Parshas Noach
1. On the verse (at the beginning of our parshah) "These are the generations of Noach; Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generations," there are two interpretations[1] (as Rashi brings in his commentary on the Torah) of the precise wording "in his generations": "Some of our Sages interpret it to his credit etc., and some interpret it etc."[2] According to the view that "in his generations" is not meant to his credit, our Sages say (as Rashi explains): "According to[3] his generation he was righteous, but had he been in the generation of Avraham he would not have been considered anything"[4].
The wording "had he been in the generation of Avraham" is not smooth: Avraham was born fifty-eight years before Noach's death[5] — as in the mnemonic of the Ibn Ezra[6], "And our father Avraham was fifty-eight when Noach died"[7] — so Noach did in fact live for a period of time "in the generation of Avraham"[8]!
And although at the beginning of his life Avraham had seemingly not yet attained the perfection of the level of a "tzaddik," to the extent that it states in the Midrash[9] "that our father Avraham was afraid and said: Perhaps there is a sin in my hand, for I worshipped idols all these years"[10], and only afterwards did he come to recognize his Creator —
nevertheless, even before the time he was fifty-eight years old he had already, according to all views[11], recognized his Creator; and moreover — a recognition by his own power, as the Rambam elaborates at the beginning of Hilchos Avodah Zarah, how Avraham came on his own to know and recognize G‑d, "and he had no teacher and no one to inform him of anything."
[Unlike Noach, whose knowledge and recognition of the Creator was (as is implied[12]) not by his own power; and as we find explicitly regarding the secret of the intercalation of the calendar, that he learned it from (Chanoch[13] and) Mesushelach[14], his grandfather. And in particular, according to what the Rambam writes[15], that Mesushelach had a house of study[16] and a court[17], it is certain that his chief grandson Noach[18] was there and studied there. He received from others before him (and similarly this is also the difference regarding their conduct: "Noach needed support to uphold him, but Avraham would strengthen himself and walk in his righteousness on his own"[19])[20]] —
so how is it appropriate to say "had he been in the generation of Avraham etc.," when Noach did live for a period of time in the generation of Avraham (already after Avraham "recognized his Creator")[21]?
Even if one were to interpret that "the generation of Avraham" means, and begins (not from the time of Avraham's own service, but) from when he accomplished with others — "the souls they had made in Charan"[22], and as the Gemara[23] says that specifically from then began the two thousand years of Torah[24] — this accomplishment too took place several years before Noach's death, as the Gemara says[23]: "It is a tradition that Avraham at that time was fifty-two years old."
2. Regarding the age at which Avraham recognized his Creator there are several views: three years old[25], forty, forty-eight[26], fifty[27].
The Rambam in Hilchos[28] Avodah Zarah[29] says that "at forty years of age Avraham recognized his Creator"[30]. On this the Raavad says: "There is an aggadah: at three years old, as it says[31], 'because (ekev) Avraham hearkened to My voice' — the numerical value of ekev."
The Kesef Mishneh explains that "it is possible to uphold both: that he was three years old when he began to contemplate etc.[32] to recognize his Creator, but when he was forty he completed his recognition[33]. And our master wrote the main point, which is the completion of the recognition, namely when he was forty years old. And one must say that his version read . . forty[34] . . and not forty-eight as it is in the texts."
One must understand, however: since the version widespread in the Midrashim before us[35] is "at forty-eight[36] years Avraham recognized his Creator" — why did the Rambam adopt specifically the version that "at forty years[37] Avraham recognized his Creator"[38]?
One must also understand: since "it is possible to uphold both" (both the view that at three he recognized his Creator and the view that he was forty), and the Rambam himself speaks at the beginning of the halachah about Avraham in his childhood — "As soon as this mighty one was weaned he began to explore with his mind while he was small, and to begin to think etc." — why does he not mention explicitly that at the time he "began to think etc." he was three years old[39]?
3. This will be understood by first presenting the general explanation of the Rambam's Hilchos Avodah Zarah. In the first chapter the Rambam begins: "In the days of Enosh mankind made a great error," and after explaining their error at length he concludes: "And this was the root of idolatry."
He then continues (in halachah 2): "After many days had passed, false prophets arose among mankind and said that G‑d had commanded and told them: Worship such-and-such star etc.," and he details and explains how people began to worship such-and-such star etc., and explains at length how they later descended to the lowest level of idolatry. "And as the days went on, the glorious and awesome Name was forgotten from the mouth of all existence, and there was no one who recognized Him . . except for individuals in the world, such as Chanoch, Mesushelach, Noach, Shem and Ever; and in this manner the world went on revolving until the pillar of the world was born, namely our father Avraham."
And in halachah 3 he explains at length how Avraham came to recognize his Creator, and all the lofty deeds and matters he did afterwards to implant this "great principle" (the recognition of the Creator and His service) in the hearts of "thousands and tens of thousands," until "he informed Yitzchak his son . . and Yitzchak informed Yaakov . . and Yaakov taught his sons etc.," and what the state of the sons of Yaakov was until G‑d sent Moshe Rabbeinu and gave the mitzvos to the Jewish people — all this at great length.
This is seemingly not understood: the Rambam's work is a book of "laws upon laws" (as the Rambam writes in the introduction to his work), not a book that relates the chronicles of the world, or even the chronicles of Israel —
so what bearing on halachah does the entire length of the whole chapter have — how the chain of descent of the idol worshippers proceeded from the days of Enosh onward, until the time when "G‑d chose Israel as His inheritance, crowned them with mitzvos, informed them of the way of His service, and what the judgment would be of idolatry and all who stray after it"?
Had the Rambam prefaced that Adam was commanded concerning (the prohibition of) idolatry[40], one could answer (at least with difficulty) that the above lengthy account bears on what the Rambam writes further in chapter 2[41], "that whoever acknowledges idolatry denies etc. and all that the prophets were commanded, from Adam until the end of the world etc." In addition: since the Noahides too were commanded concerning idolatry[42], the lengthy account would serve as a warning that although for many generations, from the days of Enosh onward, idolatry was worshipped, until "this matter spread throughout the whole world"[43], one should not think that for them it was not a prohibition; rather, by doing so they transgressed G‑d's command.
The Rambam, however, does not mention in the entire chapter that Adam was commanded concerning idolatry, and in general he does not emphasize the severity of the prohibition in those times either[44].
It emerges that the sequence and the lengthy narration of matters in the whole chapter is seemingly merely a narration of events, which has no connection to the Rambam's Yad[45], whose subject is — laws.
4. It can be said that the first chapter of Hilchos Avodah Zarah, with the length of its contents, is a general introduction to all the laws of idolatry in the Rambam.
The explanation of this:
The sin of idolatry, although in general it consists of prohibitions regarding deed[46] and action (the worship of foreign gods), its content[47] and essence is bound up with a person's thought, the musing of the heart — what he thinks in his heart and mind, that a created being, an angel, a sphere etc. is a deity, or at least an intermediary, an independent existence,
which too is an explicit prohibition,
as the Rambam details in the laws right at the beginning of chapter 2: "The essence of the command concerning idolatry is not to worship any of the created beings, neither an angel etc. And even though the worshipper knows that the L‑rd is G‑d, and he worships this creature in the manner that Enosh worshipped etc., and this matter is what the Torah warned about etc., meaning: lest you roam with your heart's eye and see that these are the ones that conduct the world, and that G‑d apportioned them etc., and you say that it is proper to bow to them and worship them; and concerning this matter He commanded and said etc., meaning that you should not err in the musing of the heart to worship these so that they be an intermediary between you and the Creator"; and in subsequent halachos he continues that "the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded us not to read those books (about idolatry) at all, and not to muse upon it nor upon any of its matters[48] . . and all[49] these prohibitions are of one theme, namely, that one not turn after idolatry etc.[50]; and it is not only idolatry that is forbidden to turn after in thought, but any thought that causes a person to uproot one of the principles of the Torah etc."[51]
5. From this it is understood that in order to fulfill properly the negative and positive commandments of not worshipping idolatry, it is not enough to know only the laws regarding action — what one must do and what one may not do; on the contrary — first and foremost the thought must be utterly safeguarded — and hence the great length on this.
It must become fixed in a person's mind and heart that all the creatures in the world have no existence of their own, and consequently there is no room to honor, esteem or (G‑d forbid) worship any created being[52] — "neither an angel, nor a sphere, nor a star, nor any of the four elements, nor any of the creatures formed from them"[53].
Moreover — the introduction to Hilchos Avodah Zarah bears on the fulfillment of all the mitzvos, for guarding the mitzvah concerning idolatry is "the essence of all the mitzvos"[54].
And therefore the Rambam prefaces the entire first chapter to the laws of idolatry, beginning with "In the days of Enosh etc. mankind erred etc., and the wise men of that generation," and explains that their error consisted in thinking that "since G‑d created the stars . . and apportioned them honor etc.," it is therefore proper to honor and praise them, to the point of building temples for them and worshipping them, may G‑d spare us.
With this the Rambam gives us to understand that the essence and cause of idolatry (even as it was in the days of Enosh, when they intended thereby "to fulfill the will of the Creator in their evil thinking") is refuted not only because of G‑d's command and decree; rather it is contrary to truth and reality, contrary to reason[55]. It stemmed from the fact that "mankind made a great error": knowing "that You alone are He," they fell into the sin of idolatry because of "their error and foolishness, imagining that this vanity is Your will"[56].
And in halachah 2 the Rambam brings out the lower and worse forms of idolatry that exist — saying that "G‑d commanded: Worship such-and-such star"; and the "priests tell them that through this service you will prosper"; or that the "star itself . . told them: Worship me" — to the point of saying "that this image does good and harm etc." — and that these come about because "false prophets arose among mankind." That is, the above error in thought and heart led to such a descent, which is even lower than an error of reason and understanding; rather it is a matter entirely contrary to reason, which stems from "false prophets . . other liars."
And this ultimately leads to completely forgetting the Holy One, blessed be He, as it was then — "And as the days went on, the glorious and awesome Name was forgotten from the mouth of all existence etc." — that because of that great error people went, over the course of time, from bad to worse, to the state of forgetting and not knowing that there is a Creator of the world and its Conductor[57].
And after all this, the Rambam goes on to describe (in halachah 3) how our father Avraham came to the knowledge of G‑d, which brings out even more how, for a person, every form of idolatry must be refuted (also by reason) — for even when Avraham found himself among idol worshippers of the worse kind[58], "and he worshipped with them," he was nonetheless the one who "attained the way of truth and understood the line of righteousness"[59] "from his correct understanding etc., and knew that the whole world was in error etc."[60]
Furthermore: the Rambam also describes in detail how Avraham came to this — "and he wondered: How is it possible that this sphere should revolve continuously without having a driver? And who causes it to revolve? For it is impossible that it should cause itself to revolve . . and his heart explored and understood."
That is, creation itself compels and reveals "the way of truth," that "there is one G‑d, and He drives the sphere, and He created everything etc."
All of which is, as mentioned, an introduction and a foundation (and also a part) of the laws of idolatry: not only does it help and bring about that a Jew guard himself from idolatry in deed, but it accomplishes, and primarily, that the truth become fixed in his mind and heart, which prevents there being any room at all for this sin — that it becomes verified in his intellect that all created beings have no existence or importance of their own whatsoever, as mentioned above[61].
6. On this basis one can explain why the Rambam chose the version "at forty years old Avraham recognized his Creator," and not the version "forty-eight" and the like (and in addition, a reason is needed: why does the Rambam need to say at all how old he was then?),
for through this too the above explanation and emphasis concerning the negation of idolatry is enhanced:
Regarding the age of forty our Sages say[62] that "at forty, for understanding"; that is, when one reaches the age of forty one attains, by one's nature, a perfection in understanding and comprehension (just as "at thirty, for strength," which precedes it, is a matter in human nature, and similarly "at five, for Scripture," before it, and "at fifty, for counsel," "at sixty, for old age" etc., after it)[63].
From this it is understood that understanding and recognizing the existence of the Creator, and the negation of the existence and importance of anything other than Him, is a matter bound up with the nature of created intellect — not a matter beyond the bounds of created intellect[64].
For this reason the Rambam adopts the version "at forty years old he recognized his Creator," because this is the age when intellectual recognition and understanding are in their perfection,
and this accords with the content of the entire halachah and chapter (although according to the Rambam's view as well, "many years should teach wisdom"[65], and as mentioned, "at fifty etc.," and afterwards too Avraham continually rose higher in the recognition of the Creator — at forty-eight, fifty, and the like)[66].
On this basis it is also understood why the Rambam does not mention (at the beginning of the halachah) that Avraham was "three years old" when he "began to think and explore in his thought," and with this began the matter of "he recognized his Creator" — because that would have given room to err that for him this was not bound up with the nature of intellect as such, but came about entirely in a miraculous manner[67], above intellect[68]: at three years old he already had a recognition of G‑dliness[69]!
7. And with this point and intent the Rambam continues further in the halachah, elaborating and detailing how Avraham "began to respond with answers etc. and to argue with them . . Once he prevailed over them with his proofs, the king sought to kill him[70] etc.," and how "he would walk and call out and gather the people from city to city," until he brought the people back "to the true path[71], until thousands and tens of thousands gathered to him, and they are the people of the house of Avraham, and he implanted in their hearts this great principle" —
Through intellectual proofs and demonstrations he brought "thousands and tens of thousands" (who had been idol worshippers) back "to the path of truth," "and he implanted in their hearts" — all of which adds to and emphasizes the strength and verification of a person's recognition in the negation of idolatry, as mentioned above.
8. In light of all this, the matter mentioned above is explained, that "had he been in the generation of Avraham he would not have been considered anything":
What is meant here is not that relative to Avraham himself "he would not have been considered anything," but relative to "the generation of Avraham" —
and "the generation of Avraham" means (not the time when Avraham became famous in his generation through "the souls they had made in Charan" (which began already in Noach's lifetime, as mentioned above), but) when the generation became his generation, in accordance with Avraham's way, with his outlook, his approach and his conduct. This had not yet been accomplished when he was in Ur Kasdim, where he only "prevailed over them with his proofs," and not even while he was in Charan, but much later, when "he arrived in the land of Canaan and was calling out, as it says[72], 'And he called there in the name of G‑d, the G‑d of the world,' until thousands and tens of thousands gathered to him, and they are the people of the house of Avraham, and he implanted in their hearts this great principle":
The accomplishment in this was that their recognition of the Creator came not (only) through Avraham defeating them — "he prevailed over them with his proofs" — and not even (only) in a manner that they accepted Avraham's explanations and proofs with their intellect, so that their recognition of G‑dliness would be an acquired matter (from what Avraham had imparted to them); rather, "he implanted in their hearts": he planted[73] within them the recognition and knowledge of G‑dliness, so that it became their own, as with Avraham — they recognized G‑dliness (also) by virtue of their own intellect.
And then it is appropriate to say that this is "the generation of Avraham" — Avraham's generation[74]: the generation[75] became permeated with the recognition of G‑dliness, as with Avraham[76].
Accordingly, the wording "had he been in the generation of Avraham" is understood, since this state of the generation came about after Noach's death, when Avraham was in his seventies[77].
9. Accordingly, however, one must understand the continuation in halachah 3, where the Rambam says that after the sons of Yaakov became a "nation that knows G‑d, until many days passed for Israel in Egypt (whereupon, in continuation of this, a change came about), and they returned to learn their deeds and to worship idolatry like them etc., and the root that Avraham had planted was very nearly uprooted." According to the above, this brings out the opposite of the content of the entire chapter, namely, that a person by his very intellect knows the absurdity of idolatry, and knows and recognizes G‑d — and here we are told that even the "nation that knows G‑d" "returned to learn their deeds and to worship idolatry like them."
This is understood in light of the continuation and conclusion of the chapter in the Rambam, in these words: "And out of G‑d's love for us He made Moshe the master of all the prophets and sent him. Once Moshe Rabbeinu prophesied and G‑d chose Israel as His inheritance, He crowned them with mitzvos and informed them of the way of His service, and what the judgment would be of idolatry and all who stray after it."
With this the Rambam emphasizes: the fact that idolatry and its worship in any form whatsoever (even in the manner of the generation of Enosh) has no reality is indeed something grasped and understood by the nature of human intellect and compelled by creation, as mentioned above; and this is important to know as an introduction to the laws of idolatry, since it brings about in a person's intellect the recognition of G‑dliness and the negation of idolatry, as mentioned above —
but together with this one must know that one cannot rely on this alone and build on it, that one's intellect should be the sole foundation for keeping away from idolatry and for having the recognition of the Creator's existence and serving Him; as one sees from Israel in those days, that after becoming a "nation that knows G‑d," when "many days passed for Israel in Egypt, they returned to learn their deeds and to worship idolatry like them etc. . . the sons of Yaakov reverted to the error of the world and its strayings"
— in order to be safeguarded from the sin of idolatry they needed to arrive at "out of G‑d's love for us . . He made Moshe Rabbeinu the master of all the prophets and sent him. Once Moshe Rabbeinu prophesied and G‑d chose Israel as His inheritance, He crowned them with mitzvos and informed them of the way of His service etc." — that is, the observance came by virtue of G‑d's command.
And not only the recognition of the Creator's existence, but also His service — which too is something that was arrived at (in Avraham's time) through one's own recognition: "that it is proper to serve only the G‑d of the world, and to Him it is proper to bow, to offer sacrifices and to pour libations etc."[78] — one must know that this too is bound up with the word of G‑d, the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu: G‑d "informed them of the way of His service."
It can be said that this is also relevant to halachah: even a person for whom the negation of the existence of idolatry and the recognition [of G‑d] are grasped and compelled by his intellect must fulfill the mitzvos and commands concerning idolatry (including its prohibitions — not to worship idolatry) because "He informed them of the way of His service."
10. Based on all the above, it emerges that in chapter 1 of Hilchos Avodah Zarah the Rambam brings out two laws: a) that the sin of idolatry is something refuted also by human intellect, and its absurdity, as well as the details of the commands and prohibitions concerning idolatry, must be verified and fixed in a person's intellect; b) on the other hand, that the actual fulfillment of the mitzvah must not be "built" (only) on his recognition and knowledge; rather, he should do it because "He informed them of the way of His service," because G‑d so commanded through Moshe Rabbeinu, "the master of all the prophets." That is, the actual observance must be founded on faith in G‑d[79] and on the fear of transgressing G‑d's command.
The commands and prohibitions of idolatry are the negative side, the matter of prohibitions, and the positive side of this is the positive commandment of knowing G‑d and G‑d's unity [and as the Rambam says[80] that in the first book of the Yad "I will include all the mitzvos that are the essence of the religion of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, etc., such as the unity of G‑d, blessed be He, and the prohibitions of idolatry, and I have called this book the Book of Knowledge"[81]]. So too, when he speaks about the positive commandment, the Rambam brings both of the above matters:
At the beginning of Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah he uses the wording "to know that there is a First Being (to know that there is a G‑d[82])," meaning that the mitzvah consists of knowing and understanding with the intellect that there exists the First Being, the G‑d Who creates the world; whereas at the beginning of Sefer HaMitzvos[83] the Rambam uses the wording "He commanded us concerning belief in G‑dliness, that we believe that there is a Cause and Reason etc." — the command is that one should believe with faith[84] (above intellect) in the existence of a G‑dly Cause and Reason.
11. On this basis one can add regarding the inner dimension of the matter:
With the recognition and knowledge of the Creator of the world, in the positive commandment, it is not sufficient to have only knowledge of G‑dliness[85]. For since a person arrives at this by the compulsion of his intellect — and with the intellect one can "grasp" only the level of G‑dliness that is drawn forth as "the First Being, Who brings into existence all that exists"[86], that is, as G‑d, as it were, contracts Himself to have a connection with the existence of the world — whereas the recognition of the "true reality of His existence" of G‑dliness, the G‑dly light as it is above having a connection with the world, can be "grasped" only with faith, which is above intellect.
Just so it is on the side of negation, in the commands and prohibitions of idolatry: (not only must their actual observance not be built only on intellect, but also) the verification in one's intellect of the non-existence and non-importance of everything other than G‑d (and all the more so of the lowest extreme of idolatry) — this negation too is not enough when it is only by virtue of intellect. For [in addition to the fact that when (only) one's intellect is the foundation, it can happen that, being immersed for a long time in the world and in worldly matters, the existence of the world (and all that pertains to it) exerts an influence and effect and overpowers one's intellect, to the point of leading, may G‑d spare us, to the most opposite and lowest extreme, as happened with the Jews in Egypt, that because "many days passed" they "returned to learn their deeds and to worship idolatry like them"],
human intellect is itself an existence — a created, limited existence; therefore the intellect does not have the power to negate the existence of created beings with an absolute negation.
Only when this comes by virtue of the command of G‑d, and by way of faith[87], does a person truly perceive[88] that every existence other than Him is utterly negated.
(From a talk of Motzaei Shabbos Parshas Noach, 5740)
Key Lesson
Noach lived in Avraham's lifetime, but "the generation of Avraham" came only when Avraham planted the knowledge of G‑d so deeply in people's hearts that it became their own understanding, not something borrowed from him. That is why the Rambam opens the laws of idolatry with this history: a Jew should understand with his own mind that nothing besides G‑d has any true existence. Yet the same chapter warns that understanding alone cannot hold, as the Jews in Egypt slipped back into idolatry; the mind is itself a created, limited thing. We keep the mitzvos because G‑d commanded them through Moshe Rabbeinu, and it is faith, more than the intellect, that lets a person truly see that everything other than G‑d is nothing.