[Avodah] The Stars and the Heavenly Orbits Enjoy Pleasure

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Feb 29, 2012 at 05:04:23PM -0500, Prof. Levine wrote:
> I have to admit that I was unaware until I read this that the RAMBAM  
> held that the heavenly bodies are conscious beings.
>
> Can anyone enlighten me regarding what is the basis for his holding this 
> belief?   YL

The spheres aren't the sun, moon, planets and stars themselves, but
transparent spheres in which they are embedded. The spheres spin,
thus causing the circular motions of the objects we see. (Yesodei haTorah
3:1-4, 3:5 is about the multiplicity of galgalim requires to explain
epicycles -- why the planets don't move in our sky in neat circles.)

I have mentioned this here in the past. I believe his source is
Aristotle's De Anima.

In the everyday world, where there is always air drag and other
forms of friction, we don't experience Newton's law of Conservation
of Momentum. Instead, Aristo formulated this notion that an intellect
imparts impetus to an objects, which then is in motion until it runs
out of impetus.

Since the spheres move eternally, there must be associated intellect
continually imparting new impetus.

The Rambam, in line with many Neo-Platonists, places the mal'akhim and
galgalim as links in a chain of intellects from the One Divine Thought
down to us. (This is what Yesodei haTorah 2-4 is all about. Pereq 2-
mal'akhim, 3- galgalim and astronomy, 4- physics below the sphere of
the moon.) IOW, Hashem had a thought, which had thoughts ... that are
the Chayos haQodesh which had thoughts that are the Ophanim ... which
had thoughts that are the Ishim whose thoughts are embodied as the
galgalim, and then physical objects made of the four elements.

The human intellect can raise its percpetion up this chain, which then
allows more Divine Influence to reach it -- Hashgachah Peratis, and
allows for nevu'ah.

-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "'When Adar enters, we increase our joy'
micha at aishdas.org         'Joy is nothing but Torah.'
http://www.aishdas.org    'And whoever does more, he is praiseworthy.'"
Fax: (270) 514-1507                     - Rav Dovid Lifshitz zt"l