Guiding the Perplexed

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 104: Part 3 Chapters 19 & 20a

In 19, Rambam describes why people conclude that God doesn't know or care what we do; because we have the arrogant idea that when things don't conform to the way we think they should be, we assume that they are not right. In 20, we begin Rambam's discussion of how God's "knowledge" is not the same as our human "knowledge".

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 103: Part 3 Chapter 18 and 19a

Rambam describes in Chapter 18 how God's providence is commensurate with a person's intellect and how one chooses to live. Chapter 19 begins with the reason so many people conclude that God doesn't know or care what happens in this world.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 102: Part 3 Chapter 17c

Rambam describes his opinion regarding God's providence. Providence is for humans only as it works through our intellect and only humans have intellect.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 101: Part 3 Chapter 17b

Rambam describes the fourth and fifth possible understandings of how God's providence works, the fifth one being the simple meaning of the Torah. He reviews the flaws of all the possibilities, and leads us toward his own understanding of God's providence, which he will describe next.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 100: Part 3 Chapter 17a

Rambam describes various opinions regarding God's providence. In this lecture we cover the first three approaches.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 99: Part 3 Chapter 16

Rambam begins his discussion of the difficult question of theodicy by describing what led many philosophers to conclude that God doesn't know what is happening in His universe.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 98: Part 3 Chapters 14 & 15

In chapter 14, Rambam describes why it is unreasonable to think that God created the world for the sake of human beings, as we are but a tiny speck within the vast universe. He also explains that the sages were only competent in scientific matters according to their time. In 15 Rambam describes why God cannot do the impossible.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 97: Part 3 Chapter 13b

Rambam discusses the idea that every creation was created for its' own significance, not for the purpose of serving something else. All of creation, every creature, every being, every moment, is significant for itself. The question of the purpose or end of creation is not a proper question.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 96: Part 3 Chapters 12b & 13a

In 12b Rambam describes how the quest for unnecessary luxuries is often the cause of our suffering the loss of even necessities. In 13b we learn of the futility in searching for the ultimate purpose of our existence. Rambam emphasizes the special significance of every created being and object, each of which is important, human beings are not the purpose of the universe.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 95: Part 3 Chapter 12a

Rambam describes how most evil in the world does not come from God but from our own selfishness.