Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Is It All About Belief?
Rambam writes (Peirush Hamishnayos, Sanhedrin, Perek Cheilek) that one who believes in the 13 principles of faith but commits terrible sins all his life merits a portion in the World to Come, while one who denies even one of the 13 principles of faith forfeits his portion in the World to Come. How are we to understand the notion that a mass murderer merits eternal life in the World to Come after being temporarily punished for his sins, while a kind, generous, pious and virtuous individual who does not believe in the eventual resurrection of the dead gets cut off from eternal reward?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think you can look at the 13 priniciples not only as a checklist, but as a litmus test of a person's piety. This would mean that someone who truly believed in the 13 principles could never be a mass-murderer. Conversely (albeit more difficult) someone who doesn't believe in all 13 principles couldn't be a completely pious and virtuous individual.
ReplyDeleteGranted, the latter is more difficult to explain. If someone is willing to deny one of the 13 principles when it doesn't fit their current psychological state or worldview, why wouldn't they deny the others when their psychological state changes. Essentially they denying the entire construct when they define truth through their own subjectivity. The nature of subjectivity is to be the slave of emotion and bias. The nature of emotion and bias is to change to meet egotistical needs. Can a person who bases their actions on their own egotistical needs be considered completely pious?
Regarding your first point: I simply don't believe that it is true. I believe that it is possible to believe in all 13 principles of faith, and still be a mass murderer. On an anecdotal note, a frum man, who probably believed in all 13 ikarim, recently murdered his wife in a fit of rage.
ReplyDeleteRegarding your second point: It is very interesting and creative, but, I think, subject to challenge as well. If I am not intellectually convinced that one of the 13 ikarim is true, can I be considered to believe in it? Is it really a demonstration of egotistical and potentially destructive character to not believe in something of which I am not convinced? I don't think that denial of the eventual resurrection of the dead necessarily entails a lack of piety.