From Technique to Consciousness: Notes on the Development of Esoteric Writing in Twelfth Century Jewish Thought

Maimonides was well aware of writing and the discourse it evokes. In that sense, he was among the first rationalists to adopt a reflective approach to the style of writing. In this article, I attempted to show that Maimonides was aware of the esoteric consciousness. Its inklings,found in the writings of Judah Halevi and Ibn Ezra, became aconsciousness in Maimonides. The discussion on providence and Jobis a classic model not only of a reflective esoteric consciousness but also of a method of connecting chapters that is mentioned in the introduction to the Guide. Only from Chapters 22-23 in Part III of the Guide can we understand Chapters 17-18. We can then understand that the view of the Torah in Chapter 17 is not the correct view, andin Chapter 23 it is clear that this view is also immoral. In any event, Maimonides powerfully strove to an esoteric consciousness on this matter, without precedent in the thought of Judah Halevi and Ibn Ezra. In this sense, esoteric writing in the twelfth century proceeds from an esoteric technique to an esoteric consciousness (מתוך המאמר)