Corpus-Paul

["Liz Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>]

> From: Lewis Reich

> >
> > This is includes the sacrificial system. Those Jews who say the
> sacrificial
> > system was valid then, also say it is valid now.
>
> I'm not sure this is quite true, Liz.  I believe I've heard it
> said that Maimonides
> felt that the sacrificial system was for its time, but no longer.

Hi Lewis, Welcome to Corpus-Paul,
My torah study group and I have been plowing through Guide to the Perplexed
for the past few months. We are only halfway through the first part.
Maimonides could not have believed in system which was valid at one time
for/to God and then no longer valid. The primary starting point for M was
that God does not change.  We haven't gotten up to M's stand on the
commandments yet, but I can't imagine his God actually giving out
commandments.  His God does nothing but think about himself. I don't know
where the commandments would have fit into his system.  Certainly God is not
influenced by whether or not people follow them, since God does not change.
Once you assume an unchanging God you have a major paradigm shift.

Liz
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>
> Lewis Reich
> LBR AT sprynet.com

>
Lisbeth S. Fried
Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies
New York University
51 Washington Sq. S.
New York, NY 10012
lqf9256 AT is3.nyu.edu
lizfried AT umich.edu