Q&A: The Second Objection of Nachmanides
The Second Objection of Nachmanides
Question
I did not fully understand Nachmanides' approach regarding Torah-level law and rabbinic law.
Does Nachmanides hold that the Sages have the power to create laws that have the status of Torah law by means of the thirteen hermeneutical principles through which the Torah is expounded, as he writes: "And we have not found that, in the view of the Sages, these principles are in this respect like something explicitly stated in the Torah, which they expound on their own reasoning. But in the case of a verbal analogy, they required an explicit tradition… And this is explained in the Talmud, where they said: A person may derive an a fortiori inference on his own, but he may not derive a verbal analogy on his own unless he received it from his teacher."
Or perhaps, even regarding the thirteen principles, according to Nachmanides some sort of tradition is required, as may be inferred from his statement: "Everything expounded in the Talmud through one of the thirteen principles is all Torah law, and it is the interpretation of the Torah that was said to Moses at Sinai…"
Thanks in advance.
Answer
They definitely do have the power to create new laws. Who disagrees with that? How did you infer from the line you quoted at the end that some sort of tradition is required? There is not even the slightest hint of that there.
Discussion on Answer
They were not said to Moses at Sinai. They constitute an interpretation of what was said to him, but that interpretation was created by the Sages. I don't understand what is unclear here.
If they were said to Moses at Sinai, as I quoted at the end of my question, that implies there is a tradition about them.