- Human Intelligence
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- Moshe Ben-Chaim
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- Ibn Ezra
(Lev. 19:31):
- "....empty brained (people) state that were it not for the
fact that conjurers and magic were actual truths, the Torah would
not have prohibited it, but I say just the opposite of their words,
for the Torah does not command against truth only what's false, and
the proof is the idols."
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- Meaning, if the Torah prohibits only that which has powers, then the
Torah also prohibited stone idols which anyone would agree are bereft
of power. A solid proof against the "empty brained" (raykay
moach) individuals he refers to.
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- Radak (Samuel
I, 28:25 towards the end):
- "....although the implications of the words of the Rabbis
- blessed their memory - indicate from the Talmud that the
(idolatrous) woman resurrected Samuel, we do not accept these words
when our intelligence tells us the opposite".
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- Meaning, that a woman idolater resurrecting someone is completely
false according to all reason. Therefore, our reason is what we must
follow, even when confronted with statements of the Rabbis which seem
to imply the opposite.
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- Ibn Ezra
(Exod. 20:1):
- "if we find any of them (mitzvos) which contradicts common
sense, it isn't proper that we should understand it as implied. But
we should consult the books of the wise men of blessed memory, to
determine if such a command is a metaphor. And if we find nothing
written (by them) we would require to search out with all our
ability, perhaps we can fix it (determine it). If we can't, then we
abandon that mitzvah as it is, and admit we are ignorant of
it".
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