28c ] The Guide of the Perplexed 1-24 j j something10 after its not having existed, for everything that comes into being from God, may He be exalted, is attributed to His decree. Thus: By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.11 In this verse God’s acts are likened to those that proceed from kings, whose instrument in giving effect12 to their will is speech. However, God, may He be exalted, does not require an instrument by means of which He could act, for His acts are accomplished exclusively by means of His will alone 5 neither is there any speech at all, as shall be made clear.13 Inasmuch as the term going out, as we have made clear, was figuratively applied to the manifestation of an act of God 14 — for Scripture says: For, behold, the Lord goeth out of His place15— the term returning [ shibah ] is figuratively applied to the cessation of such an act likewise brought about in virtue of God’s will. It says accordingly, I will go and return to My place,16 the signification of which is that the Indwelling | that had been among us is removed. This removal is followed 17 by a privation of providence, as far as we are concerned.18 As it says by way of a threat: And I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured.19 For a privation of providence leaves one abandoned and a target to all that may happen and come about, so that his ill and weal come about according to chance. How terrible is this threat! It is to this that it refers in its dictum: I will go and return to My place.20 CHAPTER 24 Going [al -halikhah] too is one of the terms referring to some particular motions of living beings. Thus: And Jacob went on his way.1 This usage is frequent. Sometimes this term is used figuratively to designate the extension of bodies more subtle than the bodies of living beings. Thus: And the waters went and decreased,-2 And fire went down unto the earth.5 10. Literally: of that which comes into being. 11. Ps. 33:6.
12. tanfldh. The verbal form derives from the same root as nufudh (cf. n. 5, this chap.), also occurring in this chapter and translated “propagation.”
13. Cf. I 65.
14. Literally: to the manifestation of an act of His acts. 15. Isa. 26:21. 16. Hos. 3:15.
17. According to the strict letter of the Arabic text, the Indwelling, rather than the removal, is followed by the privation of providence.
18. More or less literally: of providence among us.
19. Deut. 31:17. 20. Cf. this chapter, above.
1. Gen. 32:2. 2. Gen. 8:5. I.e., were gradually decreasing.
3. Exod. 9:23.
Subsequently this term was used figuratively to designate the spread and the manifestation of a certain thing even if the latter were in no way corporeal. Thus it says: The voice thereof shall go like a serpent.'1' Similar is its dictum: The voice of the Lord God going about in the garden.4 5 It is the voice that was said to be going about. Every mention of going that occurs with reference to God, may He be exalted, conforms to this figurative use. I mean that with respect to what is incorporeal, it is used figuratively to denote either the spread of a thing6 7 * or the withdrawal of providence, which, in the case of a living being, has its analogy in the latter’s turning away from a thing through going. And just as the withdrawal of providence is referred to as the hiding of the face — as in its dictum: As for Me, I will surely hide My face 7 — it also is referred to as going, which has the meaning to turn away from a thing. Thus Scripture says: I will go and return to My place} As for its dictum, And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He went away,9 the two significations subsist together in the passage. I mean the signification of a withdrawal of providence referred to by means of the term “turning away,” and the signification of a spread, diffusion, and manifestation of a thing. I mean to say that it was the anger that went and extended toward the two. 10 For this reason, [Miriam] became leprous, as white as snow.11 The term going is also applied figuratively to living a good life,12 without in any way moving a body. Thus it says: And thou shalt go in His ways;15 After the Lord your God shall ye go;1* Come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.15 6. amr. The word also means “command.” However, other passages in this chapter seem to indicate that in this case the word should be translated “thing” or “matter.”
10. Viz., Aaron and Miriam. 11. Num. 12:10.
12. Li'l-sayr bi'l-sira al-fadila. Literally: to going (or walking) a good or virtuous life.
The word sira, meaning “life” or “the conduct of life,” derives from the verb sara, “to go” or “walk.”
CHAPTER 25 Shakhon. It is known that the meaning of this verb is, to dwell. Thus-.
And he was dwelling by the terebinths of Mamref And it came to pass, while Israel dwelt.2 This is well known and generally accepted. Now dwelling signifies a permanent stay in a place of one’s abode. Accordingly, when a living being has his abode in a place, by which either a general or a particular place may be meant, it is said of him that he dwells in that place, even if he undoubtedly moves within it. This verb is also figuratively applied to things that are not living beings and in fact to everything that is permanent and is attached to another thing. Of all such things the term dwelling may be used, even in cases in which the thing to which they are attached is not a place and they themselves not living beings. Thus it says: Let a cloud dwell upon it? For there is no doubt that a cloud is not a living being, nor a day in any way a body,4 being a portion of time. It is on account of this latter figurative sense that the verb is applied figuratively to God, may He be exalted — I mean to the permanence of His Indwelling5 or His providence in | whatever place they may subsist in permanent fashion or toward whatever matter providence may be permanently directed.6 Thus it is said: And the glory of the Lord dwelt f And I will dwell among the children of Israel f And the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush? In every case in which this occurs with reference to God, it is used in the sense of the permanence of His Indwelling — I mean His created light — in a place, or the permanence of providence with regard to a certain matter. Each passage should be understood according to its context.10 4. A reference to the passage in Job. Job wishes that the cloud should dwell upon a day (Job 3:5).
5. sakina.
6. Literally: or every matter in which providence subsists permanently.
10. Literally: each place according to itself.
CHAPTER 26 You know their dictum that refers in inclusive fashion to all the kinds of interpretation connected with this subject, namely, their saying: The Torah speaketh in the language of the sons of man} The meaning of this is that everything that all men are capable of understanding and representing to themselves at first thought has been ascribed to Him as necessarily belong¬ ing to God, may He be exalted. Hence attributes indicating corporeality have been predicated of Him in order to indicate that He, may He be exalted, exists, inasmuch as the multitude cannot at first conceive of any existence save that of a body alone 5 thus that which is neither a body nor existent in a body does not exist in their opinion. In a similar way one has ascribed to Him, may He be exalted, everything that in our opinion2 is a perfection in order to indicate that He is perfect in every manner of perfection and that no deficiency whatever mars3 Him. Thus none of the things appre¬ hended by the multitude as a deficiency or a privation are predicated of Him. Hence it is not predicated of Him that He eats, drinks, sleeps, is ill, does an injustice, or that He has any similar characteristic. On the other hand, everything that the multitude consider a perfection is predicated of Him, even if it is only a perfection in relation to ourselves — for in relation to Him, may He be exalted, all things that we consider perfections are the very extreme of deficiency. However, | if people imagined that this human perfection was lacking in Him, may He be exalted, this would constitute, in their opinion, a deficiency in Him. Thus you know that motion belongs to the perfection of a living being and is necessary to such a being for its perfection. For just as it requires eating and drinking in order to replace what has been dissolved, it also requires motion in order to direct itself toward what agrees with it and to escape from what disagrees. There is, accordingly, no difference between, on the one hand, predicating eating and drinking of God, may He be exalted, and, on the other, predicating move¬ ment of Him. However, in accordance with the language of the sons of man, I mean the imagination of the multitude, eating and drinking are con¬ sidered in their opinion as a deficiency with reference to God, whereas motion is not considered as a deficiency with reference to Him $ and this notwithstanding the fact that only need obliges recourse to motion. It has 1. B.T., Yebamoth, 71a; B.T., Baba Mesha, 31b. a. Apparently that of men in general.
3. Literally: mingles with Him.
already been demonstrated that everything that is capable of motion is endowed with a magnitude that, without any doubt, can be divided. And it shall be demonstrated further on that He, may He be exalted, is not endowed with magnitude, and that in consequence motion does not pertain to Him, and that rest should not be predicated of Him either — for it can only be predicated of one who is characterized by the capacity for motion. All these terms indicative of various kinds of motions of living beings are pre¬ dicated of God, may He be exalted, in the way that we have spoken of, just as life is predicated of Him. For motion is an accident attaching to living beings. There is no doubt that when corporeality is abolished, all these predicates are likewise abolished. I mean such terms as to descend, to ascend, to go, to stand erect, to stand, to go round, to sit, to dwell, to go out, to come, to pass, and all terms similar to these. To speak at length of this matter would be superfluous, were it not for the notions to which the minds of the multitude are accustomed. For this reason it behooves to explain the matter to those whose souls grasp at human perfection and, by dint of expatiating a little on the point in question just as we have done, to put an end to the fantasies that come to them from the age of infancy. | CHAPTER 27 Onqelos the Proselyte was very perfect in the Hebrew and Syrian lan¬ guages and directed his effort toward the abolition of the belief in God’s corporeality. Hence he interprets in accordance with its meaning every attribute that Scripture predicates of God and that might lead toward the belief in corporeality. Thus whenever he encounters one of the terms indicative of one of the kinds of motion, he makes motion to mean the manifestation and appearance of a created light, I mean the Indwelling or the action of providence. Thus he renders, The Lord will descend,1 by the words, The Lord will manifest Himself; And the Lord descended, 2 by the words, And the Lord manifested Himself. He does not translate: And the Lord came down. He also translates, I will descend now and see,5 by, I will manifest Myself now and see. This occurs continually in his interpretation. However, he translates, I will descend with thee into Egypt,* by, I will go 7 down with thee to Egypt} And this is a very marvellous story that indicates the perfection of this distinguished man as well as the fine quality of his interpretation and of his understanding of things as they really are. This translation also reveals to us an important matter regarding prophecy. For in the beginning of the story, Scripture says:6 And God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob, and so on. And He said, I am God, and so on. I will descend with thee into Egypt. Now in view of the fact that the beginning of the passage includes the statement that this happened in the visions of the night,1 Onqelos did not think that it would be unseemly to conform wholly to the text in his rendering of what was said in the visions of the night. This was the correct procedure. For this passage contains a relation of what was said and not a relation of a story of such as is to be found in the verse: And the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai.8 For that is a relation of what took place within matters having existence. On this account [Onqelos] uses in connection with this the term “manifestation” and dis¬ cards in his rendering everything indicative of the existence of motion.9 On the other hand, he left in his translation the things of the imagination — I mean the retelling of what was said to him — as they are according to the text. This is a marvellous thing. Through this your attention will be drawn to the fact that there is | a great difference between that which is said to happen10 in a dream or in the visions of the night, that which is said to happen in a vision and apparition}1 and that of which it is said without qualification:12 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, or, And the Lord said unto me. In my opinion it is also possible that Onqelos interpreted the word God! 3 occurring here as signifying an angel, and that, on this account, he did not think it improper that he should have Him say: I will go down with thee to Egypt}* Do not think it unseemly that he should have believed that God means here an angel, though He says to him: I am God, the God of thy father,15 For this is also said in the same terms by an angel.
Do you not see that [Jacob] says: And the angel of God said unto me in a dream: Jacob,• and I said: Here am I}6 and that at the end of the relation of what he said to him you find the words: I am the God of Bethel, where 5. I.e., in this case Onqelos gives a literal translation of the Hebrew sentence.
g. Obviously motion in God is meant. 10. I.e., to Jacob.
1 1. Which are not said to have taken place in the night. The word mahazeh, translated in the text as apparition, means etymologically vision, as does the word mar’eh (translated in the text as vision).
12. Literally: absolutely. 13. Elohim.
14. Gen. 46:4 is meant; the text is quoted in Aramaic.
51 a] The Guide of the Perplexed 1-28 thou didst anoint a pillar, and where thou didst vow a vow unto Me.17 Now there is no doubt that Jacob made a vow to God and not to the angel. However, this happens continually in the dicta of the prophets, I mean the retelling of things told to them by an angel in the name of God as if God had spoken to them. In all of them there is an omission of the nomen regens. It is as though he who addresses the prophet said: I am the messenger of the God of thy father, I am the messenger of God who appeared to thee in Bethel, or used similar formulae.
Concerning prophecy and its degrees and concerning the angels, a lengthy exposition will be made in accordance with the purpose of this Treatise.
CHAPTER 28 Foot [ regel ] is an equivocal term. It is a term denoting a foot.1 Thus: Foot for foot.2 It also occurs with the meaning of following. Thus: Go thee out and all the people that are in thy feet 5 — the meaning of which is, that follow thee. It is likewise used in the sense of causation. Thus: And the Lord hath blessed thee for my foot* — I being the cause, that is to say, for my sake. For when a thing | exists for the sake of some other thing, the latter is the cause of the former. This meaning is frequently employed. Thus: For the foot of the cattle that goeth before me and for the foot of the children.5 Accordingly when Scripture says: And His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives,6 it signifies thereby the establishment of the things He has caused7 — I mean of the wonders that will then become manifest at that place 8 and of which God, may He be exalted, is the cause, I mean the maker. This interpretation was adopted by Jonathan ben Uziel, peace be on him. He translates:9 And He will manifest Himself in His might on that day upon the Mount of Olives. In a similar way he translates 17. Gen. 31:13.
1. I.e., the part of the body. Maimonides uses the Arabic word to explain the Hebrew term of which he treats.
6. Zech. 14:4.
7. Literally: the establishment of His causes. The word sabab, “cause,” is sometimes used by Maimonides in the sense of “effect.”
8. I.e., on the Mount of Olives.
g. Literally; said. Jonathan translated the Bible into Aramaic.
6o The Guide of the Perplexed 1-28 [ 31 b every part of the body having the function of grasping or moving by the terms His might, for all of them are intended to signify actions proceeding from God’s will. Now as for its dictum: And there was under his feet, as it were, a work of the whiteness of sapphire stone.10 The interpretation of Onqelos is, as you know, as follows. He considers that the third person suffix, “his,”11 in the words his feet refers to God’s throne; accordingly he translates: And under the throne of His glory. Understand this and admire how far Onqelos was from belief in the corporeality of God and from every¬ thing that leads to it even though it be by the longest way. For he does not say: And under His throne. For should the term throne have been referred to God in the sense that has been explained above, this would have entailed the consequence that He would have been conceived of as sitting upon a body and thus would have entailed the belief in corporeality. Accordingly [Onqelos] referred the term throne to His glory, I mean to the Indwelling,12 which is a created light. Similarly he renders in his translation the verse: For my hand upon the throne of the Lord,13 as: From God whose Indwelling is on the throne of glory. And in a similar way you find on the tongue of the whole nation the words: the throne of glory.
We have gone beyond the subject of the chapter in order to deal with a matter that will be made clear in other chapters. I shall now return to the subject of this chapter. As for the interpretation of Onqelos, you already know it. However, the final end of the matter11, consists in the rejection of the doctrine of the corporeality of God. He does not explain to us what they apprehended15 and what is intended by this parable. He acts in a similar way in all other passages $ that is to say, he is not concerned with such sig¬ nifications, | but only with the rejection of the doctrine of the corporeality of God. For this rejection is a matter of demonstration and is necessary in belief.16 Therefore he made a decision about it and translated accordingly. On the other hand the explanation of the meaning of parables is a sup¬ positious matter, for their intention may be this or that. They are also most hidden matters, and it is not a part of the foundations of belief17 to understand them, nor are they easily grasped by the multitude. Hence [Onqelos] did not concern himself with their signification.
As for us, it certainly is incumbent upon me in accordance with the purpose of this Treatise to interpret something of this parable. I shall 10. Exod. 24:10. 11. In Hebrew “his” is a third person possessive suffix.
14. I.e., the end with a view to which Onqelos makes this translation.
15. I.e., Moses, Aaron, and the elders of Israel, mentioned in Exod. 24:9.
16. I.e., religious belief. 17. I.e., religious belief.
32 a ] The Guide of the Perplexed 1-28 61 accordingly say that when it says, under His feet, it intends to signify: He being the cause and because of Him, as we have already explained. For what they apprehended18 was the true reality of first matter, which derives from Him, may He be exalted, He being the cause of its existence. Consider its dictum: As it were, a work of the whiteness of sapphire stone. If the intended signification had been the color, it would have said: As it were, the whiteness of sapphire stone. The word work was added, because Matter, as you know, is always receptive and passive, if one considers its essence, and is not active except by accident. Form, on the other hand, is in its essence always active, as has been made clear in the books on natural science, and is passive only by accident. That is why Scripture applied to the first matter the expression: as it were, a work. As for the whiteness of sapphire stone, the expression is intended to signify transparency and not a white color. For the whiteness of a crystal19 is not due to a white color, but solely to its transparency. And, as has been demonstrated in the books on natural science, transparency is not a color; for if it were a color, it would not let all the colors be seen behind it and would not receive all of them.20 Now a transparent body receives all the colors in succession just because it lacks a color of its own. In this it resembles the first matter, which in respect of its true reality lacks all forms and on this account is capable of receiving all forms in succession. Accord- ingly | their apprehension21 had as its object the first matter and the relation of the latter to God, inasmuch as it is the first among the things He has created that necessitates generation and corruption; and God is its creator ex nihilo.22 A disquisition on this notion will come further on.23 Know that you require such an interpretation even according to the interpretation of Onqelos, who translates: And under the throne of His glory. I mean to say that the first matter is also in true reality under the heaven that is called the throne. A pointer to this marvellous24 interpretation was only given to me by a dictum of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrqanos that I came across. You will