Guide of the Perplexed · Part I

Maimonides on this verse.

Part I of the Guide moves through the verses by which Scripture seems to speak of God in bodily terms. Here those 421 verses are turned around: pick a verse and see which chapter takes it up, in Maimonides' own words — then open the verse on Sefaria. 478 citations in all.

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Genesis

  • Genesis 1:2 ↗
    • I:40 · RuachRuach is an equivocal term. It is the name for air — I mean the element, one of the four elements: 'and the spirit of God hovered' (Gen 1:2).
  • Genesis 1:3 ↗
    • I:65 · Divine SpeechThe aim of this chapter is that al-dibūr wa-l-amīra — speech and utterance — is an equivocal term that applies to articulation by the tongue, as in 'And Pharaoh said' and 'And Pharaoh spoke' and 'And she said to her'; and to will and volition, as in 'And God said: Let there be light' (Gen 1:3) — meaning He created the light by His will and volition, not that He vocalized, not that anything issued from His mouth. And likewise every 'And He said' that occurs in the context of the acts of creation. And it applies to speech that passed from Him to one of His prophets, in the manner that speech passes from one man's mouth to another man — as in 'for the Lord spoke to Abraham' and 'to Moses.' Upon this understanding we interpret the equivocality of this term.
  • Genesis 1:10 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingIt 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.
  • Genesis 1:20 ↗
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • Genesis 1:26 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessPeople have supposed that ṣelem ('image') in the Hebrew language denotes the shape of a thing and its outline — and this led them into outright corporealism, on account of His saying, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness' (Gen 1:26).
  • Genesis 1:27 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessThat notion, in the case of man, is the one from which human apprehension arises; and it is on account of this intellectual apprehension (al-idrāk al-ʿaqlī) that it is said of him, 'in the image of God He created him' (Gen 1:27).
  • Genesis 1:28 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtḤai is the name for that which grows and senses: 'every creeping thing that lives' (Gen 1:28). And it is the name for one who recovers from very severe illness: 'and he recovered from his sickness' (2 Kgs 8:8); 'in the camp until they recovered' (Josh 5:8); and likewise 'living flesh' (Lev 13:10).
  • Genesis 1:31 ↗
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionWhen he requested knowledge of the attributes and intercession for the people, he was answered regarding the intercession; then he requested the apprehension of God's essence — and that is his saying 'Show me, I pray, Your glory' (Ex 33:18). He was answered regarding the first request — 'Make me know Your ways' — and it was said to him 'I will cause all My goodness to pass before you' (Ex 33:19); and regarding the answer to the second question it was said to him 'you cannot see My face' etc. (Ex 33:20). As for his saying 'all My goodness' — this is a reference to presenting all the existents to him, regarding which it was said 'and God saw all that He had made and behold it was very good' (Gen 1:31) — meaning that by presenting them to him, he would apprehend their natures and their interconnections with one another, and thereby know how His governance of them operates in its totality and in its detail. To this meaning He pointed in saying 'he is faithful in all My house' (Num 12:7) — meaning that he understood the existence of My entire world with a true and certain understanding, for false opinions are not stable. When he apprehended those actions, they were the attributes of God, exalted be He, through which He is known. The proof that what was promised to be apprehended are His actions, exalted be He, is that the thing by which the purely active attributes were made known is 'merciful and gracious, long-suffering' (Ex 34:6). It has thus been shown that the ways he requested to know and through which He informed him are the actions proceeding from Him, exalted be He. The Sages call them middot and say 'thirteen middot' — and this name is used in their usage for character traits: 'four middot among almsgivers, four middot among those who walk to the house of study' (Avot 5:13) — and this is widespread. But the meaning here is not that He possesses character traits, but rather that He performs actions resembling the actions that proceed from us out of character traits — I mean out of soul-dispositions — not that He, exalted be He, is possessed of soul-dispositions.
  • Genesis 2:2 ↗
    • I:67 · Sabbath & CreationSince utterance was used as a metaphor for will in everything brought into existence in the Six Days of Creation, and it was said 'and He said, and He said,' the cessation of utterance was metaphorically applied to completion and consummation. Therefore it was said, 'and He rested on the seventh day from all His work' (Gen 2:2). And the cessation — shabbat — has been used as a metaphor, as we noted in some chapters; and therefore it mentions therein 'and He rested on the seventh day and hallowed it, for on it God ceased.'
  • Genesis 2:16 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinIt was on account of it, too, that he was addressed and commanded, as it says, 'and the Lord God commanded' (Gen 2:16), and so forth; for a command is not given to beasts, nor to one who has no intellect.
  • Genesis 3:5 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinAnd Onqelos the Proselyte, peace be upon him, made clear — and what he made clear is correct — that in 'and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil' (Gen 3:5) the last of these senses is intended; he rendered it, 'and you shall be as rulers.'
  • Genesis 3:6 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinBut when he disobeyed and inclined toward his imaginative appetites and the pleasures of his bodily senses — as it says, 'that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes' (Gen 3:6) — he was punished by being stripped of that intellectual apprehension.
  • Genesis 3:7 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinAnd consider its saying, 'and the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked' (Gen 3:7): it did not say 'and the eyes of them both were opened and they saw,' for what he saw before is what he saw after; there had been no veil over his sight that was now lifted — rather, a different state came over him, by which he deemed base what he had not deemed base before.
  • Genesis 3:8 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhThen 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.
  • Genesis 3:16 ↗
    • I:29 · EtzevEtzev is an equivocal noun. It is a noun for pain and suffering: 'in pain shalt thou bring forth children' (Gen 3:16). It is a noun for anger: 'and his father had not angered him all his days' (1 Kings 1:6) — he had not angered him; 'for the king was grieved for his son' (2 Sam 19:3) — anger on his account. And it is a noun for opposition and rebellion: 'but they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit' (Isa 63:10); 'they provoked him in the wilderness' (Ps 78:40); 'if there be any way of pain in me' (Ps 139:24); 'all the day they wrest my words' (Ps 56:6).
  • Genesis 3:18 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinAnd it made him the equal of the beasts in his food and in most of his states, as it says, 'and thou shalt eat the grass of the field' (Gen 3:18).
    • I:2 · Adam's SinAnd he was bound to eat the meanest of foods — which had not been his food before — and to do so only after toil and labor, as it says, 'thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee' (Gen 3:18), and so forth, 'in the sweat of thy face' (Gen 3:19), and so forth.
  • Genesis 3:19 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinAnd he was bound to eat the meanest of foods — which had not been his food before — and to do so only after toil and labor, as it says, 'thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee' (Gen 3:18), and so forth, 'in the sweat of thy face' (Gen 3:19), and so forth.
  • Genesis 3:23 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinAnd it explained further, saying, 'so the Lord God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground' (Gen 3:23).
  • Genesis 3:24 ↗
    • I:49 · Angels & SightThe angels likewise are not corporeal — rather they are intellects separate from matter; they are created beings, and God created them, as will be explained. In Bereshit Rabbah they said: 'the flaming sword that turned every way' (Gen 3:24) — 'on account of His ministering servants who are a flaming fire that turns: sometimes men, sometimes women, sometimes spirits, sometimes angels.' They stated explicitly by this saying that they are not corporeal, and that they have no fixed material form outside the mind; rather all of this is within the prophetic vision and in accordance with the action of the imaginative faculty, as will be mentioned in connection with the meaning of the reality of prophecy. As for their saying 'sometimes women,' the prophets too may see the angels in the prophetic vision in the form of women — this points to the saying of Zechariah, peace be upon him: 'and behold two women coming out, and the wind was in their wings' etc.
  • Genesis 5:3 ↗
    • I:7 · YaladAnd by this borrowing it was said of Adam, 'and Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begot in his own likeness, after his image' (Gen 5:3).
  • Genesis 6:2 ↗
    • I:14 · AdamAnd of this third sense: 'and the sons of God saw the daughters of man' (Gen 6:2); 'surely you shall die like adam' (Ps 82:7).
  • Genesis 6:3 ↗
    • I:14 · AdamAnd it is the name of the species: 'My spirit shall not abide in man' (Gen 6:3); 'who knows the spirit of the sons of man' (Eccl 3:21); 'and the pre-eminence of man over beast is naught' (Eccl 3:19).
  • Genesis 6:5 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingHowever, there are three passages where this beautiful and compelling interpretation — of which there is no doubt — is disrupted: passages that by this same analogy ought to have been rendered as galī qodam, yet we find in the manuscripts ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived.' These are: 'and the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great' (Gen 6:5); 'and God saw the earth, and behold it was corrupt' (Gen 6:12); 'and the Lord saw that Leah was hated' (Gen 29:31). The most likely view in my estimation is that this is an error that has crept into the manuscripts, since we have no autograph of Onkelos by which we could say that perhaps he has some interpretation for this.
  • Genesis 6:6 ↗
    • I:29 · EtzevAccording to the second sense or the third it is said: 'and it grieved him at his heart' (Gen 6:6). As for the second sense, its interpretation is that God was angry with them for their evil deeds. As for the phrase 'at his heart' — and likewise his saying in the story of Noah, 'and the Lord said in his heart' (Gen 8:21) — hear its meaning: the thing said of a man, that 'he spoke in his heart' or 'said to his heart,' is the meaning a man does not utter and does not say to another; and likewise every thing God willed but told no prophet at the time when that act was carried out according to his will, is said of him 'and the Lord said in his heart,' by way of likening it to that human sense, consistent with 'the Torah speaks in the language of men' — and this is plain and clear. Since, for the rebellion of the generation of the Flood, the Torah does not record the sending of a messenger to them at that time, nor a warning to them, nor a threat of destruction, it is said of them that God was angry with them in his heart. And likewise his will that there be no flood — he did not then say to a prophet 'go and tell them such-and-such'; therefore it says 'to his heart.'
  • Genesis 6:12 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingHowever, there are three passages where this beautiful and compelling interpretation — of which there is no doubt — is disrupted: passages that by this same analogy ought to have been rendered as galī qodam, yet we find in the manuscripts ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived.' These are: 'and the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great' (Gen 6:5); 'and God saw the earth, and behold it was corrupt' (Gen 6:12); 'and the Lord saw that Leah was hated' (Gen 29:31). The most likely view in my estimation is that this is an error that has crept into the manuscripts, since we have no autograph of Onkelos by which we could say that perhaps he has some interpretation for this.
  • Genesis 7:2 ↗
    • I:6 · Ish & IshahIt says, 'of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his mate' (Gen 7:2) — as if it had said, male and female.
  • Genesis 7:15 ↗
    • I:40 · RuachAnd it is also the name for the animal spirit: 'a breath that goes and does not return' (Ps 78:39); 'in which was the breath of life' (Gen 7:15).
  • Genesis 7:17 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaRam is an equivocal noun, for the sense of elevation of place and the sense of elevation of rank — I mean majesty, honor, and might. He said: 'and the ark was lifted up above the earth' (Gen 7:17) — and this is of the first sense.
  • Genesis 8:5 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhAnd 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).
  • Genesis 8:21 ↗
    • I:29 · EtzevAccording to the second sense or the third it is said: 'and it grieved him at his heart' (Gen 6:6). As for the second sense, its interpretation is that God was angry with them for their evil deeds. As for the phrase 'at his heart' — and likewise his saying in the story of Noah, 'and the Lord said in his heart' (Gen 8:21) — hear its meaning: the thing said of a man, that 'he spoke in his heart' or 'said to his heart,' is the meaning a man does not utter and does not say to another; and likewise every thing God willed but told no prophet at the time when that act was carried out according to his will, is said of him 'and the Lord said in his heart,' by way of likening it to that human sense, consistent with 'the Torah speaks in the language of men' — and this is plain and clear. Since, for the rebellion of the generation of the Flood, the Torah does not record the sending of a messenger to them at that time, nor a warning to them, nor a threat of destruction, it is said of them that God was angry with them in his heart. And likewise his will that there be no flood — he did not then say to a prophet 'go and tell them such-and-such'; therefore it says 'to his heart.'
  • Genesis 11:5 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendTherefore He alluded to this by 'descent,' saying, 'come, let us go down and there confound their language' (Gen 11:7); 'and the Lord came down to see' (Gen 11:5); 'let me go down now and see' (Gen 18:21). And the whole meaning is the alighting of punishment upon the people below.
  • Genesis 11:7 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendTherefore He alluded to this by 'descent,' saying, 'come, let us go down and there confound their language' (Gen 11:7); 'and the Lord came down to see' (Gen 11:5); 'let me go down now and see' (Gen 18:21). And the whole meaning is the alighting of punishment upon the people below.
  • Genesis 12:5 ↗
    • I:63 · Ehyeh Asher EhyehWhat you know will clarify all of this difficulty for you — and it is what I shall now say. You know the prevalence of the doctrines of the Sabians in those times, and that all the people except a very few were worshippers of idolatry — meaning the belief in spiritual forces, drawing down influences, and making talismans. And the claim of every person of knowledge in all eras was either: that he had attained speculation and inference that led him to the conclusion that there is a God over the entire world — like Abraham; or: that a spiritual force from a star or an angel and the like had descended upon him. But a person claiming prophecy on the grounds that God spoke with him and sent him — this had never been heard before Moses our teacher. And do not be misled by what is said of the patriarchs — that God spoke with them and was revealed to them — for you will not find that mode of prophecy being used for calling people or guiding others such that Abraham or Isaac or Jacob or those before them said to people: 'God said to me, do this or do not do this' or 'He sent me to you.' That never occurred; rather the address to them was concerning what pertained to them alone — I mean their own perfection and guidance in what to do, and tidings of what the end of their offspring's affair would be, nothing more. And they called people through speculation and teaching, as is evident from what is said: 'and the souls they had made in Ḥaran' (Gen 12:5).
  • Genesis 14:13 ↗
    • I:25 · ShakhanShakhan. It is well known that the meaning of this verb is residing: 'and he dwelt in the plains of Mamre' (Gen 14:13); 'and it came to pass, when Israel dwelt' (Gen 35:22). This is the well-known, familiar meaning.
  • Genesis 15:1 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingAnd 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.
  • Genesis 15:5 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingAnd of this meaning is His saying, 'look now toward heaven' (Gen 15:5), for that took place in a vision of prophecy.
  • Genesis 15:12 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarThen it was borrowed for the alighting of the light and the Indwelling that the prophets see in the vision of prophecy. He said: 'and behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch that passed between those pieces' (Gen 15:17). And that was in the vision of prophecy, for at the beginning of the account it says, 'and a deep sleep fell upon Abram' (Gen 15:12), and so on.
  • Genesis 15:17 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarThen it was borrowed for the alighting of the light and the Indwelling that the prophets see in the vision of prophecy. He said: 'and behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch that passed between those pieces' (Gen 15:17). And that was in the vision of prophecy, for at the beginning of the account it says, 'and a deep sleep fell upon Abram' (Gen 15:12), and so on.
    • I:21 · ʿAvarOr that there is, along with this, an apprehension by the sense of sight — but of some created thing, by the seeing of which the perfection of intellectual apprehension comes about, as Onkelos interpreted it — unless that visual apprehension too was within the vision of prophecy, as it came in the case of Abraham: 'and behold, a smoking furnace and a flaming torch that passed' (Gen 15:17).
  • Genesis 16:7 ↗
    • I:44 · ʿAyinʿAyin is an equivocal term. It is the name for a spring of water: 'by the spring of water in the wilderness' (Gen 16:7). And it is the name for the seeing eye: 'an eye for an eye' (Ex 21:24). And it is the name for care and oversight: it was said concerning Jeremiah, 'take him and set your eyes upon him' (Jer 39:12) — meaning: place your care upon him. According to this metaphor it is said of God in every passage: 'and My eyes and My heart shall be there always' (1 Kgs 9:3) — meaning: My care and My purpose, as I have already noted; 'the eyes of the Lord your God are perpetually upon it' (Deut 11:12) — His care encompasses it; 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10) — His care encompasses all that is in the earth as well, as will be mentioned in the chapters to come on providence.
  • Genesis 17:22 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAs for the first sense — I mean the sense of revelation and of honoring — it is frequent: 'and I will come down and speak with you there' (Num 11:17); 'and the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai' (Exod 19:20); 'the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people' (Exod 19:11); 'and God went up from him' (Gen 35:13); 'and God went up from Abraham' (Gen 17:22).
  • Genesis 18:1 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingIt 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.
  • Genesis 18:3 ↗
    • I:61 · Divine NamesAll the names of God, exalted be He, that are found in all the books are derived from actions — and this is hidden from no one except for a single name, which is Yod Heh Waw Heh; for it is a proper noun for Him, exalted be He, and for that reason it is called the Explicit Name, meaning that it indicates His essence, exalted be He, with a clear indication in which there is no sharing. As for the other great names, they indicate through sharing, because they are derived from actions that have their like in us, as we explained. Even the name used as a substitute for Yod Heh Waw Heh is itself derived from lordship: 'the man, my lord, spoke' (Gen 42:30) — and the difference between saying adoni with a short nun and saying it with a lengthened nun and a qameṣ is like the difference between saying sari, meaning 'my chief,' and saying sarai, the wife of Abram — for in the latter there is a generalization and broadening for others. Even the angel was addressed: 'My lord, pray do not pass' (Gen 18:3). I have highlighted this for Adonai in particular — the substitute name — because it is the most specific of the well-known names of Him, exalted be He. As for the others, such as Judge (Dayan), Just (Ṣaddiq), Gracious (Ḥannun), Merciful (Raḥum), and God (Elohim) — their generality and derivation are manifest. But the name that is spelled from Yod Heh Waw Heh — no known derivation is known for it, nor does any other share in it. And without doubt this great name, which is not pronounced — as you know — except in the Temple by the consecrated priests of the Lord specifically, in the Priestly Blessing, and by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, indicates a meaning in which no sharing between God, exalted be He, and anything other than He exists; and perhaps it indicates, according to the language of which today we have but the barest trace, and according to its pronunciation as well, the meaning of necessary existence. In general, the greatness of this name and its protection from being pronounced is because it indicates His essence, exalted be He, from the angle that nothing among the creatures shares in that indication — as they said of it, of blessed memory: 'My name that is unique to Me.'
  • Genesis 18:8 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadʿAmidah is an equivocal noun. It bears the sense of standing up and standing still: 'when he stood before Pharaoh' (Gen 41:46); 'though Moses and Samuel stood' (Jer 15:1); 'and he was standing over them' (Gen 18:8).
  • Genesis 18:21 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendTherefore He alluded to this by 'descent,' saying, 'come, let us go down and there confound their language' (Gen 11:7); 'and the Lord came down to see' (Gen 11:5); 'let me go down now and see' (Gen 18:21). And the whole meaning is the alighting of punishment upon the people below.
    • I:27 · Onkelos'I will go down now, and see' (Gen 18:21): 'I will reveal Myself now, and see.'
  • Genesis 18:23 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd of 'drawing near' it is said: 'and Abraham drew near and said' (Gen 18:23) — and he was in a state of revelation, in the prophetic trance, as will be explained. 'Forasmuch as this people draw near with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me' (Isa 29:13).
  • Genesis 19:17 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingLikewise 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).
  • Genesis 19:23 ↗
    • I:23 · YatzaAnd it was borrowed for the emergence of a matter that is no body at all: 'the word went forth out of the king's mouth' (Esth 7:8); 'for the deed of the queen shall go abroad' (Esth 1:17) — meaning the carrying-out of the command. 'For out of Zion shall go forth the law' (Isa 2:3). And likewise 'the sun was gone forth upon the earth' (Gen 19:23) — I mean the appearing of light.
  • Genesis 19:26 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingLikewise 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).
  • Genesis 19:28 ↗
    • I:66 · Divine WillAnd the tablets are the work of God (Ex 32:16) — the intent is that their existence was natural, not manufactured; for all natural things are called 'the work of the Lord' and 'the work of God.' He said, 'Come, behold the works of the Lord' (Ps 46:9) — for even if this carries that meaning, it has not become widely known, and what has become well-known is what we mentioned: that 'the work of God' is used for natural things. And He said elsewhere, 'and the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace' (Gen 19:28) — those are the things made from that sulfur; and this is called an act of His, exalted be He, because natural things are His acts, as we have explained. Clearer than this and more widely known is His saying — and a portion has been separated from what people have expounded concerning it. Therefore it is made clear that things that break with the customary are called 'the work of the Lord' and 'the work of God,' and signs and wonders.
  • Genesis 21:19 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinKnow that this word — I mean paqaḥ ('to open') — applies in no instance except to the uncovering of an insight, never to some new sense-perception that has arisen: 'and God opened her eyes' (Gen 21:19); 'then the eyes of the blind shall be opened' (Isa 35:5); 'opening the ears, but he hears not' (Isa 42:20) — like its saying, 'who have eyes to see and see not' (Ezek 12:2).
  • Genesis 22:1 ↗
    • I:38 · AchorAḥor is an equivocal term. It is the name for the back: 'the back of the Tabernacle' (Ex 26:12); 'and the spear came out from behind him' (2 Sam 2:23). And it can be a temporal particle, in the sense of 'after': 'after him there arose none like him' (2 Kgs 23:25); 'after these things' (Gen 22:1) — and this is frequent.
  • Genesis 22:8 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingAs for his rendering of 'God will see to the lamb' (Gen 22:8) as qodam — 'before the Lord it shall be revealed as a matter' — this is because that rendering would not give rise to the impression that God, exalted be He, is newly seeking and finding the lamb; or it may also be that it was considered unseemly in that language for His perception to be connected with a non-rational animal.
  • Genesis 23:8 ↗
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • Genesis 23:17 ↗
    • I:12 · QamIt also bears the sense of the confirmation and validity of a matter: 'the Lord will establish His word' (1 Sam 1:23); 'and the field of Ephron was made over' (Gen 23:17); 'and the house that is in the city shall be made sure' (Lev 25:30); 'and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand' (1 Sam 24:21).
  • Genesis 24:16 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleMale is an equivocal noun. The masters of the language use it of a body that lodges within a body and fills it: 'and she filled her pitcher' (Gen 24:16); 'the omer-full for each' (Exod 16:33). And this is frequent.
  • Genesis 25:18 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimIt is also the name for the presence and station of a person: 'before all his brethren he fell' (Gen 25:18); 'before all the people I will be honored' (Lev 10:3) — meaning: in their presence. 'Unless Your presence goes with us, how will it be known?' (Ex 33:16) — in Your presence and by Your existence. According to this sense it is said, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face' (Ex 33:11) — meaning: presence to presence, without an intermediary — just as it is said, 'come, let us look one another in the face' (2 Kgs 14:8); and just as it says, 'face to face the Lord spoke with you' (Deut 5:4). And He made clear in another passage, saying: 'the voice of words you heard, but no form did you see, only a voice' (Deut 4:12) — and He alluded to that by 'face to face.' Similarly His saying, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face,' is a circumlocution for His saying regarding the form of the address: 'and he heard the voice speaking to him' (Num 7:89). It has thus become clear to you that hearing a voice without the intermediary of an angel is what is alluded to by 'face to face.' And from this sense: 'and My face shall not be seen' — the reality of My existence as it truly is shall not be apprehended.
  • Genesis 25:24 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleAnd it is used in the sense of the elapsing of some measured span of time and its completion: 'and her days were fulfilled' (Gen 25:24); 'and forty days were fulfilled for him' (Gen 50:3).
  • Genesis 27:27 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAnd since all these actions are not apprehended among us except through corporeal instruments, all those instruments were borrowed by metaphor for Him — namely, the instruments by which local motion takes place, I mean the two legs and the soles of the feet; and the instruments by which hearing, seeing, and smelling are accomplished, which are the ear, the eye, and the nose; and the instruments through which speech and the matter of speech occur, which are the mouth, the tongue, and the voice; and the instruments by which the one who acts among us performs what he performs, which are the hands, the fingers, the palm, and the forearm. The summary of all this is: since He, exalted be He, is beyond all deficiency, the corporeal instruments were borrowed for Him in order to indicate through them His actions; and those actions were borrowed for Him in order to indicate through them a perfection that is not the very action itself. For example: eye, ear, hand, mouth, and tongue were borrowed for Him in order to indicate through them seeing, hearing, acting, and speaking; and seeing and hearing were borrowed for Him in order to indicate apprehension in general — hence you find Hebrew using the apprehension of one sense in place of another: He said, 'see the word of the Lord' (Is 1:12) as if to say 'hear' — for the intent is: apprehend the meaning of His speech. Likewise, 'and he smelled the scent of my son' (Gen 27:27) — as if he had said, 'the scent of my son was smelled' — the intent being: to apprehend his fragrance. According to this it is said, 'and all the people saw the voices' (Ex 20:15) — given also that this passage was a prophetic vision, as is well known and established in our tradition. And action and speech were borrowed for Him to indicate through them an overflow that flows forth from Him — as will be explained.
  • Genesis 27:35 ↗
    • I:22 · BoBo. 'Coming' in the Hebrew tongue was laid down for the coming of an animal — I mean its advancing toward some place or another person: 'thy brother came with subtlety' (Gen 27:35). And it was also laid down for the entering of an animal into some place: 'and Joseph went into the house' (Gen 39:11); 'when ye come into the land' (Lev 23:10).
  • Genesis 28:12 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavAnd the 'angels of God' are the prophets, of whom it is said plainly: 'and He sent an angel' (Num 20:16); 'and an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim' (Judg 2:1). And how apt is His saying 'ascending and descending' (Gen 28:12) — the ascent before the descent.
  • Genesis 28:13 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavAnd every instance of this noun that comes regarding the Creator is of this sense — 'and behold, the Lord stood above it' (Gen 28:13): firm and abiding upon it, I mean upon the ladder whose one end is in heaven and whose other end is on the earth, and upon which one climbs.
    • I:21 · ʿAvarOf His saying 'and behold, the Lord stood above it' (Gen 28:13) he rendered: 'the glory of the Lord stood above him.'
  • Genesis 29:2 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingAs 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.
  • Genesis 29:31 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingHowever, there are three passages where this beautiful and compelling interpretation — of which there is no doubt — is disrupted: passages that by this same analogy ought to have been rendered as galī qodam, yet we find in the manuscripts ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived.' These are: 'and the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great' (Gen 6:5); 'and God saw the earth, and behold it was corrupt' (Gen 6:12); 'and the Lord saw that Leah was hated' (Gen 29:31). The most likely view in my estimation is that this is an error that has crept into the manuscripts, since we have no autograph of Onkelos by which we could say that perhaps he has some interpretation for this.
  • Genesis 29:32 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingI found that every instance of seeing attributed to God throughout the entire Torah is rendered as ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived' — except these which I shall describe: 'for the Lord saw my affliction' (Gen 29:32) — 'for it was revealed before the Lord, my oppression'; 'for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you' (Gen 31:12) — 'for it was revealed before me,' even though the speaker is an angel, and the acknowledgment indicating confirmed action is not attributed to the speaker but rather to God, because it is an act of oppression; 'and God saw the children of Israel' (Ex 2:25) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord, the bondage of the children of Israel'; 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people' (Ex 3:7) — 'it was surely revealed before me, the bondage of my people'; 'and also I have seen the oppression' (Ex 3:9) — 'and also it was revealed before me, the compulsion'; 'and He saw their affliction' (Deut 26:7) — 'and it was revealed before Him, their bondage'; 'I have seen this people' (Ex 32:9) — 'it was revealed before me, this people,' for its meaning is 'I have seen their sinfulness,' analogous to 'and God saw the children of Israel,' whose meaning is 'He saw their distress'; 'and the Lord saw, and was provoked' (Deut 32:19) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord'; 'for He will see that the hand is gone' (Deut 32:36) — 'for it was revealed before Him' — and this too is a situation of oppression and the enemy's domination. All of this was consistently maintained and attended to by him regarding 'Look upon iniquity — you cannot' (Hab 1:3). Therefore every instance of bondage and sinfulness he renders as galī qodamōhī or galī qodamī.
  • Genesis 29:35 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd it bears the sense of desisting and ceasing: 'for they stood still and answered no more' (Job 32:16); 'and she ceased from bearing' (Gen 29:35).
  • Genesis 30:30 ↗
    • I:28 · RegelAnd it falls also in the sense of causality: 'the Lord hath blessed thee on my account' (Gen 30:30) — 'because of me,' that is, 'for my sake'; for a matter that is for the sake of some thing makes that thing the cause of the matter. And this is of frequent use: 'at the pace of the work that is before me' (Gen 33:14); 'and at the pace of the children' (Gen 33:14).
  • Genesis 31:11 ↗
    • I:27 · OnkelosDo you not see that it says, 'and the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, Jacob; and I said, Here am I' (Gen 31:11); and at the end of the report of His address to him: 'I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto Me' (Gen 31:13). And there is no doubt that Jacob vowed to God, not to the angel.
  • Genesis 31:12 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingI found that every instance of seeing attributed to God throughout the entire Torah is rendered as ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived' — except these which I shall describe: 'for the Lord saw my affliction' (Gen 29:32) — 'for it was revealed before the Lord, my oppression'; 'for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you' (Gen 31:12) — 'for it was revealed before me,' even though the speaker is an angel, and the acknowledgment indicating confirmed action is not attributed to the speaker but rather to God, because it is an act of oppression; 'and God saw the children of Israel' (Ex 2:25) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord, the bondage of the children of Israel'; 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people' (Ex 3:7) — 'it was surely revealed before me, the bondage of my people'; 'and also I have seen the oppression' (Ex 3:9) — 'and also it was revealed before me, the compulsion'; 'and He saw their affliction' (Deut 26:7) — 'and it was revealed before Him, their bondage'; 'I have seen this people' (Ex 32:9) — 'it was revealed before me, this people,' for its meaning is 'I have seen their sinfulness,' analogous to 'and God saw the children of Israel,' whose meaning is 'He saw their distress'; 'and the Lord saw, and was provoked' (Deut 32:19) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord'; 'for He will see that the hand is gone' (Deut 32:36) — 'for it was revealed before Him' — and this too is a situation of oppression and the enemy's domination. All of this was consistently maintained and attended to by him regarding 'Look upon iniquity — you cannot' (Hab 1:3). Therefore every instance of bondage and sinfulness he renders as galī qodamōhī or galī qodamī.
  • Genesis 31:13 ↗
    • I:27 · OnkelosDo you not see that it says, 'and the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, Jacob; and I said, Here am I' (Gen 31:11); and at the end of the report of His address to him: 'I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto Me' (Gen 31:13). And there is no doubt that Jacob vowed to God, not to the angel.
  • Genesis 31:49 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd of His saying 'the Lord watch between me and thee' (Gen 31:49) he rendered: 'may the Memra of the Lord watch.'
  • Genesis 32:2 ↗
    • I:24 · Halakh'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.
  • Genesis 32:22 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd so he did with His saying 'and the Lord passed over his face' (Exod 34:6): 'and the Lord made His Shekhinah pass before him and proclaimed.' So, on his view, the thing that passed is undoubtedly something created; and he made the pronoun in 'his face' refer to Moses our master, so that 'over his face' is to be explained as 'in his presence,' as it says 'and the present passed over before him' (Gen 32:22). And this too is a good and acceptable interpretation.
  • Genesis 33:3 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarʿAvar — its first sense is that of 'passing' (ʿubūr) in Arabic: the displacement of a body in place. Its primary instance is the movement of an animal over a straight distance: 'and he himself passed over before them' (Gen 33:3); 'pass on before the people' (Exod 17:5). And this is frequent.
  • Genesis 33:11 ↗
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionEvery time one apprehends one of His actions, He, exalted be He, is described by the attribute from which that action proceeds, and is named by the name derived from that action. For example: when one apprehends the subtlety of His governance in the formation of the animal embryo and the creation of powers in it and in its parent after birth — powers that prevent it from destruction and ruin, protect it from harm, and benefit it in its necessary movements — and an action of this kind from us proceeds only after an affective state and tenderness, which is the meaning of mercy — then He, exalted be He, was called 'merciful,' as it is said 'as a father has mercy upon his sons' (Ps 103:13), and He said 'and I will carry them as a man carries his son' (Deut 1:31). It is not that He, exalted be He, is affected and moved to tenderness — rather, the action analogous to that which proceeds from a father toward his child out of tenderness, compassion, and pure affective response, proceeds from Him, exalted be He, toward His servants without any affective state and without change. And just as when we give something to one who has no claim on us we call that in our language ḥanīna — as it is said 'have mercy on them whom God has been gracious to' (Gen 33:11), 'for God has been gracious to me' (Gen 33:11) — and many examples like this — and He, exalted be He, brings into existence and governs one who has no claim on Him for his creation and governance, and was therefore called gracious. Similarly, we find among His actions proceeding in relation to human beings: great calamities that fall upon certain individuals and destroy them, or a general matter devastating to tribes or even to entire regions, obliterating offspring and the offspring's offspring and leaving neither tillers nor lineage — like eclipses, earthquakes, destructive lightning bolts, and the movement of one people against another to annihilate them by the sword and erase their traces. Many of these actions, if they were to proceed from one of us toward another, would only proceed out of intense rage, or great hatred, or desire for revenge — and so He was named on account of these actions 'jealous,' 'avenging,' 'holding a grudge,' and 'wrathful' (Ex 34:7; Nah 1:2) — meaning that actions analogous to those that proceed from us out of a soul-disposition, namely jealousy or vengeance or hatred or anger, proceed from Him, exalted be He, in accordance with the deservingness of those who are punished — not out of any affective state whatsoever, exalted be He above every deficiency. And so too all these actions — they are actions resembling the actions that proceed from human beings out of affective states and soul-dispositions, yet they proceed from Him, exalted be He, with no additional meaning beyond His essence whatsoever.
  • Genesis 33:14 ↗
    • I:28 · RegelAnd it falls also in the sense of causality: 'the Lord hath blessed thee on my account' (Gen 30:30) — 'because of me,' that is, 'for my sake'; for a matter that is for the sake of some thing makes that thing the cause of the matter. And this is of frequent use: 'at the pace of the work that is before me' (Gen 33:14); 'and at the pace of the children' (Gen 33:14).
  • Genesis 35:13 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAs for the first sense — I mean the sense of revelation and of honoring — it is frequent: 'and I will come down and speak with you there' (Num 11:17); 'and the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai' (Exod 19:20); 'the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people' (Exod 19:11); 'and God went up from him' (Gen 35:13); 'and God went up from Abraham' (Gen 17:22).
  • Genesis 35:22 ↗
    • I:25 · ShakhanShakhan. It is well known that the meaning of this verb is residing: 'and he dwelt in the plains of Mamre' (Gen 14:13); 'and it came to pass, when Israel dwelt' (Gen 35:22). This is the well-known, familiar meaning.
  • Genesis 39:6 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessAs Scripture says, 'beautiful of form (to'ar) and fair to look upon' (Gen 39:6); 'What was his form?' ... 'like the form of the king's sons' (Judg 8:18).
  • Genesis 39:11 ↗
    • I:22 · BoBo. 'Coming' in the Hebrew tongue was laid down for the coming of an animal — I mean its advancing toward some place or another person: 'thy brother came with subtlety' (Gen 27:35). And it was also laid down for the entering of an animal into some place: 'and Joseph went into the house' (Gen 39:11); 'when ye come into the land' (Lev 23:10).
  • Genesis 40:7 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimPanim is an equivocal term, and most of its equivocality is by way of metaphorical extension. It is the name for the face of every living creature: 'and all faces shall be turned to pallor' (Jer 30:6); 'why are your faces downcast?' (Gen 40:7) — and this is frequent.
  • Genesis 41:43 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotKnow that a group of riding animals is called a merkāvāh — this appears frequently: 'and Joseph harnessed his chariot' (Gen 46:29), 'the chariot of the viceroy' (Gen 41:43), 'the chariots of Pharaoh.' The proof that this designation applies to a number of animals is the verse, 'and a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for fifty and a hundred' (1 Kgs 10:29) — this is evidence that merkāvāh refers to four horses. For this reason I say: since it is said — in accordance with what is said — that the throne of glory was carried by four ḥayyot, the Sages, of blessed memory, called it merkāvāh by analogy with the chariot, which is four animals.
  • Genesis 41:46 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadʿAmidah is an equivocal noun. It bears the sense of standing up and standing still: 'when he stood before Pharaoh' (Gen 41:46); 'though Moses and Samuel stood' (Jer 15:1); 'and he was standing over them' (Gen 18:8).
  • Genesis 42:26 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaAnd likewise nissa bears the sense of raising in place and the sense of raising in rank and abundance of fortune: 'and they laded their corn upon their asses' (Gen 42:26) — of the first sense, and there are many like it in the sense of carrying and conveying, for it is a raising in place.
  • Genesis 42:30 ↗
    • I:61 · Divine NamesAll the names of God, exalted be He, that are found in all the books are derived from actions — and this is hidden from no one except for a single name, which is Yod Heh Waw Heh; for it is a proper noun for Him, exalted be He, and for that reason it is called the Explicit Name, meaning that it indicates His essence, exalted be He, with a clear indication in which there is no sharing. As for the other great names, they indicate through sharing, because they are derived from actions that have their like in us, as we explained. Even the name used as a substitute for Yod Heh Waw Heh is itself derived from lordship: 'the man, my lord, spoke' (Gen 42:30) — and the difference between saying adoni with a short nun and saying it with a lengthened nun and a qameṣ is like the difference between saying sari, meaning 'my chief,' and saying sarai, the wife of Abram — for in the latter there is a generalization and broadening for others. Even the angel was addressed: 'My lord, pray do not pass' (Gen 18:3). I have highlighted this for Adonai in particular — the substitute name — because it is the most specific of the well-known names of Him, exalted be He. As for the others, such as Judge (Dayan), Just (Ṣaddiq), Gracious (Ḥannun), Merciful (Raḥum), and God (Elohim) — their generality and derivation are manifest. But the name that is spelled from Yod Heh Waw Heh — no known derivation is known for it, nor does any other share in it. And without doubt this great name, which is not pronounced — as you know — except in the Temple by the consecrated priests of the Lord specifically, in the Priestly Blessing, and by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, indicates a meaning in which no sharing between God, exalted be He, and anything other than He exists; and perhaps it indicates, according to the language of which today we have but the barest trace, and according to its pronunciation as well, the meaning of necessary existence. In general, the greatness of this name and its protection from being pronounced is because it indicates His essence, exalted be He, from the angle that nothing among the creatures shares in that indication — as they said of it, of blessed memory: 'My name that is unique to Me.'
  • Genesis 44:4 ↗
    • I:23 · Yatza'Going out' is the counterpart of 'coming.' This noun is used for the going forth of a body from a place in which it had been settled to another place, whether that body be an animal or not: 'when they were gone out of the city' (Gen 44:4); 'if fire break out' (Exod 22:5).
  • Genesis 44:18 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd 'touching' — its first sense is the contact of one body with another: 'and she touched his feet' (Exod 4:25); 'and he touched my mouth' (Isa 6:7). And the first sense of 'drawing near' is one person advancing upon another and moving toward him: 'then Judah came near to him' (Gen 44:18).
  • Genesis 45:16 ↗
    • I:45 · ShemaʿShemaʿ is an equivocal term: it can have the sense of literal hearing, and it can have the sense of acceptance. As for the sense of literal hearing: 'it shall not be heard from your mouth' (Ex 23:13); 'and the voice was heard in Pharaoh's house' (Gen 45:16) — and this is frequent.
  • Genesis 46:2 ↗
    • I:27 · OnkelosFor at the beginning of this account it says: 'and God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob' (Gen 46:2), and so on; 'and He said, I am God' (Gen 46:3), and so on; 'I will go down with thee into Egypt.' Since the opening of the speech guaranteed that it was in the visions of the night, Onkelos did not shrink from reporting verbatim the speech that was said in the visions of the night — and that is correct.
  • Genesis 46:3 ↗
    • I:27 · OnkelosAnd it is also possible, in my view, that Onkelos took the 'God' spoken of here to be an angel, and therefore did not object to saying of Him, 'I will descend with thee to Egypt.' And do not find it strange that he should hold the 'God' here to be an angel, even though He says to him 'I am God, the God of thy father' (Gen 46:3); for this very utterance, with this wording, comes by the agency of an angel as well.
    • I:27 · Onkelos'and He said, I am God' (Gen 46:3), and so on; 'I will go down with thee into Egypt.'
  • Genesis 46:4 ↗
    • I:27 · OnkelosBut he rendered 'I will go down with thee into Egypt' (Gen 46:4): 'I Myself will descend with thee to Egypt.'
  • Genesis 46:29 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotKnow that a group of riding animals is called a merkāvāh — this appears frequently: 'and Joseph harnessed his chariot' (Gen 46:29), 'the chariot of the viceroy' (Gen 41:43), 'the chariots of Pharaoh.' The proof that this designation applies to a number of animals is the verse, 'and a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for fifty and a hundred' (1 Kgs 10:29) — this is evidence that merkāvāh refers to four horses. For this reason I say: since it is said — in accordance with what is said — that the throne of glory was carried by four ḥayyot, the Sages, of blessed memory, called it merkāvāh by analogy with the chariot, which is four animals.
  • Genesis 50:3 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleAnd it is used in the sense of the elapsing of some measured span of time and its completion: 'and her days were fulfilled' (Gen 25:24); 'and forty days were fulfilled for him' (Gen 50:3).

Exodus

  • Exodus 2:4 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavNatzav or yatzav — though the two roots differ, the meaning is one, as you know from all their conjugations. This noun is equivocal: it may bear the sense of standing up and being erect — 'and his sister stood afar off' (Exod 2:4); 'the kings of the earth set themselves' (Ps 2:2); 'they came out and stood' (Num 16:27).
  • Exodus 3:6 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingIt 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).
    • I:5 · Divine InquiryIt is in this sense that it is said, 'and Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God' (Exod 3:6) — over and above what the plain sense indicates, his fear of gazing at the manifest light; not that God can be apprehended by the eyes, exalted be He high above every deficiency.
  • Exodus 4:25 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd 'touching' — its first sense is the contact of one body with another: 'and she touched his feet' (Exod 4:25); 'and he touched my mouth' (Isa 6:7). And the first sense of 'drawing near' is one person advancing upon another and moving toward him: 'then Judah came near to him' (Gen 44:18).
  • Exodus 9:23 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhAnd 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).
  • Exodus 11:8 ↗
    • I:28 · RegelRegel is an equivocal noun. It is the name of the foot: 'foot for foot' (Exod 21:24). And it falls also in the sense of following: 'get thee out, and all the people that are at thy feet' (Exod 11:8) — its meaning being 'those who follow thee.'
  • Exodus 12:12 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd in accordance with this borrowing it is said: 'and I will pass through the land of Egypt' (Exod 12:12), and all that resembles it.
  • Exodus 14:10 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAs for the first sense of 'approaching,' which is nearness in place: 'as he drew near to the camp' (Exod 32:19); 'and Pharaoh drew near' (Exod 14:10).
  • Exodus 16:33 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleMale is an equivocal noun. The masters of the language use it of a body that lodges within a body and fills it: 'and she filled her pitcher' (Gen 24:16); 'the omer-full for each' (Exod 16:33). And this is frequent.
  • Exodus 17:5 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarʿAvar — its first sense is that of 'passing' (ʿubūr) in Arabic: the displacement of a body in place. Its primary instance is the movement of an animal over a straight distance: 'and he himself passed over before them' (Gen 33:3); 'pass on before the people' (Exod 17:5). And this is frequent.
    • I:21 · ʿAvarFor the whole aim is that you not take His saying here 'and He passed by' like 'pass on before the people' (Exod 17:5): God, mighty and exalted, is not a body, and motion is not possible for Him, so it cannot be said that He 'passed' in the original sense of the word in the language.
  • Exodus 17:6 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavSo it has become clear to you that natzav and ʿamad have one meaning for this purpose. And He said, 'behold, I will stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb' (Exod 17:6).
    • I:16 · TzurTzur is an equivocal noun. It is the name of a mountain: 'and you shall smite the rock' (Exod 17:6). And it is the name of a hard stone like flint: 'knives of flint' (Josh 5:2).
  • Exodus 17:16 ↗
    • I:9 · KisseAs for that in which the language broadened — in its saying, 'for a hand is upon the throne of the Lord (kes Yah)' (Exod 17:16) — it is a description of His greatness and majesty, which you ought not to imagine as something outside His essence, nor a creature among His creatures,
    • I:28 · RegelAnd likewise he said in the rendering of 'for a hand is upon the throne of the Lord' (Exod 17:16): he said, 'from before Him, the awe of whose Shekhinah is upon the throne of glory.' And so you find on the lips of the whole nation 'the throne of glory.'
  • Exodus 18:23 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd it bears the sense of endurance and abiding: 'that they may endure many days' (Jer 32:14); 'and you will be able to endure' (Exod 18:23); 'its taste stayed in it' (Jer 48:11) — it remained and abided and did not change; 'and his righteousness endures forever' (Ps 111:3) — fixed and abiding.
  • Exodus 19:3 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAs for its saying, 'and Moses went up to God' (Exod 19:3), it is of the third sense, over and above his having also gone up 'to the top of the mountain' upon which the created light descended — not that God, may He be exalted, has a place He ascends to or descends from, exalted be He far above the fancies of the ignorant.
  • Exodus 19:9 ↗
    • I:22 · BoAnd in accordance with this borrowing — borrowed for what is no body at all — it was also borrowed of the Creator, mighty and exalted, either for the alighting of His command or for the alighting of His Indwelling. In accordance with this borrowing it is said: 'lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud' (Exod 19:9); 'for the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it' (Ezek 44:2); and everything resembling this means the alighting of the Indwelling.
  • Exodus 19:11 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAs for the first sense — I mean the sense of revelation and of honoring — it is frequent: 'and I will come down and speak with you there' (Num 11:17); 'and the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai' (Exod 19:20); 'the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people' (Exod 19:11); 'and God went up from him' (Gen 35:13); 'and God went up from Abraham' (Gen 17:22).
    • I:27 · OnkelosThus he rendered 'the Lord will come down' (Exod 19:11): 'the Lord will reveal Himself.'
  • Exodus 19:20 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAs for the first sense — I mean the sense of revelation and of honoring — it is frequent: 'and I will come down and speak with you there' (Num 11:17); 'and the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai' (Exod 19:20); 'the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people' (Exod 19:11); 'and God went up from him' (Gen 35:13); 'and God went up from Abraham' (Gen 17:22).
    • I:27 · Onkeloslike 'and the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai' (Exod 19:20), which is the report of what happened among the existent things
    • I:27 · OnkelosAnd 'the Lord came down' (Exod 19:20): 'the Lord revealed Himself.'
  • Exodus 19:22 ↗
    • I:5 · Divine InquiryOnly then may he advance to behold the holy, divine Presence: 'and let the priests also, who come near to the Lord, sanctify themselves, lest the Lord break forth upon them' (Exod 19:22).
  • Exodus 21:24 ↗
    • I:28 · RegelRegel is an equivocal noun. It is the name of the foot: 'foot for foot' (Exod 21:24). And it falls also in the sense of following: 'get thee out, and all the people that are at thy feet' (Exod 11:8) — its meaning being 'those who follow thee.'
  • Exodus 22:5 ↗
    • I:23 · Yatza'Going out' is the counterpart of 'coming.' This noun is used for the going forth of a body from a place in which it had been settled to another place, whether that body be an animal or not: 'when they were gone out of the city' (Gen 44:4); 'if fire break out' (Exod 22:5).
  • Exodus 24:2 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd likewise His saying: 'who have God near to them' (Deut 4:7); 'go near and hear' (Deut 5:27); 'and Moses alone shall draw near unto the Lord, but they shall not draw near' (Exod 24:2) — unless you wish to take what is said of Moses, 'and he drew near,' as his approaching the place on the mountain where the light, that is, the glory of the Lord, had alighted; that is open to you.
  • Exodus 24:10 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingIt 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.
    • I:5 · Divine InquiryAs for the nobles of the Children of Israel, they plunged ahead and stretched out their thoughts and apprehended — but with an apprehension that was not perfect. And therefore it said of them, 'and they saw the God of Israel, and under His feet…' (Exod 24:10), and it did not say merely 'and they saw the God of Israel.'
    • I:5 · Divine InquiryAnd therefore it said, 'and they beheld God, and did eat and drink' (Exod 24:11). As for the rest of the passage — its saying, 'and under His feet was as it were a paved work of sapphire stone,' and so forth (Exod 24:10) — that will be explained in one of the chapters of this treatise.
    • I:28 · RegelAs for His saying 'and under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone' (Exod 24:10), Onkelos's interpretation of it is what you already know: he made the pronoun of 'His feet' refer to the throne, and said: 'and under the throne of His glory.'
  • Exodus 24:11 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingAnd 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.
    • I:5 · Divine InquiryAnd therefore it said, 'and they beheld God, and did eat and drink' (Exod 24:11). As for the rest of the passage — its saying, 'and under His feet was as it were a paved work of sapphire stone,' and so forth (Exod 24:10) — that will be explained in one of the chapters of this treatise.
  • Exodus 24:16 ↗
    • I:25 · ShakhanAnd in accordance with this borrowing it was borrowed of God, may He be exalted — I mean for the perpetuity of His Indwelling or His providence in whatever place it endures, or for every matter over which providence endures: so it is said 'and the glory of the Lord abode' (Exod 24:16); 'and I will dwell among the children of Israel' (Exod 29:45); 'and the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush' (Deut 33:16).
  • Exodus 25:9 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitIt says, 'the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its vessels' (Exod 25:9); and it says, 'after their pattern, which thou wast shown on the mount' (Exod 25:40); 'the form of any bird' (Deut 4:17); 'the form of a hand' (Ezek 8:3); 'the pattern of the porch' (1 Chr 28:11). All of this is shape.
  • Exodus 25:40 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitIt says, 'the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its vessels' (Exod 25:9); and it says, 'after their pattern, which thou wast shown on the mount' (Exod 25:40); 'the form of any bird' (Deut 4:17); 'the form of a hand' (Ezek 8:3); 'the pattern of the porch' (1 Chr 28:11). All of this is shape.
  • Exodus 26:3 ↗
    • I:6 · Ish & IshahThen the noun ishah was borrowed for any thing prepared and made ready to be coupled with another thing. It says, 'the five curtains shall be joined together, one to another' (Exod 26:3).
  • Exodus 29:45 ↗
    • I:25 · ShakhanAnd in accordance with this borrowing it was borrowed of God, may He be exalted — I mean for the perpetuity of His Indwelling or His providence in whatever place it endures, or for every matter over which providence endures: so it is said 'and the glory of the Lord abode' (Exod 24:16); 'and I will dwell among the children of Israel' (Exod 29:45); 'and the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush' (Deut 33:16).
  • Exodus 31:3 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleAnd it is used in the sense of perfection in an excellence and the utmost degree of it: 'full of the blessing of the Lord' (Deut 33:23); 'He hath filled them with wisdom of heart' (Exod 35:35); 'and He filled him with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge' (Exod 31:3).
  • Exodus 32:19 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAs for the first sense of 'approaching,' which is nearness in place: 'as he drew near to the camp' (Exod 32:19); 'and Pharaoh drew near' (Exod 14:10).
  • Exodus 33:8 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingLikewise 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.
  • Exodus 33:18 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingIt 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.
  • Exodus 33:21 ↗
    • I:8 · MakomAn example of this is what we explained here of the sense of 'place' in 'Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place': you will know that this very sense is the sense of 'place' in 'behold, there is a place by Me' (Exod 33:21) — a rank of speculation and an ascent of intellect, not an ascent of the eye — over and above the actual spot indicated, on the mountain where the seclusion and the attaining of perfection took place.
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavAnd I return to our purpose: that 'stood above it' means firm, lasting, and abiding — not the standing-erect of a body. And of this sense is: 'and you shall stand upon the rock' (Exod 33:21).
    • I:16 · Tzur'And you shall stand upon the rock' (Exod 33:21) — lean and stand firm upon the consideration that He, may He be exalted, is the origin; for He is the point of access through which one reaches Him, as we explained in His saying to him: 'behold, there is a place by Me' (Exod 33:21).
  • Exodus 33:22 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd of that glory He said 'until I have passed by' (Exod 33:22) and 'and the Lord passed over his face' (Exod 34:6).
    • I:21 · ʿAvarBy my saying 'withheld from him' I mean that that apprehension is, by its very nature, veiled and forbidden; and that every perfect man, when his intellect attains that which it is in his nature to apprehend and then aspires to a further apprehension beyond it, may have his apprehension disordered or perish — as will be explained in one of the chapters of this treatise — unless divine help accompany him, as He said: 'and I will cover thee with My hand until I have passed by' (Exod 33:22).
  • Exodus 33:23 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd it appears to me that Moses, peace be upon him, sought a certain apprehension — the one figured by 'seeing the face' in His saying 'but My face shall not be seen' (Exod 33:23) — and was promised an apprehension short of what he sought, the one figured by 'seeing the back' in His saying 'and thou shalt see My back' (Exod 33:23). We have already drawn attention to this notion in the Mishneh Torah.
  • Exodus 34:6 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd in accordance with this borrowing is, in my view, His saying: 'and the Lord passed by over his face' (Exod 34:6), the pronoun in 'his face' referring to Him, may He be exalted. So too the Sages took it — that this 'face' is His, may He be exalted — and although they mentioned it in the manner of homiletics (this is not its proper place), it nonetheless lends some support to our view, so that 'his face' is a pronoun for the Holy One, blessed be He. The clarification of this is according to what I shall set forth.
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd of that glory He said 'until I have passed by' (Exod 33:22) and 'and the Lord passed over his face' (Exod 34:6).
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd so he did with His saying 'and the Lord passed over his face' (Exod 34:6): 'and the Lord made His Shekhinah pass before him and proclaimed.'
  • Exodus 35:35 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleAnd it is used in the sense of perfection in an excellence and the utmost degree of it: 'full of the blessing of the Lord' (Deut 33:23); 'He hath filled them with wisdom of heart' (Exod 35:35); 'and He filled him with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge' (Exod 31:3).
  • Exodus 36:6 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd we have already shown the language's borrowing of 'passing' for a voice: 'and they caused a voice to pass' (Exod 36:6). So the voice is what proclaimed; and do not find it far-fetched that 'proclaiming' should be ascribed to a voice.
    • I:21 · ʿAvarThen it was borrowed for the traveling of sounds through the air: 'and they caused a proclamation to pass throughout the camp' (Exod 36:6); 'which I hear the Lord's people spread abroad' (1 Sam 2:24).
  • Exodus 40:34 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleAnd of this sense it is said: 'the whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) — its meaning is that all the earth bears witness to His perfection, that is, points to Him. And likewise His saying: 'and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle' (Exod 40:34).

Leviticus

  • Leviticus 10:3 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimIt is also the name for the presence and station of a person: 'before all his brethren he fell' (Gen 25:18); 'before all the people I will be honored' (Lev 10:3) — meaning: in their presence. 'Unless Your presence goes with us, how will it be known?' (Ex 33:16) — in Your presence and by Your existence. According to this sense it is said, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face' (Ex 33:11) — meaning: presence to presence, without an intermediary — just as it is said, 'come, let us look one another in the face' (2 Kgs 14:8); and just as it says, 'face to face the Lord spoke with you' (Deut 5:4). And He made clear in another passage, saying: 'the voice of words you heard, but no form did you see, only a voice' (Deut 4:12) — and He alluded to that by 'face to face.' Similarly His saying, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face,' is a circumlocution for His saying regarding the form of the address: 'and he heard the voice speaking to him' (Num 7:89). It has thus become clear to you that hearing a voice without the intermediary of an angel is what is alluded to by 'face to face.' And from this sense: 'and My face shall not be seen' — the reality of My existence as it truly is shall not be apprehended.
  • Leviticus 13:10 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtḤai is the name for that which grows and senses: 'every creeping thing that lives' (Gen 1:28). And it is the name for one who recovers from very severe illness: 'and he recovered from his sickness' (2 Kgs 8:8); 'in the camp until they recovered' (Josh 5:8); and likewise 'living flesh' (Lev 13:10).
  • Leviticus 19:2 ↗
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionWe have digressed from the aim of the chapter, but we have shown why he limited himself here from among God's actions to these — and that they are needed in the governance of cities, since the ultimate human virtue is to assimilate to Him, exalted be He, as much as one is able — meaning that we should make our actions resemble His actions, as they explained in interpreting 'You shall be holy' (Lev 19:2): they said 'Just as He is gracious, you too be gracious; just as He is merciful, you too be merciful' (Sifre).
  • Leviticus 19:15 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimPanim is also the name for care and consideration: 'you shall not show favor to the poor' (Lev 19:15); 'one who shows no favor' (Deut 10:17) — and this is frequent. According to this sense too it is said: 'may the Lord lift His face toward you and give you peace' (Num 6:26) — meaning: may He be of those who show care for us.
  • Leviticus 19:20 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for opinion: 'all the remnant of Israel, of one heart, to make David king' (1 Chr 12:38) — meaning: of one opinion. Likewise His saying, 'and fools shall die for lack of heart' (Prov 10:21) — meaning: for deficiency of opinion. Likewise His saying, 'my heart shall not deviate from me ever' (Job 27:6) — meaning: my opinion has not deviated nor departed from this matter, for the beginning of the speech was, 'I have held fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart shall not deviate from me ever.' And from the sense of yaḥaref, in my view, is the saying 'a bondwoman who is designated for a man' (Lev 19:20) — parallel to the Arabic meaning: deflected, i.e., removed from the ownership of slavery to the ownership of marriage.
  • Leviticus 20:5 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimAnd it is the name for anger: 'and his face was no longer toward her' (1 Sam 1:18). According to this sense it is used frequently in the meaning of God's anger and displeasure: 'the face of the Lord has divided them' (Lam 4:16); 'the face of the Lord is against evildoers' (Ps 34:17); 'My face shall go and I shall give you rest' (Ex 33:14); 'and I will set My face against that man and against his family' (Lev 20:5) — and this is frequent.
  • Leviticus 23:10 ↗
    • I:22 · BoBo. 'Coming' in the Hebrew tongue was laid down for the coming of an animal — I mean its advancing toward some place or another person: 'thy brother came with subtlety' (Gen 27:35). And it was also laid down for the entering of an animal into some place: 'and Joseph went into the house' (Gen 39:11); 'when ye come into the land' (Lev 23:10).
  • Leviticus 24:16 ↗
    • I:64 · KavodKnow that shem Hashem (the Name of God) sometimes means only the nominal designation itself — as in 'Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain' (Ex 20:7) and 'one who blasphemes the name of the Lord' (Lev 24:16); and this is more than can be enumerated. Sometimes it means His essence, exalted be He, and His truth — as in 'and they say to me, What is His name?' (Ex 3:13). And sometimes it means His word, exalted be He, such that our saying 'the Name of the Lord' is as if we had said 'the Word of the Lord' or 'the Command of the Lord' — as He said: 'for My name is in his midst' (Ex 23:21), meaning: My word is in his midst, or My command is in his midst; the meaning being that he acts according to My will and My command. And we shall explain the discourse on the equivocity of the word malakh (angel).
  • Leviticus 25:30 ↗
    • I:12 · QamIt also bears the sense of the confirmation and validity of a matter: 'the Lord will establish His word' (1 Sam 1:23); 'and the field of Ephron was made over' (Gen 23:17); 'and the house that is in the city shall be made sure' (Lev 25:30); 'and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand' (1 Sam 24:21).
  • Leviticus 26:38 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the one meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for every destroying and every annihilating — in sum, for every stripping-away of form: 'and the land of your enemies shall eat you up' (Lev 26:38); 'a land that eateth up its inhabitants' (Num 13:32); 'ye shall be devoured by the sword' (Isa 1:20); 'the sword shall devour' (2 Sam 11:25); 'and the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed them in the uttermost part of the camp' (Num 11:1); 'he is a consuming fire' (Deut 4:24) — meaning he annihilates those who rebel against him as fire annihilates whatever it takes hold of; and this is frequent.

Numbers

  • Numbers 6:26 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimPanim is also the name for care and consideration: 'you shall not show favor to the poor' (Lev 19:15); 'one who shows no favor' (Deut 10:17) — and this is frequent. According to this sense too it is said: 'may the Lord lift His face toward you and give you peace' (Num 6:26) — meaning: may He be of those who show care for us.
  • Numbers 7:89 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarFor with these very words the expression was made of His addressing Moses, may He be exalted. It says: 'and he heard the voice speaking unto him' (Num 7:89). So just as 'speaking' was ascribed to the voice, here too 'proclaiming' is ascribed to the voice. The like of this has come plainly — I mean the ascribing of 'saying' and 'crying' to a voice — as it says: 'a voice says, Cry; and one said, What shall I cry?' (Isa 40:6).
    • I:37 · PanimIt is also the name for the presence and station of a person: 'before all his brethren he fell' (Gen 25:18); 'before all the people I will be honored' (Lev 10:3) — meaning: in their presence. 'Unless Your presence goes with us, how will it be known?' (Ex 33:16) — in Your presence and by Your existence. According to this sense it is said, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face' (Ex 33:11) — meaning: presence to presence, without an intermediary — just as it is said, 'come, let us look one another in the face' (2 Kgs 14:8); and just as it says, 'face to face the Lord spoke with you' (Deut 5:4). And He made clear in another passage, saying: 'the voice of words you heard, but no form did you see, only a voice' (Deut 4:12) — and He alluded to that by 'face to face.' Similarly His saying, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face,' is a circumlocution for His saying regarding the form of the address: 'and he heard the voice speaking to him' (Num 7:89). It has thus become clear to you that hearing a voice without the intermediary of an angel is what is alluded to by 'face to face.' And from this sense: 'and My face shall not be seen' — the reality of My existence as it truly is shall not be apprehended.
  • Numbers 11:1 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the one meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for every destroying and every annihilating — in sum, for every stripping-away of form: 'and the land of your enemies shall eat you up' (Lev 26:38); 'a land that eateth up its inhabitants' (Num 13:32); 'ye shall be devoured by the sword' (Isa 1:20); 'the sword shall devour' (2 Sam 11:25); 'and the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed them in the uttermost part of the camp' (Num 11:1); 'he is a consuming fire' (Deut 4:24) — meaning he annihilates those who rebel against him as fire annihilates whatever it takes hold of; and this is frequent.
  • Numbers 11:17 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAs for the first sense — I mean the sense of revelation and of honoring — it is frequent: 'and I will come down and speak with you there' (Num 11:17); 'and the Lord descended upon Mount Sinai' (Exod 19:20); 'the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people' (Exod 19:11); 'and God went up from him' (Gen 35:13); 'and God went up from Abraham' (Gen 17:22).
    • I:40 · RuachAnd it is also the name for the divine intellectual overflow that overflows upon the prophets, and by which they prophesy — as I shall explain to you when I speak of prophecy, with what befits mention in this part: 'I will take of the spirit that is upon you and will put it upon them' (Num 11:17); 'and it came to pass when the spirit rested upon them' (Num 11:25); 'the spirit of the Lord spoke by me' (2 Sam 23:2) — and this is frequent.
  • Numbers 11:25 ↗
    • I:40 · RuachAnd it is also the name for the divine intellectual overflow that overflows upon the prophets, and by which they prophesy — as I shall explain to you when I speak of prophecy, with what befits mention in this part: 'I will take of the spirit that is upon you and will put it upon them' (Num 11:17); 'and it came to pass when the spirit rested upon them' (Num 11:25); 'the spirit of the Lord spoke by me' (2 Sam 23:2) — and this is frequent.
  • Numbers 12:7 ↗
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionWhen he requested knowledge of the attributes and intercession for the people, he was answered regarding the intercession; then he requested the apprehension of God's essence — and that is his saying 'Show me, I pray, Your glory' (Ex 33:18). He was answered regarding the first request — 'Make me know Your ways' — and it was said to him 'I will cause all My goodness to pass before you' (Ex 33:19); and regarding the answer to the second question it was said to him 'you cannot see My face' etc. (Ex 33:20). As for his saying 'all My goodness' — this is a reference to presenting all the existents to him, regarding which it was said 'and God saw all that He had made and behold it was very good' (Gen 1:31) — meaning that by presenting them to him, he would apprehend their natures and their interconnections with one another, and thereby know how His governance of them operates in its totality and in its detail. To this meaning He pointed in saying 'he is faithful in all My house' (Num 12:7) — meaning that he understood the existence of My entire world with a true and certain understanding, for false opinions are not stable. When he apprehended those actions, they were the attributes of God, exalted be He, through which He is known. The proof that what was promised to be apprehended are His actions, exalted be He, is that the thing by which the purely active attributes were made known is 'merciful and gracious, long-suffering' (Ex 34:6). It has thus been shown that the ways he requested to know and through which He informed him are the actions proceeding from Him, exalted be He. The Sages call them middot and say 'thirteen middot' — and this name is used in their usage for character traits: 'four middot among almsgivers, four middot among those who walk to the house of study' (Avot 5:13) — and this is widespread. But the meaning here is not that He possesses character traits, but rather that He performs actions resembling the actions that proceed from us out of character traits — I mean out of soul-dispositions — not that He, exalted be He, is possessed of soul-dispositions.
  • Numbers 12:8 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitAnd it is said of the true notion apprehended by the intellect. It is according to this third meaning that temunah is predicated of Him, may He be exalted: it says, 'and the form of the Lord does he behold' (Num 12:8) — its meaning and explanation being: and the true reality of God he apprehends.
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingIt 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).
    • I:5 · Divine InquiryAnd He, may He be exalted, commended him — peace be upon him — for this, and poured upon him of His bounty and goodness such that it was at last said of him, 'and the form of the Lord does he behold' (Num 12:8). And the Sages, of blessed memory, said that this was a reward for his having first 'hidden his face from looking upon God.'
  • Numbers 12:9 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhAs 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 appearing — I 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).
  • Numbers 12:10 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhAs 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 appearing — I 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).
  • Numbers 13:32 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the one meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for every destroying and every annihilating — in sum, for every stripping-away of form: 'and the land of your enemies shall eat you up' (Lev 26:38); 'a land that eateth up its inhabitants' (Num 13:32); 'ye shall be devoured by the sword' (Isa 1:20); 'the sword shall devour' (2 Sam 11:25); 'and the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed them in the uttermost part of the camp' (Num 11:1); 'he is a consuming fire' (Deut 4:24) — meaning he annihilates those who rebel against him as fire annihilates whatever it takes hold of; and this is frequent.
  • Numbers 14:27 ↗
    • I:45 · ShemaʿEvery term of hearing that comes in reference to God: if the plain sense of the text is that it belongs to the first sense, it is an expression for apprehension — which is of the third sense. 'And the Lord heard, in His hearing of your murmurings' (Num 14:27) — all this is knowledge, intellectual apprehension. And if the plain sense of the text is that it belongs to the second sense, it is an expression for God, exalted be He, having answered the petitioner's prayer or having not answered it: 'I will surely hear his cry, and I will hearken, for I am gracious' (Ex 22:22–23); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'and the Lord did not hearken to your voice, and He did not give ear to you' (Deut 1:45); 'even though you multiply your prayer I am not hearing' (Is 1:15); 'for I am not hearing you' (Jer 7:16) — and this is frequent.
  • Numbers 15:24 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAnd because this usage became so frequent and widespread in the language that it became as if it were the original imposition, the terms 'hunger' and 'thirst' were likewise used for the absence of knowledge and apprehension: 'and I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord' (Amos 8:11); 'my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God' (Ps 42:3); and this is frequent. And Jonathan ben Uzziel, peace be upon him, rendered 'Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation' (Isa 12:3): 'and ye shall receive a new teaching with joy from the chosen of the righteous.' Consider his interpretation: that 'water' is knowledge to be attained in those days; and he made 'wells' like 'the eyes of the congregation' (Num 15:24) — that is, the notables, who are the learned — saying 'the chosen of the righteous,' since righteousness is the true salvation. See how he interpreted every word in this verse for the sense of knowledge and learning; understand this.
  • Numbers 15:39 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for thought as well: 'my heart did not go' (Job 31:7) — meaning: I was present in my thought when such-and-such occurred. And from this sense: 'and you shall not go astray after your heart' (Num 15:39) — meaning: following your thoughts; 'whose heart turns away today' (Deut 29:17) — his thought has departed.
  • Numbers 16:3 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaAnd of the second sense: 'and his kingdom shall be exalted' (Num 24:7); 'and He bore them and carried them' (Isa 63:9); 'wherefore then lift ye up yourselves' (Num 16:3).
  • Numbers 16:27 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavNatzav or yatzav — though the two roots differ, the meaning is one, as you know from all their conjugations. This noun is equivocal: it may bear the sense of standing up and being erect — 'and his sister stood afar off' (Exod 2:4); 'the kings of the earth set themselves' (Ps 2:2); 'they came out and stood' (Num 16:27).
  • Numbers 20:16 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavAnd the 'angels of God' are the prophets, of whom it is said plainly: 'and He sent an angel' (Num 20:16); 'and an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim' (Judg 2:1). And how apt is His saying 'ascending and descending' (Gen 28:12) — the ascent before the descent.
  • Numbers 22:22 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotRākhav — this term is equivocal. Its primary usage means a person's riding an animal in the customary manner, as in 'and he rode upon his she-ass' (Num 22:22). Then it was used metaphorically for domination over a thing, since the rider dominates and governs his mount; as in 'He shall cause you to ride on the high places of the earth' (Deut 32:13), and 'I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth' (Isa 58:14) — meaning you shall dominate the heights of the land. And in this sense it was said of God, exalted be He, 'Rider of the heavens in your help' (Deut 33:26) — meaning the One who dominates the heavens; and likewise 'to the Rider of the ʿAravot' (Ps 68:5) — meaning the One who dominates the ʿAravot, which is the outermost sphere encompassing the whole.
  • Numbers 23:21 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingAnd 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.
  • Numbers 24:7 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaAnd of the second sense: 'and his kingdom shall be exalted' (Num 24:7); 'and He bore them and carried them' (Isa 63:9); 'wherefore then lift ye up yourselves' (Num 16:3).
  • Numbers 32:21 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryKnow that if you reflect upon the whole Torah and all the books of the prophets, you will not find the expression 'fierceness of anger,' nor the expression 'wrath,' nor the expression 'jealousy,' save with respect to idolatry alone; and you will not find God called 'enemy' or 'adversary' or 'hater,' save of a worshipper of idolatry in particular. He said, 'and ye serve other gods' etc., 'and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you' (Deut 11:16–17); 'that ye provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands' (Jer 25:6); 'they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities' etc. (Deut 32:21); 'for the Lord thy God is a jealous God' etc. (Deut 6:15); 'why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images?' (Jer 8:19); 'through the provoking of his sons and of his daughters' (Deut 32:19); 'for a fire is kindled in mine anger' (Deut 32:22); 'the Lord is vengeful unto his adversaries, and repayeth them that hate him' (Nah 1:2; Deut 7:10); 'until he have driven out his enemies' (Num 32:21); 'for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth' (Deut 12:31). And this is more than can be counted; but if you survey it through all the books, you will find it.

Deuteronomy

  • Deuteronomy 1:17 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd of 'approaching' it is said: 'the cause that is too hard for you, bring unto me' (Deut 1:17) — as if to say, 'inform me of it.' So it is used for making something known about an object of knowledge.
  • Deuteronomy 1:31 ↗
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionEvery time one apprehends one of His actions, He, exalted be He, is described by the attribute from which that action proceeds, and is named by the name derived from that action. For example: when one apprehends the subtlety of His governance in the formation of the animal embryo and the creation of powers in it and in its parent after birth — powers that prevent it from destruction and ruin, protect it from harm, and benefit it in its necessary movements — and an action of this kind from us proceeds only after an affective state and tenderness, which is the meaning of mercy — then He, exalted be He, was called 'merciful,' as it is said 'as a father has mercy upon his sons' (Ps 103:13), and He said 'and I will carry them as a man carries his son' (Deut 1:31). It is not that He, exalted be He, is affected and moved to tenderness — rather, the action analogous to that which proceeds from a father toward his child out of tenderness, compassion, and pure affective response, proceeds from Him, exalted be He, toward His servants without any affective state and without change. And just as when we give something to one who has no claim on us we call that in our language ḥanīna — as it is said 'have mercy on them whom God has been gracious to' (Gen 33:11), 'for God has been gracious to me' (Gen 33:11) — and many examples like this — and He, exalted be He, brings into existence and governs one who has no claim on Him for his creation and governance, and was therefore called gracious. Similarly, we find among His actions proceeding in relation to human beings: great calamities that fall upon certain individuals and destroy them, or a general matter devastating to tribes or even to entire regions, obliterating offspring and the offspring's offspring and leaving neither tillers nor lineage — like eclipses, earthquakes, destructive lightning bolts, and the movement of one people against another to annihilate them by the sword and erase their traces. Many of these actions, if they were to proceed from one of us toward another, would only proceed out of intense rage, or great hatred, or desire for revenge — and so He was named on account of these actions 'jealous,' 'avenging,' 'holding a grudge,' and 'wrathful' (Ex 34:7; Nah 1:2) — meaning that actions analogous to those that proceed from us out of a soul-disposition, namely jealousy or vengeance or hatred or anger, proceed from Him, exalted be He, in accordance with the deservingness of those who are punished — not out of any affective state whatsoever, exalted be He above every deficiency. And so too all these actions — they are actions resembling the actions that proceed from human beings out of affective states and soul-dispositions, yet they proceed from Him, exalted be He, with no additional meaning beyond His essence whatsoever.
  • Deuteronomy 1:45 ↗
    • I:45 · ShemaʿEvery term of hearing that comes in reference to God: if the plain sense of the text is that it belongs to the first sense, it is an expression for apprehension — which is of the third sense. 'And the Lord heard, in His hearing of your murmurings' (Num 14:27) — all this is knowledge, intellectual apprehension. And if the plain sense of the text is that it belongs to the second sense, it is an expression for God, exalted be He, having answered the petitioner's prayer or having not answered it: 'I will surely hear his cry, and I will hearken, for I am gracious' (Ex 22:22–23); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'and the Lord did not hearken to your voice, and He did not give ear to you' (Deut 1:45); 'even though you multiply your prayer I am not hearing' (Is 1:15); 'for I am not hearing you' (Jer 7:16) — and this is frequent.
  • Deuteronomy 4:1 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtAnd the use of this name in the sense of the acquisition of knowledge has become very frequent: 'and they shall be life to your soul' (Prov 3:22); 'for whoever finds me has found life' (Prov 8:35); 'for they are life to those who find them' (Prov 4:22) — and this is frequent. According to this, correct opinions are called ḥayyim and false opinions are called mawt. He, exalted be He, said: 'See, I have set before you today life and the good...' etc. (Deut 30:15) — He has made clear that the good is life and the evil is death, and what is between them. Accordingly I also interpret His saying, exalted be He, 'that you may live' (Deut 4:1) — as in the transmitted interpretation of His saying, 'that it may be well with you' (Deut 4:40) etc. And because this metaphor is well established in the language, they said: 'the righteous are called living even in death; the wicked are called dead even in their lives' (Berakhot 18a). Know this.
  • Deuteronomy 4:7 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd likewise His saying: 'who have God near to them' (Deut 4:7); 'go near and hear' (Deut 5:27); 'and Moses alone shall draw near unto the Lord, but they shall not draw near' (Exod 24:2) — unless you wish to take what is said of Moses, 'and he drew near,' as his approaching the place on the mountain where the light, that is, the glory of the Lord, had alighted; that is open to you.
  • Deuteronomy 4:11 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd because this organ is in the center of the body, it was extended by metaphor to the center of any thing: 'as far as the heart of the heavens' (Deut 4:11); 'a flame of fire' (Ex 3:2).
  • Deuteronomy 4:12 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimIt is also the name for the presence and station of a person: 'before all his brethren he fell' (Gen 25:18); 'before all the people I will be honored' (Lev 10:3) — meaning: in their presence. 'Unless Your presence goes with us, how will it be known?' (Ex 33:16) — in Your presence and by Your existence. According to this sense it is said, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face' (Ex 33:11) — meaning: presence to presence, without an intermediary — just as it is said, 'come, let us look one another in the face' (2 Kgs 14:8); and just as it says, 'face to face the Lord spoke with you' (Deut 5:4). And He made clear in another passage, saying: 'the voice of words you heard, but no form did you see, only a voice' (Deut 4:12) — and He alluded to that by 'face to face.' Similarly His saying, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face,' is a circumlocution for His saying regarding the form of the address: 'and he heard the voice speaking to him' (Num 7:89). It has thus become clear to you that hearing a voice without the intermediary of an angel is what is alluded to by 'face to face.' And from this sense: 'and My face shall not be seen' — the reality of My existence as it truly is shall not be apprehended.
  • Deuteronomy 4:15 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitNamely: it is said of the form of a thing perceived by the senses outside the mind — I mean its shape and outline — and that is His saying, 'and you make a graven image, the form of anything' (Deut 4:16), and so forth, 'for you saw no form' (Deut 4:15).
  • Deuteronomy 4:16 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitNamely: it is said of the form of a thing perceived by the senses outside the mind — I mean its shape and outline — and that is His saying, 'and you make a graven image, the form of anything' (Deut 4:16), and so forth, 'for you saw no form' (Deut 4:15).
  • Deuteronomy 4:17 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitIt says, 'the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its vessels' (Exod 25:9); and it says, 'after their pattern, which thou wast shown on the mount' (Exod 25:40); 'the form of any bird' (Deut 4:17); 'the form of a hand' (Ezek 8:3); 'the pattern of the porch' (1 Chr 28:11). All of this is shape.
    • I:43 · KanafKanaf is an equivocal term, and most of its equivocality is by way of metaphorical extension. Its primary use is for the wing of a flying creature: 'every winged bird that flies in the heavens' (Deut 4:17).
  • Deuteronomy 4:24 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the one meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for every destroying and every annihilating — in sum, for every stripping-away of form: 'and the land of your enemies shall eat you up' (Lev 26:38); 'a land that eateth up its inhabitants' (Num 13:32); 'ye shall be devoured by the sword' (Isa 1:20); 'the sword shall devour' (2 Sam 11:25); 'and the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed them in the uttermost part of the camp' (Num 11:1); 'he is a consuming fire' (Deut 4:24) — meaning he annihilates those who rebel against him as fire annihilates whatever it takes hold of; and this is frequent.
  • Deuteronomy 4:35 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for intellect: 'and a hollow man will gain intellect' (Job 11:12); likewise, 'a wise man's heart is at his right hand' (Eccl 10:2) — meaning: his intellect in matters of perfection — and this is frequent. According to this sense it is used metaphorically of God in every passage — I mean as indicating intellect — except the exceptional case, where it indicates will according to context. Likewise: 'and you shall take it to heart' (Deut 4:39); 'and he did not take it to heart' (Ex 7:23) — all such are the reckoning of intellect, as He said: 'the Lord has not given you a heart to know' (Deut 29:3), parallel to 'you were shown to know' (Deut 4:35).
  • Deuteronomy 4:39 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for intellect: 'and a hollow man will gain intellect' (Job 11:12); likewise, 'a wise man's heart is at his right hand' (Eccl 10:2) — meaning: his intellect in matters of perfection — and this is frequent. According to this sense it is used metaphorically of God in every passage — I mean as indicating intellect — except the exceptional case, where it indicates will according to context. Likewise: 'and you shall take it to heart' (Deut 4:39); 'and he did not take it to heart' (Ex 7:23) — all such are the reckoning of intellect, as He said: 'the Lord has not given you a heart to know' (Deut 29:3), parallel to 'you were shown to know' (Deut 4:35).
  • Deuteronomy 4:40 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtAnd the use of this name in the sense of the acquisition of knowledge has become very frequent: 'and they shall be life to your soul' (Prov 3:22); 'for whoever finds me has found life' (Prov 8:35); 'for they are life to those who find them' (Prov 4:22) — and this is frequent. According to this, correct opinions are called ḥayyim and false opinions are called mawt. He, exalted be He, said: 'See, I have set before you today life and the good...' etc. (Deut 30:15) — He has made clear that the good is life and the evil is death, and what is between them. Accordingly I also interpret His saying, exalted be He, 'that you may live' (Deut 4:1) — as in the transmitted interpretation of His saying, 'that it may be well with you' (Deut 4:40) etc. And because this metaphor is well established in the language, they said: 'the righteous are called living even in death; the wicked are called dead even in their lives' (Berakhot 18a). Know this.
  • Deuteronomy 5:4 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimIt is also the name for the presence and station of a person: 'before all his brethren he fell' (Gen 25:18); 'before all the people I will be honored' (Lev 10:3) — meaning: in their presence. 'Unless Your presence goes with us, how will it be known?' (Ex 33:16) — in Your presence and by Your existence. According to this sense it is said, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face' (Ex 33:11) — meaning: presence to presence, without an intermediary — just as it is said, 'come, let us look one another in the face' (2 Kgs 14:8); and just as it says, 'face to face the Lord spoke with you' (Deut 5:4). And He made clear in another passage, saying: 'the voice of words you heard, but no form did you see, only a voice' (Deut 4:12) — and He alluded to that by 'face to face.' Similarly His saying, 'and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face,' is a circumlocution for His saying regarding the form of the address: 'and he heard the voice speaking to him' (Num 7:89). It has thus become clear to you that hearing a voice without the intermediary of an angel is what is alluded to by 'face to face.' And from this sense: 'and My face shall not be seen' — the reality of My existence as it truly is shall not be apprehended.
  • Deuteronomy 5:5 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd of this sense is what He, may He be exalted, said to him: 'but as for thee, stand thou here by Me' (Deut 5:28); and 'I stood between the Lord and you' (Deut 5:5).
  • Deuteronomy 5:27 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd likewise His saying: 'who have God near to them' (Deut 4:7); 'go near and hear' (Deut 5:27); 'and Moses alone shall draw near unto the Lord, but they shall not draw near' (Exod 24:2) — unless you wish to take what is said of Moses, 'and he drew near,' as his approaching the place on the mountain where the light, that is, the glory of the Lord, had alighted; that is open to you.
  • Deuteronomy 5:28 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd of this sense is what He, may He be exalted, said to him: 'but as for thee, stand thou here by Me' (Deut 5:28); and 'I stood between the Lord and you' (Deut 5:5).
  • Deuteronomy 6:5 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAs for His saying, 'and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart' (Deut 6:5), its interpretation in my view is: with all the powers of your heart — I mean all the powers of your body, for the origin of all of them is from the heart; and the intent is that you make the goal of all your actions the apprehension of Him, as I have explained in my Commentary on the Mishnah and in the Mishneh Torah.
  • Deuteronomy 6:15 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryKnow that if you reflect upon the whole Torah and all the books of the prophets, you will not find the expression 'fierceness of anger,' nor the expression 'wrath,' nor the expression 'jealousy,' save with respect to idolatry alone; and you will not find God called 'enemy' or 'adversary' or 'hater,' save of a worshipper of idolatry in particular. He said, 'and ye serve other gods' etc., 'and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you' (Deut 11:16–17); 'that ye provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands' (Jer 25:6); 'they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities' etc. (Deut 32:21); 'for the Lord thy God is a jealous God' etc. (Deut 6:15); 'why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images?' (Jer 8:19); 'through the provoking of his sons and of his daughters' (Deut 32:19); 'for a fire is kindled in mine anger' (Deut 32:22); 'the Lord is vengeful unto his adversaries, and repayeth them that hate him' (Nah 1:2; Deut 7:10); 'until he have driven out his enemies' (Num 32:21); 'for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth' (Deut 12:31). And this is more than can be counted; but if you survey it through all the books, you will find it.
  • Deuteronomy 10:17 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimPanim is also the name for care and consideration: 'you shall not show favor to the poor' (Lev 19:15); 'one who shows no favor' (Deut 10:17) — and this is frequent. According to this sense too it is said: 'may the Lord lift His face toward you and give you peace' (Num 6:26) — meaning: may He be of those who show care for us.
  • Deuteronomy 11:12 ↗
    • I:44 · ʿAyinʿAyin is an equivocal term. It is the name for a spring of water: 'by the spring of water in the wilderness' (Gen 16:7). And it is the name for the seeing eye: 'an eye for an eye' (Ex 21:24). And it is the name for care and oversight: it was said concerning Jeremiah, 'take him and set your eyes upon him' (Jer 39:12) — meaning: place your care upon him. According to this metaphor it is said of God in every passage: 'and My eyes and My heart shall be there always' (1 Kgs 9:3) — meaning: My care and My purpose, as I have already noted; 'the eyes of the Lord your God are perpetually upon it' (Deut 11:12) — His care encompasses it; 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10) — His care encompasses all that is in the earth as well, as will be mentioned in the chapters to come on providence.
  • Deuteronomy 12:23 ↗
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • Deuteronomy 12:31 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryKnow that if you reflect upon the whole Torah and all the books of the prophets, you will not find the expression 'fierceness of anger,' nor the expression 'wrath,' nor the expression 'jealousy,' save with respect to idolatry alone; and you will not find God called 'enemy' or 'adversary' or 'hater,' save of a worshipper of idolatry in particular. He said, 'and ye serve other gods' etc., 'and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you' (Deut 11:16–17); 'that ye provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands' (Jer 25:6); 'they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities' etc. (Deut 32:21); 'for the Lord thy God is a jealous God' etc. (Deut 6:15); 'why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images?' (Jer 8:19); 'through the provoking of his sons and of his daughters' (Deut 32:19); 'for a fire is kindled in mine anger' (Deut 32:22); 'the Lord is vengeful unto his adversaries, and repayeth them that hate him' (Nah 1:2; Deut 7:10); 'until he have driven out his enemies' (Num 32:21); 'for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth' (Deut 12:31). And this is more than can be counted; but if you survey it through all the books, you will find it.
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionKnow that the saying 'visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children' applies specifically to the sin of idolatry, not to any other sin. The proof is His saying in the Ten Commandments 'upon the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me' — and none is called a 'hater' except the idolater: 'for every abomination of the Lord which He hated' (Deut 12:31). And the reason the limit is the fourth generation is that that is the furthest extent to which a human being can see from his own offspring; and when the inhabitants of a city who worship idolatry are killed, that elder who worships is killed along with the offspring of his offspring's offspring — which is the fourth generation. The description here is that among God's commands — which are certainly among His actions — is that He kills the offspring of idol worshippers even if they are young minors in the lifetime of their parents and grandparents. We find this consistent throughout the Torah in every passage — as He commanded concerning the subverted city: 'utterly destroy it and all that is in it' (Deut 13:16). All of this is to obliterate that trace which necessitates great corruption, as we have explained.
  • Deuteronomy 13:5 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhAnd 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).
    • I:38 · AchorAnd it has the meaning of following and tracing the track in walking in the way of a person: 'after the Lord your God shall you walk' (Deut 13:5); 'after the Lord shall they walk' (Hos 11:10) — meaning: following in obedience to Him, tracing the track of His acts, and walking in His way; 'he walked after Zau' (1 Kgs 21:26). According to this sense it is said: 'and you shall see My back' — meaning: you shall apprehend that which follows from Me and resembles Me and is necessitated by My will, that is, all My creatures — as I shall explain in certain chapters of this part.
  • Deuteronomy 13:16 ↗
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionKnow that the saying 'visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children' applies specifically to the sin of idolatry, not to any other sin. The proof is His saying in the Ten Commandments 'upon the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me' — and none is called a 'hater' except the idolater: 'for every abomination of the Lord which He hated' (Deut 12:31). And the reason the limit is the fourth generation is that that is the furthest extent to which a human being can see from his own offspring; and when the inhabitants of a city who worship idolatry are killed, that elder who worships is killed along with the offspring of his offspring's offspring — which is the fourth generation. The description here is that among God's commands — which are certainly among His actions — is that He kills the offspring of idol worshippers even if they are young minors in the lifetime of their parents and grandparents. We find this consistent throughout the Torah in every passage — as He commanded concerning the subverted city: 'utterly destroy it and all that is in it' (Deut 13:16). All of this is to obliterate that trace which necessitates great corruption, as we have explained.
  • Deuteronomy 20:16 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryYet, although those unbelievers believed in the existence of the Deity — and their unbelief was connected only with a right that belongs to Him, exalted be He, I mean worship and exaltation, as He said, 'and ye shall serve the Lord' etc. — since His existence is established in the belief of the multitude, but they supposed this right to belong to another than Him, that became a cause for the nonexistence of God, exalted be He, in the belief of the multitude; for the multitude apprehends only the acts of the modes of worship, not their meanings nor the reality of the one worshipped thereby. So that became a thing requiring that they deserve destruction, as the text came, 'thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth' (Deut 20:16), and made clear the reason — which is the removal of this false opinion, that another not be corrupted by it — as He said, 'that they teach you not to do' etc. (Deut 20:18); and He called them 'enemies' and 'haters' and 'adversaries,' and said that the doer of that 'moves to jealousy,' 'provokes to anger,' and 'kindles wrath.'
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionConsider the texts of the Torah — when it commanded concerning the seven nations their annihilation and said 'you shall save alive nothing that breathes' (Deut 20:16), it followed this immediately with the saying 'that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God' (Deut 20:18). This says: do not suppose that this is cruelty or pursuit of revenge — rather it is an act that human reason requires: to remove everyone who deviates from the path of truth, and to clear away all the obstacles that impede the perfection that consists in apprehending Him, exalted be He.
  • Deuteronomy 20:18 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryYet, although those unbelievers believed in the existence of the Deity — and their unbelief was connected only with a right that belongs to Him, exalted be He, I mean worship and exaltation, as He said, 'and ye shall serve the Lord' etc. — since His existence is established in the belief of the multitude, but they supposed this right to belong to another than Him, that became a cause for the nonexistence of God, exalted be He, in the belief of the multitude; for the multitude apprehends only the acts of the modes of worship, not their meanings nor the reality of the one worshipped thereby. So that became a thing requiring that they deserve destruction, as the text came, 'thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth' (Deut 20:16), and made clear the reason — which is the removal of this false opinion, that another not be corrupted by it — as He said, 'that they teach you not to do' etc. (Deut 20:18); and He called them 'enemies' and 'haters' and 'adversaries,' and said that the doer of that 'moves to jealousy,' 'provokes to anger,' and 'kindles wrath.'
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionConsider the texts of the Torah — when it commanded concerning the seven nations their annihilation and said 'you shall save alive nothing that breathes' (Deut 20:16), it followed this immediately with the saying 'that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God' (Deut 20:18). This says: do not suppose that this is cruelty or pursuit of revenge — rather it is an act that human reason requires: to remove everyone who deviates from the path of truth, and to clear away all the obstacles that impede the perfection that consists in apprehending Him, exalted be He.
  • Deuteronomy 21:15 ↗
    • I:7 · YaladYalad. The meaning understood from this word is well known — namely, bearing offspring: 'and they bore him children' (Deut 21:15).
  • Deuteronomy 21:20 ↗
    • I:45 · ShemaʿAnd equally frequent is shemaʿ in the sense of acceptance: 'and they did not hearken to Moses' (Ex 6:9); 'if they hearken and serve' (Job 36:11); 'and they will be hearkened to' (Deut 28:2 variant reading); 'and he will not hearken to your words' (Deut 21:20).
  • Deuteronomy 22:12 ↗
    • I:43 · KanafThen it was extended by metaphor to the hems and corners of garments: 'on the four corners of your garment' (Deut 22:12).
  • Deuteronomy 22:30 ↗
    • I:43 · KanafIbn Janāḥ said that kanaf also comes in the sense of concealment, parallel to the Arabic, in which one says kanaftu al-shayʾ meaning 'I concealed the thing.' He said in his explanation of 'and your teacher shall no longer hide (yikkanef) from you' (Is 30:20): meaning, your guide shall not be concealed from you nor veiled. This is a good interpretation. From this, in my view, is 'and he shall not uncover his father's kanaf' (Deut 22:30) — meaning: he shall not uncover his father's covering. Likewise: 'and you shall spread your kanaf over your handmaid' (Ruth 3:9) — its interpretation in my view is: extend your covering over your handmaid.
  • Deuteronomy 26:7 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingI found that every instance of seeing attributed to God throughout the entire Torah is rendered as ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived' — except these which I shall describe: 'for the Lord saw my affliction' (Gen 29:32) — 'for it was revealed before the Lord, my oppression'; 'for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you' (Gen 31:12) — 'for it was revealed before me,' even though the speaker is an angel, and the acknowledgment indicating confirmed action is not attributed to the speaker but rather to God, because it is an act of oppression; 'and God saw the children of Israel' (Ex 2:25) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord, the bondage of the children of Israel'; 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people' (Ex 3:7) — 'it was surely revealed before me, the bondage of my people'; 'and also I have seen the oppression' (Ex 3:9) — 'and also it was revealed before me, the compulsion'; 'and He saw their affliction' (Deut 26:7) — 'and it was revealed before Him, their bondage'; 'I have seen this people' (Ex 32:9) — 'it was revealed before me, this people,' for its meaning is 'I have seen their sinfulness,' analogous to 'and God saw the children of Israel,' whose meaning is 'He saw their distress'; 'and the Lord saw, and was provoked' (Deut 32:19) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord'; 'for He will see that the hand is gone' (Deut 32:36) — 'for it was revealed before Him' — and this too is a situation of oppression and the enemy's domination. All of this was consistently maintained and attended to by him regarding 'Look upon iniquity — you cannot' (Hab 1:3). Therefore every instance of bondage and sinfulness he renders as galī qodamōhī or galī qodamī.
  • Deuteronomy 28:1 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAnd it said, 'and the Lord your God will set you on high above all the nations of the earth' (Deut 28:1); and it said, 'and the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly on high' (1 Chr 29:25).
  • Deuteronomy 28:9 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhAnd 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).
  • Deuteronomy 28:43 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendThen these two nouns were borrowed for majesty and greatness: so when a person's standing sank, one says 'he descended,' and when his standing rose in majesty, one says 'he ascended.' Said the Exalted, 'the stranger in your midst shall mount up above you higher and higher, and you shall come down lower and lower' (Deut 28:43), and so forth.
  • Deuteronomy 28:49 ↗
    • I:45 · ShemaʿAnd it can have the sense of knowledge and understanding: 'a nation whose language you do not know' (Deut 28:49) — its interpretation is: whose speech you do not understand.
    • I:49 · Angels & SightKnow that anything that moves with extreme speed is described as flying, to indicate the swiftness of the movement — it is said 'as an eagle swoops down' (Deut 28:49), for the eagle is the swiftest in flight and in descent among all birds, and for this reason it serves as the comparison. Know also that wings are the causes of flight; therefore the wings you see correspond to the number of causal factors of the movement of the moving entity. But this is not the aim of this chapter.
  • Deuteronomy 29:3 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for intellect: 'and a hollow man will gain intellect' (Job 11:12); likewise, 'a wise man's heart is at his right hand' (Eccl 10:2) — meaning: his intellect in matters of perfection — and this is frequent. According to this sense it is used metaphorically of God in every passage — I mean as indicating intellect — except the exceptional case, where it indicates will according to context. Likewise: 'and you shall take it to heart' (Deut 4:39); 'and he did not take it to heart' (Ex 7:23) — all such are the reckoning of intellect, as He said: 'the Lord has not given you a heart to know' (Deut 29:3), parallel to 'you were shown to know' (Deut 4:35).
  • Deuteronomy 29:17 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for thought as well: 'my heart did not go' (Job 31:7) — meaning: I was present in my thought when such-and-such occurred. And from this sense: 'and you shall not go astray after your heart' (Num 15:39) — meaning: following your thoughts; 'whose heart turns away today' (Deut 29:17) — his thought has departed.
  • Deuteronomy 30:15 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtAnd the use of this name in the sense of the acquisition of knowledge has become very frequent: 'and they shall be life to your soul' (Prov 3:22); 'for whoever finds me has found life' (Prov 8:35); 'for they are life to those who find them' (Prov 4:22) — and this is frequent. According to this, correct opinions are called ḥayyim and false opinions are called mawt. He, exalted be He, said: 'See, I have set before you today life and the good...' etc. (Deut 30:15) — He has made clear that the good is life and the evil is death, and what is between them. Accordingly I also interpret His saying, exalted be He, 'that you may live' (Deut 4:1) — as in the transmitted interpretation of His saying, 'that it may be well with you' (Deut 4:40) etc. And because this metaphor is well established in the language, they said: 'the righteous are called living even in death; the wicked are called dead even in their lives' (Berakhot 18a). Know this.
  • Deuteronomy 31:17 ↗
    • I:23 · YatzaThe meaning is the lifting of the Indwelling that had been among us, away from us, followed by the lapse of providence over us — as He said, by way of warning: 'and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured' (Deut 31:17).
  • Deuteronomy 31:18 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhAnd in accordance with this borrowing is every expression of 'walking' that comes regarding God, may He be exalted — I 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),
  • Deuteronomy 32:4 ↗
    • I:16 · TzurAnd according to this last sense God, may He be exalted, is called Tzur, since He is the origin and the efficient cause of all besides Himself. And it is said: 'the Rock, His work is perfect' (Deut 32:4); 'the Rock that begot you, you neglected' (Deut 32:18); 'their Rock had sold them' (Deut 32:30); 'neither is there any rock like our God' (1 Sam 2:2); 'the Rock of ages' (Isa 26:4).
  • Deuteronomy 32:13 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotRākhav — this term is equivocal. Its primary usage means a person's riding an animal in the customary manner, as in 'and he rode upon his she-ass' (Num 22:22). Then it was used metaphorically for domination over a thing, since the rider dominates and governs his mount; as in 'He shall cause you to ride on the high places of the earth' (Deut 32:13), and 'I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth' (Isa 58:14) — meaning you shall dominate the heights of the land. And in this sense it was said of God, exalted be He, 'Rider of the heavens in your help' (Deut 33:26) — meaning the One who dominates the heavens; and likewise 'to the Rider of the ʿAravot' (Ps 68:5) — meaning the One who dominates the ʿAravot, which is the outermost sphere encompassing the whole.
  • Deuteronomy 32:18 ↗
    • I:16 · TzurAnd according to this last sense God, may He be exalted, is called Tzur, since He is the origin and the efficient cause of all besides Himself. And it is said: 'the Rock, His work is perfect' (Deut 32:4); 'the Rock that begot you, you neglected' (Deut 32:18); 'their Rock had sold them' (Deut 32:30); 'neither is there any rock like our God' (1 Sam 2:2); 'the Rock of ages' (Isa 26:4).
  • Deuteronomy 32:19 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryKnow that if you reflect upon the whole Torah and all the books of the prophets, you will not find the expression 'fierceness of anger,' nor the expression 'wrath,' nor the expression 'jealousy,' save with respect to idolatry alone; and you will not find God called 'enemy' or 'adversary' or 'hater,' save of a worshipper of idolatry in particular. He said, 'and ye serve other gods' etc., 'and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you' (Deut 11:16–17); 'that ye provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands' (Jer 25:6); 'they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities' etc. (Deut 32:21); 'for the Lord thy God is a jealous God' etc. (Deut 6:15); 'why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images?' (Jer 8:19); 'through the provoking of his sons and of his daughters' (Deut 32:19); 'for a fire is kindled in mine anger' (Deut 32:22); 'the Lord is vengeful unto his adversaries, and repayeth them that hate him' (Nah 1:2; Deut 7:10); 'until he have driven out his enemies' (Num 32:21); 'for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth' (Deut 12:31). And this is more than can be counted; but if you survey it through all the books, you will find it.
    • I:48 · True HearingI found that every instance of seeing attributed to God throughout the entire Torah is rendered as ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived' — except these which I shall describe: 'for the Lord saw my affliction' (Gen 29:32) — 'for it was revealed before the Lord, my oppression'; 'for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you' (Gen 31:12) — 'for it was revealed before me,' even though the speaker is an angel, and the acknowledgment indicating confirmed action is not attributed to the speaker but rather to God, because it is an act of oppression; 'and God saw the children of Israel' (Ex 2:25) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord, the bondage of the children of Israel'; 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people' (Ex 3:7) — 'it was surely revealed before me, the bondage of my people'; 'and also I have seen the oppression' (Ex 3:9) — 'and also it was revealed before me, the compulsion'; 'and He saw their affliction' (Deut 26:7) — 'and it was revealed before Him, their bondage'; 'I have seen this people' (Ex 32:9) — 'it was revealed before me, this people,' for its meaning is 'I have seen their sinfulness,' analogous to 'and God saw the children of Israel,' whose meaning is 'He saw their distress'; 'and the Lord saw, and was provoked' (Deut 32:19) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord'; 'for He will see that the hand is gone' (Deut 32:36) — 'for it was revealed before Him' — and this too is a situation of oppression and the enemy's domination. All of this was consistently maintained and attended to by him regarding 'Look upon iniquity — you cannot' (Hab 1:3). Therefore every instance of bondage and sinfulness he renders as galī qodamōhī or galī qodamī.
  • Deuteronomy 32:21 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryKnow that if you reflect upon the whole Torah and all the books of the prophets, you will not find the expression 'fierceness of anger,' nor the expression 'wrath,' nor the expression 'jealousy,' save with respect to idolatry alone; and you will not find God called 'enemy' or 'adversary' or 'hater,' save of a worshipper of idolatry in particular. He said, 'and ye serve other gods' etc., 'and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you' (Deut 11:16–17); 'that ye provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands' (Jer 25:6); 'they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities' etc. (Deut 32:21); 'for the Lord thy God is a jealous God' etc. (Deut 6:15); 'why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images?' (Jer 8:19); 'through the provoking of his sons and of his daughters' (Deut 32:19); 'for a fire is kindled in mine anger' (Deut 32:22); 'the Lord is vengeful unto his adversaries, and repayeth them that hate him' (Nah 1:2; Deut 7:10); 'until he have driven out his enemies' (Num 32:21); 'for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth' (Deut 12:31). And this is more than can be counted; but if you survey it through all the books, you will find it.
  • Deuteronomy 32:22 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryKnow that if you reflect upon the whole Torah and all the books of the prophets, you will not find the expression 'fierceness of anger,' nor the expression 'wrath,' nor the expression 'jealousy,' save with respect to idolatry alone; and you will not find God called 'enemy' or 'adversary' or 'hater,' save of a worshipper of idolatry in particular. He said, 'and ye serve other gods' etc., 'and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you' (Deut 11:16–17); 'that ye provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands' (Jer 25:6); 'they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities' etc. (Deut 32:21); 'for the Lord thy God is a jealous God' etc. (Deut 6:15); 'why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images?' (Jer 8:19); 'through the provoking of his sons and of his daughters' (Deut 32:19); 'for a fire is kindled in mine anger' (Deut 32:22); 'the Lord is vengeful unto his adversaries, and repayeth them that hate him' (Nah 1:2; Deut 7:10); 'until he have driven out his enemies' (Num 32:21); 'for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth' (Deut 12:31). And this is more than can be counted; but if you survey it through all the books, you will find it.
  • Deuteronomy 32:30 ↗
    • I:16 · TzurAnd according to this last sense God, may He be exalted, is called Tzur, since He is the origin and the efficient cause of all besides Himself. And it is said: 'the Rock, His work is perfect' (Deut 32:4); 'the Rock that begot you, you neglected' (Deut 32:18); 'their Rock had sold them' (Deut 32:30); 'neither is there any rock like our God' (1 Sam 2:2); 'the Rock of ages' (Isa 26:4).
  • Deuteronomy 32:36 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingI found that every instance of seeing attributed to God throughout the entire Torah is rendered as ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived' — except these which I shall describe: 'for the Lord saw my affliction' (Gen 29:32) — 'for it was revealed before the Lord, my oppression'; 'for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you' (Gen 31:12) — 'for it was revealed before me,' even though the speaker is an angel, and the acknowledgment indicating confirmed action is not attributed to the speaker but rather to God, because it is an act of oppression; 'and God saw the children of Israel' (Ex 2:25) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord, the bondage of the children of Israel'; 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people' (Ex 3:7) — 'it was surely revealed before me, the bondage of my people'; 'and also I have seen the oppression' (Ex 3:9) — 'and also it was revealed before me, the compulsion'; 'and He saw their affliction' (Deut 26:7) — 'and it was revealed before Him, their bondage'; 'I have seen this people' (Ex 32:9) — 'it was revealed before me, this people,' for its meaning is 'I have seen their sinfulness,' analogous to 'and God saw the children of Israel,' whose meaning is 'He saw their distress'; 'and the Lord saw, and was provoked' (Deut 32:19) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord'; 'for He will see that the hand is gone' (Deut 32:36) — 'for it was revealed before Him' — and this too is a situation of oppression and the enemy's domination. All of this was consistently maintained and attended to by him regarding 'Look upon iniquity — you cannot' (Hab 1:3). Therefore every instance of bondage and sinfulness he renders as galī qodamōhī or galī qodamī.
  • Deuteronomy 33:16 ↗
    • I:25 · ShakhanAnd in accordance with this borrowing it was borrowed of God, may He be exalted — I mean for the perpetuity of His Indwelling or His providence in whatever place it endures, or for every matter over which providence endures: so it is said 'and the glory of the Lord abode' (Exod 24:16); 'and I will dwell among the children of Israel' (Exod 29:45); 'and the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush' (Deut 33:16).
  • Deuteronomy 33:23 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleAnd it is used in the sense of perfection in an excellence and the utmost degree of it: 'full of the blessing of the Lord' (Deut 33:23); 'He hath filled them with wisdom of heart' (Exod 35:35); 'and He filled him with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge' (Exod 31:3).
  • Deuteronomy 33:26 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotThis is the extent to which the discourse in this chapter has led. There would necessarily be many other observations also serving this aim. But the aim of this chapter, toward which we tended, was to repeat the point that the expression 'Rider of the heavens' means the Governor of the encompassing sphere and its Mover by His power and will; and likewise the expression in the completion of the verse: 'and in His majesty the clouds' (Deut 33:26).
    • I:70 · Kavod & the Chariot'Rider of the heavens in your help' (Deut 33:26) — meaning the One who dominates the
  • Deuteronomy 33:27 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotIn Bereshit Rabbah, expounding His saying 'the eternal God is your dwelling-place' (Deut 33:27), they said: 'He is the dwelling-place of His world, and His world is not His dwelling-place'; and they followed this with: 'the horse is secondary to the rider, and the rider is not secondary to the horse — this is what is written: when you ride upon your horses' (Hab 3:8). Contemplate this and understand how they explained His relation to the sphere and that He is the ground by which existence is governed.

Joshua

  • Joshua 5:2 ↗
    • I:16 · TzurTzur is an equivocal noun. It is the name of a mountain: 'and you shall smite the rock' (Exod 17:6). And it is the name of a hard stone like flint: 'knives of flint' (Josh 5:2).
  • Joshua 5:8 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtḤai is the name for that which grows and senses: 'every creeping thing that lives' (Gen 1:28). And it is the name for one who recovers from very severe illness: 'and he recovered from his sickness' (2 Kgs 8:8); 'in the camp until they recovered' (Josh 5:8); and likewise 'living flesh' (Lev 13:10).

Judges

  • Judges 2:1 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavAnd the 'angels of God' are the prophets, of whom it is said plainly: 'and He sent an angel' (Num 20:16); 'and an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim' (Judg 2:1). And how apt is His saying 'ascending and descending' (Gen 28:12) — the ascent before the descent.
  • Judges 8:18 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessAs Scripture says, 'beautiful of form (to'ar) and fair to look upon' (Gen 39:6); 'What was his form?' ... 'like the form of the king's sons' (Judg 8:18).
  • Judges 10:16 ↗
    • I:41 · NefeshAccording to this sense the interpretation of 'and His nefesh was impatient with the toil of Israel' (Judg 10:16) would be: and His will was restrained from making Israel suffer. This verse was not translated by Jonathan ben Uzziel at all, because he took it according to the first sense — and from that an affection resulted, and he refrained from translating it. But if one takes it from this final sense, the interpretation becomes very clear, for the preceding text says that His providential care, exalted be He, had withdrawn from them until they went and cried out and He did not save them; then when they exerted themselves in repentance and their humiliation was great and the enemy prevailed over them, He had mercy on them and His will was restrained from the continuation of their suffering and their humiliation. Know that this is rare. The preposition bet in 'with the toil of Israel' stands in place of min ('from'), as if it were 'from the toil of Israel' — and the linguists have often observed such substitutions: 'the remainder in flesh and in bread shall stay' (Is 44:16) — 'shall stay' being read with bet as 'from'; and this is frequent.
  • Judges 13:17 ↗
    • I:22 · BoAnd this noun was borrowed for the befalling of a matter that is no body at all: 'when thy word cometh to pass, then we will do thee honor' (Judg 13:17); 'from these things that shall come upon thee' (Isa 47:13). It was even borrowed for a privation: 'and evil came' (Job 30:26); 'and darkness came' (Job 30:26).

I Samuel

  • I Samuel 1:9 ↗
    • I:11 · YashavYeshivah. The first imposition of this noun in our language is for sitting: 'and Eli the priest was sitting upon the seat' (1 Sam 1:9).
  • I Samuel 1:18 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimAnd it is the name for anger: 'and his face was no longer toward her' (1 Sam 1:18). According to this sense it is used frequently in the meaning of God's anger and displeasure: 'the face of the Lord has divided them' (Lam 4:16); 'the face of the Lord is against evildoers' (Ps 34:17); 'My face shall go and I shall give you rest' (Ex 33:14); 'and I will set My face against that man and against his family' (Lev 20:5) — and this is frequent.
  • I Samuel 1:23 ↗
    • I:12 · QamIt also bears the sense of the confirmation and validity of a matter: 'the Lord will establish His word' (1 Sam 1:23); 'and the field of Ephron was made over' (Gen 23:17); 'and the house that is in the city shall be made sure' (Lev 25:30); 'and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand' (1 Sam 24:21).
  • I Samuel 2:2 ↗
    • I:16 · TzurAnd according to this last sense God, may He be exalted, is called Tzur, since He is the origin and the efficient cause of all besides Himself. And it is said: 'the Rock, His work is perfect' (Deut 32:4); 'the Rock that begot you, you neglected' (Deut 32:18); 'their Rock had sold them' (Deut 32:30); 'neither is there any rock like our God' (1 Sam 2:2); 'the Rock of ages' (Isa 26:4).
  • I Samuel 2:24 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarThen it was borrowed for the traveling of sounds through the air: 'and they caused a proclamation to pass throughout the camp' (Exod 36:6); 'which I hear the Lord's people spread abroad' (1 Sam 2:24).
  • I Samuel 2:35 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for will: 'and I will give you shepherds after My own heart' (Jer 3:15); 'is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?' (2 Kgs 10:15) — meaning: is your will in rectitude as my will is. And it is used metaphorically of God according to this sense: 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: He shall act according to My will; 'and My eyes and My heart shall be there always' (1 Kgs 9:3) — meaning: My care and My will.
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • I Samuel 6:5 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessAnd likewise I say of 'the images of your hemorrhoids' (1 Sam 6:5): what was intended by them was the notion of repelling the harm of the hemorrhoids, not the shape of the hemorrhoids.
  • I Samuel 20:36 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd it was also borrowed for one who passes by one aim and intends another aim and end: 'and he shot the arrow to send it beyond him' (1 Sam 20:36).
  • I Samuel 22:8 ↗
    • I:12 · QamAnd since one resolved upon doing some deed sets about doing it by rising, it was said of everyone who rose up for some affair that he 'arose': 'for my son has stirred up my servant against me' (1 Sam 22:8).
  • I Samuel 24:21 ↗
    • I:12 · QamIt also bears the sense of the confirmation and validity of a matter: 'the Lord will establish His word' (1 Sam 1:23); 'and the field of Ephron was made over' (Gen 23:17); 'and the house that is in the city shall be made sure' (Lev 25:30); 'and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand' (1 Sam 24:21).
  • I Samuel 25:9 ↗
    • I:67 · Sabbath & CreationAnd likewise, the cessation of speech is associated with an expression of repose; as in the verse, 'and they spoke to Nabal all these words in the name of David, and they rested' (1 Sam 25:9). This indicates that the 'repose' mentioned here, according to the use of that term for silence, is a metaphor for the completion of the matter and the ending of the purpose from it. Therefore it was said concerning the Sabbath, 'he shall rest' — a metaphor for the completion of the act and its ending.
  • I Samuel 25:29 ↗
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • I Samuel 25:37 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtLikewise, mawt is the name for death. And it is the name for severe illness: 'and his heart died within him, and he became as stone' (1 Sam 25:37) — meaning: the severity of his sickness. And for this reason it was made explicit regarding the son of the Zarephathite woman: 'and his illness was very severe, until no breath remained in him' (1 Kgs 17:17) — because if it had said 'and he died,' it would be possible to understand it as a severe illness approaching death, like Nabal when he heard the news.

I Kings

  • I Kings 9:3 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for will: 'and I will give you shepherds after My own heart' (Jer 3:15); 'is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?' (2 Kgs 10:15) — meaning: is your will in rectitude as my will is. And it is used metaphorically of God according to this sense: 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: He shall act according to My will; 'and My eyes and My heart shall be there always' (1 Kgs 9:3) — meaning: My care and My will.
    • I:44 · ʿAyinʿAyin is an equivocal term. It is the name for a spring of water: 'by the spring of water in the wilderness' (Gen 16:7). And it is the name for the seeing eye: 'an eye for an eye' (Ex 21:24). And it is the name for care and oversight: it was said concerning Jeremiah, 'take him and set your eyes upon him' (Jer 39:12) — meaning: place your care upon him. According to this metaphor it is said of God in every passage: 'and My eyes and My heart shall be there always' (1 Kgs 9:3) — meaning: My care and My purpose, as I have already noted; 'the eyes of the Lord your God are perpetually upon it' (Deut 11:12) — His care encompasses it; 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10) — His care encompasses all that is in the earth as well, as will be mentioned in the chapters to come on providence.
  • I Kings 10:29 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotKnow that a group of riding animals is called a merkāvāh — this appears frequently: 'and Joseph harnessed his chariot' (Gen 46:29), 'the chariot of the viceroy' (Gen 41:43), 'the chariots of Pharaoh.' The proof that this designation applies to a number of animals is the verse, 'and a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for fifty and a hundred' (1 Kgs 10:29) — this is evidence that merkāvāh refers to four horses. For this reason I say: since it is said — in accordance with what is said — that the throne of glory was carried by four ḥayyot, the Sages, of blessed memory, called it merkāvāh by analogy with the chariot, which is four animals.
  • I Kings 14:7 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaAnd He said: 'I have exalted one chosen out of the people' (Ps 89:20); 'forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust' (1 Kgs 16:2); 'forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people' (1 Kgs 14:7) — of the second sense.
  • I Kings 16:2 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaAnd He said: 'I have exalted one chosen out of the people' (Ps 89:20); 'forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust' (1 Kgs 16:2); 'forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people' (1 Kgs 14:7) — of the second sense.
  • I Kings 17:17 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtLikewise, mawt is the name for death. And it is the name for severe illness: 'and his heart died within him, and he became as stone' (1 Sam 25:37) — meaning: the severity of his sickness. And for this reason it was made explicit regarding the son of the Zarephathite woman: 'and his illness was very severe, until no breath remained in him' (1 Kgs 17:17) — because if it had said 'and he died,' it would be possible to understand it as a severe illness approaching death, like Nabal when he heard the news.
  • I Kings 21:26 ↗
    • I:38 · AchorAnd it has the meaning of following and tracing the track in walking in the way of a person: 'after the Lord your God shall you walk' (Deut 13:5); 'after the Lord shall they walk' (Hos 11:10) — meaning: following in obedience to Him, tracing the track of His acts, and walking in His way; 'he walked after Zau' (1 Kgs 21:26). According to this sense it is said: 'and you shall see My back' — meaning: you shall apprehend that which follows from Me and resembles Me and is necessitated by My will, that is, all My creatures — as I shall explain in certain chapters of this part.

Isaiah

  • Isaiah 1:1 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingAnd 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.
  • Isaiah 1:20 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the one meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for every destroying and every annihilating — in sum, for every stripping-away of form: 'and the land of your enemies shall eat you up' (Lev 26:38); 'a land that eateth up its inhabitants' (Num 13:32); 'ye shall be devoured by the sword' (Isa 1:20); 'the sword shall devour' (2 Sam 11:25); 'and the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed them in the uttermost part of the camp' (Num 11:1); 'he is a consuming fire' (Deut 4:24) — meaning he annihilates those who rebel against him as fire annihilates whatever it takes hold of; and this is frequent.
  • Isaiah 2:3 ↗
    • I:23 · YatzaAnd it was borrowed for the emergence of a matter that is no body at all: 'the word went forth out of the king's mouth' (Esth 7:8); 'for the deed of the queen shall go abroad' (Esth 1:17) — meaning the carrying-out of the command. 'For out of Zion shall go forth the law' (Isa 2:3). And likewise 'the sun was gone forth upon the earth' (Gen 19:23) — I mean the appearing of light.
  • Isaiah 2:5 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhAnd 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).
  • Isaiah 2:6 ↗
    • I:7 · YaladAnd of this it is said, 'and in the children of strangers they please themselves' (Isa 2:6) — they content themselves with their opinions, as Jonathan ben Uzziel, peace be upon him, said in explaining it: 'and in the customs of the gentiles they walk.'
  • Isaiah 5:20 ↗
    • I:32 · RestraintThe intent of these texts which the prophets and the Sages, of blessed memory, said is not to bar the door of speculation entirely and to disable the intellect from apprehending what can be apprehended — as the ignorant and the slothful suppose, who are pleased to make their own deficiency and dullness perfection and wisdom, and the perfection and knowledge of others a deficiency and a departure from the Law, 'putting darkness for light and light for darkness' (Isa 5:20). Rather, the whole intent is to make known that the intellects of human beings have a limit at which they stop.
  • Isaiah 5:30 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingLikewise 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).
  • Isaiah 6:1 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingIt 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.
  • Isaiah 6:3 ↗
    • I:19 · MaleAnd of this sense it is said: 'the whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) — its meaning is that all the earth bears witness to His perfection, that is, points to Him. And likewise His saying: 'and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle' (Exod 40:34).
    • I:64 · Kavod'The whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) — equivalent to 'and His praise fills the earth' (Hab 3:3)
  • Isaiah 6:7 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd 'touching' — its first sense is the contact of one body with another: 'and she touched his feet' (Exod 4:25); 'and he touched my mouth' (Isa 6:7). And the first sense of 'drawing near' is one person advancing upon another and moving toward him: 'then Judah came near to him' (Gen 44:18).
  • Isaiah 12:3 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAnd because this usage became so frequent and widespread in the language that it became as if it were the original imposition, the terms 'hunger' and 'thirst' were likewise used for the absence of knowledge and apprehension: 'and I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord' (Amos 8:11); 'my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God' (Ps 42:3); and this is frequent. And Jonathan ben Uzziel, peace be upon him, rendered 'Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation' (Isa 12:3): 'and ye shall receive a new teaching with joy from the chosen of the righteous.' Consider his interpretation: that 'water' is knowledge to be attained in those days; and he made 'wells' like 'the eyes of the congregation' (Num 15:24) — that is, the notables, who are the learned — saying 'the chosen of the righteous,' since righteousness is the true salvation. See how he interpreted every word in this verse for the sense of knowledge and learning; understand this.
  • Isaiah 19:1 ↗
    • I:49 · Angels & SightThis supposed perfection — the motion of flight — is in no way attributed to God, since it is a movement of a non-rational animal. Do not be misled by the verse 'He rode upon a cherub and flew' (Ps 18:11), for it is the cherub that flew; the intent of that metaphor is the swiftness of the arrival of that matter — just as He said 'Behold, the Lord rides upon a swift cloud and comes to Egypt' (Isa 19:1), meaning the swiftness of this calamity's descent upon them.
  • Isaiah 26:4 ↗
    • I:16 · TzurAnd according to this last sense God, may He be exalted, is called Tzur, since He is the origin and the efficient cause of all besides Himself. And it is said: 'the Rock, His work is perfect' (Deut 32:4); 'the Rock that begot you, you neglected' (Deut 32:18); 'their Rock had sold them' (Deut 32:30); 'neither is there any rock like our God' (1 Sam 2:2); 'the Rock of ages' (Isa 26:4).
  • Isaiah 26:21 ↗
    • I:23 · YatzaAnd in accordance with this borrowing, every expression of 'going out' ascribed to Him, may He be exalted: 'behold, the Lord cometh forth out of His place' (Isa 26:21) — His command, now hidden from us, becomes manifest; I mean the coming-to-be of something that comes to be afterward and was not before, since everything that comes to be from Him, may He be exalted, is ascribed to His command.
  • Isaiah 29:13 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd of 'drawing near' it is said: 'and Abraham drew near and said' (Gen 18:23) — and he was in a state of revelation, in the prophetic trance, as will be explained. 'Forasmuch as this people draw near with their mouth, and with their lips do honor Me' (Isa 29:13).
  • Isaiah 31:2 ↗
    • I:12 · QamAnd this sense was borrowed for the execution of God's decree upon a people who deserved punishment for their rising up: 'and I will arise against the house of Jeroboam' (Amos 7:9); 'and he will arise against the house of evildoers' (Isa 31:2).
  • Isaiah 32:6 ↗
    • I:59 · Silence as PraiseYou should reflect and say: if slander and spreading a bad name are grave transgressions, how much more grave is loosening the tongue regarding God, exalted be He, and describing Him with attributes from which He is exalted! I do not say that is a transgression; rather it is apostasy and blasphemy by mistake on the part of the multitude who hear it, and of that ignorant person who says it. But as for one who apprehends the deficiency of those statements and says them — in my view, he falls among those of whom it was said: 'And the children of Israel imputed things that were not right against the Lord their God' (2 Kgs 17:9), and it was said: 'To speak against the Lord is error' (Isa 32:6). If you are among those who care for the honor of their Maker, you ought not listen to them in any way — how much less say them, how much less act as they do! You know the gravity of the sin of one who casts words upward. And you ought in no way approach the positive attributes of God with the intent of exalting Him as you suppose; and do not go beyond what the Men of the Great Assembly arranged in prayers and blessings — in that there is sufficiency as need requires, and what sufficiency! as Rabbi Ḥanina said. As for the other things that come in the books of the prophets — they are read when one encounters them, but one understands them as we have explained: they are attributes of action, or to indicate the negation of their opposites. And this matter also is not to be spread before the multitude; rather this mode of reflection befits the elite — for whom veneration of God is not in saying what ought not be said, but in understanding as ought to be understood.
  • Isaiah 35:5 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinKnow that this word — I mean paqaḥ ('to open') — applies in no instance except to the uncovering of an insight, never to some new sense-perception that has arisen: 'and God opened her eyes' (Gen 21:19); 'then the eyes of the blind shall be opened' (Isa 35:5); 'opening the ears, but he hears not' (Isa 42:20) — like its saying, 'who have eyes to see and see not' (Ezek 12:2).
  • Isaiah 40:6 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarFor with these very words the expression was made of His addressing Moses, may He be exalted. It says: 'and he heard the voice speaking unto him' (Num 7:89). So just as 'speaking' was ascribed to the voice, here too 'proclaiming' is ascribed to the voice. The like of this has come plainly — I mean the ascribing of 'saying' and 'crying' to a voice — as it says: 'a voice says, Cry; and one said, What shall I cry?' (Isa 40:6).
  • Isaiah 40:18 ↗
    • I:55 · No Genus for GodIt has been stated in several places in this treatise that everything that implies corporeality must necessarily be negated of Him; and likewise every affective state must be negated of Him, for all affective states entail change, and the agent of these affective states is necessarily other than the one being affected — so that if He, exalted be He, were to undergo any affective state whatever, some other being would be the agent in Him and the changer of Him. And it is likewise necessarily required to negate every privation of Him — so that no perfection should be absent from Him at one time and present at another — for if that were supposed, He would be perfect only potentially, and every potentiality is necessarily accompanied by privation; and everything that passes from potentiality to actuality must have, as its external agent, something other than itself that is actual and brings it to actuality. Therefore it is necessarily required that all His perfections be present actually, and that He possess nothing potentially in any respect whatsoever. And among what is necessarily required is also to negate of Him similarity to any of the existents — and this is something that everyone intuits; and it is explicitly stated in the books of the prophets with the negation of likening: 'To whom will you liken Me and make Me equal?' (Isa 40:25); 'To whom will you liken God and what likeness will you arrange for Him?' (Isa 40:18); 'There is none like You, O Lord' (Jer 10:6). And this is widespread.
  • Isaiah 40:22 ↗
    • I:11 · YashavIt said, 'who is enthroned above the circle of the earth' (Isa 40:22) — the perpetual, fixed One over the encompassing of the earth, meaning its sphere, the reference being to the things that come to be within it in cycle.
  • Isaiah 40:25 ↗
    • I:55 · No Genus for GodIt has been stated in several places in this treatise that everything that implies corporeality must necessarily be negated of Him; and likewise every affective state must be negated of Him, for all affective states entail change, and the agent of these affective states is necessarily other than the one being affected — so that if He, exalted be He, were to undergo any affective state whatever, some other being would be the agent in Him and the changer of Him. And it is likewise necessarily required to negate every privation of Him — so that no perfection should be absent from Him at one time and present at another — for if that were supposed, He would be perfect only potentially, and every potentiality is necessarily accompanied by privation; and everything that passes from potentiality to actuality must have, as its external agent, something other than itself that is actual and brings it to actuality. Therefore it is necessarily required that all His perfections be present actually, and that He possess nothing potentially in any respect whatsoever. And among what is necessarily required is also to negate of Him similarity to any of the existents — and this is something that everyone intuits; and it is explicitly stated in the books of the prophets with the negation of likening: 'To whom will you liken Me and make Me equal?' (Isa 40:25); 'To whom will you liken God and what likeness will you arrange for Him?' (Isa 40:18); 'There is none like You, O Lord' (Jer 10:6). And this is widespread.
  • Isaiah 42:20 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinKnow that this word — I mean paqaḥ ('to open') — applies in no instance except to the uncovering of an insight, never to some new sense-perception that has arisen: 'and God opened her eyes' (Gen 21:19); 'then the eyes of the blind shall be opened' (Isa 35:5); 'opening the ears, but he hears not' (Isa 42:20) — like its saying, 'who have eyes to see and see not' (Ezek 12:2).
  • Isaiah 44:13 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessAnd of the artificial form it is said, 'he marks it out with a stylus ... and with a compass he marks it out' (Isa 44:13).
  • Isaiah 47:13 ↗
    • I:22 · BoAnd this noun was borrowed for the befalling of a matter that is no body at all: 'when thy word cometh to pass, then we will do thee honor' (Judg 13:17); 'from these things that shall come upon thee' (Isa 47:13). It was even borrowed for a privation: 'and evil came' (Job 30:26); 'and darkness came' (Job 30:26).
  • Isaiah 51:1 ↗
    • I:16 · TzurAnd it is the name of the quarry-rock from which mineral-stones are cut: 'look to the rock whence you were hewn' (Isa 51:1).
  • Isaiah 51:2 ↗
    • I:16 · TzurThen, from this last sense, this noun was borrowed for the origin and source of everything; and therefore, after His saying 'look to the rock whence you were hewn,' He said: 'look to Abraham your father' (Isa 51:2), and so on.
  • Isaiah 55:1 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholThis usage too is frequent in the words of the Sages — I mean the metaphor of knowledge by 'eating': 'come, eat fat meat at the house of Rava' (b. Bava Batra 12a); and they said, 'all eating and drinking mentioned in this book is nothing but wisdom' (Kohelet Rabbah) — and in some recensions, 'the Torah.' And likewise they often named knowledge 'water': 'Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters' (Isa 55:1).
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the latter meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for knowledge and learning — in sum, for the intellectual apprehensions by which the survival of the human form endures in the most perfect of states, as the body's survival endures by food in its best state: 'come ye, buy, and eat' (Isa 55:1); 'hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good' (Isa 55:2); 'it is not good to eat much honey' (Prov 25:27); 'my son, eat thou honey, because it is good' (Prov 24:13); 'and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste: so is the knowledge of wisdom unto thy soul' (Prov 24:13–14).
  • Isaiah 55:2 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the latter meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for knowledge and learning — in sum, for the intellectual apprehensions by which the survival of the human form endures in the most perfect of states, as the body's survival endures by food in its best state: 'come ye, buy, and eat' (Isa 55:1); 'hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good' (Isa 55:2); 'it is not good to eat much honey' (Prov 25:27); 'my son, eat thou honey, because it is good' (Prov 24:13); 'and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste: so is the knowledge of wisdom unto thy soul' (Prov 24:13–14).
  • Isaiah 55:10 ↗
    • I:7 · YaladAnd it was also borrowed for the sense of the earth's making-grow what it makes grow, likening it to birth: 'and made it bring forth and sprout' (Isa 55:10).
  • Isaiah 57:15 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaSo every expression of 'lifting up' that comes ascribed to God, may He be exalted, is of this last sense: 'lift up Thyself, Thou judge of the earth' (Ps 94:2); 'thus saith the high and lofty One' (Isa 57:15) — loftiness, majesty, and might, not loftiness of place.
    • I:34 · The Five CausesThe fourth cause: the natural predispositions. For it has been made clear — indeed demonstrated — that the moral virtues are preliminaries to the rational virtues, and that true rational attainments, I mean perfect intelligibles, are not possible save for a man very well trained in character, of tranquillity and calm. And there are many people who have, from the first natural endowment, a temperamental constitution with which no perfection is possible at all — like one who is by nature very hot of heart and strong, who never ceases from rashness even if he train himself with the utmost training; and like one whose temperament is hot and moist, of strong build, with seminal vessels abundant in generation — such a one is far from being chaste even if he train himself with the utmost training. Likewise you find among people folk of frivolity and recklessness, their movements very disordered and irregular, indicating a corruption of constitution and an evil temperament that cannot be expressed. In such no perfection is ever seen, and to strive with them in this art is sheer ignorance on the striver's part; for this science, as you know, is not the science of medicine or the science of geometry, and not everyone is prepared for it in the ways we have mentioned. So there is no escape from setting the moral preliminaries first, until the man becomes utterly upright and perfect: 'for the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous' (Prov 3:32). Therefore its instruction to the young is disapproved; rather they cannot receive it, because of the boiling of their natures and the occupation of their minds with the flame of growth, until that bewildering flame is quenched, and they attain tranquillity and calm, and their hearts grow humble and submissive in respect of temperament; and then they rouse themselves to this rank, which is His apprehension, exalted be He — I mean the divine science designated 'the Account of the Chariot.' He said, 'the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart' (Ps 34:19), and he said, 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit' etc. (Isa 57:15).
  • Isaiah 58:2 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashI do not think you will doubt, nor will it confuse you, that His saying — 'the Lord is near to all who call upon Him' (Ps 145:18); 'they delight in the nearness of God' (Isa 58:2); 'the nearness of God is good for me' (Ps 73:28) — all of these are a nearness of knowledge, I mean a nearness of apprehension, not a nearness of place.
  • Isaiah 58:14 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotRākhav — this term is equivocal. Its primary usage means a person's riding an animal in the customary manner, as in 'and he rode upon his she-ass' (Num 22:22). Then it was used metaphorically for domination over a thing, since the rider dominates and governs his mount; as in 'He shall cause you to ride on the high places of the earth' (Deut 32:13), and 'I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth' (Isa 58:14) — meaning you shall dominate the heights of the land. And in this sense it was said of God, exalted be He, 'Rider of the heavens in your help' (Deut 33:26) — meaning the One who dominates the heavens; and likewise 'to the Rider of the ʿAravot' (Ps 68:5) — meaning the One who dominates the ʿAravot, which is the outermost sphere encompassing the whole.
  • Isaiah 63:9 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaAnd of the second sense: 'and his kingdom shall be exalted' (Num 24:7); 'and He bore them and carried them' (Isa 63:9); 'wherefore then lift ye up yourselves' (Num 16:3).
  • Isaiah 63:10 ↗
    • I:29 · EtzevEtzev is an equivocal noun. It is a noun for pain and suffering: 'in pain shalt thou bring forth children' (Gen 3:16). It is a noun for anger: 'and his father had not angered him all his days' (1 Kings 1:6) — he had not angered him; 'for the king was grieved for his son' (2 Sam 19:3) — anger on his account. And it is a noun for opposition and rebellion: 'but they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit' (Isa 63:10); 'they provoked him in the wilderness' (Ps 78:40); 'if there be any way of pain in me' (Ps 139:24); 'all the day they wrest my words' (Ps 56:6).
  • Isaiah 66:1 ↗
    • I:9 · KisseAnd for this meaning heaven was called 'throne,' for its indicating, to one who knows and considers it, the greatness of the One who brought it into being, who moves it and governs the lower world by the overflow of its bounty; so it said, 'thus says the Lord: the heaven is My throne' (Isa 66:1), and so forth.

Jeremiah

  • Jeremiah 3:14 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesAnd we find many whose minds halt at some of these sciences; and even if their minds do not fall short, death may cut them off while they are in the midst of some of the preliminaries. So that, were we to give no opinion at all by way of acceptance on authority, and guide toward nothing by a likeness, but rather bind people to the complete conception by essential definitions, and to assent by demonstration in what assent by demonstration is sought — which is not possible save after these long preliminaries — that would be a cause for the death of all people, while they did not know whether there is a God for the world or there is no God, let alone affirming a judgment of Him or denying its contrary of Him. From this destruction none at all would escape save 'one of a city, and two of a family' (Jer 3:14).
  • Jeremiah 3:15 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for will: 'and I will give you shepherds after My own heart' (Jer 3:15); 'is your heart right, as my heart is with your heart?' (2 Kgs 10:15) — meaning: is your will in rectitude as my will is. And it is used metaphorically of God according to this sense: 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: He shall act according to My will; 'and My eyes and My heart shall be there always' (1 Kgs 9:3) — meaning: My care and My will.
  • Jeremiah 7:16 ↗
    • I:45 · ShemaʿEvery term of hearing that comes in reference to God: if the plain sense of the text is that it belongs to the first sense, it is an expression for apprehension — which is of the third sense. 'And the Lord heard, in His hearing of your murmurings' (Num 14:27) — all this is knowledge, intellectual apprehension. And if the plain sense of the text is that it belongs to the second sense, it is an expression for God, exalted be He, having answered the petitioner's prayer or having not answered it: 'I will surely hear his cry, and I will hearken, for I am gracious' (Ex 22:22–23); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'and the Lord did not hearken to your voice, and He did not give ear to you' (Deut 1:45); 'even though you multiply your prayer I am not hearing' (Is 1:15); 'for I am not hearing you' (Jer 7:16) — and this is frequent.
  • Jeremiah 8:19 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryKnow that if you reflect upon the whole Torah and all the books of the prophets, you will not find the expression 'fierceness of anger,' nor the expression 'wrath,' nor the expression 'jealousy,' save with respect to idolatry alone; and you will not find God called 'enemy' or 'adversary' or 'hater,' save of a worshipper of idolatry in particular. He said, 'and ye serve other gods' etc., 'and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you' (Deut 11:16–17); 'that ye provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands' (Jer 25:6); 'they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities' etc. (Deut 32:21); 'for the Lord thy God is a jealous God' etc. (Deut 6:15); 'why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images?' (Jer 8:19); 'through the provoking of his sons and of his daughters' (Deut 32:19); 'for a fire is kindled in mine anger' (Deut 32:22); 'the Lord is vengeful unto his adversaries, and repayeth them that hate him' (Nah 1:2; Deut 7:10); 'until he have driven out his enemies' (Num 32:21); 'for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth' (Deut 12:31). And this is more than can be counted; but if you survey it through all the books, you will find it.
  • Jeremiah 10:6 ↗
    • I:55 · No Genus for GodIt has been stated in several places in this treatise that everything that implies corporeality must necessarily be negated of Him; and likewise every affective state must be negated of Him, for all affective states entail change, and the agent of these affective states is necessarily other than the one being affected — so that if He, exalted be He, were to undergo any affective state whatever, some other being would be the agent in Him and the changer of Him. And it is likewise necessarily required to negate every privation of Him — so that no perfection should be absent from Him at one time and present at another — for if that were supposed, He would be perfect only potentially, and every potentiality is necessarily accompanied by privation; and everything that passes from potentiality to actuality must have, as its external agent, something other than itself that is actual and brings it to actuality. Therefore it is necessarily required that all His perfections be present actually, and that He possess nothing potentially in any respect whatsoever. And among what is necessarily required is also to negate of Him similarity to any of the existents — and this is something that everyone intuits; and it is explicitly stated in the books of the prophets with the negation of likening: 'To whom will you liken Me and make Me equal?' (Isa 40:25); 'To whom will you liken God and what likeness will you arrange for Him?' (Isa 40:18); 'There is none like You, O Lord' (Jer 10:6). And this is widespread.
  • Jeremiah 10:7 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryAnd you know that everyone who worshipped idolatry did not worship it on the supposition that there is no god besides it; and no man, on any day of the past, ever imagined — nor will any of those to come imagine — that the image he makes of cast metal or of stones and wood, that that image created the heavens and the earth and governs them; rather it was worshipped only on the footing that it is a likeness of a thing that is an intermediary between us and God, as he made clear in saying, 'who would not fear thee, O King of the nations?' etc. (Jer 10:7), and said, 'and in every place incense is offered unto my name' etc. (Mal 1:11) — pointing to the first cause according to them. We have already explained that in our large composition; and this is among the things in which none of the people of our Law disputes.
  • Jeremiah 10:12 ↗
    • I:47 · Limits of LanguageYou will know, upon careful investigation, that the ruling concerning all of them is one and the same — and that by the very same consideration by which the perception of touch and taste is negated of Him, by that very same consideration the perception of sight, hearing, and smell is also negated, since all of these are corporeal perceptions, passive states, and changeable conditions. Yet some of them appear deficient while others appear to be a perfection, just as the deficiency of imagination became apparent while the deficiency of rational thought and understanding did not. Therefore 'raʿyon' — which is imagination — was not borrowed for Him, but 'maḥshavah' and 'tevunah' — which are rational thought and understanding — were borrowed for Him, and it is said, 'that which the Lord planned' and 'by His understanding He stretched out the heavens' (Jer 10:12). So the matter proceeds with the internal perceptions as it proceeds with the external sensory perceptions — some are borrowed and some are not. All of this is 'the language of human beings': whatever they supposed to be a perfection is attributed to Him; whatever is patently deficient is not attributed to Him. Yet upon deep investigation, there is no real essential attribute belonging to Him beyond His essence, as will be demonstrated.
  • Jeremiah 12:2 ↗
    • I:50 · Belief DefinedAnd when you strip yourself of passions and habits, and are a person of understanding, and reflect upon what I say in these chapters that are to come concerning the negation of attributes, you will necessarily arrive at this certainty — and you will then be among those who truly conceive the oneness of God, not among those who say it with their mouth while conceiving no meaning for it, belonging to the category of those of whom it was said, 'Thou art near in their mouth but far from their mind' (Jer 12:2). Rather, a person should belong to the category of those who conceive truth and apprehend it even if they do not give voice to it — as the sages instructed: it was said to them, 'Speak in your hearts upon your beds and be silent, Selah' (Ps 4:5).
  • Jeremiah 13:16 ↗
    • I:64 · KavodLikewise, kevod Hashem (the Glory of God) sometimes means the created light that God places in a location as an act of exaltation in the manner of a miraculous sign — 'and the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it' (Ex 24:16) etc.; and 'the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle' (Ex 40:34). Sometimes it means His essence, exalted be He, and His truth — as He said: 'Show me, I pray thee, Thy glory' (Ex 33:18); and the reply came: 'for no human shall see Me and live' (Ex 33:20) — indicating that the glory spoken of there is His essence. And his saying 'Thy glory' is a form of exaltation, as we explained regarding 'What is His name?' (Ex 3:13). And sometimes kevod means the exaltation of God by all people — indeed by all things other than He, exalted be He; for the true exaltation of Him is the apprehension of His greatness: so everyone who apprehends His greatness and perfection exalts Him according to the measure of his apprehension. And the human being in particular exalts through words — to indicate what he has apprehended with his intellect and to proclaim it to others. And what has no apprehension — such as inanimate things — they exalt as well, in that they indicate by their very nature the power of their Maker and His wisdom; and that becomes a cause for exaltation by whoever considers them, whether he speaks with his tongue or does not speak, if he is among those to whom speech is not applicable. Hebrew has broadened this to apply to this meaning the language of speech, and it is said of what has no apprehension that it 'praises' and 'says' — 'All my bones shall say: Lord, who is like unto Thee?' (Ps 35:10) — going beyond their being the cause of this belief, treating them as if they had said it, since through them and for their sake this is also known. And based on calling this meaning kavod, it was said: 'The whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) — equivalent to 'and His praise fills the earth' (Hab 3:3); for praise is called kavod, as it was said: 'Ascribe to the Lord your God glory' (Jer 13:16), and it was said: 'and in His temple everything says glory' (Ps 29:9); and much comes from this. Understand this equivocity of kavod as well, and interpret it in every place according to its context — and you will be freed of a great perplexity.
  • Jeremiah 15:1 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadʿAmidah is an equivocal noun. It bears the sense of standing up and standing still: 'when he stood before Pharaoh' (Gen 41:46); 'though Moses and Samuel stood' (Jer 15:1); 'and he was standing over them' (Gen 18:8).
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • Jeremiah 17:4 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Jeremiah 17:12 ↗
    • I:9 · KisseAnd since the chair is that on which only people of majesty and greatness, such as kings, are seated, and the chair became some existing thing that indicates the greatness of one worthy of it, his majesty and the grandeur of his estate, the Sanctuary was called 'throne' for its indicating the greatness of the One who was manifested in it and let His light and dignity alight upon it; so it said, 'a throne of glory, on high from the beginning' (Jer 17:12), and so forth.
  • Jeremiah 23:9 ↗
    • I:21 · ʿAvarAnd it was also borrowed for one who does some act and goes to excess in it, overstepping its bound: 'and like a man whom wine hath overcome' (Jer 23:9).
  • Jeremiah 25:6 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryKnow that if you reflect upon the whole Torah and all the books of the prophets, you will not find the expression 'fierceness of anger,' nor the expression 'wrath,' nor the expression 'jealousy,' save with respect to idolatry alone; and you will not find God called 'enemy' or 'adversary' or 'hater,' save of a worshipper of idolatry in particular. He said, 'and ye serve other gods' etc., 'and the anger of the Lord be kindled against you' (Deut 11:16–17); 'that ye provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands' (Jer 25:6); 'they have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities' etc. (Deut 32:21); 'for the Lord thy God is a jealous God' etc. (Deut 6:15); 'why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images?' (Jer 8:19); 'through the provoking of his sons and of his daughters' (Deut 32:19); 'for a fire is kindled in mine anger' (Deut 32:22); 'the Lord is vengeful unto his adversaries, and repayeth them that hate him' (Nah 1:2; Deut 7:10); 'until he have driven out his enemies' (Num 32:21); 'for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth' (Deut 12:31). And this is more than can be counted; but if you survey it through all the books, you will find it.
  • Jeremiah 30:6 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimPanim is an equivocal term, and most of its equivocality is by way of metaphorical extension. It is the name for the face of every living creature: 'and all faces shall be turned to pallor' (Jer 30:6); 'why are your faces downcast?' (Gen 40:7) — and this is frequent.
  • Jeremiah 32:14 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd it bears the sense of endurance and abiding: 'that they may endure many days' (Jer 32:14); 'and you will be able to endure' (Exod 18:23); 'its taste stayed in it' (Jer 48:11) — it remained and abided and did not change; 'and his righteousness endures forever' (Ps 111:3) — fixed and abiding.
  • Jeremiah 38:16 ↗
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • Jeremiah 39:12 ↗
    • I:44 · ʿAyinʿAyin is an equivocal term. It is the name for a spring of water: 'by the spring of water in the wilderness' (Gen 16:7). And it is the name for the seeing eye: 'an eye for an eye' (Ex 21:24). And it is the name for care and oversight: it was said concerning Jeremiah, 'take him and set your eyes upon him' (Jer 39:12) — meaning: place your care upon him. According to this metaphor it is said of God in every passage: 'and My eyes and My heart shall be there always' (1 Kgs 9:3) — meaning: My care and My purpose, as I have already noted; 'the eyes of the Lord your God are perpetually upon it' (Deut 11:12) — His care encompasses it; 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10) — His care encompasses all that is in the earth as well, as will be mentioned in the chapters to come on providence.
  • Jeremiah 46:22 ↗
    • I:24 · HalakhThen 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.
  • Jeremiah 48:11 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd it bears the sense of endurance and abiding: 'that they may endure many days' (Jer 32:14); 'and you will be able to endure' (Exod 18:23); 'its taste stayed in it' (Jer 48:11) — it remained and abided and did not change; 'and his righteousness endures forever' (Ps 111:3) — fixed and abiding.
  • Jeremiah 51:9 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAnd the second sense of these three nouns is the joining of knowledge and the nearness of apprehension — not nearness of place. Of 'touching,' in the sense of the joining of knowledge, He said: 'for her judgment reaches unto heaven' (Jer 51:9).

Ezekiel

  • Ezekiel 1:5 ↗
  • Ezekiel 1:26 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessAnd likewise it is said, 'the likeness of a throne' (Ezek 1:26) — resemblance in the notion of elevation and majesty, not in its squareness, its bulk, and the length of its legs, as the wretched imagine.
    • I:46 · OrgansAnd they, of blessed memory, uttered a comprehensive saying that repels all that these corporeal attributes — all of which the prophets mention — might lead one to imagine; and it is their saying — I shall indicate to you that the Sages, of blessed memory, never entertained corporealism in mind at any time, nor was there anything in their view that could mislead or confuse. And for this reason you find them throughout all the Talmud and the Midrashim persisting upon those prophetic externals, knowing that this is a matter in which confusion is safe and error need not be feared in any respect — but everything is by way of parable and guiding the mind to an existent being. Since the parable had been established — in that He, exalted be He, was likened to a king who commands, prohibits, punishes, and rewards his subjects, who has servants and administrators who execute his orders and do what he wishes to have done — they too, I mean the Sages, continued with that parable in every passage, speaking in accordance with what the parable entails by way of speech, response, deliberation about a matter, and the like from the acts of kings — and they were in all of this fully confident and secure that this could not mislead nor perplex. And that comprehensive saying to which I referred is their saying in Bereshit Rabbah: 'Great is the power of the prophets, who liken the form to its Creator, as it is said: and above the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man' (Ezek 1:26). They explicitly stated and made clear that all these forms that all the prophets apprehend in the vision of prophecy are created forms that God has created — and this is correct, for every imagined form is created. And how wondrous is their saying 'great is their power' — as if they, peace be upon them, considered this meaning immense; for in this manner they always speak when expressing wonder at a saying that was said, or a deed that was done, which appears in its outward form to be objectionable — as they said: 'Rabbi So-and-so did such-and-such a deed in secret, at night — Rabbi So-and-so said: how great is his power, that he did it in private.' And 'great power' is 'great is his power' — as if they were saying: how immense was the audacity of the prophets in their doing, in that they point to His very essence, exalted be He, through the created things He created. Understand this thoroughly: they explicitly stated and made clear, declaring themselves free from believing in corporealism, and that every configuration and design seen in the vision of prophecy — these are created things; but they likened the form to its Creator, as the Sages of blessed memory stated. So whoever wishes to think ill of them after these sayings, out of wickedness and to slight one who was not personally present nor whose state he has come to know — no harm shall come to them, of blessed memory, from that.
  • Ezekiel 3:12 ↗
    • I:8 · MakomAnd in this manner of borrowing it was said, 'Blessed be the glory of the Lord from His place' (Ezek 3:12) — meaning according to His rank and the greatness of His portion in existence.
  • Ezekiel 8:3 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitIt says, 'the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its vessels' (Exod 25:9); and it says, 'after their pattern, which thou wast shown on the mount' (Exod 25:40); 'the form of any bird' (Deut 4:17); 'the form of a hand' (Ezek 8:3); 'the pattern of the porch' (1 Chr 28:11). All of this is shape.
  • Ezekiel 12:2 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinKnow that this word — I mean paqaḥ ('to open') — applies in no instance except to the uncovering of an insight, never to some new sense-perception that has arisen: 'and God opened her eyes' (Gen 21:19); 'then the eyes of the blind shall be opened' (Isa 35:5); 'opening the ears, but he hears not' (Isa 42:20) — like its saying, 'who have eyes to see and see not' (Ezek 12:2).
  • Ezekiel 31:8 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessLikewise, 'no tree in the garden of God was like it in its beauty' (Ezek 31:8): resemblance in the notion of beauty.
  • Ezekiel 43:7 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Ezekiel 44:2 ↗
    • I:22 · BoAnd in accordance with this borrowing — borrowed for what is no body at all — it was also borrowed of the Creator, mighty and exalted, either for the alighting of His command or for the alighting of His Indwelling. In accordance with this borrowing it is said: 'lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud' (Exod 19:9); 'for the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it' (Ezek 44:2); and everything resembling this means the alighting of the Indwelling.

Hosea

  • Hosea 5:15 ↗
    • I:23 · YatzaAnd since 'going out' was borrowed for the appearing of one of His acts — as we explained, when He said 'behold, the Lord cometh forth out of His place' — likewise 'returning' was borrowed for the withdrawal of that act according to His will, when He said: 'I will go and return to My place' (Hos 5:15).
    • I:23 · YatzaFor when providence is withdrawn, one is left untended, a target for whatever may chance to befall, so that his good and his ill come by happenstance. And how severe is this warning! It is this that is figured by His saying 'I will go and return to My place' (Hos 5:15).
    • I:24 · Halakhso 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).
  • Hosea 11:10 ↗
    • I:38 · AchorAnd it has the meaning of following and tracing the track in walking in the way of a person: 'after the Lord your God shall you walk' (Deut 13:5); 'after the Lord shall they walk' (Hos 11:10) — meaning: following in obedience to Him, tracing the track of His acts, and walking in His way; 'he walked after Zau' (1 Kgs 21:26). According to this sense it is said: 'and you shall see My back' — meaning: you shall apprehend that which follows from Me and resembles Me and is necessitated by My will, that is, all My creatures — as I shall explain in certain chapters of this part.

Amos

  • Amos 2:9 ↗
    • I:63 · Ehyeh Asher EhyehLikewise the name Yah is from the meaning of the eternity of existence. And Shaddai is derived from dai, which means sufficiency: 'and the work was sufficient' (Ex 36:7) — and the shin means 'that which,' like shekvar (already), so that the meaning is 'He that suffices'; the intent being that He has no need, in the existence of what He brought into existence nor in its continuation, of anything beyond Himself — rather His existence, exalted be He, suffices for that. And likewise the name El Ḥasīn is derived from strength: 'and it was strong as oaks' (Amos 2:9). And likewise ẓur (Rock) is a common noun, as we explained.
  • Amos 7:9 ↗
    • I:12 · QamAnd this sense was borrowed for the execution of God's decree upon a people who deserved punishment for their rising up: 'and I will arise against the house of Jeroboam' (Amos 7:9); 'and he will arise against the house of evildoers' (Isa 31:2).
  • Amos 8:11 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAnd because this usage became so frequent and widespread in the language that it became as if it were the original imposition, the terms 'hunger' and 'thirst' were likewise used for the absence of knowledge and apprehension: 'and I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord' (Amos 8:11); 'my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God' (Ps 42:3); and this is frequent. And Jonathan ben Uzziel, peace be upon him, rendered 'Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation' (Isa 12:3): 'and ye shall receive a new teaching with joy from the chosen of the righteous.' Consider his interpretation: that 'water' is knowledge to be attained in those days; and he made 'wells' like 'the eyes of the congregation' (Num 15:24) — that is, the notables, who are the learned — saying 'the chosen of the righteous,' since righteousness is the true salvation. See how he interpreted every word in this verse for the sense of knowledge and learning; understand this.

Micah

Habakkuk

  • Habakkuk 1:3 ↗
    • I:48 · True HearingI found that every instance of seeing attributed to God throughout the entire Torah is rendered as ḥazā — 'the Lord perceived' — except these which I shall describe: 'for the Lord saw my affliction' (Gen 29:32) — 'for it was revealed before the Lord, my oppression'; 'for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you' (Gen 31:12) — 'for it was revealed before me,' even though the speaker is an angel, and the acknowledgment indicating confirmed action is not attributed to the speaker but rather to God, because it is an act of oppression; 'and God saw the children of Israel' (Ex 2:25) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord, the bondage of the children of Israel'; 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people' (Ex 3:7) — 'it was surely revealed before me, the bondage of my people'; 'and also I have seen the oppression' (Ex 3:9) — 'and also it was revealed before me, the compulsion'; 'and He saw their affliction' (Deut 26:7) — 'and it was revealed before Him, their bondage'; 'I have seen this people' (Ex 32:9) — 'it was revealed before me, this people,' for its meaning is 'I have seen their sinfulness,' analogous to 'and God saw the children of Israel,' whose meaning is 'He saw their distress'; 'and the Lord saw, and was provoked' (Deut 32:19) — 'and it was revealed before the Lord'; 'for He will see that the hand is gone' (Deut 32:36) — 'for it was revealed before Him' — and this too is a situation of oppression and the enemy's domination. All of this was consistently maintained and attended to by him regarding 'Look upon iniquity — you cannot' (Hab 1:3). Therefore every instance of bondage and sinfulness he renders as galī qodamōhī or galī qodamī.
  • Habakkuk 1:13 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingIt 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).
  • Habakkuk 3:3 ↗
    • I:64 · Kavod'The whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) — equivalent to 'and His praise fills the earth' (Hab 3:3)
  • Habakkuk 3:8 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotIn Bereshit Rabbah, expounding His saying 'the eternal God is your dwelling-place' (Deut 33:27), they said: 'He is the dwelling-place of His world, and His world is not His dwelling-place'; and they followed this with: 'the horse is secondary to the rider, and the rider is not secondary to the horse — this is what is written: when you ride upon your horses' (Hab 3:8). Contemplate this and understand how they explained His relation to the sphere and that He is the ground by which existence is governed.

Zechariah

  • Zechariah 4:10 ↗
    • I:44 · ʿAyinʿAyin is an equivocal term. It is the name for a spring of water: 'by the spring of water in the wilderness' (Gen 16:7). And it is the name for the seeing eye: 'an eye for an eye' (Ex 21:24). And it is the name for care and oversight: it was said concerning Jeremiah, 'take him and set your eyes upon him' (Jer 39:12) — meaning: place your care upon him. According to this metaphor it is said of God in every passage: 'and My eyes and My heart shall be there always' (1 Kgs 9:3) — meaning: My care and My purpose, as I have already noted; 'the eyes of the Lord your God are perpetually upon it' (Deut 11:12) — His care encompasses it; 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10) — His care encompasses all that is in the earth as well, as will be mentioned in the chapters to come on providence.
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Zechariah 12:6 ↗
    • I:11 · YashavAnd since one who is seated is settled and fixed in the most complete state of his fixity and settledness, this was borrowed for every state that is fixed and settled and does not change. It said, in the promise to Jerusalem of endurance and permanence while it is in the highest and most exalted rank, 'and she shall abide in her place' (Zech 12:6); and it said, 'who makes the barren woman dwell [in a house]' (Ps 113:9) — its meaning being, who settles her and makes her steadfast.
  • Zechariah 14:4 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd every 'standing' that comes regarding God, may He be exalted, is of this last sense: 'and His feet shall stand on that day upon the Mount of Olives' (Zech 14:4) — and His causes shall be made firm, I mean His effects. This will be explained when the equivocity of regel ('foot') is treated.
    • I:28 · RegelSo His saying 'and His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives' (Zech 14:4) — by it He means the firmness of His causes, that is, the wonders that will then appear in that place, of which He, may He be exalted, is the cause — I mean, their agent.
  • Zechariah 14:5 ↗
    • I:22 · Bo'And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee' (Zech 14:5) — the alighting of His command, or the fulfilment of the promises He pledged through His prophets; and that is His saying 'all the saints with thee,' as though to say 'and the word of the Lord my God shall come by the hand of all the saints with thee,' addressing Israel.
  • Zechariah 14:9 ↗
    • I:61 · Divine NamesFor that reason Rabbi Ḥanina had an aversion to saying 'the Great, the Mighty, the Awesome' — were it not for the two necessities he mentioned — because these create the illusion of essential attributes, meaning that they are perfections that exist in Him. And when these derived names from actions of Him, exalted be He, multiplied, they created the illusion for some people of multiple attributes for Him, as many as the actions from which they were derived. For that reason he promised that people will eventually attain an apprehension that removes from them this confusion, saying: 'On that day the Lord shall be one and His name one' (Zech 14:9) — meaning: just as He is one, so too will He then be called by a single name only, which is that which indicates the essence alone without being derived. And in Pirqei de-Rabbi Eliezer they said: 'Before the world was created, the Holy One blessed be He and His name alone existed.' Reflect on how he explicitly stated that all these derived names came into being only after the world came into being — and this is correct, for they were all names coined according to the actions that exist in the world. But when one considers His essence stripped, abstracted from every action, He has no derived name whatsoever; but a single coined name to indicate His essence. And we have no non-derived name except this one — which is Yod Heh Waw Heh, which is the Explicit Name without qualification. Think nothing other than this.

Malachi

  • Malachi 1:11 ↗
    • I:36 · Anger & IdolatryAnd you know that everyone who worshipped idolatry did not worship it on the supposition that there is no god besides it; and no man, on any day of the past, ever imagined — nor will any of those to come imagine — that the image he makes of cast metal or of stones and wood, that that image created the heavens and the earth and governs them; rather it was worshipped only on the footing that it is a likeness of a thing that is an intermediary between us and God, as he made clear in saying, 'who would not fear thee, O King of the nations?' etc. (Jer 10:7), and said, 'and in every place incense is offered unto my name' etc. (Mal 1:11) — pointing to the first cause according to them. We have already explained that in our large composition; and this is among the things in which none of the people of our Law disputes.
  • Malachi 3:6 ↗
    • I:11 · YashavAs it made clear, saying, 'for I the Lord do not change' (Mal 3:6) — no change at all. And it is to this meaning that 'sitting' alludes wherever it is mentioned of Him, may He be exalted.

Psalms

  • Psalms 2:2 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavNatzav or yatzav — though the two roots differ, the meaning is one, as you know from all their conjugations. This noun is equivocal: it may bear the sense of standing up and being erect — 'and his sister stood afar off' (Exod 2:4); 'the kings of the earth set themselves' (Ps 2:2); 'they came out and stood' (Num 16:27).
  • Psalms 2:4 ↗
    • I:11 · Yashav'Thou, O Lord, art enthroned forever' (Lam 5:19); 'who is enthroned in the heavens' (Ps 123:1); 'enthroned in the heavens' (Ps 2:4)
  • Psalms 4:5 ↗
    • I:50 · Belief DefinedAnd when you strip yourself of passions and habits, and are a person of understanding, and reflect upon what I say in these chapters that are to come concerning the negation of attributes, you will necessarily arrive at this certainty — and you will then be among those who truly conceive the oneness of God, not among those who say it with their mouth while conceiving no meaning for it, belonging to the category of those of whom it was said, 'Thou art near in their mouth but far from their mind' (Jer 12:2). Rather, a person should belong to the category of those who conceive truth and apprehend it even if they do not give voice to it — as the sages instructed: it was said to them, 'Speak in your hearts upon your beds and be silent, Selah' (Ps 4:5).
    • I:59 · Silence as PraiseSince every person perceives that there is no attaining in apprehension what lies within our power to apprehend except through negation — and negation teaches nothing whatsoever about the reality of the thing from which something has been negated — all the people of the past and the future have declared openly that God, exalted be He, is not apprehended by the intellects, and that what He is is known only to Himself; and that to apprehend Him is to be incapable of reaching the end of apprehending Him. And all the philosophers say: He has dazzled us with His beauty, and He is hidden from us by the intensity of His manifestness, just as the sun hides itself from weak eyes when they seek to apprehend it. Much has been written on this of which there is no benefit in repeating here. The most eloquent thing said on this purpose is what is said in the Psalms: 'To you, silence is praise' (Ps 65:2) — which means: silence in Your regard is the praise. This is of very great eloquence in this matter; for whatever we say, intending by it glorification and exaltation, we find in it some attribution and discern in it some deficiency with respect to Him, exalted be He. Therefore, silence is preferable — and the limiting of oneself to the apprehensions of the intellect, as the perfected ones commanded, saying: 'Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be silent' (Ps 4:5).
  • Psalms 7:15 ↗
    • I:7 · YaladAnd it was also borrowed for the products of thought and the opinions and doctrines they give rise to, as it says, 'and brings forth falsehood' (Ps 7:15).
  • Psalms 8:4 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Psalms 8:5 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAnd this is made clear in the books of prophecy, where it is said, 'what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You take note of him?' (Ps 8:5), and so forth — alluding to this sense.
  • Psalms 8:6 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinSo long as he was in his most complete and perfect state — together with his innate disposition and his intelligibles, on account of which it was said of him 'Yet Thou hast made him but little lower than God' (Ps 8:6) — he had no faculty that occupied itself with the generally accepted at all, nor did he apprehend them.
  • Psalms 11:4 ↗
    • I:44 · ʿAyinBut when the word 'eyes' is joined to an explicit term of seeing or beholding — such as 'open Your eyes and see' (Dan 9:18), 'His eyes behold' (Ps 11:4) — the meaning of all this is intellectual apprehension, not sensory perception. For every sensation involves affection and passivity, as you know; and He, exalted be He, is pure act and not passive — as I shall explain.
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Psalms 12:6 ↗
    • I:12 · QamAnd in this sense is said every 'rising' regarding God, may He be exalted: 'now will I arise, says the Lord' (Ps 12:6) — by which He means, now will I confirm My command, My promise, and My threat. 'Thou wilt arise and have compassion on Zion' (Ps 102:14) — Thou wilt make good what Thou hast promised of compassion for her.
  • Psalms 17:12 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & Likeness'Their venom is like the venom of a serpent' (Ps 58:5); 'his likeness is like a lion longing to tear' (Ps 17:12) — all of these are resemblance in notion, not in shape and outline.
  • Psalms 18:11 ↗
    • I:49 · Angels & SightThis supposed perfection — the motion of flight — is in no way attributed to God, since it is a movement of a non-rational animal. Do not be misled by the verse 'He rode upon a cherub and flew' (Ps 18:11), for it is the cherub that flew; the intent of that metaphor is the swiftness of the arrival of that matter — just as He said 'Behold, the Lord rides upon a swift cloud and comes to Egypt' (Isa 19:1), meaning the swiftness of this calamity's descent upon them.
  • Psalms 29:4 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Psalms 29:9 ↗
    • I:64 · KavodLikewise, kevod Hashem (the Glory of God) sometimes means the created light that God places in a location as an act of exaltation in the manner of a miraculous sign — 'and the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it' (Ex 24:16) etc.; and 'the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle' (Ex 40:34). Sometimes it means His essence, exalted be He, and His truth — as He said: 'Show me, I pray thee, Thy glory' (Ex 33:18); and the reply came: 'for no human shall see Me and live' (Ex 33:20) — indicating that the glory spoken of there is His essence. And his saying 'Thy glory' is a form of exaltation, as we explained regarding 'What is His name?' (Ex 3:13). And sometimes kevod means the exaltation of God by all people — indeed by all things other than He, exalted be He; for the true exaltation of Him is the apprehension of His greatness: so everyone who apprehends His greatness and perfection exalts Him according to the measure of his apprehension. And the human being in particular exalts through words — to indicate what he has apprehended with his intellect and to proclaim it to others. And what has no apprehension — such as inanimate things — they exalt as well, in that they indicate by their very nature the power of their Maker and His wisdom; and that becomes a cause for exaltation by whoever considers them, whether he speaks with his tongue or does not speak, if he is among those to whom speech is not applicable. Hebrew has broadened this to apply to this meaning the language of speech, and it is said of what has no apprehension that it 'praises' and 'says' — 'All my bones shall say: Lord, who is like unto Thee?' (Ps 35:10) — going beyond their being the cause of this belief, treating them as if they had said it, since through them and for their sake this is also known. And based on calling this meaning kavod, it was said: 'The whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) — equivalent to 'and His praise fills the earth' (Hab 3:3); for praise is called kavod, as it was said: 'Ascribe to the Lord your God glory' (Jer 13:16), and it was said: 'and in His temple everything says glory' (Ps 29:9); and much comes from this. Understand this equivocity of kavod as well, and interpret it in every place according to its context — and you will be freed of a great perplexity.
  • Psalms 29:10 ↗
    • I:11 · YashavAnd it said, 'the Lord sat enthroned at the Flood' (Ps 29:10) — meaning that at the changing of the earth's states and their passing away, there was for Him, may He be exalted, no change of relation; rather His relation to it — be it coming-to-be or passing-away — is a single, fixed, settled relation, since that relation is to the kinds of things that come to be, not to their individuals. So consider every 'sitting' you find of God: you will find it in this sense.
  • Psalms 33:6 ↗
    • I:23 · Yatza'By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all their host by the breath of His mouth' (Ps 33:6) — a likening to the acts that issue from kings, whose instrument in executing their will is speech; yet He, may He be exalted, has no need of an instrument with which to act, but His act is by His will alone — and so no speech at all, in any respect, as will be explained.
  • Psalms 34:17 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimAnd it is the name for anger: 'and his face was no longer toward her' (1 Sam 1:18). According to this sense it is used frequently in the meaning of God's anger and displeasure: 'the face of the Lord has divided them' (Lam 4:16); 'the face of the Lord is against evildoers' (Ps 34:17); 'My face shall go and I shall give you rest' (Ex 33:14); 'and I will set My face against that man and against his family' (Lev 20:5) — and this is frequent.
  • Psalms 34:19 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesThe fourth cause: the natural predispositions. For it has been made clear — indeed demonstrated — that the moral virtues are preliminaries to the rational virtues, and that true rational attainments, I mean perfect intelligibles, are not possible save for a man very well trained in character, of tranquillity and calm. And there are many people who have, from the first natural endowment, a temperamental constitution with which no perfection is possible at all — like one who is by nature very hot of heart and strong, who never ceases from rashness even if he train himself with the utmost training; and like one whose temperament is hot and moist, of strong build, with seminal vessels abundant in generation — such a one is far from being chaste even if he train himself with the utmost training. Likewise you find among people folk of frivolity and recklessness, their movements very disordered and irregular, indicating a corruption of constitution and an evil temperament that cannot be expressed. In such no perfection is ever seen, and to strive with them in this art is sheer ignorance on the striver's part; for this science, as you know, is not the science of medicine or the science of geometry, and not everyone is prepared for it in the ways we have mentioned. So there is no escape from setting the moral preliminaries first, until the man becomes utterly upright and perfect: 'for the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous' (Prov 3:32). Therefore its instruction to the young is disapproved; rather they cannot receive it, because of the boiling of their natures and the occupation of their minds with the flame of growth, until that bewildering flame is quenched, and they attain tranquillity and calm, and their hearts grow humble and submissive in respect of temperament; and then they rouse themselves to this rank, which is His apprehension, exalted be He — I mean the divine science designated 'the Account of the Chariot.' He said, 'the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart' (Ps 34:19), and he said, 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit' etc. (Isa 57:15).
  • Psalms 35:10 ↗
    • I:64 · KavodLikewise, kevod Hashem (the Glory of God) sometimes means the created light that God places in a location as an act of exaltation in the manner of a miraculous sign — 'and the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it' (Ex 24:16) etc.; and 'the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle' (Ex 40:34). Sometimes it means His essence, exalted be He, and His truth — as He said: 'Show me, I pray thee, Thy glory' (Ex 33:18); and the reply came: 'for no human shall see Me and live' (Ex 33:20) — indicating that the glory spoken of there is His essence. And his saying 'Thy glory' is a form of exaltation, as we explained regarding 'What is His name?' (Ex 3:13). And sometimes kevod means the exaltation of God by all people — indeed by all things other than He, exalted be He; for the true exaltation of Him is the apprehension of His greatness: so everyone who apprehends His greatness and perfection exalts Him according to the measure of his apprehension. And the human being in particular exalts through words — to indicate what he has apprehended with his intellect and to proclaim it to others. And what has no apprehension — such as inanimate things — they exalt as well, in that they indicate by their very nature the power of their Maker and His wisdom; and that becomes a cause for exaltation by whoever considers them, whether he speaks with his tongue or does not speak, if he is among those to whom speech is not applicable. Hebrew has broadened this to apply to this meaning the language of speech, and it is said of what has no apprehension that it 'praises' and 'says' — 'All my bones shall say: Lord, who is like unto Thee?' (Ps 35:10) — going beyond their being the cause of this belief, treating them as if they had said it, since through them and for their sake this is also known. And based on calling this meaning kavod, it was said: 'The whole earth is full of His glory' (Isa 6:3) — equivalent to 'and His praise fills the earth' (Hab 3:3); for praise is called kavod, as it was said: 'Ascribe to the Lord your God glory' (Jer 13:16), and it was said: 'and in His temple everything says glory' (Ps 29:9); and much comes from this. Understand this equivocity of kavod as well, and interpret it in every place according to its context — and you will be freed of a great perplexity.
  • Psalms 38:11 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Psalms 40:8 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Psalms 40:9 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Psalms 41:3 ↗
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • Psalms 42:3 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAnd because this usage became so frequent and widespread in the language that it became as if it were the original imposition, the terms 'hunger' and 'thirst' were likewise used for the absence of knowledge and apprehension: 'and I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord' (Amos 8:11); 'my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God' (Ps 42:3); and this is frequent. And Jonathan ben Uzziel, peace be upon him, rendered 'Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation' (Isa 12:3): 'and ye shall receive a new teaching with joy from the chosen of the righteous.' Consider his interpretation: that 'water' is knowledge to be attained in those days; and he made 'wells' like 'the eyes of the congregation' (Num 15:24) — that is, the notables, who are the learned — saying 'the chosen of the righteous,' since righteousness is the true salvation. See how he interpreted every word in this verse for the sense of knowledge and learning; understand this.
  • Psalms 46:9 ↗
    • I:66 · Divine WillAnd the tablets are the work of God (Ex 32:16) — the intent is that their existence was natural, not manufactured; for all natural things are called 'the work of the Lord' and 'the work of God.' He said, 'Come, behold the works of the Lord' (Ps 46:9) — for even if this carries that meaning, it has not become widely known, and what has become well-known is what we mentioned: that 'the work of God' is used for natural things. And He said elsewhere, 'and the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace' (Gen 19:28) — those are the things made from that sulfur; and this is called an act of His, exalted be He, because natural things are His acts, as we have explained. Clearer than this and more widely known is His saying — and a portion has been separated from what people have expounded concerning it. Therefore it is made clear that things that break with the customary are called 'the work of the Lord' and 'the work of God,' and signs and wonders.
  • Psalms 49:3 ↗
    • I:14 · AdamAnd it is a name for the multitude — I mean for the common people as opposed to the elite: 'both the sons of adam and the sons of ish' (Ps 49:3).
  • Psalms 49:13 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinAnd, explaining this whole matter, it said: 'man that is in honor and understands not is like the beasts that perish' (Ps 49:13).
  • Psalms 56:6 ↗
    • I:29 · EtzevEtzev is an equivocal noun. It is a noun for pain and suffering: 'in pain shalt thou bring forth children' (Gen 3:16). It is a noun for anger: 'and his father had not angered him all his days' (1 Kings 1:6) — he had not angered him; 'for the king was grieved for his son' (2 Sam 19:3) — anger on his account. And it is a noun for opposition and rebellion: 'but they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit' (Isa 63:10); 'they provoked him in the wilderness' (Ps 78:40); 'if there be any way of pain in me' (Ps 139:24); 'all the day they wrest my words' (Ps 56:6).
  • Psalms 57:6 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaAnd every expression of 'exalting' that comes regarding God is of this second sense: 'be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens' (Ps 57:6).
  • Psalms 58:5 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & Likeness'Their venom is like the venom of a serpent' (Ps 58:5); 'his likeness is like a lion longing to tear' (Ps 17:12) — all of these are resemblance in notion, not in shape and outline.
  • Psalms 65:2 ↗
  • Psalms 68:5 ↗
    • I:70 · Kavod & the ChariotRākhav — this term is equivocal. Its primary usage means a person's riding an animal in the customary manner, as in 'and he rode upon his she-ass' (Num 22:22). Then it was used metaphorically for domination over a thing, since the rider dominates and governs his mount; as in 'He shall cause you to ride on the high places of the earth' (Deut 32:13), and 'I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth' (Isa 58:14) — meaning you shall dominate the heights of the land. And in this sense it was said of God, exalted be He, 'Rider of the heavens in your help' (Deut 33:26) — meaning the One who dominates the heavens; and likewise 'to the Rider of the ʿAravot' (Ps 68:5) — meaning the One who dominates the ʿAravot, which is the outermost sphere encompassing the whole.
  • Psalms 73:20 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessAnd therefore it is said, 'their image Thou wilt despise' (Ps 73:20), because the contempt attaches to the soul — which is the specific form — not to the shapes of the limbs and their outline.
  • Psalms 73:28 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashI do not think you will doubt, nor will it confuse you, that His saying — 'the Lord is near to all who call upon Him' (Ps 145:18); 'they delight in the nearness of God' (Isa 58:2); 'the nearness of God is good for me' (Ps 73:28) — all of these are a nearness of knowledge, I mean a nearness of apprehension, not a nearness of place.
  • Psalms 78:39 ↗
    • I:40 · RuachAnd it is also the name for the animal spirit: 'a breath that goes and does not return' (Ps 78:39); 'in which was the breath of life' (Gen 7:15).
  • Psalms 78:40 ↗
    • I:29 · EtzevEtzev is an equivocal noun. It is a noun for pain and suffering: 'in pain shalt thou bring forth children' (Gen 3:16). It is a noun for anger: 'and his father had not angered him all his days' (1 Kings 1:6) — he had not angered him; 'for the king was grieved for his son' (2 Sam 19:3) — anger on his account. And it is a noun for opposition and rebellion: 'but they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit' (Isa 63:10); 'they provoked him in the wilderness' (Ps 78:40); 'if there be any way of pain in me' (Ps 139:24); 'all the day they wrest my words' (Ps 56:6).
  • Psalms 82:7 ↗
    • I:14 · AdamAnd of this third sense: 'and the sons of God saw the daughters of man' (Gen 6:2); 'surely you shall die like adam' (Ps 82:7).
  • Psalms 89:20 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaAnd He said: 'I have exalted one chosen out of the people' (Ps 89:20); 'forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust' (1 Kgs 16:2); 'forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people' (1 Kgs 14:7) — of the second sense.
  • Psalms 90:2 ↗
    • I:7 · YaladThen this term was borrowed for the coming-to-be of natural things: 'before the mountains were brought forth' (Ps 90:2).
  • Psalms 94:2 ↗
    • I:20 · Ram & NissaSo every expression of 'lifting up' that comes ascribed to God, may He be exalted, is of this last sense: 'lift up Thyself, Thou judge of the earth' (Ps 94:2); 'thus saith the high and lofty One' (Isa 57:15) — loftiness, majesty, and might, not loftiness of place.
  • Psalms 102:7 ↗
    • I:1 · Image & LikenessFor his saying 'I am like a pelican of the wilderness' (Ps 102:7) does not mean that he resembled it in its wings and feathers, but that his grief resembled its grief.
  • Psalms 102:14 ↗
    • I:12 · QamAnd in this sense is said every 'rising' regarding God, may He be exalted: 'now will I arise, says the Lord' (Ps 12:6) — by which He means, now will I confirm My command, My promise, and My threat. 'Thou wilt arise and have compassion on Zion' (Ps 102:14) — Thou wilt make good what Thou hast promised of compassion for her.
  • Psalms 102:26 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimPanim is also a temporal particle, meaning 'before' or 'of old': 'in former times in Israel' (Ruth 4:7); 'of old You laid the foundations of the earth' (Ps 102:26).
  • Psalms 103:13 ↗
    • I:54 · Attributes of ActionEvery time one apprehends one of His actions, He, exalted be He, is described by the attribute from which that action proceeds, and is named by the name derived from that action. For example: when one apprehends the subtlety of His governance in the formation of the animal embryo and the creation of powers in it and in its parent after birth — powers that prevent it from destruction and ruin, protect it from harm, and benefit it in its necessary movements — and an action of this kind from us proceeds only after an affective state and tenderness, which is the meaning of mercy — then He, exalted be He, was called 'merciful,' as it is said 'as a father has mercy upon his sons' (Ps 103:13), and He said 'and I will carry them as a man carries his son' (Deut 1:31). It is not that He, exalted be He, is affected and moved to tenderness — rather, the action analogous to that which proceeds from a father toward his child out of tenderness, compassion, and pure affective response, proceeds from Him, exalted be He, toward His servants without any affective state and without change. And just as when we give something to one who has no claim on us we call that in our language ḥanīna — as it is said 'have mercy on them whom God has been gracious to' (Gen 33:11), 'for God has been gracious to me' (Gen 33:11) — and many examples like this — and He, exalted be He, brings into existence and governs one who has no claim on Him for his creation and governance, and was therefore called gracious. Similarly, we find among His actions proceeding in relation to human beings: great calamities that fall upon certain individuals and destroy them, or a general matter devastating to tribes or even to entire regions, obliterating offspring and the offspring's offspring and leaving neither tillers nor lineage — like eclipses, earthquakes, destructive lightning bolts, and the movement of one people against another to annihilate them by the sword and erase their traces. Many of these actions, if they were to proceed from one of us toward another, would only proceed out of intense rage, or great hatred, or desire for revenge — and so He was named on account of these actions 'jealous,' 'avenging,' 'holding a grudge,' and 'wrathful' (Ex 34:7; Nah 1:2) — meaning that actions analogous to those that proceed from us out of a soul-disposition, namely jealousy or vengeance or hatred or anger, proceed from Him, exalted be He, in accordance with the deservingness of those who are punished — not out of any affective state whatsoever, exalted be He above every deficiency. And so too all these actions — they are actions resembling the actions that proceed from human beings out of affective states and soul-dispositions, yet they proceed from Him, exalted be He, with no additional meaning beyond His essence whatsoever.
  • Psalms 105:22 ↗
    • I:41 · NefeshNefesh is an equivocal term. It is the name for the animal soul common to every sentient being: 'in which is a living nefesh' (Gen 1:20). And it is also the name for blood: 'you shall not eat the nefesh with the flesh' (Deut 12:23). And it is also the name for the rational soul — I mean the human form: 'as the Lord lives, who made for us this nefesh' (Jer 38:16). And it is the name for that which remains of the human being after death: 'and the nefesh of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life' (1 Sam 25:29). And it is the name for will: 'to bind his princes at his nefesh' (Ps 105:22) — meaning: at his will. Similar to it: 'and do not deliver him to the nefesh of his enemies' (Ps 41:3) — meaning: do not surrender him to their will. Similar to it, in my view: 'if it is your nefesh to bury my dead' (Gen 23:8) — meaning: if this is your purpose and will. Similar to it: 'though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My nefesh is not toward this people' (Jer 15:1) — meaning: I have no will toward them, that is: I do not desire their survival. And every mention of nefesh that comes attributed to God, exalted be He, is in the sense of will — as has already appeared to us in His saying, 'as it is in My heart and in My soul He shall do' (1 Sam 2:35) — meaning: according to My will and My purpose.
  • Psalms 111:3 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd it bears the sense of endurance and abiding: 'that they may endure many days' (Jer 32:14); 'and you will be able to endure' (Exod 18:23); 'its taste stayed in it' (Jer 48:11) — it remained and abided and did not change; 'and his righteousness endures forever' (Ps 111:3) — fixed and abiding.
  • Psalms 113:9 ↗
    • I:11 · YashavAnd since one who is seated is settled and fixed in the most complete state of his fixity and settledness, this was borrowed for every state that is fixed and settled and does not change. It said, in the promise to Jerusalem of endurance and permanence while it is in the highest and most exalted rank, 'and she shall abide in her place' (Zech 12:6); and it said, 'who makes the barren woman dwell [in a house]' (Ps 113:9) — its meaning being, who settles her and makes her steadfast.
  • Psalms 119:89 ↗
    • I:15 · Natzav & YatzavAnd it bears the sense of fixity and permanence — 'Your word stands fast in the heavens' (Ps 119:89), meaning firm and abiding.
  • Psalms 123:1 ↗
    • I:11 · Yashav'Thou, O Lord, art enthroned forever' (Lam 5:19); 'who is enthroned in the heavens' (Ps 123:1); 'enthroned in the heavens' (Ps 2:4)
  • Psalms 131:1 ↗
    • I:32 · RestraintTo this sense too he pointed in his saying, 'It is not good to eat much honey' etc. (Prov 25:27); and to it he pointed in his saying, 'be not over-wise; why shouldst thou destroy thyself?' (Eccl 7:16); and to this he pointed in his saying, 'keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God' etc. (Eccl 4:17); and to this David pointed in his saying, 'neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too wonderful for me' (Ps 131:1); and to this sense the Sages aimed in their saying, 'seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, and search not the things that are hidden from thee; in what is permitted to thee, inquire — thou hast no business with hidden things' (b. Ḥagigah 13a). It means that you should not set your intellect to range save in what it is possible for a man to apprehend; but as for the matter which it is not in man's nature to apprehend, occupying oneself with it is very harmful, as we have explained. And to this the Sages aimed in their saying, 'whoever looks into four things' etc.; and they completed that statement with their saying, 'whoever has no regard for the honor of his Maker' — an allusion to what we have explained, that a man must not rush to speculate by means of corrupt imaginings. And when a doubt befalls him, or the sought matter is not demonstrated to him, let him not reject and cast it away and rush to deny it, but let him stand firm, have regard for the honor of his Maker, restrain himself, and halt. This is a matter now made clear.
  • Psalms 139:24 ↗
    • I:29 · EtzevEtzev is an equivocal noun. It is a noun for pain and suffering: 'in pain shalt thou bring forth children' (Gen 3:16). It is a noun for anger: 'and his father had not angered him all his days' (1 Kings 1:6) — he had not angered him; 'for the king was grieved for his son' (2 Sam 19:3) — anger on his account. And it is a noun for opposition and rebellion: 'but they rebelled and vexed his holy spirit' (Isa 63:10); 'they provoked him in the wilderness' (Ps 78:40); 'if there be any way of pain in me' (Ps 139:24); 'all the day they wrest my words' (Ps 56:6).
  • Psalms 144:5 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAs for His saying 'touch the mountains, and they shall smoke' (Ps 144:5) — He means by it 'let Your command reach them,' by way of figure, just as it says 'and touch his bone' (Job 2:5) — meaning 'let Your affliction alight upon him.'
  • Psalms 145:18 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashI do not think you will doubt, nor will it confuse you, that His saying — 'the Lord is near to all who call upon Him' (Ps 145:18); 'they delight in the nearness of God' (Isa 58:2); 'the nearness of God is good for me' (Ps 73:28) — all of these are a nearness of knowledge, I mean a nearness of apprehension, not a nearness of place.

Proverbs

  • Proverbs 3:22 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtAnd the use of this name in the sense of the acquisition of knowledge has become very frequent: 'and they shall be life to your soul' (Prov 3:22); 'for whoever finds me has found life' (Prov 8:35); 'for they are life to those who find them' (Prov 4:22) — and this is frequent. According to this, correct opinions are called ḥayyim and false opinions are called mawt. He, exalted be He, said: 'See, I have set before you today life and the good...' etc. (Deut 30:15) — He has made clear that the good is life and the evil is death, and what is between them. Accordingly I also interpret His saying, exalted be He, 'that you may live' (Deut 4:1) — as in the transmitted interpretation of His saying, 'that it may be well with you' (Deut 4:40) etc. And because this metaphor is well established in the language, they said: 'the righteous are called living even in death; the wicked are called dead even in their lives' (Berakhot 18a). Know this.
  • Proverbs 3:32 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesThe fourth cause: the natural predispositions. For it has been made clear — indeed demonstrated — that the moral virtues are preliminaries to the rational virtues, and that true rational attainments, I mean perfect intelligibles, are not possible save for a man very well trained in character, of tranquillity and calm. And there are many people who have, from the first natural endowment, a temperamental constitution with which no perfection is possible at all — like one who is by nature very hot of heart and strong, who never ceases from rashness even if he train himself with the utmost training; and like one whose temperament is hot and moist, of strong build, with seminal vessels abundant in generation — such a one is far from being chaste even if he train himself with the utmost training. Likewise you find among people folk of frivolity and recklessness, their movements very disordered and irregular, indicating a corruption of constitution and an evil temperament that cannot be expressed. In such no perfection is ever seen, and to strive with them in this art is sheer ignorance on the striver's part; for this science, as you know, is not the science of medicine or the science of geometry, and not everyone is prepared for it in the ways we have mentioned. So there is no escape from setting the moral preliminaries first, until the man becomes utterly upright and perfect: 'for the perverse is an abomination to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous' (Prov 3:32). Therefore its instruction to the young is disapproved; rather they cannot receive it, because of the boiling of their natures and the occupation of their minds with the flame of growth, until that bewildering flame is quenched, and they attain tranquillity and calm, and their hearts grow humble and submissive in respect of temperament; and then they rouse themselves to this rank, which is His apprehension, exalted be He — I mean the divine science designated 'the Account of the Chariot.' He said, 'the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart' (Ps 34:19), and he said, 'I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit' etc. (Isa 57:15).
  • Proverbs 4:22 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtAnd the use of this name in the sense of the acquisition of knowledge has become very frequent: 'and they shall be life to your soul' (Prov 3:22); 'for whoever finds me has found life' (Prov 8:35); 'for they are life to those who find them' (Prov 4:22) — and this is frequent. According to this, correct opinions are called ḥayyim and false opinions are called mawt. He, exalted be He, said: 'See, I have set before you today life and the good...' etc. (Deut 30:15) — He has made clear that the good is life and the evil is death, and what is between them. Accordingly I also interpret His saying, exalted be He, 'that you may live' (Deut 4:1) — as in the transmitted interpretation of His saying, 'that it may be well with you' (Deut 4:40) etc. And because this metaphor is well established in the language, they said: 'the righteous are called living even in death; the wicked are called dead even in their lives' (Berakhot 18a). Know this.
  • Proverbs 8:35 ↗
    • I:42 · Ḥayyim & MawtAnd the use of this name in the sense of the acquisition of knowledge has become very frequent: 'and they shall be life to your soul' (Prov 3:22); 'for whoever finds me has found life' (Prov 8:35); 'for they are life to those who find them' (Prov 4:22) — and this is frequent. According to this, correct opinions are called ḥayyim and false opinions are called mawt. He, exalted be He, said: 'See, I have set before you today life and the good...' etc. (Deut 30:15) — He has made clear that the good is life and the evil is death, and what is between them. Accordingly I also interpret His saying, exalted be He, 'that you may live' (Deut 4:1) — as in the transmitted interpretation of His saying, 'that it may be well with you' (Deut 4:40) etc. And because this metaphor is well established in the language, they said: 'the righteous are called living even in death; the wicked are called dead even in their lives' (Berakhot 18a). Know this.
  • Proverbs 10:21 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for opinion: 'all the remnant of Israel, of one heart, to make David king' (1 Chr 12:38) — meaning: of one opinion. Likewise His saying, 'and fools shall die for lack of heart' (Prov 10:21) — meaning: for deficiency of opinion. Likewise His saying, 'my heart shall not deviate from me ever' (Job 27:6) — meaning: my opinion has not deviated nor departed from this matter, for the beginning of the speech was, 'I have held fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart shall not deviate from me ever.' And from the sense of yaḥaref, in my view, is the saying 'a bondwoman who is designated for a man' (Lev 19:20) — parallel to the Arabic meaning: deflected, i.e., removed from the ownership of slavery to the ownership of marriage.
  • Proverbs 17:16 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesAnd there it was said, 'the secrets of the Torah are transmitted only to a counsellor, and one cunning in crafts, and one skilled of charm' (cf. Isa 3:3). These are matters that necessarily require a natural readiness. For you should know that among people is one very weak of judgment, even if he be the most understanding of people; and among them is one of sound judgment and good management in political matters — and he is the one called 'counsellor' — yet he does not understand an intelligible, even were it close to the first intelligibles, but is very dull, with no remedy in him: 'wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart?' (Prov 17:16). And among people is the understanding, naturally keen, able to hide meanings in a brief, well-wrought expression — and he is the one called 'skilled of charm'; but he has not occupied himself, and no sciences have been acquired by him. And the one who has the sciences acquired in actuality is the one called 'cunning in crafts'; they said, 'once he speaks, all become as though deaf.'
  • Proverbs 19:20 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesAs for the individuals — and they are 'the remnant whom the Lord shall call' (Joel 3:5) — the perfection that is the end is not valid for them save after the preliminaries. Solomon already made clear that the need for the preliminaries is necessary, and that it is not possible to reach the true wisdom save after training. He said, 'if the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength; but wisdom is profitable to direct' (Eccl 10:10); and he said, 'hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end' (Prov 19:20).
  • Proverbs 24:13 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the latter meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for knowledge and learning — in sum, for the intellectual apprehensions by which the survival of the human form endures in the most perfect of states, as the body's survival endures by food in its best state: 'come ye, buy, and eat' (Isa 55:1); 'hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good' (Isa 55:2); 'it is not good to eat much honey' (Prov 25:27); 'my son, eat thou honey, because it is good' (Prov 24:13); 'and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste: so is the knowledge of wisdom unto thy soul' (Prov 24:13–14).
  • Proverbs 25:16 ↗
    • I:32 · RestraintIn this sense it was said: 'Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it' (Prov 25:16); and so the Sages, of blessed memory, drew it as a parable upon Elisha Aher. How wonderful is this parable! For it likened knowledge to eating, as we said, and it mentioned the sweetest of foods, which is honey — and honey by its nature, if one takes too much of it, upsets the stomach and is vomited. It is as if it said that the nature of this apprehension, for all its sublimity and greatness and the perfection in it, if one does not halt at its limit and proceed in it with caution, is reversed to a defect, like the eating of honey, which, if eaten in measure, nourishes and gives delight, but if increased, the whole is lost. It did not say 'lest thou be filled therewith and loathe it,' but said 'and vomit it.'
  • Proverbs 25:27 ↗
    • I:30 · AkholAccording to the latter meaning, the term 'eating' was borrowed for knowledge and learning — in sum, for the intellectual apprehensions by which the survival of the human form endures in the most perfect of states, as the body's survival endures by food in its best state: 'come ye, buy, and eat' (Isa 55:1); 'hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good' (Isa 55:2); 'it is not good to eat much honey' (Prov 25:27); 'my son, eat thou honey, because it is good' (Prov 24:13); 'and the honeycomb is sweet to thy taste: so is the knowledge of wisdom unto thy soul' (Prov 24:13–14).
    • I:32 · RestraintTo this sense too he pointed in his saying, 'It is not good to eat much honey' etc. (Prov 25:27); and to it he pointed in his saying, 'be not over-wise; why shouldst thou destroy thyself?' (Eccl 7:16); and to this he pointed in his saying, 'keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God' etc. (Eccl 4:17); and to this David pointed in his saying, 'neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too wonderful for me' (Ps 131:1); and to this sense the Sages aimed in their saying, 'seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, and search not the things that are hidden from thee; in what is permitted to thee, inquire — thou hast no business with hidden things' (b. Ḥagigah 13a). It means that you should not set your intellect to range save in what it is possible for a man to apprehend; but as for the matter which it is not in man's nature to apprehend, occupying oneself with it is very harmful, as we have explained. And to this the Sages aimed in their saying, 'whoever looks into four things' etc.; and they completed that statement with their saying, 'whoever has no regard for the honor of his Maker' — an allusion to what we have explained, that a man must not rush to speculate by means of corrupt imaginings. And when a doubt befalls him, or the sought matter is not demonstrated to him, let him not reject and cast it away and rush to deny it, but let him stand firm, have regard for the honor of his Maker, restrain himself, and halt. This is a matter now made clear.
  • Proverbs 27:1 ↗
    • I:7 · YaladAnd it was also borrowed for the events of time, as though they were things born: 'for you know not what a day may bring forth' (Prov 27:1).
  • Proverbs 29:11 ↗
    • I:40 · RuachAnd it is also the name for purpose and will: 'a fool lays bare all his spirit' (Prov 29:11) — meaning: his purpose and will. Similar to it: 'the spirit of Egypt shall be emptied from within it and I will swallow up its counsel' (Is 19:3) — meaning: its purposes will be shattered and its planning concealed. Similar to it: 'who has measured the spirit of the Lord, and what man of His counsel informs Him?' (Is 40:13) — meaning: who is it that knows the ordering of His will, or apprehends His governance of existence as it is, so as to inform us of it? — as we shall explain in chapters to come on governance.
  • Proverbs 31:3 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesAnd Solomon expatiated in Proverbs on describing the states of the lazy and their incapacity — all of it a parable for incapacity to seek the sciences — and he spoke of the yearning of one who longs for the attainment of the ends but does not strive to acquire the preliminaries that lead to those ends, but only yearns. He said, 'the desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour. He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not' (Prov 21:25–26). He means that the cause of his yearning being a killer of him is that he does not strive and work for what would quiet that yearning, but only multiplies wishing and nothing more, and hangs his hopes on what he has no way to attain — and had he desisted from this longing, it would have been safer for him. And take heed of the end of the parable, as he made plain its beginning, in his saying 'but the righteous giveth and spareth not'; and 'righteous' here is opposed to 'slothful' only according to what we have explained, for he means that the just man among people, who gives everything its due, gives his whole time to the search and withholds nothing of his time for aught else. It is as if he said, 'the righteous giveth his days to wisdom and spareth none of them,' like his saying, 'give not thy strength unto women' (Prov 31:3).

Job

  • Job 2:5 ↗
    • I:18 · Karav, Naga, NagashAs for His saying 'touch the mountains, and they shall smoke' (Ps 144:5) — He means by it 'let Your command reach them,' by way of figure, just as it says 'and touch his bone' (Job 2:5) — meaning 'let Your affliction alight upon him.'
  • Job 3:5 ↗
    • I:25 · ShakhanAnd that was borrowed for what is not a living thing — rather, for everything that abides and clings to another thing, of which too the expression 'dwelling' is used, even if the thing to which that matter clings is not a place, and the matter itself is not a living thing: He said 'let a cloud dwell upon it' (Job 3:5). And there is no doubt that the cloud is not a living thing, nor is the day a body at all, but rather a portion of time.
  • Job 4:13 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitAnd it is said of the imagined form present in the imagination — that of a person after he has gone from the senses — and that is His saying, 'in thoughts from the visions of the night' (Job 4:13), and so forth, and the end of the passage: 'it stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form was before my eyes' (Job 4:16) — meaning an image facing my eyes in sleep.
  • Job 4:16 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitAnd it is said of the imagined form present in the imagination — that of a person after he has gone from the senses — and that is His saying, 'in thoughts from the visions of the night' (Job 4:13), and so forth, and the end of the passage: 'it stood still, but I could not discern its appearance; a form was before my eyes' (Job 4:16) — meaning an image facing my eyes in sleep.
  • Job 11:5 ↗
    • I:46 · OrgansAs for the instruments of local motion attributed to Him, exalted be He: such as, 'the footstool of My feet' (Is 66:1); 'and the place of the soles of My feet' (Ezek 43:7). As for the instruments of striking and force attributed to Him: 'the hand of the Lord' (Ex 9:3); 'with the finger of God' (Ex 8:15); 'the work of Your fingers' (Ps 8:4); 'and You placed upon Your palm'; 'and the arm of the Lord — upon whom has it been revealed?' (Is 53:1); 'Your right hand, O Lord' (Ex 15:6). As for the instruments of speech attributed to Him: 'for the Lord has spoken' (Is 1:2); 'and He opens His lips with you' (Job 11:5); 'the voice of the Lord in its power' (Ps 29:4); 'and His tongue is like a consuming fire' (Is 30:27). As for the instruments of sensation attributed to Him: 'His eyes behold, His eyelids test the children of men' (Ps 11:4); 'the eyes of the Lord roam over it' (Zech 4:10); 'incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear' (Is 37:17); 'You have kindled a fire in My nostril' (Jer 17:4). And of the internal organs, only the heart was borrowed for Him, because it is an equivocal name, being also the name of the intellect, and it is the principle of life for the living — for His saying, 'My entrails are in tumult' (Is 63:15); 'the multitude of Your entrails' (Is 63:15) — intends by this also the heart, since meʿi is a name used broadly and specifically: specifically it names the intestines, and broadly it names every internal organ; hence it is also the name of the heart. The proof is His saying, 'and Your Torah is within my meʿi' (Ps 40:9), equivalent to 'within my heart' (Ps 40:8); and therefore in this verse He said, 'My entrails are in tumult,' 'the multitude of Your entrails' — and the language of tumult comes with respect to the heart, from all the organs: 'my heart is in tumult within me' (Ps 38:11). Likewise, the shoulder was not borrowed for Him, because it is the instrument of carrying according to common usage, and also because the thing carried is leaned upon it. And as for the fact that the instruments of eating were not borrowed for Him — this is obvious deficiency at first thought.
  • Job 11:12 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesThe second cause: the deficiency of all people's minds at their beginning. For man is not given his final perfection at the outset; rather the perfection is in him in potentiality, and at his beginning he lacks that actuality: 'and man is born a wild ass's colt' (Job 11:12). And not everyone who has some matter in potentiality necessarily brings it out into actuality; rather he may remain in his deficiency, whether through impediments or through scant training in what brings that potentiality into actuality. With clarity it was said, 'the many are not wise' (Job 32:9); and the Sages, of blessed memory, said, 'I saw the men of the upper rank, and they are few.' For the impediments to perfection are very many, and the distractions from it abundant; and when does the complete readiness and the leisure for training come about, that what is in that individual in potentiality may be brought out into actuality?
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for intellect: 'and a hollow man will gain intellect' (Job 11:12); likewise, 'a wise man's heart is at his right hand' (Eccl 10:2) — meaning: his intellect in matters of perfection — and this is frequent. According to this sense it is used metaphorically of God in every passage — I mean as indicating intellect — except the exceptional case, where it indicates will according to context. Likewise: 'and you shall take it to heart' (Deut 4:39); 'and he did not take it to heart' (Ex 7:23) — all such are the reckoning of intellect, as He said: 'the Lord has not given you a heart to know' (Deut 29:3), parallel to 'you were shown to know' (Deut 4:35).
  • Job 14:20 ↗
    • I:2 · Adam's SinAs for what it says concerning Adam, 'Thou changest his face and sendest him away' (Job 14:20), its interpretation and explanation is: when he altered his orientation, He drove him out. For panim ('face') is a noun derived from panah ('to turn'), since a man, by his face, makes for the thing he intends to make for.
  • Job 27:6 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for opinion: 'all the remnant of Israel, of one heart, to make David king' (1 Chr 12:38) — meaning: of one opinion. Likewise His saying, 'and fools shall die for lack of heart' (Prov 10:21) — meaning: for deficiency of opinion. Likewise His saying, 'my heart shall not deviate from me ever' (Job 27:6) — meaning: my opinion has not deviated nor departed from this matter, for the beginning of the speech was, 'I have held fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart shall not deviate from me ever.' And from the sense of yaḥaref, in my view, is the saying 'a bondwoman who is designated for a man' (Lev 19:20) — parallel to the Arabic meaning: deflected, i.e., removed from the ownership of slavery to the ownership of marriage.
  • Job 28:12 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesThe first cause: the difficulty of the matter in itself, its subtlety and obscurity. He said, 'that which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?' (Eccl 7:24); and it is said, 'but where shall wisdom be found?' (Job 28:12). One ought not to begin instruction with the most difficult and the most obscure to understand. Among the famous parables in our nation is the likening of knowledge to water; and they, peace be upon them, explained in this parable meanings — among them, that he who knows how to swim brings up pearls from the bottom of the sea, while he who does not know swimming drowns; therefore none exposes himself to swimming save one trained in learning it.
  • Job 30:26 ↗
    • I:22 · BoAnd this noun was borrowed for the befalling of a matter that is no body at all: 'when thy word cometh to pass, then we will do thee honor' (Judg 13:17); 'from these things that shall come upon thee' (Isa 47:13). It was even borrowed for a privation: 'and evil came' (Job 30:26); 'and darkness came' (Job 30:26).
  • Job 31:7 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for thought as well: 'my heart did not go' (Job 31:7) — meaning: I was present in my thought when such-and-such occurred. And from this sense: 'and you shall not go astray after your heart' (Num 15:39) — meaning: following your thoughts; 'whose heart turns away today' (Deut 29:17) — his thought has departed.
  • Job 32:9 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesThe second cause: the deficiency of all people's minds at their beginning. For man is not given his final perfection at the outset; rather the perfection is in him in potentiality, and at his beginning he lacks that actuality: 'and man is born a wild ass's colt' (Job 11:12). And not everyone who has some matter in potentiality necessarily brings it out into actuality; rather he may remain in his deficiency, whether through impediments or through scant training in what brings that potentiality into actuality. With clarity it was said, 'the many are not wise' (Job 32:9); and the Sages, of blessed memory, said, 'I saw the men of the upper rank, and they are few.' For the impediments to perfection are very many, and the distractions from it abundant; and when does the complete readiness and the leisure for training come about, that what is in that individual in potentiality may be brought out into actuality?
  • Job 32:16 ↗
    • I:13 · ʿAmadAnd it bears the sense of desisting and ceasing: 'for they stood still and answered no more' (Job 32:16); 'and she ceased from bearing' (Gen 29:35).
  • Job 36:11 ↗
    • I:45 · ShemaʿAnd equally frequent is shemaʿ in the sense of acceptance: 'and they did not hearken to Moses' (Ex 6:9); 'if they hearken and serve' (Job 36:11); 'and they will be hearkened to' (Deut 28:2 variant reading); 'and he will not hearken to your words' (Deut 21:20).
  • Job 38:13 ↗
    • I:43 · KanafThen it was extended by metaphor to the extreme edges of the inhabited world and its most distant reaches from our location: 'to take hold of the corners of the earth' (Job 38:13); 'from the wing of the earth we have heard songs' (Is 24:16).

Ecclesiastes

  • Ecclesiastes 1:16 ↗
    • I:4 · Verbs of SeeingAs 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.
  • Ecclesiastes 3:19 ↗
    • I:14 · AdamAnd it is the name of the species: 'My spirit shall not abide in man' (Gen 6:3); 'who knows the spirit of the sons of man' (Eccl 3:21); 'and the pre-eminence of man over beast is naught' (Eccl 3:19).
  • Ecclesiastes 3:21 ↗
    • I:14 · AdamAnd it is the name of the species: 'My spirit shall not abide in man' (Gen 6:3); 'who knows the spirit of the sons of man' (Eccl 3:21); 'and the pre-eminence of man over beast is naught' (Eccl 3:19).
  • Ecclesiastes 4:17 ↗
    • I:5 · Divine InquiryAnd Solomon enjoined great caution when a man aspires to reach this rank, saying by way of parable and warning: 'Guard your foot when you go to the house of God' (Eccl 4:17).
    • I:32 · RestraintTo this sense too he pointed in his saying, 'It is not good to eat much honey' etc. (Prov 25:27); and to it he pointed in his saying, 'be not over-wise; why shouldst thou destroy thyself?' (Eccl 7:16); and to this he pointed in his saying, 'keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God' etc. (Eccl 4:17); and to this David pointed in his saying, 'neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too wonderful for me' (Ps 131:1); and to this sense the Sages aimed in their saying, 'seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, and search not the things that are hidden from thee; in what is permitted to thee, inquire — thou hast no business with hidden things' (b. Ḥagigah 13a). It means that you should not set your intellect to range save in what it is possible for a man to apprehend; but as for the matter which it is not in man's nature to apprehend, occupying oneself with it is very harmful, as we have explained. And to this the Sages aimed in their saying, 'whoever looks into four things' etc.; and they completed that statement with their saying, 'whoever has no regard for the honor of his Maker' — an allusion to what we have explained, that a man must not rush to speculate by means of corrupt imaginings. And when a doubt befalls him, or the sought matter is not demonstrated to him, let him not reject and cast it away and rush to deny it, but let him stand firm, have regard for the honor of his Maker, restrain himself, and halt. This is a matter now made clear.
  • Ecclesiastes 5:1 ↗
    • I:59 · Silence as PraiseI have thus informed you that everything you suppose to be a perfection from among these attributes is a deficiency in His regard, exalted be He — when it is of the genus of what we have. Solomon, peace be upon him, has guided us in this matter with what is sufficient, saying: 'For God is in the heavens and you are upon the earth; therefore let your words be few' (Eccl 5:1).
  • Ecclesiastes 7:16 ↗
    • I:32 · RestraintTo this sense too he pointed in his saying, 'It is not good to eat much honey' etc. (Prov 25:27); and to it he pointed in his saying, 'be not over-wise; why shouldst thou destroy thyself?' (Eccl 7:16); and to this he pointed in his saying, 'keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God' etc. (Eccl 4:17); and to this David pointed in his saying, 'neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too wonderful for me' (Ps 131:1); and to this sense the Sages aimed in their saying, 'seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, and search not the things that are hidden from thee; in what is permitted to thee, inquire — thou hast no business with hidden things' (b. Ḥagigah 13a). It means that you should not set your intellect to range save in what it is possible for a man to apprehend; but as for the matter which it is not in man's nature to apprehend, occupying oneself with it is very harmful, as we have explained. And to this the Sages aimed in their saying, 'whoever looks into four things' etc.; and they completed that statement with their saying, 'whoever has no regard for the honor of his Maker' — an allusion to what we have explained, that a man must not rush to speculate by means of corrupt imaginings. And when a doubt befalls him, or the sought matter is not demonstrated to him, let him not reject and cast it away and rush to deny it, but let him stand firm, have regard for the honor of his Maker, restrain himself, and halt. This is a matter now made clear.
  • Ecclesiastes 7:24 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesThe first cause: the difficulty of the matter in itself, its subtlety and obscurity. He said, 'that which is far off, and exceeding deep, who can find it out?' (Eccl 7:24); and it is said, 'but where shall wisdom be found?' (Job 28:12). One ought not to begin instruction with the most difficult and the most obscure to understand. Among the famous parables in our nation is the likening of knowledge to water; and they, peace be upon them, explained in this parable meanings — among them, that he who knows how to swim brings up pearls from the bottom of the sea, while he who does not know swimming drowns; therefore none exposes himself to swimming save one trained in learning it.
  • Ecclesiastes 10:2 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for intellect: 'and a hollow man will gain intellect' (Job 11:12); likewise, 'a wise man's heart is at his right hand' (Eccl 10:2) — meaning: his intellect in matters of perfection — and this is frequent. According to this sense it is used metaphorically of God in every passage — I mean as indicating intellect — except the exceptional case, where it indicates will according to context. Likewise: 'and you shall take it to heart' (Deut 4:39); 'and he did not take it to heart' (Ex 7:23) — all such are the reckoning of intellect, as He said: 'the Lord has not given you a heart to know' (Deut 29:3), parallel to 'you were shown to know' (Deut 4:35).
  • Ecclesiastes 10:10 ↗
    • I:34 · The Five CausesAs for the individuals — and they are 'the remnant whom the Lord shall call' (Joel 3:5) — the perfection that is the end is not valid for them save after the preliminaries. Solomon already made clear that the need for the preliminaries is necessary, and that it is not possible to reach the true wisdom save after training. He said, 'if the iron be blunt, and one do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength; but wisdom is profitable to direct' (Eccl 10:10); and he said, 'hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end' (Prov 19:20).
  • Ecclesiastes 12:7 ↗
    • I:40 · RuachAnd it is also the name for that which remains of the human being after death, which is not subject to corruption: 'and the spirit returns to God who gave it' (Eccl 12:7).

Esther

  • Esther 1:17 ↗
    • I:23 · YatzaAnd it was borrowed for the emergence of a matter that is no body at all: 'the word went forth out of the king's mouth' (Esth 7:8); 'for the deed of the queen shall go abroad' (Esth 1:17) — meaning the carrying-out of the command. 'For out of Zion shall go forth the law' (Isa 2:3). And likewise 'the sun was gone forth upon the earth' (Gen 19:23) — I mean the appearing of light.
  • Esther 5:9 ↗
    • I:12 · QamQimah is an equivocal noun. One of its senses is standing up, which is the opposite of sitting: 'he neither rose nor stirred before him' (Esth 5:9).
  • Esther 7:8 ↗
    • I:23 · YatzaAnd it was borrowed for the emergence of a matter that is no body at all: 'the word went forth out of the king's mouth' (Esth 7:8); 'for the deed of the queen shall go abroad' (Esth 1:17) — meaning the carrying-out of the command. 'For out of Zion shall go forth the law' (Isa 2:3). And likewise 'the sun was gone forth upon the earth' (Gen 19:23) — I mean the appearing of light.

Lamentations

  • Lamentations 4:16 ↗
    • I:37 · PanimAnd it is the name for anger: 'and his face was no longer toward her' (1 Sam 1:18). According to this sense it is used frequently in the meaning of God's anger and displeasure: 'the face of the Lord has divided them' (Lam 4:16); 'the face of the Lord is against evildoers' (Ps 34:17); 'My face shall go and I shall give you rest' (Ex 33:14); 'and I will set My face against that man and against his family' (Lev 20:5) — and this is frequent.
  • Lamentations 5:19 ↗
    • I:9 · KisseAnd it stated plainly, saying, 'Thou, O Lord, art enthroned forever; Thy throne is from generation to generation' (Lam 5:19) — indicating that it is a thing not separate from Him.
    • I:11 · Yashav'Thou, O Lord, art enthroned forever' (Lam 5:19); 'who is enthroned in the heavens' (Ps 123:1); 'enthroned in the heavens' (Ps 2:4)

I Chronicles

  • I Chronicles 12:38 ↗
    • I:39 · LevAnd it is the name for opinion: 'all the remnant of Israel, of one heart, to make David king' (1 Chr 12:38) — meaning: of one opinion. Likewise His saying, 'and fools shall die for lack of heart' (Prov 10:21) — meaning: for deficiency of opinion. Likewise His saying, 'my heart shall not deviate from me ever' (Job 27:6) — meaning: my opinion has not deviated nor departed from this matter, for the beginning of the speech was, 'I have held fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart shall not deviate from me ever.' And from the sense of yaḥaref, in my view, is the saying 'a bondwoman who is designated for a man' (Lev 19:20) — parallel to the Arabic meaning: deflected, i.e., removed from the ownership of slavery to the ownership of marriage.
  • I Chronicles 28:11 ↗
    • I:3 · Temunah & TavnitIt says, 'the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its vessels' (Exod 25:9); and it says, 'after their pattern, which thou wast shown on the mount' (Exod 25:40); 'the form of any bird' (Deut 4:17); 'the form of a hand' (Ezek 8:3); 'the pattern of the porch' (1 Chr 28:11). All of this is shape.
  • I Chronicles 29:25 ↗
    • I:10 · Ascend / DescendAnd it said, 'and the Lord your God will set you on high above all the nations of the earth' (Deut 28:1); and it said, 'and the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly on high' (1 Chr 29:25).

Mishnah & Talmud

  • 2:1 ↗
    • I:17 · Concealing KnowledgeDo not suppose that it is metaphysics alone that is to be withheld from the multitude — rather, most of physics as well. We have repeatedly cited to you the dictum: 'nor [expound] the Account of Creation before two' (Hag. 2:1).
  • b. Berakhot 31b ↗
    • I:26 · Language of MenYou already know their saying that comprehends all the kinds of interpretation pertaining to this subject — namely, their saying: 'the Torah speaks in the language of men' (b. Berakhot 31b).