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Why does the Rambam (רמב"ם) insist that believing God has physical form renders someone a non-believer? Most people intuitively conceive of God as a 'superman' - an enhanced human with infinite abilities - which fundamentally distorts our relationship with Him. The Rambam's principle corrects this by teaching that God's essence and knowledge are qualitatively different from ours, not merely superior in degree.
This shiur provides an in-depth analysis of the third principle of Maimonides' Thirteen Principles of Faith: that God is totally non-physical and incorporeal. Rabbi Zweig begins by addressing the common misconception that this principle is merely philosophical, explaining that each of the thirteen principles is essential - without understanding any one of them, a person's entire relationship with God is compromised, regardless of their mitzvah (מצוה) observance. Rabbi Zweig addresses the famous dispute between the Rambam (רמב"ם) and the Ra'avad regarding those who believe God has a physical form. He clarifies that the Ra'avad never argued that God actually has a body, but rather questioned whether someone who mistakenly believes this due to literal interpretation of scriptures should be considered a non-believer. The Ra'avad maintained that such a person, though incorrect, shouldn't be labeled an apostate if their error stems from sincere study of biblical texts.
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Looking for the full transcript?
Full access is available to members of the TUF Alumni Association or the Yam Hagadol Foundation.
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Why must prayer be directed only to God without intermediaries when most systems operate through chains of command? The shiur distinguishes between request-based prayer and relationship-based prayer, showing that Jews have unique face-to-face access to God's presence. This direct communication defines prayer as an intimate service relationship rather than mere petition.
