Stage 3 · Moses Maimonides (1138–1204)

Moreh Nevukhim: Part I, Chapter 24 — Halakh (Walking)

דלאלהֵ אלחאירין — The Guide of the Perplexed

Halakh ('to walk') is first a specific animal motion, then borrowed for the spreading of finer bodies (water, fire), then for the spreading-abroad of a matter that is no body at all. Of God it means either the spreading of His command or the withdrawal of His providence — figured, like an animal turning away, by 'walking off' ('I will surely hide My face'). And it is borrowed for conduct in the excellent way, with no bodily motion at all: 'and thou shalt walk in His ways' (Deut 28:9). Hover a phrase to see its English light up; tap any word for a gloss; dotted words are key terms.

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Part One · Chapter Twenty-Four — Halakh

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'Walking,' too, is among the nouns laid down for specific motions of an animal's motions: 'and Jacob went on his way' (Gen 32:2). And this is frequent.

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And this noun was borrowed for the spreading of bodies that are subtler than the bodies of animals: 'and the waters went on decreasing' (Gen 8:5); 'and the fire ran along upon the ground' (Exod 9:23).

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Then it was borrowed for the spreading-abroad of some matter and its appearing, even though that be no body at all: His saying 'it shall go like a serpent' (Jer 46:22). And likewise His saying: 'the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden' (Gen 3:8) — it is the voice of which it is said that it was walking.

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And in accordance with this borrowing is every expression of 'walking' that comes regarding God, may He be exaltedI mean that it was borrowed for what is no body, either for the spreading of His command or for the withdrawal of providence, whose likeness in an animal is the turning-away from a thing, which the animal does by walking off. So, just as the withdrawal of providence is figured by 'hiding the face,' in His saying 'and I will surely hide My face' (Deut 31:18),

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so it is figured by 'walking,' which is in the sense of turning away from a thing, when He said: 'I will go and return to My place' (Hos 5:15).

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As for His saying 'and the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He departed' (Num 12:9) — in it are both senses together: the sense of the withdrawal of providence, figured by 'turning away,' and the sense of the spreading-abroad of a matter, its diffusion and appearingI mean, it is the burning anger that 'walked' and extended toward the two of them, and therefore 'she became leprous, white as snow' (Num 12:10).

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And likewise the expression 'walking' was borrowed for proceeding in the excellent way, with no bodily motion at all. He said: 'and thou shalt walk in His ways' (Deut 28:9); 'ye shall walk after the Lord your God' (Deut 13:5); 'come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord' (Isa 2:5).

English is a working draft — alignment is sentence-by-sentence.

Scripture cited in this chapter