Maimonides: The Laws and Basic Principles of the Torah
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THE LAWS OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE TORAH
These chapters discuss the following six positive commandments and four
negative commandments:
1) To recognise God.
2) Not even to speculate that there might be a god other than God.
3) To unify God.
4) To love God.
5) To have fear of God.
6) To sanctify God's Name.
7) Not to desecrate God's Name.
8) Not to destroy things on which God's Name is written.
9) To listen to a prophet who speaks in God's Name.
10) Not to test God.
CHAPTER ONE
This chapter explains that God, Lord of the universe and Master of the
world, existed before anything else did, that He has no body, and that there
is none other beside Him.
1) It is the most basic of basic principles and a support for wisdom to
know that there is something [namely God] that existed before anything else
did and that He created everything that there is. Everything in the skies, on
the ground and in between exists only because of the fact that He created
them.
2) Let it be known that if the Creator did not exist then nothing else
would, for nothing can exist independently of the Creator.
3) Let it further be known that if everything ceased to exist, the Creator
alone would exist and would not have ceased to exist like everything else
had. All things in creation are dependant upon the Creator for their
continued existence, but He does not need any of them [for His continued
existence]. Therefore, the reality of His existence is not like the reality of
the existence of any creation.
4) One of the Prophets said, "But the Lord is the true God", meaning
that only God is everlasting and that nothing else is. This is what the Torah
has said: "There is none else beside Him", namely, that there is nothing in
existence that is everlasting, except for God.
5) The Creator is the God of the world and Master of the Earth, and He
guides the [uppermost] sphere with a power that is never-ending,
never-weakening and continuous. This sphere rotates perpetually, and it is
impossible for it to rotate without being guided. It is God who guides it,
even though that He has no hand or body.
6) It is a positive commandment to know these matters, for it is written,
"I am the Lord your God". Anyone who even speculates that there might
be a god other than the Lord is transgressing a negative commandment, for
it is written, "You shall have no other gods besides Me". Anyone who
denies this principle is [in effect] denying everything, for it is on this
important principle that everything depends.
7) God is not two or more entities, but a single entity of a oneness even
more single and unique than any single thing in creation. His oneness is not
like that of a single type which consists of many individuals [like the
oneness of a species], and nor is it like the oneness of the body, which
incorporates many parts, but His oneness is absolutely unique, and there is
nothing else in existence with a oneness like His. Had God been more than
a single entity, then all of them would have physical bodies, for entities
equal in existence differ only in bodily matters. If the Creator did have a
body He would have had weaknesses and an end, for it is impossible for a
physical body that has no end to exist. The strength of something that has
weaknesses and an end also has an end, and a limit. The strength of our
God is not like the strength of the body, for it has no end or pause, and
perpetually guides the sphere. Since He has no body He has no bodily
appearance, and cannot be sub-divided into different parts - therefore, it is
impossible for Him to be anything other than one. It is a positive
commandment to know this, for it is written, "...the Lord is our God, the
Lord is one".
8) It has been stated in Scripture that God has no physical form, as it
is written, "...that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath:
there is none other". A physical body cannot be in two places at once. It
is also written, "...for you saw no manner of form", and, "To whom then
will you compare Me, that I should be his equal?" - had God had a body
it would have been similar to other bodies.
9) If so, what does the Torah mean when it says things like, "under His
feet" (Exodus 31:18), "written with the finger of God" (ibid), "the hand of
the Lord" (Exodus 9:3), "the eyes of the Lord" (Genesis 38:7), "the ears of
the Lord" (Numbers 11:1), et cetera? These phrases are in line with the
level of understanding of people, who can only comprehend physical
existence, and the Torah speaks in terms that we can understand. All
examples of this nature are merely attributory. For example, when it
says, "If I whet My glittering sword" - does God really have a sword and
does He really kill with one?! Such phrases are figurative. Evidence for
this is that one Prophet saw God as wearing garments as white as snow,
whereas another Prophet saw God as wearing crimsoned garments from
Bozrah. Moses our Teacher himself saw, at the time of the splitting of
the Red Sea, God as a war-waging warrior, but at Sinai as a cantor to show
him the order of prayer. This shows that God has no form or shape
[because He appears different to different people]. God's appearance varies
according to each prophetic vision and what it contains. It is beyond Man's
intellect to investigate or comprehend [the nature of] God's existence, as it
is written, "Can you find out the deep things of God? Can you find out the
purpose of the Almighty?".
10) What motive did Moses have to comprehend [God] as it is written,
"I beg of You, show me Your glory"? Just as one can recognise a
particular person's appearance and know him to be different from other
people, so Moses wanted to recognise God's existence and to be able to
differentiate from everything else. God replied to Moses that is beyond the
strengths of a living man, whose body and soul are as one, to understand the
nature of His existence. God then made to Moses things which no man
before or since had known so that Moses comprehended - that God is
different in intellect from other things in existence, just as a particular
person is different in dress and intellect from all other people. Scripture
hinted at this matter by saying, "...and you shall see My back, but My face
shall not be seen".
11) Once it is known that God has no physical body it will become clear
that He doesn't experience any bodily sensations either, sensations such as
formation, decomposition, occupying a physical space or size, rising or
falling [in standard], a left or right side, a need to stand or sit, et cetera.
God does not exist in Time, so He has no beginning or end. God also does
not change, for there is nothing that can induce a change in Him. God
cannot die, and does not live as life is known. God also has no stupidity or
wisdom as we know them, does not sleep or wake up, and does not
experience anger, merriment, joy, sadness, silence or speech as we know
them. The Sages said, `God does not have a need to sit, a rival, a back or
weariness".
12) Since matters concerning bodily experience are such, then all words
connected to this mentioned in the Torah and by the Prophets are all
exemplary and figures of speech. Examples of this are: "He who sits in the
heavens laughs", "...that they provoked Me to anger", "...that as the Lord
rejoiced", et cetera. The Sages said that the Torah is phrased in out terms.
In Jeremiah 7:9 it says, "Do they provoke Me to anger?", whereas in
Malachi 3:6 it says, "For I am the Lord, I do not change". If God [really]
was sometimes angry and sometimes joyful, then He would be changing.
Such characteristics are found only in the dark and gloomy [existence of
having a] body, which lives in huts of mud and which was created from
dust, but God is higher and raised above all this.
CHAPTER TWO
This chapter explains that it is a commandment to love God, that all
creations consist of three parts, and starts the discussion of mystical and
esoteric speculation.
1) It is a commandment to love and fear the venerable and feared
Almighty, for it is written, "And you shall love the Lord your God", and
it is also written, "You shall fear the Lord your God".
2) What is the way to love and fear God? Whenever one contemplates
the great wonders of God's works and creations, and one sees that they are
a product of a wisdom that has no bounds or limits, one will immediately
love, laud and glorify [God] with an immense passion to know the Great
Name, like David has said, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God".
When one thinks about these matters one will feel a great fear and
trepidation, and one will know that one is a low and insignificant creation,
with hardly an iota of intelligence compared to that of God, like David has
said, "When I observe Your heavens, the work of Your fingers...what is
man, that You are heedful of him?". Bearing these things in mind, I shall
explain important concepts of the Creator's work, as a guide to
understanding and loving God. Concerning this love the Sages said that
from it will come to know God.
3) Everything that God created in His world can be placed in one of
three classifications. Firstly, there are those creations, such as the
bodies of men and animals, plants and the molten images, which have a
shape and form which always exist and can be spoiled. Secondly, there are
those creations which have a shape and form which does not vary from body
to body or in appearance, like those in the first category do, but their shape
is fixed by their form and can never change. These are the spheres and the
stars contained therein. Their form and shape are like none other. Thirdly,
there are those creations which have a form but no shape. These are the
angels, which have no bodies, but whose form vary from angel to angel.
4) If so, what did the Prophets mean when they said that they saw
angels of fire with wings? This is owing to the riddles of prophetic vision,
for angels [in reality] have no bodies and are not affected by physical
limitations, for it is written, "For the Lord your God is a consuming fire".
This fire is merely analogous, as it is written, "...who makes the wings His
messengers".
5) In what, therefore, are these forms different if they no bodies? They
are not equal in their existence, some being below others and owing their
existence to those above them, and all of them owe their existence to the
power of God and to His goodness. Solomon in his wisdom hinted at this
by saying, "...for there is a High One that watches over him that is high".
6) The phrase `some being below others' does not refer to positions in
physical height, but just as one person can be more learned than another and
we say that he is `above' the other, and just as says that one set of
circumstances is `above' another, so is the meaning of this phrase.
7) Each level of angel has a different name. The highest level consists
of the Holy Chayot, then come the Ophanim, the Erelim, the Chashmalim,
the Seraphim, the Malachim, the Elohim, the Cheruvim and the Ishim. The
highest level is that of the Holy Chayot and there is none other above it,
except that of God. Therefore, in the Prophecies, it is said that they are
underneath God's throne. The tenth level consists of the Ishim, who are the
angel who speak with the Prophets and appear to them in prophetic visions.
They are therefore called Ishim - `men' - for the reason that their level is
closest to that of the intellect of Man.
8) All these forms live and know their Creator exceedingly well; each
form according to its level and not according to its size. Even those on the
topmost level cannot comprehend the reality of [the existence of] God for
the reason that their intellect is insufficient for them to do so, but they
understand and comprehend better than those on the levels below theirs do.
Even those on the tenth level have some understanding of God, but it is
beyond the capabilities of Man, who comprises both form and shape, to
understand as well as those on the tenth level do. None know God the way
He Himself does.
9) All things that exist, with the exception of God, from the Holy
Chayot down to the smallest mosquito that lives in the mud, do so on
account of God's might. Since God knows His own self and recognises His
own greatness, glory and reality, He knows everything, and there is nothing
that is hidden from Him.
10) God recognises His own reality and knows it as it is, but not with an
external intellect in the way that we know things, since us and our intellect
are not one. God, His intellect and His life, however, are one, in all
manners of oneness. It would transpire that he is simultaneously the One
that knows, the One that is known and the knowing itself, all as one. This
subject cannot be spoken or heard, and it is beyond Man's understanding to
recognise his Creator. Therefore, it is written, "By the life of Pharaoh",
"As your soul lives" [but], "As the Lord lives"10, and not, "By the life of
the Lord" - for the Creator and His life are not two, like physical life or the
life of the angels. Therefore, God does not know the creations because of
their own existence, but knows them of His own accord. Therefore, He
knows everything, for everything relies on Him for continued existence.
11) What's been said in these two chapters is like a drop on the ocean
compared to what has to be said to [fully] explain it. The explanations of
the concepts in these two chapters is mystical and esoteric speculation.
12) The first Sages commanded us not to discuss these topics with more
than one person and that person should be exceedingly wise. When
teaching someone these topics, one teaches him first what is contained in the
beginning of these chapters in small quantities, and he should be able to
deduce further details on his own. These matters are extremely deep in
nature, and not everyone can understand them. Solomon in his wisdom
said, "Lambs shall provide Your clothing". In explaining this parable, the
Sages said that those things that are His dominion over the world will be His
clothing, namely, His and only His, and not for the many. On this it has
been said, "Let them be only Your own, and not strangers' with You", and
it has also been said, "Honey and milk are under your tongue". The first
Sages said that anything that is like milk and honey should be under one's
tongue.
CHAPTER THREE
This chapter names the spheres and discusses their physics, and also
discusses the nature and physics of the four elements.
1) Those things which are called heaven, firmament, Zevul and Aravot
are spheres, and there are nine spheres altogether. The sphere nearest to us
is that of the moon. The second nearest is that which contains the planet
Mercury, followed by the sphere containing the planet Venus, the sphere of
the sun, the sphere containing the planet Mars, the sphere containing the
planet Jupiter, the sphere containing the planet Saturn, and the sphere
containing all the other stars which are visible in the firmament. The ninth
sphere is that which moves from east to west every day, and which encloses
and encircles everything. All the stars appear to be in the same sphere, even
though the spheres are layered, for the reason that the spheres are pure and
transparent like glass or sapphire, so that, for example, the stars in the
eighth sphere [will] appear to be under the first sphere.
2) Each and every of the eight spheres which contain the stars is split
up into many [sub-] spheres, like the skin of an onion. Some of these
[sub-spheres] rotate from west to east, and some, like the ninth sphere, rotate
from east to west. There is no free space between the sub-spheres.
3) None of the spheres is light or heavy, and none of them has a colour.
What we see as blue [in the sky] is merely an illusion, caused by the height
involved. Similarly, the spheres have no smell or taste, for these properties
are found only in the physical bodies beneath the spheres.
4) All these spheres that surround the world are spherical like a ball
[and concentric], with the world suspended at the centre. Some of the stars
have small spheres around them; these small spheres do not surround the
world, but they are non-surrounding small spheres contained within the
larger surrounding sphere.
5) The number of spheres that surround the world is eighteen, whereas
there are only eight non-surrounding small spheres. From the movement of
the stars and from knowing their rate of progress each day and hour, and
from their inclination from the equator, and from their distance from the
Earth, the number of spheres and the way they move and surround [the
world] can be deduced. Such calculations are the key calculations to
working out the seasons and the [positions of the] Zodiac signs. The wise
people of [Ancient] Greece wrote many books on this subject.
6) The early Sages divided the ninth sphere, which surrounds
everything, into twelve parts. Each part was given a name appropriate to the
pattern of stars it contains. The names of the Zodiac symbols are: Aries,
Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Saggitarius, Capricorn,
Aquarius and Pisces.
7) The ninth sphere has no divisions, or a form of one of the forms
described above, or any stars, but with being in contact with the stars of the
eighth sphere and the big stars contained therein, it appears to have these
forms, or some form close to them. These twelve forms [of the Zodiac]
were in conjunction with the appropriate divisions, but after the Flood, when
they were named, they shifted slightly. All the stars in the eighth sphere
rotate in the same way that the sun and the moon do, but slower; the
distance that sun covers in one day will take these stars [of the eighth
sphere] seventy years to cover.
8) Of the visible stars, there are some smaller than the Earth, and there
are some considerably bigger than the Earth. The Earth is approximately 40
times bigger than the moon, and the sun is approximately 170 times bigger
than the Earth, so the moon is approximately 6800 times smaller than the
sun. No star is bigger than the sun, and none is smaller then Mercury,
which is in the second sphere.
9) All the stars and spheres possess souls, intellect and understanding,
and they are alive, exist and recognise their Creator. Like the angels, all of
them praise and laud their Creator, and do so according to their importance
and level. Just as they recognise God so do they recognise themselves and
the angels who are above them. The intellect of the stars and spheres is less
than that of the angels, but greater than that of men.
10) The Almighty created a shape which is unlike that of the spheres
[themselves] beneath the lunar sphere. This shape has four forms, which
[also] aren't like the forms of the spheres. Each of these forms possesses
some of this shape. The first form is that of fire, and combines with this
shape to form the body of fire. The second form is that of wind, and
combines with this shape to form the body of wind. The third form is that
of water, and combines with this shape to form the body of water. The
fourth form is that of earth, and combines with this shape to form the body
of earth. It transpires that there are four bodies under the firmament, one
above the other, and each body surrounds that beneath it from all sides, like
a ball. The first body nearest the moon is that of fire, followed by the wind,
the water and the earth. There is absolutely no free space between these
bodies at all.
11) These four bodies do not possess souls, and do not know or recognise
God, but they are like non-living matter. Each body has its own nature,
which it does not know or understand, and cannot change. David said,
"Praise the Lord from the earth, O monsters, and all deeps: fire, and hail,
snow and vapours", meaning that those that are found on the earth should
praise the Lord for His might that is visible in the fire and hail and in
all the other creations beneath the firmament, just as their might is always
recognised.
CHAPTER FOUR
This chapter explains that all creations are made from the four elements,
discusses the form of the soul, and the difference between mystical and
esoterical speculation and the Action of Creation.
1) These four elements - fire, wind, water and earth - are the
foundations of all the creations under the heavens. The shape of all things,
such as Man, animals, birds, fish, metals, precious stones, pearls, building
materials, plants, mountains, clods of earth, et cetera, is founded on these
four elements. It transpires that all bodies under the heavens, except for
these four elements, consist of a combined form and shape, the shape of
which consists of the four elements, but each of the four elements consists
of just a combined shape and form.
2) The fire and wind follow an upward vector from the centre of the
world towards the sky, whereas the water and earth follow a downward
vector from the sky to the centre, for the centre of the sky is the lowest
point beneath which there is none lower. Their passage in this manner is
without their knowledge or will, but is their in-built tendency and nature.
The nature of the fire is that it is hot and dry, and is the lightest of
all the elements. The wind is hot and humid, and the water is cold and wet.
The earth is dry and cold, and is the heaviest of all the elements. The water
is lighter than the earth, and is therefore found above the earth. The wind
is lighter than the water, which is why it hovers above the water, and the
fire is lighter than the wind. Since they are the foundations of all bodies
under the firmament, it is found that each and every body, be it man or
animal, beast or bird, fish or plant, metal or stone, et cetera, has its shape
formed out of fire, wind, water and earth. The four elements are mixed
together [in forming a body] and change in the process, so that the body
formed by the mixture does not represent any single element. No part at all
in this mixture will be found to be one of the four elements in its pure form,
because they all changed and turned into a different body. Each and every
body made out of these four elements will possess the properties of heat,
cold, wetness and dryness. Some bodies, such as the bodies of living
creatures, however, will contain a greater proportion of fire, which is why
they are warm. Some bodies, such as stones, will contain a greater
proportion of earth, so they are very dry. Some bodies will contain a greater
proportion of water, so they will be the wettest [of all bodies]. In this
manner, one will find one warm body hotter than another warm body, and
one dry body drier than another dry body. Similarly, one will find bodies
which are exceedingly cold, bodies which are exceedingly wet, or bodies
which contain equal proportions of the elements. The element in the
majority will be the one that will give the resultant body its [most
noticeable] characteristics.
3) Anything made from these four elements will eventually be divided
up again into them. Some are divided up after only a few days [following
their formation], while others are divided up after many years. It is
impossible for anything made from these elements not to be divided up.
Even gold and rubies will be divided up. Upon division of a body, its
elemental constituents return to their appropriate places.
4) If bodies are divided up into the four elements, why does it say about
Man, "...and to dust you shall return"? This is because Man is composed
mainly of the earth element. When a body divides up, its elemental
constituents do not immediately return to their appropriate places, but turn
into something else, which turns into another thing, and so on, but the
elemental constituents eventually do return to their appropriate places. The
elements return to [and leave] their appropriate places in a never-ending
cycle.
5) The four elements are perpetually exchanging material every day and
at all hours. What does this mean? Some of the earth which is nearest to
the water changes and crumbles, and turns into water. Similarly, some of
the water which is nearest to the wind changes and melts, and turns into
wind. Likewise, some of the wind nearest the fire changes and turns into
fire. Some of the fire nearest the wind turns into wind. Some of the wind
nearest the water turns into water. Some of the water nearest the earth turns
into earth. This process is long and slow. An element cannot change in its
entirety into some other element, for it is impossible for one of the four
elements to completely cease to exist, but can exchange material with one
of the other elements. There is this exchange of material between each
element and its neighbour in a never-ending cycle.
6) This process of change takes place because of the rotation of the
spheres, as does fusion of the four elements to form the bodies of Man,
living creatures, plants, stone, metal, et cetera. God, with the aid of the
tenth type of angel, the Ishim, gave an appropriate shape to each body.
7) One will never see a shape without form, or a form without shape.
It is because of a man's wisdom that he knows that a given body has a
shape and a form, and that its shape consists of [material from] the four
elements, and that there are bodies whose shapes are simple and have just
a single constituent. The forms which have no shape are not visible to the
eye, but are known by the power of intellect, just as we know God without
seeing Him with our eyes.
8) The soul of a living creature is the form given to it by God [to
differentiate it from plants], and the extra intellect found in a man's soul
is the form of a man as he understands it. Concerning this form the Torah
says, "Let us make Mankind in our image, after our likeness"; that is to
say that Man will have a form that is capable of understanding [the concepts
of] intellects without a shape, such as angels, who have a form but no shape,
so that he will be similar to them. The words, "our image" do not refer to
the form visible to the eye, namely the form which consists of a mouth,
nose, jaw and other parts of the body, for this form is called the
countenance. It is not [necessarily] a soul which is found in all living
creatures that eat, drink, give birth, feel and think, but the intellect, which
is in the form of the [essential] soul, concerning which Scripture said, "...in
our image, after our likeness"4. This form is very often called the soul and
breath. One has to very careful with these names so as not to make a
mistake. Each and every name is self-explanatory.
9) This form of life is not made from the elements [just] to be able to
get away from them, and is not created with the strength of or for the needs
of the soul, as if the soul needs the body, but is created by God, and is from
Heaven. Therefore, when a shape which is composed of the four elements
divides up, the soul is `lost', because the soul is found only with a body and
needs a body for all its actions, but knows and understands the knowledge
which is distinct from the shapes, and knows God, and remains in existence
for ever. Solomon, in his wisdom, said, "And the dust returns to the earth
as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it".
10) These matters have been discussed very briefly here, and are deep
matters, but not as deep as those discussed in the first two chapters. The
matters discussed in the first two chapters are those of the Action of
Creation. The first Sages commanded us not to discuss these matters in
public either, but with a single person one may talk about them, and one
may teach them to a single person.
11) What is the difference between mystical and esoterical speculation
and these matters? The former is never discussed with even a single person,
unless that person is a wise and understanding person, and even then one
doesn't discuss it too deeply. The Action of Creation may be discussed with
any single person, even if his intellect is such that he won't understand it,
and one may tell him as much as he is capable of understanding. These
matters are not discussed amongst many people, for the reason that not
everybody is of an intellectual level which will enable them to understand
these matters.
12) Whenever a man contemplates these matters and recognises the
creations - angels, spheres, Man, et cetera - and sees God's wisdom in all
the formations and creations, his love for God will increase, find his soul,
and his very essence will yearn to love God. Furthermore, he will fear his
baseness, meagerity and lightness when he compares himself to one of the
great and holy forms which have no shape and are not elemental [namely,
the angels], and he will see himself as an empty and superfluous vessel, full
of shame and disgrace.
13) These four chapters have discussed the first five commandments [in
the list at the beginning of these Laws], and are what the first Sages called
esoterical philosophy, as it is written, "Four people went to study esoterical
philosophy, et cetera". Even though those four people were giants of
Israel and very great sages, not all of them had the capability to understand
and comprehend these matters. I say that it is not fitting to study esoterical
philosophy unless one has first studied what is metaphorically called `bread
and meat', which is the study of what is permitted, what is forbidden, and
other commandments. These matters were called small matters by the
Sages, as they have said, "Mystical and esoterical speculation is a big matter,
whereas the [still applicable] debates of Abbayeh and Ravah are small
matters". Nevertheless, it is still fitting to study other commandments
first, because they settle a man's mind. Furthermore, they are the great good
which God gave to this world, by which we can inherit life in the World To
Come. It is possible for everyone - adults, children, men, women, those
who are narrow-minded and those who are not - to know these matters.
CHAPTER FIVE
This chapter explains that all Jews are commanded to sanctify God's Name,
when to transgress when under a death a threat and when to die, and defines
a what constitutes a desecration of God's Name.
1) Every Jew [including women] is commanded to sanctify God's
Name, for it is written, "...but I will be hallowed among the children of
Israel". We are warned not to desecrate God's Name, as it is written,
"Nor shall you desecrate My holy Name"1. What does this mean? If, for
example, a gentile forces a Jew to commit a sin by threatening to kill him
if he doesn't, then he should commit the sin in order not to be killed, for
concerning this commandment it is written, "...which if a man does he shall
live by them" - and not die for them. If he allowed himself to be killed
by not committing the sin, then he is liable as a suicide [in the World To
Come].
2) This is talking about any sin other than idolatry, adultery and murder,
for if a gentile told one to commit one of these sins or else he will kill one,
one has to allow oneself to be killed by not committing the sin. This
difference [between these three commandments and the others] is applicable
only when the gentile intends to receive benefit for himself, by, for example,
forcing a Jew to build a house for him on the Sabbath, or cook him a meal
on the Sabbath, or by forcing a Jewess to have intercourse with him, but if
he just wanted the Jew to sin, then the following applies: If there were no,
or fewer than ten, Jews present, then he may save his life by sinning, but if
there were ten, or more, Jews present, then he has to allow himself to be
killed by not sinning, even if the sin involved is not one of the three
mentioned above but is one of the other commandments.
3) These matters do not apply during a time of non-persecution, but at
a time of persecution, such as when a wicked king such as Nebuchadnezzar
arises and decrees against the Jews that they should forego their religion or
one of the commandments, then one may not sin and one should allow
oneself to be killed, even if the decree concerns a commandment other than
the three mentioned above, and whether one is forced into sinning in the
presence of ten, or more, Jews, or not.
4) Anyone who says that he will sin and so not be killed but [in the
end] was killed without having sinned is liable as a suicide. Anybody who
says that he will not sin and will allow himself to be killed, and is killed
without sinning, is sanctifying God's Name. If this happened in the
presence of ten, or more, Jews, then it is a public sanctification, like what
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah and Rabbi Akivah and his colleagues
did. These are people who were persecuted by a kingdom and above whose
level there isn't one, and about them it is written, "But for Your sake we are
killed all the day long; we are considered as sheep for the slaughter", and
it is also written about them, "Gather My pious ones together to Me; those
that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice". Anybody who is told
to sin, but is not threatened with death if he doesn't, and he does sin, then
has desecrated God's Name. If this was in the presence of ten, or more,
Jews, then it is a public desecration, and he has abrogated the positive
commandment to sanctify God's Name by transgressing the negative
commandment not to desecrate it. Even so, he is not liable to flogging, for
the reason that the situation was forced on him. It need not be said that he
is not executed by a Court of Law even if he was forced to commit murder,
for the reason that flogging and execution are only for people who [of their
own accord] willingly sin in the presence of witnesses who warned him, for
concerning one who gives of his children to Molech it is written, "Then I
will set My face against that man". According to tradition, we have learnt
that the word "that" comes to exclude those people who are forced to sin,
or who do so inadvertently or accidentally. Since one who is forced to
commit idolatry, the worst sin of all, is not liable to karet, and it need not
be said that he is not executed by a Court of Law either, then how much
more so this rule applies to the other commandments of the Torah.
Concerning adultery it is written, "...but you shall do nothing to the girl".
{If, however, one could have saved oneself by running away from the
[jurisdiction of the] wicked king but one didn't, then one is like a dog who
returns to its vomit, and one receives the status of a wilful sinner [with
respect to idolatry], and one will be banished from the World To Come and
descend to the depth of Hades.}
5) If a group of gentiles said to a group of [Jewish] women, `Give us
one of you and we will debauch her, or else we will debauch all of you',
then they [may not select a `victim' and] must allow themselves all to be
debauched, and they may not hand over to them even a single Jewish
person. Similarly, if gentiles told a group of Jews to select one of
themselves to be killed or else they will all be killed, then they must all
allow themselves to be killed, and they may not hand over to them even a
single Jewish person. If, however, they singled a person out by saying to
the group, `Give us X to be killed, or else we will kill all of you', then if t
he
person in question is liable to death in the way that Sheba the son of Bichri
was they may hand him over, but this procedure should not, from the
outset, be followed. If, however, the person in question was liable to death
they should all allow themselves to be killed, and they may not hand over
to them even a single Jewish person.
6) What has been said [regarding idolatry, adultery and murder, and
other commandments] concerning situations forced upon one also apply to
ill people. What does this mean? If someone was seriously ill and the
doctors said that the cure involves breaching one of the negative
commandments of the Torah [or any of the other commandments], then he
may breach any of the commandments of the Torah except for idolatry,
adultery and murder, in order to cure himself of a dangerous illness. One
may not transgress any of these three commandments even to cure a
dangerous illness. If one did transgress one of these three commandments
and was cured as a result, then one is liable to the appropriate punishment
in a Court of Law.
7) From where is it known that even in life-threatening situations these
three sins may not be committed? It is written, "You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might" -
this applies even if God is about to take one's soul. Concerning killing one
Jew in order to cure another or to save another from a forced situation;
common sense tells us that we dot kill one person to save another. Adultery
is compared to murder, as it is written, "...for as when a man rises against
his fellow and kills him, so is this matter".
8) When it has been said that commandments other than the three
special ones may be transgressed in order to cure a life-threatening illness,
it may be done only if the ill person receives some [other] benefit from it,
such as if the cure involves eating creeping animals or insects, or chametz
on Pesach, or eating on Yom Kippur, but if the cure does not involve some
[other] benefit, for instance, if the cure involves making a bandage out
of chametz [on Pesach], or from orlah, or he has to drink something bitter
made from something forbidden, then even if the illness is not life-
threatening, one may commit the sin. Vegetables grown together and
meat/milk mixtures, however, are always forbidden, even if their
administration does not involve some [other] benefit. Therefore, they are not
used medicinally, even without involving some [other] benefit, unless the
illness is a life threatening one.
9) If someone had his eyes on a particular woman and then developed
a terminal illness, and the doctors said that he cannot be cured unless he has
intercourse with that woman, then he may not do so and has to die, even if
the woman was unmarried. We do not even allow him to speak to her
through some sort of barrier [which does allow them to see each other], even
if he will die, so that Jewish girls will not be casual about adultery.
10) One who is not in a forced situation and brazenly sins in order to
anger God is desecrating God's Name. Therefore, concerning one who takes
a false oath it is written, "...nor shall you profane the Name of your God; I
am the Lord". If he desecrated God's Name in the presence of ten, or
more, Jews, then he has done so publicly. In a similar vein, anyone who
runs away from sin, and fulfils mitzvot for no reason other than that God
commands it, in the way that Joseph ran away from his master's wife, is
sanctifying God's Name.
11) There are other things which also count as a desecration of God's
Name if a man very knowledgeable in Torah and known as being pious does
them; things which ordinary people do. Even though these things are not
sins, they still count as a desecration of God's Name. Such things include
taking possession of an article and not paying for it immediately, even
though one may have sufficient funds, and one will be messing the sellers
around. Being excessively merry, or eating and drinking a lot amongst
ignoramuses also fall into this category, as does speaking to others in an
unreposed manner and without a pleasant facial expression, but in a
quarellous and angry manner. Similar things also count. Every great sage
has to judge himself, according to his greatness, how to be particular on
himself and to act beyond the letter of the law. Similarly, if a wise person
is particular to receive people in a reposed manner, and involves himself and
receives them with a pleasant expression on his face, and does not hide from
them, then even those people who [had previously] mocked him will now
respect and honour him, and will trust him. He should, however, not partake
of too many meals with ignoramuses, and should always be seen to be
busying himself with Torah, and wrapped in his tsitsit and wearing
his tephillin, and always acting beyond the letter of the law, which involves
not being too withdrawn or bewildered. If he acts in this way, then
everyone will adore and love him, and follow his example. This is a
sanctification of God's Name, and concerning this it is written, "...and said
to me, `You are My servant, Israel, amongst whom I will be glorified".
CHAPTER SIX
This chapter explains that it is forbidden to erase any of the Holy Names,
and states which Names mat be erased.
1) Anyone who erases one of the holy and pure Names by which God
is called is liable to flogging according to the Torah, for concerning idol-
worship it is written, "...and destroy the name of them from that place. This
you shall not do to the Lord your God".
2) The seven Names of God are: the Tetragrammaton, which is written
as either Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey or Aleph-Daled-Nun-Yud [Lord], Aleph-Lamed
[Almighty], Aleph-Lamed-Hey-Yud-Mem [God], Shin-Daled-Yud
[Almighty], Tsadi-Vet-Aleph-Vav-Saf [Hosts] and Aleph-Hey-Yud-Hey
[I am]. Anyone who erases even one letter of any of these Names is liable
to flogging.
3) Any prefixes to any Name, such as a Lamed to form, `to the Lord',
may be erased, because they are not holy. Any suffixes, such as a Chaf to
form, `your God', may not be erased, because they are like the letters of the
Name, which lend holiness to them. Even though these added letters are
holy and may not be erased, anyone who does erase them is not liable to
flogging according to the Torah, but is flogged because because of a
Rabbinical decree.
4) If one wrote the Aleph and Lamed of `Elokim', or the Yud and Hey
of the Tetragrammaton, one may not erase them, and it need not be said that
the Name which is spelt Yud-Hey [Jah] itself may not be erased, firstly
because it is a Name in its own right, and secondly because it is part of the
Tetragrammaton. If, however, one wrote the Shin and Daled of `Shakai', or
the Tsadi and Vet of `Tsvakot', one may erase them.
5) Attributes, such as Merciful and Graceful, with which God is praised
are like miscellaneous holy words, and it is permitted to erase them.
6) Concerning a vessel on which a Name is written; the part on which
the Name is written must be cut out and relegated to the archives [before the
vessel may be used]. Even if the Name was engraved [and not written] in
a metal or glass vessel, then one who melts the vessel is liable to flogging.
To be allowed to use such a vessel one first has to remove that part on
which the Name is engraved and relegate it to the archives. Similarly, if one
had a Name written on one's flesh, one may not wash or apply ointments or
creams [on that place], and one may not stand in a place which is soiled
with excrement. If, for whatever reason by way of a mitzvah, one has to
immerse oneself in a ritual bath, one must cover the place on which the
Name is written with something that is waterproof before immersing oneself.
If one could not find something that is waterproof, one should wrap a
garment round [that part of one's skin] without sticking it, so that it won't
act as a barrier between one's skin and the water. The only reason he has
to wrap up the Name [in the first place] is that it is forbidden to stand naked
in the presence of God's Name.
7) Anyone who removes, by way of destruction, even one stone from
the Altar, the Holy Hall or any other part of the Temple Courtyard is liable
to flogging, for concerning idol-worship it is written, "And you shall
overthrow their altars...This you shall not do to the Lord your God".
Similarly, anyone who, for destructive purposes, burns any sanctified wood
is liable to flogging, for it is written, "...and burn their asherim with
fire...This you shall not do to the Lord your God"2.
8) It is forbidden to burn any holy writings, or any translations of or
commentaries on them. It is also forbidden to tear them up, any anyone
who does so is flogged because of a Rabbinical decree. This is talking
about holy writings written by a Jew in holiness, but if a Jewish heretic
wrote a Sefer Torah, it must be burned along with the Names therein, for the
reason that the heretic does not believe in the holiness of the Names, and
does not write them with the correct intention , but treats them as ordinary
literature. Since his attitudes are such his writings of [any of] God's Names
are not holy, and it is a mitzvah to burn them, so as not to give any credence
to heretics or to their actions. Any Names written by a gentile, however, are
relegated to the archives, as are any holy writings which have become worn
out or which were written by a gentile.
9) Any Names mentioned in connection with Abraham are holy. Even
where it says, "...and said, `My Lord, if now I have found favour in Your
eyes'", the Name there is holy. All Names mentioned in connection with
Lot are not holy, with this exception: "And Lot said to them, `Oh, not so,
my Lord: behold, your servant has found favour in your eyes...in saving my
life". All the Names mentioned at the hills of Benjamin are holy. The
Names mentioned with Michah are not holy. All the Names mentioned in
connection with Navot are holy. All that Solomon wrote in the Song of
Songs is holy and has the same status as the other Attributes, with this
exception: "You, O Solomon, may have the thousand". Any mention of
any king in the book of Daniel is not holy, with the exception of, "You, O
king, king of kings", which has the status of other Attributes.
CHAPTER SEVEN
This chapter discusses prophecy and who warrants it, and explains the
difference between the prophecy of Moses and that of the other Prophets.
1) One of the bases of religion is to know that God visits people in
prophetic visions, which come only to exceedingly wise people of
outstanding characteristics, whose inclinations never lead them to earthly
matters but who always conquer their inclinations, and who are of correct
temperaments. A person who fulfils these criteria, and is of perfect health,
will, when studying esoterical philosophy and is attracted by those elevated
issues and is of an appropriate temperament to understand and comprehend
them , and sanctifies himself by moving away from anybody who concerns
himself with ephemeral matters, and encourages himself not to have any
thoughts about useless matters and its contrivances, have his thoughts
permanently attuned to above, from under God's Throne, to understand the
pure and holy forms, and looks upon the wisdom of God [in Creation] in its
entirety, from the first form [i.e the Holy Chayot] till the centre of the
Earth, and sees in them God's greatness, and then prophecy will immediately
come to him. At the time when prophecy comes to him, his soul will be on
the same level as that of the Ishim angels, and he will become a different
man, and he will realise that he is not [any more] as he was, but will rise
above the level of other wise men, as it is written, "...and you shall prophesy
with him, and shall be turned into another man".
2) There are [many] levels of prophecy - in the same way that one
person can be wiser than another, so can he be more prophetic. Prophetic
insights come only in nocturnal visions in dreams, or by day after falling
asleep, as it is written, "I the Lord make Myself known to him in a vision,
and speak to him in a dream". Whenever one is receiving a prophecy,
one's limbs shake, the strength of one's body weakens, and one's thoughts
become disturbed, leaving one's mind free to understand what one will see,
as it is written in connection with Abraham, "...and, lo, a horror of great
darkness fell upon him", and as it is written in connection with Daniel,
"...for my comely appearance was horribly changed, and I retained no
strength".
3) What is made known to a prophet during prophecy is done so by way
of parable, and he will immediately realise what the parable means. For
instance, when Jacob the Patriarch saw the ladder with angels ascending and
descending it, it was a parable representing monarchy and its subjection.
Similarly, the animals which Ezekiel saw, the boiling pot and almond tree
which Jeremiah saw, and all the other objects seen by the other Prophets
were also parables. Of the Prophets, some, like those mentioned above,
related what they saw in their prophecy and their interpretation of it,
whereas some related just their interpretation. Sometimes they related just
the parables [of the prophecy], like Ezekiel and Zachariah sometimes did.
All of the Prophets prophecised by way of parables and riddles.
4) None of the Prophets receive prophecies whenever they wanted, but
they would attune their thoughts, be happy and of a good heart, and seek
solitude, for prophecy does not come to those who are sad or lazy, but only
to those who are happy. Therefore, the sons of prophets would have before
them harps, drums and flutes, and would seek prophecy, as it is written,
"...and they shall prophesy", that is to say that they will follow the ways
of prophecy until they prophecise, progressing as they go.
5) Those who seek prophecy are called the sons of prophets. Even
though they attune their thoughts, the Divine Presence may, or may not,
inspire them.
6) All the Prophets, from the first to the last, prophecised in these ways,
with the exception of Moses our Teacher, chief of the Prophets. In what
ways did Moses differ from the other Prophets? Firstly, whereas the other
Prophets received their prophecies in a dream or vision, Moses received his
while awake and standing, as it is written, "And when Moses was in the
Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him, et
cetera". Secondly, the other Prophets received their prophecies via an
angel. Therefore, what they saw was by way of parable and riddle. Moses,
on the other hand, did not receive his prophecies via an angel, as it is
written, "With him I speak mouth to mouth", "And the Lord spoke to
Moses face to face", "...and the outward appearance of the Lord does he
behold"7, that is to say that what Moses saw what not by way of parable, but
he saw each prophecy absolutely clearly without any parables or riddles.
The Torah said about him, "...manifestly, and not in dark speeches"7,
showing that when Moses received a prophecy he did not do so by way of
riddles, but did so with clarity, and saw everything absolutely clearly.
Thirdly, the other Prophets were scared [of their prophetic visions] and
would shy away, but Moses wasn't and didn't. Scripture says, "...as a man
speaks with a friend"8 - just as a man is not scared to listen to his friend,
so Moses had the capabilities to understand his prophecies and to stand
unafraid. Fourthly, none of the Prophets prophecised whenever they wanted
to, but whenever God wanted to He would visitate Moses and bestow upon
him prophecy. Moses did not have to attune his thoughts or otherwise
prepare himself, for the reason that he was always prepared and stood like
a ministering angel. Therefore, he would receive prophecies at any time, as
it is written, "Stand still and I will hear what the Lord will command
concerning you". In this God trusted him, as it is written, "Go say to
them, `Return to your tents'. But as for you, stand here by Me, and I will
speak to you, et cetera". From here we see that whenever any of the other
Prophets had finished prophecising they would return to their houses [and
families] and other bodily needs, like everybody else, so they therefore did
not separate themselves from their wives. Moses, on the other hand, did not
return to his home, and separated himself from his wife, and all that
resembled her, for ever. His mind was [always] connected to God, and
God's glory never left him at all; light emanated from his face, and he was
holy like an angel.
7) It is possible for the prophecy of a prophet to be for him alone, to
widen his outlooks and to increase his knowledge so that he will not know
what he [previously] did not know from these great matters. It is also
possible that he has to deliver the prophecy to one of the nations of the
world, or to the people of a [particular] town, or to the citizens of a nation,
[in order] to teach them wisdom, and to let them know what to do, or to
prevent them from doing [again] any bad deeds. When a prophet is sent [by
God] on such a mission, he is given a sign and proof [to present], so that
people will know that God [really] sent him in truth. not everyone who
presents a sign and proof is believed as a prophet, but only those people
who are known to be suitable to receive prophecies on account of their
wisdom and actions, and that they went in the ways of prophecy in its
holiness and exegeses. When such people present a sign and proof and say
that God sent them, it is a commandment to listen to them, for it is written,
"...to him you shall listen". It is possible that although a person presents
a sign and proof he is not a prophet, and the sign could be achieved by other
means; even so, we are commanded to listen to him; because he is a great
and wise man who is suitable to receive prophecy, we assume that his
prophecy is true. In this we have commanded, just as we have been
commanded to decide a verdict according to the testimony of two people
who are eligible to bear testimony [together], even though they may be
lying; since they have always been honest in the past, we assume that they
being honest now as well. About this and similar matters it is written, "The
secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are
revealed belong to use and to our children for ever, that we may do all the
words of the Torah", and it is also written, "...for a man looks on the
outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart".
CHAPTER EIGHT
This chapter discusses the signs that Moses performed and why he
performed them, and that he did not do so to make the people believe in
him.
1) The Children of Israel did not believe in Moses [solely] because of
the signs he presented, for someone who believes [in a prophet solely]
because of the signs he presents is tainted, for it could be that his signs are
performed by means of spells and witchcraft. All the signs that Moses
performed in the wilderness were done so according to the needs of the
moment, and not to bring proof to his prophecies. There was a need to sink
the Egyptians, so Moses split the sea and drowned them in it; the Children
of Israel needed food, so Moses brought down the manna for them; they
needed water, so Moses split the rock for them; Korah and his followers
rebelled, so Moses opened up the ground and they were swallowed up. The
same principle applies with all the other signs. It was the assembly at
Mount Sinai that made them believe in Moses, when our eyes, and no-one
else's, saw, and our ears, and no-one else's, heard, and Moses drew near to
the darkness, and the voice spoke to him, and we heard it saying to Moses,
"Moses, Moses, go tell them such-and-such". In connection with this it is
written, "The Lord talked with you face to face", and it is also written,
"The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even
us". From where is it known that the assembly at Mount Sinai was the
proof that the prophecy of Moses was true and that he was not speaking
basely? It is derived from the verse, "Lo, I come to you in a thick cloud,
that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you for
ever". From this we see that prior to the assembly at Mount Sinai their
belief in Moses was not one that would have lasted for ever, but it was a
belief that left room for discussion and thought.
2) It would transpire that those people to whom a prophet is sent are
witnesses that his prophecy is true, and he need not perform any other sign,
for them and they combine to form one unit with respect to this matter, in
the same way that two people who saw the same thing together combine as
witnesses, for each of them is a witness that the other is speaking the truth,
and need not bring [additional] proof to back him up. So it was with Moses
our Teacher, that all of the Children of Israel were his witnesses after the
assembly at Mount Sinai, and he didn't have to perform for them any signs.
This is what God said to him at the time when his prophecy started, when
He showed him what signs to perform in Egypt: "And they shall listen to
your voice". Moses knew that anyone who believes [solely] because of
signs is tainted and will be doubtful, and expressed a reluctance to go by
saying, "But behold they will not believe me"4. God told him that these
signs will [continue to be performed and] applied only until they had left
Egypt and assembled at Mount Sinai, whereupon any doubt will vanish, and
also assured him that [at Mount Sinai] He will give signs that Moses had
been sent by God in truth from the [very] beginning, and that no doubt will
remain. This is what Scripture says: "...and this shall be a sign to you that
I have sent you; when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall
God upon this mountain". From this we learn that any Prophet that came
after Moses is not believed solely because of his signs to make us think that
if he makes a sign we should listen to everything he says, but [is believed]
because of the commandment of Moses in the Torah: "...to him you shall
listen", if he gives a sign. Just as we have been commanded to decide a
matter according to the testimony of two witnesses, even though we do not
know if his sign is Divine or achieved by spells and witchcraft.
3) Therefore, if a prophet arose and performed great signs and wonders,
and tells us to deny the prophecy of Moses our Teacher, we do not listen to
him, and we [will] know for sure that his signs are the result of spells and
witchcraft. The prophecy of Moses was not dependant upon signs, so the
signs of this prophet cannot outweigh the signs of Moses, for we saw and
heard them, just as he did. This is similar to two witnesses who bear
testimony that a particular person did a particular thing in front of them,
but he is not like they say he is, so we do not listen to them and we know
for sure that they are false witnesses. Therefore, the Torah said that if a
prophet comes with signs and wonders, we do not listen to him, for he is
coming to deny that what we saw with our eyes. Since we believe in
wonders only because of a commandment of Moses, how can we accept a
sign that is brought to deny the prophecy of Moses which we saw and
heard?!
CHAPTER NINE
This chapter explains that a prophet may not make any changes whatsoever
in the Torah and the commandments contained therein.
1) It is explicitly and clearly stated in the Torah that it [the Torah] is
an everlasting mitzvah, and cannot be changed, subtracted from or added to,
as it is written, "Every matter which I command you observe to do it; you
shall not add to it, or subtract from it", and it is also written, "...but
those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever,
that we may do all the words of the Torah". From here we see that we
have been commanded to keep all the commandments of the Torah for
always. In connection with this it is written, "...a statute for ever
throughout your generations", and it is also written, "It is not in
heaven". From here we see that a prophet may not make any changes [at
all] in the Torah. Therefore, if a man, whether a gentile or a Jew, arises
and performs signs and wonders, and says that God sent him to add to, or
take away from, a mitzvah, or to institute a new mitzvah which we did not
hear from Moses, or says that the commandments with which we have been
commanded are not for eternity but are meant only for a temporary period,
then he is a false prophet, for he has come to undermine the prophecy of
Moses. His punishment is death by strangulation, which is the punishment
for deliberately speaking in the name of God without having been
commanded to do so. God told Moses that all the commandments are for
eternity, and no man can accuse God of being deceitful.
2) If so, why is it written in the Torah, "I will raise up for them a
prophet from amongst their brethren, like you, and will put My words in his
mouth, and he shall say to them all that I shall command him"? The
prophet in question does not come to start a [new] religion, but to reiterate
the commandments of the Torah and to warn the people not to transgress
them, as the last Prophet said, "Remember the Torah of Moses My
servant". Similarly, if he gave us commandment in optional matters, such
as by saying, `Go (or don't go) to such-and-such a place', or, `Start (or don't
start) a war today', or, `Build (or don't build) a wall here', et cetera, we
are commanded to listen to him, and anyone who doesn't is liable to death
at the hands of God, for it is written, "And it shall come to pass, that
whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My Name, I
will require it of him".
3) Similarly, a prophet who himself transgresses his own words, and a
prophet who ignores his prophecy [and does not deliver it], are also liable
to death at the hands of God, for it is written, "I will require it of him"7.
Similarly, if a prophet who is known to be a [true] prophet tells us to
transgress one, or many, of the commandments of the Torah, whether of the
stringent or of the more lenient ones, but only as a temporary practice, then
we are commanded to listen to him. So we learnt from the first Sages, that
we should listen to a prophet whatever the commandments he tells us to
transgress are, as with Elijah at Mount Carmel, except if the commandment
he tells us to transgress is that of not practising idolatry, and provided that
he tells us to transgress only as a temporary practice, like Elijah did at
Mount Carmel, when he offered sacrifices outside Jerusalem, which is the
city chosen for offering sacrifices in, and anyone who does so outside
Jerusalem is liable to karet. Even so, since Elijah was a prophet, it was a
mitzvah to listen to him. The verse, "...to him you shall listen" applies
also in situations like the one with Elijah. Had the people asked Elijah how
he could violate the Torah verse of, "Take heed to yourself that you do not
offer your burnt offerings in any place that you see", he could have told
them that anyone offering sacrifices outside the Temple is liable to karet, in
accordance with what Moses commanded, but he was offering sacrifices
outside the Temple in accordance with what God had said to him, and in
order to discredit the prophets of Ba'al. In this manner we are commanded
to listen to any prophet who tells us to transgress as a temporary measure.
If he tells us that a commandment of the Torah is to be abolished for ever,
then his punishment is death by strangulation, for it is written, "...belong
to us and to our children for ever".
4) Similarly, if he tries to abolish [for ever] a Rabbinical institution or
decree, or, concerning one of the Laws of the Torah he says that God
commanded for the Law to be one way,, but we practice [in a different way]
according to the words of so-and-so, then he is a false prophet and is put to
death by strangulation, even if he shows a sign, for he is trying to disprove
the Torah's statement of, "It is not in heaven". If, however, he said that
we should do what he says only as a temporary measure, we listen to him.
5) This is talking about any commandment other than the one not to
serve idols, for if he told us to serve idols we do listen to him, even if he
told us to do so only as a temporary measure. Even if he performed great
signs and wonders and says that God has commanded that we serve idols on
a particular day, or at a particular hour, he is trying to turn us away from
God, and about this it is written, "And the sign or wonder come to pass...you
shall not listen to the words of that prophet...because he has spoken to turn
you away from the Lord your God", for he is trying to disprove the
prophecy of Moses. Therefore, we know for sure that he is a false prophet,
and that all his signs are the result of spells and witchcraft, and he must be
put to death by strangulation.
CHAPTER TEN
This chapter discusses which signs a prophet has to perform before we
believe him.
1) Any prophet who arises and says that God sent him does not have to
perform a sign of the type that Moses, Elijah or Elishah did, which involved
supernatural events. Instead, the sign that he has to perform is to predict
the future, and we have to believe him, as it is written, "And if you say in
your heart, `How shall we know the word which the Lord has not to
spoken?'". Therefore, when a man suitable for prophecy comes in the
Name of God, without wanting to add to or take away from, any of the
commandments, but wants us to serve God properly, we do not ask him to
split the sea, or to resurrect the dead, or to perform some other supernatural
event, and then believe him, but we tell him to predict the future because he
is a prophet, which he does, and we wait to see if what he says happens or
not. Even if was wrong in only a small matter, he is a false prophet, but if
all of what he said comes true, then he is believed.
2) A prophet has to be checked many times. If all his words are true
then he is a prophet, as it says with respect to Samuel, "And all Israel, from
Dan to Be'er-Sheva, knew that Samuel was accredited as a prophet of the
Lord".
3) Enchanters and diviners also predict the future, so how do they differ
from a prophet? Of what enchanters and diviners say some comes true and
some does not, as it is written, "Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the
monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save you from these things shall
come upon you" - it says, "from these things", and not, "from all these
things", so it is possible that not all of what they said will come true, and
that they were mistaken in everything, as it is written, "...that frustrates
the omens of imposters, and makes diviners mad". With respect to a
[true] prophet, all of what he says comes true, as it is written, "Know now
that nothing shall fall to the earth of the word of the Lord", and it is also
written, "The prophet that has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that has
My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff of the
wheat? says the Lord", that is to say that the words of diviners is like
some chaff into which some wheat has been mixed, whereas the words of
the Lord are completely true, with no falsehoods at all. This is backed up
by Scripture, which says that prognosticators and diviners deceive the
nations with their words, but a prophet makes known truthful matters, and
we do not have to enchant or divine [to verify his words], for it is written,
"There must not be found among you anyone that makes his son or his
daughter pass through the fire...for these nations...The Lord your God will
raise up for you a prophet from amongst you". From here we see that a
prophet makes known only earthly matters, such as famine or plenty, war or
peace, and similar things. Prophets even answer the needs of the one, such
as when Saul had lost an item and went to a prophet to help him find it.
A prophet may say what he wants provided that he does not start another
religion, add a mitzvah or take one away.
4) If a prophet predicts something bad, such as that so-and-so will die,
or that this year will be one of war or famine, et cetera, and his prediction
did not come true, then it is not a disproof of his prophecy and we do not
label him as a false prophet, for the reason that God is exceedingly merciful
and [often] revokes bad decrees, so it is possible that those on whom evil
had been decreed had, like the citizens of Ninenveh, repented, or had had
their decree suspended, as with Hezekiah. But if, however, the prophet
decreed good things and his prediction did not come true, then he is
definitely a false prophet, for whenever God makes a good decree, even if
it is conditional, He does not revoke it. From here we see that a prophet
is tested only with respect to good matters. This is what Jeremiah said in
his answer to Hananiah the son of Azur, when Jeremiah was prophecising
bad things and Hananiah good things: `If what I say does not come true, it
is not a sign that I am a false prophet, but if what you say does not come
true, it shows that you are a false prophet', for it is written, "Nevertheless,
hear now this word...As for the prophet who prophecises for peace, when the
word of that prophet shall come to pass, then shall it be known that the Lord
has truly sent the prophet".
5) If a prophet says about another prophet that he is [indeed] a prophet,
then he is assumed to be a prophet, and the prophet who said it does not
have to be cross-examined. Moses vouched for Joshua, and all of Israel
believed in him before he performed a sign. Similarly in the following
generations: it is forbidden to doubt or debate the prophecy of a prophet
who has been found to be right time and time again, or the prophecy of a
prophet who has been vouched for by another prophet, and it is [also]
forbidden to test him excessively or for ever [for one who tests him is like
one who tests God], for it is written, "Do not test the Lord your God as you
tested Him in Massah", when we said, "Is the Lord among us, or
not?". Once it has become known that he is a prophet, they will believe
and know that God is amongst them, and they will nor debate or doubt his
words, in accordance with what is written, "...yet they shall know that there
has been a prophet amongst them".
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