Rambam-Yisodei HaTorah-Perek 8 Halacha 1: The Basis For Jewish Belief

משה רבינו לא האמינו בו ישראל מפני האותות שעשה. שהמאמין על פי האותות יש בלבו דופי שאפשר שיעשה האות בלט וכשוף. אלא כל האותות שעשה משה במדבר לפי הצורך עשאם. לא להביא ראיה על הנבואה. היה צריך להשקיע את המצריים קרע את הים והצלילן בתוכו. צרכנו למזון הוריד לנו את המן. צמאו בקע להן את האבן. כפרו בו עדת קרח בלעה אותן הארץ. וכן שאר כל האותות. ובמה האמינו בו במעמד הר סיני שעינינו ראו ולא זר ואזנינו שמעו ולא אחר האש והקולות והלפידים והוא נגש אל הערפל והקול מדבר אליו ואנו שומעים משה משה לך אמור להן כך וכך. וכן הוא אומר פנים בפנים דבר ה' עמכם. ונאמר לא את אבותינו כרת ה' את הברית הזאת. ומנין שמעמד הר סיני לבדו היא הראיה לנבואתו שהיא אמת שאין בו דופי שנאמר הנה אנכי בא אליך בעב הענן בעבור ישמע העם בדברי עמך וגם בך יאמינו לעולם. מכלל שקודם דבר זה לא האמינו בו נאמנות שהיא עומדת לעולם אלא נאמנות שיש אחריה הרהור ומחשבה:

The Jews did not believe in Moshe, our teacher, because of the signs he performed. For one who believes [in anything] because of signs has a blemish in his heart since it is possible that a sign was done through trickery and magic (and this person's faith is reliant on a fallacy). Rather, all the signs that Moshe performed in the desert were done out of necessity. [They were] not done to bring proof [as to the validity] of his prophecy. It was necessary to drown the Egyptians, so the sea was split and they were dunked in it. We (the Jews) needed sustenance so the manna was brought down [from the sky] for us. They (the Jews) were thirsty so the stone was split [and water came forth] for them. The congregation of Korach rebelled against [Moshe] so the earth swallowed them. And so too by all the other signs (miracles). 

What is the reason we believe in [Moshe's prophecies? Because of] the events at Mt. Sinai that our eyes saw them and not a strangers [eyes] and our ears heard them and not another's [ears. These events were] the fire, the sounds (thunder, voices?), the lightning, and then [Moshe] approached the fog and the voice [of G-D] spoke to him and we heard "Moshe, Moshe, go and say to them such and such." And so he said, "Face to face G-D spoke with you." And so it says (devarim 5:3), "G-D did not make this covenant with our fathers."

From where [do we know] that the events at Mt. Sinai, in and of themselves, are a proof to [Moshe's] prophecy that [we should believe] it has no faults? For it says (Exodus 19:9), "Behold, I am coming to you in the thick cloud in order that the nation will hear when I speak to you and also that they will believe in you forever." This implies that before this [event, the Jewish people] did not have a belief in [Moshe] that would last forever, rather it was a belief that was speculation and apprehension.             

This idea that the Rambam brings down is of critical importance. Signs, wonders and miracles are completely WORTHLESS when it comes to having a belief in anything. Jesus stood on water, the Baal Shem Tov flew across the world, and so on. These "miracles" have nothing to do with a JEWISH belief in G-D. The ONLY reason a Jew should believe in G-D is because of eyewitness proof. Just like I know my parents exist because I am an eyewitness, or I know president Obama exists because other people have told me he does and I see him on television. This is the Jewish belief in G-D, it is not some she said he said confusion, it is based on actually witnessed events. 

This is the basis for the Rambam's belief in G-D, that this event at Mt. Sinai actually happened. It isn't something that occurred in a dream or was verified through "miracles," it was based on an event in reality that can be substantiated. 

Purim Is Chazal Telling Us The Future Of Judaism

If one looks at Megilas Esther they would see that there is no mention of G-D. Also, there are no recognizable miracles talked about in this story. In fact, the only point to this story is to show a series of events that lead to the Jewish people being saved by themselves. The story of Esther is one where, because of human actions, the Jews were saved. Esther intervened and because of her intervention that gave the Jews the strength to defend themselves from their enemies. However, had it not been for Achashveirosh throwing a party in his third year of kingship, had it not been for his getting drunk at that party and had it not been for his wife, Vashti, refusing to dance naked, Esther would have never been in a position to intervene.

It is amazing that the Megillah does not mention G-D at all. Even in the one verse where you would think Mordecahi is about to say how even if Esther does not intervene G-D will find a way to save the Jews, he avoids mentioning G-D (Megillas Esther 4:14):

יד  כִּי אִם-הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי, בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת--רֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה יַעֲמוֹד לַיְּהוּדִים מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, וְאַתְּ וּבֵית-אָבִיךְ תֹּאבֵדוּ; וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ--אִם-לְעֵת כָּזֹאת, הִגַּעַתְּ לַמַּלְכוּת.

14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish; and who knoweth whether thou art not come to royal estate for such a time as this?'

In a way this reminds me of the debate between evolution with G-D and evolution without G-D. There are two ways to look at evolution, either there is a G-D deciding the course of evolution or there is just randomness. No one can prove one way or the other, it is a matter of faith and belief, not evidence. The same holds true for the story of Purim, there could be a G-D guiding the Jewish people's future, or it could just be randomness.

It could have been completely random that Vashti was replaced with Esther and that put her in a position to save the Jews when she did or it could have been the hand of G-D. There were no open miracles to bring as evidence to prove G-D was involved.

It seems to me that the Purim story was incorporated into the Tanach so that we could have a guiding light for our future as a people. It used to be that Jews saw miracles, talked to prophets and did not have issues with faith or belief in G-D. However, once miracles and prophets disappeared, what would allow us to still connect to and believe in G-D? Only through the belief and understanding that G-D is present in natural events as well as the supernatural events could the Jewish religion survive. In the time of the temple people thought G-D was in the temple. That attitude is what led to the temple's ultimate destruction. "G-D is in the temple, but my idols are right here!"

It is for these reasons that I believe this idea of getting drunk on Purim comes about. As the Gemara in Megillah (7b) says:
 אמ ר  רב א
 מ יחי י ב  איניש לבםומי בפוריא עד  דלא ידע
 בין אר ו ר  המן לב ר ו ך  מר ד כ י  

Rava says, Men are obligated to drink (alcohol) to the point that they don't know the difference between cursing Haman and blessing Mordechai. 

We need to realize that G-D is behind the scenes protecting us, even when we do not take care of ourselves. That is the significance of getting drunk, it takes away our own will to protect ourselves and make sure our lives work out as planned. Therefore, Rava says that we should get drunk, in order to realize that G-D works behind the scenes, within nature, to make sure everything works out for us. (to see how G-D might work behind the scenes in this world see this post)

However, this idea of getting drunk to the point that one does not know what they are doing is proven to be bad in the Gemara (ibid):
 רבה ורבי זירא
 עב ד ו  סע ו ד ת  פורים בהדי הד ד י  איבםום
 קם רבה שחטיה לרבי זירא למחר בעי
 רחמי  ואחייה לשנה אמ ר  ליה ניתי מר  ונעביד
 סע ו ד ת  פורים בהדי  הד ד י  אמ ר  ליה לא בכ ל
 שע ת א  וש ע ת א  מתרחיש ניסא
Rabbah and R. Zera joined together in a Purim feast. They became mellow, and Rabbah arose and

cut R. Zera's throat. On the next day he prayed on his behalf and revived him. Next year he said,
Will your honour come and we will have the Purim feast together. He replied: A miracle does not
take place on every occasion. (Soncino translation)

This apparently shows that one should not get drunk to the point that one can not control themselves. The point is valid, that G-D is working behind the scenes, but the practical application is not safe and leaves out the second message found in the Megillah.

The second important point, which I think most people miss, is the importance of our own actions. True, G-D is watching over us, but the Megillah is a story that shows how Esther needed to act, if she didn't then what would have happened? The Jewish people still needed to fight off their enemies, if they didn't then what would have happened? Yes, G-D is working behind the scenes, but if we do not play our role in the grand scheme of things then we will be lost and someone else will take over our part.

The story of Purim and the holiday of Purim are Chazal's way of telling us that even though open miracles do not occur anymore that does not mean G-D is not watching. Every year we must be reminded that G-D's actions are hidden, but that doesn't mean they are not there. This is why, I think, the Megillah intentionally avoids mentioning G-D at all.

The future of Judaism, as we have seen, is G-D working behind the scenes. The Jewish people have survived for so long simply because G-D is working behind the scenes to protect us. How many times have "Purim" stories happened that we are not even aware of? How many times have people tried to destroy us, as a people, but their plans were foiled in, seemingly, natural ways?

We must celebrate Purim, but don't let these messages be left out of our Purim celebrations.

How Does G-D Work In This World?

Ever since I can remember I had a simple question, "How does G-D interact with the world?" However, if you think about it, this is probably the most complicated question one can ask about G-D. People always say that "G-D helps" and "G-D caused it to happen," but HOW did He help and HOW did He cause it to happen? There is a scientist/theologian quoted in "Discover" magazine in an article titled "Physics of the divine" in the March 2011 issue that has put forth a new theory about how, MAYBE, G-D interacts with the world. I find his theory very interesting, to say the least. I will try to hit the main points.


(The scientist/theologian is an Anglican priest named John Polkinghorne)


"I started with the statement that I believe G-D acts in the world, but He is not a show-off conjurer who violates the same laws of nature that He made." he says. "My questions was, Is there a way of describing G-D's actions that is consistent with science?"


.....Reviewing the evidence... Russell concluded that the best place to seek scientific support for G-D is in quantum mechanics, the physical laws describing the subatomic realm..... For people seeking a place for G-D in the physical world, the most important of those [peculiar] properties [in the quantum theory] is the uncertainty principle which states that you can never predict the outcome of a quantum experiment with certainty; you can only calculate the probability of getting a particular result.


As a result of the uncertainty principle, quantum events are starkly different from those in the familiar, large-scale world. [For example,] when you toss a coin, you could, in theory, make a foolproof prediction (heads or tales) if you knew every piece of information about the flip-- the speed and height of the toss, the movement of all the air currents in the room and so on. At the quantum scale, in contrast, equivalent events are intrinsically indeterministic: the universe simply does not contain enough information for you to predict a result. This fundamental indeterminism has been repeatedly confirmed in the lab. For instance, physicists have shown that two identical radioactive atoms will decay at different times. There is no way to explain why they behave differently or to predict the precise time of decay.
(There are more complications that are explained, but this is the theory of Polkinghorne of how G-D could intervene in the world. He also goes on to add chaos theory for different reasons.)


This theory is interesting, but there is also another convincing idea put forth by quantum physicist Antoine Suarez of the Center for Quantum Philosophy in Zurich in the same article. 


.... G-D seekers are better off pursuing another quantum effect, entanglement. In entanglement, two particles become twinned in such a way that the measurement of one always determines the properties  of the other, no matter how far apart they may be. Imagine setting up a pair of entangled "coins" (such as photons with a specific orientation), then giving one to Alice in Oxford and another to Bob in Zurich. When you ask Alice and Bob to flip their coins, they will both get heads or both get tails, even though the results of the tosses should be random and independent..... Suarez claims entanglement tests conducted with real photons in the lab suggest that quantum effects must be caused by "influences that originate from outside of space-time."

[After conducting an experiment that took time out of the equation Suarez discovered that he was wrong when he thought that] "by messing up the time-ordering in this way, it would be impossible for the photons to coordinate their paths." He was proven wrong. On every run, the photons still met the same fate. Whatever causes the twin photons to behave the same way, it must work independently of time.

These two ideas in no way prove G-D. However, it is very difficult to understand how G-D could interact with the world. Before I read about this theory I was always troubled by how G-D intervenes in the world. Everything seemed like it could be explained away through nature or choices of human beings. Rainbows are not the hand of G-D, but a beautiful occurrence that is seen in nature. Tides are natural occurrences. True, we can claim that nature was created by G-D, but at that point we never observe nature changing in a miraculous way, rather we see nature's laws holding tight, unchanging. How does G-D get involved?

I don't understand how people believe G-D just intervenes. In what way does he intervene? G-D influencing quantum events makes a lot of sense to me, especially according to the Rambam and Ralbag. Rambam tells us that G-D relates to the world through His angels (see here). How? Well, the Rambam tells us that when G-D wants to cause something to happen on earth He influences the Chayos (top level angels) and that starts a chain reaction that eventually leads to an action in the physical realm. Sounds like how quantum mechanics works. A teeny tiny event that, through Chaos theory, can affect the physical realm.

This idea allows us to understand the Ralbag and Rambam, I think, in a much clearer way. They say that G-D allows nature to take its course, unless the person is very righteous. So, G-D does not intervene in the world except for the very righteous. If that is true, how does He intervene for the righteous? This theory could, theoretically, allow us to understand how G-D intervenes, but allows the world to work through nature without a constant need for His intervention.

For a related idea see this post http://markset565.blogspot.com/2009/12/hashgacha-pratis-vs-hashgacha-klalis.html

Dissecting Bodies and Believing In G-D

I don't understand how anyone who dissects a human body and understands it in detail can deny that there is certainly a G-D. There are so many intricancies that exist inside the body and perfectly placed structures so everything moves correctly. If this was the work of random evolution without some higher being, why wouldn't there be natural flaws in the general population? I mean, why should't we have muscles that work in a more unorganized manner. How is everything so perfect?

The other day we had a ceremony for the people that donated their bodies to us for the dissections. There was a lot of people that spoke and said how grateful we are and how appreciative we should be. However, there was also a bishop that spoke. Now, I am clearly not Catholic, but I had to appreciate his words, especially since he quoted Psalms. Some people thought it was inappropriate for a bishop to speak at a Med School and give a prayer for the bodies that we were dissecting. However, I would disagree. I thought it was very meaningful for the Med School to involve religion in this ceremony. First off, the Med School is a private school and it can do whatever it wants. However, I also think it shows a realization that there is a higher power at work.

When someone looks at these bodies they have to think, what separates the living from the dead? One of my friends at Med School even told me, " I am not religious, but when I look at these bodies and see how small the separation is between us and them I start to think." I was very impressed with this idea because he was so right. I know that there are certain molecules that are working in a living person that have stopped working in a dead person, but there is still something spiritual and otherworldly that you just can't help but wonder.

I am still bewildered why people think that if evolution occurred it is impossible that G-D exists. I do not see these two things as mutually exclusive. It makes a lot of sense to say that there was a higher being guiding evolution. Everything in the world works so perfectly together and evolution's steps occurring was something like one in a billion chance. This is not all of evolution occurring, but rather every step that was needed had a very slim chance. I just can't see how everything happened without a higher power. Without a higher power guiding it, it is practically impossible for human life to have occurred.

Four Views on The Kuzari Principle of Faith

The Kuzari principle of faith is the basic answer any Jew will give when questioned as to why they believe in G-D. The answer goes like this: The Bible says that there were 600,000 male Jews at Mount Sinai (roughly 2.5 million people) that saw and heard G-D's revelation directly. This occurrence has been handed down orally and through the Bible. This causes a Jew to believe in the veracity of the Jewish religion because if G-D spoke to the Jews and told them He was G-D then He must be G-D. Also, it was a national revelation, this means that every single Jew heard it and, therefore, they all kept the commandments and the religion. It would take another national revelation to change the religion and the belief system and this is why the Jewish people have never accepted Christianity or Islam, because they believe in private revelations to Jesus and Mohammad respectively.

On the surface this proof seems pretty good. There is a historical event where G-D revealed himself to the Jews and told them to follow the Jewish religion. Logically, all Jews should follow this religion since they have an oral tradition and a written tradition that tells them that this event occurred. Just like we know George Washington lived, so too we know that G-D talked to the Jews.

However, is this the only proof that one really requires to believe in Judaism? Doesn't it seem a bit flimsy? In truth, there are several different answers to this question. 1) I trust my ancestors and I don't think they would lie so this is all the proof I need. I believe in the validity of the Bible and the oral tradition, end of story. 2) Well, it does seem a little flimsy, but since I believe there must be a G-D Judaism makes the most sense as a religion. 3)There are no triangulating sources or scientific proofs for this event and therefore I do not believe in it. 4) This event is false, the archeological evidence proves that it never happened.

Let's address each of these issues and how the four different types of people would address the Kuzari principle.

1)This person seems like the basic Jew. There is a simple faith and they don't want to rock the boat. They believe in G-D and do not care what anyone else has to say on the matter. In truth, what causes a person like this to believe is that they were raised in a Jewish home and were told that these ideas are true or they just don't think about the questions. There is nothing wrong with that, but what if they had been raised in a different religion?

2)This is a very broad idea. What first must be understood is why does this person believe G-D exists and then why does he believe that Judaism is the most logical religion? There can be several reasons why a person could believe in G-D. One could be the big bang theory as it exists now seems to indicate that there was a starting point of our universe. This seems to indicate that there must have been some entity that started it. Also, the complexity at which living organisms exist in the universe seem to tell us that there is some kind of intelligent creator. To say all of these things are random is like saying a monkey could write any one of Shakespear's plays randomly, or better, it could throw paint against a wall and create the Mona Lisa (This is an exaggeration, I know how gradual natural selection in the theory of evolution brings the randomness down, but it is still random). Also, if everything is random we still need to account for where everything came from. These ideas seem to point to a creator. However, why does Judaism seem to be the most logical religion? This now points us in the direction of the Kuzari argument. Just considering the major three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, we can answer this question. Christianity and Islam both claim that the revelation at Sinai happened for the Jews. It is part of the Koran (in Sura 2 I believe) and it is part of Christianity's belief. That means that both of these religions think G-D spoke to the Jewish people and made a covenant with them. The Jews were the original chosen people according to both of these religions. All of the Jewish nation saw G-D and heard Him say that they were the chosen people, keep the Jewish religion. However, according to both Islam and Christianity, G-D came to one man and said, "I, the Lord, have changed my mind, let's make up a new religion." That does not seem so logical. If G-D created a religion by telling everyone in that religion, doesn't it seem logical that, to change that same religion, He would tell everyone the new plan? It is similar to the CEO of Honda saying that they were going to make the Insight. Later, a car mechanic comes along and tells everyone that they should stop making the insight and focus on a car that is like the Ford Excursion. Would anyone listen to this mechanic?

3) This question seems very reasonable, how can we verify the Bible? Why should anyone believe that it speaks the truth? Just like Judaism, Islam and Christianity are not compatible with one another and therefore at least two are false, why should anyone believe in any of them? This is the weak atheism claim. There is no proof of G-D's existence so there is no reason for anyone to believe in Him. Just because we don't know where the first atom came from, or how complex organisms came into being does not mean there is a G-D, it simply means we do not know. Unless you can prove that this revelation happened, there is no reason to believe it is not made up. However, it is possible that it happened, we just don't know.

4)This is the strong atheism answer. All religions are false, G-D does not exist. There is evidence that proves there is no G-D. The revelation at Sinai is an impossibility because of the archeological evidence. The archeological evidence shows that there was no mass exodus from Egypt and that other stories in the Bible are false. Therefore, since all monotheistic religions are based on these ideas, all of them are false. Also, since evolution is a fact, and it is random, there is no need for G-D. Although, I can not tell you where the first atom came from, this does not mean there is any possibility that G-D exists.

In my opinion, the first and fourth answers seem to be a bit hasty. The first answer relies too heavily on sources that could have possibly been falsified. This answer relies on one or two sources that are not strong proofs. The main reason that this person believes is most probably because they were raised thinking it or they like the religion and the values it contains, but they did not dig too deeply into solid proofs. However, the fourth opinion is also a bit rash. This relies too heavily on archeological evidence or lack there of. If G-D does exist then there would not need to be archeological evidence for the exodus. G-D supported them through miracles, how do miracles fit into archeology? Furthermore, who says that absence of evidence is the same as evidence of absence? Also, believing that complex organisms occurred through complete randomness seems a bit far fetched. It is a possibility, but how can we call it a certainty when the odds are so unlikely? The main problem with both of these positions is that they contain certainty without compelling evidence.

The second and third answers seem to be a little bit more honest. Neither is absolutely certain of their position, but through their research have come to basic conclusions. Each one admits to their bias and says what pushes them closer to one ideology as apposed to the other. The third answer, weak atheism, needs absolute proof before they are willing to believe in G-D. The second answer, belief in G-D through probable logic, admits that there is no absolute proof, but that it seems logical that a G-D does exist.

Rambam- Knowing that G-D Exists- Yisodei Hatorah perek 4 halacha 7

The Rambam discusses how everything in the world is made of a combination of things. He says,

לעולם אין אתה רואה גולם בלא צורה או צורה בלא גולם. אלא לב האדם הוא שמחלק גוף הנמצא בדעתו ויודע שהוא מחובר מגולם וצורה. ויודע שיש שם גופים שגולמם מחובר מארבעת היסודות. וגופים שגולמם פשוט ואינו מחובר רק מגולם אחד. והצורות שאין להם גולם אינן נראין לעין אלא בעין הלב הן ידועין. כמו שידענו אדון הכל בלא ראיית עין: 


"A person will never see physical matter without a shape, or a shape without physical matter. A person will always know, in his or her heart, that everything that is visible is composed of physical material and posses a form. There are those bodies that are made of the four elements and there are bodies that are composed of only one of the four elements. Forms that do not posses physical material can not be seen with the eye, only through the eye of the heart can a person know that this type of being exists, like how we know that G-D exists without seeing with the eye."

Here the Rambam deals with a very fundamental idea, how can we know that G-D exists. First, he deals with all physical beings. All physical beings are visible. This visibility has some requirements. A visible object must be made of physical material and it has to have a form. This comes to exclude the material prima that Plato and the Ralbag talk about. They say that before creation there was this prime matter that existed without form or shape. It was physical material, but it had no shape. Therefore, we can understand from this Rambam, that this material was not visible to the eye, just like a being with a form but no physical material is invisible to the eye.

As a side point it is interesting to note that scientists believe that in outerspace there is something called dark matter. This matter is used to answer up several questions that they have about our universe. However, this dark matter is practically invisible to our eyes. Maybe it is the same type of material as the prime matter?

Anyway, the Rambam is telling us that since anything without physical matter is invisible this means there is only one way for us to "see" G-D. G-D is a completely non-physical being, therefore the only way we can "know" He exists is to believe in our hearts that he does exist. It is impossible to "see" Him in any other way.

Vilna Goan (Gra) On Mishlei- How to Believe In G-D

The Gra says something very interesting on the pasuk in Mishlei (3:5) that says, "Trust in Hashem with all your heart and do not rely upon your own understanding." This pasuk seems to be telling us that a Jew should just believe in G-D without any reservations. Does this mean that we should not use our brains to figure out our own path to trust in G-D? Does there really need to be uniformity and zombie like devotion?

The Gra says that the idea behind the beginning of the pasuk is that we, as jews, need to create a complete devotion to G-D and not just a partial devotion. This is clear in my mind because if you don't have a complete devotion to G-D then how can you truly believe? Wouldn't it be hard to believe in a G-D that you only partially trust?

The latter part of the pasuk, the part that says do not trust your own understanding is the problematic part. The Gra says that a person should not say that they believe in G-D through their own knowledge and wisdom. One can not believe in G-D through their own knowledge, but rather they must believe through their heart.

Fortunately, one of the students of the Gra wrote a commentary on this and explains his teacher. The student says that it is obvious that one must use his own mind to come to a belief and trust in G-D. What the Gra is saying is that one must not only rely on his knowledge, there is a heart, or emotional, aspect that must be involved.

A person can not just be a cold and logically driven servant of G-D, otherwise he will miss out on the beauty of believing and trusting in G-D. It is similar to a parent's relationship to their child. If the child has a cold and unemotional relationship with their parent then there can never be a close relationship. This is true by the Jewish people and G-D as well. Jewish people need to put their emotions as well as logic into their religion otherwise they will not be able to fully connect to G-D and trust Him with full hearts.

Ramban- What The Torah Can Do For You- Toras Hashem Temima perek 1 siman 2

The Ramban continues his explanation of the greatness of the Torah. He explains,

"We learned in a braisa that Chizkiya bar Chiya said, The words of the Torah are like a crown on a head, a necklace on the neck, a soothing remedy to the heart, a salve for the eye, a compress for a wound, a root-drink for the stomach and it is a cure to the body. It is a crown for the head as it says in Mishlei (1:9) 'It is an ornament of grace for the head.' It is a necklace for the neck like it says in Mishlei (same source) 'It is a necklace for your neck.' It is a soothing remedy to the heart as it says in Tehilim (19:9) 'It gladdens the heart.' It is a salve for the eye as it says in tehilim (same source) 'It lightens up the eyes.' It is a compress for a wound as it says in Mishlei (3:8) 'It is a cure for your navel.' It is a root-drink for the stomach as it says in Mishlei (same source) 'It is marrow for your bones.' It is a general cure for the body as it says in Mishlei (4:22) 'And to all his flesh it is a cure.'"

The Ramban is bringing sources from the words of King David and King Solomon. Why? I think that it could be that since David and Solomon are two people that were well versed in the Torah and they were Kings, we can rely on what they say about the Torah to be true. Also, if someone is constantly being tested and, therefore, needs more guidance than everyone else, that person's advice should be heeded. This is especially true by David and Solomon since we see how successful they were and how righteous they were. If we hope to be even 1/100th as great as them we should listen to what they have to say about the Torah and how it guided them along the right path.

However, why would the Ramban choose this braisa to teach us the importance of the Torah? What are these references teaching us about the greatness of the Torah?

Crown on a head- the pasuk quoted was "It is an ornament of grace for your head." This could be referring to the development of the mind. The Torah is something that helps exercise the mind and hone it in such a way that it greatly benefits. This can be seen from the extensive works that have been made from the Torah like the Mishna, Gemorah, Midrashim and so on.

Necklace- the pasuk quoted was "A Necklace on your neck." This could refer to the idea that you can be proud of your Torah knowledge. A person that is rich with Torah knowledge is confident and happy. They feel confident in their connection to G-D. This is similar to someone who is wearing a nice piece of jewelry around their neck, they feel confident and proud of what is on their neck.

Soothing remedy to the heart- the pasuk quoted is "It gladdens the heart." The heart refers to emotions. The idea here seems to be that someone is cured of a problem when their heart is gladdened. The Torah is something that brings a person happiness. This is because a person who learns the Torah and believes in it feels a sense of purpose and completeness. The Torah teaches man that he is not the ultimate end, but rather there is something other than himself. This gladdens man since to think this is a world of pointlessness is depressing.

A salve for the eye- the pasuk for this is "It lightens up the eyes." Lightening up the eyes seems to refer to opening a persons knowledge up. The Torah allows a person to view the world around him in a different way. One is able to notcie all of the miracles and intricacies that are involved in the every day actions of nature. The Torah allows one to take in that knowledge and realize it is from a higher being.

A compress for a wound- The pasuk for this is "It is a cure for your navel." The pasuk tells us that this cure for a wound refers to an integral wound that is cured. The navel refers to the part of a person that is nourished while in the mother's womb. When a person comes into this world they are severed from their original nourishing source. The only way to reestablish a nourishing relationship is through the Torah. The nourishment of the Torah's knowledge can help a person sustain themselves. The main part of a person is the idea of belief and the Torah gives a person direction of this belief. However, one can believe in many things, so it is important to direct these beliefs in the proper direction.

A root-drink for the stomach- The pasuk for this is "It is marrow for your bones." The marrow for your bones, or the root-drink are things that help fix the inside of your body. The root-drink is something that cures a disease like gonorrhea and the marrow is what produces your bodies defences. This correlates to Torah, because Torah helps one protect their mind and body from detrimental things. Like pointed out before, a person needs to believe in something and that can either be pointless and harmful things or meaningful and helpful things.

A general cure for the body- The pasuk for this is "And to all his flesh it is a cure." This is an overview of everything that was stated previously. Also, this is coming to teach you the all encompassing nature of the Torah. Everything is found in the Torah, all the answers and all knowledge. If one were to search for things in the Torah, they will find the answer. An answer might be to learn science or math, but all proper direction is found in the Torah.

Ramban- Greatness of Torah In Perspective- Toras Hashem Temima

The Ramban at the beginning of his book on Jewish Ideology (Torahs Hashem Tamima) talks about the greatness of Torah through the medium of Psalms. He writes in the first perek and first siman,

"In Tehilim (19:8) it writes, 'The Torah (Laws) of G-D is perfect, restoring the soul, the testimony of G-D is trustworthy, it makes the simple wise." This follows the phrase, (19:2) 'The heavens enumerate the honor of Kel (G-D).' So it goes back and explains the praise of the Torah and says that the Torah enumerates the praise of G-D more than the heavens, sun, moon, stars and all other celestial bodies that were mentioned in the beginning of this chapter. King David begins with the heavens praise of Kel (G-D) because the heavens are continuously moving for all time and everything that moves needs something to move it and guide it. Thereby, the heavens teach us about the honor of Kel (G-D). This is telling us that G-D is all powerful since He is the cause of the movements with His power (Kel-means power so when He is referred to as Kel, that refers to the aspect of G-D's all powerful being). (The Ramban then goes into a discussion about the different Spheres which I will leave out)"

The Ramban is using Tehilim (Psalms) to illustrate a point here. He is telling us that based on the Torah, we can learn all about the greatness of G-D. He says that King David points this out by saying that the vast and powerful forces of the universe can praise G-D, but shadow in comparison to the way that the Torah is able to praise Him. Just thinking about the different forces and what it must take to move the planets and to create the stars exudes a type of awe and wonderment. However, this feeling pales in comparison to the type of feelings that the Torah is able to inspire.

Tolerance and Ideas In Jewish Christian Relations

I just started reading this book that was originally written in German by Rabbi Dr. Leo Adler. The books name is The Biblical View Of Man. He was in the Mir yeshiva when it was in Lithuania and Shanghai. After the war, he became the Rabbi of the Jewish community in Basel, Switzerland. In his book is a letter from 1966 that he wrote in response to a request from Father Theodor Bogler, the editor of a Christian Journal, to contribute a Jewish interpretation of Christmas. His letter states that he did not feel comfortable contributing. However, the elegance and class with which the letter is written is remarkable. Also, I think it is very important for Jewish people to read as well as the Christians that read the letter when it was published in their journal. (The Journal was Liturgie und Monchtum). The letter states,

"Most honored Father,

I thank you for your friendly letter of May 24 and the invitation to contribute to the Christmas edition of Liturgie und Monchtum a piece on the Jewish attitude to the Christian festival of Christmas. Although I very much appreciate your friendly offer, I must reject it. If as you write, you heard of me through my booklet The Biblical View of Man, then if you reread the chapter on "The Transformed View of Man in Apocryphal Literature" you will understand that the idea of a G-D who reaches out to man, turning himself into man and flesh so as to reach man because man can no longer manage to reach G-D and, indeed, was never in his history capable of doing so - that this idea is of apocryphal origin and is diametrically opposed to the ancient biblical tradition of man being equipped with freedom and, thereby, with the strength and righteousness needed to find his way along the path to G-D.

Accordingly, the Christian interpretation of the Christmas festival is an impossible notion for Jewish theology, not only a question of a religion's attitude. Notwithstanding all the moral and ethical commonalities, which result both from Christianity's Jewish origin and from the recent renewed Christian attention to the Bible, we must not lose sight of that which divides us - which is nowhere more obvious than in connection with the Christmas festival, which for professing Christians has not only a symbolic meaning, but also a religious reality of the highest order.

Far be it from me, therefore, to oppose the certainty of Christian belief with that of Jewish belief, something which anyway would do you no service.

So I would ask you to leave it at that, with no other alternative in a situation in which each of us perceives G-D and seeks his own share in Him in his own way.

Yours, with friendly regards,
Rabbi Leo Adler"

There are a few things that are very important to point out about this letter. First of all, he points out that, according to Judaism, man is equipped with all of the tools to find his way on the path towards G-D. This means that in any situation a man finds himself there is always room to believe in G-D and follow his ways. No Jew should ever feel that it is an impossibility to connect to G-D, there is always a way, one just has to search.

Another major idea here is the tolerance that he shows towards the Christians. He reveals his ability to accept the Christian belief in G-D and shows that Jews do not need to force their belief on others. He thinks that any way that someone can connect to G-D, whether it be Judaism or Christianity, a person should follow his beliefs. There should be religious tolerance and brotherly love among all religions.

Rambam- What G-D's Perception of Himself Means- Yisodei Hatorah perek 2 halacha 9

The Rambam discusses what the basic requirements are for the world to exist. Also, he points out what aspects of G-D relate to the world and perpetuate its existence. He says,


כל הנמצאים חוץ מן הבורא מצורה הראשונה עד יתוש קטן שיהיה בטבור הארץ הכל מכח אמתתו נמצאו. ולפי שהוא יודע עצמו ומכיר גדולתו ותפארתו ואמתתו הוא יודע הכל ואין דבר נעלם ממנו:


"All of the beings, except for the creator, from the first tzura (spiritual being/purpose) to the tiny bug that is in the navel of the earth, all exist from the force of G-D's truth. Also, because He knows Himself and recognizes His greatness, His glory and His truth, He knows everything and nothing is hidden from Him."

The Rambam uses very specific language here. He points out that the greatest of all creations is the first tzura (spiritual existence/purpose) that exists closest to G-D. This is the Chayos, the angel that exists on the highest level of holiness. I believe this because as the Rambam previously stated, the Chayos are the creation that best understand G-D. The greater a beings knowledge of G-D, then the greater an existence they are considered to have. A bug, on the other hand, that is at the center of the earth, is considered to be the most physical of all beings. It has the lowest level of understanding of G-D and is, therefore, considered to be the most distant of all beings from G-D. Nevertheless, even though these beings are worlds apart, they both exist from the truth of G-D. It is impossible to understand this truth since it is His essence and, according to the Rambam, it is impossible to know the essence of G-D.

It is interesting that the Rambam uses the language that since G-D realizes His own greatness, glory and truth He therefore knows everything. What do G-D's attributes have to do with knowing everything?

I believe the Rambam is telling us that the ultimate knowledge is an understanding of G-D. Therefore, since G-D is the only one that knows Himself, He is the one that knows everything. All information in the world is just a pathway to understanding and knowing G-D. Therefore, the more knowledge of anything that one acquires, the more knowledge of G-D one posseses. The Rambam even says in his book The Guide for The Perplexed (section 3 Chapter 18), "For the action of Divine Providence is proportional to the endowment of intellect." He is telling us that the more knowledge we acquire, the closer we come to G-D.