Anochi Hashem Elokecha: The Command that Was Never Commanded

Matzui Rishon

We begin this week's dvar Torah not in the words of the Torah itself, but in the words of the Rambam.

In particular, we're going to take a look at the first line in the first set of halachos in the first book of the Mishneh Torah. Why? Because this Rambam is going to relate directly to our parasha.

יְסוֹד הַיְסוֹדוֹת וְעַמּוּד הַחָכְמוֹת

The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of all wisdoms...

Now, we have to stop here for a moment.

These four words of the Rambam have to be understood in and of themselves before we get to the point that we actually want to discuss. Because the Rambam is telling us that he's about to share an idea that is the foundational idea of all foundational ideas. And if that doesn't make sense to you yet — hold on. We're about to explain it.

He's also telling us that this idea is the pillar of all the different types of wisdoms that exist. And again, if that sounds confusing — don't worry. We're going to explain that too.

Let's start with the foundation of all foundations.

This first set of halachos of the Rambam — the one that this line is found in — is called Yesodei HaTorah. The Foundations (plural) of the Torah. It's a set of halachos that the Rambam tells us are fundamental to the entire Torah.

Just as a foundation holds up a building, so too these halachos hold up the Torah. That's why the Rambam calls them Yesodei HaTorah — the Foundations (plural) of the Torah.

But here, in this line, in these two words — *yesod ha-yesodos* — the Rambam is saying something more. This halacha that we are about to learn — it's not only fundamental to the Torah — it's fundamental to the other foundations of the Torah as well. In other words, the Rambam is about to define for us the idea upon which everything else — including all the other foundational ideas — is built.

It's as if you have a building with two foundations. One foundation holds up the building. The other foundation holds up the first foundation.

And there is another point that the Rambam wants us to know — that this upcoming halacha is also the amud ha-chochmos (the pillar of all wisdoms — plural). In other words, there are different types of "wisdoms" in the world — and they too are held up by our halacha.

One last point before we actually get to this halacha itself — I would be remiss if I didn't point out a beautiful linguistic detail in this line. Take a look at the first letter of each word:

יְסוֹד הַיְסוֹדוֹת וְעַמּוּד הַחָכְמוֹת

יסוד: Yud (י) היסודות: Heh (ה) ועמוד: Vav (ו) החכמות: Heh (ה)

Combined, these letters make up the Shem Havayah (the "proper" name of Hashem). Which should give us a hint as to what this halacha is about to tell us.

But we won't really need hints. Because we're about to learn it ourselves right now.

So — what is this foundation of all foundations and this pillar of all wisdoms?

The Rambam tells us right away:

לֵידַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם מָצוּי רִאשׁוֹן. וְהוּא מַמְצִיא כָּל נִמְצָא.

To know that there is a First Existing Entity. And He brings into existence all that exists.

This is philosophical language — exact and precise. So let's take a moment to read it as exactly as the Rambam wrote it. I'll do so by "modernizing" the Rambam — relating to the world as we understand it today. But the concepts, I believe, are the same.

Two words need unpacking: "existence" and "first."

Existence. We exist — you, me, the universe, everything in it. But our existence is finite and unstable. Ice melts into water. Water evaporates into air. Seeds become trees, trees produce fruit, and the right match on the right day turns it all to ash. Things are. But the things that are don't stay the same.

First. This word carries two meanings. One is temporal — first in sequence, in cause and effect. I had parents. They had parents. At some point, there has to be a starting point. An infinite chain of cause and effect going back forever? I find that inherently absurd. Can I disprove it? I don't know. But I see no reason to take it seriously. I look at it the way a chess grandmaster looks at a board — not every move is worth considering. I shrug my shoulders, roll my eyes, and move on.

The second meaning is structural — first in terms of building blocks. I'm made of organs,

which are made of cells, which are made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are made of particles, which are made of quarks, which are made of... I'm not sure we know yet.

At some point, there has to be a foundation. An infinite regress of smaller and smaller parts? I find that also inherently absurd. And if anyone wants to suggest otherwise, I give the same shrug and the same eye roll — unless, of course, HaKadosh Baruch Hu built that sort of infinity into the very fabric of the universe. A sense of the infinite within the finite. But then that just means that HaKadosh Baruch Hu Himself is the ultimate foundation. Either way, we arrive at the same place.

And here's the key. Whether we approach it through time (cause and effect, going back to a beginning) or through structure (building blocks, going down to a foundation) — the Rambam is telling us we arrive at the same place. There is an entity which exists, which is the source of everything else that exists.

The Rambam calls this a Matzui Rishon — a First Existing Entity.

That's all the Rambam tells us here. He doesn't tell us how we know this. He doesn't tell us what he means by "knowing" — whether it's awareness, understanding, or rigorous proof. He leaves that unstated. For now, he simply wants us to know that such an entity exists.