Natural philosophical ideas in the 4th part of "Or ha-Shem" (The Light of the Lord) by rabbi Hasdai Crescas

Abstract

This article analyzes the 4th Part of Hasdai Crescas’ treatise ‘Or ha-Shem (The Light of the Lord) where the Jewish philosopher explores arguments in favor or against the infinity and pre-eternity of the Universe as well as arguments, according to which the Universe was cre­ated. The treatise was meant to be an antithesis and a critique of Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed. If in first three parts of his opus magnum rabbi Crescas basically criticizes the philosophy of Maimonides, in the 4th part, he presents his own view of the philosophical ideas that were popular in his time. At some point, the philosopher turns to a discussion of the term tov muhlat (Absolute Good), which he uses in his analysis of the idea of the pre-eternity (kadmut ha-‘olam) of the world. Here, the author of the present paper takes a neo-Platonist perspective. Crescas critically explores arguments in favor of the creation (hidush ha-‘olam) and pre-eternity of the Universe (kadmut ha-‘olam). Besides that, in his analysis of the multitude of worlds, the Jewish philosopher discovers what will be called Olbers’ paradox in the 19th century (if the Universe is infinite and full of stars, why doesn’t the sky in the night shine like a unique surface?). The idea of a multitude of worlds and the idea of the eternity of the Universe are incompatible, according to Crescas. He argues that what is eternal can exist only as a unique thing.