Formality II

Formality and Maimonides:

Just the other day, Eric posted a quiz that mentioned the Jewish writer Moses Maimonides. A contemporary of Saladin's (and one time physician of his), Maimonides wrote what he called a "guide for the perplexed" -- for those rational Jews who found the Torah, our Old Testament, to be full of impossibilities. They wanted to remain faithful, but were perplexed at how they should interpret such a document. This work is obviously of interest to Christians as well.

Maimonides explained different senses of ancient words, so as to show a way to read literal phrases ("came down") in a metaphysical, rather than physical, sense. One of these words is translated into English as "form," in both the physical and the metaphysical sense.

What is the physical form of a man? He has limbs and eyes, and so forth. It is the metaphysical form that matters. And what is that?

Cassandra writes at RIGHTNETWORK on the subject of making men from boys.

Today’s world has little use and even less respect for manly strength and character. Too often we confuse manliness with maleness, defining masculinity down to an uninspiring collection of barely controlled biological urges. This is a grave mistake, for a world with diminishing standards and few enforceable rules needs men more than ever.

What is the essence of masculinity? How can we cultivate and honor it in our sons? Harvey Mansfield once defined manliness as “a quality that causes individuals to stand for something”. If men have a salient quality, surely it is strength of body, mind, spirit, and character.

Here is Maimonides' take on the form of men. He is writing about Adam, and his children. (This is Chapter VII of Part I, for those of you who are interested in following along).

...it is said of Adam, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat (va-yoled) a son in his own likeness, in his form" (Gen. v. 3).... Those sons of Adam who were born before that time were not human in the true sense of the word, they had not "the form of man".... It is acknowledged that a man who does not possess this "form"... is not human, but a mere animal in human shape and form [i.e., has the physical "form" but not the metaphysical "form" -Grim].

Yet such a creature has the power of causing harm and injury: a power which does not belong to other creatures. For those gifts of intelligence and judgment with which he had been endowed for the purpose of acquiring perfection, but which he has failed to apply to their proper aim, are used by him for wicked and mischievous ends; he begets evil things, as though he merely resembled man, or simulated his outward appearance. Such was the condition of those sons of Adam who preceded Seth. In reference to this subject the Midrash says: "During the 130 years when Adam was under rebuke he begat spirits, i.e., demons."

Such sons were animals in the flesh, and demons in the spirit. That is what occurs when the body of a human male is filled with a spirit that lacks the form of manhood.