YALE JUDAICA SERIES

EDITORS

Julian Obermann
Louis Ginzbcrg Harry Austryn Wolfson

Volumc I

SAADIA GAON

THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS

 PUBLISHED FOR
JUDAICA RESEARCH AT YALE UNIVERSITY SAADIA GAON
on thc
THE 'BOOK OF BELIEFS
LOUIS M. RABINOWITZ FOUNDATION
AND OPINIONS

ftANSLAftD PllOM THB AaAllC AND THZ HUUW ay

SAMUEL ROSENBLATI
THB JOHNS HOPIC.INS ONlVDll'IT

YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS

NEW HAVEN AND LONDON
 --
Copyright © 19411 by Yale Universiry.
Copyright© renewed 1976.
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PREFATORY NOTE
IN thc autumn of 1944 a projcct for thc promotion of rcscarcb "in
Hcbrcw lorc and litcraturc" was in augwatcd at Yalc Univcrsity.
Tbc projcct has since bcen known as /udaica Research at Yale Uni-
11ersity on the Rabinowitt Foundation. The prcsent Scries is its direct
outgrowth.
Tbc Foundation came into bcing through thc farsightcdncss and
gcnerosity of Mr. Louis M. Rabinowitz of New York City. h was
conceivcd from the outsct as a projcct dcdicatcd cntirdy to cultural
and scholarly idcals, thus continuing the great tradition in the field
of Hcbrcw and cognatc studics cstablishcd and maintaincd at Yale
by Owight, Salisbury, Harpcr, and Torrcy. Thc work of thc Founda-
tion has bccn administcrcd by a comm ittcc madc up of mcmbcrs of
the Yalc Faculty appointcd by Prcsidcnt Charles Seymour, who havc
bccn assistcd by a group of adviscrs from other institutions. A Board
of Editors was dcsignatcd to supcrvisc thc Scrics as a wholc and the
prcparation of its individual volumes.
Thc Yalc Judaica Scrics will coosist mainly of translations of
ancicnt and mcdicvnl Jcwish classicl, whcth.cr thc original bc Hcbrew,
Aramaic, Grcck, Ethiopic, or, as in thc casc of the prescnt volume,
Arabic. Thc Editors rccognizc tl,at in ccrt.lin instanccs it may provc
dcsirablc a_lso to preparc studics cithcr prcrequisitc or supplcmcntary
to translations, such as critical cditions of tcxts to bc translatcd or
critical monographs on works already translatcd. At thc momcnt a
numbcr of indivi dual trarulations arc in an advanccd stagc of prcpa-
ration and sevcral volumcs of tbc Scries sbould appcar soon.
The Editors havc feit that cach contributor to thc Series should
as far as possiblc have frccdom and rcsponsibility in his own work.
This, it nced hardly bc said, has not in any way affcctcd thc rcadincss
of thc Editors to otfcr frccly such advicc and assistancc as a con-
tributor might rcqucst. lt is thcir hopc that thc stamp of individual
scholarly initiative and litcrary responsibility will heightcn intcrcst
in thc publications.
Jt is gratifying that thc Scries should bc inauguratcd by the
magnum opus of a sage to whom homage has rccently bcen paid
by scholars tbc world ovcr. Thc prcscnt publ ication appcars soon
vi THE BOOK. OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
enough a&er 1942 to claim admission to the impressive line of me-
morials and tributes that havc commemorated thc onc-thousandtb
anniversary of Saadia's dcath in 94~. May, then, Tl,e Book of Be- PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR
li~s 11nd Opinions help to sprcad among modern readcn thc fame of
the great Gaon, and to keep alivc thc mcmory of his philosophical IT was in thc fall of the ycar 1944 that Professor Julian J, Obermann
achicvemcnts. of Yalc Univcrsity first invited mc, on behalf of thc Judaica Research
J. o. on thc Rabinowitz Foundation, to prcparc a translation into English
N~w H11vm, Conneeli"41 of thc complctc tcxt of Saadia Gaon's Jewish philosophical classic,
Peffl#ll"1, 194' the Kililb al-'Am11n111 wal-ftilJ.adtU or Book o/ Belie/1 11nd Opin-
ions. The basis of the translation was to bc Landauer'• cdition of
thc Arabic original. The rendcring was to adhcrc faithfully to the
wording of the original, and yct to bc of such a charactcr that the
contents would be comprchcnsible to the gcneral r,eader, Technical
terminology was to bc avoidcd and only such footnotcs wcre to bc
introduced as wcrc essential for thc undcrstanding of thc tcxt.
This was by no mcans a simple assignmcnt. The 6nt problem
was prcscntcd by thc nature of the ,ubjcct itsclf. Metaphysical
trcatises rarely makc easy rcading and Saadia's profound work was
not conccived in thc most popular style. A second handicap w:u thc
defectivc statc of prescrvation of thc manuscripts on which Lan-
daucr's cdition was based, as weil as of thc Hcbrew version of Ibn
Tibbon, wbich was constantly conrultcd for comparison. A third
dilliculry that bad to bc cootcnded with was thc author's brcvity of
exprcssion, leaving a grcat dcal to thc imagination of thc rcader. A
fourth was thc long involved scntcnccs that wcrc apt to makc onc
lose thc trend of thought.
All these peculiaritics of thc Book of Beliefs and Opinions had to
bc bornc in mind by thc translator in thc fulfillment of his task.
Whilc cndcavoring to rcfrain, as much as possiblc, frorn doing any
violcncc to thc sense of thc original, it was ncccssary for him, as thc
occasion dcmanded, to dcviate from a strictly litcral rendcring. Long
scntcnccs werc cut up, and thc syntax adjustcd accordingly. Ernenda-
tions wcre madc only when warrantcd by thc contcxt or supported
by outside sources. Frcqucntly it was found helpful in thc intercsts
of clarity to add words for which thcrc is 110 b:uis in thc text but
which makc it easicr to follow thc argument. These additions by thc
translator werc usually indicatcd by mcans of brackcts.
Further to facilitatc thc mastcry of thc contents of the Book of
eliefs and Opinitms, thc trcatiscs havc been dividcd into chaptcrs,
viii THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
following thc cxamplc of thc Joscfow cdition of Ibn Tibbon'1 Hcbrcw
version. .AJ an additional guidc an analytical tablc of contcnts has
bccn providcd modeled after that of Israel ha-Lcvi, thc author of the
commentary Stbliil Jia.''tmunal,, that is publiahed in tbe aforcmcn·
tioncd cdition. All Hcbrcw words uscd in thc Arabic text havc bcen
italidzed in this translation.
Thc most important aids used by the translator1 cspecially in the
interprctation of obscurc passages, werc thc thorough cxposition of
Saadia's magnum opus by Jakob Gunmann (Göttingen, 1882) in his
Religionspl,ilosopl,ie des Saadia, which is still the best monograph
on the subjcct, and by Moisc Ventura (Paris, 1934) in his La PM-
losopliie de Saadio Gaon. Both of thcsc works follow thc text uscd by
Ibn Tibbon rather than thc Oxford manuscript on which Landauer'•
cdition is bascd. For the introduction and thc first treatisc the Ger.
man translation of Philipp Bloch (Munich, 1879) was consultcd. In
thc ·translation of the passage on music in the last treatisc the con-
clusions of H. G. Farmer's Sa'odyal, Gaon on 1he lnflumce of
Music (London, 1943) wcre utili.zed. Thc summarics of Saadia's
philosophical systcm givcn by H. Malter in bis Life ""' War~s af
Saadia Gaan (Philadelphia, 1921, pp. 193-261) and Isaac Husik'a
History o/ Medieval fe,vis!, Pliilosoplty (New York, 1930, pp. 23-
47) were also found tobe vcry helpful.
Thc tcxt of this translation was alrcady sct up in type whcn an
abridged rcndcring into Engli.sh, that wu publishcd by Alexander
Altmann in Oxford, 1946, undcr thc imprint of thc East and West
Library, was brought to this tramlator's auention. Whilc it sccmed
to bc a careful piece of scholarship, it did not rcnder superßuous or
scrvc the p11rposcs of thc publication of the prcscnt volumc, which
is tbc only unabridgcd ctantlation into a modern languagc of not
only thc cntirc tcxt of Saadi.a's mastcrpicce but tbe variant of thc
scvcnth trcatisc as weil.
S. R.
Baltimore, M11rylt1ntl
No11ember, 1947.
As this book is going to prcu I take plcasure in acknowlcdg-
ing my indcbtedncss to all those wbo havc bcen of assistance to
me with tbeir advice and counscl and in the rcading of thc proof.
PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR ix
In tbe first placc I wisb to express my gratitude to Professor
Julian J. Obermann of Yale University, who not only presented
the projcct to mc but supcrviscd it from its bcginning to its
complction, making valuable suggcstions of stylistic as well as
tcchnical charactcr. 1 owc thanks to Professor Harry A. Wolfson
of Harvard Univcrsity for t~e conccption and improvcmcnt of
tbe analytical table of contents as wcll as his fine obscrvations
and revision of tbc introductory material. 1 am indebted to Pro-
fessor Louis Ginzbcrg of tbe Jewisb Theological Seminary of
Amcrica for bis share in tbe general plan which was worked out
in conjunction with the aforemcntioned mcmbcrs of the editorial
committcc; and to Professor Alexander Marx of thc same insti-
tution for suggcsting tbc translation of the variaht of thc scvcntb
trcatisc and thc literature uscd by mc. Finally I wisb to tbank
Professor W. F. Albrigbt of tbe Johns Hopkins University for
bis constant encouragement, tbe Yale University Press for its
splendid coopcration, and tbe Rabinowitz Foundation for span·
soring tbc undcrtaking and making possiblc tbe disclosurc of
thc magnum opus of thc Gaon of Sura to tbc English-rcading
world.
S. R.
Baltimore, Maryland
February, 1948
,p

SYSTEM OF TRANSLITERATION

Foa tcchnical rcasons thc following systcm of translitcration for

Hcbrcw and Arabic has bccn adoptcd in thi1 volumc:

Hebrtw consonanl symbol used

'alcph
bcth b, ( spirant) bh
gimcl g, (spirant) gh
dalcth d, ( spirant) dh
hc h
waw w
zayin z
bcth b
tcth t
yodh y
kaph k, (spirant) kh
lamcdh 1
mcm m
nun n
samckh s
'ayin
pc p, (spirant) ph
,adhc
\coph
rd
'
1,c
r
lin l
sin 1
taw t, (spirant) th

No diffcrcntiation has bccn madc bctwccn long and short vowcls

a, c, i, o, u, cxccpt that llwtt has bccn indicatcd by thc symbol
c, and thc batcphs by thc symbols ä, c, and ö, rcspcctivcly. Daghd
fortc has bccn indicatcd by duplicating thc consonant. Thc He-
 p

xii THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS

brcw lcttcr he occurring at thc end of a word has been repro-
duced only in feminine singular cndings.
Thc samc schcmc was followed in thc transliteration of Arabic CONTENTS
consanants, exccpt that vocalic ya at end of a word was not re-
produced in thc translitcration. Arabic consonants that have no PurAToJY Non V
equivalents in Hebrew were rcndered as follows: PlllPACE or THE TRANSLATOR vii
SYSTEM OP TRANSLl1'1!RATIONS xi
Arabic consonant symbo/ uud
CoNTl!NTS xiii
jim J I NTIIODUCTION xxiii
pointcd cha eh Saadia Ben Joseph
pointed µd 9 The Book of Belicfs and Opinions
pointed 'ayin g Other Writings of Saadia Gaon
fa f Saadia Literature in thc English Language
THI TRANSLATION
INT'IIODUCTOaY TRl!ATISI! 3
I. Praise of God who endowed mankind with the ability to recog-
nize the truth 3
II. The causcs of doubts arising in the minds of mcn in thcir quest
of thc truth, namely, insufficient acquaintance with thc art of rca-
soning or failurc to carry the process to its completion. The uncer-
taintics resulting from thesc two causes in regard to thc Jcwish
religion in his generation promptcd the author to compose this
book, which hc urges its readers to study carefully and without bias 3
III. Thc complaint against the Crcator for leaving his crcatures in
unccrtainty regarding the truth is not justified. By vcry virtue of
bcing created things they requirc time to completc a givcn task.
To insist on rccognizing the truth instantancously is tantamount
to demanding equality with the Creator 9
IV. The meaning of belief. True and false beliefs. Mere opinion
cannot turn truth into falsehood, or falsehood into truth 14
V. Thc three natural sources of human knowledge, namcly, sensa-
tion, intuition, and logical inference, and the method of their em-
ployment. Authentie tradition as a fourth source vouchsafcd to
Israel 16
VI. Rcfutation of thc view that speculation ncccssarily leads to
heresy and is consequently forbidden. lt is only man's exclusivc
dcpcndence on his own rcason that is considered reprehensible
bccause of the possibility of his remaining without rcligious guid-
ance. On the other hand to corroboratc revclation by means of rca-
son and thus to rcfutc unbclievers is not only commendable but

xiv THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
1ctu11ly m1nd1tory. Tbc miraclc of thc m1nna 11 tbc most extraor-
dinary of all marvcla
VII. Eight causes of hcreay
':11.1. Thc tbemc of thc book 1nd thc ten treatises into which it is 33
dmdcd
Tau nsa l. (Concerning [thc belief) that 111 existing things bavc
becn crcatcd.)
Exordium: Tbc origio of thc ~orld, being aomclhing unperceived
3
by human cyes, CIJl bc asccr111ncd onJy by mcane « lo_gical infcr-
cncc..Thc ab.cnce, thctc:.forc, of I visible examplc of n-8atio tk niAilo
const1tutcs no argumcnt ag.ainst thc validfry of tbla thcory, Tbc
proo~1 1u~porting it arc in lact strongcr than thosc tlut would rc-
fute at. lt II lurthcrmore coofirmed by thc miniclea wrought by the
prophci.
!· Pour proofs demon1trati.ng thc crcation of the world out oI noth- 3
,n~, namely, ita finitudc, iu compositc nature, thc inhcrcncc in it of
acc,dents, and ih cxistence in time
40
JI. Tbrcc rCAsons wby a thing cannot make itsclf and wby the
world mult havc becn creatcd by somcthing cxtraneou1 to itsclf.
Four proof.s dc:monstrating that its Crcator must havc madc it out
of nothlng · ,t6
III. Twclvc divergent vicws oI how the univcrse camc into being
and their refutation
1!· Anawen to. diverse objcctions to the docttine al cr8lllio ez ni- 50
A,lo. Thrce mouvea on the part of the Crcamr in aeating thc world 8J
Tal!Anss II. (Conccrning (thc belief] tbat the Creator of all things
blcucd and c:xalted be He, is onc.) ' 8
Exor~ium: ~u:: prcliminary observations in rdcrcncc to thc 1ubjcct 7
of thH tteatue. Two reasons for thc author's cxpatiation thcrcon 87
J. Tbc unity, lifc, power, knowlcdge, and unlikcnes, of God as
proclaim~ in Scripturc. Thrcc logicaJ proof1 of God'1 unity 94
IL RdutatJon of the argumcnte af the duatisb agaiost thc unity of
God from the ~tandpoints of nason and Scripture s,t,
III. Thc mcanmg of the 1crrr11 'ÄdAonay and 't/o!,im applicd to
God in the Bible ~ tke. Why God did not cmploy only angcls as His mcssengcrs to
IV. Application to God of the thrcc attributea of life, powc:r, and
k?owlcdge doc, n_ot imply multiplidty in His essencc. Thcy con.-
1t1tute absolute umty
101
Y· Thc crror of the C:hristians in basing their doctrine af tbc Trln-
lt}' 011.theJC threc attt1butc!, Correct intcrprctatior of certain vcrscr
of Scnpture w~ich thcy eile in support of thcir vicw 1o3
VJ. lntuprctatton of Proverb. 8: 22 and Gcne1i1 1: 26. Thc nature
of the three me,o who villited the patriarch .Abraham 107
F
CONTENTS XV
VII. Four different versions of the doctrine of tbe Trinity 1nd their
refutation 109
VIII. How God i, thc most cffectivc power, despite His being thc
least pcrceptiblc. All anthropomorphic epitheu, be thcy of a aub-
36 atantial or an accidental cbaracter, that are attributcd to God in the
Biblc, are applied only by way of appro:rimation or •• figurcs of
8 spcech 110
IX. The inapplicability to God of thc catcgoriea of substancc 1nd
quantity 112
X. Figurcs of spccch in thc uaage of Scripture 116
XI. The inapplicability to God of the catcgorics of quality, relation,
pl1cc, time, posscssion and position 122
XII. The inapplicability to God of thc categories of action and par,.
8 sion. The divine glory that was sccn by Moses 127
XIII. God'a cxistcnce cannot be graspcd by tbc scnscs. Since space
and time do not apply to Him, He is omnipreacnt and omniscient,
k.nowing what was 1nd what will bc, 11 weil 11 wbat is. The knowl-
cdgc of thesc truths conccrning God fills the soul of man with ec-
static joy and a longing for Him 131
TalATIO III. (Concerning command 1nd prohibition). 137
Exordium: God's first act of kindnc1s toward His crcaturcs was in
bringing them into cxistencc. This'was complcmentcd by affording
through thc comm1ndments and prohibitions of the Torah the
means of attaining pcrfcct bliss. Thc reason why they werc not pcr-
mitted to achieve this happiness without the Torah 137
1. Rcason demands that God provide His crcature1 with a law and
commandmcnts 138
II. The reasons for the rational prcccpts of the Torah and some of
the motivcs behind the revealed laws 141
III, The indispcnsability of propbctic revclation not only for the
promulgation of the rcvealed l1ws but also for that of the detaila of
the rational prccepts 145
IV. Tbc authcntication of the prophets by their performance of
miracles. Such miraclca are ncvcr pcrformcd without advance no-
mankind. Why the prophets wcrc not dilfercntlated from other
human bcings in thcir material forruncs but wcrc subjectcd likc
th.cin to all th.c cvils of thc world. Why the ,p.irit of prophecy docs
not rest on thc prophet continually 147
V. How thc propheis could tcll that God had spoken to thcm. T~e
cunning of the magu:ians of Egypt and thc differeru:e bc~ecn thc!r
tricks and thc miraclcs of Moses. Why Jonah ßcd from hu1 prophct1c
mission 151

XVl THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
VI. The impcrtance of traditions concerning the past in planning
thc futurc. Authentie traditions are considered by most men as trust-
wonhv as their personal observations
VII. The Torah brought by Moses to Israel is not subject to abroga-
tion or change. Refutation of arguments for its abrogability
VIII. Faith in the authenticity of the prophetic minion of Moses i1
based not only on the miracles he performed but on the rcasonable-
ncss of thc course of conduct which he exhorted Israel to follow.
The correct interpretation of Deuteronomy 33: 2, Obadiah 1: 1,
and Jeremiah 31: 3i
IX. Resolution of ten apparent contradictions presentcd by Scrip-
ture against the doctrinc of the immutability of thc Torah by Moses.
The actual significance of the tcrm '0/am. The immutability of thc
Torah imposes upcn us the obligation of its fulfillment
X. Dernolition of twelvc argumcnts against the trustworthincss of
~~~
T1t1AT1SI IV. (Concerning obcdiencc and rcbcllion and predestination
and divine justice).
Exordiull': Man is the goal of creation, thc most important of all of
God's er atures
J. Proof from Scripturc 10 the etfect that man is supcrior to all other
crcatures, hcing endowed with thc capadty for good as weil as cvil.
This supcriority is indicated furthermorc by the gift of intelligencc
that has bec:n grantc:d to him for the purpose of fulfilling God's
commandmcnts
II. Notwithstanding thc diminutive sizc and frailty of man's body
hc is thc most distinguishcd of God's creatures. The brcvity of
man's earthly lifc and all the wc:akncsses to which hc is subjcct on
carth are rc:ally for his bcncfü
. III. Divinc justicc dcmands that man possess frccdom of choicc.
Action that docs not stc:m from frecdom of choicc has no moral
value
IV. Gocl excrcises no compulsion whatcvcr on man in the direction
of cithcr obcdicncc or disobcdicnce. This fact is attcstcd to by the
senses, by rc:ason, by Scripturc, and by tradition. God's prescicnce is
not irrcconcilablc with thc belief in man's freedom of choice
V. Why God issucs commandments to the virtuous, who apparently
do not nc:cd them, and to the wickcd, though thcy would not hced
thcm. Although criminals oftc:n sc:rve as instrumcnt of God's will,
thc: particular crimc: thcy commit is thcir own doing, not thc work of
God. Explanation of othcr instanccs in which compulsion sc:cms to
bc cxerciscd by the divinc will on human action
Vl. Eight different typcs of Biblical passagcs which sec:m to imply
F
CONTENTS xvii
divi~c intcdercncc in thc frcc cxcrcisc of thc human will and how
they are rcally to bc understood. Thc corrcct intcrpretation of Psalms
154 51: 6 1g6
TauTJS& V. (Concc:rning mcrits and dcmerits.) 205
157 1. Man's soul is affcctc:d by his actions. Although these cffccts may
not bc pcrccptible by man, thc:y arc known to God. God kceps a
rccord of man'• mcrits and dcmcrits. Although thc bulk of man's
rctribution for his conduct on carth is rescrvcd for thc hercaftcr,
somc of it is carricd out hcre in ordcr to scrvc as a sign of what is to
163 bc ~
II. Thc tcn, or rathcr, elcvcn, catcgorics into which men arc dividcd
with rcspcct to thcir virtucs and viccs. (1) Thc rightcous, whosc vir-
tucs prcdominatc, might bc punishcd for thcir viccs in this world.
167 Llkewisc (2) the wicked, whose cvil dec:ds cxcc:cd their good dec:ds,
might bc rcwardc:d for thc lattc:r in thc hcre. T his bcars out a dic-
1n tum of thc sagcs. Othcr circumstanccs accounting for thc suffcr-
ing cif thc rightcous and thc prospcrity of thc wickcd. How onc cvil
180 dccd may canccl many good dccds 209
III. Thc suffcrings of thc rightcous in this world as a form of trial
1!1o with a vicw of futurc compcnsation. Six possiblc rcasons for thc
prospcrity on carth of the wickcd. Mc:aning of thc qucstion of the
prophct Jcrcmiah 1:1 : 1 and of EccJcsiastes 9: 18 213
IV. Description of the categories of (3) thc obcdicnt and (4) thc dis-
obcdicnt, (5) thc pcrfcct and (6) the impcrfect, (7) thc ordinary
181 slnncr, (8) thc corrupt and (9) thc rcncgadc 217
V. Thc catcgory of ( lO) thc pcnitcnt. Thc four conditions of pcni-
tc:ncc, namcly thc rcnunciation of sin, rcmorsc, thc quest of forgivc-
nc:ss and thc rcsolvc not to rclapsc into sin. All this is implied in
183 Hosc:a 14·: 2-s, Rcpcntancc is not invalidatcd by a rclapsc into sin
provided the rcsolve not to relapsc was sinccrc. Thc meaning of
Arnos 2:6 220
186 VI. Scvcn possiblc: impcdimcnts prcvcnting the acccptance of
praycr. Thrcc typcs of sin that do not admit of rcpcntancc:. Fivc
classes of sin for which punishmcnt in this world is unavoidable.
T hrcc kinds of good dceds that are rcquitcd in this world, howcver
188 sinful thc docr. Five dcgrccs of pcnitcncc 223
VII. Thc: (11) middling person. Thc mcrit of a good dccd in rcla-
tion to thc circumstanccs of thc docr 228
VIU. Sinful thoughts. Whcn intcnrion is as punishablc as ovcrt ac.
tior1. Fostc:ring hc:resy by impropcr allc:gorical intcrprct11tion of
vc:rses of Scripturc. UnjU$t vcrdicts. lgnorancc of thc law. Ncgli-
192 gcnce of duty on thc part of thc poor. Complaints of thc sick. Crimcs
committcd in a statc of drunkcn ncss. Non-compliancc with thc law
 F

xviii THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS CONTENTS XIX

on the part of Jews pcrsecuted by gentiles. H1bi1u1l hlcksliden. The
1toning cffcct of thc Day of AtonemenL Corruptera of the mauea.
Those who lcad othcu to virtuc
T111AT1SI VI. (Concerning the essencc of the soul and death and what
comes alter death.)
1. Thc soul's origin in the human heart at the time of the comple-
VIII. The rcsurrection at the time oi the redemption will cmbrace
practically the cntirc Jcwish nation as compcnsation for lsracl's trials.
231 Therc will be room enough on earth to contain all the rcsurrected 283
IX. Further qucstiom pcrtaining to the raurrccted, their family
235 relation1hipt, their physical hcalth, their ability to sin and their life
span 2~

tion of the formation of the human body. Reunion of souls and TaunH VIII. (Conccrning the redemption.) 290
bodies alter the fulfillment of the number of souls whose creation J, Nwncrou1 promises of Jsrael's rcdcmption in the Bible and thc
has bcen decreed by God. Six unacceptable theories concerning the reasons why we must believe in their fulfillment 290
nature of the soul and their refutation 235 II. Thc rcason for the long duration of the eii:ile is not God's un-
II. The real meaning of Ecclesiastes 3: 21 239 awarcncss t4. Israel', hardshipt nor His inabiliry to help nor His
III. The correct view of the nature of the soul, l'he purity of its Nb- rcjection of Israel. The duration of thc cxilc is to bc determincd by
stance. lts luminosity. The soul docs not acquire its knowledge from cither one of thc:,c two factors, namely, by Israel'• repcntance or by
the body. Yet it pcrforms its functions only when united with the the end foreordainod by God. At thc conchuion ol whichcver is thc
body. Five namcs by which the soul is referred in Scripture. hs 1eat 1hort.er pcriod the redemption w ill take place ' 293
in the heart 241 m. Meaning of rhc tcrm "end" mcntioned in the book of Daniel.
IV. Why God joined the noble soul with the lowly body 245 Rcconciliation of thc thrcc datcs rccorded thcre 295
V. Retribution is mcted out to body and soul together. Neither can IV. Ambiguitics in the d1te of the delivcrance of the Jsraelitcs &om
shift blame for misdccds on the other 250 Egypt and thc duration of thc Babylonian cxile. Variation in the
VI. The duration ol. the union of body and soul on earth decreed by figures pcrtaining to thc final redemption should, thcrefore, not be
God. Under what conditions this time-limit is extended or dimin- disturbing 299
ishcd 253 V. In the event tha t the forcorda ined term of the exile is complcted
VII, The angel of death. How the soul separates from the body. The and Israel has not rcpcnted, God will send the Mcssiah dcscended
storing of the souls until the time of thcir rcunion with the bodies in from Joseph who will lcad the lrracljtu in war against thc nations
the era of retribution 255 and bc slain, whcuupon great misforrunc will comc upon thc Jcwuh
VIII. The doctrine of metempsychosis and its refutation 259 natlon. 1ne falthleu among thcm will thcrcby be wccded out and
THATISI VII. (Concerning the rcsurrection of the dead in this world.) 264 the Mes1iah dc:sccndcd from David will redccm those th11t will be
1. The belief in the resurrection of the dead at the time of lsrael's rc- left 301
demption is nccessary as weil as logical 264 VI. Should Israel, on the other band, have r cpcntcd bcfore the ful-
II. None of the four conditions under which passagcs oE Scripture fillment of the foreord ained term of the cxile, the Mcssiah descended
must be intcrpretcd figurativcly apply to those pointing to resurrec;.. &om David might coroe ruddenly, unhcralded by the Messiah de-
tion in this world 265 sccndcd from Joseph. That will bc a pcriod of glory aod light for
III. Explicit indications of the doctrine of rcsurrection in the Bible, Israel and onc of comtcrnation for its enemics. The Temple will bc
which must not be construed in an allegorical sense 267 rcbuilt in all its splcndor. All this is attcsted by Scripture 304
IV. Absurdities to which the allegorical method employcd indis- VII. None of these prophedcs were fulfilled, as thc Christians
criminately can lead 272 would have it at thc time of the Sccond Temple of. Jerusalem 312
V. Corrcct interpretation of Biblical statemcnts that ICffll to oppose VIII. Fiftecn funhcr argum~ts in rcfutation of the al lcg..rion of
rcsurrcction 273 the Christ.ians that the Mcuiah bad appc:ared in thc days of thc Sec-
VI. Rabbinic pronouncements in support of resurrection 276 ond Temple 315
VII. The rcstoration of the dccomposcd portion» of the human JX. The mcaning of the cxpression "scventy weeks" in the book of
bodies at the time ol thc resurrcction is not H improbable H it may Daniel 319
sccm. Variou1 que1tion1 prcsentcd by the 1ubject of murrcction and THATISZ IX. (Concerning reward and punishment in the world to
the answers thereto 277 come.) 323
 p

XX THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS CONTENTS

J. Rational grounds for thc impossibility of rctribution in this world XIII. Satisfaction of thc thirst for rcvenge 390
and thc incvitability of a hcrcaftcr in which mcn will bc rcquitcd for XIV. Knowledgc 393
their conduct on earth 323 XV. Worship 395
II. Six proofs from Scripturc for the inadmissibility of rctribution in XVI. Rest 397
this world 326 XVII. Man's conduct should consist of a blending of all these pur-
III. Seven further supports from the Bible bcaring out this con- suits in thc right proportions. Then will he bc happy 399
tcntion 330 XVIII. In the ficld of sensation, too, proper blending produccs the
IV. What the sagcs have to say on the subjcct. Onkclos' rcndcring of most pleasing cffccts 401
Dcutcronomy 33: 2r and 33: 6 333 XIX. Ecclesiastes expresses this truth in sevcral passages 404
V. The nature of the rcward and thc punishmcnt in the hereaftcr 336 APPENDIX, (A variant vcrsion of Trcatise VII conccrning thc rcsur-
VI. Thc localc in which this retribution will takc placc. Time in thc rcction of thc dcad.) 409
world to comc . 341 1. The belief in the resurrection of thc dcad at thc time of lsrael's
VII. Thc pcrpctuity of the reward and the punishmcnt in thc hcrc- rcdemption is cntcrtained by thc majority of thc Jewish pcoplc. God,
after 344 who made thcm this promise, is certainly capablc of fulfilling it. lt is
Vlll. Tbc requital of onc and of many decds. Diffcrenccs of grada- no less impossible than creatio ex nihilo. lt is not contrary to nature 409
tion among thc righteous and thc wickcd 347 II. lt is not contrary to rcason so as to neccssitate an allcgorical intcr-
IX. Who is dcstincd for pcrpctual torment? Meeting of thc right- prctation of the passages of Scripturc announcing it 414
eous and thc wicked in thc world to come 350 III. Corrcct intcrprctation of Biblical utterances that sccm to opposc
X. The duty of di"ine scrvice dcvolving upon the rightcous in thc thc thcory of rcsurrcction 417
hcreaftcr and t~e reward attaching thereunto 353 IV·. Explicit referenccs in the Bible to rcsurrection 420
XI. Thc nature of this reward will bc revcaled at the time of the V. Absurditics to which thc indiscriminate employment of thc allc-
rcdcntption 354 gorical method of intcrpretation can lcad 423
T111.AT1s1. X. (Conccrning how it is most proper for man to conduct VI. Intcrp~ctation of Dc:uteronomy 32: 1 ff 427
himsclf in this world.) 357 VII. Rabbinic pronouncerncnts in support of thc doctrine of resur-
Exordiun : Unity is an attribute appcrtaining only to the Crcator. rection · 428
Everything eise in the world is of a compositc nature 357 VIII. Answers to tcn qucstions ·in regard to rcsurrcction 430
1. Just as all creatures constitute a blending of diverse clcments so IX. S~ven bencfits rcsulting from the belief in thc rcsurrcction of
man's activities must not bc dcdicatcd to the exdusive cultivation of thcdcad 434
one trait. lt is rathcr by the proper blcnding of pursuits that bis well-
Index 1, Subjects and Names 437
bcing is furthercd 358
II. Man's conduct must be regulated by wisdom. His intellect must Index II, Passagcs Cited 476
dominate his impulscs and appctites 359 Glossary 495
III. The corroboration of thc view expres~d abo,·e in the book of
Nola Oll lhc Sccond Prillring 497
Ecclesiastes 36 l
IV. Thirteen onc-5ided pursuits: The practice of abstinencc 364
V. Addiction to eating and drinking 367
VI. Sexual intercourse 371
VII. Eroticism 373
VIII. Accumulation of moncy 378
IX. Children 381
X. Habitation of the world 383
XI. Longcvity 385
XU. Dominion 387
p::s

INTRODUCTION
Sudia Ben /oseph

SAADIA BEN JosuH, thc grcatcst of thc Gconim, as thc hcads of thc
cdcbratcd Babylonian Talmudical acadcmics of Sura and Pumbc-
ditha during thc post-Saburaic pcriod wcrc callcd, was born in thc
spring of thc ycar 882 C.E. in thc villagc of Dila; locatcd in tbc
Fayyum district of Uppcr Egypt. Ncxt to nothing is now known
about bis immediate forcbcars, hls youth, or bis cducation. All that
can bc statcd witb ccrtainty is that thc Egypt in wbich the futurc
lcadcr of Jcwry grcw up was by no mcans a spiritual dcscrt, lying
midway, as it did, bctwcen thc two cultural ccntcrs of Babylonia
and Kairuan; and that by thc time hc lcft his native land at thc
agc of twcnty-thrcc hc alrcady had to his crcdit thc composition of
a Hcbrcw dictionary and a rcfutation of thc vicws of thc foundcr
of thc Karaitc scct, Anan.
From thc time of his dcparture &om Egypt until the fall of 911
C.E. thc young scholar movcd bctwccn Palcstine, Aleppo, and
Bagdad, scparatcd from hls wifc and childrcn and his pupils. Thc
outbrcak in thc autumn of tbc lattcr ycar of a violent controvcrsy
bctwcen thc Jcwislt rcligious authoritics of Palcstinc and Babylonia
ovcr thc right to fix thc calcndar, upon which dcpcnded thc datcs
of thc holidays, gavc Saadia an opportunity to display both his
crudition and his ability as a polcmist. Espousing thc causc of the
Babylonians. hc succccdcd in complctcly rcfuting thc rival claims
of thc Palestinian lcadcr Ben Mcir. In rccognition of his scrviccs
he was madc an official mcmbcr of thc acadcmy of Sura with thc
titlc of Alluf.
Thc ncxt time Saadia is hcard from is in thc yf!ar 928, whcn hc
was appointcd to the Gaonatc of Sura, bcing thc first forcigncr to
bc invitcd to occupy this most irnportant and inRucntial position
of lcadcrship in thc Judaism of his day. He bad becn in officc only
two ycars whcn a ficrcc quarrd cnsucd bctwccn him and thc man
who had bccn chicAy rcsponsiblc for bis dcvation, thc Exilarch
 p
xxiv THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
David bcn Zakkai, thc hcrcditary sccular hcad of thc scmi-autono-
mous Jcwish community of Babylonia, who traccd his dc,ccnt
from tbc royal housc of David. Thc causc of thc conßict was a
decision rcndercd by thc Exilarch conccrning an inhcritancc dis-
putc, to which Saadia rcfuscd to givc his cndorscmcnt bccausc hc
consi~ercd .the d~crec illegal. This action on the part of Saadia,
cspcc1ally s1nce has collcaguc, the Gaon of Pumbcditha, had un-
hesitantly affixcd his signaturc, so cnragcd thc Exilarch that hc
pronounccd a ban on Saadia and appointed anothcr Gaon in his
placc. Saadia retaliatcd by outlawing thc cxisting Exilarch and
naming onc of his own cboicc instcad. · about thc basic dogmas of rcligion was rcgarded by Saadia as not
For two ycars two Exilarchs and two Gconim of Sura wcrc func-
tioning sidc by sidc until, owing to a change of govcrnmcnt, David
bcn Zakkai contrivcd to havc Saadia o.fficially removed from the
Gaonatc. Thc fivc ycars during which he lived in rctircmcnt wcrc
dcvo~c~ by Saadia to intensive litcrary activity. T hen, through thc
mcd1at1on of mutual friends, a reconciliation was cffccted bctwccn
thc Exilarch and thc Gaon. Howcvcr, the pcriod of rcncwcd fricnd-
ship was not dcstincd to last vcry long, for thrcc years latcr David
~n Zakkai dicd, and aftcr thc Japse of anothcr two ycars-tbat is,
m thc year 942-the man, whom he had appointcd to thc stcward-
ship ~f thc aca~cmy of Sura an~ who had, by mc&ns of bis grcat
lcarnmg and h1s fcarlcss cbamp1onship of thc causc of Rabbanitc
J udaism investcd thc position of Gaon with ncw lustcr and prcs-
tigc, himself passcd away.
The Book of Belie/s and Opinions
SAADIA's magnum opus, thc Book of Belie/s and Opinions, consti-
tutcs ~he first systcmatic presentation of J udaism as a rational body
~f bchef~. lt was bcgun apparently as a scries of indepcndcnt trea-
tases, wb1ch wcre later combincd imo an organic wholc, except for
thc concluding trcatisc which givcs the imprcssion of having bccn
added as a sort of appcndix.
In conformity with thc proccdurc in all his writings Saadia
prcfaccs thc body of bis Book of Beliefs and Opinions with a
INTRODUCTION XXV
comprehensive introduction in wbich he states the reasons that
promptcd him to undcrtake its composition and outlines thc
method hc intcnds to pursuc in his argumcnt. What induccd him
to write this book was thc confusion of bis contcmporaries who
werc wavcring betwccn blind faith on the one hand and arrogant
unbclicf on thc otbcr. lt was his aim to lcad them on to thc road of
truth. In ordcr to attain his objective hc was going to makc use
of the various natural sources of human knowlcdgc to confirm the
truths already divulgcd by means of the divine rcvclations recordcd
in Isracl's Holy Scripturcs. Far from being proscribcd, spcculation
only pcrmissiblc but a positive duty. Tbis to him, howcver, did not
do away with the nccd for rcvclation witb which cvcn tbe pro-
foundest thinker could not entirely dispcnse.
Tbc ten main trcatises into wbicb thc Book. of Beliefs and Opin-
ions is divided deal rcspcctivcly with
1) thc creation of thc world;
2) God's unity and othcr divinc attributes;
3) thc commandments of God and thc means of their rcvcla-
tion;
4) man's frccdom to cithcr obey or disobey God;
5) virtuc and -vice;
6) man's soul and its immortality;
7) tbc doctrine of rcsurrection;
8) tbc age of tbe Messiab and of lsrael's redemption;
9) rcward and punishmcnt in tbe hereafter; and
10) the golden mean.
In all of thcsc treatiscs the autbor prcscnts bcsides his own view
a summary of thc most important divergent opinions. These lattcr
arc rcfuted by him, ~hilc what he ~o.nsiders the right teaching is
supported from Scnpture and tradauon as well as by mcans of
rational proofs. Thus, for example, in the first treatise hc cstablishes
the doctrinc of crtatio ex nihilo as the correct thcory of how tbe
world camc into being, disproving the tenability of twelve dis-
senting views which he lists. In the second treatisc hc upholds the
Jcwish conception of the unity of God ovcr against thc Christian
 p
xxvi THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
dogma of the trinity and Zoroastrian dualism. In thc third, aftcr
dcmonstrating thc hcccssity of rcvclation, hc polcmizcs against thc
Christian and Mohammcdan claims of thc abrogation of thc Mo-
saic Law. In thc fourth hc argucs against thc allcgation that man
is hampercd in his frcedom of choice by God's foreknowlcdgc of
things. Thc sixth treatisc contains a rejection of six unacccptablc
vicws of thc nature of the human soul as well as a rcfutation of
thc theory of metcmpsychosis. Tbc seventh takcs up various argu-
mcnts propoundcd against thc doctrinc of resurrcction and tries
to show that thcy arc all null and void. In thc cighth thc Christian
tcaching conccrning the Mcssiah is refutcd. In the ninth, again,
in addition to proving the neccssity of reward and punishmcnt in
the hcrcaftcr, the objcctions against this theory arc reviewed and
answered.
In discussing thc various subjects Saadia makes usc of illustra-
tions derived from nearly all the sciences cultivated in his time
and surroundings, from mcdicine, anatomy, mathcmatics, astron-
omy, and cvcn music. He drives ho~ his points by mcans of apt
quotations from the Bible, which is cited by him no less than 1,300
times. Even though as a Gaon he was the authority in his day on
the Talmud, he makes comparatively sparing usc of this source of
Jcwish tradition, apparcntly bccause it was his desirc to defeat with
their own weapons the Karaitcs who accepted only the Writtcn
Law as binding. The views of thesc scctarians, whicb Saadia com-
batted throughout his life, are, indccd, mentioned scveral timcs
directly in the Book of Belief, and Opinions but morc often by
implication.
In bis pbilosophical ideas Saadia might best bc characterized as
an cclcctic although he followcd in tbe arrangement of his book
tbe pattern of the works of the Mohammedan theologians of his
time known as the Mutakallimun, particularly thosc of tbe school
of the Mu'tazilites, whose philosophical treatiscs usually revolved
about the two subjccts of unity and ;ustice, that is, tbe nature of the
Creator and man's freedom of will.
The original Arabic text of the Book of Belief, and Opinions,
was publishcd by S. Landauer (Lcyden, 188o) on the basis of a
INTRODUCTION :nvii
Bodleian manuscript and with the usc of the variants presentcd by
the manuscript of tbe Leningrad library. A sccond version of the
scventh treatisc, whicb was thc one uscd by Ibn Tibbon and whicb
is containcd in the Leningrad rccension, was edited by W. Bacher
in tbe Steinschneider Festschrift (Leipzig, 1896, Hebrcw scction,
pp,gS-112). .
Although paraphrascs in Hebrew of Saadia's Book of Beliefs
anti Opinions were made much carlier, the first literal translation
into Hebrew of the entire work, which according to the author's
own dating had bcen completcd in the year 933, was that of J udah
ibn Tibbon, finished in the year n86 in Luncl, Soutbcrn France.
Of the sevcn individual editions of tbis Hebrew translation that
have appcarcd since thi: editio prin,eps of Constantinople (151n),
that of Joscfow (188s) with thc commentary Sibl,il l,a!lmunal,
by Israd ha-Lcvi is undoubtcdly the best.
Tbc only complctc rendcring into a modern languagc of thc
book to bavc made its appcarancc hitherto is tbat of J ulius Fürst
(Leipzig, 1845) 1 who translated all but tbe last trcatisc into Ger-
man. In rcality, bowcvcr, Fürst's work is a parapbrasc ratbcr tban
a translation of tbc original, and a vcry inadcquatc one at that,
for the rcason that hc was ablc to utilizc only Ibn Tibbon's Hcbrcw
vcrsion, which on.account of its tcrminology and its slavish adhcr-
encc to thc syntax of tbc Arabic text is very difficult to undcrstand
without thc usc of tbe a'riginal.
Otl,er Wriling, of Sudia Gaon
Jp Saadia bad produccd notbing clse than tbc Book of Beliefs
and Opinions, his claim to live in the memory of postcrity would
havc bcen cstablishcd. Tbc fact is, howcvcr, that hc was a most
prolific wri\cr, wbose literary works cxtcndcd over many branches
of knowlcdgc, in a numbcr of whicb hc was not only a pionecr
but an uncxccllcd master. Tbc ficlds of lcarning covercd in his
writings havc bcen dcscribcd by H. Malter in bis Life anti W orks
of Sndia Gaon as follows:
 p
xxviii THE BOOK OF BELI:E.FS AND OPINIONS
A) Hcbrcw pbilology (comprising grammar, lexicograpby, and
cxegesis);
B) Liturgy (including poetics in gcncral);
C) Halakbab in its manifold ramifications ( covcring tbc vari-
ous brancbes of tbc Jcwisb religious and civil law);
D) Calendar and cbronology (largely polemical);
E) Pbilosopby ( especially the pbilosopby of rcligion and cm-
bracing tbe autbor's systems of etbics and psycbology);
F) Polemics against tbc Karaites and other opponents of tra-
ditional Judaism (of diversified content' and written at vari-
ous periods of tbe author's life). · Saadia was also a religious poet in his own right, who tried his
Listing Saadia's works in accordance with this schcme wc may
say that wc have in his 'Agron, in thc first part of whicb Hcbrcw
words wcrc arranged in alphabctical ordcr according to thcir ini-
tial lcttcrs and in tbe second part of wbich tbc final lettcrs wcrc
arranged alpbabetically to facilitatc vcrsification, thc first Hebrew
dictionary. In bis Books on Language, again, a grammatical work
in twelvc parts written in Arabic, wc have thc oldest known gram-
mar of the Hebrcw language. Besides thesc he also wrote an cx-
planation of nincty so-called hapax legomma and other very rare
Hcbrcw and Arama ic words of the Bible. · partant author of thc Geonic time," distinguishing himsclf not
Saadia was the first to translate the Hcbrew Scripturcs into Ara-
bic, and this vcrsion is still used by Jcws in Arabic-spcaking coun-
trics. The translation is on the whole literal, paraphrasc bcing
resorted to only wben found to bc absolutely nccessary. Just as in
tbe Targum of Onkelos antbropomorphisms are avoided and un-
familiar names are rendered by appellatives known to the Arabic-
spcaking reader.
According to a cataloguc of Saadia's works discovered among
the Genizah fragments (sec J. Mann in /ewish Quarterly Review,
n.s„ XI, and S. Poznanski, idem, Vol. XIII) Saadia wrotc commen-
taries in Arabic on about one half of the Pentateuch, as wcll as on
lsaiah, the twclve minor prophets, Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Lamenta-
tions, Esther, and Daniel. These werc usually providcd, as was bis
custom, with full introductions, and thcy discusscd many of thc
subjccts from thc philosophical as well as the philological stand-
INTRODUCTION xxix
paint. Tbc above-named list spcaks also of sermons, not mentioned
elsewhcrc, tbat hc is said to. have composed.
In tbc ficld of liturgy, too, Saadia's works were cpoch-making.
His Siddur or "Order of Prayers," wbicb has recently bccn pub-
lisbcd in Palcstinc with a Hcbrew translation of tbe Arabic tcxt,
bcsidcs bcing thc first scicntific investigation of the ritual of the
synagogue, is valuablc also as tbc record of many liturgical com-
Po5itions-othcr than tbc basic prayers-emanating from authors
who would otherwise havc remaiocd unknown. Howcver bc-
sides being a systcmatizcr and classificr of the work~ of others
band at almost cvcry type of liturgical poctry in voguc in his day.
Most of his verscs that havc been transmittcd to us' scem cxtrcmcly
artificial. Somc of his prose compositions, however, such as two of
bis Bak(aloth that have bccn preserved, revcal dcep religious fer-
vor and real grace and purity of style.
In his capacity of Gaon, the hcad of thc Talmudical acadcmy of
Sura and thc chief Jewisb legal authority in tbe world, Saadia's
prime conccrn was with Jewish law. In this ficld, too, as Louis
Ginzbcrg notcs in bis Gconica, "Rabbi Saadia was tbe most im-
only by the number but also by the originality of his contributions
to Halakic literaturc. He is quoted as having written an lntroduc-
tion to the. Talmud, wbich was still cxtant in tbe sixteentb century.
He composed :m Interpretation of the Thirteen (Hermeneutical)
Rt1les (of Rabbi lsl1mael): Both of tbcse wcre writtcn originally
in Arabic. Tbcre are also attributed to him commentaries on vari-
ous tractatcs of tbc Talmud, likewise in tbc Arabic tongue.
Of particular interest in tbe Halakic field, howcvcr, are .bis mon-
ographs on various legal subjccts, which hc treated with his char-
acteristic thoroughncss. Tbc following titlcs arc quoted: 1. On
lnheritance,· 2. On Pledges,· 3. On Testimony and Contracts; 4. On
lncest,· 5. On Meat Dilq11alified for Food (ferephah); 6. On Urury,·
7. On Defilement anti Purity,· 8. On (legal) Gifts,· 9. On the Gifts
Dtte to the Priests,· 10. On thc Laws Concerning Menstruation.
Tbc only one of tbese works prescrved in its entircty is the first.
xxx THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
lt rcvcals in its style as weil as its method the inßuence of Moham-
mcdan jurisprudcnce. lt, too, was written in Arabic.
Finally mention must bc made of numerous responsa to quct-
tions directcd to him as Gaon that Saadia wrote from time to time
eithcr in Arabic or in Aramaic, the official language of the Gconim.
The lcading role that Saadia playcd in the Ben Mcir controvcrsy
rcvcals him as an expert on the Jewish calendar, the regulation of
which dcmandcd a considcrable knowlcdge of mathematic1 and
astronomy. At the rcqucst of thc Exilarch David bcn Zakkai he
drew up .A Record-Book and Mnnorial Seroll /or Genwatio•s,
dcaling with the differences bctwcen the four principal rules of thc
calcndar as acccptcd by the Babylonians and those advocatcd by
thcir opponents. Copics of this book, which was written in the sum-
mer of thc ycar 922, werc scnt not only to the communities of East-
crn countrics but to thosc of Egypt and clscwhcrc too.
In addition hc is quotcd as having composcd thc Four Grm1 on
thc four principlcs of the traditional calcndar; thc Book, o/ 11,e
Fe11i11"11 on thc appointmcnt of thc Jcwish fcstivals in accordancc
with thc acccptcd calculations; thrcc utler1, two in Hcbrcw and
onc in Arabic, soliciting thc assistancc of his pupils in Egypt in
supprcssing Ben Mcir's changcs,; and Tl,e Order (or Mystmes)
o/ 11,e Calndar.
In thc rcalm of chronology, thc importancc of which lay in thc
support that it lcnt to thc belief in thc unintcrruptcd continuity of
Jcwish tradition, Saadia is crcditcd with thc composition in Arabic
of a Book o/ C/aronology in scvcn pans covcring thc history of thc
world from thc crcation down to thc author's time. He is bclicvcd
also to havc written, in Hcbrcw, a C/aronology 0/ 1/ae Teac/aer1 of
1/ae Misl,na/a and 1/ae Talmud, a Gmealogy o/ Rilbl,i /udal, tl,e
Patriard,, and an Arabic translation of thc original Aramaic tcxt
of T l,e Scroll 0/ 1/,e H asmoneant, which givcs a dctailcd and partly
legendary account of thc victorics of the Maccabces ovcr Antiochus
and his gcncrals.
As far as philosophy is concerncd, Saadia wrote, in addition to
bis mastcrpicce, thc Book o/ Belieft and Opinions, which is the
INTRODUCTION xxxi
subjcct of our translation, a philosophical commcntary, the first on
rccord, on thc mystical Book of Creation, the authorship of which
hc ascribcd to thc patriarch Abraham. In a lcngthy introduction,
with which hc prcfaccs his book, hc takcs up sevcn Grcek thcories
of thc crcation of thc world which hc rcfutes and rejccts in favor
of thc doc~rinc of creatio ex nihilo. In thc body of thc commcntary
itsclf hc d1scusses such mattcrs as thc variations bctwcen thc Tibc-
rian and thc Babylonian pronunciations of thc consonants and
vowels of thc Hcbrew alphabct, the significancc of numbcrs and
lettcrs, thc process of creation according to thc author of thc book,
thc meaning of such terms as likhinah, "thc Holy Spirit," "Thc
Word (of God)," and thc "Echo" (that is thc rcsonancc of God's
voice), as wcll as the mcasuremcnts of various planets and othcr
astral bodics. Thcrc is includcd also a discussion of the functions
of thc internal organs of the human body.
But Saadia's philosophical remarks are not confined to this com-
mcntary and thc Book of Belieft and Opinions alonc. Thcy arc to
bc fou~d in his B~blc cxcgcsis and in ot~cr writings as weil. Evcry-
wherc 1s thcrc cv1dcncc of thc rational, scientific bcm of his mind.
We comc now to thc last classification of Saadia's works, thc
polemical litcraturc that hc left bchind. As a matter of fact most
of bis writings wcrc more or lcss of a polemical character, cvcn
his translation of thc Biblc which scrvcd him as an instrumcnt for
upholding traditional Judaism and combatting thc Karaite schism.
Howevcr whcrc.as in his cxegctical books and in his philosoprucal
mastcrpiecc thc polcmic was only incidcntal, thcrc werc othcrs of
which thc controvcrsial purposc was dircct and dcliberatc. Thc
carlicst of his polcmical writings was onc entitled a Re/u1a1ion of
Anan, aimcd against the foundcr of Karaism. lt was composed by
him whcn he was still in Egypt. His most important polcmic, writ·
tcn in 926'-927, when he was alrcady officially connccted with thc
academy of Sura, wa~ his Book of Distinction, in which such mat-
tci:s of controversy betwccn Karaites and Rabbanitcs as thc kin-
dling of lights on thc Sabbath evc, thc datc of thc Fcast of Wecks,
and thc validity of thc Oral Law are discusscd. Whether thc Book
 F

xxxii THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS

of Proofs for Burning Candles on the Sabbatli, which is mentioned
in the list of Saadia's writings published by Mann, was a part of
this work or not has not yet bcen decided.
Another anti-Karaite work of Saadia's was his Book of Refuta-
tion of /bn Satawaihi, a Karaite who in a brochure entitled Boofc
of Sl,ameful Things had attacked thc essential parts of rabbinic
law. lt was possibly against the samc author that Saadia's Book of
Refutation of an Overbearing Antagonist, in which the question
of thc proper appointment of thc fcstivals of Passovcr and Tabcr-
natles is dealt with, was directcd. His Refutation of l;liwwi al-
Bald,i, again, was aimed at a Jewish radical, who dcnicd not only .T HEBOOKOF
the validity of thc Talmud but of the Biblc as well.
One of Saadia's latcst polcmia, in which hc justificd his position
in his struggle with the Exilarch and which was composcd during
BELIE~S AND OPIN IONS
his pcriod of seclusion was Tl,e Open Book. In contradistinction COMPOSED BY
to his previous polemical works it was written in Hcbrcw instead
of Arabic. Later on he issued a sequel in Arabic cntitled T l,e Book SA'ID 'IBN YUSUF
Thal Refutes.
[OTHERWlSE] KNOWN AS SA'ADYA THE FAYYUMITE
Saadia Literature in the Englisl, Lllnguage
THE standard work in any languagc on thc career and thc writ-
ings of thc Gaon Saadia is Henry Maltcr's ü/e and Work,r of
Saadia Gaon (Philadelphia, 1921). Bcsides giving a full-lcngth
biography of thc grcatcst of the Gconim, Malter has also compilcd
in this book an cxhaustive bibliograpby of all the works by and
about Saadia cithcr extant or quotcd at thc datc of its complction.
Articlcs dcaling with various phascs of thc life, works, and teach-
ings of Saadia, as well as additional bibliographical lists, are to bc
found in thc following volumes:
Saadia Anniversary Volume, American Academy for Jewish Re-
search, New York, 1943.
Saadia Studie,, cditcd by Abraham A. Neuman and Solomon Zcit-
lin, Philadelphia, 1943. Special edition of /ewisls Quarterly Review,
n.s„ XXXII ( 1943), 109-401.
Saady11 Studie,, cdited by Erwin 1. J. Rosenthal, Manchester Uni-
vcrsity Prel$, 1943.
Rab Saadia Gaon, cditcd by Louis Finkelstein. Jewish Thcological
Seminary of America, New York, 1944.
 INTRODUCTORY TREATISE
1
author opencd his rcmarks with thc words:

T
HB
"Blcsscd bc God, the God of lsrael, Who ia alonc dcscrving
of bcing rcgarded as thc Evident Truth, Wbo vcrifics with
ccrtainty umo rational bcings thc cxistcncc of thcir souls, by mcans
of which thcy asscs.s accuratcJy what thcy pcrccivc with thcir scnscs
and apprchcnd corrcctly thc objccts of thcir knowlcdgc. Unccrtain-
tics arc thcrcby rcmovcd from thcm and doubts disappc.ar, so that
dcmonstrations bccomc lucid for thcm and proofa bccomc clcar.
May He bc laudcd, thcn, abovc thc highcst commendation and
praisc."

II
Now aftcr thcsc preliminarics in praisc of our Lord and our
brief exprcssion of tribute to Him, 1 shall prcface this book, which
it has bccn my intcntion to composc, with an account of thc causcs
by which unccrtainties may bcsct thc minds of mcn in thcir scarch
for thc truth, as weil as of thc mcthod by which thcy may rcsolvc
thcsc unccrtaintics, and thus rcach thc goal of thcir scarch. I shall
show, furthcrmorc, how somc of thcsc unccrtaintics so intriguc 1
somc mcn that in thcir fancy and belief thcy bcco~c cstablishcd I
truths. As for mysclf, 1 invokc God's hclp in lifting such unccr-
taintics from my mind so that I may fully attain thc mcans of
scrving Him, just as His pious onc bcsought Him whcn hc said:
Unco11er mine eyes tl,at 1 may hel,o/d tl,e marvels of Tl,y Law
(Ps. 119: 18).
This [introductory cssay ], as weil as thc subject matter of thc
Note. The English translation of the title of the book follows the Hebrew rrn·
dering of Ibn 1ibbon.
1, "intrigue"-literally "dominate." Cf, Bloch', tnnslarion.
:i. "become established"-literally "euablish tliem as."
 p
THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
4
book propcr,1 I propose to formulate in simple ratber th.an reconditc
terms, in easy rathcr than difficult languagc, making use of only
the principal proofs and arguments and not of tbeir subdivisions.
Thus the contcnts will bc plain to follow and simple cnougb to
grasp and easy to master; and be who diligently studics the book
may thcreby arrivc at equity <2>
4
and truth-as thc saint said
of wisdom when it is madc acccssiblc: Thtn wilt tl,ou undersland
righteousntss and justi~t and equity, yea every good patl, (Prov.
2:9).
I shall, thcn, first makc notc of thc causc by which unccrtaintics
arisc in tbc minds of mcn. 1 maintain that thc conccpts of thc intcl-
lect arc bascd on thc pcrccptions of the scnscs. Howcvcr, thc things
pcrceivcd by sense arc subject to confusion for onc of two rcasons:
cithcr {a) bccausc thc seekcr is not sufficiently acquaintcd with
thc objcct of bis scarcb, or ( b) bccausc hc takcs bis task ligbtly and
falls short in thc thoroughncss and pcrsistcncy of bis quest. For
cxamplc, if a pcrson werc to scck onc Rcubcn, thc son of Jacob, hc
could bc in doubt about him for only onc of two rcasons: cithcr
(a) becausc hc docs not know him weil, so that thc lauer might
bc standing O bcforc him without being recognizcd by him, or hc
might sec somcone eise arid think hc is Reubcn; of (b) becausc I
hc takes tbc casiest course, abandoning thoroughncss. Thc rcsult
[ in thc lattcr casc] is that his love of casc inclines him to scck his
objcct witb the least eft'ort and the slightest conccrn, whcrcforc, ·
indccd, hc docs not disccrn it.
Similarly in rcgard to tbings of tbc intcllcct, confusion may arisc
from onc of thcse two causcs: cithcr (a) bccause tbe sceker of in-
tellcctual knowledge is unacquainted with the mctbods' of cvi-
dcncc, so that hc dcclarcs a valid proof to bc no proof and,
convcrsely, hc dcclares what is no proof to bc a valid proof, or (b)
bccause, cven though hc is convcrsant with the proccsscs of reason-
3. "book proper"-literally "cntirc book."
4, Beginning of page 2 of L:lnclaucr'1 edition of thc Anbic tcxt. Subsequent
pageii will be 1imilarl y indica ted.
5. "thc lauer might be 11anding"--so acc:ording to Ibn Tibbon'1 Hcbrew version.
G. "bccause"-lbn Tibbon.
7. "mc1hocl1"-lbn Tibbon.
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 5
ing, hc takcs the quiekest and casicst coursc so that he jumps at
thc conclusion bcfore having complcted thc task of rcasoning
about it.
How [mucb more would this apply] in the casc in whicb botb
thcse conditions arc combincd in tbe same pcrsonl I mcan that
he bc unacquaintcd with thc art of rcasoning and, togctbcr witb
tbat [ dcficicncy ], lack thc paticncc to explore fully such correct
knowlcdgc as bc has. Such a onc would bc far rcmovcd from his
goal or in despair of cvcr rcaching it. Now of the first dass of
individuals mcntioncd by us thc saint has said: Every one that had
knowledgt and undtrstanding (Nch. 10: 19), and of the last-
named: They know not neither do they understand (Ps. 81: 5).
Still more would this bc truc wbcrc to thcsc two factors is
addcd <3> a third; namely, that the sceker docs not know wbat
hc is sccking. Such a one would bc cvcn furtbcr rcmoved and morc
distant from his goal, so much so that he would fail to rccognize
thc truth even if it should by chancc occur to him or 8 be should
happcn to come UPon it. He is thus like a creditor O who docs not
know the art of wcigbing, or cvcn tbc nature of a balancc and
wcigbts, nor yet bow much moncy is due bim from his debtor.
Evcn if bis dcbtor wcre to pay bim bis dcbt in full, bc would bc
unccrtain wbctbcr bc bad paid it. Or if bc wcrc to rcccive from his
dcbtor lcss than what was owing to him, he might fancy that it
was he wbo bad defraudcd bis dcbtor.
Just like this case of tbc ignorant crcditor who sucs his dcbtor 10
is also tbat of the individual wbo sceks to weigh somcthing for
bimsclf but is totatly ignorant of tbe nature of wcighing instru-
mcnts and thc quantity to bc wcighcd. He might furthcrmorc bc
compared to a pcrson who rcccivcs moncy for himsclf or somcbody
eise and rclics on his own sorting although bc is unacquaintcd
with thc art of sorting. As a conscqucncc hc would oftcn acccpt
dcfcctive coins and rcfusc thc good. Somcthing like that would
8. "or"-lbn Tibbon.
9. "c:rcditor"-litcrally "an individual."
10. "the ignorant crediror who 1ucs his debtor"-litcrally "rhe two litiganu
onc of whom 1ucs thc othcr,"

6 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
also happcn whcre he is acquaintcd with thc art but fails to ob-
scrve carcfully.
Scripture docs indeed liken the sorting of just statements to the
sorting of money when it says, LiJc.e tesltd si/11er is lht spee,1, of
11,e righteous wl,i/11 1/,e l,earl 0/ 1/,e wieJc.ed iJ of liltle wortl,
(Prov. 10: 20). 11 Those whosc knowledge of the art of sorting is
limitcd or who have but little patience are prescntcd u wrongdocrs,
bccause thcy wrong thc truth; Scripturc says, namcly, The l,earl of
11,e wicktd i.1 of litlle ,v(Jrll,. On the othcr handJ thosc expert in
sorting arc prcsentcd as rightcous men on account of thcir knowl-
cdgc aa weil as their paticncc, as it is statcd 6rst, Like tttted n1,,,,,.
is 1/,e speech of 11,e rig/Juous. Thus praise ia bcatowed on tbc
lcarncd, and doubu arc rcmovcd from tbcrn, only on account of
their paticnt pcnetration into all thc phascs of their art aftcr ac-
quainting thcmsclv~ thoroughly with it, as thc saint said, Be/,,old,
l woited ,,,,. your words, l luttned for your reosons whü11 ye
searelml oul w/1111 lo say (Job 32: u). In like manncr did the othcr
saint aay, And 141Jc.e no11l,e word of tru,I, u11er/y oul of my mou1I,
(Ps. 119: ,t3).
Wru.t hu promptcd me to spcak cxplicidy about thia matter il
my observation of thc sta.te of many pcoplc in rcgard to thcir bc-
licfs and. convictions. Thcrc is among thcm, for instancc, thc type
of pcrson who has attaincd the truth <4> and is cognizant of it
and rcjoiccs in it. 19 Of him docs thc prophct say, Thy WOt'ds were
found, ond 1 did eoJ lh4m; ond Tl,y words were unlo me" joy
and 11,e JYioking of my hellrl (Jcr. 15: 16).
Again thcre is among thcm hc who haa attaincd thc truth but
who is ncverthclcss in doubt about it, bcing neithcr wholly con-
vinccd not bolding it lirmly in his grup. In rcfcrcncc to him the
prophct says, Tl,ougl, l writt for /,im ewr so many 1/,ings of My
LAw.1Aey are accounted 111 a rtranger's (Hos. 8: 12).
Thcre is furthcr among thcm he who holds to bc truc what in
rcality is falsc, thinking that it is thc truth; hc thus clings to falsc-
11. The 1UU1l lJ'UUl11ioo i, Tlw '°"'"' of IM"'"""'";, M ,J,o;q
"6.rl of 11,, wl.tl(ttJ i, liult ~A.
u. "in it"-lbn Tibbon. These word1 are omitted in the Arabic tat.
F
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY .,
hood and aban4ons what is right. Of him Scripturc saya, Lei !,im
nol ,ruft in 11ani1y, d"ei11ing l,imself; for 11ani1y sl,a/1 be l,is ree-
ompensr Oob. 15: 31).
Thcrc it, lastly, among them the type of person who for a while
follows one systcm of thought and thcn abandons it on account of
,ome Raw that he has noticcd in ~t. So hc transfcrs to anothcr systcm
from which hc also withdraws on account of some point in it which
he rcjccts. Then hc passcs on to still anothcr for a while but givcs it
up again on account of somcthing in it which has madc it rcprc-
hcnsiblc to him, and so hc rcmains ,unscttlcd all his life. Such a
onc might bc comparcd to a pcrson who wishcs to go to a certain
city but docs not know the road lcading to it. Conscquently he
walks a parasang along one highway and hesitatcs. Thcn he turns
back and walks a parasang along another highway and hcsitate1
and so turns once morc and repcats this proccdurc on a third
and a fourth highway. Of him docs Scripturc say, Tl,e labor of
fools wearie1I, e11ery one of tl,em, for l,e l{nowell, no1 l,ow logo lo
1/,e d1y (Eccles; rn: 15), that is since l,e l{nowetl, nol.
Whcn, now, 1 considercd thcse fundamentals and the cvil rc-
sulting thcrcfrom, my hcart was gricvcd for my spccies, the spccics
of rational beingsJ and my wul was stirrcd on account of our peo-
plc, the childrcn ·of lsrad. For I saw in this age of minc many bc-
licvers whosc belief was not pure and whosc convictions wcrc not
sound, whilst many of thc denicrs of thc faith boastcd of their
corruption and lookcd down upon thc dcvotccs of thc truth al-
though thcy wcre themsclvcs in error. 1 saw, furthermore, mcn who
werc sunk, as it wcrc, in scas of doubt and overwhelmcd by wavcs
of confusion and there was no diver to bring them up from thc
depths nor a swimmcr who might takc hold of their hands and
carry thcm ashorc.
But inasmuch as my Lord had granted me some knowledge by
which <s> I might comc to their assistance and bad cndowed
mc with some ability that I could put at th'cir disposal for thcir
bcnefit, 1 thought that it was my duty to hclp thcm thercwith and
lilnr: 1A1 my obligation to dircct thcm to thc truth. Somcthing of this order
was also exprcsscd by the saint: Tl,e Lord God l,011, gi11en me 11,e
 p
8 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
tongue of tl,em that are taught, that 1 should know l,ow to sustain
witl, words /aim that is weary; He wakeneth morning hy morning,
He wokenetl, my ear to neu as they that are taught (Isa. 50: 4).
Although I do acknowledge that my learning is far from pcr-
fcct and admit that my scientific attainments are lacking in ex-
cellence, and I am not wiser than my contemporaries, yet ac-
cording to my capacity and to thc extent of my understanding-
and as the saint expressed it, But as for me, this setret is not re-
vealed to me for 11ny wisdom tl,at 1 have more than any living,
but to the inttnt that tht inttrpretation may bt madt known to tl,e
king, and thal thou mayest l(now the thoughts of thy heart (Dan.
2: 30)-I bcseech God, exalted bc He, to hclp mc and grant mc
what He knows to bc thc aim and object of my quest, not accord-
ing to my attainmcnts and my powers, as His other saint said, 1
know 11/10, my God, that Thou triest the heart, 11nd ha1t plea1ure
in uprightneu (1 Chron. :29: 17).
I also adjurc by God, the Creator of the uni\'.ersc, any scholar
who, upon studying this book, sccs in it a mistakc, that hc corrcct
it, or, should hc note an abstruse phrasc, that he substitute for it a
morc fclicitous one. Let him not fccl rcstraincd thcrcfrom by thc
fact that the book is not his work, or that I bad anticipatcd him in
explaining what bad not bccn clear to him. For thc wisc have a
tender solicitude for wisdom, cntertaining for it a sympathy similar
to that cntcnained for onc anothcr by mcmbcrs of thc samc family,
as Scripturc says: Say unto wisdom: "1'1,ou art my si1ter" (Prov.
7: 4)-although thc fools, too, arc devoted to their folly, and arc
loath to forsake it, as Scripturc says: Though he spart it, and will
<6>
not let it go, bttt keep it still within hi1 moutl, (Job 20: 13).
Furthermorc I implorc in thc namc of God, exaltcd be He,
cvcry scckcr of knowlcdgc who studics this book to read it with-
out bias and havc in mind thc samc objcctivc as 1, and to desist
from narrow-mindcdness and conjccture and confutation, until hc
will havc obtained benefit and havc acquircd profit by thc power
and thc might of Hirn, who tcachcs us what profits us, as the saint
has said: 1 am the Lord thy God, that teacl,es thet for thy profit,
that leadeth thee by tht way that thou shouldest go (Isa. 48: 17).
1
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 9
If, now, thc scholar and thc student will pursue such a couuc
in thc pcrusal of this book, then hc that strives for certainty will
gain in ccrtitudc, and doubt will be liftcd from the doubtcr, and
he that bcüevcs by shccr authority will come to bclievc out of
jnsight and understanding. By the same tokcn the gratuitous
opponent will come to a halt, and the conccitcd adversary will fecl
ashamed, whilst the rightcous and upright will rcjoice, as Scrip-
ture says: T he upright see it, and are glad, and all iniquity stoppcth
l,er mo11th. W hoso is wise, /et him observt thcst things, and /et
11,tm consider tht mercies of the Lord (Ps. IO"J! 42, 43).
1'hus will mcn improve in thcir inner being as wcll as in thcir
outer conduct. Their prai•crs, too, will bcr:ome pure, since they
will havc acquired in their hearts a dctcrrent from crror, an im-
pulse to do. what is right, as thc saint has said: Thy word l,ave 1
laid up in my heart, that 1 might nnt sin against Thet (Ps. 119: u).
1'hus, also, will thcir beliefs prcvail in thcir aflairs, their mutual
jcalousy over things of this world will diminish. Thcy will all
tcnd toward the realm of wisdom and fccl no inclination for any-
thing eise. T heirs will be salvation and mercy and g race as He, may
He bc praised and sanctified, has said: Look un to Me, and be ye
saved, all tl,e ends o/ the eartl,,· for 1 am God, and there is none
eise (Isa. 45: 22), .
All this will bccomc possiblc when doubts are dispclled and
uncertaintics removcd. For thcn thc knowlcdgc of God and ac-
quaintancc with His lore will spread even as water spreads at thc
shorcs 18 of the sca-as Scripturc says: For the tarth sha/1 be Juli
of tl,e l(nowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (lsa.
n:9).
III
<7> Now somcone might perhaps ask: u What was the pur-
pose of 11 thc Creator, exalted and magnified be He, in pcrmitting
these unccrtaintics and doubts to prevail among His creatures? To
13. "1horcs"-litcrally "parta."
14. "ask"-lbn 1ibbon.
1$, "What was thc purposc of"-Jbn Tibbon.
10 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thi, question WC hcrc offcr an answcr. Wc maintain that thc very
fact of thcir bcing crcatcd cntitics nc<::cssitatcs thcir cntcrtaining
unccrtaintics and illusion1. That is to say: by thc plan of creation,
thcy requirc for ' cvcry act they pcrform a span of time within
which to complctc that act stcp by stcp. Cognition, thcrcfore,
which is onc of thcsc activitics, obviously dcpcnds upon a likc
condition. Now thc proccss of koowing on thc part of mcn bcgin1
with things that arc at 6rst jumblcd, obscurc and ambiguous.
Howcvcr by thc power of thc intcllcct, which thcy poucss they do,
in thc coursc of time, continually rcfine and purify thcse [ complcxi-
tics 1until thc unccrtaintics dcpart from thcm and thc pure csscncc
is cxtractcd dissociatcd from any doubt.
Now, sincc all human arts consist of phascs, if men we1c to
stop in thcir cndcavors bcforc thcsc phascs wcrc complctcd, thc
opcration in qucstion, such as sowing or bui!ding or wcaving
or othcr task,, that can bc brought to complction only by the
pcrscvcrancc of thc workcr to tbc last phasc, would nevcr bc
completcd. In likc manncr docs thc art of cognition rcquirc that
onc start in it at thc bcginning and procccd step by ttcp until its
cn~. At thc initial stage, for example, there may bc ten problems,
wh1ch at thc sccond are reduccd to ninc, and at the third ro eight.
Thus cach time that man's rcasoning and rcftcction arc applied to
thcm thcse problcms decreasc, until at thc last of thcsc stagcs, thc
solc object of his quest is extractcd and lcft isolatcd, [ frcc] from all
ambiguity or doubt.
F~r the sakc of clucidation let it bc assumcd that a pcnon i1
lookmg for proof by means of which he might arrivc at thc truth.
Now such a proof is a statement, and a statemcnt is a kind of
sound, :md sounds are of many typcs. Whcn, thcn, thc scckcr sets
o~t to di.stiU thc objcct of his qucst-and thc sounds confronting
~1~, wh1ch hc h~s ~gun to classify, are ambiguous aod unintcl·
hg1ble-hc first chmmates < 8 > from thc complcx of noiscs those
produced by t) thc concussion of bodic.,, such as thc falling of
s~onc on stonc, and 2) thc clcaving of certain botiics, and 3) sounds
ltke that of thundcr and crashing and similar noiscs, for hc knows
that from thcsc types of sound hc could Mt derive any proof. So
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY II
hc arrivcs, in the sccond ,tage, at sounds produccd by animatcd
bcings only, sccing that it is among thcse (alonc] that hc may
expect to find tbc [ dcsircd] demorutration. Next, howcver, hc
will climinatc from thcsc the sounds madc by all animatcd things
not endowcd witb specch, such as ncighing and braying and low-
ing and thc likc, since thcsc arc no lcss unintclligible. 18 Thus hc
arrivcs, in thc third stage, at thc sounds prrxluccd by human bcings
in particular, sincc it is by this spccics of sounds [only] that all
knowlcdgc [is cxpresscd]. From thcsc, again, hc climinatcs such
natural sounds as "Ah" and the likc, sincc thcsc would bc of no
usc to hirn, so that, in thc fourth stage, hc comcs upon the articu-
latc 11 sounds produccd by man, which consist of thc twcnty-two
lettcrs of thc alphabct. From thesc, again, hc climinatcs uncon-
ncctcd consonants, sincc nonc of them, whcn pronounced scpa-
ratcl y, would scrvc any purpose, as if thou wert to say: A, B, C, D,
E, cach by itsclf.
He now arrivcs, in thc fifth stagc, at consonants combined with
onc anothcr so as to form nouns, consisting cach of two or threc
or morc consonants. From thesc, however, hc climinatcs evcry in-
stance of a noun that is dctached, spoken alonc, as whcn one says:
"hcavcn,""t s ar,""man,,,. smcc 1t 'hcrcnt 11 m
· ·1s not 111 • any ofh
t csc
nouns, whcn spokcn in isolation, to indicatc any more than what is
dcsignated by thcm. Thus he arrivcs, in thc sixth stagc, at [ sounds
of] connC<!tcd spccch, as whcn onc says: "Astar shjning"; "A man
writing"; and other such comhinations of two words, or of a word
and a noun or more, for hc expccts by means of thcsc combinations
to attain his objcct. From thesc he now diminatcs instanccs of thc
[ mcre] coupling of two or more words or of any [ uttcrancc] that
docs not constitute a statcmcnt, and he thus comcs, < 9> in the
scvcnth stage, upon statcments such as thosc made by the pcrson
who says: "Thc sun has riscn," or "Thc rain has fallen," and thc
likc.
He knows, howcvcr, that statcmcnts are [ dividcd] into thrce
16. "theac are no leu unintclli,iible"-litcrally "there i1 no wisdom in them."
17. "articulatc"-Gr "technical."
18. "inherent"-so Ibn Tibbon, literally "in the narure."
12 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
different categorics: (a) nccessary, such as the statement: "Thc
Eire is hot"; (b) impossible, such as thc statcmcnt: "Thc firc is
cold"; (c) possiblc, such as thc Statement: "Rcubcn is in Bagdad."
He tbcrcupon puts asidc tbe nccessary and thc impossible catc-
gorics, and arrives, in the cigbth stagc, at the possiblc [ type of]
statcment, and invcstigates whctbcr what is containcd in it 19 is
correct or not.
Tben, in tbe ninth stagc, he bcfins to subjcct thc matter in
question to rational analysis, citbcr [ starting] from a ncccssary
[prcmisc] and dcmonstrating-by mcans of ccrtain mcthods which
wc shall elucidatc hcrcaftcr-that by that premisc the matter undcr
discussion, too, must bc affirmed as ncccssary; 20 or starting from
an impossible prcmisc and sbowing that by it any such statement
must bc dcclarcd impossible. Whcn, thcn, all the alternatives havc
bccn cxcludcd and there rcmains only thc one hc has reachcd in thc
tenth stagc, which is now lucid and clcar to him, he drops from
his mind all previous divisions that had rcndered bis objcctivcs
both ambiguous and obscurc bcforc his inquiry had eliminated
thesc divisions onc by onc.
lt is clcar, thcn, that thc pcrson who spcculatcs bcgins with
a grcat many things tbat arc all mixcd up, from which hc continu-
:illy sifts ninc out of tcn, and thcn cight out of ninc, :.nd thcn scvcn
out of cight, until all confusions and ambiguitics arc rcmovcd and
only thc pure extr:ict rcmains. If, tbcrcforc, bc wcrc to stop in
his invcstigation upon rcaching the fifth or the fourth stagc or
whatcvcr station it bc, thc numbcr of unccrtaintics rcsolvcd by
him would bc in proportion to thc stations hc has put bchind him-
sclf, and hc would still bc lcft with a numbcr proportionatc to
thc Stations bcforc him. Should hc hold on to what he has ac-
complished, therc is hope tbat he may come back to it and complctc
thc proccss. If, howcvcr, bc does not retain it, thcn hc would bc
compcllcd to rcpeat the entirc proccss of rcasoning from thc be-
ginning.
19. "is cnntained in it"-literally "the informant stated cnncerning it."
20, "1hat by that . , . necessary"-literally "the neceuary conclusions th:u it
ltads to.''
'
l
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY
lt is on this account that many pcople rcmain in crror, spurning
wisdom. Some do it bccausc thcy do not know thc road leading
to it. Ccrtain others (takc this attitudc] bccausc, although thcy had
bcgun to travcl on this road, thcy did not < 10 traverse it com-
>
plctcly, and wcrc, thcrefore, among thosc. who pcrishcd, as Scrip-
turc has said: T he man that strayetl, out of the way of understand-
ing shall rest in the congregation of the shades (Prov. 21: 16). The
sages of the childrcn of Israel havc also said with rcfcrencc to him
who has not fully studied thc subject matter of wisdom: Ever since
the number of disciples of Hillel and Shammai increased who did
not. wait upon sd,olars sufficiently there has been an increase o/
the number of disagreements (Sanh. 88b). This uttcrance of thcirs
indicatcs to us that when pupils do complcte thcfr coursc of study,
no controversy or discord ariscs among them.
Let, thcreforc, thc worried fool rcfrain from ascribing his fail-
ings to tbc Crcator, cxalted and magnificd be He. Let him not
say tbat it was He wbo had implantcd thc doubts in him. Rather
it was bis own folly or bis worry that bad hurled him into these
doubts, as wc havc cxplaincd. In fact it is untcnablc tbat a singlc
act on bis part should instantancously rcmovc all unccrtainties.
That would constitutc a dcviation from the law govcrning all
crcatures, and he is, aftcr all, a crcatcd bcing. Furthcrmore, if a
pcrson docs rcfrain from assigning this failing of his to bis Master,
yct dcsircs. that God cndow him with a knowlcdgc frec from all
uncertainty, such a onc asks that bis Master make him His equal.
For, as wc sball cxplain in what follows, he who is capablc of
knowlcdgc without dcpcnding upon a causc is none other tban thc
Crcator of the univcrse, blesscd and hallowed be He.
But, as far as all crcatcd bcings are concerned, they cannot ac-
quire knowlcdgc cxcept by thc mcdiation of a causc; that is, by
thc process of rcscarch and analysis, thc performancc of which rc-
quircs ccrtain measurcs of time, as we havc dcmonstratod. Accord-
ingly, from the first to thc last momcnt of thcsc intcrvals, thcy
will of nccessity find thcmsclvcs in a statc of uncertainty, as wc
have shown. Thosc, thcn, arc worthy of commcndation who wait
paticntly until they have purificd thc silvcr of thc dross, in ac-
14 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
cordance with the statemcnt of Scripturc: Take away the dro11
/rom the 1il11n-, and thn-.e cometl, /orth a 11e11el /or the refiner
(Prov. 25: 4); or, until thcy have distillcd the clear milk of thc art
[ of rcscarch] and extractcd its crcam, according to anothcr utter·
ance of Scripture: For the durning o/ milk bringet/, fort/, curd,
and the wringing of the nose bringet/, /ortl, blood (Prov. 30: 33);
or, until their sced is fully grown and thcy can harvcst it, as Scrip-
turc says: Sow < 11 > to yourstlves according to righteousness,
reap ar:cording to mercy (Hos. 10: 12); or, again, until the fruit
of thcir trccs has ripcned and becomc nourishment, as Scripture
says: A trte o/ li/e is sht lo thtm that hold on to her (Prov. 3: 18).
IV
And now that wc havc fini,hcd expounding, as much as wc feit
it desirable, the matter of resolving unccrtainties and doubts, it
behoovcs us to cxplain what is meant by belief. W c say that it is a
notion that ariscs in the soul in regard to the actual character of
anything that is apprehendcd. When the crcam of invcstigation
emerges, [ and] is cmbraccd and cnfolded by the minds and,
through them acquired and digestcd by the souls, then thc pcrson
becomes convinccd of thc truth of thc notion hc has thus acquired.
He thcn dcposits it in his soul for a future occasion or for future
occasions, in accordance with thc statemcnt of Scripture: Wise
men lay up knowltdge; bul the mouth o/ the /oolish is an immi-
nent ruin (Prov. 10: 14); and it says also: Rective, I pray thee,
in1truction from His mouth (Job 22: 22).
Now belicfs fall into two catcgorics: truc and falsc. A true be-
lief consists in bclieving a thing to be as it really is; namcly, that
much is much, and littlc is little, .and black is black, and whitc is
whitc, and that what cxists cxists, and what is nonexistent is non-
existcnt. A falsc belief, on the othcr hand, consists in belicving a
thing to bc thc oppositc of what it actually is, such as that much is
littlc, and littlc is much, and whitc is black, and black is whitc, and
that what cxists is nonexistcnt, and what is noncxistcnt cxists.
Thc praiseworthy wisc man is hc who makcs rcality his guiding
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 15
principle and bases his belief thcrcon. Notwithstand~ng his wis-
dom, he rdics only on what is dcscrving of trust an.d u wary
wherevcr caution is in ordcr. The rcprchensible fool, on the othcr
band, is he who sets up h1s personal conviction as bis guiding
principlc, assuming that reality is patterned aftcr 21 bis belief.
Notwithstanding his ignorance, hc trusts in what should be
shunned and shuns what is descrving of trust. All this is bornc out
by Scripturc, which says:' 22 A. wire man ftareth, and departeth
frorn eviJ,· bul lht /ool b~haveth overbearingly, arsd is ,onfidmt
(Prov. 14: 16).
To this [last] observation I must appcnd thc cxpression of my
amazcmcnt at [thc vicw of) ccrtain pcoplc who, bcing <12>
slavcs, yet bclicvc that thcy havc no mastcr, and who are confident
that any objcct thc cxistcncc of which thcy dcny must bc non-
existcnt and whatcvcr they declarc to bc in existencc is so. These
individuals are so sunken in folly as to have rcachcd thc vcry nadir
of mental dcterioration. 2 1.1 For if thcy bc right, thcn lct him among
thcm who bas no money takc it into his head that hjs coflcrs and
chcsts are fi llcd with moncy, and sec what it would profit hi.m. Or
lct him bclicvc hc is scvcnty years old, whcn hc is only forty ycars
of age, and sc:e wbat good it wouJd do hjm. Or lc:t him assumc that
hc is satcd whcn he is hungry, or that his thirst is qucnched whcn
hc is thirsty, or that hc is covcrcd up whcn hc is nakcd, and sec what
would happcn to him. Or lct him among thcm who has a vicious
cncmy belicve that his cncmy has dicd, aye pcrished, with the re-
sult that hc 'no longcr takes precautions against the latter. But, oh,
how quickly will hc [in such a casc] bc ovcrcomc by thc misfor-
tunc 24 of which hc was not [ sufficicntly] apprehensive.
Now it is shccr folly on the part of pcoplc to imaginc that their
[ merc] rcfusal to acknowlcdge the sovereignty of the Lord cxcmpts
them from [hccding] His commandmcnts and prohibitions and
from [bcing subjcct to] His promise of reward and thrcat of
punishmcnt and other such things. lt is such individuals that
21. "is pattcrncd aftcr"-litcrally "follows."
22. "All ••• says"-litcrally "and as it says."
23. "mental dctcrioration"-litcrally "pcrdition."
24. "misfortune"-lbn Tibbon.
16 THE BO.OK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Scripturc quotcs [as saying]: Let us break tl,eir bands asunder
(Ps. 2:3).
Thus thcrc arc ccrtain Hindus who havc hardcncd thcmsclvcs
against firc, although it burns thcm whcncvcr thcy comc in con-
tact with it. Again thcrc arc individuals who, affccting youthful-
ncss, havc hardcncd thcmsclvcs to cndurc thc blows of thc canc
and thc scourgc, although thcy smart from thcm w hcncvcr thcy
arc struck by them. How much morc should this apply in thc case
of thosc who in this wisc cmboldcn themsclvcs against thc Crcator
of thc univcrscl Thcir [ mcrc] ignorancc [ of it] will not causc thcm
to cscapc thc lot that His wisdom has dccrccd for thcm, as Scrip-
turc has indccd said: He is wise in lieart, and mighty in strength;
who has hardened himsel/ against Hirn, and prospered? (Job 9: 4).
V the validity of the first but reject thc second and the thi rd [ sources],
Having concludcd now what wc thought fit 211 to appcnd to our
first statcmcnt, it bchoovcs us to givc an accou11t of thc bascs of
truth and the vouchers of certainty which are thc sourcc of all
knowlcdgc and thc mainspring of all cognition. Discoursing about
thcm in kceping with thc aim 20 of this book, wc dcclarc that
therc arc thrcc [such] bascs. Thc first consists of thc knowlcdgc
gaincd by < 13> [ dircct.J obscrvation. Tbc sccond is composcd of
thc intuition of thc intcllect. Thc third compriscs that knowlcdgc
which is infcrrcd by logical ncccssity.
Following up (this] cnumcration with an cxplanation of cach
of thcsc roots of knowlcdgc, wc say that wc undcrstand by thc
knowlcdgc of observation whatevcr a person pcrccivcs by mcans of
onc of thc fivc senscs; that is, by mcans of sight or hcaring or
smcll or taste or tauch. By thc intuition of thc intcllcct, wc mcan
such notions as spring up solely in thc mind of a human bcing,
such as approbation of truthfulncss and disapproval of mcndacity.
By thc knowlcdgc dcrivcd from logical ncccs~ity, again, is mcant
conclusions, which, unless they are acceptcd by thc individual as
25. "thought fit"-Jbn libbon and codcx M quntcJ by L:md:iuer.
26. "aim"---so M.
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY l'J
truc, would compcl bis dcnial of thc validity of his rational intu-
itions or thc pcrccption of bis scnscs. Sincc, howcvcr, hc cannot
vcry weil nc~atc cithcr of thcse two, hc must rcgard thc said in-
fcrcncc as bemg correct. Thus wc arc forced to affirm, although wc
have nevcr sccn it, that man possesscs a soul, in ordcr not to dcny
its manifest activity. (Wc must] also [agrcc], ah.hough we havc
ncver sccn it, that cvcry soul is endowed with reason, ( merely] in
o.-dcr not to dc:ny thc lattcr's manifest activity.
Now wc find tbat therc arc many pcoplc who deny [thc rc·
liability of~ thesc thrcc sources [ of knowledgc ]. A small minority
of thcm rc1cct thc first sourcc. Of thcsc wc shall givc an account
in thc first treatise of this book, togcthcr with a ref utation of thcir
vicw. By rejccting thc first source, they have automatically rcjccted
the sccond and the third, since the latter two are based upon the
first. More numerous than this group are those that acknowledge
Of thcir thcsis, too, we shall make mention in the first treatisc and
rcfutc it. Most numcrous of all, however, arc thosc who acknowl·
edge thc validity of the first two sourccs [ of knowlcdgc] and re·
ject the third. Thc rcason for thc differencc in their rating of thesc
[ v:uious sources of knowlcdgc] lies in thc foct that thc sccond
[type of] knowledgc is morc rccondite than the first, and likewisc
thc third more so than the second, and that whatever is invisible can
morc rcadily be denied than what is visible.
Agairi therc nrc peoplc who reject the validity of this [last type
of] knowledge in certain instanccs 27 and recognize 28 it in others,
cach group among them affirming what its opponent negatcs. Their
argument [in each casel is that logical necessity led them to thc
particular conclusion. Thus thcrc is he who affirms that all things
are at rcst. < 14 He consequently <lenies thc reality of motion.
>
Another, again, affirms that all things movc, and by virtue thcrcqf
denics thc rcality of rest. Each one declares the evidencc adduccd
by his opponent dubious and unconvincing.
27. "instanccs"·-so M.
28. "rccngnizc"-litcrally "hold on to," ~o Ibn Tibbon. Cf. also Abraham
Heschcl, The ()11m /or Certainty in Sandia', Philusopl,y in The /ewi1h Q11arterly
Re11iew, XXXlll, 290, and n. 139. " !'
,,,';/
/
18 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
As for oursclvcs, thc community of monothcists, wc hold thcsc
thrcc sourccs of knowlcdgc tobe genuine. To thcm, howcver, wc
add a fourth aource, which wc havc dcrivcd by mcans of thc [ other]
threc, and which has thus bccome for us a furthcr principlc. That
is [to say, wc bclicvc in] thc validity of authcntic tradition, by
rcason of thc fact that it is bascd upon thc knowlcdgc of thc senset
as weil as that of rcason, as wc shall cxplain in thc third trcatisc
of this book. . jcction of thc pcrccption of thc scnscs or rational intuition is falsc.
At this point, howcvcr, wc rcmark that this type of knowlcdgc
(1 mcan that which is furnishcd by authcntic tradition and thc
books of prophctic rcvclation), corroboratcs for us thc validity of
thc 6rst thrcc sourccs of knowlcdgc. Thus it cnumcratcs thc scnsc:s
in conncction with thc dcnial of thcir functioning in thc casc of
thc idols, making thcm a total of 6vc with two morc addcd to thcm.
lt says, namcly: They h1111e mouths but they 1pe111( #OI,' eyes h1111e
they but they ste not ••• neither speak thty with their throu
(Ps. 115: 5-7). . Ncxt [ tradition] informs us that all scicnccs arc [ ultimatcly]
Thc first live [organs] rncntioncd rcfcr to thc scnscs thcmsclvcs,
whilst of thc two [ functions] that arc addcd to thcm, onc is mo-
tion. This is implicd in thc statcmcnt: Feet have thty but wa/1( not
(Ps. n5: 7). By mcans of this faculry [incidcnrally] thcre is also
obtaincd consciousncss of hcavincss and lightncss. Thus a pcrson
may bc prcventcd from moving about [frccly] by rcason of his
wcight, whcrcas he would not thus bc hindcrcd if hc wcrc light.
On this acoount, indccd, ccrtain pcople wcrc mindcd to add to the
numbcr of thc scnscs, for thcy askcd [ thcmsclvcs] : "How [eise)
can thc scnsation of lightncss and hcavincss bc expcrienccd?"
Our answcr is: "By mcans of thc sense 21 of motion, according to
whcthcr thc lattcr is found to bc easy or difficult."
Thc other onc [of thc addcd facultics] is [ that of) spccch. lt is
irnplicd in thc statcment: Neitlaer speak they with their throat.
[By] that [of course] is ( meant] spccch in gcncral, [whcthcr it
consists] of individual nouns or combinations [of words ], or
prcmiscs, or proofs, as wc havc prcviously cxplaincd.
Furthcrmorc [ authentic tradition] vcrifics for us thc validity
29. "sense"-M and Ibn 'Iibbon.
1
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 19
of thc intuition of rcason. lt cnjoins us, namcly, to spcak thc truth
and not to lie. Th us it says: For my moutl, shall utkl' truth, and
wicktdntss is an 11/Jomination to my lips. All the words of my
moutl, llf't in righkoumess, there is nothing <15> perverse or
crooked in them (Prov. 8:7, 8).
Bcsides that it confirms for us the validity of knowlcdgc infcrrcd
by logical ncccssity, [ that is to say] that whatcvcr leads to the rc-
Tbc 11ntcmbility of any [ thcory Jthat rcjccts thc pcrccption of thc
scnscs is affirmcd by such Scripturc statcmcnts as: Thou lhat tearest
thyself in thine anger, shall the earlh /Je forsaken for thee, or ,hall
11,e rock be remo11ed out of its place? (Job 18: 4). Agai.n, apropos of
the untcnability of any thcory that rejccts rational intuitions con-
ccrning the falscncss or truth [of propositions], it rcmarks: And
if it be not so now, who will pro11t me II liar, and makt my speuh
nothing worth? (Job 24: 25).
bascd on what wc grasp with our aforementioncd scnscs, from
which thcy are dcduccd and dcrivcd. Thus it says: Hear my words,
ye wise men; and give ear unto mt, ye lhat ha11e l(nowledge. For
tl,e ear trietl, words, as the palate tastet!, food (Job 34: 2, 3). More-
over this last sourcc of knowledgc also confirms for us thc validity
of tr ustworthy reports. That is the import of its statement: 1 ,viU
tell thet, l,ear thou me; and that whicl, 1 hallt seen will l declare-
whid wise men l,ave told from their fathers, and hallt not hld it;
unto whom alone tl,e land was given, and no stranger passed
among them (Job 15: 17-19) . Thc [rcliability of the] typcs [of
knowlcdgc] rcferrcd to dcpcnds, of coursc, on conditions which
wc havc cxplained in the intcrpretation of thcsc vcrscs in thc;ir
[ rcspcctivc] placcs.
Having givcn an account of thcsc four sourccs of knowlcdgc, it
bchooves us [ now] to cxplain how thcy are to be uscd for purposts
of cvidencc. Wc say, thcn, that as far as thc knowlcdge {dcrivcd]
from scnsation is conccrncd, whatevcr is corrcctly pcrccivcd with
our scnscs, by virtuc of thc conncction cxisting bctwccn. us and thc
objcct in qucstion, must bc acknowlcdgcd by us to bc in truth as it
20 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPlNlONS
has bcen pcrceived by us, without (the admission of] a doubt.
tThis is, of course] posited on the assumption that wc arc [ suf-
licicntly _l cxperienced in dctecting illusions so as not to bc lcd
astray by thcm. [We should not, for cxample, act] likc thosc pcoplc
who l>clieve that thc imagc which thcy sec in thc mirror is an
imagc that has really been crcatcd thcrc, when in fact it is only a
propcrty of polishcd bodies to rcflcct thc outline of objects facing
thc1n. Nor l should wc be dcccivcd] like thosc people who regard
the figurc, which appcars revcrsed in thc watcr, as posscssing a
reality wh1ch was creatcd at that [particular] time, not knowing
that < > 16 the causc of that [ illusion] rcsides in thc fact that thc
water is dcepcr in mcasurement than thc length of thc figurc. So
long, thcn, as wc bcware of such illusions and thc likc, our cog-
nition of what is pcrceivcd with the senses will be corrcct, and wc
will not bc led astray by such fancies as thc onc referrcd to by
Scripturc in its Statement: And the Moabites JQUI the water way
off as ml as blood (II Kings 3: 22).
Now as for thc intuitions of thc intellect, anything that is con-
ccivcd in our mind in complctc frccdom from accidents [ of any
sort] is to bc regarded as true knowledgc about which no doubt
[is to bc cntertained ]. fThis, too, is] posited on the assumption that
we know how to reason and carry the reasoning process to its con-
clusion, being wary [ at the same time l of fancy and dreams. There
are, namely, people who definitely consider thcse dreams to bc
rcalities crc:ited in the forms sccn by a person. Thcy fecl compcllcd
to aL1de by this view, so thcy maintain, in ordcr not to rcjcct what
they havc scen with their eyes, not realizing that [ what thcy bc-
lievc they have secn 1 may be due partly to thc previous day's
:iffairs that flitted through the mind, of which Scripturc says:
Fora dream eomet/1 tl,rough a multitude of business (Ecclcs. 5: 2).
Some fof these musings l again may be the result of the victuals
consumed, according to whether they wcrc hot or cold, or great or
small in qu:mtity. Hereof Scripture s:1,ys: Ami it shall be as when
a lumgry man tlreamet/1 and, hdwld, he eateth (lsa. 29: 8). Othcrs
may be brought on by thc foct that thc humor has cxcecdcd its
proportion in thc mixturc [ of thc clcmcnts of which thc body is
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 21
composcd], with the conscqucncc th;u thc rcsulting hcat and mois-
turc producc thc gcncration of [ uncallcd-for] mirth and gaicty.
On thc othcr han d, cxcessivc dryness would causc thc gencration
of [ unwarrantcd j sadncss and sorrow. In rcgard to this matter thc
pain-racked invalid said: When l say: "My bed shall com/ort me,
my coucl, shall ease my complaint",· thm thou scarest me with
dreams, and terrifiest me through visions (Job 7: 13, 14). Of course
there is also apt to bc mingled with thesc drcams a glimmer of
heavenly light in thc form of a hint or a parablc, as Job intimatcs
in his statcmcnt: In a dream, in a 11ision of the night, whm dup
sleep falleth upon mm, in slumberings upon the bed; tl,en He
openeth the ears of men (Job 33: 15, 16).
As for thc knowlcdgc which is inferred by ·1ogical necessity,
whcncvcr our scnscs pcrccivc anything the cxistencc of which has
becn vcrificd, and [ the belief in the reality of] that thing can bc
uphcld in our minds only by virtue of the simultaneous acknowl-
cdgment [ of the rcality] < > 17 of other things, then wc must
acknowlcdgc [ thc cxistcncc of] all of thcm, bc they few or
many in numbcr, sincc thc validity of the sense pcrcept in qucs-
tion is maintaincd only by them. Now thesc [ neccssary postulates]
may be onc, or thcy may bc two or thrcc or four or more than tha:.
But whatevcr [ figurc] they may reach [ rcally makes no differencl!,
for ), sincc there is no negating of the sense percept in question,
thcrc is no negating any of them eithcr.
As an illustration of a singlc [ concomitant] let it be supposed
that wc sec smoke, but do not sec the fire from which that smoke
originatcs. W c must [ in that case] assumc the cxistence of the firc
bccause of thc cxistcncc of the smoke since the one can bc effected
only by means of thc othcr. Likcwisc if wc hcar thc voicc of a
human bcing from behind a wall, we must assumc the existencc
of that human being, since a human voice can cmanatc only from
an existing human bcing.
As an example, again, of more than onc [ concomitant phenome-
non that must bc postulatcd, the following might bc citcd.] When,
for instancc, wc sec food go down in bulk in the belly of an animate
bcing, and its rcfuse come out from it, then, unlcss wc assumc
22 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
[ that] four opcrations [ wcrc involvcd in thc proccss ], what has
bccn pcrccivcd by our scnscs could not possibly havc bccn car-
ricd out. That is [ to say] that thcrc must bc in thc bclly of that
bcing a forcc that draws thc food into thc intcrior, and a forcc that
holds it until it has bccn digcstcd, and a forcc that furthcrs its
digcstion and disintcgration, and a forcc that cxpcls thc rcfusc
that is in it as it gocs out. Now inasmuch as what has bccn pcr-
ccivcd by thc senscs could bc cffcctcd only by mcans of thcsc four
[ opcrations], wc m ust assumc that thcse four [ forccs] arc a rcality.
Sometiµies, too, our acknowledgmcnt of the rcality of what
we observc bccomes possible only by the invcntion of a sciencc
that vcrifies it for us. We may even bc compclled to resort to many
such sciences. Once, howcver, it is rcalized that the sense pcrccpt
in qucstion is depcndent [ for its corroboration] on thc said rsci-
ences ], it follows of nccessity that we must acknowlcdgc all of thc
lattcr as valid so tha~ thc reality of the sense pcrcept in question
may bc uphcld.
Thus, for example, we sec the moon rise upon thc canh and set
again at different moments of thc night and thc day. lt docs this by
following cithcr a long or a short route, according to whethcr it
consumcs lcss time than is requircd for rcaching one of the twenty-
eight stations that wc have distinguished and designatcd by namc
< >
or it consumcs morc time and so passcs thc lattcr. 18 W c notc,
furthcrmore, that at onc time it travels to thc south [ of thc sphcrc
of thc constellations J30 and at anothcr to thc north. From this we
infcr that, if it bad only onc motion, thcrc could havc bccn no
variation in cithcr thc spccd 11 of its coursc or its cxtcnt. Tbc fact,
J
thcrcforc, that wc sec thcse two [ factors vary leads to thc in-
cvitable condusion that thc moon has many motions and that
thcse m ultiple m.otions can bc due only to a multiple numbcr of
bodics, sincc onc body cannot bc cndowcd with two different mo-
tions at onc and thc samc time, lct alonc thrcc or four motions.
30. So 1ccording ID the exposition by Abraham ben Hiyy„ quored by Molte Ven·
tura, lA Pl,1101op/,ir dt S1111di11 G11on, p. 85, n. 26.
31. Cf. ibitl.
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 23
Furthcrmorc [ wc know] that, whcn a multiple numbcr of bodics
cqual in form intcrccpt cach othcr, thcy thcrcby , diminisb or in-
crcase the specds of thcir rcspcctivc motions.
(All] ~his is dcmonstrablc ~nly by mcans of the sciencc of gcom-
ctry, wh1ch shows us synthct1cally how onc figurc cntcrs into thc
othcr. [That is. to say] w_c must first mastcr thc scicncc of plane
g~n.ictry. ~avmg acqua.mtc~ oum:lvcs with [ thc propcrties of]
pamts and hncs, wc bcgm w1th thc study [ of thc propcrties] of
.
plane figurcs, such as thc triangle, thc squarc, thc circlc, thc
conccntnc, the tangcnt, and thc sccant, until wc get to know thc
propcrtics of the intcrcepting [ sphcrical] figurc, 82 and which of
its segmcots is impassible and which is tcnablc. This finally cn-
ablcs .us to rc':°gmzc that thc figurcs of the hcavenly bodics arc
sphcncal or c1rcular, and that somc are conccntric with others.
Once thcsc scicnces havc bccn thoroughly mastcrcd, it bccomes
clcar to us that thc moon's coursc is a composite of fivc distinct
motions. Wc musc, thcrcforc, acknowlcdgc (thc thcorcms ofl aJI
thcsc scicnccs as bcing corrcct, sincc it is only by mcans of rhem that
our hypothcsis of thc variation of thc moon's coursc by natural law
can bc upbcld.
A~d now tha~ w~ have explained the diaracter of knowledgc
obtamcd ~y log1cal mfcrcnce, wc must notc how it may bc prc-
scrvcd agamst defcct, for most of the controvcrsics of rnen and thc
variation of thcir cvidcnce ccntcr abo ut it or arc duc to it. We say,
thcn, that whcn somconc dcclarcs: "1 bclievc such and such a thing
to bc t rue in ordcr not to ncgatc a pc rccpt of the scnscs," wc must
inquirc whcthcr that pcrcept might not bc sustaincd by somc othcr
hypothcsis than the onc he puts forth. For in thc lattcr event his
assumption would fall to thc ground.
<19> Thus, for cxamplc, thcrc arc thosc who belicvc, bccause
of its whitcncss which thcy observc, that the Milky Way had for-
mcrly bccn circlcd by thc spherc of thc sun. Howcvcr, whcn wc
tcst thcir hypothcsis, we find that anothcr [ cxplanation] is cqually
possiblc. This whitcncss might, for instancc, bc an ascending mist,
32. "until ••• figure"-111dded by Ibn 1ibbon and M.
24 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
or a permanent particlc of firc, or a conglomcrate of littlc stars, or
somc other such thin·g. Their allegation1 therefore1 falls to the
ground.
Again, if somconc wcrc to say: "l bclicvc such and such a thing
to bc truc in ordcr not to ncgatc a rational conccpt," wc must makc
inquiry [into thc matter]. [For] if that conccpt could bc upheld
by a hypothcsis othcr than the one propounded by him 1 that as-
sumption of his becomes null and void. Thus, for examplc, therc
arc those who maintain that thcrc cxists anothcr carth asidc from
this one in which wc live. Their argumcnt [in support of this
vicw] is that thcreby thc fire would bc locatcd in thc center [ of thc
worl~], it bcing acknowicdgcd that whatcvcr is highly prizcd is
kcpt in thc ccntcr. Howcver, such [a position of distinction] is al-
rcady accordcd by us to man, who dwclls on thc carth, which is thc
ccntcr of thc univcrsc. Thcir conclusion, thcrcforc, falls to thc
ground so far as wc arc conccrncd.
Supposc, again, that somconc wcrc to say: "I. bclicvc such and
such a thing to bc truc by way of analogy with what is pcrccivcd
with thc scnscs.'' lt so happcns, howcvcr, that that assumption on
his part would invalidatc anothcr sense pcrccpt. In that casc onc
must dccidc in favor of thc morc important of thc two pcrccpts,
and of thc arguments that support it. Thus, for cxamplc, thcrc arc
thosc who maintain that all things wcrc crcatcd from watcr, bc-
causc nnimals originatc from thc humid clcmcnt. Thcy fail to
consider, howcvcr, thc watcr's visible tcndcncy to pcrcolatc and
Aow ovcr. lt is, thereforc, impossible that it should bc thc origin of
all things, since it docs not stand up by itsclf. When, thcn, in thc
scarch for cxplanatory hypothcscs, two such [ contradictory phc-
nomcnn l arc cncountcred, thc morc important of the two is thc
morc dcscrving of bcing acccptcd as such.
Again, if somconc wcrc to say: "I bclicvc such and such a thing
to bc truc by way of analogy with a ccrtain sense pcrccpt," but onc
part of his thcory contradicts anothcr, thcn bis thcory is null and
void. Thus therc arc thosc who maintain th?t the good is that
which givcs_us plcasure, bccause that is how thcy fccl it to bc. Thcy
do not rccall, howcvcr, that thc killing of thcm would plcasc thcir
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY
cncmics just as much as thc killing of thcir cncmics would plcasc
thcm. Tbc act would conscqucntly bc good and cvil at onc and
thc samc time, [ which is, of course,] a contradiction.
Suppase, furthcrmorc, that somconc wcrc to say: "I bclicv.c such
and auch a thing to be truc for such and such a rcason," but upon
a thorough invcstigation of that rcason, wc find that it lcads to a
conclusion other than that which hc bclicvcs to bc truc. <:20>
That rcason would thcn bc voidcd. Thus, for cxamplc, thcrc is
thc thcory of the proponcnts of thc ctcrnity of thc world who dc-
clarc: "Wc bclicvc that all things havc cxistcd sincc ctcrnity bc-
causc wc do not rcgard as real anything cxccpt what our scnsca
pcrccivc.'' Howcvcr, thc fact that thcy do not rcgard anything as
real cxccpt what thcir scnscs pcrccive would prcvent them from
bclieving that all things cxist since etcrnity, becausc it is impossible
that thcy should havc pc~ceivcd in its primc what cxists since
ctcrnity.
Again somcone may say: "1 rcjcct such and such a thcsis for such
and such a rcason." Yet thou findest that hc vcnturcd into [ a
thcory] morc difficult [ of cntertainmcnt] than thc onc hc bad
sought to avoid. Thus, for cxamplc, ccrtain monothcists shunncd
thc vicw that God was unablc to bring back ycstcrday in ordcr
not to ascribe to Hirn impotcncc. Thcy thercby, howcvcr, let thcm-
sclves into somcthing worsc by ascribing to God an absurdity, a1
wc shall notc in part of the second trcatisc of this book, if God,
cxaltcd bc He, is willing.
So, thcn, if wc scck to establish the truth in thc domain of knowl-
cdgc obtained by logical infcrcncc, wc must guard it against thc
abovc-mcntioned fivc typcs of vitiating factors. [Wc must,] namcly,
[ makc ccrtain] ( a) that thcrc is no othcr [ mcans than thc thcory
in question J of sustaining the truth of what is pcrceivcd [ with thc
senscs ], nor ( b) any othcr [ mcthod] of upholding what is [ intu-
itivcly] apprchendcd [by reason). Furthcrmorc (c) it must not
invalidatc any othcr [acccptcd] fact, nor (d) must one part of it
contradict anothcr, lct alonc (e) that a theory bc adopted that is
worse than thc onc that has bcen rcjcctcd.
[All] thesc [prccautions arc to bc takcn] in addition to cxcr-
26 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
cising, in thc dctcrmination of thc sense pcrccpts and thc rational
conccpts, such expert carc as we havc outlincd bcforc. Add to thcsc
tbe quality of pcrscvcrancc witil thc proccss of rcasoning has
becn complctcd, and wc havc a total of scvcn points that must bc
obscrvcd to make ~ssiblc for us thc accuratc emcrgencc of thc
truth. Should, thcrcforc, somconc comc to US with an allcgation
in thc rcalm of infcrcntial knowlcdgc, wc would tcst bis thcsis by
mcans of thcsc sevcn [ critcria]. lf, upon bcing rubbcd by thcir
touchstonc and wcighcd by thcir balancc, it turns out to bc corrcct
as wcll as acccptablc, wc shall makc usc of it. Similarly also must
wc procccd with thc subjcct mattcrs of authcntic tradition-1
mcan thc books of prophccy. Howcvcr, this is not thc placc for cx-
plaining thc propcrtics of thcsc books, somcthing that I havc
alrr.ady donc for an extensive portion of this subjcct in thc intro-
du,·tion to my commcntary on thc Torah.
VI
Now somconc might, of coursc, ask: "But how can wc takc it
upon oursclvcs to indulgc in spcculation about thc objccts of knowl-
cdgc and thcir invcstigation to thc point whcrc thesc would bc
cstablishcd as convictions according to thc laws of gcomctry and
bccomc firmly fixcd in thc mind, whcn thcrc arc pcoplc who dis-
approvc of such an occupation, bcing of thc opinion that spccula-
tion leads to unbclicf and is conducivc to hcrcsy ?" Our rcply
thcrcto, howcvcr, is that such an opinion is hcld only <21 > by
thc uncducatcd among thcm. Thus thou sccst thc masscs of this
country labor undcr thc imprcssion that whocvcr gocs to India bc-
comcs rieb. lt has likc:wisc bccn rcportcd about ccrtain uncducatcd
pcoplc of our own nation that thcy labor undcr thc illusion that
somcthing rcscmbling a whalc swallows thc moon as a rcsult of
which it becomcs cclipscd. (lt is] also (rclatcd] about ccrtain un-
cducatcd Arabs that thcy arc under the imprcssion that whocvcr
docs not havc a she-camel slaughtcred on bis grave is brought to
thc last judgmcnt on foot. And many othcr such ridiculous [ storics
arc circulatcd].
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 27
Should onc say, howcver: "But did not thc forernost of thc sagcs
of thc childrcn of Israel forbid this sort of occupation, and cspccially
spcculation about the beginning of time and place, saying: W ho-
ever speculaies abou, the fo/lowing Jour mallers would have been
beim oO l,ad he not been born; namely, 'W hat i, below and whal
is above, whal was before and wha1 w;/J be beliind?'" (1;13gh. 11b),
wc would rcply-and we ask thc Merciful One to stand by us-that
it is inconccivable that thcy should havc prohibitcd us from (cn-
gaging in genuine spcculation]. For did not our Crcator Himsclf
cnjoin us to do this vcry thing apropos of authcntic tradition, as it
is evident from thc dcclaration [of the prophet]: Know ye not?
Hear ye- not? Hat/, il not bee-n told you from the beginning? Have
ye not understood the Joundalion1 of tne earth? (Isa. 40: 21). Fur-
thcrmore thcrc is thc rcmark made by ·the saints to each other:
Let ut choose Jor u1 that wl,icl, is right; let us know among our-
1elves what is good (Job 34: 4). Extensive statcmcnts of a similar
nature on this subject wcrc morcovcr madc by thc fivc pcrsons
figuring in thc Book of Job-1 mcan, Job, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar,
and Elihu.
What thc sages forbadc was only to lay the books of thc prophcts
aside and acccpt any private notion that might occur to an individ-
ual about thc beginning of placc and time. For whocvcr spcculatcs
in this wisc may cithcr hit thc mark or miss it. Until hc bits it,
howevcr, hc would bc without rcligious faith, and cvcn whcn hc
has hit upon thc tcaching of rcligion and has it firmly in hand, he
is not securc against bcing 4cprived of it again by somc unccr-
tainty that might arisc in his mind and corrupt his belief. Wc arc
agrccd, thcn, on charging onc who behavcs in ~is fashion with
sin, cvcn though hc be a profcssional thinkcr. As for oursclves, the
congregation of thc childrcn o.f Israel, wc cngagc in research and
spcculation in a way other than this. lt is this method of ours that
I wish to describc and clarify with the hclp of the Merciful Onc.
<22> Know, thcn, and may God direct thcc aright, Oh thou
that studiest this book, that wc inquirc into and spcculatc about
thc mattcrs of our rcligion with two objcctivcs in mind. Onc of
thcse is to have vcrified in fact what we have lcarned from thc
28 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
prophets of God theoretically. The second is to refute him who
argucs against us in regard to anything pcrtaining to our rcligion.
Our Master, blcssed and exaltcd bc He, has namcly given us
complete instructions in regard to our religious requircments
through the medium of His prophcts. [He did this) after [first)
confirming for us their possession of the gifts of prophccy by mcans
of [ sundry] miracles and marvcls. Thus He has enjoined us to
accept these mattcrs as binding and obscrvc thcm. He has furthcr·
morc informcd us, howcver, that, if wc would cngagc in spccula.
tion and diligcnt rcscarch, inquiry would producc for us in cach
instancc thc complctc truth, tallying with His announccmcnt to us
by ·thc spccch of His prophcts. Bcsides that He has given us the
assurancc that thc godless will ncver be in a position to offer a
proof against our rcligion, nor thc skeptics 33 [ to produce] an argu·
mcnt against our crecd.
These facts are borne out by the statemcnt in which God in·
forms us that all things bad a bcginning, that He was thc Creator
who originatcd them, and that furthermore He· was one, having
no associate with Him. Thus saith tht Lord, tht King of Israel,
and l,is Redeemtr, the Lord of l,osts: "1 am the first, and 1 am the
last, and besidt Mt th"t is no God" (Isa. 44: 6).
He teils us also immcdiatcly thereaftcr that, whatcvcr He has
commanded or forbidden us to do or informed us about, has been
and will bc: And who, as 1, c-an prodaim-ltt him dtdare it and
set it in order for Me-sinc-t 1 appointtd tl,e ancient people? And
the things that art coming, and that shall come to pass, let them
dtclart (Isa. 44: 7).
Ncxt He allays our fcar of thosc who disagrcc with us, stating
that thcy will not bc ab)c to prevail against us in argumcnt, nor bc
succcssful in producing convincing proof against us. That is the
import of His subsequent rcmark: Be not afraid, neither fear ye;
ha11e 1 not announctd unto thee of old and dtclartd it? And yt are
my witnestes. ls there a God heside Mt? Y ta, thtre is no Rock: 1
knou, not any (lsa. 44: 8).
33. "1keptics"-lbn nbbon.
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 29
Whcn He says: Be not afraid, He means: [ Be not afraid] of thc
charactcr of your opponents, of thcir numerical strength, their
[physical] power and othcr traits, as He says clsewhcre: And thou
fearcsl continually all tht day becaust of the Jury of the oppressor
(lsa. 51: 13). Thc cxprcssion we'al <23> tirhu, again, is equiva.
lent ·to wi'al tire'u (ncither fcar ye), for by thc process of substitu-
ion thc ht may stand in pla_cc of the 'aleph. He means thercby that
l wc must not stand in fear] of thc allegation [ of our opponents] or
their arguments in themselvcs. This is bornc out by what He says
elsewhere: And thou, son of man, bt not afraid o/ them, neither
be afraid o/ thtir words {Ezck. 2:6). In a similar vcin it is said:
He that feartd tht word of tht Lord (Exod. 9: 20).
God's statcment, morcover, Have l not announced unto thte of
old? (Isa. 44: 8) refers lO the prophetic rcvdations conccrning thc
futurc. His rcmark again, And 1 dec/ared (ibid.) has refercncc to
the prophctic revclations conccrning thc past. Thus, too, does He
say clscwhcrc: Tht /armer tl,ings, what art thty? Declart ye, that
we may consider, and know the end of thtm; or announcr: to us
the lhings to c-ome (Isa. 41: 22).
Whcn, furthermorc, He says: And ye art My witnt:JJts (lsa.
4-4: 8), He alludes to the marvelous signs and the manifest proofs
witnessed by thc [-Jcwish] people. These [ werc rcvcalcd] in many
forms, 8• such as the visitation of thc tcn plagues and the cleaving
of thc [Red] Sca and the assemblagc at Sinai. Per.sonally, howcvcr,
I considet thc casc of the miracle of the manna as the most amazing
of all miracles, because a phenomenon of an enduring nature cx-
citcs greater wonderment than onc of a passing aG charac~er. Ayc
it is hard for the mind to conceive of a schcme whercby a peoplc
numbcring something likc two million souls could bc nourished
for forty ycars wilh nothing eise than food produccd for them
in the air by the Creator. For had therc been any possibility
of thinking up a scheme for achieving something of this nature,
the philosophers of old would have been the first to rcsort to it.
34. "forms"-Ibn Tibbon and M.
JS, ""passing"-lbn Tibbon and M.
30 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Thcy would havc maintaincd thcir disciplcs thcrcwith, taught
thcm wisdom, and· cnablcd thcm to dispcnsc with working for a
livclihood or asking for hclp.
Now it is not likcly 81 that thc forbcars of thc childrcn of Israel
should havc bccn in agrccmcnt upon this matter if thcy had con·
sidcrcd italic. Such [proof) sufficcs, thcn, as thc rcquisitc of cvcry
authcntic tradition. Bcsidcs, if thcy had told thcir childrcn: "Wc
livcd in thc wildcrncss for forty ycars cating naught cxccpt manna,"
and thcrc had bccn no basis <24>
for that in fact, thcir childrcn
would havc answcrcd thcm: "Now you are telling us a lie. Thou,
so and so, is not this thy .ficld, and thou, so and so, is not this thy
gardcn from which you havc always derivcd your sustcnancc?"
This is, then, somcthing that thc childrcn would not havc ac·
ccptcd by any manncr of mcans.
His statcment, again, Is there II God beside Me? (ibid.) mcans:
"lf, now, pcrchancc you be afraid that somc of thc things, about
which I have told you that thcy had come to pass or somc of thosc
conccrning which I have told you that thcy would come to pass, are
not true, [ that fcar on your part might bc justified] if a crca·
tion had bccn ctfected by someone eise than Mc. In that cvent
I might pcrhaps not havc bccn postcd on what hc was making.
But inasmuch as l am One, My knowlcdgc embraccs evcrything
that I have madc and that I will make."
Finally undcr His statement, A.nd there is no rock (1ur) 1!,111 I
do not know n (ibid.) arc subsumcd thc distinguished men of
the human racc and its sagcs. For thc cxprcssion 1ur may bc ap-
plicd to great mcn. Scripture says, namcly: Look unlo tl,e rock
(iur) wl,ence ye were hewn and to tl,e hole of the pit whence ye
were digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Saral, that
bore you (Isa. 51: 1, 2). lt says also: Yea, thou makest tl,e rock
(1ur) turn back his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the
battle 18 (Ps. Sc): 44). What is mcant by thc vcrsc undcr discussion
is thcrcforc: "Thcre is no wise or distinguishcd man that I do not
36. "not lik,ly"-lbn Tibbon and M.
37. Th, usual translation is: Ve,, there i, no Rot',t; 1 ,tnow not 11ny.
38. These quotations ar, giv,n as in Ibo Tibbon.
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 31
know. Hcncc it ia impossible that he should bc ablc to producc an
argument against you in the matter of your religion or do injury
to your crccd, bccawc My knowlcdge is all-cmbracing and I have
impartcd it to you."
In this way, thcn-may God bc mcrciful unto thce-do wc con·
duct our spcculation and inquiry, to thc end that wc may cxpound
concrctely by mcans of rational intuition and logical infcrcncc
what our Master has impartcd unto us. With this thcsis, howcvcr,
thcrc is intimatcly bound up a point that wc cannot avoid [bring·
ing up]. lt consists of thc question: "Inasmuch as all mattcrs of
rcligious belief, as impartcd to us by our Master, can bc attaincd
by means of rcscarch and corrcct spcculation, what was thc rcason
that promptcd [ divinc] wisdom to transmit thcm to us by way of
prophccy and support thcm by mcans of viiiblc proofs and II
miracles rather than intcllcctual demonstrations ?"
To this qucstion wc should like to givc, with the hclp of God,
exaltcd bc He, an adcquatc answer. Wc say, thcn, [tbat] the All·
Wisc kncw that thc conclusions reached by mcans of thc art of
spcculation could bc attaincd only in thc coursc of a ccrtain mca•
< >
urc of 25 time. If, thcrcforc, He bad rcfcrrcd us for our ac·
quaintance with His religion to that art alonc, wc would havc
rcmaincd without rcligious guidancc whatevcr for a whilc, until
the proccss of rcasoning was complctcd by us so that wc could makc
usc of its coriclusions. But many a onc of us might ncvcr complctc
thc proccss bccausc of some ßaw in bis rcasoning. Again lic might
not succc:cd in making usc of its conclusiom bccausc he is over·
comc by worry or ovcrwhclmed by uncertaintics that confusc and
bcfuddlc him. That is why God, cxaltcd and magoi6cd bc He,
allordcd us a quick relicf from all thcse burdcns by sending us His
mcucngcrs through whom He transmittcd mcssagcs to us, and by
lctting us sec with our own cycs thc signs and th~ proofs support·
ing thcm about which no doubt could prcvail and which wc could
not possibly rcjcct. Thus He said: Y e yourselver l,ave reen that I
have talked with you from heaven (Exod. 20: 19). Furthermorc
He addrcssed His mcsscngcr in. our prcscncc, and madc it an ob.
39. "and"-lbn Tibbon.
32 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
ligation to bclicvc him forcvcr, as He said: That the people may
hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe thee /orever
(Exod. 19: 9).
Thus it bccamc incumbcnt upon us immcdiatcly to acccpt thc
religion, together with all that was cmbraccd in it, bccause its
authenticity had bccn proven by the tcstimony of the scnses. Its
acccptancc is also incumbcnt upon anybody to whom it has bcen
transmittcd bccause of thc attcstation of authentic tradition, as
wc shall cxplain. Now God commandcd us to takc our time with
our spcculation until wc would arrivc thcrcby at thcsc sclfsamc
conclusions. Wc must, thcrcforc, pcrsevcrc in this standpoint 40
until thc argumcnts in favor of it have becomc convincing for us,
and wc fccl compcllcd to acknowlcdge God's Torah [that has al-
rcady bccn authcnticatcd) by what our cycs havc sccn and our
cars havc heard.
So, then,. cvcn if it should takc a long time for one of us who
indulgcs in spcculation to complctc his spcculation, hc is without
worry. He who is hcld back from cngaging in such an activity by
somc impcdimcnt will, thcn, not rcmain without rcligious guid-
ancc. Furthcrmorc womcn and young pcoplc and thosc who havc
no aptitudc for spcculation can thus also havc a pcrfcct and acces-
siblc faith, for thc knowlcdgc of thc scnscs is common to all men.
Praiscd, thcn, bc thc All-Wisc, who ordcrcd things thus. Thcrcforc,
too, dost thou oftcn sec Hirn includc in thc Torah <26>
thc
childrcn and thc womcn togcther with the fathcrs whcncvcr mir-
aclcs and marvcls arc mcntioncd.
Ncxt I say, in furthcr clucidation of this matter, that onc might
comparc thc situation to that of a pcrson who out of a total of 1,000
drachmas wcighs out 20 41 to cach of fivc mcn, and 16% to cach of
six, and 14% to cach of scvcn, and 12% to cach of eight, and 11%
to cach of ninc, and who wishcs to check with thcm quickly on how
much moncy is lcft. So hc teils thcm that thc rcmaindcr amounts
to 500 drachmas, supporting his statcmcnt by thc wcight of thc
40. "1tandpoint," i.c., that of thc acceptance of thc tcachin11 of thc Jcwisb
rdigion.
41, "20"--1<> according to Landauer'• cmcndation.
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 33
moncy. Once, then, it has bccn wcighcd by thcm quickly and
42
found to be 500 drachmas, thcy arc c.ompclled to crcdit his statc-
mcnt. Thcn thcy can takc thcir time until thcy find out [ that1 it
[is really so] by way of calculation, cach onc according to his
undcrstanding, and thc cffort hc can put into it and thc obstaclcs
hc might cncountcr.
Onc might furthcr comparc this casc to that of a pcrson who,
upon bcing informcd about an illncss accompanicd by ccrtain
pathological conditions, dcsignatcs it by a natural symptom
[whcrcby itmay bc] immcdiatcly [rccognizcdJ, until thc diagnos-
tician is ablc by mcans of [bis] invcstigations to check thc mattcr. 43
lt bchooves us also to bclicvc that cvcn bcfore thc cra of the
childrcn of Israel God ncvcr lcf t His crcaturcs without a rcligion
fortificd by prophccy and miraculous signs and manifcst proofs.
Whocver witncsscd thc lauer in pcrso11 was convinccd of thcir
authcnticity by what hc had pcrccivcd with his sense of vision. He,
again, to whom it was transmittcd, was convinccd by what hc had
graspcd by mcans of his sense of hcaring. Thus thc Torah says
about onc of these [ who livcd bcforc thc risc of a Jewish nation] :
For l have known him, to tl,e end that he may commanJ his chil-
dren (Gen. 18: 19).
VII
To this statcmcnt I should likc to appcnd what occur to mc to bc
thc principal causcs rcsponsiblc for kccping infidcls and hcrctics
from bclicving [in the authcnticity of] miraclcs and marvcls, and
from cngaging in spcculation about rcligious doctrincs. <27>
Of thcsc 1 ~onsider cight as bcing particularly prcvalcnt. Thc first
of thesc is that human bcings find thc cffort to bc naturally burdcn-
somc. Whcn, namely, thcy pcrccivc instinctivcly a ccrtain matter
that ought to bc confirmcd and corroboratcd by means of Iogical
proof and bc applicd practically in rcligious lifc, thcy takc ßight
and run away from it. That is thc rcason why thou sc6t many pco-
plc say: "Tbc truth is burdensomc. Tbc truth is bitter!' For thcy
42. "thcm"-· Cf. Landauer p, 26, D, 6,
43. "matter"-litcrally "hi1 quest."
34 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
dcsirc frccdom [ from such burdcns J and so thcy ßcc from thcm.u
Of auch pcrsons docs Scripturc say: Gd you f• from ,1,, Lord/
U n#o us is ,1,;, land gi11en for an inl,eritan,e (Ezck. 11: 15). Thcy
do not rcalizc, thcsc thoughtlcss individuals, that if thcy wcrc
[ consistcntly] to obcy thcir natural instinct in iu tcndcncy to avoid
cxertion and cffort, they would starvc to dcath by virtuc of failing
to cultivatc [thc soll] or to build [homea].
The sccond is ignorance which prcdominatcs among many mcn.
[Thcre arc, namely, peoplc] who express thcmsclves foolishly, are
lazy in their thinking, and say unreßcctingly: "Thcrc is nothing at
all." And this is what they mcditate inwardly also. Of such docs
Scripture say: Surely 11ow sl,all 11,ey say: "We l,a11e no l(ing; for
we feared nol 6/,e Lord,· anti 6/ie l(ing; wl,aJ ,an l,e do for us?''
(Hos. 10: 3). Nor do they considcr thc fact that if they werc to
make such inane statcments and wild utterancc, about human
rulcrs, thcy would court dcath and dcstruction.
Thc third [ cause of hcresy] is thc inclination of thc avcragc man
toward the gratification of bis appctitcs, such aa grecdine11 for cvery
[ type of] food and sexual intcrcourse and acquisition. [On account
of this tendcncy] he hurls himself into·such activitics hastily [and]
without dclibcration. lt is of individuals of this charactcr that
Scripturc says: The /ool l,atl, said in his hearl: "Thi!re is no God.''
(Ps. 53: 2). A pcrson of this type docs not bcar in mind the fact that
if he wcrc to act in such a manner in the cvent of illncss-nay
cvcn whcn he is wcll-cating whatcvcr hc lustcd for and cohabiting
with whomcvcr he found, he would pcrish thercfrom and die.
Thc fourth [ causc of hcrcsy] is an aversion to spcculation and
an incapacity for listcning attentivcly and cngaging in sustaincd
thinking. [ All this causcs the individual] to bc casily contcnted and
say: "1 havc already lookcd into thc matter and this is all I got out
of it.'• Of such a one docs Scripturc say: Tl,e 1/01/,/ul man (remiy-
yal,) shall not l,unt <28 > l,is prey; /Jut tl,e f"dous substance o/
men is to he diligent (Prov. 12: 27). Thc meaning of [this word]
remiyyal, is 11one who is without ambition.'' S•Jch a onc docs not
attain what hc nccds. Thosc bclonging to this dass do not rcalizc
44· "from them"-tbn 1ibbon.
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 35
that, if thcy wcre to cmploy such tactics in their worldly aflairs,
thcy would ncvcr bc succcssful in thcm.
Tbc ~th [ causc] is arrogance and conceit, by which a pcrson is
so dommatcd as not to conccdc thc cxistcncc of any wisdom that
might bc hiddcn from him or of any scicncc that still has to bc
mastcrcd by him. Of such a onc docs Scripturc say: T l,e wi&ked
in the pride of his c-ountenan,e saitli: "He will not require." All
his 1/iough11 are: There is no God. (Ps. 10: 4). This type of in-
dividual does not pcrccive.that such an argument would do him
but littlc good in thc fashioning of a signet ring or in thc writing
of a lctter of thc alphabct.
Tbc sixth [ causc of hcrcsy] may be a word that a pcrson hcars
from thc mouth of thc godlcss that touchcs his hcart and unncrvcs
it, so that hc rcmains for the rcst of bis life in this statc of ncrvous
prostration, occasioncd by this word. lt is of such pcrsons thtt
Scripturc says: T l,e words of a whisperer are as dainty morsels
and they go down into tl,e innermost parls o/ tl,e helly (Prov.
18: 8). But why docsn't this [ sort of individual] likcwisc considcr
the fact that, if hc were not to shield himself against heat and cold
so that they do not react against him, thcy [ too] would destroy
and kill him ? ·
Thc scvcnth [ causc of hcrcsy] may bc somc wcak, ridiculous
argument [ in favor of thc truc belief] that onc has hcard pro-
pounded by a certain monothcist, and that onc bclicvcs to bc
typical of all [ argumcnts of this ordcr]. Of pcrsons thus [ misled]
docs Scripturc say: But they lauglied them to scorn, and mocked
tliem (II Chron. 30: 10). Now it docs not cittcr thc mind of this
sort of individual that thc fact that a dcalcr in finc lincns docs not
know how to dcscribe the costly u cloths he oflers for salc docs not
diminish thcir worth.
Thc cighth, finally, is thc animosity cxisting bctwccn a man and
ccrtain monothcists. Tbc unfortunatc situation causcs him to hatc,
togcthcr with his cnemics, also their Master whom thc lattcr wor·
45. "costly"-lbn Tibbon. The Arabic text use1 the adjective d11bi~in•11I,, i.e., a
fabric manufacrured in Dabi~, a town in Egypt (cf. /IU'UII G~oir11,l,iul,~1 Won-tn-·
l,wl,, ed. F. Wuestenfeld, II, 548), which was world-renowned during thc Abbasid
periocl. (See Hitti, Hi11or.y o/ tl,~ Ar1161. [London 1937), p. 346.)
36 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
ship. lt is of pcrsons [ who pcrmit thcmsclves to bc] thus [ carricd
away by thcir fcclings] that Scripturc dcclarcs: My zeal hatb un-
done me, /Je~ause mine adr1er1aries harte forgotten Tby wordt (Ps.
119: 139). Such a fool docs not rcalizc that bis cncmy is incapablc
of bringing upon him [ so grcat] an cvil as hc has brought upon
himsclf, sincc it is not within bis cncmy's power to subjcct him in
pcrpctuity to paiuful tormcnt.
Thcrc may, howcvcr, exist a pcrson thc crror of whosc way is
duc to thc fact that in thc coursc of bis intcrprctation of thc vcrscs
of thc Biblc <29> hc notcd_ somcthing that hc rcgardcd as ob-
jcctionable, or that hc bad praycd to his Master and rcccivcd no
answ~r from Him or that hc bad madc a rcqucst of Hirn which
was not granted. Or [ thcrc may bc onc] who sccs cvildocrs who arc
not punishcd, or who takcs cxccption to thc continucd cxistcncc
of thc rulc of thc infidcls, or who notcs how dcath indiscriminatcly
gathcrs in all crcacurcs, or who is unablc to grasp with his mind
thc mcaning of God's unity or that of thc soul or of rcward and
punishment. [For the bcncfit of such !et mc statc th.at] all these
and rclatcd subjccts will bc takcn up individually by mc in thc
respcctivc trcatiscs to which thcy bclong and in thc appropriatc
chaptcr. 1 shall discoursc about thcm according to my ability, and
I hopc, if God, cxaltcd be He, is willing, to contrib:.itc thcrcby to
the welfarc of thosc that vcnture into this discussion.
VIII
And now that our discussion has rcachcd this point, I dcem it
proper to makc mcntion of thc aim of this book and thc numbcr
of its trcatiscs. This is to bc followcd by an claboration upon cach
subjcct, it bcing notcd first what thc books of prophccy havc to
say in cach casc, af tcr which will be prcscntcd thc rational proofs,
as I havc statcd prcviously.
I say, thcn, that thc total numbcr of trcatiscs of which this book
consists is tcn.
Thc first trcatisc [ aims to provc] that thc world, togcthcr with
all that is in it, was crcatcd in time.
DOUBT AND CERTAINTY 37
Thc sccond trcatisc [ aims to provc] that thc Crcator, may His
grcatncss bc magnified, is onc. ·
Tbc third trcatisc [is conccrncd witb proving] that He, cxaltcd
bc He, has issucd to mankind commandmcnts as wcll as pro-
hibitions.
Thc fourth trcatisc [dcals] with [thc subjccts of] obcdicncc and
disobcdicncc [ to God].
Thc filth trcatisc [ dcals] with good and cvil dccds.
Thc sixth trcatisc [ dcals] with thc soul and thc statc of dcath
and thc hcrcaftcr.
Thc scvcnth trcatisc [ dcals] with thc rcsurrcction of thc dcad.
Tbc cighth trcatisc [ dcals] with thc rcdcmption of thc childrcn
of Israel.
Tbc ninth trcatisc [ dcals] with rcward and punishmcnt.
Thc tcnth trcatisc [ discusscs] thc qucstion of thc best possiblc
bchavior for man in [ this] ncthcr abodc.
<30> In cach trcatisc I shall bcgin with [an cxposition of]
what has bccn impartcd to us by our Lord and of whatcvcr cor-
roboration is furnishcd by rcason. This is to bc followcd by [ a cita-
tion of] such divcrging vicws as havc bccn rcportcd to me. In cach
instancc thcrc will bc givcn a statcmcnt of thc thcs.is as weil as of
thc acgumcnts against it. 1 shall concludc with thc proofs furnishcd
by prophccy bcaring on thc subjcct of the trcatisc in qucstion. On
behalf of mysclf, as weil as of anyonc who studies this book, 1
bcsccch God to makc cvcn our path and to cnablc mc to rcalizc
my aspirations on behalf of His pcoplc and His saints, for He is
attcntivc and ncar at band.
 T
TREATISE I
CONCERNING [THE BELIEF] THAT ALL
EXISTING THINGS HAVE BEEN CREATED
EXORDIUM
HE author of thc book uid: "This trcati.sc starts out with thc
T prcliminary obscrvation that whocvcr vcnturcs into it is
sccking [Hght on] somctbi.ng that has ncvcr bccn bchr:ld
with human cycs nor bccn perccivcd by thc scnscs, but which hc is
ncvcrthclcss anxious to asccrtain by mcans of rational dcduction.
[Thc problcm I havc rcfcrcncc to] is: 'How did all things comc
into bcing bcforc our time?' Now thc principal objcct of his invcs-
tigation is somcthing so subtlc and .finc that thc scnscs arc unablc
to grasp it. He thcrcforc cndcavors to attain it intcllcctually. Sincc,
thcn, it has all along bccn thc intcntion of thc invcstigator to
achicvc thc objcct of his invcstigation in just this manncr, thcrc-
forc oncc hc has found it in thc form in which hc has sought to
.find it, it would bc impropcr for him to rcjcct it or to dcsirc to
attain it in any othcr form."
Now as far as thc knowlcdgc of how things camc into cxistcncc
bcforc our time is conccrncd, that is a phcnomcnon that no rational
bcing has cvcr personally witncsscd. Yet wc all strivc to attain
with our minds things distant and rcmotc from our scnscs, as thc
saint has rcmarkcd thcrcon: That whicl, is far off, and exceeding
Jeep, who can find it out? (Ecclcs. 7: 24). Whcn, thcn, wc rcach
thc conclusion that all things wcrc crcatcd out of nothing, al-
. though our scnscs havc ncvcr cxpericnccd anything likc it, it is not
mcct for us to rcjcct that conclusion or <31> to say frivolously:
"How can wc acquicscc in anything thc likc of which wc havc
ncvcr sccn?" For our invcstigation was fror:1 thc vcry start of
such a nature as to yicld for us somcthing thc likc of which wc
havc not sccn. Wc should rathcr wclcomc it and rcjoicc in it,
CREATION 39
sincc wc shall thcrcby havc attaincd what wc havc aought.
I fdt it ncccssary to makc this prcfatory obscrvation lest thc
rcadcr of this book dcmand that I prcscnt to him a visible instancc
[of thc crcation] of somcthing out of nothing. 1 havc, thcrcforc,
told him by way of anticipation that, if thcrc had bccn any such
possibility, thcrc would havc bccn no nccd for proof or spcculation
or dcduction. Furthcrmorc wc, as weil as thc rcst of bwnanity,
would havc bccn in agrccmcnt.about its rcality and wc would not
havc diflcrcd with rcspcct to any of its aspccts. Thc fact is, how-
cvcr, that wc arc obligcd to havc rccoursc to an inquiry that would
rcvcal it to us and to proof that would clarify it for us bccausc this
matter is ncithcr visible nor subjcct to thc obscrvation of thc scnscs.
But wc arc not thc only oncs to havc persuadcd thcmsclvcs to
put forward thc allcgation [ about thc cxistcncc] at thc bcginning
[ of crcation] of somcthing thc likc of which wc havc not sccn. All
thosc who vcnturc [ into spcculation] and logical dcduction do likc-
wisc. Thus thc proponcnts of thc ctcrnity [ of thc world], too,
cndcavor 1 to as~ci:-t thc cxistcncc of somcthing that has ncithcr
bcginning nor end, although thcir scnses havc ncver cxperic~ccd
anything that thcy could havc pcrccivcd or undcrstood as having
neithcr bcginning nor end. Ncvcrthclcss thcy try to cstablish this
rationally. Similarly do thc Dualists bcstir thcmsclves to affirm
thc cxistcncc of two mutually cxclusivc and distinct principlcs,
through thc union of which thc world camc into bcing, although
thcy havc ncvcr sccn two such mutually cxclusivc and distinct
clcmcnts nor how thcy could bccomc unitcd and comminglcd
with cach othcr. Still thcy try to provc this rationally.
In thc samc way do thc advocatcs of thc doctrinc of original mat-
ter strive to prcscnt it as a sort of formlcss mass, a thing posscssing
ncither hcat nor cold nor wctncss or dryncss, which, transformed
by somc forcc, acquircd thcse four attributcs, although thcir scnscs
had ncvcr pcrccivcd anything that did not posscss onc of thcsc four
attributcs nor how it could bc transformcd and how [ thcsc] four
[attributcs could] originate in it. Thcir aim is, thcn, to apprchcnd
this matter solcly by mcans of logical analogy and rcason.
1. "endeavor"-Jbn 1ibbon and M.
40 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Tbc samc applies to all <32> systcms [of thought], as l shall
explain. Sinte, thcn, thc matter stands thus, all thosc who 1pcculatc
about the origins of things must havc persuaded tbemsclves to
acknowledge thc existcnce at the beginning [of creation] of 10me-
thing that has never bcen bcheld by human eycs.
Thercforc, 0 thou that seckcst the truth, may God bc graciou1
unto thec, if our discussion yicld to thcc any conclusion of such a
nature as [for example] the doctrine of ert11tio ex nihilo, do not
hasten to reject it, sincc it was preciscly somcthing like this that
thou didst look for from the bcginning of thy quest, and [since]
whocver eise gocs out in scarch of thc truth docs likcwisc. Hear,
rather, and realize that thy proofs ar!= stronger than those of thc
othcrs and that thou art in posscssion of arguments by means of
which thou canst rcfutc any faction of thcm. Furtbcrmorc thou
hast ovcr thcm the advantagc of bcing in posscssion of miracles
and marvels that havc bcen cstablished for thcc [as trustworthy].
Therefore hold on to thc following thrcc points. in evcry chaptcr
of this book: namely, (11) that thy proofs arc strongcr than those
of. the othcrs, (/,) that thou art able to rcfutc anyonc that disagrccs
with thee, and (c) that thc miracles of thy prophets are a part
of thy advantage.
CHAPTER I
And now that I havc made this preliminary obscrvation pcr-
fcctly clcar, 1 say that our Lord, cxalted bc He, made it known to us
that all things wcrc creatcd and that He had creatcd them out of
nothing. Thus Scripturc says: In tht btginning Gotl atatttl tht
l1t,Jt1tn antl tht tartl, (Gen. 1: 1). lt says also: 1 am tht Lord, 1/,at
makttl, all lhin gs; 1/,111 stretded fortl, lht htavtns alont; that
sprtoä abrooä lht tarlh by Mysel/ (Isa. 44: 24). Bcsides that, all
this was verified for w by Him by mcans of miracles and marvels,
so that we acccptcd it as truc.
I ncxt inquircd into this matter to sec whctl-cr it could bc sup-
portcd by rcason as it bad bccn vcrificd by prophccy, and I found
CREATION 41
that it could bc thus supportcd in many ways. Out of thc sum of
thcsc I shall cxccrpt (the following] four proofs.
Tbc first is thc onc from finitudc. That is to say: it is certain that
hcavcn and carth arc both finite, bccausc thc earth is in thc ccntcr
of thc universc and thc hcaven revolves around it. •Jt thcrcforc fol-
lows, of ncccssity, that thc force inhcring in them bc finite, since
it is impossible for an infinite forcc to rcsidc in a finite body, for
such a possibility is rcjccted by all that is known. Now, sincc thc
forcc that maintains thcse two is finite, it follows nccessarily that
thcy must havc a bcginning and an end.
Af tcr this proof had occurred to me, < 33 > 1 checked it at
leisurc, bcing in no hurry to formulatc it until I had verified it.
I asked myself: "Pcrhaps the carth is unlimitcd in its length,
brcadth, and depth ?" But thcn I said: "If it wcrc so, thc sun could
not havc cncompassed it so as to complctc its revolution around it
oncc cvcry day and night, rising rcpeatedly at its placc of rising
and setting whcrc it scts, and thc samc thing holds for thc moon
and thc rcst of thc stars."
After that I asked [ mysclf] : "Perhaps, then, it is the heavcnly
bodies that have no finitude?" [On second thought,] howevcr, I
rcßcctcd: "But how is that possible, sccing that all of thcm in thcir
cntirety movc and revolvc pcrpctually around thc earth ?" For it is
inconccivablc that it is thc section of thcm that is adjacent to us
alonc that. rcvolvcs and that thc rcniaindcr of them is too large to
rc~olvc, for what wc undcrstand by thc term l,eaven is only this
~hmg that revolvcs. W c havc no conccption of anything beyond
1t, lct alonc that wc belicve it to be a hcaven and maintain that
it docs not revolvc.
Thcn I wcnt further in my invcstigation, saying [to mysclf]:
"But pcrhaps thcrc arc many carths and many heavens, cach of
which heavens cncompasses its own carth, so that thcrc would be
an infinite number of worlds?" Howcvcr, 1 realized that that was
impossible from thc standpoint of nature, for it is not admissiblc
according to nature that thc [element] carth bc abovc that of firc
nor that the [clcmcnt of] air bc by nature bclow that of water, for
42 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
both firc and air arc light, whcrcas carth and watcr arc both of thcm
hcavy. In fact, J kncw that if thcrc wcrc in cxistcncc a clod I of
dirt outside of this carth of ours, it would havc pcnctratcd through
thc cntirc layers of air and firc until it bad rcachcd thc dirt of this
carth. Likewisc if there had bccn a gathcring of watcr asidc from
thesc scas of ours, it would havc cut through thc air and the firc
until it bad rcachcd thcsc bodies of watcr.
Thus I arrivcd at thc unshakable conclusion that there was no
hcaven othcr than this hcaven of ours, nor any earth bcsides this
carth. Also this heaven was finite and so was this carth finite.
Now, sincc <34> thcir bodics wcre limitcd, the forcc inhcring
in thcm too bad to bc limitcd, rcaching a boundary at which it
stoppcd, Nor could thcy continue to cxist after the ccssation of
that forcc, or havc bccn in existence bcfore it came into bcing.
[Theo] 1 found that Scripturc, too, tcstified to the fact that thcy
werc both finite. lt says, namely: From one end of 11,e ear1I, e11en
unlo tl,e 01/,er end o/ lhe earlh (Deut. 13: 8); and again: And from
one end of l,eat1en unto 11,e other end of l,ea11en ·(Deut. 4: 32). lt
also tcstifics to the sun's rcvolving around thc carth and to its
rcpctition of this rcvolution cvcry day, dcclaring: T!,e sun also
ariseth, and tl,e 1un goeth down, and /,astet/, 10 his pl«e where he
arisetl, (Ecclcs. 1: 5).
Tbc sccond proof is [dcrivcd] from thc combination of parts and
the composition of divisions. That is to say, 1 noted that bodics
consisted of a combination of parts and a composition of con-
necting links. Thcrein wcre clearly revealed to mc signs of thc
handiwork of thc Makcr, as wcll as of crcation.
Thereupon I said [ to mysclf]: "But pcrhaps thcsc links and
joints arc to bc found only in thc small bodict-1 mcan thc bodics
of animals and plants ?" So I cxtcnded my thought toward the carth
and, bchold, it was like that also, for it is made up of an aggrega-
tion of dust and stoncs and sand and the like. 1 then liftcd up my
thought to heavcn and I found that it consisted of many laycrs
of sphcrcs, onc withi11 thc other, in which wcrc sct individual
2. "clod"-lbn 1ibbon. 'Inc corresponding term in the Atabic original h11
bcen idc,nified.
CREATION 43
luminaries callcd "stars," of varying sizcs, largc and small, and of
varying degrccs of luminosity, grcat and little, all of them fitted
into thcsc sphcrcs.
Whcn, then, thcre bccame evident to mc this aggrcgation and
combination an.d composition-which [could bc construcd only aa]
things crcatcd-in the body of hcavcn and outside of it, I was con-
vinced bccausc of this proof also that thc hcavcn and all that it
contained was crcatcd.
I furthermorc found Scripturc saying that the division of thc parts
of the animals and thcir combination points to thcir having bcen
crcatcd. That is [ thc implication of] its statcmcnt with rcfcrencc
to man: Thy hands l,a11e made me and /t11hioned me (Ps. 119: 73).
[lt is implicd] also [in] its statemcnt about thc carth: <35>
Tl,a, /ormed tl,e eartl, and made it, He establisl,ed il (Isa. 45: 18);
and its statemcnt about the hcavcn: When I bdold Thy l,eat1en1,
tl,e work of Thy fingers, lhe moon and the stars, wl,id Thou hast
established (Ps. 8: 4).
Tbc third proof is [ takcn] from the accidcnts. That is to say, 1
found that no bodies wcre frcc from accidents, cithcr such as arisc
in cach of thcsc bodics thcmsclves or from cxternal sources. Thus
animals grow and incrcasc in size until thcy havc rcachcd maturity.
Thcn thcy diminish again and thcir parts disintegrate.
Thereupon I said [to mysclf]: "But pcrhaps thc carth is immune
from these accidents?" So I studicd thc earth carefully, and I found
that it was ncvcr without plants and animals, both of which arc,
so far as their bodics arc conccrncd, crcated, and it is weil known
that whatever is inscparablc from what is crcatcd is likc thc latter
in its nature.
Next I said [ to mysclf]: "But pcrhaps thc heavcnly bodies arc
immune from such accidcnts?" So I obscrvcd them clearly, and
bchold they could not bc ridded of thcsc accidcnts, for the first
and principal one of these accidents was that of continuous, un-
ccasing motion. In fact [ thcy arc subjcct to] many motions, vary-
ing to such an extent that by comparing them with one another
not thou discovcrest their slowncss or thcir spccd. Among thcsc [acci-
dents] must also be includcd the light shcd by somc upon others,
44 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
rcsulting in thc illwnination of thc lattcr, as happcns in thc casc
of thc moon. Anothcr accidcnt is thc assumption by ccrtain stars
of a whitish, rcddish, ycllowish, or grccnish coloration.
:Whcn, thcn, I found that thcsc accidcnts cxtcndcd to thesc
[ hcavenly bodics also], and that thc lattcr did not prcccdc thcir
accidents in time, l was fully convinced that whatcvcr did not
prcccdc its accidcnt in coming into bcing must bc likc this accidcnt
in nature, sincc the lattcr is includcd in thc dcfinition of thc for.
mcr. Furthcrmorc thcrc is thc statcmcnt of Scripturc to thc cffcct
that the accidcnts of earth and hcavcn provc that both of thern had
a bcginning. lt says, namcly: l have made 1he earth, and created
man upon it; I, even My hands, have stretched out the heavens,
and all their l,osts have 1 commanded (lsa. 45: 12),
<36> Thc fourth proof is [bascd) on [the conccption of)
time. That i.s to say, I know that thcrc arc thrcc [distinct) periods
of time: past, prcsent, and futurc. Now cvcn though thc prcscnt
is shortcr than any moment of time, l assumcd, l for thc sake of
argument,] that this prescnt momcnt is a point; and said (to rny·
sclf] : "Let it bc supposed that a person should dcsirc mcntally to
advancc in time above this point. He would bc unablc to do it
for thc rcason that time is infinite, and what is infinite cannot bc
complctcly travcrscd mentally in a fashion asccnding [backward
to thc bcginning]."
Now this samc rcason makcs it impossible for exiscencc to havc
traversed infinity in dcsccnding fashion so as to rcach us. But if
existencc had not reachcd us, wc would not havc comc into being.
Thc ncccssary conclusion from this premisc would, thcn, have
hecn that we, the company of those that are, are not, and that those
that exist do not exist. Since, howcvcr, 1 find that I do exist, 1 know
that cxistcnce has traverscd thc wholc length of time until it
reached me and that, if it wcrc not for thc fact that time is finite,
existencc could not have traverscd it.
I also applied this conviction of minc to future time as unhcsi-
tatingly as I had donc it to thc past. Morcover I found Scripturc
making a similar rcmark about distant time: All men hat1e looked
thereon; man beholdeth it afar off (Job 36: 25). Furthermore thc
CREATION 45
saint said: 1 will /etc/, my l(nowledge from afar, and will ascribe
righteousness to my Mak,er (Job 36: 3).
Now it has comc to my attcntion that a ccrtain hcrctic, who hap-
pcncd to mcet a monothcist other than mysclf, argued against this
proof, saying: "Is it possible that a human being should bc ablc to
traverse by walking somcthing that consists of an infinite numbcr
of parts?" For any milc or ell that a pcrson might travcl would bc
found by us, if wc pondered it in our mind, to bc divisible into an
infinite numbcr of parts.
Ccrtain thinkers, thcreforc, had recoursc to thc thcory of atoms,
whilst others advanced thc hypothcsis of thc lcap from particlc to
particlc. Still othcrs proposcd [ as a solution of the problem] thc
thcory of thc coincidcncc of an infinite number of 8 particlcs of
time with an infinite numbcr of particlcs of spacc.
Now I studicd this argument [ that was prescnted by thc hcrctic ],
and I found it to bc dccciving, bccausc thc infinite divisibility of a
thing can occur so far as wc arc concerned, only virtually. lt can-
qot possibly occur <37> in fact, becausc it is too subtlc to be
rcalizcd in actuality or for division to take placc in it. Now if
[it had bccn asscrted that] thc past time was traverscd by ex-
istcnce only virt~ally and not in rcality, thcn, as surc as l livc, this
would havc becn practically idcntical with thc argumcnt [prc-
scntcd by thc hcrctic]. But sincc [ it is maintaincd that] cxistcncc
travcrscd thc time in qucstion in foct until it reachcd us, this thcory
constitutcs no argument against our proof, sincc it [ allcgcs an act
that] is only virtual.
In addition to thesc four proofs I havc also othcrs, somc of which
I have notcd down in my commentary on thc Book of Genesis,
whilc others have becn rccordcd by mc in "thc Laws of Crca-
tion" 4 and in my book of rcfutation against 1:liwwi, the Balchite,
aside from further incidental remarks to be found in the rest of
my works. Ncvcrthclcss thc arguments that I cite in this trcatisc
in rcfutation of the opponcnts of this thcsis of minc are all of
them basic for this thcsis, serving to corroborate and confirm it.
3. "an infinite number or'-litenlly "many."
4, i.e., the my.tical Sepl,,r Ylp,al,,
46 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Thcy should, thcrcforc, bc invcstigatcd, and whatcvcr in thcm is
gcrmanc to this vicw bc adduccd (as proof].
CHAPTER II
Oncc, thcn, it bad bccomc pcrfcctly clcar to us that all things
wcrc crcatcd, 1 inquircd furthcr as to whcthcr thcy could possibly
havc madc thcmsclvcs, or if it bc allowablc only that somconc cx-
tcrnal to thcm bad madc thcm. lt sccmcd impossible to mc, how-
cvcr, that thcy should havc crcatcd thcmsclvcs for sundry rcasons,
of which I shall mcntion thrcc.
Tbc first rcason is that wc know that any body among thc things
that cxist, that wc might point to or assumc as having madc iuelf,
would bc in a strongcr position and bcttcr ablc to rcproducc its
likc aftcr having comc into bcing than bcforc. If, thcn, it had madc
itsclf whcn it was wcak, why should it not also producc its likc
whcn it is strong? Sincc, howcvcr, it is incapablc of producing iu
likc whcn it is strong, it is incrediblc that it should have donc that
whcn it was wcak.
Tbc sccond rcason is that, if wc wcrc to suppose that a thing
could makc itsclf, wc would find such a hypothcsis to bc untcnablc
for <38> cithcr of thc two [main] divisions of t;mc. For, if wc
wcrc willing to grant that it madc itsclf be/ore it bad comc into
bcing, wc know that it was thcn noncxistcnt and what docs not
cxist docs not cffcct anything. If, on thc othcr band, wc wcrc to
grant that it had madc itsclf aftcr it had comc into bcing, thcn
sincc its cxistcncc prcccdcd its rcproduction of itself, it would have
no furthcr nccd, bccausc of its prccxistcnce, for rcproducing itsclf.
And thcrc is no third division of time to bc considcrcd exccpt for
thc prcscnt momcnt, which does not lcnd itsclf to any action.
Thc third rwon is that, if wc arc to assumc that a body is capablc
of making itsclf, such an assumption is admissible only provided
we assumc that it is capablc of dcsisting from making itself also.
But if wc wcrc to makc such an assumption, wc would obtain aa
a rcsult somcthing that cxists and that docs not exist at onc and thc
samc time. For, whcn wc affirm about somcthing that it is capable,
CREATION 47
wc havc rcfcrcncc to what is in cxistcncc, whcrcas, whcn wc as-
soci~tc with it thc allcgation that it docs not producc itsclf, that is
cqu&va.lcnt to _thc affir~ation that .it docs not cxist. Now any hy-
pothcs1s that 1s conduc1vc to thc 1dcntification at any givcn mo-
mcnt of thc existent and thc nonc:xistcnt is absolutcly absurd.
l a_lso found that Scripturc h_ad long ago rcmarkcd about thc ab-
surd1ty of thc thcory that a thing c:ould producc itsclf. [That is] thc
import of its statcmcnt: lt it He thal hath made us and not we II
(Ps. 100: 3). lt is, furthcrmorc, [implicit] in God's displcasurc
with him who bad said: My ri11er it my own and l had made mytelf
(Ezck. 29: 3), and thc lattcr's punishmcnt by Him on account of
th.at rcmark.
After thcsc considcrations, which provcd to mc thc untcnability
of thc hypothcsis that a thing could crcatc itsclf and which lcd to
thc ncccssary conclusion that somconc outside of itsclf must havc
crcatcd it, 1 inquircd by mcans of thc art of spcculation whcthcr
its Makcr bad crcatcd it out of somcthing eise, or [ whcthcr He bad
do~c it] out of nothing as it has bccn transmittcd in thc Holy
Scr1pturcs. 1 found, howcvcr, that to cntcrtain thc thought that it
was crcatcd out of somcthing eise would bc a mistakc, bccausc it
would constitutc a contradiction. For our statcmcnt "crcatcd it"
ncccssarily implics that its csscncc has bccn produccd for thc first
!imc and originat~d j~st thcn. Again, whcn wc pondcr thc mcan-
mg o~ thc·cxprcss1on. out of somcthing," wc arc compcllcd to rc-
gard 1ts csscncc as bcmg ctcrnal, not having bccn produccd for thc
first time or originatcd at a particular momcnt. Whcn, thcrcforc,
wc cntcrtain thc notion of a thing's having bccn crcatcd out of
nothing, wc find it to bc a tcnablc hypothcsis.
Now, of coursc, somconc might say: "Thou hast <39> madc
it evident that things must havc a Makcr only bccausc thou dost
not bchold in thc scnsual world anything madc that is not thc
product of a makcr, nor any cffcct that is not thc handiwork of an
author. But thou hast likcwisc ncvcr sccn in thc scnsual world any-
thing bcing gcncratcd cxccpt it bc from somcthing eise. How,
~· Saadia follows.the kethibh rather than the keri, according io which the uan1·
lanon would be: II II He 11,111 l,1111, made 111, ar,tl we an His.
48 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thcn, didst thou basc thy proof on thc premise that therc can be
no act without an agcnt rathcr than thc prcmisc that a thing can
bc produccd only out of anothcr, sccing that thcsc two aasertions
arc of cqual forcc?"
My rcply to him is: Tbc rcason for my prefcrring the onc to thc
othcr is that thc question of whcthcr all things arc gcncratcd from
othcrs or arc crcatcd ex nilu1o is thc point I am seeking to prove
by mcans of logical dcmonstration. Also it is not scemly that thc
thing that one dcsircs to dcmonstratc tcscify conccrning itsclf by
scrving as onc of thc two prcmiscs on which the proof i1 based.
lt must rathcr bc dcmonstratcd by mcans of a proposition othcr
than itsclf. Sincc, thcn, the proposition, "thcrc is no act that docs
not stcm from an agcnt," is cxtrancous to thc matter thc truth of
which wc arc sccking to cstablish, 1 have selcctcd it for thc purposc
of dcmonstrating thc lauer. Thus did I arrive at thc conclusion
that things havc bcen crcatcd out of nothing. 1 havc cbosco this
mcthod of using outside proof only, cven though .1 havc found that
in ccrtain cascs thc cmploymcnt of thc conclusion as onc of thc
prcmiscs is admissiblc. Howcvcr, thc discussion of this point is too
subdc and gocs beyond thc schcmc of this book. 1 havc thcrcforc
rcfrained from dwclling on lt, making usc only of such [ argu·
mcnts as arc] pcrfcctly evident.
Now je also becamc clcar to mc that what.cvcr wc might assumc
to havc bccn thc sourcc from which cxisting things havc bccn
crcatcd it blust ncccssarily bc ctcmal, and if it is ctcrnal, it is cqual
in its ctcrnity with thc Crcator. Now thc ncccssary implication of
this thcsis would bc that thc Crcator is unablc to crcatc any part of
it, and that it docs not acccpt His command to bc madc in accord-
ancc with His wish and to bc fash ioncd according to His dcsirc,
unlcss~ by way of supposition, wc associatc with thcsc two a third
causc which d iffcrcntiatcs bctwccn thcm so that onc of thcm
thcrcby bccomcs thc makcr and thc othcr thc product. To pro-
pound such a hypothcsis, bowcvcr, is to spcak of [ a crcaturc] that
docs not cxist, sincc all things prcscnt thcmscl·:cs to us only (in thc
form of) cithcr maker or product.
I rccallcd also that thc chicf objcct of our quest was to dctcrminc
CREATION 49
who had crcatcd thc csscncc of things, it being undcrstood by u1
~t thc ~akcr must prcccdc <.40> his handiwork, so that by
h1s preccdmg thc cascnce of thc thmg thc thiog itsdf would come to
bc crcatcd. lf, howcvcr, wc assumc thc csscnce of thing1 to havc
cxist~d sincc ctcrni~y, thcn thc makcr cannot havc prccedcd hi1
hand1work, and nc1thcr would be morc dc.crving of being the
causc of thc crcation of thc othcr-whic~ is, of coursc, shccr non-
lCDIC.
I rcc~Ucd, fur thcr~orc, that if a pcrson followcd [to iu logical
co~clu~10n J thc asscrtJ~n that God bad crcatcd things out of some-
th~g, at would lc~d h1m to bdievc that God did not crcatc any-
~mg at all.. That 1s to say that thc causc of thc prcvaiUng imprcs-
1100 that thangs arc gcncratcd from othcrs is that wc find that thc
scnsual world i~ thus c~nstitu~cd. But wc might just as weil say
that whatcvcr 1s pcrcc1vcd wath thc scnscs i1 also found to be
locatcd in spacc and time and to posscss form and dimcnsion and
position and rclationship and othcr such attributcs. For in thi1
respcct of bcing charactcristic of things scnsual thcsc attributcs arc
all of thc samc ordcr as thc crcation of onc thing from anothcr.
lf, thcn~ wc wcrc to cn~mcratc thc ~ctual charactcristics of things
cxhaustavdy to thc pomt of asscrung ~hat a ccrtain thing wa 1
crca~cd from .anothcr, which cxistcd at a ccrtain placc and time
and m a ccrtam form and dimcnsion and position and rclation1hip
and thc likc, all thcsc catcgorics would bc ctcrnal and thcrc would
in that casc bc nothing lcft for thc Crcator to crcatc and crcation
would bc voidcd altogcthcr. ,
I dctcrmincd also that, unlcss wc conccdcd thc cxistcncc of a
thing that was prcccdcd by nothing, it wou)d be impossible for
anything to cxist at all. That is to say: if wc wcrc to considcr, for
thc sakc o! argumcnt, onc thing that was dcrivcd from anothcr
thing, thcn the sccond thing that was mcntioncd wou)d havc to bc
of thc samc charactcr as thc first. That is [ its cxistcncc) would be
conditioncd upon its ol'igination only from a third thing. Thi1
third thing again would havc to bc of thc samc charactcr as thc
sccond. That is [ its cxistcncc] too would bc conditioncd on its
coming into bcing only from a fourth thing. Thus the proccu
 T
50 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
would continuc ad in/initum, and sincc thc infinite cannot bc
complctcly travcrscd, so that wc might comc to bc, thc ncccssary
conclusion would bc that wc do not cxist. Thc fact is, howcvcr,
that wc do cxist. Y et if thc things that wcrc prior to our cxistcncc
had not bcen finite, they could not havc bccn complctcd so as to
makc possiblc our cxistcnce.
< 41 > This conclusion that wc havc reached by means of our
rcasoning is prcciscly what is writtcn down in thc books of the
prophcts; namcly, that all bodics tracc thcir origin to thc Crcator.
That is the tcnor of thc statcment of Scripturc : Be/ore tl,e moun-
tain1 ,uere brougl,t /orth, or e11er thou 1,adst /ormed tl,e eartl, and
tl,e world, tlltn /rom e11erla1ting to e11trlatting Tl,ou art God (Ps.
90:2).
CHAPTER III
I have now succecdcd in vcrifying by the spcculative method,
just as thcy havc bccn bq,rnc out by the account of thc prophets
and the miracles, thc thrcc above-mcntioncd principles: namely,
(a) that all things werc creatcd in time, (b) that thcir Crcator was
someonc eise than thcy, and (c) that He had crcatcd them out of
nothing. This constitutes thc first theory [ to bc listcd] in this
trcatise, thc aim of which was to inquirc into thc bcginning of thc
world. lt bchooves me, thereforc, to appcnd thcrcto twclvc thcories
of thosc who disagrec with mein rcgard to this doctrinc, making
a total of thirteen. My proccdurc will bc to cxpatiate on thc argu-
mcnts advanccd by ·each faction as weil as thcir rcfutation, and if
thcrc bc in thc Scripturcs any statcmcnts sccmingly lcnding color
to thcir views,• 1 shall clucidatc thcm, too, with thc hclp of God.
I say, thcn, that the sccond theory is that of him who asscrts that
the bodies bad a Creator, who bad at His disposal ctcrnal spiritual
bcings out of whom He created thc above-mentioned composite
bodics. This view is supportcd by its proponcnts by thc thesis that
a thing can come into bcing only from anothci thing. Soaring up-
ward in their ßight of thought and attempting to picturc to thcm-
6. "1tau:mcnt1 , • , views"-litcrally "rcsc:mblances,"
CREATION 51
sclvcs how thc Crcator crcatcd compositc things out of spiritual
bcings, thcy dcclare: "Wc picturc to oursclvcs that He collcctcd
lictlc points of thcsc spirituaJ bcings; namcly indivisiblc atoms-
which they conccivc to bc as fine as the fincst particlcs of dust-
and made of them a straight line. Then He cut that line into two
halvcs. Ncxt He supcrimposcd one upon the othcr crosswisc so
as to form thc figure of the Greek lcttcr X, which rcscmbles that of
thc Lam 'Ali/ in Arabic without the basc. Thcn he fastencd them
togcther at the point of their juncturc. After that, He cut them at
tbe place where tbcy wcrc fastcncd togethcr and madc out of onc of
thc picccs thc largc uppermost sphcrc, whilst out of thc other He
mad.c thc littlc sphcrcs. Ncxt He fashioncd from thcsc spiritual
parucles a conc-shapcd figurc_and crcatcd out of it thc sphcrc of
<42>
firc. Thcn He fashioned out of them an octahedron and
crcated thcrefrom the spherc of carth. Thcn He fashioncd out of
thcm a dodccahcdron and madc with it thc sphcrc of thc air. Theo
He fashioned out of thcm an icosahedron and crcatc.d from it all
thc watcr."
Now they dccidcd upon this hypothesis and adoptcd it as their
unshakablc belief. What led thcm to propound it was the fact that
thcy did not acknowledgc the cxistcncc of anything that was con-
trary to thc obscrvation of their senscs. As for these figurcs, which
thcy took such grcat pains [ to invcnt ], the reason [ for adopting
them] was their rcscmblance to thc figu.res found in nature.
Let mc now make an cxposition of thc objections against thc
thcory advanccd by thcsc individuals in this conncction. I say that
thcre arc twclvc rcfutations that may bc citcd against their as-
scrtions. These includc thc first four that havc dcmonstrated to w
previously that all things wcre crcatcd in time. They cmbrace also
the last four that havc dcmonstratcd to us that the Crcator of things
had crca:ted thcm out of nothing. In addition to being subject to
thesc cight rcfutations, 1 find that thcrc are four othcrs which they
must facc.
The first of thcsc objcctions is that they profess thc belief in somc-
thing that has no parallel among ~hings visiblcj namely, the spirit-
ual bci ngs, which they picture as bciog like the dµst, and strands
 f'
52 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
of hair, and likc thc very finest of the finc, and like an indivisible
atom-which is something that cannot be conccived.
Secondly, as I sec it, thesc things, which thcy maintain ex.ist,
cannot possibly bc bot or cold 1:,r moist or dry, siocc tbcsc four
natural charactcristics ' wcrc crcatcd from thcsc bcings thcm-
sclves. As 1 ~c it also, thcy cannot posscss color or taste or smcll or
Hmit or dimcnsion. Nor can thcy bc [dcscribcd] as many or fcw
in numbcr, or bc [ said to havc bccn crcatcd] in spacc or time, bc-
cause all thesc catcgorie& arc attributes applying to material bodics,
whercas thcsc bcings prcccded, in their opinion, thc bodily statc.
This is, thcn, still more inconceivable. The proponents of this
thcory did, thereforc, avoid the hypothesis of creatio ex nihilo on
account of its improbability, only to let themsclvcs in for somc-
thing that is cven morc improbablc and remote.
Thirdly, I consider <43> as remote-nay, as uttcrly untcn-
able-thc notion that a thing that is formlcss can bc changcd so as
to assumc thc form of firc and water and air and earth; and that
what is ncither long nor wide nor dcep can bc so modclcd that
there would bc produccd in it lcngth and width and dcpth; and
that what posscsscs none of the catcgorics can so bc altcred as to ac-
quirc all those characteristics that arc at prcscnt visible [in things].
If, however, they hold that thesc transform~tions and changcs are
possible, it is bccausc the All-Wisc Creator is able to cffcct thcm.
His wisdom and power must, thcreforc, havc bcen capablc of
creatio ex nihilo, and wc may drop thc hypothcsis- of thcsc non-
cxistcnt spiritual bcings.
Fourthly, thc troublc to which they wcnt in aduming a scission
and a union and a supcrimposition and a fixation and a sccond
scission, and whatcvcr eise was conncctcd with thcsc opcrations,
was fruidess, sincc thcrc was no proof to uphold anything thcrcof.
These assumptions arc, thcrcforc, pure conjccturc and fancy. Nay I
sec in this proccss of reasoning an inhcrent contradiction. For if, as
they would havc it, thc Makcr has thc power to transform spiritual
into corporeal bcings, then He should be abJe to do it at onc blow.
That would rcndcr thc detailing of thc opcration into scctions un-
7, "natural charactcri,tics"-added by Ibn 'Iibbon.
C~EATION 53
ncccssary. lf, on .thc othcr. hand, H~ could, in their opinion, carry
thcm out only p1cccmcal JUSt as His crcaturcs producc onc thing
aftcr another, He would all the lcss bc ablc to transform them
from the spiritual to thc corporeal statc. Whilst, thcn, thcy tolcrated
all thesc absurditics, thcy rcjccted those marvdous miracles mcn-
tioncd in Scripture. Yet [ with all that J they did not desist from
conccding the reality of what is not subjcct to tbe pcrccption of the
senses.
lt has also bcen reportcd to me that ccrtain pcrsons of our own
pcople w~re. undcr thc impression that thc subjcct rcfcrrcd to by
Scnpturc m tts statemcnt: The Lord har made me ar the heginning
~f His way. the /irrt of His works of old {Prov. 8: u), as wcll as
1? thc rest of that passage, was these spiritual bcings. Now I con-
s1dercd the matter carefully and I found that thcy had errcd in thc
intcrprecatiou of this passagc on fiftccn counts. Twclve of thesc
arc the twelve rcfutations from thc standpoint of rcason upon
which I have previously elaboratcd. As for thc other three, they
are duc to [a misunderstanding of] thc characccr <44> of thc
Hebrew fanguagc and the style of thc Bible.
Thc first of these is that the cxprcssion kanani rcfers to thc
crcacion of a thing. Thus Scripturc says elscwhcre: The Most High
Crea1or (kone) o(lieaven and earth (Gen. 14: 22). lt says, further-
morc: T he earth u full of T hy creatures ( kinyanekha) (Ps. 104:
21), Should they, howcver, insist that this cxpression affirms etcr-
mty, then they would be maintaining that heaven and ea rth and
whatcvcr is bctwcc~ theip arc c'tcrnal, having existed always, and
th~y woul~ bc denymg that thcy had becn creatcd out of spiritual
bcings, wh1ch was what thcy bad intcnded to prove. If, on the other
hand, in their opinion the expression {inyan, as employcd with
rcgard to hcaven and carch, affirmed thcir creation it would
.
automatJcalJy affirm thc crcation of thc spiritual bein_gs.
'
. The s~cond [ count on ~hi~h thcy are wrongJ is that the exprcs-
ston rel,th darko (the beg1nnmg of His way) points to the conno-
tation of "an original crcation," bccause a similar term is uscd with
rega:d to the largest of thc bcasts; namcly, He is tlu: beginning
(rel,th) o/ tlie tvays of God (Job 40: 19). Now just as the connota-
 ;zs
THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
54
tion of thc cxpression thcrc is that that particular crcaturc was thc
first bcast -to bc crcatcd, so must also its connotation hcrc [i.c. in
Prov. 8: :u] be that what is mcntioncd hcrc is thc first thing to havc
bccn crcatcd. Should tbcy, thcrcfore, rcjcct this interpretation, thcy
wouJd bc affirming that that particular beast (of Job 40: 1] was also
ctcrnal, having always bccn in cxistcncc.
Thc third (count on which thcy arc rnistaken] is that thc sub-
ject mcntioncd (in thc passagc of Scripture undcr discussion]
)ovcs the truth and spurns falschood, as it says: All the words o/
my mouth are in righteousness, there fr nothing pert1erse or
crooked in them (Prov. 8:8). Whocvcr lovcs it, [furthcrmorc],
has choscn lifc, aod whocvcr spurns it loves dcath, as it says: For
whoso findet/, me, findeth li/e, ••. but he that misstth me, wrong-
11
eth hir oum soul; all they that hatt me love death (Prov. 8: 35, 36).
Finally the[c is thc- injunction to scck it out and hold on to it carc-
fuUy, as it says: Now, therefore, ye children, hearken unto me, ctc.11
(Prov. 8: 32.) . .
Now, if thc subject [ of thc aforcmcnt&oncd passagc] wcrc 1dcn-
tical wich thc [supposcdly uncrcatcd] spiritual bcings, thc attributcs
listcd would havc to appcrtain to thcm cither in thcir [original]
simple statc or aftcr thcy bad attaincd thcir compositc status. But
if wc wcrc to assumc that thcsc attributcs appcr~aincd to tbcm
in their simple statc, [ that would be an absurdity sincc] thcrc would
not bc with.in thcir compctcncc at that time [such conccpts as]
truthfu)ncss or mcndacity, nor [such conditions as] lifc or dcath,
nor would thcrc bc in cxistcncc any crcaturc <45> to scck thcm
out and rcach them. lf, again, wc assumcd that thcse attributcs
appcrtaincd to thcm aftcr thcy ha_d a~tain~d thc compositc stat~s,
thcn that part of thcsc bcings wh1ch 1s w1th us would neccssar1ly
bc within our rcach. The rcmaining portion, howcvcr, that has not
rcachcd thc compositc stagc, would bc inacccssiblc to us, sincc,
according to thcir thcory, thc compositc things constitutc a par-
tition bctwccn us and it.
lt has, furthcrmorc, bccn rcportcd to mc that othcrs thought that
the scriptural passagc: But wisdom, where sha/1 it be found? And
8. Our translation follows tht venion of Ibn 'libbon.
CREATION 55
wl,ere is the pla&e o/ undernanding? (Job 28: 12), as wcll a, thc
rest of that passage, was a dcscription of thc spiritual bcings bc-
causc thc end of it statcs: God understandeth the way thereo/, and
He knoweth the pltKt thereo/ (Job 28: 23). But I found that thcsc
al,o wcrc guilty of an crror of intcrprctation, cven morc clcarly
than those prcviously mcntioncd. Truc, in thc .first passagc quotcd
by us thcrc is no cxplicit statcmcnt [ to thc cffcct] that (its subject]
is Wisdom, although thcrc is rcally no doubt that it was spokcn
about Wisdom. As for this sccond passagc, bowcvcr, the· mcntion
of Wisdom in it is cxplicit. How, thcn, could thcy havc dcludcd
thcmsclvcs into intcrprcting it figurativcly? .
I sec, also, that Scripturc cxpla.ins that this Wisdom in qucstion
camc into cxistcncc only contcmporancously with thc crcation of
thc four clcmcnts, not prior thercto. For aftcr dcclaring, God un-
derstandetli the way 1hereo/, and He k_nowetli the place thereof,
it says: For He looketl, 10 the ends o/ lne earth, and seetl, under
the wliole heaven (Job 28: 24). Thc mcntion of carth and hcavcn
is followcd [ immcdiatcly] by [ thc statemcnt:] When He mak_eth
a weight for the wind, and meteth out the waters by mearure (Job
28: 25). The mcntion [again J of thc air and thc watcr is fol-
lowcd by [ the rcmark: J He established it, yea, and rear.ched it 0111
(Job 28: 27).
Tbc untc112bility of thc intcrprctation of thcsc two passagcs as
rcfcrring to (uncrcatcd] spiritual bcings bas thus bccn clcarly
dcmonstratcd. Tltcy arc conccrncd, rather, with Wisdom. What
thcy mean to indicatc is not that this Wisdom scrvcd thc Crcator
as thc instrument whercby He crcated all tbings,0 but that He
rcvcalcd this Wisdom at thc time whcn. He created thc clcmcnts
and thcir derivatives, His wisdom bccoming manifest whcn He so
wiscly crcatcd all that.
Tbc third thcory is that of him who asscrts that <46> thc
Crcator of thc bodies had crcatcd thcm out of His own substancc. 1
havc found the proponcnts of this view to bc pcoplc who are un-
ablc to dcny the cxistcncc of a makcr. Yet thcir rcason would not,
9. The inter preta.tion adopted by Saadia here rejech that given eo thit pauage
ll thc beginning of Genai1 Rabba,

56 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
so thcy maintain, (allow thcm to] acccpt thc doctrinc of t:reatio ex
nihilo. Sincc, thcn, originatly nothing existcd cxccpt thc Creator,
thcy bclicvc that He crcatcd all things out of Himsclf.
These are, howcvor, may God havc mcrcy on thcc, morc scnsc-
lcss than the proPoncnts of the thcory mentioncd previously, and I
,hall cxposc thcir shallowncss 10 in thirtccn ways. Of thcsc, cight 11
arc idcntical with thc argumcnts citcd against the advocatcs of the
doctrinc of the spiritual bcings; namcly, thc four pr~fs [in ~a~or
of] crcation in time and the four rin favor J o~ creatto ex nthtfo,
As for thc four typcs of rcfutation [ of thc doctrme] of thc cternity
of thc spiritual bcings, thcy do not apply to t~em. Thcy arc, h~w-
cvcr, subjcct instcad to'five othcrs, cach of which [ attacks a nouon
that] is rcjcctcd by rcason.
Thc first [ objcction J is [ dircctcd against thc belief] that an
ctcrnal bcing, that ls subjcct to ncithcr form nor quafüy nor dimco-
sion nor Jimit nor place nor time, ~an so be changcd that a part of
it bccomcs a body possessing form aod dimc~si?n and qualitics
and placc and time and othcr attributcs bclongmg to corporcal
bcings. This is only most remotely conccivable. . . .
The sccond is (thc assumption] that thc All-W1se, who 1s im-
mune against aU paio aod unaffcctcd ~y action _and n~t subject to
accidents, shou]d choosc to turn a portton of H1msclf into a body
so that He would bccome cxposcd to accidents aod be affcctcd by
action, and auffcr loss of know1cdgc aftcr having bcen cndowcd
witb wisdom, and bc in pain aftcr cnjoying complcte rcpose, and
cxpcricnce hungcr and thirst and sadncss and fatiguc. and bccome
subjcct to othcr such cvils, whcn He has always bccn immune from
all thcsc things. Besidcs, He has no nccd for sccuring advantages
by such mcans, cspccially sincc it is not at all likcly that He would
sccure any advantagc thcrcby. Such an idea partakcs, thcn, of the
charactcristics of the absurd.
Thc third [difficulty prcsentcd by this thcory] is how thc right-
eous God, wbo does no injusticc, could havc dccidcd to hurl a
ccrtain portion of Himself ioto such misfortun.:s. Indccd 1 whcn I
10. "shallowneu"-litenlly "folly.''
11. The original, as well u Ibn Tibbon, mistakenly reads "four."
:;:>
CREATION
12
57
try .to fatho~ this matte~, 1 find onc of thc following two altcr-
nanvcs to be mescapable: c1thcr this misfonunc had bccn incurrcd
by ~c part in q~cstion <47> descrvcdly-and it could have
mcritcd such punishmcnt only becausc of somc crimc it bad com.
mitt~ or certain rcprehcnsiblc acts that it had perpctratcd--or
eise.•~ ha~ comc.abo~t undcsca;vcdly, which would bc a wrong and
an 1DJUst1cc agamst 1t. From whichcvcr one of thc two dircctions
onc would approach thc notion, one would find it to bc unsound
and falsc.
. Thc fourt~ (difficu.lty prcscnted by this thcory] is how thc por-
tion of God m qucst1on acccptcd thc command of thc remaining
parts so as. to rcccivc .impression and shapc and form and exposc
. 1tsclf to pam. Was th1s duc to some fear that it cntcrtaincd, or to
somc cxpcctation that it chcrished? To whichcvcr of thcsc two
causcs this sclf-subordination may bave bccn duc, it must bc thc
charactcristic of citber the who!e to cntcrtain fear and bopc, or of
thc part only. But if it be thc charactcristic of thc who!c what
pray.' shoul~ it bc afraid of or hopc for, sceing that thcrc is n~ bcin~
outside of 1t? lf, on thc othcr hand, it bc th!= charactcristic of thc
part, what could have causcd the part to cntcrtain such hope and
fear whcn thc rest is given to neither hope nor fcar? If, again,
tbe acceptance by thc part of thc command of thc greatcr portion
was duc not to cxp~tati?n or ~car, that would bc a poor [solution
of the problcm], smcc 1ts act1on would thcn rcmain without a
causc known to us. All this is, thcrcforc, falsc and wroog.
Tbc fifth [ objcction to this tbeory] js that it is inconceivablc
that onc e~dowed w.ith intclligcocc, who is capablc of averting pain
from poruons of h1msclf, would not avcrt it. But if wc wcre to
cntcrtain thc supposition that hc would do that, that would spcll
the end of all crcation. ·
Again.' if [ thc coming. into being of thc crcatcd things] after
[ thc d.chverancc fro?" pam of thc part of God in question] is as
unavo1dable as. [thc1r coming into bcing] prior (to that cvcnt],
thcn thcse porttons would succcssivcly 18 bccomc transformed into
u. "fathom"-lbn Tibbon.
13. "1ucce11ively"--or "alternately."

8 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
5bodics. Each part of them would thereupon rccc1vc
· mat~na
· l shape
and form for a ccrtain lcngth of time, and thcn bc dchvercd and
rcmovcd, whilc anothcr part would takc its plac~ .a~d bcc~me
tbc rccipient of thc action. With all that, howevcr, 1t 11 1mposS1blc
that this scrics of pcriodic succcssions u should c~cr c~m.c to .an
end since the totality from which thc parts arc dcnvcd 11 m6nllc.
Thi~ is, thcrcforc, a hypothcsis that is rcjcctcd by rcason and nc-
gatcd by sound reßcction.
Now 1 account thcsc scnsclcss individuals, who havc cschcwe
>
<-48 thc doctrinc of creatio ex nihilo only to accept thesc non·
scnsical idcas, as behaving exactly likc thosc wh~ run away from
thc heat to a glowing hot stonc, or from the .ram to the gutters,
to say nothing of their rcjcction 111 of the miradcs and marvels
{mcntioncd in Scripturc]. . limitlcss in 6vc dircctions: namcly, the down ward [djrcction ],
Thc fourth thcory is that of him who combmes the two prc·
viously describcd hypothcscs. lt maintains thilt ehe Creator had
crcatcd all cxisting lhings from H is own substancc. a.s weil as f~om
things coctcrnal with him. According to it, th~ spmts arc dcnv.c:
from thc Crcator and the bodics frcm thc thmgs cocternal w1t
Him. fu • ·
This thcory is subject to ~c foltowin~ scvcntcen rc tat1ons ·
namcly, thc twelvc first-mcot ,oncd applying to thc propa~e.nts of
thc doctrinc of the spiritual bcings, and thc fivc appcrt.ammg to
him who maintains that thc Creator creatcd cvcrythang from
Himsclf. Thc advocatc of this thcory is, howcvcr, ~~re sensclcss
than thc two prcccding factions. If all thcse absurd1t1es w~rc cn·
tcrtaincd by thcm, it was duc solcly to {thcir Wse conccpt1on of]
thc omnipotcnce of thc Crcator, whom thcy rcgarded cap~blc of
every absurdity, such as changing Himsclf and whatcvcr 11. eo:
ncctcd thcrcwith. lt sccms to mc, howevcr, tha.t to rcgard _H,m
capable of crcating somcthing out of nothing 1s morc. casily c?m·
prchensiblc for thc soul and rationally morc plausible, bcs1dcs
being in kccping with thc miraclcs and marvel~ [ of ?od].
Thc 6fth theory is that of him who asscrts L.1e cx1stcncc of two
14. "succtnions"--or "alternation,."
15, "their rejcction"--lbn Tibbon.
p
CREATION 59
ctcrnal creators. Thosc that profcss it are, may God guidc thcc
aright, morc sensclcss than all thosc prcviously mcntiooed. Thcy,
namcly, dcny the possibility that two opposing acts could originatc
from onc author, [ mcrcly] for the reason that, [ as] thcy maintain,
tbcy bad ncvcr scen anything likc it. .
Starting out with thu condusion of thcirs, thcy declarc: "Wc
sec that all tbings contain clcmcnts of good and cvil, and barm
and bcncfiL Thc good that is in them is, thcrcforc, nccessarily
d dcrivcd from a principlc that is cntircly good, whilst thc cvil that
is in thcm is dcrivcd from a principlc that is cntircly cvil.11 Tbis,
thcn, lcads thcm to affirm that thc sourcc of thc good is limitless
in five dircctions: namcly, thc upward Ldircction ], thc cast, thc
wcst, thc south, and the north, whilc it has a limit down ward wherc
it touchcs the sourcc of cvil. Likcwisc <49> thc sourcc of cvil is
the cast, thc west, the south, and the nortb, while it has a limit
upward whcre it touchcs the sourcc of thc good.
Thcy maintain also that thesc two principles wcrc originally
always scparatcd. Thcn tbcy bccamc comminglcd, and as a result
of thcir mixturc, thc bodily suhstances camc into bcing. Howcver,
thcy ditfcr in rcgard to the cause of this mixturc, somc of thcm
maintaining that it was duc to thc fact that thc good was anxious
to soften thc cdgc of thc evil that was contiguous with it, whcrcas
othcrs maintain that it was duc to ·thc cvil's dcsirc to enjoy what-
cvcr was plcasant in thc good. Yet thcy agrcc herein: namcly, that
this mixrurc is destincd to last only for a while, and that oncc this
tcrm is cndcd, victory will belang unto the good, whilc thc cvil
will bc subordinatcd and its activity ccase. 18
Let mc now notc down my objcctions to cach individual assertion
of thesc pcoplc. In thc first placc, 1 citc against thcm thc four
arguments whcrcby wc dcmonstratcd that all bodics havc bcen
crcatcd. Ncxt [I invokc] the four argumcnts whcrcby wc dcmon·
stratcd that thcy camc into bcing out of nothing. Theo [comc]
thc fivc argumcnts advanccd against thc asscrtion of him who
maintains that thc Crcator crcatcd them out of Himsclf. This
16. Cf, Gutunann pp. 55 ff. for 1he sources,
 p
6o THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
makcs a total of thirtccn. In addition, thcrc may bc [ urgcd]
against thcm in this trcatisc fiftccn spccial typcs of .rcfotation,
asidc from thosc coö.tained in thc sccond trcatisc of th1s book. In
othcr words, I took thc axles of thcir thcsis and wound around
thcm thc spiral of rcason so that thcy wcre dislodgcd thcrcby and
naught remaincd of thcm. .
Now I first turncd my attcntion to thcir assertion tbac thcrc 1s
no visible instancc of two oppositc acts cmanating from the samc
author, and I found that thc possibility of thc cmanation of two
acts from onc author could bc dcmonstrated by [ many] cxamples.
Onc of tbcsc is that wc [ oftcn] sec a person becomc cnragcd and
angry, and thcn bccomc con$0lcd and rcconcilcd again! sa~ing: "l
am satisficd and havc forgivcn." Now if it is thc good m h1m tbat
forgivcs, tbcn tbat is also thc thing which was cnragcd. lf, on thc
othcr band, it is thc cvil that forgives, then that pcrson pcrforms a
good dccd wbcn bc forgivcs. In c~ithcr case < 50> thc two op-
positc acts cmanatcd from onc and thc samc pcrson.
Again wc sec a pcrson commit murdcr ~r t~cft. Thcn, w~c~
forccd to confcss, hc avows his crimc and h1s m1sdccd. Now 1f 1t
is thc cvil in him that confesscs, thcn it is also that principlc in
him which has spokcn thc truth-and vcracity is a. g~d. lf, on
thc othcr hand, it is the good in him that confcsscs, 1t 1s also that
principlc in him which committcd murder or thdt. _In eithcr c~sc,
thcn, thc two oppositc acts have bcen clcarly cstabhshcd as gomg
back to onc author. And cven if [it bc grantcd that) thc faculty
of angcr is not idcntical with that of conciliation, and similarly
that thc impulse to stcal is not idcnti:al with that which m~kcs
onc confcss, it would be ncccssary for h1m who bccomcs rcconc1l.cd
in bis conciliatory statc not to rcmcmber what happcncd to h1m
at thc momcnt of bis angcr, and for bim wbo confcsscs not to
rcmcmbcr, whilc hc makcs confcssion, what happcncd to him
whcn hc committcd bis crime. Yet wc find all this to bc contra-
dictcd by tbc obscrvation of our scnscs.
Ncxt I considcrcd thc allcgation by tbc propnncnts of this tbeory
apropas of thc possibility of thc cmanation of onc and thc samc act
from two autbors. This, howcvcr, is untcnablc for two rcasons.
CREATION 61
One is tbat if wc wcrc to assumc that two pcrsons wcrc making
onc a.nd ~c samc o_bjcc~ and wc wcrc to suppasc that onc of them
was makmg all of 1t and thc othcr was also making all of it, that
would bc an absurdity, bccausc oncc thc first individual has madc
all ~f thc objcct, thcrc is nothing lcft for thc sccond to makc. lf,
agam, wc wcrc to supposc that onc of thcm was making a part of
thc objcct and ~h~ otbcr anotbcr part, thcn cvcry product would
havc had onc d1st1nct makcr who had nobod y associatcd with him
in its production. ·
Thc sccond rcason for thc untcnability of thc abovc-mcntioncd
hypothcsis is that if it bc conccivablc that two things could pcrform
onc and thc s~mc act, it musc also incvitably bc hdd tbat just as
cach of them 1s capablc of doing thc thing in qucstion, it is also
capablc of dc~isting from thc act. Now suppasc wc wcrc to assumc
thc cxistcncc of two opposing choiccs with rcgard to thc samc act,
onc of thc would-bc authors choosing to pcrform that act whilst
thc othcr chooscs to dcsist thcrcfrom, tbat would mcan hypothc:siz-
ing somcthing that is at oncc produccd and not produccd, which is
a clca.r contradiction.
Thou sccst, thcn, how they deny what is affirmcd by visible
tcstimony and avow what is disprovcn by such cvidcncc. Thus
<~1> "':c havc a, total ~f.~vc rcfutations, thrcc of thcm rcfuting
thclr dcmal of thc pombihty of thc dcrivation of two oppositc
acts from ,onc author and two invalidating thcir affirmation that
onc act can cmanatc from two authors.
Furthcrmorc lct mc statc that thcy cschcwcd thc doctrinc of
~eatfo ex nihilo on thc ground that thcy had ncvcr sccn anything
l~kc 1t, onl~ to tbrow thcmselvcs into th~ morass of somcthing thc
~1kc of wh1c~ thcy bad ncvcr sccn citbcr. Thcy avowcd, namcly,
an tbc first mstancc, that cacb of thc two abovc-namcd prin-
ciplcs w~s lim~tlcss in fivc dircctions, when in rcality what thcy
notccl wnh thcu scnscs was only thc limit on thc sixth side. Thcy
rcfuscd, tbcn, to concludc that thc fivc sidcs that thcy had not scen
wcrc limitcd on thc analogy of thc sixth which thcy bad sccn, but
condudcd tbc contrary instead.
Morcovcr, according to thcir hypathcsis, thc grcatcr partion of
62 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
each of thc two principlcs is found in isolation and in thc unmixcd
statc. Yet whatcvcr thcy havc becn ablc to pcrccivc thcrcof thcy
havc pcrccivcd only in mixturc. Thcy rcfuscd, thcn, to acknowl-
cdgc that thc wholc might bc mixcd on thc ~nalogy of thc part
pcrccivcd by thcm, but adoptcd thc contrary v1cw. . of mcrc c~nt~ct. On th~ o_thc~ han~ if thc a~t of mingling was duc
Also if tbey maintain that thc mixturc was somcthmg creatcd,
not an ctcrnal statc, and that it was not prcccdcd by any othcr
mixturc, wbcr1cc did thcy obtain this notion? Is it not possiblc
that thc two abovc-namc:d principlcs had _pcrpctually bccn mingling
with cach othcr and sc:paratcd from onc anothcr again innumcrablc
timcs? Finally, what is thc basis of thcir allcgation that ~ftcr a
whilc thcsc two opposing principlcs, that had bccomc comnunglcd,
would separate oncc morc? Is it not possiblc that, ~ keepin~ with
prcscnt obscrvation, thcy will nevcr separate, or 1f thcy will sep-
arate, thcy may mioglc again indcfinitcly in thc futurc?
Mark, thco, how thcy cschcwcd thc doctrinc of creatio ex n;hiJo
on thc ground that thcy bad ncver scen anything likc it, a~d yct
acceptcd that of the cxistcncc of unmixed parts· that wcrc w1thout
limit besidcs, and thc theory of a mixturc that was not prcccdcd
by any othcr mixturc, and of a separation that would not bc fol-
lowcd by any furthcr mixturc. [Thcy did this] notwitbstanding
thc fact that thcy bad ncvcr sccn any of thcsc things, but, on thc
contrary, notcd that reality contradictcd all that. These constitutc,
eben, four furthcr refutations.
Ncxt I inquircd into thc two causcs <52> that they prcsent for
thc mixturc [ which thcy allege to havc taken placc] and I found
that thcy wcrc both unsound. For if, as somc of tbcm dcclarc, thc
act of mingling was duc to thc tcndcncy of thc good [principlc],
that [principlc] has bccomc cvil by virtuc of intcnding t9 mingle
with thc [principlc of] cvil. If, again, it was duc to thc tcndcncy of
r
the cvil principie ], that [principlc] has bcen transformed into
goodncss by its striving for the good. Whichcver of thcsc two hy-
pothescs happcns to bc truc, a transformation will havc takcn placc
in thc subjcct. But this thc proponents of thir thcory refusc to
admit.
Also if thc mixturc [ of thc two principlcs] was duc to thc act.ivity
CREATION 63
of thc_g~, it ha~ not a!tai?cd its objcct of mcllowing thc sidc [ of
thc pnnc1ple of cv1l] which 1s supposcdly contiguous with it. On thc
contrary, wc notc that its pain rcsulting from its cntrancc into
thc [principlc of] cvil is grcatcr thao it would havc bccn as a rcsult
to thc [pnoc1plc of] cv,l, 1t d 1d attain the obJcct of its dcsirc. In fact
wc no~c thc plcas~rc _it dcrivcs from its mingling with thc good,
by catmg and drmkmg thcreof and inhaling its fragrancc and
~mbraci~g it. In cithcr casc, howcvcr, wc must give up all hopc
10 thc tnurnph of thc good ovcr thc cvil.
After _thi~ 1 considcrcd ~hc question of how [two originally sep-
arate prmc1ples] could mmgle, and I notcd that such a possibility
was contradicted by the obscrvation of the scnscs. For wc sec that
firc has a disinclination for uniting with watcr, and that the air
r
cschcws mingling with the clemcnt ofJ carth. If, thcn, this incom-
patibility applies to thcse fcw portions of thc two principlcs, how
much. morc would it bc truc of their many othcr partsl Hcncc
thc maxturc could ncvcr bc realizcd. This, now, is clcar and evident.
Jf, thcrcfore, thcsc advocatcs [ of dualism J basc thcir position on
logical proof, wc prcscnt against thcir vicw thc last thrcc rcfuta-
tions. On thc othcr hand, if thcy makc thcir asscrtion from thc
standpoint of rcvclation, then Jet thcm bc mindful of thc fact that
authcntic rcvelation can comc about only by mcans of prophecy.
Howcvcr, no prophct could have comc into bcing until aftcr the
abovc-mcntioncd mixturc had takcn ptacc. Hcnce thcir thcory is
hcrc subjcct to thrcc invalidating argumcnts.
Tbc fust is that sincc thc prophct makcs his appcarancc in thc
world aftcr separating from bis sourcc, which is thc pure good, he
cannot know anything about thc dcstiny of that sourcc. Tbc sccond
is that, by virtuc of his mingling with thc cvil, thc prophct's
veracity would bccome impaircd, with thc rcsult that thc souls
?f mcn would not rcpuse confidcncc in him any more. The third
1s that thc authenticity of a prophct's prophccy is cstablished only
by <53;> mcans of extraordinary miraclcs. But thcsc cxtraordi-
nary miracles can comc about only through the crcation of what
docs not corrcspond to nature or to thc habitual coursc of things.
 p
~ THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
The advocatcs of this thcory, however, rcject whatcvcr contradicts
the natural and habitual, for they always draw thcir arguments
in support of thcir opinions cxclusivcly from nature and law. This
anitude prevcnts thcm from supporting their argument from
prophccy, since thcy havc no mcans of substantiating thc lattcr.
This complctcs my account of the fiftcen rcasons [for my op-
position to thc thcory of thc dualista]. If God will givc mc thc
hclp and power, 1 shall also mcntion othcr rcasons latcr on in thc
sccond tr~tisc of this book; namcly, the trcatise on the unity of
God. Yet l cannot bc contcnt at tbis point with all that I have
mcntioncd until I havc made it clear that thls thing to which thcsc
proponcnts of dualism adJlcrc so firmly-1 mcan [ what thcy call the
principlc of] darknt>st-is not a principlc opposcd to that of light,
but mcrdy thc abscncc of light. And if thcy will say: 11 "On what
ground dost thou assert that darkness is not a principlc opposcd to
light?" my answcr will bc: 18 "On that of [the following] thrce
proofs."
One of them is that althougb a human bcing is admittcdly un~
able t9 produce any principle whatevcr, yct we note that when hc
stands facing thc sun and forms an arch by mcans of his hands, thc
space bctwecn them becomes darkened. Now that human being
did not really create thc principlc of darkness [in that particular
casc]. He mercly scrccncd the light from thc air bctwecn his palms
so that it becamc dark on account of thc abscnce of thc light.
Thc second proof is that I note that whcn a human bcing stands
in front of onc lamp, hc casts a shadow. But if wc wcrc to sur-
round him with many lamps, he would cast no shadow at all.
Now it u ccrtainly not within the power of a human bcing to
annihilatc a principlc. [What has happcncd in this casc, then, is]
mercly that hc has pcrmittcd thc light which was absent in thc
part of tbe air that bad surroundcd hi~ to reappcar.
The third proof is that 1 havc nevcr secn two substances of oppo-
site nature to bc transformcd complctcly into onc anothcr. Watcr,
for cxamplc, is nevcr transformed into firc, :10r fuc into watcr.
17. "and if ther will ny"-odded by Ibn 1ibbon.
18. "mr a.anrer will bc"_.tdcd by Ibn _1ibbon.
l
CREATION 6s
When, then, 1 saw_thc dark air bccomc bright, I kncw that darkncss
was not thc oppos1tc of light but mercly the abscncc thcrcof.
Further~ore I found that thc samc thing applied also to othcr
sc~c cxpcncnccs. <54> I discovcrcd, namely, that thc air rc-
cc1ves thc sound of a spcakcr and transmits it to us. When it is
not struck by a sound, howcver, we hear nothin • y et we do
not on that account say that the air1 whlch d-~ notg tr ·
d · . ansm1t any
soun , 1s thc oppos1t~ o! """'
sound, but mcrely that it bctokcns thc
abscncc of sound. A s1m1lar assertion may bc made with rcfcrencc
to smcll; nam~ly? tbat thc air picks it up whercvcr it happens to
~e a~d transm1ts tt to us. When it does not cxist, howcver, wc smcll
nothmg. That docs not indicate that that air is thc · f
II I l b k oppos1tc o
sme · t mcre y et~ cns ~he abscoce of smeU. In this same man-
ner, thcn, doc:s the a,r re~c1ve thc light and transm it it to our cycs.
Whe~, therdorc, thcre 1s no light, wc do not sec anything. Yet
that is not [ duc to thc presence of] thc oppositc of light. lt rc~
rcscnts only thc absencc of light.
Moreovcr: whcn I noted that opaque bodic:s formed a sort of
screcn kccpmg out the light so that it sccmed to men a, thou h
!.hc darkn:ss ~crc generated by these objects, 1 said [to myseif]
Pc:rhaps it will now .be daiincd by tbem that tbc darkness a .
r
from thc clemcnt of] c:.arth." However, I asccrtaincd that i;i~~
wcre t~ take a ~Iod to of carth and stand in front of thc sun and
scatter its .dust in ~he air, wc would sec absolutely no tracc of this
darkn~ss. But I sa1d to mysdf :igain : "Might it not bc daimed b
th~~ m thc casc of a person who bad bcen surrouoded b-y lamp~
w •ch„wcre 1.atcr rcmovc:d, that his shadow had returncd to his
~{? 1 rcal1zcd, howcver, that if that wc:rc so, thcn the exterior
o . is body would _havc to bc black. These arc, thc:n, pc:rfcctl
obv1ous matters, evident to our scnscs, and thercfore refutc th~
crroncous thcory that thc darkncss is a principlc like thc light.
Now I know, of course, that God has dcscribcd Himsclf as bc ·0
tht' fo~merof_light ~nd N't'ator of darkness (Isa. 45: 7). I say, th;r!
forc, m ~ecping ~1th what may be obscrvcd by our scnscs, that
thc meanmg of th1s Verse is that God crcatcd the air which is thc
19. "clod"- Ibn 'libbon. See n. 2, above.
(,6 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
vchiclc of light and darkntJI, according to whcthcr [ thc form~r]
is prcscnt or absent [ rcspcctivcly], This rarallcls thc Statement 1m-
rocdiatcly after it to tbe cffoct that He 1s the mak_er of pttK_t and
the crtalor <>/ evil. Now wc arc, of coursc, all agrccd on th1s ~hat
thc All-Wisc did not crcatc cvil. He mcrcly crcatcd thosc things
that arc capablc of becoming, through man's choicc, .sourccs of
peact or evil. Thus, for cxamplc, if hc cats food or ~nnks watcr
in accordancc with his nccd, <55> that sort of bchavror rcdoun~s
to his well-being. lf, on thc othcr hand, hc takcs thcrcof wh3t 1s
bcyond his capacity, that bccomcs an evil for him, as ~c s~all cx-
plain furthcr in thc fourth trcatisc i.n thc c~aptcr on 1usucc.
As for thc ascription of thc crcauon of hght and darkncs~ to
God, that was duc only to thc dcsire to offset thc rcprehcns1b~c
thcory of thc Dualists. That is why Scripturc assc.rts that God 1s
tht former o/ light and creator of darkntss . lt a~so 1nfor".1s us that
light and darkncss havc a limit an~ a boundary, 1n rcf~tatlon of thc
allcgations of thcsc pcoplc, by saymg: Ht hat/1 4esc~bttl a bo,md-
ary upon tht: face of tht: waters, unto tht confi,us of l,ghl and dark·
ness (Job 26: 10). . .
Tbc sixth theory is that of him who profcsscs as ehe 0~1gin of .all
things the four natural qualitics. 20 Thc proponcnts of th1s doctrme
21
maintain that all bodies arc composcd of f?ur elem=nts, namely,
hcat aod cold, and humidity and dryncss; that cach of t~esc four
quaHties cxistcd originally in isolation, that they thcn un1tcd., ~nd
that as a result thcre originatcd from them the prcscntly cx1stmg
bodies. In proof hcrcof thcy citc their observation of the ~act that
thc bodics reccivc from without thc heat and cold of the a1r. Now,
inasmuch as a thing acccpts only what resemblcs it, it is deducc~
hcrefrom that thcsc four c.1ualitics cxist in thc interior of thc1r
bodics.
But thc advocatcs of this thcory arc rcally morc scnsclcss than
all those prcviously mcntioncd. fTh~y must be r~gardcd a~ such]
for considcrations, that l shall dcscri~ and cxplam, whcrcin thcy
forsook thc mcthod of logical dcmonstration a1.d straycd from thc
.20. "natural qualitits"- literally "natun:s."
2 1. "clcmcnts"-litcrally "naturcs,"
CREATION
path of truth. 1 say, thcn, füst of all, that they rcjcctcd thc doctrinc
of trt~O ex n;hi~o in or~~r not to admit thc existcncc of somcthing
for wh1ch thcrc 1s no VISlble analogy. Y et thcy venturcd into thc
assumption of thc cxis~cncc of what cannot bc scen at all and ad-
bcrc fumJy to tbat bchcf. No onc has, namclyt cvcr sccn isolatcd
hcat or ab~lutc hll;ltliditr .or pure cold or dryness by itsclf. Thc
scnscs pcrcc1vc thesc qualit1cs only in combination, in conjuoction
wi~h a body. !~e propontnts of tbc theory in qucstion, howcvcr,
cla1m that origmally cach of thcsc four quaHtics cxistcd in isola-
tion, although thcy havc ncvcr sccn anything thcreof.
Furthcrmore, thcir hypothcsis that these clcmcnts unitcd after
having cxistcd in isolatioo is also <s6> contrary to tbc observa-
tion of thc scnses, becausc ncithcr wc nor thcy havc cvcr sccn
watcr combinc with firc or fire combine with watcr. Ayc, cvcn
watcr and carth, which arc ablc to unitc without destroying cach
othcr, would, if wc werc to combine them and thcn lcavc thcm
alonc for a ~hilc, begin to separate again, thc carth s.inking to thc
bouom wh1Ic thc watcr would ßoat on top. Now a thing that
separates cvcn wbcn it is forccd to unite cannot bc cxpcctcd to
unitc voluntarily with its oppositc.
Ncxt I cxamincd thcir affirmation in regard to this union, and
I found that tbis union must havc taken placc citbcr bccausc of
thcsc qualitics thcmsclvcs or as the rcsult of thc action of somcthing
cxtcrnal to thcm. Now, if thc union wns duc to thcsc qualitics
thcmsclvcs, thcn thc claim of thc proponcnts of this tbcory that
thcsc qualitics bad in thcir primitive statc cxistcd in isolation falls
to thc ground. For thesc qual itics would ncccssarily havc to ap-
pcar, from thc time of thcir coming into bcing, in composition.
On thc othcr hand, if thcir union was due to thc act.ion of somc-
thing cxtcrnal to thcm, that was exactly thc thought wc had in mind
whcn wc said that thcy had a Creator who crcatcd thcm (in this]
unitcd [form].
~ftcr this I in.qu.i~cd into this matter of isolation which thcy
r
posucd as thc prim1t1vc state of thcsc qualitics 1. If this isolation
was due to thcir csscncc, thcn as long as thcir cssence is in cxistcncc,
thcy cannot bc anything but separate, in wbich casc thc hypothesis
68 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
of a union falls to thc ground. If, on the othcr band, it was duc to
thc activity of anothcr thing, that would bring into plny a fifth
causal fnctor which they should bc askcd clcarly to dcfine, but that
is what they arc not too anxious to do.
As for the proofs that thcy cite apropos of t~c prcscncc of. thcsc
four [ qualit ics] in thc bodics, thcy do not const~tutc a rcfutat1on of
our vicw, bccausc wc, too, dcclnrc that thcy cx1st, but wc add that
thcy had a Crcator who brought thcm into being.
These arc, then, thc four rcfutations [ that wc can offcr] in op-
posit ion to thcir vicw. In each onc of thc instanccs ~numeratcd
tbey made asscrtions that are contrary ·10 obscrvat1on . [They
statcd], namely, that cach of these four [qualitics] was. ~ound in
isolation, that they tendcd voluntarily toward co1°:pos1t1on, and
that thcir existcncc in cach rcspcctive statc was due c1thcr to thcm·
selvcs or to somcthing external to thcir csscnce. [Wc raise) thcsc
(objcctions J against their view, in add ition to thc twclv.c prcviously
mentioned refutations: I mcan the fouc argum~nts [ in favor] of
crcation, thc four proofs of [the hypothesis of] creatio <57> ex
nihi/o, and the four proofs ( demonstracing] that nothing is crcated
by itsclf. That makes a total of sbctecn argumcnts, outside of the
conclusions forccd upon us by thc miracles and marvcls [ recordcd
by Scripture]. . them saying in rcplr: "Even though no makcr is manifestly visible
As for those of our own pcople whom l havc known as cntertam-
ing thc belief in thc etcrnity of certain clcmcnts of nat~rc, I have
found only such as believc io tbe etcrnity of watcr and a1r, bccause
of the explicit rcf ercncc by the T orah to thc sphcres .of ?rc and
carth as the objccts of crcation. Thus it says: In the begrnmng God
crtald the heat1en and the earth ( Gen. I: 1).
N ow thc only rcason why they assumcd that thc water and the
air had cxisted sincc etcrnity was that they were under thc falsc
imprcssion that thc mcaning of And the earth was t1oid and wilh-
out form_upon tht facto/ the deep and the wind 22 of God hovered
upon the face of the wat" (.Gen. 1: 2) was th~t thesc cl~en.ts were
in such a state before creauon. But such an intc:pretatton 1s shccr
nonscnsc, bccause the Torah says: And thc earth was only afrcr
22. "wind"-the usual 1nnsla1ion is "1pirit."
CREATION ()9
having 6rst statcd: In the beginning God created. lt was, thcrcfore
(only] subsequent to 23 its creation that thc earth consisted ( of thc
clements J of carth and water and air. Furthermore, Scripturc ex-
plicitly rcfers to the creation of tfoc wind in its statcment: For, /o,
He that formet/, the mounlains, and createlh the wind (Arnos
4: 13), lt docs the same for the lowcr water in its statement: T he sea
is His and He made it {Ps. 95: 5) 1 and for the uppcr water in its
statement: And the waters that are abot1e the heavens , , , for He
commanded and they were created (Ps. 148: 4, 5).
'.fhe scventh thcory is that of him who profcsscs as the origin of
thmgs thc f~ur clcments of nature and matter (hyle). The propo-
nents of th1s thcory are more sensclcss than all thosc previously
mentioncd, because they take thc product for the maker and affirm
tbe cxistence of thi ngs that are ncithcr substance nor accidcnt.
These are subject to thc sixtecn incscapable objcctions that were
r~js~ agai~s.t tbc proponcnts of the doctrine of the natural quali-
ucs, m add1t1on to thc five applying to the advocatcs of the theory
of [ uncreatcd Jspiritual bcings, making a total of twcnty-one.
Whcn wc ask thcse two factions: "Sincc you havc ncvcr scen thc
maker of thcsc bodies, why do you assert that the natural clements
havc madc thcm rathcr than that they bad no maker?" wc find
to us, wc must behcve that they have a maker hidden from our
<
view, sincc there can be no 58 > act that docs not spring from
an agcnt." But this vcry argument of theirs refutes the view
that a lifcless objcct should be able to makc anything, for wc do
not sec any maker of things who does not posscss frcedom of
choice.
We also find them saying: "Wc sec that, when water is withhcld
from trccs, thc trccs do not produce fruit. This provcs that the act
?E fructification is performcd by tbe water." Our reply thereunto
1s tha~ He who has creatcd the body without any intermediary
cause as able also to create it by means of such a cause. For it is
inconccivable that He should be capable of performing the biggcr
task and incapab)c of the smaller. Sincc, thcn, an act can emanate
23. ",ubsequent to"-so M, literally "since."
70 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
only from an agcnt who is frcc to choosc! it must bc onc w~o
cxcrciscs such choicc that produccd thc fru1t by mcans of thc lß·
termediary causc which is the water.
Finally wc find thcm saying: "We are all agrced that 6rc burns.
Why, thcn, do you ascribe thc act to som~ne eise?" Our reply
hcrcunto is that just as wc agrcc that thc krufc cuts although the
act of cutting is rcally due to thc pcrson that movcs thc knifc, who
in turn may bc moved by another mover, thus do wc say that fire
burns although thc firc has a mover, -namely thc air, which is in
turn ~oved by thc Creator. Tbc act ought, thcrcforc, to bc creditcd
to the Creator, who is thc prime movc.r.
Scripturc docs, indecd, say ~t all acts arc to bc traccd b_ack to
thc primc mover whcn it dcclarcs, by way of parablc: Sl,ould tl,e
axe hoast itself against him tliat l,eweth tlrerewith? Slaould the
saw magnify itself .against him that moveth it? As if a rod should
moue them that li/t it ~p. or as i/ a staO should lift up him that is
not wood (lsa. 10: 15). 1 havc appcnded [thc statemcnt of] thesc
crroneous ideas to the end of these theorics in ordcr tha.t certain
students who might cncounter them might not be confu,ed by
thcm.
Thc cighth theory is that of him who asscrts that the hcavcns
are thc makers of the bodics, and who conscquent!y rcgards thcm
as etcrnal and as not being composed of thc aforemcntioncd four
natural qualitics but of anothcr-that is, a fifth-thing. And whcn
one citcs, in refutation of this vicw, thc hcat of thc sun, thcy de-
clarc that the substancc of the sun itsclf is not bot but that it hcats
thc air by mcans of the rapidity of its rotation and that is how its
warmth rcaches us. He who makes this asscrtion adduces as proof
for the hcavcn's bcing composcd of a fifth natural clcmcnt the fact
that its motion appcars to him circular, as opposed to that oE the
firc and the air, both of which tcnd upward, as weil as <59>
that of thc watcr and thc carrh, both of which tcnd downward."
Howcver, hc is clcarly mistaken in thc argumcnts hc cmploys, as
well as in what hc intends to provc.
Now I shall explain all this and say that thc causc of his mistakc
24. For the references to the 1aurce1 cf. Guttmann p. 61 notet 1-5.
CREATION 71
lies in bis argum~nt tbat~ if thc hcavcn had bccn [ composed of thc
dement of] fire, 1ts mot1on would havc bccn upward like tbat of
firc. Wc dcdare, howcver, that thc natural rnotion of firc itsclf is
circular. Thc proof hcrcof is thc motion of the heavcn whicb is
pure firc, as is. dearly provcd to us by thc perccptiblchcat of thc
sun. As for th1s apparently upward motion of thc firc, thaJ u cn-
tirdy accidcnta), its purposc bcing to enablc thc firc to cmcrgc
&om the sphcre of .rhc air. Oncc, howcvcr, it has cmergcd from
the sphere of the a1r and reached its own source, it rcsumes its
ci"ular motion.
O~r casc is analogous to that of thc stonc which is essentially
mot1onlcss and yet has a tendcncy to sink. Whcn it is thrown
~om on hi~h, it moves do.wnward until it lcaves thc sphcre of the
a1r. Oncc 1t has clone thu, howcvcr, its [ true] nature appcars,
namcly, that of immohility. If, then, wc sec that thc stonc which
has no motion of its own, movcs undcr compulsion untij it has
rcachcd its center, it bccomcs casier for us to understand how
fire, which has a circular motion, could move by means of a mo-
tion other than its own until it rcachcs its sourcc.
Dost thou not sec [ now J how, on account of this wcak doubt
this person has forccd himself to affirm thc cxistcncc of a fifth clc~
ment, ~hich is rationally unsubstantiated, and trics to cxplain the
pcrcepttble hcat of the sun by ascribing it to thc air rathcr than to
thc sun's own substancc? lsn't it an amazing bit of logic oo bis part
that hc ~hou)d makc of ccrtainty something doubtfu), requiring
cxplanat1on, whcreas he makes of what is doubtfu) a fixcd cer-
tainty? [lsn't it also extraordinary) that he should eschcw the
~oct~ine ~f creatio ex nihilo bccause he has ncvcr sccn aoything
.likc lt whilst he adhercs to thc belief in a fifth clcment of nature
although hc has ncvcr sccn anything likc that either, and that h;
should furthcrmorc bc compelled by this crroneous belief to as-
sume that, evcn though thc substance of thc heaven is finite, thc
power inhcring in it is infinite, wherefore in his opinion oo ><
it is indestructiblc?
This constitutcs, then, our initial effort to refutc him, besidcs
thc twelvc other obscrvations madc previously. In addition to
72 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
that, howcvcr, l shall now rcbut his allcgation that thc hcavcn i1
ctcrnal on four othcr grounds. Thc fust of thcsc is [ thc fact of]
thc gradation of the hcavc~ly sphcrcs. lt is,. nam~y, impossible
for onc part of a thing that 15 ctcr~al to bc h,ghcr m dcgrcc than
anothcr. Whcthcr, thcreforc, thc inncrmost sphcrc bc thc more
distinguishcd or the outcnnost, bis hypothesis h~s bc:n rcfutcd.
Thc samc conclusion is to bc drawn from [ a conS1dcrat1on of] thc
gradation of thc stars, somc of ~hieb ~rc locatcd in thc inner
sphcrcs whil&t most of thcm arc s1tuatcd m thc outcrmost sphcrc.
Thc sccond argumcnt is [ dcrivcd] from what we arc ablc to
pcrc,cive of heaven with our cycs. lt is weil known to us that our
cycs can pcrccivc only what is coroposcd of thc four clcm~t1
spokcn of prcviously, bccausc the natures of thcsc cl~ments umtc
with thc naturcs of our cycs. lf, thcrcforc, such a thang as a fifth
clcmcnt had bccn in cxistcncc, thcrc would bc nothing corrcspond-
ing to it in our cycs with which it mi~ht unitc so .that w~ ~ight
sec it unlcss it bc assumcd that thcrc is also co~tamcd w1thm us
somc;hing of this fifth natural clemcnt. But that is [preciscly]
what thc propancnt of this thcory docs not bdieve..
The third argument is [based on the nature] of 10.crcasc and
diminution. Evcry day, namcly, that clapscs of the ume of thc
rcvolution of thc sphcrc constitutes an increasc in past time and
a diminution of the time to come. Now what is susccptible of
incrcasc and diminution must be finite in power, and finitudc
ncccssarily implics creation. And if anyone wcrc to be bold enough
to maintair:i that thc passage of a day did not add to the past nor
diminish thc futurc, hc would bc ßying in thc face of rcality and
thc testimony of our cycs.
Thc fourth argumcnt is [ takcn] from thc variation of thc movc-
mcnts of thc hcavcnly sphcrcs. T hat is to say, an infinite forcc docs
not vary in and by itself. Whcn, tl~crcfore, wc sec that thc movc-
mcnts of thc hcavcnly bodics vary to such an cxtcnt that thcy :uc
rclatcd to cach othcr by a ratio of 1 to 30 or to 365 or morc, wc
know that each of thcm is finite.
Thc cxplanation hcrcof is as follows: Thou secst that the cyclc
CREATION 73
of thc castcrn movcmcnt of the uppcrmost sphcrc is carricd out
oncc cvcry <6I > day and night, whcreas thc wcstern movcmcnt
of thc fixcd stars traverses cvery hundrcd ycars a distancc of onc
degrcc. O? th~ basis of this rati~ the latter would first complete
its revoluuon m 36,000 ycars, wh1ch cqual 131140,000 days. These
arc the multiples of thc castern movcmcnt alone, not to spcak of
thc intcrrncdiary movements. How, then, canst thou say that a
force, thc movcmcnt of which varies so widcly, is not finite?
These are, thcn, the seventccn dilfcrcnt typcs of rcfutation tb:it
rnay be citcd against him who holds this thcory, asidc from the
arguments prescntcd by the miraclcs and marvcls. Furthermorc
thc Scripturcs state that thc hcavcns produce nothing, but that all
thcir acts arc to bc attributcd to our Creator, cxalted and magnified
be He. That is [ thc tenor of J the Scriptural staterncnt: Are there
any among the vanities o/ the nations that can cause rain? Or can
tl,e l,eavens give us showers? Art not Thou He, 0 Lord oitr God,
and do we not wait /or Thee? (Jcr. 14: 22). Scripturc also says: /,
even My l,ands, have strelched oul the heavens, and all their l,ost
l,avt I commanded (lsa. 45: 1:2) .
Thc ninth theory is lhat of "chancc." Its proponcnts are peoplc
who maintain that thcir reason has shown them that thc hcavcns
and the carth camc into being by chancc without prcmcditation on
tbc part of a planning [mind], nor as thc act of an agent, whcthcr
acting from choice or inanimatc. And when thcy are confrontcd
with the qucstion of how thcy conceive this to have taken pli1cc,
thcy reply that ccrtain bod~s of unknown nature convcrged toward
the spacc occupicd by our world and crowded and prcsscd togethcr.
Thc light portions of this conglomcration thcrcupon cscapcd and
scparatcd, going upward to becomc thc heavcn and the stars, whilst
thc hcav~ parts sank to the bottom with the moisture Aoating on
thcm. M1dway betwcen thcsc two thc rare part, namely thc air,
scttled, envcloping them, establishing thcir cquilibrium and up-
holding thcm.
Now thcrc can be no doubt but that the advocatcs of such a vicw
arc morc scnsclcss than all those previously mcntioned. Thcy are

74 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
subjcct first of all to thc twelvc typcs of rcfutation that wc havc
listcd bcforc. <62> Bcsida tbesc, there apply to them also the
thrcc typcs that I shall prescntly describe. . .
The füst of thesc is that [ the concept of] something bavmg come
to pass by chance is of a relative charactcr {prcsupposing) the pr~s-
encc with it of something natural, so that thc onc would bc [ s:ud
to exist J by nature, whercas thc other [ camc.to bc] by chance. But
if cverything happcncd by chancc, what, pray, is thcrc that took
placc by nature? . . . doctrine of chance is conccrncd, lct thcm show us or state that it
Thc sccond [ objcction to th1s thcory] 1s that tbc thmgs that arc
supposcd to havc comc about by chancc are rclativcly fcw. But if
all bodics bc includcd in this minority, what, teil mc, would thc
majority consist of? · parts of a ship, namely the wood and the iron, cciuld fit togcther
Thc third [ objcction] is that thc thing that happens by chance
lacks constancy bccausc it has no principlc that it might follow
nor any basis that would contribute to its survival. Now if evcry·
thing wcrc inconstant, what would onc undcrstand by thc tcrm
"constant"? These are, then, may God have mcrcy on thcc, un·
sound, defective argumcnts that do not stand up when they are
tcstcd and wcighcd.
Now just as I have exposcd thc flaw in (their hypothesis] that
things happcncd by chance, so shaU I cxpose [ thc crror J in the
rcst of their assumptions and suppositions. l say, thcn, that as far
as thcir allegation rhat things came forward and wcre crowdcd
togcther is conccrned, let them dcfine for us whencc thcy came,
and whether, so far as they know, tbcre is any place in which they
might havc bccn locatcd other than this world in which so~e
things constitutc the place for others. Furthermorc, what was lt
that these things flcd from and what thing was the causc of thcir
leaving their first location anä going to the sccond? Thcn let thcm
teil us in what state things wcrc beforc the supposed union, whcther
in thc samc state as at present or othcrwisc. Again, if thcir con-
dition thcn was different from what it is now, how do thc-y con-
ccivc the former situation to havc bccn ?
A furthcr instance of their sballowness 211 is their allegation that
25. "1hallown,st"-literally "folly."
p
CREATION
75
cverything s_hin~ng. and smooth tends to go upward. This state-
mcnt of thc1rs ind1cates that thcy are undcr the imprcssion rbat
the sta~s arc of tbc dimension of pcbble stoncs or pcads that are
f~und in the carth, not. knowing that one of thc stars is many
umcs as !arge as the cnt1re earth. The trutb of the matter is that
they are far removcd from this star, and it is its great distancc from
thcm that is the causc of thc illusion.211
Furthcrmore I say that if thcy arc <63> right, so far as their
is pos~ib)e for the parts of a house, namcly the stoncs and thc wood,
to unite by themselvcs and fall into ordcr and combinc so as to con-
stitute a house. Or (Jet them demonstratc J that thc constitucnt
and hold fast to cach othcr of thcir own accord and travel on thc
sca. Of this, howevcr, thcy will nevcr discover any visible cvidcnce,
and thercfore they will not admit it vocally in order not to bc
considcrcd as fools. Now if thou wilt add these sevcn rdutations to
thosc previously listcd, thcy will makc up a total of ninctccn, aside
from what has bcen provcn by the mirades and marvcls.
Thc tenth thcory is that which is known as the doctrinc of
"ctcrnity." lt is a thcory that appcars in various forms. At timcs it is
associated with thc idca of thc hyle, and at timcs with that of thc
four clements of nature, and at times it occurs alonc by itsclf. Its
proponents asscrt that all things as wc sec thcm, namcly, the heavcn
and thc earth and t_hc pl~nts and animals and the othcr phcnomcna,
hav~ always becn m ex1stencc, having ncither beginning nor end.
Th_C1t forcm~st argu~ent i~ support of this thcory is that rhcy
bd1evc o~y m ~hat 1~ subicct to the pcrccption of thcir scnscs,
althou~h m rcality t~eir scnscs have ncver perceivcd a bcginning
and will nevcr pcrce1vc an end of thcsc bodics.
'l;low _these, may God ~avc mercy on thee, arc a group of peoplc,
so 1t stn~es mc, ~ho thmk that they could wcar out anyone who
would d1spute w1th thcm and that there is no argumcnt that could
. prevail against thcm. Let me, then, make it clear that thcse in-
26. "and it _i• • , • illusi~n"-this is the intcrprctarion propo~d by Gurtmann
(p. 68) of thc incomprchensiblc rcading of rhc Arabic original.
'J6 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS:
dividuals arc morc scnsclcss than all thosc prcviously mcntioncd,
and I ask God's assistancc in smiting them with the canc of rcason
until J shall havc reduccd them to admitting what is a matter of
common knowlcdgc.
I say, then, fust of all that thc first mistakc madc by thcsc in-
di viduals is that aftcr having asscrtcd: "Wc profcss only what is
subject to thc obscrvation of our senscs," thcy cxprcsscd a belief
in what thcy bad ncvcr pcrccivcd. For thcy do not say: "Wc havc
ncvcr sccn the bcginning and thc end of bodies," in which c.asc
they woüld havc told thc truth conccrning [ the perccption of]
thcir scnscs. Thcy dcclarc rathcr: "W e rcgard it as a ccrtainty that
thesc bodies havc neither beginning nor end." But this is somc-
thing that thcy could not possibly havc sccn with thcir sense [ of
vision]. Should thcy, again, vcnturc to affirm that thcy arrivcd at
this conclwion by means of analogical reasoning bascd on sense
pcrccption, thcn they would havc abandoned thc vccy principle
of thcir system by acknowlcdging an idc:a <64> derivcd from a
sourcc other than the obscrvation of thc scn5cs.
Indeed I find that they contradict thcir thcsis whenever any onc
of tbcm rccognizcs thc rcality of the countrics he has traverscd and
thc dccds he has pcrformed and the people hc has sccn and the
calculations hc has cxccuted, notwithstanding the fact that thcse are
currcntly abscnt from him or are dcad. N ow he docs not sec thcsc
things with his scnscs, bccausc thcy havc disappeared from him.
H e knows of thcm only by mcans of his intcllcctual faculty, which
reccived thcir form and imprint so that thcy bccamc imprcsscd
upon him and wcrc complctcly appropriatcd by him.
In fact, I note that thcy contradict thcir thcsi5 whcncvcr thcy
sec or hear something. This i5 duc to the fact that the sense of
5ight has no control over that of hcaring, nor thc sense of taste
over that of touch. Whcn, thcn, the scnscs of a human bcing con-
front a thing that posscsscs color and sound and taste and touch,
if there werc no mental faculty wherc:by thc soul could combine
thcsc scnsations, it would ncver attain them.
Furthermore, I find that when one of thcm, aftcr having 5een a
l
CREATION
. . k
ccrta.m pcrson, 15 as ed whethcr hc has scen him he answ
7i
"Yes." Now if th'15 answcr 1s· _attributable to thc sense' of sight, that
ers,
sense does_no~ spcak. If, agam, the reply springs from thc faculty
of 5pcech, 1t d1d not sec anything. This provcs thcrefore that th
b · k' d f ' , crc
must e ~ ccrtam m o cognition that was first scrvcd b thc
sense of s1ght .and thcn exprcssed by thc faculty of spccch. y
Als~ by thc1r very state~cnt that therc is no knowledgc excc t
sc:nsat1on they aband on th1s principlc of thc:irs for jf thc P
fli
ab rm :nyl~
t ey s ou
lff
h' , , y must not
cx~cpt what thcy can perceive with their senses,
1 cw1se not deny anything unless it be with thcir
se~ses. Now would that I. kncw by mcans of what sense tbcy could
rcJC~t all knowledge ou.ts1de of that of sensationl Is it by the sense
of 51ght or that of hearmg or something eise?
. F~r~hcrmore, thc fact that wc find them apprehensive of thing5
inspmng fcar, such as that a dilapidatcd housc might f 11 0
them, and expcctant of things hopcd for such as the rcs;lts ~
sowing and c~ildbirth, in?icatcs that the; conduct themselves fn
~cc?rd~cc w1th thc teachmgs of scicncc and not according to the
md1c~t1ons of thc scnscs alone, 5incc the sensc 5 havc nothin to
do ~1th hope and fcar. g
. Again, whcn wc sec that <65> in thc cvcnt of sickncss thc
g1vc cach other medical trcatment, aod.cspecially when they ma/
use of rcpugnant medi.caments, the unplcasantncs5 of which is fcl;
by them, ~ercly bccausc thcy bclicve that thcse remcdies arc natu-
rally effect1vc, wc havc therein a proof that th d I
5ensat1on· but on sc1cnicc.
. cy o not rc y on
M~rcover, if wc were to ask them whether thc snow that we sec
commg down from the ai~ is a part of the air, thcir actual position
would become dcar. For 1f they declare it to bc apart of the air
thcy would show t~cmsclvcs up as ignorant, and if, on the othe;
band, thcy dc~lare lt to con5ist of partidcs of watcr mcrcly solidi-
fied by thc a1r, thcy would bc acknowledging thc scicnces and
thcreby havc abandoned mere · sense perception. All thc
would !hey bc doing this if they werc to admit that it was vr;;,;
bcfore lt becamc watcr, and that there was a cause that made it
78 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
risc from thc carth, and that that causc bad anothcr causc. Thcn
they would cutainly bc acknowlcdging the rcality of things that
arc bcyond scnaation.
Wc sball, thercforc, not relax our whip from thcm until wc
have driven them from the belief in sensation alonc to thc belief
in what follows upon it, and, if there bc a third link in thc chain,
in what follows upon what follows it, and, if thcrc bc a fourth, in
what follows upon what follows what comcs next to it, and so
forth until the proccss of cognition has bccn complctcd, and wc
provc to thcm thcrcby that all things werc crcatcd.
These are, thcn, thc cight types of rcfutation to which they arc
subjcct, bcsidcs thc fust twelvc-1 mcan thc four proofs of crcation,
and thc four proofs of thc cxistcnce of a Crcator, and thc four
proofs of thc doctrine of creatio ex nihilo-rnaking a total of
twenty. He, again, among the followers of this systcm of thou~ht,
who includcs thc hyli in bis theory, is subjcct to whatcvcr ob1cc-
tion is raiscd against that thcory, whilc whocv~r inc~udes in his
thcsis thc doctrinc of thc four clcmcnts of nature 1s sub1ect to what-
cvcr objcctions exist against them. The Scriptures, too, conncct thc
know)cdgc obtaincd by rcasoning with natural scnsation whcn thcy
dcclarc: Dolh not the ear try words, even as lhe palate lastet/, ill
food? 11 wisdom with aged men, ond undtf'standi,1g in l~ngth of
days? (Job 12: n).
Thc clcvcnth theory is that of thc Sophists. 27 These rcgard aJI
crcaturcs as both cternal and crcatcd, bccause, according to thcm,
thc rcality of things dcpends solcly on [mcn's] opinions con·
ccrning thcm. These arc, howcvcr, <66> morc scnsclcu than
all those previously mcntioncd.
Tbc 6rst [ rcmark I must makc] in order to point out thcir folly
is that things do not procced from opinions but rather opinions
from things, so that thc opinions formcd of thc lattcr might cor·
rcspond to thcir rcaJity. But thcsc fools rcverscd thc proccss of
rcasoning by making thc thing follow thc belief. This matter h~s
alrcady bccn bricßy discusscd by us in the :ntrocluction to thts
:17. Cf. Guttmann p. 71 for thil translation. Ventura translates the term em·
ployed "the obstinates."
CREATION
211
19
book, However, 1 havc hcld over anothcr rcmark pcrtaining to
it which I shall makc herc; namcly, that thc proponcnts of thc
theory w~ are no~ dcaling with maintain that things havc no
fixed r~alatr. That II ~ ~y that accordiog to them, if two pcraon,
cntC;'ta,~ ~1Bercnr op,mons about thc reality of a thing, onc con·
ceivmg 1t an onc for~ aod th~ othcr in anothcr, thcn that thing
must ~ two rcaht1cs at onc and thc samc time. Thi1 hypothc,ia
of th~irs lcads thcm to many kinds of absurdities, of which I ahall
mcntron scvcn.
1say, then, that just as two opinions about a thing would, accord.
ing to thcm, rcquirc that that thing havc two rcalitics, so tcn
opi~i?ns ahout that ~mc thing would ncccssitatc its having ten
r~1tlcs. From that 1~ ~ould ~ollow by logicaJ ncccasity that a
~mg that ~as tcn rc~ht'.~ by virtuc of thc entcrtainmcnt of opin-
1om about 1t by tcn md.iv1duals, should have its rcalities incrcascd
by on~ as soo~ as anothcr pcrso~ cntcrtains an cJeventh opinion
about 1t. Also 1f one ~f ~hc ~cn opmio.ns about a thing bc givcn up
by t~e person cntcrtammg 1t, onc of 1ts rcalities would thcrcby bc
forfc1t.c<l. Nor '?uld onc cvcr dctcrmine how many rcalitics onc
and t~c samc thmg may havc, bccausc it is impossible to mcet all
men m ordcr to find out from them how many rypes of opinion
thcy cntcrtain with rcgard to it.
. Ayc, according to this process of reasoning it would follow that,
1~ pcople. happcn to be too b~sy to invcstigatc thc charactcr of a
g1ven thm~ and consequcntly form no opinion conccming it at
aJl, that thmg would bccomc null and void <6'> and bc com-
plctcJy dcprivcd of all .rcality. Again if. two opinfons, supportcd by
~r~f, would necessarily causc onc thmg to acquirc two realitics,
s1m_ilarly would. two .opinions, onc of which is based on proof
whilc thc othcr 1s arb1trary-l mcan an untruth is arbitrarily in-
t~ndcd thercby-ncccssarily causc that thing to acquirc two rcali-
ties.
. The conscqucn~c would be that thc falsc statcmcnt madc by
h1m who mcndac1ously asscrts about a certain individual who is
alivc, that he is dcad, Would cause the lattcr to acquirc thc rcality
28. Cf. above, p. 15.
8o THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND O~INIONS
of dcath, just as thc truc. rcP?rt madc. by ~im w~o .•peaks thc
truth about him grants h1m hfc. And 1f ~1s applics ~ thc .cas_c
of two statcmcnts, onc of which is truc wh1lc thc othcr 1s ~alsc, lt
should apply also in thc casc of two statcmcnts both of wh1ch arc
falsc. [lf this bc so,] thcn if two pcrsons sec thc.color."~cd" and onc
of thcm bclicvcs it is whitc whilc thc ochcr bcltcvcs 1t 1s black, that
color would havc to bccomc whitc and black at onc and thc samc
time and forfcit its own rcality of rcdncss.
29
All thcsc objcctions, thc.n, may bc raiscd agains~ this thcory,
asidc from thc [ statcmcnt about thc] truths of things which wc
havc sct down in thc introduction to this book, that its proponcnts
must acccpt, as weil as thc prcviously menti.oncd proofs ~f crcati~n.
Scripturc, too, says in rcgard to him who 1s undcr thc ~mp~css1on
that a thing is dcpcndcnt upan [ ma~'s] ?eli~ conccrmn.g 1t, a~~
that it is rcinovcd again, togethcr w1th h1s m1stakcn nouon of 1t,
Thou thal tearesl 1hyself in thint anger, shall tht tarth bt for·
saken for thu? Or shall she rock be mo11ed oul of its place? (Job
18: 4). f
The twdfth thcory is that of skcpticism.80 Tbc propancnts o
this thcory arc pcoplc who maintain that it is pr~per for man to
rcfrain from bclieving anything, because thcy cla1m that human
reasoning is full of unccrtaintics. W c sec the truth likc a ßash of
lightning that cannot be hcld or rcachcd. lt bchooves us, thcreforc,
to rcfrain from forming any opinion.
These arc morc scnscless, howevcr, than cven the Sophists, for
thc lauer makc thc mistakc of adm.itting lies into thc company of
real truths whcrcas the formcr rcfrain from both truth and falsc-
hoocl. No~ I sec fit to explain the objections against thcir vicws in
this matter in ordcr that l may thcrcby causc them to rcturn to
thc truth, providcd, of coursc, thcy arc qualified for cngaging in
controvcrsy and atc not alrcady so submcrged in ignorancc .as to
mak, onc dcspair of doing anything with thcm, <68> as u thc
casc with thc faction that 1 shall rnention latcr.
2g. "All , , • cheory"-tddcd by die oldtr translation, citcd by Bloch P• 94
and n. 2.
30. "skepticism"-likrally "absttntion."
l
CREATION 81
I say, thcn, that if, as thcy would havc it, thc truth in evcrything
consistcd in rcfraining from thinking about it, thcn thcy would
have to abstain from abstcntion itsclf and not dccidc that it is the
corrcct procedurc. Nor did l apply this judgmel}t to thcm bcforc
applying it to mysclf, for whcn I acknowlcdgcd that scicnce con·
stitutcd thc truth, 1 rccogni:zcd also that it was by mcans of this
scicncc that I camc to know that it was thc truth. ·
Furthcrmorc, I say that thcir vcry cntcring into controvcrsy with
their advcrsaries in ordcr to compcl thc latter to abstain from
rcasoning also constitutcs an abandonmcnt on thcir part of thcir
thcsis and a tcndcncy toward thc rccognition of the truth of thc
scicnccs. For unlcss thcy did that, they could not cstablish thc doc-
trinc of abstcntion.
I say also that thc fact that thcy rcsort, as wc do, to thcir rcason
whcncver thcy havc nccd for regulating thcir affairs, just as thcy
resort to thcir vision whcn thcy havc nccd to sec or to thcir hearing
whcn thcy nced to hcar, rcfutes thcir thcory of abstcntion and cor·
roboratcs thc affirmations of thc scicnccs as wcll as it. docs thosc of
thc scnscs.
I saY., morcovcr, that the fact tbat thcy cngagc expert craftsmcn
and cxpcricnccd physicians and outstanding cngioccrs provcs that
they are not sinccrc in thcir profcssion of abstcntion. For if thcy
had bccn so, thcy would havc cmploycd whomcvcr thcy could
find.
I say, furthermorc, that the f.act that thcy rcmcmbcr thc acts pcr-
formcd by thcm and thc cxpcricnccs they havc had, cspccially if
thcy prcscnt accuratc tcstimony conccrning thcm, rcfutcs thc doc·
trine of abstention and corroboratcs thc truths.
I say also that thc fact that in cvcry matter that is fraught with
conscqucnccs thcy take mcasurcs to obtain a commcndablc rathcr
than a rcprchcnsiblc rcsult constitutcs a renunciation of abstcntion
and a submission to thc truth.
And thus, too, do I say that the fact that thcy praisc thosc who
do what is good and disapprovc of thosc who do what is cvil,
as weil as thc credcncc thcy givc to thosc that spcak thc truth
and thcir charging with mendacity thosc that lic, rcfutcs thc
82 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
theory of abstention and corroborates the belief in the truth.
These scvcn points, thcn, in addition to what was stated in the
introduction to this book, should rousc them to acknowlcdge the
validity of thc truth, so that wc might thereby prove to thcm that
[all] .things were crcatcd, as divinc Wisdom bida [ us do] when
it says:<69> 0 ye tl,oughtless, understand pruden~e, and, ye
fools, bt ye of an underllanding heart {Prov. 8: 5).
Thc thirtccnth thcory is that of thosc who fcign complctc ig-
norancc. lts proponcnts are pcoplc who, in addition to rejccting the
tcachings of sciencc, rcjcct also thc obscrvation of thc scnscs, aa-
scrting that nothing posscsscs any rcality whatcvcr, bc it scicntific
knowlcdgc or scnsation.
These, howevcr, arc morc scnsclcss than all thosc prcviously
mcntioncd. For just as, upon bcing askcd whcthcr it is possiblc
for a th ing to bc ctcrnal and uncrcatcd, or crcatcd and not ctcrnal,
or crcatcd and cternai at onc and thc samc time, or ncithcr crcatcd
nor ctcrna~ thcy would reply, "Yes," so also would they, if onc
of tbcm were askcd whethcr it is possib]e for a certain pcrson to bc
a human bcing and not a donkcy, or a donkcy and not a human
bcing, or a donkcy and a human bcing at onc and thc s:imc time,
or ncithcr a donkcy nor a human bcing, also rcply, "Yes."
. Now whcn onc's pretcndcd ignorancc has advar.ccd so far, or
his obstinacy has bccn carricd to such a point, thcre is no means of
spcaking to him nor any sense in cngaging in furthcr controvcr1y
with him. For whatcvcr argumcnt onc might produce against him
would bc denied by him and combatcd with conccit :ind bcatcn
back with the attcmpt to confusc the opponcnt. About individuals
like thcm Scripture says : He snarleth against all sound ,visdom
(Prov. 18: 1). lt says also: Spcak not in tl,e ears of a fool; for l,c
will dcspise tlie wisdom of thy words (Prov. 23: 9).
Furthcrmore, whocvcr cntcrs into controvcrsy with thcm by
asking thcm, "Is it by virtuc of scicntific knowlcdgc that you asscrt
that thcrc is no knowledge or by virtue of ignorance?" is wasting
bis time, bccause, according to thcm, rcason:og docs not lcad
to thc knowledgc of the truth. Thc only means of proccdure in
such a casc is, may God havc mercy on thec, to wait for thcm to
CREATION s3
gct so hungry ~ to complain of hungcr, and so thirsty as to bc
ovcrcome by th1rst, or to bc Struck so painful a blow that they
would w~p a~d cry out. Whcn thcy .finally acknowlcdgc t1iva vocc
th_c cxpcnenc1?g of hungcr or thirst or thc smart of a blow, they
will havc adm1tt~d thc rcality of sensation. Whcn, again, thcy ask
for food and dnnk and rclaxation, thcy will havc admittcd thc
reality of the first thing following upon scnsation.
Thus shalJ wc unrcmittingly makc thcm <70> advancc stcp
by stcp, until wc shall havc forccd thcm to acknowledgc the
adcquacy of thorough knowlcdgc and wc shall thcrcby have provcn
to thc~ that aJl things arc crcatcd. Should they, howcvcr, rcfusc
to adm1t alJ thc. thiogs ~umerat~d, thcn thcy would bc bcyond
any hopc of bcmg sct right. lt 1s of such that Scripture says:
Though tl,o~ should~t bra~ a Jool in a mortar witl, a pestle among
groat1, yet will not Im fooluhncs.r depart Jrom him (Prov. 27: 22).
lt bchoovcs mc now to cxplain that there cxist theorics othcr
t~an thc. twclvc just cnumcratcd. Howevcr, thesc do not con-
stttutc pr1mary catcgories, somc of them bcing derivativc.s of onc
a.nd the samc p~inc!pal divisfon, while othcrs rcprcscnt a combina-
t1on of thc dcnvatives of two or threc principlcs. lt is, thcrcfore
not neccs~ary to list thcm individually nor to rcfute them, for
my m~tlOO of .thc lWC~VC pri.ncira( catcgorics aod my cxposition
b;
of t~etr rcfutat1?n, the1r denvat1vcs havc automatically bccome
nullified and thc1r offshoots cut off, and tbe first principlc has bccn
cstablishcd that all things werc created and that their Crcator crc-
atcd thcm out of nothing, as I havc cxplaiocd and madc dcar.
CHAPTER IV
And now that I ~avc fully explained thcsc thcorics, as weil as
thc proofs upon wh1ch the advocates of each bascd thcmsclves and
thc argumcnts that co~ld bc ~rgcd against them, Jet mc appcnd
to these rcmarks ccrtam qucsttons that pcople might raisc in rc-
gard to thc suhjcct matter of this chaptcr. They might for instance
ask: "I~ all things wcrc crcated, how could thc s;ge say: On;
generat,on pa11e1I, away, and another generation cometh; and thc
84 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
earlh abidelh /orever?" (Ecclcs. 1: 4.) Let mc cxplain, then, ilßd
say that thc sage did not mcan by this statcment to affirm that th.c
cxistcnce of the earth was unlimited. On the contrary, hc madc thlS
statcmcnt as a proof of thc fact that it was crcatcd. ~is is evid~nt
from the circumstancc that we sec that crcatcd thmgs are m-
s.cpar:iblc from it. For a1 one generation fasseth away and an~ther
generation cometh-that is, thc gcnerat1o~s of mcn and am~als
and plants-and it pcrsists in this sta~c untal the end ~f thc pcriod
of time allottcd to it. Hcreby, thcn, 1t bccomcs ccrtam to us that
thc carth must havc becn crcatcd, sincc whatcvcr cannot bc divorccd
from things crcatcd must itsclf havc becn crcatcd, inasmuch as thc
formcr includc thc lattcr,
Or pcrhaps somc thoughtful pcrson will think to himsclf and ·
ask: <71 > "How can somcthing be dcriv~d from. ~othing ~" ~ur
answcr is that if mortal crcaturcs had becn m a pos1t1on to concc1vc
of how such a thing could comc about, it would not havc bccn
ncccssary for our rcason to attributc it exdusivcly to the cternal
Crcator since cach onc of us would havc bcen ablc to comprchend
somcthing of this nature. Howcver, our r~on has dccided t.o
ascribe this act cxclusivcly to thc Crcator, prcciscly bccausc thcrc JS
no way whcreby a mere crcature could conceive of how such an
cvcnt could havc takcn placc. Whocver, thercforc, could compcl us
to dcmonstratc this proccss, would bc forcing us to makc crcators
of ourselves as weil as of him. Hcnce wc must bc contcnt to con-
tcmplate this proccss with our reason without picturing it con-
crctcly or rcprcscnting it in imagination. · .
Or pcrhaps someonc, thinking about th~ spacc P:csc~tlr occup1c~
by thc carth, will ask: "What was thcrc ongm~lly m th1~ 1~ spacc?
Now this question on bis part is promptcd enurely by h1s 1gnorancc
of the definition of "spacc" and his notion that what is meant by
"space" is the substratum of things. Tbc conscqucncc hereof wo~ld
be to makc him look for a substratum of the substratum and, secmg
that thcrc is no end to this proccss, to become confuscd. I must,
thcrcforc, make it clcar that thc true significance of thc tcrm ":pacc"
is not what he thinks it is, but simply thc mccting of two conuguous
31 , "For"-litcnlly "but."
CREATION 85
bo<f ic:s the placc of whose contact is callcd "spatc." In fact, cach
one of thcm becomcs the localc of the other. Thus one part of thc
carth, as it rcvolvcs, scrves as thc localc for thc othcr. If, thcrcfore,
rhcrc wcre no carth nor any bodics, it would be idle to spcak of
spacc in any shapc or form. ·
Pcrhaps, also, thinking about thc concept of "time;" someonc
migbt ask: "But bcfore tbcse bodies camc int.o bcing, how was it
passiblc for this phcnomcnon of 'firne' to bc bare of all cxisting
things?" Howcvcr, such an asscrtion, ·too, is madc only by onc
who is ignorant of thc dcfinition of "time" and who thinks it is
somcthing transcending the sphere of thc univcrse and that thc
cntire world is comprehcndcd in it. As a matter of fact, the truc
significancc of "time" is nothing likc this. lt constitutcs, in reality,
only thc duration of cxisting bcings, thc succcssivc stagc:s in the
bistory of thc sphcrc (of thc univcrse] and what is bcneath it. Con-
lC<luently, so long as thcsc beings do not cxist, <72> it is idlc to
spc:ak of "time" in any shapc or form.
But pcrhaps also thc bodics prescntly in existencc seem too fcw in
numbcr, so that one would ask: "Do thcsc rcprcscnt all the power
and_ wisdom of God ?" Our answcr is that God crcatcd as many
bod1es as He kncw we would be capablc of taking cognizance of
and holding in our minds and as would suffice to scrvc us as proof
of His sovcrcignty. Should someone, thcrefore, ask, "ls therc, thcn,
anything that He has failcd to creatc?" our reply would be: "ls He
not thc Creator of cverything ?"
Now pcrhaps somconc will say, "How can it bc acceptablc to
rcason that thc world has becn in cxistence only 46g3 years?" a2 Wc
reply thcrcunto that sincc wc ucknowlcdge that the world has bcen
crcated, it must havc had a beginning. Dost thou not sec, cvcn if
we [mortal] crcatures had becn living in thc hundredth year of
creation, wou{d wc have becn astonishcd at that fact or dcnied it?
All thc lcss can wc deny it at this age in which we live.
Pcrhaps, furthcrmorc, someone will say to himself: "Since in
our opinion he who dcsists from doing something is rcgarded as
32. Thit reveal1 CO ua the datc of the composition of thia work II having bttn
die yar 933 C. E.
86 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
performing an act when he ~csists th~rchom, and si.nce thc Crcator
had, beforc crcating all thmgs, dcs1stcd from domg that, could
not that abstcntion on His part bc callcd 'action,' so that it could
bc said that He had rcally bccn inactivc during thc whole coursc
of time preccding thccrcation of the world?" To this wc rcply that
only thc abstcntion of human bcings constitutes action, bccausc
thcir acts pcrtain to accidents. Thus when thcy arc not favorably
disposcd, they bccomc angry, and whcn they do .not hatc, ther lovc.
The Crcator's activity, howevcr, has to do w1th thc crcat1on of
substanccs, and substances havc no oppositcs, so that thc failurc
of thc creation of somc would automatically havc brought about
thc crcation of thc othcrs. Thercfore, whcn God dcsists from
crcating any of these substanccs, no othcrs comc into bcing..
Pcrhaps again someonc will wondcr: "For what reason d1d thc
Creator crcatc all thesc beings?" To this qucstion there are thrce
nnswcrs. T he first would bc to say that He bad crcatcd them witb-
out any motivc, and yct it could not bc considcrcd a wanton act.
bccausc only man acts wantonly whcn hc does anythi~g wi~hout a
motivc, inasmuch as he would thereby be ncglectmg h1s own
bcnefit. But such a thing is far rcmovcd from thc Creator. Thc
sccond answer is that God intended thcrcby to rcvcal and makc
manifest His wisdom, as Scripturc says: To make known to the
.rons of man Hir mighty actI and tht glory of tlu: maje.rty of His
kingdom (Ps. 145: 12) . <73> Thc third is that His intcntion
thcrcin was to bcncfit His crcatures by tbcir usc of all thesc tbings
so that thcy might obcy Him, as He says: l am the Lord thy God,
who teacheth thee for thy profit, who leadeth thtt by the way that
thou shouldest go (Isa. 48: 17).
Jf, again, that ind ivid ual werc to ask, "Thcn why did He not
creatc thcm bcfore this time?" our rcply would bc: "Tbcrc was no
time in cxistence as yct that one could ask about, and furthcrmorc
it is of the vcry nature of him that acts by frcc choice to do what hc
wants whcn hc wants."
Thc first treatise is hercby complcted.
TREATISE II
CONCERNING [THE BELIEF] THAT THE
CREATOR OF ALL THINGS, BLESSED
AND EXALTED BE HE, IS ONE
EXORDIUM
a preliminary to thc ccntral thcmc of this trcatise, Jet me
A statc (a) that thc data with wbich thc scicnccs start out
arc concrcte,1 whereas thc objcctives that thcy strive for are
abstract. 2 Also ( b) thcrc is reachcd in thc ficld of scientific rescarch
a last terminal beyond which no further knowlcdgc is possiblc.
Now {,) man's progress in his intcllectual attainments is gradual,
procecding from point to point. (d) E very station rcached by h im
in his advancc in knowledge consists of ncccssity of idcas more ab-
stract and·subtle than thc prcccdi ng, (e) the last constituting the
most abstract and subtlc of all. When, thercforc, in thc coursc of
his rcason ing a pcrson arrivcs at conclusions of so abstract a nature,
that is in itsclf a guarantce tbat bc has achicvcd thc objcct of his
que,,t. He ·can ccrtainly not demand that (/) they bc of a concrcte
character, for to make such dcmands is to scek to return to the
first daturrt of knowlcdge from which hc startcd out or to the
second which servcd as the sccond stcp in the proccss of bis rcason-
ing. Ayc he would bc doing violcncc to and distorting thc mcthods
of scicnce. Evcry attcmpt on his part, thercforc, to makc concrete
the ultimate goal of cognition would bc tantamount only to rcn-
dcring his spcculation null and void, bringing ahout nullification
of whatevcr knowlcdgc bc may havc acquircd and thcreby a rcturn
to ignorancc.
lt bchoovcs me now to explain thc basis of thc six observations
r. "concrctc"-litcrally "big" or "coarsc,"
2, "abstract"-litcrally "finc" or "subtle."
88 THE BOOK OF BELJEFS AND OPINIONS
that I havc just rnade. That cxpJanation will then bc followcd by
an cxpasition of thc motivc that impcllcd mc to introducc thcm at
the bcginning of this trcatisc.
Let mc, thcrcforc, füst of all make clcar thc meaning of thc rc-
mark that thc data with which the scicnccs start out arc concrcte,
by saying that thc rcasoo for this asscrtion is that thcsc basic data
arc dcrivcd &om the perccption of the scnses. Now whatcvcr is sub-
jcct to sense perccption <74> is a matter of common knowlcdgc
in which mcn cnjoy no advantagc ovcr onc anothcr so that onc
would bc supcrior to anothcr in rcspcct to it. Ayc, they arc not
cvcn distinguishcd in this rcgard abovc thc bcasts, for wc find that
thc lattcr cxcrcisc thc scnscs of sight and hcaring as weil as thc
formcr. Thcrc cannot, thcn, bc anything morc crass than that in
which bcasts and mcn arc cqual.
Now whcn a pcrson rcgards thc objcct which is pcrccptiblc to
thc sense., and rccognizcs it as a body, hc infcrs by means of thc
subtlcty of his intcllcct that it is cndowcd with_ accidcnts. He ar-
rivcs at this conclusion by virtuc of thc fact that hc notcs that this
body is black at onc time and white at another, and that it grows
now hot and now cold. Incrcasing the rcfincment of his investi-
gation, he ncxt notcs that this body posscsscs an attribute which
brings to mind thc catcgory of quantity. This comcs ahout as a
rcsult of his considcring thc matter of its lcngth and width and
dcpth. At a still morc subtlc stagc, hc notcs that the objcct in qucs-
tion is invcsted with an attributc accompanying its position~nc
that produccs thc idca of spacc; namcly, contact with it.
Continuing with thc rcfincmcnt of bis speculation, he thcn
arrivcs at thc point of disccrning an attributc appertaining to thc
objcct in qucstion which intimatcs to him thc idca of time; namcly,
its duration. In this way docs he, without intcrruption, procccd
zcalously, spurrcd on by his thinking' and his undcrstanding, until
hc has rcachcd thc utmost that he is ablc to grasp. Now this ulti-
matc is the subtlcst attaincd by him, just as thc füst datum of his
knowlcdgc is the crasscst attaincd by him. Thi~ is, thcn, the basis
of my condusion that thc ultimatc objcctivcs of scicncc arc the
most abstract of scicnti6c ideas.
GOD
~
J have furthcrmorc statcd that man advanccs from onc idca to
anothcr until he arrives at a point bcyond which no further
knowlcdge is possible. Thcre are thrce reasons for this. One of
th~e ~ t~t sincc man's body is limitcd, finite, whatcver powers
rcs1dc m lt-and the faculty of knowlcdge is one of thcm-must
ncccssarily bc finite. This corrcsponds to my rcmark in rcgard to
the hcavcns that tb~ pcriod ~f thci~ duration is ncccssarily finitc.a
Thc sccond rcason. 1~ that. sc1cncc. 1s capable of being graspcd by
?1an .ontr bccausc lt 15 finite, for, 1f <75> it wcrc thought to bc
1nfimt~, Jt co~ld ~o~ bc graspcd in i1s totality, and, oncc that bc-
comcs 1?1poss1blc, 1~ 1s no longcr subjcct to thc cognition of anyonc.
Thc th1rd reason 1s that the sourcc whcnce all thc scienccs are
dcriv~-1 mcan sensation-is unqucstionably finite. lt is, thcre-
forc, impassible that what is derivcd thcrefrom should bc infinite
so that thc offshoot would differ from thc stock. '
I ~avc stat~d, furthcrmorc, tha~ man's progress in his intcllcctual
attaan?'cnts 1s gradual, procecdmg from point to paint, bccausc
thc sc1cnces havc, all of thcm, a sourcc from which thcy spring.
Ignorancc, on thc other hand, has no such source from which it
~s dcrivcd, bciag mcrcly the abscncc of knowledge, as wc cxplaincd
10 the matter of da.rkness that it constitutcs the abscncc of light
and not its oppositc.• Just as wc pointcd out thcrc that, if thc dark-
oess had been thc oppositc of light, the dark air could not have
been transformcd into brightness, so do wc say hcre that, jf ig-
norancc h?d bec? somcthing positive like knowlcdge, it would
havc bccn 1mposs1blc for an ignorant pcrson to bc transformcd into
one posscssing knowlcdgc. [What would have happcncd is] simply
[ that] knowlcdge and ignorancc would havc bccn combincd in
onc particlc and excludcd cach othcr.
This is, then, the basis of my rcmark that man's progress in
knowlcdge is gradual, bccausc hc starts from thc root and branchcs
out. Such progrcss from one point to the next is impossible in the
case of ignorancc, sincc there arc in it no stations that havc to bc
travcrscd, constituting as it does mcrely the abandonmcnt of thc
3. Cf. abovr, p. 71.
4. Cf. abovr, p. 64.
90 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
knowlcdgc of onc thing aftcr anothcr and thc abscncc of that
knowlcdgc.
I havc said, morcovcr, that thc last rung in thc laddcr of knowl-
cdgc is thc mqst abstract and subtlc of all. This may bc illustratcd
by our obscrvationa in thc casc of thc snow. Whcn it falls from ita
sourcc in thc air, it appcars to us in thc form of stoncs. Upon CX·
amining it morc closcly, howcvcr, wc rcalizc that it is derivcd from
watcr. By mcaru of still subtlcr rcflcction wc lcarn tbat thi.s watcr
could not havc riscn upward cxccpt by way of vaPorization and thc
asccnt of thc vapors. Thus wc arrivc at thc belief that the snow
starts out as vapor. Thcn wc probe still morc dceply and say that
< >
it is impossible for this vapor to be without ;6 a causc that
makcs it risc. This causc, then, 10 it bccomcs clcar, which is thc
final rcsult of our invcstigation, is fincr than thc vapor, which,
in turn, is fincr than the water which is fincr than thc snow.
Hcnce it is this causc that contributcs the aim and goal of man's
quest. _ forcstall the illusory notions of 1chcsc individuals and relicve thc
I havc statcd also that whoevcr demands that thc final rcsults of
his scientific rescarch bc as concrete as its starting point does vio-
lence to the rules and mcthod of this rcscarch that I havc explained
clscwhcrc. Ayc I say that hc forfcits whatevcr knowlcdgc hc has
acquircd and reccdcs from his vcry objcctive, likc t!ic pcrson who
insists that what makcs thc vapor risc from the carth is snow, like
thc snow the cxamination of wh ich hc took up at 6rst.
But in that casc he has sct at naught his quest, for if it is mcrcly
snow that hc is looking for, hc can gct it without going in scarch
of it. And cvcn if hc docs not say cxprcssly that his objcctivc is
somcthing likc snow or watcr but mcrcly dcclarcs, "I want to sec
it, eise I do not acccpt it," his rcmark is [ rcally] cquivalcnt to
[ saying]: "1 am looking for snow or watcr or vapor.''. H e mcrely
looks for it undcr a different term from thc· onc uscd at thc bc·
ginning [ of his invcstigation ]. [That is what bis statcmcnt amounts
to ], sincc in this instancc only tbcsc things arc visible. But if hc thus
gocs back on thc (real] causc of the vapor by dc:claring it null and
void bccause his rcscarch has not yicldcd anyth ing visible and he,
thcrefore, concludcs that thcre is no cause, thcn hc forfeits even
GOD 91
what h~ ~ alrcady a~icvcd on account of a futile hopc and an
idle bchcf [an thc attamment of what docs not cxist].
Since oow I havc fully cxplaincd thesc mattcrs, it bchoovcs mc to
,nakc dcar the motivc that impclled mc to introduce thcm hcrc.
l say, thcn, that whcn I approachcd thc subject of the idca of the
Crcator, I notcd that somc pcoplc rcjccted it on thc ground that
thcy .had ncvcr sccn Him.~ Othcrs did it on account of thc pro-
fund1ty of the matter and 1ts extreme subtlety. Still othcrs think
tha.t bcyond the idca o~ God thcrc is anothcr idca.. Othcrs, again,
bcbcve that thcy can p1cturc God in thcir imagination as a body.
Othcrs, finally, without expressly attributing to Him corporcality,
yet arrogatc for God ~uantity or quality <77> or placc or time
or othcr such categonc,, Howcvcr, whcn thcy rnake thcsc arro-
gations, they rcally insist upon His bcing corporeal, for such char-
actcristics appcrtain only to the body.
My purposc, thcn, in making thesc preliminary rcmarks was to
minds of men of thcir burden. [I aimed] also to provc that the
extreme abstractncss of thc idea of the Crcator was its truc char-
actcr, and .that, when wc havc found by mcans of our rc;ison that
it is thc subtlcst of all things knowablc, wc havc discovcrcd its
real nature.
As for those who asscrt, "Wc bclicve only what our cycs can sec,"
and ~ho ~us rcjcct t~c. scicnccs, ~hey havc bcen rcfutcd by mc
s~ffic1cntly m my cxposiuon of thc thcory of thc advocatcs of ctcr-
ruty, as weil 3!I that of thc Sophists and thc SkcptiC$,11 so that if
thc studcnt finds it ncccssary to considcr thcsc mattcrs again, hc
might rcvicw what I havc said thcre.
Those, again, who rcpudiate thc idca on account of its subtlcty
and i~s profundity, abandon thcir sccond objcctivc after having
cstabltshcd the first. Thou knowest, namcly, that I cxplaincd in
the chapter on the crcation of thc world 8 that wc had in mind,
whcn wc propoundcd that thcory, somcthing rcconditc, abstract,
5, .saadia i, ~cre refcrring back to thc: proponc:nb of thc 1oth, uth, 1nd uth
thecmes of creauon discuued by him in thc fint trcatbe. Cf. 1bove, pp. 7.5-8a.
6. Cf. thc bcginning of that treatise, p. 38.

9.2 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
subtlc, and profound, thc likc of which had not bccn sc~n. 1 stat~d,
fu rthcrmorc, that it was with rcfcrcncc to it that Scnptur~ sa1d:
That wlzich is, is far off, and exceeding deep,· who can find ,t out?
(Ecclcs. 7: 24). Thou hast, morcovcr, sccn how othcrs conccivcd
of this matter [from which thc world supposcdly originatcd] as rc-
scmbling dust and Strands of hair and indivisiblc atoms 1 and how
wc oursclvcs arrivcd at thc doctrinc of creatio ex nihilo.
If such, thcn, bc the nature of thc objcct of our knowlcdgc at
this lowcr rung of thc laddcr, thc charactcr of thc conccpt on thc
rung aftcr it-1 mcan thc idca of thc Crcator, cxaltcd and magnificd
bc He-must of ncccssity bc subtlcr than thc subtlcst and morc
rcconditc than thc most rcconditc and morc abstract tban thc most
abstract and profoundcr than thc most profound and strongcr than
thc strongcst and morc cxaltcd than thc most cxaltcd, so that it
would bc impossible to fathom its charactcr at all. lt is in .rcgard
to it that Scripturc says: CansJ thou find ot1t the deep 1l11ng1 of
God? Canst thou attain unlo the purpose of the Almight-y? lt ir
liig/1 iU heaven; whal cansl thou do? Deeper than the nether
world; what canst thou know? The mearure thereof ir longer than
1/,e earth, and broad" than the sea (Job n: 7-9).
Thosc, again, <78> who dcmand that wc prcscnt God to thcm
as a body sbould awaken from thcir lcthargy. Was not thc body
thc first step in our proccss of cognition, and was it not by mcans
of its carmarks that wc conductcd our invcstigation and our rc-
scarch until wc attaincd the knowlcdge of its Makcr? How, thcn,
can they, to put it figuratively, rcturn to thc ABC and cndcavor
to trcat thc Creator as a physical bcing? Is thc body whosc Makcr
we arc sccking a spccific individual so that it might bc assumcd
that its Maker was anothcr pcrson? Is it not rather the Makcr of
cvcry body that wc can sec and think of that wc arc looking for,
Onc of Whom it could bc said that evcry body that comes to our
mind has bccn madc by Hirn, whilst He Himsclf transccnds this
[ physical univcrsc] ?
As for thosc who seek somcthing bcyond tl-c idca of God, wc
7. Cf. above, p. 5:z. Saadia refers here to the second theory of ueation discuued
by him.
GOD
93
have alrcady dcmonstratcd thc futility of thcir quest from thc
atJ1ndpoint of thc charactcr of the person cngagcd in thc acquisition
of knowledgc and thc ncccssary limitation of his knowlcdgc by thc
Umitcd nature of his facultics. [Wc have provcd it] also from thc
standpoint of thc charactcr of thc objcct of knowlcdgc, [ show-
ing] that what is infinite and cndlcss cannot be cmbraccd by
the [human] mind. [Finally wc pointcd it out) from thc stand-
paint of thc [material] basis upon which all thc scicnccs arc
foundcd.
Let mc now cxplain this [matter] furthcr at this point and say:
"But pcrhaps thcrc is somconc who thinks that bcyond thls ultimatc
objcct of knowlcdgc thcre is somcthing eise that is knowablc whicb,
howcvcr, has not bccn attaincd by thc mind of a ccrtain individual
or by thc minds of all mcn." My reply hcrcto is that that is an un-
sound assumption, bccausc all objccts of knowlcdgc arc comprc-
hcndcd through the mcdiation of thc body, as wc havc statcd
bcforc in the introduction to this book.' Whcn, thcrcforc, what is
comprehendcd is of an cxtracorporcal charactcr and not containcd
within a bodily framc, 0 thc possibility of any furthcr knowlcdgc
bcyond it is absolutcly cxcludcd.
As for thosc who do not scck to affirm that God is a body but yct
insist on arrogating for Hirn motion or rest or angcr or good will
or thc likc, thcy rcally arrogatc for Hirn a corparcal charactcr by
way of implication, cvcn if thcy do not do it cxprcssly. Thcy act
likc thc individual who says, "I do not dcmand of Rcubcn onc
bundrcd drachmas, but I dcmand of him thc squarc root of
10,000." That onc has indccd in [his claims against] Rcuben climi-
nated thc cxprcssfon „onc hundrcd." Thc implication has, howcvcr,
bccn rctaincd. Oncc, thcn, thc dcmand that thc Crcator bc a
<
physical bcing has bcen provcd to bc absurd, 79 > thc arroga-
tion t~ Him of bodily accidcnts in gcncral must likcwisc bc cx-
cludcd.
Now thc rcason for my vcrbosity and my dwclling at such lcngth
on this prcliminary obscrvation in contrast to my customary brcvity
8. Cf. above, pp. 16 lf.
9. "within I boclily frame"~bn 1ibbon.
94 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
is that it constitutcs the foundation and the axle of the cntirc book.
1 ,hall, thcreforc, pause a littlc at this point in ordcr to spare myaclf
grcat cxcrtion latcr on. And if somconc wcrc to ask, "How doca
this matter comc to requirc such grcat cxcrtion and such extensive
cxplanations?" our answcr would bc that that is due to two causcs.
One of them is that whatcvcr u valuablc dcmands grcater and
morc extensive cffort to attain than what is worthlcss. Thus it is
weil known tbat it is casicr to find glass than it is to discovcr a
prccious stone. Thc sccond is that thcrc prevail so many ditfcrent
opinions among thosc who occupy themsclvcs with this scicncc.
Thc causc of this divcrgcncc may bc cithcr lack of insight or dc-
libcrar~ contcntiousncss or laxity and lassitudc or an inclimtion for
thc [gratification of the] appetites, as wc havc stated prcviously in
the innoduction to this book. 10 lt was thercforc ncccssary to cx-
posc thcir crro.r when thc truth had to bc clucidatcd.
CHAPTER I
Now, thcn, that I havc donc witb thcsc falsc notions,11 Jet mc
bcgin with thc main subjcct of this trcatisc and say th11t wc havc
bccn informcd by our Lord, magnificd and cxaltc8 bc He, through
the pronounccments of His prophcts that He is onc, Iiving, omnipo-
tent, and omniscicnt, that thcrc is nothing that rcscmbles Him, and
that He docs not rcsemblc any of His works. This tbcsis [ thc
prophcts] supported by mcans of miradcs and marvels, so that wc
acceptcd it immcdiatcly while waiting for its vcrification for us
by spcculation.
As for thc fact that God is onc, that is cxprcsscd in thc statcmcnt
of Scripturc, Heor, 0 /.rrae/, tht Lord our God, thot Lord is on.e
(Deut. 6: 4), as weil as in its statemcot, See n.ow tlu,t 11 e11en /,
am He, and there i1 no god with Mt (Deut. J2 : 39), and iu statc-
ment, The Lord olone did leod him, ond thert was no mange god
with Him (Deut. 32: 12).
10. Cf. abovc, pp. 4 ff.
11. "falsc notions"-lbn Tibbon and M.
GOD
95
As for God's vitality, that is bornc out by tbc statemcnt of Scrip-
turc, For who is there o/ all flesh, thot hat/, heard tl,e word of the
~iving God sptaking out of the mi~st of the fire? (Deut. 23) ands:
1ts Statement, But the Lord God ,s the true God, He is tht lit1ing
God, <So> and lhe everlasting King (Jcr. 10: 1o).
As ~or God's omnipotcncc, tbat is madc cxplicit by thc statcmcnt
of Scnpturc, I kn~w thot Thou "'"'' do e11ery thing, and thot no
purport can bt w,thnolden frorn Thte (Job 42: 2), and its statc-
ment, Thine, o. Lord, is tht grtatness, and tl,e power, and tl,e
glory, and th~ t11cto7, .and the m~jesty, tk.u (1 Chron. 29 : u).
As ~or God s 0?1ru~c1~ncc, that 1s madc explicit by thc statcment
of Sc~1pturc, He 1s um~ m ~ea,t, and m~gl,1y in strengt!, (Job 9: ),
4
and 1ts statement, Hts J,scernn,ent ,s post searding out (Isa.
40: 28).
. Finally, thc view that nothing rcscmbles eithcr God or His works
1s supported by thc st~tcment of Scripturc, Tner~ is none /ike unto
Thee among tne gods, 0 Lord; and th«e are no ,uorks like Thinc
(Ps. 86: 8).
Having lcarncd about thcsc fivc 18 facts from thc books of thc
prophcts, wc procccdcd to confirm thcm by mcans of Jogical rca-
sonmg _a nd fo~nd thcm to bc corrcct. W c wcrc thcrcby also suc-
ccssful 10 rcfutmg whatcvcr argumcnt might be prcscntcd against
any of them by our opponents. These lattcr do indccd cndcavor to
do that.for two rcasons, thcrc bcing no third. Onc of thcse is that
!hey thmk of God aftcr thc analogy of His creaturcs. Tbc othcr
1s that tbcy take ~ery c~pression wc cmploy in dcscribing H im
and cvcry cxprcss1on wnttcn down in His Scripturcs in its cor-
parcal raµtcr than its figurative sense. Oncc, howcvcr wc have
mastcrcd this scicnce, wc shaU makc all that dear wfrh ~hc power
of the Merciful Onc and His might.
. 1 sa~, .thcn, first of all, that I lind a proof of God's uniqucncss-
1n add1t1on to thc proofs mcntioncd previously H-to bc containcd
u . Thi, quotation followa Ibn 1ibbon.
13. "li•c"-lbn Tibbon. The Arabic original erroncously rrad1 "ea."
1.f, Cf. 1bo•e, pp. 59 ff.

9li THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
in thc following thcsis; namcly tbat, sincc thc Crcator of all bodies
caonot be of thc samc spe.des u His cre.aturcs, in and since thc
bodics are maoy in numbcr, it follows of necessity that Hebe onc.
For if He wcrc more than onc, thcrc would apply to Him thc
category of numbe.r and He would fall undcr thc laws govcrning
bodics. . othcrs do it undcr fivc."
Furthermorc, thc idea of a Crcator as indispensable [ to the
cxplanation of existencc] is dictatcd by reason. Howevcr, ~hat
is indispensable is onc [God]. 18 More than that would be nc1thcr
indispensable nor necessary.
Again, the cxistcncc of onc Crcator is cstablished by mcans of
thc first proof; namely, that of the crcation of thc world. To ~em-
onstrate thc cxistcnce of tnorc than that number would rcqu1re a
second proof, outside <8.1 > of that first proof. There is, howevcr,
no mcans of proviog thc cxistcncc of a Crcator othcr than that of
creation.
CHAPTER II
After [listing] thcsc threc proofs, now, [in favor] of God's onc-
ness, I say that cvcry argumcnt rcfuting thc existcncc of two gods
constitutes an argument in favor of the one. Our prcviously mcn-
tioncd rcply to thc proponenu of this thcory [ of dualism ] has al-
rcady bcen notcd by thce. 1 shall, thercforc, add hcre the fact that
I havc found that whcn thcsc [Dualists] arc askcd, "Why do you
rclate all cxisting things to two sources only and why don't you
maintain that cach specics of them has a separate source?" tbcy
rcply: "According to our obscrvation, cven though thcy fall into
many classifications, they may all bc subsumcd undcr thc two
divisions of thc uscful and thc harmful, there bcing no third pos-
sibility othcr than thcsc. That is why wc relatcd all existing things
to two sourccs."
Now I cxamincd this asscrtion, and I found that it could bc
15, Thi11rgumc:nt was, ,ccording to Maimonide. (G11i/•, 1, 76), also presented
b1 the Mutaklllimun in ordcr to dcmonstnlC God'1 incorporeality,
16. This 1rgumcnt w11 also ~uributcd by Maimonidc:• (idtm, I, 75) to the Muta·
kallim11n,
GOD
VI
countcred with the rcmark that wc find that whatcvcr is uscful and
harmful might also be subsumed uodcr thc classification of thc
five acnscs, for somc of thcsc things are pcrceivcd by me.an~ of
thc sense ~f sight and some by mcana of that of hcaring, and tbe
same applics to the threc other scnscs. "lt is thcreforc with no
. h ' •
morc propncty t at you subsume thcm under two catcgorics than
Onc might also counter them with thc rcjoindcr that whatevcr
is uscful anll harmful might be subsumed under the classification
of color, and thc principal natural colors arc scvcn in number to
wit: whitc, black, grecn, yellow, red, and thc color of the ;ky,
and thc color o~ carth.1~ lt !s, thcrefore, with no morc proprirty
that thcy compnsc all thmgs m two catcgorics than whcn othcrs do
it in scven. .
Onc might furthermorc countcr that thcsc two things may bc
subsumcd undcr the classification of taste and thc principal di-
visions of taste arc ninc in numbcr; namely, thc swcct and thc
fat-both of w~ich are hot and moist; thc bitter and thc salty and
thc sharp-wh1ch are hot and dry; the sour and thc acid and the
astringent-which are cold and dry; and thc tastclcss, which is thc
taste of watcr and cucumbcrs-which is cold and moist. lt is, therc-
forc, with "? morc.~ropriety that thcy subsumc thcsc things undcr
two categorics than 1f thcy had donc it under ninc.
Thus, too, might thcir division into two bc countcrcd bv thc
dcrivation of all things from four natural elcments, <82> ~r thc
tcn categories ~rtaining to substance, or thc six typcs of motion,
or thc seven kmds of quantity, or thc thrcc tenscs, or thc tbrce
typcs of propositions, or thc thrce forms fof logical syllogisms 1,111
However, 1 shall not dwell any longcr on this subjcct, but shall go
on to prove, from thc standpoint of judgmcnt also, the unsoundncss
of thcir mcthod in arbitrarily picking out onc numl}er from among
thc rest and acccpting it as final.
And now let mc cxplain this matter further and say that if
ncither of the two [ principlcs by whom thc world was supposcdly
17. "nrth"-M.
18. "of logical 1yllogism1"-10 V~ntun, p. 197, n. 27,
98 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
creatcd] could, if he wishcd to creatc aomcthing1 carry out this
impulsc cxccpt with thc hclp of thc othcr, thcy would both bc im-
potent. If, again, thc will of thc one c.ould compcl thc othcr to
hcJp him, thcn both would bc acting undcr compulsion. Shoufd
it bc assumcd, on tbc othcr band, that both cxcrcisc complctc
frccdom of choicc, thcn if onc of thcm wcrc to dcsirc to kccp a body
alivc whilst ehe otber wanted to put it to deatb, that body would
ncccssarily havc to bc alivc and dead at onc and the same time. 10
I say furthermorc tbat jf cach one of thcm could hide somcthing
from bis pecr, thcy would both bc ignorant. lf, howcvcr, hc could
not do that, thcn both would to that cxtent bc lacking in omnipo·
tcncc. l say also that, if.thcsc two [principlcs] arc [ to bc conccived
as bcing] conncctcd with one anothcr, they arc rcally one .. lf, on
thc other band, thcy arc to bc considercd as distinct from cach
other, that would havc to be duc to a third [principlc] separating
them.
Nor would I conccdc to the proponents of [ this tbeory of] two
[principlcs J thc right to compare the lattcr to darkncss and light
whicb are contiguous to onc another, no third factor coming be-
twccn them. For thcsc two arc only accidcnts. whcreas thc former
constitute, according to the propanents of the theory oI dualism,
substanccs.
These argumcnts do, then, turn out to be in agrccmcnt with
the asStrtion of thc Scriptures to thc cffcct that thcrc is no Crcator
othcr than the one and only God, as they state: Unto thee it was
shown, that tl,011 mightest know thal the Lord, He is God; there
is none eise beside Him (Deut. 4: 35). Thcy dcdarc also: Know
this day, and lay it 10 thy heart, thal the Lord, He is God in hea11en
abo11e and upon the earth beneath,· there is none el.re (Deut. 4: 39).
Thcy say furthcrmorc: Look unto Mt, and be ye sat1ed, all the ends
of the earth; for l am God, and there is none eise (Isa. 45: 22).
Thcy statc, morcovcr: That they may know from the rising of tlte
sun, and from the wtst, that there is none <83> beside Me; 1 am
the Lord, and there is none eise (Isa. 45: 6). They say also: l am
19. Thi, argument combinc, two argumcnts of the Muiakallimun quoted by
nt.
Maimonide1, lot.
GOD 99
11,e Lord, and there is none eise, beside Mt there is no God (lsa.
45: 21), and other things of this tcnor.
CHAPTER III
Now if somconc wcrc to ask: "But in that casc what is thc mcan-
ing of thcsc two namcs 'Ädhonay and 'Elol,im that arc constantly
employcd in thc Biblc with rcfercnce to God?" our answer would
bc th~t Script.ur~ makes it quitc clear that thcy both havc onc con-
notat1on. Thas as bornc out by its Statement: For thus saitl, the
1:""d t/1111 ertated tht heavens, He is God (lsa. 45: 18), as weil as
1ts statcmc?t: Kn~": ye that the Lord He is God {Ps. 100 : 3).
After th1s dclin1t1~n, thco, oo attcntion is to bc paid to tbc fact
tha.t ooc o~ thcsc two appcllativcs is uscd in thc dcscription of onc
acnon whtlst thc othcr 1s uscd in describing anothcr,ao for thcrc
~s many a parallel to this usagc in thc languagc of Scripturc. Thus
tt statcs : And /erubhaa/ the .ron of /oash went and dwelt in l,;1
own hause (Judg. 8: 29), and after that: And Gideon l,ad three-
s,ore and ~" sons of hfs ~ody hegotten (Judg. 8: 30). Onc namc is
hcrc uscd an thc dcscraptaon of onc act and anothcr in conncction
with. anothcr without any scruple, bccause it has already becn
dcfimtely statcd that Jerubbaal was identical with Gidcon.
Should som~ne, again, ask: "Theo what, pray, is the mcaning
of ehe dcclaratton of Scripture: Even unto my ,11use, my God and
my Lord (Ps. 35: 23), and similarly of thc Statement: The Lord
tAundered from hea11en, and the Most High gave fort!, His 11oit:e?"
(II Sam_. 22: 1,4) ?ur rcply to him would bc that this (redundant
appcllatlvcJ constitutcs mcrcly a second motivation. He thundered
bccause He is the Lord and also bccausc He is the Most High.
Rouse Tlue bccausc Thou art my God and also bccausc Thou art
tl,e Lord.
. A parallel to this usagc in thc languagc of Scripturc is to bc found
an thc vcrse, Hear tl,i1, all ye peoples; gi11e ear, all ye inhabitants of
:ao•• Saadia ~ndoubtcdly ha, in mind such statcmcnts .u thc one quorcd in
Gtnes11 Rabba (chap. iuni:üi) on Oe~sia 8: 1 to the effcct dtat the namc 'Ädl,ono-,
~b~s for Cod'a quality of mercy, wherea1 that of •ltto/lim betolcena His quality of
JUIIJCC,
100 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
tl,e world, bot/, 11,e dildren o/ Adam """ 1/,e 1on1 o/ mr,n, nel, 11
ond poor togetl,er (Ps. 49: 2, 3). Thc mcaniog thcreof is: bccauac
yo_u arc thc peoples, and bccausc you arc inl,ahitanu of 1/,e world,
and bccause you are cliildren o/ Adam (Bine 'Adham) and bccausc
you are 10111 o/ man (Bine '/J). This usagc is also similar .t o that
found in the statcmcnt of Scripture, Fear not, 0 Jacob My stn1an1,
and thou, /esl,urun, whom J halle cl,osen (Isa. 44: 2). That is to
say: bccausc thou are both /t1eob and /eshurun.
I would, thercfore, say in general that, whcnever therc is cn-
countered in cither thc asscrtions of Scripturc or in thc spccch of
any onc of us monothcists an cxpression pcrtaining to thc dcscrip-
tion of our Creator or to His handiwork, which stands in con-
tradiction to thc rcquircmcnt <84> of sound rcason, therc
can bc no doubt about it that that cxprcssion was mcant to be
taken in a figurative sense, which the diligent students will find
if they scek it. Now therc is no necd for mc to cxpatiate on the
cxposition of thjs subjcct in this book nor to cxplain the ways of
mctaphors and other rhetorical usagcs as weil as thc cxtension of
mcaning in languagc, for I havc alrcady explained an amplc pro-
portion of this subject in the introduction to my i!ltcrpretation of
the Torah. 1 shall, therefore, bc brief herc and dispcnsc with rc-
pcating it, rcstricting myself solcly to the explanation of any doubt-
ful passage that may present itsclf to me.
lf, again, someone werc to ask: "But what is the mcaning of thc
Statement of Scripture, And now the Lord God hatl, senl me, ,,,,d
Hi111'irit?" 22 (Isa. 48: 16), our rcply would be that that cou~d vcry
well bc rcndered as having the meaniog of with His spirit. This
usagc of thc conjunction would be similar to that prcvalent in the
statement of Scripture: Suk ye the Lord and His strength (Ps.
105: 4), thc connotation of which is in His slrength. lt is also
analogous to that contained in its statcment: But upon thee the
Lord ,vill arise, and His glory shall be seen upon tl,ee (lsa. 66: 2),
:11 ... bolh thc childrcn of Adam 1nd thc ,ons of m1n"-thc usual tr1n1J1tion
is "bolh low 1nd high."
22. Saadia is hcrc polcmicising 1gainst thc Christian acgeta of thc Old Tcsta·
mcnt who cndeavored to support thcir doctrinc of the trinity by mcana of such pu·
u1u. Cf. Gutcmann, pp. 101 ff. and p. 106.
GOD 101
whicb is explaincd by lhe versc: Wl,en the Lord l,ath built up
Zion, when He ha1h appeared in Hit glory (Ps. 102: 17).
lt rC$Cmbles also the usage employed in the Scriptural pbrase:
Even the Lord, and the weapons o/ His indignation (Isa. 13: 5)
~h_ich_is CXflained by thc vcrse: Thou marchesl lhrough the earlh
,n rndtgnat,o~ (Hab.~: 1~). Thus, too, thc exprcssion of the spirit
of God here ts to be mtcrprctcd according to its mcaning in the
versc: .A.nd Thou didst forewarn them by Thy spirit through Thy
propluts. (Neh. 9: 30). Whcncv~, thcrcforc, any such cxprcssion
presents ,tself to us and we .find 1t possible to interpret it in a meta-
phorical or figurative sense, wc occd not go any furthcr.
CHAPTER IV
. Next lct mc say, th~t I. have fou_nd by _means of logical spccula-
tion p~~fs o~ God s v1tality and Has ommpotencc and omniscicnce.
All ~h1s 1s evident from thc fact that He creatcd all things, for, ac-
cordmg to what our rcason discloses to us, it is clear that only hc
that posscsses the power can crcatc, and that only onc who is alivc
has the power, and that whatcver is crcatcd and weil madc can
emanate only from onc who kncw, bcforc hc madc it, how the thing
to be created was to comc into bcing.
Thc~ ~hrcc attributcs wcrc, thcn, discovcred by our reason as
apJM:rtammg to our Makcr suddcnly, at one blow. That [is to say]
by v1.rtue of what He h_as _created, it is established that He is living,
~mnapotcnt, and om~1sc1cnt, as 1 havc cxplained. Nor is it pos·
s1blc for rcason to amvc at any ooc of these thrcc attributes bcfore
!11~ o~her. lt ~an only attain thcm at once. For, according to rcason,
1t 1s mconce1vablc that anyone that is not <85> living should
crcatc, or that onc that does not possess power shou)d crcatc, or that
any pcrfcct, well-madc handiwork cou)d emanate from one who
docs not know how the act is to bc carried out. For whcn an in-
dividual docs not know how thc act is to bc carried out, his handi-
work wilJ be ncither weil nor wisely cxecuted.
Yet a)though thcsc thrcc attributes arc graspcd by our minds at
one blow, our tongues are unable to convey thcm with onc word 1
102 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
1ince wc do not find in languagc an cxprcssion that would em-
bracc thcsc thrcc connotations. Wc arc, tbcrcfore, compcllcd to
cmploy in dctignating thcm thr~ cxprcssioos, ~ter remar~ing,
by way of cxplanation, that the mmd has rccogruzed thcm 11ßlul.
tancously. For it ia not to bc imagincd that thc Etcrnal, blesscd and
oaltcd bc He, poucsscs scvcral distinct attributes. All thcsc at·
tribute1 arc rather implicd in His bcing a Crcator. lt was ooly
our nccd to transmit it that impcllcd us to formulate this conccpt
in thrce expreuions, sincc wc did not find in existing spcc.ch an
exp't'ession that would cmhrace all of thc idcaa. No~ was it scemly
to coin a spccial cxprcssion for them, becausc, bemg unknown,
that expression would rcquirc a co~mentary and wc would havc
to have rccoursc to much vcrbiagc oo ac.count of that onc -word.
In thc cvent, agai~, that somconc thinks that thc possession of
thcsc attributcs by God implics mutability [in His csscncc]-1
mcan [ thc possibility of] thc existcncc of onc without thc othcr-
lct mc cxplain how unsound such a vicw woµld appcar upon
corrcct scrutiny. For changc and mutation 29 appcrtain only to
material substanccs and accidents. Tbc Creator of such bodics and
accidcnts, howcver, is abovc all change and mutation.
But l shall not bc contcnt until I havc cxplaincd this fully. 1
say, thcn, that just as our calling God "Crcator" docs not producc
an increasc in His csscncc but mcrcly thc thought of thc prcscncc
of something creatcd by Him, so our application to Him of tbc
epithcts "living," "omnipotent," and "omniscicnt," which arc cx-
planations of the term "Crcator"-only onc who posscsscs thcsc
attributcs at onc and thc samc time can bc a Crcator-<locs not
produce any incrcasc in His csscncc but mcrcly thc thought of thc
prcscncc of somcthing crcatcd by Hirn.
After making this obscrvation and cstablishing it 6rmly, I wcnt
back again to thc Holy Scripturcs and I found in thcm, in ncgation
of the existcncc of any distinction in thc csscncc of God, such
statements as Tl,n-e is none eise hesiJe Him (Deut. 4: 35), and
AnJ l,ow 1mall a wl,isper is l,earJ of Himl (Job 26: 14), as weit as
<86> The Lord shall he one and His name one (Zcch. 14: 9).
23. HcJiange and mutation"-Jbn 1ibbon 1nd M.
GOD
CHAPTER V
Furthcrmore, lct mc say that in this mattci thc Christians errcd
when tbey assumcd the existencc of distinction in God's pcnonal-
ity which lcd thcm to make of Him a trinity and to deviatc from
thc orthodox belief.24 1 shall, thcrcforc, takc occasion herc to make
notc of what refutation of thcir doctrinc i1 offcrcd by rea.son,
jnvoking thc aid of the truly Onc and Hi1 uniqucncss.
Now l do not have in mind whcn I prcscnt this rcf utation thc
uneducated among thcm who profcss only a crau matcrialiatic
trioity. For I would not have my book occupy itsclf with answcr-
ing peoplc likc that, sincc what that answcr must be is quitc clear
and thc task simple. lt is rather my intcntion to rcply to thcir
clite, who maintain that thcy adoptcd thcir belief in thc trinity
as a rcsult _of rational spcculation and subtlc understanding. and
tbat it was thus that thcy arrivcd at thesc three attributcs and ad.
bered to thcm. Dcclaring that only a tbing that is living and
omniscient is capable of creating, thcy recognizcd God's vitality
and omniscicnce as two things distinct from His csscnce, with the
result that these becamc for thcm a trinity. .
Now thc first point that their rcbuttal rcvcals is that thcy havc
only thc following two alternatives: cither they belicve (a) that
God is a physical bcing or (b) that He is not a physical bcing. But
if they belicvc that He is a physical being, thcn thcy arc on a par
with thc common hcrd of thcir pcoplc and are accordingly subjcct
to whatcvcr refutation has been prcsented of thc view of those who
anthropomorphize God. lf, on thc other band, thcy do not bclicvc
God to be a physical being, thcir allegation of thc existcncc within
His csscncc of disti.nction, with thc rcsult that onc attributc is not
idcntical with thc othcr, is cquivalent to an allcgation on their part
that He is rcally a physical being. They mercly uscd another tcrm
to express thc same tboughL For anything that hatbors distinction
within itsclf is unquestionably a physical bcing.
Wc havc, then, cstablishcd thc fact that thcsc thrcc matters con-
stitute onc attribute. lt is only impossible for a human being to
24. "deviate from the onhodox belier'-füerally "ao Eortb to hereay."
104 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
combinc thcm in apcech as thc mind doca by mcans of ita cognition.
Onc might citc u an analogy to thc abovc thc casc of him who
aays that hc docs not wor&hip thc fuc but thc thing that burni and
givcs light and riscs upward, wh.ich is in rcality nothing eise than
fuc.
Ncxt we dcmand of thc proponcnts [ of thc doctrine of thc triunc
nature of God] that they dcclarc cxplicitly that He is a phy,ical
bcing. For if thcy rcfusc to do that, asscrting, "Wc cannot say
that He is a physical bcing bccausc cvcry physical bcing is crcated,"
thcy would by thc aamc tokcn bc compcllcd <87> to dcny tbat
God's vitality and omniscicncc arc things distinct from His csscncc,
since any bcing whosc vitality and knowlcdgc arc distinct from its
csscncc is crcatcd. Thosc who hold this vicw arc, thcrcforc, may
God havc mcrcy on thcc, ignorant of thc mcthods of logical proof.
Wh:it I mcan is that thc rcason why wc, the community of
monotheists, bclicvc that thc lifc of a human bcing is distinct from
his csscncc is bccausc wc somctimts sec him alivc and sometimcs
dcad. Thcrcfrom wc infcr that thcrc is somcthing in him by virtuc
of which hc livcs and which, if it is rcmoved from him, causcs him
to die. Likcwisc do wc bclicvc that man's knowledgc is distinct
from his csscncc bccausc wc notc that hc somctimcs knows and hc
somctimcs docs not, whencc wc iofcr that thcrc is sorncthing in
him by virtuc of which hc posscsscs knowlcdgc and which, if re-
moved &om him, causcs him to bc ignorant. Werc it not for our
personal obscrvation apropos of thcsc two traits in man, wc would
havc assumcd that man is esscntially cndowed with lifc and knowl-
cdgc. Sincc, howcver, it js rcally out of thc qucstion that thcrc bc
found a time in which the Crcator of thc univcrse is not living nor
cndowed with knowledgc, as is true in the casc of man, it fol.lows
of ncccssity, without any doubt, that He is intrinsically alivc and
posscsscd of knowledgc. Thc coursc that thcse pcople followcd [in
thcology ], thercforc, bccomcs nullificd from its vcry root.
Morcovcr, thc advocatcs of thc doctrinc [ of the trinity] did not
rcally pursuc thcir thcory to its logical conclusion. They namcly
mcntioned only God'1 esscnce :ind H is vitality aod omniscicncc,
but failcd to spcak of His omnipotcncc, as wcll as of thc fact that
GOD 105
He is the onc that hcars and sccs. On thc othcr hand, if thcir al-
lcgation that God is ali~e makcs it unncccssary for thcm to assert
rhat He posscsscs power and their allcgation that He is omniscicnt
rcndcrs it unncccssary to state that He sccs and hcars, thcn thcir
allcgation that He is omniscicnt should also make it unncccssary
for thcm to assert that He is alivc, sincc only one tha t is alivc can
know anything. Dost thou not sec that they are not consistcnt with
thcir own systcm and tbat they do not evcn follow thcir own logic?
Thcy mcrdy makc up this arti6cial thcsis in ordcr to uphold what
thcy havc becn told [by thcir teachcrs).
Furthcrmorc I say that if cvcn a singlc changc wcrc to bc al-
lowcd in thc casc of God, cvcry changc in thc world would havc to
bc grantcd as possiblc in Hirn. For scicntific inquiry appcrtains
to thc gcncrality of things and thcir spccics, not to thc individuals
and the particulars thercof. Hcncc, if thcsc pcoplc b:isc thcir proof
on rational considcrations, thc unsoundncss of thcir vicw has bccn
clcarly dcmonstratcd by us,
If, again, <88> they derivc thcir proof from Scripturc, as, for
cxamplc, somconc of thcm might asscrt : "I sec that Scripturc says
tbat God is posscsscd of a spirit and a ·word, as it is bornc out by i1s
statcmcnt: The spirit of the.Lrm! spoke by me and His ward was
upon my tongue" (II Sam. 23: 2), our answcr thcrcto is that this
spirit and word arc things spccially crcated by God, constituting
thc dctailed 2 G spccch rcvcaled by God to H is prophct. Wc know,
in fact, that the Scriptures call thc namc of God "soul" ( nephd),
as Scripturc says : Who hat/, not taken My soul in vain (Ps. 24: 4)
instcad of My name. Now inasmuch as in thc casc of thc creaturcs
"soul" (nephel) and "spirit" (rua~) havc onc connotation and the
Crcator also has a "soul" (nephel), by which is mcant His namc,
thc "spirit" (rua~) which is attributcd to Him mcans "rcvclation"
and "prophccy." Thc misintcrprctation of thcsc tcrms on thc part
of thcsc individuals who citc thcm as proof of thcir thcory is,
thcn, duc to unfamiliarity with the Hcbrcw languagc.
Similarly I find somc of thcsc [ trinitarians] citc as proof rof thcir
doctrinc] thc fact that thc Scripturcs dcclarc that thc spirit of God
:,5. "detailcd"-lbn Tibbon. Cf, also Ventura, p, 183, n. 38,
1o6 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
cngages in creation. They say [ for example J: T l,e spiril of Go,1
'""" made me, •nd 11,e breo,/, 0/ 1/,e Almigl,1y gi11e1I, '?' life
33: 4). Also thcy auert that the word of God engagcs m creation.
That i, thc import of their statcment, By 1/,e word o/ 11,e Lord
were 11,e /,ea11en1 made, and by 1/,e brea,I, of His mou1I, , , ,
(Ps. 33:6). . . • ,
I noce, however, that this, too, is due to (thc trm1t~rums] ~n-
familiarity with the languagc of Scripturc. For thc Scr1ptures w1ah
to say by mcan, of thesc asscrtions only that thc C~cat~r creat~
all things by mcana of His word, His command, H11 will o.r H11
wish that He crcatcd thcm with intcnt,-not wantonly, umntcn-
tion:lly;H or from ncccssity. This is bornc out by thc Script~ral
remark: Bul He is o, one wi1/, Himsel/, and wAo ,an IUm H,m?
And "'""' His soul desiretl,, e11,n tl,111 He doe1I, (Job 23: 13)
Tbc Scripturca also mean by thcir asscrtion that God ha~ crcatcd
thesc thinga by mcans of His word and t/,e bre111I, of H11 moutl,
and His apcech and His call, that H~ had crea.tcd thcm at o?c ?low,
not within a ccrtain intcrval of umc or p1eccmcal. Th1s IS ex-
pressed in thc statemcnt: Wl,en I ,all unto them, tl,ey stan1
up lo-
getl,er (lsa. 48: 13). Such action on the part of God m1ght. be
comparcd to our saying to a thing: "Come hcrel" or our blow1ng
upon it with the brcath of our mouth. Thus,. [for examplc, docs
Scripture express it in thc phrasc J And all 11,e l,ost of tl,em by tl,e
bret11I, o/ His moutl, (Ps. 33: 6), [as wcll as in] At 11,e blasl of
1/,e breo,I, o/ Tl,y nostrils (Ps. 18: 16).
Bcsidcs < 8g > that, 1 find that, by basing thcir proof on Scrip-
turc, thcy abandon thcir systcm bccausc thc Scripturcs asscrt that
God's band, too, cngagcs in crcation, saying: Tl,111 the hand o/
tl,e Lord /,atl, wrought 1hi1 (Job 12: 9). Thcy dcclarc, furthcr-
morc, that His eyc watchcs: The eyes of the Lord.wate/, 27 knowl-
edge (Prov. 22: 12); and that His glory gathcrs m: !"'
glory of
tl,e Lord shall glllher thee in (lsa. 58: 8); and that H11 angcr gocs
up: And the anger of the Lord went up againll ~l,em (P1. 78: 31) ;
and that His mcrcy approachcs: Let Thy merc,es ,ome unto me
26. "unintentionally"-11,n nbbon.
27. ",r1tcb"-the uaual tran1l1tion ia "prnerve him that hath."
GOD IO'J
1/,at l may live (Ps. u9: 77). Each onc of thesc things and what-
cvcr is found rcscmbling thc:m would, accordingly, bccomc othc:r
qob propcrtic:s of God in addition to thc: spirit and word, sincc cach of
rhc formcr hu a spc:cial function just likc thc lattcr.
All thcsc cxprcssions that havc bccn enumcratcd and those rc-
sembling thcm arc, may God guidc thce aright, in our opinion
only figures of spc:cch and cxtcnsions of mcaning c:mploycd by
Janguagc. Thcy can also all bc madc acccssiblc and comprchcnsi?le,
as will bc cxplaincd in thc scquc:l, with thc hclp of thc Mcrc1ful
Onc.
CHAPTER VI
Now I also encountcrcd onc of thcm who intcrprctcd thc pas-
sagc: The Lord made me as the beginning o/ Hit way (Prov.
8: 12), to indicatc that God possesscs an ctcrnal word that has al-
ways bccn in cxistcnce togcther with Him.211 This point has, how-
cvcr, alrcady bccn rcfutcd by mc oncc bcforc in conncction with
those who applicd this passagc to the spiritual bcings. 29 1 cxplaincd
(thcre] that thc cxprcssion k.anani had thc mc:aning of crcation, and
1 made it dear that it was (divinc] wisdom that was characterizcd
thc:rc. What is mcant by it is not that God crcatcd all things by
mcans of wisdom as an instrumcnt, but mcrc:ly that He crcatcd
thcm wiscly so tbat whocvcr saw thcm would testify that a wise
bcing had madc them ..
Again I havc seen othcrs who, basing thcmsclvcs on thc dccla-
ration of God : Let ur make a man in Our image (Gen. 1: 26), as-
scrt that tbat cxprcss ion points to a plurality of crcators. These
lattcr are, howcvcr, morc ignorant cvcn than those prcviously
mcntioncd, becausc thcy do not know that thc languagc of thc
childrcn of Israel givcs a distingll1ished pcrson liccnsc to say: "Let
us do," and "Let us makc," although hc is singular in numbcr.
Thus Balak said: Peradventure I shall pre11ail, tl,t11 we may smite
28. lt ir the idea of lhe Logo, that is refcrrcd to herr. Cf. Guttmann, PP· 106 ff.
1nd Ventun, p. 183.
29. Cf. abovc, p. 53,
 1o8 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
1/,em (Num. n: 6). Similarly Daniel said: This is 1!,e dm1m,· 01111
111e will te/11/,e inkrpretalion tl,ereof before tl,e !(ing (Dan. 2: 36).
Manoah, too, said: <go> 1 pray tl,ee, /et us detain thee, 1/1111 we
may ma!(ereadya!(id fortl,ee (Judg.13: 15), and thcrcarc [many]
similar [ cxprcssions to bc found in Scripturc ].
Ochcrs, [finally] conjccturing about thc implication of thc pas-
sage: And t/,e Lord appear~d unto him by the lerebinths of Mamre
(Gen. 18: 1), declare that thc thing that appcared to Abraham and
was designated by this name was a trinity, bccause Scripture latcr
on explicitly statcs: And, lo, three men stood over against him
(Gen. 18: 2). Let mc explain, thcn, that thcsc arc morc ignorant
than all thosc that havc bccn mcntioncd, bccausc thcy did not wait
until thcy rcachcd thc end of thc passagc. F or had thcy had pa-
ticncc until thcy hcard thc versc: And the men turned from thenu,
and went toward Sodom,· but Abraham stood yet before tl,e Lori
(G~n. 18: ~), thcy would havc rcalizcd that the men had dcpartcd
wh1l~ t~c hght of God rcmaincd stationary with Abraham, who
was m 1ts prcscncc. The thought, thcrcforc, that God was idcntical
with thcsc mcn is completely rcfutcd.
Tbc truth of thc matter is that thc light of God appcarcd to
~~raham lirst in order that hc might infcr thcrcfrom that bis
vmtors wcrc good and saintly mcn. That is why Abraham said to
thcm: My lord, if now 1 have found favor in thy sight (Gen.
18: 3). What was actually mcant was angels of the Lord or mes-
sengers of the Lord, by way of cllipsis, which is of frequent oc-
currcncc in thc language of thc childrcn of Israel, as weil as in othcr
la~guagcs. Thus, for cxamplc, thcy said: For the Lord and for
G,deon (Judg. 7: 18), when thcy mcant: The s,vord for tl,e Lord
an~ for Giaeon. 10 They also used thc exprcssion: Unto the Gazites
saying (Judg. 16: 2), suppressing thc phrasc: And it was told.a1
F~rth~rmorc they said: And Absalom se-nt /or Ahithophel the
G,lomte (Il Sam. 15: 12), imaginatively supplying after tbat statc-
ment thc words: And he- took Ahithophel, and [onc might citc]
other such [instanccs ].
30. A1 in vene :ao of the same cluipter.
31. Cf. Judg. 9: 47.
GOD 109
CHAPTER VII
Now thcsc advocatcs of thc doctrinc of thc trinity, may God havc
mcrcy on thcc, arc divided into four sccts, thrcc of which arc thc
older whilc thc fourth appcarcd only rcccndy. Thc fi~st of thesc
is of thc opinion that thc body, as weil as thc apirit of their Mcs-
siah, is dcrivcd from thc Crcator, cxaltcd bc He. Tbc sccond holds
tbc vicw that bis body was crcated, hia spirit alonc having cmanatcd
from the Crcator. Tbc third, again, bclicvcs that both his body and
bis spirit wcrc crcated, but that hc also posscsscd anothcr spirit
that was dcrivcd from thc Crcator. As for thc fourth group, it as-
signs to hi m tbc pasition of thc prophcts only, intcrprcting thc
sonsbip of whicb tbcy makc mcntion whcn thcy spcak <91 >
of him just as we intcrpret thc Biblical cxprcssion: Israelis My
first-born son (Exod. 4: 22), which is mcrely an cxprcssion of cs-
tcem and high rcgard, or, as otliiera intcrprct thc .111caning of thc
phrasc: "Abraham, thc fricn d of God." 82
As far as this last group is conccrned, it is subjcct, in thc matter
of rcfutation, to all that I shall mcntion in thc third trcatisc of
this book in thc chaptcr on the abrogation of thc Law,18 as weil
as to all that I shall mention in the cighth trcatise apropas of the
coming of the Mcssiah.H As for thc first scct, which asscrts that
a portion of God becamc thc body and spirit of Christ, it is sub-
jcct, in addition to thesc two rcfutations, to whatcvcr applies to
thosc who assert that tbc things crcated arc dcrivcd from thc Crc-
ator.111 Thc third scct, again, which asscrts that thc body and thc
spirit of tbcir Mcssiah werc crcatcd, is compcllcd to assumc that a
crcatcd physical bcing could bccomc God through thc association
with · it of a divinc elcmcnt. Thc·y citc as an analogy thc dcsccnt
of thc glory of God on Mount Sinai and its appcaraoce in thc
Burning Bushand thc Tcnt of Meeting. Such a comparison would,
howcvcr, compcl them to acknowledgc thc Tabcrnaclc and the
32. He has in mind thc Mohammedans. Cf. Koran ii: 124.
33. Cf. btlow, pp. 157 lf.
34, Cf. btlow, pp. 312 lf.
35. i.c., ,ucb :u the proponentl of thc third thcory of creatioll mcntioned above,
PP· 55 lf.
 +
110 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Bush and thc mountain also as dcitics, which would bc going frorn
bad to worsc so far as thcy arc conccrncd. Bcaidcs this, thcy arc
also subjcct to whatcvcr I shall mcntion by way of rcfutation in thc
chaptcr on thc abrogation of thc Law 18 and thc onc on thc coming
of thc Mcssiah. BT
As for thc intcrmcdiary scct, it is subjcct to all thc rcfutations ap-
plying to the other two. lt is subjcct to thc rcfutations applying
to thc first on account of its asscrtion that thc spirit of thc Mcssiah
is divinc, cclcstial, as weil as to thosc applying to thc last bccausc of
its asscrtion that the body of thc Mcssiah was crcatcd. In addition,
it cannot extricatc itsclf from thc argumcnts prcscntcd in thc two
chapters on thc abrogation of thc Law 89 and the coming of thc
Mcssiah.lT This constitutcs, then, in brief the cxpos~ of my rcply
to whocver affirms the belief in the cxistcncc of two or threc or morc
pcrsons of God. God is rathcr an indivisible unity.
CHAPTER VIII
Hcrcunto lct me appcnd a qucstion that might bc askcd by some-
onc; namcly, how it is possiblc for what is actually thc subtlcst of
all that is subtlc to bc conccivcd of as thc strongest of all that is
strong. In rcply thercto lct mc statc that thc All-Wisc has givcn
us many illustrations of such a phcnomcnon in thc rcalm of cx-
istcncc. Thus thc soul is subtlcr than thc body and yct strongcr
than thc lattcr, for it is upon thc soul that thc conduct of thc body
is dcpcndcnt. That is why our forcfathcrs uscd in thcir oaths thc
formula of .A.s the Lord lir,etl,, thal mode us this soul (Jcr. 38: 16).
Similarly is rcason subtlcr than <92> thc [othcr facultics of
thc] soul 81 and yet strongcr than they, bccausc thc latter arc sub-
jcct to its managcment. That is why thou findest it to bc cspccially
ascribcd to the Crcator, as Scripturc says, The Lord by wisdom
36, Cf. abon, D, 33,
37. Cf. abon, n. 34.
38. Thi1 tnnslation follow1 the interpretation of Ventun (p. 186) ntber thu
that of Outtmann (p, 11.4), who renden the pauap "knowledge, ahhough A1bder
than the aoul, ia 1tronpr than the lattu."
j
GOD III
Joundtd 1he earth; hy understanding Ht estab/ished the hear,ens
(Prov. 3: 19).
Nay cvcn among thc four clcmcnts can wc obscrvc this fact.
We sec, for cxamplc, that thc- water, which is fincr than thc [ clc-
mcnt of] carth, is ncvcrthclcss strongcr than it, bccausc it pcnc-
tratcs and pulls it away. Again thc wind, although finer than thc
watcr, is ncvcrtbcless morc powcrful than the lattcr, bccause it
moves it and evcn causcs it to risc upward. Finally, thc firc is thc
most powcrful of all thc clcmcnts, bccausc thc sphcrc of fire cn-
compasscs all [othcrs] aod, by virtuc of its pcrpctual motion, thc
carth and wbat is upon it rcmains fixcd in thc ccntcr. As for thc
cclcstial castward motion that causcs the highe&t sphcrc to makc
its rcvolution, nobody knows of any causc that scts it in motion
othcr than thc command of its Crcator, blcsscd and cxaltcd bc He,
who is at thc samc time thc most abstract and thc most powcrful
of all forccs. lt has thus bccomc thoroughly clcar that, thc finer
one thing is in rclation to anothcr, thc morc powcrful is it in pro-
portion to the lattcr.
And now that thcsc prcliminary mattcrs havc bccn prcscntcd
by mc, I sec fit to follow thcm up with a discussion of thc most
common dcscriptions and assertions about God conccming which
qucstions might bc raiscd in this conncction bccause of idcas [that
may havc riscn] in thc mind or (becausc] of what is found [ writ-
tcn] in Scripturc or of [ somc cxprcssion] hcard from thc mouth of
a· bclicvcr. l prcface my rcmarks with a gcncral obscrvation, and
say that wbcncvcr any rcfcrcncc is madc in this conncction to such
mattcrs as substancc or accidcnt or thc attributc of a substancc or
an accidcnt, ncithcr "much" nor "littlc" thcrcof can bc applicd in
the casc of thc Crcator. For it is our firm conviction that He is thc
Creator of thc univcrsc.- Thcrc docs not, thcrcfore, rcmain a sub-
stancc or accidcnt or auributc tbat was not acquircd or disccrncd
or put togcthcr by Hirn or about which it is not ccrtain that this
Crcator was its makcr. Hcncc it is out of qucstion and impossible
to dcclare Him to bc anything that He has Himsclf crcatcd. Con-
sequcntly for all divinc attributcs pcrtaining to cithcr substaocc
 f
112 THE BOOK OF BEUEFS AND OPINIONS
or accidcnt that are cncountcrcd in thc book1 of the prophete it ia
ncccssa,y to find in thc lang1.1agc of Scripturc nonanthropomorphic
mean.ings that would bc in kccpiog with the requiremcnta of rca-
son. Whcncvcr, then, wc thc commuoity of bclicven apply to God
cpithcta that havc the appearancc of anthropomorphisms, <93>
this is due to our cndcavor to givc a proximatc and figurative d~
scription of deity. They arc not to bc takcn in thc material ,cose
in wbich wc would apply thcm to human beings.
Since, thcn, thcsc threc points have becn clearcd up by mc, tbou
must no longcr bc lcd astray or thrown into unccrtainty, Oh thou
who studicst this book, by such statemcnts that thou mayest makc
as "[God] was•• and .. [God] wanted" and "[God] was plwcd"
and "[God] was angry" and othcr such remarks and similar ut-
tcrances that occur in thc Scriptures. For thcsc cxpressions arc
used by us only 90 thc basis of thc principle prcviously cstablished
by us, to which tl\cy must consta.ntly bc rcfcrrcd and rclatcd. An
cdificc, let t be notcd, is always built from thc foundatioo upward,
ncver from thc top down. Do not, thcrcfore, bccome confu~d be,.
causc of somc anthropomorphic attribute of God that thou scest
in thc Scripturcs, or of which thou findest us making common usc,
with thc rcsult that thou wouldst Japse back again, on its account,
into doubt. But check it 80 against the principlc, thc truc nature of
which has already bccn dari.fied and firmly cstablisbcd.
CHAPTER IX
And now let mc elaboratc on thcse matten on the basis of the
ten cotegorits, discoursing about cach :1s bcfits it. 1 say, then, that
therc arc peoplc who think that this bcing called „God" is a sub-
stancc. Howevcr, thcir views in rcgard to thc nature of this sub-
stancc diffcr. Onc of them, for cxample, asscrts [ that it is that of)
a human bcing.• 0 Anothcr says [it consists of) firc. Still anothcr
statc-s [ that it is] air. Again another affirms [ that it is idcntical with]
39. "But che:c.k lt"-dded by .Ibn 1ibbon.
40. Such antbropomorphhn a:hted 1mo.ng Jewa, u weil II IIIIOllf Molwnme-
dans at the time of Saadiah. Cf. Ventun, p. 187, n. 56,
GOD
41
cmpty space, while othcrs makc asscrtions other than thesc.
Since, however, it has becn clcarly cstablishcd that God is the Crc-
ator of all mcn, of all the air, and all fue; and space, and of cvcry-
thing that exists, and all knowledge, all thcsc falsc impressions
havc by logical dcmonstration becn proven null and void.
Now just as this is verificd by reason, so does it bccome ccrtain
from thc Scriptures. All existing things arc namcly dividcd into
fivc principal groups: mincrals, vegctables, animals, astral bodies,
and angels, and thc Scriptures excludc thc idca that any of thcsc
fivc groups resemblcs thc Creator or that He rcscmblcs them. For
thcy say apropos of the most precious mincrals, namcly gold and
silvcr: Wnom will ye /ik,en unto Me, ond mak,e My equal, and
compore Me to, tnat we may /Je like? 42 Ye tnat lavisn gold out of
tne bag, and weigh silver in tl,e balance? (Isa. 46: 5, 6). His rcmark,
magnificd be His majesty: Wl,om will ye lik,en unto Me, and
make My equal disprovcs thc possibility of anything's rcsembling
Him. His rcmark again: And compare Me to, that we may be like
<94> disprovcs thc possibility of His rcscmbling anything elsc.
Furthermore the Scriptures say apropos of thc most distinguishcd
plants, namely the ccdar and the plane tre<:: To whom tl,en will
ye lik,en God? Or wnal likeness will ye compare unto Him? The
image perchance, whicl, the craftsman l,a,h melted, anll the gold-
smith spread over witl, gold? ••. A l,olm-oak is set apart, l,e
cl,oosetl, a tree that will n.ol rot •.•0 (Isa. 40: 18-2o). They say,
morcover, in rcgard to all the animals: Take ye there/ore good
heed unto yourselves-for ye saw no manner o/ form • . . lest ye
deal co""ptly, and make you a graven image, even the form of any
figure, tl,e lik,eness of male or female, the lik,eness of any beast
that is on the eartl,, the lik,eness of any winged /owl that flieth in
tl,e heaven, the lik,eness of anything that creepetl, on the ground,
the lik,entss of any fisl, that is in the waler under the eartl, u
(Deut. 4: 15-18). Again they say apropos of the stars: To whom
41, "empty 1pace";__lbn 1ibbon tramlatca "silver." Cf, Guttmana, p. 116, n. 2.
42, "Whom , , • like"-the usual tnnslation i1 "To whom will ye liken Me,
111d make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like~"
43. Thi, quotation follow1 the rcading of Ibn 1ibbon.
44. Thi, quotation, IOO, follow1 the reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
u4. THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
11,en will ye lil(en Me, 11,a, l slaould be equal? saiJI, 11,e Holy Ont,
Lift up your eyes on high,.and ste: who J,a,I, created lhtst? He
11,a, bringet/, oul 11,ei, l,osl by numbt, (Isa. 40: :i5- 26). Finally
they remark, apropos of the angels: For wlao in 11,e sl(its can bc
compartd unlo 1/11 I.Ard, who among dir,int btings u can be
likentd unlo 1/,e I.Ard? (Ps. 89: 7).
Thus thc Scripturcs, taking into account u cverything that exists,
cxcludc thc possibility of its resembling the Crcator or the Crcator's
rcscmbling it. These explicit statements are, then, to bc regardcd
as thc basic principlcs that are to serve as thc foundation of belief
to which cvcry doubtful cxprcssion with a figurative mcaning must
bc refcrrcd in ordcr to bc brought into agrcement with thcm.
Among thc Biblical uttcrances, now, with a figurative mcaning
is thc Statement of Scripturc: And God crtattd man in His own
image, in lht imagt of God crtaltd Ht laim (Gen. 1: 27). This
[linking of the imagc with God], 1 must cxplain, is mcrcly a way
of confcrring honor. That is to say just as, evcn though all lands
bclong to Hirn, God honorcd onc of them by saying: "This is My
Land," and although all mountains are His, He honored onc
mountain by saying: "This is My mountain," so did He, [although]
all forms are His, honor onc of thcm by saying: "This is My
form," by way of distinction, not in a material sense.
Another one of thcsc passages with a figurative meaning is the
statemcnt of Scripturc:: For tht Lord thy God is a de11ouring fire
(Deut. 4: 24). Now I must explain that what Scripturc mcanc
hercby is that God is as punishing and destructive to unbclicvcrs
and herctics as fire. 1 find, morcovcr, that in the languagc of Scrip-
ture comparisons arc somctimes cxprcsscd without [ thc usc of
the prcposition] lcaf. Thus wc rcad: And He brouglat you fort/,
out of tht iron furnact (Deut. 4: 20), thc mcaning of which is
[really] as out of an i,on furnact. fWc rcad] also: <95> aftn'
a dtad dog? Afur a fiea? (1 Sam. 24: 15), thc actual mcaning of
which is: as a/ttr a dtad dog and as after a fiea. Finally [ wc read]
45. "divine beings"-the usual translation is "the ICIRI of might."
46, "taking into account"~iterally "gathering" or "summing up."
GOD
conccrning thc Gaditcs that Tlaeir facts w«e 11,e faces o/ lions (1
Chron. 12: 9), thc mcaning of which is [of coursc Jlilce tl,e fnces
o/ lions. Simifarly ·must thc mcaning of He is a de11ouring fire bc
construcd as: He is as punishing IU a de11ouring fire.
[TheJ ncxt [ subjcct I shall discoursc] about [ in conncction with
the nature of God is that of] quantity. 1 say, thcn, that thc conccpt
of quantity calls for two things ncithcr of which may bc applicd
to thc Crcator. Onc of thesc is thc mcasurcmcnt of lcngth, width,
and dcpth. Thc othcr is division and combination whcrcby things
arc dividcd from onc anothcr or combincd with cach othcr. None
of thcsc things can bc asscrtcd of thc Crcator, as it is provcn by
reason, Scripture, and tradition.
As far as thc rational proof is conccrncd, it consists herein, that
it was a Crcator of thcsc combinations and compositions, as dc-
mandcd by our rcason, that wc werc looking for and wc found that
therc was nothing lcft of thcsc [ combinations] that would not bc
indudcd in thc conccpt that He was thc author thcrcof,
As for the proof from Scripturc, it is containcd in thc vcrsc wc
havc mcntioncd prcviously, namely: Lest ye deal co"uptly (Deut.
4: 16), and the rest of that passagc.
As for thc proof from tradition, again, wc find that whenevcr
our sagcs, who wcre considcrcd trustworthy authoritics in rcgard
to our rcligion, cncountcrcd any such comparisons of God to
physical bcings, thcy did not translatc thcm in an anthropomorphic
sense, but rcndcrc'1 thcm in such a way as to corrcspond to thc
prcviously cstablishcd principlc. Now thcy werc thc disciples of
the prophcts and bcttcr acquaintcd than others with thc specch
of thc prophcts. If, thcrcforc, it had sccmcd to thcm that the,ac
cxprcssions wcre mcant to bc takcn in thcir material sense, thcy
would havc translatcd thcm litcrally. Howcvcr, thcy kncw for ccr-
tain from the prophcts, asidc from what thcir rcason dictated to
thcm, that by mcans of thcsc anthropomorphic cxprcssions thcy
mcant to dcsignatc lofty, cxaltcd idcas. Thcy thcrcforc translatcd
thcm in accordancc with thcir clcar undcrstanding of thc undcr-
lying thoughts.
116 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Onc cxamplc of this type of translation is:
Belaold, the hand of the Lord (Exod. 9: 3) = Behold, a plague
from hefore the Lord.' 1
Anothcr illustration of this sort of rcndcring is:
And under His fett (Exod. 24: 10) =And under the throne of
Hil glory.
A furthcr instancc is:
According 10 the mouth 48 of the Lord (Exod. 17: 1) = .4.c-
cording to the word of tlae Lord.
A still furthcr samplc of this modc of translating on thcir part is :
In the ears of the Lord (Num. 11: 18) = Before the Lord. Thus
also did thcy translatc all passagcs of a similar nature.
CHAPTER X
~~ now ~at I have made it clcar that reason, Scripture, and
trad1t1on are m agrcement <9li> on the cxclusion of any com-
parison from the personality of our Lord, 1 shall claboratc on thcsc
anthropomorphic tcrms, that are cmployed by Scripture in spcak.
ing of God? a?d say that there are ten of them, namely:
head, as m 1ts statcment : And a lielmd o/ salvation upon His
head (lsa. 59: 17);
eye, as in its statement: The eyes o/ the Lord tl,y God are al,uays
"pon it O (Deut. u : 12);
ear, as in its statement: For ye have wept in the ears o/ the Lord
(Num. 11: 18);
mouth, ·as in its statement: According to ihe mouth GO of the
Lord (Exod. 17: I);
lip, as in its statcment: Nor will/ alter tl,at which is gone out
of My lips (Ps. Sg:35);
face, as in its statement: Tl,e Lord make His face to shine upon
thee (Num. 6: 25);
47.
48.
All dmc cxamples arc takcn from Targum Onkclos.
"mouth"-the usual translation i1 "commandmcnt."
49. Thi1 quotation follow1 the reading of Ibn Tibbon.
50. Cf. above, n. 48.
l
GOD
l,and, as in its statcment: Behold, the l,and o/ the Lord (Exod.
9:3);
1,eart, as in its statemcnt: And the Lord said in His nearl (Gen.
8: 21);
enlrails, as in its statemcnt: Therefore My entrails 11 1 yearn /or
him (]er. 31: 20);
and /ool, as in its statement: And prostrate yoursel11e1 at His
/ootstool (Ps. 99: 5). .
Such sta'tements, now, and othcrs resembling them, arc instanccs
of the usage of language and its extension, cach of thcm pointing
to some idea (in connection with God]. As for thcir intcrprccation,
it i.s such as wc find it to bc in matten othcr than those pcnaining
to the Creator. Thus we know that it is rcally of thc nature and thc
pcculiarity of languagc tbus to cxtend and transfer mcanings and
employ figurcs of spccch.
Such an cxtcnsion of meaning is cmployed by tbe language of
Scripture when it says
that hcavcn speaks: Tlae l,eavens declare tl,e glory o/ God (Ps.
19:2);
that the sca talks: For the sea hath ipol(,.en, tl,e stronghold of ,he
ua, .raying (Isa. 23: 4);
that death utters spccch: Destruction and Deatl, say (Job 28: l2) ;
that stoncs can hcar : Behold, this stone shall be a wit ness against
us,· for it hat/, l,eard (Josh. 24: 27);
that the mountains spcak: The mountains and the hills .rhall
hreak forth before you inlo singing (Isa. 55: 12);
and that the hills put on garments: And the l,il/s are girded with
ioy (Ps. 65:13).
Thcre are also other such passages that cannot bc enumcrated in
haste.
Now if somcone were to ask, "But what advantage is thcre in this
cxtcnsion of mcaning that is practiced by language and that is cal-
culated only to throw us into doubt? Would it not have done better
if it had rcstr ictcd itself to expressions <'17 > of uneq uivocal mcan-
ing and thus have enablcd us to dispense with this burdcn of dis-
51. "cntrail1 ycarn"--che usual tnn1lation is "heut yruaeth."
 p

GOD 119
118 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
tion by forcc, as in thc statcmcnt of Scripture: Until l make thint
covering the corrcct interpretation?" my answer would bc that,
enemies thy /ootrtool (Ps. uo: 1).
if language wcre to restrict itsclf to just onc term, iu cmployment
Sincc, thcn, at ccrtain times wc find such cxpressions uscd of hu-
would bc vcry much curtailcd and it would bc impossible to express
man bcings, in a non-material sense <!)8> how much morc fit-
by mcans of it any more than a small portion of what wc aim to
tingly should thcy bc construcd in this non-material sense when
convcy. lt thercfore prcfcrrcd rather to cxtend its usc of words so
applicd to thc Creatorl Furtherm~rc I say.that w~ fin~ that cx~n:s·
as to transmit every mcaning, relying for the corrcct interpreta·
sions similar to thcsc are used in spcakmg of manunatc thmgs
tion upon reason and acquaintance with thc texts of Scripturc and
which cannot propcrly bc said to possess any of thcse organs. Wc
with history. Wcre wc, in our e.ffort to givc an account of God, to
find, namdy, that in thc language of Scripturc thirtccn 11 • such
makc usc only of cxpressions that are litcrally true, it would bc
tcrms arc applicd to thc earth and watcr.
ncccssary for us to desist from spcaking of Hirn as onc that hears
Thc first of them is head-Nor the head 1111 o/ the Just o/ the
and sces and pities and wills to thc point whcrc thcrc would bc world (Prov. 8: 26),
nothing lcft for us to affirm exccpt the fact of His existcnce.
[ Anothcr is] tye, as in thc statcmcnt of Scripture: And they shall
And now that I have made this dcar, let mc go back to thc tcn
cot1er the tyt H o/ the earth (Exod. 10: 5).
tcrms listcd bcforc in order to explain thcir actual mcaning. 1 say, [ A third is] ear, as in the statcment of Scripture: And gi11e ear,
then, that ( when they used the word ] head [ in connection with 01, earth (lsa. 1: 2). .
God ], thc prophets wishcd [to convey] the thought of distinction [ A fourth is] /ace, as in the statement of Scripturc: Abo11e tht
and clevation, as Scripture expresses itsclf elsc':\f here in rcgard to
/act o/ the earth (Num. 11 :31).
human bcings : My glory, and the li/ter up o/ m y head ( Ps. ~: 4). ~y
(A .fifth is] mouth,as in thc statement of Scripturc: And theearth
tyt, again, thcy mcant solicitude, as in thc statemcnt found an Scrip-
optned her mouth (Num. 16: 32).
turc : That I may sei mint eyes upon him (Gen. 44 : 21). By /°'t fas
[ A sixth is] wing, as in thc statemcnt of Scripture: ·From the
appJied to God) thcy meant eithcr good will or angcr. Thus Scrir wing n o/ the earth (lsa. 24: 16).
ture says in one instance : In the light o/ the l{ing's countenanct u
[ A scventh is J hand, as in the statement of Scripture: By tl,t
li/t (Prov. 16: 15); and in another: And /,er counttnance was no
hand H o/ the ri11er (Dan. 10: 4).
more sad ( [ Sam. 1: 18). By ear thcy meant thc acccptancc of a plca,
[ An cighth is] lip, as in thc statcment of Scripture: By tl,e ri11er's
as Scripture says: Let thy strt1ant, I pray lhte, sptak a word in my
lip 51 (Exod. 2: 3).
lord's ears (Gen. 44: 18). By mouth and lip thcy mcant cxplanation [ A ninth is] hearl, as in the statemc:nt of Scripture: T l,e deeps
and command, as in thc statcments of Scripturc: At lht moutl, 112 wert congealed in tht hearl o/ the sea (Exod. 15: 8).
o/ Aaron and his sons (Num. 4: 27), and The lips o/ the righteous [A tenth is) nat1tl, as in thc statement of Scripturc: That dwell
/ted many,· [ but tht /ooli,J, die /or want o/ undtrstanding] (Prov. in tl,e navel eo o/ tl,e earth (Ezek. 38: 11).
10: 21). By hand they mcant power, as in the statemcnt of Scripturc:
[ An cleventh is] belly, as in thc statement of Scripture: Out o/
There/ort their inhabitantr 1vere short of hand (II Kings 19: 16).
By hearl they mcant wisdom, as in thc statcmcnt of Scripture: A 54. "thincen"-thc Arabic and Hebrew vcnions both rcad "twclvc."
young man 11oid o/ htart r.,,, (Prov. 7: 7). By entrails they meaat 55. "hcad"-thc usual tran1lation i1 "bcginning."
56. "eyc"-thc u1ual translation is "facc."
tcnderness, as in the statc~cnt of Scripturcr Yea, Thy Law ir in 57. "wing"-thc usual translation i1 "uttcrmost part."
my inmost parts (Ps. 40: 9). By /001, finally, thcy mcant domina· 58. "hand"-thc usual translarion is "sidc."
59. "lip"-thc usual cranslation is "brink."
52. "mouth"-thc usual translation ia "commandmcnt." 6o. "navcl"-the u,ual cranslacion is "middlc,"
53. "hrart"-thc usual tran1lation i1 "undcntandine."
 p
120 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPJNIONS
the helly of the netherworltl meJ 1, anJ T Aou l,eartl11 my
11oice (Jonah 2: 3).
[A twclfth is] womb, as in thc statemcnt of Scripturc: Or 111/,0
1/1111 up 1/,e sea with Joors, wl,en il brolc.e for1l, 1 antl usuetl oul
0/ 1/,e womb (Job 38: 8).
[A thirtecnth is] thigh, as in thc statcmcnt of Scripturc: Antl l
sl,all gather them /rom 11,e thig/11 11 of tAe et1rth (Jer. 31: 8).
Thus wc find that thc languagc of Scripturc cmploys thcsc cx-
prcssions in spcaking of things, which, according to thc tcstimony
of our scnscs, posscss none of thcsc organs, on which account thcy
must all bc construcd as merely figurcs of spccch. lt must, thcrc-
forc, do thc samc for whatcvcr our reason tcstifics posscsscs nonc
of thcsc organs. In that casc, too, thesc cxprcssions can bc only
figurcs of spccch. He, thereforc, who allcgcs that thc languagc of
Scripturc uscs words only in their material sense, must find thesc
thirteen 12 organs for us in the earth and the water.
Now just as thc abovc-mentioned terms for the organs oE the
body [when applied to God] arc uscd only figurativcly, so also are
all acts connccted with thesc organs. [This wo.uld hold true whcrc
such words areeddrcsscd to GodJ as incline T/Jine ear, open TMne
eyes, /trete/, fort/, Thy Aand, and the like. Tbc same thing would
also apply to the <99> spccial functions ucribed to these organs,
[as when it is asscrted of God] that He hears and sees anJ speaks
and thinlc.1 and the Jike. Each one oE thcse has an intcrprctation
other than its literal sense. Hcncc cven such a Statement as Anti
·,he Lord smelled, thc true implication of which is difficult to con-
struc, would have the mcaning of "to rcceive," which [the ward
"smell" nccessarily has J in the statement of Scripturc: Througl, 11,e
tmell II of water ;, will bud (Job 14: 9). rsuch a construction would
bc1in kccping with rcason and Scripturc and.tradition.
Pcradvcnturc howevcr, somconc, attacking our view, will ask:
.. But how is it possible to put such constructions on thesc anthropo-
morphic expressions and on what is rel:,ted to thcm, when Scrip-
61. "thisfi1"-the usual tl'ln1lation i1 "uttermott pmrll."
62. "thirtten"--the Arabic and Hebrew •er1ion1 both read "twelve."
63. "anell"-the usual U1111lation i1 "tcent."
GOD 121
turc itself cxplicitly mcntions a form likc that of human bcings
that was sccn by thc prophcts and spokc to thcm and to which
thcy imputcd God's words, let alone thc dcscription by it of God's
being scatcd on a throne, and His bcing borne by thc angcls on top
of a firmament, as Scripturc says: AnJ abo11e the firmament thal
was 011er 11,eir l,eads was tne lilf..eness of a lnrone, u the appearance
of a sapphire stone; ond u11on the lik,eness of tl,e throne wu a lilc.e·
nest as tne appearance of " m11n 11bo11e it? (Ezek. 1: 26.) Furthcr-
morc, this form is also mcntioncd as having bccn sccn scatcd on a
throne with angcls on its right and its lcft, as Scripturc say1: l saw
the Lord sitling on His thrQne, and all the l,011 o/ he1111en standing
by Him on His right hand 11nd on His lefl" (1 Kings.22: 19).
Our answer to this objection is that this form was something
[ spcciallyJ creatcd. Similarly thc throne and thc firmamcnt, as weil
as its bcarcrs, wcrc all of thcm produccd for thc first time by the
Crcator out of firc for thc purposc of assuring His prophct that it
was He that bad revealed His word to him, as wc shall cxplain in
thc third treatise of this"book." lt is a form nobler cven than [that
of] thc angcls, magnificent in char~ctcr, rcsplcndcnt with light,
which is callcd tne glory of 11,e Lord. lt is this form, too, that onc of
thc prophcts dcscrfücd as follows: 1 bel,.eld till throne, were pl«ed,
and one thal was ancient o/ days did 1it (Dan. 7: 9), and that thc
sagcs characterizcd as likhinan. Sometimes, howevcr, this spccially
crcatcd bcing consists of light without thc form of a pcrson. lt was,
thcrcforc, an honor that God had confcrrcd on His prophct by al-
lowing him to hcar thc oraclc from the mouth of a majcstic form
crcatcd out of firc that was callcd 11,e glory o/ tne Lord, as wc have
< 100 > explaincd.
What furthcr proves thc corrcctncss of our thcsis is thc statemcnt
oE thc prophct concerning this form: And He said unto me: "Son
o/ man, stand upon thy /eel, and l will spealc. witn thee" (Ezck .
2: 1). Now it is inconccivable that this intcrlocutor was the mastcr
of the universe, bccausc the Torah says that the Creator has ncver
spoken to anyone without an intcrmediary exccpt to our te«l,er
Mose1 alone. That is thc import of its statemcnt, And lhere l,ath nol
64. Cf. below, p. 151.
 f
122 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
•isen a prophet sin,:e in Israel like unto Moses, whom 11,e Lord
knew f«e to f«e UG (Deut. 34: 10). As for thc rcst of thc prophcts,
howcvcr, it was.only thc angcls that addrcsscd thcm. Whcn, thcn,
wc find thc tcxt dircctly mcntioning thc titlc angel, wc havc an
cxplicit rcfcrcncc to a crcatcd bcing. lf, again, it uscs thc phrasc
glory of the Lord, that too implics somcthing crcatcd. If, howcvcr,
it mcntions thc namc Lord but docs not attach to it the word glory
or angel but only such cxprcssions as 11i1ion or throne or somc
human attributc, there can bc no doubt but that thcrc is somcthing
supprcsscd in that uttcrancc, thc full form of which should bc
glory of tl,e Lord or angel of tl,e Lord, in accordancc with thc prac-
ticc of thc languagc of Scripturc to lcavc out words by cllipsis.
CHAPTER XI
Ncxt l shall discoursc upon [ thc catcgory of] quality, that is to
say thc accidcnts, [in thcir rclationship to God]. l say, thcn, that
in rcality it cannot bc assertcd at all that accidcnts could apply to
God, in vicw of thc fact that He is thc crcator of all accidcnts.
Whcn, thcrcforc, wc find Hirn saying that He lovcs or hatcs a cer-
tain thing, what is mcant thcrcby is that whatcvcr He has com-
mandcd us to do is dcsignatcd by Hirn as lovablc in His sight,
sincc He has madc the love of that thing obligatory upon us. Thus,
for cxamplc, Scripturc says: For the Lord lo11eth justice (Ps. 37: 28),
and For the Lord is righteous, He lo11eth righteoumess (Ps. 11: 7),
and thc likc. lt also makcs this asscrtion about thc virtucs in gcncral,
saying: For in these things I delight, saith the Lord (Jcr. 9: 23).
Whatcvcr, again, He has forbiddcn us to do is dcsignatcd by Hirn
as hatcful in His sight, sincc He has madc thc hating of that thing
obligatory upon us. Thus Scripturc says: T here are s,"x thin gs which
the Lord hateth (Prov. 6: 16), and I hate robbery with iniquity
(lsa. 61: 8). lt also makcs this asscrtion about viccs in gcncral, say-
ing conccrning thcm: For all these are things that l hate, saitl, the
Lord (Zcch. 8: 17).
65. This quotation follows the reading of Ibn 1ibbnn.
GOD 123
Furthcrmorc, whcncvcr wc notc that, [according to Scrip-
turc ], God says that He is plcascd < 101 >
or aogry, what
is mcant thcrcby is that whcncvcr happincss and rcward arc
dccrccd for somc of God's crcaturcs, that is charactcrizcd as
God's plcasurc. This is illustratcd in such statcmcnts of Scrip-
turc as The Lord takdh pleasure in them that fear Him (Ps.
147: 11), and Lord, Thou hast taken pleasure in Thy land
(Ps. ßs: ::a). Again, whcn sornc of thern arc dcscrving of hard-
ship and puoishmcnt, that is charactcrizcd as God's angcr. This
is illustratcd in such statcmcnts of Scripturc as The anger of the
Lord is against them that do e11il (Ps. 34: 17), and But His power
and His wrath is against all 11,~m 1hat forsake Him (Ezra 8: :u).
As for physical anger and plcasure or physical lovc and hatc, thcy
can bc posscsscd only by bcings that dcsirc and fcar. lt is out of
thc qucstion, howcvcr, that thc Crcator of all things should cntcr-
tain a dcsirc for aught that He has crcatcd or bc in fcar of it. Tbc
sarnc cxcgcsis is to be givcn to all othcr apparcntly anthropo-
morphic dcscriptions of God occurring in Scripturc that fall un-
dcr the catcgory of quality.
With rcspcct to [ thc catcgory ofJ relation I say that it would
be impropcr to conncct anything with thc Crcator in an anthropo-
morphic manncr or to rclatc it to Hirn, bccausc He has cxistcd sincc
ctcrnity, [ that is a time] whcn none of thc things crcatcd wcrc con-
ncctcd with Hirn or rclatcd to Hirn. Now, that thcy havc bcen
crcatcd by Hirn, it would bc ncccssary to make thc inadmissiblc
assumption that a changc has takcn place in His csscncc, pcrmit-
ting thcm to bccorne rclatcd to and conncctcd with Hirn in an
anthropornorphic fashion, subsequent to thc cxistcncc of a con-
trary situation.
Whcn, thcrcforc, wc notc 88 that thc Scripturcs call God king
and prcsent human bcings as His slavcs and thc angcls as minis-
tcring to Him; as is donc in thc statcmcnts of Scripturc: The Lord
is king fore11er and ever (P$. 10: 16), and PraiJe, 0 ye urvants of
the Lord (Ps. 113: 1), and The flaming fire His ministers (Ps.
104: 4), all that is mcrcly a mcans of cxprcssing rcvercncc and es-
' 66. "we note"--so Ibn 1ibbon. Thc Arabic original read, "thou note1t,"
124 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
tccm. For thc human bcings most highly cstccmed by us arc thc
kings. God is also callcd "king" in thc sense that He can do what-
cvcr He wishcs and that His command is always carricd out, as
Scripturc says: Fora1much a1 the l(ing't ward hat power,· and who
may tay unto Him: "What doe1t thou?" (Ecclcs. 8: 4.)
Again, whcn wc find that thc Scripturcs ascribe to God fricnd1
and cncmies, as is donc in such statemcnts of Scripturc as O ye
11,at lot1e tl,e Lord, hate et1il (Ps. 97:10), and The l,atert o/ lhe
Lord should d111indle away before Him (Ps. 81: 16), that is mcrely
a mctaphorical usagc of thcsc tcrms on thcir part for < I02 > thc
purposc of cxprcssing cstccm or disapproval. Estccm i.s shown of
thosc mcn that obey God by applying to thcm thc dcsignation of
lot1er1 of God, whilst disapproval of thc disobedicnt is cxprcsscd
by thc application to thcm of thc dcsignation of hatert. In thc samc
vcin must cvcrything elsc that falls under this category be intcr-
pretcd.
Apropos of [ thc category of J place, 1 say that it is inconceivablc
for scvcral rcasons that thc Crcator should havc' nccd for occupy-
ing any placc whatsocvcr. First of all He is Himsclf thc Crcator
of all spacc. Also He originally existcd alone, [ that is, at a time J
r
whcn thcre was [ as yct] no such thing as] place. It is unthinkablc,
thercfore, that as a result of His act of crcation He should havc
bccn transportcd into spacc. Furthermore, spacc is rcquired only
by a material object which occupies 87 thc placc of the object that
it mccts and comes in contact with, so that cach onc of the two
contiguous objects forms the place of the other. This is, however,
out of the qucstion so far as thc Creator is conccrncd.
As for the asscrtion of the prophets that God dwells in heaven,
that was mercly a way of indicating God's greatncss and His eleva-
tlon, since hcaven is for us the highest thing we know of. This is
bome out by such cxplanations. o.ffcred by the Scriptures a1 For
u
God in l,eaven, and tl,ou upon earlh (Eccles. 5: 1); as weil as
Behold, l,eat1en and the heat1en of l,eat1en1 cannol conlain Thee
(1 Kings 8: 27). The same applics to statcmcnts to thc cllcct that
67, "occupiu"-Cf, Lane·Poole'• Art1M~·Bn1li1!1 Lltdcon (I.ondon, 1863-1893),
p. 1,67, hga.11.
GOD 125
God dwclls in the Temple, such as And 1 wiU dwell among the chil-
dren of Israel (Exod. 29: 45), and And the Lord dwelleth in Zion
(Jocl 4: 21 ), Tbc purpose of all this was to confer honor upon the
placc and the peoplc in qucstion. Bcsides that it is to be remcm~
bered that God had also revcaled in that placc His specially-created
Hght, of which wc have madc mcntion prcviously, that was callcd
Jik/Jinah and glory.
As regards [ the category of] time, it is inconceivablc that the
conccpt of time could bc applicd to thc Crcator because of the fact
that He is Himself the Creator of all time. Furthcrmorc, He ex-
istcd originally alone whcn there was as yct no such thing as time.
lt is, thcrcforc, unthinkablc that time should havc cflcctcd any
locomotion or change in Hirn. Moreovcr, time is rlothing clse than
thc mcasurcmcnt of the duration of corporcal bcings. He, how-
cvcr, who has no body, is far rcmoved from such concepts as time
and duration. If, ncverthclcss, wc do dcscribc God as being endur-
ing and permanent, that' is done only by way of approximation,
as has bccn statcd by us prcviously.
Again, when wc find the Scriptures making such statements
as Et1en from et1erlasting <103> lo et1erlasting, Thou art God
(Ps. 90: 2), as well as Yea, rinr:e the day was 1 am He (lsa. 43: 13),
and again, Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall any
be after Me (Isa. 43: 10), all the points of time referrcd to therein
rcvert solcly to God's acts. Thosc, thcrcforc, who say Et1en from
et1erlasting to et1erlasting, Thou arl God, mean thcrcby: "From
thc beginning of time Thou hast always helped Thy servants."
Thus Scripture expresses it clscwhere: God is unto us a God of de-
lit1erances (Ps. 68: 21). .
As for His statemcnt, blessed be He, Before Me there was no
God formed, that was meant to convcy the thought: "Beforc I scnt
My messenger and after I scnt Hirn thcrc was no God outside of
Myself." For immedfatcly prior to this remark He says: My rerv-
ant wltom 1 l,ave cho1en. In the popula.r idiom, in fact, it is quitc
proper for a pcrson to say "beforc me" whcn hc mcans "bcfore I
act." This was donc by Joab when he said: l may not tarry thus he-
fore tl,ee (II Sam. 18: 14). Also one may say "after mc" when onc
 f
126 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
means "aftcr I havc actcd," as Nathan did whcn hc said: 1 also
will come in 11/ler tl,ee, 11nd confirm 11,y words 08 (1 Kings 1: 14).
Similarly is thcre, in thc statcmcnt Y ea, since 11,e day wu 1 am
He, an allusion to somc distinguishcd day, cither the day of thc
rcvclation at Sinai or another such day. What God says, in cflcct,
in this statcment is: "From that time on have I bccn the onc com-
manding you to do such and such a thing and forbidding you to
do that, and saving you from this," bccausc He concludcs thc statc-
mcnt with thc rcmark: 1 will work, and wl,o can reverse it?
As regards (thc matter of] possession, inasmuch as all crcaturcs
arc God's crcation and handiwork, it is not sccmly for us to say
that He possesscs onc thing to thc cxclusion of anothcr, nor that He
posscsscs thc onc to a greatcr and thc othcr to a lcsscr dcgrcc. lf
we, ncvcrthclcss; sec thc Scripturcs asscrt that a ccrtain pcoplc is His
pcculiar propcrty and His possession and His portion and inheri-
lllnce, [as thcy do in thc statcmcnt]: For the portion 0/ 1/,e Lord is
His people, facob 11,e /01 of His inheritance (Deut. 3:.1:9), that is
donc mcrcly as a mcans of confcrring honor and distinction. For,
as it appcars to us, cvcry man's portion and Jot arc prccious to him.
Nay thc Scripturcs cvcn go so far as to dcclarc God, too, figura-
tivcly to bc thc lot of thc pious and thcir portion, as thcy do in thcir
statcmcnt: 0 Lord, 11,e porlion of mine inherilllnce and of my ,up
(Ps. 16: 5). This is, thcrcforc, also an <104> cxprcssion of spc-
cial dcvotion and cstccm.
lt is also in this sense that onc must construc thc dcsignation of
God as thc Master of thc prophcts and of [all] bclicvcrs, as He is
callcd in such cxprcssions uscd by Scripturc as The God o/ Abra-
ham, [the God of lsaacand 11,e God o//acob](Exod. 3: 6), and The
God o/ the Hebrews (Exod. 3: 18). Such a dcsignation is cntircly
in ordcr, sincc God is thc Master of all. This [ spccial attachmcnt
of'God's namc] to thc pious is, thcn, mercly an exprcssion of His
cstccm and high rcgard for thcm.
As for [thc catcgory of] position [in rclation to God], inasmuch
as the Creator, blcsscd and cxaltcd bc He, is not a physical bcing,
it is unsccmly [to spcak] of Him as having any such posit~on as
68. Thi• quntation follow1 the reading of Ibn 1ibbnn.
1
GOD l"J!J
sitting or standing or thc likc. Nay, it is impossible bccausc He is
not a physical bcing, and bccausc originally thcrc cxistcd nothing
outside of Himself. Also by position is meant thc cxtcnsion of onc
body ovcr another. Finally thc various positions assumcd ncccs-
sarily producc somc changc or altcration in him that assumcs thcm.
If, ncvcrthclcss, thc Scripturcs makc such asscrtions as Y ea, tl,e
Lord sittetl, as king forever (Ps. 29: 10), thcir objcct thcrcin is
solcly to indicatc thc pcrmancnce of God's cxistcncc. Such statc-
mcnts on thc part of the Scripturcs, again, as Rise up, 0 Lord, ,,,,d
let Thine enemies he scallered (Num. 10: 35) mcan nothing eise
than rcadincss for hclp and punishmcnt. In such uttcranccs, morc-
ovcr, as And He stood witl, /,im there (Exod. 34: 5), thc subjcct
rcfcrrcd to is thc divinc light callcd likhinal,. Finally, by such
Scriptural rcmarks as And the Lord went His ,uay, as soon as He
/,ad finished (Gen. 18: 33) is mcant thc rcmoval of that light. Thc
samc sort of cxcgcsis must bc givcn to any Scriptural statcmcnts rc-
scmbling thcse.
CHAPTER XII
Apropos of (thc catcgory of Jaction, lct mc say that, cvcn though
wc dcnominatc thc Crcator "Makcr" and "Agent," thc mcaning
that wc attributc to these tcrms must not bc construcd in a corpo-
rcal sense. A physical agcnt, namcly, cannot producc an ctfcct upon
anothcr bcforc acting upon himsclf. He must first himself movc.
Having donc that, hc can thcn gcncratc motion in othcrs. As for
God, howcvcr, cxalted and magnificd bc He, He nccd but cntcrtain
thc wish in ordcr to havc a thing comc into bcing. And that is thc
manncr in which He works always. Also evcry physical agcnt
nccds matcrials to work with, and time and placc to work in, and
an instrumcnt to do his work < 105> with. All this is, howcvcr,
far rcmoved from God, as wc havc explaincd bcforc.
Whcn, thcrcforc, wc find thc Scripturcs, in spcaking of somt
of thc works of God, makc mcntion of an act and its oppositc, and
in spcaking of othcrs mcntion an act without its oppositc, it must
all bc reduccd to thc fact that. whcn God crcatcs anything, He
128 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
brings it into bcing without actually taking it in hand or coming
in contact with it. The Scdptures do, indeed, characterize the
positive and negative acts of creation by saying: And God made
(Gen. 1: 7), And He rested (Gen. 2: 2). However, just as the
And He made was ellected without motion or exertion, consisting
only of the production of the thing created, so undoubtedly, when
it is said And He rested, it was not rclaxation from any kind of
motion or exertion. lt constituted mercly the discontinuance of
the production of what was to be created. Even though, then, the
Scriptures say of God And He rested (Exod. 20: 11), it means
nothing further than that He discontinued His work of creation
and production.
On the subject of prophecy: the Scriptures employ the expression
And the Lord spoke (Num. 1: 1). Now the ultimate meaning of
this statement is that God created speech, which He conveyed
through the medium of the air to the hearing of the prophet or the
people in question. Apropos of the opposite of spud, in rclation
to God, again, the Scriptures say: l have lang time held My peace,
l have been still, and refrained Myself (lsa. 42: 14), But the actual
meaning of this silence is postponement and the granting of re-
spite. However, the Arabic language,89 although it permits God's
speech to bc ch:iracterizcd in accordance with our interpretation,
docs not allow a similar characterization or interpretation of His
silencc. Yct whcn wc apply to such Hcbrcw cxprcssions as 1 have
held My pea<"e (hebeJcthi) thc proper cxegcsis, what wc havc said
at thc beginning of our rcmark about its meaning "postponcmcnt"
is completcly borne out. ·
Again, thc matter of the deliverancc of thc human world from a
painful situation is dcsignated by the Scriptures as recolledion on
the part of God. Thus thcy say: And God remembered Noah (Gen.
8: 1), and And God remembered Ra<"hel (Gen. 30: 22), and thc
like. Now both langua,1?es cmploy thc word "rcmember" in speak-
ing of God. Neither of the two languages, howcver, pcrmits thc
69. Saadia has in mind the Koran and the theory of certain Mohammedan
theologian1, such 11 Ashari, to the effect that 1ilence on the pan of God would im·
ply perfection in Hirn. Cod's word must, thereforc, be fonhcoming continually.
Cf. Vcnrura, pp. 192 tr. and n. 74.
GOD
usc of thc opposite of remembcring, namcly thc term "forgctful-
ness," in connection with God's desisting from thc deliverancc
of His creaturcs. In such cascs they generally employ such cx-
pressions as And He remembered not His footstool (Lam. 2: 1).
Furthermore, grace and mercy arc attributed <xo6>
to God,
for He is called A merciful and gra<"ious God (Exod. 34: 6). So,
too, are vcngeancc and punishment attributcd to Hirn, for He is
callcd A jealous and avenging God (Nah. 1:2). Howcver, thesc
conccpts, also, rcvcrt to the creatures· rathcr than thc Creator.
Thus Scripture says: The Lord taketh vengean<"t on His adver-
saries: and He reserveth wrath for His enemies (ibid.). lt says
also: Who keepeth <"ovenant and mercy with them that love Him
and keep His <"ommandments to a tl,ousand generations (Deut.
7:9).
Similarly do all other attributes of this dass go back, so far as
thcir ultimate meaning is concerncd, to God's works. Herein,
thcn, lies the differcnce betwcen the essential and thc activc at-
tributes of God, as wc havc also explained in thc commcntary on
thc book of Exodus.
As regards His being the rccipierit of action, thcrc is no onc
who bclicvcs that that could apply to the Creator in any form
r
other than that of .visibility in revelations J. lt is neccssary, thcre-
forc, for me to explain that this susceptibility to bcing sccn docs
not [ really] apply to Him either. Things are, namely, visible
only by virtue of the colors appearing on thcir surfaces which
are rclated to thc four elements of nature. These colors are united
with the faculty of thcir own species, lodging in the [ organ
of] sight through the medium of the air, from which vision
follows as a rcsult. So far as the ~reator is concerned, howcver,
who cannot possibly be supposcd to possess any accidents, thc
[ sense ofJ sight has no power to perceive Hirn. Thou notest, in-
dccd, that cven imagination has no means of picturing or forming
an image of God. How, thcn, could the [ sense ofJ sight havc thc
means thcrefor?
Now some pcople arc confuscd by the story related in Scripturc
that our tcachcr Moses requcsted of His Master: Slsow me, 1 pray
 f
·1-30 THE BOOK OF BEUEFS AND OPINIONS
T/,ee, T/,y glory (Exod. 33: 18). Thcy arc cven more confused
by God's answer to Moses: Thou ,,,nn nol see My f«e, for man
sl,oll nol see Me ond 1;11e (Exod. 33: 20). And thcir confusion i1
doub]cd by God's subsequent remark: .A.nd 1/,ou 1/,o/1 see My back;
/,111 My f«e 1/,oll nol be seen (Exod. 33: 23).
l ny, then, invoking the aid of God in the elfort to revcal and
clarify all this, that God has a spedal light which He crcates
and makcs manifest to His prophcts in order that they may infer
therefrom that it is a prophctic communication emanating from
God that thcy hcar. Whcn onc of them sces this light, hc says:
"1 havc sccn 1/,e glory_ o/ 11,e Lord.'' Often, howcver, hc would
say simply: "1 have scen God," by way of ellipsis. <107> Thou
knowcst also that about Moses ond .A.oron, Nodob ond A!,;/,11, ond
se11en1y 0/ 1/,e .elders o/ l1rt1el (Exod. 24: 9) Scripturc says at first,
.A.nd 1l,ey 1t1111 tl,e Go_d o/ Israel (Exod. 24: 10). This i1 cxplaincd
afterwards as follows: .A.nd tl,e oppeoronce of 1/,e glory o/ 1/,e
Lord 111111 like de11ouring fi,e o.n tl,e top o/ tl,e mount (Exod.
24: 17). Howevcr, when they bcheld this light~ they were unable
to look upon it on account of its power and brilliance. Indeed
whoever lookcd upon it incurrcd the disintcgration of bis entirc
makeup and the flight of his spirit from hi1 body, as Scripturc
says: Len 11,ey breok 1/,rougl, unto Jl,e Lord lo gflse, ond mony
0/ 1/,em perisl, (Exod. 19: 21).
Moscs, acc:ordingly, askcd hjs Master to givc him the strcngth
to look upon this light. The lauer, howcvcr, answcrcd him that
the first rays of this light were so powcrful that hc would bc
unablc to vicw thcm clcarly with bis nakcd eyes, lest hc perish. He
would rathcr covcr him up with a cloud or thc likc until the first
rays of this light havc pa~ bccause thc greatest strength of cvcry
radiant body is containcd in its initial approach. All this was im-
plicd in the statcment of Scripture: .A.nd 1 wül cot1er tl,ee willt
My At1nd un1;J l l,1111e pused by (Exod. 33: 22). Whcn, thcn, the
first portion of the light bad passed, God rcmoved from Mosea
the thing that had covercd him, so that he might bc able to look
at thc back of the light, as Scripture says: .A.nd 1 will ,a~e away
My ltand, anti tl,011 sl,oll sre My h«k (Exod. 33: 23). As .for thc
GOD 131
Crcator Himsclf, howcvcr, thcrc is no mcans whcrcby anybody
might sec Him. Ayc, that u in thc realm of thc impossible.
CHAPTER XIII
Ncxt I would ask: "How is it possiblc to cstablish this concept
in our minds-1 mean that of thc Crcator, cxaltcd and magnificd
bc Hc-whcn nonc of our scnscs havc cver pcrccivcd Him?" My
answer is that it is donc in thc samc manncr in which such notions
arisc in them as the approbation of the truth and the duapproval
of lying, although thcse mattcrs are not subjcct to thc pcrception
of any of our scnses. lt is donc also in thc same way in which our
minds rccognizc the impossibility of a thing's bcing existent and
noncxistent at one and thc same time, as weil as of othcr such
mutually cxclusivc phcnomcna, although thcsc mattcrs have ncver
bccn obscrvcd by thc scnscs. Furthermorc, Scripture says : Bul tl,e
Lord God is 1/,e '"''" (Jcr. 10: 10).
Another qucstion that I would ask is: "But how is it possible for
our minds to conccivc the thought of God's prcscncc cvcrywherc so
that no placc would bc vacant of His prescnce?" My answer is that
God cxistcd bcforc thcrc was any such thing as spacc. If, thcrc-
forc, the cxistcncc·of many different localitics could havc brought
about a division among the parts of the Creator's pcrsonality, He
would not havc crcatcd thcm. Again, if thc various material OQ-
jccts < 1o8 > would havc taken away spacc from Him or a ccr-
tain amount of spacc, He would not havc had to producc thcm.
Since, thcn, that·is thc casc, His cxistcncc aftcr His crcation of all
thc bodies must bc cxactly as it was bcforc He had creatcd thcm
without any changc or division or conccalment or intcrruption,
but, rathcr, as Scripture puts it: Con t1ny l,ide himself in secrel
pl«es tAfll 1 sl,oll nol see l,im? sflitl, 1/,e Lord. Do nol 1 fill l,ea11en
and eml,? (Jcr. 23:24.)
Now let me makc this a little more comprehensiblc, and say that
if wc had not bccn accustomcd to noting that ccrtain walls do not
cut off sound, and had wc not bccn in the habit of obscrving that
glass docs not scrccn thc light, and had wc not known that thc
 f
132 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
light of thc 1un is not aifcctcd advcrscly by thc filth that cxists in
thc world, wc would havc bccn rathcr 1urpriscd at the abovc·
mcntioned. All thcsc [commonplacc] marvcls scrvc, thcrcforc, as a
corroboration of thc validity of our idca of God.
I would also ask this qucstion, namcly: "How is it conccivablc
by thc mind that God know1 cvcrything that has happcncd in thc
past as wcll as all that will takc placc in thc futurc, and that He
knows both equally?" Let me cxplain, then, that the rcason why
this sccms hard to undcrstand is bccausc God's crcaturcs do not
know what is to take placc in the future, sincc thcir knowlcdge
comcs to thcm only through thc medium of their scnscs. What-
cver, thcrcfore, has not come to thcir hcaring or sight or their
othcr senscs cannot bc apprebcndcd by thcm. For thc Creator,
howcvcr, who rcquircs no mcdiary causc for thc acquisition of
His knowlcdgc, since it is rathcr by His cssence thar: He is cogni·
zant of things, thc past and thc futurc arc both on rhc samc lcvcl.
He knows the onc as wcll as thc otbcr without any mcdiary causc,
as Scripturc rcmarks: Who declares the end Jrom the beginn;ng,
ond from onc;enl limes tl,;ngs thot ore not yet done; soying:
"My counsel sholl stand, o,id all My ple11sure1 will l do" (Isa.
46: 10).
Now whcn a pcrson has achicvcd thc knowlcdgc of this lofty
subjcct by mcans of rational spcculation and the proof of the
miracles and marvels [ mcntioncd in Holy Writ], his soul bc,..
licvcs it as truc and it is minglcd with bis spirit and bccomcs an
inmatc of its inncrmost rcccsscs. Tbc rcsult is tbcn that, when·
cvcr tbc soul walks in its temple, it finds it, as the saint bas said:
Wit/J my soul /Ja11e 1 desired T/Jee in the nigAt; yea, with my spiril
will.in me /Ja11e l sougl,t Thee earnestly (lsa. :z6: 9). Morcovcr bis
soul bccomcs fillcd with 70 completcly sinccre <109> love for
God, a lovc which is bcyond all doubt, as Scripture expresses it:
And thoN s/Jalt love 1/Je Lord thy God with oll thy l,earl, ctc.n
(Deut. 6: 5.)
70. "fiUed with"-to according to Ibn nbbon. Therc is an error of metathesis
in the Arabic IHt.
71. Thi1 quotation follow1 the reading of Ibn Tibbon.
GOD 133
That scrvant of God will also grow ar.customcd to rc mcrnbcring
God in thc daytimc whcn hc docs bis work and at night whcn hc
lies on his bcd, as Scripturc says: When l rememher Thee upon
my coud, and medilate on Tliee in the night waldes (Ps. 63: 7).
Nay it will almost spcak-1 mean bis spirit-moaning 12 at thc
recollcction of God, out of longing and ycarning, as Scripture says:
Wl,en 1 t/Jink thercon, 0 God, 1 must ,noan; wl,en 1 muse tl,ereon,
my spirit fainteth (Ps. 77: 4). Nay morc, thc mcntion of God will
nourish bis soul morc than fatty foods and His name quench ita
u
thirst bcttcr tban the juicicst fruit, as Scripture says: My soul salis-
fied as witl, marrotu and fatness; and my mout/J doth praise Thee
1uith ioyful lips (Ps. 63: 6). The soul's attachmcnt to God will bc-
come so grcat that it will refer all its affairs to Hirn, trusting and
reposing completc confidencc in Him always, as Scripturc says:
Trust in Him al all times, ye people,· pour out your /Jeart before
Him; God is a refuge for us (Ps. 62: 9).
Tbc rcsult of this is that whcn God affords it plcasurc, thc soul
is grateful, and if He causcs it pain, it endurcs it paticntly, as Scrip-
turc says: All the fal ones of tl,e tarth sl,all eat and worship (Ps.
22: 30). Ayc, cvcn if God wcrc to separate thc soul from its body,
it would bc indulgent toward Him and not entcrtain misgivinga
about Him on that account, as Scripturc says: Thougl, He sldy
me, yet will l trusl in Him (Job 13: 15).
Thc morc it contcmplates His being, the more docs it fcar and
rcvere Him, as Scripture says: Therefore am 1 aOrighted al His
presence,· when l consider, l am afraid of Him (Job 23: 15). Also
thc more it considcrs His attributes, thc grcatcr bccomcs its prai1e
of Him and thc morc docs it rcjoice in Him, as Scripturc 1aya:
Let the l,eart of t/Jem reioict 1/Jat seek tl,e Lord (Ps. 105: 3).
Thus it rcachcs thc point whcre it loves thosc that lovc Him and
honors thosc that honor Him, as Scripturc says: How precious
also are Tl,y friends 71 lo me, etc. (Ps. 139: 17). On the othcr
hand, it hatcs thosc that hatc Him and is hostilc to His encmics,
72. "moaning"-lbn nbbon. The Arabic original usea a word mcaning "love·
1lck."
73, "How preciou1 also lfe Thy friend1 •••"-the uAJal 1ran1l11ion il: "How
welghty also arc Thy though11 , , ,"
134 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
as Scripturc says: Do nol l l,o,e 1/,nn, 0 Lord, 1/,a1 l,o,e Tl,ee,
etc? H (Ps. 139: 21). In this way is it induccd to takc up His causc
and to rcfutc cvcryonc that raiscs argumcnts against Him, by thc
cmploymcnt of rcason and knowkdgc, not with harshncss, as thc
saint has said: l wül /etc/, <no> my f(now/edge from afar, and
will uml>e righteoumess 10 my Maf(er. For 1ruly my words are
not false; one 11,a, is uprigl,t in mind is witl, 1/,ee (Job 36: 3, -4).
lt will furthcrmorc laud and praisc Him justly and uprightly,not
by attributing to Him cxaggcrations and absurditics. Thus Scrip-
turc says, in rcgard to thosc that uttcrcd God's praiscs: .A.nd Hes-
ef(ial, spof(e encouragingly lu all 11,e Le11ites 1l,a1 sl,owed good
understanding for the Lord 11 (II Chron. 30: 22). It will not, thcrc-
forc, praise Hirn for bcing ablc to causc fivc to bc morc than tcn
without adding anything to thc formcr, nor for bcing ablc to put
thc world through thc hollow of a signct ring without making thc
onc narrowcr and thc othcr wider, nor for bcing ablc to bring back
thc day gonc by in its orieinal condition. For al.l thcsc things arc
absurd.
Of coursc, ccrtain hcrctics oftcn ask us about such mattcrs, and
wc do indced answcr thcm that God is ablc to do cvcrything. This
thing, howcvcr, that thcy ask of Hirn isn't anything bccausc it i,
absurd, and thc absurd is nothing. lt is, thcrcforc, as though thcy
wcrc to ask: ..ls God capablc of doing what is nothing?" which is,
of counc, a real qucstion.
Tbc soul [ of thc pious] will [ thcrcforc] rathcr praisc Him for
His essential attributes, such as that He is ctcrnal, that He always
was and that He will ncvcr ccasc to bc, as Scripturc says: T l,e
dernal God is a dwelling-place (Deut. 33: 27). [lt will] furthcr-
r
morc asscrt of Him] that He is truly onc in csscncc, as Scripturc
says: Tl,ou are 11,e Lord, e,,n, Tl,ou alone (Nch. 9: 6). [lt will]
also [affirm] that He is living and cnduring, as Scripturc says: For
l lifl up My l,and lo l,eaven, and say: .As l li11e fore,,er (Deut. 32:
40). [lt will], morcovcr, [ declarc] that He is ablc to do cvcrything,
as Scripturc says: The God, tl,e great, the mighty, tmd 11,e a,vful
74. Tbia quot:llion follcnn tbe racling of Ibn 'libbon.
• 7'. Tbu quotation folloWI the rading of Jbn 'Jibbon.
GOD 135
(Nch. 9 i 32). [ lt will say] bcsidcs, that He knows cvcrything with
a pcrfect knowledgc, as Scripture says: Dost thou know the balanc-
ings o/ the clouds, the wondro,u 111orlr..s of Him who is perfeel in
fr.nowledge? (Job 37: 16). [lt will affirm] in addition, that He is thc
original Crcator of everything, as Scripturc says: Not lik.e thue is
,ne portion of f ocob; for He is tlie form er of all t/lings (Jcr. 10: 16).
Furthermorc, [ this soul will allcgc] that God docs not producc
aught that is vain or wastcful, as Scripturc says: < >111 He
,reated it not a waste, He- formed it lobe inhabited (lsa. 45: 18).
[lt will] also [say of Him] that He commits no injusticc or vio-
lcncc, as Scripturc says: Tl,e Rock, His work is per/«1, for all His
,vays are justice • • •78 ( Deut. 32: 4) . [lt will] furthcrmorc [ dc-
darc] that He deals out unto His scrvants only what is good for
thcm, as Scripturc says: Tl,e Lord. is good lo all , ••• All TJ,y
,vorf(s sl,all praise Tl,ee •••• 1'1,ey sl,all 1peak of the glory of TJ,y
kingdom •• ,'11 (Ps. 145: 9-11). [lt will statc] morcovcr, that He is
not subjcct to altcration or change, as Scripturc says : For l the Lord
cl,ange not (Mal~ 3: 6).
Furthermorc, [it will asscrtl that _His kingdom will not ccasc
nor disappcar, as Scripturc says: Thy kingdom is a kingdom for
all ages (Ps. 145: 13). (lt will] also [affirm] that His command is
always obcyed, irreversible, as Scripturc says: Tl,e Lord hath es-
tablished Hi11hrone in tl,e l,eavens; and His l(ingdom ruleth 011er
all (Ps. 103: 19). [lt will] also [asscrt] that it is obligatory to praisc
His good and cxaltcd qualitics, as Scripture says: Yea, they shall
sing of tl,e ways of the Lord; /or great is the glory of 11,e Lord (Ps.
138: 5). Yet [ it will bcar in mind the fact] that for all thc laudatory
descriptions givcn of Him and all thc praisc bcstowed upon Him,
He is clevated and exaltcd abovc and far removcd from all that,
as Scripturc says, And let 1hem say: Blessed be TJ,y glorious Name,
tntll is eralted above all blessing and praise (Neh. 9: 5).
Now wc find in ccrtain places of thc Scriptures that praisc or
cncomium is rclatcd not to God but rather to an attributc of His,
as in such statcmcnts of Scripture as Blessed he tl,e glory of tl,e
76. This quobtlon followa rhe reading of Ibn Tibbon.
77. This quotation follows the reading of Ibn 'libbon.
136 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Lord /rom His pla&e (Ezck. 3: 1:2), and Sing p,aises to His nome
(P,. 68: 5). Nay, wc find it at timcs applicd to thc attribute of an
attributc, u in such statcmcnts of Scripturc as Bleued bt 1/,e nome
of His glory" (P1. 72: 19) and And gi11e 1/,onJc.110 11,e mention
o/ His Holintts" (Ps. 97: 12), In fact, among thc uttcrances of
our forcfathcrs thcrc arc somc that givc thc imprcssfon of bcfog
praiscs applicd to thc attributc of thc attributc of an attributc, for
thcy used thc formula, BJesmJ be 11,e nome of the glory of His
Jc.ingdom (Milnah Yoma 3:8).
Let mc thcn aay in rcgard to all that, that this i1 also a pcculiarity
of thc usagc of thc languagc of Scripturc. Whcn, namdy, it aims
to cxalt and magnify somconc, it has thc actual mcntion of thc
individual, who is thus to bc glorificd, prcccdcd by a numbc:r of
exprcssions. Thc grcatcr thc numbcr of exprcssions < 112> prc-
ccding tbc mcntion o~ bis namc, thc grcater thc distinction con-
fcrrcd upon him, Thus thc languagc of Scripturc employs thrcc
such cxprcssions [following cach othcr] in thc ~tatcmcnt: W htn
Ae sl,owed tl,e ri(het of tlie glory of his Jr..ingdom (Esthcr 1: ,t), as
wcll as thc phrasc: A nd the honor' f!/ lhe ex(e/lenu of his maiesty
(ibid.). All that it mean.s to say thcrc really is his ri(hes and his
'g/ory and his l(ingdom and his honor and his ex(t/lence and his
maiesty. All thcsc attribute-s arc, howevcr, synonymous.
Do, thcn, try to undcrstand, may God guidc thcc aright, what wc
havc noted down and put it into thy soul and grasp it with thy
mind. Do not, howcvcr, hasten to judgc thc validity thcrcof on
thc basis of thc particular cxprcssion used, but rathcr on that of
thc prcviously stated prindplcs, considcring thc exprcssion mcrcly
as a figurc of spcech and an approximate rcndcring of tbc thought,
as wc havc cxplaincd.
.Thc sccond treatisc is hcrcby complctcd with thc hclp of God'1
might.
78. Hthe name of Hil glory"--dic UIIIII tnnllatioo la "Hia 11oriow nune."
79. "the mendon ol Hia holinaa"-dle UN1l 111ml1tion ia ''Hia holy nune."
TREATISE III
CONCERNING COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
EXORDIUM
T bchoovcs mc to prcfacc this trcatisc with thc remark that
I oncc it is rcalizcd that thc Crcator, cxaltcd and magnificd bc
He, is ctcrnal, nothing having bccn [ associatcd] with Him
[originally ], it must bc rccognizcd that His crcation of all things
was purcly an act of bounty and gracc on His part. Also, as wc
notcd at thc end of thc 6rst trcatisc of this book, 1 in rcgard to tbc
motivc of tbc Crcator in crcating thc world, and in accordancc with
what is found writtcn in thc Scripturcs, God is bountiful and a
dispcnscr of favors. Thus Scripturc says: The Lord is good to all,·
and His tender merdes are ovtr all His worlc..1 (Ps. 145: 9).
Now His fust act of kindncss toward His creaturcs consistcd in
His giving them bc:ing-1 mcan His calling thcm into cxistcncc af-
ter a statc of nonbcing. Thus did He also express Himsclf toward
thc clitc of His crcaturcs, saying: Every one that is called by My
name, and whom [ l,ave created for My glory . . • (lsa. 43:7).
In addition to that, howcvcr, He also cndowcd thcm with thc
means whcrcby thcy might attain complctc happincss and pcrfcct
bliss, as Scripturc says: Thou mak_est me to k_now the path of life,·
in TJ,y presen(e is fulness of ioy, in TJ,y right l,and bliss for ever-
more (Ps. 16: n). This mcans thc commandmcnts <113> and
thc prohibitions prcscribed for thcm by God .
Now this rcmark is tbc first thing that strikcs thc attcntion of
thc rcßecting mind, prompting it to ask: "Could ,not God havc
bcstowcd upon His creaturcs complctc bliss and permanent hap-
pincss without giving thcm commandmcnts and prohibitions? Nay
it would scem that His kindness would in that casc havc contrib-
1. Cf. 1bove, p. 86.
 138 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPJNIONS
utcd cvcn morc to thcir wcll-bcing, bccausc thcy would bc rclicvcd
of all cxcttion for thc attainmcnt of thcir bliss."
Let mc, thcn, say in explanation of this matter that, on the con-
trary, God'1 making His crcaturcs' diligcnt compliancc with His
commandmcnts thc mcans of attaining permanent bliss is thc bct-
tcr coursc. For according to thc j udgmcnt of rcason thc person who
achievc, somc good by means of thc cffort that he has cxpcndcd
for its attainmcnt obtains double thc advantagc gaincd by him
who achievcs this good without any cffort but mercly as a rcsult
of thc kindncss shown him by God. In fact, rcason rccognizcs
no cquality bctwccn thesc two. This bcing the casc, thcn, thc
Crcator prcfcrrcd to assign to us thc amplcr portion in ordcr that
our rcward might yicld us a double bcnc6t, not mcrcly a com-
pcnsation cxactly cquivalcnt to t hc cffort, as Scripturc also says:
Bdold, 11,e Lord God will come at a Mig"6y One, and Hit arm
will rule for Him,· behold, His reu,ard it wi1I, Him, and Hit r«·
omfNnte he/ore Him (Isa. 40: 10).
CHAPTER I
Now that I ha.vc made this preliminary obscrvation, Jet mc statc
by way of introduction that our Lord, cxahcd and magnificd bc
He, has informcd w by thc spccch of His prophcts that He has
assigncd to us a rcligion whcrcby wc arc to scrvc Hirn. lt cmbraccs
laws prcscribcd for us by Hirn which wc must obscrve and cnrry
out with sinccrity. That is thc import of thc Statement of Scrip-
turc: This day the Lord thy God commande1I, thee to do the1e
s1t11ute1·and ordinance1; lhou 1hal1, 1here/ore, ohsert1e and do them
with all thy heart, and witl, all thy .roul (Deut. 26: 16),
Morcovcr, in support of thc validity of thcsc laws, His mcsscngcrs
exccutcd ccrtain signs and wondrous miraclcs, witb thc rcsult that
wc obscrvcd and carried out thcsc laws immediately. Aftcrwards
wc discovcrcd thc rational basis for thc ncccssity of their prcscrip-
tion so that wc might not bc lcft to roam at largc without guid-
ancc.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
Ccrtain mattcrs and clauificatiom relative to this 1ubjcct that
,eason makcs imperative must now bc cxplaincd by mc. l say, thcn,
that logic dcrnands that whocvcr docs somcthing good bc com-
<
pensated cithcr by meaDs of a favor shown to him, if 114> hc il
in necd of it, or by meana of thanks, if hc doca not requirc aoy
rcward. Sincc, thcrcforc, this is onc of thc gcncral dcmand1 of
rcason, it would not havc bccn scemly for thc Crcator, cxaltcd and
anagnificd bc He, to ncglcct it in His own casc. lt was, on thc
contrary, nccessary for Him to command His crcatura to scrvc
Him and thank Him for having crcatcd thcm. Rcason also dc-
mands that bc that i• wisc do not pcrmit himsclf to bc trcatcd
with contcmpt or to bc imultcd. lt wu, thcrcforc, likcwisc ncccs-
sary for thc Crcator to forbid His scrvants to conduct thcmsclvcs
in such a way toward Him.
Furthcrmorc, rcason demands that thc crcaturcs bc prcvcntcd
from wronging cach othcr in all soru of way1. Hcncc it was also
ncccssary for thc All-Wue not to pcrmit thcm to do such a thing.
Rcason also dccm1 it proper for a wisc man to givc cmploymcnt
to an individual who pcrtorms a ccr~in function and to pay him a
wage for it, mcrcly in ordcr to confcr a bcncfit upon him, 1incc
this is somcthing that rcdounds to thc bcndit of thc worker with-
out hurting thc cmploycr.
lf, now, wc wcre to combinc thesc four classc1 of rcquircmcnts,
thcir 1um-total would makc up all thc laws prcscribcd for us by
our Lord. For cxamplc, He madc it obligatory upon u1 to lcarn
to know Him, to worship Him, and to dcdicatc oursclvcs wholc-
hcartcdly to Him, as thc saint ha1 said: .A.nd 11,ou, Solomon my 1on,
know 11,ou 11,e God of 11,y father, and sm,e Him wilh a wl,ok
l,earl and wi1I," wiUing mind (1 Chron. :z8: 9). Ncxt hc forbadc
us to conduct oursclvcs in an ugJy insulting fashion toward Him,
cvcn though it could not hurt Him, bccausc it is not thc way of
divinc Wisdom to pcrmit it, as Scripturc says: Wl,01oe11er ·cur1e1I,
l,is God sl,all hellt' lli1 sin (Lcv. 24: 15). Nor would He pcrmit onc
of us to wrong thc othcr or commit violcncc against him, as Scrip-
"°'
turc says: Ye sl,all nol s,ea/,· nei1l,er 1hall ye deal fal1ely, lie lo
140 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
one another (Lev. 19: u). These thrcc classcs of injunctions and
whatcvcr might ·bc includcd in thcm constitutc, thcn, thc first of
thc two divisions of thc laws of thc Torah.
Now in thc first of thc [ thrcc] catcgorics [ wc havc mcntioncd
abovc] thcrc arc to bc includcd such acts as humble submission to
God and scrving Hirn and standing bcfore Hirn and whatcvcr
rcscmbles thcsc, all of whicb are found in thc tcxt of Holy Writ.
In thc sccond dass arc to bc includcd such injunctions as thc onc
not to associatc anyonc clsc with God, nor to swcar falscly in His
namc, nor <us> to dcscribc Hirn with mundanc attributcs and
whatcvcr rcsemblcs thcsc, all of which arc [also] found in thc text
of Holy Writ. To thc third division, again, arc to bc addcd thc
practicc of justicc, truth, fairncss, and rightcousncss, and thc
avoidancc of thc killing of human bcings, and [ thc obscrvancc of]
thc prohibition of fornication and thcft and dcccption and usury.
(Thcrc is to bc appcndcd] also thc duty dcvolving upon thc bc-
licvcr to lovc his brothcr likc himsclf and whatcvcr clsc is cm·
braccd in thcsc paragraphs, all of which is found in thc tcxt of
Holy Writ.
Now thc approval of cach of thcsc classcs of acts tbat wc havc
bccn commandcd to carry out is implantcd in our minds just as is
thc disapproval of cach of thc classcs of acts that wc arc forbiddcn
to commit. Thus has Wisdom, which is idcntical with rcason, said:
For my moutl, shall utler truth, and wickedness is an abomination
to my lips (Prov. 8: 7).
Thc sccond [.gcncral] division [of thc prcccpts of thc Torah, on
thc othcr band,] consists of things ncithcr thc approval nor thc dis-
approval of which is dccrccd by rcason, on account of thcir own
charactcr, but in rcgard to which our Lord has imposcd upon us a
profusion of commandmcnts and prohibitions in ordcr thcrcby to
incrcasc our rcward and happincss. T his is bornc out by thc rc-
mark of Scripturc: The 1.Ard was pleased, for His righteousness'
sake, lo make the T orah 2 great and glorious (Jsn. 42: 2i).
What is commandcd of this group of acts is, consequcntly, [to
2, "Torah"--lhe u1ual rran1ladon is "teaching."
1
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
bc considcrcd as] good, and what is prohibitcd as rcprchcnsiblc;
1,ccausc thc fulfillmcnt of thc formcr and thc avoidancc of thc lat-
tcr implies submissivcncss to God. From this standpoint thcy might
bc attachcd se<:ondarily to thc first [gcncral] division [of thc laws of
thc Torah]. Ncvcrthclcss onc cannot hclp noting, upon dccpcr rc-
flcction, that thcy havc somc partial uscs as wcll as a ccrtain slight
;ustification from thc point of vicw of rcason, just as thosc bclong-
ing to thc fi rst [gcnerall division havc important uscs and grcat
justification from thc point of vicw of rcason.
CHAPTER II
Now it is fitting that I procccd first to thc discussion of thc
rational prcccpts of thc Torah. 1 say, thcn, that divinc Wisdom
impascd a rcstraint upon bloodshcd among mcn, bccausc if liccnsc
wcrc to prcvail in this matter, they would causc cach othcr to dis-
appcar. Thc conscqucncc would bc, in addition to thc pain cx-
pcricnced by thc victims, a frustration of the purpose that the
All-Wisc had in mind with rcgard to thcm. For thcir murdcr
would cut thcm oll from thc fulfillmcnt of thc function for which
He bad crcatcd thcm and in thc cxccution of which He had cm-
ploycd thcm. .
Furthcrmorc [divinc] Wisdom forbadc fornication in ordcr that
mcn might not bccomc likc thc bcasts with thc rcsult that no onc
would know his fathcr < u6> so as to show him rcvcrcncc in
rcturn för having raiscd hirn. [ Anothcr rcason for this prohibition
was] that thc fathcr might bcqucath unto his son his posscssions
just as thc son bad rcccivcd from his fathcr thc gift of cxistcncc.
[ A furthcr rcason was] that a human bcing might know thc rcst
of his relatives, such as his patcrnal and matcrnal unclcs, and show
thcm whatcvcr tcndcrncss hc was capablc of.
Thcft was forbiddcn by [divine] Wisdom bccausc, if it wcrc
pcrmittcd, somc mcn would rcly on stcaling thc othcrs' wcalth,
and thcy wou)d ncithcr till thc soil nor cngagc in any othcr lucra-
tivc occupation. And if all wcrc to rcly on this sourcc of livclihood,
142 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
cven 1tealiog would bccome impossible, bccawe, with the disa~
pcarance of all propcrty, thcrc would bc absolutdy nothing in
uistencc that might bc atolcn.
Finally, [divinc] Wiadom has madc it onc of iu fint inju~
tions that wc apeak thc truth and dC;list from lying. For thc truth
iJ an a,ICJ'lion about a thing as it rcally ia and in accordance with
ita actual charactcr1 whercaa tclling a lic is making an aacnion
about a thing that doca not corrcspond to what it really ia or to ita
actual charactcr. Thcn whcn thc sense,, percciving it, find it to bc
constitutcd in onc form whilst thc soul, rcuoning about it, aucrta
that it is conltitutcd othcrwiac, thcac two contrary vicws act up
in thc aoul will oppote cach othcr, and, on account of thcir mutual
cxduaion, thc thing will bc rcgardcd by thc soul as aomcthing
grotesque.1
Let mc say next that I havc secn aomc pcoplc wbo arc of thc
opioion that thcsc four principal viccs that havc bcco littcd abovc
arc not at all objectionablc. Only that is objcctionablc in thcir vi~
which c.ausu them pain and wony and gricf, whilat tbc good ia
what affords thcm plcaaurc and rcst. This thesis will bc n:futcd
by mc at considcrablc lcngth in thc fourth trcatisc of this book, in
thc chaptcr on "justicc."' 1 ,hall, howcver, cite a portion of that
rcfutation her~ and aay that whocvcr cntertains auch an opinion
leavcs out of acoount all thc argumcnta wc havc produced hcn:, and
whoever lcaves such mattcrs out of account is än ignoramus about
whom wc nccd not troublc ounclves. Ncvcrthclcss I shall not bc
contcnt until I havc convinccd him of thc contradiction and thc
conßict inhcrcnt in his vicws.
I say, thcn, that thc slaying of an cncmy ia an act that givcs
plcasurc to thc slaycr but pain to thc 1lain. Likcwiac thc taking
of anothcr man's posscuions or his wifc gives plcasurc to thc rob-
bcr but pain to thc robbcd. In thc opinion of tbosc who hold this
vicw, howcvcr, cach of tlmc two acta would havc to bc rcgarded
as wisdom and folly at onc and thc samc time-u wisdom bccausc
it aflords plcasurc to thc murdcrcr or thc thicf or thc adultcrcr, and
3, "grotesque"-d, w di1e11aiaa bJ Gumrwm on thia (p, 137, n. 1).
4. Cf. below, pp. 11!4 ff.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
as folly bccausc it iofficts pain on his opponcnt. Now any thcory
that lcads to such intcrnal contradiction and mutual cxclusion
must bc falsc. In fact, thcrc arc instaoccs in which two such con-
trary things can both bcWl <117> onc and thc samc pcrson, as
whcn hc cats honcy into which somc poison has fallen. This is
somcthing that givcs plcasurc and also causcs dcath, and would
conscqucntly, according to thcir thcory, havc to bc considcrcd as
wisdom and folly at onc and thc samc time.
Let mc procccd furthcr now and discoursc about thc sccond gcn-
cral division of thc laws of thc Torah. This division consists of
acts which from thc standpoint of rcason arc optional. Y et thc
Law has madc somc of thcm obligatory and othcrs forbiddcn, and
lcft thc rcst optional as thcy had bccn. Thcy includc such mattcrs
as thc consccration of ccrtain days from among othcrs, likc thc
Sabbath and thc fcstivals, and thc consccration of ccrtain human
bcings from among othcrs, such as thc prophct and thc priest, and
rcfraining from cating ccrtain foods, and thc avoidancc of co-
habitation with ccrtain pcrsons, and going into isolation immc-
diatcly upon thc occurrcncc of ccrtain accidcnts bccausc of dcfilc-
mcnt.
But cvcn though the chicf reason for thc fulfillmcnt of thcsc
priocipal prcccpts-and thcir derivatives and whatcvcr is conncctcd
with thcni is thc fact that thcy rcprcscnt thc command of our Lord
and cnablc us to rcap a spccial advantagc, yct I find that most of
thcm havc as thcir basis partially uscful purposcs. 1 sec fit, thcrcforc,
to notc somc of thcsc motivations and discuss thcm, although thc
wisdom of God, blcsscd and cxaltcd bc He, is abovc all that.
Now among thc bcocfits accruing from thc consccration of
ccrtain scasons, by dcsistiog from work on thcm, thcrc is first of
all that of obtaining rclaxation from much cxcrtion. Furthcrmorc
it prescnts thc opponunity for thc attainmcnt of a little bit of
knowlcdgc and a litdc additional praying. lt also affords mcn
lcisure to meet cach othcr at gathcrings whcrc thcy can confcr
about matters of thcir rcligion and make public announcemcnts
about them, and pcrform othcr Iunctions of the samc ordcr.
Somc of thc bcncfits accruing from consccrating a particular
144 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
pcison from among otbcrs arc that it makcs it possiblc to obtain
morc k nowlcdge from him and to sccure hi1 services a1 an intcr-
ccssor. [lt] also (cnablcs him] to imbuc bis fcllow-mcn with thc
dcsirc for rightcousncn ao that thcy might thercby attain somc-
thing Jike bis own eminence. FinaUy [it permits him] to conccrn
himsclf with thc moral improvemcnt of humanity, since hc is quali-
ficd for such a task, and othcr tbings of this nature.
Among thc adyantagcs, again, that rcsult from thc prohibition
against thc cating of [ only] ccrtain animals II is the prcvcntion of
any compari.ton bctwccn them and thc Crcator. For it is incon-
ccivablc that God would pcrmit anything rc:scmbling Hirn to bc
catcn or, on thc otbcr hand, that [ tbc cating of such a bcing] could
causc dcfilcmcnt to man. This prcccpt also scrvcs to kccp man
from worshiping any of thcsc animals, sincc it is not sccmly for
him to worship what has bccn given to him for food, nor what
has bccn dcdarcd uriclcan for him.
As for thc advantagcs accruing from thc avoidancc of cohabita-
tion with ccrtain womcn, < 118 > thosc derivcd from obscrving
this ruling in rcgard to a manied womon, arc such as wc have
statcd prcviously. As far as thc mothcr, sistcr, and daughtcr arc
conccrncd, since thc relationship with thcm is neccssarily intimatc,
the licensc to marry thcm would encouragc d issolutcness on their
part. Thcre exists also thc danger, if this wcre pcrmittcd, that mcn
would bc fascinated by thosc of thcir fcmale relatives who havc a
bcautiful figure, while those posscssing homely fcaturcs would bc
spurncd even by strangers, sincc thc latter would sec that thc male
relatives [ of thcsc warnen] do not dcsirc them.
Somc of thc bcncfits accruing Erom thc obscrvancc of thc laws
of unclcanlincss and cleanliness arc that man is thcrcby lcd to
think humbly of his ßesh,1 that it enhanccs for him thc value of
prayer by virtuc of bis bcing cut off thercfrom for a whilc during
the pcriod o( dcfilement, that it cndcars to him thc Temple which
hc was preventcd from entcring in thc state of impurity, and
finally that it ca11scs him to dedicate bis heart to the fear of God.
5. l.e„ wbile othen Ire pmnitted. Cf. Outtmann, p. 138, n. 2.
6, "ol hb llah"-11,n Tibbon. The rading of the Arabic original lt conupc.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
Sirnilarly, if one wcrc to follow up most of thcsc rcvealed T pre-
cepts, one would discover that they arc, to a !arge extent at l'lst,
partially justificd and posscu much utilitarian value, although the
wisdom and the vicw that the Crcator bad in mind in dccrecing
thcm is far abovc anything that men can grasp, as Scripture says:
For os tht heavens are Mgher than lht tarlh, so art My ways
l,igher 1/aan your ways (Isa. 55: 9).
CHAPTER III
Now that I have exprcsscd myself in this summary fashion about
thc two general divisions of the prcccpts of thc Torah, namely thc
rational and thc rcvcalcd, it bchoovcs me to cxplain why thcrc
should havc bccn necd for divinc mcsscngers and prophcts. For
I have hcard that thcrc arc pcoplc who say that men havc no nccd
for such messcngers bccausc thcir rcason is cnough of a guidc for
them to tlistinguish bctwccn good and cvil. 1 thcrcforc wcnt back
to thc touchstonc of truth and I notcd that, if thc matter were
really as they aaid it was, thc Crcator would havc known it best
and He would not havc scnt any mcsscngcrs to mankind, since
He docs nothing that has no purpose. Then I pondcrcd thc matter
dccply and I found that thcrc was considerablc nccd for the dis-
patch of mcsscngcrs to God's crcaturcs, not mcrcly in order that
they might be informed by thcm about thc rcvealed laws, but also
on account of thc rational precepts. For these latter, too, are car-
ricd out practically only whcn thcrc arc messcngcrs to instruct
men conccrning thcm.
Thus, for cxamplc, < >
119 rcason calls for gratitude to God
for His kindncss, but docs not dcfinc how this gratitudc is to bc
cxprcsscd or at what time or in what form it is to bc shown. Thcre
was, thercfore, nccd for mcsscngers who dcfincd it and designated
it as praycr and assigncd to it ccrtain sct tlmcs and gavc to it a
particular formulation and [prescribcd] a spccific posturc and di-
rcction.8
7. "rcvealed"-cf. Guttmann', rendering.
8. "direction," i.,., the &iblo/,, facing toward the T,mple of Jerusalem.
146 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Anothcr illustration hcrcof is that, whcrcas rcason rcgards for-
nication as rcprchcnsiblc, it docs not dcfinc how a woman is to bc
acquircd by a man in ordcr tobe considcrcd as bclonging to him.
(lt dOC$ not smc, for cxamplc,] whcthcr that is to bc cffcctcd
by mcans of a word only, or by mcans of moncy only, or with her
conscnt and thc conscnt of her parcnts only, c,r by thc tcstimony of
two or tcn witncsscs, or by having all thc inhabitants of thc town
bcar witncss thcrci.mto, or by marking her with a sign or branding
her. Thc prophcts thcrcupon camc along and prcscribcd thc giving
of a dowry and thc usc of a writ and thc prcscncc of two wit-
ncsscs.
A furthcr cxamplc is that, although rcason considcrs stcaling ob-
jcctionablc, thcrc is nothing in it to inform us how a pcrson comcs
to acquirc propcrty so that it bccomcs his posscssion. [lt docs not
statc, for instancc,] whcthcr this comcs about as a rcsult of labor,
or is c.ffcctcd by mcans of harter, or by way of inhcritancc, or
is dcrivcd from what is frcc to all, likc what is huntcd on land and
sca. Nor [ is onc informcd by it as to] whcthcr a salc bccomcs
valid upon thc paymcnt of thc pricc ar by taking hold of thc articlc
or by mcans of a statcmcnt alonc. Bcsidcs thcsc, thcrc are many
othcr unccrtaintics pcrtaining to this subjcct which would takc
too long and would bc too difficult to enumcratc. Thc prophcts,
therdorc, camc along with a clcar-cut dccision for cach instancc.
Anothcr cxamplc is thc qucstion of thc expiation of crimc. Rea-
son considcrs it proper, to bc surc, that whocvcr commits a crimc
should cxpiatc it, but docs not dcfinc what form this cxpiation
ought to takc: whcthcr a rcprimand alonc is sufficicnt, or a malcdic-
tion should go with it, or ßogging too should be added. In the evcnt
that the punishmcnt takc thc form of ßogging, again, thc qucstion
is how much, and the same applies to thc malcdiction and thc
rcprimand. Or it is possiblc that no sarisfaction will be obtaincd
cxccpt by the dcath of thc criminal. And again it might bc askcd
whcthcr thc punishmcnt should bc the samc for whocvcr commits
a ccrtain crimc, or whcthcr it should vary from pcrson to pcrson.
Thcn thc prophcts camc and fixcd for cach crimc its own pcnalty,
and groupcd somc of thcm with othcrs undcr ccrtain conditions,
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 147
and imposcd monctary fincs for somc. For thcsc considcrations,
<120 thcn, that wc havc cnumcratcd and othcr such rcasons, is
>
it ncccssary for us to havc rccoursc to thc mission of God's mcsscn-
gcrs. For if wc wcrc to dcfcr in thesc mattcrs to our own opinions,
0 ur vicws would diffcr and we would not agrcc on anything. Bc-
sidcs that, wc arc, of coursc, in nccd of thcir guidancc on account of
thc prcccpts prcscribcd by rcvclation, as wc havc cxplaincd.
CHAPTER IV
And now that wc havc dcmonstratcd clcarly how ncccssity lcd
God to dispatch mcsscngcrs to mankind, it is fitting that this
discussion bc followcd up with an cxplanation of how thc authcn-
ticity of thcir mission was cstablishcd among thc rcst of mcn. 1
say, thcn, that human bcings rcalizc that it is impossible for thcm,
with such power and ability as thcy posscss, to subduc thc clcmcnts
of nature or to transform thc csscnccs of things. They are, indccd,
incapablc of doing that bccausc thcsc arc all thc work of thc
Crcator. For it is He that subducd thc various clcmcnts of nature
and creatcd thcm in thcir compositc form, although it is thcir
natural tcndcncy to fty apart. Howcvcr, God so altcrcd thc charac-
tcr of thcir separate csscnccs that as a rcsult of thcir combination
no csscncc of thcirs appcarcd in its pure form any morc, but al-
ways as somcthing eise than thc unadultcratcd csscncc. 1 mcan
[ that thc clcmcnts of nature wcrc combincd so as to form J cithcr
a human bcing or· a plant or othcr such corporcal things. [Sincc
mcn rccognizcd all this,] such fcats of ncccssity had to bc re-
gardcd by thcm as a sign of thc work of thc Crcator.
Hcncc any mcsscngcr whom thc Crcator would choosc to carry
out His mission would, as a matter of course, havc to bc providcd
by Him with onc of thcsc signs. [This sign might consist J of thc
subjcction of clcmcnts of nature, such as prcvcnting fire from burn·
ing or kccping watcr from running or arrcsting a hcavcnly sphcrc
r
in its coursc and thc likc. r1t mi~ht 1also takc thc form ofJ thc
transformation of substanccs, such as thc convcrsion of an animal
into an inanimatc objcct, or [the changc of somcthing] inanimatc
148 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
into a living thing, or [ thc transformation of] watcr into blood,
or of blood into watcr. Whcn, thcrcforc, on~ of thcsc signs is
prcscntcd to thc prophct, it bccomcs tbc obligation of those mcn
th.at sec it to rcgard him as holy and to lcnd crcdcncc to what bc
teils thcm, for thc All-Wisc would not havc prcsentcd His 1ign to
him unlcss hc bad bccn found trustworthy by Him.
Now although this account [ of thc authcntication of a prophctic
mission] i5 [sanctioncd] by rcason 1 it is also found in thc tcxu of
thc Scripturcs. This is known to thec from thc story of Moses our
teadier, and from thc wondrous miraclcs that wcrc shown to him.
Hcncc I can dispcnsc wirb mcntioning thcm hcrc. lt has also bccn
cxplaincd in thc text of thc Book of Exodus and elsewhcrc, as weil
as in thc commentary tbcrcon. lt is illustratcd furthcrmorc by thc
rcmark, madc by Moses to bis pcople, of < 121 > The greal trials
wl,icl, thine eyes saw (Deut. 7: 19).
Those of the scrvants of God, thcn, who bclicve thc prophct and
acccpt bis words ·as thc truth, arc thc virtuous,. as Scripture says:
A.nd l,e ,did the signs in the sigl,t of the people. And tl,e people
believed (Exod. 4: 30, 31). Those, on the othcr band, who do not
bclieve him and do not accept his words as truc, arc thc crring.
This, too, thou knowcst from the casc of thosc of whom it was
said: Because they believed nol in God (Ps. 78: 22).
At this point I find it nccessary to makc an obscrvation for thc
purposc of safcguarding [our belief in J thc [ usual J fixity of r
things]. What I havc refercncc to is that thc Crcator, cxaltcd and
magnificd bc He, docs not change thc substancc of anything unless
He first calls thc attcntion of thc pcoplc to thc fact that He is ahout
to eflect that changc. For (God's] motivc [in thc pcrformancc of
the miraclc l is to havc mcn lcnd crcdencc to His prophct. Wherc,
howcvcr, such a motive docs not exist, thcrc is no rcason for
changing any substancc. For if wc werc to assumc fpurposclcss
chang;c to bc thc rulc ], then our confidcncc in thc fixity of things
would bc shakcn. None of us could thcn bc surc, upon rcturning to
his dwelling and family, whethcr thc All-Wisc had not changcd
thcir csscnccs, and whcthcr thcy wcrc not different &om thc way
in which hc had left them. Tbc same applics to thc dcposition of
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 149
tcstimony about a pcrson or the issuance of a judgment concerning
hi?1· W~ m~st, thci:cforc,. takc it for grantcd that all things that
exist ordmanly retam thcir charactcr, and tha t thcir Master docs
not alter thcm cxccpt aftcr having first callcd attention to thc fact.
Let. ~c say, !urthcrmorc, that i~ would not have been scemly
for [d1vmc] W1Sdom to allow God s mcsscngers to mankind to bc
angcls, bccause human beings are not acquainted with the cxtcnt
of thc power of thc angels, [not knowing] what thcy are able or
what thcy are unablc to do. Conscqucntly, if thcse [angcls] bad
eomc bcfore mcn with wondrow miraclcs, thc lauer might havc
thought that to pcrform such marvcls was the nature of all angcls,
and thcy would have bad no proof that thesc miraclcs wcrc a sign
hailing from the Crcator. Since, howcvcr, thc mcssengcrs sc:.nt by
· God were human bcings likc oursclves, and wc ncvcrthclcss found
them pcrforming fcats of which wc are incapablc and which, con-
scqucntly, could only havc bccn the work of the Creator, their mis-
sion as transmitters of thc word of God was thcrcby authcnticatcd.
I say, also, that it was for this vcry reason that God madc thc
prophcts equal to all othcr human beings so far as dcath was con-
cerncd, lest men gct the idea that just as these prophets were
capablc of Jiving forcvcr, in contradistinction to them, so wcre rhey
also ablc to pcrform marvcls in contradistinction to them. For this
.
rcason, too, did God not nourish thcm without food and drink nor
rcstram thcm from marriage II lest < 122 > any doubt arisc in rc-
.
gard to thc significancc of thcir miraclcs. For men might have
thought that such nourishment [ without food and drink) was
natural with thcm and that, just as that was possiblc for them, so
too was it possiblc for thcm to perform miracles.
Thus, also, did God not guarantec to thc prophets pcrpctual
hcalth of body or grcat wcalth or postcrity or protection from thc
violencc of thc violent, whethcr that violence consist of ßogging
or insults or murdcr. For if He had done that, men might havc
ascribcd this fact to somc pcculiarity in the constitution of the
prophcts whcrcin thcy dcviatcd from thc rules applying to all
other mcn. Thcy would havc said that, just as thc prophcts ncces-
9 "not-nourWi , , • maniage"-Jbn Tibbon.
150 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
sarily dcviatcd [from thc charactcr of thc rcst of humanity] in this
respcct, so too wu it a forcgone conclusion tba~ tbcy bc ablc to do
what wc cannot.
I say, therefore-but of coursc: God's wisdom is abovc aught that
might be said-that God's purp<>sc in leuing the prophets rcmain
in cvcry respcct like all othcr human beings, while singling them
out from thc totality of them by enabling tbcm to do what was
.impossible for th'c wholc of mankind, was to authcnticatc His
sign and to confirm His mcssagc. 1 dcclare, morcovcr, tbat on this
account, too, did God not allow tbc propbcts to pcrform miraclcs
at all timcs nor pcrmit thcm always to know the sccrets of thc
futurc; lest thc uncducatcd masscs think that thcy wcrc· possesscd
of somc pcculiarity which brought that about as a matter of coursc.
He rathcr pcrmittcd thcm to pcrform thcsc miraclcs at ccrtain
statcd occasions and to obtain that knowledge at ccrtain timcs,
so that it might thcrcby becomc clcar that all dus was confcrrcd
upon thcm by the Creator and that it was not brought. about by
thcmsclves. Praisc be, then, unto thc All-Wisc and sanctilicd bc Hel
Now what impcllcd mc tQ notc down thcse points hc:rc is the
fact that I havc sccn pcoplc whosc prcconceivcd opinions causcd
them to rcjcct thc assertions madc above. One of thcm, for c,r:.
ample, says: "I dcny that the prophct dies like all othcr human
bcings." Anothcr refuscs to bclicvc that hc cxpcricnccs hungcr aod
thirsr. Anothcr rcjcc:ts thc idca that thc prophct cohabits and bcgcts
oflspring. Aoothcr denics that violcoce and injustice can havc ef-
fcct on bim. Still anothcr dcnics that anything in thc world can bc
hiddcn from thc prophet. Howevcr, 1 found all their allegations to
bc wrong, falsc, and unjust. On the contrary, it bccame certain to
me that thc wisdom manifcstcd in what thc Crcator bad done in
thc casc of His messcngers <123 was of an order similar to that
> Yes, 1 find that cven whcre in the account givcn of a certain
inhcrcnt in thc rest of His works, as it is exprcsscd in thc state-
ment of Scripture: For lht word o/ lht Lord is uprigl,t; and all His
work is dont in faitl,fulness (Ps. 33: 4). Scripturc likcwise says:
But thry know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither underlland
thry His ,ounsel (Mic. 4: 12).
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
CHAPTER V
I also considcred thc qucstion of how thc prophet could bc sure
that the message that hc hcard came from God bcfore ascribing it
to bis Lord i~ the prescncc of bis pcople, and I arrivcd at thc con-
clusion that this was eflcctcd by mcans of some sign that would
appcar to him at the beginning of the colloquy and remain until
its termination. This sign could take thc form of a pillar of fire
or a pillar of cloud or a light that did not cmanate from thc
ordinary luminarics. Whcn, then, thc prophet saw such a sign,
hc was certain that the mcssage camc from God.
Often thc pcople, too, would sec it, as did the followers of
Moses. When, namcly, he would lcave them to bctake himsclf to
thc scene of the revelation, they would stand up and look into thc
air and notc that it was frec from any cloud and their cyes would
bc fixed on Moses. Then as Moses would arrive at thc sccne of the
revelation, a thin cloud would dcscend in the shapc of a pillar and
tarry until 10 God had spokcn to Moses, whercupon it would go up
again. Thcn Moses would return to them. All this is bornc out
by thc statcment of Scripture: And it camt 10 pass, whtn Moses
went out unlo 11,e Tenl, 11,at all 11,e people rose up, 11nd slood,
every man al his tent door .•• (Exod. 33: 8).
When he would come back to them, thcreforc, bringing his
mcssage, they would say: "Thou hast spoken truly. Wc noticcd
how clear the atmosphcrc was before thy arrival at the scene of
the revelation and how the pillar of doud madc its dcscent at thc
time of thy arrival thcre. Also the time of its sojourn correspondcd
to the time which it took for thcc to hear this communication
which thou hast dclivered unto us."
prophct in one placc it is not explicitly stated that God rcvcalcd
Himself to him in a pillar of cloud, it is made dear about him in
anothcr book of the Scriptures that He did thus reveal Himsclf
to him. Thus Samuel is included with Moses and Aaron in one
10. "until"-added by Ibn Tibbon and M.
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
152
passagc of Scripturc, whkh says of thcm all: Moses and.1,aron
among His priests, and Samuel ••• He spokt: un10 them m ~he
pillar o/ cloud (Ps. 99: 6, 7). Since, thcn, 1 havc found such a thmg
to hold truc for Samuel, therc can bc no doubt about it but that
thc same would apply to many < Il4> other prophets.
If someone were to ask now how the magicians of Pharaoh could
have performcd miraclcs parallcling those wrought by Moses, wc
would say, in rcply, that of the ten miracles tbat Moses pcrfonn~d;
namcly, the convcrsion of his cane into a serpcnt. and the n!nc
others, thcre werc only threc which thc Torah mcnuons as havmg
bccn duplicatcd by thcm. But evcn thc reproduction by thcm of
thcsc thrcc to parallel Moses' feat is not mcntioncd by thc T orah for
thc purpasc of showing that hc and thcy wcrc cquals. lt was donc
mcrely in ordcr to diffcrcnt iatc bctwccn bis fcat and thcirs. Thc
Torah, namcly, statcs cxplicidy that Moses had pcrformed a
patent act, as the Lord had commanJed (Exod. 7: 20). These
othcrs, howcvcr, had done somcthing clandcstif!c, undcrcovcr, tbe
cunning of which stood rcvcalcd once it was uncov~red. Th~s
Scripture states. with refcrcnce to thc thrcc aforcment1oncd. m1r-
acJc5 : And the magicians did .in like manne, with tl,eir teeret
arts (hllatehem) (Exod. 8: 3).
This [last] cxprcssion is uscd 11 in thc Janguagc of Scripture
solely to dcsignate somcthing hiddcn, covcrcd, .w~appcd up. That
is apparcnt f rom such statements as Behold, 1t ts here ";rapped
(l11tah) in a cloth (I Sam. 21: 10); The /ace of the covenng that
is casl ( haJloF hallol) over all peoples (lsa. 25: 7); T hat Jie wrapped
(wayyalel) his /ace in his mantle (1 Kings 19: 13), And the king
covered (la'aF) l,i1 /ace (II Sam. 19 : 5), Spea~ with David ucretly
(balla/) (I Sam. 18: 22), and And the ward that dealet!, quietly 12
(la'al) with thee (Job 15: n).
Sincc, thcn, the Torah cxplicitly uscs the phrase with their secret
arts (blla,ehem), it is quitc dcar thercfrom that it was mcant a5 a
rcjcction, not as an endorscmcnt of thcir dccd. This might bc com-
parcd to thy saying: "Rcubcn hit the mark in his spccch, whcreas
n. "used"-lbn 1ibbon, literally "applies."
u. "quiedy"-tht usual translation is "gendy."
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 153
Simon misscd thc maik in bis spccch," or to thy rcmarking: "Levy
pcrformcd a good dccd, whcrcas Zebulun committcd a foul dccd."
Thy intcntion in both cascs would bc mcrely to differentiatc bc-
tween thc two uttcranccs or the two dccds, not to indicate that thcy
are equal.
Inasmuch as I havc now establisbed this principle, it is not ncccs-
sary for me to dcmonstrate any further how it was possiblc for
the magicians, by the cmploymcnt of cunning with small quantitics
of watcr, to changc thc huc of this water by means of dyes, and
how they could throw somcthing into certain bodics of water in
order to cause the frogs to take ßight from thcm, cxcept that it is
impossible to do with large bodies of watcr what can bc done with
such small partions. What Moses bad done, howevcr, was to
change the watcr of thc Nilc in its cntircty, and its mcasurcment is
a stretch of forty parasangs from 'al-'Alla~i 13 to Marcotis.14 Sim-
ilarly he also caused thc frogs to come up from the cntirc river,
which was something that < 125> ncither ruse nor cunning was
ablc to accomp{ish, but was solcly thc work of the Mighty, All-
Wisc and Omnipotent, as Scripture says: To Him who alone doeth
great wonders (Ps. 136: 4). ·
If, furthcrmore, one wcre to ask, "But how was it that Jonah
was chosen to carry out a mission from whkh hc ran away, whcn
it would scem that thc All-Wise would not choose anyonc who
would disobcy him?" I would answcr that I havc gonc ovcr the
story of Jonah rcpcatcdly and yct havc not found a singlc vcrse
that would statc explicidy that hc did not fulfill his first mission.
And although I have not found a definite indication that hc car-
ricd it out cither, yet I fccl constraincd to belicvc that he did, in
the same manncr in which all the prophets did. Anothcr rcason is
13. According to '""'" Gngr11p/iiu/i~1 Wonu,hu~I,. td. F. Wucstcnfeld (Lcip·
zig, 1868), III, 710, thi• was a fomcu in Southcrn Egypt (ncar thc: Nubian dctc:n)
ln the district inhabited by the Buja (idc:ntical with the Bcja, Cf. E:nc-ydopedio
Bri1annka, 14th ed. JIJ, 334). There 1till exisu today a Wadi Al2gi, which h a
tributary oE the Nile ßowing into it from the southeast. Cf. i,l~m. Vol. XXIV, map
no, 79.
14. According to idem, IV (1869), 517, this was a town near Alexandri1, Egypr,
on the Meditcrrancan coast.
154 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
that thc All-Wisc would not choosc anyonc to cxccutc an crrand
of His wbo would not carry it out. Bcsidcs, 1 ~d Scripturc saying
constantly: And the Lord spo/t.e unlo Moses, say;ng: Spealt. unto
the (h;/drm o/ lsrael (Lcv. :z3: 1, :z). Yct it is only in a fcw in-
1tanccs that thc commcnt is madc that thc command was carricd
out, as it is donc (in thc 1tatcmcnt]: And Moses spol(e 10 unlo the
children o/ lm,el 11 (Exod. 6: 9).
What Jonah ßcd from was only thc possibility of his bcing scnt
on a mission a second time. For it sccmcd to him that his first
mission constituted a warning, but that the sccond was an act of
intimidation and a thrcat. He was, thcreforc, afraid that, aftcr his
having thrcatened them with somc punishment or other, thosc to
whom hc would bc scnt would rcpcnt so that the thrcat would not
bc carried out and it would bc said that it was duc to his having
licd. Hcnce he dcpart~ from the land which thc Creator had ap-
pointcd to bc the scat of prophccy.
[AU] this is cxplicitly stated at thc end of Jon~'s rcmark: I J>ray
Thee, 0 Lord, was not this my saying, when / was yet in mine own
cottntry? There/ore l fled beforehand unto Tarshish (Jonah 4: 2).
No sin auachcd to him, thcrcforc, sincc his Lord had not told him:
"1 am going to send thce a sccond time." That was mcrcly a
thought that had ariscn in bis mind, and hc rcjccted what might
pcrhaps comc or not come to pass. Thcrcupon God madc him rc-
turn by compulsion to thc country rhat had becn singlcd out for
prophccy, and brought him to the point of prophcsying, and sent
r
him forth on his mission and thus cxccutcd thc plan conccivcd
by l His wisdom.
CHAPTER VI
Next lct mc explain thc character of the Holy Scripturcs and
say that God has provided us with summary accounts of all that has
transpircd in thc past in ordcr that wc might thcreby bc put into a
fit condition for obcying Him. These accounts werc incorporatcd
by Him into His Holy Book. He attachcd to thcm also His prc-
15. Thil quot:nion follows 1he rrading ol Ibn 1ibbon.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 155
ccpts and appcnded to the lattcr a statcment of the rcwards He
would metc out for their obscrvancc. Thus this bccame a matter
of permanent bcncfit [ to mankind] for all time.
What I mcan to say is that whcn wc cxamine all the books writ-
tcn by thc prophcts and <~26> thc scholars of all pcoplcs, how·
cvcr grcat thell' numbcr maght bc, wc discovcr that thcy all cm.
bracc no more than thrce basic thcmcs. Thc first in rank i., that of
commandmcnts and prohibitions. These constitute one classifica-
tion. Th_c sccond thcmc is rcward and punishmcnt, which rcprcscnt
thc conscqucnccs [of thc obscrva ncc or nonobscrvance of thc com-
mandmcnts and thc p~ohib~tions ~· Tbc third [ thcmc consists of]
an account of the men that livcd Vll'tuously in thc various countrics
of the world and wcrc, thcrdorc, succcssful, as weil as of thosc who
dealt corruptly in thcm and pcrishcd as a result. Thc intcrcsts of
human wcJl-bcing can bc scrvcd complctcly only by a combination
of thcse thrcc [ thcmcs].
[Let me cit~ ~s] an iUu~~tion [of what I wüh to convcy,J the
casc of a phys1c1an who VlSJts a pcrson sick with fcver. lt is dc:ar
to him rhat the cawc of thc paticnt's illncss is an ovcrabundance
of blood. Now, if hc w~rc to say to hlm: "Do not cat mcat and. do
not drink winc," he would thcrcby bc contributing to his rccovcry,
but not completcly. lf, again, in addition to this prescription he
w~re to say: "Don't do it in order t~at thou maycst not bc affii~tcd
wath a headache," hc would bc contributing still more to his
rccovcry, although not yct complctcly, until hc would say to him:
"'As it happcncd to so-and-so." For whcn hc has donc that, hc has
complcted thc proccss lcading to thc paticnt's eure. This is, thcn,
the rcason why thc books rcferrcd to dwell on all of thesc thrcc
basic thcm~. Howcvcr, 1 shall bc bricf and rcfrain from noting
down an~mg further about thesc subjccts, bccausc thcy are far
too CXtCDSl'fC.
Furthcrmorc, lct mc say that it was weil known to the All-Wisc,
cx~tc~ and magni?cd bc He, that His prcccpts and thc accounts of
H,s sagns would m thc coursc of time rcquirc transmittcrs, in
ordcr .that thcsc mattcrs migbt sccm as authcntic to postcrity as
they dad to the early anccstor~. Thcrcfore did He rendcr thc human
156 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
mind susccptiblc to thc acccptance of authcntic.atcd tradition and
the human soul capable of finding rcpo5e tbcrc\n, so that His Scrip-
tures and traditions might bc acknowlcdgcd as truc.
I dccm it proper also to call to mind thc following dctails that
lend color to thc validity of tradition. For examplc, \\-crc it not for
the fact that man f clt satisficd in their hcarts that thcrc is such
a thing in tbe world as authcncic tradition, no person would bc ablc
to chcrish lcgithhatc cxpectatio.ris on thc basis of thc rcports hc
rcccivcs about thc success of a ccrtain commcrcial transaction, or thc
uscfulncss of a specificd art-and, aftcr all, thc rcalization of man's
potcntialitics and thc satisfaction of bis nccds dcpcnd upon cntcr-
prise. Nor would hc hccd thc warnings about thc dangcrs of a ccr-
tain road, or thc announccmcnt of thc prohibition of a ccrtain act.
[Howcvcr,] witbout such cxpcctations and apprchcnsions he would
fail in his undcrtakings.18
Again, wcrc it not for the assu mption that thcrc cxists in thc
world [such a thing as] authcntic tradition, < 127> mcn would
acccpt ocirhcr thc command nor thc intcrdict of ·thcir rulcr, cxccpt
whcn thcy saw him with thcir own cycs and hear-d bis words with
their own cars. In thc cvcnt of his absencc, howcvcr,11 the acccp-
tancc on thcir part of his command and intcrdict would ccasc. But
if things wcrc likc that, it would mcan thc end of law and ordcr,
and the dcatb of many human bcings.
Also, wcrc it not for thc cxistcncc in thc world of such a thing
as authcntic tradition, no man would bc ablc to idcntify thc
propcrty of bis fathcr or his inhcritancc from his grandfathcr. Nay,
hc would not cvcn hc ccrtain of bcing thc son of his mothcr, lct
alonc of his bcin,t thc son of his fathcr. Tbc rcsult would thcn bc
that thc affairs of mcn would always bc subjcct to doubt, to thc
point whcrc human bcings would belicvc only what thcy pcrccivc
with thcir scnses at thc time of pcrception. Such a vicwpoint would
bc closc to thc thcory of thc Skeptics, whom wc havc mcntioncd
in thc first trcatisc.19
16. "Howner , • , undenakinip"-lbn 1ibbon. 11te Arabic original u de·
fective lt thi1 point.
17, "howevcr"-11dded by Ibn 1ibbon 1nd M.
18. Cf. above, pp. So ff.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 157
Now thc Scripturcs, too, asscrt that authentic tradition i1 a,
uustworthy a1 things pcrccivcd with our own cycs. That i.a tbc
import of thcir statcmcnt : For pass over 10 11,e isles of 1/,e Killiles,
ll,1ld see, or,d send unto Kedar, and conrider diligenlly (Jcr. 2: 10).
But why, in thc portion of this vcrsc pcrtaining to thc rcpon, wcrc
the words and consider dilignauy addcd? My answcr ia that a rc-
port is subjc.ct to falsification in two dircctions from which dircct
obscrvation is immune. lt may bc duc cithcr to falsc imprcssion or
eise to dclibcrate misrcprcscntation. That is why Scripture say1:
1nd consider diligently.
Now when wc pondcr thcsc two critcria of thc trustworthincss
of traditions, our·rcason arrivcs at thc conclusioo that it is only thc
individual wbo is subjcct to and foolcd by falsc imprcssion or
dclibcratc dcccption. In thc casc of a largc community of mcn,
howcvcr, it is not likcly that all of its constitucnts should havc
bcen aubjcct to thc samc 1• wrong imprcssions. On the other band,
bad thcrc bccn a dclibcratc conspiracy to crcate a fictitious tradi-
tion, that fact could not have rcmaincd a sccrct to the massc,, but
whcrever thc tradition had bccn publishcd, thc rcport of thc con-
spiracy would havc bccn publishcd along with it. Whcn, thcrcforc,
a tradition is frcc from thc above-mcntioncd two ßaws, thcrc is no
third mcans of invalidating it. Accordingly, if tbc traditions trans-
mittcd to us by our anccstors arc vicwcd in thc light < u8 > of
thesc [ tbrcc] principlcs, thcy will bc found to bc proof against thcsc
argumcnts, corrcct and unshakablc.
CHAPTER VII
After aU thc aforcsaid, I deem it proper to havc thc rcmarks rhat
havc becn made followcd by a discussion of thc subjcct of thc
abrogation of thc Law, bccause tbis treatisc is thc appropriatc placc
for it. 1 say, thcn, that thc children of Israel havc a gcncral tradi-
tion to thc clfcct that thc prophets had informed them that the
laws of thc T orah wcrc not subjcct to abrogation. Thcy asscrt,
19. "shoufd have bcen 1ubject to die aame"~ . Guttm1nn, p. 147, n. 2.
158 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
furthcrmorc: "Wc havc heard this view exprcacd so expliddy as
to brook no misundcrstandjng or misintcrpretat.ion."
By a carcful study of thc Scripturcs I found considcrablc support
for this thc.1is. First of all, 1 noticcd that many laws had attachcd
to them such phrascs as throughoul tlseir generations ( e.g„ Exod.
31: 16) and Jor a perpetua/ co11enan1 H(ibid.). Again, therc is thc
statement of the Torah: Moses bequeathed 21 unto us a Law, an
inhmtance of 1/,e tongregation o/ /acob 22 (Deut. 33: 4).
Furthcrmorc, our nation of thc childrcn of Israel is a nation
only by virtuc of irs laws. Since, thcn, thc Crcator ha.s stated rhat
thc Jcwish nation was dcstincd to exist as long as hcavcn and carth
would cxist, iu laws would, of ncccssity, havc to cndurc as long as
would hcavcn and carth. That is, indccd, thc import of thc statc~
mcnt of Scripturc: Thut toitl, 11,e Lord, who gi11etl, the sun for a
light by day, and the ordinancer of the moon and the stars for a
liglit by night, who sliTTelh up the sea, 11,a, the wa11er llu:rcof roar,
the Lord of holls ,is His name: 1/ lhese ordinance1 depart from
be/ore Me, saith the Lord, then the seed of lsriiel also sl,a/l cease
/rom being a nation be/ore Me /orever (Jer. 31: 35, 36).
I notcd also in the last of the prophecics a dirocr: admonitioo 21
in regard to the obscrvancc of thc Torah of Moses until thc day of
thc rcsurrcction, which lauer would bc precedcd by thc sending of
Elijah. Thc statcmcnt I have rcfcrcncc to is: Remember ye 1he Law
of Moses My ser11ant, whicl, l commanded unto him in Horeb /or
all l.rrael, et1en 114/uks and ordinances. Bel,o/d, l will send you
Elijah the prophet he/ore the coming o/ lhe great and tmihle day
of the Lord H (Mal. 3: 22, 23).
I havc also sccn ·somc of our nation who, in thcir effort to refutc
thc thcory of thc abrogation of thc Law, citc ccrtain gcncral con-
sidcrations, allcging that thc laws promulgatcd by God could at
thc time of thcir promulgation havc bccn of onc of four kinds only.
< 129> Eithcr it was explici~y statcd that they wcre mcant to bc
20. "attached • • • covcnant"-thc original .rcada litcnlly: "wriUcn in them
• p,trpt111"1 ro11~nant itnd h11ve writtcn in dwn tllrtJNfAo,u 1011r 1n>mztion1."
21. ''b(qucalhcd"--thc wual transl11tion is "c:ommaruled."
2:1. This quolAtion follows die rcading oE Ibn Tibbon.
23. "admonitioo "-Ibn Tabbon.
24. This quotation follows the reading oE Ibn nbbon.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 159
eternal, in .which case thcy could no~ possibly bc abrogatcd. Or thcy
~cre ord_amcd by God to bc opera~vc .~or onJy a certain period of
umc, as if, for cxamplc. He bad sa1d: Do such and such a thing
for 100 ycan." In that casc thcir dissolution during thc onc hundrcd
ycars would bc in~onccivabl~, whilc aftcr thc hundrcd ycars wcrc
up [th~ term of 1ts operation] would havc cxpircd, whercforc
abrog~t1on would not bc applicablc to it. Or dse they might havc
becn 1mposcd only on a specific locality, as if, for cxamplc, God
had said: "Do such and such a th.ing in Egypt." In that casc it
would bc out of thc qucstion that it be abrogatcd by Him in Egypt
whilst thc institution of anothcr law elscwhcrc would not bc tanta~
mount to thc abr~gation [of thc ~rst]. Thc fourtb poßibilicy is that
rhe Ja~ "';~s ordaincd for a dcfinatc rcason, as if, for cxamplc, God
bad sa1d, .Do such and such a thing bccausc tbc water of thc Nilc is
ßowing." In that casc no ~issolution o~ thc law would bc possiblc
beforc thc watcr of thc N1lc stops Aowmg, whereas thc institution
of anothcr law aftcr thc watcr has stoppcd flowing would not con-
stitutc an abrogation of thc original ordina.nce.
lf objcction wcrc now to bc raiscd against this asscrtion on
thcir part by pointing out that thcr~ cxists also a fifth catcgory,
namcly tbat of a law for which no time limit has bccn set, so ,hat
men go on practicing it until they arc ordercd to do othcrwisc
thcir rcply would bc that, if this wcrc so, it would also constitut~
legislation for a limitcd intcrval of time. Thc pcriod of its validity
would, of coursc, be full y known in advancc by GocJ, whcrcas it
would bccomc known to mcn at thc time of thc institution of thc
sccond law. In eithcr casc, howcvcr, thcrc could bc no talk of ab-
rogation, sincc the law was intcndcd, from thc time whcn it was
first institutcd, to be of limited duration. 21 Some, again, would
answcr the objection by declaring that such a fifth classification
is untcnable for thc rcason that laws 28 had purposcly bccn dcsig-
natcd as permanent or tcmporary in order that nonc of thcm might
remain unspecificd. 2,
Now I have sccn somconc who prescnts scven arguments in
2!J. " since , .• duntion"-d. Guttmonn, p. 149 and n. 2.
26. " laws"-Jbn Tibbon i1nd M corrcctly.
27. " unspecilied"-lbn Tibbon.
 100 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
&vor of thc pouibility of thc abrogation of the Law which, he
maintain,, are advanced by reason, and all of which would cor·
roboratc such a vicw. I, thereforc, sec fit to makc notc of them, a1
weil as of what might bc oflercd in the way of rcfutation against
thcm. Thc fir,t of thcsc argumcnts, then, lct mc aay, is the one
drawn from thc anaJogy with lifc and dcath. Just as it is possiblc
for [ divinc J Wisdom to givc Jifc and to P.Ut to dcath again, asserts
[thc proponcnt ], ·so, too, should it be possiblc for it to lcgislatc and
abrogatc thc laws institutcd.
Upon careful considcration, howcvcr, ] realizcd that thcrc was
a grcat diffcrcnce bctwccn thcsc two maucrs. For if God grant•
lifc only in ordcr to put to dcath again, it is because dcnth is the
mcans of transition to future lifc, which is thc ultima(e gonl of
mortal cxistcncc. God did not, however, issue laws for thc [ sole]
purposc of abrogating thcm again. For, < 130> if He bad donc
that, cvcry law would havc to bc subjcct to abrogation. Thc first
would thcn havc bccn supcrscdcd by thc sccond, and thc sccond by
thc third, and thus ad infinitum, which is, of counc, nonscnsc.
Furthermor.e, if this wcrc thc casc, therc would always be inhcrent
in the ,econd law an inner antithesis and contradiction. What I
mean is that the sccond law would bc the mcans to an end that lies
outside of itsclf, by reason of the fact that it is a Jaw and that it lies
in the cbaractcr of cvery law f according to this assumption l thus
[ to servc as· a means to an end, namcly thc law supcrscding it l · In
· addition, it would also constitute an end in itsclf bccause it super·
scdcs the first law and it is of thc nature of cvery supcrsedent tobe
an end to a means by virtue of the fact that it supcrscdes its ante·
cedcnt. This is, then, a ßimsy thesis.
Thc second [ argument that is advanced in favor of the abro-
1
gation of thc Law J is [dcrived from the analogy to the fact that
God permits thosc chargcd with the fuJfiltment of the Law to die
and with their dcath allows the obligation resting on them to lapsc.
As I sec it, howcvcr, the reason why death cannot do othcrwisc
than rcmovc thc obJigation of thc law from thc dcad is that com·
mandments and prohibitions do not apply to them altogethcr. One
must not, thercfore, comparc the caisc in which an alternative is
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
passfülc with onc in which no such choice cxists. For if it were to
bc ~ssu~ed.t~at [ cvcn for thc living] the abrogation of the Law is
an mcv1ub1hty, thcn onc would again bc faccd with that inner
contradiction which I mentioncd in conncction with thc theory
that cvcry law was subjcct to abrogation.
The third [ argumcnt] is [ takcn] from the analogy to thc person
who we~ks onc day and rcsts on anothcr, or who fasts one day and
brcaks h1s fast on another, as thc Law rcquircs'. This is, howcver,
also duc t~ compu1sion. For sincc it is not within the power of a
human bcing to fast cvery day or to rest evcry day, it would not
havc bccn sccmly for thc All-Wisc to cbargc him thercwith. Yct
it is qui.tc possiblc for a human bcing to carry thc law out in cvcry
generauon.
The fourth (arg~mcnt] is (bascd] on thc analogy to thc fact that
G od makcs mcn nch or poor, sceing or blind, cach one at the time
chat it swts Hirn best to do it. 1 rccognizcd, howcver, that thcrc is
a widc di~crgcncc bct~ccn ehe phenomc~a compared. For good
fo~tunc m1ght be. Go~ s rcward for obcd1encc, whcreas hardship
m1ght bc thc rctnbuuon mctcd out by Him for disobcdicncc. As
far as thc Law is conccrned, howcver,·it was not institutcd by Him
as a rcquital of cithcr obcdicncc or clisobcdicncc. If, nevertheless,
such a ~laim bc prcsscd, how is onc to cxplain 28 [thc 131 > pro- <
m ul~at10n of thc) first Law, sincc it could not possibly havc becn
ordamcd as a reward for acts prcccd ing its institution in vicw of the
fact that thcre existcd no law bcforc it [ which it was obligatory to
obcy]?
Thc fifth [_a rgumcnt in favor of the possibility of an abrogation
of thc Law] 1s ffoundcd] on t'hc analogy to tbe date, which turns
red as it ripcns after having been grecn, and similar phcnomcna.
Now I considcrcd all thesc matters very carefully and ] notcd that
the changcs werc brought about eithcr by the natural constitution
of the subjects or by habit. The Law is, however, not of such a
character. For had it bcen likc that, evcry law would havc becn
subject to abrogation and wc would again have becn confrontcd
with the inner contradiction fthat has bccn refcrrcd to previously].
28, "how 11 onc: to explain„-litc:rally "it would havc: vitiatc:d for him,..
162 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS ·
Thc sixth [argument runs] as follows: Just as work on the
Sabbath was, from thc standpoint of rcason, originally considcred
permissiblc until rc:vclation substitutcd for it restraint. cven so
should it be possiblc for anotbcr rcvclation to rcstorc: it to tbc status
of pcrmis.sibility. Let mc say, then, in rcfcrencc: to this matter, that
the analogy citcd would havc becn complctc only if rcason had
madc work on thc Sabbath day obligatory. Thcn it cou)d havc hccn
11id that rcvelation causcd that obligation to be abrogatcd. lnas-
much, howcvcr, as rcason mcrely rcgardcd it as optional, thc
analogy doca not hold. For human rcasoo was always of thc opinion
that it was pcnnissiblc for man to be idlc on thc Sabbath day or
any othcr day, cithcr in ord~r to atford bis body rest or on account of
somc othcr advantagc that hc wou)d gain thcrcby, or for hoth
rcasons. lt was undcr such conditions that rcvclation injcctcd it5etf
into somethlng, which from thc standpoint of man's rcason was
pcnnissiblc, and said to man: "Rest in ordcr to afl'ord thy body rc-
laxation and in ordcr that thou maycst thcrcby gain somc nd-
vantagc and rcward." That did not rcally constitutc thc abrogation
of anything, cvcn though it was dccrced by God as a permanent
institution. For it would havc bccn pcrfcctly proper, from the stand-
point of bis reason, for any person endowcd with intelligcncc to
ordcr ,omc:one to rcmain idle on a spccific day with thc promisc to
give him a dent1r cvery day.
Thc seventh [argument] is to thc c.ffcct that, just as it was per-
mis:sible for thc Law of Moses to bc different from that of Abraham,
so should it be pcrmissiblc for a Law to comc into bcing that is
different from that of Moses. Howcver, whcn wc study thc Law of
Moses, wc find that it is, in reality, idcntical with that of Abraham.
To bc surc, Moses addcd such prcccpts as tbosc of the cating of
unlcavencd brcad on Pa.ssovcr and thc Sabbath, on account of
ccrtain cvent.1 that happcncd to his pcoplc, in thc samc manncr
in which a pcrson would takc a vow always to fast on the anni-
vcrsary of the day on which hc cscapcd dcath. lf it is proper, thcn,
for this individm1l to assume such an obligation of his own volition,
it is also proper for his Lord to impose it upon him. And if this
addition is <132> tobe rcgardcd as constituting an abrogation,
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
then anyonc who voluntarily obligates himsclf to pray or fast or
givc alms would thercby bc abrogating thc Law; and the author of
tht Law, who gavc him liccnsc to do that, would, by thc samc
tokcn, havc givcn him liccnsc to abrogatc His Law. Similar ob-
jections apply also to all thc prcviously mentioned argumcnts.
These arc, thcrcforc, all, may God bavc mcrcy on thcc, merc di-
vcrsions which cannot stand up undcr a carcful inquiry into the
matter.
CHAPTER VIII
Having disposed of thcse scvcn arguments, I dcem it proper
to makc notc of a thcory of thcirs, which tbcy propound with grcat
loquadty. Tbcy asscrt, namcly, that just as thc belief in thc mission
of Moses was bascd on bis pcrformancc of miraclcs and marvcls,
so too ougbt the belief in somconc clsc's mission be based on that
onc's performancc of miraclcs and marvels.
Whcn I hcard this, 1 was very much surprised, becausc thc basi1
of our belief in tbe mission of Moses is not solcly thc mjraclcs and
marvcls that he pcrformcd. Tbc rcason for our belicving in him,
and in cvcry othcr prophct, is rather thc fact that hc first callcd
upan us to do what is proper. Theo, whcn wc had hcard his appcal
and wc saw that it was proper, wc dcmandcd from him miraclcs in
support of it and, whcn he performcd them, wc bclicved in him.
If, howcvcr, wc had feit that the appcal he madc at tbc bcginning
was not proper, wc would not bavc dcmanded any miradcs from
him, becausc m.iraclcs arc of no acoount in supporting the unac-
ceptablc.
Thc casc might be comparcd to that of two litigants, Rcuben and
Simon, staoding beforc a judgc. If Rcuben filcs a rcasonablc claim
against Simon, saying, for cxample, "He owcs me onc thousand
drachmas," thc judgc asks him for witncsscs, and if thcy risc to
tcstify on his behalf, tbe dcfcndant becomcs liab)c for thc paymcnt
to bim of thc money. lf, on thc other band, he filcs against him a
claim that is not in thc rcalm of possibility, saying, for cxamplc,
"He owcs mc tbc Tigris Rivcr," his claim bccomcs complctcly null
and void bccausc thc Tigris is not in any onc man's possession.
 164 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
lt is, thcreforc, not seemly for thc judge to ask him for tcstimony
thcrcon.
Thc same proccdurc is to bc followcd in thc casc of cvcry claim-
ant of prophccy. If hc says to us, "My Lord commands you to fast
today," wc ask him for a sign in support of bis mission, and whcn
hc shows it to us, wc acccpt it and fast. If, howcver, hc werc
to say to us, "My Lord commands you to commit adultcry and
stcal," or "He informs you < 133> that He is about to bring a
ßood of watcr upon thc world," or "He makcs it known to you that
He crcatcd hcavcn and carth thoughtlcssly whilc He was aslccp," 211
wc would not ask him for any sign, sincc what hc callcd upon us
to do is not sanctioncd by cither rcason or tradition.
Now I havc secn onc of the proponcnts of thc theory that has
just bccn discusscd go furthcr in thc matter and say, "But supposc
wc notc that thc [prctcndcd] prophct pays no attcntion to us but
makcs us witncss thc miraclcs and marvels so that wc sec thcm
pcrforcc. What shall wc say to him in that casc ?" My answcr was
that our rcply to him should bc thc samc as that 'of all of us would
bc to anyonc who would show us miraclcs and.marvcls for thc pur-
posc of making us givc up such rational convictions as that thc
truth is good and lying rcprchcnsiblc and thc likc. He was thcrc-
upon compcllcd to takc rcfugc in thc thcory that thc disapproval of
lying and thc approval of thc truth wcrc not promptcd by rcason
but werc thc rcsult of thc commandmcnts and prohibitions of
Scripturc, and thc samc was truc for thc rcjcction of murdcr,
adultcry, and stcaling. W.h cn hc had comc to that, howcvcr, 1 feit
that I nccded no longcr concern mysclf witb him and that I bad
my fill of discussion with him.
Among thc proponcnu of the theory of abrogation thcrc arc also
somc who citc in support thercof vcrscs of the Biblc. 1 thereforc
decm it fitting to makc notc of thcsc verscs, as weil as of thcir in-
terpretation of thcm and the objcctions against these interprcta-
tions.
Tbc 6rst of thcsc is thc statement of the Torah, And l,e 1aid:
The Lord came from Sinai, and ro1e from Seir unto them; He
29. "thoughde,sly while he was asleep"-lbn Tibbon, but in revene order.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
shined fort/, from mount Paran, and He came from tl,e myriod1
J,oly (Deut. 33: 2.), In rcality, howevcr, thcsc thrcc arc all of them
namcs applied to Mount Sinai, Thc rcason for its having thcsc
different appcllations is that whcncvcr a mount.ain cxtcnds toward
scvcral countrics, its nomcnclaturc is dividcd according to thc
namcs of thcsc countrics, cach division bcaring thc namc of thc
country lying oppositc it. Just as onc and thc samc sca acquircs from
thc countrics bordcring it many namcs corrcsponding to that of
cach adjaccnt country, so is Mount Sinai a mountain oppositc thc
lands of Sinai, Seir, and Paran, callcd by thc namcs of all thrcc bc-
causc it stands on somcthing rcscmbling a straight linc.
Thc proof that Sinai and Paran mcct onc anothcr is thc statc-
mcnt of Scripturc: And tl,e dildren of lirael 1et forward hy their
1tage1 < 134> out of the wilderne11 of Sinai; and tl,e cloud ahode
in tl,e wilderness of Paran (Num. 10: 12). Tbc proof, again, that
Paran and Seir arc contiguous is thc statcmcnt of Scripturc: .And
tl,e Horites in tl,eir mount Seir, unto EI Paran, whid iJ hy the
wilderness (Gen. 14: 6). I havc also found that in thc othcr books
of Holy Writ thc namc Seir is used in rcfcrring to Sinai. This is
illustratcd by thc statcmcnt of Scripturc: Lord, w/,en Thou didn
go fort/, out of Seir ••• that is, Sinai/JO at the presence of tl,e
Lord, the God of./1rael (Judg. 5: 4, 5).
Now ccrtain pcople, in thcir cffort to provc from Scripturc thcir
belief in an abrogation of thc original law, go furthcr, pointing
out that aftcr having statcd, He 1hined fort/, from mount Paran
(Deut. 33: 2.), using thc past tcnsc, Scripturc says: God will come 11
from Teman, and tl,e Holy One from mount Paran. (Hab. 3: 3),
cmploying the futurc form.
I havc notcd quitc dcfinitely, howcvcr, tbat whcncvcr an
cnumcration of facts takcs placc, somc of tbc vcrbs arc put in thc
past tcnsc whilst othcrs arc givcn a futurc form, as it wcrc. Thus,
for cxamplc, Scripture, cnumcrating thc sins of our anccstors in
thc wildcrncss, lists thcm as follows: B,11 they were rebellious at
the sea, even at the Red Sea . ••• They soon forgot His works, •••
30. "that i, Sinai"-dte u1ual transladon i, "even yon Sinai."
.31. "God will comc"-the usual trantlation b "God cometh,"
166 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Bul luntd ,~,ttdingly in 1/,t wüdtrnt11 (P1. 1o6: 7, 13, 14). Yet
in 1pcaking of aomc of thcm it uscs futurc forma of exprcssion. a1
it were, such as Thty makt (ya'asu) a ealf in Hortb (P1. 1o6: 19)
and T l,e e11r1I, opn,1 (lippatl,al)) and 1wallo1111 up ( w/1!,ibl,la')
Datl,an (Ps. 1o6: 17). Both these verba seem, according to thcir
form, .to refer to thc futurc, although in reality thcy stand for thc
past. For it is charactcristic of thc person who fccls gratcful to say:
"So-and-ao 11 ;, good to mc, or uaeful to me, or kind to mc,U as it is
also typical of onc who has bccn wrongcd and who complains to
say: 11So-and-so 12 ;, wronging mc, or bctraying mc, or doing mc
an injwtice."
I havc furthcrmorc cncountcrcd people that askcd: "Who is
this person of whom it is said in Scripturc: And an an,bassador
is senl among tl,e nalions: 'Arist ye, and lel us rise up againsl /,t,
in batik'?" (Obad. 1: 1). In rcply thercto I informcd thcm that
the person alludcd to was Jahazicl and that the battlc was thc one
wagcd by Edom during the reign of Jehoahaphat, for Obadiah
livcd in his time. When, then, tl,e dildren of Ammon 11nd Moab
anti mounl Seir (II Chron. 20: 10) attacked him, u is explaincd in
thc Book of Chronicles, Jehoshaphat fastcd < 135 > and prayed
and callcd unto hia Lord, as ia clcarly written. God thcreupon
sent to him Jahaziel on account of these nations, as i1 statcd in
Scripture: Tl,en upon fal,a•iel the son of Z"l,11ri11I,, tl,e son of
Benaial,, tlle son of feiel, tl,e son of Mananial,, tl,e Le11itt, of tl,e
sons of A111pll, ,11me tl,e spirit of tl,e Lord in tl,e mit/110/ 1/,e con-
gregation 11 (II Chron. 20: 14). That onc said to thcm, "Stand
asidc, for God will dclivcr you from Edom." That i1 thc import of
bis statcment: Y e sl,all not need to fight in 11,is batlle; sei your-
selr,es, ttand ye still, anti see tl,e 1al11ation of 11,e Lord witl, you
(II Chron. 20: 17).
The meaning, thcrcfore, of thc cxprcssion Arise ye in thc uttcr·
ancc of Obadiah is identical with that of Sn yourtel11e1, slat1tl ye
lliU in thc utterance of Jahaziel. When, thcn, thcy heard from him
thc cxhortation of Set yourselves, they took counsel thcreon with
3:a. "So 1nd eo"--.ddcd bJ Ibn 1ibbon.
33• Thia quotadon lollcnn tbe rading ol Ibn 1ibbon.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 16']
onc another, and the thought occurred to them that he had mcant
that thcy should rise to praisc and laud God, as Scripturc statea:
.And wl,en l,e had taken eounsel witl, tl,e peaple, l,e appointed
11,em that sl,auld sing unto tl,e Lord (II Chron. 20: 21). That must
have been in consonancc with the plcasure of the Crcator, sincc He
delivered them from the enemy as they bcgan to utter His praisc,
as Scripture states: And wl,en tl,ey began to sing and 10 p,aise, 11,e
Lord set liers-in-wait againsl tl,e ehildren of Ammon •• , (II
Chron.10: 11). But all this ia long past alrcady.
I also found still othcrs who cited as proof of their thcory thc
statement of Jeremiah: Behold, the days ,ome, saith tlle Lord, that
1 will make a new eovenant ,vitl, 11,e l,ouse o/ lsrael, and witl, the
l,ouse af /udal, (Jcr. 31: 31). To these I said: "Why don't you look
at what follows this verse, whcrc it is explicitly stated that this ncw
covenant that was mcntioned bcfore was the Torah itsclf?" Thus
Scripture says: But this is the ,011enanl tl,at 1 will make witl, tl,e
l,ouse of Israel a/ter lhose days, saitl, the Lord, 1 will put My law in
their inward parts ••. (Jer. 31: 33). lt would only bc different
from thc 6rst covenant in this rcspcct.: that it would not be brokcn
this (imc as it was the füst time, as Scripturc says: Forosmuel, "'
tl,ey broke My covenant, although I was a lord over them (Jcr.
31:.32).
CHAPTER IX
After [disposing of] these theories, I found that thc advocates of
thc doctrine of abrogation still cast doubts on [ the meaning of
ccrtain passages of] thc Bible in which they maintained that thcy
saw cvidencc for the abrogation of thc Law. These [passages to
which thcy rcfcr] arc quite numerous and thosc <136> related
to them evcn more so. Howcvcr, 1 have con6ned mysclf to tcn
questions culled from among them. Should, therefore, any othcr
prcsent itself to thc reader of this book, thcn let him give it carcful
considcration and thc causc of thc falsc impression or of thc crron-
eous opinion entertained by him will bc uncovercd.
The first of thesc [ problems prcscntcd by Scripture] is [ that
 168 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
arising from] thc marriage by thc sons of Adam of Adam'a
daughtcra. Thi1 [ violation of thc law of inccst], asscrt the pr~
ponents of thc abrogation thcory, is [proof that the later rcgula-
tion constjtuted] an abrogation [ of thc original practicc]. In rcality ·
[ thc liccruc givcn to thc sons of Adam to marry thcir aisters] was
[no morc than] a (spccial] dispcnsation. For wc arc quitc certain
that thc marriagc of sistcrs was forbiddcn cvcn bcfore thc time of
Moses, as wc .find Abraham saying to Sarah, [ in ordcr to give the
imprcssion that she was not bis wife]: Say, 1 pray 11,ee, 1/,ou an my
sisler (Gen. 12: 13), Tbc only reason why the sons of Adam mar-
ricd their 1istcr1 was bccausc they wcrc compcllcd to do so, sincc
thcrc werc no human bcings outside of thcir family.
Howcvcr, as thcir o.ffspring incrcascd, this dispcnsation waa
rescindcd and rcmaincd that way thcnccforth. Thc casc was
analogous to that of a pcrson who may brcak thc fast whilc hc i,
sick but whosc cxcmption from fasting is rcscindcd whcn hc gct1
weil again •.lt might also bc comparcd to that of the pcrson who in
thc wildcrncss will cat carrion, in ordcr not to starvc to dcath, but
whose cxcmption from obscrving thc dictary laws ccases whcn he
finds othcr [i.c., pcrmittcd) food.
Thc sccond [difficulty ariscs from] thc fact that Cain was
scntcnccd for slaying Abel to bccomc a /ugitive and a wanderer
(Gen. 4: 12), whcrcas thcrcaftcr thc scntcncc imposcd upon cvcry
slaycr was dcath. But this, too, did not constitutc abrogation, for
whcn thc All-Wisc ordcrcd thc slaycr to bc slain, it was only by
a judgc and witncsscs. Sincc, howcvcr, at thc time whcn Cain slcw
Abel thcsc wcrc noncxistcnt, thc dcath pcnalty could not bc im-
posed on thc formcr, and hc thcrcforc had to bc punishcd by God
in anothcr way. Dost thou not sec how God said to Noah: •.• W /,oso
sl,eddetl, man's blood, by man shall l,is blood be shed? (Gen. 9: 6.)
Thc third [problcm is prcscntcd by] thc fact that God com·
mandcd all mcn to ofler up sacrificcs and thcn forbadc such
activitics to cvcryonc cxccpt Aaron and his childrcn. But this, too,
did not constitutc an abrogation, for there is not containcd in
Scripturc a singlc tcxt indicating that all mcn had bccn appointcd
34. He 1l10 li,nl beforc Mo,a.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 16g
to pcrform thc sacrificial rite. Bcforc thc appointmcnt of Aaron it
was only hc who bad bcen appointcd to a position similar to Ms
that pcrformcd this rite. One who had not bccn appointcd, how-
cvcr, had no right to cngagc in tbc pcrformancc of tbc sacrificial
rite, ncither bcforc nor aftcr thc elcction of Aaron.
Tbc fourth [difficulty] is [duc to thc command for] thc oflcring
of sacrificcs on thc Sabbath, notwithstanding thc fact that work
had bccn prcviously forbiddcn on that day. This1 too, did not con·
stitutc an abrogation. On thc contrary, it hclpcd to prcvcnt < 137>
abrogation. For thc law of sacrificc prcccdcd that of thc Sabbath,
and it wou~d, thcrcforc, havc bccn impropcr for thc Sabbath Jaw to
intcrfcrc with it, sincc that would havc bccn tantamount to ab-
rogation. Hcncc, whilc all otbcr forms of work wcrc forbiddcn,
thc o.ffering of sacrificcs and circumcision, that antcdatcd thc Sab-
bath, wcrc not.
Tbc fifth [pcrplcxity] is [causcd by] thc injunction of God, cx-
altcd bc He, to Abraham in rcgard to Isaac: A.nd oder !,im 1/,ere
for a burnl-oOering (Gen. 22: 2), and His injunction to him latcr
on, Lay no11hy l,and upon tl,e lad, neitl,er Jo 1hou any1l,ing unlo
/,im 3G (Gen. 22: 12). But this, too, did not constitutc an ab-
rogation eithcr from our point of vicw or from that of thc pro-
Poncnts of thc doctrinc of abr(lgation. For hc who holds that ab-
rogation is possiblc would not bclicvc it to bc so unlcss thc law to
bc a~rogatcd has bcen carricd out at least oncc, lest it bc thought
that it had bccn ordaincd in vain. What God had rcally ordcttd
Abraham to do was mcrcly to rcservc his son as a sacrificc. Wbcn,
thcrcforc, this rcscrvation had bccn complctcd by him, as cvi-
dcnccd by his display of thc firc and thc wood and his taking in
hand of thc knifc, God said to Abraham, "Enough for thccl I do
not want any morc from thcc than this."
Thc sixth [ unccrtainty ariscs from] God's injunction to Balaam
in rcgard to thc cmissarics of Balak: Thou sl,all not go witl, them
(Num. 22: 12) and his [countcr-)ordcr to him latcr on: Go witl,
11,em (Num. 22: 20). But this, too, did not constitutc an abroga-
tion, bccausc thc pcoplc hc wcnt with wcrc not thc samc as thosc
35, '11iia quotalion followa the reading of Ibn 'libbon.
1,0 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
with whom God had forbiddcn him to go. For Scripturc statcs:
And Ba/111( senl yet again princes, more, and ~ore honorable lhan
11,ey (N um. :z:z : 15). God had, thcn, kcpt him from going with
thc basc and givcn him lcavc to go with thc distinguishcd cmis-
sarics, in ordcr thcrcby to cnhancc Balaam's cstccm, so that it
might bc said that God had dclivcrcd thc childrcn from thc yokc of
so-and-so of cxaltcd station.
Tbc scvcnth [ problcm] is [ that prcscntcd by] thc dcclaration of
God, praisc bc His, to Hczckiah: For 1/,ou shalt die, and not live
(Isa. 38: 1), and His statcmcnt to him aftcrwards: Behold, 1 will
add unto thy days fifteen years (Isa. 38: 5). But this, too, did not
constitutc an abrogation, for God may issuc a command to thrcatcn
or rcprimand a human bcing, and if thc lattcr pays attcntion to it
and pcrmits himsclf to bc rcprimandcd, < 138 > thc thrcat is rc-
movcd from him, as wc know from thc story of thc inhabitants of
Nincvch and thc casc of cvcry submissivc pcnitcnt.
Thc cighth (pcrplcxity ariscs from thc implication of] thc pas-
sagc; .A.nd I l,ave tak,en the Levites instead of all tl,e first-horn
among the d,ildren of Israel 88 (Num. 8: 18). But this, too, did not
constitutc an abrogation, for it is cntircly in ordcr for thc hcavcnly
Master to raisc a scrvant of His in rank .and, in thc cvcnt of
thc lattcr's disobcdicncc, to dcmotc him again. lt was prcciscly
in this way that God had first causcd Adam to dwcll in thc Garden
[ of Eden], and thcn, whcn hc had sinncd, He drovc him out again.
Thus also did He allow our anccstors to cntcr Palcstinc, but whcn
thcy sinncd, He dispcrscd thcm. A similar proccdurc is followcd
whcncvcr punishmcnt is mctcd out.
Thc ninth argumcnt that thcy bring up is that Joshua wagcd
war on thc Sabbath day. That was not so, howcvcr, for it is not
mcntioncd in Scripturc that fighting wcnt on cvcry day. What
did takc placc cvcry day of thc weck was only thc carrying of thc
Ark and thc blowing of the trumpcts, functions that wcrc per-
_missiblc on thc Sabbath. Thc sevcnth day, 87 howcvcr, that is rc-
fcrrcd to as a day of battlc, was not the Sabbatb day.
36. Thi1 quotation follow1 thc rcading of Ibn Tibbon.
37. Cf. Joshua 6: 4, 15.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION
Tbc tcnth argument that thcy cite is that originally onc bad to
turn in tbc dircction of thc Tabcrnade [whcn onc praycd]. Thcn
God changcd [ thc dircction onc was to facc in praycr] and turncd
it toward thc Temple. But this, too, did not constitutc an abroga-
tion, for it was in the direction of the .A.rk that the facing in praycr
bad bcen ordained. So lang, thcrcfore, as the Ark was in thc wilder-
ncss, tbosc who praycd bad to facc thithcr. Thcn whcn thc Ark
was rcmovcd to Gilgal, Sl,ilol,, Nob, and Gibeon, and finally to
thc Temple [ of Jerusalem), thc dircction onc had to facc in praycr
changcd accordingly. This is but anothcr illustration of thc truc
mcaning of thc maxim that thc cffcct follows thc causc.
Now somc of thc proponcnts of thc thcory of abrogation basc
thcir vicw on an analysis of thc tcrm "forcvcr" ('olam) conccrning
which thcy asscrt that thcy notc that it has in thc Hcbrcw languagc
a varicty of mcanings. Our rcjoindcr is: Yes, it has thrcc possiblc
mcanings. Onc of thcsc is "fifty ycars." Thc othcr is "thc lifctimc
of thc thing rcfcrrcd to." Thc third, again, is "as long as thc world
will cxist."
Now whcn wc apply this tcrm to thc Sabbath Jaw, thc first two
possibilitics arc at oncc climirtatcd, only thc last bcing rctaincd.
For wc notc that Jcrcmiah, although hc livcd somcthing likc ninc
hundrcd ycars aftcr Moses and thc lapsc of many ccnturics and
gcncrations of thc offspring of thc childrcn of Israel, cxhortcd them
<
to obscrvc 139> thc Sabbath and to rcfrain from working on it.
Thus Scripturc says: Neit_l,er carry fort/, a burden out of your
l,ouses on the sabbatl, day, nei1l,cr do ye any work, but hallow ye
11,e sabbatl, day, as I commanded your fathers 88 (Jcr. 17: :z:z).
Sincc, thcn, thc pcriod of fif ty ycars, as weil as that of thc lifctimc
of thc individuals in qucstion, is climinatcd, the only onc of thc
[different] typcs [ of mcaning that can bc applicd to thc tcrm
'olam] that rcmains is [ that of] thc duration of thc world.
Thcrc arc somc, again, who qucstion us about thc cxact formula-
tion of thc tradition rcccivcd by us orally conccrning the etcrnal
validity of thc lcgislation of thc Torah, assuming that, whatcvcr
phrascology wc might citc to thcm, thcy would intcrprct it diffcr-
38. This quotation follows thc rcading of Ibn Tibbon.
172 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
cntly from our acccptcd intcrprctation. To auch it ia our babit to re-
ply by askjng, "I, thcrc in thc world any cxprcaaion ao cxplicit and
clcar-cut u to di1pcl all ambiguity and doubt?,., If tbcy aay: "No,"
thcn thcy thcrcby admit thc imposaibility of 'knowing the true
meaning of any word and tbcy bavc declarcd cvcrything to be
doubtful.111 lf, on thc otbcr band, thcy aay: "Yca," thcn it wu in
thosc uncquivocal tcrms that wc hcard that wc must always ob-
scrvc thc prcccpts of tbc Torab.
I havc also sccn onc of tbe proponcnts of tbc abrogation thcory
who aaid: "[What] if tbc Brahmins told you, 'Wc havc a tradition
from Adam ordcring us to wcar garmcnts madc of a mixturc of
wool and lincn, and to cat mcat-soup with milk, and to tcam up
an ox and a donkcy'? Should you not, thcrcforc, havc rcjectcd thc
tradition of any prophct prohibiting thcsc things, sincc Adam told
us that thcy would not bc abolishcd?"
These arc, howevcr, may God guide thce aright, allcgation1
without any foundation. lt is rcally thcy who put thcsc allegatäons
into thc mouth of thc Brabmins. As for thc Brahmins thcnuclvcs,
thcy mcrcly maintain that thcsc things werc pcrmissiblc, and wc,
too, admit that thcy wcre pcrmissiblc at the time whcn thcy wcrc
thus held to bc, but that it was also fully in consonancc with reuon
to forbid them, whcn man was capablc of voluntarily rcfraining
from thcm, on account of somc advantagc that hc might attain
thcrcby. On thc othcr band, if a Brahmin wcrc to go and makc in
thc futurc thc [ abovc-mcntioncd] allcgation imputcd to him, no
attcntion would bc paid to him. For hc who transmits a tradition
must make thc samc asscrtion on evcry [ succccding] day that he
madc thc day bcforc. He is not likc thc pcrson who expresses bis
own opinion and who is pcrmittcd to aay, "I havc discovcrcd tt>,
day what I could not undcrstand ycsterday."
Now, thcn, may God havc mcrcy on thcc, that [all thcsc argu-
mcnts in support of the doctrinc of] thc abrogation [of thc Torah J
havc bccn rcmovcd from us and ovcrthrown, < 1„0 > it would bc
most surprising if wc did not fulfill thcsc prcccpts which wc tricd
39, "doubtful''-Ibn Tibbon 1nd M,
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 173
with so much cffort and zcal to confirm. Would not all this
cxcrtion h~ve becn as usc~css as that of those of whom Scripturc
says: She u hardened against her you,ig ones, as if they were not
her1; though herlabourbe ;,, vain, she is without fear? (Job 39: 16.)
Wc would, in that evcnt, bc like one who has ncither intclligencc
nor knowlcdge, as Scripturc nys: Because God hath deprived her
of wiulom, neilher hath He imparted to her underskmding (Job
39: 17). Against that sort of condition onc must bcwarc.
CHAPTER X
l have now discusscd thc various aspects of thc subjcct of thc
abrogation of thc Law insofar as l havc notcd it down, and givcn
an account of thc confusion arouscd in thc hcarts [of mcn) by [ such
facts as J thc mortality of thc prophcts and [ thc pcrformancc by
thcm of suc~ functions ~] cating and drinking and cohabiting,
and by thc v1olcncc to wh1ch thc prophcts arc subjcct. [All this was
donc by me] for thc purpose of clearing mcn's minds of notions '
by whkh thcy had comc dose to bcing corruptcd. l have furthcr-
morc made an exposc of the matter of creatio ez nihilo, as wcll as
of such qucstions as chronoJogy, spacc, and time, conccrning
which, too, dcfcctivc idcas might havc bccn cntcrtaincd had l failcd
to discuss thcm. 1 havc also touchcd on somc of thc attributcs of
thc Crcator in ordcr to dispcl thc thought of any rcscmblancc bc-
twccn God and othcr bcings, as weil as on thc thcmcs of God's
omniscicncc and His omnipotcncc and othcr traits. My ncglcct to
cxplain·tbcse would, 1 am afraid, havc lcd mcn to unbclicf. These
things having bccn disposcd of, 1 dccm it proper also to appcnd
to this trcatisc an aoalysis of twclve problcms, failurc to discuss cach
onc of which would, in my cstimation, producc confusion in pco-
plc's miods aod corrupt thcir faith. An clucidation thcrcof by mc,
on the othcr band, would causc thc prcvalcncc of thc unccrtaintics
iospircd by thcm to ccasc aod human minds to bc ridded of thcm
as thcy wcrc riddcd of thc falsc notions rcfcrrcd to abovc.
I say, thcn, that therc may bc some mcn who would givc up
174 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thcir adhcrcncc to thc Biblc bccausc many of thc eommandmtnll
arc not clcarly cxplaincd •0 in it. My answcr to thcm ia that thc
Biblc is not the solc basis of our rcligioo, for in addition to it wc
havc two othcr bascs. Onc of thcsc i1 antcrior to it; namdy, thc
fountain of reason. Thc sccood is p<»tcrior to it; namcly, thc sourcc
of tradition. Whatcvcr, tbcrcforc, wc may not find in thc Biblc,
wc can find in thc two othcr sources. Thus arc thc commandmcnts
roundcd out quantitativcly as weil as qualitativcly.
Sccondly, tha:rc may bc somconc clsc wbo would qucstio~ ~hc
rcliability of thc Biblc on account of somc < tip > contradictaon
which it appcars to him to contain. Thus, for examplc, Scripturc
states in thc Book of Samuel: A.nd there were in Israel eight l,un-
dred tl,011111nd t1ali11nt mm (II Sam. 24: 9), wherea1 in the Book
of Chroniclcs it says: A.nd all tl,ey of lsrad wert " tl,ousand 1l,ou-
111nd and, 1,undrtd tl,ou111nd men (1 Chron. 21: 5). My answcr
hcrcto is that somcthing like three bundrcd thousand werc cn·
tcrcd in thc rcgistcr of thc king, twcnty-four thousand of whom
took thcir turn evcry month. Thus Scripturc statcs : Througl,out
all tl,e mont"1 of tl,e ye,r, of e11ery eourse wert twenty and four
thousand (1 Chron. 27: 1). These three hundred thousand werc
droppcd from onc of thc two vcrsions although cntcrcd in thc
other.
Thirdly, one might pcrhaps be impcllcd to abandon thc Bibl.c
by somc erroneous imprcssion that it contains ccrtain accounts that
arc untruc, such as one according to which a son would bavc bccn
two ycars oldcr th:an his father. For Jchoram, thc son of Jcbosh-
aphat, dicd whcn bc was forty ycars old, whcrcupon his son
Ahaziah sat in his placc, ancnt whom it is writtcn in the Book of
Kings (II ){jngs 8: 26) that hc was twcnty-two years of agc. Ac-
cording to thc Book of Chroniclcs, howevcr, hc was forty-two
ycars old (IJ Chron. 22: 2). My anawcr bcrcunto is that thc cntry
of twcnty-two years rcfcrs to his own lifc, whcrcas that of forty-
two ycars rcfcrs to thc agc of his mothcr, thc rcason for using thc
40. ",tearly explained"-Jbn Tibbon. Tbe ruding of die Anbk Mt it to be
a,rtteted ICCOldiagly.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 175
Jattcr figurc bcing that it wa1 on account of hia mothcr that he
died.
lf, howevcr, someonc wcrc to challcngc this intcrprct:.ation, aay-
ing: "How can onc credit a son wilh thc chronology of a life pre-
ceding his own cxistcncc?" 1 might say that I havc fathomed thil
1ubject and found that it uscd to bc the custom for an Israclitc who
wantcd to bavc a IOD to makc a vow ycars bcforc God would grant
bis wish. Tbcn whcn hc had bcen grantcd to him, hc would call
him "son of vows," as Scripturc expresses it: Whiil, my 10~? ,nd
whal, 0 1011 of my womb? ond u,l,at, 0 1on of my Jtows? (Prov.
31:2). Thus do thosc that scck thc truth probe dccply into thinga
until thc road bccomca clcar to tbcm.
Fourthly, onc might think frivolously of thc Biblc on account
of thc prcccpts pertaining to thc sacrifices, eithcr becausc thcy or·
der thc alaughtcring of bca1ts or thc shcdding of blood and [thc
offcring up J O of fat. 1 might makc this a littlc morc compre-
hcnsiblc by saying that thc Crcator had dccrccd that cvcry living
thing must djc. Accordingly, he apporrioncd to cvery human being
bis allotcd lifctimc, whcrcas thc pcriod of lifc of thc bcasu was
madc by Hirn to cxtend until thc· time whcn thcy would bc
slaughtcrcd, setting up slaughtcr in t.hcir casc in placc of death.
Should <1.µ> thcir slaughtrring, howcvcr, cntail pain ovcr and
abovc that which is cxpcricnced in natural dcath, God would be
fully awarc of it and He would, of course, in such an cvcnt com-
pcnsatc thc bcasts in accordancc with thc cxccss of thc pain.
But this, wc say, applies only if it could bc provcd by mcana of
rcason, not by prophccy, that thcrc cxisu such an cxcc,s of pain.
As for thc cndurancc of pain [ rc.sulting from alaughtcring1 and
the shcdding of thc animars blood and [ thc otfcring up] 0 of itt
fat, thc purposc of that, as is madc dcar in the Torah, was to makc
us pcnsivc. For thc blood is thc dwclling-placc of our souls, a,
Scripturc says: For tl,e 10111 41 of the fies!, i1 in tl,e blood (Lcv.
41, " offerina up"-pplied from the e1preaion "offcriag up" uted by Ibn Til,.
boa ln th, place of ''ahedding."
42. "aoul"-The usual tnllllation i, "life."
176 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
17: 11). Sccing that, thcn, wc would rcpcnt, saying: "Wc shall not
sin again lest our blood bc shcd and our fat bc burncd as, alas, wc
sec it happcn."
Fifthly, somconc might wondcr how it happcncd that thc Crca-
tor should havc causcd His light to abidc among mcn and havc
abandoncd thc pure angcls. Our rcply hcrcunto is: "How dost thou
know that thc angcls arc without such divinc light whcn it is fully
in the rcalm cf possibility that God should havc causcd many timcs
as much light to dwell in thcir midst as He bad put among mcn?"
But thcrc is no nccd to bring up this argumcnt in vicw of thc fact
that Scripturc says: .A. God dreaded in the great counril of tl,e l,oly
ones and feared of all tl,em tl,at are round about tl,ee (Ps. 89: 8),
that is to say, "thosc that arc round about this light of Thinc."
Sixthly, somconc might express surprisc at thc construction of the
TaberntKle, saying, "What nccd has thc Crcator for a tcnt, and a
curtain, and lamps, that givc light, and sounds of music, and thc
oflcring of incensc, and fragrantodors, and gifts of grain and wine,
and oil and fruits, and other such things?" Our answer hcreunto,
and wc invokc God's assistance herein, is that all thcsc arc forms
of dcvotion not at all prompted by ncccssity. For reason has long
since dccidcd that God does not rcquire anything, but that all
things, rathcr, havc need of God.
God's solc aim [in issuing the abovc-mentioned injunctions] was
that His scrvants indicate their submissivcncss to Him by [prc-
senting 41 to Him] thc best that thcy posscsscd, and the best that
thcy posscss is mcat and winc and music and inccnsc and grain
and oil and things that arc plcasant. Of this, howcvcr, thcy wcrc to
bring only a littlc bit, in accordancc with thcir capacity. He, on thc
othcr hand, would rccompcnsc thcm amply in accordancc with
His ability, as Scripturc says: <143> Honour the Lord witl, thy
substance• .•• So shall tl,y barnt be filled witl, plenty (Prov.
3: 9, 10). He would also dclivcr thcm from misfortuncs, as no onc
outside of Hirn could protect thcm, because of thcir obcdiencc.
Thus Scripture says: Offer unto God the sacrifice of thanktgiving,·
43· "prnc:nting"-thc ba1i, of this word is a nriant in the original for "indic:ate
their 1ubmininneu," dilfcring only in the ordcr of two r:adicals.
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 171
and pay t/,y 1101111 unto t/,e Most High,· and c,dl upon Me in tl,e
day of lrouble,· J will deli11er tl,ee, and thou sh,dt l,onour Me (Ps.
50: 14, 15).
Thcy wcre also bidden to honor thc dwclling-placc of that light
w?ich. was callcd Ukhinah by mcans of their substancc; namely,
w1th silvcr and gold and prccious stoncs and othcr things of valuc.
In rcturn thcrcfor God was to rccompcnsc thcm by causing thc
divine rcvclation to manifest itsclf from that placc, as Scripture
says of the Tabernacle: And there will/ meet with the children
of Israel (Exod. 29: 43). Likcwisc was it dcstincd to bccomc a placc
·for ac~cpting thc prayer of thc nation in any mishap that might
bcfall 1t. Thus Solomoo enumcrated, at the time whcn hc built thc
Temple, the various instanccs [in which thc praycrs offcred in it]
wcrc to bc answercd, whercupon God said to him: J l,ave heard thy
prayer and thy supplication, that thou l,ast made before Me (1
Kings 9:3). · ·
In thc scvcnth instance, onc might wonder, apropos of thc in-
dividual prccepts, how it could be that so long as a man's body
is in its complctc natural state he is not pcrfcct, wbercas, when
somcthing is cut off from it, hc bccomcs pcrfcct. What I havc
rcfcrcnce to is thc [rite of] circumcision.0 Let mc cxplain, thcn,
that the pcrfcct thing is onc that suffers from neither supcrßuity
nor deficiency. Now the Crcator crcated this part of thc body
with a rcdundancy, with thc result that, whcn it is cut off, thc
rcdundancy is rcmoved and what is lcft is in a state of pcrfcction.
In thc eighth placc, thinking about the casc of the red heifer,
onc might wondcr how it could have bccn ordaincd that this hcifer
was to purify thc unclcan and dcfilc the purc.0 Our answcr hcrc-
unto is that it is hy no means cxtraordinary that one and the samc
thing should producc two opposite effects, dcpending on the nat-
ure of the body that cncounters it. For wc notc that fire liqucfies
lcad whilc it solidifics milk, and that watcr moistens thc wood of
thc pine whilc it drics that of the sycamorc. We find, further-
more, that good food is bcneficial to the person who is hungry but
44. The exprcuion utcd in presc:ribing thil rite to thc patriarch Abraham was
" W1llt bcfon: Mc, 1nd be thou pcrfcct (tamim)" (Gen. 17: r).
4,. Cf. Num. 19: r ff.
1,S THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
harmful to him that is satcd, and that choicc medicinc might be
of benefit to thc sitk and yct do harm to tbc pcrton who is in good
hcalth. HCJ1cc it is not Strange that <144> thc samc thing thould
havc thc eßect of purifying rbc impurc and dc61ing the pure.
Thc ninth problem is prcscntcd by thc sacrificc thc braclitea
wcrc wont to oller up to A~aztl on thc day of Atonemen1.•• To ccr„
tain pcoplc this namc soundcd likc tbat of a dcmon. Our rcply hcre-
unto is that Ai:o,:el was thc namc of a mountain, and that namc,
of thi, type wcre givcn to mountains is bornc out by thc 1tate-
mcnt of Scripturc: And l,e took the r«k n by wor, ond ",lled tht
name o/ it /oJc.theel (II Kings 14: 7). Similarly /obnetl (Joah.
15: n), lrpeel (ibid. 18:27), and /eruel (II Chron. 20: 16) wcrc
all of thcm localitiea.
Now onc of thc two hcads [ of cattle] waa offcred up by. thc
priests in thc sanctuary in vicw of thc fact that moat of thcir 1in1
werc committcd in thc sanctuary. Thc othcr, again, wu offcrcd up
by thc nation outside of the sanctuary bccausc mo1t of thcir sins
wcrc committcd outside of it, prcferencc bcing thcrcby shown to
thc pricats. A, for thc casting of thc lots, which was, as it wcrc,
thc most objcctionablc featurc of thc wholc affair, lct mc cxplain
that that was not duc to any variation in thc recipicnt of thc sa.i:-
rificc, for both wcrc offcrcd up to thc same Master. Lou werc
cast only on account of thc diffcrcncc in thc pcrson1 in whose be-
half thc sacrificcs wcrc offercd; namcly, that thcy wcrc offcrcd
for priet11 11nd lsraelitts. lt was, therefore. ncccssary to throw lou
first, so that whatcvcr fcll to cach onc's share might bc offcrcd up
in his behalf with thc assurancc that it bclonged to him.
In thc tcnth instancc onc might ask, in rcgard to thc 1,dfer
wl,ose nec~ 111111 broken, how it was possiblc for the peoplc thcrcby
to bc forgiven for a sin of which thcy had no knowlcdgc? For it is
statcd prcviously, at thc beginning of thc passagc conccrning the
man who was found slain: Anti it be not known wl,o l,o,I, sminen
/,im (Deut. 21: 1). ut mc rcply, thcn, that just 11 it is ncccssary to
chastisc a human bcing for doing what hc ought not to do, so is it
46, Cf. LCY. 1611 ff.
47· "die ndt„--thc UIUII ftllderin1 it "Sei,."
COMMAND AND PROHIBITION 179
ncccss~ry to chastisc hi~ for failing to do what hc ought to do.
Now if thc abovc-mcnt1oncd burghcrs bad appointcd watchmcn,
who madc the rounds of the town, and night patrols,0 thcre would
not havc arisen thc situation of And it /Je not k_nown who hat/,
s,_nitttn /Jim. ~ince thcy bad not donc this, howcvcr, thcy bccamc
laablc to pumsbmcnt, and not only to thc cxtcnt of thc prkc of
that beast alone, but also by bcing prcvcntcd < 145> from cul-
tivating some of tbcir ficlds.
Thc clcvcnth [problcm ariscs from] the fact that onc sccs that
this nation that clings to this Law is in a state of humiliation and
contcmpt. Our answcr hcrcunto is that if tbe adhcrcnts of thc
~w bad bcc~ grantcd pcrpctual sovcrcignty, thc nonbclievcrs
m1gh t havc sa1d about thcm that thc only rcason thcy servcd thcir
Lord was in ordcr to prcscrvc tbcir favorable situation. This, thou
knowcst, w~s in.dccd said abouc ~o/J.48 Aye, thcsc [ infidcls J might
also havc s:ud [1f thcy bad bccn tn such a position,J that thc only
reason why thcy thcmsclvcs did not obcy God but turncd thcir
backs to Him was that thcy bad bccn brougbt low and werc trcatcd
with contcmpt and wcrc grantcd no sovcrcignty. Thcreforc did thc
All-~isc c~cvatc thc lattcr, and sincc"thcy still did not bclicvc, thc
verd1ct agamst them was sustaincd. Again He dcbased die formcr,
and, sinc~ thcy ncvcrthcless did not dcny Hirn, the justice they
wcrc cnt1tlcd to was confirmcd. Thus [ thc bclievcrs) said: Our
Aearl is nol turned b«k, neitl,er l,ave our steps dedined from Tl,y
patl, (Ps. 44: 19),
Tbc twelfth problcm brought up is the fact that onc docs not find
in the Torah any mcntion of rcward or punishmcnt in thc world
to comc but only mundane reco°'pcnsc. In rcply hercto lct me say
~at I havc. dcdicatc~ a spccial trcatisc to this subjcct, namcly thc
nmth trcattse of th1s book, whcrc I shall, with thc hclp of thc
Mcrciful Onc, cxplain all tbat is requircd in conncction with this
thcmc,
.Thc third trcatisc is hcrcby complctcd witb thc praisc of God
and His hclp.
48. "nlght patrol,..-M.
49. Cf. Job r : 10.

TREATISE IV
CONCERNING OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION
AND PREDESTINATION AND [DIVINE] JUSTICE
EXORDIUM
IHALL opco this ucatisc: with thc introductory rcmark that,
I cven though I we 1ee that thc crcaturcs arc many in numbcr,
ncvcrthdcs1, wc nced not be confuscd in rcgard to. which of
thcm constitutcs thc goal of crcation. For therc cxists a natural
critcrion by mca.ns of which wc can dctcrminc whlch onc of all
thc crcaturcs is thc end. Whcn, thcn, wc makc our investigation
with this critcrfon [as a guidc], wc find that thc goal is man.
W c arrivc at this conclusion in thc following manncr: Habit
and nature p)acc whatcver is most highly p~izcd in thc centcr of
things whicb arc themselvcs not so highly prizcd. Beginning
with thc smallcst thing,, thcrcforc, wc say that it is notcd that
thc kcrncl lodgcs insidc of < 146> all thc leavcs. That is duc to thc
fact that thc kcrncl is morc prccious than thc lcavcs, becausc:· thc
growth of thc plant and its vcry cxistcncc dcpcnd upon it. Sim-
ilarly docs thc sccd from which trccs grow, if cdiblc, lodgc in
thc ccntcr of the fruit, as happcns in the casc of the nut. But cven
if [ a tree grows] from an inedible kernel, ·this kerne( is located
in die ccntcr of the fruit, no attention being paid to the cdible
portioo, which is left on the outside to pmcrve thc kernet. In thc
samc way is thc yolk of the egg in thc ccnter, bccausc from it
springs the young bird and the chickcn. Likewisc also is thc hcart
of man in the middlc of bis brcast, owing to thc fact that it is thc
scat of the soul .and of the natural hcat of thc body. So, too, is thc
power of .vision loc~tcd in the ccntcr of thc cye bccausc it is by
mcans of it that one is ablc to sec.
Whcn, thcrcforc, wc sec that this situation appcrtains to many
1. "naa though"~bn 1ibbon.
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 181
things and thcn find thc carth in thc ccntcr of thc hcavcn with the
bcavenly spbercs surrounding it on all sides, it bccomes clcar to ua
that thc thing which was the objcct of crcation must bc on thc
carth. Upon furthcr invcstigation of all its parts wc notc that the
carth and thc watcr arc both inanimatc, whcrcas wc find that
thc bcasts are irrational. Hcncc only man is lcft, which givcs us thc
certainty that hc must unquestionably havc bccn the intendcd
purposc of crcation.
When wc cxamine thc Scripture1,11 wc likcwisc find in thcm a
1tatcmcnt by God to the cficct that 1, e11en 1, l,a11e made 1/,e eartl,,
and ereated man upon il (Isa. 45: 12). In fac t, at thc vcry bcginning
of thc Torah God listcd all classcs of crcaturcs. Thcn, whcn He
bad complctcd thcm all, He said: Let'" make man (Gen. 1: 26),
likc a pcrson who builds a palacc and, aftcr having furnishcd and
dccoratcd it, brings its owncr into it.
CHAPTER I
After this preliminary obscrvation let me now procccd again and
uy that our Lord has informcd us thiough His prophcts.that man
has bccn shown prcfcrcncc by Him abovc all His acaturcs in Hi,
statcmcnt: .Anti l,1111e tlominio~ 011er 1/,e fisl, of tl,e sea, anti 011er
11,e fowl of 1/,e air (Gen. 1: 28). Similarly Scripturc rcmarks in thc
psalm: 0 Lord, our Lord, how glorious is Thy name in all 1/,e
eartl,/ etc. (Ps. 8:2). <147> [God has] furthcrmorc (told us]
that He has grantcd to man the capacity to obcy Hirn and has left
it to him [ to act upon it], and has givcn him frccdom of choicc,
but enjoincd him to choosc the good. Thus Scripturc says: See, I
ht1t1e sei before 1/,ee 1l,i1 tlay life and good, and deatl, and n,il
(Deut. 30: 15), which it follows up latcr with thc rcmark: Tl,ere-
/ore ehoose life (Deut. 30: 19). In corroboration of this statemcnt
miraclcs and marvels wcre wrought by thc prophcts, whcrefore
wc accepted it I as binding.
Aftcrward, cmploying the spcculativc method, wc inquircd into
a. "Scriptura"-pl. accordiag to M 1nd Ibn Tibbon.
S· "it"--11,a Tibbon 1nd M.
182 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
what it could havc bccn that distinguishcd man, and wc found
that bis distinction abovc thc rcst of crcation was duc to thc wis.
dom with which God bad cndowcd him and which He had taught
him, as Sc.ripturc says: He 1ha1 tea&htlh man lf..no,e1/edge (Ps.
94: 10). By mcans of this wisdom hc is ablc to rctain all the evcnts
of thc past and forescc many of thc cventualitics of thc futurc,
and achicve the subjugation of thc animals so as to make them till
thc soil for him and transport to him its harvests. By mcans of it,
too, hc succccds in cxtracting watcr from the depths of thc carth
to thc point wherc it flowa' on its surfacc. Nay, hc makcs himsclf
water-whccls by mcans of which the soil is automatically watcrcd.
By dint of this wisdom hc is furthcrmorc ablc to build the most
exquisite dwclHngs, wcar thc choicest garmcnts, and preparc thc
most dclicious foods. By mcans of it he becomcs capablc also of
lcading hosts and armics and of cxcrcising governmcntal autbor-
ity in such a way that men will allow thcmselves to bc bound a.nd
rulcd I thcrcby. By mcans of it, moreovcr, he at~ins to thc knowl-
cdgc of thc disposition of thc hcavcnly sphcrcs and thc coursc of
the stars and thc mcasurcmcnts of thcir masses and thcir distanccs
and all the rcst of thcir attributcs. Should anyonc, howcver, imaginc
that therc cxists somc othcr bcing outside of man that is cndowcd
with such supcrior qualities, thcn lct him show us thcsc qualitics •
or evcn some of them in another crcaturc. Such a bcing, howcver,
hc will never discover.
In view of thc above-mcntioned considcrations it is only right
that man should bc subjcct to commandmcnts and prohibitions and
reward and punishment, secing that he is thc axle of the world and
its foundation, as Scripturc says: For 1/11 pillars of tl,e earlh are
the Lord's, < 148 > and He hall, set the world upon tl,em 7 (1
Sam. 2: 8) 1 and again : But 11,e righleous is the foundation o/ the
world 1 (Prov. 10: 25).
4. "ßows"-M.
5. "rulcd"-chc tcrm usc:d in thc Arabic tcxt is borrowed from thc Aramaic. Cf.
Brockclmann's Llzicon Spi11n,m (Berlin 1895), p. 236 1 111!!,.m.
6. "qualitic1"-lbn Tibbon and M.
7. This quotation follow1 thc rrading of Ibn 'libbon.
8. "thc foundation of thc world"-dic usual translation i1 "an eYCrlasting foun·
dation."
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 183
Whcn, therefore, 1 considered thesc principlcs and thc infercnccs
to which they wcrc conducive, I realized that thc supcriority
ascribcd to man was not duc to some falsc notion that struck our
minds or to an inclination on our part toward favo ring man, nor
was it seif-prcfcrencc or conccit or boastfulness that induccd us to
arrogatc this supcriority unto oursclve&. On the contrary, it was
nothing but thc unadulteratcd truth and plain vcracity. Nor did
thc All-Wisc endow man with supcriority in thcse rcspccts for
any othcr rcason than that He had madc him the bcarer of His
commandments and prohibitions, as Scripturc says: And unto man
He said: "Behold, lhe fear 0/ 1!,e Lord, that is wisdom,· and to
dtparl from evil is underst(lnding" (Job 28: :z.8).
CHAPTER II
lt behooves me now to write down what is essential of thc re-
sults of my invcstigations II appcrtaining to thc prcsent thcme. I
say, thcn, that I havc thougbt to mysclf and askcd myself thc quc~
tion of how everything in thc world 'c.ould havc bccn madc to dc-
pcnd upon man whcn wc sec that hi, body i, so small and slight.
So I pondcred this matter thoroughly and I camc to thc conclusion
that even though man's body is of small dimcnsion, his soul is morc
extensive than hcaven and carth bccausc his knowledge cmbraccs
all that they contain. Aye, it gocs so far as to know evcn that which
is above hcaven and carth and by virtue of which they cxist, 1
mcan the Creator, exaltcd and sanctificd bc He, as Scripturc says:
Wondtrful art Tl,y works,· and th.al my soul knowelh rigl,t 1e1ell
(Ps. 139: 14).
I rcficcted also about thc brcvity of man's existcncc on carth and
thc fact that he docs not live forever. But then I realized that this
short lifc had been givcn to him by the Creator only in this ncther
abodc, which is a world of carc. He promised him, howcver, that,
oncc he had bcen transferred ffrom it ], life cvcrlasting would be
his, as Scripture also statcs : He asked li/e of Thee, Tl,ou gavest
9. "invcatigations"-lbn Tibbon and M.
184 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
il /,im,· [e,,,n ltngtl, o/ tlays /orever antl tver] (Ps. 21: 5), and as
I shall aplain in thc ninth trcatisc of thi1 book.
Furthermorc, 1 wondercd why, with all thc distinction ac-
cordcd to man, hc camc to havc this fccblc framc of a body com-
poscd of blood and phlegm and two galls. Why was it not con-
stituted of pure elcments rcsembling cach othcr? But thcn I
rcjectcd thls idca, eaying [ to mysclf] that for us to in1ist upon such
a thing wouJd only bc equivaJcnt to dcmanding that man 1hould
have been creatcd < 149 > aa a star or an angel. For wh2t is known
as thc human body is this thing, created of thcsc mixturcs, which is
of all carthly bcings thc purcsL Anything purer would ha'vc to be
one of the two, either an angcl or a star. Whoever, thcrcforc, in-
1ist1 upon man's body'a bcing composcd of clcmcnts othcr than
those of which it consists is only dcmanding bis noncxistcncc, just
as hc docs who dcmands that thc hcavcn bc madc of nothing cx-
ccpt dirt or that thc cartb consist solcly of fire. That is, of counc,
dcmanding thc ab&urd, which docs l'lot corrcspopd to [thc plans of
divinc] Wisdom, in rcgard to which Scripture says: How manifolJ
are TAy works, 0 Lord/ In wis4om l,1111 Tl,ou ma4e 11,nn oll (Ps.
104:24).
I thought also about those maladies that befall man and said to
mysclf: "If only he couJd be protcctcd again1t thcm or thcy would
be wardcd oft from himl" 1 found, however, that thcy were really
salutary for him bccausc thcy kecp him away from sin, and rendcr
him submissivc to his Master, and introducc balancc into his af.
fairs, as Scripture says: He i1 el,astene4 also will, pain upon Ais
betl (Job 33: 19).
I mcditatcd, morcovcr, about thc.fact of man's being subject to
heat and cold and his susccptibility to the poisons of rcptile, and
noxious animal1. I rccognizcd, howcvcr, that his ability to havc
such cxpericnccs rcdoundcd to hi, wcll-bcing. For bad hc feit no
pain, he wou)d not have bcen afraid of his Mastcr's punishmcnt,
bccause if thc lattcr had 1aid to him, "I ,hall inflict pain on thee,"
hc ~ould not havc known what pain was. God, thercforc, enablcd
him to expericncc thcsc acbes in ordcr that thcy might servc aa a
prcmonition to him of tbinga tobe, a1 Scripturc tayt, with refcrencc
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 185
to the bcat of bcll-fuc: For, behold, 1he doy comtilt,;, burnelh as O
fu':'ace (Ma~. 3: .19): lt says abo, likcning God's punishmcot to
p<>1$0DS: The,r w,ne ,s the 11enom of 1erpen11 (Deut. p: 33).
Then I tbought about the!e urge& with whicb man is cndowcd
and thc appetites, many of which arc dctrimcnta.1 to him. I rcalizcd,
howcvcr, that thc All-Wise endowcd hlm thcrcwith only in ordcr
that hc migh~ cmploy cach ~nc in iu proper placc with thc hclp
of thc rcasonwg faculty which God has grantcd him. Thus, for
cxample, thc craving for food [should be uscd] for thc purpose
of sustaining the individual organism, and thc scx impulsc for thc
maintcnancc of the human spccics as a whole. Each of thcm should
rcccivc thc attcntioo that it dcfinitcly rcquircs and that is allowcd
it. lf cmploycd <1?0:::, to the cxtcnt to which it is pcrmissiblc, prc-
occupat1on thcrcw1th 1s cxcusablc. To rcach out to what is forbid-
dcn thcrcof, howcver, is rcprchcnsiblc, as Scripturc says: T he desire
0/ 1/,e righleous is only good; /Jul 1/,e expeclalion of the wicked is
wraJJ, 10 (Prov. II: :13), and as it also statcs: For the wicked
bou1t1l, of l,il hearl's desire (Ps. 10: 3).
I wo~dcrcd, moreovcr, how it cam.c that God bad preparcd for
man pamful tormcnt and pcrpctual sojourn in hcll-firc. But I notcd
that that contrastcd witb thc promisc of pcrcnnial dcüght aod pcr-
petual reward. Also wcrc it not for thcsc two alternatives, thcrc
would havc bccn nothing to imbuc man with cithcr aspiration or
fcar, as Scripturc says: Some 10 t11erla1ting life, ond some 10 re-
proaches and eC1trlasting ahl,o"en~e (Dan. u: :i),
Finally, 1 mcditated ovcr thc fact that, evcn bcforc this rctribu-
tion in thc futurc Jifc, man was ordcrcd to be put to dcath by mcans
of four different forms of cxccution. 1 rcalizcd, howcvcr, that all
this was for his bcncfit and that it was not contrary to rcason. For
it is in accordancc with thc verdict of reason that, just as thc in-
dividual rccognizes that thc cutting off of onc of thc mcmbcrs of
bis body, which has bccn rcndcrcd worthlcss by poison or discasc,
is a corrcctivc nccessary for the prcscrvation of thc rcst of bis
~y, so thc human spccics must recognizc that the slaying of onc
of 1ts mcmbcrs who has bccomc corruptcd and is catisiog troublc
10. Thi, quotation follows th_c reading of Ibn nbbon.
186 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
on carth is a corrcctivc ncccssary for prcscrving thc rcst of thc
spccics. Thus Sc:ripturc also says: And those 1h111 remain shall hear
ond J~a, (Deut. 19: 20).
Havjng now dcmonstratcd God's justicc toward man in thc
sevcn instanccs I-havc enumcratcd, 1 may say that in thc cvcnt of
any misgivings that migbt be aroused in thc mind of a bclicvcr by
simi.lar phcnomcna, hc nccd but pondcr the matter weil. For if hc
were to do that, hc would undoubtcdly discover some basis for it
in [divinc J Wisdom, as Scripturc says: All the paths o/ the Lord
are mercy and trutl, (Ps. 25: 10).
CHAPTER III
And now that I have cxplained how thesc different instances
that arc illustrative of the various aspecu of God's justicc .arc to bc
understood, 1 say that it is in kecping with 11 thc justicc of thc
Crcator and of His tcndcr solicitudc for man th~t He gavc him the
power and ability to cxccutc what He bad commandcd him and to
refrain from what He bad forbidden him. This is evident from
the standpoint of rcason as weil as from thc Scriptures.
As far as rcason is conccrncd, it dcmands that thc All-Wise
< 151 > do not charge anyone with aught that docs not Uc within
his compctcncc or which hc is unable to do. As for [ the corrobora-
tion by] Scripturc, again, it is found in such Statements as O My
peopl~. whal have 1 done unto thee? And where;n hafle 1 wearitd
lhee? Tesli/y against Me (Mic. 6: 3). Scripturc also says: But they
thal wait /or the Lord shall renew 11,eir nrength (lsa. 40: 31), and
Keep .tilence be/ore Me, 0 i!lands, and /et the peoples renew lhtir
strength (ha. 41: 1), as weU as When the moming is light, thry
execute il, because il is in the power of their hand (Mic. ~= 1).
I am also of thc opinion that the ability [to act) must prcccdc
thc act itself to thc point where an cqual opportunicy would bc
grantcd to man cither to act or dcsi~t from acting. For if the ability
to act wcrc completc1y synchronous with thc act: itsdf, [ thcn thcrc
would bc only onc of two possibilitics so far as thcir relationship
11. "in kccping with"-lbn Tibbon.
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 187
to cach othcr is conccrncd.] Eithcr cach is thc cause of thc othcr or
ncithcr is thc othcr's causc. lf, on thc othcr hand, it bc [assumcd
that thc ability to act comcs] after thc act, thcn it would be pos-
aiblc for a pcrson to rc.nder undonc an act that has alrcady been
pcrformcd by him, which is absurd, as is also thc previous auump-
tion. lt follows, tbcrcforc, of ncccssity that man's power to act must
prccede the act itsclf, in ordcr that he may thcreby bc in a position
to carry out thc command of God, bis Lord.
I dccm it proper also to cxplain that, just as man's doing a thing
constitutcs an act, so docs also bis dcsisting thcrcfrom constitutc
an act, for by dcsisting from it hc only pcrmits the oppoaite thcrcof
to comc about. Man's position in this rcspcct cannot bc comparcd
to thc dcsistencc from the crcation o( things by thc Crcator, cxalted
and magnified bc He, whkh, as wc cxplaincd,u did not constitutc
an act. For when thc Crcator rcfraincd from any furtbcr crcation
of substanccs and tbcir contcnts, thc lauer bad no counterparts to
takc thcir placc. As far as man is conccrncd, howevcr, sincc bis
action cxtcnds to the domain of accidcnts only, his sole rcason
for dcsisting from onc thing is that hc chooscs to allow thc op-
positc thercof to takt. placc. Tbus if hc docs not lov~ hc h.ates; and
if he is not weil dispascd, hc is angry. Hcncc thou wilt not find a
middle ground for him bctwcr.n thesc two alternatives. In a likc
vein do the Sc:ripturcs say: There/ore shall ye keep· My cl,orge,
t/,Ql ye tlo not any of these abominable customs, which were done
be/ore you (Lcv. 18: 30); and also Yea, lhey tlo no unrighleous-
ness,· 1/,ey walk in His ways (Ps. n9: 3).
lt bchoovcs me furthermorc to cxplain that man cannot bc con-
sidcrcd as thc agcnt <152> of an act unlcss hc excrcises frccdom
of choicc in pcrforming it, for no onc can bc hcld accountablc for
an act who docs not posscss frecdom of choice and docs not
excrcise this choicc. On thc other band, thc rcason why, as we notc,
thc Law did not imposc any punishmcnt upon the person who by
ovcrsight did something that was fo.-biddcn, was not that hc did
not cxercisc choice in committing thc act, for such an act would
havc no significancc that would makc it subjcct to punishmcnt. lt
n. Cf. above, p. 86.
1 88 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
was rathcr becausc hc was ignorant of thc motivc or rcason for its
prohibition. Thus, for instancc, wc say of him that l(ille~h 11ny .Per-
son through error u tha~ he is an individua~ who acta w1th d~ltbcr-
atc intent aod from cho1cc so far as thc cumng of the wood 1& con-
cerned. He is only negligcnt in taking prccautions against striking
a passcr-by. Similarly WC say .of hi~ who rrofancs u thc Sabbath
that he .is a person who acts w1tb dcltbcratc mtcnt so far as the gath-
mng o/ stick.s 1a is concerned, but that hc has forgotten that the
day an which hc does it is the Sabbath.
CHAPTER IV
After thc aforcmentioned let mc say ncxt that the Crcator, mag-
oificd be His majesty, docs not in any way intcrfcrc with thc ac-
tions of men and that He docs not e:x.crcise any force upon thcm
c:ither to obey or disobcy Hirn. For this 1c:m adducc proof from the
standpoint of thc cxpcricncc of the scnses and of rcason, as weil
as from the Scripturcs and tradition..
As far as thc attcstation of our sense, is conccmed, I find that a
human being fcels conscious of hi!I own abili_ty either to spcak .or
rcmain silcnt, or to takc hold of things or demt from them, wh1lc
at thc samc time hc is not conscious of the cxistencc of any otber
power that might at all prcvc~t him from .carrying o~t his will. All
hc has to do to gain bis end 1s to allow h1~ natural u~pul.scs to bc
dircctcd by his intcllcct. If hc abides by this rule, hc 1s w1se. lf he
docs not, he is foolish.
As for thc proof from reason, we have alrc~d_r prcviously prc-
scnted argumcnts demonstratiog the untcnah1hty of the thcory
that one act can have two authors.H Whocver, thcreforc, bclievcs
that the Creator, magnificd and cxaltcd bc He, cxerciscs forcc i.ipon
His serxant in regard to anything, thcreb~ attributcs one and t~e
same act to both of thcm? Furthcrmore, if God wcrc to excmst
force upon His scrvant, thcrc would bc no sense to His command
13. Cf. Deut. 19: 5,
14. "profanea"-Ibn Tibbon.
15. Cf. Num. 15: 32 and Milnah lab. 7: 1.
16. Cf. aboTe, p. 60 ud PP· 98 ff.
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION I~
or His intcrdict. Also if God wcre to forcc him to pcrform some
act, it would not bc proper for Hirn to punish him for it.
Again, if mcn actcd out of compulsion, the bclicvcr and the in-
fidcl would alikc havc to bc rewardcd, since cach would bc doing
what is rcquestcd of him, just as any intelligent pcrson, if he cm-
ploycd two workin~mcn, thc füst to build a?d thc ot~cr to ~c~r
down, would bc obhgcd to pay each of them his wage. FU1ally, if 1t
wcrc conccivable that man is subjcct in his action to < 153> com-
pulsion, hc would always be able to prcsent thc excusc that hc
kncw thac be cou)d accomplish nothing against thc power of his
Master. Undcr such circumstanccs, if thc unbclicver were to offcr
as an alibi for bis unbcJief thc fact that he is unable to bclievc in
God, he would have to bc considcrcd justified and his alibi ac-
ceptcd.
As for thc proof from Scripturc, it consists [first of all] of what
wc have stated previously n apropos of [the injunction of] Tl,ere-
fore d,oose life (Deut. 30: 19). [lt is madc up], furehcrmorc, [of]
the statement made to the sinncrs: This l,atl, been of your doing-
Will He accept any o/ your. persons? etc. 18 (Mal. 1: 9). [lt is] also
[ containcd in such] statements [ of Scripture ], in which the Cre-
ator cxplicitly cleara Himsclf of all responsibility for the decds of
liars, as 1 hat1e not sent these prophets, yet they ran: 1 l,at1e not
spolcen to them, yet they prophesied (Jcr. 23: 21), and the like.
An example, again, [of the proofs furnished] by eradieion is tbc
[following] maxim transmieecd by ehe ancicnts: Everything is in
the hands of l,eat1en except tl,e fear o/ heaven, as it is said: "And
now, Israel, wl,at dotl, the Lord thy God require of tl,ee, but lo
fear ••• ?" (Deut. 10: 12) (Bcr. 33b).
Howevcr, notwithstanding thc fact that after thcsc explicit pro-
nounccmcnts on the subject thcre is nothing lcft to bc askcd about
any more, Scripture takes occasion to dcny the exercise of com-
pulsion by God by employing thrcc othcr basic [ rhctorical] dcviccs.
Tbc fust of thesc dcnials is in the form of an cxpression of amazc-
ment whcrcby ehe asconishment of men over ehe matter is arouscd.
17. Cf. above, p. 181.
18. Thi1 quolarion follow, rhe reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
190 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
lt says, namdy: Have 1 any pktuure III oll 1l,a111,, 111kked sl,oultl
die? (Ezek. 18: :23). Tbc second i1 in thc form of an a1scnion madc
by God that such a thing wouJd not be. lt say1, namcJy: lndeetl 1•
11,,n,e no pleuure in the deatl, oj him lhal dietl, (Ezck. 18: 32).
Thc third consist1 of an oath takcn thcreon by God. lt i1 wordcd:
Say unlo them: As J live, 1aith the Lord God, J hav, no ple111ure in
the delllb o/ the wkked "(Ezck. 33: 11). Thus thc subjcct has been
trcatcd from cvery possiblc aspcct, [ all of which was donc for thc
purpose of] driving homc thc idca 20 [ of man's complctc frcedom
of choicc].
After this explanation Jet mc prcscnt thc following qucstioos.
I say, that somconc might pcrhaps aak: "If it bc truc, a1 ha1 bcen
explaincd, that God does not desire thc rcbcllion < 154> of thc
rcbclliow:, how is it possiblc that thcrc should cxist in His world
mything that He does not approvc of or find plcasure in?" Tbc
answcr to this is, howcvcr, [ quitc] simple. If it sccms odd to us that
one who is all-wisc should pcrmit anytlung to transpire in his
domain that docs not accord with hia wishcs ör plcase hun, that
could apply only to man. For whcn a human bcing hatcs a thing,
hc docs so usually bccausc it harms him. Our Lord, howcvcr, doc:a
not hate anytMng 11 on accouut of Hi, own pcrsonality, becausc
it is impossible that He bc affcctcd by any of the accidents appcr-
taining to mortals. He considcrs thcm objcctionable, only on our
account, becausc of thc harm thcy might inßict upon us. For if wc
transgrcss against Hirn by failing to acknowlcdgc our indcbtcdnc11
to Him, wc arc guilty of folly. On thc other band, if wc wrong onc
anothcr, wc bring about the dcstruction of our livcs and our
wcalth.
In thc light of this cxposc of thc matter, it is no longcr strangc
that thcre could exist in God's world anything that wc considcr
ohjcctionablc and which He madc clcar was objcctionablc in His
sight on our account, out of pity for us. This has bccn made (com-
plctcly] plain by Hirn in Scripturc, whcrc He says: Do tl,ey pro-
19. "lnd«d"-die ulUII tnn1l11ion i1 "Por."
20. "drMng homc tht idca"-lbn Ttbbon .ad M.
21. "anythin,r"-lbn Tibbon.
l
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 191
11oke Me? 1ai1I, tl,e Lord; do they not provoke tnemselves. to the
"'"/usion o/ 1J,eir own /«es? (Jcr. 7: 19).
Furlhcrmore, onc might pcrhaps also say: "lnasmuch as God
knows what is to bc bcforc it happcns, He must also know that
man will rcbcl against Him. But in that casc it woukl bc impossible
for man not to rcbcl, sincc othcrwisc wbat God forcknows would
not bc rcalizcd." Thc rcsolution of this doubt, howcvcr, is morc
obvious cvcn than that of thc first one. lt nced not bc pointed out
that thc pcrson who makcs thc abovc-mcntioncd asscrtion is rcally
unablc to provc tbat thc Crcator's forcknowlcdgc of things is thc
causc of their coming into bcing. His assertion is, thcrcfore, nothing
ebc than an crroocous assumption or delibcratc invcntion.
. lts untcnability is madc clcar by the rcalization that if God's
fo~cknowlcdgc of _anything could bc thc causc of its coming into
being, then all thmgs would havc to bc ctcrnal, having cxistcd
always sin~ God has always known of tbcm. What wc profcss,
thcrcforc,.1s that God has a knowlcdgc of things as thcy arc actu-
ally ~ons~1tutcd. He also knows bcforc anything happcns to thcm
that 1t will happcn. Furthcrmorc He is cognizaot of what man's
choicc will bc bcforc man makcs it. ·
Should it bc askcd, thcrcforc: "But if God forcknows that
< 155 > a human .bcing will spcak, is it conccivablc that hc should
rc~ain .~ilcnt?" We wo~ld answcr simply that, if a human bcing
dec,d~ ~nstcad of spcak_mg to bc silcnt, wc would mcrcly modify
our onginal 22 assumption by sayiog that God knows that that
human being will bc silcnt. lt would not bc proper to assumc that
God knows that that pcrson will spcak, becausc what God forc-
knows is thc final denouemcnt of man 's activity as it turns out aftcr
all his planning, an ti~ipations, and dclays. lt is that vcry thing
that God knows, as Scnpturc says: T lte Lord knowetl, tl,e thoughts
o/ man (Ps. 94: 11), and also For J k,now tbeir imagination l,ow
lney do even now (Deut. 31: 21).
22. Cf. Guttmann', interpretation c,f thi1 pisu,e (p. 170).
 192 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
CHAPTER V
I havc furthcrmore cncountcrcd mcn who askcd in this con-
ncction: "What rcason could havc promptcd (divinc] Wisdom to
issuc commandmcnts and prohibitions to the virtuous of whom
God knew that hc would not turn asidc from scrving Him?" For
this I found four rcasons. One of thcm is [ that this was donc]
in ordcr to inform thc virtuous individual of what it was that God
dcsircd from him. Anothcr was to pay him his full rcward, for,
if he werc to scrvc God without having hccn commandcd to do so,
hc would not rcccivc any rcward for it.23 Thirdly, if it had bccn
proper for God to rcwa~d him for thc pcrformancc of a virtuous
dccd that He bad not commandcd him to do, it would likewisc
have bccn proper for H im to punish him for committing a mis-
dccd that He had not forbiddcn him to do, which would havc bccn
an act of injusticc on thc part of God. Finally, thc rcpctition by
the prophcts of thc injunction alrcady dktatcd by rcason scrved
to put man on his guard, and makc him bewarc, aod takc thc
ncccssary prccautions in thc fulfillmcnt of thesc prcccpts. Thus
Scripture says: Nevertheless if thou warn th~ rigl,teour man, that
the righteous sin not, and l,e doll, not sin, he sha/1 surely live, be-
,ause he took warning (Ezck. 3: 21).
Mcn ask also: "What could havc promptcd [divinc] Wisdom
to send missions to t~e unbclicvcrs, of whom God kncw that thcy
would not belicvc but that thcy would look upon all prophccy as
idlc play r' 2 ' For this I found six rcasons. Onc of thcm is that,
if God bad not stnt any mission to the unbcHcvcrs with thc prc-
scriptioo to thcm that thcy bclicvc, that would havc furnishcd them
with a good alibi. < 156> For thcy might havc said : "lf a propbct
had comc to us, WC would havc bclicvcd in him." Anothcr rrcason
for admonishing unbclievcrs] is that, if [ thc intcntions of man l
that werc known [to God} had not becn translatcd into action,20
rcward and punishmcnt would havc bccn mctcd out by Hirn on ac-
23. Cf. the Telmudic moim : H, wl,o ;, "'"'"'""''' 11t1l lo,1 11r1nl1 l,igl,er
11,n u 111/,0 il ttOI n,,n,r111n,ld •nd do,1 (1$:idd. 311).
24. "idle pl•r"-lbn Tibbon.
25. For dm ftllderina d. Guttmann p. 171 1nd n. 3.
1
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 1g3
count of His prcacicnce rathcr than the actual dccds of Hit aervanu.
[Thirdly,J just as thc scn1ual and rational proo& have bcen
cstabli1hed in thc world by God for the belicvcr as weil as tbe
infidel, so was it ncccssary for thc prophctic proou to be 1harcd by
bclicvers as weil as infidcls. [Fourthly,] ju1t as it SCClffll certain to u,
that he who givcs soinconc an ordcr to do somcthing reprchcn1iblc,
which thc lattcr fails to c,rccutc, is ncverthclcss doing him harm
and would bc callcd a fool, so must hc wbo ordcrs somconc to do
a good dccd bc rcgardcd as thc latter's bcnefactor and bc called
a wisc man cvcn though thc ordcr has ncvcr bccn carried out by
him to whom it was given.
[Fifthly,] if the injunction to do what is good were to bc rc·
garded, when hc to whom it is addrcssed fails to accept it, as folly
on account of this nonacceptancc, then by thc samc tokcn thc in·
junction to do what is rcprchcnsiblc, issucd to a pcrson who acccptJ
it, would havc to be considcrcd wisdom bccause of this acccptancc
by the Jatter. But in that casc the actual nature of good and evil
would bc variable, dcpcnding upon the contingcncy of bcing ac;...
ceptcd, which is, of coursc, absurd. ·
Sixthly, just as God madc no diHercnccs 29 betwcen [thc dif-
ferent typca of] mcn so far as intclligence, power, and ability are
conccrncd, so too could He makc no djstinction 17 betwcen thcm in
rcgard to His commands or His mission to thcm.
Furthcrmorc lct mc say that only he can be considcrcd wanton
that docs somcthing which bcnefits ·no onc. As far as God's mission
to thc unbclicvcrs is conccrncd, howcvcr, if thcy choosc not to
bcncfit by it nor to be chastiscd, thcrc arc thc belicvers and thc
rcmaindcr of mcn who arc chastiscd thcrcby and induced to take
hccd. Thus, for cxamplc, thou scest how thc scrvants of God relatc
to each othcr cvcn unto this vcry day-and thcy will continue to do
,o forcvcr-thc story of thc dcll\gc and of thc inhabitants of Sodom
and of Pharaoh and the likc.
Mcn also ask: "lf it wcre to happcn that God dclivcr up one of
His scrvants to be slain cithcr in punishment for sin or a1 a trial,
26. "nwle no dilFerence"-lill!rall, "made equal."
27. "could He make no diatinction"-llteraDr '1fe bad to mlke equal.''
194 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
what shall wc think of that act or to whom shall wc ascribe jt in thc
cvcnt that thc slaying is carricd out by a tyrant likc Jczcbcl, who
put some of thc prophcts to dcath?" 28 Our rcply hcrcto is that thc
cutting oll [ decrccd for thc victim] is an act of God, but thc manner
of slaying is an act of thc tyrant. For as long as <157> [divine]
Wisdom dcmands thc cxtermina6on of tbc individual in que!tion,
evcn if thc actual slayer should not in his malicc slay him, thc vic-
tim m.ight pcrish by somc othcr mc:ms.
A similar quc.nion 28 is [ raiscd] in rcgard to thc thicf who is pcr-
mitted by God to sequestcr some of thc propcrty of mcn eithcr in
punishmcnt or as a trial of thc lattcr. ShaU this thcft bc conccived
of as an act of God? Tbc ans wer is that thc [ dccrce conccrning
the] loss of thc propctty is an act of God but thc theft is an
act of man. For as long as [divinc] Wisdom dcmands thc loss of
that particular objcct, if thc thief wcrc not to stcal it, it might be
destroyed by othcr means. Thus, too, did Shcmaiah and bis
brothcr answer one of the kings of Rome. They said, namcly: We,
l,owever, l,ove been sentenced to deotl, by l,eaven. lf thou dort not
slay us, God l,as many demons at His disposal to striJce us (Ta'än.
18b).
The qucstion is also askcd, "How comcs it that in ordcr to
punish David, may pcacc bc upon him, for a sin hc had commiucd,
Absalom was caused to commit a similar, nay an cvcn grc:itcr,
sin, as Scripturc puts it: For thou did1t it 1ecrttly; but l will do thü
thing ht/ort a/1 /srul, and hefore the sun?" (II Sam. t:z: r:z.) 1:"o
this I rcply that the mcssagc that was brought by Nathan to David
falls into two parts. Onc of them pcrtains to thc act of God;
namcly, that of making Absalom prcvail, and pcrmitting him to
stretch forth bis hands, and turning ovcr to him all that belongcd
to David. In rcgard to tbat Nathan said: Bthold, I will rai.re up
e11il again1t thtt out of thine oum l,ouse (II Sam. 1:2: 11). The othcr
conccrns an act of Absalom's own cboosing. lt was to this tbat
Nathan had rcfcrcnce when hc said: And he 1/Jall lie witl, tl,y
wives in the sight of tl,is sun (ibid.). His objcct in giving David
28. Cf. Guttm:ann p. 173 for thi1 rendering.
29. "quntion"-lbn 1ibbon 1nd M.
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 195
advancc information of thc act of Absalom's voluntary choosing
was to cause him heartachc thcrcby.
People uk also, with rcfcrcnce to what is relatcd about Scn-
nachcrib and Nebuchadnczzar and the death and destruction anJ
other forms of violcnce that thcy brought into the world, how
God, cxalted bc He, could have rcfcrrcd to the one as <158> H is
scourgc, saying, in rcgard to Scnnacherib: 0 Assl,ur, the rod o/
Mine anger, in wl,ose hond as o staff [is Mine indignation] (lsa..
10: 5), and to the othcr as His sword, saying, in rcgard to Ncb-
uchadnczzar: And I will strengthen the arms of 1/,e l(ing o/
Babylon, and pul My sword in his hand (Ezck. 30: ~).
Our comment hcrcon is that all that God, blessed and exaltcd
bc He, did in thc casc of thcsc two individuals, as well as of othcrs
of thcir kind, was to givc thcm strcngth and cncouragcmcnt, as
though it were with a sword and a scourge. Ncverthelcss what-
cver thcy and thcir armics did was done by their own choicc, for
which they rneritcd God's rctribution. Apropos of this retribution
Scripcurc says : 1 wi/1 punish the fruit of the am,gant heart of the
J<Jng o/ Assyria (Isa. 10: 12), and A.nd 1 will render unto Babylon
ond unto all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their e11il (Jer. 51: ~),
Mcn ask furthcrmorc: "Inasmuch as all happenings takc placc
bccause of God's command, thrn if God acatcs a situation whcrcby
a bdicvcr is compcllcd to teil a )ic, would not He be thc onc who
forcc:s him to lie?" To this qucstion two answcrs may bc oflcrcd.
One of thcm is that if onc wcrc to inquicc closcly jnto thc manncr
in which a human bcing comcs to be forccd to lie, he would dis-
covcr that it is grounded in his sinful conduct in thc past, which
hc attributcs so to his Lord. This has bccn cxprcsscd by Scripture
as follows: The foolishness of mon perverteth his way; and hit
heart /relletl, against t/,e Lord {Prov. 19: 3).
Thc othcr is that, thanks to thc intclligence with wbfob God has
endowcd man, the lauer is ncvcr rcally compclJcd to teil an [ out-
right] lic. For if hc uscs an exprcssion which, whcn taken in its
figurative sense, may bc understood to rcfcr to thc actual statc of
affairs, hc is bcing truthful, and it cannot be hcld against him if thc
JCI. "attribucn"-lbn Tibbon.

1gt, THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
pcrson whom be encounters puts the wrong construction on hi1
words.
As an illustration one might cite du: statemcot of Abraham,
peacc bc upan him, concerning Sarah : She is my 1is1" (Gen. 20: 2),
taking ehe cxprcssion my sist" 11 in thc sense of "my kinswoman."
just as wc find that Lot, who was rcally Abraham'• nephcw, ~as
by rhetorical liccnse called broth" (Gen. 14: 14). The Ge~:mtcs
thought, howcver, that sbe was his sistcr in tbe litcral meam~g of
the word. No < 159> sin, thcrcforc, attached to Abraham; ·~ a~-
tachcd rathcr to thcm bccause thcy did what was wrong. For 1t 11
considered proper etiqueue to ask a stranger a~ut h!s
si~uation
and wcll-bcing and bis needs, but not whac rclat1onsh1p has com-
panions :12 bear to him." Still lcss could Abraham bc blamcd for
his dccd, ai.ncc hc had .llrcady had a trying cxpcricnce of such a
nature with somcone eise, as hc said: Be,ouse l thought: Surely
the /ear o/ God is not in this plrKe,· anti they will slay me" (Gen.
20: u). .. ffi . 1 •
And now that I have discusscd thcse questaons su cacnt y, 1t
bchoovcs ehe studcnt of this book to apply 811 thc answcrs given to
thcm to all similar cases that hc may find.
CHAPTER VI
My next stcp is to appcnd to thc statcment l bavc madc all thosc
vcrses of the Bible that throw unccrtainty and doubt on our thco,y
about thc compulsion [cxcrciscd by God on man]. Howcver, on
account of thc largc numbcr of such vcrscs by rcason of the cxtcn-
sion of mcaning to which languagc lends itself-for, a~ 1have notcd
in thc treatise on the unity of God,18 unlcss thcrc existcd the pos-
sibility of an cxtcnsion of meaning in languagc, nothing morc
than thc barcst rcfcrcncc to substanccs would havc bcen within
31 , "my liltcr"-dded by M.
3:a. "companiona"-lbn Tibbon llld M,
33, "ro him"-lbn nbbon and M.
34, Thi1 qUOCllion follow1 die reading of Ibn Tibbon.
35. ":apply"-lbn Tibbon.
36. Cf. :abovc, p. 118.
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION Iffl
its compctcnce-1 have sccn fit to indicatc thc various ways in
which thcy arc to bc intcrpretcd so as to harmonizc with rcason.
Whcn, thcrcforc., I shall havc cnumcratcd as many different classcs
as thcre are and discusscd sevcral cxamplcs o( cach, lct the studcnt
of this book auach evcry type, as well as evcry individual instancc,
to the dass to which it bclongs, as bis reason and his undcrstanding
may dictatc.
I say, thcn, that therc are cight classcs altogcthcr. The first of
thcm constitutes thc catcgory of "prohibition." Pcoplc arc under
thc impression that thc prcvcntion of an act by mcans of an intcr-
dict is identical with ita hindrantc by means of a [preventivc] act.
Tbc fact is, howcvcr, that thcrc is a grcat diffcrcncc betwccn them.
As an illustration hcrcof wc might cite thc statcment madc by
God, cxaltcd and magnificd bc He, to Abimclcch: n And l also
tuitl,/uld thee from sinning against Me (Gen. 20: 6). Now it was
thought by somc that it was an act of God's that bad withhcld him.
In rcality, howcvcr, it was by mcans of God's interdict that he was
withhcld and by His announccmcnt that shc was a married woman,
as weil as by thc threat of punishment. Thus God said: Behold,
tl,ou shalt die, because o/ tl,e woman whom thou hast tal{en; for
she is a man's wife 11 (Gen. 20: 3). God furthcrmorc said to him:
And i/ tl,ou rellore her not, l{notu that lhou shalt turely die (Gen.
~=~· .
Now thc withholding of Abimclcch from that woman so that
hc was unablc to comc in contact with her, as God said: Therefore
suffered l thee not to toucl, her (Gen. 20: 6), was of thc samc ordcr
as the withholding of a divorccd husband from taking back
< 16o > his divorccd wifc aftcr shc had marricd another man,
as [dcmandcd by] thc injunction of Scripturc: Her /armer hut·
band, who sent her away, cannot 89 tal{e her again (Deut. 24: 4).
Tbc husband would bc quitc capable [of taking back his formcr
wifc] if it depcnded on bis own choice, but hc is unablc to do it
bccausc of the law. This (point] is illustrated also by thc statemcnt
37. "to Abimclech"-lbn nbbon and M.
38. Thi1 quotalion follow1 the rcading of Ibn nbbon.
3g. "cannot"-the u1ual tnn1l:ation il "may not."
198 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
of Scripture: Tl,ou cansl nol stu:rifice tht passor,er-oßmng wi1Ain
any of 11,y gates (Deut. 1.6: 5), and othcn rcsembling it.
Thc sccond group of vcrscs is that speaking of obitruction [by
God J of [man'•] mundanc wcll-bcing, a punishmcnt which rc·
scmblcs thc prcvcntion of spiritual wcU-bcing. Hcncc it was bc-
licvcd by those who misundcrstood it that this constitutcd com·
pulsion [on the part of God]. An instance of verse& harboring this
implication is the statement: Make the heart o/ this people fat, and
makt tl,eir tars Aear,y, and shut their eyes, de. • 0 (Isa. 6: 10).
What Scripture mcant hcrchy, howcvcr, was that, on account of
some obstruction that would arisc, thcy would bc unablc clcarly
to recognizc thcir mundane intcrcsts in tbe cvcnt of war or mis-
fortunc and thc likc. Tbc rcsult would bc tbat tbcy would bc at
a loss as to the corrcct coursc to takc undcr tbc circumstanccs.
Tbus Scripturc says: And 1hou shaJt grope a, noonday, as the blind
gropeth in darkness n (Deut. :z8: 19). lt says also: He taktth tne
wise in their own crafliness; and lht counsel of the wily is carried
htadlong. They mett with darl{ne11 in the daytimt (Job 5: 13, 14).
lt statcs furthermote: He taketh away the neart o/ the ehiefs o/ the
land, tk. T hty grope in the dark wilhoul light (Job 12: 24, 25).
Now tbc advocatcs of tbc doctrinc of prcdestination thought
that all thc abovc rcfcrred to the spiritual status [of thc pc.oplc. 1n
rcality,] howevcr, thc mcaning of And il will return and be l,ea/ed
(Isa. 6: 10) is mcrcJy that they would return from waging war
against thcir encmy and rcst up thcrefrom, as Scripturc says clsc-
wherc, in spcaking of war: But ht is not ablt to neal you, neilhtr
shall ht eure you of your wound (Hos. 5: 13)'.
Thc tb.ird [dass of Biblical passages J consists of [those which
prcscnt God as] giving couragc to men whcn they arc ruuck by a
dcvastating calamity or [when they rcccivc a] rcport of such a dis.-
astcr, in ordcr that they may not die thercfrom. Hearing of such
Scriptural uttcranccs, the advocates of predcstination thougbt that
thcy implied a hardening of the hearts in order to kcep thcm from
bccoming subservicnt to God. [What] cspccially [ mislcd thcm
40. '11iia quotatioo follows the reading al Ibn Tabbon.
41. Tbu quotation followa the reading of Ibn Tabbon.
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 199
wa1] thc fact that Scripturc itsclf ascribcs this to hardcning thc
bcart, by rcason of thc fact that tbc soul bas its scat in it. Instances
bcreof arc such uttcranccs of Scripturc as: And l wül J,arden pJ,.,..
-,J,'1 hearl (Exod. 7: 3), and And / will make nrong 41 Ph11raol,'1
< 161 > htarl (Exod. 14: 4), and For l l,ave made htavy l,i1 '""''
(Emd. 10: 1). Similarly does Scripturc say in rcgard to Sihon:
For 11,e Lord 1hy God hordened l,iJ spirit (Deut. a: 30).
Now Pharaoh nccdcd a bolstering of thc spirit in order not to
die from tbc plagucs u [ that bcfcll thc Egyptians], but rcmain alive
until thc rcst of thc punishmcnt bad becn complctcly visited upon
him. That was madc clcar to him by God when He said: Surely
now l had ps.1 fort/, My hand, and smillen lhte, tk. Bul in vny
dted for tl,is eause l,a,,e l made 11,ee lo stand, etc.•• (Exod. 9: 15,
16).
As for Sihon, again, hc necded such a bolstcring in ordcr not
to die from thc terror inspircd by thc rcport about thc childrcn
of Israel, as Scripturc says about otbcrs in bis time: Who, wl,tn
tAey l,eor 11,e report of thee, sl,all tremhle, and hin onguuJ, /Je-
cause of thee (Deut. a: 25). Similar!y did tbc inhabitants of thc
land of Canaan rcquirc a bolstcring in order not to pcrish from the
fright inspired by thc report of thc Israclitcs, as Scripturc say1:
And a, 1oon as ute had htard it, our hearts did mell, etc.u (Josh.
2: 11). Tbat is wby Scripturc says latcr on: For ;, was of 1he Lord
10 1,arden thtir nearls, to come againsl Israel in hattle, thal 11,ey
migh, l,e utterly destroyed (Josb. u: :zo).
The fourtb [group of vcrscs] consists of (thosc that spcak of]
thc assignmcnt [by God) of station or rank [to mcn.] Now ccrtain
pcople, sccing tbis rccordcd in thc Biblc, tbougbt that tbat wa1
[indicätive of thc] excrcise of inßucncc and thc cxcrtion of prc1-
1urc [by God]. [In rcality] this [act on thc part of God i1 mcrcly
idcntical with that of] thc expert in a givcn art [ wbo] corroboratca
what is corrcct in it and rcjccts what is wrong. Thus wc say that
42. "mllce stroag"-the usual tramlation i1 "harden."
43, "plaguet"-lbn Tibbon 1nd M.
44, Thu quotation follow1 the ruding of Ibn Tabbon.
45, '11ii1 quo1alion follow1 the reading of Ibn Tibbon.
200 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
the judge madc out Rcubcn to bc a truthful man and Simon to be
a liar, or that hc justincd Lcvi and madc out Zcbulun to bc unju&t.
Now wc do not mean to say thercby that he induccd any onc of
them or that he commanded thcm to do a certain thing, but mcrcly
that he madc clcar and cxposcd his charactcr and put him in bis
placc. Thc mcaning is thc samc as that containcd in thc statcment
of thc holy Torah: And they shall make rigl11eous the rigliteous
and wicked 11,e wkked" {Deut. 25: 1).
Similarly is it said: "Thc judgc madc out such and such a writ
to bc genuine and such and such a writ to bc forgcd." Now hc did
not actually himself causc it to bc forgcd, but mcrely cxplaincd t~at
it was of that charactcr. lt has furthcrmorc been rcportcd to mc
tbat tbe cxpres.sion uscd in rcgard to two coins is that "tbc moncy-
sortcr madc onc good < 162> and thc othcr countcrfcit." Now
thosc who cmploy this cxprcss.ion do not mcan thcrcby that he
himself countcrfcitcd it but mcrdy that hc rcportcd lhat it was
countcrfcit. . hand, if Thou shouldst not forgivc me, Thou wouldst hurl O my
Whcn, then, thc ideas bchind this figure of spccch arc carefully
cxamincd and " dcfinitcly determincd, it bccomcs dear that it is
in this sense that one must understand what is spokcn of by thc
Scripturcs as 11.n act of God. Whcn, for cxamplc, Scripture statcs:
lf it eoncerna/J Jl,e scorners, He maketl, them 'scornful, 48 bul unto
1he humble He gi11etl, grt1ee (Prov. 3: 34), it mcans that "He puts
thc lattcr in thc ranks of thc humble." Similarly it says: And when
the prophet is enticed and speak,.eln o word, 1 the Lord lullle enticed
11,ot prophe1 (Ezck. 14 :9), mcaning "1 have madc it clcar that
hc is cnticcd," Likcwise God's statcmcnt: Who sha/1 entice .A.hab,
that l,e may go and fall? (1 Kings 22: 20) mcans "Who shall makc
it plain that hc is cnticcd?"
Thus, too, did thc statcmcnt of thc prophct Jcremiah: Surely
Thou hast greatly deceived tl,;s people and /erusalem, SilJing: Ye
slu,U l,a11epeace (Jcr. 4: 10), mcrcly charge, by cxposurc, thc spccch
of thosc who had prophcsicd about Jerusalem with bcing un-
46, "and the1 .hall make • , , wicked"-die u111.1l uan1lation i1: "bJ justifying
die rightcow, and condemning 1he wicked."
47, "1nd"-«dded b1 Jbn Tibbon and M,
48. "He makcth lhc:m scornful"-the u1111l tran,lation i1 "He ICOffleth them."
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 201
authentic. So also is the qucstion of thc pcoplc: Why dosl T/Jou
make us m- from Thy ways? (Isa. 63: 17) to bc undcrsrood in thc
sense of "Do not make us crr by condcmning us as men that crr,
but forgivc us and have mcrcy on us." He, howcvcr, who docs not
understand corrcctly this and similar uttcranccs thinks that rhcy
are [indicativc of divinc] compulsion.
Thc fifth group is that which comcs undcr thc heading of for-
givcncss. lt is notcd that thc scrvant of God says: "Ioclioc mc
toward Tbec" and 1'Do not turn mc away from Thce" in such ut-
ccranccs as lncline my heart unto T/Jy testirnonies, and not 10
co11etousness (Ps. 119: 36), and lncline nol my hearl to any evil
thing (Ps. 141: 4). Conscqucntly the imprcssion arim: that by thcse
two typcs of indination hc has rcfcrence to [ divinc] compulsion. In
rcality, howcver, it is mcrdy God's forgivcneu [that hc has in
mind]. He mcans to say: "By forgiving mc Thou inclincst mc
toward Thec, so that I do not sin against Thcc again. On the othcr
soul into dcspair. Forgivcness 110 would, thercforc, bring it about
that J inclinc toward serving Thee." lt is in this vein, too, that hc
says elscwherc: Then will 1 leael, tran.rgressors Thy ways,· and
sinners shall relurn unt'o Tlu:e (P.s. 51 : 15).
r
Tbc sixth group of Verses] ts that which dcscribcs God's work
in shaping man's basic nature. This is crroncously bclicvcd [by
somc] < 163 > to bc tantamouot to inspiring and inßuencing
man's will. An instancc of tbis type is such a Statement of Scrip-
turc as Tl,e preparations of lhe heart are man's, hul the answer of
tl,e longue is from tl,e Lord (Prov. 16: 1). Hcrcby, howcvcr, is
mcant only man's basic nature, as it [ccrtainly] is in such statc-
ments as The l,earing ear, and tl,e seeing eye, 11,e Lord hath made
even hotl, of tl,em (Prov. 20: 12).
Tbc scvcnth group consists of hypcrbolcs 11 which creatc in thc
mind of thc hcarcr thc falsc imprcssion of thc production by God
of some spccial faculty. An instancc hercof is such a statcmcnt of
49, ''hurl"-lbn Tabboo aod M,
50. "Porgivcncu"-lbn T'tbbon.
51. "bn,at,olca"-lbn Tibbon aod M.
202 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Scripturc as Tl,e lc.ing's lm1rl is in tlte Aand of tl,e Lord"' 1/,e
wtlkrcourses; He 1urne1/, it willlersoever He will (Prov. 21: 1).
Hcrefrom it ia falatly infcrred that a spedal faculty is possessed
by kinga whcrcby God puts into their minds whatever He wisha
In rtality, howevcr, this statcment is mercly a hyperbole saying, in
effcct, that evcn so far as thc king is conccrncd, the c.oursc taken
by bis heart in thc matter of serving God is like that of bodics of
water in God's own 112 band. Howcver thc king wjsbes, he may
turn and employ it. . that T hou, Lord, art God, for T hou didsl turn their heart hack.-
Thc cighth group consists o( vcrscs spcaking of thc crcation by
God of certain mcans, coincidcntal with man's choicc, to perform
a certain act. These mcans arc o( thrcc different typcs. The fint
is dclivcrancc from cncmics, which lcavcs thc scrvant of God free
to carry out a ccrtain task. Hcncc it is said 6gurativcly that He who
dclivcrcd him from bis cncmics was thc causc of thc act in qucstion.
Thus Scripturc says : And 1he God o/ lsrael slirred up lhe spirit o/
Pul lr,.ing o/ Assyria (I Chron. 5: 26); also The_ Lord nirred up
tl,e spirit of Cyrus lt,.ing of Persia (II Chron. 36: 22); and A.nd lhe
Lord stirred up againsl /ehoram (II Chron. 21: 16); and For lhe
Lord /,ad made them joy/ul, and had lurned 11,e l,earl 0/ 1/,e lc.ing
of Assyria unto 11,em (Ezra 6: 22); and also But Amazial, wo11/d
not hear,· /or ;, UIIU o/ God (II Chron. 25: 20); and finally So tl,e
king helll'kened not unlo the people,· /or it was a thing brougl,1
ahoul by 11,e Lord (I Kings 12 : 15). All thcsc passagcs dcal with
dclivcrance from the cncmy or some other cvil.
Tbc sccond [type J is thc clcaring of thc mind and thc rcfinc·
mcnt of thc thinking facultics through thc adjustmcnt of thc
tcmpcramcnt, lcading to thc undcrstanding on thc part of thc
scrvant of God of thc rcligious and scicntific subjccts that hc hc.,rs
whilc he is in that condition. This givcs thc impression of being
[ an act of divinc] compulsion. lltustrativc hcrcof arc such statc-
mcnu of Scripturc as Show me Thy tvays, 0 L<mJ,· te~I, me Th,
pt11/,1 (Ps. 25: 4); and <164> Teach me, 0 Lord, Thy way. 1/,a1
1 may walk in Tl,y trutl, (Ps. 86: 11); and Turn away mine
eyes /rom heholding flanity (Ps. 119: 37); and And also in fu-
52. Cf. Oenoalda' interpretation of tbia puaage in bia commenta'7, u lot0.
OBEDIENCE AND REBELLION 203
da/, was the hand o/ God to give them one heart (II Chron.
30: 12).
The third [ type J is [ somc] cxtraordinary miraclc produccd by
tbc Crcator [to scrvc J as a mcans for inspiring a multitude of
pcoplc wirb faith. This influcncc wicldcd upon thc public u may
bc crron.cously c.onstrucd by him who ~car~ about it as (divinc J
r
compuls1on. An mstancc [of thc abovc] 1s g1vcn in) thc statemcm
of Elijah: Hear me, 0 Lord, hear me, tl,at this people may know
1vard ('äboranith) (1 Kings 18: 37). He mcant to say that whcn this
firc would dcsccnd and burn up the offering, thc bcarts that had
bccn hack.ward ('äboranitl,) would thcrcby bc inclincd toward
God again. Nothing eise, th~cfore, has to be supplicd in this uttcr-
ancc but thc lctter he, which would make the word backward
('a~oranitl,) an attributive adjcctivc, modifying thc noun heart, as
tbough the rcading bad bcco ha'äl)oranith. Similarly, [spcaking]
about the cra of lsracl's s-alvation, about which it is said: And / will
put My spirit within you, and (au1e yo" to walk. in My statutes
(Ezck. 36: 27), what Scripturc has in mind thcrcby is nothing eise
than thc manifcstation of miraclcs and marvels.
And now that thcsc cight principal classcs of vcrscs havc bccn
dispos.ed ~f, al.l that rcmain to bc considcrcd arc verscs thc meaning
of wh1ch 1s m1sunderstoocl on account of an impropcr construction
of thcir scquence. As an instancc we might citc a Scriptural state-
mcnt like Again1t Thee, Thee only, hat1e 1 .tinned, and done tl,at
which if evil in Thy sight,· tl,at Thou mayest be iustified when
Tl,011 speakpt (Ps. 51: 6). He who hcars this uttcrancc might think
that what this pcnitcnt says is that thc rcasoo hc sinncd was in
order that His master's vcrdict conccrning him might be carricd
out. In rcality, however, thc dausc that Thou mayest he iustified
is not relatcd to have 1 sinned. lt gocs back rathcr to thc pcnitcnt's
prcvious remark: And cleanse me /rom my sin (Ps. 51: 4). He says,
in cffcct: "Pardon my sin, so that thcrc may be confirmcd wbat
Thou hast said and dccre.cd that whocvcr rcturns pcnitcntly unto
Thce would bc forgivcn by Thee."
53. "This inßucnce wirlded upon the public"-lhn Tibbon.
204 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
This is thc [rcgular) wage [in the style u of Scripture], as lt i1
illustratcd in such statementa as They cried, and the Lord /,eard,
ond delit1ered them out of all their lroubles (P1. 34: 18). Thia last
rcmark, too, docs not rcvcrt to the vcrsc immediately prcccding:
The face of lhe Lord is ogoinst them that do et1il. (Ps. 34: 17).
lt gocs back rather to the onc bcforc that; namely, The eyes of the
Lord are toward 1/,e righteous (Ps. 34 : 16).
As a result of this elucidation < 165> thc uncertaintics about the
meaning of ccrtain Scriptural uttcranccs that lcnd color to thc
thcory of compulsion [cxcrciscd by God on man's conduct] dis-
appcar, and thc claim of our Crcator on His scrvants, so far as thcir
obcdicnce or disobedicnce of Him is conccrncd, is uphcld, whcrcas
any daim they might havc upon H im becomes null and void. This
is bornc out by Scripturc's remark: Shall mortal man be more
just than God? (Job 4: 17), and the tcstimony of thc miracles and
marvels, as weil as of prophecy.
Tbc fourth trcatise is hercby completcd.
54, "u•ge in thc 117le"-ll>n Tibbon.
l
TREATISE V
CONCERNING MERITS -AND DEMERITS 1
CHAPTER I
ua Master, exaltcd and magnificd bc He, has madc it known
Q to us that, whcn thc instanccs of obedicncc on thc part of
His scrva.nts prcdominatc, thcy arc accounted I unto thcm
as mcrits, whcrcas whcn thosc of disobcdicncc arc prcdominant,
th~y arc acco~n~ed as dcmcdts. Furthcrmorc, a record is kept by
Ham of all thas an rcgard to all of His scrvants. This is bornc out
by thc statcmcnt of Scripturc: Greal in counsel, and migl,1y in
work,' wl,ose eyes are open upon all tl,e ways of the sons of men
(Jcr. 32: 19). Scripturc says also: For His eyu are upon the ways
of a man, etc.• (Job 34: 21.)
~orcover, thcsc.activitics of mcn lcavc thcir traccs upon the lat·
tcr s souls, rcndermg them pure or sullied. Tbus Scripture says,
apropcs of [tbc cf!cct of] sin: Then lie sl,all bear Ais iniqüi1y (Lev.
5: 1)~ And h~ s~iJ!l ~ear Ms sin (L~v. ~: 15), And tltey sei their
soul on the,r 1n,qu1ty (Hos. 4: 8), and lt.s iniquity shall rest on
that soul 5 (Num. 15: 31) .
Now cven though thcsc facts bc hiddcn from thc vicws of men
and not evident to them, thcy arc pcrfcctly clcar to God, blcsscd
and exaltcd be He, as Scripturc says: l the Lord search the hearl
1 try 1/11, rein, (Jcr, 17: 10). God has furth crmorc produccd, in su~
port of thesc mattcrs, miradcs and marvcls, wbcrcforc wc bavc ac-
ccptcd them as truc.
1."Mcrit11nd Demcrits"-tba Tibbon. Cf. Henry Malter, SaJi. Goo11 Hi, Li/,
- ' WOP'~I (Phil1delphia, 1921), p. 217. '
2. "ac:couated"-litenlly "deaignated."
3, Thi1 quotalioa follow1 thc readin1 of Jba Tibbon.
4, ",oul"-the uaual tr1n1l1tion i1 "heart."
5, '1tl iniquity 1hall reit on that soul"--the usual tnn1lation ia: "Hia iaiqulty
ahall be upon him."
:zo6 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
This condusion having bccn rcachcd by us, I procecdcd to in-
quirc furthcr into this m~ttcr in accordancc with my prcvioua
practice, and I noted that thcrc exist in thc world many finc arta
that arc unknown to thc majority of mcn. Tbc rcsult is that thcy
mjsrakcnly idcntify what is good with what is bad in thcm until
rccourse is had to an expert who is ablc to makc thc distinction.
Onc of thcsc fine arts is that of numismatics. Thou sccst that thc
<r66> layman who is not weil vcrscd in this art will mistakcnly
idcntify good moncy with bad until the expert separates thcm.
Anothcr illustration is furnishcd by thc art of hcaling. Thou
wilt find laymen fccling the pulse of the sick, not knowing the prc-
dominant form of thc dilation and contraction of thc artcrics of thc
particular body, whcrcas thc expert practitioncr docs. A furthcr
cxamplc is prcscntcd by thc scicncc II of thc physiognomists, who
look at the Jines of thc faces and of the fcct of men and classif y thcm
by means of criteria that are unknown to others who are non-
professionals. The same applics to the art of jcwelry, such as
prccious stoncs and pcar)s and othcr such things. Only thc expert
knows thcm weil. Thus in gcncral docs cvcry fine art havc its
ßaws which cscapc thc dctection of laymcn but arc patent to thc
spccialists.
Whcn, thcn, I found this to be truc in the casc of the arts, :is 1
havc just dcscribed, J fett cnco~~aged in adhcring to my thcory that
cvcn though thc ftaws of the souls, such as sins and iniquitics, might
not bc obvious to human bcings bccausc they are incapablc of pcr-
ceiving thcm with thcir scnses, they are neverthelcss evident to
their Maker, since it is He that crcated them and brought them into
bcing.
Thc reason for this is that thc soul is made of a pure spiritual
substancc, fincr cven than that of thc stars and the heavcnly
sphercs. lt is impossible for us to sec it with our senses. How, then,
could wc discern what might affcct and rcndcr turbid its sub-
stance? Only its Crcator, who is also thc Creator of the heavenly
sphcres,' can discern thesc things. That is why Scripturc uscs thc
,. "Kience„-lba Tibboa.
7. "1pbera"-M.
MERITS AND DEMERITS '6Y/
stars ~d thc heavcns as analogucs of thc soul in this matter, say-
ing as 1t docs: A.nd the 11111'1 are not pure in His light (Job 25: 5),
and Yea, the heaC1en1 are not &Jean in His light (Job r5: 15).
lt statcs f urthcrmorc that thc soul has a light likc the light of a
candle by which all hiddcn tbings and dark rcccsscs arc sought out
and whatcvcr is conccaled is revcalcd. Il says, namcly: A. lamp
o/ the Lord is the soul of man,• searding all the inward part,
(Prov. :zo: 27). lt states also that thc soul has a firc likc that wh.ich
causcs thc gold < 1ft]> and thc silvcr to mdt in thc cruciblc nnd
thus rcfincs thcm. Thus it says: The refining pot is for nl"er, and
the /urnace /or gold,· bu, tl,e Lord trieth tlte hearts (Prov. 17: 3).
So I said [to mysclf]: "lsn't it rcmarkablcl A human bcing may
cat two kinds of food, pcrmittcd and forbidden, aod find them both
nourishing. He may indulgc in two types of cohabitation, onc of
which is permissible whfüt the othcr is prohibitcd, and find that
both givc him plcasurc, on which account he thinks that they arc
one and thc same thing. Yet the [divinc] numismatist distinguishcs
bctwecn the varying cflccts that the two different dasses havc upon
the spidt of man, as we have expla~ncd abovc, and as Scripturc
says: EC1ery way of a man is right in his own eyesl" (Prov. 21: 2.)
Thcreupon l realizcd that whcn thc mcrits prcdominatc in thc
soul, thc lauer is thercby purif.ed and rcndcrcd luminous. This is
bornc out by such statcmcnts of Scripturc as And his li/e beholdell,
the light (Job 33: 28), and Thal he may be enlightened with tl,e
light o/ the liC1ing (Job 33: 30). On thc othcr hand, when thc
demcrits are in the majority in it, thc soul bccomcs turbid and
darkencd, as Scripture docs indccd say of thosc who arc in such a
statc: They shall neC1er see the light (Ps. 49: 20).
Furthcrmorc. wc havc been informcd by God that He keeps a
rccord of thcsc mcrits and dcmcrits for all of His scrvants. Thcy
arc noted by Him just likc the things writtcn down by us. Thus
Scripture remarks apropos of thc virtuous: A.nd a book o/ re-
membrance was written be/ore Him, for tl,em thal /ea,ed the Lord,
and that tho"ghl upon His name (Mal. 3: 16). In regard to the
8. "A lamp ••• man"-the 111uaJ translarion n: "The 1pirit of man ia die l1mp
of the Lord.'~
208 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
wickcd, again, it aay1: Behold, il iJ writun bt/ore Mt; 1 wiB nal
Jr..up tilmce, t#epl l hat1e requiltd (Isa. 6s: 6).
Now whcn I rcgardcd this mctapb.or,• cmploycd with rc1pcct to
thc All- Wisc, 1 found it to bc cxtrcmcly wcll chosen and appro-
priatc. For. if we, who are but an aggregation of God'1 crcatures,
arc capablc, thank.s to thc faculty with which wc havc bccn en·
dowcd by thc All-Wiac, of producing the sound1 of 1pccch and of
crcating for cach wund.a spccial writtcn character so that we might
thcreby kccp a rccord of our thoughts as weil as of those cvcnta of
which we nccd to t.kt cognizancc, all thc morc so must divinc Wis.
dom bc in posscssion of thc mean1 of recording all our < 168 >
doings without a book or archivcs. The only rcason for using thc
figurc of a book, in rcfcrring to God's rccord, is that that is how
wc arc accwtomed to kccp accounts, thc purposc bcing to make
thc idca morc comprchcnsiblc to us,10 a.t wc havc explained prc·
viously.
God has also informcd us that during our cnlirc sojourn in thi1
workaday world He kccps a rccord of cvcryonc's dccds. Tbc
rccompcnsc for thcm, howcvcr, has bcen rcservcd by Him for thc
sccond world, which is thc world of compensation. This latter
worJd will bc brought into being by Hirn wbcn thc cntire num-
bcr of rational bcings, the crcation of which has bcen dccidcd
upon by His [divine] Wisdom, will havc bccn fulfilled. Tbcrc
will He rcquite all of thcm according to thcir decds. This is bornc
out by thc Statement of thc saint~ l said in my heart: "The right·
eous and the wicked God will iudge" (Ecclcs. 3: 17). He said also:
For God shall bring every work into ;udgment concerning e11ery
l,;Jden thing, whether it be good or whether it he ellil (Eccles.
12: 1,t). About this time of rccompcnsc I sha.11 discoursc in tbc
ninth trcatisc in thc appropriatc manncr.
Notwithstanding this, howcvcr, God docs not lcavc His scrvantl
cntircly .without reward in this world for virtuous conduct and
without punishment for iniquidcs. For such rcquitals servc u
a sign and an examplc of the total compcnsation which is rescrvcd
9· "metapbor"-lbn 'libbon and M.
10. "how we an: • , , comprehenlible to ua"-lbn 'libbon and M,
MERITS AND DEMERITS 209
for thc time whcn a summary account is madc of thc decds of
God's ~ants. Th~t is.why wc notc that He says of such hkssings
as those listed ~y Hun in thc scction of the Torah [bcginning with
~c words] lf m My sta#utu (Lcv. 26: 3) : Wor,t in my behalf a
~gn for good (Ps. 86: 17), and again of thc curses listcd in thc
section [bcginning with the statemcnt] But ;, shall come to pass
i/ thou wilt not heqrff.en (Deut. l8:x5): A.nd 1hey shall bt upo~
thee Jor a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed /or ever (Deut.
28:46).
lt is, ~crcforc, only a spccimcn and a samplc of thcsc rcwards
and p~msh~e~ts that is furnishcd in this wodd, while thc totality
of the1r ments 1s storcd for thc virtuous likc a trcasurc. Thus Scrip-
tu~c says: 01, how abundant is Thy goodness, whicl, Thou hast
f
la,d "f /or the'.'1 ~hat ear T hee (Ps. 31 : 20). Similarly thc totaJity
of theu dcmcrits JS la1d ur a~d scal~d for thc wickcd, as Scripture
says clsewherc: ls not tl,,s la,d up m 11ore with Me, sealed up in
My lreasuries? (Deut. 32: 34).
CHAPTER II
After thcsc prcliminary obscrvations I considcr jt proper to
cnumeratc thc various gradations < 1~> into which God's
scrvants m~y bc div.idcd according to the varicty of thcir merits
and dcmcnts, as thcsc arc cxposcd in Scripture and tradition.
Each of thcm will thus bc assigncd by mc to thc placc in which
hc bclongs, for thc sake of the guidancc of thc masscs of God's
scrvants. I say, thcn, that God's scrvants may bc classificd with
r~spcct to t~eir. mcrits and dcmcrits into tcn catcgorics; namcly,
p1ous an~ 1mp10us, obcdicnt and disobcdicnt, pcrfcct and im-
pcrfect, smful and corrupt, rcnegade and pcnitcnt, Thcrc arc also
t~osc whosc merits and dcmerits arc cvcnly balanccd. Thcy con-
st1tutc a dass apart and wc shall discoursc about them scpa-
ratdy.
. lt bchooves me now to dwcll on cach of thesc catcgories and what
lt cmbraccs. 1 say thcn that hc is to bc callcd "pious" in whosc
conducc the good dceds prcdominatc, and that hc is to bc desig·
210 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
natcd aa „impioua" in wbosc c.onduct evil deeds are predominant.
Tbc ai.tuation in this casc .is analogous to that wbich obtains in the
world of nature. Scicntists would, namcly, rcfcr to a thing as
"bot" wbcn the beat in it exceeds tbc cold, and call it "cold" wben
thc cold jn it prcdominatcs ovcr the heat. Furthermore thcy would
say that a body is hcalthy whcn the health in it prcdominates
:md aick if sickness is predominant in it. In similar fashion did
prophctic nomenclaturc dcsignate a scrvant of God aa "virtuous"
whcn most of h.is conduct was of a virtuous nature. That is why
Jchoshaphat and Hczekiah wcrc rcferrcd to by it as virtuoua mcn
cvcn thougb aomc of thcir acts wcre taintcd by ti.n. Thus it was
said 11 to Jchosbaphat: Shouldest thou help the wicked, and love
them th111 hate the Lord? for this thing wrath is upon thet from
before 1/,e Lord (II Chron. 19: 2). Similarly was it said u about
Hczckiah: Bu, He•tlt,.iah rendered not according IO tl,e benefil
done unto him; for J,is /,earl 111111 /ifted up,· therefore 1/,ere war
wratl, upon /Jim (II Chron . .32 : 25). On ehe otb~r band, Jchu was
dcsignatcd by it as impious although hc had abolishcd the worship
of Baal,1 1 and similarly was Zcdckiah callcd impious notwith·
standing thc fact that hc bad rescued Jercmiah.1'
lt is furthermore a [gcncral] rulc laid down in tbis matter by
the All-Wise to rcquite His scrvants in this world for thc minority
of thcir decds and lcavc the majority for thc next world, 111 sincc
it would not be scemly < I"JO > to traouer them in that otbcr
world from one status to anothcr. For cach group of those who arc
to be rccompenscd rcmains ctcrnally in its particular position, as
Scripture says: Some to everlasling /,Je, and some to reproades
and e11erla11ing abho"enct (Dan. 12: 2). He therefore instituted
rccompensc in this world only for thc lcsscr [portion of man'•
conductJ, as He also cxplained that the totality of his meriu i.s
rescrved for a far-off time, whercas the small proportion of his
11. "it wu aaid"--lbn T'abbon and M.
u. "wu it aaid"--lbn nbbon and M.
13. Cf. II Kinp 10: 28.
14. Cf. Jer. 38: 10 ff,
15. For the Talmud~ t.1i1 of thil view, cf. die referenu1 in Outanann, p. 1lo,
n. 1,
MERITS AND DEMERITS 211
11
demcrits is dealt with in this world. That is thc implication of
His atatement: Know therefore that the u,rd thy God, He ;,
God,· the /aill,ful God, wl,o lc.eepeth covenant and mt:rry with
lhem 1!,111 lo11e Him ••. and rtpayetl, 1hem ''"'' hate Hirn to
their face, to destroy tAem (Deut.; : 9, 10).
A spccific illustration of this truth is prt1ented by thc fact that
thc two princcs of Israel, Moses and Aaron, were rcquited in this
wo~ld for a slight failing of which tbey wcre guilty, as is statcd by
Scnpture: Because ye believed „o,in Me, to rancti/y Me rin tht
eyes of t/,e dildren of Israel], tAerefore shaU ye not bring tl,;1
arsembly , , , .(Num. 2~: 12). Anothcr examplc. is furnished by
tbe compensat1on of Ab1Jah thc son of Jeroboam m this world for
thc onc good deed that hc bad pcrformcd, as Scripturc says: For l,e
only of /eroboam s/,al/ come 10 the grave,· becaure in l,i,n there is
found some good lhing (1 Kings 14: 13).
. On tbe basis of this principlc it oftcn happcns that a gencrally
v1rtuous pcrson may be afHictcd with many failings, on account
~f which he deservcs to be in torment for thc greater part of bis
hfc. On thc othcr band, a gcncrally impious individual may have
to his crcdit many good dccds, for thc sake of which he dcservcs
to enjoy well-bcing for the greatcr part of bis earthly cxistencc.
That is the tenor· of the Statement of tradition to thc effect that
onyone whose rins exceed his merits ir rewarded for tl,e latter so
that At restmbler one that l,as fulfil/ed the enlire Tora!,, wheretU
l,e wl,ose merils exceed l,is sinr is punirhtd for the /aller so 11,a,
he resemblts one that has burntd up tl,e entire Toral, (Kidd. 3~).
Tbc aforegoing statement about thc performer of · good and
< 171 > cvil decds applies, of coursc, only to bim who at tbe mo-
mcnt whcn he docs tbe good dced docs not regret tbe evil and who
at thc moment when hc docs the evil is not sorry ovcr thc good.
He, however, who, after having performcd many good dccds,
regrets having pcrformcd them, forfeits by regrctting thcm tbc
reward for tbem aJI. Of such a onc docs Scripturc say: But when
the righteous turnet/, away from hir righteoumess, and com-
mitkt/, iniquity • • . none of his righteous deeds tl,at l,e l,a,I,
16. "demerita"--<:f. Landauer', cornction of the tat.
212 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
drme sl,all be remembered (Ezck. 18:24). Similarly hc that hu
committcd many wrongs and rcgrcts having committcd thcm
and carrics out thc rulcs of rcpcntancc, has [ thcrcby] rcmovcd
thcm from himsclf. Of him docs Scripturc say: Again, ,ul,en
the wKktd man turnet/, away from Ais wickedness tl,at he hath
commiited , •• (Ezck. 18: 27). Furthcrmorc it says: None of his
transgressions that l,e l,atl, committed sliall be rememhered against
1,im (Ezck. 18: 22), which tradition construcs as rcfcrring to c,ne
that regrets h,is past doings (l,(idd. 4ob).
On thc basis of this principlc it is quitc possiblc for a virtuous
scrvant of God whosc good dccds werc dcstincd for recompcnsc
in thc ncxt world but who rcgrcts thcm to forfcit thc right of thcir
rcscrvation for thc ncxt world. H e would, on thc contrary, bc rc-
wardcd for a portion of thcm in this world, with thc rcsult that
mcn, noting that thc beginning of his prospcrity coincidcd with
that of his unbclicf, would bc cmboldcncd 17 thcrcby to follow his
cxample. In rcality, howcvcr, this well-bcing that he enjoys is n~t
due to bis assumption of unbclicf, but is mcrcly thc rcward of h1s
good dccds that has becn rcscrvcd for latcr but is now paid out to
him immediatdy. On thc othcr hand, it is possiblc for an im-
pious u scrvant of God, whosc evil dceds wcrc destined for pun-
ishment in thc next world but who regrcts thcm and rcpcnts, to
bc absolvcd from bcing punished for thcm in thc ncxt world but
rather to rcccivc in this world such tcr.rcstrial rctribution as is
unavoidable, as I shall cxplain latcr. As a conscqucncc, mcn, not-
ing how sorrows and misfortuncs bcfcll such a onc at thc. momcnt
in which hc bcgan to turn back from his sinful carccr, might bc
astonishcd, not knowing that what bad comc upon him was not
duc to thc ncw coursc which hc had bcgun to follow but was
rather a holdovcr from that which hc had abandoncd.
Oncc, thcn, thc existcncc of < >
172 thcsc various classifica-
tions is undcrstood by mcn, doubts will disappcar from thcir
minds and thcir hcarts will bc c:onfirmcd in thc scrvicc of God, as
Scripturc says: Yet tl,e rigl,teous 1,oldetl, on his way, and l,e that
17. "emboJdened"-lbn 'libboa.
18. "impi0111".....:.ihil il how ehe tut abould read.
MERITS AND DEMERITS 213
J,otl, clean hands waxetl, slronger and slronger (Job 17: 9).
Now it should not bc allcgcd that one cvil dccd is capablc of
offsctting many good dccds. Such an cflcct could bc produccd by
thc former only if it werc couplcd with rcgret of thc lauer and
bccausc of this rcgrct, not on account of thc cvil dccd itsclf. Nor
must it be bclicvcd that onc good decd ia capable of making up for
many cvil deeds. Such an effcct could be produccd by thc formcr
only in conjunction with rcpcntancc and on account of this rc-
pcntancc, not on account of thc good dced itsdf.
I havc bcen compcllcd by ncccssity to makc this cxplanation,
for I havc found that ccrtain pcoplc, by thc usc of sophistry, asscrt
that if it is within thc compctcncc of onc a.ct of unbcllef to annul
much belief, it cannot bc within thc power of onc act of unbclicf
to canccl much belief. Thc conscqucncc of this argumcnt is that
the bclicvcrs arc confuscd by it.
CHAPTER III
Ncxt let mc say that I find that thc suffcrings to which thc
virtuous arc subjcctcd in this world fall into two catcgorics. Onc
of thesc constituta thc pcnalties for slight failings, as I bavc cx-
plained prcviously. Thc second consists of incipicnt trials with
which God tests thcm, when He knows that thcy arc able to cn-
durc them, 19 only in ordcr to compcnsatc thcm for these trials
latcr on with good. Thus Scrjpturc says: The Lord trieth lhe
righteous,· but the wicked and him tl,at lo11etl, 11iolence His soul
hatetli (Ps. n: 5).
lt is not, howcvcr, His wont to act in this fashion with him who
cannot bcar thcsc trials, sincc thcrc would bc no bcncfit thcrcin.
For thc wholc purposc of thc suffcring ot thc upright is that thc
rcst of God's crcaturcs might know that He has not choscn thc
formcr for nothing. This is known to thcc from thc casc of Job
and his suffcring. Hcncc, if thc pain to which thc scrvant of God
is subjcctcd constitutcs punishmcnt and hc asks bis Master to cn-
19. Cf. the simile of ehe potter and ehe pot in Geneail Rabba chap. lxnii and
Tan~uma on Gen. 22: 1.
214 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
lightcn him thcrcon, it is a rulc with Him to do so. Thus Scrip-
turc says: < 173> A.nd it sl,all ,ome to ptus, wl,en ye shall 1ay:
"Wherefore hath tl,e Lord our God done all these things unto
us?" then sl,alt lhou say unto tliem • • • (Jcr. 5: 19).
This also has thc salutary cffcct of inducing him to abandon
his sinful conduct. On thc othcr hand, if thc pain to which thc
scrvant of God is subjectcd scrvcs as a form of trial and hc asks
his Master to inform him why He has brought this tr.ial upon him,
it is a rulc with Hirn not to inform him. Thus whcn our teaclier
Moses said: Wl,ere/ore htut Thou dealt ill will, Tl,y sm111n1? and
wl,ere/ore .•• (Num. 11: 11), no clarification was givcn to him.
Likewisc whcn Job askcd: Make me know wherefore Thou c-on-
tendesl witl, me (Job 10: :i), no cxplanation was o.ffcrcd ro him.
This, too, has thc sa1utary purposc of making ccrtain that rhc
paticncc of thc virtuous pcrson bc not lightly cstccmed by mcn,
who 211 might [ othcrwise] say that tbc only rcason for his patiencc
is that hc knows that hc will bc amply rcwarded for it.
1 will go still furthcr and say that it is cvcn possib)c for a com-
plctely guiltlcss individual to bc subjcctcd to trials in ordcr to bc
compcnsatcd for thcm aftcrwards, for I find that childrcn arc
madc to suffcr pain, and I havc no doubt about tbcir eventual
compcnsation for thcsc suffcrings. Thc sorrows brought upon
thcm by thc All-Wise might, thercforc, be comparcd to thc dis-
ciplinc that thcir fathcr might administcr to thctn in thc form of
Aogging or detcntion in ordcr to kccp thcm from harm, or to
thc repulsive, bitter mcdicincs that hc might makc thcm drink in
ordcr to put an end to thcir illncss. Thus it is statcd in thc Torah:
And thou shall consider in thy l,earl, 11,at, as a man d,astnetlJ
his son, so tl,e Lord thy God cl,astenetl, tliee (Deut. 8: 5). Scri~
turc also says in rcgard to such mattcrs: For whom lhe Lord lovetl,
He ,orreckth, even as a father tlie son in wliom he delighutlJ
(Prov. 3: 12).
Should somcone object now and say, "But why could not God
bc gracious to thcm right from thc st.:irt in thc same measurc rhat
He compcnsatcs tbcm for thcir pains aftcrward, without 6rst sub.
211, "who.'' i.e., these ob1erve~M.
MERITS AND DEMERITS 215
jecting them t? suffcring?" wc wo~ld offcr in rcply thc first an-
swcr wc gave m regard to God's onginal purposc in crcating the
nen world, 21 and aay that God was cagcr to grant us thc grcatcst
pos,1ihlc good, for thc favors confcrrcd upon man by way of com-
pcnsation arc morc highly prizcd than thosc confcrred upon him
.-,urcly as an act of divine gracc.
Ncxt lct mc aay that, so far as thc wcll-bcing of thc godlcss in
this world and the rcspitc grantcd to thcm arc conccrncd, that may
bc accountcd for in six different ways. Onc rcason may bc that
God knows that thc individual in qucstion will <174> cvcntu-
alJy rcpcnt. He thcrcforc givcs him cnough time to carry out
his rcpcntancc. Thus, for cxamplc, wc find that God grantcd
Manassc~ twcnty-two rc~rs of ~race 22 in ordcr that hc might rc-
~nt dura?g thc rcmamang tharty-thrcc ycars of his, rcign, not-
w1thstandang the fact that his rcpcntancc was not carricd out by
him.
Anothcr rcason why thc godlcss is pcrmitted to lingcr on carth
may bc. on account of a pious offspring that is cxpectcd to issuc
from h1m. Thus God allowcd Ahaz to live, with thc rcsuh that
Hczckiah sprang from him, and He pcrmittcd Amon to live with
thc rcsult that Josiah sprang from him.21
A third rcason for allowing thc godlcss to lingcr on carth may
bc to r~ompc~sc him for thc fcw good dccds that hc has pcr-
formc~ m thc. S1ght of God, as wc havc cxplaincd prcviously.
Agam, rcsp1tc may bc grantcd to a ccrtain unbclicvcr in ordcr
that hc may scrvc as an instrumcnt for punishing malcfactors that
arc cvcn worse than hc. Thus Scripturc says in rcgard to Assyria :
1 do send l,im againtt an ungodly nalion, and againsl tl,e people
of My wratlJ do 1 gioe l,im a darge, to take tl,e spoil, and to take
tl,e prey . . • (Isa. 10: 6).
Furthcrmorc God may allow an unbclicvcr to lingcr on carth
on account of thc rcqucst of a ccrtain virtuous pcrson to whosc
advantagc it would rcdound. Thus thc angcl of God said to Lot:
21. Cf. bcginning of the third treatite, p. 137. See also p. 323, the bcginning of
the ninth treati1e.
22. Cf. R Chron. 33: 1 ff.
23. Cf. C.nt. lab., bcginning.
216 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
See, 1 l,a11e aecepted 11,ee concerning 11,is 1/,ing also H (Gen.
19::n).
Finally thc godlcss may bc pcrmittcd to lingcr on carth mcrcly
in ordcr that bis punishmcnt bc madc morc scvcrc. Thus God
saved Pharaoh from thc tcn plagues only to drown him in thc sca,
as Scripturc says: But He ovmlirtw Pharao!, and Jiis l,011 in lhe
Red Sea (P,. 136: 15). This was also thc tcnor of the qucstion
poscd by Jcrerruah to his Master whcn he askcd to bc informcd by
Him on what grounds He toleratcd sinocrs. By no means did bc
intcnd to express bis disapproval of divine justicc whcn he said:
W here/ore doth the way o/ the wkl(ed prosper? W herefore are
all 1hey steure 1hat deal very treacherously? (Jcr: 12: 1). God in·
formcd him tbcrcupon that thc reason for this was thc onc last
mcntioned; namcly, that He might punish thcm morc scvcrely.
This is bornc out by thc rcmark of thc prophct in thc scction im·
mcdiatdy following: How long shall 1he land mourn, and tht
herbs of the whole field wither? For the wic}(,_edne11 o/ them thal
du1ell there;n (Jcr. 12: 4).
And now that I havc prescntcd all the ncccssary cxplanations
apropos of thc 1ubjcct of the pious and thc impious, lct mc say,
by way of postscript, that, whcn wc note Scripture tnaking such
statcmcnts a.s Bul one sinner destroytth much gootl (Ecclcs.
9: 18), comparing the latter to a Ay that has fallen in~ pcrfu~cd
oil, as it says immcdiatcly thcreafter: < 175> Dead flies maksng
tl,e ointment o/ tl,e perfumer fetid and putrid, ek. (Ecclcs. 10: 1),
[ we must rcalize that l it is solcly a qucstion of nomcnc!aturc ~at is
involved.'Thus if a servant of God wcrc to bavc to h1s credtt two
hundrcd and onc acts, onc hundred of wbich arc good and anothcr
bundrcd evil, which would rcndcr his record cvcnly balanccd,
thcn, if tbc additional singlc act bc good, hc would on its account
bc callcd "virtuous," whcrcas if it bc cvil, hc would bc callc:d
"impious." 11
24. The reference b to tbe apuinr al tbe dty of 1.olr, which WU nquated in
the pncedlnr nne.
:15- Cf, B&. 61a and Kicld. 401,.
MERITS AND DEMERITS
CHAPTER IV
As for thc "obcdicnt" individual, it i, he who will not tramgreas
as lo~g as hc livca ovcr a particular prcccpt that hc has prescribed.
for h ~ , &0 that, whcthcr he demcans himaclf a.ftirmativcly or
negat1vcly toward othcrs, hc ncvcr fails in its cxocution. Thua,
for c:xamplc, a person may takc it upan hirnself not to miss hit
prayer, or not to bc rcmiaa in honoring bis parents or not to ac,.
quirc wcalth by any dishoncst mcans wbatcvcr or not to lic and
thc likc. Whocvcr conducts himsclf in this manncr acta in accord-
ancc with thc maxim citcd in rabbinic tradition to thc cflcct that
Whoe11tr per/orms but a single commandment, good is done unto
him tand his days are incretued and he inherits the earlh (Milnah
l.{.idd. 1: 10) , which was further intcrpretcd by our aagca such
as one who sing/es out for performance ta commanJment like that of
l,onoring father tand molher (Pal. Talm. J.(idd. 61d) . He, howcvcr,
who does not havc to his crcdit at least one commandmcnt that
hc bas ncvcr at any time ncglcctcd, cannot be called "obcdicnt."
Tbc "disobedicnt," again, is hc who has made it a rulc for him-
sclf always to defy a ccrtain prcccpt. in thc rabbinic tradition such
a one is called apostate. For thc sakc of illustration lct mc conccivc
thc casc of a human bcing who thinks tbat a ccrtain prcccpt ex-
cccds his mcans IO that hc abstains thcrcfrom, or that thcrc cxistt
a certain precept which hc is incapablc of pcrforming, whercfore
bc neglccts to obscrvc it. Thus hc may find it difficult to obscrvc
tbc prccept of usury or the dictary laws, whercforc he conducta
himsclf vis-a-vis cithcr of thcm in thc way in which it scems right
to him. This is thc basis of thc provcrb: "Evcry man has bis own
law, <1'6> in accordancc with thc dillcrcnce of opinions cxist·
ing among mcn."
As for thc "pcrfcct" man, it is hc who has succccdcd in ful.
filling all commandmcnts, positive as wcll as negative, so that
hc is not rcmiss in any of thcm. Such a onc is callcd completely
righteous. Now cvcn though in thc opinion of rncn thc probability
of thc cxistcncc of such a pcrson who is blamclcss in cvery rcspcct
218 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
appcars to be cxtrcmcly rcmotc, 1 yet considcr it possiblc. For
wcrc jt not so, thc All-Wuc would not have prCJCribcd such a goal.
Now if someonc wcrc to arguc: "Sincc wc find in thc vcry
soutcc of thc Law thc injunction to olfcr in addition one he-goal
/or a Jin-ofjm"ng to make atonement /or you (Num. 28: 22), wc
know that •in is incscapablc," our answer thcreto is that thu law
is positcd on the contingcncy tbat if a sin. bc [committcd], atonc-
mcnt would bc achicvcd for it by mcaru of the sacrificc. Should
thcrc bc nonc, on thc othcr band, wc would reccivc rcward for thc
olfcring. · 20
Again if onc wcrc to ask, "But how, if this bc so, could Ecclcsi-
astCJ dcclarc: For there is not a righteous man upon earth, 1Ju11
doetJ, gaad, and sinneth not?" (7: 20) we would rcply that this as-
scrtion had rcfcrcncc only to thc capacity posscucd by thosc in
qucstion. What was mcant by it was that thcrc is not a singlc pious
person possessing the faculry of doing what is good who doc.1 n.o t
also have thc power to do evil. Howcvcr, hc prcfcrs thc good to thc
cvil. · bcmg at all, real or unreal. lt is this category that is rcfcrrcd to
Tbc "impc.rfcct" individu:.il, ag:.iin, is hc who is ncgligent in
rcgard to the pcrformancc of the practical prcccpts. He is dcsig·
natcd a transgressor of a positive commandment. Thercforc hc
who is rcmiss in the matter of fringes, and phylacteries, and the
boatl, [ of thc fcast of tabernaclcs ], and [ tbc use of] the palm-
branch and thc ram's harn and the likc bclongs to this c.atcgory of
sinfulncss.
As for thc [ordinary] "sinncr.'' it is hc who transgtcsscs nega-
tive prcccpts, such as arc, howevcr, not of a scrious nature, as
indicated by thc fact that thcy arc not scvcrely punishcd in this
world. Such a onc is rcfcrrcd to as a transgressor o/ a negative
commandment. By this term are charactcrizcd thosc who arc lax
in rcgard to thc cating of canion and [ the fies!, ol] organically
defective bea.tts, and in rcgard to thc wcaring of mixed fibers,
and soothsaying and augury and thc likc. All thcse belong to thiJ
catcgory of 1infulncu.
~ for the [ morally] "corrupt" individual, it is he that com-
MERITS AND DEMERITS 219
mits scrious transgrcssions that arc punishablc by extirpation al the
l,and af God or death at the hand of God or one oJ the four types
of death penalty exec11ted by the court. <in> That is how
wc rccog~izc th~ir scriousncss. lncludcd in this dass of trcspasscs
arc such sms as ,ncest, and tbc dcsccration of thc Sabbath 1 and thc
brcaking of thc fast of thc day of atonement, and thc usc on Pass-
over of what is leavened. Whocvcr pcrpctratcs any violation of this
ordcr bclongs to this catcgory of sinfulncss.
Thc "rcncgadc,.. again, is hc who abandons thc basic principlc
o( thc faith, that is1 thc belief in thc onc, all-<:ncompassing God,
blcsscd and cxaltcd bc He. Thcrc arc thrcc different forms n
that this a_bandonmcnt of God may takc. ll may bc cithcr that of-
thc worsh1p of somconc eise than 9od, such as some picturcd likc-
ncss or some human bcing or thc sun or tbc moon. This is impHcd
in thc injunction: Thou sliaJt have no other gods hefore Me
(Exod. 10 : 3). Or the rcncgadc may worship ncithcr somconc
cls~ than God nor God Himself. In othcr words, hc worships no
in thc passage of Scripturc tbat says: Y et they said unto God:
"Depart from us; for we desire not ihe knowledge o/ Thy wayl'
(Job :u: 14).
O~ eise he may be in douht about bis rcligious crccd whilc
~rin~ thc namc of an adhcrcnt of the faith. He may cvcn parti-
c1pate m praycr and supplication although in bis hcart of hcarts
thcrc is no firm conviction or ccrtainty. Such a onc is rcally mcnda-
cJous and dcccitfol in bis uttcrancc as wcll as in bis profcsscd be-
lief. He bclongs to that group of mcn of whom Scripturc says:
But they beguiled Him tlJith their moutn, and lied unto Him with
their tongue. For their heart was not steadfast witl, Him, neither
were they /aithful in His covenant (Ps. 78: 36, 37). Such a onc is
callcd a person thraug!, wl,om the name of l,eaven is desecrated, 27•
and he belongs to this catcgory of sinfulncss.
26. Cf. B.B. 16b and Sanh. 38b.
27, "fonns"-M.
27a. Cf. Toscphta Yoma 5: 8.
220 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Now all thc aforcmcntioncd arc, if thcy rcpcnt, forgivcn in
both world1. Tbc only cxccption is thc caac of thosc I I of whom
God has writtcn that He will not hold guiltless (Exod. 20: 7), for
thcsc cannot possibly cscapc bcing ovcrtakcn by mundanc mis-
fortunc, as I shall cxplain.
CHAPTER V
Thc tcnth [clau ], finally, i.s that of thc "pcnitcnt" who carries
out the tcrms of rcpcntancc. Now thcsc tcrms arc four in numbcr,
to wit: (a) tbe rcnunciation of sin, (h) rcmorsc, (c) thc quest of
forgivcne.ss, and ( d) the assumption of thc obligation not to rc·
lapsc into sin. All four of tbcsc conditions arc mcntioncd in onc
placc in thc Bible,· namely, in thc statemcnt: Return, 0 Israel,
unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast 1f11mbled in thine iniquity.
Take with you words, and raurn unto the Lord,· say unto him:
"Porgive all iniquity, and acupt thal whida is good; so ,vill we
J'entler for buUocks tlre offeri11g o/ our lips. Asshu„ slrall not save
us; we will no, ride upon horses,· neither will we call any morr:
the work of ou, l,and, our godl' H (Hos. 14: 2-5).
Thc cxhortatfon return signifies [of course J: "Turn back from
tbc coursc that thou art at prcsent pursuing," which is < 178>
thc catcgory of thc rcnunciation of sin. The statement again of
For thou hast stumbled in thine iniquity implies rcmorse. lt says,
in c.flcct: "These sins constitutcd stumbling-blocks and cvil."
Furthermorc the cxhortation: Take witl, you words implica thc
quest of forgivcness.
Now thcrc occurs in thc aforcmentioned passagc a strange cx-
prcssion; namcly, Forgiue all [ kol] iniquity, and accept tltat
whiel, is good, the mcaning of which is, "In rcturn for Th.y pardon-
ing us wc thank Thcc and say: Good anJ upright is the Lord;
therefore dotl, He instruel sinners in the way" (Ps. 25: 8). A sim-
ilar usc of thc cxprcssion k_ol (all) occurs il) thc vcrsc: They sl,all
28. "diose," i.e. individ11al1, by 111bltitution of the penon1I for the
lndelini.te prOIIOWI utcd in the tot.
25>. Thb quotation follow, the mding of Ibn T'abbon.
MERITS AND DEMERITS 221
all be as?amed o/ .a people that cannot profi1 11,en, (lsa. 30: 5).
Now ulumatdy th1s usagc of thc word kol is dcrived from that of
kol t_oblzel (Dan. 2: 8), which has in thc Aramaic languagc the
m~g ~f !'ovcr aga.insr." A similar [syntactical] combination of
th1s w~rd m Hcbrcw JS also found in the statcmcnt of Scripturc: In
all po,nts as he cg,ne (kol 'ummath Jebba), so sha/1 Ire go (F.cclcs.
5: 15).
Th~ pass.agc in qucstion includcs, furthermorc, the starcment:
So u111/ we rend'!' for bullod{s (parim) the oOering of our /ips
~Hos. 14: 3), wh1ch ~ay bc construcd cither as a mctaphor, that
1s a_s tho~gh thc word.ang bad bce.n So will we render like bullocks
( ltephar,m) the offmr, g o/ our /1ps, or as an cllipsis for So will we
render. the hullocks whicl, were oOereJ ('ä!er patu) hy our lips.
Agam thc prophct's dcclaration: A.uhu, shall not sat1e 11s • we
will not ride upon horses; nei1her will we ca// any more 1he i:,ork
o/ ou, handt ou, gods so (Hos. 14: 4) constitutcs a rcsolvc not to
rclapsc into sin. Now the sole rcason for thc cnumeratfon of thcse
thrcc itcms, namcly, A.11hur, horses, and idolatry, was that thcy
wcrc thc ~ost ap~rcnt of the va.rio~s typcs of sin that thc pcoplc
had commttted, as 1s made clcar m the ca.rlicr part of thc book by
the statcmcnt: For lhey are gone up to A.ssyria, /ike a wild 011
alone ~y himsel/ (Hos. 8: 9), as weil as thc further rcmark: Por
Ep~ra,m hath ~ultiflied altars to sin (Hos. 8: u). Similarly if
th~1r. most manifest sm bad consistcd of k,illing, stealing, and com-
m,tting adr1ltery (Hos. 4: 2), thc prophct would havc cxpresscd
thc resolvc to abandon it by saying: lnnocent blood we shal/ nol
spil/, nor sl,aJ/ wet:ommit adultery nor steal anything. Whcn thcn
thcsc four conditions havc bcen fulfilled, 31 thc tcrms of repc~tanc;
havc bcen met.
Now 1 ~vc no fcars, so far as the rnajority of our pcoplc are
conccrned, m rcgard to thcir bcing rcmiss in thcir fulfillment of
any of the condition! of rcpcn~ancc ~xcept this fourth catcgory-
I mean that of lapsing back mto sm. For I bclicvc rhat at thc
time when thcy fast and pray, thcy sincercly mean to abandon
lmpeno,w
30. Thla quot.ation follow1 the tttding of Ibn Tibbon.
31. "fulftlled"-lbn Tibbon.
222 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
their sinful way and expericncc remorse and seek God's pardon.
lt seems to me, however, that thcy arc [really] resolved to lapse
back into sin.
So I ask mysclf: "What device is thcrc for eradicating < 179>
from mcn's hearts thc thought of lapsing back into sin?" My
answcr is: "Thinking up reasons for holding this world in con·
tcmpt." u Let a person rcmind himsclf of his condition of im-
potencc, miscry, cxcrtion, and disillusionmcnt, of bis eventual
dcath and the decomposition of the parts of his body, of thc vcrmin
and thc putrcfaction that arc: dcstincd for him, of thc accounti.ng
hc will have to givc for bis conduct and thc tormcnts to wh1ch
he will be subjectcd and whatcvcr appertains to any of thcse mac-
tcrs. Tbc rcsult of such rcftcction would bc contcmpt for thia
world, and oncc all mundanc things arc held i.n contcmpt by
him, hit sins would bc includcd in thc totality of things to bc ab-
staincd from and bis rcsolvc to abandon them would bc in-
tcnsified.
I say, furthcrmore, that it was preciscly for tht abovc-mcntioncd
considerations that I find that thc sages of Israel introduccd thc
custom of rcciting on thc Day of Atoncmcnt such liturgical sdcc-
tions as "Thou discemcst the thoughts of thc hcart," "Oh God,
if Thou comest with rcbukcs," "Lord of all that is done," and thc
like.9 1
To thc four conditions of rcpentance listcd prcviously shou]d
bc addcd thc following furthcr aids; namely, morc extensive
praycr, incrased cbarity, and thc cndcavor to restor~ [oth~r]
mcn to thc path of vinuc. In rcgard to praycr and thc d1spensmg
of charity, Saipture says: By m~ry and lruth iniquity is expiated,
and by the fear of the Lord men depart from er,il at {Prov, 16 : 6).
Apropos of thc cndcavor to make ,mcn rcturn to the path of virtuc
again, it says: Thtn will 1 teadi transgressors Thy ways, ttc.H
(Ps. 51: 15).
32. "for bolding . . • COJ!tetnpt"-1!>" Ti~n. . ..
33. These 5Clectiont IR: not quolcd 1n the S,tldNr o/ Sud,11. Cf. the cdlbon of
Duidaon, Amf. and Joel (Jeruulcm, 1941). Cf. Guttmann, p. 187, n. 1, for them.
34. Thi• quontion follow, thc readinr of Ibn T1bbon.
35. Thl1 quollltloh mllowt lhc rcadin,t of Ibn Tibbon.
MERITS AND DEMERITS
Let me explain also that if tbe rcsolvc on thc part of a scrvant of
God not to lapsc into sin again is sincere, bis rcpentancc is ac-
ccpted, so tbat if, as a result of temptation, bc falls oncc morc,11 hi,
rcpcntancc is not thcreby forfeitcd. What bappens i, nthcr that thc
in~quitic.s hc committcd bcfore his repcntancc are cancclcd, only
those committcd by him thcrcaftcr bcing charged agaioat bim.
Tbc samc would apply cven if this werc to occur sevcral times;
namely, that hc repent and Japse back into sin. Only the wrongs
perpctrated by him aftcr bis repcntancc would count aga.inst bim,
that is, providcd bc has bccn sincerc eacb time in bis rcsolve not
to rclapse.
As for the Statement thou findest rnadc by Scripture to the
cffcct of: For tl,ree 1,11nsgre1sion1 of lmttl, yeo, for Jour, 1 will
not reverse ;, (Amos 2: 6), that has notbing to do with tbc ac-
ceptancc of repentancc. lt rcfers ratber to the qucation of whctbcr
punishmcnt can bc warded off aftcr thc dispatch of a summons.
God might, for example, send a warning to a pcople, saying:
"Rcpent, or I shall cxact rctribution from you by mcans of tbc
sword and bring famine upon you as a punishment." If, now, they
repent after the first or the sccond or the third messagc of this
kind, thc thrcatcncd punishmcnt is canccled. If they do not, how-
cver, it bccomcs irrevocablc. And cvcn < 18o > thougb thcy rc-
pent at thc fourtb [ warning ], their repentance no longer avails
to divert from them the punishment in qucstion in tbis world. lt
docs, bowcver, avail to save thcm from thc tormcnt of tbe nellt
world.
CHAPTER VI
lnasmuch as this tbesi.s has now bccn fully dircusscd by mc, lct
mc appcnd tbcrcto an enumcration of othcr conaiderations on
account of wbich prayer may not bc acceptcd. 1 say, thcn, that
there arc scvcn of thcsc. One rcason migbt bc tbat thc prayer wu
oflercd after tbc dccrec was issued against thc scrvant of God with
rcfcrence to a certain matter. Thus tbou knowcst tbat in reply to
36. "hit repentance it acceptcd • • • rne111"--.ldcd by Ibn Tabbon.
224 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thc praycr uttcred by Moses, [ namcly] And 1 besought 11,e Lord
(Deut. 3: 23), God answcred: Let it suflice thee,· 1pealr.. no more
unto Me of this matter (Deut. 3: 26) .
Thc sccond might bc that sincerc intcntion was abscnt from
the prayer. An illustration hercof is prcscnted by thc statcment
of Scripturc: But they beguiled Him with tl,eir mouth, and lied
unto Hirn with their tongue (Ps. 78: 36). A third might bc that
thc individual who uttcrs thc praycr docs not hccd tbc words of
the Torah, as Scripturc says: He tllat tt1rnetl, aluay his ear /rom
l,earing the law, even hit prayer i, an ahomination (Prov. 28: 9).
A fourth rcason may be inat~cntion on thc part of him who prays
to thc rcqucsts of thc ne~dy, as Scripturc says: Whoso stoppet!,
his ears at the cry of tke poor, he also shall cry himself, hut shall
not be answertd (Prov. 21: 13). Thc fifth is allowing oncself the
usc of forbiddcn wealth, as is statcd in Scripturc: W l,o also eal
ihe /ieth o/ My ptople, and f/ay their skin Jrom oO ihem ••• ,n
Then shall they rry unto the Lord, but He will not answer them
(Mic. 3: 3, 4). The sixth is praying in a statc of impurity, as
Scripture says: Yea, when ye make many prayers, 1 will not hear,·
your hands are full of blood (lsa. I : 15). The scvcnth is prayiog
witbout having rcpcnted, notwithstanding thc multi.tudc of one's
sins. Thus Scriptu re says: And it came to pass that, ar He ca/Jed,
and they would not hear; so they rhall call, and 1 will not htar
(Zcch. 7: 13) .118
At this point I must explain that absolution by means of re-
pcntance is possible for :alJ sins with thc exception of three. One
of thcsc is leading pcoplc astray by establishing an evil practicc
or issuing a wrong decision, sincc thc damage done c;annot bc
rcpaircd. Of one who commits such a sin Scripturc says: Whoso
causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall Jiim-
self into hit own pit (Prov. 28; 10) . The second is sprcading
>
<181 cvil rcports about a bclicver, which it is impossible to
recall. Of onc who perpetrates such a crimc Scripturc says: Lest
he that heartth it rtvile thte, anti thine infamy turn not away
31. Thh quotatlon follow, the rnding of Ibn 1ibbon.
38. Cf. tbc refermcc in Malter, p. 219, n. 491,
MERITS AND DEMERITS 225
(Prov. 25: IO). ~e third _u having in onc's possession somcthing
wrongfully a~quarcd wh ach one does not return to its rightful
owner, as Scrapture says: Then it shall be, i/ he hath sinned and
is guilty, t~aJ he shall restore that which he 100,t by robbtry (Lcv.
5: 23). Scnpt~re says al&<>: lf the wick_ed restore the pledge, give
b«k thaJ which he had taken by rol,l,ery, wall( in the statutes of
li/e 90 ••• he shall not die (Ezck, 33: 15). Should he who was
rob~ d!c, howcv~r, then the robber must rcturn thc stolcn goods
to h1s hctr~, a~ Scnpturc says: U nto liim to whom it appertaineth.
shall he g,ve ,t (Lcv. 5: 24). In thc cvent, again, that hc does not
know ~ho _thc owner is, lct him dcclare the propcrty owncrless,
so tbat lt will tbercby bccome permissible to evcrybody.
Let me also fulfill the promise I have made to explain thc nature
of those sins for which punishment in this world is incvitahle
notwithstanding the rcpcntance for them by the scrvant of God. i
~ay, then, th_at they_ arc four in numbcr. T hc first of these is pcr-
1ury, of wh1ch Scnpture says: For the Lord 111ill not hold him
guiltless that taketh His name in vain (Exod. 20: 7). Tbc sccond
is the shcdding of innoceot blood, about whicb Scripture says:
And as for holding innocent their blöod, l shall not hold it inno-
cent • 0 (Joel 4: 21). The third is adultcry with a married woman
of which Scripturc says: So he tl,at goetl, in to his neigi,b~, wife;
whosoever touchetl, l,er shall not go unpunished (Prov. 6: 29).
The fourth, finally, is bcaring fa lse testimony, of which Scripturc
says: A falle witntst shall not bt unpuni.shed 41 (Prov, 19 : 5), To
thesc should bc added that transgression for which punishmcnt
has already bccn dccrccd, as happened in thc instance in which
God said to Moses: Let it suflice thee; spea,t no more unto Me
(Deut. 3: 26) according to thc cxplanation wc have given thcrcof
abovc. 0
Now rcpcntancc is acccptablc in thc case of thcsc five categories
39. Thi1 quotadon follow, the ruding of Ibo Tibbon.
40, "And •• for , , , innocent"-tbe u1u1l tnnsladon i,: "And I will hold II
innocent their blood tbat I h••e not held u lnnocent."
41. Cf. Tosephta Pe'ah 1: 2 and Paleatiniaii Talmud Pe'ah 15d for the aource ol
the endre ranark.
42. Cf. pp. 223 lf,
 226 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
of sin. However, on account of thc rule of He sl,all not le1111e un-
punul,ed, thcre is no mcan1 of prcventing misfortunc from bc-
falling thc servant of God in thi• world.
AJ for him who ha1 wrongcd his fcllow in re1pcct1 othcr than
his property, such u, lct us say, by insulting or striking him, his
pardon dcpends on thc injurcd onc. lf the lattcr forgivcs him, thc
punishmcnt of thc o.ffcndcr is canccled, as Scripture says: So
sha/1 ye soy unto foseph: "For8i11e, / proy thee now, tne transgres-
.rion oJ thy bretlwm, ek." 41 (Gen. 50: 17). He must, howcvcr,
ask him thrcc times, a, it iuaid: I pray thte ('ana), Jorgi11e, now u
(no) ••• Änd now, we proy thee (na), Jorgi11e (i!,id.). In thc
evcnt, howcvcr, that hc that was insultcd O or 11truck haa dicd, thc
offcndcr must < 18:z> apply for forgivencss in a corrcsponding
manncr. He must, namcly, say tbrce times in the prcKncc of tcn
persons: "1 havc sinncd against 10 and so." 41 For if hc had madc
auch a rcqucst of thc injurcd party wbiLtt the latter was still alivc,
hc would havc obtaincd his pardon cvcn though thc otfcnded
bad not acccdcd to bis requcst.
I must furthermore makc it clcar that thcrc arc, on thc othcr
band, ccrtain good dccds which arc pcrforcc requited in this
world, cvcn though he that performs them is an unbclievcr. These,
I aay, are three in numbcr. Tbc first of tbem is a loving dcmcanor
toward parcnu, as Scripturc says: Honor 11,y fatl,er ond thy
motl,er, 11,ot thy Joys may he long" (Exod. 20: 12). A 1CCOnd i1
pity on animals, as Scripture says: Tl,ou sl,a/1 in any wise lel 11,e
dam go, hut tl,e young thou mayell take unlo tl,yself,· tl,at it may
!,e weil witl, 1Aee, and that tl,ou mayell prolong tAy days •• (Deut.
n: 7). Tbc third, again, is dcaling honcstly,•• as Scripturc says:
A perfect ond ;,.,,, weigl,1 sha/1 thou h1111e; a perfect anti just
meosure s!,alt 11,ou hove,· [tAat thy days may be long] (Deut.
43. Thl, quoation fotlowa the rcadiog of Ihn Tibbon.
44. '1 praJ tbee, forsi~. now"-ihe UJUal tnn1l1tioa in "F«aite, 1 pnJ chce
Dlffr,"
45. "iasuhed"--lbn Tibboa.
46. Cf. Yam1 871.
47. Thi1 quotatioa follow1 the Radin1 of Ibn Tibbon.
48. Thi1 quorauoa follow1 the rndin1 ol Ibn Tibbon.
4!>· "dellins bonatlJ"-lbn Tibbon.
MERITS AND DEMERITS 22!}
25: 15): T~ thc~ is bc addcd the casc whcrc thc promisc of
to
wcll-bcing an th1s world has alrcady bccn dc6nitely dccrccd. Thus,
for cxamplc; Jchu was catcgorically told by God: T 1,y sons to the
/o~rtl, generation shall sit upo? tl,~ thron~ oJ Israel (II Kings
15. 12)-cvcn thougb hc and his ch1ldrcn smned against Him-
bccause thc promise madc to them had to bc fuUillcd.110
Now it must.not.bc thoug~t that thc statcmcnt of &ripturc in
regard to certam sms: II will then be sin in thee u constitutes
proof positive that punishment of thesc sins in this world is un-
avoidable. For this Statement is madc only with rcferencc to thrcc
matten. [lt is madc apropos of thc J delay in thc fulfillmcnt of
vo.ws, 112 and since thesc arc dedicatcd to God, it is likcly that He
m1ght pardon thc dclay. {lt is J furthcrmore [ madc J with rcfcr-
cnc~ to refraining from lending (to thc poor],css which is also
forg1vcn as ~n as rc~tancc ~staken placc. Finally, it is applicd
to defermcnt m [paymgJ thc h1red man his wagcs, 6 • which falls
under the heading of robbery.llG
Let me also notc that thcre arc distinguishablc fivc ditfercnt
dcgrecs of rcpcntancc, each of which is supcrior to thc ncxt in
the or~cr of thcir cnumeration. Tbc first consists of a pcrson's
rcpcntmg at thc cpoch and in thc locality in which he has com-
mitted his sin, and whilst thc Jctails of bis transgrcssions arc still
prcsent ~ore him. lt is with referencc to this sort of repentancc
that S~1pture says: Cast away /rom you all your transgressions,
tvhere,n ye have lransgr~ssed; and make you a new heart and a
new spirit (Ezck. 18: :11).
Tbc second [ degrec of rcpentance] is that which is carricd out
afte~ the cpoch in which the sin was committcd has passed and thc
pcnitcnt has moved from the scenc of bis transgrcssion and thc
< 183> details of his sinful conduct are no longer prcsent before
him. With rcfcrencc to this type of rcpcntance Scripture says:
so, "because thc promise • • • fvllillcd"-Jbn Tibbon.
SI, c.g., Deut. 23: :12, Thc usu1I tr.arul11ion 1 insiead of '11 will thcn be 1in in
thee" ir: "And it will be 1in in thce."
52, Cf. Deut. :13: 22.
Sl, Cf. Deut. 15: !>·
54. Cf. Deut. 24: 15.
55. "robbery"-lba Tabboa.
228 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Tum ye u1110 Him t1gt1i1111111l,om ye l,ave deeply rebelled, 0 dil·
dren oJ lsrMI (lsa. 31: 6).
Tbc third [dcgrce] is that which is cffected [by thc sinncr] only
when he i, threateocd with impcnding disaster, as was said to thc
inhabitants of Ninevch: Y tl foriy day1 and Ninevtl, shall be over·
thrown (Jooah 3: 4). The fourth is that which is not undertaken
until part of the threatcncd disastcr has alrcady dcscended UPon
the sinncr, as Scripturc says: Ye children of Israel, lt1rn back unto
1he Lord, 1he God of Abraham, lraac and Israel, thal He may
relurn 10 1he remnant tluJJ are ercaped of you out of lhe kings of
Assyria (II Chron. 30: 6).
Thc fifth [ d~grcc, finally,] is that wbich ÜI carricd out ~t t~c
momcnt whcn thc soul passcs out. He that rcpcnts at that tune ts
also callcd "pcnitcnt;• as Scripturc says : Y ea, hit soul draweth
near unto 11,e pit, ,md hir life lo the dtstroyers (Job 33: 22), and
furthcr on: He prayeth unlo God, and He is favorable unto him
(Job 33: 26). That is why it is our p~actice to .ex~ort a pcrson ~ho
is fatally ill, at the approach of bis dcath, w1th tbe followmg
words: Say I have .rinned. 1 have been iniqu11ous. I. ~""~ ~e~~
faitl,/ns. May my death he an atonement for all my ,mqu,1,es.
CHAPTER VII
Having discusscd exhaustivcly thc aforcnamcd tcn [ catcgorics
of servants of God), 1 shall now spcak about the middling indi-
vidual whosc viccs arc exactly cqual to bis virtues.n This type of
person is, if he is thc rccipicnt of God's mcrcy, rcckoncd among
the rightcous. lt is to bc bornc in mind, of course, that whcn
thc attribute of mercy is mentioncd in conncction witb tbc Crcator,
cxaltcd and magni6cd bc He, it must ncccssarily bc thought of as
reverting to His crcaturcs, sincc it cannot possibly apply or appcr-
tain to Him inasmuch as He is frcc from all affcct, as wc hnvc
statcd prcviously. lt is, thercforc, mcrcly onc of the prcdicates of
God's activity.
s6, Cf. !ab. 32t and Milnah Sanh. 6: 2 .
S1· Cf. R..H. 171.
MERITS AND DEMERITS
Now we discern altogcthcr three domains in which thia mcrcy
ia c.xcrciscd. (lt is done firstly] in thc acccpt:211ce of rcpcnt:211ce, as
Scripturc says: Änd le-t him return unto the Lord, and He will
l,ave eompassion upon /,im (lsa. 55:7). (lt is displaycdJ also in
answcring thc praycr of him who is in distrcss, as Scripture saya:
In wratl, remember compauion (Hab. 3::i). [lt is cvinced] fur-
thcrmorc in attaching the middling pcrson to thc company of the
righteous, as Scripture says: Graeious is the Lord, and rigl,teour;
yea our God ir comparsionate (Ps. I 16: 5).
Rabbinic tradition, morcovcr, intcrprcts the words And ohun-
danl in goodness (Exod. 34: 6) as meaning He inc/inetl, tl,e scales
toward goodness, <184> so 1/,at i/ it was et1enly ho/ancetl, il
tipt in tllat direction (R. H. 17a). That is why at the time of
retribution therc will bc found n,o morc than two groups of
IClvants of God to the cxclwion of a third, namely, righteous per·
aons and evil-docrs only, as Scripturc aays: Then sl,al/ ye ogain
direern between 11,e righteous and tlae wicktd, between ltim 1/,o1
1err,etl,, etc. (Mal. 3: 18).
I considcr it proper oow, at thc end of this trcatisc, to makc the
following obscrvation; namely, that thc highcr the rank of human
bcings, thc grcatcr the valuc that attachcs to the obcdicnce thcy
give to God, as Scripturc aays: Reioice in 1/Je Lord, 0 ye n'gl,teous,
prmse is comely for tht uprig!,t (Ps. 33: I). By thc same tokcn also
are the ains thcy oommit more scriQus, as Scripture says: For hoth
propl,et and priest are ungotlly (Jier, 23: n).
Furthcrmore the lffl'ice rcndered in the diatinguiahcd place
ia ratcd more highly than any other, as Scripturc says: For in My
Aoly -mounlllin, in tl,e mountoin of tl,e l,eigl,t _of Israel, ,aitl, tl,e
Lortl Gotl, 11,ere sl,all all tl,e l,ouse of Israel 1m1e Me" (Ezek.
10: 40). Rebellion, on thc other band, in this distinguiahcd place
ia accounted as greatcr sin, aa Scripture says: Yea, in My Aouse
l,ave 1 fountl tl,dr wic~etlness (Jer. 23: 11).
A lifc of devotion to God is most highly prizcd in youth, a,
Sctipture says: .Anti 1 raisetl up of your sons for propl,ets, anti of
your young men for Nasirites (Amos 2: 11). Liccntiowncu, oa
,... Tlila quotah followt die rading of Ibn Tihbon,

230 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thc othcr band, is morc rcprchcnsiblc whcn found in old mcn, as
Scripturc says: Yea, gray l,airs are liere and 1/,ere upon Aim, and
l,e knowe1/, it not (Hos. 7: 9).
Honcsty is of grcatcr worth whcn practiccd by the poor, a1
Scripturc says: Beller is the poor 1Aa1 walJt..eth in Ais integrity, tl,an
he 1h111 is perverse in his tvays, though he he rid (Prov. 28: 6). Per
contra is dcccption morc serious a crime whcn pcrpctratcd by
the rieb, as Scripture says : A.nd lhere came a lraveler unto the
rich man, and he ••• took the poor man's lamb 119 (II Sam.
12: 4), and so forth. Gradousncss has grcatcr s~gnificancc whc?
shown toward an cnemy, as Scripturc says: For •I a man find Im
enemy, will l,e let him go weil away? (l Sam. 24 : 20), On thc
othcr hand, injury is more diflicult to cndurc ~hcn done t? a
friend, as Scripturc says: He hath pul forth hu handr agarnsl
tl,em thal were al peaee witl, him; he hath profaned his covenanl
(Ps. 55::21).
Humility, to go furthcr, is morc highly ratcd whcn displaycd by
the grcat, as Scripture says: Now the man Moses was ""'I meek,
above all mm 90 (Num. 12: 3) . Conceit is, on the other band, con-
sidcrcd a most scrious fault when found in thc lowly, as Scrip-
ture says: Wlun <185> tlie basen among the sons of man are
e:ralted (Ps. 12: 9). Oppression is most uncndurablc when prac-
ticed on thc poor, as Scripturc says: To dellour tne poor from 06
the earth, and 1he needy frorn among rnen (Prov. 30: 14). H urt-
ing the learncd and anyonc that bcnefi.ts mankind. is thc gravest
wrong, as Scripture says: For 1 k_now l,o'!' manifold ar~ your
lransgressions, and how mighty are your sins; ye that 11fll1c1 the
just (Arnos 5: 12).
Furtbermorc, thc grcatcr the multitudc of thosc that havc bccn
wrongcd, the morc scrious thc crime, for it is worse if a thousand
mcn arc robbcd of a thousand drachmas than when fivc hun-
drcd 112 arc robbcd of that amount of moncy, as Scripturc says:
By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out (Job 35 : 9).
59. This quotation is supplemented by the readin,r of Ibn Tabbon.
60. This quotation is based on the reading of Ibn Tibbon,
61. "base"-the usual uanslation is "vileness,"
62. "live hundred"-so Ibn 1ibbon and M. The Arabic tcxt rcads: "one."
-
MERITS AND DEMERl'fS 231
Also is it thc gravcst offcnsc to sin on thc most distinguuhcd day
of thc year, as Scripturc says: BeholJ, in the day of your fast ye
pursue your business (lsa. 58: 3).
Likewisc is charity most highly prizcd whcn given by thc
nccdy, as Scripturc says: Beller is li11le will, 1/Je fear o/ tl,e Lord
(Prov. 15: 16). Fasting is most meritorious whcn practiccd by thc
seif-indulgent, as Scripturc says: Let the hridegroom go fort/, from
hit chamber, ond the hride oul o/ her pa11ilion (Jod 2: 16).
For the samc rcason also did God command us to consccratc
thc first-born and thc first-fruiu and to pray carly in the morning
at sunrisc, prcciscly bccausc all thcsc things arc so precious to
us, as Scripturc says: A.nd all your choice vows whicl, ye i,ow
unto the Lord (Deut. 12: u).
CHAPTER VIII
After the aforegoing ic bchooves mc now to discoursc about [ this
subjcct as it applies eo mcn's J thougbts. l say, thcn, that a pcrson
rc:ccivcs much rcward for the rcjcction of [ unwholcsome] idcas H
that arise, as Scripturc says : Let the wicked forsake hi1. way, and
tlie man of iniquity hit thoughu (Isa. 55: 7). To bim, howc:vc:r,
who yiclds to thcse cvil ideas, planning how to cxccutc them, but
not carrying thc:m out. to such a one therc attachcs the guilt of the
intcnt althougb not that of thc act, as Scripturc says: The thoughts
of ,uick_edne,u are an abomination to the Lord (Prov. 15: 26).
Thcrc is indecd no instancc in which a human bcing is punishcd
for his intention or his [inner] convi'Ction e. cxcept for dcnying
thc existcnce of God, since that is a conclusion rcached only by
thc mind. With referencc thcrcto docs Scripture say: Th.at 1 may
take the house of Israel in tAeir own hearl, because <186>
1hey
are all turned away from Me through lheir idol1 (Ezck. 14: 5) .
I say,81 furthcrmore, tbat those who intcrprct thc verses of Sa-
crcd Writ allcgorically fall into four categorics. They may do so
63. "ideu"-Jbo Tibbon.
64, " ioou cooviction"-lbn Tibboa,
65. "1 say"-<orn:cdJ added by Ibo T'abboa.
232 THE BOOK OF BEUEFS AND OPINIONS
either to (a) harmonize a vcne with thc cvidencc o.f thc IClllCI,
or (h) with the tcatimony of rcaaoo, or (c) with othcr Biblical
pauagca, or (d) with tradition. Whocver i1 1ucccuful herein i,
rcwardcd for it. Of 1uch a onc docs Scripturc aay: // tl,ou 1ee,t
her tu nl11er, and sellrCh Jor /,er 11J for 1,id treuures; tlsen sl,olt
11,ou understand the fear of the Lord, anti find tl,e l(nowledge of
God ee (Prov. 2: ,4, 5). Should hc, howcvcr, not auccccd herein, he
rcccivca ncithcr rcward nor punishmcnt for it.
He. again, who imputes allcgorical mcaning1 to thc precepta of
thc Torah, thcreby foatcring hcruy,n bordcra on the catcgory of
thc false propheu, of whom Scripture dcclarea that thcy arc pcople
thill follow tl,ei„ own 1piri1, and things whi&A 1/Jey l,a11e not 1ten
(Ezek. 13: 3). Lilccwise hc who, by mean1 of bis 1pcculation1 about
the auributcs of the Creator, fosters herctical opinions, bordcn on
the catcgory of unbelievers. T o thi1 group bclong those, for ex-
amplc, who intcrprct thc passagc: ul us mo,te man ,'n ou, imoge
(Gen. 1 : 26) u implying that some angel bad c~catcd Adam and
likcwisc also the reat of the world. Of auch individuals docs Scrip-
ture say that thcy arc pcrsons who ulter Thy nome with widcetl
thought, lhey 14ke iJ /or falsehood, e11en T!,ine enemies (Ps,
139: 20).
I say, morcovcr, that even thc judge, who decrcea ·chastiscment
and punishmcnt on his own authority, if his aim in issuing thcsc
decrccs is the prcscrvation and confirmation of rcligion, i, re-
warded thcrcfor. This is bornc out by the dictum of our carly
teachcrs, who said: TJ,e rourl ho11e a right to flog ond decree pun·
ishments unauthorittd by the Toral, , Bul lhty may do tl,is nol in
order to tran1gre11 the words of the T orah, bul merely " in
order to make a fence around the Torah (Sanh. 46a). Jf, how-
evcr, bis aim thercby is tampcring with thc scalcs of justke or thc
satisfaction of personal whim, then hc brings about bis own pcrdi·
tion, as Scripture say,: To punisl, also the righteou1 ü not good,
nor to strike the noble /or lhei, r,priglstness {Prov. 17: 26).
66. Thi, quocation i, based on the reading of die Arabic tat 111pplemmted bJ
that ol Ibn Tibbon.
67, "ft11tcring hercay"-M 1nd lhn Tihbon.
68. "me,ely"- mmctly M and Ibn Ttbbon, omlaln1 die wonl "nen."
MERITS AND DEMERITS 233
Let mc statc also that whcn uncducatcd pcople who u
6nding that ~cy do n?t undcrstand what thcy rcad in thc To~
consult a~ut 1ts mcanmg the most lcarncd and pious of thcir con~
tcmporancs an~ act upon .thc lattcr's rccommendations, thcy
comply fully w1~h thc rcq~1rcmcnts of thcir rcligion, as Scrip-
ture says: The l1p1 of the nghteo11s fud many (Prov. 10: :u). If
thcy < 187 > f:iil
to act ?1us, on the othcr hand, they arc not cx-
cused for th~ sms comm1ttcd out of ignorancc. lt is of such pcr-
sons that Scrapturc says: A scorner lovetl, not to be reproved · he
will not go unto the wise (Prov, 15: 12). '
. Furthermore I would s~y that the ncedy, who arc compcllcd by
carcumstances to default m thcir praycrs and divine scrvicc, are
excused only to thc extcnt of thc rcquircments of thcir livclihood.
For aught that cxcccds thcse limits, howcvcr, they are hcld ac-
countable, as Scripturc says: He deliveretl, tl,e poor by his
po~erty" (Job 36: 15). Similarly I dcclarc that pcrsons who arc in
p~t? ar~ n~t excuscd on account of thcir illncss for railing against
da~me JUst1ce. T~us, t°?, does Scripture say: And they have not
cned unlo Me ulllh the,, heart, thougl, tl,ey wail upon their heds
(Hos. 7: 14). ·
Let mc say, furthcrm.orc, in rcgard to drunkards, that they are
not excuscd for any cnme co'llmitted by tbem in thcir state of
drunkenness, for .thc law ~ays: _T~re pu,chase and 1ale marle hy a
1runkard. are 11al1d. lf .he u guilty of a lran1gre11ion that is pun-
11hah~e w,tl, ~eath, l,e "/'"' to deatl,; of one thal ir punishable hy
flogg,ng, he 11 fiogged ( Erubh. 6sa). Also, with rcfcrcnce to Jcws
who are oppresscd by Gentiles, 1 would say that thcir distress is no
excuse for disloyalty to their faith, but that they must be patient, as
Scripturc says: ul him give l,is cheek 10 him thot smitetl, him let
/,im be filled Juli witl, reproach (Lam. 3: 30). '
As. f~r thosc ~ho constantly Japse back into sin, to thcm I say
tha~ 1t 1s more dafficult for thcm to rcpcnt tban it is for others, as
Scrapturc says: As a dog that returnetl, to Isis 11omi1, so is a fool
lhat repeateth his folly (Prov. 26: n) . In the samc vein did our
69, "the poor by hia poverty"-the u1ual tran1lation is: "die alllic~ by bis 1 f.
licdon."
234 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
early teachcrs say: He that 1ays: "f_ slia/1 sin ar,d ref'tnl, si~ ond
repent," ;, nol gi11en the opportunity to do repentance (M1!nah
Yoma 8:9). . TREATISE VI
I HY also concerning thosc who rcly upon thc atonem~nt of thc
Day o/ Atonement rhat it will not profit thcm augbt wathout r~
pcntancc. This is bornc out by thc rcmark of our car)y tcachcrs:
/ migl11 l,a11e tl,ought that it atones for those that repenl a.r weil ar
10
/or those tl,at do not repent. The te:rt, there/ore, reads: "Only on
the tenth" (Lev. 23: 27). H ence it atones only for tl,ose that repent
(Scbhu. 13a).
Furthcrmorc 1 dcclarc that, so far as thosc that havc corruptcd
othcr men arc conccrnedt thcir rcpcntanc.c can, as a rulc, not bc
cffcctuatcd.11 To thcm is applicablc thc Statement of Scripturc:
How trimmest thou thy way to suk lo11d T l,erefore-even
<188> tht wick_ed women l,a1t thou taught thy ways (Jcr. 2: 33).
In rcgard to thosc, again, who cndcavor to dircct thcir fctlow~en
to thc patb of virruc I say that they can, as a ruJ~, not ~all cntarclr
into sin, as Scripturc says: My foot l,ath held fast to H,s steps, H11
way hat1t l lcept, and turned not aside. l lrat1e not gone baclc from
11,e (ommandment of Hit lips; I nave treasured up tne words of
His moutl, (Job 23: 11, 12).
In conclusion, lct mc statc that I rcalize that, cvcn if I had col-
lectcd many morc data on this subject. 1 would not h~vc cxhaustcd
all that might havc bcen said in order to call thc attentton of human
bcings to what thcir rcligion ~cquircs of thcm. N~vcrthc!ess thc
casily undcrstood gcneral princ1plcs that I havc outltncd. will bc of
somc bcnc6t to humankind with thc hclp of thc McrcifuL
Thc fifth trcatisc is hcrcby complctcd.
70. ''Only"--dte u1u1l rnnslation ia "Howbeit."
71. Cf. Milnah 'Abhoth 5: 18.
CONCERNING THE ESSENCE OF THE SOUL AND
DEATH AND WHAT COMES AFTER DEATH
CHAPTER I
ua Lord. blcsscd and cxaltcd bc He, has informcd us that
O
man's soul has its origin in his hcart s.imultancously with
thc complction of thc formation of bis body. This is il-
lustratcd by such statements of Scripturc as The burden o/ tl,e
word o/ tl,e Lord con(erning Israel. The raying of tl,e Lord, wl,o
strtlChed fort/, the hta11en1, and laid lhe fuundation of 1/,e eartl,,
and formed 1/,e 1pirit of man witlrin him (Zcch. 12: 1). He has
told us, furthcrmorc, that He has appointcd a pcriod during
which thc soul and thc body rcmain unitcd and at thc conclusion
of which He separates thcm again. In this lauer statt they rcmain
until thc numbcr of the souls which His wisdom has dccmcd ncccs-
aary to crcatc has bccn fulfillcd. Whcn this has taken placc. He will
again unitc thesc souls with tbdr bodics and rcquitc thcm for thcir
conduct. These sundry thcorics havc bcen supportcd for us by
means of miraclcs and marvcls produccd by thc prophcts, whcrc-
forc wc havc rcadily acccptcd thcm. Howcvcr, wc also cndcavorrd,
in addition, to rcach thcsc conclusions by mcans of rational spccu-
lation, pursuing thc mcthod followcd by us in thc prcccding trca-
tiscs.
Now thc first point which it bchoovcs mc to invcstigate is thc
nature of thc csscncc of thc soul. l havc, namcly, found a bcwildcr-
ing varicty of opinions to cxist among mcn rcgarding its nature,
diflcrcnccs that distract thc mind. Thc majority of thcsc I would
rathcr not mcntion,1 but limit mysclf to noting sevcn of thc most
important < 189> thcorics outside of thc four that havc hccn
listcd prcviousJy. That would makc a total of clcvcn altogcthcr.
t , "mention"-added by Ibn Tibbon and M.

236 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
As for thosc four othcr thcorics, 1 havc alrcady tcstcd and cx-
amincd thcm thoroughly, and thcy havc turned out to bc dcfcc-
tivc and thw bccn rcfutcd. What I havc rcfcrcncc to is (a) thc
thcory of thc spiritual clcmcnts,2 ( b) thc doctrinc that all things
cmanatcd from .thc substancc of thc Creator,1 (,) thc vicw that
thcy wcrc dcrivcd from Him ~nd somcthing clsc,' and (d) thc
thcory of thc dualists.5 But sincc thc soul constitutes onc of the
objccts of [human ) cognition, ic is, to the cxtcnt to which ic has
bccn included by thcm in thc gcncrality of thcsc objccts, subjcct
to thc rcfutation alrcady prcscntcd of thc said thcscs, so that wc
may dispcnsc with going ovcr thcsc matters again.
I shall, howevcr, at this point rccord thc followmg scvcn thcorics
and say, fust of all, that I havc found pcoplc who think thc soul
is mcrcly an acc1dcnt among accidcnts. What lcd thcm to this
conclusion is, in my cstimation, thc circumstancc that thcy havc
ncvcr sccn thc soul itsclf but only the cffccts of its opcration. On
account of its being too subtlc to bc pcrccivcd by thc scnscs, it
sccmcd to thcm that it had to bc an accidcnt, sincc accidcnts arc
of such a subtlc and finc charactcr.
Yet thosc that hold th1s thcory diflcr among thcmsclvcs, falling
into fivc distinct groups. Somc of thcm bclicvc that thc soul is a
sclf-moving numbcr.• Othcrs bclicve it constitutcs thc complction
of thc natural body. Still othcrs arc undcr thc imprcssion that it
consists of a combination of thc four clcmcnts of nature. A fur-
thcr group imagincs it to bc a juncturc of thc scnscs. Finally thcrc
arc thosc who conccive of it as an accidcnt originating from the
hl~
Now whcn I considcred carcfully thcsc thcscs, all of which havc
in common. thc allcgation that thc soul is an accidcnt-for thc
conccpts of numbcr and complction and combination and juncturc
and derivation rcfcr to accidcnts-1 found thcm all untcnablc from
2. Cf. above, pp. 50 tf.
3. Cf. above, PP· 55 ff.
4. Cf. 1bove, p. 58.
. 5. Cf. above, PP• 59 lf,
6. "number"--so M. Ibn 1ibbon and Arabic tcxt read "accident." Cf. Ventura.
P· 2211, D,3,
+
THE SOUL 237
sevcral poinu of vicw. Onc rcason is that somcthing accidcntal
cannot bc the source of that gre11t wisdom and remarkablc un·
derstanding that are thc basis of thc world's existcnce, as I havc
notcd in a 1 treatisc prcccding this one.1 Thcn, too, onc accidcnt
could not bc thc bcarer of anothcr, bccausc tbat would be cntircly
unsound. Yet wc find that thc soul is the bcarcr of many accidcnu.
Onc spcaks, for examplc, of an ignorant soul and a knowing soul
and of • a pure soul and a wickcd soul. Thou dost also ascri~
< 190 > to tbe soul Jove and hatc and good will and angcr and thc
othcr wcll-known traits. Posscssing tbese characteristics it cannot
~ssibly bc constru.c~ as being a merc accidcnt. On th; contrary,
smcc "'.c notc tbat 1t 1s susceptible to such opposite attributc.t, it is
morc hkcly that it bc a substancc.
Sccon~ly, I havc ~n pcoplc who arc undcr thc impression that
!he so~l 1s madc of a1r, and, m thc third placc, somc who think that
1t consuts of fire. These last two theorics I also find to bc unsound
for if tbe soul had bccn made of air, it would havc bcen of a hot and
humid nature, and if it had consistcd of fire,"it would havc hcen of
a hot and dry nature, whereas we do not find it to bc of such a
charactcr.
A fourth thcory, again, is to the clfcct tbat the soul consists of
two parts, one of which is intcllcctual, rational intransient with
~ts scat in thc hcart, while the othcr is thc sou;cc of vitalit~ that
1s spread over the rest of thc body and of a transient nature. I
ascertaincd, howevcr, that this vicw, too, was crroneous for if thc
rational portion of the soul wcre distinct from tha; whlch is
. spread throughout the body, they could not mingle with each
other, by virtue of the fact that thc onc is uncrcatcd and the othcr
is creatcd, and that thc lattcr is transicnt whcreas thc formcr is
not tr3?sicnt. Furthcrmore, if tbe rational part of thc soul wcre
somcthmg separate from that w~ich is spread throughout the
10
~y. it could not hcar or sec or be capablc of othcr scnsations.
7, "•"-die Arabic tellt reads "the."
II. He h11 reference to hi1 discu11lon at the beginning of the fourth treadse,
~,II~ .
9, "1nd or'-the Arabic teat reads "1nd thou 11:,est."
ro. "tepmrate , , • body"-added correcdy by Ibn 1ibbon.
 :;;
2'38 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Now onc cannot rcaolvc tbc düliculty in tbi, instancc by rcplying,
as I cxplaincd in thc fint treatisc 11 of thil book, that tbc varioua
sense perccptiona convcrgc in rcason, which discourJCI about thcm
all. J dcclare, rathcr, that tbis thcory clearly implica thc cxistcna:
of two distinct aouls, aince cach portion standa J:,y itsclf.
A fifth thcory il to thc dfcct that thc soul consisu of two kinds
of air, onc of which is intcrnal whilc thc othcr ia cxtcrnal to thc
body. Now what compcllcd thc proponenll of thil theory ~o r~!'oOrt
to it was thc fact that thcy found that thc soul could bc mamtaaned
only by thc inhaling of air from without. Thcy thercfore thou~ht
that thi1 wu effectcd by mcans of onc half of the ,oul. In real1ty,
howcver, the purpoK of thia rcspin.tion is to tcmpcr thc natural
bcat of thc hcart whcrcin the soul has iu seat, just as one blows on
a firc in ordcr to drive thc offensive smoke away from it-1 mcan
from thc fire.
A sixth view is that the soul is pure blood. This vicw i, pro-
poundcd only by Anan,u as he states cxpre11ly < 191 > in his
book. He was lcd to this cnoncous conclusion by thc 1tatcmcnt
of thc Torah: 11 For 1he blood is 11,e 101111' (Deut. 12: 23), not
0
remcmbcring that thi1 Torah bad prcviously said: ~or the. soul ',
of 1he ftesh is in the blood (Lev. 17: 11). From th1s, however, 1t
is obviow that thc blood is only the scat and ccnter of thc soul. thc
forcc of which rcvcals thc soul's strcngth while it1 weakness makcs
apparent its fceJ,Jcncss.
Furthcrmorc, whcn the soul rcjoiccs and is anxious to display
its gladnCIS ovcr the object of itl jo~, it causcs the blood .to ap~,
whcreas whcn it cndcavors to ßcc ID fcar from somcthang whach
it is afraid of, it withdraws thc blood togcthcr with it into the
intcrior. lf, then, thc Torah statcs: For the blooJ is 1/,e 1oul H
II, Cf. p. 64 of lhe Anbic text.
u, i.e., the fo.indu of lhe Kanite ldilsm. Cf. H. Graetz, Hüttw, of 1/w 1~111,
(l'hil.delphla, 18514), lß, u8 ff. AJ Mal11:r JIOtCI (p. 223), Sudia W'II wrong in
atcrihing thi.a thcory IO Anao alnne. lt wu ,ubscribed to by lltTcnl ol die Grcek
pbil010phcn and cvcn bJ the M'idruh,
13. Thi.a quo1ation followt die rading ol Ibn 1ibbon.
14. "roul"--che u1111l tranalation is "life."
15. Haoul"--the wual transl1tion is "1~."
16. "aoul"~. abovc, D, 14-
THE SOUL 239
(Deut. u: 23), it is only in kceping with thc common usagc of
languagc which dcsignatcs an object by the namc of thc placc in
which it is located. Thus wisdom is callcd heart, as, for cxamplc, in
thc Statement of Scripture: A young man 11oid o/ heart 11 (Prov.
7: 7), bccausc thc hcart is thc scat of wisdom. Languagc, again, is
callcd lip, as in thc statcmcnt of Scripturc: And the who/e eartl,
was o/ one lip 18 (Gen. u: 1), bccause it is by means of thc lip
that spccch bccomcs possiblc.
CHAPTER II
Thc sevcnth is thc corrcct tbcory, and with thc hclp of God I
shall cxpwn it. My objcct in prcfacing it by thc cxposition of thc
six aforcmentioncd thc:orics was mcrely to ma.kc it clear to whocvcr
rnay read this book that this inquiry into the scicnce of the soul
is an inquiry into a profound, abstract, and subde subjcct. Just as
I rcmarkcd with rcfcrcncc to thc truth apropos of thc doctrinc
of creatio ex nihilo 10 and with rcgard to thc Crcator of all that
cxists,20 so is thc invcstigation of thc nature of thc soul fraught
with subdctics that confusc many pcrsons. That is why I say that
thou findest thc sage bcstowing honor on him who undcrstands
corrcctly thc mcaning of thc rational soul posscsscd by man, whcn
hc says: Who knoweth the spiril o/ man whether it gotth upward,
and the spirit of the beast whether it goeth downward to the earth?
(Eccles. 3: 21).
Now I must make it clcar that bis rcmark W ho knowttl, is not
an cxprcssion of doubt as to whcther ccrtain souls arc clcvatcd and
noble and others arc lowly and basc. lt is mercly < 192 > an ex-
prcssion of cstccm for him who knows [ that] such [diffcrcnccs
cxist among] thcm. I say, furthcrmorc, to him who hcars this state·
ment that it is analogous to such a qucstion as: "Who knows thc
lcarncd Rcubcn?" and "Wbo knows thc devout Simon?" By ask-
17. "heart''--che u1ual uuulation iJ '"undentanding."
18. "lip"-die u1u1l translation is "l1n,u.a,c."
19. Cf. the btginning of the firn treati~. pp. 39 ff.
20. Cf. ihc b(ginnin& of the s«ond UQbte, pp. 87 lf.
 'P
THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
ing this vcry quc,tion thc quc,tioner indubitably attribute1 lea.rning
to Reubcn and devoutncss to Simon. Tbc wholc object of aak-
ing ''Who k.now, thcm?" is to confcr upon thcm honor or di.s-
tinction or somcthing 1imilar.
Likcwisc whcn thc sage rcmarks: "Who koow, thc noble ,oul
that riscs upward and thc lowly soul that ,ink downward ?"
that rcmark indubi~bly constitutca nothing morc than an a.ffirma-
tion that thcsc two typcs of soul are of such a charactcr. A• for hi,
intcntion in cxprcssing this idca by saying Who knowelh, it is to
indicatc that whocvcr undcrstands this matter has reachcd thc goal
of his striving for thc truth.
I will say also that this remark on bis part-1 mcan Who know-
eth-might bc construed as an cxprcssion of admiration and praisc
on noting how two typcs of soul arc attachcd to two similar bodies.
Con.scqucntly what hc says is: "Wc find that thcsc two bodies arc
perccptibly alikc in thcir physical constitution aod their accidcnts.
Yet wc hav·: no doubt1 on thc othcr band, that thcre cxist1 a dif-
fcrence betwecn thc two spirits. Now who is capablc of fathoming
and undcrstanding this?" That is indecd thc import of his State-
ment prcccding this onc: For. that which be/aJ/eth the son! o/ men
be/alleth beasts; evtn ont thing be/alleth them ; as lht one dietlt~
so ditth the other; yea, they havt all one breath (Ecclcs. 3: 19).
What corroboratcs thc view that this statement is to bc undcr-
stood as wc havc intcrprctcd it is his added remark: So thal man
hath no preiminence above a be11JI (ibid.). Now thc sage could
not possibly have mcant to imply hercby that thc soul of man h~d
no 2 1 prccmincncc whatcvcr ovcr that of thc bcasts. For no wisc
man would makc such an asscrtion, sincc hc would therehy bc
dcnying thc rcality of all wisdom. Anothcr rcason why this could
not havc·becn bis intcntion is that an ignoramus who has but a
smattcring of intclligcncc would not makc such an asscrtion eithcr.
For the lattcr rcgards himsclf as supcrior to <193> thc beasts in
various rcspccts which it would takc too long to cxplain, such as
the fact that hc malm them subservicnt to him and ridcs upon
them and uscs thcm for whatevcr purposc hc plcascs. What hc
21. "no"-eorm:tly added by M and Ibn Tibbon.
THE SOUL 241
meant ~y .this statemcm ~as, thcn, rathcr mcrcly that thc body
of man 11 m no way supcnor to that of thc bcast, since it is com-
po~, Jikc that of thc lattcr, of four clcmcnts, a, hc say1 mb1e-
qucntly: All go unto one pkKe; all are o/ tl,e dus,, and all rtlurn
lo .dust
11
(F.cclcs. 3: 20). Ncv~rthclcss man has •piritual pre-
cmm~ncc. Who knoweth the sp,rit of man? (Ecclc,. 3: :21.)
Thts statcmcnt on thc part of thc sage might, morcovcr, bc com-
parcd to thc asscrtion of a person who .says that thcrc is no dif-
fcrc~cc bc.twccn a precious stonc and an ordinary rock so far aa
stomncss 1s conccrncd, for thc onc is as much a stonc a, il the
othcr. Yct hc who knows thc bright sparklc containcd in thc pre-
cious stonc and thc opaqucncss of thc rock rccognizcs [ thcir dittinc·
tivc qualitics ].
~urthcrmorc I would say that thc scntencc W ho k.nowel/1 might
qu1tc propcrly bc construcd as an affirmation, just likc thc atate-
mcnt found clsewhcrc in thc Biblc: Who knowetl, will return H
ond rtpent (Jocl 2: 14); that is, "Whoevcr knows that hc is sinning
will rcpcnt." Likcwisc docs thc sage say hcrc: "He that knows, un:
dcrstands that thc onc soul riscs upward ·whilc thc othcr gocs
down."
CHAPTER III
Having madc thcsc prcfatory rcmarks, it bchoovcs me now to
prcscnt thc scvcnth thcory. 1 say, thcn, that thc truth, so far as
the nature of thc soul is conccmcd, is that it is crcatcd. Tbis vicw
accords with my previous dcmonstration that all things cxisting in
thc .world h~vc bccn crcatcd u and .that it would bc wrong to
ascribc ctcrn1ty to aught cxccpt thc Crcator. lt is promptcd fur-
tbcrmorc by tbc dcclaration of God [that He was thc onc] W ho
/ormed the spirit of man within him (Zcch. 12: 1).
Now this crcation of thc soul by our Lord first takc1 place simul-
tancously with thc complction of thc bodily form of thc human
::12. Thia quotation follow1 the reading of Ibn Tibbon.
23. "will return"--the u1ual tnnal1tion i, "whecher He will not cum."
24. Cf. the finr tre1rite.
 p
242 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
bcing, for it is statcd in thc abovc-quotcd rcmark that it is crcatcd
within him, which corrcsponds to thc wording of thc oath gcner·
ally cmploycd by our forcfathcrs; namcly, As the Lord /ir,eth that
made us this soul (Jcr. 38: 16).
& for the quality of its substancc, it is comparable in purity to
that of thc hcavenly sphercs. Like thc latter, it attains luminosity
as a rcsult of thc light which it rcceivcs from God, cxcept that its
substancc bccomes, in conscquencc hereof, even finer than that of
the spheres.20 That is how it came to bc cndowcd with the power
of spccch.
< 194> This conclusion I reached on the basis of two important
fundamental prcmiscs. Tbc first is a proof of a rational character.
Whcn, namcly, 1 considcrcd the evidcnccs of the soul's wisdom and
its conduct aside from the body, and noted how the body is de-
privcd of all thcsc advantagcs oncc thc soul is separatcd from it, 1
rcalizcd that if its substancc wcrc of thc samc nature as that of
terrcstrial things, it could not pcrform any of th~ lo&y functions.
Aga in, if it were of the consistcncy of the heavenly sphercs, it would
no more bc endowcd with rcason than any of the lauer. Consc-
qucntly it must bc a fine substancc that is dcarcr and purer and
simpler than that of thc sphcrcs.
The second proof is dcrivcd from thc statemcnt of Scripturc to
thc c.flcct that thc virtuous souls shinc likc thc hcavenly sphcrcs
which arc illuminatcd by thc stars. This is cxpresscd in thc words :
And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firma-
ment (Dan. 12: 3) . Thc wickcd souls, on thc other hand, do not
shinc, but arc on a lowcr lcvcl than thc unspccificd 28 sphcrcs, as
Scripture says: Behold, He puttet!, no trust in His holy ones: yea,
the l,ear,ens are not clean in His sight. How much less one that is
abominable and im pure, man who drinketh iniquity like watn IT
(Job 15: 15, 16). Now it must bc rcalizcd by thec that the Scrip-
turcs would not havc comparcd the formcr to thc luminous spherca
and the lattcr to something bclow thc unspccified sphercs unlcss
25. "spheres"-M and Jba 1ibbon.
26. "unspecified„--lbn T'ibboa.
27, This quotalion follows the reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
THE SOUL 243
it were. for thc rcason that thcrc cxists a similarity bctwccn their
re&pcct1ve substances. These two similes also bcar out the declara-
tion made by the sage: W hether it goeth upward ••• whetl,er it
goetl, downw11rd (Eccles. 3: 21).
Ncxt I say, pursuing this subje.ct further, that the statcment madc
by the sage at thc end of his book: And the spirit retumal, unto
God wl,o gave it (Ecclcs. 12: 7) 1 scrves as a confirmation and a
verification, proving thc correctncss of the intcrprctation given
by ~c ~o the scntence W ho _Jcnowetl, (Ecclcs. 3: 21). Should any-
one ms1st, howcvcr, that th1s lauer remark implies doubt on the
part of thc sage, as the sequcl would scem to indicate, thc sage's
passagc from original unccrtainty to final ccrtainty is madc clcar
by his statement: And tlte spirit returnetl, unto God (Ecclcs.
12: 7), as well as by his pronouncemcnt about the spirit of man
madc at th~ end of thc passagc: But Jcnow thou, <195> thal for
all thest tlungs God will bring thee into judgment (Ecclcs. u: 9).
Ncxt I ascertained that for sundry rcasons this soul of man must
pcrform the act of cognition by mcans of its csscncc. Onc of thcsc
is that it is inadmissible that it acquire its knowlcdgc from tbe
body, sincc the l~ttcr is not a function of thc body. Moreover, it is
knowo for ccrtam that a blind man is ablc to sec in hia drcam as
though he possesscd the power of sight. But since he docs not owc
th is pcrception to his physical facultics, it must bc duc to his souJ.
Herein is evident also the crror of thosc who regard thc soul as a
union and a mfogling and a juncturc of thc sense pcrceptions,21
when, as a matter of fact, it is the soul that provides thc various
sense organs with thcir sense facu lties. How, then, can it bc 3$-
sertcd that it is thcy thai givc to it its csscnce? Whocvcr makcs
such an asscrtion pcrvcrts all judgmcnt and distorts the trutb.
Furthermore, I asccrtaincd that thc soul pcrforms its functions
only by mcans of thc body, sincc the act of cvcry creatcd bcing
rcquires for· iu cxccution somc instrumcnt. When, now, the soul
is unitcd with the body, thrcc farultics bclonging to it make thcir
appcarance; namely, thc power of reasoning, the power of ap-
pctition, and th at of anger. That is why our language applied to
211. Cf. abovr, p. 236.
244 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thcm thrcc distinct appcllations, to wit: nephel, rua~, and nilama/J.
By thc appelJativc nephel it alludcs to thc soul'a poucaion of an
appctitivc faculty. This is bornc out by auch atatcmcnu of Scri~
turc as B"ause thy soul (naphUkha) desireth (Deut. 12: 20) and
Änd hu soul (naphlo) desirable 20 food (Job 33: 20).
By thc appcllativc rua(a, again, it alludcs to the soul's posscssion
of the power to bccomc bold and angry. This is illuatratcd by auch
1tatcmcnts of Scriprurc as Be not hasty in thy 1piri1 (ruMkha) ta
/Je angry (Ecclea. 7:9) and A. fool spendeth all his spirit (rul,o)
(Prov. 29: u). By means of thc appcllativc nilamah, 6nally, it
rcfcrs to thc soul's poSIClsion of thc faculty of cognition. Thil il
evident from 1uch Statements of Scripturc a.s And th11 /JreaJh (nill-
m11th) of the Älmighty, 1ha1 giveth tAem understanding (Job 31:
8), and A.nd whose spirit (nilimath) ,ame forth from thee? (Job
26:4).
Now it i, a mistakc to apportion thcac [thrcc] facultics among
two diatinct [psychic] elcmcnts, onc of which has its scat in thc
hcan whilc thc othcr ia locatcd in thc re.c;t of thc body. All th{cc
powers bclong rathcr to onc soul, to cmpharize which fact thc
languagc of Scripture bas coincd two additional dcsignations, be-
sidcs those prcviously listcd; namcly, {tayyah (living) and ye/.ai·
dhal, ( unique). lt is callcd /,ayyah ( e.g„ Job 33: :zo) beca.usc of its
capacity to aurvivc whcn its Crcator grants it survival. lt is also
yi/.,idhah (c.g„ Ps. :u: :u) bccausc < 196 > thcrc cxists nothing
comparabJc to it :unong all acaturcs, c.lther cclcstial or tcrrc..trial.
lt has furthcrmorc becomc dcar to mc that, so far as the humao
soul is conccrncd, its scat is in thc hcart, aincc it is dcfinitcly known
that thc ncrvcs,'° which cndow the body with thc powers of scn-
sation and motion, alJ havc thcir roots in thc hcart. 1 do, indccd,
find that thc grcat ramifications of ncrvcs do not issuc from thc
hcart, but originale rathcr from thc brain. Howcvcr, thcsc rami-
fications havc no connection with the soul aa such. Thcy are mcrcly
the sincws and Jigamcnts of thc body. That is why Scripturc in·
29, "dninble"-che 1,11ual lnlllllation 11 "dainty."
30. "ne"e1"--cf. Veniun, p. 240, who call1 attention to the &et lbat no dia·
tinction was made by Saadia betwcen nin1 and nenu.
THE SOUL 24S
variably mcntions hcart and soul togcthcr. lt docs thil in such
sta~cmcnts as Wilh all thy heart, and with all 11,y soul (Deut. 6: s),
'Jf'•th all your l,eart and w11h all your soul (Deut. n: 13), and thc
J1kc.
CHAPTER IV
And now that I havc prescntcd thcsc thcories, lct mc inform the
rcadcr that ~ havc. cncountc_rcd ccrtain peoplc who askcd how it
was compaublc w1th thc w1sdom of the Creator, magnificd and
~xaltc~ bc He, to place a bcing as noble as thc soul, which cxcccds
an punty cvcn thc hcavcnly sphcrcs, in somcthing as turbid as the
body In fact, thcy bcgan t.o think in thcir hcarts that God had
wrongcd tbc soul by so doing. 1 fccl compcllcd thcreforc to
pause 3l at th"1s pomt
. and cxplain it clcarly. ' · ,
Let mc, howcvcr, prcface my rcmark at thc outset with thc ob-
s~rvation that it i~ absolutcly absurd to asscrt of thc Crcator, mag-
~ficd bc Hts ma1csty, of whosc csscnce wc havc discourscd prc-
v1ously, that. He would wrong or dcal unjustly with any crcaturc
of Has. For m thc first placc, all accidcnts arc cxcludcd from His
Bcing. Furthc~morc, all acts attr.ibutablc to Him arc good and
bcncficcn~ Bcs1dcs, He crcatcd His crcaturea only for thc ptirposc
of bencfitmg, not of hurting thcm. This is what I would say in
gcncral and by way of summary.
T~ c~pl~in !his in grcatcr dctail and bc morc spccific, Jet mc add
that IDJUStacc 1s duc to onc of thrce causes, thcrc bcing no fourth.
Howcver, nonc of thcsc thrcc is applicablc to thc Crcator. Thc 6rst
of thcsc . [ thrcc ~ss!blc. causcs of injusticc] is thc subjcct's fcar
?f thc O~JCCt of bis m1us~1cc. A sccond causc [ that might prompt it]
1s grecdmcss for somcthmg that might bc obtained from thc lattcr.
<S197> A third is ignorancc of thc truth conccrning thc victim.
Smcc, howcvcr, it cannot bc asscrtcd about thc Crcator that He is
afraid or dcsircs II or is ignorant of anything that is thc objcct of
knowlcdge, all thcsc causcs arc rcmovcd from Him.
31. "pause"-lbo 1ibbon.
32. "or de1in:1"-comctly added b7 Ibn 1ibbon.
246 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
I ncxt applicd mysclf eo an invcstigation of the Scripturcs and I
found that thcy bore testimony to God's justicc in all thCJe three
rcspects. This is illustrated by thc dcclaration conccrning God on
thc part of the aaint that He is onc Thal respectt:lh nol lhe persons
of princes, nor rtgardelh lhe rich more lhan 11,e poor. For lhey all
ore 1/,e work of His hand1 (Job. 34: 19). By mcans of his State-
ment: Thal re1pecklh nol lhe persons of princer, he refcrs to thc
catcgory of fcar. With b is d cclaration, again, Nor regardeth the
rich more than the poor, hc points to thc catcgory of dcsirc. His
rcmark, finally, For 1/iey all are the work o/ His hands, hints at thc
catcgory of knowlcdgc, for sincc God is wcll acquaintcd with thc
charactcr of His crcaturcs, all thc morc would He bc convcrsant
with thcir dccds and thcir rcquircmcnts and nccds.
Sincc, thcn, 1 havc hcrcby establishcd justicc as a basic attributc
of God, 1 can rcfcr and dircct any qucstion that might bc askcd
by mcn in rcgard to thc soul to thc principlc laid down hcrc.
I will also say that inasmuch as thc soul cannot, by virtuc of iu
constitution, function by itself, it must nccds bc ·u nited with somc-
thing that will cnab]c it to work toward its improvcmcnt. For it
is such actions alone that arc: conducivc to permanent wcll-bcing
and pcrfcct bliss. All this is in kceping with our explanation in thc
fiith trcatisc to thc cffcct th~t obcdicncc [ to God's commandmcnts]
incrcascs thc luminosity of the soul's substancc, whcreas sin rcn-
dcrs its substancc turbid and black.11 This is cvidcnccd by such
pronounccmcnts of Scripture as Light is 1011,n for 11,e righteous
(Ps. 97: n), and The light of 1/ie n'ghteous rejoiceth,· bul the lamp
o/ the wicked sliall be pul out (Prov. 13: 9).
Now He that subjccts thc soul to its trials is nonc othcr than
thc Master of thc univcrsc, who is, of coursc, acquaintcd with all
its doings. This tcsting of thc soul has bccn comparcd to thc as-
saying by mcans of Eire of [lumps of mctalJ that havc bcen re-
fcrred to as gold or silvcr. lt is thcrcby thnt thc truc nature of thcir
composition is clcarly cstablishcd. For the original gold and silver
rcmain, while the alloys 114 that have bccn minglcd with thcm arc
33. He refcrs to thc bcginning nf that trcatisc, p. 1os,
34. "allnyc"-lbn Tibbonl
THE SOUL 247
partly burncd an~ partly takc ßight. This is illustratcd by such
statcmcnts of Scnpturc as < 198 >Tlie refining pol is /or 1il11er,
ant! 1he /urnace for gold, and a man is tried by his praise (Prov.
27: 21), and again: And I will refine them as sil11eris refined, and
will try them tU gold is lried (Zcch. 13:9).
Thc pure, clcar souls that havc bccn rcfincd arc thcrcupon
cxaltcd and cnnob]cd,111 as Scripturc says: For He knowetl, 11,e
way thal l take; when Hr. hat/, lried me, / rl,a/1 come forth as gold
(Job 23: 10). Thosc that rcscmblc dross and basc mctals; on thc
othcr hand, arc dcgraded and dcbascd, as Scripturc says: In vain
doth the /ounder refine, fo, 1/ie wicked are not separated. Re/use
sil11er shall men call them (Jcr. 6: 29, 30), Ncvcrthclcss cvcn thc
soilcd souls arc capablc, so long as thcy arc within thc bodv, of
bcing purificd and clcansed again. Tl-lat is why rc:pcntancc ;; ac-
ccpted so long as thc human bcing is alive. Oncc, howc:vcr, thc
soul has dcpartcd from him, it is incapablc of bcing clcansed any
longcr o~ thc _corruption that has ac~umulatcd in it. ln fact, nothing
of thc k1~d 1s to bc ~pcct~d for 1t a.ny morc, as Scripturc says:
when a Ultcked man d,t:1/,, Im expeclat,on shall perish (Prov. 1 r: 7).
By mcans of thc aforcmentioncd rcasons, thcn, wc inakc it clcar
and evident I I to him who asserts that it would havc bcen best
for the soul if God had lcft it in its statc of isolation so that it
would havc bccn rclicvcd of sin and dcfilcmcnt and p~io, tbat jf
such isolation had bccn thc best thing for thc soul, its Crcator
would havc fashioncd it in such a statc. Howcvcr, from what wc
know, if God had allowcd the soul to rcmain unattachcd, it would
not havc bccn able to attain wcll-bcing or bliss or life ctcrnal. For
!hc ~ttainmcnt of all thcse things can bc cffccted by it only by scrv-
ing 1ts Master, and thc soul has no mcans, by virtuc of its nature, of
rcndcring this scrvicc cxccpt through the instrumcntality of thc
body.
Thc rcason for this is that thc soul carrics out all its activitics
in conjunction with thc body, just as firc can makc an appcarancc
only hy hcing attachcd to somcthing cl11c and just as othcr com-
.1'1, "cxalttd and ennobled"-Jbn Tibbon and M.
36. "we make it clear and e11ident"-Jbn Tibbon and M.
 ,,
248 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
posite organi.sms fulfill thcir functiom jointly only. lf, thercforc,
the aoul werc to bc left by itsclf, it would not bc ablc to do any·
thing. Still leu could thc body do anything. And if thcy wcrc
both thus dcprivcd of activity, thcrc would be no sense to thcir
creation. But if thc crcation of thcsc two have no mcaning, < 199 >
then thc crcation of hcavcn and carth and what is betwcen thcm too
would bc futile, sincc thc entirc univcrsc was crcatcd only on ac-
count of man, as wc asscrted at the bcginning of the fourth "
treatisc.
[This thesis is] furthcnnorc [supportcd] by thc fact that in [thc
dcscription of God's role as Crcator] He is rcferrcd to as onc W ho
slrekhed f,:,rtl, 11,e heovens, and laid the foundatiott of the earlla
for thc purpose implicd in thc scqud; namely, .A.nd formed t/Je
spirit o/ man within /,im (Zcch. n: 1). Similarly it has bccn rc-
markcd by us, in connection with lhe sto,y o/ 1he O'eabon of the
world, that that act was motivated by thc thought of Let us make
man (Gen. 1:26). . contam~at.ion of the soul conscqucnt upon its union with thc body,
Now somconc might, of course, say: "But why not lcavc the
soul in its original unattachcd statc and cndow it with thc power
to act in such a way as to attain thc objcct for which it has bccn
crcatcd?" To auch a one we must point out that this dcmand on
bis part rcscmblcs his fust dcmand, which we mentioncd in con·
ncction with thc human body; namely, that it be composcd of a
substancc similar to that of thc stars and thc angcls. Wc tcll him,
morcovcr, that to insist upon this dcmand is to ask that thc soul
bc no aoul, bccausc thc intcllcctual soul is capablc of carrying out
its activitics only in conjunction with thc body of man. For if it
did not function within a human body, it would havc to bc cither
a star or a cclcstial sphcre or an angel. In that casc, howcvcr, it
would no longer passen thc real nature of a human soul.
Such a dcmand is, thercfore, mercly equivalent to abrogation in
all cxccpt thc namc. It is likc dcmanding that firc tcnd downward
and watcr risc upward by nature, which wouJd bc an abrogation of
thcir essential. charactcrs; or likc dcsiring that thc firc cool and
37, "founh"--i..e., bEginning with p. .So. Both the Arabic , nd the Hebrew
YeniOIII mi1takenl7 rad "rhird,"
THE SOUL
thc sn~w givc ~armth, which would also c.omtitutc ao abrogation
of thell' CSSCJltJal charactcr. ro mal<c auch a reque.st ia to do yjo,
lcncc to wisdom, for wadom consists in knowing things as thcy
arc in thcir real, obscrvablc charactcr, not as somconc would dcsire
or likc thcm to bc. !bis is also. bornc ~ut in Scripturc by thc atate,,
m~t: Woe unto h,m 1Ju11 sln11eth u111h his Maker, as a potsherd
u11th the potsherds o/ the earthl ShaJI the day say to him lh111 fash-
ioneth it: "What mak.,esl thou?" et.c.88 (Isa.. 45: 9).
As for thc objcction onc might raisc against the fact that sins arc
pcrmitted to bccomc attached to thc soul, it must bc rcalizcd that
such an cvcntuality would bc duc solely to the bad choicc that is
cxcrciscd by thc soul in opposing thc intcntions of its Crcator con-
cerning it. This thought ~· also implicd in thc statemcnt of Scrip-
ture: <200> Behold, tim only ha11e l /ound, thal God made man
upright; but they ha11e sought out many inventions (Eccles. 7: 29).
As for thc objcction that is raiscd against thc dc.6lcmcnt and thc
wc say, m rcply thcrcto, tbat thc body of man contains no im.purity
io and by itsclf.89 lt is, an thc contrary, cntircly pure, for dcfilcment
is ncithcr a thing that is subject to scruc pcrccption nor a require~
mcnt of logic. lt is purdy a dccrcc of thc law of thc Torab. This
law has dcclarcd unclcan ccrtain sccrctions of human beings aftcr
their discharge from thc body, although tbcy do not dcfilc whi)c
thcy are within the body. Thc aforcmentioncd allcgation can be
rnaintaincd only if he that makcs it will impose upon us rulcs that
hc has invcntcd out of bis own mind and makc it obligatory upon
us to considcr as rcprchcnsiblc what hc so rcgards. That, howcvcr,
wc shall not pcrmit him to do.
As for thc pains with which the soul is affiictcd bccausc of its
conncction with thc body, thcy arc d uc incvitably to onc of two
causcs. lf, for cxamplc, thcy arc achcs that it has contractcd by cx-
posurc at thc time of darkncss or of exccssive hcat or cold, thc
fault is its own and not that of its Master. For He has cndowcd
38. Thu quotation i1 based on the rcading of the Ar,bic ori,inal ,upplemented
by th9t of Ibn Tibbon. ·
39, Saadia exprmed the ume idea in hi1 refutation of l;liwwi the Balchite,
Cl, Ventura, p, 241, n. 78,

250 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
the soul with intclligcncc and enjoined it to bcwarc of such
cvils, but it disrcgardcd the injunction. [lt is,] as Scripture de,.
clares: .A. /"'Udenl man seelh the e11il, and hidelh himsel/; bul the
thoughtless pass on, and tlf'e punished (Prov. 17: u).
On the otber hand, if thcsc pains have becn brought upon it by
its Master, thc only possiblc explanation, in view of God'1 justicc
and mercy, is that He pcrmitted tbem to come upon it as a dis-
cipline in ordcr that He might, in retum thcrefor, requitc tbc
soul witb goocl. This is borne out by such st.itements of Scripture
as: Thal He might afflict thee, and thal He miglt1 prove thee, to
do thee good at thy latter end (Deut. 8: 16), and Happy is tl,e mon
whom Thou instructest, 0 Lord, etc• . •. that Thou mayen git1e
him rest /rom the day1 o/ evü.• 0 (Ps. 94: 12, 13).
CHAPTER V
Furtbermorc lct mc cxplain that thc .soul and the body constitutc
one agcnt, as it is rcmarkcd at the vcry bcginning of man's crcation:
Then the Lord God /ormed ·man of the du11 of the ground, and
l>reathed into his nostri/1 tho brealh o/ li/e (Gen. 2: 7). Similarly
are thcy both eitbcr rcwarded or punj11hed togethcr.
Now the rcason why thou findest many pcrsons conluscd in re-
gard to this subject, one of them belicving that reward and puni1h-
mcn.t apply t.o thc soul only, whilc anothcr <201 > thinks thcy
apply solcly to thc body and still another imagincs that they ap-
pcrtain to tbe bone1 alone--a~ for cxamplc, Benjamin u doc:s-is
simply that they wcrc lcd astray by lack of acquaintancc with thc
languagc of Scripturc.
Whcn, for instancc, some of them found Scripturc making usc
of the cxpression lf a soul O shall sin (Lcv. 4: 2);or 1/ any sou/ 41
rommit a lrt!sp011 (Lcv. 5: 15), or Tl,e soul tl,at sinnetl,. it 1/,all
die (Ezck. 18: 4), they thought that thesc functions bclongcd to
40. 'llils quotarion i, baaed on the rading of Ibn Tibbon.
41. He bu rdcrence to thc Karaite Kholar, Benjamin N1h1wcndi. Cf. O~
m, 149 ff.
4:a. "a 90ul"-thc Ulllal uan1l1rion il "anyone."
43, "M>ul"- the uaual tnn1l1tion il "onc."
-
THE SOUL 2s1
the soul exdusivcly. ~hcy did not notc that Scripture Jikewisc
sa~:BA.nd:;nen ~s:ul 'shall toucl, any unc/ean thing (Lcv. 1 : 21 )
an ".' t .~ sor.~ I at eatetl, o/ the Pesh (Lcv. 7: 1o), whcrc the
cxprcssson sou1 can refer only to the body.
On thc othcr band. whcn another one among thcm observcd in
!hc usagc of the languagc of Scripture such statemcnts as And
,, shall come lo pass, tl,at from one neu, moon to anotl,er
shall all fksl, come to 111orship be/ore Me (Isa. (i6: 2J) and .A.nd ie;
all fies!, hleu.1-!~s l,o/y name (Ps. 145: 21), and the likc, hc tbought
that such. act1~1t1cs wcrc pcrformcd by thc body, not rcalizing that
thc f~ncttons anvolvcd in thcm, namcly spccch and eloqucnce a
pcrtam to the soul. , P-
Benjamin, again1 found such cxprcssions as And whose iniquities
are upon their /Jones (Eztk. ,µ: 27), and also All my l>ones sha/1
say: "Lord, wl,o is like unto Thee?" (Ps. 35: 10). He thcrcfore
thought that cverything dependcd upon the boncs. To bc sure, the
books of ~natomy O do, indccd, declare that the bodily framc of
man consasts of the bones and that thc ßcsh, thc artcries, the nervcs,
and thc musdcs ~e only their scrvants and guardians. 1 know,
howcver, that he did not makc the allegation he did out of unaware-
ncss of the fact that cvcry scicnce has a mcthod different from that
of anothcr, and that the sciencc of the Law bcars no relationship
whaten~ to that o~ anatomy. [He did so] rathcr [out of a misun-
derstandmg of Scnpture,] not rcalizing that thc [psalmist's) dccla-
ration: Lord, who is like unto Thee was not madc by the bones.
But hc was not contcnt with ( thc misinterprctation of the c:x-
prcssion in J this [ instancc J. He went so far as to add [ on the basis
of .thc samc misundersranding) that the bodics of Saul and of his
children wcre burned by thc inhabitants of Jabcsh, bccause of tbe
statcment .A.nd they camt to f ahuh and hurned ih~m there (1 Sam.
31: 12). [He asscrted] also that their boncs alone were buried, as is
stated by Scripture: And they took their l10ne1 anJ burieJ 11,m,
under ~l,e tamarisk-tree in /abesl, (1 Sam. 31: 13).
But m that casc, whcn thou notcst Scripture <102> saying:
44, "a 10Ul"--thc w111I transl11ion it "anyonc."
.. ,. Heu evidcndy referring to the book, of Galcn, Cf. Guttmann, p. 206, n. 1,
2.52 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
And Moses took the hones of /oseph with him (Exod. 13: 19),
who, pray, burned his body? And would tbat I kncw who burncd
thc body of The man of God tl,at t:ame from /udah (1 Kings
13:21) [lcaving bis bonca untouched] w that he dcclarcd: Lay
my bones beside his bonerl (l Kings 13: 31.) The remark made by
Scripture in regard to Saul and lili childrcn: And they burned tAem
('otham) there (1 Sam. 31: 12) must, thcreforc, be taken as being
cquivalent to Anti they made a burning for them ('4/ehem) thcrc,
as is said elsewhere: And with the burnings of thy fathers, the /ar-
mer kings that wn-e he/ore lhee, so shall they mal(.e a burning for
thee •• (Jer. 34: 5). Incidentally it is to be notcd that, in thc usagc
of the languagc of Scripture, thc expression And his father wept
for him ('otho) (Gen. 37: 35) is cmployed in place of And he wept
over lu'm ('alaw).
In gcneral, however, it may bc remarked that wbocver attributca
actions to thc soul only, or to thc body alonc or to thc bones cx-
clusivcly, docs so out of ignorance of the rulcs of the languagc of
Scripture and its usagc. lt is, namcly, onc of the pcculiaritics of thc
style of Holy Writ that an act that is pcrformcd by thrcc or four or
fivc different things is sometimcs rclated by it to thc first alonc, and
sometimes to the second alonc, and sometimcs to thc tbird alonc.
Thus wc know that thc function of spccch is carricd out by fivc
organs; namely, the mouth and the tongue and lhe lip and tne
palale and the throat. Thc language of Scripturc conscqucntly
abounds in such exprcssions as My mouth. shall ttll ·of Thy righ1-
eoume11 (Ps. 71 : 15); And my tongue sh.all speak of Thy righteous-
nesr (Ps. 35: 18); My lips sl,all praise Thee (Ps. 63: 4) ; Set the
horn to thy palate" (Hos. 8: I); and Cry with the throat," spare
not (lsa. 58: I) . In cach case, then, it is just one of thc five organs
cmploycd that is mcntioncd cxplicitly, thc othcr four bcing mercly
implicd.
Similarly, thcrcforc, hcre it is sometimcs thc soul alonc that is
mcntioncd, or thc body alonc, or the bones, or thc skin, whcn in
46. Thi1 quoration il bued on the reading of lbn Tibbon.
47. "palate"-the usual tnrul11ion is "mouth."
48. "with the throat"-ihc u1ual ttanslation ia "aloud."
THE SOUL 253
r~ty all of thcm are mcant. lt cvc? happcns that a function per·
~1D1Dg only to thc body or thc soul is attributcd to onc membcr of
the body alone. Thus it is said: Her feet ahide nol in !,er house
(P„ov. 7: n), And she work_eth willingly will, her hands (Prov.
31: 13), And mint eye abide1h in their provocalion (Job 17: 2),
Cannol my palate '° dircern t:ra/ty de11i~es? (Job 6: 30), and thc
like.
Having madc it clcar, thcn, from the standpoint of reason aa weil
as Scripture,. <203 > that thc soul and the body constitutc a single
agcnt, wc m1gbt add a furthcr support derivcd from rabbinic tra-
ditioo. 1havc referencc to the statement: 1/ someone were to os1er1:
"The body and the ,oul can have themselves exempted from /,nng
judged," ••• one could cite the parable of tl,e l(ing who had an
orchanl in which ht stationed two watdmen, one a lame man and
tl,e otl,n- a blinJ man (Sanh. 91a), and so forth until the end of
that story.
CHAPTER VI
Ncxt lct me discuss thc matter of thc time limit and say that the
Creator of body and soul has sct a certaio fu:cd measure of time for
their union. Thus He said: The numbn- of thy days I will fulfill
(Exod. 23: 26). He likcwisc said to thc princc of men: Behold, thy
days approad, that thou murt die (Deut. 31: 14). Fwthermorc he
said to onc of thc saints: W hen tl,y days are fulfilled, and thou ,halt
sletp wilh thy fatl,e,,s (II Sam. 7: 12).
I say, furthcrmore, that God may cither incrcase this mcasure
of time or dim.inish it. In my opinion, however, it is not God'a
knowlcdgc of how long H e will allow the soul to remain within
the body that determincs thc duration of thcir union, for God's
knowlcdgc excrciscs no direct influcnce on thc rcality of things.
Tbc measurc of time that is subjcct to increasc and diminution ia,
in my estimation, due rather to 'that of the vitality with which thc
body has bcen endowcd.
Thcrc can, namely, be no doubt that thc body is providcd by
49, "palate"-the usull translation ls "ta1te."
 p
2.54 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OP1NIONS
God, from thc vcry bcginning of ju crcation, with a ccrtain ba,ic
potcntiality, cithcr grcat or small. Now thc cxtcnt of the duration
of this potentiality is what is called thc "time limit" of man's ex·
istcncc. God can, howevcr, add to it and strengthcn it so that it
will last, in addition to thc usual scventy ycars, for thirty ycars
longer; or He may wcakcn and soften it, so that it will dissolvc at
thc agc of fony. lt is along thcsc lincs that we conccivc of thc
incrcasc or ehe diminution in man's life span.
Now thc net agc attained by man aftcr thc incrcasc to or the
deduction from bis lifc cxpcctancy is thc onc that is known by bis
Crcator as bcing thc actual numbcr of ycars that he is dcstincd to
live. This is to bc cxplaincd as follows: God knows that the basic
lifc cxpcctancy of the body is sct at seventy years. He might incrcasc
this by thirty or diminish it by thirty.
But what arc the causcs of this incrcasc or diminution? [Tbc
answcr is given) in <204> such statcments of Scripture as The
Jear of lhe Lord prolongetl, days,· but tlu years o/ the 111icJc.ed shall
be shortened (Prov. 10: ~7) . God said, morcovcr, to one of the
pious: Änd 1 will add unlo thy days fi/teen years (II Kings 20: 6).
He said, furthcrmore, with rcfcrencc to thc nature of many of thc
rewards for vinuous conduct: That tl,y days may be long (Exod.
20: 12 and Deut. 25: 15), and the likc. About somc of the wickcd,
again, Scripturc says: And tke Lord smole all the first horn in lhe
land o/ Egypt (Exod. 12: 29) and A.nd thote thal died hy the
plague were•••. (Num. 25:9) and thc like. Now if thcsc last-
mcntioncd had dicd in accordancc with thc potentiality of thc time
limit .fixed for thcm, thcre would have bcen no plague by reason
of thcir sins, nor would aught have bccn rcmoved through the act
of Phincas.
lt has also bccn dcfinitcly indicatcd by tbc prophct that thc
plague prodl.lccs dcath at a time other than thc regular age limit
set to man's lifc. He said, namcly: Nay, hul the Lord shall smile
him,· or his day shall eome 10 die,· or he sha/1 go down inlo hallle,
and be swepl away (1 Sam. 26: 10).
On the other hand, however, lct mc say that not every virtuous
man has his life incrcascd, nor is cvery sinncr's life diminishcd.
THE SOUL 255
.Every.thing dc~ds rather upon the choice of the Crcator and upon
what 11 salutary m cach casc. Thosc virtuous individuals, thcrc.forc
whosc lifc is not incrcased, can look forward to reward 'in th~
world to come. Again the wickcd who have not bcen cut off bcforc
thcir time in this world havc punishment awaiting tbcm in the
world to comc. This is borne out by thc statcmcnt of Scripturc:
For there is a time there /or every purpose and e&1ery wor,t (Ecclcs.
3: 17).
CHAPTER VII
And now that I have made all thcsc matters clcar, it bchooves me
to cxplain the state in which thc soul finds itself at the time whcn
it lcavcs the body. 1 say, then, that our forebcars have informcd 10
us that th~ angcl who is dispatchcd by thc Creator for the purpose
of scparatmg the soul and the body appcars to man in the form
of a figurc o~ ye~low!sh firc fillcd with eycs composed of bluish
fir~ and .holdmg m h1s hand a drawn sword aimed at him. Upon
scemg ham thus, the pcrson shuddcrs and his spirit separates from
his body.
Now when I rcgarded carcfully wbat is writtcn io Scripturc, J
fou~d thc ci~cumstanccs descri~d thcre to correspood cxactly to
the mformat1on_ they have transmattcd to us. For Scripturc remarks,
apropos of thc tarne of the plaguc: And David li/ted up J,is eyes, and
saw tl,e angel o/ lhe Lord s1anding he1111een the eartl, and 11,e
hea&1en, having a swortl tlrawn <205> in his hand strelchetl out
°"" /erusaltm (1 Chron. 21: 16). Then, after David bad prayed
and offercd sacrifices, Scripture statcs: Änd lhe Lord commanded
tht angel,· and l,e put up his rword b«k into the sl,eatl, thereof (1
Chron. 21: 27).
I furthermore found support for thc view that the body of thc
angel 11 is composcd of a yeilowish 6re in the statement of Scrip-
ture: As /or 11,e likenets 0/ 1!,e li11ing (rt!atures, 11,eir apptaranct
wat like eoa/1 of fire, burning like 1/ie appearanrts of lordes (Ezek,
,n. Cf. 'Äbh. Z.arah 2ob.
51, "1nFl"--lbn 1ibbon.
2,56 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
1: 13). For thc belief, again, that hc III is complctcly full of cye1,
I can adducc thc statcmcnt: A nd their 111!,o/e l,ody, 11nd 11,eir haelt.1,
and 1heir hond1, and their wings, and lht whtels wert /ull o/ eyts
round ahoul (Ezck. 10: 12). Thc indication, moroovcr, that thc
light of the eycs is bluc is prescnted by the fact that; iI thcy wcre
yeUow like thc body, jt would bc impossible to rc:cogn.izc thcm 11
cyes. lt is onJy by a distinction of thcir color that thcy arc reoog-
nizablc. Now thc color bluc has the appearance of thc electrum
which is mentioned in the tcxt (Ezck. 1: 4, 27).
Thou knowcst also that at die sight of thc grcat lirc our ancCJ-
ton almost died, as Scripturc rclatca: Now tl,ere/ore wl,y should
we die? for 11,it gmil fire will consume '" 81 (Deut. 5: :u). All thc
morc would this happen if such a ficry figurc werc dircctcd againet
a human bcing with a drawn " sword. Thou knowcst, too, tbat
whcn thc mastcr, Da11id, peact be upon him, bcheld that angcl,
cven though thc lauer had no evil intcntion1 so far as he himself
was concerned, he was afraid and frightcncd and madc to trcmblc
by him, as Scripture says: For he u,111 terrifieä hecau11 of tl,e
rword of 11,e angel of 11,e Lord (1 Chron. 21: 30). Nor did hc ccase
1hivcdng from that day on until he died, as is attcsted by Scripturc:
And lney covered him with flotl,es, /Jul he coultl get no heat (I
Kings 1 : 1). All thc morc would this apply to a person for whom
[thc vision of the angcl of dcath] is intcnded.
lf now somconc wcrc to rcmark, "But wc ncvcr sec thc soul
dcpart &om thc body," our reply wouJd be, "That i1 duc to its
transparency and to its rcscmblancc to thc air in its fincncss, just aa
wc arc unablc to sec thc heavcnly sphcrcs on account of thc purity
of thcir substancc:s and thcir transparcncy. In kccping with my cus-
tom, let mc cite the following cxample : If a person wcrc to takc
tcn lamps of transparent gws and put onc insidc thc other and
place a candlc in thc inncrmost of thcm, hc who would sec thc
candlc &om a distancc would not know that it is imidc tcn Jamp1,
72, "he"-lbn Tibbon.
53· nu, quotatlon foll.owa the reacling of Ibn Tibbon.
54. "drawn"--lbn Ttbbon.
THE SOUL 25'1
<:2o6> ~causc the light penetratca the substanccs of thcsc lamps
and thc v1s1on of thc beholdcr penctratcs to the light." This is, thcn,
all vcry clcar.
Next I shall put the qucstion: "But what is the status of the soul
aftcr. its cxi.t fr_om thc body?" and I shall reply, as I have already
prc~1o~y md1~ated; n~cly, that it is storcd up until thc time of
rctnbuuon, as ts stated m Scripturc: And He 1hat ketpeth thy
soul, doth not He know it? And shall not He render to e11ery man
ac,ording to hi1 work? (Prov. 24: ll.)
,:'hc placc, bowcvcr, ~h~e thc pure souls arc kept is up on high,
w~ile that of thc !urbtd 1s down bclow. This corrcsponds fully
w1th thc c.onstrucuon I havc put prcviously 1111 on thc cxprcssion
.As lhe brightness o/ the firmament (Dan. 12: 3) and on thc statc·
mcnt Whether il goetl, upw(lf'd (&des. 3: lt). lt agrccs also with
the rcmark of our carJy teachcrs: The soul1 o/ lhe righteous ore
lloreä heneatl, the throne o/ ,?lory whilsl thore of the wi(ked wan-
der Ge about in th~ 1110,ld (Sab. 15~b). This and similar distinc-
tions constitute thc diffcrencc betwecn thcm.
During thc liest periocl aftcr its separation from thc body, h'lW·
cver, thc soul exists for a whilc without a fixcd abode until thc
body has dccomposcd; that is to say, until its parts havc disin·
tcgrated. lt conscqucntly cxpcricnccs during this periocl much
miscry, occasioned by its knowlcdgc of thc worms and the vcrmin
an~ thc likc that pass through the body, just as a pcrson would be
pamcd ~y thc knowlcdgc that a housc in which hc used to live is in
ruins and that thorns and thistlcs grow in it.
Now this .painfu_l cxpcricn;c comcs to thc soul in varying dc-
grecs accordmg to 1ts descrt, JUst as docs its rank in thc world bc-
low, T.hc miscry it expcricnccs is, thcn, in proportion to its dcscrt~.
lt ts ~1th rcfcrcnce to that that our early teachcrs say: V ermin are
as pa,nful lo the dead as .a needle to the fies!, o/ a living person
(Sab. 15:za). Thcy basc th1s rcmark on the statement of Scripture:
n. Cf. 1boYe, PP· 242 II.
56. T1ie reading In the common edition, of the Blbyloni.o Talmud Yaries 1ame•
what from that given here.
 p
258 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Bul his flesh grie11e1h for J,im, and hit soul mournetl, over l,;m
(Job 14:n). Tbat is what I undcrstand is callcd 11,e judgment of
tl,e grave or 11,e &htUtisemeni of 11,e gra11e.''• 1
Next lct mc say that the duration of it1 existcnce apart fro_m thc
body extcnds until thc time whcn all thc souls, thc crcat1on of
which has bccn dccrced by the wisdom of <2.rYJ> the Crcator,
have beeo collcctcd; u that is to say, until thc end of thc existcncc
of thia world. Whcn, then, thcir numbcr has bccome full and
they have becn collected, thc soul.s ~nd thcir ~cspcctivc. bodi~
will bc unitcd again, a1 J ahall explam an thc trcat1sc fo~lowmg th~a
onc,11t whcrcupon God will rccompensc them accordmg lo tbczr
dcacru.
This thought, a& well as the thcsis that wc havc madc clcar prior
to it is also evident from thc statement of thc sage. For aftcr de·
clari~g: And 11,e spiril returndh unto God who. ga~e it (&des.
12: 7), hc informs us that the process through whach 1t passcs cnds
in rctribution. For he says aftcr this rcmark: The end of 11,e matter,
all ha11ing been heard. ••. For God sl,al/ bring every work into
tl,e judgment (Ecdcs. 12: 13, 14). Whcn hc says e11ery wor_\, hc has
refcrcncc, of c:oursc, to both thc body and thc soul. Whcn, again,
hc cmploys thc cxprc&!ion ,on,erning every hiddm tlling (EcclCL
12: 1.1), hc mcans thercby that any misrcprcsenution or forgcry
on thc part of thc soul that migbt bc hidden from us is rcvcalcd
to God. At that time, thcn, God will bring thc soul from hcavcn
and thc body from the carth and givc thcm both thcir rcc:ompcnsc,
as Scripturc says: He cal/d/, to tl,e heavens above, and to the
earth, thal He may ;udge His people (Ps. 50:4) . Praiscd, !hcre-
forc, bc the All-Wisc and blcsscd bc He, and lct us ask H1m to
lead us on thc road so of virtuc. So far as thc nature of thc reward
and thc punishmcnt destined for man in thc hcrcaftcr is c:on·
ccrncd, howcver, 1 shall, with thc help of thc Mcrciful One, ex·
plain that in thc ninth trcatisc.
57. Cf. Ta'ln. ua.
5s. Cf. the ft'fennca to the T1lmudic 1011rces, Guttm1nn, p. :an, n. •·
S9· Cf. PP• :164 ff,
60, "road"-ad&d b7 Ibn Tibbon,
THE SOUL
CHAPTER VIII
Now I dccm it proper to appcnd to thcsc obscrvation1 a rcfcr-
cncc to thc point of disagrccmcnt cxisting among those who dif-
fu about thc nature of the substanc:e of thc soul and who havc
exprcsscd thcnuclvea in rcgard to its fatc after dcath. For 1 find
rhat thosc who asscn that it is a material thing of airy t1 or ficry I I
substancc and most of those who aftirm that it is a» accidcnt 0 • all
maiouin that thc soul dccomposca and disintcgratcs and diaap-
pc,ars,H Those, agaio, who arc of the opinioo that it .iJ dcrivcd
from spiritual bcings, or from iu Crcator only, or from Him and
somcthing eise, or from two principlcs cxisting aincc ctcrnity,H
maintain unanimously that the soul rcturns aftcr dcath to the
sourcc from which it originatcd. Howcver, 1 havc alrcady dcmon·
stratcd thc untcnability of all thcac thcorics and rcfutcd them.
Yet I must say that I havc found c:crtain pcoplc, who call thcm-
selvc1 Jews, profcssing thc doctrinc of mctcmpaychosis, <208>
whic:h is dcsignatcd by thcm as thc thcory of thc "transmigration"
of souls. What thcy mcan thcrcby is that thc spirit of Reubcn
is transfcrred to Simon and aftcrwards to Lcvi and aftcr that to
Judah. Many of them would even go so far as to aucrt that the
spirit of a human .bcing might cntcr into thc body of a bcast or
th.at of a bcast into thc body of a human bcing, and othcr ruch
nonscnsc and stupiditics.
Now 1 havc studied thc considcrations which, thcy maintain,
lcd thcm to acccpt this doctrine, and found that thcy consistcd of
four mi1takcn prcmiscs, which 1 dccm it proper to list now and rc-
futc. Thc 6rst is that thcy adhcrc ro thc thcory of thc spiritualiats
and thc thrcc othcr thcorics,80 or thcy arc unaware of thc fact that
thc advocatcs of thc doctrinc of trarumigratioo have dcrivcd jt
from thc thcory of thc dualists and thc spiritualists. Howcvcr, the
61. Cf. p. 237.
6:a. Cl. p. :137.
63. Cf. p. :136.
64. Cf. Gut11111nn, p. :a 11.
65. Cf. p. :136 and nota :a-5,
66. Cf. above, n. 65.
26o THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
argumcnts against all thcsc vicws havc alrcady bccn sct forth and
notcd by mc.
Thc sccond basi.s of thcir conclusion is tbat thcy obscrvcd IT thc
traits of many human bcings and found thcm to rcscmblc those of
thc bcasts. [Thcy saw, for cxamplc, that there wcrc] pcrsons 011
who wcrc gcntlc likc shccp, and othcrs who wcrc violent likc
wild animals, and such as wcre malicious and contcmptiblc likc
dogs, and otbcrs, again, who werc ßighty likc birds, and so forth.
These observations provided support for thcir vicw that thc aforc-
mcntioncd traits wcrc acquircd by thc pcrsons in qucstion by virtuc
of thcir posscssing thc souls of thc rcspcctivc beasts.
This in itself, howcvcr, indicatcs how vcry foolish thcy arc.
For tbcy takc it for grantcd that tbc body of man is capable of trans-
forming thc csscnce of thc souJ so as to makc of it a human soul
aftcr having becn tbc soul of a bcast. Thcy assumc, furthcrmorc,
that the soul itsclf is capable of transforming the esscncc of thc
human body to thc point of endowing it with thc traits of the
bcasts cvcn though its form be that of men. lt was not sufficicnt for
thcm, thcn, that thcy attributed to the soul a variable nature by
not assigning to it an intrinsic .csscnce, but thcy contradictcd ·t hcm-
sclvcs whcn thcy dcclarcd thc soul capablc of transforming and
changiog thc body and thc body capable of transforming and
changing thc soul. But such rcasoning is a dcviation from logic.
Thc third [ argumcnt thcy prcsent] is io thc form of a logical ar-
gumcnt. Thcy say, namdy: ''Inasmuch as eo thc Creator is just, it is
inconccivablc that He should occasion suffcring to little childrcn,
unless it bc for sins committcd by thcir souls during thc time that
they wcrc lodgcd in thcir formcr <209> bodics ... This vicw is,
howcvcr, subjcct to numerous rcfutations.
Thc fi.rst is that thcy have forgottcn what wc havc mcntioncd
on the subjcct 10 of compensation in thc hcrcaftcr for misfortuncs
cxperienccd in this world.Tt Purthcrmorc wc shou]d likc to ask
67, "lhey obsemd"-lbn Tibbon.
68. "persons who"-Ibn Tibboo.
69 . "inasmuch 11"-lbn Tibbon.
70. "subjre1"-lbn Tibbon.
71 . He i• rdcrring to lhe thcory rnentioned in the 6fth tratise, p. 214.
THE SOUL 261
thcm wh.at thcy conccivc thc original status of thc soul to be-wc
,nean its status whcn it is first crcatcd. ls it charged by its Master
with any obligation to obcy Him or not? If thcy allegc that it is
not ~ chargcd, thcn thcre can be no punishmcnts for it cithcr,
sincc 1t was not chargcd with any obligations to bcgin with. If, on
thc othcr band, thcy acknowlcdgc thc jmposition of such a chargc,
in which casc obediencc or disobedicncc did not apply to thc soul
thcrctoforc,12 thcy thcrcby admit that God charges His scrvants
with obligations on account of thc futurc n a.nd not at all on ac-
count of thc pasc. But thcn thcy rcturn to our theory of compcnsa-
tion and are forccd to givc up thcir insistcnce on thc vicw that
~an's s~cring in this ~orld is duc solely to his conduct in a prc-
v1ous cxastcncc.
Thc fourth [ causc of their mistakcn conclusions] is thcir dcpcnd-
cncc on faulty intcrprctations of the Bible. Of thcsc I considcr it
appropriatc to mcntion a fcw cxamplcs. As onc of thcsc I might
c1tc thc statemcnt madc by Moses, pcacc bc upon him : But with
him that standet/, here w11h us this day he/ore the Lord our God,
and also with him that is not here with us this day (Deut. 29: 14).
This, thcy say, provc.a tbat the souls of tbc latest gc:ncrations wcrc
idcnrical with thosc of thc earlicst, whcrcforc thosc prcsent and
~hose abscnt wcrc -onc and thc samc. Howcvcr, thc simple mcan-
mg of that ve.rse ncgatc~ thcir vicwpoint, bccausc it statcs cxplicitly
that hc who 1s prcscnt 1s somconc eise than hc who is absent. Its
import, in finc, is that thosc to whom thc mcssagc of Moses has
comc by traditioo arc just as much obligcd to acccpt it as thosc
that wcrc prcsent to rcceivc it.
Anothcr instancc of misintcrprctation is that of the BibHcal
vcrsc: Happy is the man that hath not WQ/ked in the counsel of the
wicked (Ps. 1: r). Thcy say, namcly, that thc fact tbat Scripture
uscs thc exprcssion hat!, not walked and not that of will not walk
indicatcs to us tbat thc punishmcnt is mctcd ou't for cvil donc by
thc soul in thc past while it was in its first body. But this is a gravc
crror on thcir part, bccausc Scripture can dccrcc that thc pcrson
72. "obedience or , • , lheretofore"-lba Tibbon, 1nd M u corrected in thc
noltl to the Arabic teilt.
73· i.e., for ehe llke of future compcn1.1tioa. Cf. Guttrnaan, p. 213.
2162 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
in queation will bc Aapf'1 only aftcr Ae AalA nol walJced. lt cannot
do 10 bcfore l,e will nol walk. Tbc cxplicit mcaning of thc vcrae,
therefore, reiutes thcir vicw,
Furthcrmore, if it wcrc as thcy put it, thcn rcward would bc
confcrrablc only for future good decda, not for thosc of thc pa,t,
by reason of thc·fact that thc cxprcssion used by Scripturc in the
sequcl ia Andin Hi, low l,e 1/JoJl 14 meditok (Pa. 1: 2) and not that
of he l,a,I, meditoied. <210> by the ume tokcn that thcy con-
cludcd that punishmenu arc mctcd out for patt evila and not thosc
of the futurc from thc fact that the phraseology cmployed by Scrip-
turc ia: Happy , , , is l,e tliaJ 1101!, nol wallc,ed and not tl,aJ will
nol walJc.
Anothcr vcrse that hu been misinterpretcd by thcm i1: 11 u inßuencc [of this vicwpoint upon othcn ].
el,anied tU day unJer 11,e md: and 1hey 1111nd as a garmenl (Job
38: 1.4). Tbey n.amely construcd thc cxpresaion 11 it cl,anged u
relcrring to the soul, alfCl'tiog that this provca that it altcrn:nca
continually betwecn mcn and bcasu. Thcy did. not realize, how.
evcr, thc fools, that this prcdication was in reali.ty ma.dc of the
earth, for thc atatemcnt immediately preccding iJ: Tl,111 il migltl
take l,o/d of 11,e en4s of 1/,e.ellt'th. and tl,e wklc..ed l,e 1AaJc.m oul of
;, (Job 38: 13). lt il about thc carth ' 11 that the aasc.rtion i• made that
it il transformcd by virtuc of thc mi.sfonunes, due to the wi,Jced,
likc clay under thc scal, and that thcy cling to it a, though they
were its garment, unablc to bc auippcd off from it until God'1
acntence concerning them has ~ c;cccutcd.
A furthcr misunderatanding on their pan is that applying to
the rcmark of thc saint: He will rellore H my soul (Pa. 28: 3).
Thcy thought, namcly, that thi• implied a shutding from hody to
body, not recalling, ignoramusca that thcy are, that it refcrrcd to
thc relaxation and rat and rcposc of thc soul from thc excitement
c:xpcrienccd by it, not to a ratoration alter iu departurc from a
body.
Thc meaning of the ei:preuion in thc language of our early an-
74· •be ahall"--die uauat trualadon i1 "dotb he."
75. "al,aut the eanh"-Jbn Tibbott.
76. "will ffltatt"-chc u1111t tnndation 1, "mtottth."
THE SOUL 263
ccstors is quite dcar aod evident. Thw thcy said n of Samson,
when hc waa thirsty and hla Master gave him watcr to drink: Hil
spirit ,ame back ar,d l,e revived (Judg. 1.5: 19), aJthough it bad
actually ncvcr dcpaned from him. Similarly thcy aaid of thc Egyp-
~ who w~ h~~ry and who was fcd by David, pcacc be upon
h1m, .And l,11 spmt ,ame bae'( 10 him (I Sam. 30: 1:2). Again
Scri~ture says of thc f~thful mcssengcr: So is a faith/ul me11enger
10 h,m thot 1endetJ, l,1m,· for he restoretl, " tl,e soul of his master
(Prov. :i5: ~3). lt also aays of thc Law: The law o/ 1he Lord is per-
fed, re1tonng tl,e sou/ (Pa. 19: 8). 1 would have bcwarcd of dis-
cussin~ thc crror of thcir thco~ and guardcd against discoursing
about 1ts worthlessncss wcrc 1t not that I was afraid of the cvil
Lastly [1 mwt citc of thc examples of misundcrstanding] thcir
quotation [in support of thcir theory] of thc Saiptural statcmcnt:
Come from the four winds, 0 spirit," and l>re111he upon 1/Jese
1/ain, tl,111 they may live (Ezck. 37:9). I ask, howevcr: <211>
"What is thcrc in (all] this that points conclusivcly to [thc doc;..
trinc of] mctcmpsychosis?" Tbc only rcason dw thought has bcco
cxprcsscd as it is hcrc is rhat the wind, havc thcir fixcd abodc in
thc uppcr and lowcr rcgions. lo whichcvcr oi thcsc two sidca thcy
might bc, thcreforc-ayc, evcn if thcy should be in thcir four
direction....-thcy must comc forward whcn thcir Master calla them.
This is also bornc out by the statcment of thc uint: Thou would11
,all, and 1 would answer T hee; T hou wouldst Aave " delire to 1he
work of TJ,y hands (Job 14: 15).
Tbc sixth trcatisc has hcreby bcco complcted.
77, "rhcy uid"-lbn Tibbon.
78, "resroreth"--die u,ual tr1n,l1tion i, "refrnhcth."
79, "tpirit"-thc usual tnnslarion i, "bttath."

TREATISE VII
CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION OF TIIE
DEAD IN THIS WORLD
CHAPTER I
author of thi• book du:larcs that, a, fat as thc doctrine
HI
T of thc rcsurrcction of thc dead is conccrned-which wc
have been informcd by -our Master will take pJacc in thc
ncxt world in ordcr to makc pouible thc aecution of rcuibu.
tion-it ia a matter upon wbich our nation i• in completc agrcc-
mcnt. The baail of this conclusion ia a premisc mcntioned pre-
viously in the .6.m treatiscs of thiJ book: namcly, that man is the
goal of all crcation.1 Tne reason wby he has t:,ccn diningui.shcd
abovc all othcr creatures is that he might scrve God, and the rc-
ward for this acrvice is life cternal in the world of r«ompcme. Prior
to thia cvcnt, whcnever He sces .fit to do so, God separates man'•
spirit from his body until thc time whco the number of souls mcant
to bc crcated has becn fulfilled, whereupon God bring• about thc
union of all bodiei and souls again, as I havc cxplained.
We consequcntly do not know of any Jcw who would diaagrec
with tbis belief. Nor is it hard for him to undcr&tand how his Mas-
ter can bring the dcad to lifc; since hc has alrcady acccptcd as a
ccrtainty thc doctrinc of aeatio ex nihilo. Tbc rcstoration by God
of aught tbat has disintcgratcd or dccomposed should, thcrcforc,
prcscnt no difficulty to him.
Furthcrmorc God has transmittcd to us in writiJ)g thc fact that
thcrc would be a rcsurrcction of thc dcad at thc time of thc [Mcs.-
aianic] redemption, which has bccn bornc out by mcans of miracu-
lous proofs. lt i.s in regard to this point that I havc found a dif-
fercnce of opinion to cxist: namcly, as to whethcr thcre will be a
1, C::f. pp. 18o "·
RESURRECTION 26s
rcsurrcctio~ of ~c dcad in this world.1 For thc masscs of our nation
aasert ~at lt will comc about at thc time of thc redemption, Thcy
namely mtcrpret all YCr&C$ of thc Bible in which thcy find rcfcrcnccs
to thc ,rcaurrcction of the dcad in their cxotcric sense and sct thc
time to .which thcy rcfcr u bcing unqucstionably that of thc
redemp11on.
I have notcd, moreovcr, <212> that somc few of thc Jcwish
nation intcr~rct cvcry vcrse in which thcy find mcntion madc of
thc rcsurrectron of the dcad at thc time of thc redemplion as rc-
ferring to thc rcvival of a Jcwish govcrnment and the rcstoration
of the nation. ~atevcr, on the othcr band, is not datcd as taking
placc at thc time of thc redemplion is applied by thcm to thc
world to comc. 1 havc, thcrcfore, dcdicatcd thc prescnt trcatisc
specifically to this subjcct.
. Z:et mc say hc~e, thcn, that I have inquired and invcstigated and
verificd thc bchcf of thc masscs of thc Jcwish nation that thc
rcsurr~ction of thc dcad would takc placc at the time of thc rt·
dempt,on. 1 havc, thercfore, sccn lit to writc it down in order that
it might scrvc as dircction and guidancc like thc prcccding obscr-
vations of this book.
CHAPTER II
And so l dcclare, lirst of all, that it is a wcll·known fact that
cvcry statcment found in thc Bible is to bc undcrstood in its litcral
sense cxccpt for thosc that cannot bc so constn.icd for onc of
thc following f~ur rcasons. lt may, for cxample, cithcr bc rcjcctcd
by thc obscrvat1on of thc scnscs, such as thc statcmcnt: And tl,e
"?~n called his wife's name Eve; because sl,e u1as the motl,er of all
l,11,ng (Gen. 3: 20), whcrcas wc sec that thc ox and thc lion arc
not thc offspring of womankind. Hcncc wc must nccds conclude
that thc implication of thc statement cmbraccs human dcsccndants
only.
Or eise thc literal sense may bc ncgatcd by rcason, such as that
2. Cf. dte difffflllffl ol opinion amonr the teachen of the Talmud in Blr. 3 1,
4
•nd LI,, 631.
266 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
of thc statemcnt: For the Lord thy God is a devouring fire, a
jealous God (Deut. 4: 24). Now firc is somcthing created and dc-
fcctivc, for it is subjcct to cxtin.ction. Hcncc it is logically inadmis-
siblc that God rcsemblc it. W c must, thercforc, imputc to this statc-
ment thc mcaning that God's punishment is likc a consuming firc,
in accordancc with thc rcmark madc clscwherc in Scripturc: For
a/1 tl,e eartl, shall be devoured with tl,e fire of My jealousy (Zcph.
3: 8).
Again, [ thc literal mcaning of a Biblical statemcnt may bc
rcndcrcd impossible] by an cxplicit tcxt of a contradictory nature,
in which case it would bccomc nccessary to intcrprct thc first
statcment in a non-literal sense. Thus, for cxamplc, it is said in
Scripturc: Ye shall nol try lne Lord your God, as ye tried Him
in Massai, (Deut. 6: 16). And it is also said, on the other hand:
And try Me now herewitl, ••• if I will not open you tl,e windows
of l,eaven (Mal. 3: 10). Now thc point whercin thcsc two statc-
mcnts agrce is that wc must not tcst our Lord as to whether He is
ablc to do a certain thing, as thcy did of whom it is rcportcd: And
thry tried God in their l,eart by aslr,.ing food for their crat1ing.
Yea, they spoke againsl God; <213> they said: "Can God pre-
pare a table in t he wildernus?" (Ps. 78: 18, 19.) lt is to these that
the remark as ye tried Him in Massai, rcfers. lt is, howcver, pcr-
missiblc for a scrvant of God to test his Mastcr's power by asking
whether it bc possible for Hirn to create a miraclc in his behalf.
Such a rcqucst was indccd madc by Gidcon, who said: Let me
make trial, I pray Thee, but this once with the fleece (Judg. 6: 39).
lt was also done by Hczekiah (II Kings 20: 8) and others.
Finally any Biblical statement to the meaning of which rab-
binic tradition has attached a ccrtain rcscrvation is tobe intcrprctcd
by us in kecping with this authcntic tradition. Thus it has becn
transmitted to us that thc punishment of stripcs consists of thirty·
nine blows, although Scripture states: Forty stripes he may give
him (Deut. 25: 3). W e therefore adopt the vicw that this is just
a rough way of saying that thcre be thirty-ninc stripcs. Tbc text
of Scripture has merely expresscd this thought in round numbers,
as it has done in the statement: After the number of the days i11
RESURRECTION
"'l,i&/, ye spied out tl,e land, even /orty days, /or every day a year
1/u:dl ye bear your iniquities, even forty years 1 (Num. 14: 34). For
in reality thcrc wcrc only thirty·ninc ycars, sincc the fim year of
Isracl's sojourn in thc wildcrness did not entcr into this punish·
,ncnt.
Therc cxist, thcn, only thesc four possiblc rcasons for a non·
litcral intcrpretation of thc vcrscs of Sacrcd Writ, thcrc being no
fifth. So far as the rcsurrcction of thc dead is concerned, howevcr,
wc havc secn it [ take place ], and thcrc is no cycwitness to con-
tradict it, for wc do not aHegc that thcy will come to life of thcir
own accord but mcrcly that thcir Crcator will bring thcm to .lifc.
Furthetn1ore, thcre is no rational objection to the doctrinc (of resur·
rcction] bccause the rcstoration of something that has oncc cxistcd
and disintegrated is morc plausible logically than cre111io ex nihilo.
Morcover, thcrc is no othcr pronounccmcnt of Scripturc to contra-
dict ehe belief in rcsum:ction, but, on the contrary, thc tcxt of Sa-
crcd Writ confirms it by cxprcssly citing thc rcsurrcction in this
worJd of the son of thc Zar~hite (l Kings 17: :n) and that of thc
Shunammite (II Kings 4: 35) woman. FinaUy, thcrc exists no rab-
binic tradition ncccssitating thc non-litcral intcrprctation of this
conccpt, buc, on ehe contrary, all traditions corroboratc it.
Hcnce wc must ,lct this belief stand as it is according to the cx-
plicit statcmcnt of the tcxt of Scripturc that God will bring the
dcad of His nation to lifc again at thc time of thc redemption,
and it is not to be interprctcd othcrwise. How, indccd, could that
bc donc whcn the passages in which the resurrcction of thc dead is
mcntioncd [ in Scripturc] indicatc spccifically that it is to take place
in this world?
CHAPTER III
After thcse prcfatory remarks Jet mc say that [for cxamplc] tbe
pocm Give ~ar (Deut. 32: 1 ff.), w hich rcviews in chrono!ogicaJ
ordcr the fortuncs of the d,ildr~n of lmul, starts out wit.h the time
whcn our Master first elcctcd us. lt says, namcly: Remember
3. Thi1 quo1atio,, i1 bued on the rnding of Ibn Tibbon.
 p
268 THE BOOK OF BEUEFS AND OPINIONS
<214> 11,e days of oltl, consüler 1/,e years of many genwlllions,
•••• Wl,en lhe Most High g1111e 10 1/,e nalions their inhmlante.
••• For 11,e porlion 0/ 1/,e Lord is His ptoplt (Deut• .32:7-9). lt
thcn points out, in thc sccond placc, how God favorcd us, aaying:
He found him in" deserl l,nd (Deut• .32: 10). Thcrcupon, in thc
third strophe, it spcak1 of our haughtinca and our sins, aaying:
Bul /esl,urun wared /111, and kicktd (Deut. 32: 1.5). Tbc fourth
strophc dcals with our punishmcnt. lt say1, namely: A.nd 11,e Lmd
saw, and spumed (Deut• .32: 19), and all that follow,. Theo thc
fifth strophc 1peaks of thc punishment of our cncmics, aaying:
For 11,eir 11ine is 0/ 1/,e '1int of Sodom (Deut. 32: .32). Tbc sixth,
again, dwclls on our consolation and thc hclp to bc cxtcnded to
us, by telling us: See 1/,at l, nen l, am He (Deut. 32:39), and so
forth until thc end of thc pocm.
Now according to this chronological order, God's statcment: 1
lcill, and l makt aJi11e; l hallt woundtd, and l l,eal (ibid.) applics
to thc days of thc mltmption. Lest, howcvcr, wc gct thc imprcs-
sion that the meaning hcrcof is thc putting to death of ccrtain peo-
ple and the bringing to lifc of others, in accordancc with thc nature
of thc world, He gocs on to say: l h1111t wounded, and J l,eal (ihid.).
[This is donc] in ordcr to inform us that, just as thc body that has
bccn madc sick is thc samc as that which is hcalcd, so thc body
that has bccn put to death is thc onc that is to bc brought back to
life.
lt is, furthermorc, indicatcd to us that all this is to transpirc at
the time of thc rtdtmption, for He states in thc scqucl: For l li/1
up My l,and to hea11en, •••. 1/ l u,l,et My glittering sword• •••
I will makt Mine ""ows drunk witl, blood. , •• Sing aloud, 0 ye
nations, of His people (Deut• .32: 40-,t3), i.e., in thc sense of Sing
witl, gladness for Jacob •.• [ A.nnounce ye, , •• and say: "O
Lord,'"'" Thy ptople, tl,e remnant of lsratr'] (Jcr. 31:6).
Furthermorc lct mc say that bccausc thc Crcator was awarc of
the scruplcs arouscd in our hearts by the difficulty wc havc in ac-
ccpting thc doctrine of thc rcsurrcction of thc dead, He appriscd
His prophet Ezekicl thcrcof in advancc, saying to him: Son of
man, tl,ese hones are tl,e wl,ole l,ou1t of Israel,· hel,old, 1/,ry say:
RESURRECTION 269
Our honts art dried up, and our l,opt is lost; we are clean cul oO
(Ezck. 37: II). !hcn He ordercd him to bring us thc good tidings
of our rcsurrcct1on from oilr grave& and of the rcsuscitation of all
our dead, by saying to him immediately thercaftcr: There/ore
prophesy, and say unto them: ••. Bel,old, l will open your gra,m,
and cause you to eomt up out of your graves, 0 My people (Ezck
37:12).
Lest, howevcr, wc think that this promisc was madc only for
thc world to come, He addcd at the end of the statement thc words
A.nd / will bring you inlo 11,e land <215> o/ Israel (ibid.) in order
!o assurc us that it was meant to takc place in this world. Thc ob.
jcct to bc attaincd thcrcby is that cach one of us will, when God
has brought him back to lifc, make mention of the fact that it is he
that was alive and died and was then rcsurrected That is thc import
of His statement: A.nd ye sl,all know that l am the Lord, u,l,en I
l,a11e opened your gra11es (Ezek. 37: 13). Thc ment1on of thc
resurrection 4 in the land of Palestinc is then repcated by Him a
second time in ordcr to confirm for us the thought that it is to take
placc in this world, as He says: A.nd 1 will pul My spirit ;,, you,
and ye shall live, and I will pltlC't you in your own la11d; and ye
shall know that 1 tl,e Lord have spoken, and performed ;,, sailh
the Lord {Ezck. 37: 14).
· . 1 ~~y, mor~ver, t~at the prophe~ lsaial, 11 announced somcthing
stm1ltar to th1s prom1sc when hc satd: Thy dead sl,all li11e, my dead
hodies sl,all arise • (Isa. 26: 19), which corresponds to the statc-
ment madc by God [ in thc book of Ezekicl] : Our hone, are dried
up, and our hope ulost (Ezck. 37: 11). Again, the prophct's liken-
ing this situation to that of a pcrson who awakcs from his slcep, as
hc says: A.wake and sing (ha. 26: 19), corresponds to God's state-
ment in thc book of Ezckiel: And ye shall know thal 1 am 11,e
Lord, when 1 have openid your gra11es (Ezck. 37: 13). Thc com-
parison of resurrection, furthermore, to tl,e dew of light (lsa.
26: 19) is promptcd by the fact that this process involves thc use
4 "n:surrection"-Cf. une·Poole, p. 1296, tab'.
5, '111iah11-dded by Ibn 1ibbon.
6. 'Thia quotation followa the ruding of Ibn 1ibbon.
 p
270 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
of four elcmcnts. Tbc dust is, of coursc, alrcady prc.,cnt. As for thc
moisture, that is addcd by our Lord and is implicd in thc word
dew. Next God cndows thc dcad with the spirit, which is implied
in the expression light, bccausc thc soul is luminous likc light,'
as wc havc cxplaincd previously.
A.nd tl,e eanl, 1/,all ,ause tl,e shades to /all 1 (ibid.) mcans that
thc godlcss will fall to the ground and bc dcgraded, as wc havc
cxplaincd bcforc. Tbc ume applics to thosc that do not know what
their Master has commanded or forbidden. This is borne out by
thc statemcnt of Scripture: Tl,e man 1l,a111raye1I, out o/ 1he ""''Y
o/ underslanding sl,all resl in lhe ,ongregation of the sl,ade1 (Prov.
21: 16).
Next let mc state that I find that Daniel was informed by our
Lord about what was to come to pass at the end of time in forty-
scvcn vencs. Among thcsc there is one versc that spcaks of what
was to transpirc at thc end of thc rule of thc Persians; that is to
say, the [ very] first. Thirtccn of thcsc vcrscs again dcal with thc
history of thc kingdom of the Grecks, i.c., bcginning with' [ the
words J: A.nd a mighty lc.ing shall stand up, that shall ru/e ,,,;,1,
great domin;on, and do according lo his w,11 (Dan. n: 3), and
cxtcnding up to But he thal cometl, against him shall do according
to his own will (Dan. 11: 16). Twcnty othcr Verses dwcll on the
history of the cmpire of thc Romans, i.c., bcginning with [thc
words J: But he that cometh against l,;m sha/1 do accordin g 10 his
own will (ibid.), and cxtcnding up to And the lc.ing shall tlo «·
,ording to l,is will (Dan. 11: 36). Tcn furthcr vcrscs constitutc
thc history of thc dominion of the Arabs, <216> i.e.• bcginning
with rthe words]: A.nd 11,e king shall do according to hir will;
anti he sl,all exalt l,imulf, and magni/y himself (ibid.) up to AnJ
dt that time shall Michael stand up, the great prinu (Dan. 12: r).
Tbc last thrcc vcrses, finally, dcal with thc subjcct of thc re-
demption.
Now onc of thesc last threc verscs dcclarcs: A.nd many of tl,em
7, Cf. pp. 242 ff.
· ·11. "cau,e the 1hades to fall"-tht usual tn1n1l1tion is: "bring to life the ,hades."
RESURRECTION
''"'' sleep in 11,e dusl of the eartl, sl,all awake, some lo e11erltuting
li/e, and some lo reproa&hes (Dan. 12: 2). Note that it says spc-
cifically: A.nd many of tl,ern tl,at sleep, not All of 11,em tl,01 sktp
in 11,e dusl o/ tl,e earlh, bccausc All of them lhal sleep in 11,e du11
of 1Ae eml, would havc implicd that all thc sons of Adam wcre
includcd, whercas this promisc was valid for thc childrcn of Israel
only. That is why it uys many.
Furthermorc the statcmcnt: Some to n1erla11ing life, and
somt ••• (ibid.) docs not mcan that some of thosc that are
rcsurrectcd arc dcstincd' for rcward and somc for punishmcnt,
sincc no onc will bc rcsurrcctcd at thc time of thc redemp1ion who
is subject to punishment. lt mcans rather, by division of thc state·
mcnt, that thosc that will awalc.e will do so to e11erlasting life,
wherw thosc that will nol awake are dcstincd for reproarl,es and
e11erlas1ing abl,o"ence. For all thc virtuous and pcnitcnt pcrsons
will bc alive and thcrc will rcmain only thc godlcu and whocvcr
dicd impcnitcnt, and all that at the time of the redemption.
Now thcre may, of coursc, bc thosc who would rcsort to a non·
literal intcrpretation of thcsc vcrscs who would construc them as
rcfcrring to somctbing eise tha1,1 thc rcsurrcctjon of thc dcad. Thcy
might, for instancc, say that we find that in thc languagc of Serip-
turc a person of lowly fortunes who has bccn upliftcd by God is
spokcn of as having bccn raiscd by H im from thc dust. Thus it is
statcd : W l,o raistth up tl,e poor out of tl,t qust . . • that He may
set Mm will, princes (Ps. 113: 7. 8). Scripturc likewise spcak, of
a commoner who has bccn givcn a position of leadcrship in auch
tcrms as thc statcmcnt: Forasmuch tu 1 exaltetl thee out of tl,e Just
(1 Kings 16:2). On thc othcr hand, it comparcs thc multiplicity
of misfortunes and advcrsitics to thc dcad, for it says: Set apan
among the dtad, like the slain 1hat lie in 11,e gr1111e (Ps. 88: 6).
Man's releasc from bis misfortunes, again, is likcned to resurrec:-
tion, as Scripturc says: Tho", who htut made me lo see many onJ
sort troublts, will quicken me again (Ps. 71: 20). lt says, furthcr-
morc: Will Tl,011 not quicken 111 again, thal Thy ptople moy
rejoice in Thet (Ps. 85: 7)?
 p
272 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
CHAPTER IV
To him who prcscnts such arguments wc wish to point out that
his mcthod is crroneous bccausc it is not admissible that a vcrsc
[of Scripture] bc construed <217> in any other than its literal
sense except for one of thc four rcasons mentioncd by us prc-
viously.1 Where, howcvcr, none of thcsc rcasons cxists, thc vcrsc1
arc to bc taken in thcir explicit mcaning. For if it werc ncccssary
to construe every versc of Sacrcd Writ in whatevcr figurative sense
is possible without compclling proof, not a singlc rcvcalcd law
would bc maintaincd, sincc thcy arc 1111 capable of such non-litcral
interprctation.
Let me prcscnt scveral detailcd illustrations of thc abovc and
say that, for example, thc statement of thc Torah: Ye shall Jr..indle
no fire [throughot'1 your habitations upon the sabbatl, day] (Exod.
35: 3) might allcgorically bc takcn to mean "Do not sct up armics
in battle array on thc Sabbath day," corresponding to Scripturc's
remark clscwhere: For a fire is gone out o/ Hesl,bon, a flame
[lrom the c1ty of Sil,on,· it hat/, de11oured Ar o/ Moab] (Num.
21: 28).
Thc injunction, again, of T l,ere shall no lea11nied bread be ealm
(Exod. 13: 3) might bc construed allcgorically as signifying re-
fraining from fornication, in keeping with thc statement madc
by Scripturc elsewhere: They are all adulterers, as an 011en l,eated
by the baker, who ceasetl, lo stir /rom tl,e }c'neading of the dougl,
,mtil it be lea11ened (Hos. 7: 4).
Furthermorc thc commandmcnt, T /,ou shalt not taJr..e tl,e
mother 10 with the young (Deut. 22 • 6) would bc intcrprcted as
mcaning, "Do not kill an old man and bis childrcn in war," just
as it docs in the statcmcnt of Jacob: Lest he come and smite me,
the mother witl, the children (Gen. 32: 12), and as Scripturc says
clscwhere: The mother was dashed in pieces witl, l,er dildren
(Hos. 10: 14).
Also, if this kind of interpretation is necessary for the legal scc-
9. Cf. p. 265.
10. "mother"-the usual uanslation is "dam."
RESURRECTION 2'/3
tion of Scripture, it must likcwise apply to the narrative portion.
Conscquently thc statement of the Torah: And tl,e cl,ildren of
Israel went into the midst o/ the sea upon dry ground,· and the
wattrs µ,ere a wall unto them 11 (Exod. 14: 22) might bc intcr-
prcted allcgorically to mean that they enterc:d midway bctwec:n
the armics, since in the languagc of Scripture armic:s are com-
parcd to bodies of watcr. Thus Scripturc says: Behold, waters rise
up out o/ the north, and shall become an overflowing stream, anti
they shall 011erflo1v tlae land and all tlaat is tl,erein (Jcr. 47: 2). lt
says also: Now there/ore, /,el,old, the Lord bringet/, up upon
them tl,e waters of the River, mighty and many, er,en the king of
Assyria and all his glory (Isa. 8: 7),
Similarly the statc:ment of Scripture: And tl,e sun stood still,
and the moon stayed, until the nation l,ad avenged themsel11es
of their enemies (Josh. 10: 13) could bc intcrpreted allegorically
to mcan that the governmcnt would bc firmly established and
the kingdom maintain itself, in accordance with thc statement
madc clsewhere: <218> Thy sun shall no mort go down,
neitl,er shaJI tl,y moon withdraw itsel/ (lsa. 6o: 20).
Thc only correct principlc on which to proceed, therefore, is
that a vcrsc is not to bc divcrtcd from its obvious and gcncrally
recognizcd meaning cxccpt on thc ground of onc of the four rca-
sons that I have dcscribcd. Whercvcr such grounds do not c:xist,
however, the vcrsc is to bc taken in its simple sense.
CHAPTER V
Yet thcre are still likcly to arise in somcbody's mind uncertainties
in rcgard to the mcaning of certain verses, leading him to think
that they ncgate the idea of a resurrection of the dead in this
world. 1 have, thereforc, dccmcd it proper to mcntion them and
make clcar thc purposc they havc in view. 1 say, thcn, that thcrc
are three typcs of uncc:rtainties, cach onc of which is to bc clarificd
in its own spccific manner. Thc first of thcsc is of thc ordcr of
the statemcnt of the servant of God who said: 01, remember tl,at
u. Thia quoration followa ehe ttading of Ibn Tibbon.
 p
274 THE BOOK OF BEUEFS AND OPINIONS
my l,Je i1 a breath . • •• TJ,e eye of l,;m 1Aa1 se,,1, me 11,oll bdold_
me 110 more,· while Tl,i11e 'Y" are upo11 me, 1 om go11e. A, tl,e
t'/oud il con111med and 11ani1l,e1!, away, 10 l,e tl,at goetl, down
10 11,e gra11e 1/,all come up no more. He 1/,all ~,um no more to
1,;, l,ou1e (Job 7: 7-10). He asked also:// a man die, may l,e live
again? (Job.14: 14.) Furthcrmorc hc dcclarcd: So m11n lietl, down
and riutl, not (Job 1,p 12).
Now thc saints do not mcan to imply, whcn thcy makc such
rcmarks, that the Creator is incapablc of bringing thc dcad to lifc.
How, indecd, cm onc reproach Hirn thcrcwith when it is known
that He is omnipotent? Hcnce thcir intc:ntion in making thc
abovc-mentioned 1tatcmcnts could only havc bccn to dcscribe
man's impotcncc after bis dcsccnt into the gravc and hi1 inability
to rcsurrect his soul or to awake from bis slcep or to rcturn to bis
dwclling. Tbcy say in cffcct: "O God, have pity on a scrvant who
is so hclpless and in nccd of Thy mcrcy."
Thc sccond [type of verscs rcquiring clucidat~n] is of thc ordcr
of such statcmcnts of Scripturc as: So He remmibered 11,a, 11,ey
were but fle,I,; " wind 11,a, pas1e1J, """'Y• and cometl, not 11goin
(Ps. 78: 39); and .A., for man, Ai, day1 "" IU grtm,· "' a flower of
u
11,e field, 10 l,e flouri1/,e1I,. For 11,e 111ind pa1se1/, 011er il, and it
gone (P1. 103: 15, 16).
Now tbc objcct of thcsc vcrscs is to indicatc that onc of the
reasons for God'1 mercy on His scrvants is His knowlcdgc of thcir
wcakncss and of the inability on the part of their spirits to rcturn
to thcir bodics or thcir dwellings of their own accord. lt is by no
mcans, howevcr, intended thcreby to imply that thcir Crcator is
unable to rcstorc them. On thc contrary, the morc tbis cooditioo
of impotcnce is dcscribcd as applying to mcn, tbc grcatcr, u a
conscqucncc, docs thc ability of the Crcator to do thcsc thing•
loom. <219> Uttcranccs of this nature arc of thc same tcnor
as thc cxprcssion of amazemcnt on thc part of Scripture over thc
asscmbly at Mount Sinai, whcn it says: For a1k „ow of 11,, tlay1
past, wl,id w~ /Je/~ 1/,e,, , , • wl,e1l,er ,1,~ J,a,J, been ony
1ucl, tl,ing "' ,1,;, gr,at 11,ing i1, or l,1111, ken IINrtl like il, d~
RESURRECTION
(Deut. 4: ,µ). In foct, it is chicßy through thc impotence of His
crcaturcs that thc omnipotcnce of God bccomcs evident.
[An cxamplc,] again, of thc third type [of verscs prcscnting
difficulty so far as the doctrinc of resurrcction is concerncd J is such
a statement as: For !,im tAal i1 joined lo all 11,e living lhere il
1,ope; /or a li11ing dog il belter tl,an " dead lion. For ,1,, living
know 1/,al 1/,ey 1/,all die; bul the dead know nol anything, etc.
• •• A.1 weil lheir lo11e, as tl,eir l,atred and their en11y, i1 long ago
peri1J,ed, etc. (Eccles. 9: 4-6). Now although thcsc thrcc vcrscs
wcre pronounccd by thc sage, they do not represcnt his personal
opinion. They arc rather a quotation of the view of thc foolish,
bccausc thcy are prcceded by an account of thc agitation aroused
in thc hcarts of tbe foolish by this condition. He says, namcly:
Y ea a/10, the l,earl of tl,e son1 of men i1 full of e,,il, and madn,11
;, in their hearl wl,iJe tl,ey li11e, and after that they go to tlae dead
(Ecclcs. 9: 3).
Thcn, after having first statcd that men havc e11il and madn,11
in their hcarts by rcason of tbcir lifc as weil as of dcath, hc cx-
plains wbat is actually in thcir hcarts by cxprcssing it in thc thrcc
[subsequent] verscs. Tbc import of thcsc vcrscs is that, in thc
opinion of thesc fools, a living dog is bcttcr than a dead lion and
that the living know what thcy are going forward to but the dcad
do not know anything, for all thcir activitics are over and thcy
havc no morc portion in this world.
Sincc, bowevcr, tbe sage docs not makc tbcsc statements bcforc
prcfacing thcm with tbe obscrvation that they rcprcscnt thc agita-
tions of thc fools and thcir cvils, thercforc whocver adheres to
thcsc vicws is a fool, a pcrson who docs not turn toward God and
docs not prcparc to mcct, aye who docs not draw near, the prcscnce
of tbe light of bis Master. For mcn of evil and madne11 stand
asidc from God, as it is said: Evil 1/,all nol 1ojourn wi1!, Tl,ee.
Madmen 12 1/,all not 11and in Tl,y 1igl,1 (Ps. 5': 5, 6).
12. "Madmcn"~c usual tnnslation is "Thc boask:n,"
 p
2'}6 THE BOOK OF BELIF.FS AND OPINIONS
CHAPTER VI
I ncxt inqu.ired into what has bccn transmittcd by rabbinic tradi-
ti011, and I lcarncd that it prcscntcd a vicw similar to this: namdy,
that anyonc that docs not profess thc belief in thc raurrection of
the dead in this wor1d will not bc i'csurrcctcd togcthcr with thc
totality of thc Jcwish nation at the time of tbc redemplion. That
is thc import of tbc dictum of our sagcs: Since he doe1 not beliae
in the ruurrection < 2.20 > of tl,e dead, therefore he shall l,ar,e no
portion in it, because in all HiJ deahng1 tl,e Holy One, Bletsed
Be He, metes out melllUf'e for measure. For it l,u been said:
"Tl,en tl,e captain on whose l,and tl,e Jcing leaned an1wered the
man of God, and said: 'Btl,o/J, if the Lord should make windows
in hea11en, might thil thing be?' .And he 1aid: 'Bel,old, tl,ou 1hal1
1ee it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat tl,ereo/.' (II Kings 7: 2)'"
(Sanh. 90a).
lt is also reportcd in thc traditions of our sagcs in cxplanation of
thc prophctic uttcrancc; T hen shall we raise against him 1er1en
1hepherd1, and eight princes among mm (Mic. 5: 4), that thc
snen werc Da11id in tl,e center, Adom, Set/,, anti Mnhuselal, on
hiJ right, and Abraham, /«ob, and Mose1 on his left; and that thc
eigl,1 prince1 wcre fesie, Saul, Samuel, .Amos, Zephaniah, Heze-
Jciah, Elijah, and tl,e Messiah (Suk. 52b).
lt has furthermore bccn transmitted by rabbinic tradition that
when the dcad arc rcsurrccted by thcir Creator, tbcir clotbcs will
also be put on thcm again,11 which is no more rcmarkable than
the restoration to thc dcad of their souls. Now whcn this rcport
bccame widcspread among tbe masscs of our nation, pcoplc wcnt
to such cxccsscs in thcir cxpcnditurcs for the burial garmcnts of
thcir dcccascd that the burden bccame too hcavy for tbcm, until
one of the scholars allcviatcd it by asking for moderation in thc
sbrouds to bc used for him. That is thc import of thc statement of
our tcachcrs: At the beginning lhe ezpenditure on behalf of the
dead used lo weigl, so hear,ily upon those wl,o were darged
1herewith, tl,fll tl,ey would abtmdon 11,e body 011d run oway. Then
13. Cf. Kint. 111b,
RESURRECTION
,ame Robban Gamaliel and sei the ezample o/ tl,e disregard o/
cuJtom 11,rougl, himsel/ wl,en l,e had himself carried out in ironed
linen garments, wl,ereupon all the people /ollowed his ezample
(M.J.{, .27b).
CHAPTER VII
Having claborated on the aforcmcntioned statcmcnts, lct me
now say, by way of pressing further my inquiry into thc subjcct of
thc rcsurrcction of thc dcad, of those to bc rcsuscitatcd at the time
of the redemplion a1 weil as of thosc to bc rcsurrectcd in the world
to come, that pcrhaps somcone might wondcr, saying: "[lt is main-
tained] that, when the first gencration of men dies, the clcmcnts
of which thcir bodics are composcd disintegratc, cach part re-
turning to its original sourcc-1 mcan that the hcat rcjoin1 thc
[clcmcnt of] firc and becomcs minglcd with it, and thc moisturc
with thc air, and the coldncss witb thc [dcmcnt of] watcr, whilc
thc dryncss rcmains dust. Thcrcupon [it ia bclicved) tbe Creator
puts togcthcr thc bodics of thc sccond gcneration out of the source
matcrials <221 > with which thc disintcgrated parts of the first
gcneration havc bccn mingled. Then the sccond gcncration of
mcn dies lind their parts minglc with thc sourcc1 of thc clemcnt1
too. After that thc Creator makes up out of thcm a third gencra-
tion and the same thing happcns to it that happcncd to the two
preccding oncs, and so for thc fourth and thc fifth. [If all this bc
so,] how is it conccivablc that the first gcneration could bc com-
pletcly rcstorcd by Him and thus also thc sccond and thc third,
when apart of cach generation has alrcady entercd into thc othcr ?"
Now I can explain this ·vcry satisfactorily by saying that the
cmployment of the dccomposcd portions of thc bodies of thc first
gcneration in composing the bodies of tbc second would bc ncccs-
sary only if it were those parts alonc that remaincd in existence. In
that casc they would have to bc uscd ovcr again pcrpctually. Let
mc cite as a parable hercof the case of a pcrson who has in bis
posscssion silver vcsscls worth a thousand drachmas and [1upposc]
that therc are no others in cxistencc. Whcncver they would bc
broken, he would bring them back to the foundry and the 1ilvcr-
 p
278 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
smith's shop. On thc othcr hand, however, be who posscsses treu-
ure houscs aod gi,•cs thc assurancc that hc will take away thc
fragmcnts of any vcsscls tbat may hrcak so as to makc thcm over
again into thc sclfsamc vesscls-such a pcrsoo would takc from bis
treasurc housc thc ncw things procluccd and not mi1 thcrcwith
thc fragmcnt of any brokcn vcsscl. Nay hc wou]d set asidc thc
lattcr until hc bad madc thcm over as he bad promiscd.
On thc basis of this assumption, thcn, 1 made my invcstigation
and I found that the sourccs of air and firc that arc locatcd bc-
twccn the earth and thc first part of the heavcns werc cquivalcnt
in volumc to 1oo8 timcs thc cntirc mass of thc carth and its moun·
tains and scas. With such latitude thcrc was ccrtainly no reason
for thc Crcator to composc thc bodics of any sccond gencration out
of thc dccomposcd parts of thc first. Nay, He would mcrcly sct
thc lattcr asidc until He would fulfill for thcm what He bad
promised.
Howcvcr, somcone might also wondcr and ask: "But suppose
a lion wcrc to cat a man, and thcn thc lion would drown and a
fish would cat him up, and then thc fish would bc caught and a
man would cat him, and thcn thc man would bc burncd and
turn into ashcs. Whcnce would thc Crcator rcstorc thc first man?
Would He do it from thc Jion or thc fish or thc second man or thc
firc or thc ashcs?"
Now it sccms to mc that this is a matter that causcs confusion
to bclicvcrs, and I thcrcforc dccm it proper to prcfacc my answcr
by a preJiminary obscrva.tion. l say, then, that it is necessary
< "2 > for us to know that there cxists no object in thc world
that could completcly annihilate another. Even firc. which causcs
things to bc burncd so quid<ly, mcrely clfccts a scparation of thc
parts of a thing and a reunion bctween ca.eh part and its original
clcmcnt, causing thc dust part to turn into ashes. lt docs not, how-
cvcr, bring about thc annihilation of anything. Nor is it conccivablc
that anyone shouJd havc thc power to annihilatc anything to thc
poiot whcrc it would vanish complctcly cxccpt its Crcator, who
produccd it out of nothing. Sincc, thcn, this thcory is undoubtcdly
corrcct, any anim;:il that h;:is dcvourcd a certain body has not
RESURRECTION
thcreby annihilated it but mercly brought about a disintcgration
of its componcnt parts.
I say, morcovcr, that the cause which compcls cvcry animal to
scek noµrishmcnt is thc fact that the air withdraws from thc body
rhc thrcc constitucnt clcmcnts: namcly, thc heat, thc moisturc,
and thc coldncss. Nor is it in animals alonc that this withdrawal
is cffcctcd by the air, but also in cvcry vcgetablc. Thc proof hcrcof
is that, if wc wcre to lcavc a ßat-cakc of brcad in a house for a
long pcriod of time, wc would find thc air to havc withdrawn
from it thc thrce above-mcntioncd clcmcnts, leaving in it only thc
clcmcnt of earth. Hcncc thc bodies of animals arc always in nccd
of nourishment in ordcr that thcrc may bc a material rcscrvc
within thcm that thc air will not draw out. For if thc air did not
find any food particlcs to draw from, it would draw upon thc basic
clemcnts of thc body and thc body would perish.
I say, furthcrmorc, that whcn a pcrson cats an applc, thc air
cxtracts from his body thc hcat and thc moisturc and thc coldncss
that were containcd in thc applc and only thc carthy part rcmains,
which turns into rcfusc that is cxcrctcd. lt thcrcby bccomcs clcar
that thc constituent parts of the applc disintcgratc, thrcc of thcm
bcing absorbcd by thc air whilst thc fourth is takcn up by thc
carth. Inasmuch, howcvcr, as the applc has not bccn promised by
its Crcator that it will bc restorcd, its parts bccomc minglcd with
thc grcat sourccs, each part rcjoining its original clcmcnt.
As for man, on thc othcr hand, by rcason of thc fact that hc has
bccn promiscd by his Crcator that his constitucnt parts will bc
gathcrcd and rcstorcd to thcir formcr position, thcsc parts of his
body are sct aside, not bcing mixcd with thc clcmcntal masscs.
Rathcr thcy rcmain separate until thc time of thc rcsurrcction, so
much so that evcn thc carthy portion of thc human body that has
bccn absorbcd <223> by thc earth, although it may sccm to us
as though it has bccomc mingJcd with thc gcricral mass and is
thus hiddcn from us, is yct not hiddcn from thc vicw of thc
Creator.
Sincc, thcn, thc matter can bc thus cxplained, in vicw of thc
fact that nonc of thc constitucnt parts of thc human bcing who
 p
28o THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
has bccn dcvourcd could havc bccn annihilatcd, thcy must all havc
bccn sct asidc, whcrcsocvcr thcy may havc bccn takcn up, whcthcr
it bc on land or in thc sca, until such time as thcy arc to bc rcstorcd
in thcir cntircty. Nor would such a rcstoration bc any morc re-
markablc than thcir original crcation.
Howcvcr, onc might pcrhaps wondcr and ask: "Will thcsc
individuals who arc dcstincd to be rcsurrcctcd in this world cat
and drink and marry, or wiU thcy not do any of thcsc things?"
Our reply hrrcto i, that it must be rcalizcd by us that thcy will
cat and drink as wc do and that thcy will also mMry. This is evi-
dent from thc fact that thc son of the Zarepl,ite u. and thc one
of thc Shunammite 11 woman, who wcrc brought back to lifc in
this world, both atc and drank alter thcir rcvival and werc in a
fit statc for marriagc. 18 lt has also bccn statcd by onc of thc
scholars of the Talmud that hc was a dcscendant of some of thcsc
[pcrsons who had becn rcsurrcctcd in dus world) (Sanh. 92b).
A convincing proof of the rcsurrcction of the_dcad in this world
was furthcrmorc furnisbcd by that miracle, which was accn by
thc mastcr Ezckicl, thc priest, and which is publishcd at the bc-
ginmng of thc Biblical passage commcncing w1th thc words The
l,and of 11,e lArd was upon me (Ezck. 37: 1), and so forth. Tbc
fact, moreover, that thcsc dcad appcarcd to thc prophct [ in thcir
rcsuscitatcd statc], as Scripturc statcs: A. nd the /Jreath eame into
them, and 11,ey .lit1ed, and stood up upon 11,eir fed, "" e%eeeding
great host (Ezck. 37: 10), scrvcd as conclusivc cvidcncc to the
prophct. So must also thc rcst of thc nation considcr it positive
cvidcncc of thc truth of this doctrinc whcn thcy sec anyonc of thcse
reaurrcctcd pcrsons with whom thcy arc acquaintcd, live and
stay alivc.
Now thc lifc span of thcsc whom God brought bacl~ to lifc, ac-
cording to Ezckicl, was probably approximatcly of thc samc dura·
14. Cf. 1 ltinp 17: 23 ff.
15. Cf. D Kinp 4: 35.
16. A«ording to Pirke Rabbi Eliczu, chap. uxlli. the IOll ol. the Za~pbitie wu
the J)hlphet Jon1h, whoae wi&: (d. 'Erubh. g6b) i1 rcpulld to ha,e madc tbe pil·
,rumge ro the Tanple of JeruAlcm. The 10D of the Shunnamlte, acc:ordln1 IO
Zohar ([, 7b.. lnlrOduction) wa, tbe prophct Habükuk.
RESURRECTION
~ß~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shunammitc woman. As for tbosc who arc destincd to be rcsur-
rectcd at thc time of thc redemplion, it has bccn transmittcd to us
conccming tbcm, by rabbinic tradition, that thcy will not die
again. lt has, namcly, becn remarkcd by our forcbcars: The dead
111hom the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is destined 10 re1U1cita1e will
not relurn to their du1111gain (Sanh. !)U), Also, when we scruti-
nize Scripturc carcfully, wc notc that it confums this view, for it
declarcs tbat thc hcavcn and thc carth will disappcar, but that
thc redemption will rcmain. That is thc import of its statement:
Li/t up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth be-
neath; for the heat1eru shall 11anish away lilt,e smoke, and tl,e
eartl, <224> shall wax old lilt,e a garment, and lhey that dwell
tl,erein shall die in lik,e manner,· but My salvation sl,all be forever,
and My favour shall not be abolished (Isa. 51: 6). Now wc know,
of coursc, that thc redemption is not a substancc so tbat [onc
could say of it J that it is itsclf subjcct to survival. What is, tbcrc-
forc, mcant by the redemption is rathcr thc pcrsons [ who arc to
bc thc bcncficiaries] of thc redemption, just as in the statcment of
Scripturc: Tl,e wisdom of wo,nen 11 buildeth l,er 1,ouse (Prov.
14: 1), it is thc [human] posscssors of wisdom that arc rcfcrrcd to.
Onc might, howcvcr, wondcr and ask: "How will thcsc [indi-
viduals who arc rcsurrcctcd at thc time of thc rcdcmption J be
transportcd to thc ncxt world?" [In rcply t~crcto,] lct it be statcd
that wc must rcalizc that the road which will bc followcd by thcsc
who will be brought back to life will bc thc samc as that of all
other mcn for whom thc sccond locality in which thcy will havc
thcir bcing will bc crcatcd, so that thcy will be transfcrrcd .with
the least cffort from thcir .first location.
Now onc might furthcrmorc remark: "These individuals who
are to bc rcsucrectcd pcrformed whilc thcy wcrc alive in tbis
world thc functions of cating and drinking an<i marriagc. After
thcfr rcsurrc.ction, howcver, they will bc transfcrrcd to thc ncxt
.w?rld and, although thcy will rctain thcir original nature, they
will no longcr cat or drink. How is this to bc explaincd?" To
17. "The wbdom of women"-the u1ual tranllalion i, "Everr wile woman."
 p
282 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
rcndcr this comprchcnsiblc wc nccd but point to thc cxamplc of
Moses, our teader, of whom wc know that hc atc and drank likc
any othcr human bcing, and yct, whilc hc was tarrying on thc
mountain for forty days, hc ncitbcr atc nor drank (Exod. 34:28),
a)though bis physical constitution bad undergonc no change.
Anothcr qucstion that migbt be askcd is: "In thc casc in whicli
those to bc resurrcctcd we,e married whilc thcy wcrc alive in
this wor)d, will cach man's wifc return to him bccausc of thc fact
that shc bad formcrly livcd with him, or docs dcath dissolvc all
marital tics ?" Our rcply thercto is that it was similarly askcd by
onc of tbc scholar& of thc Talmud as to whcthcr or not tbosc who
will be rcsurrcctcd will havc to havc waler of purification sprinklcd
on thcm, and thc answcr givcn to him was that, inasmuch as our
teacher Moses will bc witb thcm, it is not ncccssary for us to rack
our brains about the matter •11 Likcwisc, apropos of thc subjcct
of marriagc, 1 will say that our minds arc capable only of grasping
our prcscnt state. As for what is forbiddcn or pcrmittcd in a situa-
tion that has no parallel at all in our carthly existencc, such as
whcthcr or not marriagc bonds will bc abrogatcd for thosc who
arc rcsurrccted, wc nccd not- conccrn oursclvcs thcrcwith, since
thcrc will be availablc in thc bcyond prophets and prophetic in-
spiration and divinc guidancc.
Tbc obscrvation might also be madc that, in conncction with
the .first rcdcmption-1 mcan lhe deliverance from Egyp1-wc
do not find that anyone who was dead was to comc to lifc
again. Our rcply thercto is that that was due to thc fact that the
Crcator bad not included with thc promise of redcmption that of
rcsurrcction, for if He bad made such a promisc to them, He would
havc carricd it out. He had said only: And a/terward they shall
come oul wilh greal subslance (Gen. 15: 14). In conncction with
the final redemption, however, the promise of resurrcction has
becn made by Hirn. Thcrc is, thcrcfore, no doubt that it will bc
fulfillcd.
<225> At this point I dcclare that the rcason that promptcd
[divinc] Wisdom, to thc cxtcnt to which our intcllcct is able to
18. Cf. N'iddah 7ob.
RESURRECTION
fathom it, not to include the promisc of rcsurrection in thc first
redemption while it did includc it in tbc last, was that thc first
er1s/a11ement of Israel was lightcr than that to which it is sub-
jectcd at present. Also its duration was bricfer, nor wcrc thc masscs
of Israel dispcrscd in thc manncr in which thcy are now scat-
tered. Thcy wcre, rather, all of thcm in onc placc. Hencc evcn
if they were promiscd but littlc, thcy werc satisficd and lookcd
forward to it. So far as our prescnt ensla11emen1 is conccrncd, how-
cver, our Master, exaltcd and magnificd bc He, kncw that on
account of its arduousncss and thc lcngth of its duration we would
not bc ablc to bcar up undcr it without grcat promiscs and many
good tidings. That ia why He ren,dcred thc accond rcdcmption
auperior to thc .6rst in scvcral rcspccts, onc of them bcing this
one--1 mcan the resurrection of thc dead.
To this I might, of my own accord, add ccrtain othcr advantagcs.
Thus I might point out that, whcrcas tbc first rcdcmption was
carricd out in haste (Deut. 16: 3) and spccd, the last will not takc
place in such a manncr. On thc contrary, concerning it Scripturc
says: Por ye shall not go out in haste (Isa. 52: 12). Also, whcn
our people was rcdccmed the first time, divinc rcvclations werc
transmittcd to us by thc spccch of thc prophcts. In conscqucncc
of this laat redemption, howcvcr, cach onc of us will bc the rccipicnt
of such inspiration, so that wc would no longcr bc depcndcnt on
onc anothcr in thc matter of rcligion, as Scripturc says: And 1hey
shall tead no more e11ery man his neighbour (Jcr. 31: 34) Morc-
ovcr, thc fust rcdcmption was succccdcd by lsracl's subjeclion to
forcigncrs, whcrcas the last will not bc followed by any such
subjeclion, as is said by Scripture: And there shall no strangers
pass lhrough her any more (Jocl 4: 17). Thcre are also othcr
similar rcspccts in whicb the last rcdemption will surpass the
first.
CHAPTER VIII
lf somconc werc to ask now and say, "Whom will thosc who arc
dcstincd to bc resurrectcd includc?" our answcr would be that it
284 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
will cmbracc thc cntirc Jcwish nation, thc virtuous thcrcof as
weil as whocvcr died rcpentant. This may bc infcrrcd from thc
11tatemcnt of Scripturc: And l will couse you to come up out of
your gravts, 0 My peopk (Ezck. 37: 1:2). Anyone, thereforc, to_
whom the designation of My people could be applicd would bc
included in this promisc. Now I do actually find that the virtuous
arc callcd My people. Thus Scripturc says: And to say unto Zion:
"Thou art My people" (Isa. 51: 16). Of thc sinful, again, thc
impenitcnt are not called My people. This is bornc out by the state-
ment of Scripturc: For ye are not My people (Hos. 1: 9). Tbc
pcnitent among thcm, on the othcr hand, are called My people,
as Scripture says: .And l will say to them that were not My people:
<226> "Tl,ou art My people" (Hos. 2: 25).
Furthcrmorc, our carly teachcrs declarcd, 11 when thcy cnu-
merated the various typcs of sinners: One migl,t thin!( tl,at if a
person transgressed posi#ive and negative commandments, such
as are punishahle hy e:rtirpation and such as are punishahle hy the
four forms of deatl, sentences to he ca"ied out hy the court. or i/ a
person desecrated the name o/ heaven, his deatl, would not atone
for l,im. Hence the te:rt of Smpture teaches: "Behold, 1 will open
your gravel' (Ezck. 37: 12). They have thus informcd us that any·
onc that has rcpcntcd from whatcvcr sin 1t bc, cvcn from that of
unbclicf, is includcd in this promisc.
Ncxt lct mc ask this gcncral qucstion: "Do not wc, thc con-
grcgation of monothcists, acknowlcdgc that the Crcator, magnificd
bc His Majcsty, will rcsurrect all thc dcad in the world to comc
for the occasion of thcir rctribution?" But what is thcrc in this
that would contradict the vicw that this nation would cnjoy an
advantagc in bcing grantcd an additional pcriod during which
our dead would bc rcsurrcctcd hy God prior to thc world to cqmc,
that ncw lifc of thcirs being cxtendcd hy Him up to thc time of the
lifc of thc world to comc? Why again should thcrc hc any causc to
prcvcnt this or distrain thcrefrom, or why should it not bc con-
sidercd as a mcrc act of justicc whcrcby whocvcr has bcen tricd
19. Saadia follow1 the readiDg of Mckhilt1 oo Eiiod. :ao: 7, quoti.Dg tbe yiet, of
Rabbi.
RESURRECTION
reccivcs compcnsation in proportion to bis trials; since this na-
tion of ours has bccn subjccted by God to grcat triah, as Scripture
say•: For Tnou, 0 God, hasl tried us: TAou hast refined ur? (Ps.
66: 1o.) lt is most fitting, thercfore, that He should grant to it
this additional pcriod prior to thc world to come so that it might
havc an advantagc ovcr all thosc who havc conducted thcmsclvcs
weil in this world, just as its paticncc and its trials havc cxceedcd
thosc of thc others.
Again, if someonc wcrc to ask, "If it should happcn that God
rcsurrcct all thc dcad of this nation, how would thc earth havc
enough spacc to contain thcm?" wc would say, in rcply thercto,
that wc tricd to figurc this matter out and found that from thc
time that our nation cmcrged upon thc world of mcn until that
of thc redemption a pcriod of somc 2,200 odd ycars would havc
clap.sed, constituting approximatcly thirty-two gcncrations, each
of which would consist of 1,200,000 men and womcn. Now even
if wc wcrc to concedc that all of them would bc virtuous or pcni-
tent so that they would bc dcscrving of bcing rcsurrcctcd at thc
time of thc redemption, wc would find that thcy would fill up
only ~hoth part of thc earth; that is, aftcr allocating to cach one of
thcm morc than :zoo cubits for his dwclling and his ficlds and his
busincss and othcr ~o nccds. Now if wc wcrc to multiply 1,200,000,
which is the approxirnate [avcragc] sizc of [thc population of]
the Jcwish nation throughout <227> the agcs, by 32 gcncra-
tions, wbich is thc number of thc gcncrations, thc product would
bc 38>400,000. If, furthcrmorc, wc wcrc to cut off for them f.rom
the earth a strip of 200 by 200 parasangs, whkh consLitutcs Yt~oth
part of thc carth's arca, and wc wcre to computc it in cubits, as-
summg that cvery parasang is made up of thrcc miles and thar
cvcry milc consists of 4,000 cubits, thc standard bcing the Ethiopian
cubit wh1ch measurcs two and a half and a thlrd of thc ordinary
cubit, therc would bc an nrea of 288 cubits in brcadth [by 500 in
lcngth] 21 for cach of thosc to bc rcsurrectcd. This is, thcn, some-
20, "other"--Dln Tabboa.
21. This II the ernendation 1uggnttd by Solomon Gandz, S1111tlitr Annittr""7
Vol•m~ (New York, 1943), p. 189 and notn 165 and 168,
286 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thing that can remain unknown only to thosc who are not disciplc1
of thc lcarned.
CHAPTER IX
Should somconc ask, again, whethcr thc mcmbcn of their fam-
ilics and their kinsmcn would recognizc thc resurrectcd and
whcther they would rccognize each othcr, 1 might say that I have
considcrcd this matter and have arrivcd at an affirmative conclu-
sion. For the sheplaerds and thc anointed and the propheta will ccr-
tainly be recognized 22 by thc nation [ at the time of thc rcsurrcc-
tiotl ]. Hcnce thc rank and file will also havc to bc diatingui.shable
so that thc diffcrencc bctwccn thc former and the lauer may bc-
comc evident.
Besidcs, Scripture has dcfinitcly atatcd that cvcry man will bc
attachcd to his tribc, as is cxplaincd in the chapter of thc book of
Ezckicl bcginning with the words N ow timt art tl,e name1 of the
lribe, (Ezck. 48: 1). In fact, even thc converts to Juclaism will
cach bc related to thc tribc whosc clicnts thcy havc bccomc, as
it is statcd: And it 1laall come lo pass, tlaat in wl,at lribt tl,e
nranger sojournetl,, 11,ere sl,all ye gi11e l,im l,is inl,mtonce, 1oill,
tl,e Lord God (Ezck. 47: 2.3),
Should thc qucstion bc askcd now as to whethcr pcnons aßlicted
with a blcmish will be rcsurrcctcd with their blemish still attach-
ing to thcm or whcther they will bc curcd thcrcof, wc would rcply
that thcy will bc cured. This is bornc out by thc statement of our
forebcars to the effcct that T l,ey will rise from 11,eir gra1111 will,
,1,,;,. hlemisl, attaded to tl,em and tl,m he cured (Sanh. 91b). lt
is, furthcrmorc, bascd on the statement of Scripture: 1 kill, at1tl l
make ali11e,· J l,a11e wounded, and 11,eal (Deut. 32.: 39), as weil as
on the dcclaration: Tl,m tl,e eye1 o/ tl,e blind sl,all bt opened,
[and tlae ear1 of 1/,e deaf sl,all he u,utopped.] Tl,m sl,all 1/11 lame
man leap as a l,art, and [tl,e tongue of tl,e dumh] sl,all sing (lsa.
35: 5, 6).
Onc might ask, moreover, whether thosc who arc dcstincd to bc
22. Cf. Suk. 52b.
RESURRECTION
rcsurrcctcd at thc time of the redemption will bc capablc of rcbcl-
lion against God or not. For, if thcy should not bc invcstcd with
thc power to do that, thcy would be subjcct to durcss. On thc
othcr hand, if thcy should posscss that power, thc qucstion ariscs
as to what would happcn to thcm in such an cvcnt. Would thcy
die and bc punishcd or not?
Now our answcr to qucstions of a similar nature is wcll known.
[1 havc in mind] particularly thrce other qucstions. <228> Thc
first is whether thosc who arc to bc rcwardcd with lifc in the
world to comc will bc ablc to sin thcrc or not. Thc sccond is
whcthcr prophcts are capablc of adding or subtracting aught from
thcir message. The third is whether angcls are ablc to rcbcl against
thcir Master or not.
Now thc answcr to thcsc threc qucstions, as weil as to thc
fourth herc propoundcd, is onc and thc samc. Wc must, namcly,
dcclarc that, inasmuch as it sccms plausible to reason that thc
Crcator of all things knows what will happcn to them bcforc it
comcs to pass, wc must necds assume that He would crcatc as
an angcl only such a bcing as He knows will obcy and not rcbcl
against Him. Nor would he sclcct as a prophct anyonc exccpt
him who He knows will choosc to bc truthful in his mission and
not teil lies. Nor again would He promisc reward in the world to
comc to thosc who are to bc rcsurrcctcd unlcss He kncw that
thcy would thcn choosc to obey and not rcbcl against Hirn. Sirn-
ilarly He would not havc promiscd His nation that it would bc
brought back to lifc at the time of thc redemption exccpt that He
kncw for certain that it would choosc to obcy Him aftcr thc resur-
rcction and not rcbcl against Hirn. For nothing that is dcstincd to
happcn is in its true essence hidden frorn Hirn.
Our rcply, again, to the qucstion that might bc asked as to
whethcr thosc to bc resurrcctcd will rcccive any rcward for thc
scrvkcs thcy will rcndcr to God at the time of thc mlemption is:
"Yes," just as rcason dcmands that those who arc dcstincd to live
in the world of rctribution rcceive rcward for thc scrviccs they will
pcrform in thc world to corne. This rcward will constitute an addi-
tion that thcy will rcceive over and abovc what they have carncd
288 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
by virtuc of thcir prcvious conduct. Now thcrc is no hcsitancy
about asscrting that thcrc is such a thing as thc pcrformancc of
scrvice to Gocl. Why, thcn, should thcrc bc such hcsitancy about
dcclaring that there is in thc world to come such a thing as thc
carning of rcward?
Finally, if thc question wcrc to be asked as to what would
happcn to thosc individuals in whose lifetimc the redemption·
would take placc, whcthcr thcy would die or not, wc would rcply
th3t, when this matter was considcrcd by thc thinkers, thcy ar·
rivcd at thrcc different conclusions. Some of thcm said that thcte
pcrsons would live and not die, but hc transportcd to thc ncxt
world in the samc manncr as thc rcsurrccted. Othcrs stated that
thcy would live for only a short whilc and die, and thcn immcdi-
atcly 28 bc revived in ordcr to bc on a par with those dcstined to
bc resurrcctcd at the time of the redemption. Still others dcclarcd
< >
that they would live a long life 229 but that they would not
live until the time for their transferencc to the world to comc.
In choosing among thcsc vicws, 1 found the third most plausi-
ble. For thc only rcason why thosc membcrs of the Jcwish na-
tion that bad dicd had bccn promiscd rcsurrcction was in ordcr
that thcy might witncss thc redemption. Thosc, howcvcr, who
will bc alivc whcn it occurs, will havc sccn it in thcir lifctimc.
Thcre would, thcreforc, bc no nccd of bringing thcm back to
life [ except] at thc time of the world to comc.
Now a proof of the fact that Jives will bc long at the time of
the redemption is prescnted by the statement of Scripturc: Tl,ey
shall not build, and another inhabit, they shall not plant, and
anotl,er eat; for as tl,e days of a tree sl,aJI bt tl,e days of My
people, etc. (Isa. 65: 22). As for this remark that thou sccst made
by Scripturc, namcly: For tl,e youngest sl,aJI die a hundred years
old, and tl,e sinner being a l,undred years old shaU be acc-ursed
(Isa. 65: 20), that is to bc regardcd only as an approximation and
to bc intcrpretcd in a relative sense. What I mcan is that, con-
sidering thc fact that in our age thc Jifc span of man is close to
23, "immedi1tcly"-t0 with 1 ,light cmendation of the Arabic ccxc by the addi·
lion of thc de.finite 1niclc 'tu. Cl. Gut1mann, p. 228, n. 2,
RESURRECTION
one hundred ycars, a pcrson who dies at thc agc of twcnty would
be said by us to bavc dicd a young man. Since, howevcr, in thc
era of thc rcdcmptio_n thc lifc epan will bc approximatcly live
hundrcd ycars, thc individual who would die at the agc of onc
hundrcd would1 by compariaon, bc said to bavc dicd young.
As for thc sinner who is mentioned in this versc, he is not onc
who sinncd against Gocl, for as regards one who sins against his
Master, it makcs no diffcrcncc whcther he bc twenty or a ht1nt!red
yelll's old. Thu sinner is rather one who wrongcd human bcing,,
for human bcings arc accustomcd to bcing indulgent toward an
old man who has sinncd against thcm. [In this instance,J how-
evcr, a pcrson who is onc hundrcd ycars old will, in rclation to
thc life span of 500 [ which will prcvail at thc time of thc rc-
dcmption,] not bc rcgardcd by mcn as bcing old. They will, thcrc-
forc, not bc respcctful of him, but cursc him and trcat him with
contempt bccausc hc will occupy in thcir sight thc position of
youth.
Maycst thou, then, sharc in this promisc-Oh, how excellent
it· isl-sincc all the prophcts and the virtuous and the rest of thc
nation will participatc in it.
Thc sevcnth trcatise has hcreby bcen complctcd with thc gracc
of God.

TREATISE Vill
CONCERNING THE REDEMPTION
CHAPTER I
u.a Master, magnified and exalted bc He, has informcd
O us, the congregation of thc children of Israel, that He
would delivcr us from our prcsent state, and gather our
scattcred fragments frofll the east <230> and thc wcst of thc
carth, and bring us to His holy placc and causc us to dwell thcrcin,
so that wc might bc His choicc and pcculiar posscssion. Thus it
is statcd in Scripturc: Tl,us saitl, tl,e Lord of l,osts: Bdold, 1
111ill s1111e My people from tl,e eut eountry, 11nd from tl,e west
eountry,' 11nd / will bring them, 11nd they shall dwell in the midst
of /rrusfllem, ek. (Zcch. 8: 7, 8). · This would be in accordance with the statcmcnt of Scripturc:
This subjcct has bccn cnlargcd upon by His prophcts to such
an cxtcnt that thcy wrotc m~ny books about it. Nor is it from His
latcst prophcts alonc that this knowlcdgc has comc to us. Nay,
this promisc bad alrcady, prior to that, becn brought to our atten-
tion by thc mcsscnger of God and mastcr of all prophcts, our
teader Moses. He rcmarkcd, namcly, in thc Torah: T hat then the
Lord thy God will turn thy e11ptivity (Deut. 30: 3) and whatcvcr
eise hc said in that passagc until its end. This has, furthcrmore,
bccn supportcd by thcm for us by mcans of miraclcs and marvcls,
whcrcforc wc acccpted thc doctrinc.
Now I also bcgan to inquirc into this matter and subject, making
usc of thc spcculative mcthod. Thcrc was, howcvcr, nothing in it
that stood in nccd of invcstigation and analysis 1 cxccpt onc item,
which I shall mcntion whcn I shall comc to thc middlc II of this
trcatisc.
As for thc prindplc of thc rcdemption itsclf, that is somcthing
1. "analysi1"-lbn 1ibbon and M.
:i. Cf. pp. 312 ff.
REDEMPTION 291
cbat must bc acccptcd for scvcral rcasons. Among thcsc arc the
validation prcscntcd by thc miradcs pcrformcd by Moses, who
w.u thc fint to ,pcak of' thesc things. Therc arc also thc signs
produccd for thc prophct lsaiali and other prophcts who an-
nounccd thc rcdcmption as weil as thc fact that He that scnt thcm
would undoubtcdly carry out II His promisc, as is statcd by Scrip-
ture: That eonfirmeth the word of His sm,11nt, ond performeth
tht eounsel of His messengers (Isa. 44: 26).
Anothcr [ rcason why Israel's ultimatc rcdcmption must bc ac-
ccptcd as a matter of coursc] is that God is just, doing no injustice,
and He has alrcady subjected this nation to a grcat and long-
protracted trial, which undoubtedly scrvcs partly as punishmcnt
and partly as a tcst for us. Whichcver happcns to bc thc casc,
howevcr, thcrc must bc a limitation of time, for [such opcration1]
cannot <231 > procecd cndlcssly. Oncc, then, the end has bccn
reached, thcrc must needs bc a ccssation of thc punishment of
thosc punishable and compcnsation for thosc subjected to trial.
Tl,111 her guilt is paid oO; that sl,e l,111/, re,eived of the Lord's
l,and double for 1111 her sins (Isa. 40: 2).
A [third] rcason [for having faith in lsracl's redcmption] is
that God is trustworthy in His promisc, His uttcrance standing
firm and His command cnduring forcvcr, as is said in Scripturc:
The grass withereth, the flower fadetl,, but tl,e word of our God
shall stand for e11er (Isa. 40: 8).
A [fourth) rcason [for bclieving in our pcoplc's final redcmp-
tion] is the parallel wc can makc bctwecn thc promiscs concerning
it and God's first promisc, thc one He had madc to us at thc time
whcn wc wcrc in Egypt. He bad thcn promiscd us only two
things; namcly, that He would execute judgmcnt upon our op-
prcssor and that he would give us great wealth. That is the im-
port of His Statement: And also tl,at nation, '111/,om they shall
serve, will/ judge; and afterward shall they eome out witl, great
substanee (Gen. 15: 14). Yet our cyes have scen what He has
donc for us bcsidcs that; namcly, thc cleaving of the sca, and thc
3, "carry out"-Jbn Tibboo and M.
292 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Manna and thc quail, and thc asscmbly at Mount Sinai, and thc
arrcsting of thc sun and othcr such things. All thc morc ccrtain,
thcrcforc, [must thc ultimatc rcdcmption bc]. For God has madc
us grcat and liberal promjsca of thc wcll-bcing and bliss and grcat-
ncss and migbt and glory that He will grant us twofold [ in
rcturn] for thc humiliation and thc miscry that havc bccn our
lot. Thus it is said in Scripturc: For your shame whid was double,
and for 1ha1 they rejoktd: "Confution is their portion"; thn-e-
fore in their land 1he1 sl,al/ possess double 4 (Isa. 61: 7).
Furthcrmorc, what has befallen us has bccn likcncd by Scrip-
turc to a bricf twinkling of thc cyc, whcrcas thc compcnsation
God will givc us in rcturn thcrcfor has bccn rcfcrrcd to as His
grcat mcrcy. For it says: Fora smaU momenl l,a11e l forsal(..en 1hee;
bul witl, grea, compassion will ] gatl,n- thee (Isa. 54: 7).
If, thcn, what has happcncd to us in the past can bc uscd as a
proof and an cxample, God will assurcdly do for us in the futurc
doubly double abovc what He has promiscd us, so that wc will
bc unable quickly and cntirely to computc it, as Scripture says:
And Ht will do thet good, and multiply 11,ee abo11e 1/,1 fathn-s
(Deut. 30: 5). . vcin that Scripturc comparcs thc cxpcctations chcrishcd by us to
This is also the rcason why thc mcntion of thc exodus from
Egypt is repeatcd for us by God in many placcs in thc Torah,
whcrc wc arc rcmindcd by Him of what wc havc sccn. If, again,
anything that <232> was wrought II by Hirn for us in conncc-
tion witb thc rcdcmption from Egypt has bccn lcft uncxprcsscd in
rcgard to this [last] rcdcmption, it is implicd in God's state-
mcnt: As in the days of 1hy coming forth out of tl,e land of
Egypt will l show unlo him mar11ellou1 things (Mic. 7: 15).
Tbercforc, also, dost tbou find us patiently awaiting wbat God
has promiscd us, not cntcrtaining any doubts conccrning it, nor
worrying or dcspairing. On tbc contrary, our couragc and tenacity
incrcasc .constantly, as is cxprcsscd in Scripturc: Be slrong, and
ltl your htarl toJce courogt, oll ve thot 111ai1 Jor lhe Lord (Ps.
31 :25).
4, Thi1 quotation i1 bated on the ruding of Ibn Tahhon.
5, "wrought"-lbn Tibbon and M.
REDEMPTION
Now whocvcr sccs us bchaving in this fashion may bc surpriscd
at us or regard us as fools for thc simple rcason that bc has not
expcricnccd what wc havc nor bclicvcd as wc have bclicvcd. He
resemblcs a pcrson who has ncvcr sccn how whcat is sown, whcrc-
fore, whcn he sccs somcone throw it into the cracks of thc carth
in ordcr to Jet it grow, bc thinks that that individual is a fool. lt
js at thc time of thc thrc:shing, whcn cvcry mcasurc yicJds twcnty
or thirty mcasurcs, that hc first rcalizcs that it is he wbo has bccn
the fool. This type of metaphor is also cmploycd by Scripturc in
auch statcmcnts as .They lnal sow in tears 1/,a/l reap in ;oy (Ps.
J16: 5).
Or dsc [thc position of him wbo docs not appreciatc our bc-
havior is J like tbat of a _pcrson who has ncvcr sccn how a child
is raisc:d and who con.scqucody ridiculcs him who raiscs a child
and cndurcs all thc burdcns imposcd upon him by thc lattcr's
necds, aslcing: "What is it tbat can bc cxpcctcd from • tbis child?"
Howcvcr, whcn tbe child has grown up and acquircd knowlcdgc
and wisdom and bccomc a king and a lcadcr of armics, that pcr-
son rcalizcs that it was himself that bc bad ridiculcd. lt is in this
[thc binh of] a man child. Thus it says: Be/ore sl,e 1ra11ailed, sht
brought forth,· bt/ore htr pain came, she was delit1tred of a man-
dild (Isa. 66: 7).
CHAPTER II
Funhcrmorc I ask: "How can it bc difficult for Hirn, in whosc
sight thc hcavcns havc approximatcly thc dimension of a span,
to send us prophctic rcvclations from thcm? Or why sbould it bc
hard for Him, for Whom thc mcasurcmcnt of thc scas ' is likc thc
strctch of a band, to gathcr our scattcrcd fragmcnts out of thcm?
Or sbould it not bc easy for Hiin, in whosc sight the dust of thc
carth is like somcthing <233> mcasurablc, to bring us from
thc cxtrcmitics thcrcof? Again, bow could it not bc a simple mat-
6. "be expccted from"-Jb11 Tibbo11 aad M.
7, "aeu"-lba Tabboa llDd M,
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
tcr for Hirn, in Whosc sight thc mountafos arc likc somcthing
weighcd, to build His holy mountain? That is indced thc rca~n
why, at tbc bcginning of those prophctic me11ages of c~nsolat,on
thc qucstion is askcd: W ho hath measured the wakrs ,n the hol-
low of His hand, and meted out heaven u1ill, the span, and com-
prehended [the dust o/ the earth in a measure, and weighed the
mountains in se·ales?) (Isa. 40: 12).
"Furthcrmore could not He, in whosc prcscncc tbc nations
arc likc thc drop of a buckct or likc the small dust of a balancc,
humblc tbcm bcfore us, as Scripturc cxpreucs it: Behold, the na-
tions are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust
of the balance? (lsa. 40: 15.) Ayc, wby should this be difficult for
onc who shakes thc earth off from them as we gatbcr the ends of
a cloth and shake it out, as Scripture puts it: To take • hold of the
ends of the earth, and the wicktd bt shaken out of it?" (Job
38: 13.)
Tbc fact is that, evcn if I bad mercly paintcd out tbat God is He
that crcatcd evcrything out of nothing, it would have sufficcd to
prove my point. Howcvcr, 1 prcscntcd in my exposition all thcsc
other matten bccause He Himsclf had prcscntcd them. lt is, there-
forc, not pcrmissible for us to entertain tbc tbougbt that He is not
awarc of our situation or that He docs not dcal fairly witb us or
that He is not compassionatc, as indecd He bas rebukcd us, say-
ing: Why sayest thou, 0 facob, and speakest, 0 Israel: "My way is
hid from the Lord, etc?" (Isa. 40: 27). Nor is it rigbt to tbink tbat
God is unablc to hclp us or to answcr our prayer, for, as Scripture
says: Bthold, tl,e Lord's hand is not shortened, that it canno1 sat1e,
neitl,er Hu ear l,ea11y, that it cannot hear (lsa. 59: 1). Nor finally
is it proper to believc that He bas forsakcn us and cast us off. Tbc
truth is, rathcr, as it has bccn cxpressed by Scripture: For tl,e
Lord thy God is a memful God,· He will not fail thee, neither
destroy 1/,ee (Deut. 4: 31).
What we believc, on the other hand, may God have mcrcy on
thcc, is that God bas sct two different limits to our statc of subiec-
tion. One is tbc limitation produccd by rcpcntancc, wbcrcas tbc
8. "ro takc"-thc usual tran,larion i1: "that it might takc."
REDEMPTION
tbcr is that occasioncd by the end. Whichever of these happen1
~o corne first will draw aftcr it the rcdemption. If, thereforc, our
repcntance be complctcd, no rcgard would be bad for the end.
Rathcr what would happcn would be as it has bccn aaid in thc
Torah [ with rcfcrcnce to our repcntance; namely,] <234> And
il ,hall come to pass, wl,en oll these things are come 11pon Ihn,
11,e blessing and the curse, ••. anti thou sl,alt return unto tl,e
Lord thy God, and l,earken 10 His t1oke ••• tl,t# tl,1 Lord tl,y
God will turn [11,y capti11ily], etc.• (Deut. 30: 1-3) and thc rc-
,naindcr of the tcn vcrscs of that pauage.
Should our repcntance, on the other band, fall short, we would
havc to lingcr until the pcriod of tbe end is fulfillcd, 10 1ame of u1
being subjectcd to punishmcnt and othera to trial1. Thit is, u it
is weil known, a rule that applics to cvery universal catastrophc
occurring at different timcs, such u famine, war, and pcstilcnce.
These serve as punisbmcnt for some and as a trial for othcrs. Cer-
tainly there must havc been in thc world at tbe time of the dclugc
young childrcn and babcs w~osc dcath can be conccivcd of only
as a trial for which they wcre to be compcnsated.
Similarly we do not doubt but that thcre wcre among our
forcfathers in Egypt many rightcous pcrsons who bad to cndurc
thcir trials until the pcriod of tbat end wa1 fulfillcd. Hcnce, let
no one say to us: J J "Had thcre been any rigbteous pcnons among
you, tbc rcdemption would havc comc to you." For wc notc that
our masters and. crowns, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, lingcrcd in
thc sm,ilude [of Egypt] for over eighty ycars until the pcriod of
that end was fulfillcd, and so did also many other righteous pcr-
sons likc tbcm.
CHAPTER III
lt bchoovcs me now to dwdl on the duration of tbe end. I aay,
then, that our Lord, magnificd and exaltcd be He, revealed to Hb
f, Thi, quotation i, bascd on the readinr of Ibn 111,boa,
10."h fulfillcd"-lbn Tibbon and M.
u. "ro u,"~cd by Ibn Tibbon. and M.
~ THE BOOK OF BEUEFS AND OPINIONS
prophct D,miel three angcls. Onc of thcm was 1uspcnded u abovc
thc watcr of thc Tigris, whilst thc othcr two, who wcrc atanding
on iu two banks, asked the onc who was suspcodcd abovc tbe
water when thc redcmption would takc placc. That is thc import
of thc prophct's statement: Then 1 D11niel looked, 11nd, bthold,
there stood otl,er lwo, tl,e one on tl,e ban,t o/ tl,e ri11er on tl,is
side, ond 1/,e otl,er on tl,e ban,t of 11,e ri11er on thot side (Dan.
12: 5).
Thcn thc angcl that was suspcndcd abovc thc watcr of bis own
accord sworc to him cooccrning thc limit that hc bad fixcd, evcn
though Daniel had dcmandcd no oath from him. D11niel aaid;
namely: And 1 l,e11rd <235> tl,e man ,lotl,ed in linen, wl,o tvtu
oho11e tl,e walers of 1/,e ri11er, wl,en l,e lifted up l,i., right l,11nd 11,ul
l,is le/1 hand unto l,e1111en, and swore by Aim tl,111 li11etl, for wer
11,at it sl,aJJ be for a time, times, and a half (Dan. 1:z: 7). Now thc
othcr two angcls hcard from him thc words " time, times, and a
half, and thcy wcrc satisficd thcrcwith bccause thcy rccognized its
mcaning. Daniel, howcvcr, did not know what was mcant by a
time, times, and II l,alf. Hcnce hc askcd thc angcl who was aus-
pcndcd abovc thc watcr conccrning it, 11 for hc aaid: And 1 l,eard,
hut understood not; tl,en said 1: "O my Lord, wl,01 sl,all be the
latter end of tl,ese tl,ings?" (Dan. 12: 8).
Thcrcupon thc angel of his own accord, bcforc giving him thc
cxplicit answcr, prcfaced his remarks to him by mcntioning thc
rcason on account of which hc had vcilcd this answcr in obscurc
terms. He told him, namcly, that hc had,thus obscurcd it only in
order that thc common pcople and the ignorant might not under-
stand and bc worricd. For the dcsircs and apprchcosions of thcsc
individuals do not corrcspond to thosc cntertaincd by thc wisc; that
is [ to say ], thc rcward of thc world to comc and lifc ctcrnal. Thcy
desire, rathcr, the possessions of this world and its glory that can
bc acquired immediately. Thc wisc, howevcr, will undcrstand thc
answer, as hc said: Go 11,y way, Daniel; for 1/,e words art 1/,u1 up
12. "1uspcnded"-lbn T'abbon i ncl M.
13. "concerning it"-lbn Tibbon aad M.
REDEMPTION 2':17
and sealed lill tl,e time o/ tl,e end. Many sl,all punJy tl,emselves,
and mal(e 1hemsel11es white, and he ref,ned,· [ hut the wiel(ed shall
do wickedly,· and none of the wicl(ed shall under'Jtand,· hut they
11,at are wise sl,all understand) (Dan. 12:9, 10).
Thercupon he explained to him that thc pcriod would bc one
of 1335 ycars. [He did this] in his statcment: Happy;, l,e 1ha1
,uaiteth, and ,ometl, to the thousand three l,undred and fi11e and
11,irty days (Dan. 12: 12). The tcrm days in this scntencc stands for
a cycle of ycars, as it docs i~ thc Scriptural statemcnt: Day1 u
,J,aJl l,e ha11e Jor its redemption (Lcv. 15: 19), which is followcd
immediately by thc remark: And i/ il he not redeemed witl,in the
spaee o/ a Juli year 111 (Lcv.15: 30).
Now wc find that whenever thc ,nd sct by our Lord to thc
existcncc of a kingdom is spoken of, it is said to bc in pcriods of
years, not of days. Sometimcs, howcvcr, this is cxpressed in terms
of ycars. This is illustrated in such statements of Scripture as: And
;, shall ,ome lo pass ofter the end of 1e11enty yeart, thal the Lord
will rememher Tyre (Isa .. :z3: 17), as weil as Al the end o/ forty
years will 1 gather the Egyplians (Ezck. 29: 13). On other oc-
casions, again, although thc cycles of time rcferrcd to arc years,n
they arc callcd days, as, for examplc, in God's statcment to the
master: Ezelciel, <236> 11,e priest, peace he upon Mm: For 1
l,1111e appointed the years of their iniquity 10 he unto tl,ee a n11m-
her o/ days (Ezck. 4: 5). Now the promiscuous usc in this case of
thc cxpressions years and days indicatcs that day1 arc here equiva-
lcnt to years. The samc applics, thercfore, to thc aforemc11tioned
passage [in thc book of Daniel].
Daniel understood, thcn, how thc exprcssion o time, times, and
a half could comc to mean 1335 ycars. That is why he rcfraincd
from asking furthcr questions. 1' We, howcver, may God dircct
thcc aright, must make strcnuous mental ctforts to fathom thc
14. "D1J9"-thc usual tnnslacion b "For a full year."
15. Thi1 quotation follow1 the rcadin,r of Ibn Tibbon.
16. "thc cyclcs , •• years"--so correccly according eo Ibn Tibbon.
17. "from 11king ••• que1cion1"-lbn Tibbon.
 p
:zg8 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
mcaning of a time, times, and a 1,alJ so that thc total will correspond
to 1335 years. For so far as thc expression a time is conccrncd, it has
only thc valuc of a modificr, as in thc phrase, In tl,e time appointetl
in tl,e montl, Abib (Exod. 23: 15). Tbc actual figurc is implicd in
thc words limes and a l,alJ. 11
lt was, thcreforc, thc mcaning of times anti a J,aJJ that wc in-
vcstigated, and wc found that it would taUy, if it wcrc to be as-
sumcd by us that hc mcant by thc word times thc period of thc
duration of thc govcrnmcnt of thc childrcn of Israel. In that evcnt
thc jntcrval of time covercd by thc end would undoubtcdly bc
about onc and a half timcs as long as thc numbcr of years that
thcir rulc lastcd. That.is [ to say, considering thc fact] that thc total
of the periocl of thcir !ulc amountcd to 8go ycars, ncithcr more nor
lcss, [bcing madc up of thc] 48o [ ycars] bcforc thc building of thc
Temple and the 410 [years] of thc cxistcncc of thc Temple. Half
of this sum would bc 445. Thc {csult would bc a grand total of
1335, ncither more nor lcss.
According to thc aforcmcntioncd calculation; thc statcmcnt by
Daniel: And Jrom 11,e time that 11,e continual hurnt.-offering shall
be taken away, and tl,e detestable tl,ing tl,at causes appalment stl
up, tl,ere shall be a tl,ourand two hundred and ninety days (Dan.
12: n), conccrning thc date of an cvcnt which occurrcd at the
time of the second Temple, when it was first built, would rdcr to
somcthing that happened forty-fivc years after the previously mcn-
tioncd remark was madc to Daniel.
Furthermore, from [thc figure quotcd in] bis statement: Unto
two thousand and thret J,,mdred evenings anti mornings,· then
_sl,all tl,e sanctuary be victorious (Dan. 8: 14) a half must bc de-
ducted, bccause thc numbcr of diurnal cyclcs is here multiplied by
the days and thc nights. Now half of this sum would bc 1150 years,
which would make the date referred to herein 185 ycars after that
in which the original remark, that we have mcntioncd abovc, was
madc to Daniel. Thus the tcrmination of thc thrcc periods dis-
cussed would occur in one and thc same year.
18. ''We, however, ••• times and a halr"-thi1 enrire pauage i1 oorrupt In
die Anbic text of Llndauer. lt h11 been corrccted according to Ibn Tibbon 1nd M.
REDEMPTION
CHAPTER IV
Let me say, morcover, that, on account of <237> the seeming
contradictions among the thrce periods of the end set by God to
our present statc of subjection, our Lord has also madc the time
Jimits of thc first two subjections scemingly contradictory, lest wc
imaginc that such an unccrtainty applics only and solely to this
last end by reason of its bcing spurious. But whcn we notc that
similar contradictions prcvailcd in thc data pertaining to the two
prcvious periods, which wc know to havc bcen genuine, doubt is
removcd from our minds.
Let mc now cxplain this by saying that the difficulty pertaining to
the enslavemenl of Israel in Egypt arises from thc fact that onc
time 111 thc pcriod during which thc descendants oJ Abraham
werc strangcrs, humiliatcd and cnslaved is stated to havc bccn 400
years. Thus it is said in Scripturc: Know oJ a rure1y 1ha1 thy reed
sl,all bt a stranger in a land that ir not tl,eirs, and sl,all stn1e 11,em;
and they shall afflict them Jour l,undred years (Gen. 15: 13), that
is [to say counting] from the birth of Isaac. Anothcr timc,20 again,
mention is madc of a pcriod of 430 ycars, in which are included the
1Mrty .additional years during which Abraham was a stranger in
a forc1gn land. For Abraham's agc at the time of his departurc
from Haran to Palcstine is cxplicitly statcd 21 (Gen. 12: 4). The
date of his departurc from Kutha to Harran, however, is not ex-
plicitly mentioned. The thirty years must, therefore, embracc the
period of Abraham's journcying. All this is implicd in the obscrva-
tion madc by Scripture: Now 11,e time that tl,e cl,ildren of Israel
dwell in Egypt war Jour l,undred and thirty years (Exod. 12: 40).
As for the questions of how the name of the children of Israel
came to be applied to Abraham and how Harran and Palestine
could bc called Egypt, they havc thcir explanati()ns which it is not
appropriate to mention herc.
19. "'one time"-lbn Tibbon and M.
20. "'another rime"-lbn Tibbon and M.
21. He wa. .then 75 yrar, olcl. Five years are allowed by Saadia for hia joumey
frorn Kutha to Harran.
300 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Notwithstanding thc aforcmcntioncd [figurcs], howcvcr, thc
total numbcr of ycar, apcnt by our forefathers 22 in Egypt was
210. No onc can, namcly, maintain that they staycd therc four
hundrcd ycars, bccausc it is impossible: that Kchath, Amram, and
Moses sbould havc livcd so long-and this is not the placc to cx-
patiatc on this matter. At all cvcnts, wc now have threc figurcs:
namely, 400 ycars and 430 years and 210 years. 25
As for thc subjtclion of thc lsraclites by tht Babylonians, two
figures arc citcd for its duration. One of them is 52 yc:ars. This is
borne out by the statement of Scripture: A/ttr st11tn1y ytars are
1Kcomplished for Babylon, 1 will rtmtmber you (Jer. 29: 10).
<238> Tbc othcr figure, again, is sevcnty y~rs, as indicatcd by
its statement .: Thal He would accomplisl, for lhe desolations of
/erusalem se11en1y years (Dan. 9: 2). Now bctwccn thc bcginning
of thc rule of Babylon and the destruction of f erusaltm thcrc was
an intcrval of cightccn ycars. This is bornc out by thc statcmcnt of
Scripturc: N ow in the fifth montl,, on tht seventh day of the
montl,, whid was the nineteentl, year of King Nebuchadnenar
(ß Kings 25: 8), and the rcst of that passagc. Thus thcre was an
interval of fifty-two ycars fcom thc time of that cvcnt until that
of thc rcign of Cyrus. The lauer gave thcm permission to build
the Temple, in the construction of which they engaged in that
ycar. Thcn they remained idle for sevcntccn ycars until thc pc·
riod of scvcnty ycars was complctcd, as 24 it is statcd in Scripturc:
Then ceastd tht work of the house of God which is at ferusalem,·
anJ it ctased unto the stcond ytar of the reign of Darius king of
Persia (Ezra 4:24). 211
Now just as fthc rcalization of] thc first end was not jcopardizcd
hy thc fact that thrcc varying figures wcrc assigncd to it: namely,
400, 430, and 210; and just as thc assignmcnt of two different
figures: namcly. 52 and 70, to thc sccond end did not jcopardizc
r
its rcalization l (ithcr, so, too, thc third end will not bc jcopardizcd
22. "our forcfathcrs"-M.
23, For this t<>mputatinn cf. Scdhcr 'Olam Rabba, chap. iii, and other refcrcncea
quotcd by Guum~'ln, p. 234, n. 2.
24. "as"-Jhr • ibbon.
25. For 1!1c computation cf. Scdhrr 'Olam Rabba, chap. nix.
REDEMPTION 301
by the application to it of threc divergent figures : oamely, 1150,
1290, and 1335, so long as the All-Wisc has granted His nation thc
wisdom whcrcby thcy can disccrn thc meaning of thcm all.
CHAPTER V
Having, thcn, cxplaincd thcsc ends and madc thcm clcar, I now
say that wc already know tbat, sbould our rcpcntancc not bc com-
plcted prcviously, wc would lingcr in cxilc until thc fulfillmcnt of
thc end. If, on thc otbcr hand, the end bc fulfilled without our hav-
ing rcpcntcd, it is inconccivablc that the redemption comc about
whilc wc arc still stccpcd in thc sins for thc sakc of which God had
exilcd us. Hcncc, if aftcr our having lingcrcd in cxilc for a long
time without rcturning to God, God would bring us back to our
land cvcn though wc should not havc improvcd, [ might onc not
ask whcthcr] our cxilc has [not] bccn in vain ?
Howcver, it has bcen transmitted by thc traditions of thc prophcts
that God would causc misfortuncs and disastcrs to bcfall us that
would compcl us to rcsolvc upon rcpcntancc so that we would bc
descrving of redcmption. That is thc sense of thc rcmark of our
forcbcars: 1/ tl,e lsraelites will repent, they will l,e reJeemeJ. 1/
not, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, will raise up a l{ing whose
dtcrets will be e11en more se11ere than those of Haman, whereupon
they will repent and thus be redeemed (Sanh. 97b.)
<239> [Our forcbcars) also tcll us that thc cause of this [vis-
itation] will bc thc appcarance in U pper Galilee of a man from
among thc dcsccndants of foseph, around whom thcrc will gathcr
individuals from among thc Jcwish nation.18 This man will go to
Jerusalem 27 after its scizurc by thc Romans and stay in it for a
ccrtain lcngth of time. Theo they will bc surprised by a man
named Armilus, 28 who will wage war against thcm and conqucr
thc city and subject its inhabitants to massacrc, 'captivity, and dis-
26. Saadia is the first lo mcntion this tradition. Cf. 1~,v;,1, Bncydo~tlit1 1nicle
"Armilus." Cf. also Ou11m1nn, p. 236, n. 4.
27. Jerusalem-M.
28. Armilu-Ibn 1ibbon and M, 11 1gainst the reading Annilius In Landauer',
m1nu1erip1.
302 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
gracc. Includcd among thosc that will bc slain will bc that man
from among thc dcscendants of /osepl,.
Now therc. will comc upon thc Jcwish nation at that time grcat
misfortuncs, 21 the most difficult to endurc bcing the dcterioration
of their rclationship with the govcrnments of the world who will
drive them into the wilderncsses to let them starvc and bc miser-
able. As a rcsult of what has happcned to them, many of them
will descrt thcir ao faith, only thosc purified remaining. To these
Eliiah tl,e prophet will manifest himself and thus thc redcmption
will comc.
After hcaring about thcsc misfortuncs, l, lookcd into Scripturc
and I found in it supports for each point in thc account. Tbc 6rst,
namcly, that thc Romans will takc Jerusalem at thc time of the
redemption , is bornc out by thc Scriptural statcment: And saviors
shall r:ome up on mount Zion 10 iudge the mounl of Esau (Obad.
:21). T hat, again, the war against thcm will.be conductcd by one
of thc dcsccndant.s of Radsei is supportcd by thc Scriptural state-
ment: Therefore hear ye the r:ounrel of 1/,e Lord, that He hat!,
taken againsl Edom; and His purposu, that He l,atl, purposed
againsl tlie inhabitantr of T~m an: Surely the youngest 11 of 11,e
floc/c_ shall drag them away (Jer. 49: 20).
Furthcrmorc, that only a few from among thc Jcwish nation-
not many-will gathcr about him u attestcd by thc statcment of
Scripture : An.d 1 will take you one of a city, and two o/ a family,
and 1 will bring yot1 to Zion (Jcr. 3: 14). That, morcovcr, thc at·
tackcr will scizc tbcm and takc thcm captivc and put thcm to
dcath is bornc out by thc statement of Scripturc: Behold, a day of
the Lord cometh, when 11,y spoil shall he divided in tl,e midst of
thee (Zcch. 14: r). lt states, furthcrmorc: For 1 will gatl,er all na-
lions againll Jerusalem lo hattle; <240> and the ri1y slaall be
taken , and the l,oures rifled, [and the women ravished; and l,alf of
the city shall go forth into caplivity ], etc.82 (Zcch. 14: 2).
29. "misfortuna"~bn Tibbon.
30. "1hcir"-lbn Tibbon and M.
31. "youngnt"-Thc usual translation i1 "least." Nott> that "lachcl" mca111
"ewe" in Hcbrew.
3:a. This quotalion follows thc rcading of Ibn Tibbon.
REDEMPTION 303
Also that thc man at thc hcad of thc Jcwish nation will bc a.mong
the dam and that pcoplc will wecp over him and bcwail him is
attcstcd by the Scriptural Statement: And they shall look u nto Me
1,«ause they l,01,e 11,rust laim 11,rougl,; and 1!,ey 11,all mourn for
!,im, as one mournetl, for l,is only son (Zcch. 12: 10), and thc rcst
of that passage. That, furthcrmorc, grcat misfortunc will bcfall
thc Jewish nation at that time is substantiatcd by thc statcrnent of
Scripture: And tl,ere sl,all be a lime oj lrouble, su,I, as never was
sin,e 11,ere was a nation even to tl,at same time 81 (Dan. 12: 1).
That, again, cnmity will spring up bctwecn thcm and many of
the nations, with the result that thc lauer will drive them into thc
rnany wildcrncsscs is supported by the Scriptural remark: And 1
will bring you into 1/,e wilderness oj tl,e peoplei, and tl,ere will
1 plead witl, you face to face (Ezck. 20: 35),H That thc Jews will
cxpcrience hungcr and thirst and hardsbip, such as it was thc lot
of thcir carly anccstors to cndurc, has its basis in thc subsequent
dtclaration: Like as I pleaded will, your fathers in 11,e wilderness
of tl,e land o/ Egypt, so will/ plead witl, you (Ezck, 20: 36).
That, morcovcr, they will bc purificd and sortcd like silver and
gold, so that thcir paticncc and [ thc strcngth of] thcir belief will
bccome known, is bornc out by thc statemcnt of Scripturc: AnJ
1 will ,ause you to pass under 11,e rod, and 1 will bring you into
tl,e bonJ of 11,e covenanl (Ezck. 20: 37).
That, furthcrmorc, thcsc mattcrs will causc thosc whosc faith is
weak to dcscrt thcir rcligion, saying, "This is what we havc hopcd
for and this is what wc havc attaincd thcrcof," is implicd in thc
statcmeot wbich follows ncxt, namcly: And 1 w,11 purge out from
amonz you tl,e rebels, and them tl,at lransgress against Me (Ezck.
20: 38).
That, finally, Elijah tlae prophet will appcar to thosc who will
rcmain is borne out by the dcclaration: Belu,ld, 1 will send you
Eliiah 11,e prophel. ••• And l,e shall turn tl,e l,earl o/ the fatl,ers
to tl,e children (Mal. 3: 23, 24).
Tbc chicf points of thcsc matters arc, then, all of thcm cxposcd
33, Thi1 quotation follows thc 'reading of Ibn Tibbon.
34. Thi1 quotation follows the rcading of Ibn Tibbon.
304 THE BOOK_OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
in thc Biblc, whilc thcir furrher ordcring and arrangcmcnt i1 car-
ricd out in systcmatic faahion in thc works of tradition. Praised be
He who in His gradousoess gave unto us advance notice of these
milfortuncs, lest tbcy comc upon u1 suddenly <241 > and causc
w to dcspa.ir. In rcfcrcncc to the occurrcncc of thcse miafortuncs
Scripturc also says: From the uttermost parts of the eartl, "4ve
we heard songs: "Glory to the righteous," (Isa. 24: r6) until thc
end of that passage.
CHAPTER VI
Next lct me say that in eithcr case--1 mcan whcthcr wc do not
repcnt and the cvents assodatcd with thc Me11iah descmded from
Joseph comc to pass, or we do rcpcnt and arc ablc to di1pcnse
with thcm-the Messiah descended from Dar1id will manifest hiqi-
self to us suddcnly. Should thcrc bc, howcvcr, [ in rhc sccond cvcntu-
ality] a Messiah de1'ended from /oseph who w~uld precedc him,
hc would servc as his hcrald and as onc who puts thc nation in
proper condition and dears thc way, :1s Scripturc says: Behold,
l send My messengn-, and He sha/1 (/ear tl,e tlJO'j before Me (Mal.
3: x). Or hc might bc comparcd to one who purgcs with firc thosc
membcrs of thc nation who havc committcd grave sins, or to onc
who washcs with lye thosc of its constitucnts who have bcen
guilty of slight infractions, as Scripturc rcmarks immcdiately thcrc-
aftcr: For l,e is like a refinds fire, and- like fu/lerl 1011p (Mal.
3:2).
In thc cvcnt, howevcr, that the Me1sial, descmded from /osepl,
docs not comc, so that thc Me1siah descended from I)avitl makcs
his arrival to us unhcralded, as Scripturc says: And the Lord, wnom
ye seek, will .suddenly come to His temple (Mal. 3: 1) 1 and he will
bring with him a rctinuc of pcoplc and go to Jcrusalc:m,111 thcn
if it be in thc hands of Armilus, 811 he will kill him and takc
it from him. That is the implication of thc statcment of Scripturc:
And l will lay My 11engeance upon Etlom by tne hand of My
.. ~. "Jerusalem"-lbn 1ibbon.
6. "Armilus"-lbn 1ibbon. 11ie Anibic tCllt ol Landauer rnd, "Armiliua."
REDEMPTION
305
peopk Israel (Ezck. 25: 14). Should it be in thc hands of someone
d.sc, again, hc would also bc of Edom.
F urthcrmcte, inasmuch as 81 the descendant of /oseph would
not come, thc appcarancc of thc descendant o/ Dar1id would havc
upo~ those. to bc rcdccmcd the c.ffcct of cncouraging thcm and
hcaling. ~cu brcach and consoling thcir souls, as Scripturc says:
The spmt of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath
1111oin1e~ me lo bring good tidin(! unto the humble; He hat!, stnl
. ~e to b,nd up the broke:i·hearted, 10 prodaim liberty to tl,e cap-
twes, etc• ••• 10 pr?cla,'!' the year of the Lord's good pleasure
(lsa. 61: 1, 2). At thas poant thc prophct cxpatiates on thc various
typcs of comp~~i?u that God would bcstow upon His pcoplc;
namdy; thc d1st1Dct1on and honor and glory that would bc con-
ferrcd UP_OD thcm. For hc says immcdiatcly aftcr thc prcccding:
To appomt unto them that n,ourn in Zion, to gi11e unto them
<242> "gar/anti for 1U/,t1 (Isa. 6I: 3). They will also rehabilitatc
thc land and dwcU in it, as he says: Anti the'I sl,a/l build 1he old
111astt1 (Isa. 6I: 4).
Thcn Gog and Magog will hcar about thc dt1~endant of Da11id
and thc cxccllencc of bis peoplc and country and thc abundancc of
their wcalth, and how thcy fcd thcmsclvcs sccurc without locks or
fortifications or aught rcscmbling thcm. They will, thcrcforc, covct
thc~, as is statcd ~n the account givcn of Gog: And tl,ou shalt say:
1 will go up agamst the land of unwalled 11illages; 1 will come
upon them that are at quitt, tl,at dwell safely, all of them dwelling
withoul walls, and har1ing ndther bars nor gatl!I (Ezck. 38: u).
~c will th~rcupon gath~r ~round himsclf pcoplc from sundry
nauons, crossmg RB countr1cs m ordcr to reach thcm, as Scripturc
says: And thou shalt come Jrom thy place .out of the uttmnost
parts of the north, thou, and many people1 with thee 81 (Ezck.
38: 15). Now thc folk that will be asscmbled about him will be
dividcd into two catcgories, onc consisting of ·notorious sinncrs
markcd out for pcrdition, thc othcr of pcoplc who havc mcnded
]7. "in11much 11..-Jbn 1ibbon and M. Landauer'• Anibic tcxt rcad1 "if."
18, "cros1ing"-lbn 1ibbon•
39, This quotarion follow1 thc rtading of Ibn 1ibbon,
3o6 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thcir ways in ordcr to cntcr the faith. In rcgard to those who are
de&tincd for pcrdition Scripturc aays: l will gather oll nations, and
will bring thtm down into tl,t vaJlty o/ /thoshaphat (Jocl 4: :z).
lt says also: Proclaim yt this among tht nations, prepare war; slir
up the mighty men; ltt all tht mm of war draw ntar, let thtm
comt up. Btal your ploughsharts into swords. ... Ham ye, t1nd
comt, all yt nations round ahout. • • . Let the nations be stirred up,
and come up to the 11olley o/ /ehoshaphat •••• Put ye in the sickle,
for the harvest is ri~ .... Multitudes, multitudts in tht 11alley
of dtcision (Jocl 4: 9--14).
As for thosc who will havc mcndcd thcir ways, on thc othcr band,
thcy arc thc oncs of whom it has bccn said: For thm wiU 1 turn to
the peoples a pure Janguage, that they may aJJ call upon tAe namt
of tl,e Lord (Zcph. 3: 9) .
Now thcrc will desccnd upon thc prodigals on that day four • 0
typcs of misfortuncs: (o) Some will pcrish from thc firc and thc
sulphur and thc stoncs of day bakcd in hdl tha~ will rain down n
upon thcm, as is said in Scripturc: A.nd 1 will ,aust to rain upon
him •.. an 011erflowing shower, and grtal hailstones, fire and
brimstone (Ez.ck. 38: 22). (b) Somc will die by cach orhcr's sword,
as is statcd by Scripturc: And 1 will call Jor a 1word againd him
throi,gl, all My mountains .•• e11ery man's 1word <243> shall
bt against 1,is brother (Ezck. 38: 21).
(t') Of somc, again, thc Ac.sh wiU rot and thc boncs disintcgratc,
as is said in Scripturc: And lhis shall ht the plagut whertwith the
Lord 111ill smite [ all tht ptoples 1ha1 have wa"td againsl /tru·
salem:] Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon
their /tel O (Zcch. 14: 12). Thc dccomposition will bc so far-goiog
that if onc of thcrn wcrc to strctch out his band to thc othcr in ordcr
to grasp it, it would wrcnch out 48 his band, as is said in Scripturc:
And it ,hall come lo pass in thal day, 1J,a1 a greal tumult from tl,e
Lord shall be among tl,em; and tAey shall lay hold e11ery one an
40. "four"-lbn nbbon, corm:dy, u 1gain1t "thrcc," which i1 the reading nf
the Arabic tnt,
41. "rain down"--lbn nbbon.
42. Thil quoeatioa ia basal on the raclin1 of Ibn 1ibboa.
43. "wrcnch out"-fücrally "bring up."
REDEMPTION 30']
tlle 1,and o/ hir neigllbor, and Ais hand sl,all rise up 11gain11 tl,e
J,11t1d of J, is neighbor (2'.ech. 11: 13).
(d) Tbc reat, finaUy, will bcar tbc marks of thc blows cndurcd
by thcm, auch as thc gouging out of an cyc or the mutilation of
thc oosc or the cutting off of a fi nget. Tbus will they go forth
into the widc world u in ordcr to rcport what thcy havc sccn, as
Sctipturc says: And 1 will work a sign among them, and 1 will
send such"' escape of tl,em unto tht nations, to Torshish, ek. (lu.
66: 19).
As for those that will mcnd thcir ways, thcy, too, will faU into
four classcs: (a) Somc will acrvc as domcstics in thc homcs of thc
child~n o/ Israel. These will bc thc most distinguishcd among
th~, as Scripturc say1: And l(ings shall bt thy fosterfalhers, and
thnr queens thy nursing motl,ers"' (lsa. 49: 23). (b) Somc will
bc madc to scrvc in thc citics and villagcs. Of tbcm docs Scripturc
say: And the hou,e of Israel shall possess them in tht land of tl,e
Lord for sm,ants and for l,andmaids,· and they sl,aJI takt tl,em
capti11e, 111/,ose captives they were; and they ,hall rule 011er tl,tir
oppre11ors (lsa. 14: 2). (c) Somc, again, will scrvc in thc ficlds and
1tcppcs, as is said in Scripturc: And strangers sl,oll stand anti feed
your /l«ks, and aliens sl,all be your plowmen and your 11ine-
drt1sers •• (Isa. 6I: 5).
(d) Thc rcmaindcr, finally, will rcturn to thcir countrics and
bc submissivc to Israel, and thc descendanl .of David will dccrcc
it upon thcm that thcy comc cvcry ycar to cclcbratc thc fcast of
tabcrnadcs,47 a, Scripturc says: And it shall ,ome 10 p1111 1/,a,
tfltry one that is left of all lht nations 1ha1 came againsl f eru1alem
sl,all go up from year lo year to worship the King, the Lord [ of
hosts, and lo teep the feasl of tabtrnat'les] (Zcch. 14: 16).
For any nation, howcvcr, that will not makc thc pilgrimagc,
thcre will bc no rainfall, as is statcd in Scripturc: A.nd it sl,all be,
tl,at whoso of tl,e familie, of tht earth goeth not up unto feru-
44, "into the wille world"-<f. Ibn 1ibbon.
45· Thi1 quotation follow1 the radin1 of Ibn Tibbon.
46. 'J1ii1 quotation followa the reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
47· "and the dncendant , , • tabernaclc:a"-added by Ibn 1ibbon.
3o8 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
salem lo worship • • • upon tl,em 11,ere shaU be no rain (Zcch.
14: 17). And if thc Egyptians shall say, "Wc nccd no rain bccausc
our Nilc watcrs our land," thcir Nilc will not risc, as Scripturc
says: And if tl,e family of Egypt go not up, and come not, [they
shall l,ave no overflow] 41 (Zcch. 14: 18).
Theo thc nations will sec that thc best mcans thcy havc of win-
ning thc favor <244> of thc Messial, is to bring mcmbcrs of thc
lattcr's nation that live in thcir midst to him as a gift. Thus Scrip-
turc states: And tl,e peoples sl,all take them, and bring tl,em to
their place (Isa. 14:2). It says also: And they shall bring all yo11r
brethren out o/ all the nations /or an offering unlo tl,e Lord (Isa.
66:20).
Now cvcry nation will cxccutc this in accordancc with its ability.
Thc wcalthy among thcm will, namcly, transport thc lsraclitcs on
horscs and mulcs and in littcrs and on dromcdarics 41 in thc most
distinguishcd fashion, as is said in Scripturc: And they shall bring
all your bretl,ren , , , upon l,orses, and in chariots, and in litters,
and upon mules, and upon swift beasts (ibid.). Thc poor 110 among
thcm, again, will bcar thcm on thcir shouldcrs and thcir childrcn
in thcir bosoms, as is said in· Scripturc: T 1,,,s saith tl,e Lord God:
Behold, 1 will lift up My l,and to the nations, and set up Mine
ensign to the peoples, and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom,
[and thy daugliters sl,all be ca"ied upon tlteir shoulders] (Isa.
49: 22).
Morcovcr, any Israclitc dwclling on thc islcs 111 of thc scas will
bc bornc by thcm in ships accompanicd by silvcr and gold, as Scrip-
turc says: Surely tl,e isles shall wait for Me, and tlte ships of Tar-
r
sltish first, to bring tl,y sons from far, thdr silver and their gold
,uith them] (Jsa. 6o: 9),
Should an lsraclitc happcn to bc in thc land of Ethiopia, again,
hc will bc transportcd by thcm in boats of bulrushcs until hc ar-
rivcs in Egypt. For in thc uppcr rcgions of thc Nilc thcrc arc
48. "and if ••• ovc:rßow"-addcd by Ibn 1ibbon.
49. "dromcdaric:s"--cf. Dozy'1 Supplement ouir Didionnoire1 Arohe, (Leydc:n,
1881), II, 171, 'omariyyoA.
50. "poor"-lbn 1ibbon.
51. "i1la"-addcd by lbn 1ibbon.
REDEMPTION 309
mountains that protrudc in thc water which the ordinary vcssels
cannot pass lest they bc brokcn in picccs. The boats of bulrushcs
covercd with pitch, howevcr, mercly bcnd but do not brcak. Thus
Scripturc says: A.h, Jand o/ lhe buzzing of wings, whicl, is beyond
the rivers of Ethiopia; that sendet/, ambas1adors by the sea, even in
11essel1 of papyrus upon the watersl (lsa. 18: 1, 2). Thc implication
of the cxpression tl,e buzzing of wings, by the way, is that its tcrrain
is shaded and covered ovcr by thc multitudc of mcn, as is statcd
at the end of thc passagc: In that day shall a present be brougl,t
,mto the Lord [of hostJ of a people,J ek. (Jsa. 18: 7). Scripturc also
says clscw~crc: From bryond the rivers of Ethiopia 1/,all they bring
My suppl,ants, e11en the d.1ughter of My dispersed, 111 Mine offering
{Zcph. 3: 10).
Any lsraelite, again, who will rcma.in in thc dcscrt or who
will havc no one of the nations to bring him to Jerusalem, will
bc brought so spccdily by our Lord as though a cloud had liftcd
him up and carried him, as is statcd by Scripturc: W l,o are these
thal fiy 111 a doud, and as the doves to their cotes? (lsa. 6o: 8.) Or
it would sccrn as though thc winds had borne him, as is said by
Scripturc: 1 will 1ay to the nurth-,uind: 112 "Gi11e up," and to 11,e
south-wind:na "Keep not <245> back, bring my sons from far,
etc," ( lsa. 43: 6) , ·
When, then, thosc [ of the nations of the world] who are alive
unite with thc living among thc Jewish H bclievers, as I have
dcscribcd, the resu"ection of the dead will take placc in the man-
ncr in which J havc cxplained in the prcccding treatise. At thc
heim and hcad of thcm will stand the descendant of /oseph, by
virtue of his bcing a rightcous and well-tricd scrvant of God, greatly
rewarded by his Master. Tbcn, too, will our Lord, magnificd :md
cxaltcd bc He, rcstore His sanctuary, as has bccn dcscribcd for
us: When t/1e Lord hath buill up Zion, When He ltath appeared in
His glory (Ps. 102: 17).
The structurc [of thc city] and the Temple will bc of the form
52. "north,wind"-the usual translation i, "nortb."
53, "south·wind"-thc: usual translation is "sourh."
54, "Jc:wish"-addc:d by Ibn 1ibbon.
310 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
cxplaincd by Ezckicl [in thc passagc bcginn.ing with thc word1]:
In 1/,e fi~e 1111d 1wmlie1I, year o/ our eapli11ily (Ezck. 40: 1). Thcy
will bc 1tudded with jcwcls and prcciow 1tonea, u haiah uid:
And I will mtJ.te 1/,y pinnoeles o/ rubies, 11ntl 1A1 1au1 o/ ,ar-
bun"les (lsa. 54 : 12). Thc cntirc land will bc inhabitcd 10 that no
plac:e in it will rcmain a dc,olation or a wildeineu, u il uid in
Scripturc: And 1/,e pmded lllnd shaJl berome a pool, and 11,e
thirsly ground springs o/ u1111er (Jsa. 35: 7),
Thcn thc Hght of [ God's] Presence will appcar ahining upon the
T cmple witb such brilliancc that all lighu will bccome faint or
dim in comparison with it, for I havc alrcady cxplaioed in thc aec-
ond treatise that thi, light [of God'1 Prcsencc] ia brigbter than
any 00 other. Thus Scripturc says: Arise, shine, /or 1hy light is
eome, 1111d 1/,e glo,y o/ lhe Lord is risen upon 1hee, For, l,el,old,
darJc.ness shall ewer 1/,e earlh ••• bul upon 11,ee 11,e Lord wiU
arise, etc. (Isa. 6o: 1, 2). So brilliant will that light bc that anyonc
who does not know thc road to thc Temple will bc ablc to travcl
by iu brightncas, for it will cxtcod from heavcn to carth, a1 it ha1
bccn said: And nalions,shall walle al 11,y ligl,1, ond ftings al 11,e
brigh1ne11 of 11,y rising (lsa, 6o: 3).
Thcn prophecy will bc so widespread among our oation that
cvcn our childrcd' and our slavcs will prophcay,1111 as hu bccn 1tatcd
in Scripturc : And ;, sl,o/1 eome 10 pass a/terward, 11,a, 1 will pour
out My spiril upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughln's
shall prophesy, ek. • • • and also upon 11,e sen,onlS and upon 11,e
handmaids (Jocl 3: 11 2). Such will bc thcir cndowmcnt that if onc
of thcm wcrc to journcy to any country and say: "1 am one of
thc bclicvcrs," thc pcoplc would ask him to tcll thcm what hap-
pcncd thc prcvious night or what would happcn on thc morrow
in rcgard to somcthing that was a sccrct to thcm. From his rcply
it will thcn bccomc evident to < 246 > thcm that hc bclongs to
thc Jcwish pcoplc, as it has bccn said in Scripturc: And 1/,eir seed
sha/1 be Jc.nown "mong lhe nations, and lneir o0spring among 11,e
peoples (Isa. 61: 9). · What an agc that will bc-onc that is all joy and gladncss, all
5'5, Cf. above, p. 121.
56, "will prophny"-added by Ibn 1ibbon.
REDEMPTION 311
This will, thcn, bc thc position that will bc hcld by thc bclicvcrs
as long as thc world cxists, without any changc, as it has bccn
said in Scripturc: 0 Israel, lhou arl soved by the Lord witl, an
e11erlosting slllvalion; ye shall not be oshomed nor con/ounded
,vorld wit~out end (lsa. 45: 17). No~ it occurs to mc that thc only
rcason Scnpturc cmploys thc cxprcmon world without end in this
onc of all placcs is in ordcr to confirm for us thc ccrtainty of thc
redemption by using thc strongcst [word] to bc found n in [thc
vocabulary of] thc [Hcbrcw] languagc. Anothcr [ rcason] is to
countcract thc allcgation that it will bc limitcd or transitory.
Furthcrmorc, Scripturc informs us that thr pcoplc that havc
bccn rcdccmcd will choosc to scrvc God and not to rcbel against
Him, as is cxplaincd in thc passagc [bcginning with thc words]
.A.nd the Lord tl,y God will circumcise tl,y heart (Deut. 30: 6), as
weil as in that [ which commcnccs with thc statcmcnt] : A new
J,earl also will l gi11e you, and a new spirit, tk, (Ezck. 36: 26).
This choicc on thcir part will bc duc to scvcral causcs. lt will
bc brought about by thc fact that thcy will sec thc light of [God's]
Presence and thcir cndowmcnt with divinc inspiration, and thcir
cnjoymcnt of sovcrcignty and wcll-bcing, and thc fact that thcrc
will bc no band that will opprcss them and no nccd that thcy will
cxpcricncc, and that thcy will bc gcncrally succcssful in thc rcst
of thcir undcrtakings.
Wc arc also informcd by Scripturc that all pcstilcncc, discases,
and infirmity 1111 will disappcar, and similarly sadncss and sorrow.
Thcir world will rathcr bc onc that is rcplcte with joy and glad-
ncss, so that it will sccm to thcm as thoygh thcir hcavcn and thcir
carth havc bccn rcncwcd for thcm. Thus it is cxprcssly statcd in
thc passagc [of Scripturc bcginning with thc words]: For, bel,old,
I creale new l,eavens and a new earth, etc. , .• Bul be ye glad
"nd reioice /or e11er• • , , And 1 will reioice in ferusolem, and joy
in My people,· and tl,e voice o/ weeping sha/1 be no more l,eard in
her, nor 11,e voice of crying (Isa. 65: 17-19).
57. "to be found"-lbn 1ibbon.
58. "infirmity"-lbn Tibbon,
312 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPJNIONS
obcdicocc and servicc of God, all rcward and savcd-up wcalthl lt
i1 to that age that the description of Scripturc applics: < 247 >
We wl,ose sons are as plants ••• ,ul,ose garners are füll, affording
all manne, of store; • , • wl,ose oxen are weU laden; will, no
breael,, antl no going forll, (Ps. 144: 12-14).
CHAPTER VII
Having prcscntcd thcse cxpl.anations, 1 1hall ncxt discws thc
rcport that ha.1 reachcd mc that ccrtain peoplCt who call themsclvcs
Jews maintain that thc aforcmcntioned promiscs and consolations
applied, all of thcm, to thc time of thc secontl Temple, and that
thcy werc fully rcalizcd thcn so that thcrc waa nothing furthcr
lcft to be fulfilled. Thcy arrived at this conclusion on thc basis of
a false prcmisc on wbich they built their argumcnt. Thcy asscrt,
namcly, that all auch cxtraordinary bappcnings as wc sec attributed
to thc redemption, in auch atatcments of Scripturc as Tl,y run 1/,all
no more go down, neitlier sl,all thy moon wi1!,draw ilself 111 (lsa.
30: :zo) and lt shall not he plucked up, nor throum down any more
/or euer (Jcr, 31: 10), wcrc intcnded to takc placc only on tbc con-
dition that thc obedicnce by thc peoplc of God bc completc.
These prophecics, they declare, are to bc undcrstood in the same
sense as thc atatement made by our teael,er Moses, ~ace be upon
!,im, to Israel: T/,at your days may be muhiplietl, ontl 1he Jays o/
your dlildren (Deut. n: :21). For whcn thcy sinncd, their sovcr-
eignty camc to an end and their rule ccascd. Similarly, during thc
time of thc seconJ Temple, somc of these promiscs wcrc rcalized
and thcn camc to an end, whilc othcrs wcrc ncvcr carricd out
becausc thc peoplc bad sinncd.
Now I took, may God dircct thcc aright, the basic assumption
of thc thcsis propoundcd by the~ individuals: namely, that thcse
r promiscs appertaining to the redcmption] werc mcant only con-
ditionally, and subjtctcd thcm to carcful scrutiny, and I found it to
bc untcnab1c for sundry rcasons.
Onc of thcsc is that thc promiscs made by Our teael,er Moses,
59. '111il quocatioo follow, the rading of Ibn Tibbon.
REDEMPTION
pea&e be upon l,im, wcrc cxplicitly atatcd to have bccn conditionaL
He said, namely: For if 'Ye shalJ diligently lc.eep all tl,is n,mm•nd-
,netll 1111,ieb 1 command you , • , Ihm wiU lbe Lord dri111 oUI 1111
11,,,, ntllions •0 (Deut. u: 2l, 23); and also: Bul if 1/,ou sl,ol1 ;,,.
deed Marlten unto His 11oice, ond do , , , 1/,en 1 will be an enemy
unlO 1hine enemies (Exod. 23: u); a, weil u: Antl il sl,all ~ome ,o
f""'' bm1use we llearJc.en (Deut. 7: 12), and thc likc. So far u thc
tonsolations [pen:.aining to thc rcdcmption] that havc juat bcen
listcd arc conccrncd, bowcvcr, thcrc is nothing conditional in tbcm
at alL Tbcy arc, in fact, absolute promiscs.
Furthermore Moses, peaee be upon him, wu not satidicd with
,nercly atating thr. condition of thcir rcward to his followcrt by
aaying, [as he did]: lf ye shall l(,eep <248 > and i/ ye sl,all l,tar/c.en,
leaving it to thcir reason to infcr that, if oo thc contrary thcy ahould
not fulfill thcir pledgc,, God would not fulfill His promisct cithcr.
Nay, bc statcd thc convcrsc of the agrccmcot dcfinitcly and made
it clcar to tbem that if thcy would not fulfill thcir obligatlona, the
situation would bc rcvcrscd so far as thcy wcrc concerncd.
Thua hc told thcm: And il sAall be, if thou sholl forgel 11,e Lord
11,y God, etc• ••• As 11,e notions lhot t/,e Lord make1I, 10 pnisl,
1,e/ore you, so sl,aU ye perisl, (Deut. 8: 19, :zo), He aaid also: W Atn
11,ou sl,a/1 beget child,m ond children's ehildren, [ond ye slsoll
, , , deal corruplly] , , , 1 call l,ea11en and earth 10 wilness agtlinsl
you 11,is Jay, [1ha1 ye sl,all soon utterly pmsl,] (Deut. 4: 25, 26).
Furthermorc he said: Bul i/ 1/,y /,earl turn oway, and 1hou will nol
l,11,r •• , [ 1 declore , •• 1l,a1 yesl,oll surely pmsl,] (Deut. 30: 17,
18), and the likc. In the consolotions applying (to thc rcdcJnption ],
howcvcr, no condition is statcd, not to spcak of thc convcrsc of a
condition.
Anotbcr reason [why thc tbcsis rcferred to above it untcnablc J
is that God's promiscs in rcgard to Isracl's rcdcmption have bccn
put by Him on a par with His Statement in regard to thc delugc
that occurrcd in thc days of Noah, peace be upon !,im. He said,11
namcly: "Just as, no matter how gricvously My scrvants might ,in,
6o. Thil quotation follow1 the reading of Ibn Tibboa.
61. "He aaid"-11dded by Ibn Tibbon,
314 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
I shall no~ bring a delugc upon thcm becausc I havc ,worn that it
would not comc to pass but that I would punish thcm in somc other
way, so havc I sworn insofar aa you arc concerncd, that I shall no
morc abolish your rulc." That is the sense of the statemcnt of Scrip-
turc: For thit is as the wlllns of Nolll, unto Me,· for III l have
1worn t/Jtd the w111n1 of N 0111, 11,ould t10 more go over the efll'lh, so
have l swort1 thal l would tlOI be wrotl, will, thee, nor rebuke 1/,ee
(ba. 54: 9). Evcn, thcrcforc, if thc peoplc were to 1in, God would
punish thcm in whatcver manncr He plcascd, but not by thc abo-
lition of thcir govcrnmcnt [. such as happcncd in thc days of thc
sccond Temple).
A furthcr rrason (for thc inadmissibility of thc aforemcntioned
hypothcsis] is that Scripturc rcports that thc pcoplc who will be re-
dccmcd will, as wc have cxplaincd, choosc to obcy God and not
to rcbcl against Hirn. Now God is, as wc havc prcviously dcmon-
stratcd, awarc of all that is to bc.81 lt is, thcrcforc, untcnablc that
thcrc should prcvail [ at tbc time of the rcdcmption] any iniquity
or sin of which He has no knowlcdge. If thcrc bc no sin, then, evco
though a condition bc attached to thcir wctl-bcing, that condition
could not harm tbcm, still lcss if thcrc is no condition.
Finally [ thc conditi.ons that arc to prcvail at thc time of tbc
rcdcmption] arc prcscntcd in thc Torah as rcscmbling crcations I I
dccrccd by God. <249> Thcy must, thcrcforc, incvitably comc
°'
to pass, as wc havc cxplaincd in thc scvcnth trcatise, Thus He
took a iSOlcmn oath, 111 saying: For 1 /;ft up My l,and to hellven, and
say: As! live /or evn-, i/ I whtl My glittering sword •.• I wiU
make Mine ''"ows drunk with hlood ... Sing aloud, 0 ye na-
tions, of His people (Deut. 32: 40-43). By mcans of this cxplana-
tion, thcn, all thc confuscd and falsc notions cntertaincd by thcm
on thc subjcct of undcrlying stipulations or provisos are rcfutcd.
62. Cf. •bovc, pp. 132 and 191.
63. "creation•"-dded by Ibn nbbon and M.
64, Cf. abon, p. 268.
65. "in thc tcYcnth trc1ti1e, Thu1 he ak a solcmn oath"-edded by Ibn nbbnn
andM.
REDEMPTION
CHAPTER VIII
~nd n~w t.hat 1 havc rcmovcd ~he fo~~dation upon which thcy
budt t~cu cd1ficc,. lct .mc pr~nt, m add1t1on, tbc following fiftccn
rcfutatJons of tbc,r v1c:". ~1vc of thcsc comist of argumcnts from
thc tcxt of Sacrcd Wnt. F1vc othcrs arc proofs dcrivcd from his-
tory. Fivc mo~c, again, are argumcnts that can bc graspcd by per-
sonal. obscrvallon.
A~ for thc five ~rgumcnts takcn from the tcxt of Scripturc, thc
first 1s th~t~ accordmg to thc mess.ages of ,onsola1ion [ which picturc
thc cond~t1ons that arc to prcva1l at thc time of thc rcdcmption J
all lsracbtcs arc supposcd to foregathcr in thc Holy Land, not a
,inglc one of them rcmaining in forcign parts. Thus it has bten
said in Scripturc: .And l will gatl,n- lhem from the eounlries, and
will bring them it110 tl,eir own lllnd 88 (Ezck. 34: 13). At thc time
of thc se,ond Temple, howcvcr, only 4:z,36o of thcm rcturncd. Thus
Scripturc rcports: T he wl,o/e ,ongregation together was forly and
two thousand three l111ndred and lhrees,ore (Nch. 7: 66).
Thc accond [ rcf utation of the thcory that thc mcssag~ of con-
solation rcferrcd to thc time of thc sccond Temple] is that [ ac-
cording to thcsc mcssagcs] thc Israclitcs wcre dcstined to be
gathcrcd from ·the, islands of thc sca, as has bcen statcd in Scrip-
turc: A.nd /rom Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamatl,, and
Jrom the islands of tl,e 1ea (Isa. u: 11). Howevcr, when thc
Israclitcs wcnt into exilc for thc first time, they travclcd to nonc of
thcsc islands of thc sca, not to spcak of rcturning from thcm.
Thirdly [according to the prophccics of consolation), thc na-
tions w~rc to build t.hc walls of Jerusalem, as is statcd in Scripturc:
Anti al,ens sha/1 build up lhy walls, and thtir kings sha/1 minisler
unto thee (Isa. 6o: 10). But not cnough that thcy did not build
anything for us at the time of thc se,ond Temple, but thcy cvcn
hindcred us, so that wc wcrc constantly at war with them during
thc pcriod of construction. Thus it is relatcd in Scripturc: They
that builded tl,e wall and they that bore burdet11 ••. and 11,e
66, Thia quotati6n lollowa the rcadinJ ol Ibn Tibbon.
 316 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
builder1, eue,y one l,ad l,i1 sword girded by l,is 1ide, and 10 builded
(Nch. 4: u, 12).
In ~c fourth placc, [ at the time of the redemption) thc gates of
thc c1ty werc to bc <2.so> opcn day a,nd night on account of
thc sccurity feit by itt inhabitants and thc incoming and outgoing
traffic, aa is atatcd in Scripturc: Thy gottt shall be open ,onlinually,
day and night, 11,ey 11,all not bt sl,ut " (Isa. 6o: 11). Wc find,
howcvcr, that at thc time of thc se,ontl Temple thc gatcs uscd to
bc lockcd bcforc sunsct and would not bc opcncd bcforc latc in the
forcnoon, as Nchcmiah rcports: A.nd l 1aitl unto them: "Let not
tl,e g111t1 of feru1altm be optned until 11,e sun bt l,01" (Neh. 7: 3).
In thc fifth placc, [ it has bccn statcd] that [at thc time of thc rc-
dcmption) thcrc would not rcmain a nation that would not bc
subscrvicnt to Israel as is said in Scripturc: Par 1ha1 nation anti
kingdom thaJ sl,all nol sm,e thee sl,aU perisl, (Isa. 6o: 12). How-
ever, wc havc no doubt that both thc Israclitcs thcmsclvcs, as weil
as thcir ficlds, werc subjcct to thc kings during the time of thc
se,ond Temple, as is statcd in Scripturc: Bthold, we are seruanls
this day, anti the land, tk, (Nch. 9: 36). This constitutes the cx-
position of thc five [ refutations] from the standpoint of thc tcxt
of Sacrcd W rit.
As for the argumcnt, derived from history, it is to bc remcm-
bcrcd that in thc first instancc [ according to prophccies conccrning
thc rcdcmption ] thc pcoplc wcrc suppo!Cd to kindlc fires with
the wood of thc implemcnts of the war of Gog for a pcriod of scvcn
ycars, as it is stated in Scripturc: A.nd they thal dwell in the ,i1ie1
of ls,ael sl,all go fort/,, and sl,all mdke fires of the weapont and
use tl,em at fuel, both tAe 1Aield1 and tl,e huckler1, tl,e bow1 dnd 11,e
""""''• and tl,e l,andda11e1, and tl,e 1pear1, and tl,ey shall make
fires of 11,em seuen years 81 (Ezck. 39: 9).
Sccondly, [according to thc prcdictions pcrtaining to thc rc-
demption] thc Nile of Egypt is supposcd to run dry in onc placc
and thc Euphrates in seven places, so that thc pcoplc would bc
ahle to walk across them. Thus it is said in Scripture: A.nd 11,e
67. '11ai1 quotation IIODo,n die rndln1 ol Ibn Tibbon.
68. Thil quotadon fotlow1 the reading of Ibn Tibboa.
l
REDEMPTION 317
Lord will ~uerly_destr~y the tongue 0/ 1/se Egyptian 1ea; and will,
His sco~d~n~ w,nd will He snak,e His nand over the Riuer, [and
,uill nmte 11 mlo seven stream~, and cause men to march over dry·
shod,] A.nd thert shall be a h1gl,way /or lhe remnanl of Hit pto-
ple (lsa. II: 15, 16),
Thirdly, the Mount of Olives is supposc-.d to split in twain from
east to wcst so that one half of it will lie to thc north and the othcr
half to thc south, with a largc vallcy bctwcen them. Thus it is
said in Scripturc: A.nd the mount of Oliue1 shall be cle/1 in the
midsl thereof toward the eatl and toward the wesl, [ so that there
shall bt a very great valley,· and half of the mountain shall
remove toward the north, and half of it toward the 101111,]
(Zcch. 14: 4).
In thc fourth placc thc Temple was to bc built in accordancc
wi~ th_e [prophct Ezekicl's] plan of 11,e l,ouse (Ezek. 43: n) from
bcgmmng to end.
Fifthly, a spring was to issuc from thc Temple and thcn broaden
out until it would bccomc a great river that no one could cross.
Thus it is statcd in Scripture: And behold, waters issued from
under the tf,reshold <251 > of the house eastward (Ezek. 47: 1),
and so forth until thc end of that passagc. A/terward l,e measured
a thousand; and it 111111 a ri11er lhat I C'ould not pass througl, (Ezck.
47: 5).
On thc two banks of that rivcr, furthcrmorc, thcrc was to bc
cvcry kind of food-trec, that would constantly bcar fruit and thc
lcavcs of which would bc pcrcnnial and would thus he a source of
nourishmcnt ~s wcll as of hcaling. Thus it is statcd in Scripturc:
And by the r111er upon the bank thereof, on this side and on tl,at
si~e, shall grow [ e11ery tree for f ood, wnose leaf shall not wither,
ne1ther shall the fruit thereof f ail • • • and the fruit thereof sl,all be
for food, and the leaf thereof for l,ealing] (Ezck. 47: 12). How-
cvcr, no rcport has evcr comc down to us that any of thcsc five
things happcncd [during thc days of the sccond Temple]. On thc
contrary, history statcs dcfinitcly that nothing of thc kind took
pl:ice f in that pcriod ].
As for the fivc othcr [argumcnts, which are hased on facts] that
318 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
can bc graspcd by personal observation, thc fust is tbat, according
to the propheta, all crcaturcs would cvcntually bclieve in and pro-
fess thc unity of God, as has bcen s-aid by Scripturc: .And the Lord
slulll be King 011er all tl,e earlh (Zech. 14: 9). Yet wc sec thcm at
prescnt stocpcd in thcir crror and unbclicf.
Scc.ondly, it has bccn forctold that thc bclicvcn would bc cx-
cmptcd from thc dcfraying of taxcs and the purvcying of moncy
and food to othcrs, as is ,tatcd in Scripturc: Tl,e Lord halh sworn
by His right /Jand, and by the arm of His strengt!,: Surely I will
no more gi11e 1hy corn lo he food for thine enemies 11 (lsa. 62: 8).
Yet bcrc wc sec an cntirc nation dcfraying the tax and bcing obc-
dicnt and subscrvicnt to any nation undcr whosc power it bappcn1
to fall.
In tbc third placc, [ tbc prophccics conccrning thc rcdcmption
spcak about] thc abolition of wars from among mcn so ttlat thcy
would no longcr bcar a1ms against cach other, as is statcd in Scrip-
turc: .A.nd 11,ey 1hall beal their swords into plougluhares, and their
spetll's into pruning-hooolc.s; nation shall not li/t up sword against
nation 10 (lsa. 2 : 4) . Yet what wc actually sec is ,that. thc nationa
are warring and fighting with each other as violcntly as possiblc.
Sbould somconc intcrprct thc abovc-mcntioocd statcmcnt to mcan
that tbcy would no longcr wage war against cach othcr on account
of rcligion, his attcn~on must be callcd to thc .fact that thcy arc in
rcality quarrcling and contcnding ovcr thcir religions as 6crccly as
cver.
A fourth [condition attributcd to thc agc of thc rcdcmption]
is that thc animals would bc at pcacc with cach othcr, so much so
that thc wolf and thc lamb would gra2.c togcthcr, and thc lion
would cat straw, and thc young child would play with scrpcnts
and vipcrs, as has bccn statcd by Scripturc: A.nd the wolf sholl
dwell wilh tl,e lamb• •• , .And the cow and the bear sholl
/eed . ••• [ And the lion shall eat slraw like 11,e ox. Anti the
sueking dild shall play on the hole of tl,e osp ] •••• Tl,ey sholl
nol hurt nor destroy (lsa. 11: 6-g). Yct wc sec that at prcscnt thcy
69. Thi1 quocation follows the reading oE Ibn Tabbon.
70. Thi1 qUOlation follow1 the rcading of Ibn Tabbnn.
REDEMPTION 319
bchave in accordance wi~ thcir nature and tbeir cvil [ tcndencic1 ],
00 change whatcvcr hav10g takcn place in them.
Should somconc, again, intcrprct tbis also as a parablc, saying
that it was mcant solcly to aflirm tbat the wicked would make
pcace witb .<:l,? > .thc virtuous amoog men, ( it is to bc notcd
that] tbe s1tuat10~ is rcally thc reversc. Grcatcr injustices and
wrongs arc comrrutted nowadays by thc strong against thc wcak
than cvcr.
Tbc fifth prcdiction [ in rcgard to thc pcriod of thc rcdcmption
conccrns] thc rcacttlcmcnt of tbc rcgion of Sodom and its restora-
tion to iu formcr statc. Thus Scripturc says: .And 1 will turn their
(aptivity, the captit1itr of Sodom anti l,er 4aughters (Ezck. 16: 53),
and also: .And thy 11sters, Sodom anti l,e, daugl,ters, shall relum
,o 11,eir forme, estale (Ezck. 16: 55).
Furthcrmorc thc Torah statcs cxprcssly that its sca was a swcct-
watcr lakc which watcred thc land by ßowing ovcr the surfacc.
Thus Scripturc says: And Lo1 lifted up his eyes, and beheld all
1/,e plain o/ tl,e /ordan, that it was weil watered e11ery wl,ere, etc.
(Gen. 13 : 10). It says al~ [that thc rcgion of Sodom was] LJke tl,e
garden of the Lord (ihid.),· that is [to sayl likc that of which it is
expressly statcd: And a rit1er wenl out of Eden 10 water 11,e gtlf'der,
(Gen. 2: 10).
r
Finally, it dcclarcs· that this rcRion was 1 Like the land of
Egypt (Gen. 13: 10); that is, as is said clsewhcrc in Scripturc: lt
is nol as the land of Egypt . • . 111here thou didst sow 11,y seed,
and didst Waier il will, tl,y foot, as a garden of herhs (Deut. 11 : 10).
Yet wc sec that Sodom is today a land of dcsolation, a repository of
aalt, and that its sca is salty and tcrrifying in its prcsent statc. All
th~sc facts that h~ve bccn l~st.cd provc conclusivcly that thc propl,-
«1e1 of consolat,on [pcrtammg to thc rcdcmption] havc not yct
becn fulfillcd. ·
CHAPTER IX
Now all thc argumcnts that wc havc prcscntcd against thc vicw
[that thc mcssagcs of comfort on thc part of thc prophcts rcfcrrcd
320 THE BOOK OF BEUEFS AND OPINIONS
to thc period of thc KCOnd T emplc] apply abo to [ thc belief of]
thc Christians; that is, cxccpt for our note in regard to the build-
ing of thc 1econd Temple. These Christians, oamtly, do not main-
tain that thc fulfillrncnt of thcsc promiscs had its bcginning at thc
time [of thc construction of the] said (Temple]. They fix the datc
rather at 135 ycars befo~ the dcstruction of the ,econd Temple.
Therc applic, to them, thcrcfor~I mean to the Christians in par-
ticular-another rcfutation; namely, that which is alludcd to by
thc prophet, peace /Je u/'on /Jim, in thc passage seventy weelt,.1
(Dan. 9: 24). In our opiruon that ia tobe interprctcd as mcaning 490
ycan.n This would includc the forty-ninc from thc time that thc
peoplc wu cxilcd until the:1 bcgan to build thc second Temple, as
i, statod in thc verse following: Know therefore aml discern, thoJ
from the going fortli of the ward to reslore and to huiJd ferusalem
unto one anoinled, a prince, shal/ he seven week_s (Dan. 9: 25). Also
to be includcd in this figure are thc 431 years of thc cxistcnce of
the cdificc of the [sccond] Temple. In that [sum allowancc must
be made for a period of] idlcnes.s during which·thc building opcra·
tions wcrc intcrruptcd and suspcndcd, as it is statcd: A.nd /or
lhreucore 11nd two weeks, il shall be huiJt again, <:153> will,
hroad plau and moat, bul in trouhloUJ times u (ihid.), Tbis
coincides cxactly with thc commcnt madc by us in rcferencc to the
passage Then ceam/ tht work of tl,e hou1e of God (Ezra 4: 24).
1'he last weck, finally, will bc a pcriod partly of pcacc bctwecn
thc Jcwish nation and some of thc Jcings, and partly one of thc
violation of trcatics,1• and of war among them alL Thus it is st:1ted
in Scripturc: Anti l,e shall make a firm covenant with many for
one week,· and for half o/ the wetk he shall cause the sauifict ontl
t/Je offering to cease (Dan. 9:27). Thc land will then bc made
desolate and many of its inhabitants pcrish, as is stated therc:
A.nd upon tht wing of Jetestahle things shaJl bt that whicl, causetl,
appalmenl; and t!ult unlil tht ertnmination wholly determined bt
pouretl out upon that whkh causeth appalment (ihitl.).
This pcriod of sevcnty wccks cmbraces, therefore, eras of pros-
71 . "ycan"-edded l,J Ibn 1ibbon.
72. '1111, quotation follows the reading of Ihn 1ibbon.
73, "ol aadlet"-9dded bJ Ibn 1ibbon and M.
REDEMPTION 321
perity and well-bcing as well as thosc of thc abolition of Jewish
self-govcrnmcnt and thc functioning of the pritsthood and thc
prophcts. For Scripture makCJ at thc beginning of the passagc
quoted abovc, thc statcmcnt: To finish lhe transgresnon, ond 10
ma~e an. end o/ sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in wer-
/astmg ngl,teoumess, and to sea/ vision and prophel, and to anoint
the most holy place (Dan. 9: 24). Onc might comparc this statc-
mcnt t? that of a pcrson who says: "I spcnt altogcther fifty days
of a m1xture of good and evil bctwccn marriagc, u sickncss, and
trade," and thcn givcs thc dctails.
[ After this gcneral Statement,] thcn, Scripturc informs us that
at thc end of the pcriod cvery anointcd priest will bc cut off 50
that therc will be none in existence. lt says, namely: And 11/ter
11,rees,ore and lwo weeks shall an anointed one he ,ut oO, and he
no more (Dan. 9: 26). Now Scripturc docs not mean to rcfcr, whcn
it makcs this statcment, to any one sped.fic person. lt has in mind
thercby cvery anointed priest, in the sense in which this tcrm is
uscd in thc Toral, whcn it says: lf the anointed priest (Lcv. 4: 3);
Antl the anointed prie111l,all hring (Lcv. 4: 16); .Antl tht anointed
priest that shal/ ht in his sltad (Lcv. 6: 15), and the likc.
High priests will, thcn, bc cut off from thc Jcwish peoplc a&er
this period as our Lord, cxaltcd and magnified bc He, has informcd
us. Now these peoplc maintain that by the statcment of Scripturc,
An anointed one sl,al/ be cut oO, and be no more (Dan. 9: 26) is
mca.nt onc specific individual. But this is untenable for sundry
reasons. Onc of thcm is that thc tcrm anointed (maliah) docs not
rcfcr e~clusive!y to onc particular pcnon, but may be applied to
any priest or king. Furthcrmore, whencvcr thc expression <254>
sl,a/1 ht cut oO (yikkareth) is uscd with the meaning of "to kill," it
is employed only for onc who is put to dcath descrvedly, as in thc
statement of Scripture: Wliosoe11er eateth it sliall he ,ut off (Lcv.
17: 14). Moreovcr, this evcnt is supposcd to take place simultanc-
ously with the destruction of the sanctuary, which is associatcd
with it: A.ntl lht people of a prin,e that sl,all ,ome sl,aJ/ dtstro'I
tl,e dty and the sanctuary,· h111 his end shall be with a flootl (Dan.
9:26).
74. "marrlage"-lbn 1ibbon and M.
,322 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
However, the cleareat [ rcfutation) of all liea in the fact that
from thc time when tbis rcvclation wu made to Daitl untll the
datc which thcy believc [to have been the time of the fulfillmcnt
of thc propbecies rcgarding the redcmption], only 285" ycars had
eJapsed. Now the total aum [ mcntiooed in the book of Daniel] is
,f90 ycars. Of this numbcr of yean 'JO were taken up by thc period
prcceding tbc bullding of thc second Temple, and ,f20 by that of
it1 c:xi1tcncc.
I have found, ~c.o, that the advocatca [of the Chriatian d~
trine] bad no otber means [of 1upporting their theory] exccpt
thc contention that an addition i, to be madc in thc chronological
calculation. Thcy maintain, namely, that the government of the
Peraian1 over Palestinc exi1ted for a pcriod of somcthing likc 300
ycars beforc that of the Greeks and that thc humber of thcir kinga
during this period was scventeen. However, 1 have refuted thi1
contention on their part from the text of thc book of Danid ittelf,
[pointing out] that it wu impossible that betwcen the time of thc
governmcnt of Babylon and that of thc Grceka more than four
Persian kinga should havc ruled ovcr Palcstlnc. For the angel
1aid to Daniel, peoce /,e "pon him: And '" for mt, in 1/Jt firn
year of DariUJ 1he Mtdt, 1 nood up 10 be" supporler anJ" 1trong-
l,old unto l,im. And now 1 will declare unlO thtt tl,t 1n11I,. Bt-
1,old, tl,ere shllll mind up yet thrn.lc.ings in Persill; 11,rd tl,e /ollf1/,
1/,olJ l,e far rider tl,on thty oll,· and when l,e is 111ued mong
tArougA l,is ricAts, l,e sl,llll 11ir up JI again11 1l,e twlm of Gruce
(Dan. n: 1, :a). Thc abovc atatcmcnt has thua bcen cxplaincd from
cvery aspcct.
The&e arc, thcn, the argumcnts that may be offered in refutation
of the doctrinc of the Christians asidc from thc objcctions to be
raiscd against thcir theory of the suspcnsion of the laws " of thc
T orah and those that might be urgcd again1t them on the ,ubject
of thc unity of God,'' and othcr matten, which cannot properly bc
prcscntcd in this book. · :a. ''propheu"-dded by Ibn Tibbon 1nd M.
The cighth trcatise ha1 hereby been complctcd.
75• ":185"-C,, Ou.tmWID, p, 239 and D, J,
76. Cf, the thlrd bea'*, pp. , ,., ,.
77. Cf, ehe .... - - PP, 103 ff,
TREATISE IX
<:zss> CONCERNING REWARD AND PUNISH-
MENT IN THE WORLD TO COME
CHAPTER I
Lord, blcsscd and cxaltcd be He, has informed us that
O
Ull
He .has sct asidc a time for recompensing the righteous, in
whach, moreover, hc will makc a distinction bctwccn them
and thc g~less . .This i1 borne out by His 1tatcment: And 1Aey
shall be.Mmt, sa,th the Lord o/ l,0111, in the day thal 1 do makt,
t11t~ M~ne own treasun; ond 1 will spare them, tk. Thtn sholl yt
a(tzln duurn betwun 11,e righleous and the wick_td l (Mal. 3 : 17,
18), lt has furthcrmorc bccn supportcd by miraclcs and marvcls
prcscntcd by thc prophcts,2 whcrcforc we havc acknowlcdged it
( as a fact].
lt ~hoovcs me now to list thc considerations lcading to thc as.-
sumpt1~? of a period of t::ne, which .has bcc~ tcrmcd by us
tha~ of thc world :t~ co~c, on thc basas of rational argumcnts,
~npture, and trad1t1on, m thc samc manncr in which I havc prc-
v1~usly dc:nonstratcd thc rcality of prophccy at thc beginning of
th1s book by m~ns of logical proof. 1 say, thcn, first of all, that
~t has bcc.n ~nclus1vcly provcn in thc course of the thcsis prcscntcd
an tbc tb1rd, fourth, 11 and sixth O trcatiscs [of this book] that thc
hcavcn and thc carth and whatcvcr lies betwccn thcm havc all btcn
creatcd solcly on acco~nt of man. That is why God placcd man in
thc ccntcr of. thc umvcrsc surroundcd by cvcrything.7 For that
rca_son, too, d1d ~c cndow thc hum~ soul with supcrior quaUtics
of mtcllcct and w1sdom aod charge 11 with thc obscrvancc of com-
1, Thu quotation follow, the reading of Ibn Tibbon.
J, Cf. lhe lhird treatise, pp. 1 "' ff.
4· Cf. pp. 137 ff.
5, Cf, pp. 180 ff.
6. Cf. p. :148.
7. Cl. p. 181.
324 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
8
mandmcnts and prohibitions by dint of which it might bc fittcd
for lifc ctcrnal.
[ lt has] also [ bccn shown in thcsc trcatiscs] 11 that this lifc will
commcncc whcn thc numbcr of human souls, thc crcation of which
has bccn dccrecd by divinc Wisdom, has bccn fulfillcd. God will
thcrcupon cause thcm to dwcll in anothcr abodc so that He may
rccompcnsc thcm thcrcin. All this, that has bccn supportcd by
logical, Biblical, and historical proofs prcscntcd by us thcre, is
quitc adcquatc as groundwork and introduction to this prcscnt
trcatisc. I thcrcforc intcnd to add to thc prcvious allcgations at this
point only such obscrvations as would con6rm and corroboratc
and clucidatc thcm morc fully than thcy havc bcen by the aforc-
mcntioncd thrcc sourccs [ of knowlcdgc ].
I say, thcn, that a furtbcr conclusion that rcason forccs upon us,
in view of what wc know of thc wisdom and omnipotcncc < 256 >
and kindncss to His crcaturcs on thc part of thc Crcator, cxaltcd
and magnificd bc He, is that it is incompatiblc ~ith His charactcr,
that thc mcasure of happincss rcscrvcd for th.is human soul bc rc-
strictcd to thc mundanc wcll-bcing and plcasurc it finds in this
world. For all wcll-bcing in this mundanc world is bound up wlth
misfortunc, and all happincss with hardship, and all pleasurc with
pain, and all joy with sorrow.
In fact, 1 find that thcsc individual fortuncs of which lifc is madc
up arc cithcr cvcnly balanccd or that thc things of a dcprcssing
nature outwcigh thosc of a chccring nature. Sincc this is undoubt-
cdiy so, it is inconceivablc that thc All-Wisc, may H is grcatncss
bc magnificd, should havc sct up thcsc contradictory conditions as
thc highcst goal of thc soul's aspirations. lt musr, thcrcforc, per-
forcc bc assumed that He has sct aside for it a place in which lt can
lcad an untroublcd cxistcncc and attain pure happincss.
I find, furthcrmorc; that none of God's crcaturcs known to mc
fccl sccurc and tranquil in this world, cvcn whcn thcy havc
rcachcd thc most cxaltcd ruling position and thc highcst station
thcrcin. Now this fccling is not somcthing natura~ to thc soul.
8. Cf. p. 137,
9. Cf. rhe beginning nl thc sixrh trcari,c, p. :z35.
REWARD AND PUNJSHMENT 325
lt is duc, rathcr, to its consciousncss of thc fact that thcrc ia rc-
scrvcd for 'it an abodc that ia supcrior to all thc cxccllcncic1 of
its prcsent dwclling. That is why it ycarns for that abodc and why
its cyc.s look forward longingly to it. Werc it not so, thc soul would
havc feit sccurc and havc bcen at rcst.
Anothcr considcration [ ncccssitating thc assumption of thc cx-
istcncc of a world to comc] is thc fact that man's rcason has bccn
madc to rcgard as rcprchensiblc things which hc dcsircs by nature.
These includc such mattcrs as adultcry, stcaling, bragging, thc
satisfaction of one's thirst for vcngcancc by murdcr, and thc likc.
But, whcn man abidcs by thc dictatcs of rcason in rcgard to thc
aforcmcntioncd, hc is ovcrcomc by fcclings of rcgrct and dcprcs-
sion and sadncss that pain him and causc him hcartachc. Now it
would not havc bccn right that this should happcn to him wcrc
it not for thc fact that he was to bc compcnsatcd thcrcfor by God.
Similarly, inasmuch as man's rcason has bccn madc to approvc
of truthfulncss and justicc, to dcmand what is acknowlcdgcd as
good and prohibit what is forbiddcn, and sincc thc carrying out
of thcsc things carns for him thc cnmity and hatrcd of thosc
persons from whom paymcnt has bccn cxactcd 10 or of thosc who
havc bccn prcvcotcd by bis cdict and intcrdict from rcalizing thcir
dcsircs, and sincc hc might cvcn bc abuscd and ßoggcd and killcd,
it would ccrtainly not havc bccn fair to cxposc him to such pcrils
bccausc of thc things which his rcason has bccn madc to approvc,
wcrc it not for thc fact <257> that God intcndcd to givc him
amplc rcward in rcturn thcrcfor.
A furthcr proof is prcscntcd by thc violcncc which wc sec mcn
committing against cach othcr rcsulting in thc wdl-bcing of thc
onc who committcd thc wrong and the miscry of thc wrongcd rc-
spcctivcly.11 Thcn thcy die. But sincc God, magnified bc His
majcsty, practiccs justicc, He must pcrforcc havc rcscrvcd for thcm
a sccond abodc in which justicc would bc rcstorcd in thcir rclation·
ship to cach othcr, rcward bcing rcmittcd to thc onc corrcsponding
10. "payment h11 becn a:ICCtd"-d, Ibn 1ibbon.
11. Thc text il dcfecrivc. Thi, intcrpretation i, baled on the rendcring oE Gurt·
DIIM,p. 2'4],
326 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
to thc pain hc has su!fcrcd at thc hand of him that wronged. and
puoisbmcnt bcing brought down upon tbc other corrcsponding
to thc plcasurc dcrivcd by bis nature from bis wrongdoing and
violencc.
Ag:i.in, wc sec thc godlcss prospering in this world whilc bc-
licvcn arc in misery tbcrcin. Thcre can, thcrcforc, bc no cscaping
thc belief that thcrc cxists for thc formcr, as weil as for thc lattcr.
a sccond world in which thcy will bc rccompcnscd in justicc and
rightcousncss.
Morcovcr. wc find that hc who has killcd but onc person suf-
fcrs thc pcnalty of dcath just as onc docs who has alain tcn, and,
similarly, hc who has committcd adultcry oncc is punishcd once
[by] thc govcrnmcnt, by flogging or thc paymcnt of a monctary
finc, or thc likc, as is hc who has donc that twcnty timcs. lt must,
thcrcforc, pcrforcc be assumcd that thc rcmaindcr of thc puniah-
mcnt of which cach of thcsc sinncrs is dcscrving will bcfall him in
anothcr world. Tbc samc applics to whatcvcr is .of this ordcr.
If .somconc wcrc to ask, howcvcr, "But why, thcn, did not thc
All-Wisc, magnificd bc His Majcsty, from thc vcry start crcatc
man in thc world to comc and thus spare him all thcsc sorrows and
thc compcnsation thcrcfor?" wc would answcr him as wc havc
cxplaincd prcviously in thc third trcatisc. 12
CHAPTER II
I shall now givc a rcsume of thirtccn instanccs from Scripturc
that bcar out this doctrinc of rcward and punishmcnt in thc world
to comc. Tbc first of thcsc,] might say, is thc casc of lstlllC, pcace
bc upon him. Thou notcst how hc dclivcrcd up bis soul as a sac-
rifice and o0mng in ordcr to comply witb tbc bidding of hjs Mas-
ter. Now if hc had bccn of thc opinion that rctribution is rcstrictcd
to this world, what sort of rcquital could hc ha\lc aspircd to after
hi1 death? Thc All-Wise, magnificd bc His majC$ty, would ccr-
tainly not havc madc so difficult a dcmand of him if hc wcrc not
dcstincd to bc rccompcnscd for it.
u. Cl. PP. 131 lf.
llEWARD AND PUNISHMENT 'P'J
J find, furtbcrmorc, that Hononiah, Muhael, 11nd A.swh, pcace
1,e upan thcm, delivcrcd themsclvc, up <:158> to thc fuc rathcr
thaD suvc an idol instead of thcir Mastcr.11 Now if it had bcen
rhcir con.viction that rctribution il confined solcly to thil world.
wh2t would thcrc havc bceo lcft for thcm to aspirc to or dcsire
Jtu having bccn burncd to dcath?
l find also that Dt1niel, 11'"''
/Je upon him, dclivcrcd himsclf üp
to the lions on account of thc praycr H that he bad uttercd to bis
Matter. Now if it had bcen hi1 conviction that thcrc was no rcward
except that which is obtaincd in thia world, what would thcre
havc bccn left for him to Jook forward to 111 aftcr bcing dcvoured
by thc liom?
All thcsc instancca indicate, may God have mcrcy on thcc, that
ehe ptophcts, pcace bc upon them, wcrc all agrced upon this:
that the rcward for man•, bchavior is not mctcd out in thia world
but is only givcn in that which comes aftcr it. Should somcone
objcct, howcver, saying, "But wc do not find any cxplicit mention
in thc Torah of rctribution anywhcrc eise than in this world alonc,
as i\, for cxamplc, written in thc stction of ff in My sl4'uks (Lcv.
26: 3 lf.) and thc chaptcr of A.nd il shall come 10 f"UJ i/ ye shall
!llarlf.en tliligmtly" (Deut. 11: 13), our rcply would bc that thc
All-Wisc did not completely omit from Scripturc all rcfcrcnccs to
rcward and punishmcnt in thc world to comc, 11111 wc shall cxplain
latcr.
lf, on thc othcr band, thc cxprcu statcmcnts of Holy Writ dwdl
on this-worldly prosperity and hardship only, it is for two rcasons.
One of thcsc i! that, inasmuch as thc rcward of thc world to comc
is dcmonstrablc only rationally, as ~c havc cxplaincd, thc Torah
was tcrsc in its cxplanation. Such brcvity was cxcrcised by it in thc
statcmcnt: .A.nd 1/u Lord God ,ommanded the man, saying (Gen.
:l: 16). lt did not statc thcre that thc chargc includcd such com-
DWldmcnta as 1 am 11,e Lord thy God (Exod. 20: 1), Thou sl,oü
not murdn- (Exod.10: 13) 1 Thou shalt not tommil ad11ltery (Exod.
IJ, Cf, 0.D, JI II ff,
14, Cf, 0.n. 6: II ff,
15, "to look fo!"Wllrd to"--edded by Ibn Tibbon.

,328 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
20: 14), [and] Tl,0111hal1 not mal (Gen.~: ~s},1' ~we reason
poinu to thc cogency of all thc,.c. lt was expliclt only with rcfcrence
t.o the injunction BUI oJ 1/,e 1ree o/ 11,e knowledge of iood and
n,'l, 1/,011 ,hall nol eal (Gen. 2: 17), because tha~ is not ,omcthing
indicatcd by rcalOD, Similarly wu it ouu~kcn 1? regard t.o m";ß·
danc rctribution because reason doct not pennt to 1u cogcocy, while
it wu tcnc in it1 cxplanation of thc reward in the hercafter, rc-
lying on iu bcing pointcd out by rea&0n,
Sccondly, it is thc charllctcriatic of prop?CCf t.o enlargc upon
eventl of immed.iatc urgcocy and to bc bntl m regard to tho,e
of rcmotc contingcocy. Inasmuch, thcrcfore, u the peoplc [ of
luacl] had grcatcr nced, at thc time the Torah was written for
thcm, to bccomc acquaintcd with <259> the nature of thc land of
Palcstine toward which thcy wcrc travcling, the Torah dwclt at
lcngth upon thc dcscription thcroof, u weil u on the cflcct ~f
thcir obcdicncc or disobcdicncc of God'1 commandmenu upon 1t1
fcrtllity. That is why it bcgan by spcaking abo~t the rainfall .and
wbatcvcr elsc i1 mcntioned in thc passage: For 1/,e lanJ, wl,,1/,er
1/,ou go~,, in 10 po1se1s it, is not ,11 t/,e lanJ of Egyp1 , , • wl,ere
tl,011 diJsJ sow 1/Jy seed, anti. didst Watet' it witla thy foot (Deut.
11 : 10), and so forth. Distant matten, on thc othcr band, ~crc al-
luded to by it bricßy, without going into lcngt~y cxplanauona•.
Among thc most conviocing proob aupportmg our contcnuon
iJ thc fa.ct that we 6nd that Mo1e11 our teader, may petKe be upon
/,im, who was thc tnost pious and virtuous of mcn, did not attain,
by virtuc of thc fact that he bad not bccn pcrmittcd to enter P~cs-
1'
tinc, any of thc grcat mundane rcward~, ,~eh as tho~ p~mJ~
in passagcs of Sacred Writ likc Tl,en l will g,ve your rmns ,n tlae,r
seruon (Lev. 26: 4), And your tl,reshing sl,all read un10 tl,e 11intoge
(Lcv. :z6: 5), AnJ I wiU gifle peace in tl,e lllnd (Lev. 26: 6), .d.nd
/ will mok_e you fruitful, ontl multiply you (Lcv. 26:9), and An4
ye sha/J eat.old store lang kef'I (Lcv. 26: 10). Now iE thc only r~
ward• to bc cxpccted by thc rightcous wcrc thosc cnumeratcd m
1 6, Cf. the baraJtha quoccd ia Sub. 561, ln wlüc:b the •ene In GeDelil la intu·
preal u bad>oring . _ impllca1ioal,
17. Cf. Nwn. :ao: 12 ud Deut. 3: 27.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 329
1/ in My 1tatu1es (Lev. 26: 3 lf.), thcn most of thcm should havc
bcen confcrrcd on our tcachcr Mos~. This, thcrcforc, scrvcs as
further 111 proof that thc grcater portion of his rcward is mctcd out
to man in thc world to comc. Hcncc thc aforcrncntioncd carthly
rewards constitutc only indications and symbols, as 1 have cx-
laincd prcviously.19
p Anothcr instancc supporting our thcsis of rcward in thc world
to comc is thc fact rcportcd to us that Eliiah, may peace be upon
him, whosc praycr to his Master rcsultcd in othcr pcrsons' ~ing
blcsscd by Hirn with finc flour and oil,20 him~lf had to go look-
ing for a loaf of brc~d without bcing ab!c to obtain it. 21 Again,
therc is the casc of Eluha, peace be upon h,m, on account of whom,
when hc was alrcady dcad, God brought back to lifc thc man who
bad bccn cast into his gravc. 22 Now ccrtainly, if reward had bccn
confincd strictly to this world, hc who would not havc bccn dc-
scrving of attaining thcrcto could not havc cnahlcd othcrs to
rcalizc anything thcrcof.
Thcrc is, furthcrmorc, what wc arc told about thc inhabitants
of Sbaom-that whcn their iniquitics had bccomc excccdingly
grcat, God ovcrturncd thcir land and rained firc and brimstonc
upon it. Now if it wcrc true that no punishmcnt t.ikcs placc outside
<26o> of this world, thcn whocvcr sins cxccssivcly should mcct
with a similar fatc in proportion to his sinfulncss. Yet wc find
nothing likc that actuatly happcning.
Anothcr argumcnt in favor of retr ibution in thc hcrcaftcr is prc-
scntcd by thc fact that whcncvcr tl,e children o/ lsrael scrvcd othcr
gods, thcir Lord causcd onc of thc nations to rulc over thcm, pun-
ishing thcm and taking thcm captivc and lcading thcm ioto cxilc.
Yct wc sce in our own time many of thc nations of thc world
scrving othcr gods without bcing takcn captivc and lcd into cxilc.
Bur if punishmcnt wcre confincd to this world only, a similar fatc
should havc befallen thcm.
ill. "forthcr"--addtd by Ibn 1ibbon 1111d M.
19. Cf. pp. 208 ff.
20. Cf. J Kingi 17: 15 ff.
21. Cf. 1 King, 17: II and 19: 4 ff.
22, Cf. JI Jtinp 13 : :u.
330 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Again· wc arc confrontcd by thc fact that God, 21 the just, or-
dercd thc killing of tbc young ch.ildrcn of the Midianiks and thc
cxtcrmination of thc young childrcn oJ lhe gmerol;on of 11,e del-
uge. Wc notc also how He continually causcs pain and cvcn dcath
to littlc babcs. Logical neccssity, thcrcforc, dcmands that thcrc
cxist aftcr dcatb a statc in which they would obtain compcnsation
for the pain 1uffercd prior thcreto, as wc havc cxplaincd.H
CHAPTER III
Havirtg mentioncd thcsc six instanccs, it behooves me now to
add aeven proofs furniahcd by thc tcxt of Scripture. 1 might u.y
that thcsc aevcn poinu-arc refcrred to and alludcd to in thc Torah
and srated more cxplicitly and clearly in thc other books of the
prophcu.·
The fint of thesc is the f.act tha~ what man acquircs through wig..
dom and through compliance with thc Law is ~llcd "life." Thus
Scripture sayll: W Aieh if a man do, l,e shall Uve hy them (Ezek,
:zo: 21). On the other hand, what thc fool achicvcs as a icJult of his
foUy is callcd "dcath." Thi~ is bornc out by such Statements of
Scripture as T l,e soul tl,at 1inne1!,, il sl,all die (Ezek. 18: :20); also
For whoso findet!, me findet!, /ife. . . • But he thal misseth me
wrongetl, Ais own soul; all they 1!,01 hate me love deatl, 211 (Prov.
8: 35, 36); also The path of life goet/, upward for lhe wue, tliat /,e
may deparl from the netherworld beneath 18 (Prov. 15: 24); also
Her house is tl,e way to the netherworld, going down 10 tl,e eham-
bers of deatl, 2 ' (Prov. 7: 17); 11lso lf 1 l,ad not belie11ed to look
upon tl,e ioodntss of the Lord in the land of tl,e living (Ps. 27: 13);
also For Thou wilt not abantlon my soul IO the nether-world . , •
Thou make1t mt to know the path of life (Ps. 16: 11); and 6nally
Stead/011 righteoume111endnl, to life (Prov. n: 19). Since, how-
evcr, it is out of thc question that any of thesc cxprcssions rcfcr
23. "Ood"..-ddcd by M.
24. Cf. 1bovc, p. 214.
25. 'Thl• q!IOlltion followt the iadin1 of Ibn nbbon.
26. Thi1 quocation folloWI the iading of Ibn nbbon.
27. '11ail quotation folloWI tbe reading of Ibn 11bbon.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 331
to the lifc of tbis world in which the rightcow and thc wickcd arc
equal. <261 > they must, of ncccssity, refcr to the lifc of thc here-
aftcr, Thcrc is, morcovcr, much tobe said about each of thc vcraea
quoted above.
Thc scc.ond [proofJ is thc dcclaration that bounty is trcasured
up bcfore God for the rightcous, whilc cvil is rcscrved for the
wickcd. With refcrencc thcrcto Scripture aay,: Tlte mtmory of the
righuou1 sl,all be for a blesn'ng,· hut the nome of tlte wic~td sAoll
rol (Prov. 10: 7). Furthermore Nehemial, said: Rlmtmber Nnto
me, 0 my God, for good (Nch. 5: 10). About the wicked, on the
other band, hc said: Remembw, 0 my God, Tol,W, anti Sanl,o//01
attording to lheu tl,eir works (Neh. 6: 14). These uttcrance1
mcrcly second such statement1 madc in the Torol, aa Äntl ;, sl,a/1
bt rigl,uou,ness unlO us, if we ol,sm,e to do ••• (Deut. 6: 25);
and Äntl it sl,all be rig,.,eoume11 unto tl,ee hefore tl,e Lord tl,y
God (Deut. 24: 13); as weil as that of the prophct: Äntl 1hy
rig/Jleousneu shall go befort tl,ee (lsa. 58: 8). Each vcrse bcaring
on this subjcct, howcvcr, stands in ncod of extensive cxplanation.
r
The th.ird point J is thc dcclaration that God has books and
arcbivcs in which arc recordcd thc dccds of thc rightcous as weil
aJ of thc wicked. Therc is, for cxample, thc statcment rnadc by
Moses, our te«h", peace he upon !,im: .A nd if not, blol me, I l""'I
Thee, out o/ Thy book, ,vl,id, TAou hall writttn (Exod. 31: 31).
Scripture says, furthcrmore: Let them be hlotted out of tl,e book
of the li11ing, and not ht written with the rigltuous (Ps. 6g: 29);
also: Then they that feared tl,e Lord spol(..e one with 11notl,er; and
tl,e Lord l,earkenetl, and heard, and a boo,t of rtmtmhrance "'"'
written before Him, for tl,em · tl,at feared tl,e Lord, and tl,ot
thougl,t upon 1,;, name (Mal. 3: 16); as weil as Behold, it is written
before Me; I will not ,teep tilen~e, t~tpt I ha11e requited, yea, J
will ~quilt into tl,eir bosom (lsa. 6s: 6). Each onc of thcsc utter-
ances, morcover, cntails 21 extensive cxplanations.
Tbc fourth fpoint] is the admonition that God, magnified and
cxaltcd be He, will conduct a hearing for thc rcquital of cvcry
human act, good or ~vil. This is bornc out by such atatcmcnts of
211. "enrails"-liccnlly "embnces."
332 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Scripturc as // 1/,011 doesl weil, sholl il not be li/ud up? And i/
thou doesl not weil, sin coudelh al the door :io (Gen. 4: 7); as wcll
as For thn-e is a time lhn-e /or evn-y purpose ond every work,
(Ecclcs. 3: 17); also There are thty in great /ear (Ps. 14:5); and
There are the workers o/ iniquity fallen (Ps. 36: 13); <262> and
finally There they "Y• bul none givetl, answn- (Job 35: 12). Each
of thcsc uttcranccs, morcovcr, also cmbraccs a host of cxplanations.
Thc fifth [gcncral division] consists of extensive rcmarks found
in thc books of Sacred Weit to thc cffcct that God, magnificd and
exaltcd bc He, is a just judgc wbo rcwards evcry man for what hc
docs. Thus thcy sayon this subjcct: The Rock,His work,s is perfect,·
/or all His ways are justke; a God of faith/ulness and witl,out
iniquity, elc.80 (Deut. 32:4). lt is rcmarkcd, furthermorc: The
Lord is righleous in all His woys (Ps. 145: 17); as wcll as Bul 11,e
Lord is enthroned /oret1er; He l,a,I, esloblished His throne /or
judgment. And He will judge lhe world in righleousness (Ps.
9: 8, 9).
Thcrc are also such statcmcnts of Scripture as They stand this
day according 101'hine ordinonces (Ps. 119: 91) ; and Thougl, it be
gi11en him 10 be in sa/ety, whereon he restelh, yet His eyes are
upon their ways 11 (Job 24: 23); and For His ryes are upon the
ways o/ a man (Job 34: 21); and For the ways o/ man ore be/ore
the eyes o/ the Lord (Prov. 5: 21); and E11en lo git1e every man
according to his /ruit, etc. (Jcr. 17: 10); and, finally: For God sholl
bring every work inlo the judgmenl (Ecclcs. 12: 14). Each vcrse,
morcovcr, cnfolds a multitudc of cxplanations.
Thc sixth (gcncral division] dwclls on thc warning conccrning a
day rcscrvcd by God for rctribution. In rcgard thcrcto Scripturc
5ays: The great day of the Lord is near, il is near and hastet/,
greatly 32 (Zcph. 1: 14); Thal day is a day o/ wrath (Zcph. I: 15);
And l will bring distress upon men, 1ha1 they sha/1 walle, like the
blind, etc. (Zcph. 1: 17); Neither their silver nor their gold shall
be able tn Jeli11er lhem in the day of the Lord'i wratl, (Zcph. 1: 18);
29. This quotation follow, the reading of Ibn 1ib1,c,n,
30. This quotation follows the reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
3 1, This quotation is found only in the Hebrew venion of Ibn 1ihbnn.
3:1. This quotition fnllows the reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 333
and Gatner yoursel11es 1oge1her, yea, gather together, O shamtless
„a1ion; he/ore tne decree bring /or1h , •.sa (Zcph. 2: 1, 2). Each
0 nc of thcse vcrscs, morcovcr, has cxplanations thc mcntion of
which I am cutting short in ordcr not to cxtcnd unduly thc lcngth
of this book.
1'hc scvcnth [gcncral division ], finally, consists of [passagc.1 in
which man's] rcward is callcd good and [in] which [it is statcd
tlut] _rhc wickcd arc cxcludcd thcrcfrom. Thus Scripturc statcs:
Thal it might he weil with them, and witl, their children for e11er
(Deut. 5: 26) i and also Oh how ab11ndant i.s Thy goodnes.s, wl,kl,
T 1,ou hast laid up /or them thal /ear T hee (Ps. 31: 20); as weil as
Though yet 1 know tl,at it sl,111/ be weil with them that fear God,
thal /ear before Him; lmt il shall not be weil witl, the wicked,
„either shall l,e prolong his Joys (Ecclcs. 8: 12, 13). Morcovcr, cach
vcrsc of thc abovc has its cxplanations.
Should it, <263> howcver, bc thought by anyonc that thcse
pas~agcs werc capablc also of othcr constructions that would in-
validatc thcir usc as proof of [thc doctrinc of] a world to comc, wc
might cxplain to him that hc is mistaken in bis belief bccausc rca-
son dcmands rctribution in anothcr u world. Now any intcrprcta-
tion that agrccs with rcason must bc corrcct, whcrcas any that
lcads to wbat is contrary to rcason must be unsound and fal-
lacious. These arc, thcn, in bricf, thc proofs adduciblc from thc
writtcn text of Scripturc.
CHAPTER IV
As for tradition, thc cvidcncc that might bc citcd from that
sourcc in support of our thcory is too extensive to bc notcd in its
totality. Ncvcrthclcss wc shalt makc mcntion of somc of thc most
important uttcranccs pcrtincnt to this subjcct occurring thcrcin.
Let us say, thcn, that our prcdcccssors of bkued memory rcport
on thc basis of a tradition rcccivcd from thc prophcts, peace he
t1pon them, that this worlJ stands in thc samc rclationship to thc
33, '11iia quotation follow1 the reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
34, "another"-lbn 1ibbon.
334 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
world to c.ome a1 a vestibulc to thc palacc of thc king. lt goe1 with-
out saying, of courae, that a pcrson mwt put himsclf in a fitting oon-
dition in thc formcr bcfore cntering into thc palace in thc prescncc
of thc rulcr. This is cxplicit from thcir dictum: This wo,ld is like
a vestibult outr again111he ,vorld IO comt. Prepare tl,ysel/ in 11,e
vestihult thal thou maym tnter tht main /,all (Mifoah 'Abh.
4: 16).
They have said, furthcrmore, that onc hour of pcnitence in thi1
world is morc profitable than thc wholc of thc world to comc
sincc pcnitcncc is impossible in thc lattcr. For, as wc havc ex-
plaincd prcviously, the filth and smut that bccomcs attachcd to
thc soul in this world can bc rcmovcd from it only by mcans of
pcnitcncc. On thc othcr band, onc hour of rcposc ir. thc world to
comc is prcferablc to thc cntire life of this world, sincc, as we
have explained prcviously, thc souls pcrpctually look forward to
and long for it. Belle, ont hour o/ rtptntan,t and good dttds in
this world than tht li/e o/ tht world 10 comt, and heller ont hour
o/ 1ereni1y in tl,e world 10 come than the tntire life o/ thi, world
(Milnah 'Abh. 4: 17).
They transmit, furthcrmotc, that lifc in thc world to come con-
sists cxclusivcly of light, and that cating and drinking and fatigue
a.nd procrcation and buying and sclling and all other mundanc
occupations arc climinatcd from it, the rcward of thc righteous III
thcrcin bcing compriscd of cnjoying thc brilliancc of thc Creator,
cxaltcd and magnificd bc He. Such is the import of their dictum:
In lht 111orld to comt <264> lhtre will be neitl,e, taling nor
drinking nor tradt no, procreation. But 11,e rigl,teous will sil witl,
thtir erowns on 11,eir l,eads and mioy tl,e splmdor of 11,e di11ine
Presen" (Bcr. 17a). As for the nature of thc reward of the right-
cous, 1 shall return to thc cxposition and thc cxplanation thcrcof
latcr.
Tbc extcnt to which thcy clung to the belief in this cxahcd
1tate, which i1 to charactcrizc the condition of thc rightcou1 in
the world to comc, is evidcnced by thc tradition reportcd by thc
sagcs to the effcct that whocver docs not bclieve in thc reward of
35. "tbc righieou."-edcled bJ Ibn Tibbon.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 335
the l•.:rcaftcr and thc revelation of thc T oral, and thc truthfulncss
of the transmitters of tradition will not bc rewardcd in thc world
to comc, cvcn though hc bc rightcous in all othcr rcspccts. That is
rhc import of thcir dictum, blesstd bt thei, mtmo,y: And 11,e fol-
/owing har,e no share in 1he world lo ,ome: ht tl,at assn-ts thert
will bt no resu"eclion of the dead and thal tl,e Toral, ;, not of
diuine origin and 11,e alhtisl (Milnah Sanh. 10: 1).
They cnumcratcd, furthcrmore, scvcn individuals from among
thosc human beings who, it had bccn rcportcd to thcm, would riot
rcccive any rcward in thc world to comc on acc.ount of their having
corruptcd othcr pcoplc and having caused them to dcviate from
obedicocc to God without bcing ablc to rcpair thc damage donc
by them. That is thc import of thcir dictum : Th~t kings and four
commoners h,we no shart in tht world 10 come. Tht three Jt..ings
art /eroboam tht son of Nebat and Ähah and Manassth. Tht Jour
commoners art Balaam and Dotg and A.hitopl,e/ and Gdazi
(Milnah Sanh. 10: 2).
Furthcrmorc, wbcn thc sagcs translatcd the Torah (into Ara-
maic] for us, on tbc basis of traditions of thc prophcts, pcacc bc
upon them, thcy spokc cxplicitly in its 1,anslation about the resur-
rectioo of Moses, ptace l,e upon him, and bis heading tbc Jcwisb
nation again. Thcy, oamely, rranslatcd thc passagc: And l,e chose II
firsl p1111 for himsfl/, [lor thert a portion o/ a rultr was rtstrt1td;
and Inert ,ame lht htads of tht peoplt (wayyar rtlith lo [ki Jam
/,tltatl, ml(,otet 1aphun wayyetht raJe 'am]) (Deut. 33: 21) as
dcnoting: To him shaJI be a1signed (l sl,are irt lht /oremost part o/
it, /or there in his porlion Moses lhe great leadtr o/ Israel is
buried. He w#l come out and go at tht head of tlit people.H
Similarly did thcy express thcmselves clearly on thc mauer of
lifc in thc hereaftcr in thc translation of Let Reuhen /ir,e, and nol
die (Deut. ~3: 6), rcndcring it as Let Reubtn li11t tl,e life of tlmlity
and not d,e a s"ond dtalh." As for thc translations of the
Prophets, thc rcfcrcnces in thcm to the reward in thc hcrcaftcr
are too numcrous to bc quickly cnumerated.
36, Cf. Targum On~elot, u I~.
J7• Cf. T1rgum On~elos, •tl /~.
336 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
And now that I havc cxplaincd in my discusaion how the d~
trinc of rcward aod punishmc:nt in the world to comc i1 supportcd
by thc thrcc sourccs of knowlcdgc, namcly: reason, Scripture, and
tradicion, <a65> Jet me say that our nation is fully agrccd upon
this matter. Thc tradition conccrning it is most firmly cstablishcd
and not subjcct to bcing cxplaincd away or changcd,18 as I havc
rcmarked apropos of thc [qucstion of thc] suspcnsion of thc
Law.1111
CHAPTER V
Having now propcrly clarificd thc aforcgoing principlct, lct mc
say ncxt that thc rcward and punishmcnt in thc hcrcaftcr is mctcd
out upon thc body and soul urutcdly. sincc thcy constitutc togethcr
a single agcnt. This has' alrcady bccn cxplaincd • 0 and madc clcar
by mc. 1 havc likcwisc made it evident and clcar how God would
rcvivc thc dcad a1;1d unitc c:vcry soul wich its bc?dy, 41 l have, fur-
thermorc, answcrcd the qucstions pcrtaining to this subjcct and
rcsolvcd such doubts as might possibly arise in conncction with it.
lt bchoovcs mc, thcrcforc, at. this point to cndcavor to cxplain thc
nature of tbc rcward aod the punishmcnt and dcscribc n thc
localc in which thcy arc to bc cxccutcd and the time in which
thcy are to takc placc. I must also dcmonstratc thc ncccssity of thc
pcrpctuity of thc status of thosc who arc to bc rcwardcd, a, wen
as of thosc who arc to bc punishcd, and whcther their rcward and
punishmcnt will bc cqual in any respcct or whcthcr thcrc will bc
a diffcrcncc O bctwccn thcm.
I ought to indicatc, furthcrmorc who it is that is dcserving of
cvcrlasting punishmcnt, and whcthcr thosc who arc to bc rcwardcd
and thosc who arc tobe punishcd will bc gathcrcd togethcr. and
38. "fully agrced • • • changed"-t0 auording ro Ibn Tibbon.
39. Cf. PP· 157 lf,
40. Cf. p. 253.
41, Cf. pp. 264 tf.
42. "describe"-lba T'ibbon ancl M.
43, "diffcrcncc"-lbn 1ibbon, correc:tly by omitting onc dlacrirical point in die
original.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 337
whcthcr it will bc compulsory for thcm to rcnder scrvice to thcir
Master or whcthcr thcy will also havc thc right to choose to rcbcl
against Him, and what, in the cvcnt that thcy obcycd Him, would
bc thcir rccompcnsc. Once I havc dealt with tcn of thcsc subjccts,o
c,cplaining cac:h of thcm in turn, 1 shall havc fulfillcd thc rcquirc-
,ncnts of this trcatisc.
Let mc, thcrcforc, begin by giving an cxposition of tbc nature
of thc rcward and thc punishmcnt in thc hcrcaftcr. In part. this
subjcct has alrcady bccn trcatcd in what prcccdcd.411 Hcrc, how-
cvc:r, 1 shall clucidatc morc fully and say that this rcward and
punishmcnt will takc thc form of two vcry finc substanccs that
our Master, cxaltcd and magnificd bc He, will crcatc at thc time
of thc rctribution, applying thcm to cach of His scrvants in ac-
cordancc with his dcsert. Thcy will both consist of thc aamc cs-
sence. an cssence rescmbling thc propcrty <266 > of burning,
luminous firc, that will sbinc for thc rightcous but not for thc
sinful, whilst it will burn thc sinful but not thc rightcous. In
rcfcrcncc themo Scripturc has cxprcssly st3tcd: For, behold, the
day comtlh, it burneth as a furnace; and all the proud, and all
lhal worl( wicl(tdnus, shall be stubble; and tht day that cometh
sha/J stl them ablazt, tlc. .•• But unto you thal fear My namt
shall the sun of rig/Jttousntss arist with htaling in its wings,
tlc . ..• And ye .rhaU tread down tht wicked; for they ,hall /Je
arhe.r under lhe soles of your fett,• 0 etc. (Mal. 3: 19-21).
How apt, indccd, is this likcning of thc rctribution in thc hcre-
aftcr to thc two activitics of thc sun, which is the cause of thc
hcat of thc d3y as wdl as of brilliant light! For n whcn Scripturc
cmploys thc exprcssions the day burneth and the sun of righteous-
ne.rs, it rcfers to onc and thc samc tbing. Sccst thou not that it is
thc usagc of thc bnguagc of Scripturc lo rcfcr to thc sun by mean,
of thc tcrm day (yom)? lt says, namcly: When they wert by ftbus
- the day (hayyom) was far spent (Judg. 19: 11). lt says furthcr-
-44· "rcn of thcsc subjects"-reading ncccssit.arcd by thc ,cqucl.
45, Cf. abovc, p. 333. ·
46. This quotation folloWI the rcading of Ibn Tibbon.
47• "For"-lbn 1ibbon.
338 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
morc: Bel,old, now tlae day (laayyom) drawetl, toward e11ening
(Judg. 19:9).
Basically, thcn, this substancc that thc Crcator, cxaltcd and
magnificd bc He, will crcatc rcscmblcs the sun, exccpt that thcrc
will bc this diffcrcncc betwccn it and thc Lattcr: namcly, that thc
hcat and thc light of thc sun arc inscparablc companions, whcrcu
so far as this substancc is conccrncd, thc light can, through thc
omnipotcncc of thc Crcator, magnificd bc His Majcsty, bc drawn
off for thc sakc of thc rightcous and its hcat collcctcd for thc sinful.
This will bc accomplishcd cithcr by mcans of a spccial propcrty
with which it will bc cndowcd or by mcans of an accidcnt whcrcby
thc oncs will bc protcctcd against thc hcat and thc othcrs will bc
scrcencd from thc light. Howcvcr, thc sccond thcory is thc morc
probable of thc two; Now wc notc that God actcd in this fashion in
Egypt. He namcly cxtractcd thc light for thc bclicvcrs and the
darkncss for thc infidcls by mcans of an accidcnt produccd at His
bebest.
Having cstablished this principlc, thcn, 1 say, furtbcr, that it was
fo r the aforcgoing rcason that rbc Scripturcs designatc thc reward
of thc rightcous as light and·thc cntirc punishment of thc wickcd
as firc. (Thc application of] rhc formcr to thc rcward of thc
rightcous is made in such passagcs as <:267> For with Thee is
tl,e /ountain o/ li/e,· in Thy light do we su ligl,t (Ps. 36: 10); and
also Light is sown /or the righteous, and gladness for tl,e upright
in l,eart (Ps. ,n: 11); and again: Tl,e light of tl,e righteous re·
ioicetl,; bul 1/,e lamp of the wicked sl,all be put ouJ (Prov. 13:9).
· Scripturc says, furthcrmorc: To bring back l,is soul from tl,e pit,
that l,e may be enlightmed will, tl,e light of tl,e living (Job. 33: 30),
and othcr things of this tcnor.
On thc othcr hand, thc Scripturcs asscrt, in rcfercncc to thc
punishmcnt of thc wickcd: u And tl,e llrong shall be as tow, and
his work as a spark,' and they shall bot/, burn together, and none
sl,all quencl, tl,em (Isa. 1: 31); and also: Ye concei11e daO, ye
sl,a/l bring fort/, stubble,· your breath is " fire tl,at sl,all de11our
you ( lsa. 33: n) ; and again : Y ea, fire shall dn,our thine od11er·
48. "of the wic:kcd"-.dded bJ Ibn Tibbon.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 339
saries (Isa. :26: 11); and furthcrmorc: Fora heart/, is ordered o/
old; yea, /or tl,e king it is prepared, deep and large,· the pile tl,ereo/
is fire, etc. (Isa. 30: 33). Thcy say also: For 11,e company o/ tl,e
godless shall be desolate, and fire sl,all consume tl,e tents o/ bribery
(Job 15: 34); and Surely their substance is cul oß, and their abun·
dance tl,e fire l,at/, consumed (Job :22: :20); and All darkness is
laid up for his treasures,· a fire. not blown by man sl,a/l consume
!,im (Job 20: 26); and U pon tl,e wicked He will cause to rain
toals; fire and brimslone (Ps. u: 6); as weil as Let burning coals
/all upon them,· let them be cast into the fire (Ps. 140 : 11); and
thc likc.
If somconc wcrc now to dcmand that we picturc to him how a
body and soul can subsist without thc rcgular ingcstion of food
and drink,'° wc migbt prcscnt to him thc cxamplc of Mosts, our
teacher, peace he upon /,im, whom God, blcsscd bc His namc,
kcpt alivc tlircc timcs for forty days and forty nights without food,
as Scripturc puts it: And he was there with the Lord forty days
and /orty nights; l,e did neitlaer eat bread, nor drink waler (Exod.
34: 18). He must, thcrcforc, havc bccn sustaincd solely by thc
light which God bad [spccially] c:rcatcd and with which He
covcrcd bis facc, as is statcd by Scripturc: A.nd Moses knew nol
that the skin o/ l,is /ace sent /ortl, beams (Exod. 34: 29).
God's purposc herein was to prcscnt to us an indicatfon and a
rationally comprcbcnsiblc mcans <268> o( dcducing that thc
right~ous will subsist in thc hcrcaftcr on light and not on ordinary
n~ur1shmcnt. lt w.u in accordancc with this thought that God
sa1d to Moses: Be/ore all thy people will/ do marvels, sud a1 l,ave
not been wrought in all tlte earth, nor in any nation (Exod. 34: 10).
This statcmcnt, again, is of thc samc tcnor as Scripturc's dcclara-
tion to thc rightcous: And wl,ereof /rom o/ old men l,ave not
hea~d, nor per,ei11ed by tl,e ear, neither hat/, lhe eye seen a God
bes,de Tl,ee, 111/,0 workelh for /,im that waitelh /or Him (lsa.
64:3).
As for thc manncr of thc rcsurrcction of thosc who arc to bc
punishcd by bcing lcft to burn pcrpctually in firc, wc havc not
49, "aad driak"-.dded by Ibn Tibbon aad M.
340 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
found anyone in the past who mct with an cxperiencc of such a
nature that wc might usc him as an cxamplc. But it is preciscly
hecausc wc do not find any analoguc thcrcto that Scripturc cmpha-
sizc.~ it and dcdarcs cxplicitly conccrning thc godless: For 1heir
worm shall not dit, neither shall lheir fire he quended (lsa.
<i6: 24).
This last statcmcnt carries thc ncccssary implication that thcir
spirits will bc prcscrvcd within thcir bodica by means of a finc
substancc cxtcrnal to thc hcat that will cause thcm thc pain which
will thus constitutc thc punishmcnt that thcy will havc to cndurc.
Similarly it stands to rcason that thc spirits of thc otht:rs-1 mcan
of thosc who arc to bc rcwardcd-will also bc p resc"ed within
thcir bodics by mcans of a fine substancc othcr than thc clcmcnt
in which thcy will havc thcir bcing, so that thc light which rcachcs
thcm may bc a sourcc of cvcrlasting plcasurc.
Howevcr, tht: urgency of assuming thc cxistcnce of a finc
prcscrvativc substancc is grcatcr in the casc of ~ose who arc to bc
punishcd than in that of thosc who arc to bc rcwarded. Sccst thou
not that, whcn kings makc up thcir minds to inflict punishmcnt
on a person for a long pcriod of time, thcy obligate thcmsclvcs to
providc him with food and drink lest hc perish bcforc thcir pun.
ishmcnt has becn completely carricd out upon him, thc rcason
bcing that thcir punitivc acts arc intendcd by them to fall within
thc natural capacity for cnduring pain? As for thc Crcato.r,
magnificd bc His Majcsty, howcver, whosc acts arc ahovc nature,
He can sustain and prcservc without food.
Now thc rcward of thc hcrcaftcr has bccn callcd Garden of Eden
only because thcrc docs not exist in this world anything morc
magnificcnt than this gardcn in which God causcd Adam, pcacc
bc upon hun, to dwcll. Thc futurc punishmcnt, again, has bccn
callcd Gdinnom bccausc thc lauer has bcen dcnominatcd by
Scripturc as <269> Tophla, which is thc namc of a placc in thc
vallcy facing thc Temple which is rcfcrred to as Tophetl, anti 1/,e
11alley o/ 11,e son of Hinnom (Jet. 7: 32), and abo u Volley of
Hinnom in the book of /osl,ua (Josh. 15: 8).
Thus thc gardcn of Adam camc to scrve as a byword for excel·
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 341
Jence, as is illustratcd in thc statcmcm: The land is as the garden
of Eden be/ore them (Jocl 2: 3). Thc placc callcd Topheth, on thc
othcr hand, constitutcs an cxamplc of bascncss, as has bccn said
in Scripturc: And the houses o/ /erusalem, and the houses o/ the
kings o/ /udah, which are defiled, shall be as the place o/ Topheth
(Jcr, 19: 13).
CHAPTER VI
lnasmuch as I havc now madc dcar thc charactcr of thc two typcs
of rctribution, lct mc answcr thc third qucstion; namcly, that
of thc Jocalc in which thc rcquital of thcsc individuals wbo arc to
bc rcwardcd or punishcd is to takc placc. For sincc thcy arc human
bcings co~poscd of bodics and souls, thcy must nccds havc a placc
upon wh1ch thcy arc cstablishcd and surroundings cncompassing
thcm, which thc Creator, magnificd and cxaltcd bc He; would
conscqucntly havc to crcatc and causc thcm to dwcll in. This
hypothcsis is thc ncccssary infcrcncc from thc conccpt of crcat ion.
Ncvcrthclcss thc cxistcncc of such a localc is cxprcssly mentioncd
by thc Scripturcs. Nay, morc, it is callcd by thcm "hcavcn" and
"carth" in ordcr to rendcr it acccssiblc to our undcrstanding, sincc
wc can sec only a hcavcn and an carth. This is illustratcd by thc
statcmcnt of Scripturc: For as 1he new hta11ens and tl,e new earth,
which 1 will make, shall remain be/ore Mt, etc. (Isa. 66 : 22 ) .
Pursuiog this subjcct morc thoroughly, 1 ask ( mysclf]: "What
was thc rcason that motivatcd [ divinc] Wisdom in crcating a ,uw
hea11en and a ,zew earth? Could not God compcnsatc His crcaturcs
in this placc that is known eo us?" 1 must, thcrcforc, cxplain that
thc [lauer coursc would bc impossible] becausc this carch of ours
is cquippcd only to provide thc ncccssitics of alimentation first and
f~rcmost. That is why it contains grain ficlds and orchards, and
rivcrs and strcams iso for thc watcring of trces and plants, and
mountains and vallcys for rains and torrcnts, and stcppcs in which
thcrc arc pasturcs for thc bcasts, and watcrless rcgions in which
thcrc arc roads for pcdcstrians. All thcsc advantagcs arc nccdcd
so. "strnms"-Jbn T'abbon.
342 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
by us <270> in our prcsent abodc becausc of our requiremcnt
of nourish'mcnt and material possessions. In thc world to comc,
howcvcr, in wbich nouri.:ihment and material posscssions havc no
place, thcrc would bc no purposc to the cxistcnce o~ fields or ~lants
or rivcrs or mountains or vallcys or any of tbc thmgs menttoncd
previously or aught that rcscmblcs thcm. All tbat thc scrvants of
God will stand in nccd of at that time will bc a ccntcr and an
cnvironmcnt which will bc crcatcd for thcm by God as it will
please Him.
Now thc intcrprctation of God's statemcnt: For as lhe new
hea11en1, quotcd above, u unlikc that of His rcmark: For, hehold,
I "'eate new hea11en, ond o new oa,11, (Jsa. 6s: 17). For thc lauer
refcn to thc time of thc 1al11ation of God's pcoplc, the.. conditions
prcvailing during which would makc it sccm as thaugh God bad
crcated the world for them ancw. Ncedlcss to say, this mctaphoric
con1truction ia to bc applicd to the statemc.nt following th is onc;
namely: For, hehold, l create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people
a joy Gl (lo. 6s: 18) . lt could not havc bccn mcant hercby that God
was going to rcncw thc crcation of Jerusalem. but rathcr that He
would rcncw His pcoplc's complctc rejoicing. This is evident from
thc condusion of thc rcmark: a rejoicing, and her people a joy;
that is to say. as though He had crcatcd them to bc crcaturcs of
joy.
As for God's statement: For as 11,e new heat1ens (Isa. 66: 22),
since it .ipplics to the world to comc, it must litcrally refcr to ehe
placc and thc cnvironmcnt that God is destined eo crcatc for His
servants upon the annihilation of our prescnt centcr and surround-
ings, as has bccn cxplaincd clscwhcrc: 0/ old Thou didsl lay lht
foundation of lht earth; and the heavens are the work o/ Thy
hands. Th~ shall perish, hut Thou shalt endure,· • , • but Thou
art the se//same, and Thy years 1hall ha11e no end. The tAildren
o/ Thy servants shall dwtll securely 112 (Ps. 102: 26-29).
This rcmark shall dwell m:urely after the annihilation of heavcn
and earth prcsupposcs neccssarily thc crcation of a sccond place
51. This quorarion follows rhe reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
52. This quorarion follows rhe reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 343
in which they will dwell. [Thc neccssity of such a placc is also
evident] from the fact that the air, which lies bctwccn the ex-
tremitics [ of heaven and carth ), extracts from our bodies [ ele-
mcnts] which have to bc replaccd by mcans of nourishment."
Sincc human bcings will, in the world to comc, not bc nouri,hcd
(by ordinary food], it follows, of neccssity, that thc atmosphere
must bc of a different nature from that [ which cxists] here [on
earth ), so that thcy will not rcquire such nourishment. And if the
two cxtremities [ that is, the hcaven and carth of thc world to
come) bc different from thosc [of the prescnt world], it would bc
quite proper <271 > for the atmospherc bctwccn them to bc
othcr than the prcscnt one and of a different nature from this air
[of oun).
As for the nature of the time (that will obtain in the hcrcafter],
that constitutcs the answer to thc fourth qucstion. Apropos of that
,ubjcct, let w say that time will here bc composcd entircly of
light unintcrrupted by darkncss. J mcan thcre will bc no alterna·
tion of .night and day following cach othcr succes.sivcly. For the
reason that motivatcd [divinc] Wisdom, whcn it causcd men to
dwell on carth, in making thc distinction bctwccn night and day,
which is thc rcsult of thc pcrcgrination of the sun and its move-
ment, was merely in order that they might employ thc daytimc in
working for thcir livcHhood and othcr occupations and 1pcnd the
night in rclaxation, rcst, cohabitation, thc practicc of solitude, and
similar pastimcs. Sincc, however, in the world to come none of
thcsc thinga have any placc, the divisions of night and day can
vcry weil bc dispcnscd with.
Thc samc applics to thc division of time into months and years,
thc only rcason for which, on earth, is the nccd for making com·
putations, for fixiug wagcs, and for figuring thc pcriod of growtb
of what grows on the carth. The only kind of time division that
will have pcrtincnce in the hcrcafter will bc that which may scrve
a, an indication of the perioda whcn divinc scrvicc is due," u
1 ,hall explain latcr,H
53. Cf. abo,e, p. 279.
54, Cf. Outtmann, p. 2451 ancl n. 1.
,,, Cf. below, P. 3,3.
344 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
CHAPTER VII
As for the fifth and the sixth [ questions]: namcly, those concern-
ing the necessary assumption of the pcrpctuity of the reward in thc
hercaftcr of the rigbtcous and of thc punishmcnt of thc sinful,
l shall now discoursc about th is rrutter from thc staodpoint of
rcason. I say, thcn, that inasmuch as God madc it incumbcnt upon
man to scrvc Hirn, it was neccssary that He arousc bis desirc therc-
for by mcans of the best of stimulants. For if thc stimulant uscd
werc weak and thc individual did not render God thc servicc duc
Him, it might bc said that, if a strenger inccntive bad bccn cm-
ploycd, he wou1d havc sc,cvcd God. Whcrc, bowcvcr, the stimulant
cmployed is unlimited, therc is no langer any cxcuse lcft.
To cxplain this in greatcr detail, lct it be assumcd that the dura-
tion of thc rcward of thc rightcous was sct at one tbousand ycars.
lt could possibly be said (in that evcnt] that ccrtain pcoplc would
have no dcsirc for that rcward on account of its diminutive mcas-
urc. A similar prctext might bc offcrcd in thc c.asc.of two thousand
or thrcc thousand ycars. In fact, for whatcvcr is limitcd in cxtcnt,
rcason could find another mcasurcmcnt < 2']'l > cxcccding it.
If, howcvcr, thcir reward were to bc madc unlimitcd and uncnding
and thcir wcll-bcing would nevcr ccasc, there would bc no cxcusc
lcft that anyonc could givc.
Now somconc might pcrhaps remark, "1 consider such a policy
quitc proper in thc casc of thc rcward of thc rightcous, sincc that
consists of wcll-bcing and bliss and thc bcstowal of favors [ which
arc compatiblc with thc nature of God]. Howcvcr, whcn it comcs
to punishmcnt and condcmnation to pcrpctual hcll-firc, I sec
thcrcin a mcrcilcssncss and cruclty wbich do not tally with God's
nature."
In rcply thereto I say, with cqual cogency, that, just as it is ncces-
sary for God to use the strongcst stimulant to arousc in mcn thc
dcsire to do good, so must He cmploy the strongcst detcrrcnt to
keep them from doing evil. For if the detcrrcnt uscd by Him werc
to consist of the thrcat of tormcnts lasting a hundrcd or two hun-
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 345
drcd ycan, and mcn would not bc distraincd thereby from sinning,
it aüght bc wd by someone that, if God had made it last a thou-
,and ycan, thcy would havc bccn frightencd by it. Similarly, if
the punishmcnt wcrc to be fuccd for a pcriod of two thousand ycacs,
onc mighc say that if God bad madc it last a myriad, men would
havc bcen terrificd thcrcby.
That is why God made thc tormcnt of thc hc1·caftcr limitlcss,
employing thc strongcst possible dcterrent, that lcaves no loopholc
for anyone. And oncc He has thus employed thc most forcible
rneans of intimidation and they still do not hecd the warning, it
would not bc proper for Hirn to go back on His thrcats against
· thcm and bclie His own word. On the contrary, in order to prove
thc truth of His word and His statcmcnt, it is ncccssary for Him
to subject them to pcrpctual torment, for which they have only
thcmsclves to blame 110 on account of thcir rcbcllion against God
and thcir denial of Hirn.
This thrcat is, on thc other band, an act of kindness on the part
of God, since His aim in warning 117 them against cvcrlasting pun-
ishmcnt is to put thcm in the proper statc of mind for scrving Hirn.
This matter rescmblcs others which God, in His wisdom, has
crcatcd in this world [for man's bcncfit], but which arc turncd
into cvil through man's own fault. Thus, for cxample, if a pcr-
son gocs out at night and falls into a wcll, or eau food at thc
wrong time, or uscs as medicinc somcthing that is harmful, or the
likc [he has only himsclf to blamc for it].
Ncxt lct me asscrt thac Scripturc, too, confirms tbc vicw (that
the rctribution in thc hcrcaftcr] is cvcrlasting. This is evident,
fust of all, from its statcment: Some to everlasting l;Je, and some
to reproaches and everlasting ahhorrenre (Dan. 12: 2). lt says,
furthcrmorc: <273> In Thy right l,and is blirs for evermore
(Ps. 16: u); and also: They shall nevtr see the lighl (Ps. 49:20).
Morcover, its dcclaration: But Thou art the sel/same, and Tl,y
years sl,all have no end (Ps. 102: 28), is followed immediately by
56, "to bt.me"-lbll Tabbon,
57, "warning"~ded by Jbn Tibbon.
346 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
the statement: TAe dildnn of TAy sm,""" sl,tdl dweU s«unly,
tmd 11,eir seed sl,tdl l,e e1111bli1l,ed before Tl,ee (Pa. 102: 29). By
mean1 of thi1 statement Scripture aftirm1 th1t, just 11 the existence
:>f God, magnified and ex1lted be He, ia eternal, without end, so
will the righteou1 exi1t eternally and without end.
At thi1 point one might r1ise an objection, aaying: "If it ia con-
ceivable that His creaturea should, together with God, live etern1lly
in the future, why ia it not equally 1llowable that they shall h1ve
been in exiatence together with Him 1ince eternity in the put?"
Let me, therefore, explain the difference between the two theoriea
1nd aay that it ia impossible that any creature could have been
in exiatence 1incc eternity togcther with its creator, because the
author of anything must, by logical neceuity, h1ve preceded thia
work of his. Once, however, thi1 precedence on the pan of the
1uthor ha1 taken place and the thing h11 beeil produced, then, jwt
11 we consider it logically possible for its creator to maintain it for
any one day, we mwt believe him to be capabl~ of maintaining it
another day. If, therefore, the author auured hia handiwork that
he would do thi1 for it perpetually day after day and time alter
time,. the possibility of cternal existence in the future on the part
of th1ngs created would not only not be dcnied but even be con-
sidered admissible by reason. ·
But supposc someone were to 11k now: "What, in that case,
would be the difference between the Creator and His creation ?"
Our reply hereto is that such I qucstion docs not deserve an an-
swer. How, indced, can one compare I being composed of I soul
and I body, depcndent on time and platt., subjcct to the experience
of pleasure, to commandments and prohibitiont, standing in nced
of the means of subsistence, to One who ia exalted above 1ll 1uch
things 1nd wh1tever resembles them? Nay, those who 1re to be
rewarded with etemal life stand in the same rel1tionship to God
11 he whose eye and soul look forward to whatever He would
c~te for him, 11 has been expressly stated by Scripture: And
tl,nr seed 1At1ll k es1t1bli1Aed l,efore Tl,ee (ibid.).
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 341
CHAPTER VIII
In aruwcr, again, to thc scvcnth qucstion, namcly, whcchcr the
,cw~rd of t~osc to bc r~warded and thc punjshmcnt of thosc to bc
pumshcd will bc cqual m duration, I say that, just as thc rcward of
a tbousand good dccds will be uncruling. <274> so, too, will
the rcward of onc good dccd bc jnfinitc. Similarly, just as thc
puoish~cnt of a thou~nd cvil acts will bc uncndiog, so, too, will
the purnshmcnt of a smglc wickcd dccd go on forcvcr.
Howevcr, cvcn though thc rcward and thc puni.shmcnt, whcthcr
thcy app!y to onc or to a thousand acts, will bc evcrlasting, thcir
cxtcnt will vary according to thc act. Thus, for cxamplc, the nature
of a pcrson's rcward will bc dcpcndcnt upon whcthcr hc prcscnts
onc ~r t~n or onc hu?drcd o~ one thousand good dccds, cxccpt
that lt will bc ctcrnal m durat1on. For thc sakc of illustration wc
~c i~ this world of ours pcoplc whosc happincss consists ~lcly
m bcm~ a~ rcst; and o.thcrs who, in addition thcreto, enjoy eating
and drmkmg; and still othcrs, who, besides that, arc weil shcl-
tcrcd; and othcrs, again, who, togcthcr thcrcwith, put on rcsplcnd-
cnt clothcs; and, finally, pcoplc who, in addition to all thc aforc-
mcntioncd, occupy high positions of honor. ·
Similarly will it bc in thc world to comc. Thcre will bc pcoplc
thcrc whosc ~liss has bccn dcscribed in such tcrms as My fies/,
also ~wellet/, m. sa/ety (Ps. 16.: 9). Thcrc will bc othcr pcoplc con-
ccrnmg w~om 1t has bccn sa1d: Tl,ey lllke re/uge in 1/,e 1/,adow
o/ TJ,y w,ng1 (Ps. 36: 8); and still othcr pcrsons who will be
A.bundantly satisfied witl, tl,e fatness o/ TAy l,ou1e (Ps. 36: 9);
and othcrs to whom the versc A.nd 1 will elotl,e tl,ee witl, rohes
will apply (Zcch. 3: 4). Finally, thcrc will be thosc who will be in
thc catcgory of him to whom it was said : T l,en 1 will gi11e 1/,ee /rtt
«ce11 among 1l,e1e 1Aat stand by (Ps. 3: 7). The allusion in this
last scntcnce is to the angcls, of whom it has becn said: Abo11e Him
stood tl,e 1erapl,im (lsa. 6: 2).
. Li.kcwisc will thc cxtcnt of a person's punishment vary accord-
mg to whethcr hc prcscnts onc or tcn or a hundred or a thousand
348 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
cvil dceds, cxccpt that, whatcvcr the intcnsity of thc punishmcnt
may bc, it will be cver1ast.ing. As an analogy drawn from thc cxpc-
ricncc o{ tbi& world of ours, wc migbt citc thc casc of pcoplc thc
cxtcnt of whose tormcnt is compriscd in thcir beirlg connncd to
a prison; and others who, in addition thcreto, drag thcir fetten;
and still otbcrs who arc bound besidcs; and others, agajn, who, on
top of that, arc shakcn up; and, finally, thosc who, in add!tion to
bcing subjectcd to all thc aforcmcntioncd, arc bcatcn so that it
hurts.
Thus, too, will it bc in thc world to comc. Thcrc will bc pcoplc
thcrc whosc tormcnt has bccn dcscribcd in such tcrms as And lhey
shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in tl,e dungeon,
and sl,all be shut up in 11,e prison (Isa. "24: 2:2). Thcrc will also hc
othcr pcoplc of whom it has bccn said: His oum iniquities shall
msnare <:275 > the ,vicl(ed, and l,e sha/l be holden witl, tl,e cords
of ltiJ sin (Prov. 5: :u); and othcrs of whom it has bccn said:
Antl if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of alfliction
(Tob 36: 8); and still othcrs [ to whom may bc applicd thc versc]:
A sweeping storm; it shall whirl upon the-head of the ·wicl(ed
(Jcr. 30:23).
As for thc cighth question, namely, whether therc will bc aoy
diffcrcnce of gradation among thc rightcous and similarly among
the wickcd, thc gcneral answer thcrcto has already bccn given in
thc prcccding statcment. Ncvcrthclcss. 1 dccm it proper now to
singlc out sevcn subdivisions cmbraced undcr thc hcading of thc
varieties of virtuous men, and I say that thc cxistcncc of diffcrenccs
of dcgrcc in thc rcward of thc rightcous is a conclusion forced
upoo us fust of all by rcason. Furthermorc, wc also find support
for it in thc Scriptures, which mcntioo scvcn di.ffercnt gradations.
Tbc fust gradatioo is that of thosc who will bc cndowed with a
radiancc equal to thc light of thc sun at sunrisc. Of thcm Scrip-
turc says: But unlo you 1/1111 fear My name shall the sun of rigl,1-
eousness arise (Mal. 3: :20). Somc, again, will, in addition thcrcto,
dcrivc plcasurc from thc warmth of its rays, u Scripturc says right
thcrc: Witl, healing in its wings (ibid.). For somc, furthermorc,
this light will bc coofumed like somcthing implantcd in thcm, u
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 349
ba• beco cxprcsscd by Scripturc in thc scntcnce: Light is sown for
IM righkou1 (Ps. 97: u ).
For somc, again, thc light will be iocrcascd, as Scripturc puu it:
The light of tl,e righteous rejoiceth (Prov. 13: 9). The light of
somc, moreovcr, will havc the clarity of that of thc bodies of thc
bcavcnly sphcrcs, as it hu bccn said of thcm: And they that are
wise sl,all sl,ine as tl,e brigl,tness of tl,e firmamml (Dan. 1:2: 3).
Thc light of othcrs, again, will bc likc that of thc atars, with thc
cxccption of that of thc sun, as Scripturc says in thc samc placc:
A.nd the'y 11,at turn the many lo righttoumess as the slars forever
and evtr (ibid.) . Finally, thcrc will bc thosc whose light will bc
Jikc that of thc body of thc sun itself, as Scripturc saya: But they
that lot1e Him 6e as tl,e sun when he goeth fortl, in Ms might
Qudg.5:31).
This diffcrcncc of gradations is confirmcd also by what wc
know about thc face of Moses, our leacher, peace be upon Mm,
which is supposcd to havc bccn full of radiancc, whcrcas that of
Joshua was lcss rcsplcndcnt. Thus Scripturc rcmarks : And thou
sl,a/1 pul <2'6> of thy splendor H upon him (N um. 27: 20),
not saying simply: thy splendor nor all 1hy splendor. Tbc faccs of
thc scvcnty cldcrs, again, wcre cven less rcsplcndcnt than thosc of
thesc two, for Scripturc says: A.nd He tool( of tl,e spirit 1ha1 was
upon him, and ptlt il upon the seventy elders (Num. n: 25) j
whcrcas whcn God stated as thc reason for Moses' putting somc of
his splendor on Joshua: That all the congregation of the children
of luael may hearl(en (Num. :27: 20), He iocludcd thc scvcnty
cldcrs in thc totality of thc pcoplc.n
A proof that among thosc to bc punisbcd in thc hcreaftcr, too,
tbcrc will prcvail a diffcrcncc of dcgrees is furnishcd by thc fact
that we find applicd to thcm in Scripturc scvcn dcgrces of thc in-
ccodiary activity of fuc. Somc of thcm will havc tbeir faccs sct
aßame by firc so that they bccomc red. Of such individuals doc,
Scripturc say: Their Jaces shall be /«es of flame (Isa. 13: 8). Thc
faccs of othcrs, again, will bccomc black likc thc bottom of pots.
58, ..,plendor"--the u111al translarion is "honor."
59· Cf. Lev. Rab., chap. zu, par. 2, a11 parallel to rhi, view.
350 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Of pcrsons likc thcse Scripturc says: All /aus l,ave gatl,ered hlack-
ness (Jocl :i: 6).
Somc of thcm will bc as affccted by it as though they were
roastcd and stewed. Of them docs Scripturc say: For, hehold, the
day cometl,, ;, hurneth as a furnace (Mal. 3: 19). Some, again,
will bc aflectcd by it as though they were consumcd by the firc.
Conccrning thcm Scripturc says: A firt not blown by man sl,a/l
consume l,im (Job 20: 26). On somc of thcm its cffcct will be likc
that of wood which is consumcd by firc. About thcm docs Scri~
ture say: The pile Ihn-eo/ is fire and mur:h wood (Isa. 30: 33).
On othcrs, again, thc cffcct will be of tbc samc nature as whcn
firc consumca carth and stones. To such pcrsons applics thc state-
mcnt of Scripturc: A nd it de11oureth the tarth with her fWOd""•
,md stlteth ahlaae tl,e foundations of the mountains (Deut. 32:.22).
Finally, thcrc will bc thosc who will bc aflcctcd by it as by a firc
whose dcstructive fury rcachcs down to thc dcpths of the earth
or as if thcy wcre struck by lightning. Conccrning them Scripture
expresses itsclf as follows: For il is a fire thal consumtth unto
destruc#on (Job 31: 11).
[This thcory that there will bc gradations in thc punishmcnts
to bc bornc in thc hereafter is] also [ corroborated] by what wc
know about thc misfortuncs that wcre visitcd upon tbe Egyptians.
Although thcy wcrc of an all-cmbracing character, yet each
sinner was struck' by them in accordancc with his descrt. This is
borne out by thc statement of Scripturc: He weighs 00 (yephalles)
a patl, for His anger (Ps. 78: 50). Thc exprcssion yephalles is to bc
intcrprctcd, "He weighs it as with a balancc," as in thc scntencc:
A jurl halance (peles) and scales are tlae Lord's (Prov. 16: 11).
CHAPTER IX
In answcr to thc ninth qucstion, namely, who it is that dc-
servcs this pcrpctual tormcnt, lct mc say that it is thc nonbclicvcrs
<277> and the polythcists and thc impcnitcnt pcrpctrators of
gravc sins. So far as thc nonbclicvcrs and thc polythcists arc con-
6o. "weigh1"-the u1u1I translation i1 "leveled."
REWAllD AND PUNISHMENT 351
c:erncd, thcir fatc has bccn clcarly dcscribcd in the dcclaration of
Scripturc: And 1/aey 1/aall go forth, anti look upon the ctffasses of
11,e men l/,t# have rebelled againsl Me; for their worm sl,all not
dit (Isa. 66: 24).
As for thc unrcgcncratc pcrpctratora of gravc aint, thcy arc
thc group for whom exlirpalion or deaJI, III 11,e l,ond of 1!,e courl
has bccn prcscribcd. Thc conscqucncc of thcir 11 bcing cut ofl
from this world is to bc cut off also from among the righteous in
thc world to come by rcason of thcir failurc to rcpcnL Should it
happcn, howevcr, tbat onc bclonging to thi1 catcgory was not cut
off bcforc bis time but was permitted, by way oI repricve, to com-
plctc bis lifc evcn though hc had .nevcr rcpcoted, thcn bis pun-
ishmcnt in thc hcrcaftcr would bc all thc morc scvcrc and his bcing
cut off from among thc righteoua all thc morc compulsory by
reason of thc fact that, although hc bad bccn grantcd a rcpricvc,
hc did not rcpcnt.
Now all sins that do not bclong to thc categories prcviously dc--
scribed by us arc cxdudcd thcrcfrom and classificd as Jcsscr trans-
grcssion1 that arc pardonable. Should aomeonc a.sk, howcvcr, on
what ground tbcy arc pardoncd, s.ccing that no rcpcntancc of
thcm has taken placc, wc .would answcr: "Ia it not our buic as-
sumption that thcse individuals ·arc chargcd solcly with lcsscr
transgrcssions? That in itself is proof that thcy havc guardcd
against sins of a gravc character. Now how could thcy havc kcpt
aloof from thcm exccpt by doing thc oppositc: namcly, instcad of
dcnying God's cxistencc, bclicving in Him; instcad of going aatray,
bcing lcd aright; instcad of committing murdcr .and thcft and
adultcry, doing what is right and just and fair? Now whcn a
pcrr'.°n ~ollows such a co~rsc and. most of bis actions arc good,
retr1but1on for tbc:sc rdat1vdy m1nor misdccds is cxactcd from
him in this worJd, so that hc dcparts from it cle.arcd of aU blcmish,
u l havc cxplaincd in thc fiftb trcatise." 11
In rcgard to thc tcnth qucstion, namcly, whcthcr those to bc
rcquitcd in thc hercaftcr will mcct cac~ othcr, lct mc say, on thc
61. "their"-lbn Tibbon.
61.. Cf. pp. 2.1 o ff.
352 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
basis of my studics and nndings, that, so far u the righteou1 and
the wicked are conccrncd, they will only look at one anothcr with
their cycs. Thus Saipturc saya conccrning thc righteoua: .And tl,ey
s!,all go fort!,, ond loo,t upon the .carcasses of tl,e men 1lu11 Aave
rebelled agoinll me 11 (ibid.). Whcncvcr, thcn, thcy regard thcir
aulfcring,, thcy will say: "Praised be He who savcd us from this
tormcntl" and thcy will rejoite and bc glad ovcr their own con-
dition.
Likcwise Scripture remark1 concerning th~ wicked: <278>
TM sinner1 in Zion are afn,ül,· trunhling l,a1b sei•etl 11,e un-
gadly: Who omong ,u 1hall dwtll with the de11ouring fire? WAo
amang us 1/,all dwell wiJI, everliuling burnings? (lsa. 33: 1.4). In
amazcment thcy will watch the rigbteous abidc in thc burning lire
without being in thc least hurt by it, and thcy will aigh rcgrct·
fully ovcr thc rcward which thcy forfcitcd.
Furthcr [bearing out this vicw] is thc analogy givcn clsewhcre
in Scripturc of peoplc who arc invitcd to a banquct whilst othcrs
are brought thcrc mcrcly in ordc;r to be tormentcd, with thc rc-
sult that the lattcr, whcn thcy sec thc formcr cat, givc vcnt to
aighing. That is thc import €>f thc Statement : Behold, My servonts
shall eaJ, but ye ,hall be l,ungry; behold, My sm,an11 sl,a/l dn'nJc.,
bul ye 1hall be 1l,ir11y; behold, My servan11 1holl rejoice, but ye
1hall be ashomed; behold, My servan111hall nng for joy of l,eart,
bul ye shall cry for sorrow of hearl, and 1hall wail for r,exalion of
1piri1 (Isa. 6s: 13, 14).
So far a1 thc rightcous among thcmsclvcs are conccrncd, on
thc othcr hand, thosc whosc ranks arc closc to onc anothcr will
mcct, whcrcas thosc who arc distant from cach othcr in station will
not. lt would sccm to mc, howcvcr, that in thc casc of thosc who
arc dcstincd for punishmcnt thcrc will bc no mccting on thc part
of thosc who arc of similar rank on account of the scparation pro-
duccd by thcir sulfcrings and thcir prcoccupation with thcmsclvca.
63, Thil quotatian il bucd on the mding of Ibn 1ibbon.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 353
CHAPTER X
In rcply, again, to thc qucstion H as to whcthcr in the hcrcaftcr
,nen will still bc chargcd with thc obligation of rcndcring scrvice to
thcir Master, 1 would say: "By all mcans," sincc sound rcason
would not pcrmit itsclf to bc complctcly divcstcd of command-
,ncnt and prohibition. lf anything likc that wcre feasible in the
world to come, it would havc bccn so in this world also. Hcnce
,ncn will bc obligcd [in thc world to comc to carry out such dutics
as J acknowlcdging thc sovcrcignty of God, not to make insulting
rcmarks about Him or ascribc to Him unworthy attributcs, and
othcr such obligations of a purcly rational nature, which are thcrc-
forc inescapable.
In addition to thesc, thc Scripturcs spcak of anothcr type of
service prcscribed by rcvclation, such as the cstablishment in thcir
land of a spcci6c placc whithcr thcy would bc rcquircd to travcl
at cvcry appointcd scason; this will occupy thc place that the
Sabbath and thc ncw moon havc with us at prcscnt, and cnable
thcm to scrvc God thcre in whatcvcr manncr He may prcscribe
for thcm so that thcy may not rcmain without thc mcan1 of wor-
ahiping Hirn. This thought has bccn cxprcsscd by Scripturc in
thc statcmcnt: <279> And it shall come 10 pass, thal from one
new moon to anolher, and from one sahbalh to another, shall all
fies/, come to worship before Me (Isa. 66: 23).
Having fulfillcd this obligation, thcy will thcn go forth in
ordcr to look at thosc who arc being punished. For whcn Scripturc
statcs in thc versc immcdiatcly following : And 11,ey shall go forth,
and look upon the carcasses of 11,e men 811 (Isa. ti6: 24), that is
nccessary bcc.ausc of thc prcvious rcmark: .All fluA shall come;
[that is, &om their rcgular abodc to thc place spccially appointed
for worship ]. This thcory that rhc righteous will no morc be
cxcmpt from divinc scrvice in thc world to comc than thcy wcre
in this world is also supportcd by rabbinic tradition, which asscrts:
64, 'J1le Anblc lftt erroaeowly 1dd1 the word "l11t."
65. Thu quotation lollowa the rcading ol Ibn nbbon.
3S4 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
The diseiples of 11,e wise l,ar,e no resl eitl,er in tl,is world or in tl,e
world lo GOme (Ber. 64a).
As for those who will be punished [ in thc hcrcaftcr ], thcy will
not bc chargcd with thc duty of divinc scrvke on account of thc
suffcring to which thcy will bc subjcctcd, and also bccause such
scrvicc might bring about thcir transfcr from tbcir statc-1 mean
that of pcrpctual tormcnt, of which wc havc spokcn prcviously.88
The rcply, finaily, to thc last two qucstions, onc of which was:
"What would be thc rcward of mcn for thcir obedicncc to God
in thc hercaftcr?" while thc othcr [askcd] : "And what would
be thcir fatc if they disobeycd?" 1 havc alrcady givcn at the end
of the seventh treatitc," 1 stated thcre that God would not have
assurcd thcm ctcrnal rcward unlcss He kncw that they would
choose to obcy Hirn and not anything clse, and that, in rcturn
for this choice on thcir part, tbeir abundant bappine&s would bc
still forthcr incrcascd by Hirn, as wc havc: cxplaincd. Thc climina-
tion, thcn, of thcsc last two qucstions that have alrcady becn dealt
with, as wcll as of thc 6rst, which was also expoundcd prcviously,111
lcft only thc ten remaining one& [ which wcrc discussed in this
trcatisc].
CHAPTER XI
As an appcndix to this cxpo.sition, [ cfccm it proper to ask: "But
what, 1pcci6cally, will be thc rcward in thc hercaftcr for thc ful·
fillmcnt of every tradition and prccept and thc cffort madc thcrcin?
Similarly, what, spccifically, will be thc punishmcnt for thc ncg-
loct of thcsc preccpts and traditions and the lack of effort to fulfill
thcm?" This has not bccn delincd by God in this world of ours
for scvcral rcasons that motivatcd [divinc] Wisdom.
Onc of thcsc is that sincc thc opcration of thc principlc of reward
and punishmcnt in gcneral is not dircctly obscrvcd by us but is
66. Cf. ahme, PP• 344 ff,
67. Cf. above, p. 289. The fauhy ruding "eighda" bu been corrccted lO
"1nenth" by Landauu.
68. Cf. aboftt n. 45.
REWARD AND PUNISHMENT 355
,ceogniz~d on)y by approximation and infercncc, how can wc
cllpect to obtain a knowledgc of its morc hidden and more subdc
clctails? Anothcr rcason (for not spccifying thc details] <28o>
was that it would have rcquired too lcngthy a discussion, too ex-
tensive a statemcnt, and have imposcd too grcat a burdcn.
A further [objcct in omitting thc dcfinition of the dctailcd
rcwards] waa to prcvent our singling out from among thc total
certain spcci6c rites of divinc servicc, sceing that the remuncra·
rion of cach would havc bccn dclined for us by Him.°' Thcn,
again, since our minds occupy themsclvcs chicßy with cvcnts that
are ncar at hand-1 am rcfcrring to thc matter of the ,~demption
-thc Scriptures dwell upon this subjcct at grcatcr lcngth and
expatiatc upon it.
Wc hopc, howcvcr, that at the time of thc redemption thcrc will
be vouchsafed to us a full itcmization of tbe rcward for cvery act
of divfac scrvicc and a spcci6cation of thc various typcs of puniah-
mcnt corrcsponding to cach individual; for thc community of
Israel will thcn be cndowed wirb thc gift of prophctic rcvclation
and ( mcn's J minds will bc frec to dcdicate thcmselvcs to the
quest of wisdom and thcir characters ,o will havc becn sufficicntly
refincd to bc 1usccptiblc to iostruction, inasmuch as our people
will thcn bc prcparcd,11 nay ready, to pass ovcr to thc world to
comc.
I say, thcrcforc, that this is prcciscly thc reason why Scripturc
says that thc power of prophccy will cxtcnd to all. lt says, namcly:
And il shall ,ome lo pass aftmuard, that I will pour out My 1piri1
upon all fiesh,· and your sons and your daughters 1hall prophesy
(Joel 3: 1). Now they will, of course, prophcsy about what will
thcn lic in thc futurc, and thc futuritics of that time will conaist
of thc rcward and thc punishmcnt in thc hcreafter.
In giving thcm this information, God will furnish thcm miraclct
and marvcls in support thcrcof, as Scripturc says: And / wiU
1/,ow wonders in lhe l,ear,ens andin 11,e ea,1/,, blood, and firt, and
69. Cf. Milnah 'Abhoth ::a: r.
70. "characten"-lbn Tibbon and M.
71. "prepared"-literally "near."
356 THE BOOK OF BtLIEFS AND OPINIONS
pillars o/ smoke (Jod 3: 3). All thesc things, so it is Cur~hcr stat~
thc:rc:, arc to transpirc prior to the day of thc .rcsurrecuon. Scnp-
ture says, namcly: T he sun sha/1 he turned into darkneu, and the TREATISE X
moon into blood, be/ore the great and terrible day of the Lord
,ome (Jocl 3: 4). · <:i81 > CONCERNING HOW IT IS MOST PROPER
He, thcn, that will himsclf undcrstand thcse matters will belang FOR MAN TO CONDUCT HIMSELF IN THIS
to thc company of thc wise (Dan. 12: 3). He, again, who will WORLD
fit mcn to scrve thcir Master and teach thcm what thcy must know
in order to comc nigh unto Hirn, will bc classified among thosc
EXORDIUM
that turn the many to righteousness (ibid.). This prospect should
servc as an inccntivc to evcry man of lcarning to invokc the as- Hß principlc which forms tbc subject of this trcatisc is a
sistancc of Providencc in instructing [bis] fcllowmcn and guiding
them aright.
Thc ninth treatisc of thc Book of Bclicfs has hcrcby bccn com-
plctcd.
T matter that many men havc attemptcd to fathom but of
which only a fcw have rcached a satisfactory view. Let me,
thereforc, statc by way of introduction, that, inasmuch as the Crca.~
tor of the universe, exalted and magnilied bc He, is csscntially one,
it follows by logical nccessity that His crcatures be composed of
many elcmcnts, as I have madc clear in thc foregoing. 1
At this point, now, 1 would say that thc th.ing that generally
gives the appearancc of constituting a unity, whatcver sort of unit
it be, is singular only in numbcr. Upon carcful consideration,
howcver, it is found to be of a multiple nature. To rcducc this
generalization to simpler tcrms, whcn thc substanccs of all bc-
ings arc analyzed, thcy arc found to bc cndowcd with the at·
tributes of heat and cold and moisturc and dryness. 2 Whcn thc
substancc of the tree is cxamined, it is found to indude, in addi·
tion to thc aforcmentioned, branchcs and lcavcs and fruits, and all
that is connectcd thcrcwith. When th.e human body, again, is
examined, it is fou nd to bc composcd, besidcs the eJcmcnts listed
abovc, of ßcsh and boncs and sincws and arterics and muscles and
all that gocs with them. This is a matter about which no doubt can
bc cntcrtaincd and thc rcality of which is not to bc denied.
All thesc phenomcna are in accord with thc laws of crcation:
namcly, that thc Creator, cxaltcd and magnificd bc He, bc onc and
His works manifold. That is also bornc out by such statcments of
1. Cf. pp. 96 ll.
:z. Cf. thc first treatisc, p. 66,
358 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
thc Scripturcs as How m,mifold are Thy wor,\:1, 0 Lord/ In wi1-
dom l,as, Tnou made 11,em all (Ps. 104: :24). Evcn hcavcn is made
up of various parts, dimeruions, forma, colors, and movements
without numbcr. 21 That is what makes it hca.ven, u i1 stated in
Scripture: Wl,o m11,\:e1h 1/ie Btar, Orion, 11nd 11,e Plei11de1, 11nd lhe
ehamber1 of 1he soulh (Job 9: 9). . hatrcd on a ccrtain thing above the rcst. Now I invcstigated this
CHAPTER I
Having made tbi.s preliminary observation, 1 aay now that the
aarne thing applie, to tbc tendencies exhibited by man. He evinccs
a li~ing for many things and a dislike for other,. Thi1 it botnc out
<
by such statemcnts of Scripture as 282 > T l,ere are many Je11ices
in a man't liearl; hul 1/re counsel o/ the Lord, 11,a, ,hall lland
(Prov. 19: 21).
Now just as the material objects clo not con1ilt of just one oI the
four elemcnta [of which they are said tobe composed], and thc
body of thc trccs cannot cxist with only one of thc paru mentioned
by us, and man cannot live if be has bone or ße1h alone-in fact,
cven thc bcavcns arc not -illuminatcd by just onc star-so, too,
man's conduct in the course of bis lifetime cannot logically be
based on just a aingle trait. But just as in each instance the final
product is the rcsult of a combination of ingrcdicnts in larger or
amaller prqportions, so too, is man'• bchavior tbe rcaultant of a
combination of his likc.s and dislikcs in varying proportion1.
Man acts a1 though hc wcre a judgc to whom thc disposal of
the different tendcncics is submittcd for dccision, u Scripturc
says: Weil ;, il will, 1/Je man that dealetl, g,aaously and lendetl,,
11,a, orderet/, 1,;, aßairs righlfully (Ps. 11.2: 5). Or bis position
might bc comparcd to that of onc who would wcigh thesc im-
pulse1 with a balancc and give to cach iu duc mcasurc, as Scrip-
ture also puts it: Balance • tAe pt11/, o/ 11,y feet (Prov. 4: 26). Whcn,
thcn, a pcrson behavcs in this manner, his a11airs will bc propcrly
adjustcd and weil regulated.
3. Cf. p. 43.
4· "Babnce"-dae usual tr1n1l1tion i, "Make pl1in."
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 359
What impcllcd mc to put this themc at the bcginning of the
prcscnt treatise is thc fact that I havc scen pcoplc who think-and
with thcm it is a firm conviction-that it is obligatory for human
bcings to order thcir entire existence upon the cxploitation of one
trait, lavishing thcir lovc on onc thing abovc all othcrs and thcir
vicw and I found it to be extremdy crroncous for &undry rcasons.
One of thcsc is that if the [exclusivc] lovc for onc thing and its
prcfcrence [ abovc all othcrs] had bccn thc most salutary thing
for man, the Crcator would not havc implantcd in his charactcr
thc lovc for thcse other things. Also if that wcrc so, God could have
crcated man out of onc elcment and of one piece, and He would
havc donc <283> likcwisc for II the othcr creatures so that they
would have bcen similarly constituted. Scest thou not how indi-
vidual functions cannot vcry wcll bc exccuted by the use of a
sfogle medium? StiU lcss is this possiblc in human conduct in
general.
Another argumcnt [ that might bc advanced against the cx-
clusive cultivation of one trait] is that, if an architect werc to build
a housc of stones or tcakwood or mats or pcgs alonc, it would not
bc as weil constructed as if he had built it of all thcse matcrials
put togcthcr. The samc might bc asscrtcd with rcgard to cookfog
food, drink, drcss, scrvice, and othcr mattcrs. Must not thc pcrso~
wh~ notcs ~ow all thcsc items. which exist for thc purposc of
~crv1n~ man s ncc~s and wcll-bcmg are not composcd of just one
mgrcd1ent opcn has eycs and rcalize how much Jcss that would bc
possiblc in thc casc of thc indinations of his soul and its character-
istics?
CHAPTER II
Now it is also n~cessary ~or ~ e to cxplain that thc cvil rcsulting
from .such a one-sadcd choace 1s not tnvial but quitc scrious, as I
shalJ 1llustratc. l say, then, that thcre arc pcoplc who give thcm-
5. "donc liltcwue for"-literally "joincd with him." Through I typognphical
trror whac lllould bc onc word bccamc two in Landauer', cdidon of thc Arabic ~
36o THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
sclves up to long m~untain !rips, w~ch lca~s to thcir ~m-
ing insane. Othcrs mdulgc m cxcemve catmg and dnnlung,
which causca thcm to conuact hcmorrboids.• Othcrs, again, lavish
all their energica on the gathering of wcalth, only to accumulate
it for othcr men. Furthcnnorc, thcre are those wbo dcdicate
thcmselves cntircly to satisfying thcir thirst for rcvenge, with the
conscqucncc that thcir vindictivcness rca.cts against thc'_'Uc!vc,. 1
might also citc other such instanccs, :u I shall cxplain m thc
middlc of this trcatise with thc hclp of God.
Let mc, howcvcr, statc hcrc, prior to that discuuion, that it ia
for the abovc-mcntioned rcasons that man stands in constant necd
of a wisdom that would rcgulatc his conduct and bchavior, u
Scripturc says: When lhou walkest, it shall lead 11,ee (Prov. 6: n).
Principally that consists, in thi.s particular instance, in his cxcr~
cising control ovcr bis impulscs and having complcte mastcry ovcr
b is likcs and dislikcs, for cach has iu distinctive role in whicb it
must bc madc to function. Oncc, thcn, hc rccognizcs thc role bc-
longing to a giv.cn impulsc, hc must givc it full opportunity to
dischargc its function in the rcquircd mcasurc. On thc other hand,
if hc sccs an instancc in which the said impulsc should bc chcckcd,
hc must rcstrain it until thc ground for such rcstraint no longcr
cxists for him. All this is to bc donc witb due dclibcration and
with thc power to rclcase or hold, at will, as Scripturc has said:
<284> He 1l1t,1 is slow to onger is better lhan tl,e mighty,· ond l,e
1/Jai ruletl, his spiril Inan l,e that td„eth a city (Prov. 16: 22),
I havc alrcady statcd prcviously that the soul has thrcc facultics
-thc appctitivc, thc impulsive, and thc cognitivc.7 As for thc
appetitivc faculty, it is that whcrcby a human bcing entertains thc
dcsirc for {ood and drink and sexual iritercourse 8 and for sccing
bcautiful sights and smelling fragrant odors and for wcaring gar·
ments that arc soft to thc touch. Tbc impulsive faculty is that
which render, a pcrson couragcoua and hold, and endows bim with
zcal for lcadcrship and championing thc common wcal, and makes
6. "hemonhoid1"-lbn Tibbon.
7, Cf. PP• 243 lf.
8, "1exual intercourse"-lbn Tibbon,
IDF..AL HUMAN CONDUCT
him vindictivc and vainglorious, and othcr auch thinga. As for
thc cognitivc faculty, again, it cxcrciscs judgmcnt ovcr the two
othcr faculties. Whcn any onc of thcm or O of thcir subdivision1 i1
arouscd, thc cognitive faculty takcs it undcr considcration and in-
vestigatcs it. If it notcs that it is sound from bcginning to end, it
paints this fact out, not to spcak of thc case whcre tbe conscqucnces
arc dcsirablc. Should it, howcver, observc in any upcct thcrcof
somcthing dcJctcrious, it would advisc that one desist tbcrefrom.
Any pcrson, thcn, wbo follows this course of giving bis cogni-
tivc faculty dominion ovcr his appctitcs and impulm, is disciplincd
/Jy the discipline of the wise, as Scripturc says: The feor o/ 11,e
Lord is the discipline 10 of wisdom (Prov. 15: 33). Any man, on
thc othcr band, who pcrmits his appctitcs and impulscs to dominatc
bis faculty of cogn ition, is und isciplincd. And if someonc wrongly
calk such conduct d isciplinc, it is lne discipline o/ tne /oolisl,, aa
Scripturc says: But tl,e foolith despise .•. diseipline (Prov. 1: 7),
and also: Or os one in fetters lo the discipline 11 of tlre fool (Prov.
7:22).
CHAPTER III
Having dc.monstratcd, thcn, in this introductory statcmcnt how
logical neccssity lcads to thc assumption of the cxistcnce of an
All-Wisc Bcing who arrangcd for us thc ordcr of thesc our likcs
and dislikcs and indicatcd to us the manncr of our proccdurc witb
thcm, kt mc say that thc sage Solomon, thc son of David, may
peacc bc upon thcm both, has fathomcd this subjcct for thc pur-
posc of enabling us to att.ain what is best. He says, namcly : 1 l,a11e
seen a/l 1he works 1l,a1 are done under tne sun ,· and, bel,old, all is
11ani1y and " strit1ing after wind (Ecclcs. 1: 14).
Now he docs not rcfcr, when hc makcs thc remark: All is
11ani1y ond II s1ri11ing after wind,12 to thc union and combination
9, "or"-ddcd by Ibn Tibbon.
10. "diac.ipline"-die uauaJ ll'lmlation i1 "imtruction,"
11, "di.dpline-thc uaual tr1n,l1rion il "correction."
u. "when • • • wind"-addcd by Ibn Tibbon.
362 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
of all works, for it was the Creator,<285> exalted and magnificd
bc He, who established them and set them up, and it is not fitting
for a sage like Solomon to say of what thc Creator, cxalted and
magnified bc He, has cstablishcd: lt is all 11anity, What hc mcant
to say was, rathcr, that any act that a human being undertakcs to
carry out in isolation-that is to say1 cvcry one of the acts of man
that rcccive cxdusivc attcotion-is as futile for him as associating
with thc wind.
With rcfcrence to this sort of onc-sidcd proccdurc, he says also:
That wl,icl, is crooked cannot be made straight; and thal whicl,
is wanling [ ,annol be numbered] (Ecclcs. 1: 15). That is to say
any act practiscd cxclusivcly constitutcs a distortion from what is
straight and is lacking in completeness, while in thcir combination
[ with thc full range of pious works, single acts] do not constitute
a deficiency but rather complction and pcrfection.
The corrcctness of the foregoing interpretation is confirmed
by the fact that the author prcscnts thrce classcs of objccts of
mundane ambition, cach of which he dccides is '/,ebhel, the mcan-
ing of wbicb is "vanity." This (rendering of tbc word] is borne
out by such statements of Scripturc as They lead you unto vanity
(mahbilim) (Jer. 23:16); that is: "They deccive you with vain
hopcs"; and Trull not in oppression, and put not vain hope ('al
tehbalu) in robbery (Ps. 62: 11).
The first of thcse [ strivings that Solomon considers futile] is the
exclusive dcvotion to wisdom to the neglect of all othcr objccts of
[human] dcsire. He says, namdy, in refcrcnce thereto: A.nd I ap-
plied my l,eart to k_now wisdom, and to k_now madness and folly-
1 perceit1ed that this also was a strit1ing after ,uind (Ecclcs. 1: 17).
As his rcason for regarding it thus he givcs tbe fact tbat as a per-
son's knowlcdge incrcascs, therc i, also an increasc for him of
sorrow. Truit is duc to thc circumstance that with the incrcase of
his knowledge thcre are revealed to bim tbe flaws in tbings con-
cerning which·he was fully at ease before thcy bccame evident to
him. Tbat is tbc import of his remark: For in mucl, wisdom is
much vezation; and l,e that int"reaseth knowledge int"reasetl, sor-
row (Ecclcs. 1: 18).
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT
He next rcpcats [ this obscrvation] with refcrence to the cxclu-
sive cultivation of mirth and gaiety, saying that if a pcrson gavc
all h is attcntion and devotion to them alone, they, too, would prove
a disappointment to him. Tbus he says: I said in my heart:
"Come now, 1 will try thee with mirth, and en;oy pleasurt"; and,
behold, this also war vanity (Ecclcs. 2: 1). As his rcason for this
oondusion he givcs thc fact that a pcrson cxpcricncca, whcn he
laughs and <286> jcsrs, a sense of degradation and dcbasement
putting him.on a 1cve1 with the bcbavior of thc bcasts. That is the
import of his dcclaration: I said of laughter: "lt is mad",· and of
mirth: "What doth it ac,omplish?" (Ecclcs. 2: 2).
After tbis be makcs the same remark for the third time about
thc upbuilding of the material world and hc informs us tbat the
preoccupation thcrcwith, too, is vanity. He docs tbis in bis statc-
ment: 1 made me great work_s; I builded me houses,· [ planted me
vineyards,· 1 made me gardens and parJc.s 13 (Eccles. 2: 4) and all
the otbcr tbings that be rclatcs about his doings until the end of
the passage in question. Thc reason he gives as his objection to
all this sort of activity is that bc bas to leavc whatever be has
achieved to thosc that will come after him and that, tbcrcforc, his
labor will havc bccn wastcd. Tbus hc says: And 1 l,ated all my
labour wherein 1 laboured under the sun, seeing that 1 must leave
it unto the man that shall be a/ter me (Eccles. 2: 18),
Having, tben, enumerated thcsc tbrcc typcs, be desists from mcn-
tioning other worldly strivings u lest bc be divcrtcd thcrcby from
bis central themc. Yet in the very midst of his discussion of tbcsc
typcs hc hints at tbe nccd for thc proper balancing of these thrce
strivings. This is to bc cffectcd by devoting some attention to tbc
cultivation of wisdom and to indulgence in pleasure witbout ncg-
lccting to inquirc into what is best for man. Thus hc says: I
searched in my heart how to pamper my fies!, with wine, and my
heart conducting itself with wisdom, [how yet to lay hold on folly,
till I might see whid it was best for the sons of men that they
should do] (Eccles. 2: 3).
13. 11iis quotation follows the reading of Ibn Tibbon.
14. "nrivings"-lbn Tibbon.
364 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
CHAPTER JV
Now the thought occurrcd to mc, may God guidc tbce aright,
to collcct (hcrc Jthirtcco principal typcs of thc [human] ttri.vinga lt
that wc arc diacussing, noting what l know to be thc motivca im-
pclling pcoplc to occupy themsclvcs cxclu,ivcly all thc.ir lifc long
with onc in prcfcrcncc to all othcrs. Ncxt I shaU prc,cnt an ex-
position of mcn's omissions and failurcs in that vcry matter, mak-
ing definite mcntion in cach instancc of the rolc assigncd by nature
to the varfous impulscs in thc fulfillmcnt of which they might most
appropriatcly bc uscd. Ayc, if I wcrc to collcct all that 1 remcmbcr
of what thc dcvotccs of thcsc thirtcen [dasses of human aspira-
tions J ncglcctcd and givc the collcction a namc, it would consti-
tutc 1411 a complctc book of asccticism.
Let mc, howcvcr, first cnumcratc thcm <:2b7> and say that
thcrc arc thirtccn principal pursuits [ to which mcn dcdicatc them-
sclvcs]; namcly, abstincncc, cat.ing aud drinking, sexual inlcr-
course, croticism, thc accumulation of moncy, °[thc bcgctting of]
childrcn, thc [material] dcvclopmcnt of the land, longcvity, do-
minion, tbc nursing of rcvenge, ( thc acquisition of J wisdom, wor-
ship, and rest. Each of thcsc will bc subjcclcd by mc to rational
analysis. l shall furthermore notc thcir,dcsirablc :.specu, sct down
wbat should bc avoidcd thcccof, and assign to cach its appropriarc
placc.
On Abstinence
I say that thcrc arc first of all pcople who entcrtain thc opinion that
man should lcad a )ifc of asceticism in this wor)d, wander olf into
tbe mountains, and give bimsclf up to wccping,' mclancholy, and
mourning ovcr this canh1y existencc. "What compcls us to adopt
this view," thcy say, "is thc fact that chis world is only a transieot
abodc, whose denizcns arc in constanr Aux, ncvcr permanent." No
matter how happy or serene a pcrson may bc in it, his fortunc
changes quickly, with tbc rcsult that bis gladncss turns to sorrow,
his glory into bumiliation, and his well-bcing into miscry. lt is
141. "con,riruce"-lbn 'ltboon.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT
365
just as Scripturc says: Helieth down rich, but there shall be noughl
10 gat~er,·~e openeth his eyes, and his wealth is not. T e"ors ovt'r-
,al(e /um l,l(e wakrs,· [a tempest stealeth him away in the nigltt]
The east wind carrieth ~im afQay, and he departeth (Job 27: 19-2r).
The pcrson ~bo str1vcs zcalously to becomc wisc in it is ovcr-
whclmed by ~s. folJy•. He that n_iakcs an cffort to purify himsclf
succumb~ to ~1s 1mpur~ty. If ~c tncs to kccp .weil, his tcmperamcnt
~akcs h1,111 s1~; and ~ hc a1ms tobe sensible, bis tonguc causcs
h1m to tnp. lt 1s as Scnpturc puts it: Thougl, l he righteot1s, m;ne
own moutl, sl,all condemn me,· tl,ougl, 1 he innocent, He shall
prove me perverse (Job 9: 20).
Morcovcr, no one knows in thia world what illncss, advcrsity,
bc~vemcnt, worry, loss, or othcr misfortunc may bcfall him, as
Swpturc says: Boast not tl,ysel/ o/ tomorrow; /or thou lc.nowest
not what a day may hring /orth (Prov. 27: 1). T he conscqucncc is
that tbc morc a pcrson slakcs his thirst therewith thc morc intensc
does his thirst .bccomc; and thc morc tcnaciousiy hc clings to it,
th~ morc ccrtamly a~e .thc band]~ in his band and thc things bc
rchcs on scvcrcd. lt is JUSt as Scnpturc says: Whose confidence ;1
goJSamer, and whose trtut is a spider's weh. He shall ltan upon
Ais hause, but it shall not stand < 288 > he sha/11, 0 /J fast therehy
hut it shall not endure (Job. 8: 14, 15). '
. M~n's situa~ion in thi~ world is nougbt but disappointmcnt and
1llus1on ~nd lies, as Scnpture says: Y et is tluir pride but travail
and vamty (Ps. 90 : 10). Many proud giants have bccn bcatcn
down and brougbt low by it, as Scripturc says: The stout-hearted
ar~ bereft of senst, they sleep their sleep (Ps. 76: 6). Many of tbc
m1gbty havc becn humblcd and brougbt into disrcputc by it. To
pollute the pritle of all glory, to bring into contempt all the l,on-
ourah/e of !l, e eartl,. (Isa. 23:9). Many a onc who bad cxpcctcd
good from !t {~und 1t cxcha~ged for cvil, and, opcning his eycs to
look upon 1ts light, bchc!d lt grow dark in his .sigbt, as Script:Ure
say~: Yet, when l looked for good, there came evil: and wl,en 1
wa,t~d for light, thert came darkness (Job 30: 26).
lt 1s as tbou~b thc world bad cast all its heat upon tbe racc of
man and hurlcd its passion upon his weakncss, as Scripturc ex-
3«, THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
prC$SCS it: Thy wralb litlh hlll'd upon me (Ps. 88: 8). And what
-about man's iniquities and sins, and thc accounting and thc punish-
mem? And what about the distancc that mundaoc lifc sets up
bctwccn him and bis Master so that thc lauer bccomes toward
him likc onc who is ready to tcar him to picces in Hi11 wrath, as
Scripturc says: And if it txall il1tlf, Tl,ou hunttst mt a, a lion;
and again Thou sl,owtst Thystl/ mar11tlot11 upon me? (Job 10: 16.)
And thcrc is also the Statement of Scripturc Bthold, tl,e day o/ tl,~
Lord cometh, eruel, and Juli o/ wratl, and fier,e anger (lsa. 13: 9).
They say, thcrcforc, that an intelligent pcrson ought to rejcct
rhis world, so as not to c:ngagc in building or planting, not to marry
or heget offspring or dwcll among thosc who choosc such activities,
lest they inßucncc him and some of thcir traits infiltratc into him.
Rather should he scck thc solitude of thc mountains, subsist.ing
for his food on whatcvcr plants he may find until he dies in sorrow
and sadncss.
Now I consjdcrcd carefully their allegations and found thcm to
be for thc most part correct, cxccpt that they go to impassible ex-
tremes in abandoning the amenities of civilizcd existence. For thcy
lcave out of considcration the csscnti.als of sustcnancc, clothing, and
shelu:r. Nay they fail to think of their very Jives, <28g> for by
renouncing marriagc they c.ause the proccss of procrcation to bc
intcrruptcd. But if thia were proper, all men would have followcd
such a course, and if they were to do so, thcn thc human spccics
would die out and with it thcrc would bc an end to scicnce and law
and [ the possibility of] rcsurrection and [a new] hcaven and carth.
And what about the danger that would, undct such conditions, be
prcscntcd to human lifc by wild beasts and lions and snakcs and
hcat and cold and misbaps of cvery varicty? And what about the
coarsening of man's nature and tbe froth and thc mental dcrangc-
ment and insanity resulting solcly from the lack of good food and
cold water? Furthermore, therc comcs about a detcrioration of thc
blood and an excitation of the black galt compclling thcsc hcrmits
to rcsort to medical treatment by thc inhabitants of thc scttled com-
munitics, which is sometimcs effcctive and somctimes not.
Again, thcsc solitary individuals arc apt to bccome so shy of
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT
human beings as to imaginc that thc latter arc going to kill thcm.
.AJ,o thcy sometimcs conccive such a hatrcd for other men, because
thcy Jook upan them as cvil-docrs and sinners, that thcy havc no
,ornpunctions about shedding us thcir blood. At times, too, they
contract the characteristics of bcasts, so that they cease completely
to behavc li.kc human bcings. Thus, for cxamplc, Scripturc tells
us: Tht daugltter o/ my ptople is h«ome (rUel, like tl,e ostricl,e1
in the wilderness (Lam. 4: 3); and also: In the cle/ts o/ the valley1
,nust thty dwtll, in the 1,olts o/ tht earth and o/ the rock1. Among
the bushes tltey hray; undtr the ntllles they art galltered togetl,«
(Job 30: 6, 7). Thus thcy do complctc injury to thcmsclvc,.
Now the trait of abstinence on the part of man in regard to this
world is commendable only if cmployed in its placc. Tbat is to say,
if forbidden food or sexual intercoursc or wcalth prcscnt thcm-
1clvcs to him, hc should make full usc of this trait so that it will
rcstrain him from thesc things, as Scripture says: For what l,atl, 11
man o/ all hi1 labour, and the stri11ing o/ his htarl, whtrein ht 111-
/,ouretl, undtr tl,e sun (Eccles. 2: 22) .
CHAPTER V
ON EATING AND DRINKING
Ceraain men, again, are of the opinion that thc thing with which a
human bcing should occupy himsclf is eating and drinking. They
aa.sert, namcly, that the subsistence of body and soul is depcndent
on nourishmcnt. Furthcrmorc, nourishmcnt <290 > afforcu man
extraordinary plcasure, bcsides bcing the causc of thc growth of
bodics and thcir physical devclopmcnt and thc production of off-
spring. We notc, for examplc, that when a pcrson fasts for a day,
bis hcaring and sight and power of rcftcction and mcmory and
thinking faculty bccomc impaired, and whcn he takcs nourish-
mcnt, thcse facultics return to their original condition. lt may cven
happcn somctimcs that, as a result of being hungry, a human being
dcny his Lord or bc: unaware of what he says in bis praycr to Him. 1•
15. "shedding"-lbn 1ibbon.
16. "to Him"--1ddcd by Ibn 1ibbon and M.
368 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Thou scest, furthermore, that all human settlcments are estab.
lished oo the sitcs of ri.vcrs in order to make possible the sowing
and watering [of the soil for the production of food J. Thercby,
too, are dcfrayed the taxes imposcd by the kings and thc contrib11-
tions for the maintcnancc of the army. Food is the byword for all
that is good, for everybody uses the expression: "This is my bread."
Thou findest also that thc Scriptures hold i~ out as an inccntivc to
tbe righteous, saying: And ye shall sa11e tlte Lord your God, and
He will bleu 1h.y bread, and thy wata (Exod. 23: 25); and rhus
also: And the land shall yield l,a fruit, and ye sl,a/1 eat until ye
l,a11e enougl, (Lcv. 25: 19). Numerous othcr such examplcs could
bc citcd. Again, thcrc would bc no rcjoicing at the conclusion of
nuptials or ac a bccrothal or a circumdsion or a confincment or a
fes tival without food, and ehe swme applies to·sodaJ intercoursc and
friendly cornmerce among pcoplc and thcir fricnds.
As for winr,17 thcy say, it is beautiful in color, goodly in fra-
grancc, and r,leasant of taste. lt renders him that is sad joyful, thc
miserly generous, the cowardly brave. Scripturc pays tributc to
thcsc sundry virtucs [of winc] whcn it says: And wine that maknh
glad the l,eart o/ man, mal(,ing tlze /ace briglzter tl,an oil, and bread
tliat stayeth man's l,eart (Ps. 104: 15).
Now I studied this theory of theirs carefully and I found it tobe,
for the most part, for fctched. Also thcy regard only thc good
conscquences of addiction to cating and drinking and ovcrlook
thc ill effects. That is to say, thcy fail to rcalizc that ovcreating pro-
duccs indigcstion nnd hcaviness of thc limbs and a fi.lling up of thc
hcad and the cyes. [An cxccss of foodl also [generatcs] faintness
and dulls thc mind and changes man's disposition, indining him to
grccdiness and voraciousness, so that hc does not rcali:zc whcn
hc is satcd.
Thc rcsult is that hc comes to rcsemblc thc dogs in. his bchavior,
of whom Scripturc remarks: Yea, the dogs are greedy, tlzey know
not whro they have enough (Is.a. 56: 11). Nay, mure, be bccomca
Jikc thc firc, which <291 > dcvours whatcvcr is thrown into it
17, "wine"-lbn 1ibbon.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 369
without fccling it, in accordancc with thc statement of Scripturc:
The people tJJso are become like what is consumed by u fire (Isa.
: 18). ln fact, hc a~sumcs thc ~aracceristi.cs of dcath, which draws
9
all crea.turcs unto 1~sclf ~nd 1s nevcr sat1sfied, as Scripture says:
}/e u,l,o enlar~eth Im desire as tl,e netherwor/d, and is as death, and
,annol be 1at11fied (Hab. 2: 5).
[Wc m.ight cvcn goJ furthcr [and say that] hc becomcs like thc
four causcs of annihilation put togcthcr: namcly, 6re, watcr, dcath,
and barrcnness, of which Scripturc says: The horstleech lzath two
daughters: "Gi11e, gi11e," Tl,ere are three tl,ings thal are ne11tr
satisfied, yea, four tl,at say not: "Enougl,": tl,e gra11e; and tl,e
barren womb; tl,e tarth that is not satisfied wM, wata; and the
firt thal saitli not: "Enoug/1," (Prov. 30: 151 16).
The conscqucncc is that hc bcgrudgcs anybody's cating of a loaf
of his brcad though he bc a rich man, and if he gives it to him, he
does it with complctc indiffcrence. lt is just as Scripturc puts ic:
For as one lhat hat/, rtckoned witlzin lzimsel/, 10 is l,e: "Eat and
drin/(.," saith he to tlzee; b11t his htarl is not with thee (Prov. :23: 7).
Now oncc such traits makc themselvcs apparcnt in a pcrson,
kings and the clitc of men and pcoplc of intclligcncc avoid him and
rduse to sit in bis company, because hc is in a hurry whcn hc cats,
and whcncvcr hc sccs an amplc portion, hc pounccs on it. He is the
first to stretch forth and thc last to rcrnove his hand, his cycs bcing
turncd to thc food being brought in that his heart longs for. In
refcrcncc to such conduct docs Scripturc say: When thou n'ttest
to tat with a rl4ltr, consider weil !,im th.at is be/ore thtt; and put
a knife to tlzy throat, i/ thou be a man given to appttite (Prov.
23: r, 2).
Ayc, (this gourmand] is constandy intent on studying how he
may purgc himsclf so that he may bc in a position to continue to cat
thethings he lusts for. He acts as though he wcrc a funncl 111 wbkh
is pourcd into from above and which emits from below. lt is such a
onc that is alludcd to in the statcment of Scripture: For all tables
18, " likc what l.s con1umed by"--the usual translation is "11 the fu,1 of."
19. " funQcl"-lbn 1ibbon.
3'JO THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
are /uU o/ filthy 11omi1, and no place is clean (Isa. 28: 8). Or eise
hc vomits up, becausc of ovcrcating, thc food that his stomach can-
not hold,:. 0 as Scripturc puts it: The morse/ which thou hast eaten
sha/1 ll,ou 11omi1 up, and lose thy sweet words (Prov. :23: 8).
And what about thc coarscning cffcct that gluttony has on man•s
mind, < 29:1 > causing him to abandon bis rcligion and to forgct
his Lord, as Scripturc observcs: When they were /ed, they /Je-
came full, they w"e filled, and their hean was e:ralted,· therefore
ha11e they /orgotkn Me? (Hos. 13: 6.)
Thcy forgct also that winc, wbcn it is drunk raw,21 bas the
cffcct of making thc brain dry, and whcn it is drunk mixcd, that
of rcndcring it moist. lt also constrains thc mind and doc• injury
to thc intcllect, as Scripturc says: Wine is a mock_er, strong drink
is riotous; and whosoe11er reeleth thereby is not wise (Prov. 20: 1).
Furthcrmore, cxccnive drinking produccs a softcning of thc ncrves,
tremors, agitation of tbc bloocl, cbronic fcvcrs, progressive wcak-
ncss of thc stomach, and fccblencss of thc livcr, bcsidcs causing m-
tcnsc pains, as Scripturc says: Who t'rieth: "Wot"? who: "Alal'?
, .• Thry tht1t tarry lang at tht wint (Prov. 23:29, 30).
Furtbcrmorc, what about thc sins committcd and thc crimcs pcr-
pctratcd, and thc abominations, and thc sanction of what is ugly
and thc approval of what is forbidden that gradually insinuatc
thcmsclvcs into thc body of a pcrson n solcly as a rcsult of his
drinking winc, as Scripturc says: At the last it bileth lil(e a serpent,
and stingeth li~t" basilisk, Thine eyes shall bel,o/d slrange tl,ings.
and thy heart shall utter con/uud things? (Prov. 23: 32, 33.) And
what about thc murdcr of human bcings and tbc commission of
c:ipital crimcs and thc Rogging and bcating and imprisonmcnt and
chaining and sundry punishmcnts that are causcd only by thc
drinking of winc? And what about thc various typcs of dcccption
and cunning and dcstruction that arc brought about by it and it
alonc?
Morcover, thc pcrson who lavishcs all his cncrgics on obtaining
211. "bccause of overeating • .• hnld"-addrd by lbn Tibbnn •nd M.
21. "raw"-lbn Tabbon, i.e., "unmbcrd."
22. "incl the ahominations • • . pwnn"-addrd hy Ihn 1ibhon i ncl M.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 371
food and drink wiU, if hc ~nnot gct thcm lc:gally, scck to sccurc
thcm whcrcvcr th~y are to bc gott~, as Scr~pturc says: For 1/uy
eat the bread of w,ckednes1, and drin!( the wme o/ violence (Prov.
4: 17).
.Henc~ it bcfits man to sccurc thcrcof only what hc requ.ircs for
hi& su~s1stcncc, namcly, ~ough for thc sustcnancc of bis body,
as Scnpturc says: Tl,e r,ghteous taklh to lhe satisfying of his
desire,· but the /Jelly o/ the wickeJ shall want (Prov, 13: 25). So
long as hc rccognizcs this nced with his rcason, hc could givc frcc
rein to his appctitc for food and drink. 21 Oncc, howevcr, hc has
attained what hc necds for his subsistcncc, hc should rcstrain it.
CHAPTER VI
SEXUAL INTERCOURSE
Somc pcoplc arc of tbe opinion that sexual intcrcoursc should bc
prcf~rrc~ abovc all mundanc <293> goods. Thcy asscrt, namcly,
that lt y1clds thc most remarkablc of all plcasurcs, sincc for all thc
others thcrc arc substitutcs, whcrc.as this plcasurc has nothing that
un take its placc ..lt also incrcascs thc soul's gladncss and gaiety
and makcs thc body fccl lightcr, not to spcak of thc hcad ·and thc
brain.
Furthcrmorc, ~t all.ays a person's augcr, an~ drivcs out gloomy
thougbts from h1s ~md, and scrvcs as an antidotc against mclan-
choly. Thc grcatcst valuc it posscsscs, howcvcr, is that it is thc
causc of thc cooiing into bcing of thc rational crcature cndowcd
with intclligcncc [callcd] "man."' And what about thc fact that it
is thc basis of mcn's sociability and of fricndly rclations which
comc about through it alone?
If sexual intcrcoursc had bcen something inhcrcntly rcprchcnsi-
blc, God, blcsscd and cxaltcd bc He, would havc rcstraincd His
p~phcts and messcngcrs, pcacc be upon thcm, from it. [But He
d1d not do so.] Scest thou not how onc of thcm said : Gi11e me my
23. "ud drinlt"-eddrd by lbn 1ibbon and M.
372 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
wi/e (Gen. 29: :u) without any fcding of shamc, and how anothcr
said without blushing: H And I went unto tlae prophetell (Isa.
8:3)?
Now I cxamincd this thcsis of thcirs and I found that it commits
thc crror of bcing onc-sided. That is duc to thc fact that thcy havc
ovcrlookcd thc dcletcrious rcsults and the rcprchensiblc aspccts of
[ too much addiction to] sexual intcrcoursc. Among thesc may bc
listcd thc injury it docs to thc cye&, thc lass of appetitc, and thc
fa11ing off of physical. cncrgy. Oftcn, too, it is rcsPonsiblc for thc
prcvalcncc of hcctic fcvcr and pains of thc groin and of thc soft
parts of thc womb.
Furthcrmorc it makcs thc body ßabby, wcars it out quickly, and
hasten, scnility. lt is with rcfcrcncc to thcsc facts that Scripturc
says: Gi11e not thy rtrengtl, unto women, nor thy ways to that
whi~h destroyeth kings (Prov. 31: 3). And what about thc distrac-
tion of hcarts and thc confusion of thc mind and thc optic illusiom
which accompany it, as Scripturc aays: Harlotry, wine, a11t/ new
wine take away the heart? {Hos. 4: u .) · door; tl,en let my wife grind unto another, and let others l,0111
Moreovcr, hc who givc, vcnt to this impulsc and cnkindlcs it.1
firc is unablc to cxtinguish it cxccpt whcn his dcsirc is complctely
satisfied, as Scripturc puu it: They are all aJulterus, as an 011en
heau4 by 1/,e balcer (Hos. ']: 4). And what about thc filth and
dcfilcmcnt rcsulting from it, which, if a pcrson has any scnsitivc-
ness and <294> dclicacy of fcding, will causc his vcry clothcs .
to dcclarc him filthy, cvcn though hc clean himself scrupulously?
Indccd it is just as Scripturc has said: 1/ I wash mysel/ with snow
water, and make my hands never so clean; yet will Thou plunge
mein tlu ditch, and mine own dothes shall ahhor me (Job 9: JO,
31).
Furthcrmorc, what about thc shamc and thc disgrace and the
dcgradation and thc unsavory mcmory left as a rcsult of it for thc
futurc, as Scripturc has so truly obscrved: He thal committetJ,
aäultery with a woman, laclceth understanJing. , •. Wounds anti
dishonor shall l,e get, and his reproach shall not he wiped away?
{Prov. 6: 32, 33.) And what about [thc cffcct that addiction to
24, ''b1ashia1"-Ae Tibboa.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 373
tJic gratification. of thc scx urgc has in making thc subjcct] bclicvc
all mcn to bc blind and dcaf to bis doings, so that hc will do what
is ~n~ccmly in p~blic and think that mcn arc not cognizant thcrcof,
as 1s ~us~atcd m thc rcmark of Scripturc: Thine adulte-ries, and
tlly neigh,ngs, tl,e lewdness of tny /Jarlotry, on the hills in the field
J,ave l. seen tl,y detestt1b/e acts? (Jcr. 13: 27.)
~gam, what about thc fact rhat [by dclivcring himsclf up to
thu urgc J a pcrso~ would makc his homc a place n of rcfugc for
cvcry adultcrcr, h1ghwayman, and dcbauchcc without its mastcr's
pcrcciving it, as Scripturc says: Arid when 1 had Jed them kJ the
Juli, they committtd adultery, and assembled tl,emselves in troops
at ~he harlot's ho~ses'l_ (Jcr. 5: 7.) Thus hc may bring it about rhat
~t1thcr hc nor his chddrcn. have any clcarly lcgitirnatc offspring,
. JUSt as hc has bccn rcspons1blc for such an cvcntuality in thc casc
of othcrs. In this way thc punishmcnt would cxactly fit thc crime.
Similarly, too, docs Scripcurc remark: lf my hearl l,ave been en-
ticed unto a wom an, and I ha11e lain in wait at my neigl,bor'1
Jown upon her, for that were a heinous crime; yea, it were an
iniquity tobe punished by the judges (Job 31: 9-11).
lt is pro~r for ma~ to satisfy this appctitc only in ordcr to pro-
ducc offspnng, as Scrapture also says: And you, /Je ye frr1itful, and
multiply; swarm in the eartl,, and m"ltiply the-rein {Gen. 9: 7).
Hcncc hc should give this impulsc frcc rein whcn in thc cstimation
of rcason it sccms ncccssary, and check it whcn that nccd has bccn
fu lfillcd.
CHAPTER VII
EROTICISM
Evcn though it is repulsive 20 to mcntion this subjcct, it is no more
so than to discuss thc thcorics of thc nonbclicvcrs. Just, thcrcforc,
25. "hia hom,: a placc"-Jbn Tibbon and M.
2.6. ~aüia 11:enu to have in mind pcduasty, which wa1 prevali:nt among the
1nc1m t Grttl• u wdl II th,: mcdicval Arabs. Cf. Gunmann, p. 270 and n. 1.
 •
374 THE BOOK OF BELJEFS AND OPJNIONS
as wc rcportcd thcsc lattcr for thc purposc of rcfuting thcm and
thcrcby rcndering thc minds of mcn immune again.at thc doubts
thcy might arousc, <295> so, too, shall wc makc an cxposition
of this subject in ordcr to rcfutc it and thus protcct mcn's minds
against coofusion. Thcrc arc, namcly, pcoplc who cntcrtain thc
view that human conduct is best rcgulatcd by bcing gcarcd to
somc dominant lovc. This, thcy bclicve, has thc cffcct of giving
subtlcty to thc spirit and of rcfining thc tempcramcnt to thc point
whcre thc soul bccomcs something gossamcrlikc bccausc of its re-
fincmcnt.
Tbc proccss [ thcy avcr] is onc of an cxtrcmcly dclicatc charactcr,
attributablc to thc inAucncc of nature. A substancc, originating i~
thc look of the cyc, is pourcd into thc heart. A dcsirc is thcrcupon
arouscd which is furthcr strcngthcncd and intcnsificd by thc ad-
dition of othcr clcmcnts until it is fumly establishcd.
They go cven furthcr in this mauer, attributing tbc'workings
of this dominant passion to thc influencc of t~e stars. Thus they
assert that, if two human beings wcrc born in thc asccndant of
two stars facing cach other, in full or in part,27 and both stand
undcr the inAuence of onc zodiacal sign, thcy will incvitably lovc
and attract onc anothcr, 21
In fact, thcy carry thcir thcory still furthcr, attributing thc
consuming passion to thc work of thc Crcator, magnificd and cx-
altcd bc He. Thcy maintain, namcly, that God has creatcd thc
spirits of His crcaturcs in the form of round sphcrcs, which wcrc
thcrcupon djvidcd by Hirn into halvcs, cach half bcing put into a
different pcrson. Thcrcforc docs it comc about that, whcn a soul
finds thc part complementing it, it becomcs irrcsistibly drawn to
it. 2" From this point thcy procced further yct, making a duty of
man's surrcndcring himself to his passion. Thcy asscrt, namcly,
that this is only a mcans of tcsting thc scrvants of God, so that by
being taught submissivcncss to lovc, thcy might lcarn how to
'humblc thcmsclvcs bcforc thcir Master and scrvc Him.
27. "in fulhir in part"-fürrally "a• trianglr or hrxagon."
28. Cf. Malter, p. 251, and Vrntura, p. 281, for this rrndrring.
29. This is the myth of thr origin nf F.rn~ rrlatrd in Platn'• Sympowion. Cf. Gult•
mann, p. 270, n. 4.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 375
Now thc advocatcs of alt that has bccn mcntioncd abovc arc
rcally thougbtless and without intelligcncc. l, thcrcforc, dccm it
proper in this chaptcr, first of all, effectivcly to rcf utc thc spurious
doctrincs propoundcd by thcm. After that, I shall dcmonstratc
thc vcry oppositc 80 of thc thcorics to which they ding to bc truc.
I sa.y, thcn, that so far as thc thing thcy ascribc to our Lord,
magm6cd and cxaltcd bc He, is conccrncd, it is inconccivable that
~c. should u~c as a mea~s .of trial .something that has bccn pro-
h1b1tcd by H1m. Indccd, 1t 1s as Scnpturc has said: God impuwh
not 91 unseemliness (Job 24: 12), and also: For Thou art not a
God tlu,t hath pleasure in wickedness; e11il shall not sojourn with
Tnee (Ps. 5: 5). As for the doctrinc of thc division of thc sphcres
to which thcy ding so tcnaciously, sincc wc havc alrcady rcfutcd
that in our refut.ation of thc thcory of uncreatcd spiritual <2g6>
beings,8 ~ making it clca~ that thc so~l of cvcry human bcing is
crcatcd s1multancously wnh thc pcrfect1on of bis form, 8 3 this thcory
has bccomc completcly null and void.
As for thcir altcgation in rcgard to thc inßucncc of thc stars and
thc tallying of thc two parts of thc lovc-match, as weil as of thc
constcll?tions, if it wcrc rcally as thcy say, it could ncvcr happcn
that Zc1d should lovc Amr without Amr's rcciprocation, secing
that thcy are both cqual. Wc do not, howcvcr, find thc matter to
be so.
As for their asscrtion, again, that this cmotion originatcs from
a look, aftcr which desirc is gencratcd in the he.art, 1 say that it was
prcciscly on that account that our Lord, cxaltcd and magnificd
bc He, commandcd us to devote both our cycs and our hcarts to
His scrvicc, as Scripturc says: My son, give me tlay heart, and let
thi"e eyes obsm,e my ways (Prov. 23: 26). He also forbade us to
cmploy thcm in rcbcllion against him, whcn He said: And go
1101 about a/ter your own Atari and your own eyes, after whid,
ye 1,se logo astray (Num. 15: 39).
This lattcr warning was issucd against thc consolidation of this
30. "oppositr"-lbn 1ibbon, by thc rmrndation of just onr lrttcr.
31. "imputeth not"-thr usual translation is "imputrth it not for."
32. Cf. pp. 50 fF.
33. Cf. p. 2.35.
 µ
376 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
state in thc hcart to thc point whcrc it would hold thc subject in
its grip and havc such domi.nanc.c ovcr him that hc would cut down
on his eating and drinking and all othcr functions basic to hi1
well-bcing. Tbc consequcoce [of such a coursc] would be that bis
ßcsh would wa$lc away and bis body fall off and maladics would
makc thcir inroads on him in all thcir severity. And what al;,out
thc inßammation and thc fainting and thc hcart throbs and thc
worry and the cxcitcmcnt and thc agitation, of which Scripture
says: For 11,ey Afllle matle reatly their l,earl like an oven, while tl,ey
lie in wait? (Hos. 7: 6.)
These cffccts are somctimes carricd to thc brain, wcakening the
faculties of imagination1 rcßection, and rnemory, and somctimct
evcn dcstroying thc powcrs of scnsation and motion. lt may also
happen that, upon catching sight of bis beloved, thc lovcr ehould
swoon away and fall into a dcad faint, bis spirit Jcaving his body for
twenty-four hours,H so that hc would bc thought dcad and be car-
ricd out and buried.811 Again it is possiblc that upon cecing hia
bclovcd or hcaring him mcntioned, the lovcr might emit a rattle
and rcally die, thus proving the truth of thc parablc coincd by the
provcrbist: For 1/,e l,a,I, cast tlown many wounJeJ,· yea, a migl,ty
l,ost are all l,n- slain (Prov. 7: 26).
How now can a person aUow himself and his rcason to be taken
1>risoner rby his passion] to the point wherc hc will not know that
hc has a Master, nor any strength, nor <297> this world nor thc
next, outside of that passion, as Scripture has put it: Bul tl,ey tl,at
are gotlless in heart lay up anger,· tl,ey cry not for l,elp when He
/Jindd/, tl,em? (Job J6: 13.) And what about the slavish submis-
sivcncss to thc object of onc's passion and to bis rctinuc, and thc
sitting at thc gatcs and waiting upon him cvcrywhcre, as Scripture
expresses it: Lift up thine eyes unto the l,igJ, hills, anJ 1ee: Wl,ffl!'
l,ost tl,ou not been lain witl,? By tl,e ways l,,zst thou sal for tl,m,?
(Jer. 3: 2.) And what about thc vigils at night and thc riaing at
dawn and the sec:rccy practiccd so as not to be surpriscd in thc
14· "hi, bndy •• , houn"-dded by Ibn Tibbon and M.
J5, "IO , • • buried"-dded by Ibn 1ibbon and M.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 371
act, and thc dcaths one dies whcncvcr one is discovcrcd in onc's
shamc?
lt is ju.st as Scripture has cxprcsscd it: Tl,e eye also of 11,e adul-
urn- wa,1e1I, for 1/,e 1wüigl,1, saying: "No eye sl,all see me",· and
l,e puttet/, a covering on /,is fau (Job 24: 15). And what about the
murdcr of thc Jovcr or thc bcloved or of onc of thcir rctinuc or of
bo~ thcm and th~sc attached to thcm and of a grcat many human
bcmgs tog~ther w1th thcm that oftcn resulu from bcing madly in
Jovc, as Scnpturc says: Be,ause 1/,ey are adulteresses, and blooJ is in
their hands? (Ezck. 23: 45.) ·
A~aio, if hc sbould.on~ day bc successful in attaining thc objcct
of bis quest and rcahzc m adcquate measurc that for which his
soul has madc such strcnuous etlorts, hc might bc fillcd witb rc-
morsc and hatc wbat bc bad lovcd to an cvcn grcatcr dcgrcc than
hc bad lovcd it, as Scripturc rcmarks: And Amnon haled her witl,
e%teeding great Aatred; for tl,e hatretl wherewith l,e l,ateJ her wu
grellln' 1/,an 1/,e love w/,erewitJ, l,e /,ad loved her (II Sam. 13: 15).
lt sbould, thcrcfore, be clcar to a person tbat hc has sold bis soul
and his rcligion and all his scnscs, as wcJI as bis reason, once this
arrow has bccn rclcascd that cannot bc takcn back by bim any
morc, as has also bccn cxprcsscd by Scripturc in its rcmark: Till an
""°"' strike tl,rougl, l,is liver; tU a bird hastenetl, 10 Jl,e snare
(Prov• 7: 2~). This cm~tion~l statc, thcrcforc, has its appropriatc
placc only tn t?c rclat10ruh1p bctwccn husband and wifc. Thcy
should bc affcct1onate to each othcr for ehe sakc of thc maintcnancc
of the world, as Scripturc says: A lovely hinJ and a graceful doe,
let l,er lweos11 1a1isfy lhee at all times; witl, her love be tl,ou
rovished always (Prov. 5: 19). A busband should givc vent to his
dcsirc for bis wifc in accordancc witb thc dictates of rcason and
rcligion and to thc cxtcnt rcquircd in ordcr to bind thcm closcly
togcthcr but rcstrain it vigorously and forccfully bcyond that point.
 +
378 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
<:z98>
CHAPTER VIII
ON THE ACCUMULATION OF MONEY
Othcrs, again, are of the opinion that the best course for man to
follow in his conduct in this world is to devote himsclf to the ac-
cumulation of money. They were dcludcd into adopting this vicw
by a numbcr of considerations. Among thcsc was thc allcgation
madc by them that food and drink and sexual intercoursc, which
arc the basis of physical cxistcnce, arc madc possiblc by it and it
alone. Similarly commcrce and marriagc and all transactions
among mcn arc cxecutcd by mcans of it.
Evcn thc investiturc of kings with their dutics of govcrnmcnt
and thc homagc paid to thcm rcquircs moncy. Armics arc col-
lcctcd and fortresscs conqucrcd bccausc of thc monctary advan-
tagcs thcy afford. Mincs and conccalcd trcasurcs arc dug up for
thc purpose of cxtracting thc wealth thcy contain. And whither
do mcn rcpair and whcrc do thcy mcct and visit if not at thc gatcs
of thosc who arc financially succcssful? And who eise can bc
liberal and charitablc and philanthropic, and who eise is the rc-
cipicnt of grcctings and thanks cxccpt such persons?
lt is just as Scripturc says: Many will entreat the fa11our of tl,e
liberal man; and e11ery man is a friend to /,im that gi11etl, gifts
(Prov. 19: 6). lt was with moncy that God favorcd His nation in
rcturn for obcdicncc, as Scripturc says: And tl,ou sl,alt lend unto
many nations, but thou shalt not bo"o"' (Deut. 28: 12). lt says
likcwisc: Antl tl,ou sl,alt /end unto many nations, but thou shalt not
bo"ow; and tl,ou shalt rule 011er many nations 80 (Deut. 15: 6);
dnd this rule is, of coursc, cxcrciscd by mcans of money, as Scripturc
says: T l,e ,icl, ruletl, 011er the poor (Prov. 22: 7).
Now I studicd thcir thcory carcfully and I camc to the con-
clusion that all was weil w~th thc acquisition of moncy so long as
it comcs to a person spontancously and with casc. Howcver, oncc
36, 'Jbla quotation i1 bued on the reading of Ibn 1ibbon.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 379
o.nc undcrtakcs its quest in carncst, onc rca.li~ that it entaib
ef!orts of thought ~d cxertion of thc mind and ,taying awake at
naghta and hardshlp.by day, so that, cvcn whcn one b.as attained
wh~t one desircs thcrcof, one is oftcn unable to slccp propcrly. As
Scr,~turc aays: Sweel is lhe 1/eep o/ a labouring man, whelher he
e11J lmle or mucl,; bu111,e saliety of the ricl, will not suOer l,im 10
1leep (Eccles. 5: n).
'?~ the othcr band, whcn a pcrson makcs it thc objcct of hia
atrmng and d~votca himsclf to it witb mad ambition and avidity,
as l have mcnuoncd that somc do in thc matter of food aod drink,n
then the lovc of moncy bccomcs for him likc a consuming firc,
likc a wilderncss, likc death or barrenncas <299> that arc ncver
sat~. Nay it cven cxcccds thc lauer in it1 cftccta upon him, as
Scripturc says, with particular rclercncc to this madncss: The
netl,er-worlJ antl Destruction llt'e ne11er satiated; so tl,e eyes of
man are nt11er satiatetl (Prov. 27:20).
And what about thc quarrcls and contcntions and animositic1
and thc fighting which is similar to what lions and lionesscs do un-
til thcy havc gathcrcd their prcy, according to thc mctaphor usc'd by
Scripturc: Tl,e lion did tear in pieces enougl, for ltis whelps, 1111d
strangled for his lionesses? (Nah. 2: 13.) And how can onc bear to
hcar the crics of orphans and widows and thc poor and thc op-
~rcssed to whom he who is [ complctcly) intcnt on thc accumula·
non of moncy pays no attcntion, as Scripturc says: And behold 11,e
tears of sud a.s were oppressed, and tney had no comfortn-? (Ec·
clca. 4: 1.)
Furthermorc, what about thc unlawful scizurc of other pcopJc•s
wcalth and sustcn.ance, and thc loss of honor and thc disappearance
of trust and thc rcmoval of all rcticcncc, which arc occasioncd
aolcly ~y [th~ ~g~rnCJS] to ac~umulate moncy, as Scripturc says:
Thtn 11 11,e 1n1qu1ty of Ephra,m uncoveml, antl tl,e wicketlness
of Samarilll,, for tl,ey commil /alsehood; antl tl,e tl,ief enteret/, in,
and tl,e troop of robbers maketl, a raid witl,out? (Hos. 7: 1.) And
what about the brokcn promiscs and thc falsc oaths taken bccause
of it, with thc result that truthfulncss becomcs complctcly non-
37. Cf. p. 369,
 p
38o THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
existent, as Scripture puts it: Faith/ulness i, peri,hed, and M u
oß /rom their moull,? (]er. 7: 28.)
Morcovcr, if all gocs wcll and runs smoothly for him [who is
cngaged in thc accumulation of moncy], hc is apt to put bis entire
trust on it and forgct to makc mcntion of bis Master and deny his
Provider, as has, indccd, bccn cxprcssed by Scripturc: A.nd thy
sil11er ond tl,y gold is multiplied, •nd all tl,ot thou hast is mulli-
plied, 11,en tl,y lwzrl be li/ted up, ond t/,au forget tl,e Lord tl,y
God (Deut. 8: 13, 14).
Oftcn, again, this moncy [that a person is so eagcr to acquire)
may bc the cause of hia bcing ki])cd or ruincd, eithcr by robben or
by thc govcrnmcnt or thc likc, so that he and bis childrcn remain
bcreft of evcrything. This, too, has bcen rcmarkcd by Scripture,
which says: Iüches !(ept by 1/,e owner 1/,ereo/ 10 Ms hurt (Ecdes.
5: 12); A.s l,e came fort/, of /,is motl,er's womb, na!(ed shall l,e go
bac!( as l,e came• • , • A.nd 1/,is also is " grie11ous e11il, t/,at in all
poinu tu l,e came, so shall he go (Ecclcs. s: 14, 15).
On thc othcr band, if bis wcalth should bc lcfi: to his child whcn
thc father dies, thc wcight of this ill-gottcn wcalth would bc car-
ricd by the fathcr into the gravc I I and thc guilt thcrcof would bc
bornc by him, as Scripturc says: <300> As for his father, because
l,e cruelly oppresud, committed rabbery an l,is brother , •• be-
/,old, l,e dinl, for his iniquity (Ezck. 18: 18). Tbis wcalth, howevcr,
that bc bcqucathes to bis son is unlucky. Tbc blcssing of God docs
not rest on it, as Scripturc says: An estate may be galten l,astily
al the beginning; hut t/,e end thereof sl,all not be blessed (Prov.
20: :21).
Thc only reason why man has been cndowcd with thc lovc of
moncy is in ordcr that hc might take good care of tbat which God
has so graciously bcstowed upon him and not squandcr it. not for
any othcr purpose, as Scripturc says: The /Jlessing of tl,e Lord. it
maketl, ricl,, and toil addetl, nothing thereto (Prov. 10: 22).
38, "into tbc gran"-addcd b7 Ibn T'abbon.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT
CHAPTER IX
CHILDREN
Othcrs, again, are of thc opinion that [ men] ought to dedicatc
thcmselves carnestly to tbe begc:uing of childrcn. Tbis, they say,
aflords scrcnity to thc soul and solace to the eyc and produccs joy
and gladncss. Furchermorc, if tbcrc werc no childrcn, mankind
could not cxist and thc world would not perpctuatc itsclf. Children
scrvc, morcovcr, as provision against old agc and rcmembcr a
·pcrson for good aftcr his demise. And to whom clse but to them
arc mercy and compassion shown? And from whom, if not from
them, docs one obtain atlection and honor?
Is it not sufficicnt to point out that cvcry distinguishcd prophct
implorcd God for thcm? Thus thou seest Abraham saying: Be/,old,
10 me thou hast gi11en no seed (Gen. 15: 3). Again, thc Torah says:
.And Isaac enlreated tl,e Lord for his wife, because sl,e was barren
(Gen. 25: 21); whilc Rachel said: Gi11e me cliildren, or eise l die
(Gen. 30: 1). Also, by tcaching his children thc Torah of God and
His religion and wisdom, thc father might earn rcward through
them, as Scripturc obscrves: Tl,e fatl,er to tl,e children sl,all make
known TJ,y lruth (lsa. 38: 19).
Now I considcrcd this allcgation on their part carcfully and I
noted tbat it was corrcct so far as those children arc concerncd
whom the Crcator grants to His servant in accordance with His
wish. The mistake of tbc advocates of this theory lies in their re-
quirement that onc pay attcntion to this matter alonc, to the ex-
clusion of evcrything clsc. 1 say, howcver: Of what bencfit are
children to a pcrson if he is unable to provide for their sustenancc,
covcring, or shcltcr? And what is thc good of raising them if it
will not be productivc of wisdom and knowlcdge on their part?
And of what usc are thc pity and sympathy lavishcd upon thcm
in thc abscncc of thcse factors unless it be to add to the hcartache
of thc <301 > parcnts? As for their affection and thc honor they
might confcr, how can these things bc cxpccted from thcm if thc
prcliminarics arc locking?
 F
382 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Furthcrmorc, what about the pains of pregnancy and thc pangs
of childbirth and the birth itself and the confincmcnt and all the
attendant ailmcnts to which Scripture refcrs in its 1tatcment: In
pain tl,ou slu,lt bring fort/, dildrm? (Gen. 3: 16.) Bcsidcs, it i1
also apt to happcn that a mothcr die at the time when 1he givcs
birth, with thc rcsult that the joy is turncd into sorrow, Thus, for
cxamplc, Scripture tclls us: And ;, t:"me 10 f"US, ,u l,er soul "'"' in
dep"'ting-for sl,e died-tl,,u sl,e t:alled Ais n11me Bm-oni (son of
my sorrow)? (Gen. 35: 18.)
F urthcrmorc, what about the cxcrtions made by the fathcr and
thc hardships endured by him and thc pcrils bravcd by him 10lcly
for th~ purpose of providing brcad for bis family and bis young,
as Scnpture says: Her young ones also suc,t up blood; ""d wl,ere
tl,e sltun fltt, ll,ere is sl,e? (Job 39: 30.) And what about the troublc
of raising them, and thc care in thc cvcnt of illncss, and thc prepara-
tion of mcdicincs, and thc supcrvision of thc barlcy water or thc
?xrmel-all of which arc mostly occasioncd by them only? And
Jt 1s, of coursc, unnecessary to spcak of those ·cascs in whi,h thc
matter cnd1 in dcath and bcrcavcmcnt, for thcn therc is real wail-
ing and woe, as Sc:ripturc says: Yea, thougl, they bring up 11,eir
r:l,ildren, yet will [ bereafle 11,em, 1ha1 there be not a man lefl,· yea,
woe also to them when 1 deparl Jrom them (Hos. 9: 12).
~ould ~c childrcn live, on thc other band, thc fcar of what thcy
m1ght do, if thcy happcn to bc males, kccps thc parcnts from closing
thcir cycs at night, as Scripturc says: A son tl,"' dealet/, sl,ame/uUy
and reproadfully will despoil his fatl,er, and cl,,ue away l,is motl,er
(Prov. 19: 26). Thc drcad, again, of what might happcn to thc
fcmalcs inAamcs thc parcnts' cycs, as Ben Sira says: A daugl,,n, is
lo her fa,l,er "false '"""'"· Bec11use of his anxiety for her l,e does
not sleep at night (Sanb. 1oob, quoting Ben Sira 42: 9). But, in
gcncral, if thcy arc disobcdient,ae thc cxpcctations of joy from them
arc cut o.ff, all the morc so if thcy arc malcfactors. Of such children
docs Sc:ripturc say: There is a gmeralion 1/,01 curse 11,eir father,
and do not bless tl,eir motl,er (Prov. 30: 11).
Tbc solc rcason why thc lovc of childrcn has bccn implantcd in
· 39. "dilllbedifflt"-lbn Tibbnn and M.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 8
33
the hcarts of mcn is in ordcr that thcy might hold on to thosc · h
whom their .Lord has favorcd thcm and not lose paticncc
thcm, as Scnpturc says: Lo, r:l,ildren are a heritage o/ the Lord·
:;;h
tl,e fruit of tl,e womb ii a reward (Ps. 127: 3). '
CHAPTER X
HABITATJON {OF nIE WORLD J
Others, again, arc of the opinion that <301 > thc worthiest
occupation of man is thc habitation of thc world. Thcy dcclarc,
namcly, that, so far as thc construction of houscs is conccrned that
is a ncccssity, sincc, without them, man would havc no plac: that
would afford him sheltcr from thc hcat and the cold and where
thosc who arc attached to him could asscmblc. His cultivation of
the ficlds, again, is ncccssary for thc production of food which is in-
dispensable for his existcncc. Altogethcr [such improv!mcnts J are
for .man sour<:cs of joy and satisfaction and mirth and gladncss, as
Sc:r1pturc .says: Bul tl,e profit o/ a l11nd evn-y way is II king that
maketl, l11mself servant to the field (Ecclcs. 5: 8). Moreovcr, it is on
[such] cultivation of thc soil and constructions that kings and min-
isters pride themsclves, as Scripture says: Witl, kings and counsel-
lors o/ tl,e e11rth, who built up waste places for themselves (Job
3: 14). Furthermorc, it is such things that wcrc promiscd as rcward
to the bclicvcrs: And laouses Jull -o/ all good things, wl,icl, tl,ou
didst not fill (Deut. 6: 11).
Now I cxamined this opinion of thcirs and I found that thcy
h~d committed thc crror of going to extremes in rcquiring that onc
g1vc up all eise and occupy himsclf cxclusivcly with this activity.
For how can any of thc aJ>ovc-mcntioncd dcvclopmcnts bc carricd
out unless it be by mcans of wisdom and delibcration and a knowl-
cdge of enginccring and planning? For unless hc who engagcs in
them posscsscs a broad knowledgc of thesc subjccts, hc could not
achicvc aught of that which he aims for. Again, if a pcrson bur-
dens himsclf with such tasks of construction, hc Jets himself in for
384 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
exertion and hardahip and worry and anxiety and the expenditurc
of all of his own, a, well as of other pcople's moncy bccause of his
eagcrncss to finish what he has bcgun. Thus Scripture says: Woe
unto him thal buildeth his J,ouse by unrighteoumess, and his cham-
/Jers hy injustice; thal usetl, hit neighbour's ser11ice withoul wage,
(Jer. 22: 13).
On the othcr band, if he should finish what hc has planncd to
do, and thcn ahould note the least little thing that docs not picasc
him or that docs not sccm good cnough to him, what he has donc
would bc worth nothing to him and all his cxcrtion and his hard
work would bc wastcd. lt would be just like the .casc mcntioncd by
Scripture, n11mcly: A.nd Hiram came out /rom Tyre 10 see 11,e cities
wl,i&I, Solomo" /,ad gi11e" Mm,· anrl tAey pleased l,im not (1 Kings
9: 12).
Bcsidcs, what about thc .pcrpctual an.xicties and the constant
heartaches that accompany such actMtics? And what about the
cnvy of human bcings and the wrath of rulcrs that they engender
and thc misfortuncs into which thcy hurt a pcrson? <303> Js it
not just as Scripturc says: Ye have bui/t houses o/ lrewn stone, bul
ye shall nol d ,uell in them. Y e ha11e planted pleasant 11ineyartl1, btll
ye shall not ,ln"nk tl,e wfoe thereo/ (Arnos 5: n).
lf, again, the dcvclopmenu consist of the cultivation of fidds,
then thc planu that arc in thcm grow not according to the dcsire of
the pcrson that planted thcm but according to thc will of his Lord.
Thc formcr is, thercforc, constantly worricd about thcm. Anct if
the cultivator uproots thcm and plants othcrs in thcir place,~0 he
il doubly worricd and his anxicty is aU thc grcatcr in thc cvcnt of
a rcstraint of nt.in.u Thc samc ha!ds true also in the casc of drought
and intcnsc hcat u and mildew u and locusts and torrcntial ßoods,
as is indced statcd in Scripturc: lf there he in tl,e land famine, i/
there he pertilence, if there bt blaslir,g or mildew, locust or cater-
('illar, if tl,eir enemy besiegt tlrtm (1 Kings 8: 37). And what about
thc opprcssivc taxcs imposcd by rulers and thc violencc cxcrciscd
40. "plan11 othen in thcir place"--11,a Tibboa,
41, "and hl, aa:liety , •• nin"-lba 'libboa.
42, "inteme heat"-Cf. Dozy.
43, "mildnr"-• in Deut. 28: 22.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT
by their underlings, which bring it about that the cntirc producc
of the ficlds is divcrted to thcm and that nothing thcrcof cvcr
rcachcs its owncr? Thus has it bccn dcscribcd by Scripturc in
thc statement: W hen goods in,rease, they are in,reosed that eot
11,em; and what ad11antage is 1/,ere 10 tl,e owner 1/,ereof, saving
the bdolding of tl,em witl, his eyes? (Ecclcs. 5: 10.)
Again, if what he has sown should happcn to grow and its prod-
ucc bc garnered from the ficld, his aim and inmost thought is to
wait until priccs are high and hard timcs comc, so that hc may
take away u evcrything from thc nccdy and thc poor, as Scripturc
says: Thal we may buy tl,e poor for 1il11er, and the needy for a f'Oir
of 1/,oes, and seil 11,e refuse of the corn ( Amos 8: 6).
The only purposc for which the inclination to engagc in [such
activitics of] improvcmcnt has bccn implanted in man is that hc
may thereby servc his necds as far as thcy go, as Scripturc says: A.nd
lliere l,e maJc.etl, the hungry to dwell, and lhey e11abli1h a city of
l,abitation; and sow fitlds, a„J plant 11ineyards, wl,icl, yield fruits
o/ increase (Ps. 107: 36, 37).
CHAPTER XI
LONGEVITY
Othcrs, again, entcrtain thc vicw that thc highcst aim of man's
cndcavor in this world should bc to conccrn himsc)f with incrcasing
thc lcngth of his lifc span. Thcy declarc, namcly, that by mcaos
of lang Jife a pcrson can rcalizc all his wishcs in spiritual, as weil
as in material mattcrs. Shauld he ncglect this, howevcr, what can
he attain that is af any value? lt is for this reason that thc Scrip-
turcs prcsent lang life as an inccntivc to virtuous conduct, saying:
TAat 11,y Jay, bt long upon tl,e land (Exod. 20: 12); <304>
[and] Thal ye may live many day, (Jer. 35: 7).
Now the mcans whereby life [is cxtended], in t~c opinion of thc
advocates of this doctrinc, arc rcgularity in cating and drinking,
modcration in sexual intcrcoursc, thc cndcavor to bc chccrful, and
44, "take away"-lbn 'Iibboa.
 p
386 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
the avoidance of involvcment in terrifying or dangcrous undcr-
takings of cither religious or mundanc charactcr. By my faith,
howevcr, whilc thcsc conditions may contributc to thc wclfarc of
thc body, thcy arc not thc mcans for prolonging lifc. For wc find
that thcrc arc many pcoplc who, although thcy fulfill thcsc con-
ditions, arc short-livcd, wbcrcas othcrs, who do thc oppositc, cnjoy
longcvity. Furthcrmorc, wc notc that bodics of scrong constitution
break down quickly, whcrcas othcrs of wcak constitution arc long-
livcd. If what thc proponcnts of thc abovc-mcntioncd thcory asscrt
wcrc rcally so, thcn kings should live longcr than othcr mcn, sincc
thcy arc ablc to commandccr all foods, mcdicamcnts, and cnjoy-
mcnts of lifc, and cvcrything clsc that has bccn dcscribcd above.
Bcsidcs, lct mc mcntion what thc advocatcs of this doctrinc havc
ovcrlookcd on this subjcct: namcly, that thc longcr a pcrson livcs,
thc grcatcr arc bis carcs and.worrics and troublcs. lt is as Scripturc
puts it: Tl,e troublts of my htorl art tnlargtd,· 0 brin'g Tl,ou mt
out o/ my distrts1t1 (Ps. 25: 17). Also thc toll of bis iniquitics and
sins incrcascs and thc computation and summation thcrcof bc-
comcs longcr, and it is as though thcy wcrc rcncwcd cvcry day, as
Scripturc rcmarks: But they arost tarly to corrupt all thtir do-
ings (Zcph. 3:7).
So long as man is still in thc stagc of childhood, hc is ignorant,
knowing nothing, as Scripturc says: Foolishntss is bound up in tl,e
l,eart o/ a child (Prov. :22: 15). Whcn hc rcachcs thc agc of boy-
hood, hc gcts into mischicf, as Scripturc obscrvcs: But a lad 415
lt/t to himself cauitth shamt to his mothtr (Prov. 29: 15). Then,
whcn hc grows up into young manhood, hc takes upon himsclf
cxcrtion, toil,.and hard wor~, as Scripturc says: Tht l,unger of
tl,e labouring man labourtth /or him,· for his mouth compellttl,
him (Prov. 16: 26).
Finally, whcn hc attains old age, all bis desircs cease and hc Jives
only by compulsion, as Scripturc says: Before tl,e evil days come,
<305> and tl,e years tlraw nigh, wl,en tl,or, shalt say: "[ have
no pleasure in thtm" (Ecclcs. 12: 1). Tbc conscqucncc is that his
lustcr, color, bcauty, scnscs, and facultics diminish, and hc bc-
45· '1ad"-the usual tran,lalion i1 "child,"
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT
comcs likc a cloud from which thc rain has bccn cxtractcd and thc
dry mist of whicb alonc is lcft, which is thoroughly usclcss, as
Scripturc statcs: Bt/ore the sun, and the light, and the moon, and
tl,e stars, are darl(_ened,· and tl,e clouds return afttr tl,e rain (Ecclcs.
12: 2); and thc rcst of this passagc until thc end.
Tbc rightcous scrvant of God, thcreforc, lovcs thc lifc of this
world mcrely bccausc it scrvcs as a stcpladdcr by mcans of which
hc rcachcs and asccnds to thc ncxt world, not for its own sake. lts
lovc has bccn implantcd in man solcly in ordcr that hc might not
kill himsclf whcn troublc bcfalls him, as Scripturc says: And surtly
your blood o/ your lives will 1 rtquire; at tl,e hand o/ tlltry btast
111ill l requirt: it ( Gen. 9: 5).
CHAPTER XII
ON DOMINION
Othcrs, furthcrmorc, arc of thc opinion that thc highcst objcct
of human striving in tbis world ought to bc emincncc, majcsty,
and thc occupation of a position of leadcrship. Thcy asscrt, namcly,
that thc soul has an inclination for clcvation. Tbou notcst that it
comcs hard to it to bc humblc and submissivc to anothcr pcrson and
to do homagc to him. Thou findest, furthcrmorc, that thc cxcrcisc
of dominion gladdcns and uplifts it and incrcascs its chccrfulncss
and joyousncss. Thus, too, docs thc right to issuc commands and
prohibitions afford it plcasurc. Morcovcr, wcrc it not for this
aspiration toward lcadcrship, thcrc would havc bccn no mcans
of kecping thc world in ordcr or of looking aftcr its wclfarc. lt is
thanks to its authority that kings arc ablc to conduct wars and takc
chargc of thcir countrics' dcfcnsc, that judgcs can judge among
law-abiding mcn and thc ovcrsccrs corrcct thc incorrigiblc among
thcm. Of it consi:o;ted also thc blcssings that thc rightcous invokcd
upon cach othcr, as Scripturc says: Lei peoples 1ert1e thte, anti na-
lions how down to tl,ee. Be lord ovtr tl,y brethren, and let thy
mothtr's sons how down to thet (Gen. 27: 29).
]88 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Now u far u thcir allcgation about thc rcgulation of thc affair1
of thc world by thc maintcnancc of a systcm of dcfcnsc and by thc
cxcrcisc of justicc and corrcction is conccrncd, it is not to bc rc-
futcd, In fact, that happcn1 to bc our own thcsi1 and thc point
wc cndcavor to makc. However, they makc usc of thc justifica-
tion of the cxcrcisc of authority for bolstcring thcir thcory [of glori-
fying thc wiclding of power for iu own sakc]. For thc ordcrly
control of the world can bc cflcctcd only by thc application of wis-
dom [in govcrnmcnt]. Thcy, however, lowcr thc importance of
wisdom by making thc lovc of dominion in and by itsclf [ the goal
of human striviog].
<3o6 > 1 fcel compellcd, furthcrmore, to notc down somc of the
injurious conscqucnccs of haughtiness and thc lovc of dominion
which thcy overlook. One of thcse is that whcn a pcrson bccomcs
haughty and conccitcd about bis importance, hc ovcrsteps thc
bounds of bis rank, and lords it ci,vcr bis fcllowmcn both 'ncar and
far, and rcgards himsclf as uoiquF among mcn, and look1 down
upon thc opinion of cvcryone eise, and stubbornly pcrsists in his
own vicw, contcsting cvcry othcr thcory. As Scripturc says: He 1/uu
1epara1e1I, l,imsel/ see/t.etl, l,il 011111 desire, and snarktl, againrl all
sound 111isdom (Prov. 18: 1). Moreovcr, hc rcjccts what thc elders
have lcarncd by cxpcriencc and cxcludc1 what practicc has taught
thcm tobe right, and does not acccpt thcir advicc and rccommcnda-
tion. He bchaves rathcr as Scripture says: 7'/,e 11101 o/ o fool is
straight in l,u 011111 eye1; but l,e thot is wise heorkenetl, unto coun-
1el (Prov. 12: 15).
Tbc rcsult is that he makcs a failurc of his worldly affairs, and
whatcvcr success hc may rcap thcrein he attributcs to bis own
cunning and power and management and judgment. All this is
bornc out by thc statcmcnt of Scripture: 1 will punitl, tl,e /r#il
o/ the arrogant l,eort 0/ 1/,e king o/ .Asrpia, 11nd the glory of 1,;,
l,oughty looks, For l,e l,011, soid: By tl,e strengt/, o/ my l,11nd 1
l,ar,e done ;,, t1nd by my witdom /or 1 om prudent,' in 1/,01 l l,011e
remo11ed tl,e bo11nd1 o/ 11,e peof'les, 11nd l,1111e robbed 1/,nr treamre,,
and l,a11e brougl,t down 111 one migl,ty tl,e inl,abitonlt (Isa. 10: 12,
13).
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 3~
From that point hc would procccd to disputc with craftsmcn
about thcir craft, with thc rcsult that thcy would rcgard him as
ignorant and makc light of him. He would also contcnd with
scicntists ~bout thcir scicntific _work, cndcavoring to rcfutc thcm.
But ~crc 1s ~orc hopc for tbe 1gnoramus who kccps quict •n than
thcrc 1s for h1m. See1t thou a man wise in lau own eyes? T here ;1
more hape o/ o /ool than af him (Prov. 26: 12).
Thcncc hc might go on to arguc 61 with kings and ministcrs
~ing. displcascd with thcir opinion and disapproving of thci;
~ircc.uvcs. Of such a onc docs Scripturc say: T l,e sluggard is wiser
,,, l,,s 011111 eyes thon 1er1en men that give wi1e onswer (Prov,
26: 16). Finally hc rcachcs thc point whcre hc would find fault with
th~ wisdom of ~c C~cator and His knowlcdgc so as to rcjcct much
of 1t and rcgard 1t w1th contcmpt, as Scripturc says: A.nd they say:
"How dotl, God know? And is there ~nowledge ;,, tl,e Most
High?" (Ps. 73: n). .
Such an attitudc would causc him to fall into cvcry conccivablc
kind of dangcr, becausc of his confidcncc that his clcvcrncss would
cxtricatc him thercfrom, but that is prccisely what causcd him to
stumblc. lt is just as Scripturc says: He /rustratetl, tl,e de11ice1 o/
the cra/ly, so thal their l,ands can per/orm nothing <307> sub-
stantial. He taketl, t/,e 111ise in lheir own craftiness, etc. (Job 5: 12,
13).
Again, once a pcrson is succcssful in attaining dominion and
sovcrcignty, individuals who arc cnvious of him makc thcir ap-
pcarance from thc air, as it wcrc, and bis encmies bccomc nu-
merous, although hc has donc thcm no wrang, as Scripturc says:
Without my fault, they run and prepare 1hem1elves; awake Thou
lo l,elp me, and bel,old (Ps. 59: 5). In fact, as soon as it sccms to
thcm that hc is about to attain to lcadcrship, thcy bccomc cagcr to
slay him, likc thosc who said: Come now therefore, and let us slay
him, and ca11 him (Gen. 37: 20). He thcrcforc ncvcr cats any food
cxccpt that which is scalcd and ncvcr drinks any bcvcragc cxccpt
that which has bccn watchcd, and hc fccls as though hc wcre in thc
46, "keep1 quict"-lbn Tibbon.
47· "arguc"-a Hcbraiam.
390 THE BOOK OF BELJEFS AND OPJNIONS
position of onc that is scatcd undcrncath thc edgc of a sword or
whote lifc h.angs by a hair, as Scripturc puts it: There il hu, a step
hetween me and death (1 Sam. 20: 3).
Finally bis cntouragc might divcrt him from following thc strict
linc,of justice and Lead him into aU sorts of suspicions u and dou~
with thc rcsult that he would incur thc iotcnsc dislikc of mcn and
bc callcd hcavily to account by his Lord, as is also statcd in Scrip-
turc: And gi11e ear, 0 hause o/ the king, for unto you pertaineth
the judgment; for ye have been a snare on Mi•f'ah, and II net sf"ead
upon Tabor (Hos. 5: 1).
Thc only rcason, thcn, that tbc Crcator implantcd in thc soul
of men thc lovc of high position and cminencc was that it might
thcrcby be induccd to long for thc rcward of thc world to comc,
as Scripturc saya: He withdrawtth not His eyes from tht rigltuous;
hut witlt kings upor, 1he throne he selletl, them /or e11er, and they
are exalted (Job Jf,: 7).
CHAPTER XIII
THE SATISFACTION OF THE THIRST FOR REVENGE
Othcrs maintain, again, that thc best thing for man to strivc for
in this world is to takc rcvcngc on bis cncmics. Thcy asscrt, namcly,
that thc satisfaction of thc thirst for rcvcngc rcmovCJ from thc soul
thc worry with which it is laden and relicvcs it of the sorrow in
which it is wrappcd. lt affords it thc plcasurc of sccing the dis-
comfiturc of its cncmy, assuagcs thc vchcmcncc of its wrath, puts
an end to exccuive brooding, and prcvcnts a sccond encmy from
daring to do what thc first was hold cnough to attcmpt. Scest thou
not that thc best that was- prorniscd to the bclicvcrs was: Bel,old,
all they tl,at were incensed against 11,ee shall /Je asnamed and
confour,detl; they tht1t 11r011e witl, thee sl,all l,e OI nolhing, ond
sl,all pmsl,. Thou 1hal1 see~ tl,em, anti shalt not find tl,em, e,,m
tl,em 1/,111 contendetl witl, tl,ee? (lsa. 41: u, 12.)
Now I considcrcd all that tbcy have mentioncd and found that
41. "111spidoD,..--O,n Tibbcm,
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 391
they wcre laboring <3o8> undcr an illusion. For the cffccts upon
tbc soul tbat they dcscribc [ aa having bccn due to the cxercisc of
veagcancc] were cntircly thc rcsult of action that took placc 1pon·
tancou1Jy without any assistancc on ita part. Whcrc, howcvcr, the
soul bas to mcditatc about the mcasurcs to bc takcn against thc
cncmy, it falls into a sca of gloom and constandy thinks up new
sdicmes, as Scripturc cxprcssca it: WJ,o de11is, evil 1hing1 in 1/,ei,
1,,,1; nny day do tney stir up wars (Ps. 140: 3).
Furthcrmorc, thc man [ who i1 consumcd by thc dcsirc for rc-
vengc] gcts into thc framc of mind of rcfusing to accept intcrcession
or cntcrtaining any fccling of compassion or pity or li1tening to
any plca (for clcmcncy], as Scripturc says: The soul o/ 1/,e wiclf..td
desiretl, nil; nis n,ighhour findet/, no favour in his eyes (Prov.
21: 10). He is ready also to lavish bis cntirc wcalth and fortunc tt
on thc nursing of that rcvcngc, as Scripturc says: Bel,old, I will
stir up the M,des against them, who shall not regard sil11er, ond
tU for gold, thty sltall not deligJ,t in it (Isa. 13: 17).
Moreovcr, cvcn thougb hc is unablc to succccd in killing that
cncmy exccpt by killing a thousand fricnds or killing bimsclf, hc
docs not shrink back from taking that stcp, as Scripturc says: Let
me die with the PJ,ilistints (Judg. 16: 30). Nay hc is not cvcn de-
tcrrcd by the ncccssity of having to forsakc bis Master and His
scrvicc in ordcr to rcalizc his ambition, as Scripturc expresses it: 0
God, tl,e proud ore risen up ag,,;r,st me, and tl,e compar,y of 11ioler,1
mm hat1e sought afler my soul, and l,ave not set TJ,ee be/ore them
(Ps. 86: 14).
Howcvcr, aftcr having takcn all tbcsc risks for thc sakc of gct·
ting satisfaction, it is still possible that hc may not attain his objcc-
tivc, as Scripturc says: To hreak through unto tnt king of Edom;
but they could nol (II Kings 3: :z6). And, again, it may bappcn that
fortunc turn against him and hc himself pcrish, as Scripture re-
marks: WJ,oso diggttl, a pit sl,all fall therein; and l,e thot roll,tl,
a stone, it shaU return upon J,im (Prov. 26: 27).
Should he, on thc otber band, rcmain safe and attain tbe objcct
of bis quest, bc will still have incurrcd thc scvcrc punisbment of
49. "fortunc"--lbn Tibbon.
392 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
God from which no onc can savc him cxccpt thc forgivcncss of him
whom hc has wrongcd, as Scripturc says: A man thal is laden with
the blood oj any person shall hasten his steps unto the pit,· none will
support him (Prov. 28: 17).
How, furthermore, [ can a pcrson who is thus consumed by thc
thirst for vengcancc] cherish the hope that he may succeed in rc-
sisting cithcr thc dccrccs of fate, if the doctrine of thc fatalists bc
acccptcd, or the inßuencc of the stars, if thc thcory of the astrologcn
bc followcd, or <309> maintain the vain hopc to resist thc dcci-
sion of the Crcator of thc hcavcns and the carth,110 if thc vicw of thc
profcssors of thc truth 11 bc adoptcd? [ Are they not foolish] to
think thcmsclves bcyond God's control, as Scripture expresses it:
TJ,ey encourage one another in an evil matter; thr.y converse oj
laying snares secretly,· they ask, who would see them? (Ps. 6.f: 6.)
Mort..Jver, what about the hatrcd on thc part of human bcings
and thc enmity of fcllow crcaturcs [that thc vindictivc invitc], and
the cnvy of thcir wdl-bcing and thc gloating ovcr thcir misfortunc
that they engender in the formen' hcarts, as Scripture says: So
they make their own tongue a stumbling unto themselves; all that
see them shal{e the head? (Ps. 64:9.) The conscquencc is that
nobody sympathizcs with thcrn in their sorrow and none is paincd
over thcir miscry but cverybody 12 rcjoiccs over their downfall,
as Scripturc says: There is no assuaging o/ thy lsurl, thy wound is
grievous,· all thtU hear the reporl of thee t'lap the l,ands over thee;
for upon wl,om l,a,J, not tny wickedness passed ,ontinually? (Nah.
3: 19·)
Often, again, this gencral cnmity might in the end rcdound to
the hurt of him who sceks rcvcnge, as Scripture says: And tl,e cruel
hatred wherewitl, they hate me (Ps. 25: 19), and also: Show no
mercy 10 any iniquitous traitors. Selah (Ps. 59: 6).
The only rcason, then, that thc dcsirc to takc rcvcngc has bcen
implantcd in thc soul of man is in ordcr that God's justice might
bc carricd out against thc cvildocrs in the lands and that thc wclfarc
50, "anh"-lbn 1ibbon.
51. "uuth"-lbn Tabbon, correctly.
53, NcYcrybody"-lbn 1ibbon, comdly.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 393
of mankind might bc scrvcd, as Scripturc says: Morning by morn-
ing will l deslroy all tl,e wicked of tl,e land,· to cut off all the work·
ers of iniquity from tl,e city of the Lord (Ps. 101 : 8).
CHAPTER XIV
ON KNOWLEDGE
Among thc scholars therc are somc who maintain that thcre
exists nothing with which an individual ought to occupy himsclf
in this world cxccpt the quest of scicntific knowlcdge. Thcy asscrt,
namely, that thcrcby one attains an acquaintance with the clcments
of nature, as weil as with thc various mixtures tobe found on carth,
and also an extensive knowledge of the stars of hcavcn and the
celcstial sphcrcs.
This sort of knowlcdgc aflords plcasurc to thc soul, as Scripturc
says: For wisdom sl,all enter into thy heart, and knowledge shall
l,e pleasant unto thy soul (Prov. 2: 10). lt also hcals thc soul of
ignorance, as Scripture says: lt shall be healtl, 10 thy navel
(Prov. 3: 8). <310> Ayc, it is as nourishing to it as food, as Scrip·
turc says: And drink 113 to thy bones (ibid.). lt furthcrmorc adorns
the soul like pcarls and jcwels worn by kings, as Scripturc says:
For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head, and chains about
11,y neck (Prov. 1: 9). He who docs not strive for such knowlcdgc
and has no undcrstanding for it might al most bc said not to bclong
to thc human race and not tobe worthy of such :i privilcgc, as Scrip-
ture says: Because tl,ey give no heed to tl,e works of the Lord, nor
to the operation of His hands (Ps. 28: 5).
Now I found all that thcy ascribcd to scicntific knowledge to be
truc and correct. Ncvcrthelcss thcrc is this mistake that thcir thcsis
harbors; namely, the asscrtion on their part that onc should occopy
himsclf with it alonc to thc cxclusion of evcrything eise. For if,
while engagcd in. acquiring knowlcdge, a pcrson failcd to conccrn
himself about his sustenancc, shelter, and clothing, his knowledgc
would bc nullificd, sincc his existencc depcnds on thcse things.
SJ, "drink"-the usual tran1lation ia "marrow."
394 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
On the other hand, if he were to imposc himsclf on other pcople for
the sc:curing of thcse necc:ssitics of bis livclihood. hc would bc
rcjectcd, no Jongcr relicd upon, 04 and his advice would not bc
acccptcd any more, as Scripturc also says: Net1er1heless the poor
man's wisdom iJ despised, and his words are not htard (Ec.cles.
9: 16).
Again, if hc [who dcdicatcs himsclf to thc cultivation of knowJ.
edgc] wcrc to contcnt himself with coarsc, lcan farc and try to
gct along on it,1" his nature wou~d bccomc coarse, his mi?d d~ll,09
and the clarity and delicacy of h1s knowlcdgc would bc 1mpa1rcd.
For, as Scripturc says: A word fitly rpoktn is /i/{e apples o~ gold
in settings of nlver (Prov, :z5: 11) . Scest thou not that the childrcn
of Israel wen: nourishcd in thc wildcrncss by our Lord by only the
fincst food-I mcan the manna-in order that they might learn
divine wisdom, as Scripture says: And the peoplt shall go out and
gatl,er a day's porlion every day, tl,at 1 may pro11e 11,em, whetl,er
they will walle in My law, or not? (Exod. 16: 4.) Considcr also the
fact that, even though the children of Lcvi wcre cntidcd to only
onc-thirtecnth part of thc produce of the fields, sincc they con·
stitutcd only one out of thirtccn tribcs, they werc allottcd by God
a whole tcnth so that their food might bc finc.
Furthcrmorc, if all men bad agrccd to abide by the principlc
advocatcd by thcsc [one·sidcd lovers of knowlcdgcJ, then the
r cultivation of] knowlcdge would have comc to an end bccausc
of the discontinuance of the propagation of the human racc rcsult-
ing from the ncglcct of marriage. Again, exclusivc prcoccupation
with physical science would constitutc an. abandonmcnt of the
cultivation of thc science of religion and religious law, whcrca1
the only rcason why the love <311> of thc former has bccn
implantcd in man is in order that it might support the lauer, both
togcther making an excellent combination, as Scripture says:
Tl,at 1 migl,1 make tl,ee know 11,e urtainty of 11,e words of trutl,,
1l,a11hou migl,test hring b11&k worJs of trutl, to tl,em tl,at senJ
tl,ee (Prov. 22:21).
54. "relied upon"-lbn 1ibhon.
,,. "coane, lean • • • on it"-lbn 1ibbon.
56. "bis mind dull"-litenlly "will throw up foam."
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 395
CHAPTER XV
WORSHIP
Thcre exist many pcople who asscrt that the highcst cndcavor of
the scrvant of God in this world ought to bc to dcdicate himsclf
c:xclusivcly to thc servicc of his Lord. That is to say, he should
fast by day and arisc at night in ordcr to praisc and glorify God,
abandoning all mundanc carcs, in thc belief that God will providc
his sustcnaocc, mcdicamcnts, and all his other nccds. Wc also find
that such scrvice of God is productivc of grcat plcasurc, as Scrip-
ture says: For;, is pleasant, and praise is r:omely (Ps. 147: 1). lt
produccs, morcovcr, joy and gladncss, as Scripturc says: Serve the
Lord witl, g/odness (Ps. 100: :z). Furthcrmorc, it is trcasurcd up
with thc Crcator of thc universc for the time of rcward, as Scrip·
turc says: And l will spare thnn, as a man sparet/, his own son
that seN1etl, him (Mal. 3: 17).
All thesc, too, may God have mercy an thec, arc right in what·
evcr laudatory asscrtion they make with reference to the scrvice
of our Crcator. In fact, all the epithets that might bc ascribcd to
it cannot praisc it su.fficiently, as Scripture also remarks: Greal is
11,e Lord, and highly tobe praised,· and His grealness is unseo,cl,.
able (Ps. 145: 3).
Neverthelcss, the objection must bc raised against this view bc.
cause of the exclusivc dcvotion to this onc [ acrivity which it advo-
catcs J and thc rcmark of its proponcnts that onc should not cngagc
in any other. For if a pcrson wcrc not to concern himsclf about bis
food, bis bocly could not exist. Again, if hc were not to conccrn
himsclf with thc bcgetting of oflspring, divinc worship would ceasc
altogethcr, for if all the mcmbers of a particular gcncration wcrc to
agrce upon such a coursc and thcn die, divine worship would die
togcther with thcm. In reality, howevcr, the duty of scrving God is
supposcd to be carricd out by parents and thcir childrcn and their
children's children, as Scripturc says: That thou mightesl /ear the
Lord 11,y God, 10 kttp all His slaluter and His commandmtnls,
which 1 command thee, thou, and thy son, ond thy son's son, all
th~ days of thy li/e (Deut. 6: 2).
3~ THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
17
Furthcrmorc, let me revcal what has eluded the advocatcs of
this view; namcly, that thc scrvice of God consists in (the fulfill.
mcnt of] all the rational <312> as weil as thc rcvcaled preccpu
of thc Torah, as Scripturc statcs: And now, Israel, whaJ dolh the
Lord thy God re'luire o/ thee, but to /ear the Lord lhy God, , , •
to k,eep tlte commandments o/ the Lord (Deut 10: 12, 13). Which,
thcn, of thc laws of meaaurcs, weights, and balanccs, such a5 thosc
containcd in such injunctions of Scripturc as Just balances, just
wdghts (Lcv. 19: 36), is thc hcrmit saint ablc to fuUill? Which onc,
again, of thc injunctions to judgc justly and fairly, refetrcd to in
thc cxhortation of Scripturc: T hou shalt not wrest iudgmenl; thou
shab not respect persons (Deut. 16: 19), docs he have the occasion
to carry out?
What chancc; morcovcr, dOC5 hc havc to comply with the rule1
of what is pcrmitted and forbidden in such mattcrs as the cating of
mcat and the like, in rcgard to which Scripturc statcs :·T hest are
tht li11ing things whicJ, ye may eat? (Lcv. u; 2.) What oppor·
tunicy docs hc havc to abide by the laws of uoclcanlinen and
clcanlincss refcrrcd to by Scripture in such statements as: To make
11 diOn-ence bttween the unclean and tM clean (Lcv. 11: 47), and
again : To tead wl,en il it unclean and wAen it is clean? (Lcv.
14: 57.)
Similar qucstions might bc askcd with rcfcrence to thc agricul-
tural laws, thc tithes, vows, alms, and thc likc. lf thou wert to say,
bowevcr, "But why not lct this pcrson study so that he might in·
struct othcrs how to comply with thc law?" our answcr would be
that in that casc it would be thcy and not hc that would bc scrving
God, sincc the scrvicc of God would bc pcrformcd by thcm arid
not by him.
So far as thcir asscrtion that a pcrson must rcly upon thc Creator
in the matter of thc wclfarc of the body and thc provi1ion of food
is conccrncd, what they s.ay is corrcct. Thcy have lcft out only onc
considcration; namely, that God has cstablisbcd for thc attainment
of cvcrything a spccial mcans and manncr by which it is to be
$0ught. lf thcy had, indced, bccn right in thcir assumption that
57. "renal"-lbn 1ibbon 1nd M.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT
rdiancc on God ia to bc univcraally applicd, they ahould also havc
eserciscd it in thc rcalm of worahip, so that they would dcpcnd on
Him to causc thcm to attain the rcward of the bercaftcr without
worshiping Hirn. Thcreforc, just aa this is inconceivable becausc
worship has bccn cstabliahc:d by God aa a mcans for thc attainmcnt
of the reward of thc hcrcaftcr, so, too, ia it impossible to dispcnse
with the effort to earn a livclihood and marriagc and other occupa-
tiona that havc bcen dcsigncd by God as means conducive to thc
wclfarc of mankind. To be sure, there are occaaions on which God
providc, some of thcse things by way of a miraclc, witbout <313>
thc mcdiation of man. He doca not, however, make it a rcgubr
practicc to change thc law of nature that has bccn fixcd by Him.
CHAPTER XVI
ON TIIE THEORY OF TIIOSE WHO MAINTAIN THAT
REST IS TIIE HIGHEST GOAL OF [HUMAN] CONDUCT
Ccrtain pcople affirm that rcst ia thc means of thc rccovcry of thc
soul itsclf, bcsidcs making a pcrson's nourishmcnt effcctivc and
contributing to the body's growth and the strcngthening of thc
ROses. Whcnever• indccd, a human being docs fatiguing work, hc
long• for rest, which bccomcs the objcct of his striving. Sccst thou
not that kings arc, of aU men, thosc that rest thc most ? W cre not
rest, thereforc, the grcatcst of all goods, thcy would not have choscn
it for thcmselvcs. And what about thc relaxation of thc mind which
it makca possible through the abandonment of all excitcment and
frivolity and care and worry? lt suffices thec to note that rcst haa
bccn uscd as a simile for [ describing the effcct of] thc choicc of thc
truc rcligion. Scripturc says, namcly: [Stand 'jt in 1J,e way, anti
see, anti ask for tl,e oltl pa1J,s, wl,ere is tl,e good way, and walk
tAertin,] and ye sl,all find rest for your souls (Jer. 6~ 16). Furthcr-
morc, rcst has bccn prcscribcd on sabbaths and holidays.
Now I examined the view of thc proponcnts of this thcory and I
found that they wcrc thc most scnscless of all mcn. fo fact, they
do not know what thcy arc spcaking about. For rcst is appropriatc
3g8 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
for man only aftcr grcat cxcrtion and thc disposal of his necds and
thc prcparation of thc mcans of his livcHhood. Thcn hc can [aff~rd
to) rcst and relax. As Scripturc expresses it: Prepare thy wor,\: w,~h~
out, and make it fit /or 1hyself in the field,· and a/terwards bu,ld
thy house (Prov. 2.4: :z7). Howcvcr, rcst in and by itse!f, ~itholl;t
any of thcsc prcsuppositions, is rcn in namc only, re!ulung 1~ laza·
neu. Now do not ask what thc conscqucnccs of long-conunucd
)azincss arc. For whcn a pcrson i, ncgligcnt and lazy for a ccrtain
lcngth of time, povcrty bcfalls and ovcrwhclms hi~, so tha~ hc
fccls thc want of most of thc things ncccssary for hts wcll-bcmg,
as Scripturc says: "Yet a li11/e sleep, a lillk slumbn-, a liule /olding
of 1.he hand1 to s/eep"-so shall thy pot1erly come as a runnn-, and
thy want as an armed man {Prov. 6: 10, n).
Now whcn a person is lazy and conscquendy makes no pro-
vision for his sustcnancc, clothing, and shehcr, thc rcsult is that
hc spcnds thc livc-long day in sighing, to thc point whcrc his ap-
petites and thc claims of his body_ litcrall.y kill _h i~, as Scripturc
says: The desirt o/ the sloth/ul l(ßletl, h,m, for hu hand1 refust
to Jabour (Prov. 21: :25). Thc consequcncc is that <314> hc bc-
comcs rcmiss in praycr and fasting and rcfuscs to stand up or movc
in order to ful.fill his rcligious dutics or perform any uscful task.
That is why thc lazy individual bas bccn prcscntcd as the antithesis
of thc righteous, bccausc thc conccpt oE lazintss might also bc ap-
plicd to wickedness. Scripturc, thcrcfor~, says: 1~ere is that co11et-
tth greedily all tht day long,· but tht nghteous g,veth and spartth
not (Prov. 21 : 26).
Furthcrmore, what about thc softcning and rhe hcavincss and
thc swclling of thc body, and thc growth of tumors, and thc de.
vclopmcnt of piles, and gout, and sciatica, and var!c~sc vcin~,118
:and thc tumid Barbadocs lcg,111~ and many other afßtcttons wh1ch
arc thc rcsult purcly of idlcncss? Nay, cvcn persons whosc wants
arc complctcly satis6ed must not bc indolent and go idlc, as Scrip-
turc statcs [ about thc woman of valor that] Sht looketh well to
58. "varicose vein1":_cf, Dozy, 1, p. 459, tl11li11ll,
59. "tumid Barbadoa leg"-Lane-Poole. p. 2474, fil,
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 39()
tbt ways o/ her household, and eatetl, not tl,e bread of idltnes1
(Prov, 31: 27).
Thc only rcason wc find thc soul inclining 00 toward rcst is that
its Crcator has implantcd this [ inclination] in thc soul as a prc-
monition of thc quict and thc tranquility that will prcvail in thc
world to comc, and as an inccntivc thcrcfor. This is bornc out by
thc statcmcnt of Scripturc: And the work o/ righteousness sha/1
bt pe4'e,· and the eOect o/ righteousness quietness and confidence
for e11er. And my people shall abidt in a pe4'eable ltabitation, and
in seture dwelling1 andin quiet re1ting-pl4'tl (lsa. 32 : 17, 18).
CHAPTER XVII
lt has, thcn, bccomc dcar to any rcadcr of this book, as a rcsult
of my cxposition and clucidation, that whocvcr bclicvcs in thc prc-
occupation with any of thc tbirtcen types [ of human cndcavor]
rhat havc bcen cnumcratcd is mistakcn in his vicw, not right in it,
by rcason of thc fact that hc demands cxclusivc dcvotion to thc
said activity, rcjccting thc association of any othcr with it. Thc
conscquencc is that hc dcviatcs from thc road lcading to his goal
and that hc fai ls to attain thc objcct of his desirc, a.s I havc prc-
viously dcmonstratcd in my commcnt on thc statcmcnt of Solomon
to thc cffcct that whatcvcr is one-1idtd 81 is wanting 12 (Ecclcs.
1: 15). Thc only proper type of conduct consists of thc combination
of all thcsc classcs of activitics.
On the othcr hand, howcvcr, it is not right to sdcct [ cqual] parts
from cach of thc abovc-mcntioned thirteen catcgorics; onc should
rather takc from cach type of activity thc suitablc proportion, as
dictatcd by sciencc and rcligious law. Thc cxtract yicldcd, thcn, by
thc combination of thc fragmcnts of <315> thc aforcmcntioncd
thirtccn objccts of human cndcavor is that thc intelligent person
should sccurc food and drink and indulgc in cohabitation to thc
6o. "inclining"-lbn Tibbon.
61. "one-1ided"--the usual translarion is "crooked."
62. Cf. above, p. 362.
400 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
extcnt neccssary to sustain bis body and raisc a postcrity for him-
sclf. Whcncvcr, tbcn, he has tbe opportunity to do so lcgitimatcly,
hc may give vcnt to his appctitc and pcrmit it to rcalizc iu desirc.
Should it, howcvcr, wish 41*. to cxcccd its bound1 or scck to securc
what is not pcrmissible, hc must witbdraw it and check it. In the
cvent, howcvcr, that it rcfuses to bc held in check by him u he
wishcs, he mwt rclcasc against it thc trait of abstinencc to the point
of rcfraining from the activity in qucstion altogether,
Furthcrmorc, a pcrson should takc as much carc as is dcsirable of
such wcalth and childrcn as hc has bccn grantcd by God. He ahould
also cultivatc as large a proportion of the land as may bc rcquircd
to satisfy bis nccds. Should hc, howcvcr, comc close to being ovcr-
powcrcd by grccdincss so as to do what is cithcr forbiddcn or
rcprehcnsiblc, thcn hc ought to cmploy thc faculty of abstincncc
until hc dcsists from such an activity.
Furthcrmorc, the life of this world should bc bclovcd by him
only on account of thc world to comc becausc of,its bcing thc vcsti-
bulc of thc lattcr, not for iu own sakc. Nor should hc manifest
any eagerness for dominion or vcngcancc. Should thesc, howcvcr,
comc about of thcir own accord, then hc ought to makc usc of thcm
in exccuting thc punitive laws prcscribcd by rcligion aod in bcing
kind toward fcllowmen. Uoder no conditions, howcvcr, shou1d
lazincss bc adoptcd by him as a modc of behavior. Finally, what-
evcr lcisure time a pcrson has lcft after providing for bis sustenancc
should be dcvotcd by him to worship and thc cultivation of scicncc.
Whcn, then, hc cffects a harmonious blend of all thesc activitict
in accordance with our suggestion, he will find approval in both
worlds, as Scripturc also rcmarks: Above all 1J,a1 1/,ou guardtsl
keep 11,y l,eart; for oul of il are 1/,e i11ues of life (Prov. 4: :13). Thc
pattern of his activitics in thcir harmony, thcn, comes to rcscmble
the composition of bodies out of thc four elemcnts of nature, or
cvcry material substance consisting of links that are joincd to-
gcther.°' Or eise thcy might bc compared to mcdidnes, which are
usually made up of many ingrcdicnts, thrce drachma,' wcight bc-
6.1. "wi,h"-lbn 1ibbon.
64. Cf. :ilwm, pp. 357 ff.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 401
ing takcn of onc item, and a drachma's wcight of anoth df
daniks n of ano th er, and half a drachma of still anothcr
er, an our
< 16 >
and two daniks of anothcr, and of anothcr a danik and ; hJ d
of still another a danik, and half a danik of the last lt would :not
bc proper, however, to take cqual proportions of cach.
CHAPTER XVIII
Now I dccm it fitting, at the conclusion of this trcatise, to offcr
an exposition of thc [cffect of the] blcnding of thc various scnsa-
tions in ordcr that these may scrve as an additional illustration and
cxamplc of thc point wc have madc prcviously about thc [ncces-
sity of pr?perly] blcnding thc impulscs of man's character. I say,
then: lt 1s weil known that therc arc fivc typcs of scnsations;
namcly, thosc of taste and sight and hcaring and smell and touch.
Now I s~all .lcavc alone two of thesc: in thc first placc, that of touch,
bccause 1t g1ves pleasure in only one way: namcly, by contact with
what is soft. Ncxt there is that of taste, which wc shall not discuss,
because its combinations are quite familiar. Thus, for instance, the
dish called /aludaj is a concoction of starch, sugar, honcy, and
saffron, and other ingrcdicnts. Thc samc applics to all thc varietics
of f oods and cookcd dishcs.
I shall, thcrcfore, dircct my discoursc to the three other classcs
of sensations and say that a simple color, such as pure white or
red or ycllow or black, gencrally has the effcct of weakening the
sense organ when one looks at it. Thus, for instance, thc sight is
blindcd by snow, and redncss is harmful to the cyc, and blackncss
weakens the eyeball,16 and so forth. Furthermorc, thcse colors have
nn isolation] no checring cflect and do not produce much of a
plcasant sensation. When, howevcr, they arc mergcd, they evokc
all kinds of plcasant fcclings and rousc many of ·thc facultics of thc
sou) to activity.
Thus rfor cxamplcl I might say that when the color red is mixed
with yellow, it stimulates thc ycllow gall and thc traits of thc
65. A danik is one sixth of a dnchma, the !arger coin. Cf. Lane·Poole, p. 9zo.
66. "eye-ball" or "power of vision"-lbn 1ibbon and M.
402 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
soul originatiog in it, causing [physical] strcngtb to manifest it-
sclf. Again1 when thc color ycllow is minglcd with black, it acta aa
a stimulant, causing thc production of phlegm, so that tbc soul',
faculty of humility comcs to thc forc. A combination of black, red,
yeJlow, and wbitc rcacts on thc black gall and brings to thc forc
the soul's cowardicc and sadness. Similarly, wben thc proportions
in thc mixturc of thcsc colors are incrcascd or decrcased, <317>
corresponding cffects arc produced in the stimulation of thc facul-
ties of thc soul.
Tbc samc applics to the single sound or musical intonation o,
or mclody. 08 Thcy arousc (in thcir simple state] only one of the
impulscs of thc soul, and oftcn their rcaction upon the latter is
injurious. When, howcvcr, thcy are b)cndcd togcthcr, thcy produce
a harmonious cflcct on thc emcrging traits and .facultics of the soul
that make thcir appcarancc. Now it is necessary for th~c to know
what sort of imprcssion they makc individually bccausc this, in
turn, determincs the effect they produce in compination.
Let me, thcrefore, say at this point that thcre arc altogcthcr cight
distinct [rhythmic J modcs,08 each of which consists of mcasures
dcrivcd from thc bcating. To Thc mc.asure of thc first of thcse modcs
is composcd of threc consccutivc bcats Tl and one quic:sccnt TS
[bcat].
Thc second, again, [is madc up of] thrcc consccutive bcats n
and onc quicscent and onc audible 13 [bcat]. Both the&e modcs
stimulatc thc forcc of thc blood and arousc the impulsc to rule and
dominatc.
Thc measurc of thc third [ modc] is composcd of two consccu-
tivc bcats, not scparatcd by thc time of a bcat,14 followcd by a
67. Cf. Henry George Farmer, So'odyoh Goon on 11,e lnfl11niee of M11nc (Lon·
don, 1943), P· 32,
68. "mc:lody"-thc: Anbic telU rcads "mc:lodic:t," which should, howcver, be
ernended as Farmer (il,itl.) suggesa.
69, Cf. itlem, p. 31, litenlly "melodies."
70, "beal:ing," litenlly "intoning," Cf. idem, pp. 30 ff.
71. "bcats," litenlly "notes." Cf. idem, pp. 30 and 78 lf.
72. "quic:teent"-d. itlem, p. 78 for tbe mcaning.
73. "audible"-cf, il,itl. for thc meaning.
7 4. "beat." Cf. above, n. 71.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 403
solitary n bcat. Bctwecn the down ward and upward ,trokcs (of the
plectrum" and thc upward]" and downward strokc, morcover,
i, thc time of a bcat.u This onc modc rcacts on the yellow gall and
thus arouscs man 's courage and boldncss and thc likc.
The mcasurc of thc fourth [mode:I consists of thrcc consccutivc
bcats " which are not scparatcd from cach other by thc time of
a bcat," although thcrc is such an intcrval bctwcen cach threc
bcats." This modc alone stimulates the production of phlcgm and
brings to thc forc thc soul's potentiality for bascncss, submissivc-
ncss, cowardicc, and thc like.
The mcasure of thc fifth [ mode] is madc up of a solitary bcat,10
followcd by two consccutivc 11 (bcats] which arc not ,cparatcd
by thc intcrval of a bcat.H Also bctwccn (thc downward and u~
ward strokc of the plectrum and] thc upward :md down ward
strokc II is thc time of a bcat. u
The mcasurc of thc sixth [ modc] consists of three audiblc
bcats.81
Tbc mcasure of the scventh is composed of two consccutivc
bcats II that arc not scparatcd by thc intcrval of a bcat.11 Bctwccn
cach two of thcsc bcats,111 howcvcr, is the time of a bcat.19
The mcasure of thc eighth, finally, is composcd of two consccu-
1,. "10licary," IO •ccording IO Farmer, op. d1., p. 351 on thc baia of the p.rallel
of al-K.indi. Landauer', tat 1nd thc two Hebrew venio111 rrad "quie1Cent."
76. Cf. iden,, p. 82.
77. Cf. itlem, p, 31.
78. Cf. abovc, n. 71.
7!1, Cf. abovc, n. 71,
llo. "beat." Cf. 1bovc, n. 71.
81. "con1«Utin," ao according ro 11-Kindi. Cf. F1rmer, op. nl,, pp. 31 and 36.
Our te:iu read1 "1ep1ra~"
82. Cf. abon, 'n, 71.
83. "downward , , • downwud 1troke." This i1 the correcrion 1uggcared by
Firmer, op. eil., p, 36, Tbc tot read1: "upward and downward 1troke," Cf. 1lso
1bovc, n. 76.
84, Cf. n. 71.
85. Cf. above, n. 71,
86, Cf. above, n. 71,
87. Cf. lbove, n. 71.
81, Cf. abovc, n. 71.
851, Cf. above, n. 71.
404 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
tive bcats 00 that are not scparated from each other by the time of
n bcat.01 However, bctween each two bcats 92 is the time of two
beats.0 :i These last four modes all stimulate the black gall, bring-
ing forth various dispositions of the soul, leading at one time to
glaclness and at another to sorrow.
Now it is thc practicc among rulers so to blend thesc different
modes as to harmonize thcm, the purposc being that the impulses
stimulated by hearing thesc modcs may put their souls in thc
proper disposition for conducting thc affairs of thc government. lt
should prcvcnt thcm from bcing unfair by evincing cither exces-
sive mercy or sevcrity <318> or by showing undue courage or
cowardicc or either too much or too little checrfulness and gaicty.
Thc same holds true also for thc sensations of smell taken indi-
vid ually. Each particular odor produccs its pcculiar cffcct. Whcn
thcy are mixcd, howcver, an effect is brought about by the blend
that varics in accordance with thc proportions of the ingredients
used. Thus, for examplc, musk is hot and dry.. Camphor is cold
and delicate. Saffron is hot and dry. Sandalwood is cold and moist.
Amber is moderatcly warm. Rose-water is cold and delicate. Now,
when all thesc ingredients arc mixed togcther with cach othcr,
thcir properties, too, are blended and thcy cxcrcisc bcneficial
cffects upon mcn.
CHAPTER XIX
Sincc it has bccome clcar, then, that the harmonious blending
of thc scnsations is gcncrally very bcncficial to man, how much
morc must this apply to thc balancing of thc tendcncies of his
charactcr and the objects of his strivingl Thc nct result of our
investigation, thcrefore, is that a pcrson should exert himsclf in
his mundanc affairs to thc cxtent rcquired for his well-bcing.
He should eat and drink what is permissible in accordance with
90, Cf. abovc, n. 71.
91. Cf. abovc, n. 71.
92. Cf. abovc, n. 71,
93, Cf. abovc, n. 71.
IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT
bis nccd. Bcyond that point bis attcntion should be turncd to thc
acquisition of wisdom, to the scrvice of God, and to thc establish-
rnent of a rcputation for goodness and probity.
To each of thc aforementioned objccts of human striving, as
wc have listcd them, a pcrson should devote himsclf at its appro-
priate time. Such a laudable choice rcprescnts the nct result of
thc rcmark madc by Solomon, the son of David, in threc different
places in his book.
Onc of thcse passagcs is: Thcrc is notl,ing bettcr for a man than
thal he should eat and drin!(, and mal(e his soul enjoy what is
gooJ" for his labour. This also I saw, that it is from the l,and of
God (Ecclcs. 2: 24). When he says tl,at hc should eat and drin!(,
he refers, of course, to the matter of sustenancc. When, again, hc
speaks of his labour, he has in mind the cxertions for a livclihood.
ßy thc expression from tl,e l,and of God, furthermorc, he mcans
"from what is pcrmitted to him insofar as God grants it to him,"
not from what he might take by violence. Finally, the statemcnt
and make his soul enjoy what is good alludes to seven different
things which arc dcscribcd by him in his book as bcing good
(tobh). 911
Thc sccond passagc is: But also tliat eflery man shou/d eat and
drink, and enioy what is good 88 for all l,is labour, is thc gift of
God (Eccles. 3: 13). Now this statement, too, embraccs thc matten
of sustenance,87 which is implied in the remark, that he should eat
and drink, and the exertion for a livclihood, which is alludcd to
by the cxprcssion f or all l,is labour, and that it must bc from what
is permitted for him, which must bc inferrcd from the phrase
<319> the gi/1 of God. lt also hints at thc sevcn things [dcclarcd
to bc good] when it says: and enjoy what is good.
Tbc third passage, finally, is: Behold that whicJ, l hafle seen:
it is good, yea it is comely for one 10 eat and to drin!(, [ and to
enioy wl,at is good for all his lahour, wherein he laboureth under
94, "what il good"-thc uaual tran1latioa i, "plca,urc."
95, Cf, bclow, p. 406.
96. "what is good"-thc u1ual translation is "pleasun:."
97· "thc maue~• of sustcnancc"-lbn Tibbon, omitting thc numbcr "7," which
crroneou1ly crcpt 1ato thc tat.
4o6 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS IDEAL HUMAN CONDUCT 407
the sun, all tl,e days o/ his li/t wn.ir:I, God l,ath givtn him] (Eccles. indignation on behalf of God whcrcvcr that is possiblc and scrvcs
5: 17). This third passagc cont:ains references to all four of thc
a uscful purposc. In that conncction hc says: Vexation is better
mattcrs .that have bccn mentioncd by us previously. To thcsc, 1/,an laughter (Ecclcs. 7:3). Anothcr of thcm, again, is thc forc-
howcver, it adds yea, it is ,omely, whcrcby it points out that each sccing of thc end of things, about which hc says: Bt1ter is the end
o/ a thing than lhe beginning th.ereo/ (Ecdcs. 7: 8).
of the tendcndes of man's charactcr, as well as of his dcsires,
Among thcsc is includcd also association with thc lcarned and
should be given vcnt to at thc appropriatc time-not at any other,
thc rightcous, with refcrcnce to which hc says: lt is better to htar
as is explicitly II statcd in this book: He n.atl, madt tt1trything
1/,e rtbukt ~/ the wise (Ecclcs. 7: 5). Anothcr of thcsc things [that
,omely tt (yapltt) in its timt (Eccles. 3: 11).
arc good] 1s cndurancc, patiencc. Of this trait hc says: And the
As for thc meaning of thc word good (tobhah), that i1 mcn-
patient in spirit <3,20> is heiter tl,an the proud in spiril (Ecclcs.
tioned in this vcrsc (Eccles. 5: 17), it rcfers to thrce different types
of wisdom, as cxplaincd by him in this book of his. He .ays,
7: 8). Finally, thcrc is includcd in this group thc rccognition on
thc part of the virtuous scrvant of God that he can nevcr bc com-
namcly: Wudom is bttttr (tobl,al,) lhan weapons o/ war (Ecclcs.
plctely free from crror, so that hc might on that account bc humblc
9: 18) i W isdom is bttter (tobhah) lhan strengt!, (Ecclcs. 9: 16);
bcforc his Master. With rcfcrcncc to this [Solomon) savs: lt is
and Wisdom is good (tohhah) with an inhnitance (Ecclcs. 7: n).
good that thou shouldest takt hold of tl,e one,· yea, also f~om the
Each of thcsc vcrscs has its particular point of rcfcrencc. Thus
othtr withdraw not thy hand; for l,e tl,at feareth God sl,a/1 dis-
Wisdom is good with an inhnitance refers specifically to thc scicncc
charge himself of them all, ttc. (Ecclcs. 7: 18). This is also what
of thc clcmcnts of nature and thc constitution. of the world, be-
I had in mind. ·
cause it concludcs with the words: Yea, a profit to them that 1ee
lt has thus bcen made clcar that, upon subjccting the atfairs of
th~ 111n (Eccles. 7: 11). Wisdom is better than 1trengtl, 1 again,
pomts spcdfically to the administrative functions of rulcrs and the thc world to analysis, thc sage pointed out thcse clcvcn things
government, for it is statcd in the passagc in which i; found: And scvcn ~f which hc labclcd as tobh (good m.); thrcc othcrs of which
hc dcs1gnatcd as robhal, (good f.); whilc onc was callcd by him
thtrt t:ame a grtat king again1t it, and besieged it (Ecclcs. 9: 14).
yapht (comely), that is to say, thc cxccution of cvcry bclovcd or
As for Wisdom is heiter than weapons of war, finally, that refcrs
hatcful [ task] at its proper time and in the placc that has bccn
to divine worship and obedicncc of God, for it concludes with
c~~tcd for it, as wc havc cxplaincd. These cl.cvcn typcs of ac-
thc rcmark: But ont sinner destroyeth mud good (Ecclcs. 9: 18).
tlVlty that. ~c havc listcd abovc are, of coursc, to bc cngagcd in
As for the explanation of the scven types of good (tobh) that wc
after provmon has bccn made for onc's sustcnance out of legiti-
spoke of prcviously as having becn rcfcrrcd to in this book 100 matc carnings, as wc havc cxplaincd.
[of Solomon's], one of thcsc is a good name and a rcputation for
Ha~ing now clucidatcd this subjcct by every possiblc mcans at
virtuousncss, concerning which hc says: A good name is bttter
my d1sposal, lct me say that this cntirc book can scrvc a uscful
than pr«ious oil, (Ecclcs. 7: 1). Anothcr is to remcmbcr dcath
purposc only whcn it is couplcd with sinccrity of thc hcart and an
whenevcr anything happens, and not to forgct about it. In re:
carncst striving for its improvemcnt, as Scripturc says: II thou
gard to tbat he says: lt is heiter 10 go IO 1he l,ouse o/ mourning stt thy he~rt aright, and Stretch out thy hands toward Him (Job
than lo go to the hause of /easting (Eccles. 7: 2). Still anothcr i1
II: 13), S1milarly thc sage said: W itl, m y wholt l,eart have 1
98. "aplicidJ"--lba T'ibbon. sought Thee; 0 let mt not trr from thy ,ommandments. Thy
!III· "comely"-the usual trlllllatioa il ''beautiful." word have 1 laid up in my htart (Ps. 119: 10, 11). lt thcrcforc be-
100, ''book"-ll>ll 1ibbon.
4o8 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
hoovcs thc hcarts [ of mcn] to bccomc rcfincd and humblc thcm-
sclvcs to thc namc of our Lord, cxaltcd and magnificd bc He, as
Scripturc says: Because thy heart was tender, and thor, didst
APPENDIX
humble thysel/ be/ore the Lord, when thou l,eardest what 1 spoke
ag4i,u, this plau (II Kings 22: 19). Secst thou not th.u, in such
TREATISE VII
matters as things sccn and hcard and food and drink, much bcttcr
rcsults arc achicvcd with thc hclp of thc conccntration of thc mind CONCERNING THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD,
WHICH IS THE MOST GLORIOUS OF PROMISES MADE
than without it? TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BY THE CREATOR
Thc book is hcrcby complctcd, and praisc bc unto God. FOR TIIE ERA OF SALVATION 1

( coNSTITUTtNG THI!, VAUANT VI.RSION WHICH WAS THI!, BASIS o, THB

Hl!Blll!,W TJIANSLAnoN OP nl!ATISE VII BY tBN TIHON)

CHAPTER I
BLUSBD and cxaltcd bc God, thc God of israd, who confirms His words
and is truthful in His promises. Let mc say now that I find that thc
maues of thc childrcn of Israel cherish the belief that the Creator,
blessed and cxaltcd bc He, will bring thc dcad back to lifc at thc time
of thc m/emption. 1 find, furthcrmore, that thcy interpret litcrally
evcry section of the Scripturcs that appears to speak of thc rcsurrection
of thc dead at thc time of the salvation, citing, in support of thcir con-
tcntion, traditions that cmbracc cxplanations of this doctrinc. 1 find,
howevcr, that a minority of thc nation do not acknowledgc that this
will transpire at the time of thc redemption. Thcy asscrt, namcly, that
tbe resurrcction will takc placc at the time of the transition to thc
world to comc. This usertion of thcirs is bascd on rather doubtful and
wcak argumcnts, some of which I havc heard cxprcssed by thcm, and
thcre are othcrs which I can conccivc of as having bccn advanccd by
thcm.
Now it is thc duty of cvery rightcous pcrson to cntcrtain in his mind,
In the 6rst placc, approvcd idcas and to rejcct the oppositc, as Scripturc
uys: The lips o/ the righteous know what is acceptahle (Prov. 10: 32).
lt is, furthermorc, incumbcnt upon him to instruct the nation and
facilitatc for it thc undcrstanding of thcsc matten and divcrt it from
thc words of thc thought1css, as Scripturc also statcs: Tlte lips o/ the
1. The Arabic text of this variant was publishcd by Wilhelm Bacher in the Fttl·
Nltri/1 Hm acltt•ig11,n G,h,mn11g, Moril• S1nn1'ltnnr/,r1 ( Leipzig, 1B96), pp. 98-
112,
410 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
rigliteous feed <99> many; bul 11,e foolisl, die for wont o/ under-
2
standing (Prov. ro: 21 ). J thercforc considercd it nccessary, in view of
thc fact that my aim is the trutb-<although 1 may not have attaincd
it-to devote mysclf carncstly to the study of the subjcct of thia book
until it has bccomc as clear in my mind as possiblc. Thercupon I ahall
note it down for our nation in ordcr that it may scrve it as a guide.
helping it to SCIVe our Lord and endurc paticntly what it has to sulfer
in erile.
I followcd herein the counc: enjoined by God in rccommcnding
paticnce, when He said: Strengllien ye 11,e weok hontls, and make
firm 1Ju tott"ing kneer. Say 10 them 1Ju11 t1re of a fearf ul lreart: "Be
strong, fear not"; [bel,old, yr,ur God will come will, 11enge11nce, wi1I,
1/re raompe,m of God He w;/1 come and sa11e you] (Isa. 35: 3, ,4),
The translation of thcse verscs is: "Strengthen thc soft hands, and
makc firm thc srumbling knccs, and say to thosc that arc foolish of
hcan: 'Be strong, fcar not.' Bchold your Lord will oome with vcngeana:
for you, with thc best recom~nsc for you will God come to save you."
Now whcn I investigated this matter in ordcr to find out whether
any vGilid objcctions could bc raiscd against the belief on thc part of
brad's masscs in a resurrcction of the dead Glt the time of the redem11-
1ion, 1 notcd that thc sources that prescnt thcmsclves immediatcly to
thc mind as thc possible bascs from which sllch objcctions may bc
dcrivcd are, altogether, four in numbcr, thcrc bcing no .fifth. 1 d1cre-
fore considercd cvcry misgiving that I hcard or could think of u
bcing an argumcnt against this belief and dedicatcd mysclf to iu
complete refutation, nullificadon, and dcmolition. This belief was then
corrobor~tcd by mcans of cvidcncc cullcd from thc thr~ sourccs from
which thc bclievers dcrivc thcir proofs.
Now thc four sourccs, which I cx.amincd for the purpose of seeing
whethcr they contained any rcfutation of this bdicf, are thosc of ~aturc,
rcason, Scripture, and tradition . I began with nature, because inuinsi-
cally it prcccdes the othcr sources, and said to mysdf: "Pcrhaps thc idca
of thc rcsurrection of thc dcad ought to bc rejcct«I because of the im-
possibility of its bcing cflcctcd by nature. For it is not in aa:ord with
the ways of nature that, just as animal, grow up and somc wn old and
die naturally, tbcy should also comc to life again naturally after hAving
dicd."
2. Begianing of p. 99 oE thc StcinJChneider Festschrift. Subtequenl ptga ol tbe
Arabic teu will be aimil ul:, inditar«!.
RESURRECfION 4u
But whcn I considcrcd this hypothetical assumption, 1 found that it
would bc upheld only by thc advoc:ates of thc doctrine of thc ctcrnity
of thc world .• or by the dua~isu,• in whose opinion whatevcr bappcns
comet about m acc:ordance w,th thc universally acc:cptcd and rccognizcd
Jaws of nature. However, so far as the monothcists arc conccrned who
bclicvc that thc C_reator it capablc of changing the ordinary la~1 of
nature and of ma_k1ng t~cm conform.to His will at any time He pleascs,
thcy cannot posHbly rcJect tbc doctrmc of the resurrcction of thc dcad
on account of its bcing contrary to nature, sincc all of thcm avow
th~t God has scnt ~orth His mcsscngcn armed with ,upunatural
~·~aclcs. And what tt evcn morc we_ighty than all this is thc.ir rccog-
n1t1on that God had crcated the onginal clemcnts out of nothing.'
< 100 > To elaborate on this subject-what I mcan is that whocvcr
denica thc posaibility of a resurrection of 11,e t/e(ld at the time of thc
s~11otion, on thc g~ou,i~ that such a thing cannot bc effcctcd by natwc,
will bc compe)lcd Jakcwuc: to dcny the miraclc o( thc transformation of
Mosies' staff into a scrpent (Exod. 4: 3 and 7: 10), a~d thc changing of
thc watcr of the land of Egypt into blood (E.xod. 7: 20 ), and the stand-
ing still and ~ongealing of thc water of thc Red Sca (Exod. 14: 21),
and thc dclaymg of the grcat eastcrn movcmcnt which caused the sun
to linger longcr on thc earth d~ring Joshua's campaign (J~h. ro: 13),
and all thc ~thcr marvelous m1radcs that arc mentioncd by the Scrip-
turcs as ~avmg bcen performcd by God by the hands of His prophc.u.
. Wc m1ght go cven further and say that anyone who upholds such a
v1ew would have to make liars of all of God's messcngcrs. Ayc, he
would be. compdled to rcjc:ct thc doctrinc of creatio er ni/rilo, with the
rcault that hc would dcny the cxistencc: of thc Creator Himsclf and thus
~clude himsclf from the community of thc bclievcn. Furthermore, as
vsew~ fro~ the standpoint of sound rcasoning, the rcsurrcction of the
dcad 11 cas1er to cona:ivc of and more plausible than thc doctrine of
creolio ex nilu1o.
lt is, thercforc, quitc clcar that whocver admits that the Crcator
produccd c~crything that ~ists out of nothing and supportcd His
prophcts w1th marvclous mm,des c.annot rejcct the doctrine of thc
reau.rrection of the d_cad nor a~herc to argumcnts from nature [ to the
contrary] . It gocs w,thout saymg, of course, [that such a view would
3· Cf. PP· 75 II.
4, Cf. PP· 59 ff.
5. Cf. pP• .38 lf.
412 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
be incompatible] with t~c acknowlcdgmcnt that the 1on of t;lt Shu-
nammite was brought back to li!c by Ood in this world (II Kings 4: 35),
a fact about which • no doubt"it cntcrtaincd by our nation.
But, to return to our invatigation, I uid to mysdi: "Pcrhap• thi1
aubjcct that I am attcmpting to analyze i1 one of those ab1urditic1 that
cannot be asaibcd to divinc omnipotencc, such as the bringing back of
ycst,:rday and causing thc numbcr fivc to bc morc than tcn.'' What
made mc cntcrtain auch a thought was my assumption of the pouibility
of the decomposition, aftcr thc dcath of a living body, of ita componcnt
parts into thc four dcment~ ' from which thcy arc derivecl, so that cach
part would rejoin its original elcment and be mcrgcd with it. 'Intn
portions of thcsc clcmcnts might bc combincd and a acc:ond body bc
composcd of them. These would thcn dcc-0mJ>O$C again at thc death of
this body and rcturn to thcir sourccs. Thcn they might be combined
a third time and th~s another body would bc composed out of thcm,
at the death of which they would disintcgratc oncc more. How, thcn,
could the first and thc sccond and thc third each bc brought back to
lifc in its complctc form if thc parts of cach are conceivcd of H having
cntered into its successor at the time the lauer WH put togcthcr?
However, when l siftcd this hypothcsis and analyzed ita prcmisca,
l lound that the assumption on which it was bascd was incor~t. What
I m~n is that, if it werc 1rue that, aitcr thc elemcnts of which a body
consisu disintcgratc, each onc rcjoining its original source of heat or
cold or moisturc or dryncss, and if thcrc wcrc no morc raw matcrials
in thc original source, out of which to compose mother bod.y cxccpt
for thc decomposcd portions of thc 6rst, thcn therc would bc only two
possiblc ways of crcating thc sccond. Eithcr thc parts of which it would
bc constituted would bc identical with those of thc first or eise an cn-
tircly ncw creation would havc to takc placc. Either alternative, how-
evcr, would climinatc thc possibility of a rcconstruction of thc parts
aftcr their dccomposition.
Thc fact is, howcvcr, that thc original sourccs from which the clc-
mcnts arc dcrivcd arc countlcss numbcrs of timcs grcatcr in bulk than
the componcnt pans of all composi~ bodics. For scicntists know that
thc acrial spacc bctwccn thc earth and thc first part of thc hcavcn h11
1,089 timcs thc volume of the cntirc canh, including its soil, mountains,
6. "a fact 1bout whieh"-liter1lly "juat II about it."
7, Cf. PP· 66 ff. for the four natural qualitiea: i.e„ dryneu, humidity, bat, aad
'Cold: 1nd the eleml"nll of earth, warer, 1ir, 1nd fire.
RESURRECTION
scas, plants, and animals, bccausc its mcasurcments arc thirty-thrcc by
thirty-thrcc timcs [ihc canh's diamctcr).
Since, thcn, thc mass of thc sourcc matcrials is so extensive, the
Crcator of thc sccond body is ablc to dcrivc thc parts of which it is to
bc composcd from ponions of elcmcnts that have not bccn cmploycd
in [thc creation <101> of] thc first body. Similarly also would thc
third (body] bc composcd of pa ru that wcrc not mcrgcd with the
,ccond, and thua, too, would thc fourth be a combination of parts that
wcrc not minglcd with thc third bca.usc of thc extcnsivcncss of thc
rcalms of the clcmcnts and thcir sourccs.
[~hc Crcator can, thcrcforc, afford to] disrcgard thc disintcgratcd
paruons of thc first and sa:ond and third and all auccccding bodics in
and by thcmsclvcs, not using tbcm in all subsequent combioations.
Thus thcy would be ready for Him to rcunice out of thcm thc parts
of every body and to rcstorc the lattcr whcncvcr it might pleasc Hirn.
That would bc easy and simple also, sincc thosc to be rcsurrcctcd from
among thc human bcings who inbabitcd thc carth during a total of ßvc
tbousand ycars would constitutc approximately .lifty timcs its prcscnt
human population,' whosc cntirc bulk comprises only a fragmcnt of the
canh's mass.
Should someonc ask, howcvcr, how someone who h11 bccn dc-
vourcd by Jions or other animals can be rcsurrcctcd, sccing that hc
has bccn mctamorphoscd into other bodics, our rcply would bc that
thc makcr of this assertion usumcs that thc bodics that are devourcd
lose thcir idcntity by assimilating with thc bodics into which they
havc cntcrcd. Wc must, thcrcforc, an1wer him on two points at thc
same time by citing to him a basic principlc that we, thc congrcgation
of monothcist.s, profcss and acknowlcdge; namcly, that no body of any
crcaturc ca_n an any way bring about thc cxcinction of anothcr body.
Ayc, cvcn ,f thc formcr wcrc to burn thc latter with .6rc, it could not
causc it t~ be cxtinct forcver, bccausc no one is capablc of so annihilating
things as to rcndcr thcm noncxistcnt othcc than He that crcatcd thcm
ez nil,ilo and brought thcm into bcing. So far as all crcaturcs arc con-
cerncd, howcvcr, thcy can only separate thc parts of material bodics.
Evcn whcn fir~ iJ cn~indlcd in a ccrtain body, its solc cffect is to pro-
duce a resolut1on of 1ts componcnt paru into their original clemcnts.
. 8. _As Guumann poinu out, Saadia arrivcs at this small figure because he hu
in m111d the penons to be resurrccted at rhe time of Israel', redemprion who will
con,ist excluJivcly of Jcws. '
414 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
1nu1 the hellt in it bccomet part and parcd of the elrment of 6re, and
the moisturc and cold rcjoin thcir rcspcctivc sources, whilc thc canby
portion rcmains behind as ash cinders. In thia wise none of the parta
of the demenu is annihilatcd.
Now the samc cffcct that is produced by the fuc which i1 vi1iblc to
thc eycs i1 produ~ by the 6re within thc animal upon that which is
caten. Thw. for cxamplc, when an animal eats an apple, its component
paru arc separatcd from cach other. Thcn thc air draws out of thc body
of thc animal those parta of the applc wbi~h it usually absorb1, lf it ia
unablc. howcvcr, to absorb certain portioos of the applc, it always draw1
somcthing cormponding thereto out of the body of that anlmal, until
only the earthy portion is lc{t.
What holds truc, now, for an catcn applc applics also to a h~an
being who has bcen devourcd. That is to say, the air draw1 out of the
body of thc anlmal that has devourcd thcm thc paru dcrivcd from thrcc
of thc dcmcnu_ lcaving as a rcsiduc thc carthy portion, which drop1
to the ground. Thcrc is no dißcrcna: bctwecn thc two cascs cxa:pt that
the parts of thc catcn applc that return to the air mingle with thcir
original dcmcnts, whereas thc part1 of thc body ·Of the hum2n bcing
who has bcco devourcd that have passed ovcr to ihc air an: preservcd,
not bcing merged with the original clcmcnts, so that thcy may bc ready
for thc time of the rc.surrcction and thc revival of thc dcad, a, we have
stated previowly.•
When, then, all thesc considerations werc brought to my mind, all
the misgivings I might have cntertaincd on that score disappcared,
and my conviction about this belief and my adhercnce thercto was COD•
firmed, and I uttcred praisc unto thc Omnipotent.
CHAPTER II
After that, 1 searchcd thc second sourcc of knowlcdge. namcly.
rational thought, for the purpose of inquiring whcther <102> 1
might find some refutation of this belief [in the resurrection of thc
dcad from that angle) . Howcvcr. 1 discovcrcd only thrce pouible
argumcnts (that might cast doubt upon its vatidity]. One of thc,e is
that the possibility of thc rc:surrcction of the dcad constitutcs a logical
absurdity. But I have already pointcd out that it is not so, as I bave
explained. 10
9. Cf. the prcviou1 Piie,
10. Cf. above, p. 412.
RESURRECTION 415
The scco~d is that God, who ia able to bring thc dcad back to lifc.
nevu promued tbat He would do it. I find, howevcr, that He did
make auch a promisc to His nation in many plac.cs of thc Bible. These
passaget att, to. bc aurc, tusccptiblc of many different intcrpretationa,
IO tbat ~cy m1ght bc constcucd a, rcfcrring to acts other than the
re1ur~1on of tbe dcad. Ncvcrthclcss I sec no nccasity, from thc
~dpoant of reaton, for rcjectiog the literal sense of thcse pan1ge1
an ordu to make room for a figurative interpretation.
I am making t.lus last statcment becausc of thc fact that we, the
congrcgation of Israditu, acccpt in iu litcral ICJUC and iu univcrsally
rec.ognizcd mcaning wbatcvcr is recordcd in the books of God that bavc
bcen traounittcd to us. Tbc only exccption1 to thi1 rule are thOM: in-
atanw in which the gcncrally rccognized and uaual rcndering would
lcad to onc of thc fout [followiog) rcsults: eithcr (a) thc contradiction
of thc observation of thc scnses, such u [would be prcsc.ntcd] by the
Scriph1ral ltatcmcnt about E'1e: Bec11use sl,e wa, 11,e motller of 1111
IMn1 (Gen. 3: ao); or (b) thc contravention of rcaaon, auch u that
which would bc implicd in thc Scrip~ural n:mark: Por 11,e Lord 1!,7
God i1 a def!ou,ing fi,e (Deut. 4: 24); or (,) a conßict with somc otha
Scriptural uttcrance, ,uch as that which i, occasioncd by the atatcmcnt
of Scripturc: And h'y Me naiv Aemvi1J, (Mal. 3: 10), coming a1 it doca
alter thc injunction: Ye sl,11/l not try tlte Lord your God (Deut. 6: 16):
or, finally, (d) a conftict with what ha, bcen tranamittcd by nbbinic
tradition, such a, wc have in the Scriptural statcmcnt: Party slripes l,e
moy gi'1e Aim (Deut. 25: 3), which clashcs with thc tradition acco.rding
to which the pcnalty is thirty-ninc atripcs (Mak. 221>). .
No~ thc rncthod of intc~rctation to bc ado.ptcd in thcsc cxccptional
caecs II to look for a rcndcnng of the cxprcss1ons {that arc in doubt),
which would bc pcrmiuiblc in the usagc of thc Hcbrcw language and
would makc it possiblc for the contradictions to bc reconcilcd. That
auch constructions can ccrtainly be found .is illustrated by the fact that
the Scriptural rcmark: Btcause 1he was the motl,er o/ all livint, lend1
itsdf to a auitable rcndcring if wc take it in a rcstricted sense, aaying
that E"e was thc mothcr of cvcry living ratio11al bcing dcsccndcd from
Adam.
Likcwise wc find for the statcment of Scripturc: For tAe /J:Jrd 11,y
God i111 fi~, a good interprctation.1 1 by way of mctaphor or analogy,
to the dlect that God's punishmcnt is likc a coruwning 11 6rc that
11. "• good inlerpretadon"--or "war out."
12, "con1uming"-lbn Tibbon.
416 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
burns up quiddy, as Scripturc says dscwhcrc: For o fire is lt.,indled
in My no11ril (Deut.;µ: 22).
As for thc Scriptural srntcmcnt: And try Me now l,erewi1!,, fotlow-
ing upon thc injunction: Ye shall nol try tltc u,rd, we find thc following
di5tinction; namcly, that thcrc arc two different modcs of trying God.
Onc of thr.m is to try His omnipotencc; (that is to say,J whcthcr He is
ablc or unablc to do a certain thing. lt is auch tcsting of God that is
J'rohibitcd. lt was of such a sin that 1/tey wcrc guilty of whom Scripturc
says: And tAey tried God in 1heir l,eart hy aslc.ing food for 11,eir
craving. Yea, they spoke agai,w God; they said: "Con God prep,1u tl ·
tahle in the wildernm?" (Ps. 78: 18, 19).
Thc othcr, again, consists of thc tcst to which thc servant of God
subjccts himsclf in ordcr to find out whcthcr or not hc occupics a po-
sition of distinction and cstccm with his Master, bascd on thc prcvious
acknowlcdgmcnt of thc fact that the particular act, [ which is to scrvc as
a critcrion], lies within God's compctcncc. Such a tcsting is pcrmitted.
Thus it is said of Gidcon: And Gideon said unto God: "lf Tl,ou will
sot1e l.mu/ hy ,,,y l,and, as Thou h11st spo!(en ••• let me make trial,
I pay TJ.ee, hu111,is on,e witli thc flu:ce (Judg. 6: 36, 39). Jn a similar
vcin does Scrirturc say: And try Me now lterl!111i1I, (Mal. 3: 10).
Finally, wc find that so far as thc Scriptural statcmcnt: Forty stripet
l,e may gi11e /,im, is concerncd, it is rcally cquivalcnt to thc rabbinic
tradition which rccords that the nui:nbcr of stripcs administered was
thirty-ninc. Wc say, namcly, that thc cquation is brought about by
rounding out thc thirty-ninc and making thcm an cvcn forty, just as thc
thirty-ninc yc:ars of thc pcoplc's wandcring about in thc wildcrncss
wcrc roundcd out and rcfcrrcd to as forty in thc statemcnt of Scripturc:
<
After tl,e numher of tlae days in wl,icl, ye spied out tl,e land, 103>
even Jorty days, Jor e,my day a year, etc. (Num. 14: 34.) Now thc first
ycar of thcir sojourn in thc wildcrncss was alrcady past at that time bc-
forc that punishmcnt had bcen dccrccd.
These arc, thcn, thc typcs of dcparturcs from thc simple mcaning
that wc and othcr pcrsons of a spcculativc bcnt rcsort to whcn onc of
thc four considcrations dcscribcd by us compcls us to do so. Howcver,
whcn no such ncccssity brought about by onc of thc four causcs mcn-
tioncd by us for a nonlitcral rcndcring of a Scriptural uttcrancc or a
tradition or a rcport cxists, it is not ncccssary, nay not cvcn per·
missiblc, to look for nonliteral intcrprctations and allcgorical rcndcr-
ings of Verses which contain a promisc of thc "''"""'lion of tl,e tlet1d
RESURRECTION 417
,o as to deprivc thcm of ~cir litcral mcaning. On thc co.ntrary, thcy
,nust bc lcft as thcy arc, Stncc God, who uttercd thcm, is omnipotent
and at the samc time thc One wbo madc thc prorruse.
A third {possiblc argument against thc doctrinc of tbc ,csurrcction of
thc de.ad that might bc urgcd from thc standpoint of rcason J i, that
tbcrc might bc ccrtain conclusions dcduciblc from such a prcmisc rhat
arc unac.c.cptablc once thcy arc brought to mind. u Sincc, however the
. bc ,
prcnuscs cannot divorced from thc conclusions and since thc lancr
arc untcnablc, it follows, of neccssity, thin the prcmisc lcading to thcm
and implying u thcm is invalidatcd. 1 thercforc inquircd into thc mat·
tcr, but I did not discovcr a single deduction that l <:<>uld not considcr
tenablc, a, 1 shall demonstratc in my description of cach deduction and
infcrcocc aftcr the prcsent discussion, whcn I shall also cxplain thcir
tcndency, corrcctncss, and direction with thc hdp of the Mcrciful.
CHAPTER III
Ncxt I scarchcd thc third sourcc, which consists of what is written
in thc Bibtc,· wondcring whethcr thcrc was pcrhaps anything in it that
might contradict thc [ doctrinc of thc J rcsurrcction of thc dc:ad in this
world. I did find [ccrtain] passagcs throwing doubt l on this belief J
that thosc who rcjcct it might scizc upon, and I thcreforc dccmcd it
proper to mention thcm hcrc and rcfutc l thc con,truction that thr
opponents of rcsu~tion would put on J thcm.
Onc of thcsc [passages] is thc statcmcnt of Scripturc: So He rNnem-
bn-ed t~at they were hut fiesh; 11 wind tluit passet!, oway, ,md t:0me1!,
not aga,n (Ps. 78: 39). Anothcr is thc Statement: As for m,m, (!,is days)
lll't: as zrass. • • , For 11,e wind passetJi over it, ond il is gone (Ps.
103: 15, 16). Therc is also thc statcmcnt: As tlae cloud is consumed and
11t1ni1l,e1!, oway, so lae 1/,at goetla do wn 10 tl,e grave shall come up no
more. He slaall relurn no more to l,is house, neitlaer slaall hit p/(U't:
~now him ony more (Job 7: 9, 10) . Furthcrmorc, thcrc arc such ut·
tcranccs of Scripturc as: // a man die, may he live again? (Job 14: 14),
and So man liesla down and risetl, not (Job 14: 12), and othcrs of thc
samc tcnor.
Now I madc a scrious study of all thesc p:magcs and I found that
not onc of thcm dcfinitcly implicd that God had statcd that He would
13. ~f. Gu~m.~nn, p•.221, for the in~erpreration of lhis p:assage.
14. implyang -readang of manuscnpt quored by Bacher in bis nole1.
418 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
not bring thc dcad back to lifc. Tbcy arc all rnercly characterizalion1
of man's inability to risc [of bis own accord) !rom thc grave aftc:r hia
desccnt into it, or to shake off thc dust from himself, or to rcturn to
his housc or go back to his homc. Pronouncemcnts of thi, type that
constitutc the ,itteranccs of God's servants rcprescnt auempta on thcir
pa n to win thcir M2ster's favor and rcquests of Hi1 mcrcy and com-
p:usion with them in vicw of thcir nate- of impotencc,
Thosc, again, that connitute tbe word of God call attcntion to onc
of the rcasons on account of which God has mercy and compauion
on men; namcly, thc fact of thcir bcing in thi1 wcak atate of impoteocc.
The morc thc Scripturcs dwcll on this condition, emphasizing thc de.ad
man's inability to rcsurrcct himsclf by his own cfforu or to ariac from
his resting place, tbc grcatcr becomes the esteem of thc power of Ood
as bcing able to reJu°rrect mankind and bring about its rcturn to life.
An illustration of how such a contra,t contributcs to the heightening
of God's esrecm is furnished by thc rcmark of Scripturc rcgarding thc
day of thc asscmbly u at Mount Sinai: For ask 11ow of 1/,, d11ys ptul,
,ul,ic/, wert: be/ore tlie,, etc. ••• u,l,,:1/,n- 1/,n-e Aat/, been any """
thing as 1/,is great tMng is, or l,111/, been lteord liJc.e it?" (Deut. 4: 3:a).
Similarly do thc other amazing miraclcs and marvcb that occurred in
thc past [cnhancc God's prcstigc]. And thc wnc applics 104< > to
thc miraclcs and marvcls of thc fu1ure." Their occurrcnce, too, will
be the causc of wondermcnt, as Scripturc says: Wl,o /,otl, l,eard sucl, 11
tning? WAo l,1111, seen sudi tltings? e1c. (lsa. 66: 8).
Furthcr Biblical uueranccs [ that scem to ,upport thc opponcnta of
thc doctrinc of rcsurrcction] include such a statemc:nt on thc pan of
Scripturc as: For to /,im tAat is joined 10 all 11,, living tltere is Aope, [for
"livint dog is beller tha~ 11 tfead lion ]. Por the livi11g know 11,at 11,,y
,1,,
sluzll die; bul dead know not anytl,ing, [ neitl,,r """' tAey 1111y mon
"reward; for 11,, memory of them is forgotkn]. As well 1l,11'r lot1e, os
tl,eir· /,otml, onJ their envy, is long ago p,risl,ed; [ nn'tl,,r """' ,,,,.,
""Y mor, portiOII for '"" in anytAing that is don, u11d,r 11,, 11111 JII
(Ecclcs. 9: 4-6).
Now I lookcd into thc mcaning of thcse vcrscs, which purport to
15. "aucmbly"-li~nlly "11andin1,"
16. Thi1 quocacion follow1 thc rcading of Ibn Tibbon.
17. "of die future"-lbn 1ibbon.
18. Thit quocation i1 balCd on die rcading of die Arabic 1cxt 1upplcmcntal bJ
that of Ibn Tabban.
RESURRECTION 419
say, as l notc, that whocvcr is conncctcd wirh life possesscs reassurancc
and ~t a living dog is heuer otf .than a dcad lion, the rcason being tha;
!he hvmg kno~ that they shall ~IC. but ~e dead know notbing, ncithcr
1s thcre ~ny gam lcft t.o tbcm smcc thc1r mcmory is forgottcn, so tbat
cven their _love and hatred and envy havc complctcly pcrished, and no
iru:rcase will evcr bc apportioned to them in anything that is done under
tbc heavcnly sphcre. So I said to mysclf: "These [vcrses cast] grave
doubts [ upon thc theory of thc resurrection of thc dcad J which its
opponcnts might possibly seizc upon." Howcver, when I rcgardcd what
prec~dcd thc passage in qucstion, 1 found that thc sage bad prcfaccd
1t w1th tbc remark that thesc uttcranccs .did not represcnt bis own point
of v_iew but were ~ rc:counting quotatiÖn by him of thc spcc:c:h of thc
foolu~ ~d of the insane thoughts cntcrtained by rhem in thcir hcarts.
This 1s bornc out by what hc says quite cxplicitly prior to thcsc ut·
teranccs; nam~~: Y,a. also, 11,e l,~arl of 1/u: sons of men is fuO of ev,1,
nd madness II m the1r ht:arl wlule they live, and after tltat they go to
11,e dead 11 (Eccles. 9: 3). Thc translation of this [ versc J is to thc cffect
that thc hearu of thc sons of man are full of evil and tbat thcre is in-
sanity in thcir hcarts whilc thcy are alivc, as weil as afterward when
thcy arc dead.
After this prcl~inar~ rcmark, hc quotcs the cvil aod insane thoughts
that ~her ~arbor Jß the1r hcarts, saying [ On their behalf]: For to !,im
thal IS /omed, etc. .. , For the living ,tnow, ele. . , . As weil their
love, et,. This [ quotation of .a discrcditcd point of view] is of thc
samc ordcr aJ thc statemcnt of the Torah: And Pbaraoh said: "Who ;1
tl,e.Lord, tlsat l sl,ould hear/c.en unto His voi,e, ele.?'' (Exod. 5: 2 );
wh1ch was. ~crcly a quo~ation by God of thc starcmcnt made by
Pharaoh. S1m1larly !he abovc:-mentioned uttcranccs 00 thc part of thc
sage wcre a rccountmg by him of thc rcmark of thc: foolish.
Aftc! ~c sage had dcsignatc:d thc views in quesrion as ~vil and mad-
0
~ess: [1t 1s ?ear that] whocvcr adheres to them is not descrving of bask-
mg 1.n.the hght and the divine Prcscncc of his Master, for God has stated
cxp.hc1tly that men of e11il and madness could not abide with Hirn.
Scrapture says namcly: Et1il shall not sojourn witl, Thee. Madmen 20
sl,oJI no111and in Thy sight (Ps. 5: 5, 6). The [ ultimatc) fatc, thcreforc
of [ a nyonc who. adhcrcs to J this [falsc poiot of view J would be th;
samc as that of him who was cut off, [ that is to say, the same Jas that of
19, This quotation follows the reading o( Ibn Tibbon.
20. "Madmen"- the us11al translation is "boasters.''
.po THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPJNIONS
Pharaoh who iJ reported by Scripture at hHing askcd: tt Who i, 11,e
LorJ and thc reit of that verse. Wc takc refuge in God &om such folly.
CHAPTERIV
Then l found that thc text of Scripturc is quite explicit in rcgard t.o
our Master'• promi.se to w of rcsurrcction. An illustration hereof i1 fur~
nished by its 1tatement to thc dfect tbat, after reporting the words of
the children of lsrad: "Beltold ou„ l,or,e1 ,e dried up. Ou„ Aope is
gone. We are ,le11n C#I oO," the prophct said to thcm: :'TAu, said
God: 'Beltold 1 sl,all opn, up your gr•11es t(ntl 1 1l1tdl bring you NP
out of 10"' f"i'"es. 0 My people, 1111d Ming you into 11,e ltmd o/ lnwl,
""' ,,,,, into )'0# My spiril ''"" ye ""'Y live, antl 1 will cnse you 10
J,vdl in Y°"' 1""d, ;,, order 1l,a1 ye may klWw tlttll 1 am GoJ'" (Ezek.
37: 11-13); t.hat is to aay: "1 have made you this promise and ful6.lled
it," II
This is the purpon of thc propbct'1 rcmark: Tl,en l,e 1ai4 unto me:
"Son of m11n, tAese /x,nes ttre 11,e wliole Aowe of l.trMI,• hel,old, I will
o~n y1111r rve1, elc.N '* (Ezck. 37: n, 12). The reason why the
words BeAold, tltey say: Our ho„es are dried up, etc. wcre put 6nt is
that God kncw what son of misgivings < 105> would enter our minds
and what afterthoughu we might entcrtain; namdy, that we might ,ay
to oundvcs: "How can the bones live again aftcr having dried up, and
thc moisturc return to them aftcr having depaned, and how can they
be reunitcd witb the soul aftcr it has gone forth &om thcm?"
God'• statcment, again : .Anti/ will c11use you to come up out of your
gr1111e1, 0 My people (Ezek. 37: 12) is tobe intcrprcted as a promise
to thc childrcn of lmiel in particular. His statemcnt: .And 1 will brint
you into 1/,e llffld o/ lsrul (ibid.), morco\lcr, servcs as an assurance
that tbi1 promire i, to be carricd out in this world, lest it be mistakcnly
thought that it was mcant for the world to comc.
His furthcr statcmcnt: .And ye sltoll know 1l,111 l 11m ,,., Lord, wli,n
1 luwe opn,ed Y""" ,,..,,e,,
1,nd c11111e1l 1'"' IO come "i' out o/ your
gr1111es, 0 My peopk,16 (Ezek. 37: 13) which souods like an unncca-
21. "cut oll , •• buing aüed"-lbn Tibbon.
:aa. Cf. a limilll' iDtuprctation siYen by Rashi t.:i thia pwa,e in Esodu1 6: :a,
bual on Siphra an l.ev. 221 31 •
. :a3. Thil quotalioa iJ bued on the reading of -the Anbic tat aupplffllented by
diat of Dm Tilibon.
:14. Thil quotatioa followa tbe rading of Ibn Tibbon.
RESURRECTJON
,a,y repetition, IUVCJ to anurc thcm that each onc of them wiU, wbcn
he comcs to lifc, know for ccruin that he is the pcrson who hu been
alive 1nd has died and that it is hc hinuelf who bas comc back to lifc
1 gain, Finally, the purpose of Hi, statement: .A11d 1 will plaee yo" ;,.
Y""' own J.nd (Ezek. 37: 14) is to assure us that the pcriod of the
mkmption will be of Jong duration in this world.
I also found a mtemeot by IS1U11/,; namcly: TA1 Jeu 1/,IIIJ li11e, M1
Jeu lx,dies s/u,/1 tlnlt'-[t1111•ke .,., ,;,,,, ye ,,,., 'wdl in ,,,, d#ll-
/or TAy dew is 111 11,e dew of litl,ts,11 tmd IO tl,e ,,,,,1,
1ul1 Tl,o,,
,a111e 11,e sltade, IO ftJ/ H] (ha. 26: 19), wruch agrccs witb th.c idca1 cx-
presscd in the passage quotcd abovc and is a companion piece to it.
lt i•, namcly, intcrprctcd u follows: "Thy dead will live and our
corpSCJ will arise when Thou wi.lt uy: 'Awake and sing, 0 yc that
dwdl in thc dustl' For Thy dew is thc dew Qf light,, and thou wilt
cause thosc that have pcrishcd to fall to thc ground."
So far as (thc uttcrance]: TJ,y Jeu sl,all li11e ia conccrned1 it corre-
1ponds to thc 1tatemcnt {in the book of Eukiel]: Ou1 of your ir1111es,
O My people (Ezek. 37: 12). [Thc declaration,] again: My Jetul hodie,
shllll llrise, tallies with the words: .And 1 wüJ bring yo# "I' (Ezek.
37: 12). As for the atatcment: .Awake and sing, that resembles the
vcrse: .And ye sl,all k11ow 1/,111 l .,,. 11,e Lord, wAen 1 l,.,,e openetl
Y""' f"lllles (Ezek. 37: 13), for hc who will awake wiU rclatc,
whcn he awakcs, what he has sccn in b is 1lccp and will be awarc
of thc fact that he is the pcrson who has been aslcep and has waked
up.
As for [ rhc scntence): For T l,y dew is as 11,e dew of ligl,ts, it tallies
with thc Statement made thcrc: Our bones 11re dried up, and "'" l,ope is
lost; we are dean CUI ofl" (Ezck. 37: II), for thc rcsurrection conati-
tutcs a moistcning and rcfrcsbmcnt of the dry boncs. As for [the word]
litltts, that is an allusion to the 10ul. His rcason for putting it in thc
plural, instead of saying ligl,t, in the 5.ingular, is duc to thc maoy facul-
tiet posscsscd by thc soul-sixteen facultics, to be exact-as I cxplaincd
in connection with thc account of the cr~ation [of thc world).11 This,
25, "light1," •• bclow, in the author's comment on thia pa1uge-The u1ual
tr1n1l11ion i, "light."
26. "and to the eanh 1halt Thou cau111: the 1hade1 to fall"-the usual tr1nal11ion
il "1nd the earth sh1ll brin1 to life the 1hades."
27, Thu qllot.luoo follow1 the ruding of Ibn Tibbon.
28. i.e., S1adia'1 commtnur, on the book of Genesis. Maimoniclea aho 1peakl
~ thla nu mbcr of tht facultin ol. the aoul. Cf. Gunmann, p. 223, n. 2.
422 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
again, tallies with the Statement made in the book of Ezekicl: Our l,ope
is Josl ( Ezck. 37: , 1 ).
J also found a sl3tement by Daniel to revcal that Many of tlien,
that slet:p in the dust of l~t: t:arth shall awakt:, [1ome lo everltming
life, and samt: 10 rt:proaches and t:11t:rlasting abho"enct:) (Dan. 12: 2).
The interpretation of rhis verse is that many of thosc that sleep in
the dust will awake, some to cternal life and some unto shame and
everlasting tears. Now this tleclaration that was made by the angel
to Danit:l undoub1cdly rcferrcd to this world. All the predictions pcr-
uining to thc futurc that wcre m:adc by him arc, namcly, compriscd
in fort y-scvcn vcrscs.
The first of thesc dcals with thc govcrnmcnt of the kings of Persia.
I havc refcrcncc to his natement: And no,111 will declart: unto tht:e the
truth. Bt:ho/d, thert: sha/1 stand up yet three kings in Persia (Dan.
11: :, ). The rcason onc versc secmed enough to him was that the pcriod
treatcd was that of thc end of their government. The next thirtccn
verscs, again, arc devotcd to thc government of the Grccks; that is to
say, bcginning with his rcmark : And a mighty k,.ing shall stand up
(Dan. 11: 3) up to But ht: that ,omt:lh against /,im shall da a«ording
to his own 111ill (Dan. 11: 16).
Then there are twenty vcrscs pcrraining to thc rule of thc Romans.
That is from Bul ht: 1/,01 ,omt:th ogainsl /,im sha/1 da o"ording to 1,;,
own will (ibid.) up to And tht: king sho/1 do ouording 10 his will; ond
l,e sha/1 ualt himself, t:"· (Dan. 11: 36). After that come ten vcrscs
on the rulc of the Arabs. < 1o6> That is from his statement: And
tht: king sha/1 do according 10 l,is will (ibid.) up to And at 1/,01 time
sha/1 Midat:I stand, etc. ( Dan. 12: 1 ).
Ncxt follow three vcrscs dcaling with the redemption; namcly, And
111 that timt: sl,al/ Mi,hat:I stand up, etc. (ibid.) and And many of tht:m
that slup in the dust of the t:artli shall awake, etc. (Dan; 12: 2), and
And tht:y that are wist: sha/1 sl,int:; et,. {Dan. 12: 3). Thc rcason why
thcse subjccts arc trcatcd in summary fashion in the book of Daniel
is that thcy have alrcady bccn fully explaincd in the books of Jsaial,,
/t:rt:miali, Ezelf.it:I, and others.
Now thesc forty-scvcn wcre revcalcd as a complete unit, rclating onc
evcnt after the other in strict chronological order. Hence, just as the
kings of Pcrsia and the Grcek, Roman, and Arab rulers reigncd in this
world-not in the world to come-so, too, thc prcdiction that Many o/
RESURRECTION 423
1/it:m 1/,at slet:p in the dust of tht: eartl, sl, aU awake (Dan. u: 2) must
•pply 10 this world, not to thc next.
When hc says: And many of them tl,at sleep in the dust of tht: eartli,
he mcans, of coursc, many of thc majority. The expression must bc thus
construed bccausc of thc [ qualifying J rcmark [ that follows J: of tht:m
1hat sleep in lhe dusl o/ tht: earth, which embraccs all human bcings.
On account of that [broadcr tcrm] he uscd thc cxpression and mrmy
in ordcr to single out the childrcn of Israel. This eirprc.~sion is parallel
to the statcment [ in the book of Ezekiel]: Out of your graves, O My
/Kopie (Ezek. 37: 12), and to Thy dead sha/l live (Isa. 26: 19) [in thc
book of Iuiah].
Again, the word dusl cmploycd by him corrcsponds to Our hones
IITt: drit:d up (Ezek. 37: 11) [ in thc book of Ezckicl) and parallcls For
Thy dew is as tlie dew of liglits (Isa. 26: 19) [in the book of lsaiahJ.
Furthermore, hc says: Tltey slioll awakt:, which tallics with thc rc-
mark: Awake and sing (lsa. 26: 19) and rcscmblcs And ye slia/1 know
that 1 am 1/te Lord, wltm I ha11e opt:ned your gra11e1 (Ezck. 37: 13).
As for his statcmcnt: Same to t:verfusting /i/e, and some 10 re-
proaches, hc docs not mcan thereby a division of the resurrccted, some
bcing assigned to the Garden of Eden whilst othcrs arc destined for
hcllfire. He mcans, rather, that a division of thosc that lie in the
gravcs will takc placc. Of them many will awake, These: are the oncs
dcstincd for t:lt:rna/ li/t:. Others, on the othcr hand, will not awakc. lt
is thcsc that are fatcd for t:llt:rlast,'ng al,l,o"ence.
CHAPTER V
Now when I found thesc vcrses and others like' thcm, 1 pondercd
thcm well, asking [ mysclf]: "Is it not possible that thcre might bc
some rcason on account of which thcse vcrscs might admit a figurative
intcrprctation, so that they would not bc construed as applying to the
belief in the resurreclion of the dead but bc madc to rcfer to the re·
vival of the Jewish kingdom and the setting up of a sovcrcign Jewish
govunment?" The logic of such a construction is indicatcd by thc fact
that the clcvation of a pcrson who is downtroddcn from his lowly
cstate to a position of emincncc is comparcd to raising somcone from
the dust. Thus Scri pture says: He raisetl, up tl,e poor out of the dust,
424 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
e«. (1 Sam. 2: 8) and also: Wl,o roisetl, up the poor out of tAe ""''·
e6'. (Ps. 113: 7). Furthermore God aaid to Busa: Pora.smucA ,u l
e:tfllted 11,ee out 0/ 1/,e du.11, ond made thee prince, ek. (I Kings 16: 2).
Aga in, he who is in distress and trouble ia likened unto the dcad. Thu,,
for cxamplc, Scripture 111ys: Sei apart omong 11,e ,foul, like 11,e sloin
1!,01 lie in 11,e g,1111e, etc. (Ps. 88: 6) and lso: 111,n /M'fOttffl tU II detlll
man 0111 of mind (Ps. 31: 13). On the other band, bis rcscuc and relcase
from such a state i1 likencd unto rcvival. Thus Scripturc saya: TAou,
who l,a.rt m11de me to see many 11nd sore t,ou/,les, will q11icken me
ogain, ek.11 (Ps. 71: ~o) and also Will Thou not quicken'" agoin, 11,o,
Tl,y ~ple may rejoice in Tltee? (Pa. 85: 6).
Upoo careful investigation, however, I came to realize chat if it we:re
nccessary or allowablc,to intcrprct all thcac passagcs that deal with thc
resu"ection of tl,e dead in this figurative manner so that they would
be stripped of their litcral mcaning without thc requircmcnt o{ a com-
pclling reason, then, by thc same tokcn, it might be nccc,ury or per-
miuible to intcrpm all rcvcalcd '° laws [of thc Jewiah religion J and
historical atcOUnts of antiquity and the minclet mcntioned in Suip-
ture by mean1 of odicr typet of atlcgory, so that n,onc of thcm would
rctain their literal mcaning but be given totally different ,ignili-
canccs.
< 107> Let me Jive a few illustration, of what might happcn I I a
result of the use of auch a method. Let us take, for example, such
rcvcaled laws 111 the injunction: TAere sl,flll no le11vened /Jre11d IM
e11len (Exod. 13: 3). That might be intcrpmed nguratively as denot·
ing: ''Thcre shall not be any harlotry among you." For harlotry .hu
bccn comparcd to bread that has risen and cannot help clinging to the
oven. Thus Scripturc 111ys: And 11,ey 11re all adulterers, a, "" 011en
lteoted l>y t/,e /Jaker, wl,o «tJJetl, to stir from tAe ~ntoding of tl,e
trougl, •ntil it /Je leavened (Ho1. r- 4).
Again, the Biblical injunction: Ye 11,tJ/ kindle no /irt (Exod. 35: 3)
might bc intcrprctcd 6guratively to mcan: "Do not array armia for
war." For armics havc bcen comparcd by Scripture to 6rc, u, Eor ex-
amplc, in the statcment: FM' 11 fire is gone out of HesAbon, 11 {lt1nu from
tl,e t:ity of Silton (Num. :21: :28).
Fu1thcrmorc, thc injunctioo: Tl,ou 1l,fll1 not 111~, tltt d•m witl, 11,e
young (Deut. :22: 6) might be intcrprcted allegorically to mean: "When
29. Thl, quotat.ion follow1 the rading of Ibn 1ibbon.
30. "rncated"-thete were diteu11ed ac lengch in thc third trati.e. Cl. pp. 143 tr.
RESURRECTION 425
you arc victoriou1 ovu your cncmy, do not kill thc old men and lhc
old womcn togcthcr with the young." Such • construction c.ould be •up-
parted by such Statements of Scripturc as: Therefore sl,a/1 a 1umul1
,ise among tlty hosts, ond flll 11,y fortresses sltflll be spoiled, os Shal-
mtm spoiled Bt'llt-arbel in tl,e day of b111lle; tl,e motl,er was dashed
in pieees witl, her cliildrer, (Hos. 10: 14). Thc conscquence [of the
punuit of auch a proc.edure] would be that all rcvcalcd laws would
be abolilhcd.11
Among the accounts of earliest antiquity is that of the crcation.
Now it is quitc possiblc to makc the Statement of Scripturc relating
thcrcto; namely, In the beginning God e,-eared the heaven and tne
earlh (Gen. 1: 1), rcfcr to the prospcrity of a ccrtain pcoplc. Thus
· Scripturc says, with refercnce to thc misfortunc that attcndcd thc af-
fairs of our nation: l bel,e/d the eorth, ond, lo, it was woste and void,
et.. (Jer. 4: 23), whilc, on thc othcr hand, it says, in rcgard to thc
restoration of .it.s prospcrity: Por, /Jel,old, 1 aeote new he11r,en1 and
" neu, tlll'lh (lsa. 65: 17 ).
Similarly one might intcrpret the words: ut the eartl, pul fortl.
g,tsss (Gen. 1: n) figuratively to denote bodily bcalth, on the basis
of the statcment of Scri~turc: And your /Jones sha/1 floun'sl, like young
gr11S1 (Isa. 66: 1.4). In hkc manncr the words Fruil-lret bellring fruit
(Gen: 1: 11) m1ght be made to signify: "The very great king,'' as it
docs lß ~e Statement of Scripture: In the mountoin o/ tlie lieigli1 o/
Israel will l plant it; and it slio/J bring /ortl, bouglu, and betlf' fruit
(~zek. 17: :23). Thus, too, thc words: ut there be lights (Gen. 1: 14)
m1~ht be madc to rcfer to th~ Torah and propbets and wisdom, as they
do m such Statements of Scnpture as For tl,e commandment is a lamp
11nd tAe Torol, 11 il lighl (Prov. 6: 23) and TAy word is" lt1mp uni~
my /eet (Ps. 119: 105).
The rcsult of thc application of such a method of interprctation
woul~ be that thcre would not be an itcm left of thc entirc story of tAe
creotron [ of the world J that would not have bcen divestcd of its literal
mcaning, which is thc crcation and origination of things.
Thc account.s of the cxtraordinary miraclci also lcnd thcmselvcs to
allcgo1ical interprctation. Thw, for irutance, thc statemcnt: And tl,e
cltildren of lsr11el wenl into 11,, mitlst of tlte sea upon tl,e dry g,ound,
,md tAe woters were II wflll unto tAem on tlt eir rigAt l,and, and on tAeir
31. "all , , , would be abolishcd"-litcnlly "no , •• would remain,"
32, 'Tonh"-the u1u1l traJulation it "cachin1,"
426 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
lefl 11 (Exod. 14: 22) might bc construcd as mcaning that thcy bad
cntered into thc midst of thc army of Pharaoh, which was standing to
thc right and to thc lcft of thcm dry and dcsiccatcd. For troops havc
bccn likcncd unto bodics of watcr, as, for cxamplc, in Scripturc's rc-
mark about Scmnachctib: Now 1Aere/ore1 behold, the Lt,rd bringet/, up
upon tl,em the waters of tlie River, mighty and mony, evm 11,e lc.ing of
Assyria" ( lsa. 8: 7 ). Jn fact, of Pharaoh himsclf Scripturc says: Before
that Pharao!, smote Gaza. Thus saitl, the Lord: Behold, watn's rise "P
Ofll of 1/,e nortA, and shall l,ecome an 011erflowing slream, and tAey
shall overflow the land and all that is therein, tl,e city and 1/,em 1h11t
dwell t/,erein (Jcr. 47: 1, 2). . /iotll begatten tllee? Hat/, He not made tltee, "nd etlab/is/,ed 11,u? H
lt is also possibtc to intcrprct figu ratively thc statcmcnt: And the sun
stood still, anti the '"oon stayed (Josh. 10: 13) as [signifying] thc risc
of thc kingdom and its asccndancy, just as its disappcarance and cn·
fccblcmcnt havc bccn comparcd to thc setting of thc sun. Scripture
uys, namdy: And tl,e sun shall go down upon tl,e propl,ets, and tAe
day sl,al/ be bl,u:k over 1/,em (Mic. 3: 6), and also: Her spirit droopetl,,·
l,er sun is gone down 111/,ile it was yet day, sl,e ir a1l,amed and con-
founded (Jcr. 15: 9). On thc othcr hand, in characterization of the
prospcrity of thc kingdom, Scripturc expresses itsclf in the following
manncr: Moreover 1/,e light of 1lie moon .rhall be ,u tl,e ligl,t of 11,e
sun {Isa. 30: 26).
Thc conscquencc [ of thc consistent use of this mcthod Jwould bc that
there would not bc a marvcl or miraclc left but would havc bcen
divcsted of its literal meaning and thus havc bccomc nullified.
<108> Thc evil [rcsuh] 11 of rcquiring or dcdaring pcrmissible
thc figurative intcrpretation of the passagC$ of Scripturc tbat dcal with
1/,e ruu"eclion o/ tlu dead and making allcgorics of thcm1 sincc thcy
can bc thus intcrprctcd, is, thcn, to rendcr ncccssary or permissiblc
such a figurative interprctation also of thc passagcs dcaling with. thc
n-eation of tAe 11/0rld and thc miracles and all rcvcalcd "1mmandments,
which would thcrcby bc transfonncd into allcgorier, sincc tbcy can bc
thus construed. But if onc adopts such an attitudc, onc autol1\2tically
cxcludes oncsclf from thc entirc Jcwish rcligion. On thc other hand,
if onc rcfuscs to do so, one thercby rejects thc objcctions prescntcd
by such pusons against tl,e resurrection of tAe dead.
33, Thi, quoiation follows the reading of Ibn Tibbon.
34, This quotation follows the rcading of Ibn Tibbon.
35. "evil mult"-lbn Tibbon.
RESURRECTION
CHAPTER VI
NcXt I sca~ncd thc T~rah and 1. cxamined the .rang that God had
sct up as. a wnncs~ for H1msclf agam~t the childrcn o( Israel, as &rip-
wre says. Thal tim .rong may be a w1tness for Me againJt 11,e cllildrcn
o/ ltrael (Deut. 31: 19), and I found in it a mention of tbc rcsurrection
of thc dcad at the bcginning of thc cra of the 1alva1ion.
This [ song] 1,rocceds, namcly, in chronological ordcr. lt dcscribca
fint God's kin ncss to his pcople, saying: Js He not thy father that
~Deut'. 32: 6) up to And of tl,e blood o/ the grape thou dranlf..esl foam-
1ng wme (Deut. 32: r<4). Ncxt it spcaks of thcir downfall and sin·
that is, 1tarting from But /etlturun waxed fat, ond ki,lf..ed n (.Dcu:.
32: rs) u~ to Becau.re ~/ tl,e 11':ovolf..ing.of His sons and Hi.r daugl,ters
(DcuL 32. •.9~· Tben. at descrabcs God s wrath against thcm and rhe
dcsccnt of d1V1oc punuhment upon them. That bcgins with the statc·
mcnt: And He ~aid: "l will Aide My face from tAem, etc.'' (Deut.
,µ: 20) and contanues up to I would malf..e tl,eir memory cea.re from
among men (Deut. 3:1: :16).
Next it describcs God's sympathy with thcm as they are assailcd
and attacked by thc cncmy. This is done in thc statemcnt: Were it not
11,aJ I dreaded 11,e _enemy'.r prov~r:ation, ek, 11 ( Deut. 32 : 27 ). (lt rc.
fe~, J•.lso to. thc pa,i:,i~I tormcnt m store Ior thc encmy, saying: ls not
1l,,1 la1d up m .rtore ""'" Me? (Deut. 3:1: 34.) [lt alludcs J also to God's
~cr~y. on ~s pcoplc, as its wcakncss bccomcs grcat and its power
d1man1shc~, an 1ts rcmark: _For the Lord will judge Hi.r people, etc.
(Deut. 32. 36) up to Lei h,m he your proter:tion (Deut. 32: 38). Ncxt
comes t!1e promise .of Ood'~ ~anifcstation for thc purposc of saving and
rcdccmmg the nat1on. Thu as cxpresscd in the words: See now tllat /,
even l, am He (Deut. 32: 39).
. The vcrsc quotcd last contains a rcply to four different type, of hcre-
tlcs. The first are thosc who af&rm that thcrc is no Creator. Thc
answcr to them consists of the words Tl,111 J, even J, am He (il,iJ.).
Thc sccond group is madc up of thosc who assc.rt that thc.re is a Creator
but t~at He had an associatc in the work of crcation. The answcr ~
thcm 1s found in thc words And tl,ere is no god witl, Me (ibid.).
36. Th!• quotatioo follow, 1he rcading of Ibn Tibbon,
37. Th~s quo1a1ioo follows thc rcading of Ibn Tibbon.
38. Thas quoratlon follow, lhe radi.ng ..,f Ibn Tibbon.
428 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Thc third group is that of those who rejcct the doctrinc of thc rc,ur·
rcction. Thc answcr to thcm is given in thc words: 1 kill, ,md 1 maJce-
alive (ibid.). Sincc, howevcr, God knew that thcrc werc pcoplc who
might hold that by saying: I kill, and I make olive, He meant only that
He Jets onc gcneni.tion die and bring, anothcr to lifc after it, He added
thcrcto the words: / l,ave wounded, and 1 heal (ibid.) in order to givc
us thc assurance that, just as hc that is hcalcd is thc pcrson that was
prcviously wounded, so hc that will bc brougbt to lifc by God is thc
vcry onc wbo has died prcviously. Thc founh group, again, consists
of thosc who dcny that there will bc a reckoning and a punishmcnt in
the hcrcafter. Thc aruwcr to thcm is found in thc words: Anti tl,ere
is none 1/1111 ~11n deliver oul of My l,11nd (ibid.).
Thcn thcre arc listcd aftcr this, in chronological order, the remaining
details of the sa/11a1ion. They arc trcatcd in thc statemcnts: lf l wl,et
My glillmng sword, el.&. (Deut. 31: 41): 1 will maki- Mine arrows
drunJc witl, blood, el.&. ( Deut. 32: 42); and Sing aloud, 0 ye nalio,u, of
His people, de. (Deut. 32: 43). All this, of coursc, applies to'this world,
as I have aplained."
CHAPTER VII
Furthcrmorc, 1 did not refrain from searching tbc fourth IOUl'Cet
which consists of the writings of the prophets and the traditions of
the sages, saying to mysclf that I might pcrhaps find in rhem an objec.
tion against thc doctrinc of 1/,e resu"ection of tl,e deatl, 1incc their
utterances, may tl,eir memories /Je hlessed, < 109> arc full of the
mcntion of it and repletc with dcscriptions of it. 1 therefore dcem it
proper to note down a fcw of thcir pronounccmcnts as a rcminder and
samplc thcrcof, bccausc it would takc too long to list them all on ac-
count of thcir extcnsivcncss. Also IJ'!any qucstions werc asked of thcm
on this subject by the rulcrs, to which each of thc sage, aiuwm:d ac.
cording to his own point of view. Furthermorc, questioru werc asked
by the common peoplc of our nation. These, too, wcre aruwercd by thc
sage, in sundry ways.
Let me say, howevcr, that in view of the fact that Scripture states:
Bel,oltl, 1 wi/1 sentl you EliiaA tl1t: l"opl,e1 (Mal. 3: :a3) and tbat it
39. i.e., above, p. 4:17, because of the fact that the poem dwell1 oo cnaCI ia
chronological ordcr.
RESURRECTION
says, furthcrmorc: Tl,en sl,a/1 we r11ise «gainst him seven sl,epl,erds,
11nd i"igl,1 princes among men (Mic. 5: 4), they were asked who thosc
st11en sl,ephtrds were, whcrcunto they replied: "Wc have it on tra-
ditioll that they are David, u,l,o will be in the cenler, Si-11, ond Metl,u-
sdal,, rvl,o will bi- on Ms righl, and Abraham, lsaae, /at"ob, and Moses,
"'"" will be on 1,;, left'' 40 ( Suk. 521>). Thcy werc also askcd w ho thc
eight prince, wcre, and replicd: "We havc it on the basis of tradition
that thcy Me /esse, Saul, Samutl, Amos, Zepl,anialt, He11elc,iala, Eliiali,
trnd 11,e Messial," (ibid.). Thus they .havc explicitly statcd that thcse
dead would bc rcsurrectcd at the time of the redtmption.
They havc said, furthermore: "We havc it oo thc basis of tradition
that whocver will die during thc ycars of the duration of the spoliation
of the Jewish nation by God will not arise at 1he rtsu"ection of tl,e
dead, bccause the proc:cdure to bc followed in connection thcrewith, ac·
cording to thcir opinion, will bc thc same as that of thc banquet prclimi-
nary to thc wcddfog feast. Whocver participatcs in thc fonncr, partici-
pates also in the wedding feast, and whoever misses it, also misscs thc
lattet." Thu, in fact, is how they apresscd themselves: Said Rabbi
Jonal,: "W!,oe,,n- will die during tl,e seven years of Gog, will not he
"'"'"ected in tlte d11ys of the Mestiah. A.nd take 1Jris as 11,y sign: 'He
rvl,o tllls 11111,e prenUfllial ln1nque1 eals also at lhe wedding feast'" 41
(Pal. Talm. Slbh. 35c; Lev. Rab. bcginning chap. xi).
Thcy havc aaid, bcsides, that whoever rejccts thc belief in thc resur-
rection of tlre dead will not bc rc.surrccted in the days of thc Messitzl,,
cvcn though thc rest of his dceds werc good (Sanh. 90a), bccause
it i, a principlc of ordinary retaliatory jwtice that a pcrJOn bc denicd
thc thing that hc hu rejectcd, Thia [prindple) was illustrat~d in thc
case of thc captain of Jehoram the son of Ahab. When hc rcjected the
atawnent of FJisha and thc good tidings hc bad brought to Israel of
ehe plenty that would succced thc famine, he was informed by the
prophct that hc would not partake of this plcnty, In fact, he would sec
it with bis eyca, but not cat thcrcof (II Kings 7: ~}. Thc actual wording
ol thcir remark is: He di-nii-d 11,i- resurrmion -of 11,e di-ad. Tlaere/ore
lte sl,a// Aave no ,Aare in IAe resu"ulion of tlle dead, for 11ll the dealings
• 40. This quotatio~ folloWJ thc rcading of Ibn Tibbon. The Ar.ibic text pub-
liahed b1 Bacher om11S t.hc name of Moses, whett11 t.hc Viln1 cdition oI the Baby·
IDAlan Talmud liau the namc of Adam bcfore Seth and omh1 Isaac.
41. For the Hrilnt ttadings of thc different 10urcea cf. the ttfettnca listecl by
Bacher. ·
430 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
o/ tl,e Holy Ont Bltssed Be He arc mea1urc /or mc11Surt, For it i11aid:
"Tl,en tlit captain on wltosc l,and tht Jc.ing ltaned an,wercd 11,e man o/
God, tlc• ..• And l,c said: 'Behold, 11,ou sh,tlt sec it with tliint eyc,,' H
etc. 0 (11 Kings 7: 2), (Sanh. 9oa).
Thcy also said that thc dcad would arise wcaring rhcir shrouds. That
is thc purPort of their statcmcnt: Thc rigl,ttous art tkstined 10 risc
clad in their garments (K!th. rub). Now thc restoration of thcir
clothes is not morc diffitult to conccivc of by rcason than thc return of
thcir bodies and souls. When this idea became widcsprcad among our
nation, ccrtain pcoplc wcnt to such extremes in thcir cxpcnditurea on
thc shrouds of thc dcad that it produced great hardship. For he who
could not afford thcm would abandon his dcad and flce. Thi1 condition
continued until Rabban Gamaliel instituted an ordinance for thc nation
by lcaving it as his will duat hc bc wrappcd in washed lincn gannenta,
and all thc pcoplc foUowcd bis examplc. Thus thcY, said: <110> Al
thc btginning thc txpendi1urc1 made on l,cl,al/ o/ tlte dtad impoml
great" ltardsl,ip an tl,ose wlio incurred tliem 1/11m Ais deatl,, so tlta,
thcy wau/d lcave !tim ""d flee, until Rabbon Gamalic/ ,amt: and sei
tht: aamplt: of di1"gard o/ eustom ll,ro11gl, l,imself~ hy l,a11ing l,imulf
broug/11 out c{gd in starched /inen garmen11, whcreupon a!l tl,e people
/o/lowed ltis czample (Ketb. 8b and M.~. :a7b).
CHAPTER VIII
After making thcsc inve1tig11tions I began to follow up thc deriva-
tives of this belief and thc infcrcnce1 to bc drawn from it, and I dcem it
proper to makc note of tcn questions that occur to me in this connection.
These I shall answcr from thc standpoint of Scripture, reason, and
tradition.
The 6rst question that one might ask is: "Who of our m1tion will
bc induded among thosc tobe resurrec:ted at thc time of the salvation?"
In answcr thcreto I would say: "Every righteous person and pcnitent
of thc Jewish nation. By God, only if a pcrson dies without having
repented is hc onc of thosc who arc dcstincd to bc punishcd."
Thi.s is also most proper from thc standpoint of reason, ,ince God
has in many vcrses promiscd cvcry pcnitcnt that He would acc.cpt him.
These promises to cvcry penitent follow also •• a1 the necessary con,
42. This quotation from the Scriptura fnllow1 the reading of Ibn Tibbon,
43, "ID nery penitc:nt follow also •• .''-Ibn Tibbon.
RESURRECTION 431
dusioo from thc statcment madc by our carliest tcacbcn aftcr listing
various types of sin, whicb, thcy dcclarcd, wcrc of four dcgrccs. Tbc
6ut is 11,e lransgression by II pcrstm of a positive commandment. Tbc
ncxt is lhe 1ransgrc11ion hy him o/ a negative commandmenl, Ncxt
,omc infractions punishable hy extirpation or dc111I, by tlte action o/ tlte
courl, Thcn thcrc is thc catcgory of those hy whom tht: name of ltcauen
is profancd (Toscphta Yoma 4: 6-8; Yoma 86a). After this thcy said:
Now one miglit suppose tltat his dcatl, wouJd not atone for liim.
Tli~re/ore Saiptur~ tcaclies, 1aying: "Behold, 1 will open your gravcs"
(Ezek. 37: 12; Mckh. Ex. 20: 7). Thus it has bcco conclusively provcn
that thcrc will bc murrcction for cvery pcnitent. 1 •• will 5ay, furthcr-
morc, that, in my opinion, thosc of our nation that die impcnitcnt arc
fcw in numbcr.
The sccond question is: "Will thcy die again aftcr this [ rcsurrcction
that is to take place during thc cra of thc rcdcmption] ?" My answcr
hcretmto is that tbcy will not die but that thcy will bc transportcd from
the cra of thc Mcssiah to thc dclights of thc ncxt world. With rcfcrcncc
thcrcto, our carlicst tcachcrs said: The dead u,/,om tl,e Haly Onc
Blc11ed Be He is destined lo hring hack_ to li/c will not rcturn 10 1/,cir
Just any more (Sanh. 9:za) •
.Thc thir~. qucstio~ is: "Will thc carth bc capacious cnough to con-
tain thcm? I say, m rcply thcrcto1 that from thc time our nation
cmcrgcd among m~n two thousan~, two hundrcd and two ycan ago
thcr~ havc bccn tharcy,two gcncrauons, cach of which compriscd ap·
prox1matdy 1,200,000 mcn and women. Now cvcn if wc wcrc to assumc
that thcy arc all cqual and that thcy will all bc murrcctcd, thcy would
fill up only onc onc-hundrcd-and-fifticth part of thc carth, cvcn if we
wcrc to aJlocate to cach onc morc than two hundrcd cubits for his dwcll-
ing and his ficlds and his nccds and his bcasts and othcr such matten.
For the total human population of all thc gcnerations would arnount
to approximately 1,200,000 by thirty-two, making a grand total of
38,400,000. Furthcrmorc. if we wcre to cut off for thcm from thc carth
a strip of two hundred parasangs by two hundred parasangs. which
constatutd one onc-hundrcd-and,.fiftieth part of thc carth's arca, and
wc wcrc to co?1putc it in cubi~, assu~ing that cvcry parasang is madc
up of thrcc malcs, and cvcry male cons1sts of four thousand cubits and
cvcry cubit measurcs two cubits a.nd a half and a third of thc standard,
thcre would bc an area of 288 cubits in width (by five hundred in
44· "for every penitcnt. 1 • ••"-Ibn 1ibbon.
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
lcngth] " for evcry person. What is there in this alculation about
which sdentist1 can bc confusc:d?
Thc fourth qucstion is whether thcir familics and relatives that
would thcn bc alive would rc-eognizc thcm. [n answcr hcrcto I would
say that, inasmuch as thc prophcts and shepherds and princes O would
havc to bc rccognizcd by all othcr mcn, it foUows that they would
consequcntly havc to rccognizc one anothcr and that each person
would bccome attachcd to bis tribc, < 111 > as is cxplained in thc
geographic distribution of the tribcs in the book of E•el(,iel (Ezek.
48: 1 ff.).
Thc lifth qucstion is: "Wh~t will bc thc condition, at the time hc is
re1urrected, of him who dicd blind or deprived of bis limbs or smittcn
with othcr afllictions or dcfccts?" I say. in reply hcrcunto, that hc will
first bc resurrccted with that blcmish stm adhering to him so that bis
fdlowmcn may recognize him as bcing that particular pcrson. After
that, the Crcator will cur-c him so that it may be a complctc sign,.as our
carliest teachers have said: They will ri1e from their graver with their
blemish atlllched to them, a11d then be r;gred (Sanh. 91b ) . lt is for this
vcry rcason that the words l kill, and l make a/ive·(Deut. 32: 39) are
put bcforc 1 have wounded, a11d 1 heal (ibid.). Scripture has also l.lid:
Tlien tht eyes of the blind sha/J be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall
~ unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and tlie tongue
of tlie dumb sliall sing (Isa. 35: 6, 7).
Thc sixth question, again is: "Will thc rcsurrcctcd cat and drink and
m:my?" My rcply hercto is: "Yes, jwt as the son of the Zarephite
woman, whom the Crcator brought back to lifc through Eliiah, and thc
son of thc Shunmnmite woman, whom He revivcd through Elisl,a, ate
and drank and conccivably also marricd.'' n
Tbc sevcnth question is: "How can thcsc pcrsons [ who arc dcstincd
to be rcsurrccted at the time of the rcdcmption 1bc trandurcd to tbe
next world, in which thcre is no cating or drinking or cohabitation,"
which thcy had to practice in this world in ordcr to live?" 1 reply
thc.rcto: "Thcy will do as Moses, our teacl,er, wbo, although he bad
45. "in width by five-hundrcd in lcngth"-10 according to the emendation ,ug·
sestcd by Solomon Gandz. Cf. above, lhe seventh treatise, n. 21.
46. Cf. Suk. 52b in interpretation of Mic. 5: 4.
47, Such a remark i• madc in the Talmud about the dcad bone, that bad 1-n
brought back to life by Ezekiel. Cf. Sanh. 92b. Cf. also above, seventh tttatise, n. 16.
48. Cf. Bcr. 18a.
RESURRECTION 433
1,cen accwtomed to cating and drinking and cohabiting. ncvertbelcas
existcd without thcae things tbrcc times for forty days and yct rcmained
alivc, as ia writteo in thc Torah." ••
Thc eighth question i1: "In view of the fact tbat thosc that will bc
rcaurrectcd at the time of the 1"'11t11ion will bc lcft to their own choice,
;, it not pouible that thcy might choo$C to disobcy God so that they
would not bc rcaurrcctcd in thc world of retribution?" To tbis qucstion
J give the same aruwer as that which is givcn by our entire nation,
tbc oommunity of the bclicvcrs, in regard to thc bchavior of the right·
eo111 in the next world. Sincc they have thc power of choosing bctwecn
obedicncc and disobcdience, is it not possiblc that they might choo,e the
lauer? Thc rcply is, howcvcr, that He that knows what will happcn
beforc it comcs to pass would not havc promised the righteou,. who arc
destined to be in the ncltt world, ctcrnal rcward cxccpt that He kncw
tlut thcy would choose to obey and oot to disobey Him. Similarly I
say that, in:umuch as He knows what will bappcn, He would not have
promised the rcsurrcction of the dcad to thc righteous of lsrad unlcu
He kncw that at thc time of the Mes.riah they would choosc obcdir:ncc
to God and not disobcdicnce to Him.
The ninth qucstion is: "Will the resurrected reccive rcward for their
obedicnce to God during the era of the M~slial,?" 1 say: "Yc,. Just••
thc righteous in this world arc cntided to rcward for their ·obcdience
to God, so will those living at thc time of thc Messi11!, bc rewarded for
thcir obcdience to God, for it is inconccivablc that such obcdicnce
sbould be unrewardcd. And just as thcrc is in store for the rightcous
a reward in addition to what their prcviou, good dccds cntitlc thcm to,
so will what thcy will do in thc ddys of 11,e Messiah nct thcm an ad-
dition bcyond that which thcir good dccds entitlc them to."
The tcnth qucstion, fina_lly, is: "What will bc the status of thosc pcr-
sons who are alive at the time when t.hc sa/11a1ion takes placc · and
similarly, that of thosc who arc born during the cra of thc saJva;'on?':
My answcr thereto is that, inasmuch as Scripturc has no express pro-
nounccment on this subjcct and rabbinic tradition, too, carrics no
report thcreon, opinion on the matter is dividcd into three groups.
Some assert that thcy will not die at all. Tbcy base thcir belief on thc
Statement of Scripture: H~ will 1111al/ow up dt:111„ for~"" (Jsa. 25: 8).
Othcra affirm that thcy will die and comc to life aga.in in ordcr that they
49. Cf. Deut. 9: 9, 18; 10: 10,
434 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
might bc on thc siamc plane as thc othcr resurrcctcd. Still oth~rs allc~c
that thcy will live a long lifc and die and thcn not come to hfe agam
until [ thc cra of J thc ncxt world.
Now my hcart, may God guide thcc aright, inclincs mc toward this
third thcory, bccausc) lind that thc rm,"ection o/ tlie dead at thc time
of thc salva,ion r.o was promiscd only to thosc who had bccn in e:cile.
But I do not decm it proper to add anything of my own hcrcto, es,,
pcciaUy in vicw of thc fact that thc wholc rc:ason for tbc resu"uii~
of ·,Ju dead [ at that time J is that thcy may not bc excludcd from th1s
grcat redemption. Howcvcr, hc who .witncsscs it, either by bcing
alivc at thc bcginning or by bcing born [during the cra o! thc rcdcmp·
tion] will alrcady havc rcached thc goal. . Whc:n, namcly, mcn have comc back to life again, they will dcscribc
Thtir livcs, howcvcr, will bc of long duration, in thc ncighborhood of
400 or 500 ycars, so that < r u > a pcrson who has dicd at the agc of
onc hundrcd ycars during this cpoch will bc like onc who has dicd at thc
agc of twenty in our own, as Scripturc says: For tlie youngesl shaJI dje
a Aundred years old (Jsa. 65: 20). Furthcrmorc, thefc will bc no in·
dulgcnce townrd anyone a hundrcJ ycars old who has sinned against
mcn, since such a onc will not bc considcrcd an old man by thcm. He
will, thcrcforc:, rather bc trcatc:d by thcm with contempt, as Scripturc
says: And the sinner being a hundred yettTs old sha/J he «cursed
(ihid.). Thc lifc spans of human bc:ings will bc similar to thosc of great
buildings and plr.mts, as Scripturc says: They shall not /mild, and an-
other inl,abit, they shall not plant, and another eat; /or as the days o/ a
tree shal/ be the day1 o/ My people, etc. (Isa. 65: 22).
CHAPTER IX
After duly considering thc subjc:cts that havc bccn treatcd hcrc, l
bccamc firmly convinced of thcir truth and [ sct thcm down in writing
in ordcr that thcy might scrve as a sourcc of conficlence. 1 have, namcly,
arrivcd at thc conclusion that thc Jcwish nation would be bencfitcd
by thcm for scvcn rcuons: Thcy will bc helped, first of all, bccausc thc
resurrcction of the dcad is a grcat miracle, onc of thc manifest miraclcs
of Ood, thc assurancc of the occurrencc of which corroboratcs thc bc·
lief in God's omnipotcncc.
Sccondly, thcrc will bc elfected thcrcby a reunion of all thc prophcts.
50. "at the time of the salvation"-addcd by Ibn Tibbon.
RESURRECTION
435
Thou notcst how cagcr wc are today to sec onc of them, all thc more so
if it wcrc possible to bchold thcm all. Furthcrmore, all the rightcous
king• of Juacl and all distinguishcd sagcs, to sec cven onc of whom wc
arc most anxious, will bc reunitcd.
Again, the relatives of cach pcrson of whom hc was bcrcaved and
ovcr whom hc has mourncd will bc rcunitcd with him, so that a son
will sec bis fathc r again, and a fathcr his son, and a brother his brothcr,
a sage his pupil, a friend his fricnd, and so for other typcs of rclation-
ships.
MorC'Ovcr, many of the rcports circulatcd about thc phcnomenon of
dcath to which people adherc so tcnaciously will thcn bc dcarcd up.
for us what has befallen them or how thcy camc to die and how thcy
fared during their dcath and how they wcrc rcsurrcctcd.
Besidc.s that, all thc aforcmcntioncd gcncrations of thc children of
JsracJ, totaling many myriads of human bcings, will get togcthcr and
will, as a community, enjoy splendor and glory and a position of cs1ccm.
Finally, it will scrvc as a means of strc:ngthcning the belief in the
world to comc. For wc: would say that, just as this promisc will be rcal-
ized, so will all othcr promiscs pcrtaining to the world to come, Wc
would, conscqucntly, look forward to the lauer as having bccn provcn
by expericncc, as Scripturc says: And i, shall he said in iltat day: "Lo,
tllis is our God, /or wliom we waited, tha1 He might 1a11e us" 01 (lsa.
25: 9).
What a wonderful promise that is, thcn, which combincs all thesc
advantagcsl lt was thcsc bcncfits, in fact, that compelled mc to devote
mysclf to thc establishmcnt of its verification and thcreby 10 scrve thc
Jewish nation and contribute to its well-bcing. lt is my ardcnt wish tfut
l might bc among thosc who will witness it c"ithcr in my own lifctimc
or by bcing rcsurrccted as a rcward fur my contribution to thc wclfarc
of my peoplc. And may God, who is truthful in His promisc, bc blmcd,
and may praise bc His.
The seventh trcatise is hercby completcd.
51. This quotalion follows the readin1 of Ibn Tibbon.
 INDEX I

SUBJECTS AND_NAMES
AAllON, appointr.d to perfonn sacrilices, 168 f.; requitcd in thiJ world, .211; lin-
figcred in 1ervitudc, :z95
Abij1h IOD of Jcroboam, rewarcled in this world, 211
Abimel«h, forbidd~n by God to rauch Smh, 197
AbrahllD, law of, different from that of Moses, 16:z; marriage of sister& forbiddcn
in time of, 168; not ordcred actually 10 ,acrifia: huc, 169; did not rully lic
about Sarah'• relationthip to him, 196; includcd among tli,: u111r, 1liqli~1. 276,
4:a9; enducmcnt of dc:1andan11 of, :z99; agc of, 1t time of dcparture from
Haran, :a99; journcy to Pale1tine took thirty yun, :a99; namc of Cliild,v, o/
lsrtttl applied to, 299 ; a1kc:d God for childrm, 381; wlm 1ppeared to, wu not a
trinity, 108
Abrogation of thc Law, 157 ff.; lddition of thc law. of Sabbath 1nd Pu10vcr bv
Mosa do not constitute, 16:z. S11 .J,o Suspension, Torab
Abalom, sin of, 194
Abs~tion, by skcptia, Sr; rcfutcd, 81 ff.; of human bcing,, 86
Ab1tincnc.e, 364 ff.; ,o bc cmploycd to rcstrain thc appetitcs, 400
Accidcnt, doct not pcrtain to Crcator, 111; cannot bc sourcc of wisdom, :z371 can-
not bc barer of othcr 1cciclcnt1, 237
Acciclcnta, no bodiu are without, o; g,owlh and diminution of .nimab, 43;
heaven, are not Crcc from, <13, whatcver did not prccede, mu1t bc like thcm,
•4 ; God i1 not aubject to, 56, 111, 1 u, 129, 245; cvery material body it mdowed
with, 88; light and duknesa are, 98; pul togi:rher by Creator, 111
Art, evcry, mu1t havc an agcnt, 48; one and thc .ame, cannot cmanate from two
authon, 60 ff.; no, without an agent, 69
Action, abnentioo of human bcings cqulvalcnt to, 86; abnenrion of God not tan·
tamount to, 86; of God, 127; God i1 nevcr thc rcc:ipicnt of, u9; of man comiu,
of doing or de1i11ing, 187; not inu:rfcred with by Crcator, 188
Adam, mcn c.allcd di/d,-i:" o/, 100; d1ughtcr1 of, 168; in thc Garden of Ede(I, 170,
340; driven out, 170; not c.rearcd by angcl, a3:i; all ..,n, of, not ioeludcd in
promiK of rc:1urrec1i.on at dme of ,i:di:mpuon, :z71; includcd among tlie 11:11en
1lt1:plierd1, 276; gardcn of, 1 byword for exccllcnu, 3401 Evc wu mosJm of all
dcsccndanll of, 415
'Ädhonay, ume 11 'Eloltim, 99. Su td,o God
Adultuy, punithrncnt of, :a:a5; coruiducd reprcbcmiblc by reason but dctircd by
nature, 325; sevcrcly puni1hed, 326; prohibition of, not exprcaly mentioned to
Adam, 3a71 grave ain, 351
Agent. Stt Act
Ahab, cnticcd that he might fall, .200; ha1 no 1harc in world to comc, 335; Jchotam
son of, 429
Ahaz, pcnnined to live so hc might bcgct Hczckiah, :z15
Ahltophel, h11 no 1b11e in world to comc, 335

438 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPJNIONS
Air, h„ loalc :abovc water, 41; i, ligtlt, 42; picrced by clod of e:anh, 42; dtrind
ftom dodecahcdron, 51; onc of fout elcmcnll, !m c1chcw, mingling with e:9nh,
63; m:eive1 tound and tnrumil.l it, 65; not oppor.ite of sound, 651 tr:an,mita
amcll, 65; not oppo&iic of amcll, 65; aourcc: of heat and cold of bodics, 66; light
from, 63; c11:rnlty of, MI dc.m onsu.blc from Scripturc, 69; movcs lirc, 70;
mond by Crcator, 70; 1r.nd1 upward, 70: fire cmcrp from 1phcrc of, 71; 1tone
moves downward to Jet out of 1phuci of, 71 ; 1un'1 hcat crroncou1ly aJCribed
'°• 71; cat1bluhcd i11elJ midw:ay bctwccn hcaven and canh, 73; solidilks water
int.o anow, 77; bclicvtd to bc 1ub1tancc: of God, 11:a; inll21ation of, maintains die
111)\11, 238; bot 1nd humid in nature, :137; 10UI mcmbltt, in tt11n1parcncy, :a56;
and fin bctwcc:n carth and hcavcns cqual 1,008 timca mau oi orth, 278; with-
draw1 trom bodica of animal, clcmcnu of hear, moinurc, and cold, 279, 414;
ncw, of world lO comc, 343
'Al·'Allals,i, 153
Alphabet, lrtten of, 11
Amaziah, 20:a
Amber, modet11tdy w;arm, 404
Amon, permittcd 10 live so he might bcget J01iah, 215
Arnos, will bc among thc nihl prit1rc1, 276, 429
Amputation, ol mcmbcr of body, 185
Amram, in Egypt, 300
An111, 238
Anatomy, bookt of, declare bodily framc of man con1i1b of bonct, etc., 251; sc:iencc
of lhc l.:aw h11 no relation1hip 1111, 251 i
And, 10mctimcs h:11 mcani.ng of witlt, 100
Angel, did not crcate Adam or world, 232; made declaration1 to D;inicl, 422; of
tlutlt, 255, hold, sword in hand, 255, frightened David, 255
An!Jl!IS. Abraham'• 1hrcc vilitora werc, not God, 108; onc of group1 of cxi1dng
thinga, 113; prophcts outside of MOKS 1ddre1scd o.nly by, 122; God did not
mtkc Hi1 mcsscngcn, 149; are recipicnts of div,nc light, 176; 1ubstanee of,
con1i1U of simple clcmcnb, 184: do nor bnc 1ubJtance of human body, 248;
thrcc, appcarcd to Daniel, 296
Angtf, and concilia1ion po11ible in thc ume pertor1, 60; 1 corporcal tnit, 93; tOUl'a
facultJ of, a tlcd n ,a~, 244; allcgedly albycd by sexual intcrcounci, 371
Animal, convcnion of, into i112nimatc objcct and vice vcna a miratle, 147; i~r
firc ol, 414
Allimalt, 1tid to origin.ue from humid clemcnt, :14: compo$ilc nature of, prove1
crcation, 42; 1ubjcct to growth and dlminution and di1intcgration of parts, 43;
carth 11cvcr wi1hout, Oi 1lwaya In cxutcncc aa:otding to doctrinc of ,ter,,ity,
7:5; gtncration, of, p.u,, 84; an: onc of groups of e11i1ting thinga, 113: wor·
ahip of, prevc11tcd by dietary law1, 144; in nc:cd of no1nithmcnt, 279; to bc 11
pcacc with om: another at time of rrdemptiott, 318
Annihilation, compltll:, of objcc11 impo11lble for 1nyonc ocept Ood, 278, 413;
four cautci of, J69
Anointed, the, will bc recognized at time of rcaurrcction, 286; any priest or king
may hne bcrn meant by, 321
Anthropo!11orphi1m1, •• applicd to God interprcted figundvcly, 112 ff.; thw in·
11erprctcd by ugu. 115 tf.1 cxprcil lofty idcaa, 11 5; ttn, ln Scripture, 116. Stt
,lto Cmtor, God
--
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES 439
Apoi~tc (~e~11m'!"'tlll), viol_atar of ccrtain precept, 217
Appcbttt, 1ndinat1on for gratilic:adon of, 3.. : ovccindulgcnce in 34 , 0f
are harmful'. 18s1. sh~uld bc emplo~ r~b~y, r8,i con~ll~m:;,, n =
&~l!f, 36,, dom,nauon by, of cogruuo.n II duciplinc of foolish, J6, COi
Appcuuve Faculty of thc Soul, callcd neplld, 244 · dcsirc for {ood ct.c 360
Arabs, uncduated, bclicvc whocvcr docs not ha;c 1hc-camcl -•-u'gh•~· cd
. b h . d ..... - at aran
II rou1. t to JU gmenr. on foo1, :16: rule of, 270, 422; in lhi1 wodd, 4:i.2
Ark,. pcrm1tted 10 bc o:arritd on Sabbath, 170: dir«tion faced in prayer , 71
Arm1lu1, lcadu of gentile,
·u .._ who
. will aeiu Jcnualcm and ,ub1" cct ,_ wnl.. b"'
ltantl to DlU•
~ et~., ~o,; w1 "" kill~ by Mc:uiah, 304; a detC.cndlnt of Edom, 30.,
A,tcnca, d1la11on and c:.ontncuon of, known only by expert, ao6; 1ervanu of bon
:1.51; pan of body, 357 es.
Atct~.ant, pcnon, bom under, of two 11111, 374.
AICCUC11m, boolr. of, 364; in thia world, 364
Allyri:a, kinll of, 1tirr~ up by ~rd, 202; in1trumcnt for puniahment of male·
beton, 215; Israel atnncd In going up to, 221
Altrologtra, thcory of, 392
A~•· the thcory of, to. ~plain u:avcning of infinitcly divuiblc parts, 4'l indi·
vtJ_iblc, of •~ppotcd 1pmt~ b«in11, 51 ., reiemble particlct ol dun or 1tranch of
~"· 9:z; bchevcd to bc ong,n of the wodd, 92; POJ\CJUltcnt in ieo,ual world 5 ,
A~abutcs, of God implicd in Hi, bcing Crcator, 101; no multiplicity, 1oa; ~n-
,id~li~n of, of ~ evokes 11>ul'1 pniac, 133; cucntial. of God are ttcrnlty,
Untty, hf~, and ~ru!'°tcncc, 134; prmc of, of God, 135
0
Authentieation, of m1u1on of propheta cJfccred by miracln, 14 71 by apccial •••n•
151 -. '
Aurilh, martyrdom of, 327
Auzcl, not demon but namc of mountain, 178
BABYLOl'l, intcrval of .eighteen yean bctwcen bcginning of rule of, 1nd dnt11K•
tlon of Juu1alcm, 300
Babyloniln,, 1ubjcction "!, lantlitc1 by the, luted fifty·two yun, 300
Balum, ordercd to go wath 11CCOnd group of cmi11:1ric1, 169; lw no share in worlcl
tocome, 335
Barlcy-watcr, given to childrcn, 382
Bea,ra.. irrational, 181 r characteri1tica of, :acquirtd by the hermi11, 367
Beat, time of a, 402
Bcating, mca,~rcs of rhyth_mic modtt dcrivcd from , 402
~ b , coruccuuve, ~o:z; qu1csccnt, 40:z; audible, 40:i; intcrval bctween, 403
Bc!1tf, of ~any bchevcn not pure, 7; by authority and by undcrn.nding, 91 notion
Ul ~ul an rcgud to charactcr of thing apprehendcd, 14; true 14 • falle 14• 11
a vartue, 213 ' • • •
Bdicvcn, light for, in Egypr, 338; promilcd revense, 390; denien of rnurrection
excludcd from '4mmunity of, 411
knjunin, 250
Biblc, 1tylc ?f, ~isundc!1tood, 53; ?n.c of the basca of w Jewidl rcligion, 17 4:
con~dlct10~1 in, 11 different vmton, of ume fact, 174; intcrprcted litcrally ex·
CCJ)t lD lptQal cuet, 265, 415; interpreted in kceping with rabbinic tradition
266; ~ c , of, ,.usccptible to many different loterprrtation,, 415; docs D~
eo tradict lhc doctnnc of rciurrection, 417. Sec "'10 Scripture
440 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Bildad, 27
Black, pure, wcakc:na acnac orpn, ,.01; miuurc: oE yc:llow 1nd, produca phlqrn
1nd bumiliry, ,.02; combination of, red, yc:llow, ud whitc: rc:aca on bl1c.lr. pll
and bring, to forc: cowardicc and aadllCSI, •02
Blackncu, wukcm c:yc~II, 401
Blcnding, plciuing dfe1:1 of, of acnaationa, ,.01, 40,.; of impul1e1 dcairablc:, ,.01
Blind, can acc in drcama, 243
Blood, uaosformation of, inro watcr incl ,icc: YCIII a miraclc:, 1„7; die plaguc of,
performed by Moses 11111 magici:ma of Pharaoh, 1 53; ovcrabundancc of, cauaer.
fever, 155; ia dwc:lling of ,oul, l75, 238; mao'a body c:ompcued of, etc., 184;
aoul doc, no1 coruuc of, 238; appcan whcn soul rcjoicd a.od h when aoul
is afraid, 238; dctcriotatca a1 rc1ul1 of abstincncc:, .166; excc:ui,c: drinking of
winc: auacs agiration of, 370; forcc: of, ia atimulatcd by the lint and ,econd
modc:1, 402; watcr of Egyp1 ch1ngcd into, 411
Bodie,, lntcrc.epting each olhcr, 23; compositc, 42; havc accidc:nta, 43; material,
hnc: 1tlributc1 of color, taste, amcU, limitarion, oumbc:r, 1pacc, time, and di·
mc:nsion, 52, .56; nor madc by hcavc:na, 70; many, 96; c:lcmcn11 of, dccompose in
dcath, 277; dccomposcd parta of, dcstined to bc: reun ited, 279; compoted of four
c:lcmc:011 of nature, ,.oo; cornponc:nt pa111 of, 1mallc:r th1n original IOUrcet, 412;
dc:voured do not lose idc:ntity by assimilating with thoac entc:rc:d, ,.13; murn of,
of dcad a ccrtainty, oo · without inwmedlary, 69 : of autc:1 most 1bstt1et of things, s,o
Body, pcrccpriblc to sc:mu, 88; cndowcd with accidcoa, 88; limited, finitc, and fac-
uhiu finite, 89; fim 11ep in proces, of cognition, 92; mediation of, nccc:11ary fcw
human lmowlcdgc:, 93; 110ul ,ubdcr yc:t scrongcr thllß, no, hcat of, haa acat in
hcarc, 180; of ITWI 1ligh1, 1831 compnscd of blood, phlegm, and rwo gall1, 18•;
soul Crelltcd in, 1imultancou1ly with iu pcrfcccion, 235, 375; unitcd wlth soul,
rhcn 1eparatcd and dcstincd to bc rc:unitcd with it. 235, 336; of man c:ompotcd
of four clcmcnrs likc: that of beaau, 141 1 •u; h:u no wisdom, 2<12 ; knowl.cdgc
not function of, 2,0; IOul pcrform1 functio111 hy mcan1 ol, 2„3, 2<17 : cndowed
witb 1enution and motion by ncrvC1, 2<14; rami6catio.n1 of ncrn11re lincw1 tnd
ligomcntt of, 214; wrbid, 245; not cornposcd ol 1ubsta~ of 1blr1 or 11Dgd1, 2-48;
dc61cment raulu from 10Ul'1 1n1chmcnt to, 249; iuclf not impurc, :l<l9i ICCl'e•
tioru dc61c afrcr dischargc from, 249; p.ain during 10ul'1 union wilh, 2„9; and
toul onc agc.nt and rcwarded or p unilhcd togcrhcr, 2,0, :153, 336; 10111ctlmc1 R·
fcrrcd to H 1oul, 250; docs not hnc function of 1pccch, 251; (rame of man'a,
2.51; limc· limit for union wiih soul not dcccnnincd by God'1 forckdowlcdgc,
253; avc11gc life-cxpcctancy of, sc:vcnty ycara, 25•; viabilhy of, prolongc:d by
virtuc and dccrcased by iin, 254; dcpartu rc of Joul from, not pcrecived, 256;
dccomposc:s afrcr aou l'1 dcpanurc:, 257: soul acpantcd from, until end of world'1
cxincnce, 258; rcunitc:d wich 10ul at time of retributioo, 258; of mao cannot
transform cuc:ncc: of aoul, 260; rc:unioa of, and 10ul, 235, 26-4; air ntncll moia·
tute, coldnc:ss, and hcac from, 279, 343, 41•; to bc: n1placcd by nowithmcnt,
343; God cultcd abovc, 346; human, coiul1ts of ßeah, bonca, liocw1, 1ttc:rie1, and
muKlca, 357; 1ubsistcnce of, 36n nouriahmenr c.auacs, to grow, 367, fcel, lighter
H rc:sull of ICXUQI intcrcounc, 371; b«omes S.bby and wotn out by cxcc11i,re
,aual intcrcour.-c, 37.a; f.1lls olf ,u n,ult ol crotlcum, 3761 wcll-bc:1.ng of, 386;
of mong constitution may brcak down, 386; of wcak con,liNtion mar bc: loog·
lived, 386; could not c:xist if it n.eglected fceding iUclf, 395; softc:niog, heavinesa.
and ,wclling of, mult fro m id lcnen, 398; onc:, cannot cauac extinction of an•
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
othcr, 278, 413; can bc: annihilatcd only by Cod, 278, 413; resolved into ib
original cluncnu by firc:, 413
sonc1, n.ot 1ubje1:t of rcward or puni,hmenr, 251; fnmc: of ffl Qn', body con1isu of
:1.51; ßc,h, artcriu, sincwa, and muKlc:1 acrvanu of, 251; sc:pantc 1ction doc:
not 1ppcrwn 10, 2,i; can live ahcr havlng lost moilturc:, 420; can bc: rcuniccd
with soul, 420; returrcction c:quivalent 10 moinc:ning and rcfrahmcnt of,
4U
Book•, havc threc thc:mes, 155; of rccorda kcpt by God, 331
Brahmin,, 172
Brain, sourc.e of grc:at ramificariona of nc:rvc:a, 24,.; dry from drinking nw winc
and moist from drinking mi~ wine, 370; lightc:r by aexual intcKOunc, 371
Brodlrr, m•y ,ignify rdoti11t, 196
Bush, Gocl', glory dc:scendc:d on, 109; not a dcity, 109
CAIN, no dcath pcnalty for, 168
Calculation, czamplcs of quick, 32
Camphor, cold and dclicatc:, ,.04
Carcpie1, not ctcrntl, •9: tc:n, pertaining to aubatanccs, 97, 1pplicd to God must
bc: intc:rpmcd 6gurativc:ly, 11:1
Cauac, mcdiltion of, necaaary for acquisition of k nowledge, 13; God can crc:atc:
Chance, thc:ory of, 73 ff.; oppoairc: of nature, 74; fc: w thing1 happen by, 74; whar
happena by, l1.ck1 con1111ncy, 74
Change, only for material 1ubstancc1 1nd aocicfc:nb, 102; not allowablc in cue of
God, 105
Chi, Greek letter, 51
Childrc:n, innocent, .214, :195; ,u/fer in t.bls world in ordcr to be compcruatcd l1tc:r,
:11•: bc:ndib dc~vcd from, 3811 a,ked for by prophcta and palria.rch,, 381; ,e.
warda for tc:.aching, 381; not bc:nc6dal if thcy annot bc: providcd for or edu-
cated, 381; IOUtte of worry, 3811 medidnc. 1nd food givc:n io 38:a· lovc of
~~in~~ •• '
Christian,,. errcd in ~alter of lriru1y, 103; bc:lic:ve l1w1 of Torah abropted, 158,
32:1; cla1m rcdcmption during time of ttconl kmpk, 320
Circlc, pl11nc figurc, 23
Ci rcumciaion, comma.n dment of, preceded that of Sabbalh, 169; removcs rcdun·
dancy and thu, produect pcifcction, 1771 cclcl>r1tion of by mcana of food 368
Clcanlioeu, lawa of, malc:c: onc think h umbly of 8ab and enhancc: Rvuc:n~ for
Temple, 144
Cloud, pillar of, 1ign of authenticity of prophetic in1piration, 1511 mm in old
agc i, like, from whkh rai.n h11 been cuncted, 387
~nl~on, gradual proceq, 101 m1in1pring of, 16; corrcct, rc:qulrc:a caution 1gain1t
illu11on.., 20; goal of, 1b1tract, 87: fint scrved by ,ight 111d ihca expruscd in
1pcech, 171 of min carried out by acnaca, 132; pe.rformc:d by CQmCC of 10ul,
201 aoul'a &i:ulty of, called rri/11m11n, 244
Cognitin facuhy of IOIII, 361
Cohabltation, prohibition of wtain typca of1 diacouraga dissolutitnct1, ••41 ahould
bc: indulged in only for ral1ing posterity, 399; no, in ncxt world, -43:1; Moeca
rc:frained from, for thrc:c: timet forry d11y1, 433
Cold, may cauac dc:ath, 351 onc ol faur narural c:hanicterisda, 52, 671 357, 4121
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
obaincd from air, 66; nnu found in ilolalion, 671 man 111Keptiblc to, 1841
wh11n, ucccda heat, :110; nas1ivc, e&IUU acha in human IOUI, 2491 i, chatllC·
1.erilüc ol camph«, undalwood, and to1e-w1tu, 4041 Rjoim IOUl'CC afia raolu·
lion of patta ol body, 414
Coldnea, cxtnc1cd f.rorn bodJ bJ air, 279
Color, attributc of m111mrial bodiel, 52; rta11nmd by 111111'• conunoa 11111111, 761
fades in old age, 316
Colontion, of ,tar,, 44
Colon. te•cn principal natunl, 97; almple, weabn 11er111e-(lrpnt, do not bne
cheerinJ dfectl, 401; merged producc: plcau.nt Rtlinfl 1nd rowc lhe IOUI
Klivity, 401 ff.; red and ycllow, cornbincd 11irnul1tc yellow pll, 401; rneam of
vi1ibility, 129; unitc in OIJln ol 1ight by medium of 1ir, n9; rdatcd to fou.r
elemenll, 119; of heavena, 358
Comm1ndmen11 and Prohibiliona, man'• m,ana ol 1tt1inln1 b1ill, 13,i i11ued llo
"Yinuo111 (or rnrant, 192; ,ame, givcn to all bumao beinp. 19]1 obedience ol,
increaaca aoul'a lumin111ity1 246; Jiven lo maß, 3:13; Ood eulted abave, 346;
rigbt IO luue, affonta eou1 plea11m, 3 87
Compcmation, lor good dem, demllOded by reuon, 138 ff.; &von CIOll&md ...
gre1ier lhaQ the1e batowed gratia. 115; in nelllt world for ,uffering ia thla,
160. Stt tdto Puniahment, ltecompeiue, Rcquiial, Rctribudoa, Rcwanl
Compulaion, not exaciaed by God, 188 ; prohibition doea not consdtur.c, 197
Co1Kentric, beavenlJ bodia, wilh odien, 23
C,on.clmion, Ute ol, in prowlng prcmite pcrmlulbhi, 48
Conclusiol\l, premha ca~ bc divorwd from, 417; untenable, make premba In·
v.lid, 417
Conduct, longnity lna:ntive for vil'tUOUI, 38,1 ro be uied by Ood, 3311 thould
collJQt of combination of punuiu, 358; ahould be ffgul11m by wiadom, J6o
Comecralion, of catain penon, baoo, 143
Consol1tio.n11 coacemiog time ol rut111p,io11 DOt ,et fvlfilled, JIPI pnimbed for
N,.,,.,,;o,, uncoaditioml, J 13
Cooaonana, IIOlllld, of, 11
CoclstllDCJ, thmr that happea by cbaDCc lack, 74
Contact, producea idea ol 1pau, 81; af aoh giva pleuure, 401
Conwens, attached to lribCI u clia111 at time of murrection, 216
Corrupt, mmmita aim punithable by cxciaion, 218 ff.
Comapcim, ffpeDllln« ol no avail to, ol othen, 234
CoYtlWlt, new, menlioned in book ol Jeianiah idendcal wich fint. 167
Crated, things, entertain doubn, 10, 13; require time to complete tuk. 10; an
11Cquite knowledge onlJ bJ meana ol cauac, 131 wha~u iJ ataehed tD wbat
ia, m111t itJc:li bc, 43: thiDfl othu dwi Craror hawe beea, :al, ,o ff.
Crutio ex aihilo, 38 lf., ,1 ff., 9:1, 173; Dnu bchcld bJ lelllCI, 31 ff., :a391 deduced
bJ JogicaJ infer~, 39, 14; 1ttested to by 1niradea, 40, ,11 auppo,ted by Scrip-
tuff, 401 aipifics oriplion, 471 demanded bJ lop:, 481 aoc fflOff lmpoa,ihlc
tbaa Cftllion out ol some!hinr, 52; pouible for dMnc W"lldom, 5:a1 not a,a.,
cieinble bJ monala, 84; acoeptal u certlUIIJ by Jewa, 264; cleDied by cleaien ol
reaunectioa, 411
Cteation, pafonned by Ood wilb or 'lrilbout in1amedwy auae, 691 mlllt llc
Kbowledged, l:a; prona, IJ; ,eyal, wi.ldoln ol Ctatnr, 161 lbeorJ ol, .We,
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES 443
9i; c:ar;riat ou! by God II one blow, 106; uccuted with witdom, 1071 act
~ Ood • ~nc11, 137; account of would bc turoed into allcgory by allegorical
uicc,pret,1.tton, -4 2 5
Creadon out of somclhing, rule of seruible world, 47 ff.; samc onlcr II locauoa in
si-c:e and time, 4'9: thCOI}' of, not moni improb:abh: lh1n ff'~lllio tll r,iltilo, 5:;i
Crtator, lt~ from doubt, 13; does not n:quire mean1 fot knowlcdgc:, 1J: exiitcncc:
of, proven by compo,i1e narure oE all bodia, 4ll, 147; c.unal, 48, 137· originator
of all things, 50, 134; tr1rucc:nd1 crcaturc:s, 50, 91; alone apable oi attUio ~•
,Jlu/o, ~. 84'; did no, create univcrsc ou1 of own 1ubstance, 55, 236; ac:u of
heawcn• .rcally lhosc of, 73; ptimc movcr, 70; nevu w1nton, 86; nc:vcr aecn, 9 1,
129 ff.; 1dca of, aubtlc:, 92, 239; not phylical being, 9:a; hu no bodily acc:idcnts
93, 111, 112, 129, 145; not of same 1p«iea as crcatures, 96, 113; onc, 96, 138'.
35_7: numbcr doe1 not apply to, 96; indi1pen1 bility of, dict2tcd by re:uon, 96;
~utcru:e of, provcn by creation, 96; mu,t bc living, omnipotent, 1nd omnii·
aent, JOI ff., 1731 cuare, by mcam of word or wilh, 106; command of aets
highesr aphcrc in motion, 111; quantity nol applicable to, 115; doca no! dctire
or fear, 123, 1-45; ncvcr •poke to anyone without intc:rmediary cxccpt Moles,
1:11 i place doa ~ot apply to, 124; of 1~cc, 1:14; 1ime does not 11.pply ro, n,:
k~wlalse of exurcncc ol, n1ult of reasoning, 131; prcsc:ribcd dfort ro earn
b!'" •• double bcnc:fit, 138; comparison bctwcen, and creaturc:1 prevenred by
d1ctary lawt, 144; doa not cffect changes in nature wilhout warning 148• sole
wor~cr of mira.clca, 14~; g11~c ahort lifc to man in thc nelhcr abode,' 183/ does
~ ui1ctfere w1!h man I aCtJon1, 188; fon:knowlcdge of, 191 ff.; daim 011 obc·
d1tncc of aervanu, 204; mercy of, not affcct but rc:Rcction of trcatmcnt of erea-
~ · 228; would no~ do aught !hat ia unju1t, .145: all ae11 of, bcneficcnt, 32 4 ,
not 1gnoran1 of ~~y1~1ng, .145; no~ incapable of resurrcc:tion, 174' : alone capable
of. complcte ann1h1lauon, 178: tadwicc of, rcward of rightcoua, 334; c:an su1tain
w1thout food. 3401 ~r~ded ucatur~•· 346; culled above soul and body, f.Olll·
mandmcnt 1nd proh1bmon, 346; bchc:ved to have crcatcd 1piriu oE creatu,e, in
form of 1phe~es, 374; haughry find fault with wisdom of, 389; 1ervicc of, laud-
0
able, 395: w1U ~uurrcct dud ,u time: of rtdemph or1, 409 ; can changc law1 of
nature, 411: cxutcnce of,. dcnied by denicn of resurrection, 411 ; will reunite
deco~posed ~u of bod1es of dtad, 413; no, according 10 heretia, 417; luia
auocia~ •ccording to 01hers, 427: will eure dcfecu of thc ttaurrecicd 286 32.
s,e also God •
„•
C~tur?, man~, 180, 35?1 composcd ol _~Y and soul, dependcnt, etc., 346; not
!" u11~ tll\Cc cternity, 346; man d1mnguishccl alxwe all, 182
Crim e, tllpiauon of, dcmandcd by rcuon, 146; pc:naltitJ for, dcfined by prophc:u,
146
Cubitt, 285, 431
CJnia. apirit of, srirred by Lord, 202; rule of, lifty·two yean aftcr destruelion of
Jerusalem, 300
DANIEL. informed about end, 270; received revelation1 about furure of Israel
3ao ; lh~ a~gcl1 appc:ated t.o, a96; manyrdom of, 3;17 ; 1ngcl't 112tement to:
tt!errcd t.o th11 world, -42a; subjcct of rcsum:ction trcated in book of ~23
Danilt, 401 '
Dark11e11, not principle oppoacd to light but absenee of light, 64, 89; due to ICreeP•
444 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
ins of light, 641 aot pncnled by opaque objectl nor by cartb, 6,1 hu boundur,
66; ac:cident. 98; GJIOIWC at time of, CIWCI acha ID 9CJU1, 249; for infidel, aa
Egypt. 338
David, pwwhed by Ab1,1lom'1 aiJI, 1514; frighw,cd by lhc 1ight of ~ngd of dca,lh,
2,6; c:ould get no heat in old agc:, 2.,6 ; merely ttfruhed E11ptwi by feed1
hlln 2,63; one of """ 1Aeplier,1, 276, 42!H M.ea.l.ah dC1CCllded from, pnaded
by ~ne dC1CCnded from Joseph, 304; will havc • healina 1nd cDa)Uragin1 dfect
on redc:c:mcd, 30,
D:iy, •un called, in Scripturc, 337; no 1lternadon of, and .nig~t in hereaftcr, 343
Day of Atonement, aacrifi«• offercd on, 178; of no avaal ~1d_i011t rci-niance, ~341
violalioo of fa11 of, corruplion, 219; llturgy of, 221; 11nrung on, most ,enoua,
2,31
Daya, 110metime have mc-aning of yar, in Scripture, 297
Dnd, eumpt from comm:andment1 of Torah, 16o1 endowcd wich apirit by Ood,
269: rourrected with clotht1 oa, 2.76, 4301 revivtd by God, ,336; lftllnectcd •t
ümc of r,dmrpliolf, 409 ff.; know nothing, 418; nc:ithu love nor hate, 418;
abandoned by poor oD a.ccount of conlineu of 1hroud1, 276, 430 1 .•
~lh. by luk of proteclion againit lteat or cold, 3,; from folly, Jlo, eroacum,
376, ehildbirth, 3b; doc1 nol diK.riminate, 36; not pouible far thi.11111 in rimple
11:a~, 54; tnruilion IO future life, 160; clc:mcntl of body dccompmed at, 277, 4J:1;
nenr utcd, 369; onc of CllWCS of 1nnihilarioo, 369; of cltildsen, 382; 1toat1 for
ai111, 4311 no, alter ruurreclion, 431; pem.lly of, not impoacd without wilJICIICt,
168
Defilcmcnt, reault of aoul't l!Dion widi body, 249;"not due to body ltadf, 249; not
pcrceptible to RDaet, 1491 l11w of, not to bc in(erred by reuon, 249; •f!:rr di,-
chargc: of aecrerion from body, 249
Dclugc:, the ttory of, rcl:ucd, 193; innocent chlldrcn at time of, 29,; of time.of
Nllllh will nevcr bc repearcd, 314; childrc:n of gcnention of, allowed to pttith
by God, 330
Dcmc:ria, act1 of disobedience accounted 11, 205; prcdornination of, 1111lies 10Ul, ::aon
laid up fot wickcd, 209
Ddar.162
Dcnngc:mcnt, mental, may rauh from 1b11inence, 366
Dietary Laws, •lol1tor af, callcd 4ilo6tdieal, 217; preftllt com.-rison betweea
Creator incl creatura, 143
Disation. faculty of, 22
Dimension, chancterutic of material bocliet, 49, ,2, 56
Diminulion, what ia 1uac:cptible of, is finite, 72
Direction, in praymg wherever Ark wa1 I001ted, 171
Dislophy, to faith not excuaable in Jewa oppreucd by gcatila, 233
Ditobcdlc:~, bad dfecu on Holy Land, 328; no, of God among murremd lt time
of "ltmption, 287, 433
Diaobcdient, 217; called opod#lt, 217
Doclccahcdron, 1phcre of air formed from, accarding to thcory of 1pi,it1111l Mtlfl,
51
Docg, hu no 1hare In world to cnmc, 335
Dominion, not ID end In lhelf, 388; injurioUI comequcnca of lo,e of, 389; pur-
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
polC of, to ind- man to long for reward1 of world to come, 390· ahould be
uaed to uecute punitive laws of Torah and UlOlV kindrw:u to felloW:0.11 n, 400
J)oUbu, ranoved by knowled,r:, 6 B.; men sunkaa in 1a1 of, 11 not e1uaed by
God, 131 cntutained by penona in duminant po,ition,, 390
Dncbma, 3::a, 93, 230, 277, 400
Drawing in, faculty ol, foocl, 22
l)ream1, b e ~ of, 201 may bc tbe rauh of food caten, or bumon cxc:eedinl'
proponiom, or lflllin of day, :ao1 blind caa aec in, 243
Drinking, in ex«n au,c of hcmorrhoid1, 36o, of aoftcaing of nerYca, tmnon, etc.
370, ol. ,in, etc., 370; .no, in world to come, 281, .43:1; Moaa did not indul~
in, f« three tima forty da)'I, 03
l)runlwda, not aaucd for crima in atate oE intoxicalioa, 233
Dryneu, OIIC of four natu ral characterutia, ,2, 67, 3'7, 412l oc:Yet ia ilolatioa, 67;
chU1cterislic of muak and ilffron, 404; CllCellive, oE human may pnxluce
lldnaa, 21
Dualiaa, atlinn the cxiltcacc of two principla, 39, 64, 96, 2361 uc,ept oaly 111tunl
law, 64, 411
Dutt, one oE lour clemcnb In murrcction, 270; caanot be ahücn oll by dead
hinuclf. 418; atom, like, 92
EAlt111, no other, 24, 42; ceater of univenc, 24, 41, 181; hcavcn revolva arouacl,
41, 181; finite, 41 ff.; hu bc,inning and end, 41; eacompuaed by 111n e•cry
day lDd nishr. 41 ff.; dod of dirt ouai.de, i-nctrata air, 42; compmed of dust
and 1toaa •ad Mnd, •21 DeYer wirhout pluts or animal1, .43: lw aocident1, Ol
1phen ol, bclievc:d faahioncd of c<toltedron, 51; does not gc:nente darkneq, 6,1
c:oaaiated of dirt, water, incl air afw c:reation, 69; camc into being by clauc:e
aoconling to doctrine of "'"''"· 73; autcd since mrnity aocording to thcory
of tln'lfity, 75; aiJtencc of, not unlimhed atcarding to &daiaato, 84; cn:1nlld,
841 crntc:d thinp lnsepar:ablc from, 84; kept ln ccntcr by motion of encom-
119uin1 1pbcre of firc, 111; Jewish nation will exi1t 111 long u, 1581 wniinate.
18r; man'• aoul morc extcnaive th1n, 1831 can't be compotcd soldy of fire, 1841
ttamfonned by mi1for1Une1, 262; air and firc bcrween, and heavm equal 1,008
timcs ma„ of, 278; to diaappear, 281; hu 1pace enoush for all who are to bc
reaum:c:tcd, 285, 431; crcatcd for aakc of m111, 3231 God, will crcat.c aew, .5411
our, equipped only for n~uitics of alunentation, 341; no new, at time oE "'°
l,n,p,io,,, 342; abltinencc maka impouible ncw, 31515; mixtwa found oa, dla-
ciovcrcd by 1tudy, 393; 1pac:e between, and hcaven 1,089 timea volwnc of, or n
tima diamcter of, 412 lf.1 inhabited for , ,ooo ycan by human bcln11, ,413; one
of four elemcnta, s,; demeat, heavy aad located bclow fire, 421 air aYOlch
mingliog with, 63; tepantct from watet ainkln1 to bottDm aftu bulng mia-
glcd with it. 671 tend, downward, 701 Wllter finu, ,et atronw than, 1111 ele-
mcnt of, aloK left IJI bocly aftl!r extraction ol orlier clem,na, 279
!ating, In acas au1e1 hemorrhoid1, 360; no, in the world ID come, 281, 432;
MOla got along without, mr tJuee timea' forty daJJ, 433
Eden, rewud of ,11ereaftc:r called C.arden of, 340; mlllt m1gnl&eat thinJ in wodd,
340; Adam made to dwcll in Gudea of, 340; murn:ctm will be aaripcd to
Gudenof.423
446 THE BOOK. OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
Edom, btttle of, at time of Jehoshaphat, 166; Jerutalem in band, of daccndut • of
at ume n:tribution, 229; exccution of juuice upoa aim of Ion · i
~
from, at limc of redt:mption, 305 392 • 11n1 or rnen,e,
Egg, yolk of, part ftom which chick originr,'8, 180 iw,1icr•ti~1, IIIUH not bc attrib11tcJ to God, 134
E.gypt, no m11rrcction l t time of redemption from, 28:a; aenitudc of, lighlel' thaa Exile, ltrul I long, 3011 1111fercd by luarlitea for JCIYÜ>J othcr ......, . be
pre1ent, 183; promiscs by Cod whi1c br1cli1e1 werc in, ::1511; e1tod111 frum, re-
pc•tcd in Torah, 292; righ1ro111 among forcfathcn in, 295; 11atnc, 1pplicd to
, r )'
endurcd p~ticntl b 1 ,...
umc of rt:dtmp,10•, 434
· ,CIOj onJy those in, promj,ed
cw..,, 11.abw,, II""~ 3:z9, muat
ft:IUfl'Ktioß lt

H1ran and Palretine, 299; :no ycara apcnt by fordathcra in, 199; other
figurct for hncl', 11ervitudc in, 11951; bracfües Yilill bc brought from Ethiop:ia IO,
309; Nilc of, will nm dry at time of rrdunpti'on, 316; Sodom will be like, at
time of udt:mp,ion, 319; light for bclicven in, 338; w•tcT of, c:hang.::,cl inro
blood, 411
Eiden, the expcrience of, rqectcd by haughty, 388; # llt:nly, Jes, ndi.ut than MOICI
or Joahua. 349
Element. 111bltance of heavene not a fifth, 70; reason doa not wbstantiatc fiftb, 70;
a fifth, not c:ontained in human eyc, 72
Elcmc1n1, (our, of 1111111rc, " ' 7', 78, 97, u 11 crutcd out o1 aodiiog by God, 411;
all bodies compo,cd of thnc, 400; huven1 compcued of four, 72; no ~tcrial
object con1i1ts of ju1t onc of four, 359; of na111rc ha<vc 1pcti1I colon, 129; bodiea
dccompo1e i.nt.o the original, 11 dnth, ,412; four, involvcd in n:,urn:ction, 270;
the knowlcdgc of four, of rua1un: ac:qulrcd by 11Cicncc, 393
Elihu, 27
Elijah, coming of, wilJ pr«>Cdc: d1y of raurrfflion, 158, 4:18 ; 1tated God Md tumed
pcople bukward, 2031 amonr t:itl,t prin",, 276, 429; wlll appcar to JcWI i,Q
Jennalan alter conquen by Atmllu1, 302 lf,1 feat of, aubttantiateJ rcward in
world to come, 329; rcvivcd 10D ol Zareph.ite, <43:l
Eliphu. 17
Eli,ha, the fnt of, ban out rcward in wotld IO come, p9; good ddinp brought
by, not bclievcd by c.apwn of Jchoram, a419; n:-vivcd &On of Shuoammiie, 432
"Elohim, a:amc 11 •]Jl,onoy, 99. St:t ol,o God
End, Datticl told 1bout, 270; the Jl'IDiahment will ceaac: when, i1 iuc:hed, 291;
will limil l1racl'1 ,uffering, 29,c ff.; meaning of, 296 ff.; forcsccing, of thlnp i1
good, ,407
Eroricism, 373 II.; brinr 1bout wuting of ßesh, etc., 3751 othcr nil, multin1
from, 376
Error, why pcoplc n:main in, 13; and unbelief 11ni<vcr11I at praent, 318; no one
frcc from, ,407
E1crnal, no diffcn:nce of dcgree 1mong, things, 72
E1emi1y, of world ae<ver cxpcricnccd, 391 of air and watcr not implled by Scripmtt,
6811.; docirinc of, of world opposed to belief in murn:ction, 411 ; attributc of
God, 48, 134. St:t td10 World, clc.
Ethiopia, Jcw, tran1portcd from 1 to Egyp~, 309
Eve, mother of 111 ntional beinga, not of c~erything liring, 41,
E<vidcncc, mcthod1 of, 4; how IOWUj of knowlcdge aerve u, 19; nriadon of,
ttntera 1bour knowledge by logic.al lnference, 23
Evil, principlc of, 59 ff.: not cre1tcd by God, 66; re1ulbl of overeating, 66; .nature
o(, not variable, 193; dccd1 oßsct good, 2131 rCIU\'ed for wickcd, 331; in bcaru
of men, ,419
E•ildocr1, prospcrity of, 11 refut2tion of exiltcnce of God, 36; one of two callepria
EsiatcnCe, a_aoot trnenc inliolly, 44
.EKitting ThinB", divided inro mineral1, vegetabln, aaimal1, utnl 1....1:_ anct
angelt, 113· -
Expulaion, faaalty of, 22
Exten1ion of Meaning, in Scripture, 100, 117
Eyc, power of vi1ion iA ccatcr of, 180.
Eyt.ball, ~e~ned by pure blackneu, 401
Eye1, ua1te wuh nature of objccts ICCll, 72; coatain four elemcnu not fifth 72 •
fillcd II muh of OYercating, 368; injurcd by cxccuive ICllllal intercounc ' :
""renta ioBa med worrymg
of ..- . abo ut f em21e children,
. . 38::a; aimple rcdneu hann·• 3 72 ,
ful ro, ,cor
Exeldel, apprizcd ol. raurrec~on, 268, 420; witne1acd mincle o( murm:tion, 2 8o;
ralll'!ected ICCD by, h~d hfe-spu of aona of Z.n:phite and Shunammite, 2ßo;
dcten~ .•~ctu.rc of c1ty of Jerutalcm and Tffllple, 310 ; book of, cxplains geo-
graphw: d1Jtribu11on of tribes, 432
FAlwCULTI_ES, of man limitcd, 93: threc, of aoul, 360; diminiah in old agc, 386:
mon101u elfcct produced on, of aoul, 40:a ; toul ha1 aixtecn 421
Fal~aj, • c~ncocti~n of •.lllrcb, augar, honc:y, salfron, eic., ,40,'
F11nng, conunuaJ, .'mpou,blc:. for human bcing,. 161 ; mo,t meri1oriou1 when un-
de~hn ~y 1elf-1nd~1~nr, 13 r; impai? hcaring, eu:., 367; by d1y II act of wor-
alup, 39,, ro be rem,u 10 1 re1uh of l1z1n.e u 398
Fatafüu, docuine of, 39:1 '
Fear, ha1 nothlna to do with scnac:1, 77
Fcver, due !° ovenbunda~ce of blood,
1,5; hect1C, 372; chron1c, 370
1,,, remcdy apimt, 15 ,; caUJci hcadache1
'
Figurativ~, refcrc'!ce, to God c:oncrary to naaon mun bc conatrued in, sense, 100:
~~lauve mean1~g of Imid, ey,, rar, Joce, mo,11/,, wint, llft1ld, /ip, fulll"I, ,.,11,,1,
on y, womb, ,,.,,,., ug 11,
Figuru of Speech, in Scripture, 136
F'mitude, pr~<vet ~~io u nil,ifo, 41; characterutlc of hea<vcn and carth u wcll u
of fo.rcc, 111her1ng in them, 41
File, when ~ere u smok~ 1hcre mu11 be, 21; Milky Way belicved due to partide
of, 24; bcl1e~ed l~tcd m ccnter o( world, 24; ba1 locale abovc carth, 411 light.
42; dod of dart outside eanh pieren, 42; h11 di1inclinatiot1 agairut mingling with
wate,, 63'. never tranaf~rmcd inio water, 6,c; not secn combining with warer, 67;
burn1, 70,. moved by 11r, 70; tc"d1 upward, 70; haa cimalar molion, vi,ible up-
ward mouon, 71: hc.vcn pure, 71: mon· powctful of •II elcmcnu 111 · 1pherc
of, 111: pt:rpctllti mo1ion of •phcrc of, 111; 1ub11ancc of God 'according CD
~~'· ! 121. pr~ventcd from burnlng only by miraelc, 147; pillar of, 1ip of
:v•ne llllpltatJon, ~,1: liquelit>, ltad and solidific:t milk, 177; hor 1nd dry in
ture, 237; can ciust only :itt:1clicd ro aomelhir,g .cl.e, 2,47; Olnnoc tcnd down-
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
ward, :a48; cannot cool, 248; ar,g1I o/ d1atl, c.ompoted of, 2551 crured and 111b.
ject to otim:tion, 2661 God bean PO mcmblancie ro, 266; God'a punitl!ment
likc oon1uming, i66; and air bc:1wcen thc eatlh and hcaven, 278; uaed u
purplive, 304; punishmcnt of wkked allcd, 338; plet1 will burn pct~blally
in 340; ,even degrtt1 of, used in punilhmellt of 1inful, 349 ff.; one oi CIWIU
nf° annihilation, 369; eJfccu rc10lu11.on of body inJD original dttncna, 4,3 ll.1
hat of bocly dccompmcd beoomes pa11 of elcmcnt of, 413; vitible, 414; wlthin
animal, 414; arny of armlc:s cumpued to, 27,, 424
Firmament, and bearcrs pruduced by God out of firc for prophet, 121
F"wtion, thcory of, hat no ba,it, 52
Fixity, anumption of, of lhings muat not bc: dl&turbed, 148
Flcth, humblc opinion of, J44; 1 aernnt of bo.na, 251; hum11n body CIOIWltl ol,
etc;., 357; erotici1n1 causa, to wutc, 376 · ~ca ,bc:y~nd, 93; ?~' a phy,ical beipg, 92, 103, 1lth~ah pimuc:d u tuc:h in
Folly, to think that nonexuting thingi oin, 15; to refme IO acltnowlcd~ toffr·
cignr, of God, 15; ingratitudc toward1 God i,, 190; nonacc:cptance al what b
good is. 193
Fand, rnadc: up of many ingrcdicntf, 359; ba1i1 of 1.axa1ion, 368; mean1 of ulc:·
bratlng nuptial,, bc:trothal, clrcumciJion, conlinement, 1nd fe11iv1l1, 3681 com•
llllllndc:cn:d by king,, 386 : only .c:aled, eatcn by pc:r1C1111 In domwnt poutiona,
J8!n J1raelitc1 1u1t111inc:d by fincn, in wildcrneu, 394; of childrc:n of LeYl finc:,
394; c:atcn at wrong time harmful, 345; cauac: of dre:am1, 20; lick oE aood,
366
Food1, lhe prohibition of, ""e11lrJ l,rw, r43 ; prcvcnted ~mpari10n bctwecn lßi•
mal1 and Cod and wonhip of animala, 144
Pool, ac:u up pcnolllll conviction u sui.ding prindple etc., 15; he who d0ct not
turn to God 1nd doa not preparc to mc:ct light of M"aatcr, 275; onc wholc: im·
pultea 11e not rulc:d by intcllect, 188
Porginncu, by God hclps pcnimn, 201 ; mutt bc reque11cd by pc:nitc:nt. 220; by
injureJ n nceh puni1hmcn1, :z:a6, 3512; how, ia to bc: sccurc:d aftcr death of in·
jurc:d, 226
Prec:dom, to act or daist i, poucucd by man, 181 1 186
Future, palt gu1ran1c:cs, i92; cime, 44
Future Life, uhimllte goal of mortal cxisrence, 16o; mribution will takc place in,
185
Future TehR, ofrc:n uaed for patt. 165; ute ol, in Scrip111re, 261
GAIETY, cauled by exccssin hc:1t and moisture of humon, 20; exclutin cultin ·
tion of, h:ada IO disappointmcnt, 363
Gall, black, c:xcitcd by absrincnor, 366, rtactc:d on by combi1111ion of colon yc:llow,
red, black, and whitc, 40,, 11imulatcd by fifth, risth, 11CYc:ntb, 1nd c:ighth modn,
404; yellow, ,timub1c:d by combination oE c:olon red and yellow, 401, rncted
on by the tbird rnodc:, 403
Gall1, two. in human body, 184
Galil«, Meuiah deeotndcd from Joseph will 1ppur in Up(lff', 301
01m1licl, Rabbln, inll"Oduced the c1morn of 1impliciry in funenl1, 276, 430
Oarden. St, Adam and Eden
Oeh11i, bu no dwe in world to comc:, US
Gchinnom, futurc: punilhmtnt called, 340
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
449
Gencti,, 1uthor'1 commentary on l,oolt of, 45
Geomc:try, lcience of, thowa how one fi,gure cnten into othcr, 23; pluc:. mutt bc:
nwtettd lint, 23: canvic:00111 according to law1 of, 26
Gidc:on, llkc:d for mindc, 266
Glau. doea not scrccn light. 131; tranapamn, 256
Glo,y, promiaed to larad 11 '°"'peasation for pment mitc:ry, 2512; of God only
~ . by propbc:a, 130; 1hown to Nadab and Abihu, 130; dclCClldcd upoa Mouat
S1na1, the Dulh, and thc Tabc:rnade, ro9; oE Lord callc:d Ü"Ju'r,41, 121 , s,I' -'-
Sc:kh~h ~ ' ·-
Glutto.oy, eo1ncJ1t mind and rapoD1iblc: for 1bandonment of rdigioq, 370
God, cnator of cverydüng, 28, 86: o.a.e, having no auociuc, 28, 941 caute oi all
thlnr, 110, mosr ab1„1ct of all thinp, 901 uldmate object of lnowledae1 90· no
1m1ganabon, 90; hv111g, 94 R.; omn,potellt. 514 lf.; omaUcieat, 94 R.i ruanblc:,
nooe of.worka, 94.ß.; lifc:, omnipotc:nc.e ud omoilcicm:c: of, 101 II.; not sub;cct
to aff~ca~ or acadcnu, 56, 122, l45, 346; does no injunicc, 56, 246, 291, 315,
332; mflmte, 58; can creatc: with or without an incermcdiary causc, 691 intendcd
to ~fit .Hit c:re1tura! 86; unity of. lndiYi,iblc, 110; callcd both •A.dl,or,oy
1ad . P.loli,'!', 991 mc:1nang of anahropomorphwn1 uaed in n:fcrence to, 99 ff. 1
phyaicai bcuig callllO( bc:ClOmc, 109; q11111tity doc, not apply to, 1151 quality docs
noc 1pply ~· u21 r~l1t1on docs not 1pply to, 1.23; pasition does not apply IX>.
126; m~111g of actaoo, o!, 127 R.; annot bc: unaganc:d, 129; cannot bc: IICCO,
1~0; ommpracot, 131: cx111ed bc:fore ,pac.e, 1311 ud bc:fore time, 125, 346;
d~ not cha~gc: after crealian, 132, 135; know1 all lhat h1p~nc:d in past and
will luippc:n ui futurc, 13a1 rax,gnilion of nature of, 131 R ,1 ablurditic:s a.od ex•
aggcratioiu mu1t not be altribur.ed to, 1341 producc:a aothing wutc:fuJly or wan-
tonly, ~35, 1641 cornmand of, irruc:nible, 135; above all prailct, rs51 attrlbuc«
of, praiaed, 135;_ ruson demand_• wonhip oi '1!d 1ubmi11ivc:ness ro, eic., 139;
aipable of changing· nacutt at w,11, 147, dcsira man'1 aubrniuivcncu and wor-
thip, 17~; did not rcally nced Tabcrnacle, 176; 1lory of, 130; dcacendc:d on
Mount Smal, tbe Seilt', 1nd Tabc:rnatle, 109; au1e1 light to dwcll among mcn
and 1nge:J1, 1761 may elcv11c or dc:moic scrvanu, 170; may remove thru11 170•
man'• ability to carry ou1 commandmcnu of, 186; hncs what b harmful ~
man, 19.0; !orcluiow1 final dc:noucmcnt of man'a actiont, 191; don not aercuc
compul11on on bu~n conduct, 196 ff.;. ~1nlcn1 hcaru of evildoen to bring
about de11C1Ved ~nishmcnr, 151~ II.; forgav1ng1 .1101; 1m~ rnan'a basic aature,
201; alone.recognau, ftaWI of human soul, :ao5 lf.; kc:c:pt record of m1n'1 meritl
and dcmenu, io5 .ff.; ~refe.n compc:ruatlon to grace, u 5; rencgade, dcny c:xJst-
e""; of, or worib1p .H,m m form of crc:aturc:1 2191 dcnial of c:xistcnc.e of, i,
1
punuhc:d, 231.: obed1c:~c.e of commandmcnu of, incteasu hunin.o.tty of human
110UI, 246; pe_nod of llhion of m1n'1 body and IOUI not dc:tc:rmined by knowlc:dgc
of, _253; .tesbng of'. 26~, 416; truatwonhy in promue, 25111 an rcdec:m, 293;
nation1 ~ilte drop in 11ght of, 29.. ; ucated all out of nothing, 2514, 4 n; hu
COfflpastGn o~ Israel, 2514, 4~71 will comperuaae hnc:1 for bmhhipt, 3051 will
no. more a~luh His peoplc I governrnc:nt 11 ar time of ttror,d ,~plt, 3141
umty of, will bc ackn~wlcdgcd by 111 ett1tum at time of rtdt,,,pli,m, 318;
rccompcnae. crc:atum an 1pc:ci1I abode, 323 ff.; ordc:red killing of c:hildrc:a of
Sodomi1c1 and of gc:neralion of dduge, 330; rellCl"Ye:a day fot rcuibution, 332;
450 THE BOOK. OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
will raurrcct the dead, 33151 produ~ light for bclieven In Egypl aod dalkMu
far infidcla, 338; rd>cllion 1g:iin1t, 344 ff.; worahip of, obliptory in heraltu,
3:u ff.; will 1upport with miracles belief ia reward and JJl;IIIWl~ft ~5!1 bleu·
i11g of, dOCJ not mt on ill·golten wulth, 380; uvored H11 na~ ... ~ blODeJ,
378; growth of plan11 dctermined by will of, 384; foraakcn by viJldlCb•e, 3911
aeci.,tion of juniu: of, 392: ao one bcyo~d c,onttol of, 3921 rcli•nce on, doa ~
comi1t in failiJ1g to cxert onetelf for a hvehhood, 3971 gnnb wahh od dill-
dren, 4001 messcngen of, c.lled li1n by deniera of raurrecdon, 411; brouaht
the son of the Shunammite back to lifc, 4121 promiK:d l'CIUtrecrlon, 416; alftm
of, 418; quo1ed Phanoh, 419: proroi.rcd rcdcmplion to His people, 428; will aot
be di'IObeyed by thc n:111rrccted, 433; omnipotc11ce of, corrobor.ated by raumic•
lion, 435. Stt .i,a Cl"Qtor, Lord, Muter
Godlcss, anno1 offer proof againn Jcwi1h n:ligion, 28; ~ 1 of,. CIUIC nenou,
prottration, 35; PfOipcrity of, In rhil world, 214, 3:11151 givc.n ame IO reptlll,
215; m1y bcp pioua olhpring, :us: di1tincrion will bc madc bctwem. and
righteous, 3231 lirc: of, will bum ptrpctually,.340 , di.inemlom, formt, colon, and movanen11, 358; not illumwled by juu one
Gog md M;agog, will hear of succ:cu of Me1111h, 305; woocl o( 1mplc:men11 ol,
used for 6m at timt of mlrmption, 3115; Jewish narian will be detpoilcd b1,
429 , . I of __ ...... ..,._,.
Good, giva plct,ure accordin1 to IOIIIC, 24, 142; pnnap e , •=•ng lD • - " " ·
,9 ff.; not variable in rulmrt, 193; evil dced, olfsct, a13 ; man'• n:ward -:aUcd,
3131 tcVen lhing, !hat arc, aecording to Solomon, 40, fl.: thrce typet of wisdom
refened ca II being, 406 · He„em, belieYed maken of bodi.ca, 70; produced nothing, 73; 1cu 1ttrlbutcd to,
GcKinn1nd, ICGU to purgc himl,(Jf ron1t1ntly 1 369; like funnc:l, 369
Gradation, of hcnenly bodkt, 72; of· mcn accordlng ID conduct, 209
Onti1ude, to God dcmanded by rc1son, 139; form oi, not dc6.ncd, .14,
Om:b, dominian of, 270, 4n, in :Ibis world, 422; Pw::niue rulcd 300 ycan bc·
fore, acconling to Chria~n1, 322
HANANIAH, martyrdom of, 327
Happineu, mcaDJ of achlcving, 137, 138; in thi1 world and in world to came,
347 ff.; oi righteoua, 3,4
Haran, Abr1ham joumcyed frorn Kutha to, and from, to Palatine, 299; aame
Etypt applied ro, 299
Hate, when men do not, diey lovc, 86: may n:sult from crotidnn, 377
Hallet, man, what hlnn, him, 190; God, wluit l, harmful IO mui, 190
Haughtiaal, evil conaequcnca of, 388
l;l111ah, soul callcd, 244
Hcacl, •• used in c:onncction with God, 118
Heaclachc, from fever, 1,s
Heallh, bodily, aymboliz.cd by thc growth of gn11, 425
Hearing, sense of, 97, aensation ol, 4011 alght hu no oontral over, 16; cannot
n ject kruiwlcdge, n; may be lmp111ircd by luti.ng, 367
Heut, IIC:lt of 10UI, 180, 235, 237, 244; Rllt of n.1tural bot oi body, 1101 naaanl
h.ea.t of, lffl'lpercd by rapinlion, 237: wisdorn called, 239; ll.l!ffa ~·e root in,
244; and 9001 mcnlioncd roptber in Scripture, 245; maJ be duuactcd b1
o:auivc 1e.1:u•l illtercoune, 372; 1a:ordiog ID eroticlit:s desm il FDtff,Ded In,
374; ·throbt from craticiam, 376i ·achc:l'fmm building m.:tM1ia, 3114
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES 451
Hcat, amibute ol all aiuina thln11, 3'7, one of the natunl charackridica, 5:11,
67, 357, 412; reodved ftom alt, 615; 11cvcr ill ilalation, 67• withdrawn f:rom
bodia !'J air, 2791 bec.amet patt~ elcmc~t of fire u rt!lul; af burain1, 413 1
tbe ND 1, ~ erroncowly ~n uc.nbtd eo All', 71; of body hu tc1C in heart, 18o;
~ IUICCJMi.ble to, 184; pl1lU ol hdl-firc memble, 185; in humoD praduca
gurty, 20; ~J cawe ~eath, J?; uetlli•~ praduca 1cha i.n 10UI ol nwi, :1149;
collr=cl for ainful wbile thc nghtcow will be prouctcd apinst it, 3381 pu.nlah.
mcnt ol godlca will comut of, 339; cu eadanger huma.a l.ie, 3615· .bouae. ai•c
dichier 1pin.n, 31131 i.ateme, harmful to 6eld1, 384 '
Real'tß, fiaille, 41 lf.; ruol•es IIOl.llld eartb, 41, 181; h11 beainniog md end, 41 1
DO ocbu, oubid.c af patt which 1nolve., 421 CIOIIILlb af 11,a. of concentric
tpbera. 42; crealed, 431 11ot frcc from aci:idcntl, 431 i-euet continuou1 mo-
tio.DI of grcat nriery, 43; not lnfinbe, 71; not ctun•I, 70 ff.: made of four ele·
meoa, 72: Jnriah mtion will ewt u loa1 u. 158; 11 God'1 abode, 124; man'•
IIIIW mo,e nwi,lvc than, 183; can't be ma.dc ol clirt, 184; con1ilt1 ol pa,a,
IW, 358; dutiucd IO diuppur, :1181; au,, at lime of ttlribudon but not ol
rdnrtptio•, 341 ff.; aur, of, ltnown by KieDCie, 393; ncw, m•dc lmpouiblc by
1!.dllCDCII!, 366; air 1ad ~ bctween eartb and fint part of, :1178; cn:atcd for
llke of man, 323
Ha•caly Bodia, figutt1 ol., ciraalu or 1phericaJ, 23; SOllle, are coDCCntric wllh
amen, 23: poueu brigbmru. 349
tb?" of God, 731 not made of fifth dcmeat, 70; pure firc, 71; did not coine in11:1
beinJ bJ chaoce, 73; llot resuh of c:ionvcflinJ of portioot of bodia, 7ll AOC
cticrnal, 76, 891 have cin:ular motion, 70
Ha•inca. and lighto.ca seltled by motioa, 18; of limbs fram ovc,atinl', 3~8
Hmrew Langu.aF, ch.aracler of, milundeutood, 53; u„p af, 415
,,,,,0,1 ""~ -
Hd/'1', rrtl, ddilet pure and pu.r ifia lmpurc, 177; m~H 178
HdJ-fi~ pll~ puaiahed by hcat of, 185, will bc permnial, 11,; perpctu.ity of,
tecmJ meraleu, 344; eome dtad will be 1uigncd to, 423
Heinonboid1, 1111)' rcsuh ~ eJtoeuive calin, •nd drinkiog, 36o
HcreaftQ, reward ud punitbmcnt in, 258, 336 ff.; lnnocent sufferen In diia world
Clllnpaualal.in, 260! life of, in Sctipture, 331 : rew11d1 ia, mentioned bJ p-oph·
eb, ~n: ~~tion an hcrufter compu~ ta two •clivitia ol. 1110, 3371 righteous
111babt on hJht m, 339; rewlrd of, called Garden of Edcll, 3401 dM.slon ol. time In
'? icdlcate ~ · of w~ip, 3431 rcwud and punilbment in, pcrpctual, 344;
~hleOUI aad widted will lft onc another ia, 352; wonbip of Gocl obllplnry
in, 1,3. Sn alto World ta Come ottd Ncxt World
Hemr, ICQIC'ding to ullcducated reault of ,pecuJation, 26 il.; folwed by lndbaim·
lnate allqorical inr.erpreration of Bible, 232
Hen:tia, don't bclleYc in miraclc,, 331 wonder if Ood an do oything, 1341 four
cWftm1t typa of, 427
Hcrmit, medial tralmcnt ol, 3615; aaint has Uttlc opportunilJ 11> carry out 1uadl'J
lawt of thc Torah, 396
~ · Yinuow kiag~ 2101 piou1 oJl1pring ol linful Abu, 21,, 11ltcd for
minde, 266; lllllOIII 111"1 p,,"""'• 2761 429
HiQdu,, c:atain, hudea tlwmelvea apuut .litt, 16
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Hinnom, valley of, 340
Hiwwl ehe Balchi~ Boo~ o/ Re/Ulotion 114intt, 45
Holding, &culty of, n
Holy Land, laraclitc:t will gadm in, 11 time of Ndemplion, 31,
Honcny, in Jcaling1 rcwardcd in thi1 world, 226, priud In poor, 230
Honey, poi,on in, 143; in fo/11110;, 40,
Hopc, h11 nothing to do with 1erua, 77
Human Bcing. Su Man
Humility, prizc:d in grcat, 230 ; brought to forc by mixturc of ycllow and black, 402
Humor, dream1 rc1uh whcn, excecd1 proporlion, 20
Hunger, may lcad to dcnial of God, etc., 367
Hyle, 69; auumed by proponcnu of eurnity, 75, 78
Hyperbolc:t, used by Scripture, 201
Hypothe1i1, to sustain pcrccpc, 23; to 1u1tain rational co.nupt, 24
ICOSAHEDR.ON, watcr bclicvcd dcrivcd from, 51
ldlcne11, a n Sabbath in consonancc with reason, 162; c:ffectl of, 398
lgnorance, lcad1 10 denial of God, 34; ,unken in, 80; fcign complctc, b ff.; ab-
scncc of knowlcdse, 89; of law not u.cu111blc, 233 ; childhood age of, 386
Ignorant, desirc thi1 world, 296
lllneu, phc:nomenon of 1hi1 world, 365; rccognizc:d by ,ymptom1, 33; curcd by
bitter mcdicinc1, 218
lllwion1, c:reated bcinga 1ubjcct to, 11; bcwarcd against in rcalODing, 20; de~ted,
20, 26; optic, 372
lmpcnitcnt, dcslincd for pcrpctual torment, 350; will bc tut oll from thc rigbttoua
in thc: world to comc, 351
lmpiou1, likc Jchu and Zcddciah, 210; mnr<lcd for good dccd, in this world, 211;
sometimcs puni1hcd in thi1 world, 21:l
Impulses, of man'• characcer, 401; have diatinclivc functlon,, 360 ff.; natural,
1hould bc rulcd by intc:llect, 188, 36o; domination of, disciplinc of foolish, 361;
of soul arouic:d by 1ingle aound, mu,ical intonation, ot melody, 402 .
lnccst. prohibilion of, no abrogation, 168; pcnon who commiu, callcd com,pt, 219
lnconstanr, whatever happcns by chance is, 74
lndia, whocver goc1 to, bccomes rieb, 26
l ndigc1tion, from ovcrcating, 369
l nfiJc:b, rc:wardcd if conducr ,ubject to divinc: compuhion, 189; do not belicve in
.niracle,, 331 rule of, ovcr Israel argumenr against truth of Judaism, 36; prophc:11
tcnt 10, as weil III bclicvers, 192; darkncu for, in Egypc, 338
Infinite, numbcr of parts, <4<4; divisibility only virtual, <45; cannot bc tnftned, 44, 50
Jnjuatice, three cauJC.1 of, 24 5l rampant agaimt weak today, 319
ln111nity, from lang mountiin trips, 3601 abstinencc may lcad to, 366; in hcartl ol
mcn, 419
ln tcllcct, conc:cptt of, bascd on ic:nac pctuption, <4i in confu,ion, 4; refina perplex·
icie,, 10: hu intuitiom, 16, 20; dc:pcnda on carrying proceu lio condusion, 20;
'11outd rule impuhc.1 1 188: human soul cndowcd with, 313; of man, 3251 in·
jured by drinking raw wine, 370. See i,/10 Rca,on
lntellcctual Facuhy, only mean, of rcmembcring thing, 1bacnc, 76
lntent, ncvcr punishcd except to dcny oiatcnce of God, 231
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES 453
Jataoeptinr, ,phc:rical figure, 23
Jaci:rupcion, by bodie1 inaeases or diminishu 1pccd1 of motion„ 23
Jn11:rprc11tion, .1?diacriminatc allegorial, o.f Blblc, 2321 nonlitcral, ol Sacrcd Writ,
265; 1bturd1lle1 from uac of 1llcgorical, 272, 424; truc, fal1e, 3331 li11eral 409
4l51 figurative, 415; Bible ,wc:cptiblc to many typcs of, 415 ' '
ln~rprc11tion of the Torah, 1ubjcc1 of me11phon caplaincd iil introduction ro, 100
Jaaa~, aauificc ~· 001 rcqucstcc!, 169, 1ublwuia!ff belief in world to c:omc, 326;
b1rth of, bcgmnlng of lartcl • enslavemcnt, 299; ukcd for olf1pring, 381 1 onc
of#'"" 1/lepl,rrd.1, 429
luiah, announccd rcaurrcction, 269, 421; announccd cominr of rrtltmplion, 291
hlct of thc Sca, the lsraclitcs will bc brought in abips from, 308; l111elites will
pther from, at time of rttlemp,ion, 315
Israel, forbcan of, in agrttrncnt about Manna, 29; prcseody in statc of humiliation,
179 ; resurrcction, 271, ,t23: compcruation for trial1 of, 284; promiscd rcdemption,
288 , 04i now 1ubjcc1cd to trial1, 291; p1omitcd future greatncn, 291; rulc of,
laalled 890 ycan, 298; Dame of cl,i/drrn of, applicd to Abraham, 299; ar time
of ndnnption, 307 ff.; rulcd by forcigne11 for acrving idol1, 329; endowcd with
prophccy at time of rtdemption, 310, 355; nourishcd by fincat food in wildemC11,
394; m11ac1 of, bclievc in re,urrc:ction, 409; king, and saget of, reunilled by
murrcction, 434; past generatioru of, will cnjoy glory, 435. Ste o/10 Jewish Na-
tion, Jewa
J11aeli1c1, 1ubjccted to Babylonian, for 52 years, 300; will pther into Holy Land
1t time of rtdtmftion, 315, no longcr subserYient to foreigner„ 316
JABESH, inhabitanta of, did not burn bonea of Saul, etc:., 251
Jacob, ume u Jcshurun, 100; among ""'" 1li,ph"d1, 276, 429
Jahazicl, God'1 ambauador to Jchoshaphar, 166
Jchoram, Phili1tinc1 and Anb.l stirrcd up against, 202; captain of, rcjccted good
tidings, punishcd, 429
Jchoahaphat, virtuous king, 210; battle of Edom in reign of, 166
Jchu, impioua, 210; promiacd fourth gcneration would sit on throne, 227
Jeremiah, resurrcction trcatcd in book of, 422
Jeroboam, son of Nebat has no share in world to comc, 335
Jerusalem, dcstruction of, 18 yeara 2ftcr bcginning of r11le of Babylonians, 300;
wrcstcd from Romans by Mcuiah dcsccndcd from Joacph, 301; in band, of
Armilu,, etc., at rtd.tmp1ion, 304; lsraditc1 will bc brought to1 lrom dcsert, 309;
wall1 of, rcbuilt at time of rtdt!mption, 3• 5; 1ccurc at time of rtdtmption, 316;
not crcucd ancw 11 time of rtdtmption, 342
J"hurun. Stt Jacob
Jeqc, among n1h1 priMII, 276, 429
Jcwish Nation, to exiat as long u heuen and canh, 158; will bc delivercd from
misery, 288; g~thcrcd by Mcssiah dcmndcd from JOKph, 301; will ,ull'cr gre2dy
aftcr conqufft of Jerusalem by Armilus, 302; purificd of, v.:il1 rcmain and wit·
neu appcarancc of Elijah and bc rcdccmcd, 303; p.ay1 uu, to forcigncn tocfay,
318; P•nly at peacc during lan weck of yun, 3lo; govcrnmrnt of, aboljshcd,
3211 Motn will ag.;n hcad, in futurc, 335; in agrwnent .about belief in re•
ward and punishmcnt in world to come, 3361 promiscd moncy u reward ol
virtuc, 378; bclicvcs ,on of Shu nammjtc rc1unccted in thi, world, 412; de·
454 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
epoiled by Gor, 4:19; ordered to wrap labban Gamalid In aimple tbniucb, 4Jlltl
righlltoUI incl peniltnt ol, lndlldr:d la reaurttetion, 1101 will be bene&ted bp
belief la raurnction, 434, Sn lllto br1el, bnelba . Lazy, anlithaia of righteou„ 398
Jcw" 1t time ol ~ Sei two million, 29; 1gree cm belief 1n raumctioo, :164
Jczcbel, lnatn1ment of divint punuhment, 194
Job, ,u«uinr oi, :u l; boolr. of. 27
Jonah, did not Sec &om Gpd, 1531 drald of beinJ dwgcd wlth lyin1, 154
J<*J>h, bona ol, ooc buraed, :15:11 daccndan.t ol, 3011 will bc daia bJ Armilu.
301; Maaiah dctccndr:d from, 304, will bt 1t beim ol rmureaed luulila, Jot
Joihua, did not w1ge war an ~th. 1701 rad~ ol MOICI lteltef thaD lhat of,
349l iD cunpeian of, 1un atood ni.11, 411
Joliah, picMu otlapring ol Anton, 21 J
Judah, body of man ffllffl, not bumed, 2J:a
Jwtice, 1tMbu1e of God, 135, 186, 246, 3251 pn,cti.ce of, demudcd by raton.
140, J2!H ofu:n 1rou1t1 tnmity anti baued, 325; will bt D"'1lfm bJ Ood '
worfd ol recomperut, 326; muat not .bt dcftect.ed, :1321 eucudon ol, .hould be
aim of dalrt for tntn,e, 392; that those who dtny murttetion ahould not be
raumcted ia retlllatory, 429
KEHA11f, in E,rpt, 300 . 434
lt.in.r, investiwn ol, requi.ra moDtJ, 378; pride lhemeelvcs on buildln1 ICti-.uiet.
3831 ablt io liYe lonl'l' tban o1her people, 3116; ~nduct '"" and ddrnd c:oua-
triea by authority of olli,c,c, 3871 mt lll(lre lhu oibcr men, 397
Knowkdsc, 11a1uirr:d only by media,y c:au,e, 13; thRe -.rut c>l, 161 roou of. 161
pUUltllttl of ,ource, of, IOCepted by monothci,ts, 181 authenticab:d by mdi-
tioa, dl; four JOUrcct of, 191 u.-ed for ffidcnce, 19 ff.; all, euept 1eDAtloa re•
b,
ject.ed ,omc, 76 ff.; human, finite, 89; progra• in, ,ndu1l, 89; human, lim·
itrd by Jimi1:1tion « &cultia, 931 ol thinp obt1inecl throu1h mcdiation of body,
93; man·., dimnct &om eacllQ!, 1041 of God don not uen:be inlluence OD,
rality, 253; iocreuc: of, lnaut0 eorraw, 362: btneficial .ruultlf J9Jl bannful
mults, 393 ff.
ltutha, Abraham journcycd f.rom, 299
LAM·'AUP, Arabic: lcncn, rctemble Greek lctter CJ,i, 51
Lanpap, utemion of DldßUII in. 118, 1961 caUm lip, 239. SH. Enenlion ol
M~g. Hd>mr Lanpage
Laugha:r, producea KOR of degradation, 363
Law, abroption of perpttual, impoa,ible, 158; iponnce of, noc ocuable, :1331
Kiencc of, bc:an no rdabOJlmip to anatomy, 2J11 1u1pendo.a of, 336• would
cea1e CD openre II mult of prac:ti~ of abJtineou, 3661 ud ordu depend GD
belief in tndition, 1J6; oi Mosea differcd from that ol Abl'lh1m, 16:1: religioua,
399. SN IIÜO Abropdon of ehe Torlh, Tonh
Law„ pn,phm aecurm. miradn tD 1uppon, of the Torah, 138; ntiooal bui1 ol,
138 i oblenance of 1gricultunl, etc,, cannot be fulflllr:d by he,mlt, 396; delire
fot daminioll IOO UDJWICC ffllf be c:mployed ln tll«ution of pl.lDiD'le, ,tOO;
c:nl')'lhin,r 1CCOJdi~ to, of nature in opin.ion of advoc:ata of ,1m1ity 1Dd ,,,..
ilfl, 411; of nawre C1J1 be chan1m by Creator, -4111 ntlon1l, of 'l'onh, 139 II.;
ttTcaled, 140 ff., han eome rational bui„ 143 .ff„ w<auld be abotilhcd bJ II·
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
455
leprical method of inrerpretation, 42J; of Tonh 1u1pcnded ac:cording to th
Christian„ 32:a. Stt tlUD Law, Tonh c
Lead, liqudied by fire, 177
Leadenhip, Jooc1 u1e1 of, 387 lf. Sn lllso Dominion
Leap, theory of; to e,:plain poaaibility of travening an infinite number of ..,,.11
45 r- '
Lcvi. die childru ol, bad fi11e1t foocl aaiped to thcm, 394
Lie, DO JICIIDD forcecl to t:cll, 19!j
Lifc, impoaaiblc: .for ~II iD 1i.rnple 111te, J4; of m111 dulioct from CPCnCC, 104 ,
ol. ~· 134; 111duunc1 from euena:, 104; at time of rdemptio,., 288; acquired
~)' wildom, 330; of hc~: 331.' mundane, 366; inacaac of, 386; of man
m lldhu abodc ahott, 183; m thla world varicd, 3:14; entite, of this world
not P good lf ooe bour of aezr. 334; 1tep-llddcr to ncxr. 3871 dcainblc on
1ccounr of world to c:ome, 400; io hcrafter meruionr:d iD Scripturc:, 341 1 etunal
hcld out u rc:ward to _rnaa, 264; dctired by man, 296; ia reward ol. righteous,
346; aome of. dcad dcatinr:d for, etc1ml, 423
~-opecta.ncy, of body i.oaeascd by virtuc ud dccrea.scd by ,in, :154
Life-tp,n, of man at time of ~demptio„ cqual to that of buildin'" and trca
a• '
Light. ibscocc of, coiutituta darluieu, 64, 89; darkness not principlc oppoacd
~· 64, 89; abscnr, rt1ppear9, 64; 0112quc bodies tem:n, 65; hu boundary, 66; ac·
adc11r. 981 not aaeencd by glau, 131; of au.n aot 1ffctt.ed by filth, 13:1; Cod'"
acca by Moses and prophcta, 130; ahown to Nadtb 1nd Abihu, r30; MIMt med
rttmgth to ~ God'1, 130; divinc, abidu unong 111gd1 u wdl II mcn 176
allr:d ~inlh, l'7j IOU) lumioout lilLc, :170; coll~ for ngbtmu1.' 338;
•!nful ICfttflcd from, ~381 c:xtractcd for be.licven in Egypt, 338; mnnf of
nghteow, 337 lf.; au,tamed Mo1e1, 339; mb1utcncc of rigbtcou1 in hucafter
339 lf.; aeven dcgr~ of, 3481 of ,un, 348; of firmunenr, 3491 of ,~., 349 ;
fools may not buk m, of Ma1ter, 419; hcavcnly, in drc:am1 :11
Limit. attributc of material bodi«, 5:11 '
LoCodrd, rh:;_!8 6.; 138, 201 lf.; dcnial of thc, fro"' bungcr, 367, $tt wo Crator,
• <nDtef
Lot. rcquert of,honored by angcl1, 215
Love, when lllffl do not hatc thcy,_ 86; belicvcd to give aubtltty to 1piri1 and rc·
finc tcmpcramc?'• 374; pourr:d Ulto beart, 374; auppoacd to tcacb 1ubmwivc-
ncq, 374: of nc1ghbor dunanded by raaon, 140. s~e olro Erotirum
Luminosity, of stan varies, 43; of IIOll\t stan produccd by illumi.nalion bv othcn
-0 ' •
MAGICIANS, of Phar1oh, 1J2
Maker, of product, 471 prccedca hia bandiwo1k, 49; wrongly idcntilied with prod-
uct, 69
Man, goa1 of creation, 180 lf., 3:113; highly pri:z:cd, :14; diati.nguuhr:d 1bovc 111 cn:a·
blres, 18~1f.: mdowtd with wudom, 182, 323; hu freedom ol choia:, 181 ;
hu C.J*llJ to obey God, 18:a; chargcd with fulfillmcnt of Ood'• commllldrnenu
182, 3a3; body of, 1light, 183, composed of blood, phtcgm, and two p11„ 184
madc of four clcments, 241; frame of, 2Jr; iubject to bcat 11nd cold, pouoDl
45'> THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
and rcptilc,, 18'4: endowcd with urge, and appedtct, 185; maladiea keep, lrom
sinning, 184; cannot fait continlUlly, 161; Ufc of, endangered, 366; natunr of,
c03racncd by .cum, 366; Mtu what harm, him, 190; aiatcnce of, 393; b:uic
Narurc of, ,hapcd by God, 201; po1scuc1 im pule,, 4011 lifc of, in nethcr abode
1hon, 183; lifc of, in world to comc evcrluting, 183; possulCI IOIII, 171 IOUI of,
,111c.rnive, 183; crcated ,imuhancou,ly whh perfcction of body, 235, 375; pre-
cmincnt ovcr that of bc11r, 2401 more extensive than beavcn, 183; knowledge lllld
lifc of, di1tinct from esscnce, 104; in 10me uaiu, reKmble1 bealu, 21So; acrion, ol,
not intcrfcrcd with by Ood, 188; can producc articulatc 10Undt and keep ncorda,
208; ,ubsta~ of Ood bclicvcd by aomc to bc aamc II tim of, 1n; God pictuml
by sornc in form of, ;:i1511 aoul of, ha1 ,cat in hcart, 180, 235, 237, 244; goca up-
ward, ::i:4; Nlparatcd from body by God, ::i:6'4i promiacd rcsurrection, 279; im-
potent alter dc&ecnt into grave, 274, 4181 hearing witr bc conductcd of actt of,
in hcrcafo:r, 331; reason of, etc., 325; junice will bc donc IO, in world of ~ -
penac, J:1!51 must not laviah love on onc thing only, 358 ll,1 love of many thin11
hat bccn implantcd in, 359; pauion of, his wcakneA, 365; mundanc life .epa·
rate,, from hil Ma1ter, 366; will hAve inhabitcd eanh for ,,ooo yean, 413; life·
1pan of, II time of rtdemption, 4341 children of Adam arc son1 of, 1001 can-
not resurrect himaclf, 418
Manauch, hat no 1harc in world to comc, 335' . 1.3.2; puformcd by propheu in support of religion, 138, 411; wroughr by Mo1e,'.
Manna, most amazing of miraclcs, 29 lf„ 292; produced from air, 29
Ma~oti1, 153
Marriagc, bond• l l time of re1urrection, :tb; n:nounccd by abwtincnt, 366
Maatc:r, mundmnc lifc Nlparatcs man from, 366; forgotten II rc1ult of erotici1m, .3761
and lovc of mone y, 380; fool1 do not b.:uk in light and PrcJCncc of, 419. See
· ,,J,o Crcator, God, Lord
Material Bodict, not of ju1t one of four clcmcntJ, 3,81 con1i1t of links, 400; 1ub 0
jttl lo mullltion, 102, and numbcr, 52
Matter, origi11al, bclieved origin of world, 39
Mcat, harmful for penon alllic!ed with fcver, 155; lawa pe,uining to forbiddea,
not in dom11in of hcrmit, 396; mixturc of, i ncl milk fo rbiddcn, 171
Mcdicinc, harmful u,ed 11, 345
Mdancholy, tome punuc, 364; acxual intercounc belicvcd antidote, 371
Melody, 1implc, arousc1 impube, 402; ha1 injurious rcaction, 402; blcnded, pro-
duces harmoniou1 efl'cc11, 402
Memory, usc of, rcfutes skcplica, 81; impaircd by fasting, 367; wcalcened by erod·
ci.sm, 376
Mcndacity, diaapproval of, intcllcctual intuition, 16; diaapproval of, rcfuta 1kep-
tla, 81; impossible for thing, in simple 1111tc, 54
Mental Facuhy. ol aoul c:ombinea aensations, 76
Mcrcy, of God not offcct, 228; Ihm: domaitu of God's, 229; shown by pan:11ta,
381; cxccuive, in rulcn unfair, 404; God hu, on people, 427
Muiu, acu of obcdicncc 11, 205j prcdomioation of, purifics soul, 207; leid up fot
righte0u1, :109
Messengen, of God addreued in brael', preeence, 31; aeeded, 145; not anpb,
149; eent anmd wi1h miraclcs, 411; callcd lian by dcnicn of returrection, 411.
He .J10 Propheh
Messiah, according to Chrittians, 109 lf.; 1mong ei1l1 [Winttt, 176, 429; de-
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
457
~ndc~ (rom. Joseph will hcrald rr~~mption, ~04: dC1C1Cnded from David,
will slay Armdus, 3n4; favor of, curncd by nat1on1, 308; 1ho1e who will be
tran, fcrrcd from cra of, 431 l reward for rightcou1 fot wonhip at time f
Su u/10 David, Joseph, Rcdcmption, Rcsurrccrion ° ' 433 ·
Mctaphon, 100
Mrtcmp,yc:hosi1, 259 ff.; not implied in book of Ezckic:I, 263
Mcthu1tl~h, 1mong ,,,,,,, 1flepflrrd1, 276, 4:19
Michael, angcl, 270
Middling Pcr1an, 2:18 II.
Midilnila, killinr of childrcn of, 330
Mile, 4,000 cubiu, 431
Milky Way, 23
Mind,. dullnc11 ~f, ~rom overc~ting, 368; of man coarsened by gluttony, 37o; con-
1tramed by drink1n1 raw w1ne, 370; confuacd a1 re1ult of cxccs1ive 1exual inter·
.c:oune, 37.2; dull from eolrlMl, Jean farc, 394; relaxed by mt, 397
M1racles and Marvcls, proof pmented by, ?3 II., et al.; eonfirm poumion of fift
of pro~hecy, 28, 63, ~n: teCn by hrachte1, 28; Man na mo,1 amazing of, 211 ;
~t. be!ievcd ~y her~ua, 33; WOfflCII and childrcn includcd in, 3.1; (r~atio u
n,A,lo m kecping wuh, 581 conuary 10 nature, 6.3; basi.s of RCogoition of Ood
148, 411; rcally work of Crcator, 147 ff.; ncvcr prnduccd unannountc,d 0 l'48· not
pc!f~rmcd by prophti:s II all time., 150; ni>t wie reuon for bc:licf in Mot.n'
m1111on, 1~.3; must not bc: uscd to abandon truth, 164; corroborate Ood'a knowl-
cdgc o~ statc of human soul, 205; prove soul crcatcd in body and rwnitcd aftccr
scpa~r1on, 23,; provc ~re will bc rc,urrcction at 1ime of rdemption, 26 4 ;
1ptt1all y. crcatcd, 266; G,~con and Hez.ckiah a1lccd for, 266; 1upport belief in
r,d,mp1'.on, 291;. 1uppon 1dca of recompcnse, 3.23; will support bclitf in ~ward
and punu.h?1enl lD bcrcalter, 355; pcrformcd by J01h11a , <411; dcnicd by dcnicn
of re1.urrcct1on, 411.! of pait and furure bcigbten e11cem of God, .41 8; divc.rcd of
.~ni~g by • ll~go11CJ1I. interprttation, 426: rtsurrec1ion onc of, 4.!4
Mmam, m·Egypuan ~crv1tude, 295'
Mishacl, martyrdom of, 327
Ml11, a1ecndi11g, bclicvcd causc of Milky Way, 23; dry, left aftcr rain i1 ex1rac1ed
from douds, 387
Mode, third, 402; fourth, 403
Mode,, eight rhythmic, 40:a; c~nlist of mcuures dcriv~ from thc bcaling, 401;
~Nt and ICC.(lßd, 402: fifth, sutth, scven1h, and cighth, 403
Mo11rurc ~ne of ~tural char~cterisria, 52, 67, 357, 411; ncvcr in isolation, 67;
prcscnt .m all tJungs, 357: floau on top of earth, 73; will play part in ,c1urrcc1io11
:170; ~thdrawn from bocly by air, 279; can murn after dcp:arrurc Crom body:
<120; in humou causc of gaicty, 21
~ t , 1ingle, longe.r than pment time, 44
Money, good ~- of, 378, 380; evil rcaulu of inordinare love of, 379; eaptndcd
on consuuct1011, 384; good and bad coin 200
Moon, risn and ICIJ at differc.nr momcn~ of day and nigh1, :u: follow, lang or
•hort .route, 2:1; haa 28 "1110111, 2.2; rravtls north and sou.th of ,phcre of con·
•tellattotu, 22; courac of, compn1itc of fivc mot.ions, 23; 1pced and cuent of
coune of, vary. n; uncducatcd bclicve eclipsc of, due to being awallowcd by
458 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
wh.tlt", 26; illumilllted by odu:r 11ar1, 44; wonhipped by IIO&ne •• god, 21g
MoJCt, God 1pokc io, without iniumediary, 121: did not 1ee God Mimt.elf., 119,
but divine light, 1301 ukcd for lll'dlgth to kc thil light, 130; mindcs wrought
by, 148, 4(1; pillar of doud 1uthenricatcd inapimtioq of, 1,11 miracle1 of, aq.
perior IO lhose perforrncd by Pharaoh'a magiciaru, 15:a, really work of God,
1531 Torah of, will bc obscrvcd till day of ruuncction, 158; law of, diffc~ frol'l'I
!hat of Abraham, 162; addcd law, of Sabbach ud Pauovcir, 16:a; belief in mi1.
1ion of, 163: puni1h«I in thi1 world for 1light failing, 211; among 1wn ,k,-
lttrdt, 276, 4:z9; ncithcr atc nor drank whilc on Mount Sinai, :ib., 339, 4131
will be with rcrurrcctcd and aruwu queadoru, 282; ptomilled hrad redempcioo,
290; in ktYitudc in Egypt, 195; reiidcncc in Egypt, 300; madc conditional prom.
isea ID larul, 3 u: not permiucd 10 entcr Palenine, 3:a81 rceurrection of, men.
tioncd in T1rgum, 335; will hcad Jcwilh nation in future, 335; 1u1t1ined an
Mount Sinai by light, 339; morc radiAnt lhan Joshua, 349
Most High, idcntital with Lord, 99
Motion, corporcal cluracttrutic:, 9.H aix typet of, 971 ralicy of, 17; teiue of, 11
mea.n1 of cxpcricncing hcavines1 and lighmcu. 181 of heuen condouou" 431
circular, 70: of lirc cil'C\llar by nature, 71: upward, 751 c:elcadal , eattw.ud, 1111
we1kcncd by crotitism, 376
Motions, heavcns havc many varying, o ; multiple, duc to multiple bodiea, u;
1pccd1 of, incrnlcd or diminuhed by iattruprion of bodiea, ::a3; 1wo, impoalhle
for one body 11 one time, :ii:a; tourae of moon. cornpo1ite of live, :a3. S11 A/,o
Movemcnt, Movcmenll
Movement, eutcrn, delaycd du ring Joshua"1 campaign, • I 1; Clllffllt of uppcrrno1t
sphere once a day, 73; wcatem, of fixed 111n travcr14 onc degree in 100 ,an,
73, Stt A/10 Motion, Motion•
Movemenrs, of heavenr, ,358: of heavcnly 1phere1 var7 by many ratiOI, 72: Inter·
mcdiary, 7J, Srt 11/10 Motion, Motion•
Murdcr, rcptthcnsib1e by rea110n, 140; why, b prohibited, 141; prohibition of, not
cxpreuly s1atcd IO Ad1m, 3:a7; upital ein, 351; from exccuive drinking of
wine, 370: from croticiam, 377
Murdercr, death penalty imposed on, only with "itneuet, 168
Musiul Intonation. Stt Melody
Mutation. Stt Change
NADAB AND ABIHU, ahown God'1 light, 130
Name, of God prailcd, 136: swcarinr fal,ely in God'1, forbidden, 140
Nathan, p,ophet, 194
Nation, of thc World, liltc drop in 1ight of God, 294; pthcrcd by Gog to fipt
against hracl, 305; 1ubservlcnt to hrael, 307i seek favor of Meui.ah, 308; unir.e
with Jcwish survivors, 309; engage i.n war1 IOday but will bc at pcace at cime
of ndm,ptio,i, 318: ~rve other god1 but are not punishcd for il in thil world, 3:a9
Natural Characr.eri1tic:a, 5:a, 67, 357, 412. Src 11110 Elementl, Nature
Nature, of 1ir to bc abovc water, 41: miraclcs contruy to, 63: what takea pl1ee by,
c:annol happcn by chance, 74: law1 of, univcraally m:ogniud, 41: lfllllilll 1nd
advocatrs of ,,,,..,.ity recognize·only 111,1 of, 64, 411; elemen11 of, 406, lr.nown by
me11n1 of acience, 39J: ,11 bodirs compored of four elementa of, 400: elcme11t1
of, h1ve 1pecial colors, r :,9; annot bc subdued or tranaformed b7 man, 147, trull·
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
459
fc,nncd by propbet with God'1 bclp, 1471 buic, of man lhapcd by God .:ao •
~ted b7 God in ~poÄte form, 147: of man coancncd, 3661 394; ~ 11 b~:
daua .S~tery, 1tealing, etc. 12,, 3:16; praenta JIO real objecuon •sawt belief
in raurrcctaon, 410 II. s,,,
./,o Elemaata
Ncl,ucbadaezzar, imtrument of datrUCtion, 195
Neeesait)', lmowled~ b7 logical~ 16; confinned b7 1utbentic: tn.dilioa, 19 ; muat
bc IOCepted u valid, 21; aubject ol moat CXllltrovenics, :aJ1 mu1t bc f ~
1gain,t clefecta, 23; may be vidated b7 five facton, 25; 1bould be 1ubjccled to
leffD telll1 26
Ncpbel, :ao
)'lcrvel, cnd~w ~y witb, eerua~n ~ motion, 2441 Jt.ve root in heart, 2,44;
p t nmüiaibona of, onginatc an bra.1n, 244; bavc no CJOl1Jl«tioq with soul 244
onl~ IUIC~I ~d liP'_lentl oE body, :,44; ICIYIDtl of bonet, 251; IIOftcru:d i:., ex:
cieu1ve drinlr.mg of wane, 370
NSunah,:144
New IDOOD, aubatitute for, in hereafr.er, 353
Nipt, no lltemation of day and, in thc buafter, 343; IOfflC wonbip God i,., rianr
at, 395
Nile, 153, 15?1 abiJII ca.tlllOt pw in upper repn1 of, 308; will nia dry lt time
of Mlrmpt1ot1, 316
N°IDC'l'eh, dcath to inbabiCl 1111 of, l'ffllOYM by repeatanoe, 170
Noah, dcluge of time of, will nevu be repeatcd, 31~
Noune, of two or more COIIIOaantJ, 11: detachcd, i11 form oE apeecb, 18
Nwnber, attribute of maeerial bodia, 5:a
Numiarnatia, art ol, 206
Nutrition, four operation, of, :,2, Sn .J,o Food
OBAQIAH, during reip of Jeholhaphat, 166
Obedienc:e. ~" Hcrea~cr, Scnice, Wonhip, Ncxt World, World to Come, •"4
God, Menta, Maalah, R.edcmptio11, R.C1Urrecäoo
Obeetv1tion, lmowledgc obtained by direct, 16; correct providcd due precautioaa
have been talr.en 1pin1t illu1io111, 19
Octaheclron, cartb formecl from, according to theory of 1p;ritul Hin11 51
Odor, perticular, produca pcculiar effect, 4041 blcndecl, produc:a cft'~ aaiording
ID inlftdienta, 404
'Olun, 171 II.
Oliv~, Mouot ol, to 1plit 1t time of rvtlnnplio,i, 317
~pote~,.of God, 58: 9 5, 101, 134, 324, 418; miogaiz.ed 1imultaneou,l7 with
Hu omo11C1c11CC and hfe, 101; dOC1 oot imply 1bility to bring back yesruda,:
25, .•1:1: doa Qot iadude ahifüy to ch1111ge Himlelf, 58; corroborated by
~ 434, Sec MID Crntot, God, 11.awrection, •ntl C.n:ation, C'ffflio a "111110
mur:
OmnllCICIICle, of God, 30, 95, 102; ftCIOIDU,ecl limul1111eousl7 witb Hit omnipo-
r.ence Incl life, 101. Stt -1lo Creator, eec.
Onenas. Stt Creator, eu:., •"" Unity
Opinion" realicy of thinp doa not depend 011 men'a, 78 ff.
Overeatin,, ill effccu of, 66, 368, 369
Oxymcl, given to children, 38:a
PAL!S11NE, Iarael permi~ ~ CDter, later drivea OU\ 1701 raurrectioa iD. n,;
 00 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
4
Abraham journeyed fro m H1nn to, 299; llffllc ~ E17pt w~• _•pplled to. 2!J7;
Pcniani ruled ovcr, 300 yan bdorc: Grttk1 •ccordu11 m Chnman1, 3:i:a1 nature
of, 328; dfect on, of hnael'1 obedicnce of God'1 lawt, p8; not entued by
Mosea, 328
Paniblc, 21 • • , •
Pama, name for Sinai, 165; c:oatiguou, with Mount Sana1, 165; conbguou1 w1tb
Scir, 165
Par•uog, 285; cqual, thru miles, 431
Pardon, by injurcd, 226 . • . .
Parcnu, honoring of, rcw1udcd m th11 world, 226; cbddrcn cau.e of beart·IChe 1111,
381
Pwovcr, tun of, tdded by M019, 161 1 not abroplion, 162, among n:n1led law,,
2721 4:1.4; hc who e1u what ia le.avcocd on, i1 alltd rom•fll, 219; ncrl6ce not
pcrmim:d ouuidc of Temple, 198
h1t, 44; guan.nl.Cc of futun, 292
Put Tcosc:, uacd in platt of futurc, 165; UIC of, in Scrlpiure, 2&1
Pcacc, among 111jm1l1 ar time of n4tmflion, .318
Pcdig1tt, lmowl.edgc of, dcpcnd, an tradition, 156
Pcnirence, pmaible in thia world only, .334; mnoves aoul'1 11nut, 334· Sn ttüo
h~~« . Pri,wu, ei1li1, 276, 429; will bc: recogniud by rcsurrcctcd, 432
Pc nitcnt, helped by Ood'a forgivcneP, 201; pcnance of, 220; will be includecl in
rnurrccrion, :185, 430
Pcoplc oE Ood, 304 tf. Su Jso Israel, lsraelite1, Jewiah Nation, Jew1
hrfection, not impouiblc, 218; combination is, 362
Pcrjury, puni1hed in lhia world, 225
Penia, govcrnmcnt ol kin91 of, apoktn of in book or thniel, 422
Pcrsisru, rule ol, 270; had four k.ings according to Daniel, 3.1:i. SH .ÜO Palatine
Pharaoh, magician1 of, pcrformcd miraclca, 152; miry of, 1dll rcl1tal, 193; Ood
harden.ed hcart of, 199; givtn rt!lpilc to bc puni,hccl more 1uc..-dy l1tcr, 216;
Gocl quowl words of, 419; army of, 426
PhilCIICIJ>bcn, 29 lf.
Pbincas, 254
Phynognomisu, 206
Pious, 209 ff.
Pity, on animal, rcwardcd in thi1 world, 226
Placc, catcgory of, doa not apply to Ood, 91, 124, 346
Plagua, tcn, 29; rcaulc of sin, 254; may bring death beforc lifc-expcctancy bu
beea rcalized, 254
Plane Pigun:1, 23
Pl1n1:1, growth of, depcnd, oD kernet, z8o; nrth never without, .o; believed to
have oiJtcd tinte ctcrniry, ,,., pau, 8,u pw 1ccording to will of God, 384
Pleuutt, good u chr,t •h~ giva, IIW>rding to aome, 24, 1421 kil\ing al enemy
giva, eo alaycr, 24, 142; Ood cxaltecl above, 3461 IOl1le indulgencc in, MCCIIUJ
for man, 363; vengeful get 1nmc, from taking rcvenge, 3901 1ffordccl by 1e"icc
of Ood, 3951 of touch from contact wich toft, <fOI
Point, prncnt momcnt ia 1, 44
Points, propcnict of, 23; madc lnto 1tnight linc, 51
Polythcisu, dalined b pcrpctual 1111rmcnt1, 350
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES 461
Poor, diucprded by lovcn of money, 379, dcprivcd of evcrything during hlrd
timo. 38,-1 wildom of, dapiaecl, 394
Po~lation, ~ · of ~da in, 5',000 yean, 413; total, of all genuation1, 431
Foua01i, appcrtatn1 to thang, 1n acn1ual world, 49; ca~gory of, doea not apply
lO God, 126
Pnycr, rccitation of, not neccuarily indicative of belief in Cod, :119; one of con-
dition1 of repcntancc, 22:~1 acven condftion1 undcr w~ic.b, may not bc: aca:pted,
223 11.; acuptanc:c of, duplay of God I mcn:y, 2.281 111 carly mornin1 paniaa-
larly dcainible, 231; ncgligcncc in, 398
Pnyen, ac:oepred in Temple, 177; dcfault in, by poor, .133
Pmlaaaation, docuine of, 198
Pn:mi1e, occeuarv, 12; mu.'t bc proYen by ouuide propo1i.lian, <C81 conclu,ion may
bc: uaecl to prove, ,f8; kind of 1peech, 18; not to bc d1vorccd from conch1tion
4 z,; leading to impCl"iblc conclu1ion invalid, 417 '
P,eacnt.e, of God, 310; rcdccmcd will ltt light of, 311; fool1 may not balk in, of
Muter, 419
Praent Tune, ahortu than any mamcnt, 44; no action pouiblc in, 46
Prienhood, funclio.nmg of, abolishcd during .eventy-wcck pcriod, 321 ·
Prime Mover, Crcator is, 70
Product. mutt havc maker, 39; pm:cdcd by malte,, 49; cannot be etcrnal <fll'
wrongly identi6cd with makcr, 69 ' '
Prohibition, doc1 not con1tltutc rompuhian, 197
Prohibitiont, obM:rvancc of, mcan1 of attaining bli11, 137; issutd to virruous ICI
thcy miay tt2p rcward, 192; man chuged with, 323
Proof, u a 1tatement. 10; form of spcccb, 18; outside proof i1 prefcrrcd for earab-
liobing a premi,c, 48
Propcny, method1 of acquisition of, dc6ned by propheta, 146; identification of
dcpcnd1 an tradition• 156 '
Prophccy, poucs1iOJ1 of, confinned by minclct, 28; necdcd ta authcnticate reveia-
tion, _63; 1C2t o~, in Canaan, 1.54; not ncce&sary at 1ec·ond "dtmplion, :1183; will
bc w1de1pread ln bni.cl at time of 1Ydt:mp1ion, 310, .3,51 book1 of, 26
Prophcta, necdcd for trantmiuion oi revcalcd l11w1, 145 1 for dcfinition of de1ail1
of tation&I law1, 145 ff.; coruccratcd by rcvcluion, 1431 pcrform miracles with
help of God, t 47; bdieved by virtuou, •nd rcjcctcd by lhe crring, 148; not
an1~l1, 149! equ.al to othcr human being,, 149 ff.; cannot pcrform miraela ar
all hmc•: 150; monal, 17.31 fulfi ll human functions, 173 ; rccognized ·at time of
raurrccbon, 286; wrote about redcmp,lion in thcir book,, 290; book1 af. men-
tion world to comc, 3.30; did not refrain fram 1exua.l intcrcoune, 371 ff.; al-
ludcd ta by the ward li1liu, ,p5; had disciples, 115; outside of Mo1e111~d~
by ~n~l1, 112; function ing of, abofühed during aevcnty-wcck pcriod, 321;
r,un1on of, through thc rc1urrection, 434
Propositio111, provc prcmise, 48; thn:e type, of, 97
Pul, 1plrit ot, atirred up by God, 202
Pul~, fccling of ,ick ~n·1, by l2ym1.n, 206 '
Pummment, by <?~hkcncd 10 poison, IB.5; justiliablc only i( punishcd h111 frcedom
~ act, 187; _divmc, in thi, world, 208 ff.; incvitablc for CCJUin 1in1, 225; of
amn'f, 2ii3; u canullcd by forgivc.ocu of injurcd, 226; unauthoriud metcd out
462 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
b7 judge .ttpnbcnalb~, 232; diYine, 2511 of wicked, 2~5! 258; of bndJta ~I
ceuc when ,rut i.a reached, 2911 o.ta.strophe form of d1vuu:, 2951 of wickcd m
world of recompcme, 3:161 by dealh or ßogging, crc., 326; of widr.cd iD hen:·
wr doigoated u (iT,, 337 lf.; called G111it11tom, 3401 dfected b7 bear., J401
will bc perpetual, 344; jullilicd, 344; KVCD degreea ol. 349 lf.; in haallcr for
neglcct of lodividual pn:ccptt, 354, k.oown at wne of ,.,d1mpuot1, 35'• minda
will mnfirm belief in divine, in hueafu:r, 355; dlvine, inamed b7 eacaain
clrinlung of wi.ne, 3701 by ellcrcisc of venpna:, 3Slli In hveafttt, varying in
uunr. 347; no es.cmption from, 15. Se, oJro Compemation, Rccom~ Jtc.
quiw, Retribution, llewud
Pursuita, thirteeA, to which men dedicate tbem1elve1, 364 ff.
QUAIJ11ES, poslCSICd by corporeal bcinJI, 56; the four natural nner in i11>latioa,
66. &, tllto EJemenu, Natural Chuactuiatict. Nacure
Quafü7, doea not apply to God, 91, 12:&
Qwintity, i.c., lcngth, wichh, dcpth, 88; and divi.aion incl combination, 115; Kffll
kinds of, 97; does not applr to God, 91, 122
P.ACHEL. dcaccndant of, will war 1pimt RDmant, 302: ukcd for olf1prin1, 381
Rain, rc1tcaint of, cauie of won:y, 384; exttaaed from th.e cloud1, 387
Ralional Being,, numbcr of, to bc created detcnnined by dMne Wildom, 208. s«
ollo Man, Mcn
R.cal, .,me re~rd 11, only what can bc pcnieived wilb 1CPJC1, 25
hafüy, ftOt dctcrmin.ed by mffl'I oplnion,, 78 ff.
Rasoning, proeeu of, 4; art of, S· Sre lllro Speculation
Rcüon, human 10UI cnd.owcd wlth, 17, 111thcntic tndition baled on, 18; didala
necessity of Creaior, 96; demand1 a:piation of aime, 1461 1pproves of uudiful·
IIICII and ju1tice and cfuapprovca of mendacity and injUJtic.e, 161 fincb ccrtaia
•~ commendable and oblig,uory 1nd othcn objectionable, 139 ff.; ren1led pte·
c:ept, wbich from 11:1ndpoint of, iire optional, 101 find• rcprdiclllible much
du.t nature conaidera de1inblc, 325 ; onc of baet of Jewi.ah rcligion, 1741 point
of convcrgencc: ol RJU1tioru, 238; doa not point to co~ncy of mundanc rctri·
bution, 318; dcmanch rctribulion in mothu world, 3331 Interpretation of the
Bible conuuy to, mu,t bc fallaciou1, 333; offen no objcdion 1gain1t bclid in
resurrectioo, 411, 414; contravention of, oc<arit1tc1 11011litl!nl inte,pf'ftlÜOD of
biblical pauage,, 415; which void, anotbct, 25. See ol10 lnrell«t
Rccompense, only mundane, mcntioned in To1ah, 179; in world of compcmation,
2118, ttemal, 210; in INltld to come may bc forfeited, 211 ff.; world tu come
is abodc of, 323; man reecivc:t, for what he h11 1uffcred on aa:ount of justioe
1nd tNthfulncu, 326; punishmcnt in world of, 326. S,e Q/10 Compensation,
Purulhmcnt, Retribution, Reward and Jtcquital
Red, 1nd yellow 11imulatc ydlow pll, 401; aure 1lffngth to mani&d it1tlf. 402;
and blac:k and yellow and whitc in misture l'UC1 OB black pll Incl bring fonh
11>111'1 cowardicc Incl udne11, 402
Red Sea, mirade ol clea~n«i of, 29, 291, 411
Rcdemption (of IHICI), resurrettion of de,id will take plac:e lt time nf. ~64; bome
out by mirades and Scriptun:, 264; mentioned in book ol D1nlcl, 217; oaly
laracliia will be iodudfld, 271, 288 1 430, but not lhox 1ubjea to punuhmenr.
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES 463
2711 re1ummd at limc ol, will noc die 1pin, 281; fint. from Ei,pt not IC
compuied br raurrcction, sb, lwty, 2113, DCeded revelatio.n br pn,phe11, :iil.1.
,uaicmed by 1ubjettloa CO foreipen. 283; lleCIOnd, will require ao ~ ·
:1S.,, will .noc be followed br 111bjection to mreipen, 285; live, will be IOCII 1;
time ol, 288; p,ombed to land br M- 1.nd other propheu, 291 ff.; not di!i.
cult for Ood, 293; priACiple of, murt bc ac:eepca.l, 2911 will (Offle about wi-
repeiuanc:e il cornpleted ot nJ b racbed b7 land, 3011 to Jew. l'fflWDi.r,
abu conqueu ol Jcru11lem by Armllu„ 302; dcecrlptioa ot coodition, it ~
ot. 307 ff.; PRIIIIQCI concen1in1, ooc realizcd in days of '"°"'
IDOR fullJ duMaed by Suipture WD world to CIOffle, 355l 1pecilic'
lntlfÜ 3 , 3 II .
tewarcb
1Dd puni.ahll!ffltt i.n bcreafter will be revealed 1t time ol, 35,1 pn,phecy will
oimd to all hradita at time ol, 3s,; will uke place bdore l'ßelal reaumction,
J"I mlnority d~ not IJ:elieve resurrection will ta.ke plaee at dme ol, 409, maaea
c1o. 409; lfflllnCtlOD 1t time of, auppo~ by tndidon, 410; l11C1ted in tbi, world
4:131 nilcd of laracl will not be es.cluded fmm, 434. SN .110 Raurrectlon Salv,:
tion1DdM~d '
Jledne,1, pure, il lwmful to eya, 401
klatioa, 1ttribute ol thinp ol 11U11111l world, 491 Cltqorf of, doa not apply to
God, 123
hlip>n, people who rdy on 1pec11"'-tioo rernalo without, 27, 31; e1u1e of, hurt by
~rant or quarrcling monochci.tt, 351 1bandefted u muh of afuttony, 370 1
aacnee of, nc,tected by euhuive culdvation ol p,b11ical ICience, 394, lhwld be
111pponed by pll)'llca) ~ 3941 cholce ol true, 1ymbolia:.ed br the attairunc.nt
of rat, 397, 111thenddty of Jcwiab, pron11 by tutimony of ICDICSo 321 uliped
b7 God embrac:a laWI p«Kribed by Him, 138; buct ol Jewiah, 174; Jewilb,
dacrted by weak ln faith, 303; exdlllion from Jelriah, 426. Stt tllto Law La"'
Pn!crpb, Tonh ' '
lllmiyyah, il pcnon without ambidoa, J4
Jlemone, oae of conditiona ol repeoClllcle, 220; from erotic:i1m, 377
Jlenepde, 219
lequital, loaile of, callal "'"' ~•11n .,,, ,uw ,.,,1,, 341. SH .üo Compcnulioa
Pwwhment, lecompeme, htributioo, Rewud '
lepentance, praduca canccllatioa ol demerir,. 212; time bu beca ,ivea ro rod·
Im for, 21,, lenna of, 220; forfeit= by rela~ into da, n:11 helpi apintt
IIO.rme.nb of nen world, 223; achlcvea no ah.otutiou in ccrtain caecs, 214; fivc
de1rca ol, 2:17; acccptanc:e of, dbplay of God'1 mciq, 229; DClCCISII)' oa na1
of Atonemcnt, 234: pouiblc on!J wbil.c MIID il alive, 247; limitt tetm of bnel'1
awfcrinp, 294; brou1bt about by misfonuna, 301. Stt tlÜo Peni11e.11ce, Peal·
teat
laphe, b sranled to ,odlcaa to repcat, 215 1 or for other raaoa,, 215 ff.
lesr., ~ belicve all thin~ are •t. 17; ocbe,s deay tt.allty ol, 171 corpocal cJw.
actenatx. Hi make, nourilhmCDJ effectlve, elJc., J971 •1mboli~ effect of chokc:
of tJUe rdip,n, 31171 pmc:ribed for Sabb.th a.od hollda,., 39711ppN1priate lffer
oerdoo, 31>7 ff.; ra11l11 In lu.ineaa, 3911; premon.ition of quiet of world tD - 1
3991 mcenti\'e fot vinuc, 391)
~nected, at time of N,,,,,p,lot1 will cat, drink, and 11111,y, allo, 4!21 will not
~IC a,-ln, 2811 one of thc Talmudutt daunded from, 21101 will oot eat or drink
III world CO come, 281 ff.; at dme ol rr/,,,,p,iott will anbnce pncticall1 all
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
bnel, iocluding pcni1cn11, 285, 430; would 611 only 1/J50 of the eanh, 285, 431,
will be ,ccogniicd by kin, 286, ,o:i.; will rise from graves with thcir blcmishea
and be curcd, 286, 43::a; will servc God, 287, 4331 in world to comc, 288; Mct-
1iah dCKcnded from Joseph will hcad, 309; will not rfbcl 11ga.irut God, 311, 433;
will aee light of divine Pmcncc, 311; livct of, at time of nifrmp,ior1 will be long,
434; will know hc WH dead, 435
Rc1urrcction, Torah tobe obicrved until day of, 158; will be prccedcd by coming
ot Elijah, 158; a~ time of ,edemp1ion and in the world to come, 264 ff.; wit-
ncsscd in thia world, 2671 no rational objection against, 267, 411; more plauaible
tban tttlllio e1t nillilo, 267, 411; conlirmed by Scripture, 267, 411; of son1 of
~rcphite and Sbunammitc, 2671 corrobonted by rabbinic tr11dition, 267; at time
of mlemption in Palcstinc, 269; will apply to all hucliles exccpt those to be
punished, 271; not ncgated by Scripturc, :1.74, 4r8; God i, not ineapi1blc of, 274;
those who do not bclicvc in, will not be includcd in, 276; abrogation of mu-
riagc bonda through, 282; compcnu1ion for triala, 185; abltincncc would rendcr,
impouible, 366; onl y in world to camc according to minority, 409; unnot be
rcjccled by monotheisu, 411; pouiblc according lo nature, 411 ; ligur1tivc inter-
pnitation of pauages of Scripturc dcaling with, not [lccetJary, 414; irnpouiblc
for l1WI to dfcct by him5df, 4181 will con1i,1 of a moillening 11.nd refre1hing of
dry bolica, 421 ; rcjectcd by aomc hcretic.s, 41,; at time of Mcuiah will not em-
bnce rhose who will have dicd during die spoli.uion of the Jewish 1mion by
Gog, 419 ; will 1pply only to Jcws in a ile, 43,f ; bcnefü1 of belief in, 04 ff.; will
dfect rcunion of prophct1, kings, ugc• and rela tive,, 431· s~, 11l10 Mcasbh, R.c·
dcmption, Salntion
Retribution, in future lifc, 185; at time ol, only two catcgoria of righreou, and
eYildocn, 229; soul 1tored till time of, 257 ff.; in world to comc aftcr raurrution
of dead, 264; not rc1trictcd to thi, world, 326; only, in thi, world me11tio11cd in
Torah, 327; mundanc, not rcquircd by rcuon, 3271 in hereaftcr provcn ncca-
1,;1ry by bn1cl'1 aulfcring and thc prosperity of idolatora, 329; ;a day rcscned for,
by God, 3311 in world to come dcmanded by rcaaon, 333; compared to two
acdvi1ic1 of the sun, 337i for ICISCI' sina canicd out in this world, 351 . Stt "1,o
Compcnution, Puniahmcnt, Rccompcnsc. Rcquital, Reward · . S.ul, the body of, not burned by inhabitant1 of Jabesh, 2511 among n1ll1 p,iu,1,
lloclation, boolu of prophe1ic, constitule authcnticatcd lradition, 18; giYet dcfi·
ni1c rcligioua guidancc whcrc ,pccula1ion fai ls, n;. a,ord, quick relid f,om
doubr, 31 ff.; 1uthcntic:ity of, coulirrncd by aight and it, transmiuion by hcaring,
33; authcntic, pouiblc only by m~ns of prophccy, 63; belief in, of Torah obliga·
tory, 335 . lniu.l dat.a of, 871 hu limit, 87, 89; mcthod of, to advancc: gradu11ly ro what i,
Jlcvengc, benefib expectcd from, illu10ry, 391 ff.; evila rcsulting from, 391 ff.;
daiR for, 1hould be uaed in exccuting ju1tice, etc., 392
R.cward, belief in, 1pparently refuted by indiscriminatory chamter of death, 36o,
Sn Compcnsarion, Punishmcnt, Rccompcntc, R.cquital, Retribution
Rheioru::al, uuge, 1oo
Jlighteou,. to bc, one of ntion,I prw:a:ptt, 14011nd evildocn only two categoria lt
time of reaibution, 229; rec:ompcnscd 1t cerlllin time, µ3; dillln,uilhed from
godlm, 323; bounty 1Tea1urcd up for, 331: dccd• of recordcd, :u r; rcw1rd of,
il brilliance of Creator, 334, con,i111 of light, 338 ff., in &eYen dcgreea, 348; will
be protccted against hcat of that light, 338; will havc pcrpetu:d reward, 344 ff.;
impcnitcnt will be cat olf from, in world to comc, 351; 1nd wicked will c,e
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
cach othcr in hcrca(tcr, 352; will rcjoicc at acaping tormcnts of wicked 352 ,
will l'l'lcet other, close to thcm in rank in world to comc, 352; not ncm~ fro~
diYine acrvice In world to come, 353; rewaro for thi1 servi«, 3541 promised
dominion as rcward, 3871 lazy pcnon 1ntithcsi1 of, 398; ,hould cntcrtain ap.
proYcd icleas and inm\lCt othcn thcrcin, 409; choosc to obey Ood, 43l
Roman,, empirc of, 270, 422; will 1eizc Jerusalem, 301; dac:cndant of R.chel
will conduct war against the, 302; rule of, mentioncd in book of Daniel ia thi,
world, 422
Jlu•~,1244
Jlulen, wr1th of mult of con,truction, 384; 1rirnulated by muaic •nd di.polcd to
faimeas, 404; administrative functions of, 406
SABBAlH, law of, revealed prcccpt, 143; work on, origiaally pcnnluible, 161;
prvhibition 1ddcd by Mosn, 162; did' not comritutc abrogation, 162, law of,
pn:.ecded by tho.JC of cm:umti,ion and sacrifiecs, 169; Joshua did not w1ge war
on, 170; carrying of Ark 1nd blowing of tnimpcr. on, pcrmusible, 170; l•w
instituted in pcrpctuity, 171; profana1 ion of, with intent, 1881 desccrator of,
alled eom,pl, 219; kindling fire on, prohibited, 272; 1ubttitutc for, in hcre1ftcr,
353; l'Clt i1 prescribed for, 397 .
Slcrifices, relllOn for animlll, 1751 entail no pain, 175; Jllll'JIOIC of, 175; pcrformcd
only by pcnona con1CCrated, 168; l1w of, prcccdcd that of S.bbath, 169
S.IY1tion, no new heuen or earth 1t time nf, 342: rcturtection 1t time of, 409; 1t
bcginning of cra of, 4271 only for Jewa in cxile, 434; ttal\ll oE thoac alive at
time of, 433; no disobcdicncc of God on the pan of rcaurrccted 1t time of, 433.
Stt .üo Mcuiah, Jl.edemption, Jl.aurrection
Slmton, 1plri1 of, had not dcparted, 263
Slmuel, w•• addrc:ned in I pillu oE cloud likc M01e1 1nd Alron, 151; 1mong
nffll fl""UI, 276, 429
S.nctuary, 1in1 committcd by priesll in, 178; by hraclitcs outside, 178; Ratoml 1t
the time of ml~mptio,,, 309
S.rah, uid by Abraham tobe 1ister, 196
276, 429
Sciatica, from idlencu, 398
Scicnce, oonduct atearding to, 77; morc than scn1,11ion, 77, truth and mcan, of
knowing it ia truth, 81: tcac:hinga of, rcjccted by (eignen of lgnorance, 82;
more abttrac:t, 87, 891 aourcc of, acnsation, 89; pcrtain, to thc gcnuality of
diinga not to particulara, 105; cach, h11 iu own mcthoda, 251; abstinecce would
bring about the end of, 3661 dicta~ proportion, 399; of clcmenu oE nature 1nd
of 00111titution of world, 406; prcoc:cupation with phyaical, 3941 phy,ical, ill·
tmded to aupport rdi,iiou,, 394
Sdenca, balcd ultimatcly on acnte pcrception, 19; innnted to cxplain 1en1e per•
(eptl and upbold dicm, 22; have ma11:rial buit, 93
Sdcnti111, lmow apacc bctwccn earth and hcann equala 1,089 limn thc Yolumc of
canh, 41:11
Scripwre, u1e1 figura of 1pcech, 1361 confirm1 re1urrection, 267, mcndon, re·
ward 1nd punithmcnt, 317: 1uppott1 belief In reward 1nd punishmcnt in the
466 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
heruftcr, 33'1 callJ lhe aun i•y, 3371 payt .tri~te ro winc~ 3681 tmlona al,
dailing wllh raurrection at rimc of ~tdt"'I"'"' mtcrpn!ted hre„117, 4161 .doet
not nqate rc1urttelion, .. 17 ff.; conta1n, KCOUnta o( palt u leuoo for obcdieocc
ol Ood II wcll a1 natcmcnt of rcwardt, 1.54
Sca&0n1, bcnditt from con1ecnlion of, 143, $,t wo Sabblth
5eament.1, impouible or ren1blc, :13
Seir, 111me of Mount Sinai, 165; con1iguou1 wilh Partn, 165
~&hinab, mplendent with light, 121; .~metim~. d0ö not bave '°':"' ol ~ ·
u.1 1 1ubj«t in Kntence "Ood atood, 1nd of Thc Lord went Hu way, 1:17,
Str J,o Light, divine
Self.Creation, impouible, 46, 68
Scnnachcrib, in1trumcnt of duttuction, 1951 Scripturc', remark about, .. 26
Sensation, rnl, 821 sourcc ol tclence, 89; fini~, 8!>; alone not to bc mied Upc>Jl, 7?;
somc rcjcct all knowled~ ucept th:u of, 771 thinga beyood, are real, 77, powen
of. wakcned by erotici,m, 37:a. $1111 MIO Oblcrv1tion, SelwrionJ, etc.
Sc.nation•, combined by mental ~lty of soul, 761 con•erp in reuoa, :138; unioft
of, don not conttlnne 1aul, 243; elfeetive whcn blcnded, 4011 fi,e l)'pa of. 4011
limple colol'1 do not p,oducc pleaunt, whllc mupr doa, 401; bumoniou,
blendinir of, beneficial, -104. S« •110 Obtcrntion, Scnu.don, Sente, Scniet
Sente, or1an1 provilled wilb faculdes by IOUI, 2-431 wcalttncd by u.mple colon,
401; men enjoy no advantage o•er bc:ull in imtter of, pcruplion, 88; p:rcepta
wbject to confu1ion, 4, may be invalidatDI by an wumptio11, 2.., onlJ f ~ of
N:ality 1ccordin1 to wme, 2,, contndic:1ory, puupll, 241 S11, '110 Obtenatton,
Sc:nudon1, etc.
Scnaea. five, 18, 97, and two mon: xcording to tradit.ion, 181 knowlcd,e of, onc ol
belCt of authentlc tradidon, 18; whattvcr n:jcdl perccption ol, i, falte and un·
tm1ble, ao; .cienca baxd on pcn:epöoa ol, 19; CIIU'IOt 1pprehend creatioa, 38,
or ttcrnity of the world, 39, beginning or end of thinga, ?,; have noching to do
with hope or fair, 77; cannot grup rational uuth„ 1311 baai1 and medium of
human knowledgc, 13:a; ob,cnation of, rcjected by wme, b; 1bow that man
ferlt himsclf lrcc to 1et, 188; &de in oW·1ge, 386; acrengthened by rat, 3971
cootradicrion ol observation of, nccc11itatc nonllteral intupreiation of biblical
pis.age, 415
Scrvia, divinc, will obtaln in hcruftu, 343, obliptory, 353; righteout not ncmpt
from divine, in bcrcaftcr, 3S3 ff.; 1peci1I ttWllrd for divlne, in world to mmc,
354: of God give1 pleanare, 39,, by pareJ1b and chlldrm, 395, con,i,tt of ful-
fillment of rabOnal 1nd revealed prccepu. 396, thould not bc cxcb11l•i! oo:upa·
tion of man, 396, not performed by wtructing othen, 396
Sc:th, among 1111tn 1/J11pll"'l1, 276, 429
-SC.U.I Jntcreourw, by appetitive fat11lt}', 36o; be.llevcd to lnuet1e 1UU1'1 ,tad·
neu, et.c., 371; mcan1 of procrcarion of human 1pccics, buia of tociabillty, 371;
DClCn.ive indulgenc:e in, injuret eyct, etc:., 37:a; prophetl noc re1tnlned from, 371;
produca olf1p,ing, 373; welf1re of bocly, 386
Shldow, 64
SMp/tnl, IM NHII, :176, 4:191 will be rccognized 1t tbc t1me ol murrectioa, :a86,
432
Shruudt, of dead uted to be expcn1iu, 276, 430; Rabbea Gamalicl introduced
CUl1iOffl ol timpllcity in, :176, ·430
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
Sbunammitc, ton of, resuna:tied in thiJ world, 267, 412, 432, ale llld dnnk llld
- able CD mury, :aBo, 432, bad life·ipall timilu to .raurfteled 1ee11 bJ Ezckie1
281 •
Sl1bt. u on~ of five KJlfCI, 97; hu no control o~cr h~g, 76; ~oa not ,pcak, 7?;
cannot teJCC:t knowledgc, 771 orgaa of, 129 ; 1mpa1red by futmg, 367• JaUatioa
of, 401 j blindcd by IDOW, 401 '
Siboo, heut of, budened, 199
Sin, preven~ .by maladia, 184; not nccetsarily inncapablc, :118; relapsc into,
commoa bil1ng, u1; rcndcn ,ubstance of IOIII turbid, 3.46; inhcra in man
u rault of wrong choice, :149
Sinai, uambbge 1t Mount, great miradc, :a9, 274, 29:i, 418; glory of God de-
• l!Caldcd on Mo~nt, 1_09; wu not a dcity, 109, Mount. bad threc narna, 16,
~-!· ~ t ~ifi~llOru of nenca, of body, :144; bocly COIWIII ol, etc.,. 357
Sms, .mcrc:ue !D KllOUJRcss •c:cordins to rank, u9; leau, pardonable, 3,11 rc-
quu.cd in du. world, 351; from cxc:eaive drinking of wine, 370· increuc with
incrc:ue of life, 386 '
Siater, nwrbgc of, prohlbited, 144; may mcan r,l11lir,r, 196
Skcplici,m, theory of, 80
Skeptia, deny reliability of aou~ of knowledgc, 17, 91; doubt everytbing, 156;
not able to producc proof apmtt Judaitm, 28 ff.
Smell, olle ol live KRICI, 97; tran,mitted by air, 65; 1CD11tion of, 401
Smoke, whctt t:hett i1, tbcre rnu,t be firc, :11
sno.w, not put of 1ir, 77; haa JOWre in au, 90; 111111 out II vapor, 77, go; de-
nvcd fn,m water, 90; watcr 10lidi&d by 1ir, 771 nuy appear in f9ffll of atoneJ
90; ca.nnoc give warmth, 249; blind, light, 401 '
Sodom, 1tory of !nhabitanb of, ~93; wilt be raculed 11 time of riul11mption, 319;
today • desolaboo, 319; w11 like E11pt, 319; aca of, wa, awce1·w1tcr Wtc: 319•
inhabitantl of, punished, 3:19 ' '
Sol001on, age, IIOß of David, 361; ,pealu of hannony, 405
Son1 (of Mosc,), ,pcab about re1um:aioa 1t time of ldlr,11t,'on, 4:17 ff.
Sophist,, tbcory of. 78 ff., 91 ; akeptiCJ more RDtcleta than, 8o
Sorrow, inc:rcased by inaeuc of knowlcdge, 36:i; rclicvcd by rcvcn~ 390;
ptoduccd by fifth, 1ixth, w.vcnth, and eighlh rnodea, 404 '
Soul, me;an• of .~ng RnlC. P:'rcicptl, 3: meana of undcntanding, 31 maQ't
~1on o.f, mditated by actmty, 111 of man endowcd with reason, 17; com-
blnct aenution, by mean, of mental &culty, 76; of God 1ynonyrnou1 with ,pirit,
105: aubller and yct ttrongtr than bocly, 11 o; aubjccts all facultict to it1 man-
1 ~ , , 110; belicves in Cod, 132; fillcd with love for Cod, 13:11 aouriilicd by
mcnuo~ of God, 132; grateful to Ood, 132; h,u no mjsgi'tinga on 1ccou.nt of
acpa~~n frorn body, 13_3; co~idm 1nd prai5d God 11 1t1ribute1, 134; lo•es
God • ~d, and halel Hi, encmiet, 133; haa dwclling plilcc: in blood, 175, 238;
haa ac:at lß bcart, 180, 235, 237, 244; more cxtcn,ivc than heavcn incl earth
J8J: know1 wbat. is abo.ve hcavcn, 183; alfected by mcrit1 and dcmerita, 2os:
24.6~ atatc of punty or 1mpurity of, known to Cod only, 20,; made of pure
1p1~11u1l aubuancc:, 206, 345; lw light like c:andle, 207, :171; hu fire li.kc th.at
which ~~ICI mct.al, to mclt, 207; made luminou, by prcdomin1rion of mcrill,
20?; onrnat.u In heu~ 1imultaneoualy with pcrfcction o1 body, 235, 375;
llmted wuh body for pcriod and thcn 11epanted, 235, 2531 will be ffllDited wirb
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
body whcn all aouls planncd han bcen cret.led, 23,, 264, 336; objcct of a>gni·
tion, 236; ncver accn, 236; thcoriea o~, natur~ of,. 236 lf.; blood a~pear• ~hen.
rcjoicea, 238; blootl Ren inlO intcrior whcn, 11 fnghtLncd, 238; ltlC~te of, ab-
atnct, 2391 of man prccmincnt ovcr 1hat of bea111, :14?• goc:1 up wh1l,e that ol
be.an, goc:• down, 2-41; human, alone ~?dow~ w1th 1pc«h, 242; heuer
of wh:dom, :142; pcrfornu act of c.ognauon wuh enence, 243; not mcn:.
uniun of 11enu.lioru, 243; providu acnsc orpn1 wilb facuh.iC'I, 243: perform,
func1ions by mwu of body, :143; hat lhrcc lacultiet, ~44, 360; 111m~liat~ns
of ncn.-cs h:ave no connec:1ion with, :144; heart and, mcnuoncd togcthcr m Scnp·
turc, :145; mun havc instrumcnt to attain blisa, 246 ff.; tcsting of, 246; 1w
becomc attaehcd to, as re1ult of poar choicc, 249: defilcmcnt not duc to bod_y,
2491 pain, of, 250; ancl body comticutc one agc?t, 250, 253, 336; doea ';'°' llll
by it1elf, 251; cannot touch, 251; 1~h appcnam1 to, 2~1: pcriod of umon of.
with body, 253; atltc of, after leavang body, 255 lf.; miscry of soul reault of
vennin, 257ö cuencc of, cannot be tr1ndormed by man, 260; C11?not. change
body, :a6o; not chargcd with obligation to ~~)' Gocl before com1?g .'"'° ~e
world :and not subject to punithmcnt for fa1hng, 261; rcpose of, 1nd1arcd in
PJalm, 26:11 of Sam10n not dcpa.rted from body, 261.; happincu of, In thi, world
minglcd, .324; docs not fecl am1rc in thit world, 324; long, for world ta come,
3:i.,1 covmd with amut in thi1 world, 334 lf.; God cnlrcd l~>C>Yr, 3-46, gl1~~
c,f, 371 ; belicvcd rcfined by lovc, 374: drawn to matc ai:cordmg to thc crobd1U,
374; sercniry of, 381; hai an inclination for elcvatlon, 387; ataddcnfd by do·
minion, 387: tur.« plcarurc in giving command1, 387; ·rclicvcd of 1orrow, b1
renngc:, 390; fallt into gloom by ploning rcvcngc, 391; dcaire for. rcvcnge ,m.
plantcd in, .392; traiu of, origiruating in ycllow gaU, arouacd by m11turc of red
and ~llow, 40:a: humllity of, by combination of ycllow and blaclt, 402:. rouaed
to activity by mergcr of c:olon, 401; 1rimulaied by fourth mode, 40.3; 1mpul11e
of, aroulled by 1ingle aound, etc., 401; harmonioua cffcct1 produced on the. f:ac.
uhics of, by blcnding of 10und11, 401; hQ1 1ixtccn facultiu, 4:u; thc word l111t1,
allusion to, 421 ; bones can be reunited with, 420. Stt 11110 Body, Man
Souls, of vir1uou1 thinc likc hcavcnly 1phcrc1, 242 ; of wickcd lowcr than un-
apccilicd 1phcre1, 241 : pure, enl!Ld, 247, 257; soiled, can be purificd, 247 ; can rc-
turn to bodies, 430. s,, 11110 Body, Man, Soul
Sound, of IDROfOUI body tn.11,mittcd by air, 65; apprebendcd by common acnac
of soul, 76; not cut off by ccrtain type• of wa.11, 131: 1ingle, aroua one im~l11e
of the 10UI, 402; o{ten lui1 injuriou1 reaction, 402; blended, producea h.armon)OIII
dfccu, 402; many ltinds of, 10 • J0Ume1,
Sounds, 1mbiguou11nd unintelligiblr, 10; of thunder and craahing, 10; of an1mated
beinp, 11; natural, 11: aniculatr, 11
Sources, four, of knowlcdge, 410 : nature fint of, 4101 original, of hcat, cold, moist•
uft, 1nd clrynaa. 412: original, mucb morc extensive thalll componcot parta of
bodict, 412. &t 11110 Elemen11, Natural Ch,ncteristia, N11ure, Qualitica
Space. attribu_te of material bodics, 5:1, 56, 173; not rubttntum of thingw, 8,i;
mceunr oi rwo conriguou, bodics onc becoming the, of the othu, 84 ß',1 no.
without nrth or bodin, 85; idc1 of, produ«d by con!Kt, 88; .cnaual world
located In, 49; not 1ubstance of God, 113; cruted by God, 1141 acrial, betwttn
arth and heaven, 412 • Subttances, have counterpub, 86; material, conaiat of link,, ,400
Spcculation, begin1 with tbinga confused, 10; aim of, 26; doea not lcad to unbclid
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
or ~y. 26, not forbidden by uga, 27; ~njoined by God, 27; object of :1 7 «
.31; rime ia to bc 111ke11 with, to confirm Tarah, 311 WOfflCII and cbild~n ~
inc:apablc of, J:1; why men refuac lo engage in, JJ lf.; DOt alwa,- eure of an.inini
obj«ti,e, 27: an attain ohjecdvc only sradually, 31; proau of, miJht not bc
compl~ted, .31; objceti,c of, not rc:acbed, 31
Speech, CODIICCted, 11; f1culty of, doea not aee, 77: conai.llta of noum or combina-
tioat or prcmi- or proofs, 18; pe,11in1 ooly to IOUI, not to body, 251; carried
out by live org1n1, :15:1
Spherc, uppcrmoat, mova once a day, 7.Ji makea rnolution u rault ol c.clatial
ea1twanl movcment, 111: ICI In motion by Crtttor, 1111 hannly, artclttld onl1
by miracle, 1471 of air, 711 of univcnc, B,. S~ MIO Heuen, Sphua
Spheres, 1pirita aeated in form ol divided, l«Oldiog to crotici111, 37,4; cele,ü.l,
known by scicDCC, .393; concen1ric, with 11an in them mau up beaven, 42 ;
beannly, Jnded, 7:1, contain ,w„ 7:1, d.usified u inDet and ou11er, 7:1, illve
vuyior movemenu, 72, finite, 73, 1urround carth, 181; aublWK:c of hu 111111
aoul il finu thao that ol. heavenly, 206, 245; heavuily, luminow, 14:a. noc tn·
dowf:d with rca,on, 24:11 IOUla of virtuou, ahioe like hcavc.ot1, :14:11 aoul, of
wicked lower lhan un1pccified, 242: IW>IQ!li(le of heannly, pure 1nd 1r1napuent.
Su Mio Hcavcn, Huvcnly Bodie,, Hcaven,
SpiriL Stt God, Man, Soul
Spiritual Beinp, theory ol. eternal uncratm, out ol which the unlvcne wu formed,
50,58,107,236,259,375
Spiritualisu, doctrinc ol the, 259
S11r, one, alone doa not illuminate bel'l'cn, 358
S111n, conglomerate ol a,mJJ, bdicved auac of Mllky W1y, 23: ol varyin1 lumi-
notity and sizcs act in hcucnly 1pbaea, 431 coloration of, 44; paded, 7:1; wa1U11
mon111cnt ol liled, 7Ji believed by 80ffle fonned &om lighicr PI" of bodiet
oonverging by chancie, 731 oftcn many timea aize of c:anh, ?,i not alze of pcbblct
or ~!,, 75; lllulff>l! of amallncu of, 75; known by man, 1b; COllliat of pure,
l.e., simple, elemcntl, 184; aubtt:anc:e ot human aoul i1 liner than th•t of, 206,
:145; light af, 3491 bclicved by erolicitb to inlluc.ncc dom\n1nt paaion, 3741
DW!dant of two, 374; utrolopn belicve in inJlucnce on man of, 392; of hcawen
'" lcnown by acicnce, 393
Slltmicnt, 10; two ar marc words necd not con1titute, n; .Meallll'Ji u• impou.i·
blc, u; ponible, u ' '
S~dom, iD procaa ol -ini or apeculatioa, u; twenty-ciJht. ol moan in it1
22
Stone, aaentiall1 motionlc11, 71: movc, downward to gtt out of 1phtrc oE air 71
Strivin11, thincen principal human, 364 lf. '
Strokea, do111nW1rd and upward, of plcc:tnim, 40.3
Study, opportunity for, on CODJCCt1rcd fCIIOlll, 143
!labmiuivena., ta God demanded by reason, 139; bclincd to bc t.aught by love,
J74i 1timul1tcd b1 fourth mode, 40.3
Suh111ace, the tcn categorin 1ppl1 to, 97; doa not pc1t1in to Cttltor, 111: i1
put togethtr by Ctc:1tor, 111; thcorica c.onc.cmiog, of God, 112 ff.; Ood cultcd
abQve, 346; ol ,un i1 hor, 70
Sub.titutiun, of wcak lcttcn in Hcbrcw langu•se, 29
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Subttr:atum, ,pace not, of things, 84
suffcring, reDOl'II for, of virwoua in thi, world, 213; purpoae of, :114
Sun, ,phcre of, :13; riset and ICIJ c•«y day, 41; rcvolves around eanh, 411 h~II
air by npiJity oi rot.ation aaotdin~ to 10mc,. 70; 1u1>:-taru:c of, 70; hu ~n:cptiblc
b~t, 71; hcat of, erronrou1ly 11cnbcd 10 11r, 71; hght of, aot affecled b:, filth
In world, 132; ccrtain hcrctic:1 wonbip, u Cod, i19; nal\lrc of reward and
puni1hment in bereifter compucd to two activitie1 of, 337J caUJe of heat and liaht.
JJ7; callcd d11y in Scrlprure, 337; light of, mongcst of all, 348 ff.1 made to
lillgCC in Joehu1'1 campaign, 411
Superirnposition, throry of, ~i
Sur, dnignatioo of great 1111:0. 30 , u malcd prccefll of, induded in 1ervice of God, 3961 alludcd to by thc uprc1·
su,pe111ion, Christian, bclicvc in, of thc Law, 312.. Se, MIO Abropttoa, Law, Lawa,
Torah
Syllogi1111, three forma of logical, 97
TABERNACLE, God's slory dctUOded oo, 109; w.,not dcit:,, 109; originall:,
pnyer1 offercd jn dim:tion of, 171 ; Ood did not nctd, for Himaclf, 1761 dwelling
placc of lisht ol ~l(,Aind and plac.e for 1oceptu1u of pcaycn, 177
Talmud, seholan of, dcsccndcd lrom tt1urrected, ::i8o
Ta* oM of live acn11C1, 97: attribuie of maicrial bodics, 52; 1en1e of, haa no
cnr:uol over touch, 76; 1ppre~ndcd by a>mmon 1en,e of soul, 76; nioe priodpal
division1 of, 97; sensalion of, 401; co!l\bin11iom of, &miliar, 401. s„ lllro SeJl·
KbOR, CU:, . baJcl ol Jewilh rc:ligion, 174; 1ulhcnt:ic, fourth IDUfCC of knowlcdge, 181 Blble
Tuca, for maintienancc of king and army derived from foocl, 368; oppraaiYC,
coa1urnc menue from ficld,, 384
Temperament, c:au1e of 1idtncia, 365; bclieved rcfined by lo•e, 374
Temple, endearcd u muh of obliptory 1eparation, 1441 bccamc direcdoo of
prayen, 171; pl1cc wbcre prayeu - , e eoccpted, 177, ltracl in Canaan 4lo yean
bcforc firlt, and during 410 of ita exi1tcncc, 298; Jcwa ldlc 17 yean from a>n·
all'Uction of 1CCOnd, 300: uructurc of, at time of ndtmplion, 309 tf.1 promiaa of
ndtmptiori not fulfillcd during limc of Ra>nd, 310 lf.: Chriatiam bclicvc ~
of l"td,mption fulfillcd In time of ICClOnd, 320; ll!COfld, a:iau:d 434 yain, 3:110;
building of aecond, bcgan 49 yca11 af1er c11ilc, 320; nllc:, facing, called Topb111,
340. s,, lllso Sanctuary
Tenaca, thrce, 97
Thcfr, reasona for prohibition of, 14:11; thief'1 own action, 194; patt u, 351
Tboughu, ,inful, 231 ff.
Throne, of glory espcci11ly Cffltcd out of lire, 1:111 ff.
Tipis, noboclycan own, 163; watcr of, 296
T'une, con,umcd by journcy of moon, n; thrce pcrioda of, 44; finite. 44; e11illencie
of thinp in, of 11me order II creation out of IOfflething, 49; 1ttribute of material
bodies, 52, 56; lncre11e of pa1t, and diminution o.f future. 72; doea not uan.:end
1phcrc of univene, 85; duration of a:utlng thinp, 85, 88, 1251 equ1l1 IIUCCltlli•c
1tag'9 ili hurory ol aphcrc of uoivene, 85; not in exi111:ncc bcforc carth, 86;
aitcgory of, doa not 1pply to God, !11, 1:115, 346; in bcraftcr will coawt of
light uninttrrupted by darkneu, 343; divuion of, on canh, 343; lndiicalions of,
in hcrc:afw only for divine ICl'Y~ so; of bell, 40:1; proper, 406 ff.; Umit ol
body, :a,3 ff.
INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES 471
Tuna, banl, longed for by owacn of ficld,, 38,
Topbccb, eumplc ol bucDCA, 341
Tophta. 5,,« T m,pl,
Torah, for ctemity, :181 confinned by apeculalion, 32; obtcrved till day of raur·
nction, 158; oo equivocalioo in, 17:a; mcnlion, only mundanc rc:compcnte, 179 1
laconic in txpoation of reward 1nd puniahmcnt in world to eomc, 327; dwcU.
on dcacription of Palcsüoc, 328; Christiln1 bclievc in 1u1pcn1ion ol lawa ol, 322;
alludes to fuiurc life, 3jo; tr&JUl11ion of, by ,qn ~ of rcsurrutlon of
MOICI and hia beading Jcwisb nalion in futurc, 335; belief in rcnlatioa of,
obliptory, 335; parcnta rewarded for tcaching childrcn, 381; rational u weil
aioA li1Au, 4:115. Su Mio uiw, Lawt, and Abroption
Tormcnt, pcrpctual, of Wlntrt, 344 B.; &t.e ot polythci.tt, and lmpcniknt, 350
TonnenD, 1fier death, ::ia:a; in nut world avoidcd lluough pcniteacc, 2:114
Touch, one of five lliCDICI, 97; sense of wte hu oo control ovcr, 76; apprcbtnded by
a>mmon 1erue ol IOU.I, 76; aen11tion of, 401; givn plcuure by conl.lct wich
what i, eoft, 401
Tradilion, validit:, of ,llirmcd by manotheuu, t81 bucd on knowlcdge of teRlliCI
1Dd auaoa, 18; nlidatn koowlcdge derivcd by logical aeceui1y, 191 authentic,
:116, 3:1; of ma11e1 not 111bjcct to falac impttHiont ot misrcpresen111ioo, 1,11 ac·
c:.ef>'cd by bum111 mind, 156; aoceptlncc of, bui, of commcrcr, clc., 156 ff.;
cricieria of inutworthincn of, 157: cannot ch1nge from day to day, 17.a; one of
mu.r be interprc~ to agrtt with, of nbbb, :a66, 415; corroborara belief ln
rau rrcaion, 334, 409; of nbbi1 1upports belief in world to a>mc, 3341 trudaful·
11111 of uan1mi1te11 of, must bc acknowlcdged, 335; suppona belief in rcw1nl
aDd punisbmcnt. 336
TnJP11tlon. s,~ Torah
Triala, aufferinp Gi rightcou1 in thia world, :1113; of thc rightcou1 in Effl)t. 295;
ataatrophn may bc, :1195
Tribn, individual• lt time of murreclion will bc 1tt1ched to their, 43:11; geo•
1nphic dutributioa of, 43::i
Trinitlril111, four ICCll of, 109
Trinity, thcory of Christian,, 103; due ro reprding Ood', life and ltnowlcdgc di „
tinct from cuencc. 1031 what appcarcd lo Abraham not trinit:,, 108
Trumpet,, blowinJ of, pcrmincd on S1bbath, 170
Truth, knowlcdge of, atuincd by 11udy, 4: sometimc1, not rc:cornlz.ed, 5 ff.: not
fumly 1naped, 61 falxhoocl may be misialu:n for, 6; duty to direet men io, 7;
thrcc ba1e1 of, 16: of thinp pcruivcd when 1en1e1 arc guardcd apimt optic
illution1, 20; sevcn poinis to assure cmcraence of, a5; oftcn burdensome and biner,
33; com~ndation of thosc who spclk, rtfutation of 1kcpticiam, 81: aciencc, 1nd
meant oi knowing it. 811 1pprobation of, not po.uible by mcan1 of ae.nsc1, 131;
bclieved by soul, tJ2: bccomea mingled with man'a ,pirir, 132; practicc of, n•
tional prcccpt, 140; uscrtion about thing wha1 it is, 142: oot in,alidated by
miraclcs, 163
Truthfulne11, not poaeaacd b:, thinp in simple 1tate, 54; approbation of, by human
ra10n, 16, 3151 earn1 enmity and haued, 325; dlu.ppcars II rcsult of lovc of
monq, J79
472 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
413
Tumicl larbaclocs Ler, fram idlenaa, 398 OYerftow, 241 doa not 1Wld up by ibc:Jf, 24; does not minale with fue. 6J 15 •
7
Twnon, &am idlcDal. 398 k ocver mlllformed ~to fitt, 64; tcparata fu,cn ainb, 67; c:a:rnity of, ~ ~
d ~ b l e ~ Scnprure, 611 lf.; beamc: elcmcnt in world 1ftc:r creatioo, 6111
UNBEUEF, held to rault hom spcculaliaa, :1161 ICII ol. :11131 II pmcal nmpuat, IOlidifial bf AU' II SIIOW, 77, ptoduced from npor, 7'1; riJr:a by Hporiulio11,
318 ,o; IOUlCle af 1DQw, 90; wind finer yet 1110111 powerful llwi, 1 n; liner lhln
UDbelicTcn. boulful,,: God'1 miNloA allO to. 193. s« .w
lllto lafiddt. Hm1ica eanh ,et 1trongcr, 1111 Clllllot lr:nd upwvd, 248; imnimatit, 181; exlneted fnxn
Uaccrtuiuic•, cau.ea cl. JI how rcaurnd, 3, 10; ni11 nsullillf from, 6 f,1 ~ deptha o/. eanh. by man, alli; intumaliary cawc: oE futility, 70; no fruiu pro-
llril1 ailef1lliocd bJ cnated bdnl', 101 prevcn1 racbia1 objeaiH ol 1pccut.lion, ducm when, .nthbdd from trea, 6111 caa be upt from 8owinr 001, b7 mindc:
31. SH .uo Doubu 147; tra111formation of, Üllo blood ia minclc, 147; moiatena wood ol pine. ~
Unitducaeed, dunlr. 1peaalaÜOG lcadt ID 1111bclicf, :1161 mip1 dwik proplicl , - - . wood ol ·~more, •n1 cold by nature; 97; Im of, brinp about COU1eninJ oE
diatiamvc 111CUR if able alwa11 ID pcdorm minlcla, a,o: Arabt, 26 man', nature, mc:n111l dcnaam,en1 and i1111niay, 3661 cau,c: of annibllation, 369·
UAiqULGCP, of God, 103. SN "'6o God, Oneoca, Unity, UoliJccoaa dcepr:r lhao lugtb of fi,un: Kt:11 in ia. 20; i, bclievcd detived from ioouhcdron'
Unir,, of God not plJICd by - . 361 will be profmed bJ all 1t time cl. n. 511 ol Ern,t WAi diaapd IDlo blood, 411; of bei Sca bcame c:onguled and
,,,.,-,,, 311. S« t1UO God, 0ne-, Uniquenesa. UalikcAal tlDOd 1till, 411 l 111111:lea, 97
Uniwne. canb ia CIC:llter of, 241 coiuua oi Makcr and pn,duca. 481 craacd b llb Walth, aecu~ulallcd by lonn of monc:1 goa 1o otbers, 36o; God'1 blaun1 doa
of ma11, :1148; maa ur. oesita ol, 323; Ciaror of, onc, 1,1 ll?t rear oa ill·gottat, 380; laviahed on Duninf of rneD~, 391
Unlikuea, oi God, 9'· Stt ,il,o God, Oneacu. Uniqueaca, UAiiy Wb1te. SH Colon
Wicked, dcmcrill laid up for, :1109; 1111111 of, lower lh.an unapecificd aphcra 242·
VANITY, can.aot be pn,diaieed of God'1 w«k, 36a1 csduam clnodoa ID culdwa· liEc of, shoNmcd, 1541 evil mervc:d fo,, 331; decds of, recorded, 331; ,:W,h~
daa ol wuclom, 3621 clnooon to pietJ alone, 3631 upbolldinJ of maa:rial wwld, ment of, ca.Ual' fin, 3381 and righo::ou, will eye ach ocher in world IIO comc
363 3J21 "'ill be rr:irclful lfflDf bappincu of riJbteow, 3521 Will not meet othe:
Vapor, becomtl wata, 771 made fO Ne from anh. 78 wiclted pwilibed in world to come, 3s:a
Vaporiulion. of watu c:a111e11 rw, po . Wic.kednaa, ladnr:u daignation o(, 398
Varic:oee VciM, ftom idlmca, 398 W:ilderna,, Jnel'a wanderina in, 267, 416; Imcl aub&lated in, OD finat Eood, 394
VCJipnce, b7 muRlcr reptthcmible ID RUOQ but claited bJ nature, 315. SH .,. Wiad, fiau thu wat.er yct morr: powernd, 111; uaoci.ltion with, futile. 362
lnalp, V'mdimftDCII ·v-mc1,, ba,re 1bodc in uppcr and loftl regiona, 263; muat ao wben thcir Muter
Veniou, YIIJUII, iD Bible, 174 call, thcm, 263
Vk:e, wbat c:au,a pain comidered bJ' - u, 14:11 Wiae, harmful for penon dliclcd with fever, 1s,; beautiful la color, podiy ol
Vh1dictiveaieu, reac.u 1pi.nu vmdiclive, 36o; nil rault1 of, 391 ff. SH wo le- &a,ruce 1nd pltU111t lo taate, 3681 belined to produce joy, ~ t J ' , coura~
ven,e, Ven1eaDClt: 3~!11 Scripture JIIY' tribu1e to, 3681 drw1k nw maka braln dry, 3701 drunk
V"am1e, incrai1e of lllc mnrd ol, 2S4 murc:d maka brain moht, 370; drunk raw tOl:UtnW mind and impaln lnt.ellect,
V'artuoui. ,ivea oommandme.DII and pmhibiliom 1a lht:7 ma1 be rcwuded, 1p1 3701 evil raulra ol drinkinr, to aca,, 370
merits oi_, 1.aid up IM them, 208; whwe sood dced• exceed evll, 2161 map IUI!'« W'ue. bl'fe IOlicitudc for wiadom, 111 rclia 011 wbat ia dacniq ol truat, 15• de·
ill thia world for few evil dm!1, :1111 lola meri11 if hc reffCU aood dced„ :1121 abe reward of -rld 1o cmne IIDd liEe etemal, :119'; 1llow1 latellect 1o rul: im·
P'~IICC oi, no1 ll1ht17 dtecmc:d, 214; ,oub of, dune 1w: beannl7 1phem. 24:11 pul.• 188; duciplinc of, clomlaioa of c:opitive &cullJ ovcr impulaa and ap-
DOt etdi, penoo'• life iacrealed In dais world, 2541 will plrtldpa!ie Lo ll'lkmp- pr:bta. 361
doa, :171. Stt .uo Piou1, l.iah~a W'llclom, in Job diaptet :118: 11 ff„ ,s, and iD Proverbl 1: n «.. 54 lf,1 rnealed by
«
V'uibility, God oot 110 be UCA lirerallJ, 1211, of lmllJI made poalble bJ col«
related IIO four elcmentl, • 29 .
V'llioA, bJ union cl. colon wilh owA epeäa in orpa of llipc by medium cl 1ir,
tD t«ept ~junction ClODCerDinf wbat b harmful, 193; ia called k..,,:
God in crutinr ele.mcnta, " ' p m ro min b7 God, 18:a; 111e1 of bum1n 1b·

lo lr.nc,w dunp aa they are, 249; bwnua IOUI caclowed with 1Uperior quality of,
239;

u51; powu oi, localled in cmtn af ~ do
VitalilJ, af God, 941 pro•en rimulllllallWf wilh omaipotmce ud ~ .
IU
Voice, humu, ODIJ from man, 21
WAil, uniffrAI ca111trophr:, :11151 widapread aad violent IIOdaJ, JII
Watu, Olle ol. four r:wmntl, '5; loeale ol, bclow air, 41 l tiea,7, 4:111 emda down·
wud, 70; not IOU~ ol CJQ1ion ol 1nimal1, 24; bu WldetlC)' IIO perm&aee ud
3231 ,egulata con.~uct of ~ · 36o; euJuaivc dnodon to aihinlion of, vanity,
36:a; 1hould be cul11v1kd part1aJl7, 363; for exccudon ol coruttucrion pl1n1, 383;
for regulalion of_ world, 31181 1mpona1Ke of, lo"'ucd b7 those who m.akc do-
~ inioa end iA ltac:lf, 3118; of poor i1 detpiscd, 31141 man thould dcdicttie lci,ure
tllllc IO MXjUisition of, 405; divine, ~uittd bJ hnelira, 394; three rypa of,
4o6; r~femd ro b7 the ward li1l,u, 4i1,; baughr, find fault whh, ol Creator,
3851; d1vinc, d«rec:a how man, lallllWI bcinp 1re ID be crealed, 208 324• ol
God revaled. by crutioa, 116 ' '
474 THE BOOK. OF BELlEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF SUBJECTS AND NAMES
Witneu.e1, requittd fo, dcatb pen1h7, t68 475
1tnaction,, 384; onr 1rowth of liclda, 384; oa ICICOUDt of rcarraiat ol raia 1 ,
Womn, method of acquisition of, ddioed by propbeu, 146 . • . cwu drouaht, illtenae hat, mlldew. locuna, torrcntial lloocb, 384 ' 3 4'
World, our, 731 in c11i111cnce 4,693 yc:are, s,; mu,t bne had bqlßDID,, ~s; m·
habiianu of 99• rcuibucion in IUIOther, dtmanded by tt:UOD, 333l habiaboll ol, nl;IIDHAH, IOUI callcd, 244
383; otder ~nd ~clfan: of, 1ened by leadenhip, ~87; ordcrl7. conuol of, pc>llible Yellow. Sn Colot1
onl7 by wi.dorn, 38111 C:ORIUNtioa of, 406; doctrwe ol etamty of, 411; ACICIOllnt
of CrClboD of, aJlelD'f, 42,, of compellllbOll place of tcal RIC'OfflpcD~, 208; Up-
buildinf of, vanity, 363; acmull, la 1pace eu:., 49. ~, JJO World, mil ZAllE.PHITE, IOll of, womaa w11 raumacd In thia world, 26,, 432, by Elij1h
432, •~ and draak and wu 1ble to marry aftu mini, 28o. 432, hld life1 pa~
World next mon c.ompenaation in, 2101 rccompcJ11C forfdt.ed in, 212; tormenr. 1imilu to tha1 ol rnurrcctcd ,eco by Eack~, 28&
ci, ;,oidcd throurh n:pentancc, 2231 raurrection of dead ~· 264; tbcrc ~I Zcdekiah, impiou, kln1, .110
be 00 eattDf OI dri.nkiJIS in, 4321 for~ U result of eroacitln, 376; llfe tn Zcpuniab, amon1 n1A1 pri9"t, .176, 429
thi, world thoulcL be an:p-laddu lo, 3871 dcliJbll of, 431; murrcclled will be Zodiacal, penona undcr ia.ftuence of. •i&n, 374
Uöllllf«:rrcd to, 432. &, also Hereaft.cr, World 10 Comc 2'.apllr, 27
World, ol tte0mpen11t, 264
Wotld, tbla, jcalCl'.117 offl thiDgl ol, 91 aome rewatd and punuhmcnt mcted out iJI,
2081 ooly lcMcr ,-pcn,c bwowcd in, 210, 3,1; 1uffcrin~ of YJl'lllOUI lD. .213;
rc&IOD for well-bcing of pdleu in, .11, ff., 326; bolding, ID c:ocatanpt 1111:idoce
1pin1t ~lapain1 into aln, 222; pwilsbmeo1 i.o, inaaipablc a.fw decrec iuual,
"3• wo in Hcnt ol pe,jury, bloodahcd, llllultcry, and falte tadmony, 225;
good decd1 ol ,inful n:quited in, :ll6; compemalion for mi.tfonuna in. in b -
after. :ll6o; aona of Z.rq,bite llnd Shunammitc rcaurnict.ed in, 267, 4u ; re1urrec-
U011 in, aupported by Scripture, 267; ip,rut claitti gloriet of, :396; Torab mcn•
tion, only rruibluions of, 32,i b.ppillell ol man in, n,trier.td, 3241 IDUI doa
DOt feel ICCVN: In, 3241 N:tribution not ralricud ia, 32, ff.; ,illtibule 1111> Dt'lll
world, 334; pcnilleOCe poaiblc only in, 334; o.uc bour of n:poec in next world
ia bcncr than entirc lifc ol, 3341 nature ol bappi.nas in, 3471 varicty of tor·
111ent1 in, 3481 ooly tn.olicnt abode, 364; nila of, 364; diuppointmcnll of, 36,,
abslinaicc in, ftlCOIIIJDtJMicd, 367; forgottcn II rauh of eroticiml, 376; )ilc ol,
clainble only on a«oUDt ol aCllt, 400; rrhmptia" will t1k.c pltce in, 42-31 thetc
i.t eating and drinking •nd coh•biiatioo oaly io, :ll81, .fl:ll. Su aho Barth, World
Wor&d ro oome, will c.om111e1Kc wbai numbc, ol aoub will be fullillcd, 324; apecial
•bodc ol rec:ompmte, 323; place ol untroublcd eai.ttencc lnd pure happiocu,
324; humlß llllUI yearn1 for, 32,1 ~ world, 32,; mm not cruted in, 326;
belief 111. borDc ou.t by aacri&e ol luac:, martyrdom oE Hananiab. Miahacl and
Azarilh 1nd Daniel, 326 ff.1 n:ward lall puaubment in. de11101111tablc only
ratlonally, 3271 most of rcw1rda promucd in Lcvlticua, 26: 3 ff. 1pply toi 328;
reward in, .upporud by eaie of Elijab, 329; liltc palac:e, 334; peni~noe inipoariblc
in, 3341 one hour of repote in, prcferablc to eotire 'ife of thi, wotld, 334; lie
in, all light, 334; no mUDdanc OCtUpatiolll in, 334, 342; belief In rcward in,
oblip~ry. 334 lf.; Juobolm, Ab.ab, Manatlch, Balum, Docf, Abltnphd, llld
~&i havc 110 lhare ia, 33'1 lim ol clclirc fcw clcntion 1hn111d be uplradon
for, 390; minority belinc raumction cl dead will tlb plac:e 11 time ol tl'IIIA·
lioa io, 409; belief in, 1tn:ngthcaod by munfflion, o,. Sn also Compe!Ullioa,
Hunftet, Punhhmcnt. R«cmpe!UC, &quital, ltaurnctioa, Jt.:tribution, lt·
Wiid, lllCllt World
Worry, dctcrrent from rracbin1 objeaiva of 1peculatlon, 311 pheoomcnon of lhia
world, 16,: from aotic:i.tm, 376; lnmuel with ibCICaR ol lifc, 386; ovcr coa•
 INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED 477
6: 9, 154 :10:1a,226,254,J85
7: J, 199 201 IJ, J27
7110, 411 20114, J28
7: 20, 152, 411 20115, 328
INDEX II 8:3, 15:1 20: 19, JI
91 J, 116, 117 2JI 15, 298
PASSAGES CITED 9115, 199
9: 16, 199
231 2:1 0 J13
2JI 25, 368
9: 20, 29 23: 26, 25J
GENESIS 10: 1, 199 :14: 9, IJO
101 5, 119 24110, 116, 1.30
1: 1, 40, 61, 4:15 15: IJ, 299 u: 29, 254 24117, IJO
151 14, 28:a, 291 u:40, 299
1: 2, 61
1: 7, 128 17: 1, 177, D, 44
181 1, 108
13: J, 27:1, 4:14
13: 19, 252
29:45, u,
29: 4J, 177

311 16, 158

1: 11, 4:15
1:14,42.5 181 2, 108 1414, 199 32: 32, 3]1
1: 26, 107, 111, :13:1, :148 18:3, 108 14: 21, 411 3JI 8, 151
1:27, 114 18: 19, 33 14: 22, 273, 426 3J: 18, 1.30
1: 28, tlh
18: 22, 108 15: •• 119 3.3120, 130
:1:2, ul 18: JJ, 127 1614, 394 .33: :aa, 130
:1:7, 250 19: 21, :116 171 1, 116 .33: 23, 1.30
2: 10, 319 :10:2, 196 1919, 32 34:5, 127
:a: 16, 3:17 :1013, 197 19121, IJO 34:6, 129, 229
:1117, 321 ::ao: 6, 197 2012, 327 .34: 10, .339
3: 16, 31:a ::ao: 7, 197 201 J, 219 34128, :ab, 339
3: :ao, 265, 415 :ao: 11, 1{,.S 2017, 220, 225 34: 29, .339
22: ... 169 20111, 128 35: 3, 27:a, 424
4: 7, 33:1
22: u, 169
4: 12, 161
25: 21, 381
1: 1, 1:11
27:29, 387
LEv1ncus
1: 21, 117
9: 5, 387 29: 21, 372 412, 250 19111, 140
9: 6, 168 30: 1, 311 413, 3:11 19: 36, 396
30:22, 128 4116, J21 2311, 154
9: 7, 373
11: 1, 239
32: 12, 27:1 511, 205 23: 2, 154
1:1: 4, :199
35: 18, 38:a 5: 15, 250 2JI 27, 234
12: 13, 168 37: :ao, 389 5123, 225 24: 15, 139, 205
13: 10, 319 37: 35, 352 5:24, :1:15 25119, J68
14: 6, 165 44: 18, 118 6115, 321 25: 29, 297
14: 1<4, 196 44: :11, 118 7: 20, 251 25:30,297
14: 22, 53 50: 17, 2:16 7121, 251 261J, 209
15: 3, 381 III :a, 396 26: 3 ,r., J27, 329
11147, 39' 26:4, 328
14157, 396 26: ,. 328
EXODUS 161 •••• 171, D, 46 2616, J21
171 ... 176, :131 26:9, 328
2:3, 119 4::1:1, 109 17114, 321 26: 10, J21
3:6, 126 4: 30, 148 181 JO, 187
J: 18, 126 4: 31, 148
5: 2, 419, 420
413, 411
 •
478 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED
:11: 1, 178
479
J:a:6, 427
NUMBERS 22: 6, 272, .f24 3:a: 7, :168
22: 7, :126 3:a: 8, :168
1: 1, 121 15: 3:a, 118, II, 15 23: 22, 227, M, JI Incl 5:1 32: 9, u6, 261
4: 27, 118 15:39,375 14: 4, 197 3:a: 10, 268
6: 25, 116 16: 32, 119 24: 13, 331
8: 18, 170 19: 1«., 177, n. 45 24: 1.5, 227, n. 54
32: 12, 94
32: 1-4, 427
10: 12, 165 :ao: 12, 211, 328, n. 17 25: •• 200 3:a: 15, 268, 427
10:35, 127 .lll :28, 272, 414 25: 3, 266, 415, 416 3:a: 19, 268, 427
II: JJ, 214 22: 6, 108 25: 15, 227, 254 32: 20, 427
1·1: 18, 116 u:12, 1'9 26: 16, 138 32: 22, 350, .. ,6
11: 25, 349 :a:a: 15, 170 21: 12, 378 32: :16, 4:17
11: 31, 119 u:20, 1'9 :18: 15, 209 32: 27, 427
12: 3, 230 2519, 254 :18: 29, 198 32: 32, 268
14: 34, 267, 416 27: :ao, 349 28: 46, 209 32: 33, 185
15: 31, 205 28: u, 218 29: 14, 261 32: 34, 209, 427
30: 1, :195 32: 36, 427
DEUTER.ONOMY 30: 2, 295 32: .38, 427
30: 3, 290, 295 32: 39, 9.f, 268, 286, 427, 428, 432
2: 25, 199 7: 19, 148
30: 5, 292 32: 40, 134, 268, 314
2: 30, 199 8: 5, 214
30: 6, 311 32: 41, 268, 314, 428
3: 23, :114 8:13,380
30: 15, 181 32: 4:1, 268, 314, 428
3: 26, 224, 259 8:14,380
8: 16, 250 30: 17, 313 32: O, :168, 314, 4:18
3: :a7, 328, a. 17
8: 19, 313 30: 19, 313 33: :a, 165
4: 15, 113
4: 16, 113, 115 8: 20 1 313 30: 19, 181, 189 33: ... 158
4: 17, 113 9: 9, 433, a, 49 31: 14, 253 33: 6, 335
4: 18, 113 9: 18, 433, a. 49 31:19, 427 33: 21, 335
4: 20, 114 10: 10, .433, a. 49 31: 21, 191 33: 27, 134
4: 24, 114, :166, 415 10: u, 189, 39' 32: 1, 267 34: 10, 122
4: 25, 313 10:•13, 39' 32: 4, 135, 33:a
4: 26, 313 11: 10, 319, 3:18
4: 31, :194 11: 12, 116 JOSHUA
4: 3:a, 42, 275, 418 I I l 13, :14J, 327
4: 35, 98, 10.ll II: 21, 312
:a: 1, 199 15: 11, 178
11:u, 313 10: 13, 273, ..... 4:1, 18: :17, 178
4: 39, g8
5:u, 256 11: :10~ 199 :14: 27, 117
11:23, 313
12: 11 1 :131 15:8, 340
5: 23, 95
5: 26,333 u: 20, 244
6: 2, 395 12: 23, 238, 239 JUDGF.S
6: 4, 94 13: 8, 4:1
6: 5, 13:a, 24' 1.5: 6, 378 5: 4, 165 9: 47, 108, n. 31
6: 11, 383 1.5: 9, :1:17, L 5J 5: 5, 16.5 13: 15, 108
6: 16, 266, 415, 416 16: 3, :183 5: 31, 349 15: 19, 263
6: 25, 331 16: 5, 198 6: 36, 416 16: 2, 108
7:9, 129, 211 16: 19, 39' 6: 39, :166, 416 16:30,391
7: 10, 211 19: 5, .SB, a. IJ 7: 18, 108 19: 9, 338
7: 12, 313 1p: 20, 18' 1: 29, 99 19: 11, 337
8: 30, 99

J
 T

48o THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED ,181
9: 11, 369 31: 1, 170
I SAMUEL 10: 5, 195 31: 5, 170
1: 11, 111
1016, 115 31: 19, 381
14: 20, IJO 40: a, 191
101 1:a, 195, 318
a:8, 1b, 424 16110, 154
101 IJ, 318 4018, 191
18: a:a, 151 30: 1:a, 163
10: 15, 70 40110, 131
20:3, 390 31: 1:a, 151, 151 11:6,318 40: 11, 194
11: 10, 151 311 IJ, 1,1 40: 15, 194
11:7, 318
14:15, 114 111 8, 318 40: 18! IIJ
11:9, 9, 311 40: 19, IIJ
II SAMUEL 11111, 315 40:ao, 113
11: 15, 317 40: 11, 17
7: 11, 153 18: 14, 115 40: 15, 114
11116, 317
III 4, 130 19: 5, 1,1 13: ,. 101 40:16, 114
11: ... 194 III 14, 99 1318, J49 40! 17, 194
u: 1:a, 194 13: a, 10,
IJ19, 366 40: 18,"
13115, 377 14: 9, 174 40: 31, 186 .
1,: 11, 108 13117, 391
14: a, J07, 308 4111, 186
11: 1, 309 41: ... J!IO
I KINGS 18: 1, 309 41: 12, 390
d:7, 309 41:12,19
1:1,1,6 16: 1, 171, 424 20110, JII 41: 14, 121
1:14, 116 17: 11, 319, L 21 23: 4, 117 42: 21, 140
8: 17, 114 1711, ff„ Jl9, .. IP IJI 9, 365 43: 6, 309
8:37, 384 17: 11, 267 13: 17, 197 43:7, 137
9: 3, 177 17: 13, 180, L 14 14: 16, 119, 304 o: 10, 125
9: 12, 384 18:37, ao3 14: 11, 341 43: IJ, 115, 126
u: 15, 202 19: 4 lf„ 329, a. II 25: 7, 152 44: 1, 100
13: 11, :a,:a 19: 13, 151 15: 8, 433 44:6, 28
13: 31, :a,2 :a:a:19, 121 15:9, 435 44:7, 28
14: 13, III :a:a:20, IOO 26:p, 132 44: 8, 18, 19, 30
16111, 339 44: 24, 40
II KINGS 16: 19, 269, 421, 423 44: 26, 191
28:I, 370 45: 6, 98
3111, 20 14: 7, 178 29:8, 20 4,: 7, 6,, 66
3: 16, 391 15: 12, 127 30: 5, III 4,: 9, 149
4: 3', 167, :alo, .. 15, 411 19: 26, 118 30: 16, 426 o: 12, 44, 73, 181
7: 2, 276, 419, 4)0 20:6, 254 30: JJ, 339, 3'0 45: 17, 311
8: 16, 174 20:I, 2'6 31:6, u8 45: 18, 43, 99, 13S
101 18, 210, D, 13 22: 19, 4o8 31: 17, 399 45: 11, 99
13: 11, 319, D, 21 2s:1, 300 31: 18, 399 45: :aa, 9, 911
33: ... 338 46: 5, 113
33: 14, 351 46: 6, 113
ISAIAH 35: 3, 410 46: IO, 132
1: :a, 119 6:1, 347 35: 4, 410 48: 13, 106
1115, 114 6: JO, 191 35: 5, 186 48: 16, 100
1:31,338 8: 3, 371 35: 6, 286, 431 48: 17, •• 86
a: 4, 318 8: 7, 173, 416 u: 7, 310, 431 49: a:a, 301
 'f

THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPJNIONS INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED

6o: 20, 273 31: 1, 120 32: 19, 205
49: :113, 307 311 :10, 117 34: 5, 25:a
50: 4, 1 61:1,305
61: 2, 305 31: 31, 167 35:7, 385
51:1,30 31: 32, 167 38: 10 tr„ 210, n. 14
51: :i, 30 6i: 3, 305
61: 4, 305 31:.u, 167 38: 16, 110, 242
51: ,. :all 31: 34, :183 47: 1, 426
51: 13, 29 61: 5, 307
61:7, 292 31: 35, 158 47: 2, 273, 426
51: 16, :al4 31: 36, 158 49: 20, 30:a
5:11: 12, :a83 6i: 8, 122
61: 9, 310 31:40, 312 51: 24, 195
54: 7, 293
62: 8, 318
54: 9, 314
54: 12, 310 63: 17, 201 EZEKIEL
55: 7, :1129, 231 64:3, 339
65: 6, 208, 331 1: 4, 256 23: 45, 377
55: 9, 145 1: 13, 256
65: 13, 352 25: 14, 305
55: 12, 117 1:26, 121
65: 14, 352 29:3, 47
56: 11, 368
65: 17, 311, 342, 425 1::17, 256 29: 13, 297
51: 1, 25:a 2: 1, 121
65: 18, 311, 342 JO: 24, 195
58: 3, 231 216, 29
58: 8, 1o6, ]31 65: 19, 311 32: 27, 251
65: :ao, 281, 434 3: u, 136 ]J: 11, 190
59: 1, 294
65: 22, 281, 04 3: 21, 192 3Jl 15, 225
59: 17, 116
66: 7, 293 4: 5, 2p7 34: 13, 315
6o: 1, 310
6o: 2, 100, 310 66: 8, 418 10: 1:a, 256 36: :a6, ]II
66: 14, 425 II: 15, 34 36: 27, 203
6o: 3, 310 13: ,, 232
6o: •• 309 66: 19, 307 .17: 1, 28o
66:20, 3ol 14: 5, 231 37:9, 263
6o: 9, 301
66: 22, 341, 34:1 14: 9, 200 37: 10, 280
6o: 10, 315
6o: 11, 316 66: 23, 251, 35J 16: n, 319 37: 11, 2'9, 420, 421, 4:1:a, 423
66: 24, 340, 351, 352, 35J 16: ,,, 319 37: 1:a, 2'9, 284, 420, 421, 423, 431
6o: u, 316
17: 23, 425 37: 13, 269, 420, 421, 423
18: 4, 250 37: 14, 2'9, 421
JEREMIAH 18: 18, Jlo 38: 11, 305
12:1, 216 18:20, 3]0 38: u, 119
2: 10, 157 18: :n, 227
u: 4, 216 31: 15, 305
2: 33, 234 18:2:a, :au 38: 21, 3o6
3: :a, 376 13: 27, 373
11: 23, 190 .18122, 3o6
3: 14, 302 14: 22, 73
11: 24, 212 39: 9, 316
4: 10, 200 15: 9, 426
11: 27, 212 40: 1, 310
4: 23, 425 15: 16, 6
17: 10, 205, 332 11: 32, 190 43: 11, 317
5: 7, 373 20: 21, 330 47: 1, 317
5: 19, 214 17: 22, 171
19: 13, 341 20:35, ]03 47: 5, ]17
6: 16, 397 20:36, 303 47: u, 317
6: 29, :147 22: 13, 384
23: 11, 229 20:37, 303 47: 23, 286
6: 30, 247 20:.11, 303 48: 1, 216
7: 19, 191 23: 16, 362
23: 21, dp 20: 40, 221> 48: 1 , . 432
7: :a8, 3lo
7: 32, 340 23: 24, 131
9: 23, 122 29: 10, 300
10: 10, 95, 131 30: 23, 341
10: 16, 135 3116, 261
 •
INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED
484 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
MICAH
HOSEA
211, 186 4: u, 150
1: 9, 284 819, :1:11 3: 3, 224 5: 4, 276, 429
2: 25, 284 8: 11, :1:11 314, 224 6: .,, 186
4: 2, 221 8: 1:1, 6 3:6, .p6 7: 15, 292
4:8, 205 9:u,38:a
4: 11, 372 101 3, 34 NAHUM
5: 1, 3!IO 10: 12, 14
5: 13, 198 101 ll, 272, 425 1: 2, 129 3: 19, 392
7: 1, 379 13:6, 370 2113, 379.
7: 4, 272, 37:a, 424 14: 2, 220
7: 6, 376 14:3, :a:ao, 221
7:9, 230 14: 4, 220, 221 HABAKKUK
7: 14, 233 14: 5, :l20
8: 1, 252 215, 3'9 3: 3, 165
312, 229 3: u, 101

JOEL ZEPHANIAH
2:3, 341 4:9, 3o6 1114, 332
2:6, 350 2: 2, 333
4: 10, 306 1: 1,, 332
2: 14, 241
3: 7, 386
4: 11, 3o6 1117, 332 3: 8, 266
2: 16, 231 4: 12, 306 1118, 332 3:9,306
3: 1, 310, 355 4: 13, 306 2: 1, 333 3: 10, 309
3: 2, 310 4: 14, 306
3:3, 356 4: 17, 283
3: 4, 356 4: :u, 125, :a:a, ZECHARIAH
4: :a, 3o6
3: 4, 347 14: 1, 302
3: 7, 347 1412, 302
AMOS 7: 13, 224 14: 4, 317
8: 7, 290 14: 9, 102, 318
2:6, 223 5: ... 384 1: 8, 290 14: 12, 306
2: ... 2:19 5: u, 230 8: 17, 122 14: 13, 307
4: 13, 6p 8:6, 31, u: 1, 235, 241, 248 14: 16, 307
u: 10, 303 14: 17, 308
13: 9, 247 14: 18, 308
OBADIAH
1: •• 166 MALACHI
1: 9, 189 3: 18, 229, 323
3: 1, 304 3: 19, 185, 337, 350
JONAH 3: 2, 304 3: 20, 337, 348
2:3, IM 41 :a, 154 3: 6, 135 3: 21, 337
314, ul 3: 10, 266, 415, 416 3: 22, 158
3: 16, 207, 331 3: 23, 158, 303, 428
3: 17, 323, 39, 3: 24, 303
 •
~ THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED
PSALMS 78: 37, 219 106: 13, 166
78139, 274, 417 1o6: 14, 16'
1: 1, 261 1,: 10, 251 71150, 350 1o6: 17, 166
1: 2, :162 1,123, 99 Ir: 16, 124 IN: 19, 166
2: 3, 16 35: 28, 252 bis,, 107: 36, 385
3:4, 118 a,
16: J47 8512, 123 107:37, 385
,: ,. 27', 37', 419 36:9, 347 85:6, 4:14 107: 42, 9
,: 6, :17', 419 36: 10, 338 15: 7, 271 107: 43, 9
1: :a, 181 36: IJ, 332 811:1,,s 110: •• 119
1: 4, 43 37: 28, 122 86: 11, 202 112: 5, 351
9:8, 33:a 40: 9, 118 86: 14, 391 113: 1, 123
9:9, 33:a 44: 19, 179 16: 17, 209 113: 7, 271, 424
10: 3, 18, 49: 2, 100 II: 6, :171, 4:14 a,
113: 271
10: 4, 3, 49: J, 100 H: 1, 366 115: 5, 18

lll „
10: 16, 1:13

11:6, 339
:IIJ
49: 20, :ao7, 34,
,0:4,
,o: 14, 177
2,a
89: 7, 114
a,
'9: 176
lg: 3', 116
115: 6, 11
11,: 7, 18
1161,, 229
11:7, IU so: 15, 177 '9144, JO 119: J, 187
12: 9, 2JO
14: ,. 33:a
16: ,. 126
,i:
51: 4, 203
6, 203
51: 1,, 201, 222
90::a, so, u,
90110, 36,
941 IO, 182
119: 10, 407
119: 11, 9, 407
119: 11, J
16: 9, 347 ,1:2, 34 94111, 191 119: 36, 20I
16: 11, 137, 330, 345 55: 21, 230 9411:1, 250 119:37,202
18116, 1o6 591 ,. 389 94: 13, :150 119: 43, 6
19: :a, 117 59:6, 39:a 95:5, 69 119: 73, 43
19: 8, 263 62:9, 133 971 IO, 124 119:77, 107
21: ,. 184 6:1111, 36:a 97: 11, 246, 338, 349 119: 91, 332
:a:a: 21, 244 63:4, 2,:a 97: 12, 136 119: 10,, 4:a,
:a:a: 30, 133 63: ,. 133 99:5, 117 119: 139, 36
24: •• 105 63: 7, 133 99: 6, 152 126:,, 293
25: 4, 202 6416, 39:a 99: 7, 152 127:3, 383
25: 8, 220 6419, 392 100: 2, 39' 136: 4, ISJ
:as: 10, 186 65113, 117 100: 3, 47, 99 136: 1,, :116
25: 17, 386 66: 10, 21, IOI: 1, 393 138: ,, 135
:15: 19, 392 61: ,. 136. 102: 17, 101, 309 139: 14, 183
27: 13, 330 61: :11, 12, 10:a: :if, 342 139: 17, IJJ
:al:3, 26:a I02:27, 342 139: :ao, 232
6g: 29, 331
28:5, 393 102: :aa, 342, 1•, 139: 21, 134
71: IS, 2,2
29: 10, 127 102 t .ag, 34:a, 3411 140: 3, 391
71: 20, 271, 424
31: 13, 424 IOJ: 1,, 274, 417 140: 11, 33'
72: 19, 1311
J 1: :ao, :ao9, 333 103: _16, 274, 417 141:4,201
73: 11, 389 IOJI 19, 13'
31: :as, :19:a 144: 12, 312
711: 6, 365 10414, 123
33: 1, 229 144: IJ, JII
7714, IJJ 104115, 361
33: 4, 150 78: 18, 26', 416 144: 14, JII
33: 6, 1o6 1041 24, 53, 184, 1,1 145: J, 39'
781 19, 266, 416
34: 16, 204 105: J, IJJ 145: 9, IJS, 137
78: 22, 148
34: 17, l:IJ, 204 10514, 100 14,: 10, IJS
78: 31, 1o6
34: 18, :ao4 78: 36, 219, 224 1o617, ' " 14,: 11, IJS
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED
20: 27, 207 25: 11, 394
145: u, 16 14711, 395 25: 13, 26]
>1: 1, 202
145: 13, 1)5 147: ... 123 26111, 233
21: a, 207
145: 17, ]32 141: 4, 69 26: u, 389
21: 10, 391
145: 21, 251 148: 5, 69 21: 13, 224 26: 16, 389
:n: 16, 13, 270 26: 27, 391
PROVERBS 21: 25, 398, 27: 1, 365
21: 26, 398 27: 12, 250
117, 361 1: 36, 54, 330 22:7, 378 27120, 379
1: 9, 393 10: 7, 331 u: u, 106 27: 21, 247
2.: 4, 232 10: .... 14 22115, 3116 27: 22, 83
2: 5, 232 10: 20, 6 22:21, 394 28: 6, 230
10: 21, 118, 233, 410 23: •• 369 28: 9, 224
2: 9, 4
2: 10, 393 10122, 3lo 23: 2, 369 28: 10, 224
3: 8, 393 10: 25, 182. 23: 7, 369 28: 17, 392
3: 9, 176 10: 27, 254 23: 8, 370 29: ... 244
3: 10, 176 10: 32, 409 23:9, 12 29: 15, 386
11: 7, 247 23: 26, 375 30: 11, 38.a
3112, 214
II: 19, 330 23:29, 370 30114, 230
3: 18, 14
II: 23, 185 23:30, 370 30: 15, 369
3119, III
3: 34, 200 u: 15, 388 23132, 370 30: 16, 36g
4: 17, 371 u: 27, 34 23:33, 370 30: 33, 14
4:23, 400 13: 9, 246, 3311, 349 24: u, 257 31:2, .,,
4: 26, 358 IJl 25, 371 24: 27, 398 31: 3, 372
5: 19, 377 14: •• 281 2514, 14 31:13,253
5: 21, 332 14: 16, 15 25: 10, 225 31127, 399
5: 22, 348 15: u, 233
6: 10, 398 15: 16, 231
15: 24, 330 JOB
6: ... 391
6: u, 122 15: 26, 231 1: 10, 179, D, 49 10: 2, 214
6: 22, 36o 15: 33, 361 3: 14, 383 10: 16, 366
6: 23, 425 16: 1, 201 4: 17, 204 1117, 92
6: 29, 225 16: 6, 222 5: u, 389 11: 8, 92
6: 32, 372 16: ... 350 ,: 13, 198, 389 1119, 92
6133, 372 16: 15, 1111 5: H, 198 11: 13, 407
7:4, 8 16: 22, 36o 6:30, 253 u:9, 106
7: 7, 118, 239 16: 26, 386 7: 7, 274 u: 11, 78
7: 11, 253 17: 3, 207 718, 274 u: 24, 198
7: 22, 361 17: 26, 232 7: 9, :174, 417 u:25, 198
7: 23, 377 18: •• 82, 3111 7: 10, 274, 417 13: 15, 133
7: 26, 376 18: 8, 35 7: 13, 21 14:9, 120
7: 27, 330 19: 3, 195 II: 14, 365 14: u, 274, 417
8:5, b 19: 5, 225 8: 15, 365 14: 14, 274, 417
1: 7, 19, 140 19: 6, 378 !I: 4, 16, 9S 14115, 263
8: 8, 19, 54 19: 21, 358 9:9, 358 14: :a:t, 258
1: 22, 53, 54, 107 19: 26, 38::a 9: 20, 365 15: 11, 152
1: 26, 119 20: 1, 370 9:30, 372 15: 15, 207, 242
8: 32, 54 20: u, 201 9: 31, 372 15: 16, 242
8: 3', 54, J30 20::11, 38o
 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED 491
15: 17, 19 31:9, 373 1: 17, 362 7:3, 407
15: 18, 19 31: 10, 373 1: 18, 362 7: 5, 407
15: 19, 19 31111, 373 2: •• 363 7: 8, 407
15: 31, 7 31: 12, 350 2: Z. 363 7: 9, 244
15: 34, 339 32: 8, 244 2:3, 363 7: 11, 406
17: 2, 253 32: 11, 6 2:4, 363 7: 18, 407
17:9, 213 33: 4, to6 2: 11, 363 7: 20, 2111
18: 4, 19, 8o 33: 15, 21 2::12, 3'7 7: 24, 38, 92
20: 13,. 33: 16, 21 2: 24, 405 7: 29, 249
20: 26, 339, 3,0 33: 1p, 114 3: ... 406 8: 4, 124
21: 14, 219 33: 20, 244 3: 13, 405 8: 12, 333
22:20,339 33: 22, 228 3: 17, 208, 255, 332 8: 13, 333
22: 22, 14 33: 26, 228 3: 19, 240 9: 3, 275, 419
23: 10, 247 33: 28, 207 3: 20, 241 9: 4, 275, 418, 419
23: 11, 234 33: 30, 207, 338 3: 21, 239, 241, 243, 257 9: 5, 275, 418, 419
23: u, 234 34: 2, 19 4: 1, 379 9: 6, 275, 4111, 419
23: 13, 1o6 3413, 19 5: 1, 124 9: 14, 406
23: .,. 133 34: 4, 27 5:2, 20 9: 16, 394, 4o6
24: u, 37, 34: 19, 246 5: 8, 383 9: 111, 216, 4o6
24: .,. 377 34: 21, 205, 332 5: IO, 385 10: 1, 216
24: 23, 332 35:9, 230 5: 11, 379 10: 15, 7
24: 2,, 19 35: u,332 5: 12, 380 11: 9, 243
25: 5, 207 36: 3, 45, 134 5: 14, 380 12: 1, 3116
26: 4, 244 36: 4, 134 5: 15, 221, 380 12: 2, 387
26: 10, 66 36:7, 3!>0 5: 17, 406 12: 7, 243, 258
26: 14, 102 36: •• 341 7: •. 4o6 12: 13, 258
27:19,365 36: 13, 37' 7:..i, 406 12: 14, 208, 258, 332
27: 20, 365 36: 15, 233
27:21, 36, 36:25, 44 ESTHER
21: 12, " 37: 16, IJS
28: 22, 117 38: •• 120 1: 4, 136
28: 23," 38: 13, 262, 2!>4
28: 24, " 31: 14, 262 DANIEL
28: 25," 39: 16, 173
28: 27," 39: 17, 173 2: 8, 221 11: 2, 322, 422
28: 28, 183 3t:30, 3la 2: 30, 8 II: 3, 270, 422
30: 6, 367 40: 1, 54 2: 36, to8 II: 16, 270, 422
30: 7, 367 40: 19, 53 3: 18 ff., 327, n. 13 11: 36, 270, 422
30: 26, 365 42:2, !>5 6: II ff., 327, R, 14 12: 1, 270, 303, 422
7:9, 121 12: 2, 185, 210, 271, 345, 422, 423
LAMENTA110NS 8: 14, 298 12: 3, 242, 257, 349, 356, 422
9:2, 300 12: 5, 296
2: 1, 129 41 ,. s'7
9: 24, 320, 321 12: 7, 296, 297
3:30, 233 9: 25, 320 12: 8, 296
9: 26, 321 12: 9, 297
9: 27, 320 12: 10, 297
1114, 361 10: 4, 119 12: 11, 298
1: 15, 362, 399 11: 1, 322 12: 12, 297
 T

492 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED 493
TOSEPHTA
EZRA
h'ah 1: 2, 225, •• 41 Yoma 4: 8, 431
4: 24, 300, 320 8:22, UJ Ymaa 4:6, 431 Yoma 5: 8, 219, n. 27a
6: 22, 202 Yoma 4: 7, 431

NEHEMIAH MEKHILTA
4: 11, J16 9: 5, 135 !xocfut 20: 7, 284, D, 19, 431
4: 12, J16 9:6, 134
9: 3.0, 101
,: 10 0 J]I
9: 32, 135
SIPHRA
6: 14, 331
7: 3, Jl6 9: 36, 316 l.niticlll 22: 31 1 420, D, 22
7: 66, 315 10: 29, 5

SEDHER 'OLAM RABBA

I CHRONICLES
üi, 300, D, 23 :uiz, 300, D, 25
5: 26, 202 21: 30, 256
:17: 1, 174
12:9, 115
2819, 139
TARGUM 'ON~OS
21: 5, 174
21: 16, 255 :19: 11, 95 !xoclua 9: 3, 116 Nwnbera 11: 11, 116
21: l7, 2,S :19: 17, 8 Exodut 17: 1, 116 Deuteronomy 33: 6, 335
!xoclu1 24: 1o, II 6 Deuteronom1 33: 21, 3}5
II CHllONICLES
25: 20, :102
BABYLONIAN TALMUD
19: 2, 210
20: 10, 166 30:6, 228 Mrakboth 171, 334 Ki!thubhoth nb, 276, D, 13 1 430
20: 14, 166 30: 10, 35 Mnkhoth 33b, 189 l,C.iddulln 311, 192, a. 23
20: 16, 178 30: 12, 203 Bfnkhotb 34b, :165, D, 2 l,C.iddulin 39b, 211
20: 17, 166 30: :12, 134 Blnkhotb 611, 216, D. 25 l,C.icldulin 4ob, 212, 216, n. 25
20: 21, 167 32: 25, 210 IWrakhoth 641, 354 Babha Batbn 161,, 219, a. 26
33: 1 ff., 215, n. 22 Sabbath 311, 228, n. 56 Sanhedhrin 38b, 219, a, 26
20: 22, 167
21116, 202 36: 22, 202 LN.th 631, 265, o. 2 Sanbedhrin 46a, 232
:12: 2, 174 Libbath 1521, 257 Sanhedhrin 56a, 328, D, 16
Aabbath 15:ab, 257 Sanbedhrin 88b, 13
'!rubhin 651, 233 Sanbedhrin 901, 376, 429, 430
BEN SIRA Sanhedbrin 911, 253
'&ubbin ""· 28o, n. 16
Yofna 161, 431 Sanbedhria 91b, 286, 432
Yoma 8,a, 226, n, 46 Sanhedhria 921, 281, 431
Sukbh 5:ab, 27', 286, n. 22, 429 Sanhedhrin 92b, 280
Rol Hallaaah 171, 228, n. 57, 229 Sanhedhrin 97b, 301
Ta'lnlth 111, 258, a. 57 Sanhedhrin 1oob, 381
bbbath 7: 1, 181, 11. 15 Sanhedhrin 10: 1, 33' Ta'lnith 18b, 194 Makltoth 22b, 415
Sa11hcclhrin 10: 2, 335
Yoma J1 8, 136 Mo'edh J.taian 27b, 277, 430 li!bhu'oth 1311 234
Yoma 11 9, 234
~ulill 1: 10, 217
'Abboda :a: 1, J,S, 11. 69
•Abhotfa 4: 16, 334
l;llpi1hab ub, 27
lttdiubboda 8b, 43Ö
'Äbhoclbah Zanh 2ob, 255, n.
Nicldah ?ob, 282, L 1.
'°
Sanhcdluill 6: 2, :121, 11. 56 'Abhoth 5: 11, 234, D, 71
 THE BOOK. OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
494
PALESTINIAN TALMUD
Pe'ah 15d, 225, n. 41 Kiddulin 61d, 217 GLOSSARY
ga,~i'ith 35c, 429
Abatcntion (Ar. wu!tl/, Hebr. '4,nid/111/J)
GENESIS RABBA
akcpticism, abJtaining lrom believing anything
luxii, 213, n. 19 Accidcnt (Ar. 'ar/, Hcbr. mi!re)
thc changing conditions of all material thinga
LEVITICUS RABBA Atom (Ar. ji•' lo yal4jaua', Hebr. , ek! leeno mitl,,tl//et)
an indiviaible puticlc
ii beginning, 429 nx pangraph 2, 349, n. 59
Beat, Beating (Ar. na1ma!J, 14ntim, Hebr. ne'imtll,)
CANTICLES RABBA a rhythmic modc or notc
Duaüsta ( Ar. '11.f~al, ol-itl,nayn, Hcbr. l,11'äle l,alllniyyim)
beginning, ,15, n. 23 thc proponenu of thc doctrine of the cxistcnce in the world of two
oppoaing principlea
TANHUMA End (Hehr. ll'!)
the foreordaincd termination of Israel'• exile
Gaieeil 22: 1, i13, n. 19
Eroticism (Ar. 'ill, Hebr. ~eJet)
PIRKE RABBI ELIEZER. pasaionate love lavishcd on human beings
Eternity, theory of (Ar. dal,r, Hebr. tadl,mutl,)
:1x:1üi, 280, n. 16 the theory that the world has cxistcd aincc eternity
Hyle (Ar. luiyula, final, lllllimal,, Hebr. J,iyu/i, ~omer (11111,mon)
the original formless mass out of which the world ia supposcd to
have been formcd
Lcap, thcory of thc (Ar. ,afral,, Hcbr. dillu11t)
thc theory of leaping from particlc to particle in order to cxplain
how a dutance consisting of inlinitdy divisible parts can be travcrscd
Natural Qualitics (Ar. '41ha', Hcbr. /lhl,a'im) ·
thc. qualitica of hcat, cold, moisturc and dryness inhcring in all
things material
Physiognomists (Ar. !afal, )
individmla who arc ablc to classify mcn by looking at th~ faces and
fcet
Skcptica (Ar. mul4jal,lu1un, Hebr. mitl,'tl/llmim)
those who feign absolute ignorancc, prctcnding that nothing can
beknown
Sophists (Ar. 'flf~al, alunuJ, Hcbr. l,tla/~ Aa'iUII111l,)
literally individual, who atubbomly rcfuse to acknowlcdgc tbe trutb,
making cvcrything dcpcndcnt on thc opinions of mcn
496 THE BOOK OF BELIEFS AND OPINIONS
Spbera, hcavenly (Ar. '•fla~, Hebr. iaJa.Uim)
laym of concentric 1pbcrcs cootaining 1be 1tar1 •nd planet, of whicb
haYen was bclicved to have bceo composed NOTES ON nm SECOND PlUNTING
Spiritual Bejogs, doctrine of (Ar. r•~o,riyydt, Hcbr. n1lt•,,iyyim)
unaeated apirirual bcing, out of whom thc world i, auppotcd to Addnid11
have originarcd 16, L19 .Jter aim of dd thc iotroduction of
Subslancc (Ar. j11wl,ar, Hcbr. 'e1em) 16 .bow n. 25 inst!rl ~ 1.e._ the f11111ww11I,, CL R. Doz7,
~ unchanging patt of an organian SMpplemmt ""~ Diaionr111ire1 Ar.!Je1, II, 241.
Subnratum (Ar. m11111/1l, Hcbr. "'"'",,.) .Jur d.iifcrcnce add of gradatiOD
tbat whicb underlies all thing,, such u apacc i, belicvcd to bc
Corrigendo
9, l.18 for tend • • • dse. re11tl turn to the Muter of Wiadom and
not indioc to anything outside of Him.
for Thein will bc rnd He will bc for them
for atfccting youthfulncss red making pretense of l,c.
longing to the ordcr of the knighu [of thc prophct
Mohammed] 14•
16, l.10 for Thcir [ mcn: J ignorancc • • • to rellll Witb thcir ig·
norance thcy will certainly not
3.3, l.u for (hi1 l invcstigatiolll """ thc rational mcthod
34, l.20 for hc hurb • • • dclibcration. rellll hc ardcndy dcsirea to
rcndcr auch acta pcrmiasiblc to himaclf, not rcalizing
[thc folly thcrcof] •
..,. l.29 for made it evident re11tl affirmcd, on the plane of rcuon,
139, l.3 for logic rellll rational intuition
139, l.7 for reason rellll rational intuition
139, l.10 for Rcason reatl Rational intuition
139, L15 for reuon mtd rational intuition
139, l.18 for Rca10n red Rational intuition
140, l.10 for mundane re11d contcmptible
141, J.s2 for divine Wisdom red rcason
141, l.21 for [divioc J Wisdom rellll rcuon
141, l.:30 for [ divine J Wudom rellll rcason
142- 4 for [divinc J Wiadom • • • one red it is thc part of rcuoo,
nay one
49B THE BOOK OF BEUEFS AND OPINIONS
for Accordingl7 • • • principla f'ed lf, thcn, the tndition1
of our anceston that have been tran1mittcd in tbe above-
mentioned principal forma are eumined,
163, ... fo,, Similar • • • argumcnts f'eod He who advanca thil
argumcnt hu to faa: also thc objection1 raiscd agaimt
thc previow argumenu. ·
fo,, But this ••• pain. f'ed lt is by rcason-flOt by proph-
ecy-daat ~ bclicve that such compcosation would takc
place, assuming that thc existcncc: of thc cxa:ss of pain
werc demonstrable.
190, l.31 for objcctionable • . • account, ,w,J objcctionablc. And if
He madc clcar that a certain matter wu objeaionablc in
His sight, it was
fo,, This type ••• mercy, f'eA Although such case1 are
rare, this type of person is thc recipient of God'1 mercy
and
fo, lead u1 • • • vinuc m,4 put us .on the road " to
l etcrnal J bJisl
290, l.26 for invatigation and anal71is 1 Miil of bcing adjusted and
put in ordcr I
290, a.1 fo, "anaJysi1 ••• M. Ml4 Cf. Georga Vajda, "ttuda 1111'
S..dia" in 1l,n,w des 'ttr1des /11ins, n. ,. IX (CIX), 75.
for the rality • • • proof. ,w,J at thc bcginning of this
book • that the prophetic: doc:triaa an: implied in thc
arguments of reason.
323, a.3 for Cf•••• 145 ff. '"'1 Cf. Vajda, p. 77.
336. a-43 for "'dUfcrencc..... original. md Cf. Vajda, p. 77.
392, l.10 for if thc view ••• esprcua it: "'" as the rancorou, 11
bclicvc. who imaginc thcy are beyond God'1 controL
Doa not Scripturc a7:
39,2, a.,1 fo,, "'truth" ••• c:orrcct1y. ~• Ibn Tibbon'1 rading HI
(truth) uutead of Hd (rancor) JDHCI DO ICDIC. Cf.
Vaj~p. 77.
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