Pensamento Judaico sobre Isaías 40:21

From Scripture: The same can be demonstrated from Scriptures, as it is said, "Lift up your eyes on high and behold, who created these?" (Yeshaya 40:26). And again "When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established" (Tehilim 8:4). Scripture also said "Have you not known? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? [have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?]" (Yeshaya 40:21) Further "Hear O deaf, look O blind, that you may see" (Yeshaya 42:18); "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, since that is the end of all men, and the living will take it to his heart" (Koheles 7:2); "The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness" (Koheles 2:14). "But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn that shines more till the day is perfect. The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble" (Mishlei 4:18-19).

Do not hide yourself from contemplating them, and from investigating all of them - then you will see the truth of the matters, and will recognize some of the wonders of the Creator, which you have long been ignorant of and blind in, as one of the wise men said: "the hearts of the wise have eyes, they can see what the ignorant cannot see", as the verse says: "Have you not known? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?" (Yeshaya 40:21).

The second argument is drawn from Scripture says: "Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God" (Isaiah 40:28). It says "known" which implies knowledge from rational proofs, and afterwards "heard" which implies from the Tradition. And likewise, "Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning?" (Isaiah 40:21). The prophet preceded mentioning knowledge from rational proof to knowledge which is from received tradition. And likewise Moses, our teacher, said: "Do you thus requite the L-ord, Oh foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father who acquired you? Has He not made you and established you? Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you." (Deut. 32:6). This is a proof to what we mentioned, that despite that the Tradition should be preceded by nature, for the students must learn it first, nevertheless, it is not right to rely solely on it for one who is able to comprehend it by the method of rational demonstration. It is therefore proper, that everyone who is capable of this, is under duty to investigate with his intellect and to bring logical proofs of it by the demonstration which deliberate judgment would support.