The guide for the perplexed

The first Edition of the English Translation of Maimonides’ Dalalāt al-Hairin being exhausted without having fully supplied the demand, I prepared a second, revised edition of the Translation. In the new edition the three volumes of the first edition have been reduced to one volume by the elimination of the notes; besides Hebrew words and phrases have been eliminated or transliterated. By these changes the translator sought to produce a cheap edition in order to bring the work of Maimonides within the reach of all students of Theology and Jewish Literature.

M. FRIEDLÄNDER.

Jews’ College, July 1904.

PREFACE TO VOLUME ONE OF THE FIRST EDITION

In compliance with a desire repeatedly expressed by the Committee of the Hebrew Literature Society, I have undertaken to translate Maimonides’ Dalalāt al-Ḥairin, better known by the Hebrew title Moreh Nebuchim, and I offer the first instalment of my labours in the present volume. This contains—(1) A short Life of Maimonides, in which special attention is given to his alleged apostasy. (2) An analysis of the whole of the Moreh Nebuchim. (3) A translation of the First Part of this work from the Arabic, with explanatory and critical notes.

Parts of the Translation have been contributed by Mr. Joseph Abrahams, B.A., Ph.D., and Rev. H. Gollancz—the Introduction by the former, and the first twenty-five chapters by the latter.

In conclusion I beg to tender my thanks to Rev. A. Loewy, Editor of the Publications of the Hebrew Literature Society, for his careful revision of my manuscript and proofs, and to Mr. A. Neubauer, M.A., for his kindness in supplying me with such information as I required.

M. FRIEDLÄNDER.

Jews’ College, June 1881.

CONTENTS

PAGE

Life of Maimonides xv

Moreh Nebuchim Literature. Analysis of the Guide for the Perplexed xxvii

Part I.

Introduction— Dedicatory Letter 1 The Object of the Guide 2 On Similes 4 Directions for the Study of this Work 8 Introductory Remarks 9

CHAPTER. I The homonymity of Ẓelem 13 II On Genesis iii. 5 14 III On tabnit and temunah 16 IV On raah, hibbit and ḥazah 17 V On Exod. xxiv. 10 18 VI On ish and ishshah, aḥ and aḥot 19 VII On yalad 19 VIII On maḳom 20 IX On kisse 21 X On ʻalah, yarad 22 XI On yashab 23 XII On kam 24 XIII On ʻamad 25 XIV On adam 25 XV On naẓab, yaẓab 25 XVI On Ẓur 26 XVII On Mishnah Ḥagigah ii. 1 27 XVIII On ḳarab, nagaʻ, niggash 27 XIX On male 28 XX On ram, nissa 29 XXI On ʻabar 30 XXII On ba 32 XXIII On Yaẓa, shub 32 XXIV On halak 33 XXV On shaken 34 XXVI On “The Torah speaketh the language of man” 34 XXVII On Targum of Gen. xlvi. 4 35 XXVIII On regel 37 XXIX On ʻaẓeb 39 XXX On akal 39 XXXI, XXXII On the Limit of Man’s Intellect 40, 42 XXXIII to XXXVI On the Study and the Teaching of Metaphysics 43–52 XXXVII On panim 52 XXXVIII On aḥor 53 XXXIX On leb 54 XL On ruaḥ 55 XLI On nefesh 56 XLII On ḥayyim-mavet 56 XLIII On kanaf 57 XLIV On ʻayin 58 XLV On shamaʻ 58 XLVI, XLVII On the Attribution of Senses and Sensations to God 59, 63 XLVIII The Targum of shamaʻ and raah 64 XLIX Figurative Expressions applied to Angels 65 L On Faith 67 LI–LX On Attributes 68–89 LI On the Necessity of Proving the Inadmissibility of Attributes in reference to God 68 LII Classification of Attributes 69 LIII The Arguments of the Attributists 72 LIV On Exod. xxxiii. 13; xxxiv. 7 75 LV On Attributes implying Corporeality, Emotion, Non-existence and Comparison 78 LVI On Attributes denoting Existence, Life, Power, Wisdom and Will 79 LVII On the Identity of the Essence of God and His Attributes 80 LVIII On the Negative Sense of the True Attributes of God 81 LIX On the Character of the Knowledge of God Consisting of Negations 83 LX On the Difference between Positive and Negative Attributes 87 LXI On the Names of God 89 LXII On the Divine Names composed of Four, Twelve and Forty-two Letters 91 LXIII On Ehyeh, Yah and Shaddai 93 LXIV On “The Name of the Lord,” and “The Glory of God” 95 LXV On the phrase “God spake” 96 LXVI On Exod. xxxii. 16 98 LXVII On shabat and naḥ 99 LXVIII On the Terms: The Intellectus, the Intelligens and the Intelligibile 100 LXIX On the Primal Cause 102 LXX On the attribute rokeb baʻarabot 105 LXXI The Origin of the Kalām 107 LXXII A Parallel between the Universe and Man 113 LXXIII Twelve Propositions of the Kalām 120 LXXIV Proofs of the Kalām for the creatio ex nihilo 133 LXXV Proofs of the Kalām for the Unity of God 138 LXXVI Proofs of the Kalām for the Incorporeality of God 141