Judah Halevi and Maharal on Belief, Factuality and the Divine Presence

Abstract

This article explores the term “divine presence” or “thing” (al-amr al-ilahi, cinyan elohi) in the thought ofJudah Loew b. Bezalel, known commonly as Maharal. Both Judah Halevi and Maharal rejected metaphysics, and, as a consequence, in their thought, religious truth is based on facts alone, specifically on revelation. Yet, whereas Halevi was entirely indifferent toward the spiritual world, Maharal took an interest in the involvement ofthe transcendental in the material world. In fact, his thought focused on that involvement, which affected not only a person’s religious activity (observing the commandments) but also other aspects of earthly existence, such as aesthetics. The term “divine presence” denoted for Maharal the fact that both the laws of nature and miracles result from the involvement of the transcendental in the material world. Thus while Halevi rejected the discussion on the transcendental totally, Maharal was less radical. He showed interest in its involvement in the material world.