ודבר זה אין ביכולת האדם להבינו על בוריו כו׳
Maimonides continues: “And this is not within the power of any man to comprehend clearly”;
כדכתיב: החקר אלו-ה תמצא, וכתיב: כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם וגו׳
as it is written,11 “Can you find and understand G‑d by searching?” And it is also written,12 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,” [says G‑d]; and consequently “your” [human] thoughts cannot possibly comprehend “My” thoughts.
Since His wisdom is one with G‑d Himself, as has been shown, it follows that the Jewish soul, which stems from Divine wisdom (as stated above), actually derives from G‑d Himself.
Many Jewish philosophers13 rejected Maimonides‘ description of G‑d as “the Knower, the Knowledge and the Known.” In fact they considered it erroneous to ascribe to G‑d a description of any sort — even of the lofty level of intellect of which Maimonides writes — inasmuch as description implies limitation, and G‑d is inherently limitless.
The Alter Rebbe therefore points out in this note that the Kabbalists agreed with Maimonides, with the qualification that his concept does not apply to G‑d’s essence. For His essence is truly infinite — even higher than the inscrutable level of “Knowledge” that Maimonides refers to. Regarding His essence, those who disagree with Maimonides are correct in maintaining that G‑d cannot be defined in terms of “knowledge”, since He transcends it infinitely. Only after G‑d limits the infinite light of His essence through the process of tzimtzum (progressive contractions), and thereby assumes the attribute of Chochmah (“Wisdom”), — only then can it be said of G‑d that He is the “Knower, Knowledge and Known.”
הגהה
והודו לו חכמי הקבלה כמ”ש בפרדס מהרמ”ק וגם לפי קבלת האר”י ז”ל יציבא מילתא
Note:
The Kabbalists have agreed with him (that G‑d can be described as “Knower, Knowledge and Known”), as stated in Pardes of Rabbi Moshe Cordovero.14
Even according to the Kabbalah of the AriZal (Rabbi Isaac Luria, of blessed memory), Maimonides‘ statement stands.
The Kabbalah of the AriZal provides an even deeper insight into the limitlessness of G‑d’s essence, higher than even that level of “knowledge” to which Maimonides refers. Still, even according to the teachings of the AriZal, Maimonides‘ statement is acceptable — with one proviso, however.
בסוד התלבשות אור אין סוף ברוך הוא, על ידי צמצומים רבים, בכלים דחב״ד דאצילות
This is so only when applied to the mystic principle of the clothing of the Ein Sof-light — by means of numerous “contractions” (tzimtzumim) — in the vessels of the Sefirot of CHaBaD (חב”ד — an acronym of Chochmah, Binah and Daat — “wisdom”, “understanding”, and “knowledge”, respectively; the triad of Sefirot which represent Divine “intellect”) of the world of Atzilut (“Emanation”).
Through a process of self-limitation called tzimtzum (“contraction”), G‑d manifests (or, in kabbalistic terminology, “clothes”) His infinite essence (referred to by the Kabbalists as Ein Sof — “the endless, infinite One”) in the Sefirot, which are His attributes. This manifestation occurs first in Atzilut; specifically, in CHaBaD of Atzilut — Divine Intellect. Thus, at the level of Atzilut, G‑d can indeed be defined in Maimonides‘ terms of “Knower, Knowledge and Known,” i.e., intellect,
אך לא למעלה מהאצילות
but not higher than Atzilut.
Above the World of Atzilut the Unknowable G‑d cannot be defined. Accordingly, in terms of the kabbalistic scale, Maimonides had nothing to say about G‑d except from the World of Atzilut and “down”.
וכמו שכתוב במקום אחר, שאין סוף ברוך הוא מרומם ומתנשא רוממות אין קץ למעלה מעלה ממהות ובחינת חב״ד עד שמהות ובחי’ חב”ד נחשבת כעשייה גופניית אצלו ית’ כמ”ש כולם בחכמה עשית
As explained elsewhere,15 the Ein Sof, blessed be He, is infinitely exalted over, and transcends, the essence and level of ChaBad.
In fact, the level of ChaBad is regarded as being equally inferior as material action in relation to Him.
Thus it is written,16 “You have made them all with wisdom.”
“You have conceived them all with wisdom” would seem more appropriate: conceiving, not “making”, is surely the proper function of G‑d’s wisdom. “You have made them all with wisdom” indicates however that to G‑d, “wisdom” — the highest level within the Worlds — is as lowly as Asiyah, the lowest level.
END OF NOTE
Foot Notes:
11. Iyov 11:7.
12. Yeshayahu 55:8.
13. Including Rabbi Yehudah Loewe (Maharal) of Prague in his Gevurot HaShem.
14. Shaar Mahut VeHanhagah, ch. 13.
15. See, e.g., Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah (Tanya, Part II), ch. 9.
16. Tehillim 104:24.
