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Based on בין הרמב"ם לכוזרי:
Degrees of Existence:
The Kuzari (through the character of the "Ḥaver") describes a hierarchy of existence:
Plants: Characterized by nutrition, growth, and reproduction.
Animals: Possess the above, plus movement, desires, instincts, and senses.
Humans: Distinguished by intellect, enabling moral refinement, household management, and governance.
The Kuzari emphasizes that human intellect is defined by moral and behavioral concepts, not just knowledge.
Intellect (According to the Kuzari vs. Rambam ):
Kuzari: "Intellect" (הענין השכלי) is the defining characteristic of humans, but its content is primarily ethical and behavioral.
(לא) אָמַר הֶחָבֵר: בְּדִין הָעִנְיָן הַטִּבְעִי נִתְחַיֵּב לְקִיחַת הַמָּזוֹן, וְהַגִּדּוּל וְהַהוֹלָדָה, וְכֹחוֹתָם וְכָל תְּנָאֵיהֶם. וְהִתְיַחֵד בָּזֶה הַצֶּמַח וּבַעֲלֵי הַחַיִּים מִבַּלְעֲדֵי הָאֲדָמָה וְהָאֲבָנִים וְהַמּוֹצָאִים וְהַיְסוֹדוֹת:
31. The Rabbi: The laws of nature comprise nurture, growth, and propagation, with their powers and all conditions attached thereto. This is particularly the case with plants and animals, to the exclusion of earth, stones, metals, and elements.
(לב) אָמַר הַכּוּזָרִי: זֶה כְלָל שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִפְרֹט אוֹתוֹ, אֲבָל אֱמֶת הוּא.
32. Al Khazari: This is a maxim which requires explanation, though it be true.
(לג) אָמַר הֶחָבֵר: וּבָעִנְיָן הַנַּפְשִׁי הִתְיַחֲדוּ בַעֲלֵי הַחַיִּים כֻּלָּם, וְנִתְחַיְּבוּ מִמֶּנּוּ תְנוּעוֹת וַחֲפָצִים וּמִדּוֹת וְחוּשִׁים נִרְאִים וְנִסְתָּרִים וְזוּלַת אֵלֶּה.
33. The Rabbi: As regards the soul, it is given to all animated beings. The result is movement, will power, external as well as internal senses and such like.
(לד) אָמַר הַכּוּזָרִי: גַּם זֶה אֵין דֶּרֶךְ לִדְחוֹתוֹ.
34. Al Khazari: This, too, cannot be contradicted.
(לה) אָמַר הֶחָבֵר: וּבְדִין הָעִנְיָן הַשִּׂכְלִי הִתְיַחֵד הַמְדַבֵּר מִכָּל הַחַיִּים. וְהִתְחַיֵּב מִמֶּנּוּ תִקּוּן הַמִּדּוֹת וְהַמָּעוֹן וְהַמְּדִינָה וְהָיוּ הַנְהָגוֹת וְנִמּוּסִים מִנְהָגִיִּים.
35. The Rabbi: Intellect is man's birthright above all living beings. This leads to the development of his faculties, his home, his country, from which arise administrative and regulative laws.
Rambam: The intellectual faculty is primarily about acquiring knowledge and wisdom, with moral judgment as a secondary function. He distinguishes between potential intellect (השכל בכח - "intellect in potential") and actualized intellect (השכל בפועל - "intellect in actuality"). The "form of man" is the knowledge he acquires.
והחלק השכלי - הוא הכח הנמצא לאדם, אשר בו ישכיל, ובו תהיה ההתבוננות, ובו יקנה החוכמות, ובו יבחין בין המגונה והנאה מן הפעולות. ואלו הפעולות, חלק מהן מעשי, וחלק עיוני. והמעשי, ממנו מלאכתי, וממנו מחשבתי. והעיוני, הוא אשר בו ידע האדם הנמצאות שאינן משתנות כפי מה שהן, ואלו הן אשר יקראו 'חכמות' סתם. והמלאכתי, הוא הכח אשר בו נלמד המלאכות, כמו הנגרות, ועבודת האדמה, והרפואה והספנות. והמחשבתי, הוא אשר בו יתבונן בדבר אשר ירצה לעשותו בעת אשר ירצה לעשותו, האם אפשר לעשותו אם לא, ואם אפשר - איך צריך שיעשה. זה שיעור מה שראוי שיזכר מענין הנפש הנה.
Reason, that faculty peculiar to man, enables him to understand, reflect, acquire knowledge of the sciences, and to discriminate between proper and improper actions. Its functions are partly practical and partly speculative (theoretical), the practical being, in turn, either mechanical or intellectual. By means of the speculative power, man knows things as they really are, and which, by their nature, are not subject to change. These are called the sciences in general. The mechanical power is that by which the arts, such as architecture, agriculture, medicine, and navigation are acquired. The intellectual power is that by which one, when he intends to do an act, reflects upon what he has premeditated, considers the possibility of performing it, and, if he thinks it possible, decides how it should be done. This is all we have deemed it necessary to say in this regard concerning the soul.
ודע, שזאת הנפש האחת, אשר קדם סיפור כוחותיה, או חלקיה, היא כחומר, והשכל לה צורה. ואם לא תיקנה לה הצורה - תהיה מציאות ההכנה שבה לקיבול הצורה ההיא לבטלה, וכאילו היא מציאות הבל. והוא אומרו: (משלי יט, ב) גם בלא דעת נפש לא טוב, רצונו לומר, שמציאות נפש שלא תיקנה לה צורה, אלא תהיה נפש בלא דעת - לא טוב. אמנם הדיבור על הצורה והחומר, והשכלים כמה הם, והיאך יושגו - אין זה מקומו, ולא נצטרך לו במה שנרצה לדבר על המדות, והוא יותר נאות לספר הנבואה אשר זכרנו. וכאן אפסיק זה הפרק, ואתחיל באחר.
Know, however, that the soul, whose faculties and parts we have described above, and which is a unit, may be compared to matter in that it likewise has a form, which is reason. If the form (reason) does not communicate its impression to the soul, then the disposition existing in the soul to receive that form is of no avail, and exists to no purpose, as Solomon says, “Also in the want of knowledge in the soul there is nothing good”. This means that if a soul has not attained a form but remains without intelligence, its existence is not a good one. [*M. considers matter and form in the Aristotelian sense. The principia of all existing, transient things are matter, form, and the absence of a particular form (Moreh, I, 17). Matter (מאדה̈, חומר, ἡ ὔλη) consists of the underlying, basic substance of a thing, which has a potential but not a real existence, its true nature consisting in the property of never being without a disposition to receive a form (ibid., III, 8). Every substance is endowed with a form (צורה̈, צורה, το εἴδος), or incoporeal being (ibid., II, 12), by means of which that substance is what it is. That is, through form that which is potentially in existence comes into real existence (Aristotle, Physics, II, 3; Metaphysics, I, 3), and upon it the reality and essence of a thing depend. When the form is destroyed, the thing’s existence is terminated (Moreh, III, 69). As soon as a substance has received a certain form, the absence or privation (אלעדם, ההעדר) of that form which it has just received has ceased, and it is replaced by the privation of another form, and so on with all possible forms (ibid., I, 17). Cf. Aristotle, Physics, I, 5-7; also רוח חן, c. IX. Matter is constantly seeking to cast off the form it has in order to receive another, and so form does not remain permanently in a substance. M. aptly compares matter to a faithless wife, who, although not being without a husband, continually seeks another man in his place (Moreh, III, 8). The soul, according to Aristotle, is the form of the body which, as matter, has merely a potentiality for existence. See supra, p. 37, n. 2. He says, “It must follow, then, that soul is substance in the sense that it is the form of a natural body having in it the capacity of life.” (De Anima, II, 1, ed. Hicks, pp. 48 and 49). M. agrees with this, and says in Yesode ha-Torah, IV, 8. “The soul of all flesh is its form which God has given it.” The human soul, however, needs in turn a form in order that it may become a reality. The soul’s form is, as M. states here, reason (עקל, שכל, νους), or more definitely the acquired reason (שכל הנקנה; see Scheyer, Psychol. Syst. d. Maim., c. III; also p. 59, note E; p. 65 ff., especially p. 66), and it this that makes man what he is. Cf. Moreh, I, 7. “It is acknowledged that a man who does not possess this form, ....... is no man.”] However, this is not the place for us to discuss such problems as that of form, matter, and the number of different kinds of intelligence, and their means of acquisition; *See Moreh, I, 68; Scheyer, ibid., c. II, c. III, and especially Munk, Guide, I, pp. 304-308, note. nor is it necessary for what we have to say concerning the subject of ethics, but is more appropriately to be discussed in the Book on Prophecy, which we mention (elsewhere). Now I conclude this chapter, and begin the next.
At the beginning of Moreh Nevuchim the Rambam defines צלם א-להים as intellect.
See also Yesodei HaTorah 4/8-9.
"The Divine Element" (הענין האלהי):
The Kuzari introduces a level above the intellectual – "the divine element."
This is primarily the level of the prophet, but also extends to the community connected to the prophet.
Prophet: Exhibiting extraordinary vitality and knowledge of the past and future (supernatural knowledge).
Community: Experiencing a connection to the divine through the prophet.
The Kuzari states that Adam possessed this divine element, which was later diminished in humanity, appearing only in select individuals.
(לז) אָמַר הֶחָבֵר: וְאֵיזוֹ מַדְרֵגָה אַתָּה חוֹשֵׁב לְמַעְלָה מִזֹּאת.
37. The Rabbi: Which is the next highest degree?
(לח) אָמַר הַכּוּזָרִי: מַעֲלַת הַחֲכָמִים הַגְּדוֹלִים.
38. Al Khazari: The degree of great sages.
(לט) אָמַר הֶחָבֵר: אֵינִי רוֹצֶה לוֹמַר אֶלָּא מַעֲלָה תַפְרִיד אֶת בְּעָלֶיהָ פְּרִידָה עַצְמִית, כְּהִפָּרֵד הַצֶּמַח מִן הַדּוֹמֵם וְהִפָּרֵד אָדָם מִן הַבְּהֵמָה, אֲבָל הַפְּרִידָה בְּרֹב וּמְעַט אֵין לָהּ תַּכְלִית, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִיא פְּרִידָה מִקְרִית, וְאֵינָה מַעֲלָה עַל דֶּרֶךְ אֱמֶת.
39. The Rabbi: I only mean that degree which separates those who occupy it from the physical point of view, as the plant is separated from inorganic things, or man from animals. The differences as to quantity, however, are endless, as they are only accidental, and do not really form a degree.
(מ) אָמַר הַכּוּזָרִי: אִם כֵּן אֵין מַעֲלָה בַמֻּרְגָּשִׁים יְתֵרָה עַל מַעֲלַת בְּנֵי אָדָם.
40. Al Khazari: If this be so, then there is no degree above man among tangible things.
(מא) אָמַר הֶחָבֵר: וְאִם יִמָּצֵא אָדָם שֶׁיָּבֹא בָאֵשׁ וְלֹא יֻזַּק בּוֹ, וְיַעֲמֹד מִבְּלִי מַאֲכָל וְלֹא יִרְעַב, וְיִהְיֶה לְפָנָיו זֹהַר שֶׁאֵין הָעַיִן יְכוֹלָה לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בּוֹ, וְלֹא יֶחֱלֶה וְלֹא יֶחֱלַשׁ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר יַגִּיעַ אֶל תַּכְלִית יָמָיו, יָמוּת לִרְצוֹנוֹ, כְּמִי שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה עַל מִטָּתוֹ לִישׁוֹן, וְיִישַׁן בְּעֵת יָדוּעַ וּבְשָׁעָה יְדוּעָה, עִם יְדִיעַת הֶעָבַר וְהֶעָתִיד, מַה שֶּׁהָיָה וּמַה שֶּׁיִּהְיֶה, הֲלֹא הַמַּעֲלָה הַזֹּאת נִפְרֶדֶת בְּעַצְמָהּ מִמַּעֲלַת בְּנֵי אָדָם.
41. The Rabbi: If we find a man who walks into the fire without hurt, or abstains from food for some time without starving, on whose face a light shines which the eye cannot bear, who is never ill, nor ages, until having reached his life's natural end, who dies spontaneously just as a man retires to his couch to sleep on an appointed day and hour, equipped with the knowledge of what is hidden as to past and future: is such a degree not visibly distinguished from the ordinary human degree?
(מב) אָמַר הַכּוּזָרִי: אֲבָל הַמַּעֲלָה הַזֹּאת אֱלֹהִית מַלְאֲכוּתִית אִם הִיא נִמְצֵאת, וְזֶה מִדִּין הָעִנְיָן הָאֱלֹהִי לֹא מִן הַשִּׂכְלִי וְלֹא מִן הַנַּפְשִׁי וְלֹא מִן הַטִּבְעִי.
42. Al Khazari: This is, indeed, the divine and seraphic degree, if it exists at all. It belongs to the province of the divine influence, but not to that of the intellectual, human, or natural world.
(מג) אָמַר הֶחָבֵר: אֵלֶּה קְצָת תָּאֳרֵי הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר אֵין עָלָיו חוֹלֵק, אֲשֶׁר נִרְאָה עַל יָדוֹ לֶהָמוֹן הִתְחַבְּרוּת הַדָּבָר הָאֱלֹהִי בָהֶם וְשֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אֱלוֹהַּ מַנְהִיגָם כִּרְצוֹנוֹ וּכְפִי עֲבוֹדָתָם וְהַמְרוֹתָם, וְהִגִּיד לָהֶם הַנֶּעְלָם, וְהוֹדִיעַ אֵיךְ הָיָה חִדּוּשׁ הָעוֹלָם וְיַחַס בְּנֵי אָדָם קֹדֶם הַמַּבּוּל, הֵיאַךְ נִתְיַחֲסוּ אֶל אָדָם וְהֵיאַךְ הָיָה הַמַּבּוּל וְיַחַס הַשִּׁבְעִים אֻמּוֹת אֶל שֵׁם חָם וְיֶפֶת בְּנֵי נֹחַ, וְהֵיאַךְ נִפְרְדוּ הַלְּשׁוֹנוֹת, וְאֵיפֹה שָׁכְנוּ, וְהֵיאַךְ צָמְחוּ הַמְּלָאכוֹת וּבִנְיַן הַמְּדִינוֹת וּשְׁנֵי הָעוֹלָם מֵאָדָם וְעַד עָתָּה.
43. The Rabbi: These are some of the characteristics of the undoubted prophets through whom God made Himself manifest, and who also made known that there is a God who guides them as He wishes, according to their obedience or disobedience. He revealed to those prophets that which was hidden, and taught them how the world was created, how the generations prior to the Flood followed each other, and how they reckoned their descent from Adam. He described the Flood and the origin of the 'Seventy Nations' from Shem, Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah; how the languages were split up, and where men sought their habitations; how arts arose, how they built cities, and the chronology from Adam up to this day.
Also through Torah we have the ענין א-להי:
וְהַהַקְדָּמָה הָרְבִיעִית, הַהוֹדָאָה כִּי לַמְּצִיאוּת מַדְרֵגוֹת עֶלְיוֹנוֹת וְתַחְתּוֹנוֹת, וְכָל מַה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הֶרְגֵּשׁ וְהַשָּׂגָה וָחוּשׁ, מְעֻלֶּה מֵאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ זֶה, בַּעֲבוּר קוּרְבָתוֹ מִמַּדְרֵגַת הַסִּבָּה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, אֲשֶׁר הוּא הַשֵׂכֶל בְּעַצְמוֹ, וְכִי הַפָּחוּת שֶׁבַּצֶּמַח יוֹתֵר מְעֻלֶּה בַמַּדְרֵגָה מִן הַמְעֻלֶּה שֶׁבַּמּוֹצָאִים, וְהַפָּחוּת שֶׁבַּבְּהֵמָה יוֹתֵר מְעֻלֶּה בַּמַּדְרֵגָה מִן הַמְעֻלֶּה שֶׁבַּצֶּמַח, וְהַפָּחוּת שֶׁבָּאָדָם יוֹתֵר מְעֻלֶּה בַּמַּדְרֵגָה מִן הַמְעֻלֶּה שֶׁבַּבְּהֵמָה. וְכֵן הַפָּחוּת שֶׁבִּבְנֵי תּוֹרַת הָאֱלֹהִים יוֹתֵר מְעֻלֶּה בַּמַּדְרֵגָה מִן הַמְעֻלֶּה שֶׁבָּאֻמּוֹת שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם תּוֹרַת הָאֱלֹהִים, כִּי הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁהִיא מֵאֵת הָאֱלֹהִים מַקְנָה הַנְּפָשׁוֹת מִנְהַג הַמַּלְאָכִים וּתְכוּנָתָם, וְזֶה מַה שֶּׁאֵין מַשִּׂיגִים אוֹתוֹ בְּלִמּוּד. וְהָרְאָיָה עַל זֶה, כִּי הַהַתְמָדָה עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַתּוֹרָה הַהִיא מְבִיאָה אֶל מַדְרֵגַת הַנְּבוּאָה, אֲשֶׁר הִיא הַקְּרוֹבָה שֶׁבַּמַּדְרֵגוֹת הָאֱנוֹשִׁיּוֹת אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים, אִם כֵּן בַּעַל הַתּוֹרָה הַמַּמְרֶה טוֹב מֵאֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ תוֹרָה, כִּי הוּא כְּבָר הִקְנַתְהוּ תוֹרַת אֱלֹהִים מִנְהָג מַלְאֲכוּתִי, הִשְׁקִיף בּוֹ עַל מַדְרֵגַת הַמַּלְאָכִים, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמִּרְיוֹ בִּלְבֵּל אוֹתוֹ עָלָיו וְהִפְסִידוֹ, נִשְׁאַר לוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ רְשָׁמִים וְנִשְׁאַר בְּאֵשׁ הַכֹּסֶף אֵלָיו, כִּי עִם כָּל זֶה אִם הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ הַבְּחִירָה, לֹא הָיָה בוֹחֵר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְמַדְרֵגַת מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ תוֹרָה; כַּאֲשֶׁר הָאָדָם כַּאֲשֶׁר יֵחֱלֶה וִיעֻנֶּה בְמַכְאוֹבָיו, אִלּוּ הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ הַבְּחִירָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה סוּס אוֹ דָג אוֹ עוֹף מִתְעַנֵּג בְּלִי מַכְאוֹב, וְיֻבְדַּל בֵּינוֹ וּבֵין הַשֵּׂכֶל אֲשֶׁר יְקָרְבֵהוּ אֶל מַדְרֵגַת הָאֱלֹהוּת, לֹא הָיָה בוֹחֵר בּוֹ. וְהַהַקְדָּמָה הַחֲמִישִׁית, כִּי נַפְשׁוֹת הַשּׁוֹמְעִים מְקַבְּלוֹת רֹשֶׁם לְתוֹכַחַת הַמּוֹכִיחַ, כַּאֲשֶׁר תִהְיֶה בִדְבָרִים מְקֻבָּלִים, וְלַתּוֹכַחַת בֶּאֱמֶת עַל כָּל פָּנִים תּוֹעֶלֶת, וְאִם אֵינֶנָּה מְשִׁיבָה הַמַּמְרֶה מֵעֲשׂוֹת הָרָע, יִקְדַּח בְּנַפְשׁוֹ מִן הַתּוֹכַחַת הַהִיא נִיצוֹץ, וְרוֹאֶה כִּי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַהוּא רָע, וְזֶה חֵלֶק מִן הַתְּשׁוּבָה וְהַתְחָלָה לָהּ בּוֹ.
It is [one] of the foundations of [our] faith that God conveys prophecy to man.
Prophecy is bestowed only upon a very wise sage of a strong character, who is never overcome by his natural inclinations in any regard. Instead, with his mind, he overcomes his natural inclinations at all times. He must [also] possess a very broad and accurate mental capacity.
A person who is full of all these qualities and is physically sound [is fit for prophecy]. When he enters the Pardes and is drawn into these great and sublime concepts, if he possesses an accurate mental capacity to comprehend and grasp [them], he will become holy. He will advance and separate himself from the masses who proceed in the darkness of the time. He must continue and diligently train himself not to have any thoughts whatsoever about fruitless things or the vanities and intrigues of the times.
Instead, his mind should constantly be directed upward, bound beneath [God's] throne [of Glory, striving] to comprehend the holy and pure forms and gazing at the wisdom of the Holy One, blessed be He, in its entirety, [in its manifold manifestations] from the most elevated [spiritual] form until the navel of the earth, appreciating His greatness from them. [After these preparations,] the divine spirit will immediately rest upon him.
However, the Rambam also describes Nevuah similar to the Kuzari:
רמב"ם יסודי התורה ז':א'
ובעת שתנוח עליו הרוח, תתערב נפשו במעלת המלאכים הנקראים אישים, ויהפך לאיש אחר, ויבין בדעתו שאינו כמות שהיה, אלא שנתעלה על מעלת שאר בני אדם החכמים, כמו שנאמר בשאול "והתנבית עמם ונהפכת לאיש אחר" (שמואל א' י':ו'):
When the spirit rests upon him, his soul becomes intermingled with the angels called ishim, and he will be transformed into a different person and will understand with a knowledge different from what it was previously. He will rise above the level of other wise men, as [the prophet, Samuel] told Saul [I Samuel 10:6]: "[The spirit of God will descend upon you] and you shall prophesy with them. And you will be transformed into a different person."
