Aurelius - Meditations 4:36: The Fact of Matter

The Stoic Jew

Contemplate continually all things coming to pass by change, and accustom yourself to think that the nature of the universe loves nothing so much as to change what is and to create new things in their likeness. For everything that exists is, in a way, the seed of what will come out of it, whereas you imagine seeds to be only those which are cast into the earth or into the womb. But that is very unscientific (or “is a very vulgar notion”).
----------
Rambam – Moreh 3:8
All bodies subject to generation and corruption are subject to corruption only because of their matter; with regard to their form and with respect to the latter’s essence, they are not subject to corruption, but are permanent. Do you not see that all the specific forms are perpetual and permanent? Corruption occurs to the form only by accident, I mean because of its being joined to matter. The nature and true reality of matter is such that it never ceases to be joined to privation; hence no form remains constantly in it, for it perpetually casts off one form and takes on another. How extraordinary is what Shlomo said in his wisdom when likening matter to a promiscuous wife, for matter is in no way found without form and is consequently like a promiscuous wife, who is never separated from a man, and is never free. However, since she is a promiscuous wife, she never ceases to seek for another man to substitute for her husband, and she deceives and draws him on in every way until he obtains from her what her husband used to obtain. This is the state of matter. For whatever form is found in it does but prepare it to receive another form; and the selfsame state obtains after that other form has been obtained in actuality. It has then become clear that all passing-away and corruption or deficiency are due solely to matter.

Rambam – Moreh 3:10
For this reason the book that has illuminated the darkness of the world has clearly stated the following proclamation: “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold! – it was very good” (Bereishis 1:31). Even the existence of this inferior matter, whose manner of being it is to be inherently connected with privation entailing death and all evils, all this is also “good” in view of the perpetuity of generation and the permanence of being through succession. For this reason Rebbi Meir interpreted the words: “And behold! it was very good” as “and behold! – death was good” – according to the notion to which we have drawn attention.
----------
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/rabbischneeweiss
Blog: https://kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rmschneeweiss
"The Mishlei Podcast": https://mishlei.buzzsprout.com
"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: https://thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com
"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: https://rambambekius.buzzsprout.com
"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: https://machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com
"The Tefilah Podcast": https://tefilah.buzzsprout.com

Support the show