Tif’eret Yisra’el (The Beauty of Israel)

Since animals do not use these faculties [strength, speed, or cunning] for the purpose of [gaining] their livelihood, this shows that that which a man does with the strength of his body, and the sweat of his brow, and heavy lifting, for the sake of his sustenance, these activities do not pertain to the perfection of man; for behold, this matter is not required of animals, which are lesser than man. Rather, it is due to his sin that he does not have rest for his body. Day and night, he runs after his livelihood, like a deer, and he uses the faculty of his soul for this. This is does not relate to his perfection, for behold, this does not exist among the animals, which are below him. Thus, the perfection of the intellect of man does not serve him for his livelihood, since this is not required of animals, which are inferior to man.

Therefore since man is more praiseworthy than all of the rest of the animals, and it is suitable for there to be special actions for him. Those special actions are not the actions which are of labor and building, for these are not there for his perfection, but rather because of shortcoming and deficiency, because man sinned and became imperfect; thus, he is in need of all of these things. We have already explained that it is impossible for man not to have actions that are connected to his soul, since he has a divine soul. Therefore, then the question remains: What are the actions particular to man that are connected to his status of having an intellectual soul? It only remains to be said that the actions connected to the status of man’s soul are the divine actions, and they are the commandments of the Torah. These are particular to man according to the status of his divine soul. This matter is certain: they are the actions particular and suitable for him.

If you ask and say that if it is so, then behold, all of the actions that are particular to each and every one of the creatures are necessary actions that stem from that creature and from his essence—and he does not vary his actions—then why do there not also exist divine actions, which are the commandments, stemming from man’s own essence? This matter is not a question, for indeed it would have been suitable for these actions to come from man, but it is the evil inclination that He created within man that which brings him to evil actions. Concerning this, our master Moses, may peace be upon him, rebuked Israel and said: Give ear, ye heavens, etc. (Deuteronomy 32:1). This will be clarified in the following chapters, in order to make it known that this is not at all according to the proper order. For according to the intellectual order, it would be fitting for the actions of each and every creature to be according to that which is suitable for them, and in the case of man, whose soul is intellectually divine, there are particular actions that are suitable for him, namely, the commandments from the Torah; but the evil inclination prevents this.

However, it is impossible for all human beings of each and every type to be equal in the virtues of their souls. Despite their equality in regard to looks and interests, they are not equal, in that some of them are more divine than the others, as is known. For prophecy and the Holy Spirit and the resting of the divine presence are specific to the people that the Lord chose from the rest of the idolatrous nations. And there is no doubt that prophecy is a disposition within the soul of man, and you will find that this disposition is specific to the people that the Lord chose. From this, you can see that the soul of this people is more divine in regard to this disposition.

It is also necessary to say that this world, in which mankind exists, is the world of nature. Accordingly, anything that is natural should equally be found in all of humanity, due to the fact that this world is natural in its entirety. If difference exists among them because of differences of location, then this matter is not actually considered to be a difference at all. But divinity does not exist in equal proportion for all of humanity, for if it did exist in equal proportion for all of humanity, then this world would be distinct from nature, for divinity would exist in its general makeup.

However, this world is the world of nature and is not a separate world, and this fact necessitates the fact that divinity does not exist in equal proportions for all of humanity, but only exists for parts of it. And due to the fact that the idolaters are from the natural world, there are seventy nations, for the natural world was created during the seven days of creation; and in relation to the seven days of the world of nature, there were seventy nations—ten corresponding to each day. There is one single nation above nature. Thus, the Torah, which is above the world of nature, is suitable for the nation of Israel, and the Torah was created before the natural world was created, and Israel too was created before the natural world was created. Thus the entire matter of the Torah is within the eighth realm, for nature is related to the number seven, and that which is above nature is the eighth, as will be clarified in the following chapter. Thus the nation of Israel, which the Lord chose as His possession, are special in their divine actions, which are the commandments of the Torah. This is according to the level of their divine soul. In this regard, they are prepared for prophecy, the Holy Spirit, and the resting of the divine presence among them. And according to their level, God gave the idolaters seven commandments, which are the seven commandments of the sons of Noah.