with faith, even when they genuinely want to believe. We discuss the difference between a more rational, philosophical approach to Judaism and an approach predicated upon a more Kabbalistic worldview, and whether those approaches are in tension or can work together.

We also examine how the way emunah is often taught may be part of the problem, especially when it is presented in overly simplistic terms that do not reflect the complexity of real life.

This is not a conversation about proving that God exists. It is a conversation about what it actually means to live with faith in the modern world, and how a more honest and nuanced understanding of emunah might open the door for people who feel stuck, uncertain, or disconnected.

In a bonus segment for paid subscribers to Orthodox Conundrum Commentary, Simi tells the personal story behind his journey and how he arrived at the approach to emunah he lives by today.

Make sure to check out Rav Simi's podcasts Judaism From Within and Two Rabbis, Three Opinions, as well as his online classes on Horeb and Kuzari.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

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