Tuesday 3 May 2016

hashkafah philosophy - What is the status of someone who denies one of the Rambam's 13 Principles?


i.e. are they considered an apikores etc? Or that they just hold an incorrect belief. Previously I had assumed their status was dependent on the principle they denied, so a person who denied the first 5 would be a min, 6 & 7 would be an apikores etc. However after reading this Is it heretical to not accept the writings of the Prophets (besides of Moses)? and the responses it seems apparent that a person who denies the 6th principle is not inherently an apikores.




Answer



To answer the question straight-on, Rambam writes regarding all thirteen of his principles:



When a person doubts [any] foundation among these foundations [i.e. his thirteen], he has left the community, denied the principle [i.e. God], and is called a min and a epikores and a cutter of shoots, and it is an obligation to hate him, and of him it is said "shall I not hate those who hate You, God"



Thus, although in Hil. Teshuva (Ch. 3) Rambam differentiates terminologically between those who deny various principles, the end result is the same.


It should be noted, however, that the reason why such a person ends up denying any of the principles might play a role in the application of this severe consequence. See here regarding someone who disbelieves but not out of rebellion (which is not exactly the question asked, but still), and here regarding disbelieving Jews who nevertheless live religiously committed lives, and here for one example of someone who is simply mistaken as to what the principles entail (an issue which is discussed more generally here, in the name of R. Chaim of Brisk).


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