Is there room for Philosophy in Judaism?

Structure:

- discuss: Relationship to Hashem, how do we get one? Emunah, da'at

-Machloket about which is better/more necessary, Ibn Ezra and Rambam say Da'at, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi says emuna

- Ramchal, need both. Diff things work for different people, and those 2 combined help you both intellectually and emotionally connect. Can debate daat but not emuna.

הכוזרי א׳:ג׳-ה׳

(ג) (ב) אָמַר הַכּוּזָרִי: רוֹאֶה אֲנִי דְבָרֶיךָ מַסְפִּיקִים, אַךְ אֵינָם מְפִיקִים לִשְׁאֵלָתִי, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ בְּעַצְמִי כִּי נַפְשִׁי זַכָּה וּמַעֲשַׂי יְשָׁרִים לִרְצוֹן הַבּוֹרֵא, וְעִם כָּל זֶה הָיְתָה תְשׁוּבָתִי כִּי הַמַּעֳשֶׂה הַזֶה אֵינֶנּוּ נִרְצֶה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה רְצוּיָה, וְאֵין סָפֵק שֶׁיֵשׁ מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהוּא נִרְצֶה בְעַצְמוּתוֹ לֹא כְפִי הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת. וְאִם אֵינֶנּוּ כֵן, מַה לֶּאֱדוֹם וּלְיִשְׁמָעֵאל שֶׁחִלְּקוּ הַיִּשּׁוּב נִלְחָמִים זֶה בָזֶה, וְכָל אֶחָד מֵהֶם זִכָּה נַפְשׁוֹ וְכַוָּנָתוֹ לֵאלֹהִים וְנִבְדָּל וְנִפְרָשׁ וְצָם וּמִתְפַּלֵּל וְהוֹלֵךְ, וּמְגַמָּתוֹ לַהֲרֹג אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ, וְהוּא מַאֲמִין שֶׁהֲרִיגָתוֹ צְדָקָה גְדוֹלָה וְקוּרְבָה אֶל הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְנִלְחָמִים זֶה בָּזֶה, וְכָל אֶחָד מַאֲמִין כִּי הֲלִיכָתוֹ אֶל גַּן עֵדֶן, וְהַאֲמֵן לִשְׁנֵיהֶם זֶה דָבָר שֶׁלֹּא יִתָּכֵן אֵצֶל הַשֵּׂכֶל.

(ד) (ג) אָמַר הַפִּילוֹסוֹף: "אֵין בְּדַת הַפִּילוֹסוֹפִים הֲרִיגַת אֶחָד מֵאֵלּוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמְּגַמָּתָם הַשֵּׂכֶל".

(ה) (ד) אָמַר הַכּוּזָרִי: וְאֵיזֶה דָבָר שֶׁהוּא נוֹטֶה מִן הָאֱמֶת אֵצֶל הַפִּילוֹסוֹפִים גָּדוֹל מֵאֱמוּנָתָם שֶׁהָעוֹלָם חָדָשׁ, וְשֶׁהוּא נִבְרָא בְשֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, וְשֶׁהַסִּבָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה מְדַבֶּרֶת עִם אֶחָד מִבְּנֵי אָדָם, עִם הָרוֹמְמוּת שֶׁמְּרוֹמְמִים אוֹתוֹ הַפִּילוֹסוֹפִים מִידִיעַת הַחֶלְקִיּוֹת. וְעִם זֶה הָיָה רָאוּי כְּפִי מַעֲשֵׂה הַפִּילוֹסוֹפִים וְחָכְמָתָם וַאֲמִתָּתָם וְהִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָם, שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַנְּבוּאָה יְדוּעָה בָהֶם וְנִמְצֵאת בֵּינֵיהֶם, מִפְּנֵי הִדָּבְקָם בָּרוֹחֲנִיּוֹת, וְשֶׁיְּסֻפַּר עֲלֵיהֶם נִפְלָאוֹת וְנוֹרָאוֹת וְכָבוֹד וּגְדֻלָּה. וַאֲנַחְנוּ רוֹאִים הַחֲלוֹמוֹת הַנֶּאֱמָנִים לְמִי שֶׁלֹּא הִתְעַסֵּק בְּחָכְמָה וְלֹא בְּזִכּוּךְ נַפְשׁוֹ, וְנִמְצָא הֵפֶךְ זֶה בְּמִי שֶׁטָּרַח בָּהּ. וְזֶה מוֹרֶה כִּי יֵשׁ לַדָּבָר הָאֱלֹהִי וְלַנְּפָשׁוֹת סוֹד אַחֵר זוּלַת מַה שֶּׁזָּכַרְתָּ, אַתָּה הַפִּילוֹסוֹף:

Kuzari 1:3-5

(3) Said to him the Khazari: Your words are convincing, yet they do not correspond to what I wish to find. I know already that my soul is pure and that my actions are calculated to gain the favor of God. To all this I received the answer that this way of action does not find favor, though the intention does. There must no doubt be a way of acting, pleasing by its very nature, but not through the medium of intentions. If this be not so, why, then, do Christian and Muslim, who divide the inhabited world between them, fight with one another, each of them serving his God with pure intention, living either as monks or hermits, fasting and praying? For all that they vie with each other in committing murders, believing that this is a most pious work and brings them nearer to God. They fight in the belief that paradise and eternal bliss will be their reward. It is, however, impossible to agree with both.

(4) The Philosopher replied: The philosophers' creed knows no manslaughter, as they only cultivate the intellect.

(5) Al Khazari: What could be more erroneous, in the opinion of the philosophers, than the belief that the world was created in six days, or that the Prime Cause spoke with mortals, not to mention the philosophic doctrine, which declares the former to be above knowing details. In addition to this one might expect the gift of prophecy quite common among philosophers, considering their deeds, their knowledge, their researches after truth, their exertions, and their close connection with all things spiritual, also that wonders, miracles, and extraordinary things would be reported of them. Yet we find that true visions are granted to persons who do not devote themselves to study or to the purification of their souls, whereas the opposite is the case with those who strive after these things. This proves that the divine influence as well as the souls have a secret which is not identical with what you say, O Philosopher.

Ibn Ezra to Shmot 20:2, starts by talking about Rabbi Yehuda Halevi (very long so I haven't included it here but must must see)

משנה תורה, הלכות יסודי התורה א׳:א׳

(א) יְסוֹד הַיְסוֹדוֹת וְעַמּוּד הַחָכְמוֹת לֵידַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם מָצוּי רִאשׁוֹן. וְהוּא מַמְצִיא כָּל נִמְצָא. וְכָל הַנִּמְצָאִים מִשָּׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ וּמַה שֶּׁבֵּינֵיהֶם לֹא נִמְצְאוּ אֶלָּא מֵאֲמִתַּת הִמָּצְאוֹ:

Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 1:1

(1) The foundation of foundations and firmest pillar of all wisdom is, To know that there is a First Being, that He caused all beings to be, and that all beings from heaven and earth, and from between them, could not be save for the truth of His Own Being.

דרך ה', חלק ראשון, בבורא יתברך א׳

(א) מציאות ה׳‎: כל איש מישראל צריך שיאמין וידע שיש שם מצוי ראשון קדמון ונצחי והוא שהמציא וממציא כל מה שנמצא במציאות והוא האלוה ב״ה:

Derekh Hashem, Part One, On the Creator 1

(1) The existence of God: Every person of Israel must believe and know that there is a preexisting, eternal First Being. And He brought into being, and brings into being, everything that exists. And that is God, may He be blessed.

Zev Dickson