[Avodah] tachlis of creation//why davka? amalek??

[Lisa Liel]

On 8/11/2011 10:09 PM, Harvey Benton wrote:
>> yes, but why should Hashem care what we think about him??
>> and how do we know what the tachlis of this creation is???
>> i thought it was to test us

> I thought it was, implicitly. It isn't enough for Hashem to be in this
> world. Hashem has to be recognized to be in this world. The tachlis of
> creation involves mankind coming to know Hashem. The essence of Amalek
> is a refusal to recognize Hashem under any circumstance.

Well, sure. Why *should* Hashem care what we think about Him? "What is
man that You remember him?" You can ask the same thing about davening.
  Why should we daven? God knows what we need already. Does He really
need our praises? And of course, the answer is no, He doesn't. It's all
for us. The need to recognize His hand in the world is also for us.
  Hashem is the ultimate Good. How can we reach towards the good
without knowing what it is?

As far as how we know what the tachlis of creation is, we can only
go by what our sources say. As I understand it, it's for everyone to
come to Hashem. But through their own free will. I don't know where
the idea that it's to test us comes from. That sounds kind of dodgy.
I don't think we're Hashem's lab rats.

Lisa