Yehoshua’s Reaction:

It seems like R’ Manis is raising the question of ” You cant love something that needs nothing, something that is perfection, thus if we are required to love Hashem it must be he’s not perfect,if he was perfect then he wouldn’t need us “

A very daring road to go down. This is our creator, the ultimate source of our existence. We breathe at his will and die for his cause. If the Rabbi is opening up this box it must be because he is going to take us on a journey to get to a better understanding of what we know about Hashem.

Now we know Hashem had created many worlds prior to this one, destroying them immediately for not being the right one. Suppose, Hashem never created our world or gave his Torah to Am Yisrael as almighty and powerful as he is, he would be a G-d without a people, A King without a Nation thus at that moment imperfect.

”Ok, So far we are on a good track.”

What I think R’ Manis is really asking is; “What Is true Love?

And he is answering by saying, A real true Love Relationship, is where both sides NEED each other and where each side sacrifices for the other.

So in a sense by Hashem being Imperfect and needing Klal Yisrael, by serving him, in turn we have made him Perfect.

“Whoa…. BOOM”

” So wait… Just like a husband and wife strive to fulfill each other’s needs and sacrifice for each other and a result achieve perfection in love. Is that how our relationship works with Hashem? Is that what makes our Mitzvos so important? Are our Mitzvos what makes Hashem’s existence all the more powerful and all the more perfect? If thats the case then he really REALLY does need it….

Note: Please be advised that these reactions are unedited.

Transcript & References

“ולמה עשה ה׳ כזאת להוריד חלק מאורו ית’ הממלא וסובב כל עלמין וכולא קמיה כלא חשיב והלבישו במשכא דחויא וטפה סרוחה…וא”כ איפוא זאת אעשה וזאת תהיה כל מגמתי כל ימי חלדי לכל בהן חיי רוחי ונפשי…”

“Why, then, has G-d done such a thing, to cause a portion of His blessed light, which fills and encompasses all worlds, and before Whom everything is of no account, to descend and to be clothed in a ‘serpent’s skin’ and in a fetid drop?…If this is so, there is one thing for me to do, and this will be my sole aim all the days of my earthly life, to fully occupy therein [in the thought, speech and action of the Torah and the Mitzvos] the life of my spirit and soul… ”
-Tanya. Likutei Amarim. Ch. 31.

TRANSCRIPT:
You have to consider, and this is really crucial to the survival of Yiddishkeit; The Aybishter, so to speak, sacrifices in order to create you. It cost Him.

He has to restrict Himself, He has to hide Himself, He has to give you freedom of choice so that you can spit in His face, and even deny His existence. The Aybishter really pays a price for us to exist.

That’s why it makes perfect sense that we should sacrifice parts of our comfort or well-being, for Him! It’s reciprocal. So it’s not like “He has everything, He just, ya know, pulls the strings and you have to give up your life and have Mesiras nefesh” — No no…

He has mesiras nefesh, so it feels natural to have mesiras nefesh for Him.

“אשה ריח נוחוח לה’.” פרש”י: ד”ה ניחוח. “נחת רוח לפני שאמרתי ונעשה רצוני.”

“…A fire offering [with] a pleasing fragrance to the Lord.”
Rashi: God says: “This sacrifice gives me contentment, for I said My commandment, and My will was fulfilled.
-Vayikra, 1:9

[Before the Ba’al Shem Tov revealed himself, he would constantly inquire about the welfare of people to hear their responses of “Boruch Hashem” and the like. The following statement of the Ba’al Shem Tov was said to a Porush (“ascetic”) for over 50 years, upon his refusal to reply while learning to the Ba’al Shem Tov’s standard inquiry.]

“Why are you denying G-d His livelihood? For in Tehillim (22:4) it states: ואתה קדוש יושב תהילות ישראל. “But You are holy; You await the praises of Israel.”

“We mortal beings, subsist on the sustenance that G-d provides us in His great kindness. But what does G-d ‘subsist’ on? On the praises of Israel! When one Jew asks another, ‘How are things’ and his fellow responds by praising and thanking the Almighty, they are nourishing G-d, deepening His involvement with His creation.”

We forget because we’ve created an Aybishter that is so Perfect, that He’s irrelevant. If He is truly ‘Independent existence’, ‘Kol Yachol’, ‘He has everything’, ‘He is everything’, ‘Forever and ever’; how relevant is He to us?

How do you say the Aybishter is ‘Bli G’vu’l, ‘Kol Yachol’ etc. etc., and.. you should love Him. I should what? I can’t! — how can I love Somebody who doesn’t need me, doesn’t need anything, is Perfect and has everything? If I’m supposed to do it, ya gotta tell me how? How do you love Someone who is totally irrelevant to your existence? He’s perfect, I’m not.

How do you serve Him, if He’s already perfect? How can He need you if He’s already perfect? What can you possibly give Him?

That’s why I’m saying “If you say He doesn’t need anything, you’re making Him less than a human.”

A man gets married and considers himself perfect, what does he need her for? That’s humility. I’m perfect because you exist. C’mon, that is the ultimate humility!

And the Aybishter says, ‘I am perfect when you exist.’ Like, The Aybishter without yidden is..not Complete. That’s awesome.

So does He really need? He really needs.