Q:
How could the Rambam have had such admiration for Aristotle?
A:
Aristotle was to the Rambam a model, almost, of what a goy should be. Now, he wasn’t chassidei umos haolam but he was a man who spent his life in chochmah.
Now chochmah is beloved by Hashem. It’s not the chachmas haTorah. It’s not the chochmah of ראשית חכמה יראת ה׳, but Hakadosh Baruch Hu loves people who use their minds to understand things.
Understanding is such an important thing that even though it’s not utilized in the service of Hashem it’s a precious commodity in itself. If you’ll add to understanding kavanah l’shem Hashem then that’s true greatness.
So Aristotle needed only one more thing, kavanah l’shem Shamayim. But he had the preface for it, chachmah. Aristotle understood a great many things in this world. He saw plan and purpose in the world. He saw there was design in the world. Aristotle spoke about bechinah; you see the hand of Hashem in the world.
Now he never came to the level of becoming what’s considered chassidei umos haolam. One of the conditions of chassidei umos haolam is he should understand that Hashem is Elokei Yisroel, that the Creator is Elokei Yisroel. He never came to that madreigah. Chassidei umos haolam must know that the Creator has chosen the Am Yisroel; and even though he himself doesn’t join Yisroel but he understands that principle, then he’s chassidei umos haolam.
But still chachmah, to see the hand of Hashem in nature, to understand how deep nature is, the endless wisdom in everything, that Aristotle taught and the Rambam was a talmid. He learned from him.
Only the Rambam took the wisdom of Aristotle and he applied it to avodas Hashem. And therefore the Rambam was grateful to this man who spent his life amassing wisdom.
(November 1988)
