אָמַר הַמְחַבֵּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בַּמֶּה שֶׁעָבַר חִיּוּב יִחוּד הָאֱלֹהִים בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם וְאָפְנֵי בְּחִינַת טוֹבוֹתָיו עַל הָאָדָם הִתְחַיַּבְנוּ לִזְכֹּר אַחַר כָּךְ מָה שֶׁהָאָדָם חַיָּב לִנְהֹג בּוֹ כְּשֶׁיִּתְבָּרֵר אֶצְלוֹ וְהוּא קִבּוּל עֲבוֹדַת הָאֱלֹהִים כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר יְחַיְּבֵהוּ הַשֵּׂכֶל לַמֵּטִיב עַל מִי שֶׁהֵטִיב לוֹ.

Having, in the previous treatises, expounded the obligation of wholeheartedly acknowledging the unity of G-d and the obligation of examining the various modes of His benefits to mankind, we have next to indicate what a human being's conduct should be, once the foregoing has become clear to him - and that is to assume the obligation of the service of G-d, as reason would require from a beneficiary to his benefactor.

It is proper to open this treatise with an exposition of the various kinds of benefits human beings render each other, and the corresponding obligations of gratitude. We shall then ascend to the consideration of what we owe to the exalted Creator in praise and thanksgiving for His abounding kindness and great goodness to us.

We assert, as a truth generally recognized, that if anyone benefits us, we are under an obligation of gratitude to him in accordance with his intent to help us. Even if he actually falls short, owing to some mishap which prevents his benefiting us, we are still bound to be grateful to him, since we are convinced that he has a benevolent disposition towards us and his intention is to be of benefit to us. On the other hand, should we obtain any benefit through one who had no such intention, the duties of gratitude to that person would cease and we are under no such obligation.

When we consider the benefits human beings render each other, we find that these fall into five classes:

(1) a father's beneficence to his child;

(2) a master's to his servant;

(3) a wealthy man's beneficence to the poor for the sake of heavenly reward;

(4) the beneficence rendered by human beings to each other in order to gain a good name, honor and worldly reward;

(5) the powerful man's beneficence to the weak, induced by pity for the latter and sympathy with his condition.

Let us now consider the motive in each of the classes mentioned:

Is it disinterested, the sole aim being to help the beneficiary, or is it not so?

First, a father's beneficence to his child: It is obvious that the father's motive in this is to further his own interest. For the child is a part of the father, whose chief hope is centered in his offspring. Do you not observe that in regard to its food, drink, clothing and in warding off all hurt from it, a father is more sensitive about his child than about himself? To secure ease for it, the burden of toil and weariness is lightly borne by him, the feelings of tenderness and pity for their offspring being naturally implanted in parents.

Nevertheless, the Torah and reason impose upon children the duty of serving, honoring and revering their parents, as Scripture says: "Ye shall, everyone, revere his father and his mother" (Vayikra 19:3); "Hear, O my son, the instruction of your father and forsake not the law of your mother" (Mishlei 1:8) ; further, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master" (Malachi 1:6). (And these duties are enjoined) despite that the father is impelled by a natural instinct and the benefaction comes from G-d, while the parent is only the agent.

The kindness of a master to his servant: It is obvious that the master's intent is to improve his property by an outlay of capital, since he needs his servant's work, and his motive in this is to further his own interest. Nevertheless, the Creator, blessed be He, imposes upon the servant the duties of service and gratitude, as it is said, "A son honors his father and a servant his master" (Malachi 1:6).

The rich man's beneficence to the poor man for the sake of a heavenly reward: He is like a merchant who acquires a great and enduring pleasure which he will enjoy at the end of a definite time by means of a small, perishable and inconsiderable gift which he makes immediately. So the rich man only intends to win glory for his soul at the close of his earthly existence by the benefaction which G-d entrusted to him, in order to bestow it upon anyone who will be worthy of it. Yet it is generally recognized that it is proper to thank and laud a benefactor. Even though the latter's motive was to gain spiritual glory hereafter, gratitude is, nevertheless, due to him, as Job said: "[because I delivered the poor who cried for help, and the fatherless who had none to help him;] the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me" (Job 29:13); and further, "did not his heart bless me, when he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep?" (Job 31:20).

Kindness men show each other for the sake of praise, honor and worldly rewards: This is as if one were to deposit an article in another's care or entrust him with money, because of the depositor's apprehension that he may need it later on.

Although, in benefiting another person, the aim is to further his own interests, the benefactor is nevertheless entitled to praise and gratitude for his kindness, as the wise king said, "Many beseech the generous man, and everyone is a friend to him that gives gifts" (Mishlei 19:6) ; and he also said, "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men" (Mishlei 18:16).

The kindness of one who has compassion on a poor man in pain: The benefactor's motive is to get rid of his own distress that results from depression and grief for the one he pities. He is like one who cures a pain which has attacked him by means of the bounties that G-d bestowed upon him. Nevertheless, he is not to be left without praise, as Job said, "Could I see any perish for want of clothing or any poor without covering? Did not his heart bless me, when he warmed himself with the fleece of my sheep?" (Job 31:19-20).

From what has here been advanced, it is clear that anyone who bestows benefits on others has first his own interest in mind - either to secure an honorable distinction in this world or hereafter, or relieve himself of pain, or improve his material possessions. Yet all these considerations do not absolve the beneficiaries of their duty of praising, thanking, respecting and loving their benefactors and making them some return. And this, despite that the benefit was only loaned to the benefactors; that they were compelled to dispense it, as we have pointed out; and that their beneficence is not permanent, their generosity not prolonged, and their benevolence is mixed with the intent either to further their own interest or to ward off harm. If so, how much more then does a human being owe service, praise and gratitude to Him who created the benefit and the benefactor, whose beneficence is unlimited, permanent, perpetual, without any motive of self-interest, or purpose of warding off injury, but only an expression of grace and loving-kindness emanating from Him towards all human beings.

We should furthermore come to understand that any human being who renders a kindness to another in any of the modes above specified is not superior to the person whom he benefits, except in some incidental detail, while in their humanity and essence they are alike and akin to one another, in substance and form, in physical construct and figure (or mentality - Gen. 1:27) in their natures and in a larger part of what happens to them. Nevertheless the beneficiary, as we have set forth, is under an obligation of service to his benefactor.

And if we thought that the beneficiary was extremely defective and imperfect in his physical conformation, figure and appearance [we would conclude that], the obligation of service on his part would be so much the greater. So also, if we should deem the benefactor the best and most perfect of all beings, while the beneficiary was the most defective of all things and the weakest of all creatures, reason would require that the service to the benefactor should be increased to an infinite degree.

Following this analogy, when we investigate, through reason, the relation of the Creator, blessed be He, to human beings, we will find that the Creator, blessed be He, is infinitely exalted and glorified above everything existing, above all that can be apprehended by the senses or conceived by the intellect as has been expounded in the first treatise of this book; and that a human being, in comparison with other species of animals, is the most defective and weakest of them all.

This can be demonstrated in three respects:

(1) In respect to his infancy and early childhood: For we find that other species of living creatures are stronger than he is, better able to endure pain and move independently, and do not trouble their parents in their period of growth to the same extent as a human being does.

(2) In respect to the filth and foulness within the human body and the similar appearances on the skin when one has neglected to wash and cleanse himself for a length of time, as also in respect to the state of the body after death-the discharge of a human corpse being more nauseating than that of the carcasses of other creatures, and a human being's excrement more offensive than that of other creatures. Likewise for his other waste matter.

(3) In respect to a human being's incompetence when, due to a brain injury, he loses the rational faculty which G-d bestowed upon him and which constitutes his superiority to the other creatures that are irrational. For at such times he is stupider and more senseless than other animals. He may inflict serious injuries on himself and even kill himself. Most animals, too, we find, possess an apprehension of what will be to their advantage, and show an ingenuity in obtaining their food, while many intellectual men fall short in this regard, not to speak of one who has lost his intellect.

When we comprehend in our thoughts on the greatness of the Creator, exalted be He, on His infinite might, wisdom and wealth [i.e. resources]; and then turn our attention to a man's weakness and deficiency, in that he never attains perfection; when we consider his poverty and lack of what he needs to supply his wants and then investigate the numerous benefits and favors which the Creator has bestowed on him; when we reflect that the Creator has created man as he is with deficiencies in his very being - poor and needing for his development all necessities which he can only obtain by exerting himself - this too stems from the Creator's mercy to him, so that he may know himself, examine all his conditions and cleave, under all circumstances, to the service of G-d, and so receive for it the reward of the world to come, for the attainment of which he was created, as we have already set forth in the second treatise of this book - how much indeed then does a human being owe to the blessed Creator, in service, thanksgiving and continuous praise, in view of the demonstration already given of the obligation of praise and gratitude that human beings owe to each other for favors rendered them.

Should anyone be so foolish as to contest this obligation of a human being towards the Creator - when he examines and closely studies the subject, and acknowledges the truth to himself, the sleeper will surely awake, the negligent will be aroused, the ignorant will investigate, the intelligent will understand, the demonstration of the obligatory character of the service of G-d, through the clear proofs, well known testimony, and true signs; as the prophet, peace be unto him, said concerning one who neglects to reflect upon the obligation of the service of G-d, "Do you thus repay the L-ord, O foolish and unwise people? [is not he your Father that has acquired you? has He not made you, and established you?]" (Devarim 32:6).

Thus the obligation to assume the service of G-d, incumbent on human beings in view of the continuous benefits He bestows on them, has been demonstrated.

In dealing with the subject-matter of this treatise, we have now to expound ten topics:

(1) the necessity of arousing men to G-d's service, and the methods to be employed to this end;

(2) the need for each of these methods;

(3) definition of the service (of G-d); its divisions and degrees;

(4) the form which the Torah takes to arouse us; its divisions; and the excellencies which men attain through knowledge of the Torah and comprehension of its contents;

(5) the way in which the exercise of our reasoning faculties prompts us in this regard, set forth in the form of questions and answers;

(6) the various classes of obligations to the service of G-d, corresponding to the various kinds of benefits received, and their divisions;

(7) exposition of the minimum of service which the recipient of any benefit owes to the benefactor;

(8) the difference in the views of the learned in regard to (the problem of) necessity and (divine) justice, and which of these views is nearer the truth;

(9) the mystery of the purpose for which the human species was created on earth, concisely set forth;

(10) an account of the use we should make of all our capacities, each in its right place.