Kaisipang Hudyo sa Deuteronomio 12:25: Akeidat Yitzchak & Yesod Mora VeSod HaTorah

The animals supporting the throne of G-d in the vision of the prophet Yecheskel (1,3) have no idea of G-d’s appearance, nonetheless they praise Him at the appropriate times by saying "blessed be His glorious kingdom from wherever His place." However, the Israelites descending into the sea of reeds could proclaim "THIS is my Lord, I will glorify Him." Each one of them was able to point his finger at an image of G-d. In the future there will be a time when you will be able to say this twice, as we are told in Isaiah 25,9, "on that day he will say HERE is the Lord our G-d in whom we hoped that He would save us; THIS is the Lord we have placed our hope in, let us rejoice and be happy with His salvation." Man's position in the universe is between the sphere of the heavenly bodies and the lower creatures and inanimate matter on earth. Since he is composed of elements of either, these elements separate from one another when man dies. "Dust returns to the earth, and the spirit to the Lord." (Kohelet 12,7) Also, in nature there are gradations of animations such as corals, sponges etc. which are neither fully animate nor completely inanimate. Since we perceive that in all spheres of creation there are such gradations, the same is true also in the spiritual spheres. Everything is relative and measured against higher or lower levels of spirituality. The concept of tov, good, used in the Torah, such as when Moses demands from the people that they perform certain commandments, is always a relative "good" ("in order that you will be well of," for instance.) (Deut, 12,25) The "good" referred to is what it is possible for a human being to achieve within a certain framework. When Moses describes the task of a Jew as "what is it that the Lord your G-d asks of you, except to fear Him etc. (Deut, 10,12), he is telling us that we have been given the means to achieve a higher degree of spiritual perfection than other human beings, if we observe the laws of the Torah. It does not mean that this will make angels out of us, and remove us totally from any vestige of the animalistic within us. The mitzvot that are required of us, help us achieve our relative perfection. The same mitzvot are not required of the heavenly creatures, (angels) as they would not help them achieve their own relative perfection. "To be good for you,"- i.e. it is good for us, does not mean the same thing would be good for anybody else, (non humans.)- "to be good for us for all time." There are two kinds of "good" that apply to us. Acquisition of the "good" is divided into two categories, (a) activities, which while enhancing the self, the personality, have no impact on our environment, (b) activities which leave an imprint on our environment. Refinement of our intellectual faculties for instance, leaves the objects of our perceptions completely unchanged. If Job (Job 28,13) asks sarcastically about the value of true wisdom, which seems to him so ineffectual, the truth is, that what appears invisible is in reality the pure intellect. When Solomon states "that the advantage man enjoys over the animal is nil," he means to say that this very "nil," invisible intellect, is what separates man from the beasts. (Kohelet 3,19) Job, (28,12) asking "which is the site of understanding?" suggests that insight cannot be limited to spatial considerations, i.e. makom. "The deep said it is not to be found within me, and the ocean said it is not within me." This means that wisdom is not found in the physical part of the universe. Another distinction of the pure intellect, unencumbered by the physical, is the enduring nature of achievements of the pure spirit. Results of intellectual enquiry etc., are not subject to subsequent mutations through synthesis with something physical. The other accomplishments involving outside objects etc. are subject to whatever it is that happens to such material objects. Since material objects are subject to decay, accomplishments tied to matters material are similarly subject to decay and eventual disintegration. Actions by the Almighty fall into the aforementioned two categories. He is both an intellect, reigns supreme and is majestically separate; but there is also the “yad hachazakah” which while part of His intellect is what He employs when He wills happenings in this universe. By means of the latter, the yesh, is created from the ayin, the visible is created from the invisible, immaterial. The three worlds, the totally physical, the physical/spiritual, and the totally spiritual, abstract, are all part of this second part of intellect. Even the totally inanimate physical world that appears at first glance as everlasting, (planetary system, rocks etc.) is conceived already by our Torah and prophets as having a finite existence. (Isaiah 51,6) "Lift unto the heavens your eyes, and behold the earth; the heavens will melt like salt, the earth will rot like clothing. Similarly, its inhabitants will die were it not for My salvation that will last forever, as well as My righteousness which will not diminish." This and other examples teach us that all that is enduring is so only inasmuch as it uses the spiritual force it has been endowed with. Material things, even those of the most enduring kind, once devoid of spiritual stimulants- will ultimately disintegrate of their own accord. Our own concept of an enduring existence is based on hashgachah peratit, on G-d’s Personal attention to the creature or object in question. We do not hold that species as such are self perpetuating, independent of the specific will of the Creator. Despite the fact that we have described the purely intellectual as being superior to the physical, man's advance towards his relative perfection must proceed via the active, not merely the contemplative, since the latter is apt to lead to erroneous conclusions. This is why the Torah demands deeds, which through the system of reward and punishment, assure us of our nitzchiyut, perpetuity, or lack of it, G-d forbid. Aristotele is a prime example of the pure intellect arriving at faulty conclusions. Solomon says (Kohelet 7,16) "do not become too clever or you will be left desolate." The danger is that one may become a blasphemer, inadvertently. Our composition is such that we achieve our goal only through fulfilling the mitzvot. The prophet jeremiah sums it up when he says "let not the wise man boast of his wisdom...but let him who must boast, praise himself for knowing Me, for I do love kindness etc." (Jeremiah 9,23) G-d suggests that man imitate His attributes.

Now, pay attention, for there is no difficulty in refraining from negative commandments for those who have understanding, as God has implanted in the intellect the ability for a person to guard against any harm. The analogy can be drawn to a doctor who advises a person who is unaware of the foods that can harm them based on their constitution: "Do not eat anything that I warn you against, for if you eat them, you will fall ill and die." A person of knowledge does not desire to eat something that would harm them; rather, they would find it repulsive and abhorrent, even though they may have heard that it is a delicious food. Instead, they prioritize the essential foods for sustaining life and do not seek after life merely through eating, for this is the way of animals who lack a soul that continues to exist after separation from the body. Is it not written in the Torah: "Let the earth bring forth living creatures" (Genesis 1:24)? Water brings forth living creatures, but this does not apply to humans alone. Rather, humans are made in the likeness of angels. If an angel lives forever, then one who is in their likeness should also be immortal. Therefore, one of the wise individuals stated that the punishment for transgressing negative commandments is executed through one of the four types of death imposed by the court, such as stoning or death by the hands of Heaven. However, the reward for fulfilling positive commandments is granted. Our sages brought a proof that there is a reward for refraining from negative commandments, as it is written: "You shall not eat it, so that it will be good for you" (Deuteronomy 13:19). And some say that the reward will return to the one mentioned at the end of the verse: "For you shall do what is right" (Deuteronomy 12:25). Others say that the verse "You shall not eat it" (Deuteronomy 12:16-17) refers to refraining from negative commandments. The verse above it (Deuteronomy 12:16-17), "You shall pour it out on the ground like water, so that you will not eat it," means that one should not consume blood, for blood is the soul, and this is known from the wisdom of tradition. It is also true that the fear of God, which is a positive commandment, encompasses all positive and negative commandments, as Moses mentioned in another place (Deuteronomy 10) "to fear the Lord your God, to keep all His commandments and statutes which I command you today for your good." They include both positive and negative commandments, for one who refrains from transgressing out of fear of God, it is good for them. The phrase "for your good" encompasses the good of this world and the world to come, and the reward for fulfilling positive commandments, as they involve effort. The analogy is like someone who exhausts themselves under the guidance of a doctor to prepare a meal that will be beneficial for them to eat. In return, they receive their reward, and their action is presented before them. It is good for you to receive reward and escape punishment. The true goodness lies in a person who observes the commandments of the Divine Physician, as the physician neither benefits nor harms them, as Eliphaz said (Job 35:6): "If you are righteous, what do you give Him? Or what does He receive from your hand? Your wickedness affects a man like yourself." Now I will reveal to you a precious secret that we have found written: "Why do you afflict yourselves, Lord, departing from Your ways?" (Isaiah 33:17) and "You are the one who troubled their hearts" (1 Kings 18:37). And Moses said (Deuteronomy 30:15), "See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil," and furthermore (Lamentations 3:38), "Do not both good and ill proceed from the mouth of the Most High?" And our sages said (Niddah 30b), "Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for the fear of Heaven." Know that the cultivated vegetation of the earth is superior to the uncultivated vegetation, and there are those that are fat and those that are lean. In a true analogy, I will explain that there are three forces in the living beings. If you wish, you can call them by three names: Neshamah (soul), Ruach (spirit), and Nefesh (life force). The Nefesh is the vegetative force that resides in the liver, and every living being and plant partake of this force. This Nefesh is the body's inclination and desire for food and sensual pleasures. The Ruach resides in the heart and is the source of a person's vitality. It encompasses both humans and animals, and it is also a physical force. When this Ruach departs, resembling the air leaving the body, the person dies, and this departing Ruach becomes intensified and becomes the source of anger. And the soul is the highest and its power is in the brain, and the characteristics of human beings and their inclinations vary. Some possess them in great strength, while others are weakened, and there are those who have them in a balanced measure. There is no need to elaborate, for the soul seeks what benefits it from the actions of God, for He is the source of its life. And the soul seeks the pleasures of the body for its own well-being. Now, the spirit is intermediate, and because there is a need for the brain to connect to the liver and the heart, both of them are connected to the brain. The general principle is that each aspect complements the other. Therefore, the Hebrews have referred to them as the soul, spirit, and life force. And all of them are interconnected with the body. If a person consumes foods that warm the blood, their anger will increase. And behold, the actions of the body are influenced by the spirit. If the body is in good condition, and another person angers them with their words or actions, the power of the spirit will intensify in the heart, generating heat in the body. Thus, the body undergoes changes due to the influence of the spirit. And every intelligent person should guide their body according to the needs of their soul, while the soul remains unchanged amidst the body's changes. This is the great elevation that God has granted to Israel, for if they observe the commandments of God, there is no need for physicians, with the help of God, as Asa did. Thus, the verse is captured, and there is no contradiction in the phrase (Exodus 21:19), "And he shall cause him to be thoroughly healed," for it is not an easy matter, but rather, it is like (1 Kings 1:12) "And he shall heal the altar of the Lord." It is not like (Deuteronomy 32:39) "I wound, and I heal," and in the case of Job (Job 5:18), "He woundeth, and his hands make whole." And thus, the army of heaven is divided by the Lord among all the nations. This is the interpretation of the verse (Isaiah 24): "The Lord of hosts will reign over the host of the heights." And this corresponds to the one who accepts the wisdom of astrology and relies on fate. But the name (of God) was given to Israel as an inheritance and to remove them from the dominion of the constellations, as long as they are under His dominion and fulfill what is commanded in His Torah. Therefore, the ancients said (Shabbat 129a): "There is no mazal (constellation) for Israel." And for this reason, it is written (Exodus 33:16), "Then we shall be distinguished, I and Your people." And one cannot argue how the laws of heaven can be changed. Here is the proof: The goodness in its entirety is intended for all good, and for a little evil, it is not in the path of wisdom to prevent what is mostly good. Therefore, there is power in the discerning individual to choose between good and evil, for decrees are made based on the recipient. Thus, it is written (Deuteronomy 15:4), "Except that there shall be no needy among you," implying that everything or the majority is good. Similarly, it is written (Deuteronomy 15:4), "Only if you carefully listen." And the individual can benefit his soul in the future.