A man whose vices etc. Not as he thinks that what was said by the Talmudists, 'The doom of the wicked is sealed instantly' (Rosh ha-Shanah, 17a) means that they die at once; for it is not so, as there are many wicked alive. But the meaning of 'Sealed instantly' is, that they will not complete their days of the years alloted to them at birth. And the source of this matter is found in Yebamot, 50a. ¹

footnotes: ¹ Virtues and vices are not measured by man, to condemn one to death, or ask why he is still living. God is the sole judge thereof. One virtue of one man, or one vice, might either save or be the cause of destruction of the whole world (See Kiddushin, 39b–49a). Maimonides refers to Hosea, 7. 9. and to Genesis, 18. 20. to teach us that only God judges our iniquities, and whenever destruction comes to pass, His judgment should be justified. C. G.

When the vices and virtues of man are weighed etc. This is part of the potpourri he made of the texts and imagines in his mind that both are of one subject, whereas they are of divers kind and very far apart. Because he saw in Rosh ha-Shanah (16b–17a) 'And the Abundant in Goodness turns the scale opposite goodness 'and then (Ibid.) 'Rabbi Ishmael's school transmitted that He removes the sins one by one in rotation, for such is the rule. Again he saw in Yoma (85b) 'Rabbi Jose Bar Judah said: 'if a man sins, the first and the second and the third time he is forgiven, but the fourth time he is not forgiven', he fixed it in his mind that both these refer to one subject; but are very far apart. Rabbi Ishmael's transmission refers to the Great Day of Judgment, and to save the intermediary category from Gehenna, in support of the House of Hillel's contention, but there is no mention there of the wiping out of sin. Whereas this of Rabbi Jose Bar Judah refers to this world and to the beginning of man's conduct, from the day he became old enough to be punished for his sins and onward, whose first, second and third transgression which he encountered, if he did repent of them, although they be of the major sins which require both, suffering and the Day of Atonement, to be wiped off, those first do not require it, for they were entirely forgiven. This is the outline of the texts and their component part. Moreover, there is no difference in the Gemara between an individual and a congregation, and I do not know where he found such distinction.¹

footnotes: ¹ The text in the Talmud (Yoma, 86b) does make a distinction between an individual and a congregation. (q. v.) The RABD'S copy of the Talmud evidently had it not. As for the subject matter of both quotations, Maimonides again showed a correct attitude. The RABD failed to quote Raba's provision of, "But his own sins are not wiped off", which supports the entire contention given in the text herein. C. G.

He who says that there is One Lord but that He is corporeal and has a form. Why does he call such one an atheist? Many greater and better than he followed this opinion according to what they saw in phrases, and more particularly in the texts of the Agadot (legends of the Talmud) which misdirect opinions.¹

footnotes: ¹ Possibly the version of this criticism was tampered with, and should rather stand corrected in the language of the Joseph Albo (Ikkarim, 2. 41) which is much more intelligent, not to say polite: "Although the component part of belief is so, nevertheless, he who believes His Being corporeal because he understood the language of Scriptural phrases and the Midrash literally, deserves not to be called an atheist". Of course, even in the version before us, the RABD. does not differ in principle with Maimonides. It is merely amazing that our Master had to suffer such indignities for having purged Judaism from the dross of Anthropomorphism. C. G.

Likewise one who says that He alone is not the First Cause. For instance, as the one who said, 'Your God was a great Architect, but found ready great drawings, such as the circle of earth, stones of the abyss, (Tohu Vobohu, see Hagigah, 12a) darkness and water, and therewith He made what He did make.¹

footnotes: ¹ This comment is intended by the RABD. as a distinction between the one who denies the existance of God mentioned before, and the one presently under discussion. What improvement this is on Maimonides only the RABD knew. C. G.

Against the whole Torah, is a convert to the religion of the idolaters. And whosoever accepts the religion of the idolaters acknowledges their gods, is not such one an atheist¹

footnotes: ¹ ? And I say, had there been no other nation in the world excepting idolaters this criticism would be in place. But there are other religions which are not idolatrous, how can a convert be called atheist? C.