Q&A: Why Should I Believe HaShem Exists?

Q. How can I believe that HaShem is real and existent, and that we need to serve Him, if I don't have any proof that He exists at all? When I have a questions about [HaShem and the inner workings of reality], somehow I'm always given the answer that it is hidden from us and a matter of faith. If my faith is not that strong, how am I supposed to understand and believe? I understand that HaShem is above Man, and that we can't understand everything because Man can't contain it, but how am I even supposed to believe that? How can that be expected of me?

A. You ask a very beautiful question - things like this were even difficult for the Rambam, which is why he counted the mitzvah [commandment] of emuna [knowledge of the inner workings of reality, commonly mistranslated as "faith"] as a mitzvah, and even more so, as the first mitzvah. Because in order to keep the commandment to believe, one must first believe there is a commandment...But what the Rambam thought on this matter is not fundamental at the moment.

My answer to your questions is not "Believe," but rather "Learn emuna." Emuna is not mere intellectual knowledge, and it's also not a sensation or feeling. Emuna is the reality of a connection with the Creator of the World. This connection exists between you and the Master of the Universe, and learning emuna will expose it to you, enhance it, and give it a greater and more enriching presence in your life.

There are all sorts of probable proofs about the existence of the Creator, but they are never 100%, because of the almost zero-percent chance that those who claim it's random are correct. Logical proofs are not always absolute, and they definitely do not contain within them the soulful relationship of closeness, love, and awe. Therefore, what is expected of you is to invest time in learning emuna. One answer from this site or another, and even a "full-blown class with conclusive proofs" - these are not what will build within you emuna in a deep and lasting way.

Answered by Rabbi Elyashiv Kafka, Yeshivat Bet El
Translated by Sharona Eshet-Kohen

https://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/122213