In the conventional view, the great rabbi and philosopher Moses Maimonides (1138-1204) was the archetypal rationalist, whose theology stands in stark contrast to that of the mystics who preceded and followed him. Yet, argues David Fried, while Maimonides’ thinking cannot accommodate the existence of a mystical universe mediating between God and physical reality—a core doctrine of Kabbalah—it nevertheless has a deeply mystical strain in its focus on achieving union with the Divine, the ultimate goal of all mysticism. Fried draws on a passage near the end of Maimonides’ Guide of the Perplexed outlining seven levels of human perfection to make his point:

Human perfection, [for Maimonides], begins with the intellectual knowledge of God, but the higher goal is not the knowledge itself but the experience of love and awe brought about by meditation and reflection upon that knowledge. . . .

The sixth [of Maimonides’ seven levels of perfection] is that attained by individuals who have mastered the study of metaphysics, [whom] Maimonides exhorts to strive for the ultimate achievement in human perfection. . . . [T]he path that Maimonides advises to ascend from the sixth level to the seventh is clearly meditative, a training of the mind to dwell exclusively on God and not merely intellectual study. . . .

[According to Maimonides’] general theory of knowledge. An intellect that is not actively cognizing is merely a potential intellect. However, when one actively cognizes the form or essence of a thing, the form enters one’s mind . . . and “in such a case the intellect is not a thing distinct from the thing comprehended.” . . .

We can now apply Maimonides’ general theory of knowledge to [his seven levels of perfection]. The intellect that understands the idea of God, but is not actively cognizing it, knows it only in potential. True knowledge occurs only during the moments when one is actively cognizing. It further follows that just as when we cognize the form of a tree our intellect becomes identical with the form of the tree, so too when cognizing the idea of God, our intellect becomes identical with Him. What more powerful expression of mystical union with the Divine could there be?

Additionally, there is a key difference between cognizing trees and cognizing God. Obviously, when cognizing the form of a tree, our intellect does not become a tree, for a physical tree is not the same as the ideal or form of the tree. Physical objects consist of matter that can reflect form only to greater or lesser degrees. God, on the other hand, does not consist of matter, and therefore the idea of God is not separate from the essence of God, as Maimonides explains [on two separate occasions], “He is the knower; He is the known; and He is the knowledge itself.”

On Tuesday, a Hizballah drone attack injured three people in northern Israel. The next day, another attack, targeting an IDF base, injured eighteen people, six of them seriously, in Arab al-Amshe, also in the north. This second attack involved the simultaneous use of drones carrying explosives and guided antitank missiles. In both cases, the defensive systems that performed so successfully last weekend failed to stop the drones and missiles. Ron Ben-Yishai has a straightforward explanation as to why: the Lebanon-backed terrorist group is getting better at evading Israel defenses. He explains the three basis systems used to pilot these unmanned aircraft, and their practical effects:

These systems allow drones to act similarly to fighter jets, using “dead zones”—areas not visible to radar or other optical detection—to approach targets. They fly low initially, then ascend just before crashing and detonating on the target. The terrain of southern Lebanon is particularly conducive to such attacks.

But this requires skills that the terror group has honed over months of fighting against Israel. The latest attacks involved a large drone capable of carrying over 50 kg (110 lbs.) of explosives. The terrorists have likely analyzed Israel’s alert and interception systems, recognizing that shooting down their drones requires early detection to allow sufficient time for launching interceptors.

The IDF tries to detect any incoming drones on its radar, as it had done prior to the war. Despite Hizballah’s learning curve, the IDF’s technological edge offers an advantage. However, the military must recognize that any measure it takes is quickly observed and analyzed, and even the most effective defenses can be incomplete. The terrain near the Lebanon-Israel border continues to pose a challenge, necessitating technological solutions and significant financial investment.