Guiding the Perplexed

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 94: Part 3 Chapters 10 & 11

Rambam describes how evil is the absence of good, and that everything God does is good.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 93: Part 3 Chapters 8b & 9

Rambam describes in chapter 8 how the human form is defined by its intelligence and ability to understand and comprehend, while the matter of which we are made brings us base and vulgar physical desires. It is our job to perfect our form and stay away from our physical failings. He also discusses the nature of holiness. In Chapter 9 Rambam teaches us about the cloudy dark veil of matter that divides between us and the divine.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 92: Part 3 Chapters 6,7 & 8a

In 6 and 7, Rambam continues to explain Ezekiel's vision of the chariot. in 8a, Rambam begins a discussion of form and matter, and how the destructive forces all come from matter.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 91: Part 3 Chapters 2b - 5

Rambam continues his commentary on Ezekiel's vision of the chariot. Rambam explains the meaning using Aristotelian Physics.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 90: Part 3 Chapters 1 and 2a

Rambam begins his commentary of Ezekiel's vision of the chariot.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 89: Part 3 Introduction

Rambam discusses his personal challenge, how to teach the ideas he wants to teach without violating the prohibition against revealing ideas to the masses that they are incapable of understanding. We then read the first chapter of Ezekiel so we can understand how Rambam will explain it in the upcoming chapters.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 88: Part 2 Chapters 46, 47 & 48

In 46, Rambam describes how the "impossible" notions mentioned by the prophets typically occur in visions, not in reality. In 47, Rambam tells us that many parables by the prophets engage in hyperbole and poetics to make a point. In the final chapter of part 3, chapter 48, Rambam explains what the prophets mean when they tell us that "God does something".

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 87: Part 2 Chapter 45

Rambam describes the eleven levels of prophecy, including the first two that are accessible to all of us.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 86: Part 2 Chapters 43, 44 and 45a

In 43, Rambam describes how visions of prophecy appear as parables. In 44 he describes how every encounter between a prophet and the divine occurs in a vision only. In 45a we begin the listing of the degrees of prophecy.

Guide For the Perplexed - Lecture 85: Part 2 Chapters 41b and 42

We finish chapter 41 in which Rambam explains the difference between a vision of prophecy and the dreams of Lavan and Avimelech. In 42 Rambam describes that all the prophecies in Tanach were visions and they did not occur in the physical world.