@@SeekersofUnity Rambam had premonitions and his Sage Pliny were unbelievably enlightened it was short but the mysticals then were absolutely flawless
I love not only your in-depth and complete information and explanations but also your unique academic citations. Best video/ podcast I have ever watched and heard so far online. Your video is not only informative but also academically excellent. Thank you!!!
I’ve been debating this with a few neighbors for years already lol. Thanks so much for putting this together and laying it all out clearly!!! Definitely gonna be sharing with a bunch of ppl.
Why is the commandment "Remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt" [Deuteronomy 5:15] NOT included/enumerated in those depictions of the Ten Commandments Tablets of Moses that are in every synagogue and every siddur prayer book when the Torah says that commandment WAS inscribed on those Tablets?
So happy to watch! Digital hugs to you and the seekers behind the scenes, who make it possible for people like me to gain a more informed world view explored Through the lense of so many complex people...great colab!!! I'm truly blessed to have encountered people such as yourselves.✨🌙✨
The idea that the Rambam purposely criticized the kabbalistic tradition as a way to force the kabbalists out of the woodwork in order to comprehensively systematize their knowledge is absolutely fascinating and is a good way to reconcile his apparent criticism of kabbalah.
As always: concise, eloquent and illuminating. I was especially alerted when I heard you speak of "the interpretive elasticity and nature of literature in general" 23:44 How often I have encountered this reality - particularly in the interpretation of (and debates concerning) Pauline writings... While it is greatly frustrating - it should always be humbling as to the "certainty" of whose interpretation is right or wrong (which is not to say that all have equal footing - or probability). Thanks you again, Zevi, for your labor of Love! ❤️- wayne
This overview is very nice! It's funny to see the Kabbalists try to interpret the Guide with Kabbalah, when, in fact, it is much more fruitful to do the reverse. Those who see a difference between the system of the Rambam and that of the Zohar don't understand either. The two align on the nature of God, cosmology, role of the intellect and other things. I'll put out there that the usual Kabbalists, especially from the Arizal forward, really had no understanding of the Zohar. This explains why most kabbalistic Acadamies today don't study the Zohar at all.
In “Chapters of the Fathers”, 6:1, it lists the gifts given to those who live a life immersed in Torah. Among the gifts mentioned is “…they reveal to him the secrets of Torah…”. Since the Maimonides was certainly a Torah personality of a stature worthy of these gifts, one can assume that he was given this gift as well among the rest. The only thing is that since it was not given to him via the official Kabbalistic tradition, but likely by deep Torah analysis and/or divine inspiration, it didn’t come to him in the Kabbalistic language. Rather, it came to him in the spiritual language he was already familiar with, which was based on philosophy. Therefore, I think he was someone familiar with the mysteries of Torah, but he uses a different vocabulary to express these ideas. Sometimes, it may have been to the point that when he encountered texts written by the Kabbalists, it didn’t come off as familiar to him and he couldn’t fathom how they were part of the authentic Torah tradition. Vice versa may have also been true. Since his language was philosophical, many Kabbalist may have had difficulty seeing that beneath the veneer of the language beat a mystical heart.
I have to agree with Maimonides on the 10 Commandments, which always seemed pretty trite to me, all things considered. Things that would suggest themselves to a person to begin with.
This was a great video. Very helpful. I have a question that is not aligned with this subject, but didn't know where it would fit. Why is there a law about not cutting the edge of the beard? I have a thought about it, but would like to get another perspective.
Thank you friend. Here’s some answers to your question from my colleagues over at Chabad.org: www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/494236/jewish/Why-Dont-Chassidic-Men-Shave-Their-Beards.htm www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/160973/jewish/The-Beard.htm Enjoy
I don't care for the use of Sinzheim as a visual representative of French Jewry in this time period- though I know we don't have any known surviving depictions of Salomon de Montpellier.
A bit late commenting here. But just wanted to point out that Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen (definitely someone I'd consider a kabbalist) incorporates the Rambam's reasoning on korbanos into one of his teachings in Tzidkas HaTzaddik. And does similar with one of the Rambam's statements on angels. So it seems he didn't view the Moreh (Guide) as incompatible with Chasidus/Kabbalah. Also, I've never really studied his works. But from what I understand, the Leshem views Kabbalah as compatible with the Rambam and similar Rishonim.
Thank you for this fascinating video. I have heared of the discussions about Mamonides and Kabbalists before but didn't know what it was about. --- In the first part of the video I struggeled a bit to follow the argumentation, probably because I am lacking some of the background knowledge. E.g. what is meant with kabbalistic meaning of the 613 mitzvot/commandments? I noticed that chassidic rabbis often tell people seeking advice to focus on a certain mitzva like checking the mesusa.is that related to kabbalistic meaning of the mitzva? ---- I am really looking forward to your next videos!!!
Hi! Would be possible for you to discuss whether God has a body or not according to the Kabbalists? Especially what the Ramban says in Genesis chapter 46 verse 4. Thank you!
Hi Rabbi. Thank you for the request. Hope you’re enjoying the videos. We’re going to be dealing with Rambam on the body of God for the moment and perhaps next we’ll take a look at the Kabbalistic. Yours, Zevi
@@SeekersofUnity wow I'm excited then, getting in on the ground up. Been watching a lot of your content thos week & your channel is amazing. As a yid hearing about these Mystics of other cultures & belief systems has given me a real fresh insight & a lot of new study material I would have completely missed. I find understanding these things strengthens my Yiddishkeit, although not sure my Rabbi would say the same haha. Genuine gratitude achi.
Saying The Rambam reduced the mitzvot to mere character refining tools that have historical, ethical explanation but otherwise arbitrary seems a far fetched. He stresses in his intro to sefer hamitzvot , how all mitzvot are essentially Chok. Any reasoning or taste we come up with just that. An illusion of overlap or something like that….The ultimate reason for the mitzvot being that God said so.
Hey Mendel. I appreciate the feedback. Just to be clear, i wasn't saying that Rambam does so, simply that the Kabbalists saw him as doing so. Secondly, what Rambam writes in Sefer Hamitvot and elsewhere and what he writes in the Moreh can sometimes be quite divergent, and there may be a few reasons for that, firstly he's writing to different audiences with different objectives in mind and secondly he's also writing years apart, it's entirely possible that his thinking shifts on issues, as with every living thinker. I recommend checking out the second chapter of Menachem Kellner's (unfortunately tilted) book, Maimonides Confrontation with Mysticism, where he discusses the divergence of Rambam and the Kabbalists on the question of the role of halacha and mitvot. Enjoy. Yours, Zevi
hello my Infinite friend, this blob of matter makes daily videos which he uploads to Vimeo. If this interests you he shall send you links, Let him know, Chag Sameach, Shabbat Shalom, Baruch
Why is the commandment "Remember that you were a servant in the land of Egypt" [Deuteronomy 5:15] NOT included/enumerated in those depictions of the Ten Commandments Tablets of Moses that are in every synagogue and every siddur prayer book when the Torah says that commandment WAS inscribed on those Tablets? THE CORRECT ENUMERATION OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - (*Re-introducing the commandment that has been deleted from being taught) Deut 5:6 - 22 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 1- Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. 2 - Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 3 - Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. 4* - And REMEMBER THAT THOU WAS A SERVANT IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. 5 - Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 6 - Thou shalt not kill. 7 - Neither shalt thou commit adultery. 8 - Neither shalt thou steal. 9 - Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. 10 - Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. 22These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: AND HE ADDED NO MORE. = Compare this listing to the Exodus listing and see the 'commandment' I'm showing that is ADDED to make the ten.
The new kabbalah completely refutes the real kabbalah which is the spoken torah, also, it completely refutes the 13 principles of faith. You talk too much.
