Marx, Freud, Darwin, the Enlightenment philosophers (e.g. Hume and Kant) and the scientific establishment have waged a war against Plan and Purpose (Teleology) in the universe. But the cosmos manifests exquisite design showing evident signs of God’s Wisdom and Kindliness.
The most influential intellectuals around the world are mostly atheistic materialists. They assume that G-d exists only in the minds of religious believers. They believe that we are a mere concatenation of chemicals and cosmic dust, living out our lives in a blind and purposeless universe that came into being for no reason. Judaism is a protest against such despair in the name of G-d and in the name of humanity.
The history of the Jewish people starts with Abraham and Sarah. They and their their descendants (at the mountain of Sinai) undertake a long and momentous journey through the millennia of history.
Abraham is associated, above all, with the attribute of chesed – acts of kindliness to his fellow men. But Abraham also proclaimed the truth about God to a world in which the knowledge of that truth had been lost. Abraham considered this truth to be the most important thing that he could teach to anyone who enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of his home.
Maimonides, Moreh Nevuchim 2.19: My purpose in this chapter is to explain to you by means of arguments that come close to a demonstration that the universe is here by design [kavana].
For this reason you will find that all the prophets used the stars and spheres as proof for the existence of a necessary and transcendent Being. Abraham reflected on the stars as is well-known. Isaiah, calling attention to conclusions to be drawn from the stars, says: Lift up your eyes on high, and see: Who created these?
. Jeremiah says He made the heavens
. Abraham says: The Lord, God of Heavens
.
Sotah 10b: Resh Lakish said: Read not and he [i.e. Abraham] called
but and he made to call
[vayakri], thereby teaching that our father Abraham caused the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to be uttered by the mouth of every passer-by. How was this? After travellers had eaten and drunk, they stood up to bless him; but, said he to them, Did you eat of mine? You ate of that which belongs to the God of the Universe. Thank, praise and bless Him who spake and the world came into being.