Why is the Study of Myths Forbidden?

In Devarim 4:19 we read:

וּפֶן-תִּשָּׂא עֵינֶיךָ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה,

וְרָאִיתָ אֶת-הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶת-הַיָּרֵחַ וְאֶת-הַכּוֹכָבִים כֹּל צְבָא

הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְנִדַּחְתָּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לָהֶם, וַעֲבַדְתָּם--אֲשֶׁר

חָלַק יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אֹתָם, לְכֹל הָעַמִּים, תַּחַת

כָּל-הַשָּׁמָיִם

And lest you raise your eyes to the heavens, and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and you be led astray and bow down to them, and worship them, for the LORD your God has allotted them unto all the peoples under the heavens.

One way of reading this text is that the arrays of the heavens have powers that have been allocated for the other nations of the world while the Jewish people may not avail themselves of these same powers. The implication is that there is such a thing as astrology, the science of the spiritual powers of the stars, but it is forbidden for Jews to turn to it. Other peoples however may and should. In fact, that is how Ramban explains the verse in several places in his Pirush on the Torah. (Devarim 4:15, Vaykra 18:25 and more). This is consistent with his understanding that repetitiveness in nature and the physical sciences that try to explain it are false and an illusion. In reality, spiritual forces run the world, and God chose the Jewish people and the Land of Israel to be led and controlled directly by Him. Chance is when the spirits rule while reward and punishment is when we are under the sway of God, the Just. It is this fact, the difference of how Jews and the rest of the world are ruled, that proves the existence of God, His omniscience, His omnipotence and that He is the Creator.

Rambam on the other hand reads it very differently. He too discusses this verse in several places in his writings. I will analyze each and discuss them in this and the next few posts.

The earliest mention is in Sefer Hamitzvot Negative Commandment 10.

“It is forbidden to follow Avodah Zara and be involved in its matters. I mean by that, learning and repeating the foolishness and nonsense that its founders claim. They say that a specific “spirit” can be accessed in such and such a way, it will then do x; if one brings x offering to a specific star and stands in front of it in a certain way, it will do y. So too [are forbidden] other similar things. Thinking about these things and learning these fantasies entice the fool to follow and worship them. The verse that warns against this is “do not turn to the idols” (Vaykra 19:4) … He [God in the Torah] also said on the subject “and lest you raise your eyes to the heavens, and see the sun and the moon…” He [obviously] did not prohibit one raising the head to observe them visually but rather forbade contemplating in the mind the powers their worshippers attribute to them…”

This prohibition includes studying the powers attributed to the stars by idol worshippers. The anthropological study even for the sake of historical knowledge is forbidden. Interest in idol worship even as a curiosity is forbidden because it attracts. Spiritualism is a very attractive theory and it talks to many people. I remember about fifteen years ago reading and watching videos of Joseph Campbell and noticing how he fell in love with the idolatrous ideas of the ancient cultures, he wrote so much about. In one of his books or videos, I cannot remember which, he attacks Judaism for destroying and eradicating such beautiful ideas while praising Christianity for bringing it back into civilization. As an aside, this comment confirmed to me Rambam’s position that Christianity IS idolatry as opposed to the Ba’alei Hatosafot who held otherwise.

It is the study of idolatry for knowledge’s sake that is forbidden and not the utilitarian study. Sanhedrin had to learn about it enough to identify it (Hil Sanhedrin 2:1). Rambam boasts that he read all available books on the subject because it helped him understand the reason for many Mitzvot. However just interest for knowledge sake is forbidden because it is too enticing.

I also think that there is more to it. Rambam understands that even the suggestion that the cosmos is controlled by “spirits” and therefore these spirits have an impact on how things are in our world is forbidden. It is nonsense and lies and whoever believes that is a fool. When we try to understand how the cosmos works, we can explain it as a physical phenomenon or as a spiritual one. Starting from a standpoint that there is no such thing as “spiritual” or non-physical powers, one is forced to look for explanations that can be proven empirically. It is the belief in “spirituality” which is the greatest obstacle in the scientific understanding of our world. It is much easier to explain things by attributing phenomena to “spiritual” powers. It closes off avenues of inquiry and dulls the mind satisfying curiosity with nonsense. One has to have a strongly developed critical mind to overcome this stultifying way of thinking. It is this critical thinking that brought us Galileo, Copernicus, Newton et al… who explained the cosmos in physical terms which eventually were empirically proven as true. Although not completely weaned from spiritualism, as we know Newton believed in the existence of non-physical powers, their ability to overcome and question the accepted wisdom, their curiosity not satisfied with the explanation proffered by the “spiritual” centered science of their time, that allowed these great scientist to bring humanity forward and out of the dark ages. How much farther would science be if the millennia of “spirituality” as science never were? The Torah and its Mitzvot being a tool to teach and lead man towards seeking Truth, therefore has as its central theme the eradication of idolatry. It is why the Torah prohibits even the study of these myths lest they entice someone to even contemplate the possibility that they have any validity.

Rambam understands that clearly and teaches that “spirituality” is false. The supposed proofs that it exists are illusions and lies. Science still has a way to go to explain that which is not yet understood but “spirituality” is not an option. Ramban on the other hand cannot overcome the knowledge and science of his time. He therefore cannot reconcile reality with Rambam’s outlook. He is forced into interpreting the texts so that they conform to his understanding of reality and science. Thus, we have the two opposite readings of the verse with which we started this post.

Rambam expands further on this verse in Hilchot Avodah Zara Chapter 2 with much more elaboration addressing the text itself and its reference to the other nations. I will analyze it in my next post and flesh it out further.

Important Note:

A commenter on an earlier blog understood that I was saying that there are no natural phenomena as such according to Ramban. That is incorrect. Ramban in his commentary on the Torah clearly describes Creation and the coming into being of the components of the universe. He explains that certain of these components have to be combined to generate a phenomenon. There is no question that a rainbow is the result of sunrays shining through a cloud at a certain angle. (See commentary on Breishit 9:12). The issue is why is there a cloud in this position? If it is the result of the seawater being heated up and pushed by winds to this spot at this exact time, is it because another natural cause, causes ad infinitum, that brought this about randomly? Or is it because somewhere along this chain of cause and effect, some non-physical power stepped in and precipitated that chain and started it so that the rainbow should appear at the exact moment it did? While Rambam would see it as the chain of cause and effect started at creation and left to its natural progression Ramban would see it as the result of something started by a spiritual power with the specific objective of this happening. It is how we understand the interactions and the results we see, that is at the core of the arguments of these two thinkers.

The US Holocaust Museum -

I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington this Sunday. As I was watching the terrible newsreels showing the Allied armies entering the death camps, I kept on flashing the verse in Yirmyahu 9:21 –

דַּבֵּר, כֹּה נְאֻם-יְהוָה, וְנָפְלָה נִבְלַת

הָאָדָם, כְּדֹמֶן עַל-פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה; וּכְעָמִיר מֵאַחֲרֵי הַקֹּצֵר

וְאֵין מְאַסֵּף

21 Speak: Thus says the LORD--And the carcasses of men fall as dung upon the open field, and as sheaves behind the reaper, with none to pick them up.'

Don't miss the last exhibit, the approximately 90 minute video of the few survivors relating their testimony.

An emotionally harrowing six hours!

Deal Softly with the Community! A Commentary on Current Practice.

Here is a responsa from Rabbi Shimon ben Tzemach Duran (Born 1361) who was Rav in Algiers written to the community of Tenes. Ténès (orتنس in Arabic) is an Algerian seaside resort located about 200 kilometers west of the capital Algiers. (Wikipedia).

שו"ת תשב"ץ חלק ג סימן צח

וענין יציאת בחורי חמד בשעת ס"ת וכמעט שאני אומר שעליהם נאמר ועוזבי ה' יכלו ומתרגמינן ודשבק אורייתא דיי' ישתצון ואע"פ שהתלמוד (ברכו' ח' ע"א) לא אסר אלא באמצע הפסוק והתירו בין גברא לגברא והית' השאל' בין פסוקא לפסוקא זה כשאירע הדבר באקראי בעלמא אבל כשעושין זה תדיר נראה פירוק עול תורה ואם יוצאים בהפטרה ואינם חוזרים לתפל' מוסף ראוי לצבור לגדור זה בקנס לשמן למאור. והזהרו מלהטיל חרם כי לא ישמעו ולא ימנעו עצמם מפני זה ויבואו להקל בחרמים כשהם על דבר חמור כמסירה ועריות וחלול שבת והנהג הצבור בנחת ושלום לכם:

The issue of the fine (sic) young men who leave shul in the midst of Kryat Hatorah I suggest that the verse “those who leave God will be destroyed” (Yeshayahu 1:28) applies to them based on the Targum that translates those who leave the Torah [in place of God as in the original] will be destroyed. Although the Gemara in Berachot only forbids walking out in the middle of a verse and permitted it when between two Alyot and leaves it open [whether it is forbidden] to walk out between verses [but does not seem to forbid walking out before or after the start of the reading]. That is only when it is not done regularly, however, when it becomes a steady practice it gives the appearance of a rejection of the yoke of Torah. Therefore if they walk out [even - D.G.) during the Haftorah and do not return for Mussaf, it is proper for the community to stop this by imposing a fine that goes towards subsidizing lighting for the shul. However, be careful and do not put them in cherem [cherem (excommunication) used to be a very common and effective enforcement tool in those times] for they will ignore you and not be stopped. This will bring about that people will make light of Charamim even when they are on a more stringent matter, like Mesira [snitching to the authorities], sexual misbehavior and desecration of the Shabbat. Deal softly with the community. Peace be unto you.

Some things never change. Note however, how a Posek takes into consideration that misusing Cherem takes its bite away and authority is weakened rather then strengthened.

I wish our “Gedolim” took note.

What is Nature? Rambam and Ramban - Two Conflicting Tradition Based Opinions.

I have presented so far Rambam’s approach that the goal of Torah and Mitzvot is to create a perfected human being, knowledgeable in all the sciences, a truth seeker, who in his search for the ultimate truth – God – understands his role in existence. Acceptance of magic or the supernatural in general is therefore detrimental and deflects man from understanding reality. Idolatry on the other hand is based on just that, the supernatural powers, the “spiritual” forces that supposedly permeate the universe and are the real movers and shakers. That is why the eradication of idolatry and the underlying belief in the supernatural is at the center of many Mitzvot. (In an article in the upcoming Hakirah, which is in distribution right now, I discuss this in great detail.)

That position however is not universal among the great Jewish thinkers. Ramban is the most eloquent presenter of a completely opposing view. To him the supernatural IS reality. There is no real science. It is all an illusion. God has transferred the day-to-day running of the universe to the “spiritual” powers. If one wants to understand how things work, understanding how these powers work and what makes them tick, is the key. Science in the sense that we understand it, the unchanging laws that underlie observable phenomena, is nothing more than an illusion. In reality, the “spirits” control everything and it is their modus operandi to let things follow a pattern most of the time. They can however change things on a whim. One can therefore not find God through understanding science. On the contrary, science leads one away from God.

I believe that this point about Ramban’s understanding of nature was missed by Professor David Berger in his oft-quoted article, Miracles and the Natural Order in Nahmanides available at http://www.zootorah.com/books/MiraclesNahmanides.pdf . Professor Berger shows that Ramban’s miracles are reserved for the very wicked and the righteous while the rest are under the “natural order” of things. I agree with Prof Berger on that point. However, the “natural order” of things according to Ramban is not science but the supernatural. There is really no continuity and repetitiveness in nature just a constant directive from God when dealing with the Jewish people in the land of Israel, or through His messengers, the supernatural powers, for the rest of the world.

Ramban based his understanding on the reality of the scientific knowledge of his time. After so many millennia, humankind could still not explain coherently the mysterious phenomena they observed. Medicine, chemistry (alchemy as it was known in those days), physics were all full of unanswered questions and the only conclusion was that the patterns were illusions. There was always a power behind all these occurrences that caused these things to occur, sometimes intervening, at others letting things run on their own. It is the existence of these supernatural powers that make it obvious that there is a God that rules over all of them. There is no need to prove the existence of God. It is an observable phenomenon that all that can see must admit to. How else do we explain whimsical nature?

The implications of this understanding are enormous. Mitzvot have an intrinsic value. They are the secrets that God gave us through revelation, that somehow affect how God reacts to us. If we do a Mitzvah, we trigger a spiritual avalanche of good which makes sure we are not harmed by natural (other spiritual) forces. If we do not, negative things are triggered. There is really no need to look for explanations about Mitzvot other than that they have secret powers to affect our lives. Magic exists and is real; in fact, it is reality itself. It is however forbidden for a Jew to avail himself of it. It is left for the other nations of the world while Jews must ignore it and rely on God. Prophets are surrogate magicians and fortunetellers. Magicians have power too but the prophet is more powerful because he is directly under God’s sway while the magicians are ruled by His proxies.

The point I am trying to make is that the two positions are radically different. We have to always keep that in mind when we read and analyze different opinions on the subject of reward and punishment, miracles, providence and Ta’amei Hamitzvot for example. We have to determine to what school the author belongs. Attempts at conflating the two positions have fallen flat and are lame. It is only by keeping in mind the vast chasm between the two opinions that we will be able to properly understand and assess the different positions that result from each of them.

There is another important point that has to be made. These two schools go back in time and the Rabbis of the Mishna and Gemara too had different opinions about this issue. That is why we find texts that seem to support one or the other. Before we use a text to attack either one of the two opinions, we must ascertain to which school the text belongs. Of course, within the two schools of opinion, there are many variations. However, it is important to figure out each variant, on which concept of nature it is based. That is the only way to make sense of the various positions.

Hakirah Volume 6 Has Arrived.

Hakirah Volume 6 has just arrived back from the printer. It should be reaching subscribers in the next week or so. Here is the Editor’s introduction that describes the articles in this issue.

In this edition of Ḥakirah, which is being released in time for Ḥag ha- Shavu’ot, Zeman Matan Torahteinu, our focus is on learning Torah. We are asked to look at our yeshivot and determine whether Torah is being taught as Ḥazal had intended. We look at our own method of Torah study and ask whether we comprehend what Ḥazal are telling us. As in previous editions, we look at some of our assumptions and ask whether they are correct. We look at some of our minhagim and ask whether they accord with halakhah.

In our Talmud Torah section one article bemoans the disconnect between the laws of the Torah that are taught and the application of Torah principles to the students’ daily lives. A call is made for actively teaching middot, character development, in our schools. The other article in this section explains that the rabbinic takanah in the year 64 CE “transferred responsibility for both the running and the financing of elementary school education for boys from the household to the community. Yehoshua b. Gamla’s vision was therefore for the community to set standards for Torah elementary schools and to enforce those standards.” The author calls for reviving this vision of Ḥazal.

A special section on Midrash deals with how differently aggadot Ḥazal have been understood throughout the ages. By studying several midrashim dealing with the messianic age, the first essay demonstrates “how vast are the differences between the traditionalist and rationalist schools of thought within Judaism” and notes that both schools “are rooted in hundreds of years of interpretation.” A second essay goes back to the ḥerem of 1305, in which Rashba outlawed what he considered overly-rationalistic interpretation of aggadot, and the author attributes present-day misinterpretations both in halakhah and hashkafa to the aftermath of this ban.

Under Jewish Thought two articles aim to overturn misconceptions widely held in our community. A review essay exposes the fallacy of the myth that the Haskalah was the cause of the trend to assimilation in pre-war Europe. It began rather as an attempt to confront the challenges of modernity and Moshe Mendelssohn, who is often considered (somewhat inaccurately) the father of this movement, was committed to halakhah and elevating the esteem of the Torah. “Avodah Zarah as Falsehood—Denial of Reality and Rejection of Science,” expounds upon Rambam’s teaching that the fundamental purpose for the mitzvot of the Torah, is the uprooting of avodah zarah. To justify Rambam’s principle, the author explains the underlying drive of avodah zarah, and demonstrates that its pull remains powerful in modern times and goes hand in hand with the rejection of science.

The value of science and mathematics in understanding Torah and in practicing its mitzvot is made clear in three other articles. In the Jewish Law section the article on “Bircas HaChama” demonstrates that Shmuel’s astronomical calculations are not in error for the purposes he intended them (as is generally assumed by the scientific world), but that subsequent applications of his solar model by later halakhic authorities to different issues, resulted in some current practices that are demonstrably inconsistent with reality.

In an essay in the Jewish Thought section, a psychiatrist points to some of the insights of several famous Ḥassidic rebbes, and notes that their methods are similar to what modern psychology has come to use to uplift the human spirit. A final English article is a Book Review, Overcoming Infertility: A Guide for Jewish Couples, which demonstrates how modern technology is aiding Jewish couples in the fulfillment of the mitzvah of פרו ורבו.

The two Hebrew articles deal with the origins of minhagim. In one, the author demonstrates that while many customs exist for calling out the time of the molad, none actually record the time properly. In the other article the author gives insight into our choice of the haftorot read in the weeks before Tishah B’Av, where it seems that a midrashic source has been given precedence over the Talmud.

Contributors (in order of articles) are:
Aharon Hersh Fried
Aaron Levine
Heshey Zelcer
David Guttmann
Ronald Pies
Sheldon Epstein, Bernard Dickman and Yonah Wilamowsky
Natan Slifkin
Asher Benzion Buchman
Gideon Weitzman
Yaakov Levinger
Nosson Dovid Rabinowitz

For a listing of the articles and the first two pages of each, go to http://hakirah.org/CurrentIssue.htm .

Who Needs Doctors?

In this week’s Parsha, Bechukotai, Ramban (Vaykra 26:11) discusses the blessings that the Torah promises to those who follow its ways. He then touches upon the issue of using doctors to heal us.

רמב"ן ויקרא פרק כו

והכלל כי בהיות ישראל שלמים והם רבים, לא יתנהג ענינם בטבע כלל, לא בגופם, ולא בארצם, לא בכללם, ולא ביחיד מהם, כי יברך השם לחמם ומימם, ויסיר מחלה מקרבם, עד שלא יצטרכו לרופא ולהשתמר בדרך מדרכי הרפואות כלל, כמו שאמר (שמות טו כו) כי אני ה' רופאך. וכן היו הצדיקים עושים בזמן הנבואה, גם כי יקרם עון שיחלו לא ידרשו ברופאים רק בנביאים, כענין חזקיהו בחלותו (מ"ב כ ב ג:

Generally, when the majority of the Jews are perfect, they are not under the sway of natural laws, neither as to their body nor as to their land, neither as individuals nor as a group. For God will bless their bread and water, thereby removing illnesses from among them to the point they will never need doctors or their medicines as it says “for I God am your healer”. That is how the righteous behaved at the time of prophecy, they sought out prophets rather than doctors as Chizkyahu did when they became sick because of a particular transgression.

Ramban had explained earlier that sicknesses result when the land is cursed producing fruits that cause sickness while when God blesses it, the food itself is medicinal. Thus if a majority of the people are righteous the produce of the land is blessed and sickness is eliminated. Ramban is consistent with his understanding that science is an illusion. Observable phenomena are a result of, either the indirect control of God via spirits or other such supernatural powers, or, as in the case of the Jews in their land, God’s direct intervention. He then makes a famous statement:

ומה חלק לרופאים בבית עושי רצון השם

What place do doctors have in the house of those who fulfill God’s will?

אבל ברצות השם דרכי איש אין לו עסק ברופאים

When God approves of a man’s ways, doctors have no place with him.

In general, Ramban sees the use of medicine as a concession and a human weakness. Righteous people would never avail themselves of doctors nor would they need to.

In Massechet Pessachim, the Mishna says that Chizkyahu destroyed the Book of Healings. Rambam proposes two possibilities as the reason. Either the book contained magical potions which are nonsensical harming people who used them instead of good medicine. Another possibility is that it contained poisons that people used to harm others. It is because of one of these reasons that Chizkyahu decided to destroy it. Rambam is not satisfied and continues:

פירוש המשנה לרמב"ם מסכת פסחים פרק ד

ולא הארכתי לדבר בענין זה אלא מפני ששמעתי וגם פירשו לי ששלמה חבר ספר רפואות שאם חלה אדם באיזו מחלה שהיא פנה אליו ועשה כמו שהוא אומר ומתרפא, וראה חזקיה שלא היו בני אדם בוטחים בה' במחלותיהם אלא על ספר הרפואות, עמד וגנזו. ומלבד אפסות דבר זה ומה שיש בו מן ההזיות, הנה ייחסו לחזקיה ולסיעתו שהודו לו סכלות שאין ליחס דוגמתה אלא לגרועים שבהמון. ולפי דמיונם המשובש והמטופש אם רעב אדם ופנה אל הלחם ואכלו שמתרפא מאותו הצער הגדול בלי ספק, האם נאמר שהסיר בטחונו מה', והוי שוטים יאמר להם, כי כמו שאני מודה לה' בעת האוכל שהמציא לי דבר להסיר רעבוני ולהחיותני ולקיימני, כך נודה לו על שהמציא רפואה המרפאה את מחלתי כשאשתמש בה. ולא הייתי צריך לסתור פירוש זה הגרוע לולי פרסומו.

I talk about this at length because I heard and was also told that Shlomo composed this book of healing to be used by sick people. It was a very effective medical treatise and worked as predicted. Any sick person that turned to it and followed its instructions was healed. As Chizkyahu realized that instead of turning to God when sick, they used the medicines recommended in the book to heal themselves, he decided to destroy it. Besides this making no sense and being a fantasy too, they also accuse Chizkyahu and his group of perpetrating a stupidity that one would not expect from the lowest among the masses. According to their idiotic and erroneous imagination, a hungry person that eats bread, relieving his great pain, demonstrates that he does not rely on God? O fools that they are! The same way I thank God when I eat for having provided me things that alleviate my hunger and thus sustain me, so too do I thank Him for having provided me with the cure to my illness that is available for my use. It should not have been necessary for me to negate this explanation if not for the fact that it is so widespread!

The contrast between Ramban and Rambam’s understanding is jarring. As we saw to Rambam, understanding the sciences is the way to finding God. It shows His greatness and omniscience. Ramban on the other hand sees science as deflecting from God. The repetitiveness of what we consider to be natural law is an illusion. If we look carefully, we will see that there are powers that influence things at whim. While all the other nations are under the auspices of the stars and the spirits, we, the Jewish people, when in our land, are under the direct control of God. If we follow His laws, nothing bad can happen to us. That obviously miraculous providence is the greatest proof for the existence of God, the Creator.

The implications of these two world views are immense and affect how we are to understand providence, reward and punishment, prayer and generally, what the meaning of Mitzvot is.

Ethan Dor - Shav on Iyov in Azure.

I just read this fabulous article on Iyov. My subscription was worth it if only for this. Highly recommended and worth the time. Don't miss the notes. Fabulous.


http://azure.org.il/magazine/magazine.asp?id=423

Love and Knowledge of God - The Elusive Search and its Significance.

The general object of the Law is twofold: the well-being of the soul, and the well-being of the body. The well-being of the soul is promoted by correct opinions communicated to the people according to their capacity. Some of these opinions are therefore imparted in a plain form, others allegorically, because certain opinions are in their plain form too strong for the capacity of the common people…. Of these two objects, the one, the well-being of the soul, or the communication of correct opinions, comes undoubtedly first in rank, but the other, the well-being of the body, the government of the state, and the establishment of the best possible relations among men, is anterior in nature and time. (MN 3:27)

Thus according to Rambam the goal of all Mitzvot is to develop correct opinions about God, opinions that are presented in the Torah in a general macro form and allegorically. A deeper understanding of their meaning is seen as a goal for individuals to develop according to their capability. As long as the understanding developed meets the general criteria laid out by the Torah and Halacha, it is acceptable. There are therefore as many different understandings as there are people.

When I say that it must meet a general criterion, I had in mind the following Rambam statement –

For in the same way as all people must be informed and even children must be trained in the belief that God is One, and that none besides Him is to be worshiped. So must all be taught by simple authority that God is incorporeal; that there is no similarity in any way whatsoever between Him and His creatures: that His existence is not like the existence of His creatures, His life not like that of any living being, His wisdom not like the wisdom of the wisest of men. And that the difference between Him and His creatures is not merely quantitative, but absolute [as between two individuals of two different classes]. I mean to say that all must understand that our wisdom and His or our power and His do not differ quantitatively or qualitatively, or in a similar manner. For two things, of which the one is strong and the other weak, are necessarily similar, belong to the same class, and can be included in one definition. The same is the case with other comparisons: they can only be made between two things belonging to the same class, as has been shown in works on Natural Science. Anything predicated of God is totally different from our attributes; no definition can comprehend both; therefore His existence and that of any other being totally differ from each other, and the term existence is applied to both as homonyms, as I shall explain. This suffices for the guidance of children and of ordinary persons who must believe that there is a Being existing, perfect, incorporeal, not inherent in a body as a force in it-God, who is above all kinds of deficiency, above affections. (MN1:35)

Reading this carefully there is only one positive belief required – the existence of a perfect unique Being – all the other required beliefs are what God is not. This is quite significant as I have discussed many times – God’s essence - a positive description - is by definition false. Thus, ultimately God cannot be understood other than inductively. His true essence can never be grasped.

Do not imagine that these most difficult problems can be thoroughly understood by any one of us. This is not the case. At times, the truth shines so brilliantly that we perceive it as clear as day. Our nature and habit then draw a veil over our perception, and we return to darkness almost as dense as before. We are like those who, though beholding frequent flashes of lightning, still find themselves in the thickest darkness of the night. On some, the lightning flashes in rapid succession, and they seem to be in continuous light, and their night is as clear as the day. This was the degree of prophetic excellence attained by (Moses) the greatest of prophets, to whom God said, "But as for thee, stand thou here by Me" (Deut. v. 31), and of whom it is written, "The skin of his face shone," etc. (Exod. xxxiv. 29). [Some perceive the prophetic flash at long intervals; this is the degree of most prophets.] By others only once during the whole night is a flash of lightning perceived. This is the case with those of whom we are informed, "They prophesied, and did not prophesy again" (Num. xi. 25). There are some to whom the flashes of lightning appear with varying intervals. Others are in the condition of men, whose darkness is illumined not by lightning, but by some kind of crystal or similar stone, or other substances that possess the property of shining during the night. To them even this small amount of light is not continuous, but now it shines and now it vanishes, as if it were "the flame of the rotating sword." (MN Introduction)

Even the little we do grasp during our search may be fleeting. We understand things for an instant but the insight disappears in a flash. How much less can we understand what someone else conceived in his mind and how impossible is it to transmit these ideas from person to person? How careful must we be before we judge another’s opinion, assuming we did really grasp its full intent?

This search for God is not an a priori process where we start from a tabula rasa position, develop concepts and prove them to be true like in any scientific enterprise. As we are dealing with non empirical data, just inductive possibilities, we start with a set of beliefs that have been developed traditionally and transmitted from generation to generation all the way back to Sinai and Avraham before that. It is a multi generational and cumulative effort that humankind, has undertaken when Avraham Avinu decided to question the idolatrous ideas of his time. Our ancestors however understood that this kind of apprehension is very personal and individualized. However, they imparted to us broad outlines based on their personal investigation which was aided by prophecy – revelation - with the admonition to continue the search and develop these ideas further, adapting to the changing scientific knowledge as it developed. Of course, the most important teaching is truth. Truth is at the core of this whole system. Therefore, it is not enough to just say and accept these dogmas but they have to be researched and understood as far as each one of us can so long as we keep truth at the forefront.

The goal and end result of this whole search is to acquire or experience Ahavat Hashem – the Love of God.

“God declares in plain words that it is the object of all religious acts to produce in man fear of God and obedience to His word-the state of mind which we have demonstrated in this chapter for those who desire to know the truth, as being our duty to seek. … But the opinions which the Law teaches us--the knowledge of God's Existence and Unity—these opinions teach us love of God, as we have shown repeatedly. You know how frequently the Law exhorts us to love God. "And thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deut. vi. 5). The two objects, love and fear of God, are acquired by two different means. The love is the result of the opinions taught in the Law, including the true knowledge of the Existence of God; whilst fear of God is produced by the practices prescribed in the Law. Note this explanation.” (MN3:52). (I will discuss the fear component of the above statement separately).

Rambam in Mishne Torah argues for incorporeality. However being incorporeal and existing are two contradictory statements in our minds. Incorporeal “existence” must therefore be a homonym with physical “existence”. How we represent this to our minds depends on the sophistication of our understanding of physicality. It will therefore depend on each individual.

“There may thus be a man who earnestly devoted many years to the pursuit of one science, and to the true understanding of its principles, till he is fully convinced of its truths. He has obtained as the sole result of this study the conviction that a certain quality must be negated in reference to God, and the capacity of demonstrating that it is impossible to apply it to Him.” (MN1:59)

Dealing with the transcendental, we can only apprehend what God is not. His existence can only be perceived like in a fog due to the limitations of our mind.

“However great the exertion of our mind may be to comprehend the Divine Being or any of the intellects, we find a screen and partition between Him and ourselves. Thus, the prophets frequently hint at the existence of a partition between God and us. They say He is concealed from us in vapors, in darkness, in mist, or in a thick cloud: or use similar figures to express that on account of our bodies we are unable to comprehend His essence. This is the meaning of the words, "Clouds and darkness surrounds Him" (Tehilim 97:2)”. (MN3:9)

Anything non-corporeal is beyond our capacity to grasp properly. We just get a hint and a glimpse, a fleeting insight that eludes us immediately. It is therefore not transmittable and must remain personal. That is why the Torah can only set a criterion that we then have to develop. Understanding God cannot be transmitted; one can be directed to a way of thinking but the insight is personal and must remain so.

Summarizing, the goal of Torah and Mitzvot is to prepare us and put us on the path to understand our existence in God’s world and gain an understanding of God and His relationship to it, however tenuous that knowledge may be. As I have said many times, that knowledge is necessary for us to understand our role in God’s universe. To help us achieve this, the Torah sets out a list of ontological (not empirical) beliefs that we are required to prove to ourselves. The way to prove them is to make sure they do not contradict reality. Should they contradict reality, they must of course be reevaluated and reinterpreted. The correct understanding of those beliefs is therefore part of the process of searching and is particular to each individual. Not only does empirical knowledge – reality – play a role in the outcome but also so do personality, personal bias and general ways of thinking. Non-empirical concepts are by definition subjective. This is where those Mitzvot that work on our natural inclinations, come into play. Other Mitzvot keep us focused by reminding us that we are supposed to be constantly engaged in this lifelong search.

Reading the Ve’ahavta section of Shema with this in mind, it takes on a very different meaning. Love and knowledge in Rambam’s lexicon are synonyms. We thus declare daily and acknowledge that every act that we do day and night is focused toward that great search to love (know) God.

A Comment About Our Current Leadership -

I usually try to refrain from commenting on the upheavals and controversies in the community. However every so often I feel that it is impossible to hold back. Reflecting upon the pronouncements and actions of our leadership over the last few years culminating with the latest Geirut debacle, the following words of Yechezkel (34) come to mind –

א וַיְהִי דְבַר-יְהוָה, אֵלַי לֵאמֹר

. 1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

ב בֶּן-אָדָם, הִנָּבֵא עַל-רוֹעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; הִנָּבֵא

וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵיהֶם לָרֹעִים כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, הוֹי

רֹעֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ רֹעִים אוֹתָם--הֲלוֹא הַצֹּאן, יִרְעוּ

הָרֹעִים.

2 O mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, even to the shepherds: Thus said the Lord GOD: Woe unto the shepherds of Israel that have fed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the sheep?

ד אֶת-הַנַּחְלוֹת לֹא חִזַּקְתֶּם וְאֶת-הַחוֹלָה

לֹא-רִפֵּאתֶם, וְלַנִּשְׁבֶּרֶת לֹא חֲבַשְׁתֶּם, וְאֶת-הַנִּדַּחַת לֹא

הֲשֵׁבֹתֶם, וְאֶת-הָאֹבֶדֶת לֹא בִקַּשְׁתֶּם; וּבְחָזְקָה רְדִיתֶם

אֹתָם, וּבְפָרֶךְ

.

4 The weak have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought back that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force have ye ruled over them and with rigor.

ח חַי-אָנִי נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, אִם-לֹא יַעַן

הֱיוֹת-צֹאנִי לָבַז וַתִּהְיֶינָה צֹאנִי לְאָכְלָה לְכָל-חַיַּת

הַשָּׂדֶה מֵאֵין רֹעֶה, וְלֹא-דָרְשׁוּ רֹעַי, אֶת-צֹאנִי; וַיִּרְעוּ

הָרֹעִים אוֹתָם, וְאֶת-צֹאנִי לֹא רָעוּ

8 As I live, said the Lord GOD, surely forasmuch as My sheep became a prey, and My sheep became food to all the beasts of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My sheep, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not My sheep;

י כֹּה-אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה, הִנְנִי אֶל-הָרֹעִים

וְדָרַשְׁתִּי אֶת-צֹאנִי מִיָּדָם וְהִשְׁבַּתִּים מֵרְעוֹת צֹאן,

וְלֹא-יִרְעוּ עוֹד הָרֹעִים, אוֹתָם; וְהִצַּלְתִּי צֹאנִי מִפִּיהֶם,

וְלֹא-תִהְיֶיןָ לָהֶם לְאָכְלָה. }

10 Thus said the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My sheep at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the sheep; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; and I will deliver My sheep from their mouth, that they may not be food for them. {S}

טו אֲנִי אֶרְעֶה צֹאנִי וַאֲנִי אַרְבִּיצֵם, נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה.

15 I will feed My sheep, and I will cause them to lie down, said the Lord GOD.

טז אֶת-הָאֹבֶדֶת אֲבַקֵּשׁ, וְאֶת-הַנִּדַּחַת אָשִׁיב,

וְלַנִּשְׁבֶּרֶת אֶחֱבֹשׁ, וְאֶת-הַחוֹלָה אֲחַזֵּק; וְאֶת-הַשְּׁמֵנָה

וְאֶת-הַחֲזָקָה אַשְׁמִיד, אֶרְעֶנָּה בְמִשְׁפָּט.

16 I will seek that which was lost, and will bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; and the fat and the strong I will destroy, I will feed them in justice.

. כג

וַהֲקִמֹתִי עֲלֵיהֶם רֹעֶה אֶחָד, וְרָעָה אֶתְהֶן--אֵת, עַבְדִּי דָוִיד; הוּא יִרְעֶה אֹתָם, וְהוּא-יִהְיֶה לָהֶן לְרֹעֶה.

23 And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even My servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

כד

וַאֲנִי יְהוָה, אֶהְיֶה לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים, וְעַבְדִּי דָוִד, נָשִׂיא בְתוֹכָם: אֲנִי יְהוָה, דִּבַּרְתִּי.

24 And I the LORD will be their God, and My servant David prince among them; I the LORD have spoken.

Enough said.

Confronting the Text - A Catalyst for Greater Insight and Understanding.

In a comment on my last post, Y argued against my use of the verse (Shemot 24:6)

ז וַיִּקַּח סֵפֶר הַבְּרִית, וַיִּקְרָא בְּאָזְנֵי הָעָם; וַיֹּאמְרוּ, כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר יְהוָה נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע.

7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the hearing of the people; and they said: 'All that the LORD hath spoken will we do, and we will heed.'

The word Nishma could also translate “understand”. I used “we will do and understand”, in that order, as a metaphor for keeping the Mitzvot with the goal of gaining an understanding of God and our existence. I argued that the action becomes meaningful after one reaches an understanding of why we do them and whose command we follow thus searching, apprehending and finding God. The Mitzvot are a tool to be used in finding God, having no intrinsic value themselves other than being commands. Y questioned my “drash” which is really not exactly the simple meaning of the Gemara (Shabbat 88a), referred to in the comments, either. The Gemara is saying the Jews accepted the Torah blindly without knowing its content or evaluating their ability to keep it. They did not ask if it is hard or easy to follow its precepts, accepting them sight unseen. I on the other hand am intellectualizing it and saying that the Nishma is the goal of the Na’asseh, the action. I base it on Midrash Hagadol and Mechilta D’Rabbi Ishmael in Torah Shleima.

But the underlying argument with Y is very important and I believe is cause for much misunderstanding when discussions revolve around a text. Reading and understanding a text in the context it was written is very important. After all, we are dealing with God’s words and we are trying to read His mind and intentions when He dictated those words to Moshe. However when God tells Moshe

ט וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ

בְּעַב הֶעָנָן, בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמַע הָעָם בְּדַבְּרִי עִמָּךְ,

וְגַם-בְּךָ יַאֲמִינוּ לְעוֹלָם;

And the LORD said unto Moshe - 'Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe thee for ever. (Shemot 19:9)

God is saying that the Torah will be eternally relevant. It is not meant just for the generation that received it; it is meant for all Jews. Eventually its teachings will affect all humankind forever. Such a Torah must be read both textually and literally but also has to be interpreted so that it is relevant to each at the level he finds himself. Anyone reading the Torah can clearly see that it describes an evolutionary process of learning, growth and development. Early man was not as sophisticated and advanced as later man was. Even Avraham was not as advanced as Moshe – the latter knew the meaning of YHWH – negative knowledge – whilst Avraham only knew God through His actions and attributes. (For an in depth discussion of this particular issue, see my article Negative Attributes and Direct Prophesy available on the sidebar of the blog). The nation that came out of Egypt, the ex slaves, those who witnessed Sinai, were surely not as sophisticated and advanced as a contemporary Jew who is also up to date with current technology and scientific knowledge! Yet the Torah is eternal and must talk to both – the ex slave and the sophisticated scientist of the 21^st century! That is why, unlike the Mitzvot, the commandments, where the Torah is explicit and specific; the Torah is very vague when discussing theological dogma. It is cryptic and presents it in a way that it is understood differently by each individual according to his sophistication and erudition. After all, when we talk about issues relating to God we are dealing with things that pertain to a transcendental Entity that cannot be properly apprehended even by the most advanced scientific type.

“This also is the reason why "the Torah speaks the language of man," as we have explained. It is the object of the Torah to serve as a guide for the instruction of the young, of women, and of the common people. As all of them are incapable to comprehend the true sense of the words, tradition was considered sufficient to convey all truths which were to be established; and as regards ideals, only such remarks were made as would lead towards knowledge of their existence, though not to a comprehension of their true essence. When a man grows perfect, and the mysteries of the Torah are communicated to him, either by somebody else or because he discovers them himself, being led by the understanding of one part to the study of the other, he attains a rank at which he pronounces the above mentioned correct opinions to be true. In order to arrive at this conclusion he uses the veritable methods [true scientific methods] either by demonstration, where demonstration is possible, or by strong arguments, where this is possible. He will have a true notion of those things which he previously received in similes and metaphors, and he will fully understand their sense.” (MN 1:33)

Unlike the Mitzvot, the active commandments, where rules can easily be set and followed, theology is very much individualized. Broad parameters are set; “the language of man” is used; that leaves the detailed understanding to each individual to develop according to his capacity. Not only is it dependent on the individual but also on where human knowledge goes. As new and better understandings of the universe that God created become known to humankind, the understanding of God, “the mysteries of the Torah”, changes. It therefore does not make sense to insist that the Torah has to be read only in the context of the time it was given.

In a lengthy discussion about the belief in creation from nothing, (ex nihilo), Rambam takes the position that it is not empirically provable. It is a belief that we accept based on tradition. It fits better with the concept of miracles, providence and reward and punishment. It also seems to fit better in a simple reading of the Torah. As there is no empirical evidence, to the contrary there is no reason to force metaphorical readings into the text. But here is where Rambam makes one of his famous and to many, shocking statement.

“We do not reject the Eternity of the Universe, because certain passages in Scripture confirm the Creation; for such passages are not more numerous than those in which God is represented as a corporeal being. Nor are the gates of figurative interpretation shut in our faces or impossible of access to us regarding the subject of the creation of the world in time.” (MN 2:25)

Basically, the text is malleable when dealing with theology or philosophical issues that affect reality. As long as it conforms to reality, there is no reason to interpret it. However, reality supersedes the text and wins out! It is even more than that. The text that seems to contravene reality in its simple reading does so for a reason. As a person is taught about God, His transcendence and uniqueness and is then confronted with a contrary text, that confrontation brings clarity.

“That God is incorporeal, that He cannot be compared with His creatures, that He is not subject to external influence, these are things which must be explained to every one according to his capacity. They must be taught by way of tradition to children and women, to the stupid and ignorant, as they are taught that God is One, that He is eternal, and that He alone is to be worshipped. … When persons have received this doctrine, and have been trained in this belief, and are in consequence at a loss to reconcile it with the writings of the Prophets, the meaning of the latter must be made clear and explained to them. They should be elevated to the knowledge of the interpretation of these texts, and their attention should be drawn to the equivocality and figurative sense of the various terms … so that the correctness of their belief regarding the oneness of God and the affirmation of the truth of the books of the prophets should be safe. ” (MN 1:35)

In other words, the text is equivocal for a reason – it provokes thought and forces us to confront it with reality. It thus helps us clarify reality by reconciling the text with it through interpretation. Let me give a short example. When the text attributes speech to God who we know is transcendental and non-physical, we realize that it is teaching us that there is communication between the transcendental and humans. As we delve into what it means and what seems at first contradictory with our concept of a transcendental God, we develop an understanding of the prophetic capability of man. We realize that the Torah is pointing out one of the most important aspect of human thought - the interaction of the rational and imaginative faculties with intuition in a perfected human being. The ex slave who came out of Egypt could not properly absorb this lesson. To him God speaking - the experience of that great insight at Sinai - could not be assimilated properly and he immediately fell into the Golden Calf tragedy. Future generations having the opportunity to develop their thinking process, had a much more sophisticated understanding of the text that reports that experience. Rambam, the product of generations of Torah and human development of thought, took this concept to the next level of sophistication. It is incumbent on us to build on his insights and the insights humanity has developed since. Our anchor and at the same the catalyst for deeper understanding, the common thread that binds us, is the text confronting reality.

Shabbat Shalom.

Discovering Our Role - Developing an Accurate Knowledge of the Universe.

In my last post, I suggested that it is humankind’s goal to understand its purpose and role in existence and act accordingly. The answer to this question, unfortunately or maybe fortunately, was not handed to us on a platter. We are expected to figure out on our own what our role is supposed to be. How are we supposed to go about it? The obvious and only answer is to observe carefully our existence, the environment we find ourselves in, both from a macro and micro perspective, trying to read the clues as to where we belong in it and what is expected from us.

As we look at the world we live in, we see that there is a built in mechanism for survival. All the components are interdependent and function together to a fascinating degree. Biological entities depend on each other for sustenance and survival, the ecosystem is finely tuned to insure its continuity and the same applies to every other component of our world and universe. It is therefore clear that each component’s goal is to survive and at the same time ensure the survival of other components that depend on it directly or indirectly. Thus, in addition to its own survival, each component also plays a role in the survival of the whole.

However, if we look carefully we see that all these components function in a predictable and automatic mode. The lion is hungry, he preys on other animals, the sun evaporates the waters of the seas and lakes, they gather in clouds and rise to cooler air, the wind pushes them over land and the waters return to feed the living organisms on land. Tehilim Perek 104 so eloquently presents this whole picture. There is no individual thought process, ethical or moral choice or any conscious thought process in all these components except man. From a functional perspective, man is outstanding in that he thinks and may choose how to act. That capacity of thinking and choosing therefore must be an important aspect of man’s role in the survival of the universe. It is this capacity to think and act accordingly that must be the sine qua non of his existence.

That capacity to think and choose is a function that man has because of the mind he possesses, the thinking part of man. Unlike all the other components of the universe, man has the capacity for self-awareness, he can understand abstract concepts, he can grasp how things work and with all that information, he can change his environment at will. The creativity that comes with this freedom allows man to do unpredictable things, act and react to circumstances as they arise and generally take control of everything.

וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתָם, אֱלֹהִים, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם

אֱלֹהִים פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ וּמִלְאוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וְכִבְשֻׁהָ; וּרְדוּ

בִּדְגַת הַיָּם, וּבְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם, וּבְכָל-חַיָּה, הָרֹמֶשֶׂת

עַל-הָאָרֶץ.

28 And God blessed them; and God said unto them - ‘be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creeps upon the earth.'

Apparently, it is this unique capability that gives man the ability to fulfill his intended role in the whole of existence. However, because freedom of thought is an integral part of this ability, there is a risk that man will lose sight of true reality. And this is where things get complicated. The human mind is complex. It has many functions among which are imagination, intuition and rational thought. All three components are crucial to its proper functioning but they have to be kept in perfect balance for man not to go off into a world of fantasy, or miss important aspects because his imagination is too restricted. If his intuition is too suppressed his insights vanish. If it is however founded on imagination and fantasy, it has no realistic value.

Because early man could not understand the true reality of his environment, he developed an imaginary world of spirits and semi physical entities, a world of demons and angels that seemed to answer his questions about how things function. Fantasy and imagination took control of his rational capabilities. These ideas took hold and delayed human development by millennia. These ideas still exists and are with us, especially in the mindlessly “religious” societies. It certainly is quite common still in our own frum communities. It is exactly these ideas, this way of thinking that the Torah is intent on eradicating. In a discussion about the divinity of the Torah, comparing it to other man made legal systems, Rambam says:

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, in addition, tend to improve the state of the faith of man, to create first correct notions of God, and of angels, and to lead then the people, by instruction and education, to an accurate knowledge of the Universe. This education comes from God; these laws are divine. (MN 2:40)

The Torah contains no theological discussions. It however sets out sets of beliefs that it expects its followers to understand and prove their truths, each according to his capacity. The first such belief is that God exists and is the First Cause, the unique non-contingent Entity. We repeat this thrice daily when we say Shema. We are expected to understand what this means and prove it to ourselves, each according to his capabilities. It tells us that God is the ONLY transcendental entity and EVERYTHING else is physical. The Torah also teaches us that on the seventh day of creation, the day where all was put in place, God rested. From that point on, there was no more divine intervention to change things. The laws of nature took over. Any anomaly, what we would consider to be a miracle, was preset before the seventh day (see Avot Perek 5 Mishna 5). Angels are not some kind of semi physical entities – such entities do not exist and are at the core of idolatry – but descriptions of natural forces that are governed by the laws of nature set in place at creation.

ד עֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת; מְשָׁרְתָיו, אֵשׁ לֹהֵט. 4 Who makes winds His messengers, the flaming fire His ministers (Tehilim 104).

I am just mentioning the above as examples to clarify. The Torah has several more such beliefs that it asks us to accept and then go back and think about them so that a rational understanding can be developed of what they mean. (I will discuss in a separate post what they are and why there should be preset beliefs and not require man to develop a priori concepts based on empirical evidence). It is only if we have a correct notion about the metaphysics that underlie our existence that we can have an “accurate knowledge of the Universe”. Otherwise, we are blinded and sidetracked. Instead of looking for natural laws that explain the workings of the perceived mysteries of our existence, our world and universe, we hang our hat on mystical and supernatural explanations. Science, the knowledge that gives us the necessary “accurate knowledge of the universe” does not thrive in a supernatural environment. If we are to understand our role and place in the survival of the whole of existence, we have to develop a better understanding of the universe we live in. It is only then that we will grasp the true intent of God in creating us, understanding how we are to emulate Him in ensuring the continuity of existence. It is only after creating man that the Torah says –

לא וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת-כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, וְהִנֵּה-טוֹב מְאֹד 31 And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was exceedingly good.

That is because it man’s role to emulate God, the ultimate eternal Existent, the source of all existence, the greatest “Good”, and thus do “good” by ensuring existence. Contributing to the existence of the whole is “exceedingly good” - טוֹב מְאֹד. It is with this in mind that Rambam closes his magnum opus of theology, the Guide of The Perplexed,

The object of the above passage is therefore to declare, that the perfection, in which man can truly glory, is attained by him when he has acquired--as far as this is possible for man--the knowledge of God, the knowledge of His Providence, and of the manner in which it influences His creatures in their production and continued existence. Having acquired this knowledge, man will then be determined always to seek loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, thus imitating the ways of God. (MN 3:54).

More to come in upcoming posts including the role of Torah, revelation and also, I hope to deal with the great controversial subject of Ikarim (dogma).