The Fundamentals of Knowing G-d (2/6) On Rambam's Yesodei Hatorah

Lessons in Derech Mitzvosecha - Volume 2 (Tzemach Tzedek)

– I –

וְהִנֵּה בֶּאֱמֶת צָרִיךְ לְהָבִין קֻשְׁיַת בַּעַל הֲלָכוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת

In truth, it is necessary to understand the resolution of the question raised by the author of Halachos Gedolos:

שֶׁהָאֱמוּנָה בִּמְצִיאוּתוֹ יִתְעַלֶּה שֶׁהוּא הָעִקָּר וְהַשֹּׁרֶשׁ

Since faith in the existence of G‑d is the basis and the root of the all mitzvos,

אֵיךְ יִמָּנוּ בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַצִּוּוּיִם

how can it be included in the reckoning of the commandments?

וְכֵן הִקְשָׁה הָרַב חִסְדָּאִי בְּסֵפֶר אוֹר ה' הֱבִיאוֹ הָרַב יִצְחָק אַבַּרְבַּנְאֵל בְּסֵפֶר רֹאשׁ אֲמָנָה פֶּרֶק ד' וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ

This question was also raised by R. Chisdai in his text Or HaShem as quoted by R. Yitzchak Abarbanel in his text Rosh Amanah, ch. 4:

שֶׁטָּעָה טָעוּת גְּמוּרָה מִי שֶׁמָּנָה אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ מִצְוָה

“One who counted ‘I am G‑d your L-rd’ as a mitzvah committed a great error,

לְפִי שֶׁהַמִּצְוָה הִיא מִן הַמִּצְטָרֵף

for a commandment is something that is an additional element

וְלֹא תְצֻיַּר בְּזוּלַת אֱלוֹקַּ מְצַוֶּה יָדוּעַ

and cannot be conceived of unless there was a known G‑d issuing this command.

To explain by analogy: Before one person gives a command to another, they must share a relationship. Otherwise, the command will go unheeded. First, a relationship must be established and then a command can be given. Accordingly, even when two people already share a relationship, the command does not represent the core of the connection they share, but is merely an additional aspect of their interaction.

וְלָזֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר נַנִּיחַ אֱמוּנַת מְצִיאוּת הָאֵל מִצְוָה

Thus, if one will postulate that faith in the existence of G‑d is a mitzvah,

כְּבָר נַנִּיחַ אֱמוּנַת מְצִיאוּת הָאֵל קוֹדֶמֶת לֶאֱמוּנַת מְצִיאוּת הָאֵל וְכוּ'

he will have postulated that the existence of G‑d is a predicate to the existence of G‑d….

To restate the point: Belief in the existence of G‑d is the basis for the observance of the commandments. Now, if you make that belief a mitzvah, then your belief is the basis for commanding you to have that belief.

וְכָל זֶה בְּתַכְלִית הַבִּטּוּל וְהַגְּנוּת,

All of this is utterly worthless and disdainful.”

אָמְנָם הֶחָכָם הַגָּדוֹל הַשָּׁלֵם בְּדֵעוֹתָיו הָרַב יִצְחָק אַבַּרְבַּנְאֵל הֶחֱזִיק דַּעַת הָרַמְבַּ"ם

Nevertheless, the great sage, possessing perfect character traits, R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, supports the approach of Rambam

בִּפְרָט כִּי כֵן הוּא דַּעַת הָרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא

in particular because it is the approach of the Raya Mehemna, a component text of the Zohar, ascribed to Moshe Rabbeinu

מֹשֶׁה אֱמֶת וְתוֹרָתוֹ אֱמֶת,

of whom it is said: “Moshe is true and his Torah is true.”

וְלָזֹאת תֵּרֵץ שָׁם פֶּרֶק ז'

Hence, in ch. 7 (of Rosh Amanah), he offers a resolution,

וּבֵאֵר שָׁם דִּבְרֵי הָרַמְבַּ"ם

explaining the approach of Rambam,

שֶׁאֵין כַּוָּנָתוֹ כְּפִי שֶׁהֵבִין בּוֹ הָרַב חִסְדָּאִי

that Rambam’s intent is not as it was understood by R. Chisdai,

בְּפֵרוּשׁ מִצְוָה זוֹ שֶׁהִיא אֱמוּנַת מְצִיאוּת הָאֵל

who interprets this mitzvah as faith in the existence of G‑d,

רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא נִמְצָא בִּלְבָד

meaning only the belief that He exists,

אֲשֶׁר סוֹתְרוֹ הוּא הַנֶּעְדָּר חַס וְשָׁלוֹם

the opposite being that He does not exist, Heaven forbid.

אֲבָל עִם הָעִיּוּן הַטּוֹב וְהַיָּשָׁר יֵרָאֶה שֶׁאֵינוֹ כֵן

After thorough and proper contemplation, it appears that this is not Rambam’s intent

אֲבָל כַּוָּנַת הָרַב הַגָּדוֹל בְּכָל דְּבָרָיו הוּא

Instead, the intent of the great master, Rambam, in all of his words is

שֶׁהָעִקָּר הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהַמִּצְוָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה הוּא שֶׁנַּאֲמִין

that the first essential belief and the first mitzvah is that we believe

שֶׁהָאֱלוֹהַּ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁכְּבָר יָדַעְנוּ שֶׁהוּא נִמְצָא,

that the G‑d Whose existence we already know,

מְצִיאוּתוֹ הוּא הַיּוֹתֵר רִאשׁוֹן וְיוֹתֵר שָׁלֵם אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל הַמְּצִיאוּת,

exists as the first and most perfect of all existence, without any blemishes, faults, or deficiencies, as will be explained.

שֶׁמְּצִיאוּתוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶפְשָׁר מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ כְּיֶתֶר הַנִּמְצָאִים

His existence is not merely possible in and of itself as is the existence of all other entities,

Other entities need not exist. i.e., there is no logical imperative that they exist. Had G‑d not desired to create them, they would not have existed.

אֲבָל הוּא מְחֻיָּב הַמְּצִיאוּת מִצַּד עַצְמוֹ כוּ'

but instead, His existence is mechuyav hametzius (“of absolute necessity”) in and of itself, i.e., in contrast to all other existence which need not have been created, G‑d must exist.

וּכְבָר הִתְבָּאֵר שֶׁהַמְּחֻיָּב הוּא

It has already been explained that an existence that is of absolute necessity

כִּי הוּא אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ בִּמְצִיאוּתוֹ לְזוּלָתוֹ

is one that does not require any other existence outside of it

וְכָל מַה שֶּׁזּוּלָתוֹ צָרִיךְ בִּמְצִיאוּתוֹ אֵלָיו

and every existence outside of it requires it,

לְפִי שֶׁהוּא נוֹתֵן הַמְּצִיאוּת וְקִיּוּם לְכָל הַנִּמְצָאִים כוּ' יְעֻיַּן שָׁם:

for He generates existence and continuity to all being. Consult that source.

This term mechuyav hametzius is explained by R. Yosef Albo (in his Sefer HaIkkarim) as follows: “His existence must be, i.e., His existence is from Himself, and is not the result of any other cause which preceded it.”

Every other being was created; brought into existence from utter nothingness. In other words, the truth of every other entity’s existence is non-being. Since there was a time when it did not exist, even now when it does exist, its fundamental state is non-being. Although it can exist, there is no necessity that it exists. Instead, it exists only because G‑d wills that it be.

G‑d’s existence, by contrast, has no reason and no motivating rationale. He just is. And He always was and always will be. The very definition of Him as G‑d implies that He was not brought into being at any time or by any other cause. Instead, He exists independently. He must be, for He is the truth of existence. This is implied by the term mechuyav hametzius.

וְהָעוֹלֶה מִדְּבָרָיו שֶׁצִוּוּי הַהַאֲמָנָה אֵינָהּ עַל מְצִיאוּת הָאֵל

The conclusion resulting from the explanation of R. Yitzchak Abarbanel is that the commandment to have faith in G‑d does not focus only on the fact of G‑d’s existence,

כִּי עַל זֶה לֹא נִצְרָךְ לְצִוּוּי

for there is no need for a commandment concerning that,

כִּי כְּבָר יָדַעְנוּ שֶׁהוּא נִמְצָא כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר

since we already know that He exists, as will be explained.

רַק הַצִּוּוּי הוּא הַהַאֲמָנָה שֶׁמְּצִיאוּתוֹ הוּא הַיּוֹתֵר שָׁלֵם כוּ',

Instead, the commandment to have faith is to believe that His existence is the most perfect.

אָמְנָם מַה שֶּׁבֵּאֵר הֶחָכָם הַנִּזְכָּר עִנְיַן שְׁלֵמוּת מְצִיאוּתוֹ

Nevertheless, what the sage, R. Yitzchak Abarbanel explained with regard to the perfection of G‑d’s existence

שֶׁהוּא מְחֻיָּב הַמְּצִיאוּת

– that He is mechuyav hametzius –

הִנֵּה עַל פִּי דֶרֶךְ הַקַּבָּלָה הוּא בְּעִנְיָן אַחֵר כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְבָּאֵר לְפָנֵינוּ אִם יִרְצֶה ה'

is explained according to Kabbalah in another manner, as will be elaborated below.

כִּי גַם עַל הֱיוֹתוֹ מְחֻיָּב הַמְּצִיאוּת אֵין צָרִיךְ לֶאֱמוּנָה

For the concept that He is mechuyav hametzius also does not require faith;

כִּי הוּא נִכְלָל בִּכְלַל הַיְדִיעָה שֶׁכְּבָר יָדַעְנוּ זֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹרֵא הַמְחַיֶּה הָעוֹלָם

it is included in the knowledge that we already possess that there is a Creator Who grants life to the world.

וּמִמֵּילָא שֶׁהוּא מְחֻיָּב הַמְּצִיאוּת

Since He is identified as the Creator, it follows that He is mechuyav hametzius, existing independently of His creation rather than being defined in its context.

The realization of this truth can be appreciated by logic. It does not require faith.

כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאֵר בְּעַצְמוֹ עִנְיַן מְחֻיָּב הַמְּצִיאוּת שֶׁהוּא זֶה

Indeed, R. Yitzchak Abarbanel himself defines mechuyav hametzius in this manner.

אֶלָּא הָאֱמוּנָה הִיא שֶׁהוּא יִתְבָּרֵךְ רָם וְנִשְׂגָּב לְמַעְלָה מַּעְלָה מִמַּדְרֵגַת הַחָכְמָה

Instead, the faith that is referred to in the commandment is that He is uplifted and exalted far above the level of Chochmah (wisdom),

Chochmah, wisdom, is the first of the Ten Sefiros, and is the most elevated plane of limited existence. G‑d’s being transcends that level entirely.