Ralbag — Milchamos Hashem 1:12

Chapter Twelve

In which we investigate and resolve several difficulties that arise from what we explained concerning human perfection.

Now that we have explained the matter of the sechel hanikneh — the acquired intellect — it is appropriate to investigate whether a person can attain an even greater level of perfection than this. Some of the earlier philosophers believed that it is possible for a person actually to comprehend the Sechel HaPoel — the Active Intellect.

We will say that, if such a thing were possible, it would necessarily have to take place only after we had comprehended all of these intellectual concepts. For all of them exist within the Sechel HaPoel in the manner in which they form one unified whole, as we explained earlier.

It is necessary that we first understand these things individually before understanding them in the manner in which they are all one. This is similar to the fact that we must first understand what beams, bricks, and stones are before we can understand the nature of a house constructed from them.

For this reason, Ibn Rushd said that this ultimate comprehension could take place only after a person comprehends all of these intellectual concepts. It seems that the nature of the truth itself forced him to this conclusion. He said that although attaining such knowledge would be extremely difficult, perhaps it could eventually be completed through outstanding groups of scholars, with each one assisting the others.

That being the case, if it is impossible for a person to comprehend all of these intellectual concepts, then clearly it is impossible for him to comprehend the Sechel HaPoel. Likewise, even if it were possible to comprehend all of these concepts, if it were impossible to comprehend how they form one unified whole, then the Sechel HaPoel would still remain beyond human comprehension.

Having established this, we will now explain why it is impossible for a person to comprehend the Sechel HaPoel: it is impossible for a person to comprehend all of the intellectual knowledge contained within it.

There are species of animals, plants, and minerals about which we possess no real understanding. With some species, it is impossible for us even to know the arrangement of their organs and the wisdom behind why they are structured as they are, because their small size prevents our senses from observing them properly.

Even among species whose individual members are large, it is impossible for us to know the complete truth concerning the arrangement of all of their organs.

Take the human body as an example. Despite all of the extensive investigation conducted by the earlier scholars concerning man’s organs, arteries, sinews, bones, and muscles, it is still impossible for our knowledge of these things to be absolutely complete — to know their exact number and every difference between them in quantity, quality, and shape. This will be quite obvious to anyone who studies this subject.

The Sechel HaPoel, however, possesses complete knowledge of everything that necessarily results in this lower world from the stars, as will be explained later. It is impossible for man, on the basis of what he can learn through his senses, to attain such complete knowledge.

In general, it is impossible for man to know the complete truth concerning this order. This can be seen from the science of astrological judgments, whose predictions are frequently found to be false. Certainly, then, it is impossible for man to understand the complete truth of this order together with all of its causes, in such a way that his knowledge would be perfect.

Furthermore, even if we were to grant that a person could comprehend all of the intellectual concepts present in the Sechel HaPoel, it would nevertheless remain impossible for him to comprehend the Sechel HaPoel itself, because a person cannot fully comprehend the hierarchy of all these things and the manner in which they form one unified whole.

We can see that there is an ordered progression in the way chomer harishon — prime matter — receives different forms, until the process culminates in the human form. But it is impossible for us to know this complete order in every individual species.

For example, the four elements are, in an absolute sense, the underlying matter from which minerals are formed. The elements themselves also stand in a hierarchy relative to one another: earth is in the position of underlying matter relative to water; water relative to air; and air relative to fire.

Minerals, in turn, stand in the position of underlying matter relative to plants, while plants stand in the position of underlying matter relative to animals.

Accordingly, it would appear that even among the forms of minerals themselves, one stands in the position of underlying matter relative to another, until we reach something that is, as it were, intermediate between plant life and inanimate matter — namely, coral.

The same applies within the plant kingdom: different plants stand in a hierarchy relative to one another, until we reach something that is, as it were, intermediate between plant and animal — namely, marine sponges and the existing types of chilazon.

Similarly, there is an ordered hierarchy among animals, until the entire progression ultimately reaches the human species.

We can demonstrate the necessity of what we have stated as follows.

Chomer harishon proceeds through these forms from nonexistence toward existence. Therefore, every intermediate form is, in one sense, an absence and, in another sense, an existence. That is, it represents existence relative to the form which preceded it, but an absence relative to the form which follows it.

This is similar to the individual stages of motion. Each stage is actualized in relation to the portion of the motion that has already taken place, but remains potential in relation to the portion that is still to come.

It follows that every one of these forms must stand in the position of underlying matter relative to the form which follows it, until the entire process culminates in the human form.

It is impossible for two of these forms to stand at precisely the same level. For if that were possible, there would be three possibilities: either both forms would be the final purpose of the forms received by chomer harishon; or both would be intermediate forms; or one would be the final purpose and the other an intermediate form.

The possibility that both could be final purposes is false. If that were so, either they would both be goals of the very same movement, or they would be goals of two separate movements.

They cannot both be the goal of one and the same movement, because a single movement can have only one ultimate goal. This is self-evident.

If, on the other hand, we were to say that they are the goals of two different movements — meaning that the forms received by matter until reaching one goal belong to one movement, while the forms leading toward the other belong to another — it would follow that something possessing a form from one movement could never possess the potential to receive one of the forms belonging to the other movement.

According to this assumption, there would have to be two separate kinds of chomer harishon: one capable of receiving the forms belonging to the first movement, and another capable of receiving the forms belonging to the second.

But if that were so, each of these supposed kinds of prime matter would itself have to possess some form which causes one to be naturally receptive to one group of forms and the other to another group. This is impossible, as was explained in the first book of the Physics.

Furthermore, if this were so, there could be no one form toward which all things that come into existence and pass away possess potential. Any such form would necessarily belong to one of the two movements, and things belonging to the other movement would have no potential for it.

But this is false. All such things have the potential to return to the forms of the basic elements, as was explained in natural philosophy. Each element can potentially become the others, and compound bodies can ultimately be broken down into these elements.

In general, it has already been demonstrated in the first book of the Physics that there must be only one chomer harishon.

If we were to say that the two forms in question are both intermediate stages, it is already clear from what we have said that they cannot be intermediate stages belonging to two separate movements. Therefore, if such a thing were possible, they would both have to be intermediate stages within one movement.

It would then necessarily follow that chomer harishon receives one of these forms before receiving the other.

Once this is granted, the later form must necessarily be more perfect and more elevated than the earlier one. In a single movement, every stage exists for the sake of the stage that comes after it, until the process reaches its ultimate purpose.

For example, one drinks a medicine that prepares the body for the sake of taking a purgative medicine; one takes the purgative for the sake of removing the harmful humor; and removing the illness is for the sake of restoring health.

Thus, each intermediate stage is itself a goal relative to the stage that came before it.

Since the goal is more important than that which precedes the goal, it necessarily follows that the form which comes later in the process of generation is more elevated than the form preceding it.

For the same reason, we cannot say that one of two equal forms is the final purpose while the other is merely an intermediate stage. If this were possible, they would necessarily belong to the same movement, and the form that serves as the goal would necessarily be superior to the form that serves merely as an intermediate stage.

There is another way to demonstrate that all these forms must proceed in an ordered progression from a less complete state of existence toward a more complete one.

Nature does not fail to provide a form corresponding to every possible mixture of the elements. Therefore, the number of forms possessed by things which come into existence and pass away corresponds to the number of possible elemental mixtures.

These mixtures themselves progress in an ordered hierarchy from greater coarseness toward greater refinement. What is closer to refinement functions more like form, while what is closer to coarseness functions more like matter.

The same, therefore, must be true of the forms corresponding to these mixtures, because the relationship of one kind of matter to another parallels the relationship of one form to another.

It necessarily follows that just as all elemental mixtures proceed in an ordered progression from less complete existence toward more complete existence, all these forms likewise proceed in an ordered progression from less complete existence toward more complete existence.

It is obvious, however, that man does not possess the ability to comprehend perfectly the full hierarchy of all these mixtures. Certainly he cannot comprehend perfectly the complete hierarchy of all the corresponding forms.

We can understand only broad and widely separated levels.

For example, we can understand that:

• inanimate matter stands in the position of underlying matter relative to primitive plant life;
• primitive plant life relative to more developed plant life;
• developed plant life relative to primitive animal life;
• primitive animal life relative to animals resembling aquatic creatures;
• aquatic-type animals relative to flying animals;
• and flying animals relative to land animals.
• That being the case, it is clear that we cannot fully understand the manner in which all these intellectual concepts form one unified whole.

Since we do not know their complete hierarchy, we cannot know the manner in which they are all one.

It is therefore clear that it is impossible for us to comprehend the Sechel HaPoel.

Unless, perhaps, someone were to argue that we comprehend the Sechel HaPoel in a certain limited sense by comprehending these intellectual concepts, since all of them exist within the Sechel HaPoel. Perhaps this is the sense in which we can be said to unite with the Sechel HaPoel.

It seems that this consideration misled some of the earlier philosophers and caused them to say that it is possible for a human being actually to comprehend the Sechel HaPoel.

Do not think that this disagreement existed only among the philosophers. You will find a similar disagreement among the earlier Sages of our Torah, of blessed memory.

The Midrash comments on the pasuk, “And God saw the light, that it was good.”

Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon said:

HaKadosh Baruch Hu separated the light for Himself. He said, “No creature is capable of making use of this light other than Me.” This is what the pasuk means when it says, “And the light dwells with Him.”

It may be compared to a king who saw a particularly fine portion and said, “This one is for me.”

The Chachamim, however, said that He caused this light to flash forth in order eventually to give it to the tzaddikim, as the pasuk says, “Light is sown for the righteous.”

It is clear that they were referring to the intellectual light of the separate intellects, because ordinary physical light is already used by creatures possessing physical senses.

Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon means that it is impossible for a human being to comprehend the separate intellects.

Those who disagree with him hold that a person can attain some weak and momentary comprehension of them through the influence they bestow upon him — as though the intellectual light he receives were merely a flash of lightning.

This is why the Midrash says, “He caused it to flash.”

And when they say that this influence was intended “to be given to the tzaddikim in the future,” they mean that the limited comprehension we initially possess of these intellects is intended ultimately to bring us to a more complete comprehension of them and to attachment with them.