[Avodah] AN INSTANCE OF THE 7th KIND OF CONTRADICTION IN THE MOREH NEVUCHIM

H Lampel zvilampel at gmail.com
Wed Jul 4 07:47:41 PDT 2018




>
>
> On 4 July 2018 at 04:17, H Lampel via Avodah <avodah at lists.aishdas.org 
> <mailto:avodah at lists.aishdas.org>> wrote:
>
>     The Rambam built the case that accepting Aristotle's version of an
>     eternal universe would topple the message of the Torah, repeatedly
>     describing Creation ex nihilo a y'sod of the Torah, denial of
>     which he declared heretical.
>
>
>
> No, the Rambam said pretty much the opposite, that the theory of an 
> eternal world could fit into yahadus al pi sevara, but as we have the 
> Torah attesting to creation ex nihilo, then that is what happened and 
> that is what we believe.

You're thinking of what he said about Plato's version of an eternal 
universe, wherein Hashem was always eternally generating the material 
from which He finally formed the universe.

> If, however, we accepted the Eternity of the Universe in accordance 
> with the second of the theories which we have expounded above (ch. 
> xxiii.), and assumed, with Plato, that the heavens are likewise 
> transient, we should not be in opposition to the fundamental 
> principles of our religion: this theory would not imply the rejection 
> of miracles, but, on the contrary, would admit them as possible. The 
> Scriptural text might have been explained accordingly, and many 
> expressions might have been found in the Bible and in other writings 
> that would confirm and support this theory. But there is no necessity 
> for this expedient, so long as the theory has not been proved. As 
> there is no proof sufficient to convince us, this theory need not be 
> taken into consideration, nor the other one: we take the text of the 
> Bible literally, and say that it teaches us a truth which we cannot 
> prove: and the miracles are evidence for the correctness of our view. 


  As far as Aristotle's version, that Hashem was always necessarily 
eternally generating the fully formed universe, based on His inability 
to change His Mind, which obviates the possibilities of miracles and 
reward and punishment...

> If, on the other hand, Aristotle had a proof for his theory, the whole 
> teaching of Scripture would be rejected, and we should be forced to 
> other opinions.

Zvi Lampel

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