Aristotle’s Confession

The first principle of Traditional Jewish medicine is to recognize G-d in all aspects of our lives, and to know that the more we involve Him, the more He reveals Himself to us, showing us the sweetness of our existence. 

“Blessed is He who opens the eyes of the blind and shows sinners the true path.  Let him be praised in an appropriate manner, since I do not know how to praise Him for the great kindness and mercy that He showed to me.  I am eternally grateful to Him for getting me away from the foolishness to which I had devoted my life.”

 

“All my life, I delved into philosophy to explain all natural phenomena in a logical manner.  I wrote many books on these subjects.  Finally, in the twilight of my life, I had the opportunity to engage in a conversation with a Jewish sage.  It did not take me long to recognize his great wisdom, and he led me to understand how great is the Torah that was given on Mount Sinai.”

 

“He taught me the inner depth of the Torah, providing me with many brilliant insights based on its teachings.  I realized how foolish I had been for not realizing how G-d can manipulate the laws of nature and that much of what happens in the world is directed by G-d.”

 

“Realizing all this, I decided to devote myself to exploring the wisdom of the Torah.   It did not take me long to realize that the Torah is based on true foundations, while the axioms of philosophy are purely arbitrary.”

 

 

“Therefore, my son, Alexander, I am writing this letter to tell you that the great majority of my theories regarding natural law are false. While nature does exist, G-d is the L-ord of the universe, and He directs all things as He sees fit. I am telling everyone openly that they should not waste time with my books. They should not look at them or even touch them with their hands.  It is sinful to waste time on the false theories that I have espoused.”

 

“I feel that I have saved my soul by admitting my error.  I hope that I will not be held guilty for the past, since I acted out of ignorance.  But now I have revealed to the public that I was mistaken, and that my heart aches for the time I wasted on my foolish theories.  Those who waste time on my books, therefore, will deserve to be punished.”