Q&A: Intuition
Intuition
Question
With God's help,
Hello Rabbi,
I remember you mentioning that relatively few philosophers accept the mystical addition of intuition,
but in fact I think that once upon a time that was the overwhelming majority of philosophy. Isn't the conception of the active intellect, which gives understanding to the theoretical intellect, exactly like what you are saying? (Aside from the explanatory framework of how this is structured—whether through an angel beneath the sphere of the moon, as imagined in certain approaches, projecting onto the theoretical intellect that cleaves to it, or an ideal world, etc.).
2. I wanted to ask: why does a non-Jew need to accept the seven Noahide commandments and intend them because God commanded them? Why is simply acting morally not enough?
Answer
I don't think I said that, because I am not sufficiently expert in the philosophical literature to say so. In my view, it is also not all that important. There is no philosophy that does not fundamentally rely on intuition, and therefore whether they admit it or not, they accept its validity. However, this is not mysticism, as you defined it here. This is simply how our intellect normally works.
Not only a non-Jew. A Jew too must perform commandments because they were commanded; otherwise these are not commandments but simply good deeds. To perform a "commandment" means to obey a command and do the act because of it. Theoretically, a person could observe all of Jewish law without accepting the existence of God or His authority. Does it seem reasonable to you that this would have the value of a commandment and service of God?
Discussion on Answer
Note that there is a logical leap in what you are saying. The fact that he believes in God, even if that is true, still does not mean that he does these things because of His command.
Beyond that, it is not correct to call such a thing faith. Faith is what you are conscious of. The fact that behind your perception there is an implicit assumption that God exists, of which you yourself are not aware, does not make you a believing person. Hidden conceptions have no value or significance.
Third, if there is a moral atheist, it is possible that he is mistaken in matters of faith and it is possible that he is mistaken in morality. That is, either he is missing something and is really a hidden believer, or he is mistaken and in fact there is, in his view, no valid morality.
And finally, the requirement to fulfill out of responsiveness to the command is a requirement about consciousness, not about unrecognized philosophical assumptions.
As for someone who gives charity, if he does not do so because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded it, then he does not have a commandment. I assume there will be readers here who will quote the Talmudic statement about "one who gives charity on condition that my son should live, or that I should merit the life of the World to Come," but if you think again you will see that there is no contradiction.
Sorry for the delay,
I asked why a non-Jew needs to have specific intention in the seven Noahide commandments for their own sake, and you answered, "To perform a 'commandment' means to obey a command and do the act because of it,"
but what I meant at the root of the question was that the reason a non-Jew would observe the seven commandments is presumably because he sees them as something good, and based on moral perception that means he is presupposing God, so if so then in any case he is acting because of His command.
And perhaps one can ask a similar question about a person who gives charity on moral grounds—does he fulfill his obligation?
But perhaps for a Jew there is an additional religious goal beyond the moral goal, as you said. But is that also the case for a Noahide?