Saturday, August 23, 2014

Emanations

[I]t is not proper for someone to withhold what he has learned in philosophy from someone else. This would be utterly disgraceful. Indeed, just as this entire universe emanated from God for no particular advantage to Him, so too is it proper for someone who has achieved some perfection to try to impart it to someone else. In this way he is imitating God as best he can.

Levi ben Gershom (Gersonides), The Wars of the Lord, Volume One, Seymour Feldman, tr. Jewish Publication Society of America (Philadelphia: 1984) p. 97. Tamar Rudavsky has a handy article on this very Aristotelian philosopher and polymath at the SEP. I keep intending to do something here on Gersonides, but it keeps slipping my mind; something to keep in mind for next year, perhaps.