Q&A: One God. Maimonides, Foundations of the Torah.
One God. Maimonides, Foundations of the Torah.
Question
Hello Rabbi,
We are studying Foundations of the Torah, and we wanted to ask whether we understood correctly.
It is explained in Maimonides that something which is not a body is always one.
That division exists only on the side of bodies and not on the side of the thing’s essence.
We understood his intention as follows: for example, the concept of a triangle is one, and what makes there be two triangles is the material aspect, in that they have a grasp in the physical world. For example, a pizza slice triangle and a yield-sign triangle. But in the concept of triangle there is only one.
Therefore, it must be that a spiritual essence is one.
What still remains to be clarified is: where do we get that there is one essence which is the mother of all essences? Perhaps love is an essence separate from mercy, since that is how we perceive it; and so too with all essences. That is, a god for every attribute. (A plurality of gods.)
And the answer is: when each attribute has a different essence (a god), we would still be forced to say that there is some shared essence among them all, namely that they are necessary existents (that they have existed from eternity).
And that is impossible, because between different essences one cannot connect them on the essential level unless there is an additional dimension that binds them together, like matter that binds them into one place or one body. For example: the triangular essence, which is three sides, will never connect with the square essence, which is four sides. Only on the physical level can you place a triangle inside a square shape. But on the conceptual level there is no connection between them.
So too, it is impossible to unify mercy and hatred, or mercy and necessary existence.
Therefore we are forced to assume that the essence of mercy is not an essence unto itself, and likewise the essence of necessary existence is not an essence unto itself; rather, there is some essence unknown to us that gathers within itself, as one essence, all the essences, and its root is absolutely one. And in our world the separation into different essences and definitions is created, so that mercy and suffering are perceived as different things.
I would be happy to know whether we understood correctly.
And if not, then what Maimonides means, and whether you think there is a proof that God is one.
And if we were mistaken, then how badly did we rack your brain? Thank you.
Answer
I generally do not deal with these parts of the laws of Foundations of the Torah, which are not Jewish law but rather Muslim and Aristotelian philosophy (scholasticism).
I do not see any necessity for a spiritual thing not to be two but only one. Aren’t there two angels? Aren’t there different spiritual entities? So why shouldn’t there be different parts of the same spiritual entity?
All these pilpulim about essence do not say much to me.
The proof that the Holy One, blessed be He, is one depends on the question of what “one” means. Uniform/simple (not composed of parts), or one (that there is no other like Him). As for simple, I have no idea how to prove that, and why assume it is true in the first place? Because a few Muslim philosophers decided so? As for His being one, that is Ockham’s razor. I discussed this in my book The First Existent.
Discussion on Answer
I have no idea. It may be that this threatens one’s obligation toward Him, or that it leads to all the damages of idolatry (immoral and inhuman behavior).
1. That’s interesting, because the reality that there are other fathers for other children does not threaten my obligation to my own father or the recognition that he is mine and not someone else’s. So true, there are other fathers, but if I recognize that my father is mine, then what’s the problem?
2. A friend suggested to me that this is not about some practical consequence of having this knowledge, but that it is part of the worldview that the Torah conveys about reality: there is a God and He is one. Just as He has no body and no bodily form—that isn’t really important in practice, but it is the correct outlook. And in general, the Torah is concerned with shaping a person’s thought (beliefs and ideas) and actions (commandments).
Any response?
You answered yourself. First of all, this is the truth. It may be that a correct conception of divinity is itself considered important in Maimonides’ eyes even without consequences. And besides that, there are consequences, as I wrote. What does this have to do with fathers of other children? We’re talking about several fathers for the same child.
I’ve said my piece.
Good evening, I’d be happy to tag along with the question here rather than open a new one…
I wanted to know why the principle that Maimonides counted among his principles—that besides God there is no other god—is so fundamental. It also finds expression in “Hear O Israel” and in the prohibition against straying after idolatry in thought.
I of course acknowledge that God created me, gave me the Torah, and I am obligated to Him, so why is it such a problem to believe that there are other deities as well? (Just as I am obligated to my father even though there are other fathers; that doesn’t interfere.)