Q0594
“God has given us the Torah and also intellect, so that we…” — Saadia Gaon (The Book of Beliefs and Opinions,…)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, Introduction (Rosenblatt). Theme: reason.
English
God has given us the Torah and also intellect, so that we may verify by reason what we have received by tradition.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, Introduction (Rosenblatt) and files it under Jewish Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Saadia Gaon
Saadia ben Joseph (882–942), gaon of Sura, wrote The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, the first systematic Jewish philosophical theology in the Islamic world. He defended rabbinic Judaism against Karaites and used Arabic kalām methods to show that Torah and intellect agree when both are rightly understood.
How to read this passage
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, faith.
Concepts in this quote
- Reason
- Reason is the capacity to give and assess reasons—central to logic, science, ethics, and public argument.
- Faith
- Faith appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat faith as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Saadia Gaon. (n.d.). God has given us the Torah and also intellect, so that we may verify by reason what we have received by tradition. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0594
MLA: Saadia Gaon. “God has given us the Torah and also….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0594.
Chicago: Saadia Gaon. “God has given us the Torah and also….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0594.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “God has given us the Torah and also…”?
The passage is attributed to Saadia Gaon, The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, Introduction (Rosenblatt). The archive attributes this English wording to The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, Introduction (Rosenblatt) and files it under Jewish Rationalism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Saadia Gaon mean by reason?
Philosophers disagree about whether reason is the slave of the passions, the legislator of morality, or one tool among others. The quotations here keep that disagreement in play. This passage enters that discussion through reason, faith.