One’s own existence simply cannot be rationally proven. If someone were to ask you to prove that you exist, you would seriously struggle to do so. The fault in this lies in the simple fact that rational knowledge is always limited. They created a limited subjective truth, confined only to that which they could explain logically. They denied anything that their intellects could not grasp, anything they could not scientifically quantify. The Ramban criticizes the assumption that logic is the ultimate tool for determining truth, pointing to the Greek philosophers as a paradigm of those who made this mistake. This is the view that the Ramban takes, articulating this point in his commentary to Sefer Vayikra ( Ramban, Vayikra 16:8). As such, the Western world may be using the wrong tools to understand the ultimate truth. If the rules of physics and logic are based on personal, limited perceptions of a physical reality, human logic is extremely limited.
Taking this idea a step further, we can question logical reasoning altogether. We may know, through reasoning, that there is a Creator, but logic alone does not allow us to have a relationship with Hashem, experience Him, or deeply connect with Him. Logic may enable us to know that Hashem exists, but it does not help us know anything about Him. However, there is a fundamental limit to logic. One may logically conclude that Hashem exists the world is so infinitely complex there must be a Creator behind it. However, there are also flaws with human logic, and careful consideration of the previously mentioned proofs shows this clearly. We therefore began our discussion by exploring the purpose and utility of our intellect, and how it can help one ascertain logical proofs of spiritual truths, such as Hashem’s existence. To review, we framed out discussion with the famous line of the Vilna Gaon: “Where logic and human intellect ends, Jewish wisdom begins.” This implies that Judaism does not reject reason and logic, but builds upon it. In our previous article, we began exploring the nature of chukim, and the potential limitations of reason and logic.
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