63. The Highest Form of Perfection
The Hebrew word "chachma" (generally translated as "wisdom") can mean four different things, and the Rambam provides a few examples of each. [III, 54] (1) It can mean knowledge of truths that bring us to knowledge of God (as in Job 28:12 and Proverbs 2:4); this is how we use it most often. (2) It can also mean skill in a particular craft, as used in Exodus 35:10 and 35:25, when referring to the craftsmen and women who built the Mishkan (Tabernacle). (3) Chachma can refer to moral values, as in Psalms 105:22 and Job 12:12. (4) Finally, the word can mean cunning, as it does in Jeremiah 4:22 and Exodus 1:10 (a familiar verse that speaks of the Egyptians "dealing wisely" with the Jews by enslaving them).
Following these four meanings, a person who has mastered the Torah is considered wise in two senses, namely the first and the third. Such a person is wise in that the Torah teaches him profound truths, plus it instructs him in good morals. The truths in the Torah, however, are not taught using the same methods as philosophy. Rather, they are taught as a received tradition. Wisdom is then used to investigate and prove to ourselves the accuracy of these received truths. This is what Tanach is referring to whenever it praises wisdom and says that wisdom is rare (as in Job 32:9, "Not many are wise"). The Sages likewise differentiate between mere knowledge and true wisdom.
Philosophers have shown that people can achieve four types of perfection:
The first is the least important: the acquisition of material wealth. This, unfortunately, is the one in which most people spend the most time. There is a disconnect between a person and his property; it is an imaginary relationship to own money, land, or anything else. All of these things exist independent of their owner and their properties are not a part of him. If a person has his property taken away from him, he will find himself to be no better than anybody else. The benefits of wealth to a person 's being are strictly passing and ultimately an illusion, even in a case where one manages to retain his wealth.
The second kind of perfection relates more closely to one's actual being: namely, physical perfection. While physical health is important, one should not spend his time primarily pursuing physical perfection. The fact that we have bodies is simply a reality of all living creatures; it is not a part of our unique place as human beings. If anything, man is outclassed by lower animals! No matter how hard we train our bodies, the strongest man will never be able to compete with a mule, let alone a lion or an elephant. There is only so far that strength training can take one physically, and it does absolutely nothing spiritually.
The third kind of perfection more closely addresses our unique status as human beings: moral perfection. Most of the mitzvos are designed to aid us in the pursuit of moral perfection, but even this kind of perfection is still just a means to an end. This is because morality is only a matter in relationships between people. While morality is extremely important for a functioning society, it doesn't apply to the individual by himself. An isolated person, living in seclusion, would have no use for his morality, no matter how perfected it might be. Even moral perfection doesn't perfect the person himself; it only perfects his relationships with others.
The fourth, and highest, form of perfection is the true perfection of a human being: intellectual perfection, which leads us to a true understanding of God. This kind of perfection affects a person directly and inherently. The first three kinds of perfection do not ultimately belong to a person but this one does, as King Solomon wrote, "These will be for you alone, and not for strangers with you" (Proverbs 5:17). Therefore, pursuit of this kind of perfection should be a person's primary goal, rather than tiring ourselves out in pursuit of things we don't actually own. Unfortunately, too many people pursue the kinds of perfection that do not elevate them spiritually and they completely ignore the one kind that does, as per Shir HaShirim 1:6, "My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I did not keep!" Similarly, Proverbs 5:9 warns "lest you give honor to others and your years to the cruel."
The prophets agree with the philosophers that material, physical and moral perfection are not suitable for a person to seek as a source of pride. The only true perfection is knowledge of God; it is that we should seek to elevate ourselves. The prophet Jeremiah expresses this idea directly: "Thus says Hashem: Let the wise man not boast of his wisdom, nor the mighty man boast of his might, nor the rich man boast of his riches. Rather, let one who boasts boast in that he understands and knows Me..." (Jeremiah 9:22-23).
Jeremiah doesn't just tell us that knowledge of God is the highest form of perfection. If that were his point, he would have just said "let one who boasts boast in that he understands and knows Me" and stopped there. Instead, he says much more.
The verse continues, "That I am Hashem, Who practices kindness, justice and righteousness on Earth." A person can only boast of knowing God if he understands Him through His deeds, as we said way back in section 4. This is also how Moshe sought to understand God as is evident from his request, "Show me Your ways" (Exodus 33:13).
Jeremiah also specifies that the actions we should strive to understand (and therefore emulate) are those of God's kindness, justice and righteousness, which we explained in greater detail in section 62.
Finally, Jeremiah indicates that God performs these acts of kindness, justice and righteousness "on Earth." This precludes the opinion of those who would have us believe that "God has forsaken the Earth" (Ezekiel 8:12). Rather, "the Earth is God's" (Exodus 9:29) and we are all subject to His providence.
Our verse in Jeremiah concludes, "for in these things I delight, says Hashem." This teaches us that not only does God perform acts of kindness, justice and righteousness, but that He wants us to do likewise. We said back in section 4 that this is the reason God taught us the thirteen attributes - because these are the behaviors that He wants us to imitate. The purpose of this verse from Jeremiah is similar: to mankind as to the only form of perfection in which a person can truly take pride, i.e., knowledge of God insofar as a human can acquire such a thing. Once we acquire an understanding of God, His providence, and the way in which He extends it over His creatures, we will be inspired to pursue kindness, righteousness and judgment in an act of imitatio Dei.
The Rambam ends Moreh Nevuchim with a prayer that the reader will internalize the lessons in the work with the result that “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped” (Isaiah 35:5) and “The nation that walked in darkness has seen a great light” (ibid. 9:1).
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