DEUTERONOMY | 6:24 survival — DEUT316 The true Law, which as we said is one, an...
DEUT316 The true Law, which as we said is one, and besides which there is no other Law, viz., The Law of our teacher Moses, has for its purpose to give us the twofold perfection [the well-being of the soul and the well-being of the body]. It aims first at the establishment of good mutual relations among men by removing injustice and creating the noblest feelings. In this way the people in every land are enabled to stay and continue in one condition, and every one can acquire his first perfection. Secondly, it seeks to train us in faith, and to impart correct and true opinions when the intellect is sufficiently developed. Scripture clearly mentions the twofold perfection, and tells us that its acquisition is the object of all the divine Commandments. Comp. "And the Lord commanded us to do all the statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always, that He might preserve us alive this day." [this verse]. Here the second perfection is first mentioned because it is of greater importance, being, as we have shown, the ultimate aim of man's existence. This perfection is expressed in the phrase, "For our good always." You know the interpretation of our Sages, "that it may be well with thee" (Deuteronomy 22:7) namely, in the world that is all good, "and that thou mayest prolong thy days," [same verse] i.e.., In the world that is all eternal. In the same sense I explain the words, "for our good always," to mean "that we may come into the world that is all good and eternal, we are we may live permanently"; and the words, "that he might preserve us alive this day," I explain as referring to our first and temporal existence, to that of our body which cannot be in a perfect and good condition except by the cooperation of society, as has been shown by us. (Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed, III, 27).
Source Key | AGUS |
Verse | 6:24 |
Keyword(s) | survival |
Source Page(s) | 117-8 |