In this chapter, Maimonides tells the reader that, as far as “correct opinions” are concerned, the Law only tells us the basics (i.e., to believe in an all-powerful God), but leaves out the details. The basics are “given in the form of final results, but they cannot be understood fully and accurately except after the acquisition of many kinds of knowledge”, and Maimonides implies that acquiring these other kinds of knowledge is also a divine commandment. For scriptural support, he states that the commandment to “Love the Lord” (Deut. 11:13) includes gaining knowledge about “all that exists” and to thereby understand what Maimonides calls God’s wisdom.

There are four types of Scriptural commandments that should need no further explanation. If a commandment:

  1. directly tends to remove injustice
  2. teaches good conduct that furthers the well-being of society
  3. imparts a truth which ought to be believed on its own merit
  4. imparts a truth the belief in which is indispensable for facilitating (1) or (2)

then, says Maimonides, we have no occasion to ask more “why” questions. But, he acknowledges, there are some parts of Scripture whose literal meaning does not further any of the aforementioned goals; “people are in doubt, and of divided opinions, some believing that they are mere commands, and serve no purpose whatever, whilst others believe that they serve a certain purpose, which, however, is unknown to man”. In this category Maimonides includes examples of some ritual commandments. However, he is pretty confident that he can somehow connect these ritual commandments to the actual goals of Scripture, too.

Commentary

In this chapter we find the clearest indication that I can see – as clear as an esoteric book like this can be – that Maimonides believes that some of the beliefs in Scripture (i’tiqadat إعتقدات) only ‘point us in the right direction’ and are not correct opinions to hold in themselves. So he says

in other cases, that truth is only the means of securing the removal of injustice, or the acquisition of good morals; such is the belief that God is angry with those who oppress their fellow-men, as it is said, “Mine anger will be kindled, and I will slay,” etc. (Exod. 22:23); or the belief that God hears the crying of the oppressed and vexed, to deliver them out of the hands of the oppressor and tyrant, as it is written, “And it shall come to pass, when he will cry unto me, that I will hear, for I am gracious” (Exod. 22:27)

Thus, Maimonides is convinved that the belief that God gets angry with those who oppress others, or the belief that God listens to our prayers, are useful beliefs to hold because they help accomplish some of the aims of scripture. But does God actually listen to the cries of the afflicted, or smite the wicked?