4 – G-d is Eternal (Preparatory Discussion)

Objective:  To establish that Time is an integral component of Creation and that no sensible understanding of God or His Creation can be established “outside of time”.

 

Introduction:

Time, as a concept, is the acknowledgement of events – and that they occur.

Time, as an instrument of measurement, is the means whereby we compare events one to another. 

Overview:

Addressing Time in the context of Eternity (as is necessary for the conversation having to do with G-d and His Creation – and most particularly having to do with the concept of Time as it relates to His Creation) I postulate the following:

Time is only a constant in the Universe so long as it’s measurement is associated with some physical, tangible property.

Light – or rather, the speed of Light, is the constant whereby we are able to more accurately observe the universe around us – and more particularly experience the concept of Space.

Since the introduction of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, we have used the speed of light as a constant because, from our perspective, Light “c” is an observable physical property that is constant and can be reliably depended on to use as a standard for observing Space and the objects within it. 

Time, when separated from the rigor of c, is not observable with sensible regularity.  However, this does not mean it does not exist.  The fact that epochs or events continue to occur either in seeming order or disorder simply means that although there are no useful signposts identifying the relationship of one epoch with another, they continue to occur.  The fact that we use c as a standard for “time keeping” makes it possible to use c to establish the relationships of epochs in a Space Time continuum. 

 

Discussion:

There are two words commonly used in Greek to describe Time:

Chronos (χρονος) – The Greek god who emerged from Chaos to rule over the Titans.  Chronos, as a concept, is intended to establish order where there was none before.  This is the word we base the English word, Chronological on, and it generally refers to the ordering of time – most usually by measurement.  The Greeks understood the difference, as they were able to see a relationship between how objects changed and the measurement of the time interval between the states of that change.  Therefore, reference to Chronos usually is within the context of the “measurement of time” and not to the “concept of time” itself.

Kairos (καιρός) – This Greek word refers to “Events in time” rather than the measurement of it (time).  More specifically, the word means the “right or opportune moment” of an event or epoch.  It is now commonly used in theology to describe the qualitative form of time.  Philosophically, in Rhetoric, kairos refers to an instant when an object may be observed or acted upon. 

With regards to our own experience within Creation, Kairos refers to the “concept or idea” of time, and Chronos has to do with the relationship of events, one to another, within Creation.

Time is a fundamental component behind the Universe.  The measurement of time within our universe makes observation of the universe sensible.  The idea that there might be a reality “outside of time” is, from an observational position, nonsensical and not useful.  Without the concept or the measurement of time to compare epochs, Creation becomes disorderly and chaotic.  Therefore, as a foundation to the study of Eternity, it is important to understand as a premise, that the property of Time within G-d’s Creation cannot be divorced from said Creation.  Furthermore, to divorce Time from the observation of Creation renders the Creation arbitrary and senseless and makes the observation thereof impossible.

 

Conclusion:

Time – both as a concept and as an instrument or agent used for relational comparison, is an integral component in the study of God and His Creation and cannot be reliably divorced from that study without rendering the study useless.

 

3 – G-d is Incorporeal

G-d is Incorporeal

Moses’s encounters with G-d begin after his flight from Egypt into Sinai.  It was in the wilderness, while tending Jethero’s sheep, that this former "Prince of Egypt" saw the Angel of the L-rd appear to him in flames of fire from within the bush.  Upon approaching, G-d called Moses’ name.  Moses was told not to approach any closer and was commanded to remove his sandals, as the ground he was standing upon was holy.  This encounter resulted in the confrontation with Pharoah and the subsequent exodus of some 600,000 Children of Israel from Egypt into the wilderness under Moses’ leadership.

Moses’ next encounters with G-d resulted in the giving of the Law, the construction of the Tabernacle and the Ark, and the eventual invasion of Caanaan some 40 years later.  During none of these encounters did Moses or anyone else ever "see" G-d …

"You did not see any form…"

The Torah states that G-d cannot not take any form:
"You will not be able to see My face, for no human can see my face and live"
(Exodus 33:18-20).

"You did not see any form on the day G-d spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of fire"
(Deuteronomy 4:15)

Both Judaism and Chritianity maintain that G-d has no corporeal body.  Any reference to G-d’s existance in bodily formare generally explained as being figures of speech; a means of making G-d’s actions more comprehensible to beings living in the material world.  These references are known in theology as antrhomorphisms and much of Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed is devoted to explaining each of these references.

That is not to say that G-d has never revealed Himself to us in a corporeal and tangible form.  There is ample evidence for that throughout scripture.  If the question is, "Can G-d take on the appearance of a human?", then the answer from scripture has to be an emphatic yes.  He has done so on many recorded occasions.

 

Antrhopomorphism 

Many places in scripture and Talmud speak of various parts of G-d’s body (the Hand of G-d, G-d’s wings, etc.) or speak of G-d in anthropomorphic terms (G-d walking in the garden of Eden, G-d laying tefillin, etc.), Judaism firmly maintains that G-d has no body. Any reference to G-d’s body is simply a figure of speech, a means of making G-d’s actions more comprehensible to beings living in a material world. Much of Rambam‘s Guide for the Perplexed is devoted to explaining each of these anthropomorphic references and proving that they should be understood figuratively.

We are forbidden to represent G-d in a physical form.  That is considered idolatry.  The sin of the Golden Calf incident was not that the people chose another deity, but that they tried to represent G-d in a physical form.

 

In the Image of God

The Bible states that humanity was created in the image of God, but what does it mean to be created in the image of God?

Clearly, we are not created in the physical image of God, because Judaism steadfastly maintains that God is incorporeal and has no physical appearance.  Maimonides points out that the Hebrew words translated as "image" and "likeness" in Genesis 1,27 do not refer to the physical form of a thing.  The word for "image" in Genesis 1,27 is "tzelem", which refers to the nature or essence of a thing, as in Psalms 73,20, "you will despise their image (tzel’mam)".  You despise a person’s nature and not a person’s physical appearance.  The word for physical form, Maimonides explains, is "to’ar", as in Genesis 39,6, "and Joseph was beautiful of form (to’ar) and fair to look upon".  Similarly, the word used for "likeness" is "demut", which is used to indicate a simile, not identity of form. For example, "He is like (damuno) a lion" in Psalms 17,12 refers not to similar appearance, but to similar nature.

So then, what is it in our nature that is God-like?  Rashi explains that we are like God in that we have the ability to understand and discern.  Maimonides elaborates that by using our intellect, we are able to perceive things without the use of our physical senses, an ability that makes us like God, who perceives without having physical senses.

 

2 – G-d is One and Unique

Earlier on, I introduced Rabbi Rambam’s "Thirteen Principals of Faith" – a tenth century treatsie that codifies (at least in the Rabbi’s view) the essential beliefs of the Jews.  We are now going to investigate the second of these:  G-d is One and Unique. 

One of the primary expressions of Jewish faith, recited twice daily in prayer, is the Shema.  This prayer begins with "Hear, Oh Israel: The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd is one."  This simple statement encompasses a few very important ideas:

1. There is only one true G-d -  No other being participated in the work of creation.  He is uncreated.  All other things that were made were made by Him or by other things that were made by him. 
2. G-d is a unity – He is a single, whole, complete indivisible entity.  He cannot be divided into parts or described by attributes.  Attempts to ascribe attributes to G-d are merely man’s imperfect attempts to understand the infinite.
3. G-d is the only being to whom we should offer praise - The Shema can also be translated as "The L-rd is our G-d, The L-rd alone," meaning that no other is our G-d, and we should not pray to any other.

In their very essence, these three observations about The Creator are in complete alignment with the elemental teachings of most Orthodox Christian movements.  In fact, the further one retreats into history, the more one recognizes the inexorable ties between the fundamental beliefs of the Jews and those of foundational Christianity.  After-all, the first Christians were all Jews … it only stands to reason.

 

God is One

Unique among the World’s religions, Judaism and it’s offspring Christianity, insist upon the Oneness and Uniqueness of G-d.  Judeo-Christianity is monotheistic.  It is one of the primary differences between Judao-Christianity and most of the World’s other great religions.  Abraham, who the Jews point to as the father of their faith, was called by G-d from among the polythieistic Chaldeans to follow a god, that up to that point had been unknown to men.  This was a single god; one who was above all others, the originator of all things who, through the promise made to Abraham, would be known eventually as "The god of Abraham".  Ultimately, it would be the god of the Jews who the rest of the World would eventually associate with monotheism.

In this part of the theology of G-d’s nature, we establish the principal that not only is there only one "True G-d", but that any other gods are either "false gods" or "lesser gods".  These "other gods", real or imagined, are not G-d in any sense, but creations themselves – products of the works of someone else’s hands.

 

G-d is Unique

That G-d is Unique is implicit from the previous discussion.  This statement simply says that nothing or no one is at all like G-d.  There is nothing or no one similar.  And although the Scripture clearly teaches that man was made in the image and likeness of G-d, they are not G-d; not equal to G-d, nor capable of being G-d.  As much as man tries to ignore his Creator and try to become his own Creator (See Secular Humanism), the attempts are futile and senseless.  In Psalm 82.6 G-d disparagingly says to His people, "I said, ‘You are gods (Elohim),
And all of you are the sons of the Most High."  This in no way implies that humans are actually equal with G-d – but (with a contextual reading) are expected to behave in a manner consistent with their lineage – creations of the Most High who should know better than to do evil.  We might refer to men like this as "gods with a little ‘g’".  They are not actually G-d, not similar to G-d, and – in most cases – don’t know the true G-d.

If there is exclusively one G-d throughout all Creation – and, by definition, no others – then He is also unique.  There is none like Him anywhere else.  He is, therefore, the only G-d.

 

The Nature of a Unique God

There is, however, a lot of philosophical "wiggle-room" in this principal.  The fact that G-d is One and Unique tacitly rules out *any* polytheistic religions as being "true".  Although it is possible to recognize that there are many "other gods" in existence, these so-called gods are not to be worshipped or acknowledged as "G-d" in any way, shape, or form.  As mentioned previously, only G-d is like G-d.  Additionally, there are religions in the World that deny the actual existance of a supreme being per-se.  These too fall outside the scope of this discussion.

• G-d is complete.  As regards His nature, He lacks nothing.
• G-d fills all things.  He is everywhere, sensing everything.
• He is eternal.  He had no beginning and has no end.  As Moses learned … He *is*.
• He is infinite.  There is no limit to G-d.  As much as one can imagine G-d’s attributes in thier fullness, any thoughts of Him pale in comparison to reality – He is boundless.

Like it or not, this makes Judeo-Christianity very exclusive.  It should be intuitively obvious that if G-d says He is the only true G-d and that all others are false, then we can conclude that any religion that espouses a theology that is not monotheistic is excluded from the set of authentic and true faiths.  That leaves Judaism, Christianity, and Islam standing as the only major monotheistic systems – all others being exclusive.

 

G-d is Infinite

Here’s one of the places where discussions get very interesting.  The concept of infinity is one that people either misunderstand to a greater or lesser degree, or have simply not studied closely enough to sense the challenges.  Infinity, as an idea, is a concept that is discussed in theology, philosophy, mathematics, and everyday life. 

On interesting view of infinity (and there are many) was written by William of Ockham, in the middle ages:

Sed omne continuum est actualiter existens. Igitur quaelibet pars sua est vere existens in rerum natura. Sed partes continui sunt infinitae quia non tot quin plures, igitur partes infinitae sunt actualiter existentes.

But every continum iis actually existent. Therefore any of its parts is really existent in nature. But the parts of the continuum are infinite because there are not so many that there are not more, and therefore the infinite parts are actually existent.

The basis for this discussion is that according to most ideas concerning infinity, if a part of that which is infinite is taken away, the remainder "remains" infinite. This seems a paradox, since if something is, or can be, taken from a whole, how could it remain the same "size".  However, in this view, no infinite magnitude can have a number (or be measurable), for whatever number we can imagine, there is always a larger one: "There are not so many (in number) that there are no more". Aquinas also argued against the idea that infinity could be in any sense complete, or a totality.  This point is essential to understanding G-d’s infiniteness.

The fact that G-d cannot be measured does not imply that He is "big" – at least in the sense that He has dimensions.  G-d simply is.  In a later discussion, we will investigate how concepts of "time and space" affect the ideas surrounding infinity.

 

G-d is Worthy

If the aformentioned attributes of G-d are true and accurate, it stands to reason that G-d deserves the credit for being the Creator and sustaining His creation.  If, indeed, G-d is the sole Creator and Author of the Universe and all things in it, *and* we, as His creation, recognize the genius and benevolence of that act, it only stands to reason that we would show our appreciation to Him.  The activity of "showing appreciation" is commonly called "worship".  Worship is the act of letting our Creator know that we acknowledge His acts and that we appreciate them.  Hence, the phrase, "He is worthy".

That being the case, no other god can legitimately be worshipped.  To do so would inappropriately attribute the credit for all or part of Creation to another – and since there is no other – it would constitute false worship.

• Any other being claiming to be the Creator is a false god.
• Any other being claiming credit for creating even the smallest part of Creation is falsely claiming credit that is due the true Creator.

Next stop – G-d, the Creator of Everything.

 

-ds

 

 

1 – God Exists

God exists.  That’s it.  It’s the first and most basic assumption. 

 

There are a couple of discussions that revolve around this statement.  One has to do with the identity of God and the other has to do with the Nature of God – and although they are two distinctly different discussions, they are closely related; since who you are can never be separated too much from what you are.

 

The Identity of God:

When Moses had his first encounter with God (Ex. 3) one of the first things he asked was, "… I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they shall say to me: What is his name? What shall I say to them?" (vs. 13)

 

It’s understandable.  The first 40 years of Moses’ life had been spent as a Prince in the court of Pharoh.  Probably one of the most important things he needed to know was who he was talking to – or in whose name he was to speak.  Even though Moses is tending the sheep in his father-in-law’s flocks, Moses knows well enough that announcing to the Children of Israel "God told me …" probably wasn’t going to be the easiest sell – he needed some authority behind the word.

 

God replies to Moses, "I am that I am … therefore, you shall tell them that He is who He is has sent you."  You might notice that God doesn’t directly answer Moses.  He identifies Himself by describing Himself – or at least an attribute of Himself.  He also doesn’t engage Moses in a protracted series of proofs about His existence.  He simply makes the assumption that He is who He is because that is who He is …  God is no apologist for Himself.  Square one is the essence of faith – the essence of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen …  I am that I am!

 

The Nature of God:
What is God like?  That’s what this question is.  How deos He behave?  What does He do?  What does He think?  These are all naturally valid questions – at least for "Seekers".  For one to have faith or belief (not the same thing) one has to have some ideas "about" what one believes or thinks.  Hence, the issue of God’s nature.

 

Some attributes:

• He exists.  Already mentioned.  ibid.
• God created everything that is:  God is big*.  … nothing bigger.  As a matter of deduction, it’s senseless to attempt to measure God – rather, is is God who measures us. (Prov. 8:37)  "Everything that was made was made by him and without Him was not anything made that was made" Jn. 1.
• There is only One God.  The "Shema" says it this way:  Hear Oh Israel, the Lord (is) our God (and) is One.
• God is Incorporeal:  … meaning, he has no tangible "body" so-to-speak – and although there are many references to God with regards to physical attributes (The hand of God, God’s nostrils, etc.) no more mean that God has a body than the reference to his "wings" being justification for the belief that God is a chicken!  In other words, it’s generally understood that in writing the scriptures, the authors metaphorically used anthropomorphic attributes when describing His nature. 
• God is neither Male nor Female:  This follows from the previous point.  If God is incorporeal, He has no need for a sex.  The fact that we use the term "He" when referring to Him simply means that we are following traditional convention.
• God is Omnipresent:  He exists everywhere and nowhere in particular.  He is in all places at all times and fills the Universe with his presence.  Drawing a conclusion from this point, one may safely assume that He is not only the God of the Jews (true enough), but God of the rest of the Nations – and all of Creation.
• God is Omnipotent (All Powerful):  He is able to do everything and anything that does not violate His nature.  The sentiment in this point is reflected in Gen 18.14 ("Is there anything too hard for me to do?").  However, the scriptures also relate a number of things that God cannot do – such as lie (Heb 6.8), or in a specific case, perform a mighty work (Mk 6.5) because of the people’s unbelief.  A centuries-old discussion revolving around free-will contends that God cannot (will not?) violate the free will of man such that Man’s will is morally no longer free – by definition.  Since these "limitations" are attributes that illuminate the actual goodness in God’s Nature, they are, for the most part, consistent.
• God is Omnicient (All Knowing):  More than any other described attribute, this one has been a philosophical quagmire for centuries.  I’ll offer my own version of Omnicience:  God knows everything that is possible to know.  In short, similar to the "limitations" of his Omnipotence, God reveals in the scriptures that, for whatever reason, He doesn’t "know" (at least in the absolute sense) some things.  For example, God cannot "know" sin:  He cannot be tempted with sin, nor can He tempt others to sin … (James 1.13).  Many others, (Calvinists excepted) believe that God does not know the future free-will acts of humans – otherwise, they would (be definition) no longer be "free".  Suffice it for now to simply accept that God knows everything that has happened, is happening, and can possibly happen, and you will be somewhat close.
• God is Eternal:  He never had a beginning.  He never will have an end.  The idea is rooted in the previously mentioned "Name of God" (I am that I am – which can also be rendered, "I am who I will be") To put it another way, He *is* the Beginning and the End.  To He who lives forever, a day can appear as a thousand years – or make a thousand years seem like a day.  In other words, time is not a restriction to God.  It exists, He exists with it – but since he never began nor will ever end, His existence and the existence of time are coincidental.  Other views of God’s eternal nature are that God lives "outside" of time (C.S. Lewis espoused this view) and therefore "sees" all of time in one continum.  This may cause some problems for those who are adament about issues in the "free-will" argument – but this discussion has also been on-going for centuries – and will likely continue for some time.
• God is both Merciful and Just:  I don’t think there is a civilization on Earth that has managed to live up to this lofty goal.  Justice is demanding – requiring satisfaction of the injured and punishment of the offender.  Laws are like that – they have consequences.  What’s more, when a law is violated, justice demands execution of the penalty upon the offender and likely restitution to the offended.  It seems only "just".  But Judaism is also the society of the merciful.  Wheras God is the author of the Law, in all its demanding and unbending ways, God always provided a means to escape the consequences of Law for those who would approach Him.  The Ark had its "Mercy Seat", the Tabernacle – and later the Temple – had sacrifices … all to show that although Man may have been in constant "trouble" with the Law, God would always provide Mercy to those who sought him honestly and earnestly.  It is only within God that we find a means to blend both Justice and Mercy.
• God is Holy and Perfect:  Holy simply means, "Worthy of honor and worship".  God is deemed Holy because He deserves – as our Creator – to be recognized as such.  He is Perfect because He is without flaw.
• Avenu Malkeinu – God is our Father and our King:  Both Judaism and Christianity maintain that we are all "God’s children".  This refers to the idea that all of us are born with a special gift – a spark of life – that lower animals dont’ have – or don’t display to anywhere near the extent that we humans do.  We are created in His image and likeness – which makes us "a little lower than the angels" – but still "like Him".

Next:  God is One – and Unique

 

 

*By inference, if God created the Universe and all that is in it, that makes Him bigger than big.  To quote Douglas Adams, ""Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly hugely mind-bogglingly big it is."  

13 Principals of faith

Introduction

For some crazy reason, I’ve decided to engage in a study in Belief.  Not necessarily my own beliefs – but an examination of Jewish Belief as I understand it. 

 

Not that I’m Jewish myself … (Although it was Rabbi Saul of Tarsus who wrote that "He is a Jew who is circumcised inwardly …), but a mystic Christian examining the roots of my own faith and beliefs.  This engagement isn’t because I’m struggling with my own faith.  Far from it.  I’m particularly comfortable with my spiritual and academic understanding of this World and my relationship with G-d (see?  I’m picking things up here …)  Rather, I see this as an opportunity to expand my knowledge to understand the roots of my faith to a greater extent and perhaps resolve some peripheral questions I’ve considered for many years.

 

One important ground rule for those who would read and comment here.  Although I’m a fan of expository teaching and exegetical studies, this exercise will fundamentaly be a "philosophical-religious" one; meaning although I will refer to Scripture regularly for substance, the discussions herein will be rooted in ideas.  My goal in all this is to determine the sensibility of a position by determining if it actually makes sense.  I’ll attempt to ensure substantial open-mindedness while ensuring a measure of rationality.  In other words, I don’t intend to begin with a presupposition and drive it to a neat conclusion.  Faith and life are seldom that neat.

 

Thirteen Principles

To begin, I’m going to discuss the fundamentals of Jewish faith as expounded by Rabbi Rambam (http://www.jewfaq.org/sages.htm#Rambam), the author of Mishneh Torah, in the 10th century.  He developed the Thirteen Principals of Faith – the most widely accepted list of Jewish beliefs to-date.  It will be those Principals I’ll use as a catalyst here.

 

The 13 Principals of the Jewish faith (short version) are as follows:

1. G-d exists
2. G-d is One and Unique
3. G-d is incorporeal
4. G-d is eternal
5. Prayer is to be directed to G-d alone and no other
6. The words of the Prophets are true
7. Mose’s prophecies are true, and Moses was the greatest of the prophets
8. The Written and Oral Torah were given to Moses
9. There will be no other Torah
10. God knows the thoughts and deeds of men
11. G-d will reward the good and punish the wicked
12. The Messiah will come
13. The dead will be resurrected

What I’d like to do is take the ideas on one-by-one and see where it takes us.  Stay tuned.  This might prove to be both enlightening and fun!

 

More …

Here’s a long version:

1. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is the Creator and Ruler of all things. He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.

2. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is One. There is no unity that is in any way like His. He alone is our G-d He was, He is, and He will be.

3. I believe with perfect faith that G-d does not have a body. physical concepts do not apply to Him. There is nothing whatsoever that resembles Him at all.

4. I believe with perfect faith that G-d is first and last.

5. I believe with perfect faith that it is only proper to pray to G-d. One may not pray to anyone or anything else.

6. I believe with prefect faith that all the words of the prophets are true.

7. I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moses is absolutely true. He was the chief of all prophets, both before and after Him.

8. I believe with perfect faith that the entire Torah that we now have is that which was given to Moses.

9. I believe with perfect faith that this Torah will not be changed, and that there will never be another given by G-d.

10. I believe with perfect faith that G-d knows all of man’s deeds and thoughts. It is thus written (Psalm 33:15), "He has molded every heart together, He understands what each one does."

11. I believe with perfect faith tha G-d rewards those who keep His commandments, and punishes those who transgress Him.

12. I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah. How long it takes, I will await His coming every day.

13. I believe with perfect faith that the dead will be brought back to life when
G-d wills it to happen.

 

And … the full translation …

 

 

THE FOUNDATIONS OF JEWISH BELIEF

---

The following is a translation of the full text of the thirteen foundations of Jewish belief compiled by Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (also known as Maimonides, generally referred to by the acronym RaMBa’M). The Ramba’m wrote his thirteen foundations in his Commentary on the Mishnah in the tenth chapter of tractate Sanhedrin. The Commentary was originally written in Arabic but I have translated from the Hebrew translation. This is therefore a translation of a translation, not of the original. Nevertheless, I believe it fully conveys the original intent and meaning of the Ramba’m.

The Thirteen Foundations of the Ramba’m

The First Foundation is to believe in the existence of the Creator, blessed be He. This means that there exists a Being that is complete in all ways and He is the cause of all else that exists. He is what sustains their existence and the existence of all that sustains them. It is inconceivable that He would not exist, for if He would not exist then all else would cease to exist as well, nothing would remain. And if we would imagine that everything other than He would cease to exist, this would not cause His, HaShem’s, blessed be He, existence to cease or be diminished. Independence and mastery is to Him alone, HaShem, blessed be His Name, for He needs nothing else and is sufficient unto himself. He does not need the existence of anything else. All that exists apart from Him, the angels, the universe and all that is within it, all these things are dependent on Him for their existence.

This first foundation is taught to us in the statement, "I am HaShem your God…" (Shemos [Exodus] 20:2, Devarim [Deuteronomy] 5:6).

The Second Foundation is the unity of HaShem, Blessed be His Name. In other words, to believe that this being, which is the cause of all, is one. This does not mean one as in one of a pair nor one like a species [which encompasses many individuals] nor one as in one object that is made up of many elements nor as a single simple object which is infinitely divisible. Rather, He, HaShem Blessed be His Name, is a unity unlike any other possible unity.

This second foundation is referred to when [the Torah] says, "Hear Israel! HaShem is our God, HaShem is one". (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 6:4)

The Third Foundation is that He is not physical. This means to believe that the One whom we have mentioned is not a body and His powers are not physical. The concepts of physical bodies such as movement, rest, or existence in a particular place cannot be applied to Him. Such things cannot be part of His nature nor can they happen to Him. Therefore the Sages of blessed memory stated that the concepts of combination and separation do not apply to Him and they said, "Above there is no sitting nor standing, no separation nor combination." [The Ramba'm here goes into an explanation of certain Hebrew words. Since this would be meaningless in translation I am skipping it. - Lazer] The prophet says, "To whom can you compare Me? To what am I equal? Says the Holy One." (Yeshaya [Isaiah] 40:25) If He would be a physical body He would be comparable to physical bodies.

In all places where the Holy Scriptures speak of Him in physical terms, as walking, standing, sitting, speaking and anything similar, it is always metaphorical, as our Sages of blessed memory said, "The Torah speaks in the language of men". Our sages have discussed this issue at length.

This third foundation is referred to when [the Torah] says, "For you did not see any form" (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 4:15), in other words, you did not perceive him as being an entity with a form because, as we mentioned, He is not physical and His power is not physical.

The Fourth Foundation is that He is first. This means to believe that the One was the absolute first and everything else in existence is not first relative to Him. There are many proofs to this in the Holy Scriptures.

This fourth foundation is referred to in the verse, "That is the abode of God the first" (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 33:27).

The Fifth Foundation is that it is proper to serve Him, blessed be He, to ascribe to Him greatness, to make known His greatness, and to fulfill His commandments. We may not do this to any lesser being, whether it be one of the angels, the stars, the celestial spheres, the elements, or anything formed from them. For all these things have predetermined natures and have no authority or control over their actions. Rather, such authority and control is God’s. Similarly, it is not proper to serve them as intermediaries in order that they should bring us closer to God. Rather, to God Himself we must direct out thoughts, and abandon anything else.

This fifth foundation is based in the prohibition against idolatry about which much of the Torah deals.

The Sixth Foundation is prophecy. That is, that a person must know that there exists amongst mankind individuals who have very lofty qualities and great perfection; whose souls are prepared until their minds receive perfect intellect. After this, their human intellect can then become attached to the Active Intellect [i.e. the 'mind', so to speak, of God] and have bestowed upon them an exalted state. These are the prophets and this is prophecy.

A full explanation of this foundation would be very lengthy and it is not our intent to bring proofs for every foundation or to explain how we know them, for that is the sum of all knowledge. Rather, we are simply mentioning them in an informal manner.

There are numerous verses in the Torah which attest to the prophecy of the prophets.

The Seventh Foundation is the prophecy of Moshe (Moses) our Teacher, may he rest in peace. This means to believe that he is the father of all the prophets, both those that preceded him and those who arose after him; all of them were below his level. He was the chosen one from all of Mankind, for he attained a greater knowledge of the Blessed One, more than any other man ever attained or ever will attain. For he, may he rest in peace, rose up from the level of man to the level of the angels and gained the exalted status of an angel. There did not remain any screen that he did not tear and penetrate; nothing physical held him back. He was devoid of any flaw, big or small. His powers of imagination, the senses, and the perceptions were nullified; the power of desire was separated from him leaving him with pure intellect. It is for this reason that it is said on him that he could speak to HaShem, blessed be He, without the intermediary of angels.

It is my desire to clarify this wondrous topic, and to open the sealed verses of the Torah; to explain the idea of the verse "mouth to mouth" (BaMidbar [Numbers] 12:8) and similar verses. However, as I see it, this subject would require many proofs and great length, involving numerous presentations, introductions and illustrative examples. We would first have to clarify the existence of the angels and the distinction between their greatness and the Creator, HaShem, blessed be He. We would also have to clarify the subject of the soul and its powers. The discussion would then have to be widened to speak of the forms which the prophets see representing the Creator and the angels, and this would bring us into the subject of the Divine Stature [a kabalistic concept involving the anthropomorphic metaphor - Lazer]. Even this would not suffice, even if the discussion would be kept a short as possible it would still be an essay of a hundred pages. Therefore I will leave this discussion for another place, either in a book of discourses which I plan to write, or for a book on prophecy which I am working on, or for a book in which I will explain these foundations.

So, I now return to the subject of the seventh foundation. The prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our Teacher) is distinguished from the prophecies of all other prophets in four regards:

First, every other prophet received the word of HaShem through an intermediary, Moshe did not have an intermediary, as it says, "Mouth to mouth I speak to him." (BaMidbar [Numbers] 12:8)

Second, all other prophets only receive their prophecy either when they are sleeping, as we find in numerous places "in a dream at night" (B’Reishis [Genesis] 20:3) and "in a vision at night" (Iyov [Job] 33:15) and many other examples. Or by day when a trance has fallen over them which removes all their senses and leaves their mind open as in a dream. Such a state [of prophecy] is called a vision or seeing and is referred to as "Divine visions" (Yechezkel [Ezekiel] 8:3). Moshe received his prophecy by day as he stood before the kruvim (cherubim), as is testified to by HaShem, blessed be He, "and I will commune with you there" (Shemos [Exodus] 25:22). And as HaShem, blessed be He, states, "If prophets are among you then I, HaShem, make myself known to them through a vision, in a dream I speak to him. It is not so with my servant Moshe, he is trusted in all my house. I speak to him mouth to mouth, in a vision without puzzlement. He gazes at the image of God." (BaMidbar [Numbers] 12:6-8)

Third, when a prophet receives prophecy, even though it was only a vision and by means of an angel, he would nevertheless be weakened by it and his body would shudder. He would be stricken with a very great fear almost to the point that his spirit would leave his body, as Daniel said when [the angel] Gavriel (Gabriel) spoke to him, "No strength remained in me; my robustness changed to pallor, and I could retain no strength… and I was in a deep sleep upon my face, and my face was to the ground". And as he says later, "during the vision my joints shuddered and I could retain no strength". (Daniel 10:8-9, 16). But Moshe, may he rest in peace, was not so, rather, the word came to him and he did not experience trembling and shivering in any way, as it says, "And HaShem spoke to Moshe face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Shemos [Exodus] 33:11). In other words, just as a man does not experience trembling from the speech of his fellow, Moshe did not tremble from the word even though it was face to face. This was due to his total attachment to the intellect, as we said earlier.

Fourth, all the [other] prophets were unable to receive prophecy when they willed it but only when HaShem, blessed be He, wished it. The prophet could wait days or years and prophecy would not come. He could beseech HaShem, blessed be He, to make known to him a matter through prophecy and then he could wait for days or months for the prophecy, sometimes it would never come at all. There were groups which would prepare themselves and purify their thoughts, as Elisha did, as it is written, "Now bring me a musician", and prophecy came upon him. But it was not certain that prophecy would come at the time a person prepared himself. Moshe, may he rest in peace, [could prophesize] at any time he wished. As he said, "Wait and I will hear what HaShem has commanded you" (BaMidbar [Numbers] 9:8) and as it says, "Speak to Aharon your brother, he shall not come at all times in the holy place" on which our Sages of blessed memory said, "Aharon could not enter, but this did not apply to Moshe".

The Eighth Foundation is that the Torah is from Heaven. This means that we must believe that this entire Torah, which was given to us from Moshe Our Teacher, may he rest in peace, is entirely from the mouth of the Almighty. In other words, that it all was conveyed to him from God, blessed Be He, in the manner which is called, for lack of a better term, "dibur" - "speech". [Since God does not actually "speak" in a literal sense. - Lazer] It is not known how it was conveyed to him, except to Moshe, may he rest in peace, to whom it was given, and he was like a scribe writing from dictation, and he wrote all the incidents, the stories, and the commandments. Therefore [Moshe] is called "mechokek" - "scribe" (BaMidbar [Numbers] 21:18).

There is no difference between [verses such as] "And the children of Cham were Kush and Mitzrayim" (B’Reishis [Genesis] 10:6), "And the name of his wife was Meheitaveil" (ibid. 36:39), and "And Simnah was a concubine" (ibid. 36:12) and [verses such as] "I am HaShem your God" (Shemos [Exodus] 20:2) and "Hear O Israel" (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 6:4), for all of the Torah is from the mouth of the Almighty and it is all the Teaching of God (Toras HaShem), perfect, pure, holy, and true.

One who says that verses and stories like these [in the first group] were written by Moshe out of his own mind, behold! He is considered by our Sages and Prophets as a heretic and a perverter of the Torah more than all other heretics, for he believes that the Torah has a "heart" and a "shell" [i.e. an meaningful part and a meaningless part] and that these historical accounts and stories have no benefit and are from Moshe our Teacher, may he rest in peace. This is the meaning of [the category of heretic who believes that] "The Torah is not from Heaven" [which is listed in the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 10:1) as one who has no share in the World to Come]. Our Sages, may their memory be a blessing, explain that this is [even] someone who says that the entire Torah is from the Almighty except for a particular verse which was written by Moses alone. And on this [person, the Torah writes], "For he has scorned the word of God… [his soul shall be absolutely cut off, his sin is upon him]" (BaMidbar [Numbers] 15:31). May God, blessed be He, forgive the statements of the heretics.

In truth, however, every word of the Torah has within it wisdom and wonders for one who can understand them, and the full depth of their wisdom can never be attained. "Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea" (Iyov [Job] 11:9). A man has option but to follow in the footsteps of King David, the anointed of the god of Yakov (Jacob), who prayed, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things in your Torah" (Tehillim [Psalms] 119:18).

All this is also true for the explanation of the Torah, which was also received from the mouth of the Almighty [the Oral Torah]. The manner in which we today make the Sukkah, Lulav, Shofar, Tzitzis, Tefillin, and other items is precisely the manner that God, blessed be He, instructed Moshe, who then instructed us and Moshe was reliable in relating [God's word].

The verse which teaches this foundation is "And Moshe said, ‘Through this you shall know that God has sent me to do all these things, for they are not from my heart." (BaMidbar [Numbers] 16:28)

The Ninth Foundation is the transcription, meaning that this Torah, and no other, was transcribed from the Creator and we may not add to it or remove from it, not in the Written Torah or in the Oral Torah, as it says, "…you shall not add to it, nor diminish from it" (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 13:1). We have already fully clarified this foundation in the introduction to this work [the Commentary on the Mishnah].

The Tenth Foundation is that God, blessed be He, knows the actions of mankind and does not turn His eyes from them. Not like the opinion of those who say, "…[The Lord does not see us;] the Lord has forsaken the land" (Yechezkel [Ezekiel] 8:12). But rather like it says, "Great in counsel, and mighty in work; for your eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men; to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings" (Yirmiyah (Jeremiah) 32:19), "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth…" (B’Reishis (Genesis) 6:5), and "And the Lord said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great…" (ibid. 18:20). These verses teach us this tenth foundation.

The Eleventh Foundation is that God, blessed be He, gives reward to one who obeys the commandments of the Torah and punishes one who violates its prohibitions. The greatest reward is the World to Come, and the greatest punishment is kareis (spiritual excision, "cutting off"). We have already said enough on this topic [earlier in the Commentary]. The verse which teaches this foundation is [when Moshe says to God], "And now, if you will forgive their sin; and if not, please remove me [from your book which you have written]" to which God responds, "…Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot from my book" (Shemos (Exodus) 32:32-33). This indicates that He knows the servant and the sinner, to give reward to this one and punishment to the other.

The Twelfth Foundation is the time of the Moshiach (literally, the anointed). This means to believe and be certain that he will come, and not to think that he is late in coming, "if it seems slow, wait for it; [because it will surely come, it will not come late]" (Chabakuk 2:3). You should not set a time for him, and you should not make calculations in Scripture to determine the time of his coming. The Sages say, "Let despair come upon those who calculate endtimes." [This foundation further includes] to believe that he (Moshiach) will possess advantages, superiority, and honor to a greater degree than all the kings that have ever existed, as was prophesied regarding him by all the prophets, from Moshe, peace be upon him, till Malachi, peace be upon him. One who doubts this or who minimizes his greatness denies the Torah that testifies explicitly to [the coming of Moshiach] in the account of Balaam (BaMidbar [Numbers] 24) and in the portion of Netzavim (Devarim [Deuteronomy] 30:3-5). Included in this principle is that there is no king to the Jewish people except from the House of David and the seed of Solomon alone. Anyone who disagrees with [the status of] this family denies God and His prophets.

The Thirteenth Foundation is the resurrection of the dead. This has already been explained [earlier in the Commentary]. [The following is a translation of what the Ramba'm writes on this subject: The resurrection of the dead is a foundation from the foundations of Moshe our Teacher, may peace be upon him. There is no faith and no connection to the Jewish religion for one who does not believe this. But the resurrection is only for the righteous. And so we find the Sages teach, "The rains are for the righteous and the wicked, and the resurrection of the dead is for the righteous alone." How could the wicked be brought back to life when they are dead even during their lifetime? And so the Sages teach us, "The wicked, even during their lifetimes they are called dead; the righteous, even during their deaths they are called living."]

When a man believes all of these foundations and his belief in them is clear, then he enters into the community of Israel, and it is commanded to love him, to have mercy upon him, and to behave towards him with all the manners of love and brotherhood which have been commanded upon a man towards his fellow by God, blessed be He. And even if he sins greatly because of his desires and the strength of his baser nature, he is punished according to his sins but he still has a share in the World to Come and he is considered a sinning Jew. [However,] if a man does not accept [even] one of these foundations, then he has left the community and denied the fundamental. He is called a min and apikorus (two technical terms for a heretic). He is one who "cuts the plantings". [This is a metaphorical phrase used in the Talmud in reference to Acher (Chagigah 15a). Acher was a famous sage until he entered the mystical pardes (orchard). This experience was too much for his mind and he misunderstood what he saw and became a heretic. Since the metaphor deals with an "orchard" the destructive actions of Acher continue in the same vein as "cutting down the plantings". - Lazer]

Passover/Easter

I’m Irish, which – by all rights – makes me both entertainingly heathen and soberly faithful all at the same time*.  The result of this is a somewhat more objective view of the celebrations that make us who we are – and this season is Spring … the time of Passover (Pesach) and Easter.

 

The catalyst for this discussion was a Seder I attended at a relative’s home.  Of all the Seders I’ve ever attended, this was one of them …  For all that is made of the celebration of Passover among Jewish families, Seder is as personalized, full of obscure tradition, and entertaining – mainly because it involves family and food.  There’s no criticism in what I write here.  I’m no authority on Passover Seders … remember, I’m Irish.  But I have observed Seders before and not one has been identical to another.  They all have the same fundamental theme – the retelling of how Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt – but they all differ in one respect or another – and certainly from the account of Passover from the Scriptures** (Exodus 12: 1-10)

 

Conversely, I’ve always been fascinated by the telling of the Easter story – the Last Supper, Passion, Trial, and Execution of Jesus - who purported to be the Messiah of Israel – the embodiment of G-d to His people, the Jews.  As a child, I never associated the two.  They were two separate feasts celebrated by two distinctly different people – Jews and everyone else.  In later years, it would finally occur to me that the "Last Supper" was a Passover Seder (of sorts) and that by becomming the "Lamb of God", Jesus had identified himself as a Passover Lamb – sacrificed by God Himself – not just for His people the Jews, but for the entire world.

 

Truth be told, they are both the same thing and completely different things depending upon your perspective, biases, and experiences.  The similarities are fairly obvious to even casual observers:

 - The Mass is a celebration using the elements of the Host (unleavened bread) and wine. 

 - Much of the Seder centers around the Matzo (unleavened bread) and wine.

 

However, time and tradition have introduced many interesting  practices into the celebrations:

 

Passover:

 - Setting a place for Elija***

 - The content of the Haggadah****

 

Easter:

 - The date of observance coincided with a Pagan holiday – not the traditional Jewish date. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Anicetus)

 - Rabbits and eggs.  (’nuff said)

 

Conclusion:

  No one has it completely right.  No one!  Even the Midrash doesn’ t provide definitive answers.

  The fundamentals are simple.  Remember God’s deliverence.  Celebrate it by feasting on lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread.  Add wine and family liberally and ponder …

  If the exterior trappings of religion, religious tradition (the traditions of men), and laws offend you – throw them off and enjoy your Creator with a clear heart. 

 

 

* Heathen *and* faithful?  Read Thomas Cahill’s book, "How the Irish Saved Civilization".

 

** Some things that the Scriptures mention that we are to do in observance of Passover:

 - The "lamb" can be either sheep or goat (I’ve never seen a "Passover goat"

 - The lamb is to be roasted whole; head, entrails, and all intact.

 - Those partaking must wear shoes (sandals), coats (cloakes), and carry their walking staff

 - Hyssop must be used to apply the lamb’s blood to the door posts and lintel.

 

*** Obvious, as Elijah hadn’t been born when Moses led Israel out of Egypt.

 

**** The only required items (according to scripture) at a Seder are Lamb, Unleavened Bread, and Bitter Herbs.  The Haggadah adds the tradition of Wine (Kaddesh), Washing (Urechatz),and Vegetable (Karpas).  Additionally, the tradition of the Afikomen differs widely among different societies and families.

Pogo

I’ve added a number of Walt Kelly’s proofs of his comic strip, Pogo.  Many readers won’t know Pogo or his friends – or Walt Kelly for that matter – but these comics are as timely today as they were years ago – and just as blisteringly funny today as then. 

 

The first two are essentials:  Oscar’s role as the editor of the "Daily Picayune" stating, "I may not understand what you say, but I’ll defend to *your* death my right to deny it."  Kelly’s satire was all about words and characters … mainly words.  But without the characters, they would only be words, and nowhere near as fun. 

 

I’ve also included Walt’s most often quoted Earth Day 1971 strip where Pogo states, " … we have met the enemy and he is us!"  I can’t recall how many times since then I’ve heard that saying repeated – all from the lips of those who never suspected it came from that ‘lil possum in the comics.

 

God Bless Walt Kelly.

 

-ds

Wars and Rumors of War

It was bound to happen.  Finally, the news establishment has managed to find an opinion poll that indicates over 50% of Americans no longer support the war effort.  I would imagine they are overcome with glee.  It has taken long enough.

I was on the record, before this conflict, as an opponent of the Iraq campaign.  Those who know me and know what I do will never be able to accuse me of not supporting the troops.  I used to be "one of the troops" – and worked with them down in Hampton, VA to help them in their efforts.  However, I was and continue to be opposed to our invasion of Iraq.  Here’s why:

There were no weapons of mass destruction.  Period.  We knew it beforehand.  We destroyed most of them before the invasion – and the Iraqi’s capabilities to replace them.  Remember Scott Ritter?  He was right.  He’s also a weapons inspector (as I used to be) with integrity.  He gave it the ol’ college try.  Sorry – no WMDs.

It was poorly planned.  How can I best put this …  we didn’t have sufficient intelligence or resources to invaid Iraq.  Geographically speaking, that country is very large and distributed.  What’s more, it’s not a very friendly place.  We didn’t have the correct equipment, clothing, support, security, etc.  Granted, when forced into a situation where you must fight, you fight with what you have at the time (all due respect to the SecDef), but in my humble opinion, we didn’t have to go.

Out troops are spread far too thin.  I don’t know how many people know this, but we don’t have that many people in uniform.  The US has pressed reserves and guard units into action – (forgive the offense, but ‘regulars" are always a better option than "weekend warriors".)  and although the formerly part-time troops are quick learners (do or die … ) it has cost them dearly.  We are fighting a war on multiple and poorly defined fronts.  Ever wonder what Gen. Custer was feeling?  Spend a couple of months amongst a few thousands of people who really don’t like you very much and who have time on their side.  Its not fun.

We can’t afford it.  Anyone have an idea how much a Hummer costs?  How about one of those big transport trucks?  An Abrhams tank?   A Blackhawk?  How about the cost of replacing dead or damaged troops?  Don’t let anyone kid you.  Someone has to pay for all this stuff – and it simply doesn’t appear out of nowhere.  YOU pay for it – with so many taxes and levies that it makes the 17th century English look like amateurs.  You are probably too busy making a living to figure it all out, but considering the fact that you pay tax on virtually every consumable, service, and product – not to mention your income – your actual tax burden is probably 10% – 15% higher than you think.  For those of you out there who are working for a living – you are financing this mess.  For those of you who are poor or not working – you are providing the cannon-fodder for this idiocy.  For the rich out there – well, since you pay fewer taxes (… helps to actually *write* the tax laws, doesn’t it?) and send few of your children to war, why should you care?

The 9-11 attacks had nothing (I said nothing) to do with Iraq. 
Watch my lips.  Iraq did NOT attack the US.  A bunch of terrorists with ties to the Taliban in Afghanistan did.  Believe me – no one has much more right to despise these people more than I do.  As a direct result of 9-11, I lost most of my livelihood.  I’m pissed at those people.  Bur Iraq?  Folks, it’s misplaced aggression.

We have now de-stablized the balance of power in the Middle-east.  Remember that Iran/Iraq thing?  They *used* to be killing "each other"!  Now they have turned on us!  What’s more, does anyone here *really* believe that Iraqi Shiites are *good* Shiites and Iranian Shiites are *bad* Shiites?  c’mon …

We have given the Europeans even more excuse to act like idiots.  Not that the French actually *needed* an excuse, but they are noisy, pompous, arrogant, belligerant (but then again, I need not be redundant …) and have been pushing the Germans (don’t you people get tired of it?) and the the rest of Europe to become more like themselves for the longest time …  Our response in Afganistan was met with an understanding, if not snooty, acknowlegemet that we were doing what was necessary.  However, our foray into Iraq wasn’t convincing and served only to bolster the perception among the Europeans that they were right all along (Imagine that!)  Some leadership role we took there, eh?

Politicians are fighting this war.  GW is a politician, not a soldier.  Rumsfeld is a politician.  Rice (sure – I still like her …) is a politician.  The Congress?  Don’t even get me started.  I hate to admit it – but the vast majority of Republicans who support this war are a bunch of "have-never-served" chicken-hawks.  It’s an embarrassing statistical fact that our somewhat-more-lberal Democrat bretheren have a better service record – the notable exception being Arizona’s Senator John McCain (my personal hero) – a man the Republican party seems intent to demonize for some insane reason … 

It’s a "foriegn entanglement".  Hellooooo!!!  Need I remind anyone out there of George Washington’s farewell address’ admonishments to the nation?  (and he was a Federalist!)  Thomas Jefferson much be broken-hearted at this sillyness- not to mention the rest of the founding fathers.  We make wonderful speeches in front of their memorials and completely disregard thier guidance and wisdom. 

It’s unconstitutional.  I had no problem with the idea of cleaning the Taliban and the rest of their buddies from the face of the Earth.  They deserved it.  *They* attacked us.  (Remember 9-11?)  We had every right under our Constitution to kick thier cans from here to Heaven (or otherwise).  It was clear, it was deliberate, they admitted it, and they asked for it.  Done deal.  Iraq, on the other hand, did everything they could to distance themselves from the whole thing – the political idiocy of Saddam and his thugs notwithstanding.  We pushed the fuzzy megalomaniac into thumping his chest and used that as one of our excuses to kick his ass.  Ok – I’ll admit to some serious satisfaction about "freeing" the Iraqis from this guy – and no one deserved a good "whoopin’" more than he did … but where in the Constitution does it say we can administer ass-kickings just because we believe we are on the moral high-ground?

Having said all that, we are there – and there for the duration.  Like it or not – responsible or not – we have a job to do.  Let’s get it done … and get home.

So there – I’ve finally said it.  I’ll gladly welcome comments …