Moreh Nevuchim (03:17): (3) Everything is controlled by Providence and there is no such thing as accident or chance at all. A corollary of this view is that the one who governs must have total knowledge of what will happen in the future. This is the view of the Islamic sect - the Azariyah. This view has tremendous problems and whoever accepts it is obligated to accept the inherent absurdities. For example they must accept the view of Aristotle that there is no difference between the falling of a leaf and the death of a person! They in fact agree to this equality but explain that in fact the wind itself only blows by the decree of G d and not by chance. Furthermore no leaf falls by chance but at a particular time and place by the direct decree of G d… Those accept this view also must believe all the movements of all living things are totally determined and that therefore man has neither the ability to initiate nor stop doing anything. Thus everything is totally determined and either must happen or can’t happen… It necessarily follows from this view that the Torah itself serves no purpose since man has no independent ability to obey what he is commanded to do or desist from that which he was commanded not to do. Those who accept this view say that G d will send messengers, command, warn, give hope and threaten - even though man has no free will. Thus it is possible that a person will be obligated to do something totally impossible and that even if a person fulfills the command he still might be punished while someone who transgresses will be rewarded. Therefore this view assumes that G d’s activities serve no purpose. All of these absurdities are inherent in this view so that when we see a person who was born blind or leprous it is not possible to conclude that these result from sin - but only that this is the will of G d. When we see a pious person tortured to death - we can only say that this is G d’s will and that this is not an injustice because it appropriate for G d to afflict the innocent and reward the sinner…
Is he rejecting G-d's foreknowledge in this chapter?
ReplyDeleteIt seems that is doing this.
Whereas in his yad he acknowledged it. But got a critique from Raavad.
Unless this is his response to Raavad.
Rambam, Hil. Teshuva 5;5 -
ReplyDeleteOne might ask: Since The Holy One, blessed be He, knows everything that will occur before it comes to pass, does He or does He not know whether a person will be righteous or wicked?
If He knows that he will be righteous, [it appears] impossible for him not to be righteous. However, if one would say that despite His knowledge that he would be righteous, it is possible for him to be wicked, then His knowledge would be incomplete.
Know that the resolution to this question [can be described as]: "Its measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea." Many great and fundamental principles and lofty concepts are dependent upon it. However, the statements that I will make must be known and understood [as a basis for the comprehension of this matter].
As explained in the second chapter of Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, The Holy One, blessed be He, does not know with a knowledge that is external from Him as do men, whose knowledge and selves are two [different entities]. Rather, He, may His name be praised, and His knowledge are one.
Human knowledge cannot comprehend this concept in its entirety for just as it is beyond the potential of man to comprehend and conceive the essential nature of the Creator, as [Exodus 33:20] states: "No man will perceive, Me and live," so, too, it is beyond man's potential to comprehend and conceive the Creator's knowledge. This was the intent of the prophet's [Isaiah 55:8] statements: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways, My ways."
Accordingly, we do not have the potential to conceive how The Holy One, blessed be He, knows all the creations and their deeds. However, this is known without any doubt: That man's actions are in his [own] hands and The Holy One, blessed be He, does not lead him [in a particular direction] or decree that he do anything.
This matter is known, not only as a tradition of faith, but also, through clear proofs from the words of wisdom. Consequently, the prophets taught that a person is judged for his deeds, according to his deeds - whether good or bad. This is a fundamental principle on which is dependent all the words of prophecy.
Hasagot haRaavad :
This being so etc. This one did not follow the custom of scholars; for no man begins a thing which he knows not how to finish it, whereas he commenced with inquiries and questions and left the matter under question and turned it around to faith. It would have been better for him to leave the matter to the innocence of the innocent, not to awaken their hearts and leave their mind in doubt, lest, during some hour, a suspicion will enter their heart concerning it. Moreover, although there is no convincing reply to this question, it is best to lean himself upon a partial answer like this, saying: If either the righteousness or wickedness of man would have been dependent upon the decree of the Creator, may He be blessed!, we would be saying that His knowledge is His decree, then would the question be to us very difficult, indeed. But now, since the Creator ceded this power from His Hand to the hand of the man himself, His knowledge can not be said to be a decree, but it is similar to the knowledge of the astrologists who know by another power what the conduct of a certain person would be. And, it is common knowledge that from the smallest to the biggest thing which happens to man the Creator transmitted to the power of the planets, only He endowed him with an intelligence to sustain himself, and be delivered from the influence of the planet, and this very same is the power endowed to man to be either good or bad, and only the Creator knows the power of the planet and its movements whether it be within the power of the intelligence of one to be delivered from its influence or not. And, such knowledge is not a decree. But even this is not a comparison.