על הבריחה והמציאה כ״טOn Flight and Finding 29
א׳
1[161] Again, on one occasion the prophet, led on by his love of acquiring knowledge, was seeking after the causes by which the most essential occurrences in the universe are brought about; for observing all created things wasting away and coming to the birth, perishing and yet remaining, he is smitten with amazement and cries out saying, “Why is it that the bush is burning and not being consumed?” (Exod. 3:2 f.), for his thoughts are busy over the untrodden place,
ב׳
2[162] familiar only to Divine natures. But when now on the point of engaging in an endless and futile labour, he is relieved of it by the kindness and providence of God the Saviour of all men, who from out of the hallowed spot warned him “Draw not nigh hither” (ibid. 5), as much as to say “Enter not on such an inquiry”; for the task argues a busy, restless curiosity too great for human ability: marvel at all that has come into being, but as for the reasons for which they have either come into being or are decaying, cease to busy thyself with them.
ג׳
3[163] For “the place on which thou standest is holy ground,” it says (ibid. 5). What kind of place or topic is meant? Evidently that of causation, a subject which He has assigned to Divine natures only, deeming no human being capable of dealing with the study of causation.
ד׳
4[164] But the prophet owing to desire of knowledge lifts his eyes above the whole universe and becomes a seeker regarding its Creator, asking of what sort this Being is so difficult to see, so difficult to conjecture. Is He a body or incorporeal, or something exalted above these? Is He a single Nature, a Monad as it were? Or a composite Being? What among all that exists? And seeing that this is a problem hard to pursue, hard to take in by thought, he prays that he may learn from God Himself what God is: for he had no hope of being able to ascertain this from another, from one of those that are inferior to Him.
ה׳
5[165] Nevertheless he did not succeed in finding anything by search respecting the essence of Him that IS. For he is told “What is behind Me thou shalt see, but My face thou shalt by no means see” (Exod. 33:23). For it amply suffices the wise man to come to a knowledge of all that follows on after God and in His wake, but the man that wishes to set his gaze upon the Supreme Essence, before he sees Him will be blinded by the rays that beam forth all around Him.