[Avodah] Is a Teisch or Kumsitz Religiously Significant?

[Micha Berger]

On Tue, Nov 09, 2021 at 06:22:26PM +0200, Simon Montagu via Avodah wrote:
> Hilchot Teshuva 10:5 (3 in the printed editions) seems to contradict this
> https://mechon-mamre.org/i/1510.htm#5 and the Rambam's language in the
> halacha you quoted, as well as the proof text "Sam'a nafshi..." which you
> didn't quote, also seem to be on a much more emotional level than thirst
> for knowledge....

Does it? Start one halakhah earlier. Ahavah is tied to following the
emes because it is emes. So it seems his passion that you're citing
is indeed an emotional one -- but only expressed in terms of knowledge
*about* G-d. And indeed the Rambam continues in the halakhah after
with a definition of Torah lishmah.

> Also, I'm not sure if it's accurate to describe the Rambam's derech as
> "Aristotelian". Certainly Aristotle is part of the Rambam's intellectual
> atmosphere (or the version of Aristotle filtered through Arabic authors),
> but I wouldn't call him a defining influence...

There are two ways to use the term. I didn't mean he followed
shitas Aristo on everything. But he uses Aristo to frame the whole
discussion. Tzurah vechomer (hylomorphism), the definition of knowledge
as internalization of form (c.f. "information") which leads to the idea
of unity of Knower and Known, the role of intellect in causality and
thus the Rambam's angelology (as well as nidon didan)...

> a subject to get into here and I don't know enough about either one or
> lehavdil the other.

Would the Rambam have agreed to the "lehavdil"?

(In any case, if you don't have the time, you don't have the time. But
the list volume hasn't been overwhelming lately. So the venue isn't a
problem.)

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 It is our choices...that show what we truly are,
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   far more than our abilities.
Author: Widen Your Tent                              - J. K. Rowling
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF