[Avodah] rationalism and mysticism

[Richard Wolpoe]

On 9/25/07, david guttmann <david.guttman at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> I have been following the discussions between RAF, RYG, RRW and others on
> Rambam's purported mysticism. Let me put my two senses in. Prof David
> Blumenthal wrote a very good book "Philosophic Mysticism" on the subject
> as
> did R. Jose Faur - "Homo Mysticus" which touches on the issue. Blumenthal
> defines spirituality as awareness of the presence of an entity we call God
> and mysticism as a subset of spirituality where the mystic navigates a
> prescribed hierarchy to acquire this awareness. Magic is when the mystic
> can
> affect that power he perceives and make it do his wish. I think these
> definitions are quite good and if we follow them , Rambam in MN 3:51
> clearly
> accepts this spiritual awareness. It is what he sees in shir hasirim any
> Yesheina Velibi Eir. We also see it in Hilchot Teshuvah last Perek, in the
> 4th Perek of Yesodei Hatorah and the 7th of the same legabei nevuah. He
> also
> talks in that chapter 51 about an Avodah post apprehension. Here is where
> there is room for different understandings. Blumenthal sees it as a
> mystical
> experience, knowledge being the 10 tzurot all the way to the Sechel
> Hapoel,
> and when the person grasps them and becomes aware through them it is
> hierarchical and mystical. Rav Kafih as we can glean from his notes is
> careful to translate in a way that this is not read into it. I believe
> that
> what Rambam refers to as the Avodah after knowledge is what he describes
> at
> the end of MN3:54 where one does Chesed Mishpat and Tzedakah to emulate
> HKBH.
>
> Magic of course does not exist. <snip>
>
> I am currently writing a series of posts on this on my blog and will
> expand
> more there.
>
> Chag Sameach to all.
>
> David Guttmann
>
> If you agree that Believing is Knowing, join me in the search for
> Knowledge
> at http://yediah.blogspot.com/
>
> Ve'izen vechiker (Kohelet 12:9) subscribe to Hakirah at www.hakirah.org


Yishar Kochehca or Hazak uvaruch -as the case may be.

Background: I personally don't define mysticism as including a particular
path to God.  My broad defintion of general mysticism is "Seeking to Bridge
the Gap between the Human and the Divine."  [i.e. Devikus or Gnosis].  This
is when we transcend the materail barriers in attemp to commune with God on
a higher plane.

While Rambam's higher metaphysical plane is - aiui - essentially
intellectual over emotional, he nevertheless DOES advocate a bridging of
that gap by demanding that we KNOW God - which is after all the Kafich
emendation to the earlier translation of BELIEVING in God.  Knowing God is
of course not Carnal - it is spirital/intellecutal and is  equivalent- aisi
- to Gnosis.

While the Rambam may have rejected most mystical schools, and he certainly
rejected the magical aspects of mystical schools, I think the Rambam
exhibited a strong Mystical bent - just not one that fits the conventional
mold of what WE term msyticism. His mysticim or GNOSIS was probably  the
traditional mysticism of Shir Hashirim and the Nevi'im to commune with God
through self-elevation, and mastery of Wisdom, Love of God, etc.

-- 
Gmar Tov
Best Wishes for 5768,
RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
Please Visit:
http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
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