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February 28, 1995

Maimonides on the Love of God (1995)

General Jewish Thought
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Outline

Maimonides' Book of Love - Lecture 1 (1969)

1. introd: הלכה והשקפה. 2. why ספר אהבה? M (introd MI) כדי לאהב את המקום ולזכרו תמיד. 3. 3 parts to שמע – Read. will analyze later. 4. First: בשכבך ובקומך – so: מצות ק"ש. Read ה"א מחלוקת ב"ש וב"ה. ב"ה – קורא כדרכו; ולשנות דקרא – בשעה... ב"ש – יטו, ינמדו. הלכה – כב"ה. תוס': ישיבה. ההבדל בין ק"ש לשמ"ע. 4. why ק"ש ערבית before שחרית? Ans – לישנו דקרא. Also: סדר בריאת העולם. SI: Purim starts day... xmas... 6. Read ה"ב major
General Jewish Thought

Outline

Maimonides' Book of Love - Lecture 2 (1969)

1. Term הלכות תפלה reveals paradox'l bipolarity: fixity – spont'y ... אבות\קרבנות. 2. They read (silently) I: 1-6. 3. Hal. 1: עבודה שבלב. 3 def's עבודה. a) עבד – not just hard work (even בן חורין): submiss'n to will g-d. So משה עבד ה'. b) קרבנות; as על ג' דברים... עב' ... עב' myk. Rel'n: K. D. Z. Hofm'n on קין והבל – partic'n meaning or symbol עבדות nom. אדנות g-d. c) תפלה – 2 ____: spiritual and קרבן; ונשלמה פרים פני a/dv: לב becomes קרבן – emot'y: ec-stasy
General Jewish Thought

Article

The Unity of God and the Unity of the World: Saadia and Maimonides (1991)

The theme of the unity of God is one of the most important, if not the most important, subject for Jewish philosophy of the Middle Ages as it is, indeed, for Islamic and Christian philosophy. There is virtually no Jewish philosopher of note, from the beginnings of Jewish philosophy to the end of the medieval period and beyond, who has not discoursed on the theme of divine unity. The subject we shall here treat is the effect, if any, of the belief in the unity of God on the conception of the world. Does the belief in one God as opposed to many have any consequences for one's perception of the cosmos? Does the unity of the Deity imply the unity of the world, or does it imply the exact reverse, namely, that the unity of God is so exclusive that it denies unity to His creation? To put it another way, does monotheism imply the existence of the world as a universe or as a multiverse.This question is primarily a metaphysical one, and before pursuing it any further it is Instructive to inquire concerning any effects of a less theoretical nature that the unity of Godmay have on the affairs of mankind, especially in the political and social spheres. And indeed, we do find a discussion of such relationships in the works of Philo.In his De opificio Mundi, Philo enumerates five lessons that issue from Moses' teaching of the creation of the world by God. The first is that God is eternal, which comes to opoose the views of the atheists. Thereafter,Secondly, that God is one. This with a view to the propounders of polytheism, who do not blush to transfer from earth to heaven mobrule, the worst of evil polities.^This cryptic remark is expanded by Philo in his De Confusione Linguarum:And therefore when I hear those who say, "We are all sons of one man, we are peaceful" (Gen. 42:11), I am filled with admiration for the harmonious concert which their words reveal. "Ah! my friends," I would say, "how should you not hate war and love peace--you who have enrolled yourselves as children of…
General Jewish Thought