On the Sheva Berachot – "Who created the man in His Image"
What is the image of God? The Rambam explained at the beginning of the Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed) that this is the human intellect. We have emotion as well, but animals also have emotion. And, on the contrary, what causes the human emotion to be exalted higher than the emotion of angels is the human intellect which refines and purifies that emotion. Both man and woman are in the image of God, both of them are bearers of intellect. This obviously does not refer to basic intellect which is required to fix an object, but to the highest form of intellect which is utilized for ethical and spiritual matters to reach a knowledge of Hashem. This is the fundamental equality of a man and a woman - both of them were created in the image of God. There are all types of physiological and psychological differences, but these are completely offset compared with the common denominator. There are even differences between the intellect of a man and the intellect of a woman. On the one hand, there is a certain advantage to the male intellect in that it is not especially intermingled with emotion; the constitution of a woman is therefore weaker than that of a man (Shabbat 33b). On the other hand, there is a certain advantage to the female intellect in that it is more intermingled with emotion, the understanding of a woman is therefore greater than that of a man (Niddah 45b). There is a difference, but do not forget the common denominator. It is therefore not enough for a couple to love one another, they also need to value each other as being a bearer of intellect.
At the end of the Moreh Nevuchim, the Rambam returned to these words, a part of which is brought by the Rama in his introduction to the Shulchan Aruch: The way that a person acts when he is alone in his room cannot be compared to the way that he acts in front of a great king. But, behold, a person is constantly in a state of being in front of an awe-inspiring king, his intellect, the Divine spark which is in him, which attaches him to the Master of the Universe.
What is the image of God? The Rambam explained at the beginning of the Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed) that this is the human intellect. We have emotion as well, but animals also have emotion. And, on the contrary, what causes the human emotion to be exalted higher than the emotion of angels is the human intellect which refines and purifies that emotion. Both man and woman are in the image of God, both of them are bearers of intellect. This obviously does not refer to basic intellect which is required to fix an object, but to the highest form of intellect which is utilized for ethical and spiritual matters to reach a knowledge of Hashem. This is the fundamental equality of a man and a woman - both of them were created in the image of God. There are all types of physiological and psychological differences, but these are completely offset compared with the common denominator. There are even differences between the intellect of a man and the intellect of a woman. On the one hand, there is a certain advantage to the male intellect in that it is not especially intermingled with emotion; the constitution of a woman is therefore weaker than that of a man (Shabbat 33b). On the other hand, there is a certain advantage to the female intellect in that it is more intermingled with emotion, the understanding of a woman is therefore greater than that of a man (Niddah 45b). There is a difference, but do not forget the common denominator. It is therefore not enough for a couple to love one another, they also need to value each other as being a bearer of intellect.
At the end of the Moreh Nevuchim, the Rambam returned to these words, a part of which is brought by the Rama in his introduction to the Shulchan Aruch: The way that a person acts when he is alone in his room cannot be compared to the way that he acts in front of a great king. But, behold, a person is constantly in a state of being in front of an awe-inspiring king, his intellect, the Divine spark which is in him, which attaches him to the Master of the Universe.
Originally posted by Torat HaRav Aviner
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment