Anyway, wow, intense question and very well thought out.

Here’s what I can say. First of all, my blogs are usually written very quickly, and I try not to get too caught up in the details. So, there can be misunderstandings. I think that I use the term “agnostic” very loosely here. An agnostic is really just someone looking for answers, but unwilling to take a leap of faith. An agnostic is someone that needs proof before allowing themselves to delve into a belief.

But of course, a belief is something beyond proofs. It requires faith. A certain degree of letting go. You ask how Chassids turned from agnostics to Chassids. I think the answer lies in the fact that somehow, they learned to let go. They experienced a Shabbat meal the way it was meant to be experienced. They had a Farbrengen. They read a book that connected them to something deep.

And no, you’re right, it can’t be one directional. What happens when someone “lets go” is not just a feeling of excitement, but a true connection. A connection is always 2 ways. So G-d connects with you, and you connect with him. Because really, it’s about realizing that the connection was never broken, you were just ignoring it.

So yes, the Chassids “got faith”, but there’s more to it than that. They experienced something real. They realized how different like can be when they stop hanging on to their totems and start connecting to absolutely nothing. And because of that everything.

Hope that’s not too cryptic for you. Feel free to ask anything else. Love the questions

> These people often call themselves agnostics. People
> that believe they’ll never be able to access G-d,
> so why bother. Many Chassids used to be agnostics.

> The problem is that, the more we believe this,
> the more we start to worship things instead of G-d.

Upon further reflection on this part, I would be curious to hear more. It’s certainly plausible that some start to worship “totems” instead. But what about the ones who do not, or do not yet, but are having the same “agnostic” thoughts about G-d not actively acting. You said Many Chassids used to be agnostics. What has changed in their thinking from that point that lead them to that way, as opposed to totems? That question I believe is not answered if it even can be.

You write the way to connect is to go one level deeper. To let go of the totems, to connect “to the dream”. Makes sense, but it still sounds one-directional. It may be a great way to connect, but doesn’t answer the question agnostics may have: does G-d connect back? It may be “His dream”, but how do you know he is aware of you are connecting to the G-dliness of it? Well, one answer is “faith”. That He is, and he does. But I think agnostics may indeed be lacking this, maybe there is more. So if that’s all they are missing, does that mean the former agnostic Chassids “got faith”?

Shana Tova!

It was a great way to wrap up the other posts on the subject thus far.