The Torah is unequivocal: Hashem is not a physical being and cannot be represented as such. Deuteronomy 4:15-16, which is cited, is part of the revelation at Horeb (Sinai), where the Israelites heard Hashem’s voice but saw no form, reinforcing His non-physical nature. Numbers 23:19 further states, “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind.” The Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4-5) prohibits making or worshiping any image, including human forms, as divine. For Jews, this is a foundational “known”—Hashem’s nature is immutable, non-corporeal, and beyond human embodiment.

Deuteronomy 4

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

Christians, however, assert that “God can do anything,” including becoming a man in the form of Jesus (John 1:14, “The Word became flesh”). From a Jewish perspective, this claim contradicts Hashem’s commandments and nature. Rabbi Fohrman teaches an algebraic approach, which likely aims to frame this as a logical contradiction, using a simple equation to show that the Christian belief in Jesus as God cannot hold true given the Torah’s axioms.

Creating a Simple Algebraic Equation

Let’s use algebra to illustrate this point in a way that’s clear for a Christian reader unfamiliar with Jewish theology. We’ll define variables based on the “knowns” from the Torah and the Christian claim, then show the logical inconsistency.

• Define the Variables:
  • Let H H H represent Hashem (God).
  • Let M M M represent a man (a physical, human form).
  • Let J J J represent Jesus, whom Christians claim is both God and man.
• Jewish “Known” (Axiom from the Torah):
  • Deuteronomy 4:15-16 and Numbers 23:19 establish that Hashem cannot be a man. In algebraic terms, this is a fundamental rule: H≠M H \neq M H=M. Hashem’s nature is non-physical, and He cannot take on a human form or be worshiped as such.
• • Christians assert that Jesus is both God and man (the incarnation). In algebraic terms, this is expressed as J=H J = H J=H (Jesus is God) and J=M J = M J=M (Jesus is a man). Combining these, the Christian belief implies H=M H = M H=M (since if J=H J = H J=H and J=M J = M J=M, then H=M H = M H=M).

The Equation and Contradiction:

• Christian Claim:
  • Christians assert that Jesus is both God and man (the incarnation). In algebraic terms, this is expressed as J=H J = H J=H (Jesus is God) and J=M J = M J=M (Jesus is a man). Combining these, the Christian belief implies H=M H = M H=M (since if J=H J = H J=H and J=M J = M J=M, then H=M H = M H=M).

“Truth Value”:

Start with the Christian claim: J=H J = H J=H and J=M J = M J=M.Substitute: If J=H J = H J=H and J=M J = M J=M, then H=M H = M H=M.But the Torah’s axiom is H≠M H \neq M H=M—Hashem cannot be a man.This creates a contradiction: H=M H = M H=M (Christian claim) cannot be true if H≠M H \neq M H=M (Torah’s commandment).

• In this algebraic setup, the Torah’s commandment is the “known” or axiom: Hashem cannot be a man (H≠M H \neq M H=M). The Christian belief that Jesus is God (J=H J = H J=H) and a man (J=M J = M J=M) leads to the conclusion that H=M H = M H=M, which directly contradicts the Torah’s clear teaching. For Jews, this isn’t about limiting Hashem’s power but honoring His commandments—He forbids us from worshiping Him as a man or through any form (Deuteronomy 4:16). The equation shows that the Christian claim cannot hold true without violating Hashem’s own words, which are eternal and unchanging (Malachi 3:6, “I the Lord do not change”).

Let T T T represent a true statement.The Torah’s known: H≠M H \neq M H=M, so the statement “Hashem is not a man” = T T T (true).The Christian claim: H=M H = M H=M (through Jesus), so the statement “Hashem is a man” = F F F (false, per the Torah).Equation: If H=M H = M H=M, then T=F T = F T=F, which is a contradiction. Therefore, H≠M H \neq M H=M, and Jesus cannot be Hashem.