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Liber Ductor Perplexorum
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The readers of this journal have certainly,
heard a great deal about this book of our great
Maimonides רמב״ם,
wherefore I deem a sketch of it of some interest to
those who are not initiated in the difficult study
of Hebrew philosophy and theology.
מורה נבוכים means “the
guide of those who know no path.” Rabbi Moses
Maimonides, a native of Spain, and a resident of
Egypt, living in the second half of the twelfth
century, possessed more knowledge of mathematics,
physics, medicine, and of the Greek philosophy, than
any other scholar among his contemporaries; and
though he belonged to the medical profession, and
had attained great renown as a practising physician
as well as an author, he nevertheless wrote
voluminous works on Hebrew theology.
His יד החזקה Yad
Hackasakah, is a complete abstract of the Talmud, in
which the results of the rabbinical discussions are
written out in an admirable order, brevity, and in
an elegant Hebrew style. The judicial part of it is
the best work of antiquity in this branch; and were
it translated in the English tongue, it would to a
certainty obtain the admiration and the attention of
the legal profession. He wrote also in this
department of literature, פרוש
המשנה, a Commentary on the Mishnah, which is
distinguished for its acuteness, brevity, and
correctness of ideas. The Greek philosophers, and
particularly Aristotle, principally employed his
attention. He gave the fruits of his studies to the
world in the Arabic tongue, in which he wrote a
Logic bearing the name מלת
החגיון, “Terms of Logic,” which was
translated in the Hebrew by Eben Tibon, and in the
German language by Samuel Newman, and commented by
Mendelssohn. Next a Psychology, bearing the name
שמונה פרקים, “The Eight
Sections,” which was also translated into the Hebrew
and German languages. But his principal work in
philosophy is מורה נבוכים,
Liber Ductor Perplexorum, of we will speak more in
detail.
Maimonides in the introduction to this work says:
“This work has for its problem the explanation of
some terms used in the prophetic Scriptures; some of
them can be applied to many subjects; but others
<<32>>are abstract and
metaphorical terms, which must be understood
according to the subject to which they are applied,
but which ignorant readers understand according to
their original signification; whilst, at the same
time, some other terms are doubtful. It is not my
intention in the present work to explain these terms
to such men as are of a vulgar sort, or beginners in
speculative thinking; nor do I intend to instruct
those who wish to know nothing but the dead letter
of the law; but I intend it to be the basis to the
knowledge of the divine legislation. I merely intend
giving a brief instruction to those in whose mind
religion is rooted by a good education, who have a
good moral character, and who are no strangers in
the departments of philosophy and speculation; but
who belonging to the other side are inclined to
listen to the dictates of reason,” &c.
“Hence it is the problem of this work to expound the
different allegories of the prophetic Scriptures, or
at least to make them known as such, which are
generally taken for facts, and bring the
investigator in great confusion,” &c.
“I will give in this work, according to the dicta of
the Talmud, some of the principles of natural
philosophy and metaphysics to the self-thinker; but
these principles will not be given in a systematic
order; I will only cite them by chance to expound
other matters.”
“God revealed to us a practical law which is based
upon pure theories, which must be again based upon
correct notions of God and of his relation to us, or
upon natural theology. Since the first requisite for
the comprehension of these theories is natural
philosophy, so God commenced his law-book with the
history of the creation, which is but a
manifestation of the principles of natural
philosophy. Our sages say: ‘The manner and method of
the creation can be taught to nobody, wherefore the
Scriptures say in short terms, In the beginning God
created heaven and earth.’ Therewith they meant to
say that the history of the creation comprises great
secrets of natural philosophy, which, to express,
Scripture was to make use of expressions which have
a multifarious signification, which are simply
understood by the simple, and which display a
profound depth of thought to the wise.”
I think these few quotations of his preface will
suffice to give to the reader a correct notion about
the tendency of the renowned composition in
question.
The work is divided in three parts or books. The
first book expounds the Hebrew terms which are used
in Scripture in connexion with God. Maimonides shows
that the Hebrew language, the first-born daughter of
nature, being too poor in abstract terms, had to use
sensual terms in connexion with God, the most
absolute spirit, but which must
<<33>>be understood in
accordance with the biblical principal doctrine
concerning God and his attributes, they being
exclusively spiritual. Hence he states that the
significance of abstract words not only is changed
frequently, but is not seldom forgotten, and then
the abstract word is a phantom void of any meaning;
but the expressions of nature are immutable, and so
the Bible will be understood for ever. Maimonides
displays in the lexicographical part of his work the
whole theoretical principles of biblical theology,
the purest spiritual theosophy, which he shows to be
embodied in the natural words of the Bible. A
critical investigation about God and His attributes,
about the powers and limits of the human reason,
concludes the first book.
The second book commences with the outlines of the
peripatetic philosophy, and with the arguments
derived from that system to demonstrate the
existence of God, His unity, spirituality, and
immensity. Then follows an explanation about the
Aristotelian views of the celestial bodies, which he
held to be living and rational beings. Then he
speaks of the angels. Maimonides tries to show, that
the expression of Scripture, that God sends angels
to execute His will in the sublunar world, are
anthropomorphous, which ought to be understood as
the Psalmist did, when he said that wind and fire
are the angels of the Lord. He then argues with
Aristotle against the idea of the eternity of the
earth; and after having proved, that the world is
created, he gives a problematical possibility of the
creation. He then proceeds to speak of prophecy and
of divine revelation, which he explains to be
psychological possibilities, and which can be
understood only and merely psychologically. He
proceeds then to show the grace of Providence; the
symbolic arts of the prophets; and the hyperbolic
and metaphoric expressions in their Scriptures. In
the conclusion of this book he speaks about the
perceptive faculty of the prophets.
The third book commences with the explanation of
Ezekiel’s description of the angelic council of God,
מעשה מרכבה. He says on
that subject, that it is an allegoric picture of
cosmological truths. Next he proves that every evil
consists in a mere privation; then he speaks of
final causes; and next of the destiny of the world.
Maimonides is averse to the opinion that all
creatures are for man’s sake, which he thinks to be
proved by the overwhelming number of creatures
besides man. He then dwells on the Providence,
Omniscience of God, and man’s freedom of will. He
shows that the book of Job is a mere vehicle to
furnish us a metaphysical treatise on Providence. He
then divides the Mosaic ceremonial laws in fourteen
classes, giving profound reasons for each class,
drawn from the history, customs, and habits of
Egypt; from the <<34>>paganism
of that age which was to be prevented; from the
customs, circumstances, characteristics of the
Israelites themselves, and from the vulgar notions
about God and His will.
In conclusion he shows, what may be called, in
truth, the service of the Most High, and how he
serves the Lord who has learned to know Him, and how
eternal happiness may be obtained through serving
the Lord. The whole work has a philosophical,
theological nature, more inclined to rationalism
than to mysticism. Maimonides wrote this work at the
request of his scholar Rabbi Joseph, son of Rabbi
Judah Hallevy. Samuel Eben Tibon translated it into
the Hebrew during the lifetime of the author, whom
he consulted about some very difficult passages. The
first Hebrew edition appeared in Parma, 1480. (See
Joh.’s Bernh. De Rossi, Annalibus Hebraeo. p. 121.)
The first, but very incorrect, Latin translation of
it appeared in 1320. (See Wolf’s Biblioth. Hebr. P.
p. 780-782.)
In 1692 appeared a correct Latin translation of it
by the younger Buxtorf. Solomon Maimon, a
contemporary of Mendelssohn, wrote an epitome of the
Moreh Nebuchim, which was published in 1793, in his
biography by K. P. Moriz, p. 15-150. The same Maimon,
a great genius and little known, wrote a profound
commentary on the Moreh Nebuchim. Many others have
been written, too numerous to be mentioned. Dr.
Fürstenthal of Breslau translated and commented the
Mor. Neb. in the German language, but only the first
part has as yet appeared. |
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