17. Primordial Matter

Yesodei HaTorah 3:9

The stars and the spheres are in a sense aware and they recognize the One Who spoke and brought the world into existence. Each one praises and extols God according to its level, just as the angels do. They are not only aware of God, but also of themselves and of the angels that are above them. The stars and spheres know less of God than the angels do, but more than humans do.

Yesodei HaTorah 3:10

Below the lowest sphere, God created primordial matter, which comes in four forms: fire, wind, water and earth. Therefore, there are four states of matter below the sky, one above the next, each one encompassing the one below it on all sides, like a sphere. Fire is the outermost, followed by wind, water, and then earth. There is no empty void without matter between these forms.

Editor’s note: I am not able to explain the Rambam’s astronomy. In Hilchos Kiddush HaChodesh (17:24), he says that it is based on the science of Greek astronomers. In Moreh Nevuchim, he is willing to disregard Talmudic dicta (3:14) and even Biblical verses (2:25) in favor of observable science when necessary. Readers are free to assume either that the Rambam was sharing the best science of his day, or that he is describing spiritual rather than physical phenomena.