והשער מפסקם הברורים לדעת תורתו ודתו הם שלושה. So that's the way Ibn Tibbon, this is the father of the one who translated the Rambam, the way he's using the word Torah is sort of not as a proper noun meaning Chamishah Chumshei Torah because that's the second of the three sh'arim. So Torah here means his teaching. That's how Ibn Tibbon is using the word Torah here. So the way you know his teaching, האחד מהם השכל הניצל מכל פגע והשני ספר תורתו. Now sefer toraso, so then that's the proper noun in terms of Chamishah Chumshei Torah, מבראשית עד לעיני כל ישראל, Tanach, primarily Chamishah Chumshei Torah. והשלישי הקבלה שקבלנו מקדמונינו שקבלו מהנביאים עליהם השלום וכבר הקדים לבאר הרב הגדול רבינו סעדיה ז"ל ממה שיש בו די.
Chochmas haTorah, and again here Torah the same usage of Torah, right, the chochmah of Hashem's teaching, mischalekes subdivides l'shnei chalakim. האחד מהם לדעת חובת האיברים והיא החכמה הנראית, what we're supposed to do or what we're supposed to abstain from doing, והשני לדעת חובת הלבבות והם המצפונים והיא החכמה הצפונה, what we're supposed to think, what we're supposed to believe, what we're supposed to know, etc., there's nothing, there's nothing external about the chovas halevavos. חובות האיברים יחלקו לשני חלקים. Within the mitzvos maasiyos, those mitzvos which manifest themselves outwardly, which govern actions, what we do, what we don't do, so yechalku l'shnei chalakim, they subdivide again into two. האחד מהם מצוות שמחייב בהן השכל אפילו אם לא חיוו בהן התורה. והחלק השני מצוות השמע שאין השכל מחייב בהן ולא דוחה אותן כאיסור בשר בחלב ושעטנז וכלאיים והדומה להן ממה שנעלם ממנו עילת איסורם ועילת חיוב מה שנתחייבנו בהן.
Okay. So this distinction is, the source for it is in Chazal, this grouping of two types of mitzvos in Yoma samach-zayin, tana rabanan: את משפטי תעשו דברים שלמלא נכתבו דין הוא שיכתבו ואלו הן עבודת כוכבים גילוי עריות ושפיכות דמים וגזל וברכת השם את חוקותי תשמורו דברים שהשטן משיב עליהם ואומות העולם משיבים עליהם ואלו הן אכילת חזיר ולבישת שעטנז חליצת יבמה וטהרת המצורע ושעיר המשתלח.
Now b'emes, it's really clear in al kol panim, the way the Rishonim understand this Gemara, that משפטים דין הוא שיכתבו reflects the fact that what sechel reveals to us, sechel is mechayeiv. Right, and that's what the lashon of Rabbeinu Bachya is: האחד מהם מצוות שמחייב בהן השכל אפילו אם לא חיוו בהן התורה.
Even if there wouldn't be a pasuk for kibbud av v'eim. Description. Dins sheyikasvu means that logic would dictate that these mitzvos should be nohagos and therefore what that means is and when logic dictates that is a source of chiyuv. That that is a source of chiyuv. L'maise this idea is very widespread in the Rishonim, not necessarily in any chronological order. So the Ramban in last week's parsha, so the Ramban comments that following Rashi, who who relates to this question as well, וירא אלהים את הארץ והנה נשחתה. Excuse me, ותשחת הארץ לפני האלהים ותמלא הארץ חמס. So the Torah highlights two areas of of where there was a total breakdown in morality in the dor hamabul is ותשחת הארץ לפני האלהים ותמלא הארץ חמס. When Hakadosh Baruch Hu tells Noach that he's going to destroy the world, so he says, כי מלאה הארץ חמס מפניהם והנני משחיתם את הארץ. So he only tells Noach about the chamas, he doesn't tell Noach about the haschasa. So Rashi quotes something from Sanhedrin, Chazal say because nechtam gezar dinam because of chamas. So the shayla is that both שבע מצוות בני נח, haschasa means giluy arayos, haschasa means avoda zara, I think giluy arayos. So giluy arayos and and and various forms of gezel, they're both שבע מצוות בני נח and and so why is it that nechtam gezar dinam davka for chamas? So the Ramban says because it's a mitzva muskeles ואין צורך לנביא המזהיר. And and you don't need a navi to tell you about it and and it's no excuse to say no one ever told me and it's no excuse to say no navi ever gave me mussar, it's a mitzva muskeles. Why? Because as as the Chovos HaLevavos says again all this in the in the footsteps of Chazal, because hasechel mechayiv osam. The Mishneh L'Melech has a he says la'halacha, the Gemara in in Sanhedrin has an ibaya and then there's two girsa'os, Rashi and Tosafos, whether or not bnei Noach are מצווים על קידוש השם. So that's an anas goes over to a ben Noach and tells the ben Noach, you know, either be over on one of the שבע מצוות בני נח, either eat ever min hachai or I'm going to kill you. So according to the girsa that the Rambam has in the Gemara, the Gemara's pashet that bnei Noach are not מצווים על קידוש השם. Whether it's b'tzina or b'faharshya, they're not מצווים על קידוש השם. Some have the girsa that they're only not metzuvei b'tzina and b'faharshya is an ibaya d'lo itpeshata. Okay, but the Rambam has the girsa that the Gemara's pashet that bnei Noach are not מצווים על קידוש השם. So if the anas tells the ben Noach either eat ever min hachai or I'll kill you, he eats ever min hachai. Comes the Mishneh L'Melech and says, but if the anas tells the ben Noach either go kill so and so or I'll kill you, so then he has to let himself be killed. He has to be moseir nefesh. Why? Because the makor for shfichas damim for retzicha being yehareig v'al ya'avor is a svara d'mai chazis. So if the makor is a svara, so it's mechayiv it's mechayiv everyone. It's not only mechayiv if it's a if the if the makor v'yehareig v'al ya'avor is a pasuk in chumash. Okay, so a pasuk in chumash is is addressed to us. It's not addressed to to kol ba'ei olam. But if it's not a pasuk in chumash, if if it's a if it's a svara, so a svara is mechayeves sechel, svara mechayeves kol ba'ei olam. So he says la'halacha, he thinks that a ben Noach would be mechuyav to be moseir nefesh for for shfichas damim because the makor is a pasuk. The Rambam has this yesod again that the sechel is a mechayev in many places. To give one example, but there are many, many examples. In Perek Vov of Hilchos De'os, Halacha Aleph. We have a Rambam, take a look. Perek Vov of De'os, Halacha Aleph. דרך בריאתו של אדם להיות נמשך בדעותיו ובמעשיו אחר רעיו וחבריו ונוהג כמנהג אנשי מדינתו.
Human nature is such that we're influenced by our surroundings. We're influenced by our neighbors, by the society in which we live, by the company which we keep. That's human nature. Puk chazei, right? לפיכך צריך אדם להתחבר לצדיקים. Now, given that that's what human nature is, so a person should attach himself latzaddikim v'leshev eitzel hachachamim. And he should sit with the Chachamim tamid כדי שילמד מעשיהם ויתרחק מן הרשעים ההולכים בחושך כדי שלא ילמד ממעשיהם. הוא ששלמה אומר הולך את חכמים יחכם ורועה כסילים ירוע. ואומר אשרי האיש אשר לא הלך בעצת רשעים וגומר. וכן אם היה במדינה שמנהגותיה רעים ואין אנשיה הולכים בדרך ישרה ילך למקום שהאנשים צדיקים ונוהגים בדרך טובה. ואם היו כל המדינות שהוא יודען ושומע שמועתן נוהגים בדרך לא טובה כמו זמננו.
Rambam about twelfth century or so back. He had a good, he had no idea. He had no idea. He said kemo zmanenu in the twelfth century, everyone is נוהגים בדרך לא טובה. That was before, unless one had ruach hakodesh or nevuah, no one foresaw what society would become to what it is today. So the Rambam says, yeshev levado yechidi. Okay fine, that's Halacha Aleph. Halacha Bais: מצות עשה להידבק בחכמים כדי ללמוד ממעשיהם שנאמר ובו תדבק. וכי אפשר לאדם להידבק בשכינה אלא כך אמרו חכמים בפירוש מצוה זו הידבק בחכמים ותלמידיהם. לפיכך צריך אדם להשתדל שישא בת תלמיד חכם וישיא בתו לתלמיד חכם ולאכול ולשתות עם תלמידי חכמים ולעשות פרקמטיא לתלמידי חכמים ולהתחבר להם בכל מיני חיבור.
So Halacha Bais, the Rambam seems to be starting all over again and this time he quotes a pasuk, which highlights the fact that in Halacha Aleph, the Rambam told us what we're mechuyav to do and he never mentioned any psukim. Didn't mention... he mentions psukim in Mishlei, but he doesn't mention that as a makor. He says what I'm telling you is what Shlomo HaMelech says, right? It's not she'ne'emar. Hu sheShlomo omer in Halacha Aleph, הולך את חכמים יחכם. It's not that the Rambam is citing Shlomo HaMelech as the source for this chiyuv. So what is the source in Halacha Aleph? He doesn't mention the pasuk and the mitzvah until Halacha Bais. And what's more, he says more in Halacha Aleph than the Halacha Bais mitzvah supports. The Mitzvas asei lehidavek bachachamim doesn't say that it's assur to hang out with rasha'im. And the Mitzvas asei lehidavek bachachamim doesn't include lehischaver latzaddikim who are not necessarily also chachamim. So it's clear that Halacha Aleph is missevara. Heyos that you know that human nature, we know that human nature is such that we're influenced by our surroundings, that we're influenced by the company we keep, by the society in which we live. So we know that. So sechel therefore dictates that a person should see to it that he's exposed to positive influences and that he should avoid, that he should avoid negative influences. And that's why not everything in Halacha Aleph takeh is supported by the mitzvah of u'vo sidbak. No, the mitzvah of u'vo sidbak goes beyond the sevara. Goes beyond, goes beyond the sevara. But the sevara also tells us things which the mitzvah doesn't. So the Rambam has this also in kama v'kama duchtei. Now there is another very very important yesod here in Chovos HaLevavos, very important yesod. VeHachelek Hasheni, again, so Chazal say there are mishpatim and chukim. So what characterizes mishpatim are mishpatim are those mitzvos which sechel heima mechayev. והחלק השני מצוות השמע והחוקים, but notice what Chovos HaLevavos says: שאין השכל מחייב בהם, but sechel doesn't tell us, we don't have any intuition, our logic doesn't tell us that there's anything wrong with eating or cooking or having hana'ah from basar b'chalav. The Torah tells us. However, notice what he says: שאין השכל מחייב בהם ולא דוחה אותם. Chukim are not irrational, they're arational. Chukim are not neged hasechel, they're just not intuitive. There's a difference between being neged hasechel and Chovos HaLevavos is saying, the Ibn Ezra said it after him, I think, after? The Ibn Ezra has this yesod also in Aseres HaDibros. דע כי כל המצוות הם על שני דרכים, two types of mitzvos. והדרך הראשונה מצוות שהם נטועות מהשם בלב כל אנשי דעת והם רבים.
Many many mitzvos are like that. ואין בעשרת הדברים מן עשרת הדיברות, the only thing which isn't a mishpat, again, a mishpat means that it's something that we would have known on our own that we have to do, the only thing which doesn't match that description in Aseres HaDibros: ki hashabbos levada. Okay, we understand once the Torah tells us that שבת זכר למעשה בראשית, we understand that we wouldn't have been mechaven on our own that you have to have shabbos every week, that we wouldn't have been mechaven to. But Anochi Hashem Elokecha, לא יהיה לך אלוהים אחרים, lo sisa, kabed es avicha, lo sirtzach, lo sinaf, all those things sechel, the sechel that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave us dictates all those as well. ואין בעשרת הדברים רק השבת לבדה שאינם בכלל שיקול הדעת, על כן משכיל בכל עם ולשון.
Right? Remember that Nissim Gaon that we mentioned? Right? That when the mechayev is sechel, so it's a mechayev which is binding in everyone. Rabbeinu Nissim Gaon says that in his hakdama to Shas Vilna. על כן משכיל בכל עם ולשון מודים בהם. Any intelligent person doesn't matter what nation he belongs to acknowledges these mitzvos. כי הם נטועים בשיקול הדעת. ועליהם אין להוסיף ולא לגרוע ומה ששמע אברהם ממצוות האחרות נוספות.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave Avraham Mitzvas Mila, Mitzvas Mila is not a mishpat, we wouldn't have known that we have to have a mila. ומה ששמע אברהם, Avraham Avinu observed all these mitzvos עם מצוות האחרות נוספות. והשם לא נתן התורה רק לאנשי הדעת. ומי שאין לו דעת אין לו תורה. והדרך השנית מצוות הנעלמות ואינם מפורשות למה צוו,
I think. Now listen to this line: וחלילה חלילה שתהיה מצוה אחת מהם מכחשת שיקול הדעת. Again, what characterizes chukim is not that they're irrational, it's that they're arational. It's that the reason, there's nothing irrational about basar b'chalav, it's just that we don't know what the reason is. We don't know what the reason is. That's what Chovos HaLevavos is saying also. That's what the Ibn Ezra says. That's how we know. Ve'im matza ואם מצאנו אחת מהן מכחשת שכל הדעת אינו נכון שנאמין בו כמשמעו.
When the pasuk says, he gives these, he's about to give these examples. When the pasuk says in Parshas Eikev ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם, so we don't say that milah in that context means the same thing as it means by המול ימול בשר ערלתו. We don't say that a person is supposed to chop off his heart. ומלתם את ערלת לבבכם, that everyone's supposed to commit suicide by cutting off a layer from his heart. That's what the Chovot HaLevavot is saying here also. The Chovot HaLevavot says that אין השכל מחייב בהן אבל איננו דוחה אותן. And didn't that the person being mazoyeh the mei chatas becomes tamei and person getting mei chatas on them, wouldn't that be illogical? So first of all, that's a prat as opposed to, both the Chovot HaLevavot and the Ibn Ezra are talking about a mitzvah. And the mitzvah is hazoyeh. Okay, midinei hazoyeh you have this paradox of metahaer es hatmei-im and metamei es hatehorim. But they're not misyaches to, you know, to that kind of prat as they are to the mitzvah per se. You have to understand what Chazal mean when they say that, right? When you look into the natural world, there are medicines that, you know, will make a sick person better and make a healthy person sick. So you have to understand what they mean by saying that that's a chok also. It's not something that we don't sort of encounter elsewhere in the briah that kind of the same thing has different effects on depending upon where one is positioned. So you have to understand what it means that that's, what does it mean that that's a chok? Ach, says the Chovot HaLevavot כל שאינן מן השכל. This is true of the mitzvot ma'asiyot of chovat ha'eivarim, some mishpatim, some chukim. And chovot halevavot are entirely mishpatim. They're all min hasechel. We'll stop there.