Techiyat HaMetim – Rambam's Answer to the Doubters
I heard from my teacher, [the Baal Shem Tov], that among the manuscripts of the responsa of the Rambam there is a question that was posed to him by the inhabitants of a certain country. Approximately 70,000 people signed the letter in which the question was presented.
This is what the letter said:
“Teach us, our teacher! It is well known that the Torah does not explicitly mention ‘Techiyat HaMetim’; only the sages of the Talmud interpret certain verses of Tanakh in this way, relying on hints concealed within them. If so, we too can invent interpretations of the verses and explain them as we see fit.”
The Rambam did not wish to answer the letter personally and instructed his student Ibn Tibbon to write a response. Here are excerpts from that response:
“Let me explain to you that such doubts as have entered your minds indicate that your souls do not derive from the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but from the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah. For there are souls that come from Heaven, some that come from the earth, and some from the seven planets.
Here one may raise a question concerning the very foundation of the Creation of the world.
Our Sages said that everything was created in diversity. This applies to all creatures, as it is written:
‘…they were created in diversity.’ (Chullin 60a)
It is likewise necessary that there be wicked people, ordinary people, and righteous people among humanity.
For the value of light can be appreciated only after having known darkness. Thus, the existence of darkness also serves a purpose, and the baseness of the wicked makes the exaltedness of the righteous apparent. Each person is created with his or her own traits and inclinations. Perhaps you will ask: if so, how is free will possible?
But no answer will be forthcoming! Since you deny the truth of the interpretations of our Sages, may their memory be a blessing, you will be unable to grasp the depth of this matter.
As is well known, the soul (nefesh) joins with the body through the blood, which is formed from food that has undergone several stages of separation.
- First, the body injects a drop of bile into the food in the intestines; from it, the coarse and dense matter is separated and becomes feces, which is expelled;
- After the next stage of separation, urine is produced;
- Through the third stage, sweat is formed;
- Through the fourth, hair and nails are formed;
- The blood then passes through the liver, spleen, and so on, and finally the choicest part of the blood reaches the heart, and from there the brain.
This is what forms our intellect and understanding. Since it is evident from your letter that you do not believe in the truth of the words of our Sages, may their memory be a blessing, this means that you are not careful to avoid food forbidden by Jewish law and the meat of impure animals. It means that your intellect and understanding were formed from blood produced by treif and forbidden food, and therefore they seek arguments in favor of impurity—for they are themselves its offspring.
If so, how can you, with your intellect, dispute the words of our teachers, the sages of the Talmud, whose understanding was as broad as the sea?
And rest assured: it is clear that since you have fallen into such doubts and come to deny the faith, calamities will not be long in coming.”
And so it happened. A certain king conquered the city and slew all its inhabitants. They wished to convert to his faith, but he refused to accept them, because they denied Techiyat HaMetim (other nations also believe that the soul enters the world in a new incarnation, as well as in the revival of the dead—and that king, who was a philosopher, believed this all the more strongly).
Only a few managed to escape, and they came to the Rambam and repented of their errors (here ends the story told by my teacher).
It is clear that a spirit of prophecy spoke through the Rambam when he foretold what would happen to these people, for they came to suffer misfortune. As the Sages said: “One who turns his heart toward emptiness endangers his life.” (Mishnah, Avot 3:4)
Rabbi Yosef Yavetz—the Pious Yavetz—explains it as follows: “One who cleaves to the Almighty is protected by Him and is not abandoned to the whims of chance. But when a person distances himself from Him, the Almighty’s protection departs from him.”
Pharaoh said to Moses: “Who is the L-rd, that I should heed His voice?” It is well known that Pharaoh and the Egyptians were punished with the Ten Plagues. The initial letters of the names of the Ten Plagues—“blood, frogs, lice…”—דצ׳׳ח עד׳׳ש באח׳׳ב = 501, which is the gematria of the word “asher” (“that”), which Pharaoh uttered. The Sages say that with his words, he himself brought all these plagues upon himself.
(“Tzafnat Paneach,” Yitro, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polonnoye)
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