Courtesy of Hirhurim bringing it to my attention I downloaded the first issue of Masorah and the first piece is by RYBS titled Yesod Hayesodos. He refers to Rambam in Hil Melachim 8:11 that any person that undertakes to keep the seven Mitzvos Bnei Noach is counted among the righteous gentiles and has Olam Haba on condition he keeps the Mitzvos because they were ordered in the Torah and introduced by Moshe Rabeinu. If he keeps them because he arrived at them on his own he is not considered a Ger Toshav nor counted among the righteous gentiles - according to some Girsaot - nor among their wise - in other Girsaot - only among their wise. The Rav then turns to Hil Yesodei Hatorah 1:1 where Rambam starts Mishne Torah with Yesod Hayesodos Veamud Hachochmos Leyda shyesh sham matzui ... noting that for someone to be considered wise (amud hachochmos) he must believe that there is a God. RYBS deduces from this that the correct Girsa is "nor among the roghteous" for someone who does not believe in God is not wise. It would seem the Rav understood that if one does mitzvos without accepting that they are min hashamayim is tantamount to not believing God exists! Why would that be so?
This Rambam and the correct reading has been debated by many. It has important ramifications regarding ethics - does one have to keep ethical laws because they were given at Sinai or just ethical behaviour is enough. There are Gemoros going both ways and so Rishonim. This understanding of the Rov to me is very difficult and would like to hear if anyone has some ideas.
I believe that the earlier girsas disagree with RYBS on this.
ReplyDeleteI also would have assumed ela mechachameyhem is correct.
ReplyDeleteR Elchanan famously says that belief in torah mishamayim flows naturally from belief in God (surely he'd have needed to give a torah), a position that has never made any sense to me (who says he didnt send the koran? what about before matan torah, etc).
ReplyDeleteI doubt RYBS was adopting this position of R Elchanan's.
in any case, the whole vort does not make sense, the piece in Yesodei HaTorah does not say whether you have to know that G-d exists based on reason or revelation. The girsas are just arguing about whether you have to know about the 7 mitzvot through reason or revelation.
ReplyDeleteChardal that is exactly my question about the Rav's vort. I guess I was not clear enough.
ReplyDeleteMarvin Fox has a piece where he proves it is elo.
ReplyDeleteMarvin Fox has a piece where he proves it is elo.
ReplyDeleteI believe the earliest person to claim this was the yaavetz. Rav Kook also claims that illu is the correct girsa in igrot.