Kaisipang Hudyo sa Josue 24:2: Akeidat Yitzchak & Guide for the Perplexed

Though man's original equipment is supplied by G-d, and though his eventual accomplishments are subject to G-d’s benevolent guidance or otherwise, the fact that he was created "in the image of G-d," i.e. was given free choice, has made him the master of his own destiny. This means that he can achieve whatever he is capable of achieving since the means to do so have been placed at his disposal to use at his discretion. Once man begins to travel the path towards what his natural talents enable him to achieve, he can count on the active assistance of His Maker to facilitate his progress along that route. "He who comes to purify, is extended help" (Shabbat 104). This is what Moses meant when he said (Deut.30,11-14), "This commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you....in fact it is quite close to you." If one applies oneself properly to the truth of G-d’s revealed word, i.e the Torah, then appreciating it becomes a simple matter. From that point onwards there are no real impediments or difficulties in achieving one's aim. In this respect, the fortitude of Abraham surpassed that of anyone before him, since during the preceding generations people had become progressively more corrupt until they endangered the survival of their species. Even the few whose conduct at the time of their respective deaths merited a suspended sentence had failed to look toward heaven for inspiration to recognise their Creator. They were content merely not to question the tradition that G-d had indeed created the universe. Noach was such a person. His righteousness was tamim, whole, meaning he continued to believe what Lemech his father had believed and what both his father and his grandfather Methuselah had taught him. He made no intellectual effort to understand the basis for this belief or to develop it so that it would influence his personality development. "IN HIS GENERATIONS," i.e. through successive generations his righteousness remained static, did not become dynamic. His heart was pure, but his intellect was not involved. In Deut. 18,14, we are told, "Be whole with the Lord your G-d," that we are to accept the truths taught by our prophets. This means in particular that the request of the Jewish people at Mount Sinai to have Moses talk to them and be the intermediary between G-d and them would result in a perfect and enduring faith. The belief resulting from the experience of revelation is called emunah of a temimut quality. There are two ways of acquiring this absolute faith. The easy way is study of the Torah, a method granted to the Jewish people. The other way is via intellectual analysis, the only method available to man prior to the revelation at Mount Sinai. This method does not only require the determination of the truth seeker, but active help from G-d Himself. Those who in their search for understanding of this truth also employ all their intellectual faculties, arrive at a far deeper and lasting understanding. This is why David told his son Solomon, "Now my son Solomon, know the G-d of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart, a willing soul" (Chronicles I 28,9). Abraham's tremendous achievement was that though he did not have the tradition of a Noach since both his father and grandfather had been pagans (Joshua 24,2), he began to develop this faith through an intellectual approach. At first, he concentrated on demonstrating the complete bankruptcy of the belief held by his contemporaries. Afterwards, having travelled as far as it is possible to travel by means of one's intellect alone, with the help of G-d’s Personal Providence, he arrived at that level of faith in his Creator which the Torah describes as "He believed in the Lord, and the Latter gave him credit for this" (Genesis 15,6). Later, at the time of his cirumcision, Abraham would be asked, "Walk in front of Me," to demonstrate a degree of faith that surpasses what his intellect can comprehend. In this way, he would outclass Noach who had only "walked with G-d," his faith only keeping step with his intellectual faculties, never exceeding them.

We have shown in our large work, Mishneh-torah (Hilkot, ‘Abodah-zarah, 1:3), that Abraham was the first that opposed these theories by arguments and by soft and persuasive speech. He induced these people, by showing kindness to them, to serve God. Afterwards came the chief of the prophets, and completed the work by the commandment to slay those unbelievers, to blot out their name, and to uproot them from the land of the living. Comp. “Ye shall destroy their altars,” etc. (Exod. 34:13). He forbade us to follow their ways; he said, “Ye shall not walk in the manners of the heathen”, etc. (Lev. 20:23). You know from the repeated declarations in the Law that the principal purpose of the whole Law was the removal and utter destruction of idolatry, and all that is connected therewith, even its name, and everything that might lead to any such practices, e.g., acting as a consulter with familiar spirits, or as a wizard, passing children through the fire, divining, observing the clouds, enchanting, charming, or inquiring of the dead. The law prohibits us to imitate the heathen in any of these deeds, and a fortiori to adopt them entirely. It is distinctly said in the Law that everything which idolaters consider as service to their gods, and a means of approaching them, is rejected and despised by God; comp. “for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods” (Deut. 12:3 1). In the books which I shall name to you later on, it is stated that on certain occasions they offered to the sun, their greatest god, seven beetles, and seven mice, and seven bats. This alone suffices to show how disgusting their practice must be to human nature. Thus all precepts cautioning against idolatry, or against that which is connected therewith, leads to it, or is related to it, are evidently useful. They all tend to save us from the evil doctrines that deprive us of everything useful for the acquisition of the twofold perfection of man, by leading to those absurd practices in which our fathers and ancestors have been brought up. Comp. “And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, your fathers dwelt on the other side of the river in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods” (Josh. 24:2). It is in reference to these [idolatrous ideas] that the true prophets exclaim, “They walked after [vain] things, which do not profit.” How great is the usefulness of every precept that delivers us from this great error, and leads us back to the true faith: that God, the Creator of all things, rules the Universe: that He must be served, loved, and feared, and not those imaginary deities. According to this faith we approach the true God, and obtain His favour without having recourse to burdensome means: for nothing else is required but to love and fear Him; this is the aim in serving God, as will be shown. Comp. “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord”? etc. (Deut. 10:12). I shall complete this subject later on: now let us return to the theme [of this chapter].