Philosophy:Anthropomorphism/2

Anthropomorphism

Exegetical Approaches

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Hashem Can Be Corporeal¹

Sources:Merkavah Shelemah Shiur KomahMerkavah Shelemah Shiur Komah,² RashiShemot 7:4About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki,³ RashbamBereshit 48:8About R. Shemuel b. Meir, R. Moshe TakuKetav Tamim (printed in Otzar Nechmad), scholars cited by RaavadHilkhot Teshuvah 3:7About R. Avraham b. David, scholars cited by R. Avraham b. HaRambamMilchamot HaSham pp. 48-75About R. Avraham Maimonides, scholars cited by ShadalBereshit 1:26About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto,

Anthropomorphic verses – According to this approach it is expected that Tanakh should talk about Hashem as if he has a body.

Hashem is limited – According to Shiur Komah, Hashem has a body but in different measures than a regular human body and therefore he is not limited.  R. Moshe Taku claims that if Hashem did not have a body He would be limited to not having a body, however, by having the choice Hashem is not limited.

"וְאֶל מִי תְדַמְּיוּנִי" – R. Saadia questions that if Hashem is a living being like any human, then there is no way He can say that he is different.  One can either understand according to Shiur Komah, that since Hashem's dimensions are larger to a great extent, He is not considered similar to humans.  Perhaps R. Moshe Taku explains that Hashem can choose if to have a body or not at different points and that is how He is not similar to humans.  One could possibly read the verse that Hashem is not similar to any living being in His capabilities, even if He is similar in His appearance.

Prophets seeing Hashem

"בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ" – R. Moshe Taku cites these verses a proof that Hashem has a body.

Outside influences – R. Avraham b. HaRambam notes that the commentators who hold Hashem can be corporeal were probably influenced by the Christian who think that.

Hashem Is Not Corporeal

Sources:R. Saadia GaonHaEmunot VeHaDeiot 2in Otzar HaGeonim Berakhot 6bAbout R. Saadia Gaon, R. Sherira GaonOtzar HaGeonim Chagigah 11b, R. Hai GaonOtzar HaGeonim Berakhot 59a, R. Yehuda HaLeviKuzari 1:88-89About R. Yehuda HaLevi, Ibn EzraShemot First Commentary 33:18Shemot Second Commentary 33:21About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 1:26About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RambamHilkhot Yesodei HaTorah 1:7-12Hilkhot Yesodei HaTorah 2:4Hilkhot Teshuvah 3:7Moreh Nevukhim 1:1Moreh Nevukhim 1:27Moreh Nevukhim 1:36Iggeret Techiyat HaMetimAbout R. Moshe b. Maimon

Anthropomorphic verses – R. Saadia, Rambam and R. Yosef Albo all maintain that all anthropomorphic language is simply a figure of speech.⁴  Thus, R. Saadia suggests that Hashem's hand might represent ability, while His eye refers to His providence and His mouth to his commandments.

Why describe Hashem as having a body? The sources maintain that Hashem is represented in anthropomorphic terms to enable people to relate more easily to Him, and to instill in the nation the idea of Hashem's existence.

Prophets seeing Hashem

• Saw Hashem's glory – R. Saadia⁵ explains that all the prophets who saw Hashem just saw a bright light from where they heard Hashem. Moshe, who was on a different level, saw a larger light.⁶
• Prophetic visions – R. Chananel, Ibn Ezra, Rambam.  The prophets⁷ saw a figure in their imagination or dream, and thought they were seeing Hashem.  They did not actually see any physical vision.⁸
• Intellectual understanding – R. Avraham b. HaRambam, Ralbag.  The prophets got hold of and achieved partially an understanding of Hashem and his actions.

"בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ" – The commentators suggest multiple ways of rereading these verses as not to imply that Hashem has an equivalent to a human body:

• In Hashem's image
• Humans have a partial similarity⁹ to Hashem, either in our mental capabilities (Rambam), or in our governance¹⁰ and ruling over others (opinion in R. Saadia), in difference from animals.
• The image Hashem chose for humans – opinion brought by R. Saadia.¹¹
• R. Saadia says we were not created in Hashem's image rather in Hashem's chosen image.
• In the angels' / Moshe's image – Karaites cited in R. Saadia and Ibn Ezra.
• Binyamin Nahawandi the Karaite cited by R. Saadia suggests these are the angels' words, saying to create a man who is similar to them.  "בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים" refers to the angels and not to Hashem, as "אֱלֹהִים" is used in other places in Torah.¹²
• Yeshuah the Karaite cited by Ibn Ezra suggests these are Moshe's words said to the people to clarify that the first man created was created the same way they were and is therefore like them, rather than being a different species.  This does not account for the combination "בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים".

"כִּי לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי"

Hashem is limited – R. Saadia notes that Hashem can not be corporeal if he created corporeal beings.

¹ R. Saadia quotes "some people" who say that Hashem takes on a physical but not a human form, suggesting that he is either fire, air, space, or the like.

² It is disputed already by the Geonim if Shiur Komah holds authentic citations of R. Yishmael and R. Akiva or this was a later work attributed to them to gain popularity.  See Shaarei TeshuvahTeshuvot HaGeonim Shaarei Teshuvah 122 where R. Sherira Gaon and R. Hai Gaon say the work is original but we just don't understand it and R. Yishmael and R. Akiva certainly do not hold of the opinion that Hashem has a body (R. Saadia Gaon further explains the measurement are referring to the light Hashem shows the prophets and not to his body), and on the other hand the RambamShut HaRambam 117 who says they did not write it.

³ Rashi's stance on the issue is unclear.  See N. Slifkin, Was Rashi a Corporealist?, Hakirah 7 (2009): 81-205, and M. Zucker, No, Rashi Was Not a Corporealist, Hakirah 9 (2010): 15-43, who disagrees.

⁴ R. Saadia compares it to other figurative speech used in Tanakh, such as the sky talking (Tehillim 19:2), rocks listening (Yehoshua 24:27), and land which the Torah talks about it as if it has a face, eyes, ears, mouth, wings, and other body parts, while we know that obviously they does not have all these body parts.  So too by Hashem the verses should not be understood literally.

⁵ See also the many places where Targum Onkelos translates anthropomorphic verses by adding in "'

⁶ R. Moshe Taku notes this explanation is difficult as the verse is calling a light Hashem, when the two words are not equivalent.

⁷ R. Chananel notes that the verse by Moshe (Bemidbar 12:6) "בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע", should be read as a rhetorical question, since Moshe did not see Hashem just like the rest of the prophets.

⁸ R. Chananel brings proof for such use of seeing from other verses, such as Kohelet 1:16.

⁹ Rambam explains the word דמות as similarity in something specific and not as a figure.

¹⁰ Seemingly this opinion was motivated from the continuation of verse 26 where Hashem blessed the people to rule over the other animals.

¹¹ He notes a difficulty that also the rest of the creatures were created in the form Hashem chose for them, and therefore there is no reason it was said specifically about humans "בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים".

¹² R. Saadia mentions a variation of this approach that the words are Hashem's words, talking about how he will create a human in the likeness of the angels.