(ב) כִּי־הוּא֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ מְצָרֵ֔ף וּכְבֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים׃
(2) For he is like a smelter’s fire and like fuller’s lye.
For he is like a smelters fire: God is constantly refining his creation.
and like a fuller's lye: God is constantly refining his creation.
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי שָׁקוּד לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה, וְדַע מַה שֶּׁתָּשִׁיב לְאֶפִּיקוֹרוֹס. וְדַע לִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָמֵל. וְנֶאֱמָן הוּא בַעַל מְלַאכְתְּךָ שֶׁיְּשַׁלֶּם לָךְ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתֶךְ:
Rabbi Elazar said:Be diligent in the study the torah; And know how to answer an Epicurun, And know before whom you toil, and that your employer is faithful, for He will pay you the reward of your labor.
Beliefs are in two paths, truth and false. The true belief consists in believing a thing to be as it really is; namely, that much is much, and little is little, and black is black, and white is white, and that what exists exists, and what is non-existant is non-existant. A false belief, on the other hand, consists in believing a thing to be the opposite of what it actually is, such as that much is little, and little is much, and white is black, and black is white, and that what exists is non-existant, and what is non-existant is existant.
The praiseworthy wise man is he who makes reality his guiding principle and bases his belief thereon. Notwithstanding his wisdom, he relies only on what is deserving of trust and is wary wherever caution is in order. The reprehensible fool, on the other hand, is he who sets up his personal conviction as his guiding principle, assuming that reality is patterned after his belief. Notwithstanding his ignorance, he trusts in what should be shunned and shuns what is deserving of trust. All this is borne out by scripture, which says: "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil; but the fool behaveth overbearingly, and is confident (Proverbs 14:16)". - Saadia Gaon, Book of Beliefs and Opinions (Emunot v Daot), Introduction 4:2
A man who strays from the path of understanding Will rest in the congregation of shades
כי אתא רב דימי א"ר יונתן כל הפורש עצמו מד"ת נופל בגיהנם שנאמר (משלי כא, טז) אדם תועה מדרך השכל בקהל רפאים ינוח
When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said that Rabbi Yonatan says: Anyone who separates himself from the matters of Torah falls into Gehenna. As it is stated: “The man who strays out of the way of understanding shall rest in the congregation of the shades” (Proverbs 21:16).
Similarly, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: If the Torah had not been given, we would nonetheless have learned modesty from the cat, which covers its excrement, and that stealing is objectionable from the ant, which does not take grain from another ant, and forbidden relations from the dove, which is faithful to its partner, and proper relations from the rooster, which first appeases the hen and then mates with it.
(1) וכל האדם, “as well as every human being.” The word: אדם when used in the Holy Scriptures always includes men women and children. If you were to ask why the human race was punished when it had not been given commandments by G-d that had to be observed, we must answer that there are a number of rules for behavior of society that humankind can be expected to honor without the need to be specifically commanded to do so. If proof were needed for this statement we remind you of Cain being punished for having killed his brother Abel, although there is no record that he was ever warned by G-d not to kill another human being.
וכאשר אמר לנו מדע השכל וצוה בצדק והזהיר מהכזב, באמרו (משלי ח' ז') כי אמת יהגה הכי, וגומר בצדק כל אמרי פי וגומר. ואח"כן אמת לנו המדע ההכרחי, כי כל מה שמביא לדחות מאומה מן המוחש או מן המושכל שהוא שקר, ובטול מה שדוחה המוחש, באמרו (איוב י"ח ד') טורף נפשו באפו הלמענך תעזב וגו', אבל בטול מה שדוחה המושכל מהכזב והצדק, באמרו (איוב כ"ד כ"ה) אם לא איפה מי יכזיבני וגומ'. ואח"כך הודיענו שכל המדעים בנויים על מה שהשגנו בחושינו אשר זכרנום, ומסתעפים מהם ומוצאים מהם, כאמרו (איוב ל"ד ב') שמעו חכמים מלי ויודעים האזינו לי כי אזן מלים תבחן וחיך אכל יטעם לו.
Furthermore authentic tradition verifies for us the validity of the intuition of reason. It enjoins us, namely, to speak the truth and not to lie. Thus it says: "For my mouth shall utter truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words my mouth are in righteousness, there is nothing perverse or crooked in them" (Proverbs 8:7)
Besides that it confirms for us the validity of knowledge inferred by logical necessity, that is to say that whatever leads to the rejection of the perception of the senses or rational intuition is false. The untenability of any theory that rejects the perceptions of the senses is affirmed by such scripture statements as: "Though that tearest thyself in thine anger, shall the earth be forsaken for thee, or shall the rock be removed out of its place?" (Job 18:4). Again, apropos of the untenability of any theory that rejects rational intuitions concerning the falseness or truth, it remarks: "and if it be not so now, who will prove me a liar, and make my speech nothing worth?"(Job 24:25)
Next tradition informs us that all sciences are ultimately based on what we grasp with our aforementioned senses, from which they are deduced and derived. Thus it says: "Hear my words, ye wise men, and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. For the ear trieth words, as the palate tasteth food (Job 34:2,3)
... אָמְר רַבִּי סִימוֹן אֵין לְךָ כָּל עֵשֶׂב וְעֵשֶׂב, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מַזָּל בָּרָקִיעַ שֶׁמַּכֶּה אוֹתוֹ, וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ גְּדַל, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (איוב לח, לג): הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקּוֹת שָׁמָיִם אִם תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרוֹ בָאָרֶץ וגו', לָשׁוֹן שׁוֹטֵר (איוב לח, לא): הַתְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּוֹת כִּימָה אוֹ משְׁכוֹת כְּסִיל תְּפַתֵּחַ, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא וְרַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר, כִּימָה מְעַדֶּנֶת אֶת הַפֵּרוֹת, וּכְסִיל מוֹשֵׁךְ בֵּין קֶשֶׁר לְקֶשֶׁר. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (איוב לח, לב): הֲתֹצִיא מַזָּרוֹת בְּעִתּוֹ וְעַיִּשׁ עַל בָּנֶיהָ תַנְחֵם, רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בַּר חִיָּא וְרַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמְרוּ, מַזָּל הוּא שֶׁהוּא מְמַזֵּר אֶת הַפֵּרוֹת.
Said Rabbi Simon, "There isn't a single herb or spice that doesn't have a constellation in the firmaments that smacks it and tells it to grow." And behold, this is written in Job 38:33: "Do you know the laws of Heaven? Can you place its authority (šiṭro) on Earth?" etc. The language is "šoṭer" (officer/regulator). "Can you tie binds on the Pleiades, or the cords of Orion loosen?" (Job 38:31) Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon said, "The Pleiades binds the fruits, and Orion pulls from binding to binding." And behold, this is written (Job 38:32) "Can you bring out the Zodiac in its season, Ursa Major with her sons you can lead?" Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥiyya and Rabbi Simon said, "A constellation is 'Mazal' because it stretches [m'mazzer] out the fruits."
(ז) וְֽאוּלָ֗ם שְׁאַל־נָ֣א בְהֵמ֣וֹת וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וְע֥וֹף הַ֝שָּׁמַ֗יִם וְיַגֶּד־לָֽךְ׃ (ח) א֤וֹ שִׂ֣יחַ לָאָ֣רֶץ וְתֹרֶ֑ךָּ וִֽיסַפְּר֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ דְּגֵ֣י הַיָּֽם׃
(7) But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; The birds of the sky, they will tell you, (8) Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; The fish of the sea, they will inform you. (9)
(א) בהמות ותורך. תלמדך כל אחת מהם:
The beast, and they will teach you... You shall learn from each of them.
וזכרנו בהם ש'מעשה בראשית' הוא חכמת הטבע ו'מעשה מרכבה' הוא חכמת האלוהות; ובארנו אמרם "ולא במרכבה ביחיד אלא אם כן היה חכם ומבין מדעתו" "מוסרים לו ראשי פרקים". אם כן לא תבקש ממני הנה זולת 'ראשי פרקים'.
We also stated (Mishneh torah, I. 2:12, and 4:10) that the expression Ma‘ase Bereshit (Account of the Creation) signified" Natural Science," and Ma‘aseh Mercabah ("Description of the Chariot") Metaphysics, and we explained the force of the Rabbinical dictum," The Ma‘aseh Mercabah must not be fully expounded even in the presence of a single student, unless he be wise and able to reason for himself, and even then you should merely acquaint him with the heads of the different sections of the subject. (Babyl. Talm. Ḥagigah, fol. II b).
...וְטִבְעֵיהּ דְּעַלְמָא לָא אִשְׁתַּנֵּי...
..And nature of the world does not change...
From these images it is clear and obvious that the chicken is not the same chicken it was 50 years ago. It has completely new features that chickens previously did not have. We have observed these changes happening slowly over time. It has now been observed that animals can slowly become a different species, with small changes gradually over time. This is macro-evolution, this is speciation. Another example of observed evolution is the peppered moth evolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppered_moth_evolution. Though, we do not need these cases as proof, for we have our holy texts that teach us this.
Let them praise the name of the LORD, for it was He who commanded that they be created. He made them endure forever, establishing an order that shall never change.
Let us now bring support from our texts to show that even just 1 invisible change is enough for animals to be considered a new species.
בכל לבבך על דעת המדרש (ספרי ואתחנן ו) הלב הנזכר כאן הוא הכח המתאוה כענין תאות לבו נתת לו (תהלים כא ג) אל תחמוד יפיה בלבבך (משלי ו' כה) אם כן בכל נפשך הנפש המשכלת וכן והיתה נפש אדוני צרורה בצרור החיים (שמואל א כה כט) וכדברי רבותינו שדורשין בגמרא (ברכות נד) מכאן יהרג ואל יעבור יהיה
the LORD God formed man from the dust of the earth. He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became [the man l'nefesh chaya] a living being.
It is clear now from this verse that God made man, and then God gave man a soul (nefesh), and this was a new man with a soul.
הַפְּרוּטִיּוֹת אֲסוּרוֹת, וְהָרַמָּךְ מֻתָּר. וְאַדְנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה, חַיָּה. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, מְטַמְּאוֹת בָּאֹהֶל כָּאָדָם. הַקֻּפָּד וְחֻלְדַּת הַסְּנָיִים, חַיָּה. חֻלְדַּת הַסְּנָיִים, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי אוֹמְרִים, מְטַמֵּא כַזַּיִת בְּמַשָּׂא, וְכָעֲדָשָׁה בְּמַגָּע:
Mules of uncertain parentage are forbidden [one with another,] And a ramakh is permitted. Masters of the field are [in the category of] hayyah (animal). Rabbi Yose says: they cause impurity in a tent like a human being. The hedgehog and the bush-mole are [in the category of] hayyah. The bush-mole: Rabbi Yose says in the name of Bet Shammai: an olive's size [of its carcass] renders a person carrying it unclean, and a lentil’s size [of its carcass] renders a person touching it unclean.
ואדני השדה. הם חיות הדומות לבני אדם ואומרים המספרים חדושי העולם שהוא מדבר דברים רבים שאינם מובנים ודבורו דומה לדבור אדם ושמו אלנאנס בלשון ערב ומגידים מעניניו בספרים דברים רבים:
AND MASTER OF THE FIELD. “They are “chayot,” which are similar in figure to humans. And the storytelling historians state that it is a speaking entity which says many things which are unintelligible. And it’s speech is similar to that of human’s, and it’s name is “alnanes” in Arabic. And it’s details are elaborated upon at length in [other] books.”
Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he then founded a city, and named the city after his son Enoch.
וטעם ויהי בונה עיר ויקרא שם העיר כשם בנו חנוך ...להודיע מי היו המתחילים בבנין הערים ובמרעה הצאן וחכמת הנגון ומלאכת המתכות...
THE EXPLANATION OF HE WAS BUILDING A CITY AND HE NAMED THE CITY AFTER HIS SON ENOCH...to inform us who were the first people to build cities, tend flocks, the art of music, and the craft of metal working...
Ramban states in Genesis 2:7
"ואם כן יאמר הכתוב וייצר ה' אלהים את האדם יצירת תנועה שהיה האדם נוצר כלומר בעל תנועה כי היצירה היא החיות וההרגש שבהם הוא אדם לא גבול העפר וכמו שאמר וַיִּצֶר ה' אֱלֹהִים מִן הָאֲדָמָה כָּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְאֵת כָּל עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיָּבֵא אֶל הָאָדָם (להלן ב יט) ואחרי שיצרו בהרגשה נפח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים מפי עליון .להוסיף הנפש הזאת על היצירה הנזכרת"... -
This alludes to the idea that there were humans
without souls that were not "ֽאָדָ֖ם", but had human form..
Once the soul was placed: "וַֽיְהִ֥י הָֽאָדָ֖ם". Additionally, Rambam says in Moreh Nevuchim part 1 chapter 7 that there were human shaped animals living amongst adam, we know that animals were created before humans, and Rambam explains how adams previous sons were not human until Seth... This is macro evolution and this is speciation taking place. In genesis 4:17, Cain, who Rambam doesnt consider human, got married and built a city. Who was this wife? Who was the city for? Apparently there was no one else around... His wife, he himself, and the city, must have beeen the "masters of the field" (אַדְנֵי הַשָּׂדֶ), mentioned in the Mishnah in kelayim that looked like humans, but were still animals.
Rambam in his introduction to moreh nevuchim says
"ש'מעשה בראשית' הוא חכמת הטבע "
. It is science (nature wisdom), not nistar.
So
אין לי עסק בנסתרין
, does not apply to maaseh bereishit. Regarding your questions, there is a talmudic rule: ein mikra yotze midei peshuto (A verse does not deviate from its simple meaning). So it only makes sense to interpret the verses as they would be understood at face value. From the plain meaning of the verse, it is clear that God made man, and then God gave him a soul (Nefesh). Rambam and Rambans interpretations coincide with evolution 500+ years before Charles Darwin, even published the Origin of Species. Lastly, Ki Shivim Panim La Torah, so I think its incorrect to label anyone a kofer, or call it kefira to believe in macro evolution.
Thank You Dr.schroeder for illumanating the mishna in kelayim, rambams statement in the guide regarding man looking creatures, and rambans statements about the soul in your work here: http://geraldschroeder.com/wordpress/?page_id=79#h5
וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים ...והכתוב הזה כפי משמעו ירמוז כן כי יאמר שיצר השם אֶת הָאָדָם עָפָר מִן הָאֲדָמָה והיה מוטל גולם כאבן דומם והקב"ה נפח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים ואז חזר הָאָדָם להיות "נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה" שיתנועע בה כמו החיות והדגים שאמר בהם (לעיל א כ כד) "יִשְׁרְצוּ הַמַּיִם שֶׁרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה" ו"תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה" וזה טעם "לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה" כלומר ששב האדם להיות נפש בה חיים אחרי שהיה חרש את חרשי אדמה כי הלמ"ד תבא בהפוכים כמו וְהָיוּ לְדָם בַּיַּבָּשֶׁת (שמות ד ט) וַיְהִי לְנָחָשׁ (שם ד ג) וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הַיָּם לֶחָרָבָה (שם יד כא) אבל אונקלוס אמר והות באדם לרוח ממללא נראה שדעתו כדברי האומרים שהם נפשות שונות וזאת הנפש המשכלת אשר נפחה השם באפיו היתה בו לנפש מדברת וכן נראה לי מדעת רבותינו ממה שאמרו (סנהדרין סה) רבא ברא גברא שדריה לקמיה דרבי זירא הוה מישתעיה ליה ולא אישתעי אמר דמן דחבריא את תוב לעפרך ובויקרא רבה (לב ב) אמר רבי אבין בשעה שאדם ישן הגוף אומר לנשמה והנשמה אומרת לנפש והנפש אומרת למלאך וכן רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסֹף(איוב לד יד) יורה כפי משמעו שהן שתים ואם כן יאמר הכתוב וייצר ה' אלהים את האדם יצירת תנועה שהיה האדם נוצר כלומר בעל תנועה כי היצירה היא החיות וההרגש שבהם הוא אדם לא גבול העפר וכמו שאמר וַיִּצֶר ה' אֱלֹהִים מִן הָאֲדָמָה כָּל חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה וְאֵת כָּל עוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיָּבֵא אֶל הָאָדָם (להלן ב יט) ואחרי שיצרו בהרגשה נפח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים מפי עליון להוסיף הנפש הזאת על היצירה הנזכרת ויהי הָאָדָם כולו לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה כי בנשמה הזאת ישכיל וידבר ובה יעשה כל מעשה וכל הנפשות וכחותן לה תהיינה והלמ"ד הזו למ"ד הקנין כמו אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ לְךָ אֲנִי וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לִי (מלכים א כ ד) לַקֹּנֶה אֹתוֹ לְדֹרֹתָיו (ויקרא כה ל) לְךָ אֲנִי הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי (תהלים קיט צד) ...
AND HE BLEW INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE SOUL OF LIFE.
...The implication of this verse, according to its simple meaning is like this. For it states that god formed man of dust from the ground, he was lying there, a lifeless lump, like a silent stone, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, blew into his nostrils the soul of life, and then did man become a "living soul", by means of which he was able to move about, the beasts and the fish of whom it says, let the waters bring forth swarming creatures with live souls, and Let the earth bring forth creatures with live souls. And this is the meaning of became a living being, it means that man transformed into a being in which there was life after having been "a shard among the shards of the earth." For the prefix "l", into, [when it follows the word verb hayah or a similar verb], indicates opposites, as in, and it will become blood when it is on the land, and it became a snake, and he turned the sea to dried land. But Onkelos renders and it[the "soul of life"] became in adam a spirit of speech. It appears that his opinion is in agreement with those who say that the three are sperate souls in man, and this , "rational soul" that God blew into his nostrils became in him a "spirit of speech". And so it appears to me from the opinion of our Sages, from what they said (Sanhedrin 65b): Rabbah created a man. He sent it before Rabbi Zeira, who spoke to it but it did not speak. He said to it, "You are of the colleagues (Rabbis) [Return to the dust from which you came] And in Vayikra Rabba (32:2), Rabbi Avin said: When a person sleeps, the body speaks to the neshamah-soul, and the neshema-soul speaks to the nefesh-soul, and the nefesh-soul speaks to an angel. Also, He would gather up his spirit and his soul to himself (Job 34:14) indicates, seemingly, that they are two separate entities. Now, if this is is so, when our verse says, Hashem God formed the man, it refers to the "forming" of his mobility. For man was "formed" i.e., he became a being possessing mobility, for "forming" refers to life and sentience, for with these qualities he became a man as opposed to an earthen clump. As it says, and hashem your god "formed" out of the ground every beast of the field and he brought them to the man. Then, after he "formed" him with sentience, He blew into his nostrils the soul of life from the mouth of the Supreme One, to on this "soul [of life]" [i.e mans rational soul,] to the aforementioned "formation," [i.e., the man like creature that possessed only life and sentience. And "man became" in his entirety "of a living soul". For with this soul He reasons and speaks, and with it he does all of his actions, and all the souls and their capabilities "belong" to it. For the [l prefix (in l'nefesh)] is the L of possession, as in, My Lord the King, I and all I own are are yours (I kings 20:4); [owned] by the one who possessed it, for his generations (leviticus 25:30) and I am yours save me! (Psalms 119:94)...
Thank you Yosef Zarnighian for pointing out the implications of the city Cain built and of his wife and for providing a translation of rambam on the mishna
Person 1: Many macro evolutionists do not believe in any kind of creation. They believe that all life simply began spontaneously and man and all creatures are simply products of evolution. You certainly know that. "Creationism," in this view and the entire Torah are simply myths and legends. That certainly is kefira to me although I don't like to insult anyone. That same Ramban tells us we are obliged to believe that there is one G-d and He created everything and He preexisted everything and continues to run the world. As to מעשי בראשית it is certainly considered esoteric, mystical and not meant to be easily understood in any way. This is noted in the gemara and many other sources. What the Rambam meant in the moreh is a little beyond me. Most sources don't seem to agree with that. Did Hashem create nature and the laws of physics? Sure. Do we get it? I don't think so. Big bang? Maybe? Macro evolution? I'm not convinced. Are there a lot of people who believe in creation and macro evolution?
Person 2: Many men don't wear ties, is it fair to infer that all men don't wear ties? This is the logic you are presenting. just because many macro evolutionalists dont believe in any kind of creation does not mean that everyone who believes in macro evolution also does not believe in creation. Rambams 13 principles do not include the lack of belief in macro evolution. In fact there are subsets within the group that do believe in macro evolution and that god created the universe as charles darwin himself did. Perhaps, if these other "non-believing" jews saw ramban and rambams interpretation coinciding with evolution, they too would be more likely to follow the torah (not to say that we should alter the interpretations to appease the many) . Your arguments have not addressed the wrongness in my points. Which pasuk in tanakh disavows the points I presented?
אמר רב שמואל קפוטקאה תדע שהרי עופות יש להן קשקשת ברגליהם כדגים:
Rav Shmuel of Cappadocia says: Know that birds were created from a combination of dry land and water, as they have scales on their feet like fish.
A description of abiogenesis follows this statement of Rabbi Shmuel of Cappadocia in chulin 27b.
God would present these animals to man, and then man would begin to classify them.
“Because you did this,
More cursed shall you be
Than all cattle
And all the wild beasts:
On your belly shall you crawl
And dirt shall you eat
All the days of your life.