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Why does it matter practically whether we conceive of God as having a body? The Rambam (רמב"ם)'s third principle teaches that a physical God becomes merely a 'super-human' rather than a totally different essence. This distinction resolves how divine omniscience coexists with free will - God's knowledge operates qualitatively differently from human knowledge.
This shiur provides an in-depth analysis of the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s third principle of faith - that God is totally non-physical and incorporeal. The speaker addresses the fundamental question of why this principle matters practically, arguing that conceiving of God as having a body reduces Him to a 'super-human' rather than recognizing His totally different essence. The lecture explores the famous dispute between Rambam and Raavad regarding calling someone a heretic for believing God has a body, clarifying that both agree God is incorporeal - they only disagree on whether such a person should be called a heretic if the mistake stems from literal biblical interpretation. The shiur connects this to the philosophical problem of divine knowledge versus free will, explaining that God's knowledge is qualitatively different from human knowledge, allowing for both divine omniscience and human free choice. The final section addresses the anthropomorphic language in Torah (תורה), arguing that rather than being mere metaphors, these terms represent precise finite expressions of infinite divine attributes - everything in our world is a perfect reflection of divine qualities translated into finite terms.
Rambam's Thirteen Principles of Faith - Third Principle, Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Hilchot Teshuvah chapters 5-6
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