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Part One · Chapter Four — Ra'oh, Habbeṭ, Ḥazoh
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Know that ra'oh, habbeṭ, and ḥazoh — these three words apply to seeing with the eye, and all three were borrowed for the apprehension of the intellect.
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As for this in the case of ra'oh, it is well known to the multitude. It says, 'and he looked, and behold, a well in the field' (Gen 29:2) — and this is seeing with the eye; and it says, 'and my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge' (Eccl 1:16) — and this is intellectual apprehension.
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It is in accordance with this borrowing that every expression of 'seeing' that occurs of God, may He be exalted, is to be taken — such as His saying, 'I saw the Lord' (Isa 6:1); 'and the Lord appeared unto him' (Gen 18:1); 'and God saw that it was good' (Gen 1:10); 'show me, I pray Thee, Thy glory' (Exod 33:18); 'and they saw the God of Israel' (Exod 24:10). All of that is intellectual apprehension, not seeing with the eye in any way.
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For the eyes apprehend nothing but a body — and one in a place, together with some of its accidents, I mean the colors of the body, its shape, and the like; and likewise He, may He be exalted, is not apprehended by an instrument, as will be shown.
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Likewise habbeṭ applies to turning the eye toward a thing: 'look not behind thee' (Gen 19:17); 'and his wife looked back from behind him' (Gen 19:26); 'and he shall look unto the earth' (Isa 5:30).
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And it was borrowed for the turning of the mind and its attending to the consideration of a thing until it apprehends it — and that is His saying, 'He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob' (Num 23:21), since iniquity is not seen with the eye.
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Likewise His saying, 'and they looked after Moses' (Exod 33:8): the Sages, of blessed memory, said that this meaning, too, is in it — that it is a report of their scrutinizing his deeds and his words and reflecting upon them.
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And of this meaning is His saying, 'look now toward heaven' (Gen 15:5), for that took place in a vision of prophecy.
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It is in accordance with this borrowing that every expression of 'looking' that occurs of God, may He be exalted, is to be taken: 'from looking upon God' (Exod 3:6); 'and the form of the Lord does he behold' (Num 12:8); 'and Thou canst not look upon trouble' (Hab 1:13).
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Likewise ḥazoh applies to seeing with the eye: 'and let our eye gaze upon Zion' (Mic 4:11).
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And it was borrowed for the apprehension of the heart: 'which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem' (Isa 1:1); 'the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision' (Gen 15:1). It is in accordance with this borrowing that it is said, 'and they beheld God' (Exod 24:11). So understand this.