The Guide for the Perplexed (1904)

by Maimonides

The
Guide for the Perplexed

The Guide for the Perplexed

by

Moses Maimonides

 

Translated from the original Arabic text

 

by

M. Friedländer, Ph.D

 

Second Edition, Revised Throughout

 

 

London
George Routledge & Sons LTD
New York: E. P. Dutton & Co
1910

Second Edition, 1904: Reprinted, 1910.

Preface

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The first Edition of the English Translation of Maimonides’ ar:Dalalāt al-Hairin being exhausted without having fully supplied the demand, I prepared a second, revised edition of the Translation. In the new edition the three volumes of the first edition have been reduced to one volume by the elimination of the notes; besides Hebrew words and phrases have been eliminated or transliterated. By these changes the translator sought to produce a cheap edition in order to bring the work of Maimonides within the reach of all students of Theology and Jewish Literature.

M. Friedländer.

Jews’ College, July 1904.

Preface to Volume One of the First Edition

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In compliance with a desire repeatedly expressed by the Committee of the Hebrew Literature Society, I have undertaken to translate Maimonides’ Dalalāt al-Ḥairin, better known by the Hebrew title Moreh Nebuchim, and I offer the first instalment of my labours in the present volume. This contains—(1) A short Life of Maimonides, in which special attention is given to his alleged apostasy. (2) An analysis of the whole of the Moreh Nebuchim. (3) A translation of the First Part of this work from the Arabic, with explanatory and critical notes.

Parts of the Translation have been contributed by Mr. Joseph Abrahams, B.A., Ph.D., and Rev. H. Gollancz—the Introduction by the former, and the first twenty—five chapters by the latter.

In conclusion I beg to tender my thanks to Rev. A. Loewy, Editor of the Publications of the Hebrew Literature Society, for his careful revision of my manuscript and proofs, and to Mr. A. Neubauer, M.A., for his kindness in supplying me with such information as I required.

M. Friedländer.

Jews’ College, June 1881.

Contents

 

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		Page
Life of Maimonides		xv
	Moreh Nebuchim Literature. Analysis of the Guide for the Perplexed	xxvii
Part I.
Introduction—
	Dedicatory Letter	1
	The Object of the Guide	2
	On Similes	4
	Directions for the Study of this Work	8
	Introductory Remarks	9

Chapter
I	The homonymity of Ẓelem	13
II	On Genesis iii. 5	14
III	On tabnit and temunah	16
IV	On raah, hibbit and ḥazah	17
V	On Exod. xxiv. 10	18
VI	On ish and ishshah, aḅ and aḅot	19
VII	On yalad	19
VIII	On maḳom	20
IX	On kisse	21
X	On ʾalah, yarad	22
XI	On yashab	23
XII	On kam	24
XIII	On ʿamad	25
XIV	On adam	25
XV	On naẓab, yaẓab	25
XVI	On Ẓur	26
XVII	On Mishnah Ḥagigah ii. 1	27
XVIII	On ḳarab, nagaʿ, niggash	27
XIX	On male	28
XX	On ram, nissa	29
XXI	On ʿabar	30
XXII	On ba	32
XXIII	On Yaẓa, shub	32
XXIV	On halak	33
XXV	On shaken	34
XXVI	On “The Torah speaketh the language of man”	34
XXVII	On Targum of Gen. xlvi. 4	35
XXVIII	On regel	37
XXIX	On ʿaẓeb	39
XXX	On akal	39
XXXI, XXXII	On the Limit of Man’s Intellect	40, 42
XXXIII to XXXVI	On the Study and the Teaching of Metaphysics	43–52
XXXVII	On panim	52
XXXVIII	On aḥor	53
XXXIX	On leb	54
XL	On ruaḥ	55
XLI	On nefesh	56
XLII	On ḥayyim-mavet	56
XLIII	On kanaf	57
XLIV	On ʿayin	58
XLV	On sbamaʿ	58
XLVI, XLVII	On the Attribution of Senses and Sensations to God	59, 63
XLVIII	The Targum of sbama’ and raah	64
XLIX	Figurative Expressions applied to Angels	65
L	On Faith	67
LI–LX	On Attributes	68–89
LI	On the Necessity of Proving the Inadmissibility of Attributes in reference to God	68
LII	Classification of Attributes	69
LIII	The Arguments of the Attributes	72
LIV	On Exod. xxxiii. 13; xxxiv. 7	75
LV	On Attributes implying Corporeality, Emotion, Non-existence and Comparison	78
LVI	On Attributes denoting Existence, Life, Power, Wisdom and Will	79
LVII	On the Identity of the Essence of God and His Attributes	80
LVIII	On the Negative Sense of the True Attributes of God	81
LIX	On the Character of the Knowledge of God Consisting of Negations	83
LX	On the Difference between Positive and Negative Attributes	87
LXI	On the Names of God	89
LXII	On the Divine Names composed of Four, Twelve and Forty-Two Letters	91
LXIII	On Ehyeh, Yah and Shaddai	93
LXIV	On “The Name of the Lord,” and “The Glory of God”	95
LXV	On the phrase “God spake”	96
LXVI	On Exod. xxxii. 16	98
LXVII	On shahat and nah	99
LXVIII	On the Terms: The Intellectus, the Intelligens and the Intelligible	100
LXIX	On the Primal Cause	102
LXX	On the attribute rokeb baʿarabot	105
LXXI	The Origin of the Kalâm	107
LXXII	A Parallel between the Universe and Man	113
LXXIII	Twelve Propositions of the Kalâm	120
LXXIV	Proofs of the Kalâm for the creatio ex nihilo	133
LXXV	Proofs of the Kalâm for the Unity of God	138
LXXVI	Proofs of the Kalâm for the Incorporeality of God	141

Part II.

The Author's Introduction. The Twenty-Six Propositions employed by the Philosophers to prove the Existence of God .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .		145
Chapter.
I	Philosophical proofs for the Existence, Incorporeality, and Unity of the First Cause	149
II	On the Existence of Intelligences or purely Spiritual Beings	154
III	The Author adopts the Theory of Aristotle as least open to Objections	156
IV	The Spheres and the Causes of their Motion	156
V	Agreement of the Aristotelian Theory with the Teaching of Scripture	159
VI	What is meant by the Scriptural Term “Angels”	160
VII	The Homonymity of the term “Angel”	162
VIII	On the Music of the Spheres	163
IX	On the Number of the Heavenly Spheres	163
X	The Influence of the Spheres upon the Earth manifests itself in four different ways	164
XI	The Theory of Eccentricity Preferable to that of Epicycles	166
XII	On the Nature of the Divine Influence and that of the Spheres	168
XIII	Three Different Theories about the Beginning of the Universe	171
XIV	Seven Methods by which the Philosophers sought to prove the Eternity of the Universe	174
XV	Aristotle does not scientifically demonstrate his Theory	176
XVI	The Author refutes all Objections to Creatio ex nihilo	178
XVII	The Laws of Nature apply to Things Created, but do not regulate the Creative Act which produces them	178
XVIII	Examinations of the Proofs of Philosophers for the Eternity of the Universe	181
XIX	Design in Nature	184
XX	The Opinion of Aristotle as regards Design in Nature	189
XXI	Explanation of the Aristotelian Theory that the Universe is the necessary Result of the First Cause	190
XXII	Objections to the Theory of the Eternity of the Universe	192
XXIII	The Theory of Creatio ex nihilo is preferable to that of the Eternity of the Universe	195
XXIV	Difficulty of Comprehending the Nature and the Motion of the Spheres according to the Theory of Aristotle	196
XXV	The Theory of Creation is adopted because of its own Superiority, the Proofs based on Scripture being Inconclusive	199
XXVI	Examination of a passage from Pirḳe di-Rabbi Eliezer in reference to Creation	200
XXVII	The Theory of a Future Destruction of the Universe is not part of the Religious Belief taught in the Bible	201
XXVIII	Scriptural Teaching is in favour of the Indestructibility of the Universe	202
XXIX	Explanation of Scriptural Phrases implying the Destruction of Heaven and Earth	204
XXX	Philosophical Interpretation of Genesis i.–iv.	212
XXXI	The Institution of the Sabbath serves (1) to Teach the Theory of Creation, and (2) to promote Man's Welfare	218
XXXII	Three Theories concerning Prophecy	219
XXXIII	The Difference between Moses and the other Israelites as regards the Revelation on Mount Sinai	221
XXXIV	Explanation of Exodus xxiii. 20	223
XXXV	The Difference between Moses and the other Prophets as regards the Miracles wrought by them	223
XXXVI	On the Mental, Physical and Moral Faculties of the Prophets	225
XXXVII	On the Divine Infleunce upon Man's Imaginative and Mental Faculties through the Active Intellect	227
XXXVIII	Courage and Intuition reach the highest degree of Perfection in Prophets	229
XXXIX	Moses was the fittest Prophet to Receive and Promulgate the Immutable Law, which succeeding Prophets merely Taught and Expounded	231
XL	The Test of True Prophecy	232
XLI	What is Meant by “Vision”	234
XLII	Prophets Received Direct Communication only in Dreams or Visions	236
XLIII	On the Allegories of the Prophets	238
XLIV	On the Different Modes in which Prophets Receive Divine Messages	240
XLV	The Various Classes of Prophets	241
XLVI	The Allegorical Acts of Prophets formed Parts of Prophetic Visions	245
XLVII	On the Figurative Style of Prophetic Writings	247
XLVIII	Scripture ascribes Phenomena directly produced by Natural Causes to God as the First Cause of all things	249
Part III.
The Author's Introduction and Apology for Publishing, contrary to the Teaching of the Mishnah, an Interpretation of Ezek. i.		251
I	The “Four Faces” are Human Faces with four different peculiarities	252
II	The Ḥayyot and the Ofannim	252
III	Further Explanation of the Ḥayyot and the Ofannim derived from Ezek. x.	255
IV	The rendering of Ofan by Gilgal in the Targum of Jonathan	256
V	The Vision of Ezekiel is divided into three stages: (1) Ḥayyot (=the Spheres); (2) Ofannim (=Earthly elements); and (3) the man above the Ḥayyot (=Intelligences)	257
VI	On the Difference between the Vision of Ezekiel and that of Isaiah (vi.)	258
VII	The Different Ways in which the Prophet perceived the Three Parts of the Mercabah (Chariot)	259
VIII	Man has the Power to Control his Bodily Wants and Earthly Desires	261
IX	The Material Element in Man Prevents him from Attaining Perfection	264
X	God is not the Creator of Evil	265
XI	Man is the Cause of his own Misfortunes	267
XII	Three Kinds of Evil: (1) That caused by the Nature of Man; (2) Caused by Man to Man; (3) Caused by Man to himself	267
XIII	The Universe has No other Purpose than its own Existence	272
XIV	It is the Will of the Creator that the Spheres regulate the Affairs of Mankind	277
XV	Impossible Things are not ascribed to the Creator, but it is difficult to Prove the Impossibility in each Individual Case	279
XVI	On God's Omniscience	280
XVII	Five Theories concerning Providence	282
XVIII	Every Individual Member of Mankind enjoys the Influence of Divine Providence in proportion to his Intellectual Perfection	289
XIX	It is an ancient Error to Assume that God takes no Notice of Man	290
XX	God's Knowledge is Different from Man's Knowledge	292
XXI	The Creator's knowledge of His Production is Perfect	295
XXII	Object of the Book of Job, and Explanation of the First Two Chapters	296
XXIII	Job and his Friends Discuss the various Theories concerning Providence	299
XXIV	On Trials and Temptations	304
XXV	The Actions of God are Not Purposeless	307
XXVI	The Divine Precepts Serve a certain Purpose	310
XXVII	The Object of the Divine Precepts is to Secure the Well-being of Man's Soul and Body	312
XXVIII	This Object is easily seen in some Precepts, whilst in others it is only known after due Reflection	313
XXIX	On the Sabeans or Star-worshippers	315
XXX	It is one of the Objects of the Law of Moses to Oppose Idolatry	320
XXXI	The Law Promotes the Well-being of Man by teaching Truth, Morality and Social Conduct	321
XXXII	Why did God give Laws to Oppose Idolatry instead of Uprooting it directly?	322
XXXIII	Another chief Object of the Law is to Train Man in Mastering his Appetites and Desires	327
XXXIV	The Law is based on the ordinary conditions of man	328
XXXV	Division of the Precepts into Fourteen Classes	329
XXXVI	First Class of Precepts, to Know, Love and Fear God	331
XXXVII	Second Class, Laws concerning Idolatry	332
XXXVIII	Third Class, Moral Precepts	338
XXXIX	Fourth Class, Laws relating to Charity	339
XL	Fifth Class, Compensation for Injury and the Duty of Preventing Sin	342
XLI	Sixth Class, Punishment of the Sinner	344
XLII	Seventh Class, Equity and Honesty	350
XLIII	Eighth Class, Sabbath and Festivals	352
XLIV	Ninth Class, Prayer, Tefillin, Ẓiẓit and Mezuzah	354
XLV	Tenth Class, The Temple, its Vessels and its Ministers	355
XLVI	Eleventh Class, Sacrifices	359
XLVII	Twelfth Class, Distinctions between Clean and Unclean; and on Purification	366
XLVIII	Thirteenth Class, Dietary Laws	370
XLIX	Fourteenth Class, Marriage Laws	372
L	On Scriptural Passages with seemingly Purposeless Contents	380
LI	How God is worshipped by a Perfect Man	384
LII	On the Fear of God	391
LIII	Explanation of Ḥesed (Love), Mishpat (Judgment), and Ẓedakah (Righteousness)	392
LIV	On True Wisdom	393
Index of Scriptural Passages		399
Index of Quotations from the Targumim		409
Index of Quotations from the Midrashim		409
Index of Quotations from the Talmud		410
Index of References to Other Works of Maimonides		411
Index of References to Works of Science and Philosophy		412
Alphabetical Index		412