Transcript

v'hayesod ha'revi'i hakadmos

והוא שזה האחד האמור הוא הקדמון בהחלט וכל נמצא זולתו הוא בלתי קדמון ביחס אליו. והראיות על זה בספרים הן רבות.

v'hayesod ha'revi'i הוא שהורה עליו המקרא ואמר me'on elokei kedem, the phrase elokei kedem. V'da כי היסוד הגדול של תורת משה רבינו, says the Rambam,

הוא שהעולם הוא מחודש יצרו השם ובראו אחר ההעדר המוחלט

yesh me'ayin.

וזה שאתה רואה אותי מקיף את עניין קדמותו לפי דעת הפילוסופים הוא כדי להחליט את מופת המציאותו יתעלה כמו שביארתי והפרתי במורה.

So the yesod ha'revi'i is that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is kadmon, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu alone has existed, again, we express it in terms of time, but it's really l'ma'ala min hazman, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu alone has existed eternally. Kadmon lashon kodem, before, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is before everything. The Rambam says the reason sometimes you see me, and the Rambam says this is a yesod gadol of Toras Moshe Rabbeinu because as the Rambam writes in Iggeres Techiyas Hamaysim, as the Ramban writes in Parshas Bo, if you think that the world is also eternal, so then that means that the world inexorably exists. Right, if the world is kadmon, if the world has always been here, it means that the world inexorably exists and it means that it inexorably exists and it means that it inexorably exists as is, so all miracles are impossible. You can't have miracles if Aristotle couldn't, didn't believe in miracles. That's why the Ramban didn't have any sympathy for him, he refers to him, where is it in Parshas Acharei Mos, as the what, the Yivani harasha, something, aza rasha because the miracles of Nisay Mitzrayim were universally broadcasted, they were like Rachav says to the shnei anashim hameraglim, שמענו את אשר הוביש השם את מי ים סוף, we heard about them, we heard about the miracles so what's there's no justification for not believing in miracles. So that's what the Rambam says, that it's a yesod hagadol of Toras Moshe Rabbeinu that the world exists because Hakadosh Baruch Hu voluntarily willed and wills it to exist, and because it doesn't exist inexorably, so Hakadosh Baruch Hu, whether he built it into sheshes yimei bereishis or however, whatever the mechanism is, but miracles can and do happen. So the Rambam says, so why do I,

וזה שאתה רואה אותי מקיף את עניין קדמותו לפי דעת הפילוסופים,

so why do I seem to engage that view, so for the following reason. Now the Rambam thought, whether he would think this today given modern science is a very, very, very big question. But in his day, the Rambam thought that you couldn't prove that the world had been created, couldn't prove logically. Meaning, again, we had you could infer it from miracles v'chulu, but you couldn't logically prove that the world had been created. So if you want to logically prove Hakadosh Baruch Hu's existence. So then you don't assume, you can't base that proof on the world being mechudash. That's what these lines mean in the Rambam. Again, that, again, what a person sort of infers empirically from miracles is, again, is compelling and overwhelming basis for belief, but it's not, you wouldn't call that a logical proof. It's a different type of demonstration. The Rambam says the reason when I talk about מציאות הקדוש ברוך הוא, I talk in a way where I don't assume the world is mechudash is because since that, again, this was the Rambam's opinion in the 12th century, what he would think today is a very, very different question. Since since I don't think that you can prove either way, the Rambam obviously didn't think you could prove the world was kadmon either chas veshalom, it's not, it's not that he thought that. He thought that it couldn't be proven, it couldn't be established logically either way. So when I want to give logical demonstrations and proofs of metzias Hashem, so I that's why I allow for this view of Aristotle and the philosophers of olam kadmon because in terms of logically demonstrating מציאות הקדוש ברוך הוא, you can't build on what we know from nisei Mitzrayim, what we know from our tradition, from Maamad Har Sinai, you can't build on the fact that the olam hu mechudash. That's what these lines mean. When the Rambam quotes this in the in the Yad, again in Hilchos Teshuva where he has the ikkarim, when he talks about חמישה הנה הנקראים מינים, so the first one corresponds to the first of the yud gimmel ikkarim, האומר שאין שם אלוה ואין לעולם מנהיג. They they go in order. The second one האומר שיש שם מנהיג אלא שהם שנים או יותר. The third

האומר שיש שם רבון אחד אלא שהוא גוף ובעל תמונה.

And then the fourth וכן האומר שאינו לבדו ראשון וצור לכל. So the Ra'avad says, again, this is the Ra'avad kayaduah. The Ra'avad is not always, we refer to it as hassagos haRa'avad, and rubo de'rubo they are hassagos, but there are many, there are some hassagos haRa'avad where he gives them a big yasher koach, it's a gut pshat, the tosefta, gut far dir, that's טאקע פשט אין תוספתא, and then other places also where the Ra'avad just is mefaresh, he clearly clearly is intending to be mefaresh not not to be massig. So this is such an example. Amar Avraham, וכן האומר שאינו לבדו ראשון, so Amar Avraham, what the Rambam here is precluding is not only Aristotle but also Plato's view. Right, Aristotle thought that the olam is kadmon, the world was created with a pizza stone across the street, that's what I thought. Olam is kadmon as you as you see it. Plato thought that the chomer hiyuli, that the that there was primordial matter and that creation was yesh miyesh, not yesh me'ayin, was yesh miyesh. So the Ra'avad here is mefaresh that when the Rambam is telling us וכן האומר שאינו לבדו ראשון וצור לכל, so Amar Avraham, again האומר, someone who says that is a min that who denies that Hakadosh Baruch Hu alone is the Rishon veTzur lakol. So Amar Avraham, what's an example of such a min? So כאותו שאמר אלוהיכם צייר גדול היה. That your God is a great artist. Okay, so an artist doesn't, he doesn't create the paints and he doesn't create the canvas, he's a great artist, so you give him paint and you give him canvas, he can paint a beautiful picture for you. So that's what Plato thought.

כאותו שאמר אלוהיכם צייר גדול היה אלא שמצא סממנים גדולים.

But he was given a paint set and a paintbrush, תהו ובהו וחושך ורוח ומים ובהם עשה מה שעשה. That's what the Ra'avad is being mefaresh that the Rambam is coming le'afukei that as well. Maybe we'll begin the yesod hachamishi.

היסוד החמישי שהוא יתעלה הוא שראוי לעבדו ולרוממו ולהודיע רוממותו ועבודתו ולא לעשות כן ממי שהוא למטה ממנו במציאות.

So the fifth of the Yud Gimmel Ikkarim is that only Hakadosh Baruch Hu should be worshipped. Only Hakadosh Baruch Hu should be glorified. Nothing else. Even that which, again, sort of in the chain of being is, speaking figuratively, not not physically, which is which is way above us,

כגון המלאכים והכוכבים והגלגלים והיסודות ומה שהורכב מהם לפי שכולם הם מוטבעים בפעולותיהם אין להם יכולת ולא בחירה אלא רצונו יתעלה ואין לעשות אותם אמצעים להגיע אליו אלא לרוממותו יתעלה יכוונו המחשבות ומניחים כל מה שזולתו וזה היסוד החמישי היא האזהרה על עבודה זרה ורוב התורה היא באזהרה עליה.

So there is a lot to talk about here, but maybe just one point for today and then bli neder we will continue next time, im yirtzeh Hashem. The Rambam makes a point of telling us that malachim, kochavim, galgalim, spheres, they're all mutbaim befouloteihem. They're not baalei bechirah. They're all programmed. Challenge is why is that relevant here? The Yesod Hachamishi is that acts of worship is you don't you don't address acts of worship, again, obviously very prominent amongst those tefillah, to anything, anyone, other than than Hakadosh Baruch Hu. What difference does it make whether the malachim... why does the Rambam, as it were, he seems to digress and and tell you that malachim are mutbaim befouloteihem? And if they're not mutbaim befouloteihem? The Yesod Hachamishi is that all acts of worship are directed at Hakadosh Baruch Hu. So ella mai, the mashmaos in in the Rambam is is like this. What about, can you ask someone else to davven? Can you ask someone else to davven for you? Not not a malach, can you ask a person to davven? So it's a pasuk that you can. Hakadosh Baruch Hu tells Avimelech that he should return Sarah,

ועתה השב אשת האיש כי נביא הוא ויתפלל בעדך וחיה.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu says to Avimelech, you better get on good terms with Avraham Avinu because you need him to davven for you, veyitpallel beadecha vechayeh. And based on that, so we taki do. We ask people, you know, please be mispallel for if rachmana litzlan we need it, rachmana litzlan someone else needs it, be mispallel for for this choleh. So so that's okay. So why is it so why is it so geferlach if instead of instead of asking someone else, a fellow Jew, so we ask the malach Refael, Michael? Why is it so why is it so terrible? Well, so the peshat is that what the Rambam here is telling us is heyos that malachim are mutbaim befouloteihem. That's why this it's not a digression. That's why this this is integral to what the Rambam is telling us. Heyos, you don't walk over to the wall and say, you know, be mispallel for me. You don't say do something for me. What and and if you do, it's it's again, either it's total nonsense or it's because somehow or other you think that there's someone else that you can't address directly and the only permissible way for you to address that someone else is by is by seeming to address the wall because it does at face value it can't mean anything. So that's what the Rambam says. When you ask someone who's a baal bechirah to davven for you, so that doesn't mean that you're making him an intermediary between yourself and Hakadosh Baruch Hu. It means that do me a favor, can you contribute your zechus tefillah? Tefillah is an emtzai between yourself and Hakadosh Baruch Hu. But if that being to whom you turn to intercede is mutba b'fullosav, so then what it means is that that you're asking that again that this should serve as an intermediary between yourself rachmana litzlan and Ribbono shel Olam. That's how this is again why this is so crucial to the Yesod Hachamishi. Now what that perhaps suggests is as follows. Again, it's it's clear it's clear that the Rambam would not like let's say at the end of Slichos the Machnisei Rachamim מכניסי רחמינו לפני בעל הרחמים and machnisei tfilah machnisei tfiloseinu. The Rambam zicher zicher would not say that. The Rambam would not let it be printed in in the siddur. The shaila is like this. The shaila is according to the Rambam, what would the Rambam tell us about someone who who says it? So like this, people assume that the Rambam would would say that the person is inadvertently engaging in kfira because he's violating the Yesod Hachamishi. But yitachen again not commenting on whether not encouraging to say it, not encouraging not to say it, ask a shaila what what you should do. But yitachen that the Rambam would agree that if the person who says it says it thinking that malachim erroneously according to the Rambam, thinking that malachim are baalei bechira and doesn't have in mind anything more than asking the malach the same way he would ask his next-door neighbor to to act and daven on his behalf or learn on my behalf or daven on my behalf or give tzdaka on on my behalf. So again the Rambam would not like it. The Rambam would be afraid that it could who knows what it would lead to but ayen alav that maybe the Rambam would say taka what he's doing is is wrong and dangerously wrong but you're right if the source of the mistake is in thinking that malachim are baalei bechira and in his mind it's משל למה הדבר דומה if you go to a wax museum so the the figures they have in a wax museum so it's so the so the they look so so real they look so real so you start talking to a you start talking to a to a wax figure but the reason you're talking to the wax figure can you can you give me a cup of coffee? So the reason you're talking to the wax figure is you're not you're not making this rachmana litzlan intermediary between you and Hakadosh Baruch Hu but you think it's real and you think that that as a baal bechira it can it can be responsive and not as any kind of intermediary or form of intercession with Hakadosh Baruch Hu but the same way when we ask each other for things we're not can I borrow a cup of sugar? So we're not asking the person to serve as an intermediary rachmana litzlan with Hakadosh Baruch Hu. So ayen alav heyos that the way the Rambam explains the ikar is in light of the fact that mutba b'fullosav so if a person is erroneous about that so then again maybe it's just even for the Rambam maybe it's just a very very bad and and insidious error but not but maybe even the Rambam wouldn't wouldn't call it minut. Okay geh veiter.