Rational Ideas Book Two

This book provides examples of how Judaism has evolved from the time of Moses. These examples of change teach significant lessons. According to Exodus 33:18–23, when Moses requested that God reveal what God is, God replied, "You can only see My back, but you cannot see My face." This means we can only understand some aspects of what God is by seeing and understanding what God has created. Thus, by studying, understanding, and applying science, we gain knowledge about God, enhance our capabilities, and help humans, animals, plants, and all inanimate objects reach their full potential. We do this by using the “image of God” that the opening chapter of the Torah states God placed in humans. Maimonides explained in his Guide for the Perplexed that this “image” is human intelligence. The examples of change in Judaism should also prompt us to consider that God requires people to change positively by improving and becoming all they can be, to change others by treating even strangers as we would like to be treated, and to change all creation to enhance it and make it a paradise for all people.