Myśl Żydowska do Powtórzonego Prawa 13:8

The First of them, from the aspect of purpose, is that the heavens and the earth, once it became clear that they have a purpose, with the earth being in the middle and the heavens surrounding it, it is necessary for them to have a purpose. For it is impossible for a thing to have no purpose in rain, which serves a purpose, and this notion is refuted by well-known facts. Once I clarified this evidence to myself, I meticulously examined it, not rushing to deduce a statement until I clarified it. I pondered, "Perhaps the earth has no purpose in terms of length, width, and depth?" Afterward, I thought, "Even if that were so, the sun would not circle it until it completes its rotation once a day and night, rising from the place it rose and coming to the place it came. The same applies to the moon and other stars." Then, I asked, "Perhaps water has no purpose?" And I said, "How can that be when they all move continuously and orbit around the earth constantly, for it is not possible to think that only the closest celestial sphere to us is the one that rotates, and the rest are larger than the one that rotates, as we are only able to perceive the one that rotates, and we cannot perceive anything beyond it, especially that we believe it to be the heavens and we say that it rotates. Afterward, I examined and said, "Perhaps there are many lands and many heavens, each encompassing a separate earth, and they are eternal worlds with a purpose of their own." But I saw that this is precluded by nature because it is impossible for dust to be above fire in nature, nor air beneath water in nature, for fire and air are both light, and dust and water are both heavy. I realized that if there were a solid mass of dust outside this earth, air and fire would bubble up until it reached the dust of this earth. Similarly, if there were a reservoir of water outside these waters, air and fire would bubble up until they reached those waters. And I found the perfect solution, that there are no heavens other than these, and no earth other than this one. As for these heavens, they have a purpose, and this earth has a purpose, and just as their rains have a limit, so does their power have a limit that reaches an end and stops there. It is impossible for them to stand after that power is exhausted, and they will not find anything before their existence. I found that the Scripture testified about them explicitly, saying (Deuteronomy 13:8), "From one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, and from one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens." And it testified that the sun will orbit the earth, and it will return every day: "The sun rises, and the sun sets" (Ecclesiastes 1:5).

Mitzvoth. — Commandments. — The next requirement, which, though second in rank, gives life its completion and perfection, is love. Never be the instrumentality of curse or misfortune to yourself or your neighbor, but strive, like Deity, to do all your deeds in love, and thus become a blessing to yourself and your surroundings. First become a blessing to yourself in order that you may become it to others. Seek to equip yourself with all the capacities and means which can be of good service to the welfare of your fellow beings; make yourself rich with abundant store of good and noble principles, and then devote yourself to the world for perfect service of blessing. To become the means of blessing, learn first to honor your parents as messengers of God, mankind, and Israel to you; learn also to revere wisdom, age, and virtue, as guides and models, wherever and whenever they appear realized in human character. Illuminate yourself with the revealed wisdom of the Torah, avoid the evil and seek the good.