Friday, January 11, 2008

Ta'amei Hamitzvot - Why Look for Reasons? Follow God Blindly!

In the contemporary traditional society of Mitzvot practicing Jews, the question of why are we doing Mitzvot is totally ignored. Not only is it ignored – it is frowned upon. Anyone that raises the question in public is looked upon suspiciously. Is that person questioning God’s will and authority? What right has a human being with limited intellect to question the Ratzon of Hashem? There is no reason necessary other than God ordering us and we just have to follow blindly. This blind faith is elevated to a virtue as if suppressing our uniqueness, one of the attributes that makes us human - our ability to think critically, is a great achievement. Rambam is undiplomatic and describes this tendency as “a sickness of the soul”.

There are persons who find it difficult to give a reason for any of the commandments, and consider it right to assume that the commandments and prohibitions have no rational basis whatever. They are led to adopt this theory by a certain sickness in their soul, the existence of which they perceive, but which they are unable to discuss or to describe. For they imagine that these precepts, if they were useful in any respect, and were commanded because of their usefulness, would seem to originate in the thought and reason of some intelligent being. But as things which are not objects of reason and serve no purpose, they would undoubtedly be attributed to God, because no thought of man could have produced them.” (MN3:31)

Rambam identifies the fear of addressing why we keep Mitzvot as a complete misunderstanding of what makes Torah divine. It is not irrationality that proves its divine provenance but just the opposite, its rationality.

Human beings are very complex by nature and necessity. For them to perform their part for the good of the whole of existence, they have certain traits, freedom of choice, sentience, abstract thought and so on. These traits inherently make a human into an individual. No two people are the same. At the same time, this tendency towards individuality has drawbacks. A single human, all alone cannot procreate nor even survive. The human species would disappear in a short time without it forming a society where the many individuals work together towards survival. It is the combined abilities of all these individuals that guarantee the survival of the species. As there is a built in mechanism for survival in each species, there are individuals within a society that have the ability to organize and lead that society. That is how each society developed laws and social rules that allowed these individuals to come together and live in peace with each other. Such laws have one thing in mind - the survival of the human species. They focus on interpersonal relationships and even when theological issues are addressed, they are utilitarian in the sense of uniting and putting limits on the members of the society so that it can flourish. It is purely self-serving, either for the society or the survival of the species.

Judaism as seen by Rambam, has a much more advanced and sophisticated outlook. It sees man as an important component of the whole of existence with a role to play in the survival of that whole. The survival of the human species is necessary because humans are needed for the survival of the whole of existence. With this in mind, it addresses the day-to-day societal issues with a view of developing individuals who can play a role in the survival of the whole. It wants to develop individuals that can advance the knowledge of humanity, a Newton, an Einstein et al. who will use their human minds to its utmost so that we can learn about the universe we are part of and figure out what our role is in it at its various stages. It is this understanding of the goals of the Torah that make it divine. This kind of vision is revelatory by nature. It is not something that can be developed through empirical analysis and proof; it had to come through a revelatory experience to a perfected human. It is a view of existence from a divine perspective that goes beyond what can be deduced from purely physical data. It is intuitive and prophetic.

You will find that the sole object of certain laws, in accordance with the intention of their author, who well considered their effect, is to establish the good order of the state and its affairs, to free it from all mischief and wrong. These laws do not deal with philosophic problems, contain no teaching for the perfecting of our logical faculties, and are not concerned about the existence of sound or unsound opinions. Their sole object is to arrange, under all circumstances, the relations of men to each other, and to secure their well-being, in accordance with the view of the author of these laws. These laws are political, and their author belongs, as has been stated above, to the third class, viz., to those who only distinguish themselves by the perfection of their imaginative faculties. You will also find laws which, in all their rules, aim, as the law just mentioned, at the improvement of the material interests of the people but besides, tend to improve the state of the faith of man. They create first correct notions of God, and of angels, and lead then the people, by instruction and education, to an accurate knowledge of the Universe: this education comes from God; these laws are divine.”

Interestingly the Torah does not teach those scientific insights but rather directs us to work towards discovering them.

With regard to all the other correct opinions concerning the whole of being – opinions that constitute the numerous kinds of all the theoretical sciences through which the opinions forming the ultimate end are validated - Scripture does not make a call to direct attention towards them in detail… It does it in summary fashion with the commandment, "to love the Lord" (Deut. xi. 13). It may be inferred from the words, "And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (ibid. vi. 5), what stress is laid on this commandment to love God. We have already shown in the Mishne-torah (Yes. ha-torah ii. 2) that this love is only possible when we comprehend the real nature of things, and understand the divine wisdom displayed therein.

Knowing the world we live in is a component of the Mitzvah to love God. We can only love someone we know. We have to know God’s world and love Him through that knowledge which will compel us to act in concert with that love, emulating Him.

Shabbat Shalom.

14 comments:

  1. It is difficult for me to understand what you are saying.You write "We can only love someone we know." Since we cannot know God directly by experiencing his presence and being,at least not on this blog, I assume you are talking about knowing God through knowing the nature of the world. So suppose I spend my life studying chemistry or masterial science or zoology. Hw do any of these sciences enable me to know anything about him, or to love him or emulate him.What metaphysical insights do I pick up with this extra scientific knowledge? Second ,are there any constraints to this knowledge of the world. The lawn in front of my house has a definite number of blades of grass. Suppose I made it my life's work to arrive at the correct number, and eventually I succeed. Isn't acquiring this knowledge totally dumb?

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  2. >So suppose I spend my life studying chemistry or masterial science or zoology. Hw do any of these sciences enable me to know anything about him, or to love him or emulate him.

    If you stop at "how things work" without continuing to "how they came about to be to work in this way" you are only half way there.

    MN3:51:

    "My son, so long as you are engaged in studying the Mathematical Sciences and Logic, you belong to those who go round about the palace in search of the gate... When you understand Physics, you have entered the hall; and when, after completing the study of Natural Philosophy, you master Metaphysics, you have entered the innermost court, and are with the king in the same palace."

    I think that answers your next question too about counting the blades of grass. It is the reason I quoted Newton - though he had a mystical bent the fact that he questioned and went beyond the here and now to the how and why - he was a scientist who tried to enter the 'inner sanctum".

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  3. One more thing - Rambam in MN 1:34 explains that there is a sequential process of learning that one has to follow to get there. It is worthwhile to read here

    http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/gfp/gfp044.htm

    EJ - I know you have a hard time with this approach but I believe it is the only one that makes sense for an intelligent truth seeking Jew that cannot accept fantasies as an explanation for our existence. Unfortunately, this approach has been rejected by the mainstream yeshivot and is the cause for this schizophrenic state we are in where we are expected to be logical and rational in our daily life and superstitious and naive in our inner life.

    You are so logical and well read - don't you find that difficult to swallow?

    I guess you do otherwise you would not be reading my musings! :-)

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  4. So the seder according to the MN is... "Consequently he who wishes to attain to human perfection, must therefore first study Logic, next the various branches of Mathematics in their proper order, then Physics, and lastly Metaphysics." Again I simply want to make the idea concrete. If by logic etc, the Rambam means of HIS day, halbe tzurus as they say. But most of those doctrines are either woefully inadequate(logic) or out and out false(physics, metaphysics). So why are they necessary? If it is the logic etc. of our day, a lifetime is too short to get to the end of mathematical logic, which has now branched out into a half dozen major subfields. As for mathematics ...just stop and think ...there are 10,000 new theorems proven each year.There is no end. So when has one learnt enough? And finally exactly where do I go to study metaphysics...the rishonim, Aristotle, contemporary analytic philosophy?And what counts as adequate knowledge?

    Looking back from our knowledge base of today, we can now see there never has been a single person who has known half the totality of all there is to know in these disciplines.I would think if you are offering an alternative curriculum to standard fare promoted in yeshivot,(shas, poskim, musar) it really has to have some operational punch.

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  5. Ej

    I often wondered about that. I think that we need to know the fundamentals enough to be able to understand the questions and develop concepts of how things work. i am no physicist but i try to understand the concepts od quantum physics even read up a little on string theory. the same with biology and genetics. It us that way that we can get a glimpse of the maginificence of the universe and start contemplating about the Creator behind it.


    We try to make sense where our place is in that great endeavor and do what is asked of us. We small people are happy if we can do some good close to us - Chesed mishpat Utzedakah baaretz.

    Rambam worked with the science he had, we have to with ours and next generations will with theirs.

    I will talk more about this as we move alnog.

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  6. Ej

    there is another aspect to this which I havwe not emphasised - There are multiple level searches for god and the right thing to do as humans. there is theindividual but there also is humaity as a whole trying to understand its existence and discovering its Maker. we have come a long way and there is more to go probably eternally!

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  7. I have no opinion on how to translate the Rambam's requirements given today's knowledge, so I accept your idea of reading a little on quantum mechanics and string theory. I note that mathematics, logic and metaphysics have dropped out of your version. In addition the Rambam's warning that the "the most famous in science, are afflicted with this failing, viz., that of hurrying at once to the final results, and of speaking about them, without treating of the preliminary disciplines" no longer makes much sense if all we require is some general idea of the state of physics and biology.

    What I still don't fathom is why I must have some idea of quantum mechanics to know the taamei hamitzvot. Are you about to offer a retail justification, in which case comparative Semitics, Assyriology, history of Greece and Rome, anthropology and other such subjects seem more relevant to understanding molech, sotah, temple cults and rituals etc. If you do not intend to stoop to the level of one mitzvah at a time, but will offer a wholesale justification of the set of 613 mitvoth I still don't know why I need string theory. Just very basic astronomy, 'billions and billions' of stars and galaxies as Carl Sagan used to say, should do the trick to show us our place in the universe.

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  8. I am on my way to the airport so i will respond from the road when i get where I am going and get my computer functional. But yes I will try to address mitzvot in a detailed fashion and I will try to satisfy your question about science. I will deal with idolatry first though.

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  9. EJ -

    Finally have a few minutes. You have to look at all this from several perspectives. First there is the individual whose understanding as far as he can and his correct attitude towards the world and science and his quest for God is one aspect. Then there are the jewish people who hopefully have a greater grouping than others of such like minded thinkers and then you have the rest of humanity that is influenced by them. The goal is to create a nation that will lead the world in searching for understanding their existence through scientific and logical investigation as opposed to the superstitious nonsense that is the underlying thinkng of idolatry. You will see that rambam understands Torah of doing that by combating idolatry. It encourages and teaches how to think about reality so that humanity as a whole will advance in undrerstanding the world we live in, our existence and God's place in it. It will also play its role that was set for it when creation occurred as part of the whole.

    So yes "lo aleicha Hamelacha ligmor" takes on a different dimension because it is a multi generational universal human quest.

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  10. I did not answer your qusetion re ta'amei hamitzvot. Mitzvot lead to correct opinions that lead to studying the world in a way that we can discover quantum mechanics. It was not understood in the far east where idolatry was regnant but in the west when religion finally started to shed and overcome the superstitious (idolatrous) misdirected understanding of it during the early middle ages. Unfortunately for whatever reason Judaism has regressed into a sort of spiritual / superstituous mode again and hopefully will redress itself and return to the path of a light to the nations.

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  11. You say "Mitzvot lead to correct opinions that lead to studying the world in a way that we can discover quantum mechanics."
    So the seder is 1) We do mitzvot. Many possible collections of mitzvot will do, but we have our mesora, so might as well keep ours.2) We or the societies that are derivatives of Judaism end up thinking clearly, and this enables these societies to do science.3) When we progress in science we get a truer and more objective idea of the works of God, and thus we can contemplate his greatness. (?)

    5 objections...1) The Jews who didn't keep mitzvot made almost all of the contributions of Jews to science. It seems not performing mitzvot leads to clear thinking.2) I don't think the Chinese or Japanese worship idols. Taoism and Buddhism are not polytheistic religion.3) The Greeks who were classic pagans were far superior scientists than the Israelites or Jews. 4) There is plenty of magical and anthropomorphic thinking involved in mitzvot, mezuzah, korbonot(reiach nichoach), soteh,shor lazazel... So why should these mitzvot be more apt to lead to clear thinking than the same set minus the problematic mitzvot. 5) Protestant Christianity because of the influence of Paul stressed salvation by faith and inwardness. They have made equally significant contributions to science.

    I think you are headed toward a wholesale justification of mitzvot, with a twist on Leibowitz. He stresses the value of heteronomy for moral character, while you stress the value of heteronomy for clear thinking. Am I reading you correctly?

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  12. >The Jews who didn't keep mitzvot made almost all of the contributions of Jews to science. It seems not performing mitzvot leads to clear thinking

    True but it is the background of Judaism and its attack on superstition that brought the secular world that they operated within and allowed for their insights.(It would not appear so from the way it is practiced nowadays in the OJ community but Rambam's and his school of followers way of thinking has had much more influence then it would appear at first blush).

    >2) I don't think the Chinese or Japanese worship idols. Taoism and Buddhism are not polytheistic religion.

    I dont know much about those religions but gravity, evolution and relativity were understood in the west where judaism was the underlying system and not in the far east.

    3) The Greeks who were classic pagans were far superior scientists than the Israelites or Jews.

    It is when Greek thinking was superseded that real scientific advances were made. ( Interestingly Rambam believed that all Greek knowledge came from the Jews before they went off the derech into misunderstanding their religion! of course there is no factual support for this but you see where he is coming from!)

    There is plenty of magical and anthropomorphic thinking involved in mitzvot, mezuzah, korbonot(reiach nichoach), soteh,shor lazazel... So why should these mitzvot be more apt to lead to clear thinking than the same set minus the problematic mitzvot.

    They are seen that way by some because that is how they are attractive to the beginner. once you get into it if you are a thinker, you will realize that it is only how they are seen by some. in reality they are just the opposite. I will address hopefully all of these as i go along learning this subject.

    5) Protestant Christianity because of the influence of Paul stressed salvation by faith and inwardness. They have made equally significant contributions to science.


    I am not sure what you mean by this. Of course Christianity is a deviation on the way to correct thought but it is definitely better than the old idolatries. In fact it is only when the church overcame the objection to science and left superstition and spirituality to the inner world of their adherents (schizophrenia?) that the advances were made.

    In short it is not a straight route. Think about this week's Velo Nacham Elokim Derech....

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  13. Muslims have the purist conception of monotheism of all the major religions and have contributed zilch to modern science...Newton, Leibnitz, Spinoza, and the Renaissance before them were influenced by kabbalah and not the philosophy of the Kallam...Mythology, religious icons, and anthropomorphic conceptions of heaven stimulate the artistic imagination and the scientific creativity that follows. It's opposite stimulates neither the arts nor the sciences, and not surprisingly Islam and Jews who follow the rationalist tradition have made minimal contributions to the arts...The Hebrew Bible was not read during the Hellenistic period by Christians in this abstract way. They read Torah against the background of mythic paganism. So even if Judaism gave birth to Christianity, which gave birth to modern science, it wasn't the rationalism of the Rambam or Aquinas that was involved. To give the Rambam credit for the development of modern science is a bit much.

    I’m done, at least until your next post. LOL

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  14. Now you know why there is no machlokes in a metziut - it can go on ad infinitum LOL

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