Any composite thing only comes completely into existence when the parts of which it is comprised join together and unite. The association (of the parts) is the unity.
And likewise, the existence of something composite is not possible without the dividing (or disintegrating) the parts of which it is comprised, since composition necessarily implies more than one part. The divisioning of the parts is plurality.
And since the signs of composition, synthesis, and arrangement are found in the universe as a whole as well as in its details and parts, in its roots and derivatives, it is necessarily subject to synthesis and division, and must contain the basic principles of Unity and Plurality.
And since, in essence, Unity precedes Plurality, just like the number one precedes the other numbers, it follows that the First cause of everything that is plural, which was at the head of all beginnings is itself not plural since all things plural are preceded by unity.
And since causes must reach a limit at their beginning, and it is not possible for a thing to make itself, therefore it is impossible for the cause of unity and plurality to itself be of unity and plurality like them
And since the First Cause of the creations cannot itself be plural nor a combination of plurality and unity, it must necessarily be that the Cause is a true (absolute) Unity.
And we have already demonstrated that the more one ascends the succession of causes, the fewer the causes will be until eventually the root of all numbers is reached - this is the true Unity, and this true Unity is the Creator.
Furthermore, it is known that anything which is found in something as an incidental property must also exist in something else as its true essence and cannot be separated from that (something else) without destroying it. For example, hotness, an incidental property of hot water, is the permanent essence in fire. Or, moistness, an incidental property in various objects, is permanent essence in water.
And it is known that anything which is found in an object as an incidental property, that object must have received the incidental property from something else for which that incidental property is in its essence, such as hotness in hot water which is incidental in the water. It was given to the water from fire whose hotness is in its essence. And when we see moisture in moist things as an incidental property, we know that it was transferred to them from water whose wetness is in its essence. Similarly for all things, if we examine their matters.
Through this principle we can direct our words to the matter of unity. Since unity is found in every created thing as an incidental property, as we introduced, it necessarily follows that it must be a true and permanent essence in the Cause of all created things, and from it all created things derived the matter of unity as an incidental property, as we explained.
When we investigated the matter of true (absolute) unity among the created things, we did not find it to be absolute or permanent in any of them. If we try to apply it to any of the sugim (types, i.e. broad category such as animals), minim (kinds, categories of a type such as horses), ishim (individuals, subcategories of kinds such as one individual horse), Etzemim (essence of things), (mikre) incidental properties, planets, stars, spiritual bodies, numbers, numbered objects, (to summarize) anything which is finite and limited, and we try to call it one, and try to ascribe the term "unity" to it - this we cannot correctly do to call it "one" except in a passing (relative) sense. For each of them comprises things which are collectively called "one" due to their similarity and joining together in one respect.
But essentially, each of them is plural, being subject to multitude and change, division and separation, association and dissociation, increase and diminishment, motion and rest, appearance and form, and other incidental properties, whether specific to it or general that belongs to every creation.
Absolute Unity is not found nor truly ascribed in any created thing. And since unity exists among the created things as an incidental property, while all the evidence points to the Creator being One, we will deduce with certainty that the relative unity that we ascribed to any of the created things emanates from the true (absolute) One. And this true (absolute) unity can only be ascribed to the Creator of all. He is the true One. There is no true (absolute) Unity besides Him.
All the implications of absolute Unity we have mentioned befit Him alone. All the matters of plurality, incidental properties, change, motion, comparison, or any qualities which is not consistent with true Unity cannot be ascribed to Him, as David said: "Many, O L-ord my G-d, are Your wonderful works and Your thoughts towards us, there is no comparison to You" (Ps. 40:6), and "To whom then will you liken G-d? Or what likeness will you compare unto Him?" (Isaiah 40:18), and "Among the gods (angels) there is none like unto You, O L-rd; neither are there any works like unto Your works" (Ps. 86:8).
It has been clarified and demonstrated that the Creator of the world is the true Unity and that there is no other true Unity besides Him. For anything which is ascribed the term "one" besides the Creator, is a unity from one aspect but plural from another aspect. But the Creator is one from every respect as we explained. What we have brought in this matter should be sufficient for the intelligent person.
אַךְ הָרְאָיָה שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ אֶחָד אֱמֶת אֵין אֶחָד אֱמֶת זוּלָתוֹ נֹאמַר.
The proof that the Creator is the true (absolute) Unity and that there is no true Unity besides Him is as follows.
כִּי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל מְחֻבָּר לֹא תִּגָּמֵר הֲוָיָתוֹ אֶלָּא בְּהִשְׁתַּתֵּף חֲלָקָיו אֲשֶׁר חֻבַּר מֵהֶם וְהוּא הִתְאַחֵד קְצָתָם עִם קְצָתָם וְעִקַּר הַשִּׁתּוּף הָאַחְדוּת.
Any composite thing only comes completely into existence when the parts of which it is comprised join together and unite. The association (of the parts) is the unity.
וְכֵן לֹא יִתָּכֵן מְצִיאוּת הַמְחֻבָּר אֶלָּא בְּהִתְחַלֵּק חֲלָקָיו אֲשֶׁר מֵהֶם חֻבַּר כִּי הַחִבּוּר לֹא יִהְיֶה כִּי אִם מִדְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵם יוֹתֵר מֵאֶחָד וְעִקַּר הַמַּחְלֹקֶת הָרַב.
And likewise, the existence of something composite is not possible without the dividing (or disintegrating) the parts of which it is comprised, since composition necessarily implies more than one part. The divisioning of the parts is plurality.
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהָיָה סִימַן הַחִבּוּר וְהַהַרְכָּבָה וְהַסִּדּוּר נִמְצָא בעוה״ז בִּכְלָלָיו בִּפְרָטָיו וַחֲלָקָיו וְשָׁרָשָׁיו וַעֲנָפָיו צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא בְּכֻלָּם עִנְיַן הַשִּׁתּוּף וְהַמַּחְלֹקֶת וְעִקָּרָם הָאַחְדוּת וְהָרַב.
And since the signs of composition, synthesis, and arrangement are found in the universe as a whole as well as in its details and parts, in its roots and derivatives, it is necessarily subject to synthesis and division, and must contain the basic principles of Unity and Plurality.
וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָאַחְדוּת קוֹדֶמֶת לָרַב בַּטֶּבַע כִּקְדִימַת הָאֶחָד לִשְׁאָר הַמִּנְיָן מִן הַדִּין שֶׁתִּהְיֶה עִלַּת כָּל מִתְרַבֶּה בִּלְתִּי מִתְרַבֶּה בְּרֹאשׁ הַהַתְחָלוֹת מִפְּנֵי הַקְדָּמַת עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת לְכָל מִתְרַבֶּה,
And since, in essence, Unity precedes Plurality, just like the number one precedes the other numbers, it follows that the First cause of everything that is plural, which was at the head of all beginnings is itself not plural since all things plural are preceded by unity.
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהָיוּ הָעִלּוֹת מַגִּיעוֹת בִּתְחִלָּתָן וְנִמְנָע שֶׁיִּפְעַל הַפּוֹעֵל בְּעַצְמוֹ לֹא הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁתִּהְיֶה עִלַּת הָאַחְדוּת וְהָרַב כְּמוֹתָן רַב וְאַחְדוּת,
And since causes must reach a limit at their beginning, and it is not possible for a thing to make itself, therefore it is impossible for the cause of unity and plurality to itself be of unity and plurality like them
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאֵין עִלַּת הַהֲוָיוֹת הָרַב בִּלְבַד וְלֹא רַב וְאַחְדוּת, מִן הַדִּין שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עִלַּת הַהֲוָיָה אֶחָד אֱמֶת.
And since the First Cause of the creations cannot itself be plural nor a combination of plurality and unity, it must necessarily be that the Cause is a true (absolute) Unity.
וּכְבָר הִקְדַּמְנוּ בִּדְבָרֵינוּ כִּי הָעִלּוֹת כָּל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲלֶינָה לְמַעְלָה תִּתְמַעֵטְנָה בִּתְחִלָּתָן עַד אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶינָה מַגִּיעוֹת אֶל שֹׁרֶשׁ הַמִּנְיָן וְהוּא אֶחָד הָאֱמֶת וְהוּא הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ.
And we have already demonstrated that the more one ascends the succession of causes, the fewer the causes will be until eventually the root of all numbers is reached - this is the true Unity, and this true Unity is the Creator.
וּמִן הַיָּדוּעַ עוֹד כִּי כָל מַה שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא בְּשׁוּם דָּבָר מִקְרֶה אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא יִמָּצֵא בְּדָבָר אַחֵר עַצְמִי אֲמִתִּי וְאֵין לוֹ הַעְתָּקָה מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי אִם בְּהֶפְסֵדוֹ כַּחֹם בַּמַּיִם הַחַמִּים שֶׁהוּא מִקְרֶה בַּמַּיִם וְהוּא בָּאֵשׁ עַצְמִי קַיָּם,
Furthermore, it is known that anything which is found in something as an incidental property must also exist in something else as its true essence and cannot be separated from that (something else) without destroying it. For example, hotness, an incidental property of hot water, is the permanent essence in fire. Or, moistness, an incidental property in various objects, is permanent essence in water.
וּמִן הַיָּדוּעַ עוֹד כִּי כָל מַה שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא בְּשׁוּם דָּבָר מִקְרֶה אֵין הַדָּבָר הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יִקְרֶה בּוֹ הַמִּקְרֶה מְקַבֵּל אוֹתוֹ הַמִּקְרֶה אֶלָּא מִן הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הוּא בּוֹ עַצְמִי כְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ רוֹאִים בְּחֹם הַמַּיִם שֶׁהוּא מִקְרֶה בָּהֶם נֶאֱצָל עֲלֵיהֶם מִן הָאֵשׁ שֶׁחֻמָּהּ עַצְמִי בָּהּ. וְכַאֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ רוֹאִים מִלַּחוּת הַדְּבָרִים הַלַּחִים בְּמִקְרֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱצַל עֲלֵיהֶם מִן הַמַּיִם שֶׁהַלַּחוּת בָּהֶם עַצְמִית וְכֵן שְׁאָר כָּל הַהֲוָיוֹת כַּאֲשֶׁר נִסְתַּכֵּל בְּעִנְיְנֵיהֶם.
And it is known that anything which is found in an object as an incidental property, that object must have received the incidental property from something else for which that incidental property is in its essence, such as hotness in hot water which is incidental in the water. It was given to the water from fire whose hotness is in its essence. And when we see moisture in moist things as an incidental property, we know that it was transferred to them from water whose wetness is in its essence. Similarly for all things, if we examine their matters.
וְעַל הַהַקָּשָׁה הַזֹּאת נַנְהִיג דְּבָרֵינוּ בְּעִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת כִּי כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיְתָה בְּכָל אֶחָד מֵהַבְּרוּאִים מִקְרִית כַּאֲשֶׁר הִקְדַּמְנוּ מִן הַדִּין הוּא שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בְּעִלַּת הַבְּרוּאִים עַצְמִית קַיֶּמֶת אֲמִתִּית וּמִמֶּנָּה קִבְּלוּ כָּל הַהֲוָיוֹת עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת בְּדֶרֶךְ הַמִּקְרֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר בֵּאַרְנוּ.
Through this principle we can direct our words to the matter of unity. Since unity is found in every created thing as an incidental property, as we introduced, it necessarily follows that it must be a true and permanent essence in the Cause of all created things, and from it all created things derived the matter of unity as an incidental property, as we explained.
וְכַאֲשֶׁר חָקַרְנוּ עַל עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת הָאֲמִתִּית בַּבְּרוּאִים לֹא מְצָאנוּהָ לְאֶחָד מֵהֶם קַיֶּמֶת אֲמִתִּית וְאִם יֵאָמֵר [עַל כָּל אֶחָד מִן הַסּוּגִים וְהַמִּינִים וְהָאִישִׁים וְהָעֲצָמִים וְהַמִּקְרִים וְהַגְּרָמִים הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וְהַגּוּפִים הָרוּחָנִיִּים וְכָל מִנְיָן וּמָנוּי וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ תִּכְלָה וּגְבוּל] אֶחָד וּמְיַחֲסִים אֵלָיו עִנְיַן הָאַחְדוּת לֹא יֵאָמֵר לוֹ אֶחָד אֶלָּא עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַעֲבָרָה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא כּוֹלֵל דְּבָרִים שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ אֶחָד מִדֶּרֶךְ הִדַּמּוּתָם וְהִתְחַבְּרוּתָם בְּעִנְיָן אֶחָד,
When we investigated the matter of true (absolute) unity among the created things, we did not find it to be absolute or permanent in any of them. If we try to apply it to any of the sugim (types, i.e. broad category such as animals), minim (kinds, categories of a type such as horses), ishim (individuals, subcategories of kinds such as one individual horse), Etzemim (essence of things), (mikre) incidental properties, planets, stars, spiritual bodies, numbers, numbered objects, (to summarize) anything which is finite and limited, and we try to call it one, and try to ascribe the term "unity" to it - this we cannot correctly do to call it "one" except in a passing (relative) sense. For each of them comprises things which are collectively called "one" due to their similarity and joining together in one respect.
וְהוּא רַב מֵעַצְמוֹ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמְּקַבֵּל הָרִבּוּי וְהַשִּׁנּוּי וְהַחִלּוּק וְהַמַּחְלֹקֶת וְהַחִבּוּר וְהַפְּרִידָה וְהַתּוֹסֶפֶת וְהַחִסָּרוֹן וְהַתְּנוּעָה וְהַמְּנוּחָה וְהַדִּמְיוֹן וְהַצּוּרָה וּשְׁאָר הַמִּקְרִים הַמְיֻחָדִים וְהַכּוֹלְלִים לְכָל אֶחָד מֵהַבְּרוּאִים,
But essentially, each of them is plural, being subject to multitude and change, division and separation, association and dissociation, increase and diminishment, motion and rest, appearance and form, and other incidental properties, whether specific to it or general that belongs to every creation.
וְהָאַחְדוּת הָאֲמִתִּית אֵינֶנָּה נִמְצֵאת וְלֹא נֶאֱמֶרֶת בֶּאֱמֶת עַל דָּבָר מִן הַיְּצִירוֹת. וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה הָאֶחָד נִמְצָא בַּבְּרוּאִים בְּדֶרֶךְ הַמִּקְרֶה וְהוֹרָה הָאוֹת וְהַמּוֹפֵת כִּי הַבּוֹרֵא אֶחָד. יָדַעְנוּ דַּעַת בְּרוּרָה כִּי הָאַחְדוּת אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְנוּ עַל כָּל אֶחָד מֵהַבְּרוּאִים עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַעֲבָרָה נֶאֱצֶלֶת מֵעִנְיַן הָאֶחָד הָאֱמֶת וְהָאַחְדוּת הָאֲמִתִּית הִיא הַנֶּאֱמֶרֶת עַל בּוֹרֵא הַכֹּל יִתְעַלֶּה וְהוּא הָאֶחָד הָאֱמֶת וְאֵין אֶחָד אֱמֶת זוּלָתוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִקְדַּמְנוּ.
Absolute Unity is not found nor truly ascribed in any created thing. And since unity exists among the created things as an incidental property, while all the evidence points to the Creator being One, we will deduce with certainty that the relative unity that we ascribed to any of the created things emanates from the true (absolute) One. And this true (absolute) unity can only be ascribed to the Creator of all. He is the true One. There is no true (absolute) Unity besides Him.
וְכָל חֻקֵּי הָאֶחָד הָאֱמֶת אֲשֶׁר זָכַרְנוּ לֹא יֵאוֹתוּ כִּי אִם לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ וְכֵן כָּל עִנְיְנֵי הָרִבּוּי וְהַמִּקְרִים וְהַשִּׁנּוּיִם וְהַתְּנוּעוֹת וְהַדִּמְיוֹנִים וְכָל מָה שֶׁלֹּא יֵאוֹת לָאֶחָד הָאֱמֶת רְחוֹקִים מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרַךְ כמ״ש דָּוִד ע״ה (תהלים מ) רַבּוֹת עָשִׂיתָ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהַי נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ אֵלֵינוּ אֵין עֲרֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ישעיה מ) וְאֶל מִי תְּדַמְּיוּן אֵל וּמַה דְּמוּת תַּעַרְכוּ לוֹ וְנֶאֱמַר (תהלים פו) אֵין כָּמוֹךָ בָאֱלֹהִים ה׳ וְאֵין כְּמַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְנֶאֱמַר (ירמיהו י׳:ו׳) מֵאֵין כָּמוֹךָ ה׳ גָּדוֹל אַתָּה וְגָדוֹל שִׁמְךָ בִּגְבוּרָה וְגוֹ׳.
All the implications of absolute Unity we have mentioned befit Him alone. All the matters of plurality, incidental properties, change, motion, comparison, or any qualities which is not consistent with true Unity cannot be ascribed to Him, as David said: "Many, O L-ord my G-d, are Your wonderful works and Your thoughts towards us, there is no comparison to You" (Ps. 40:6), and "To whom then will you liken G-d? Or what likeness will you compare unto Him?" (Isaiah 40:18), and "Among the gods (angels) there is none like unto You, O L-rd; neither are there any works like unto Your works" (Ps. 86:8).
וּכְבָר הִתְבָּאֵר וְהִתְבָּרֵר כִּי בּוֹרֵא הָעוֹלָם יִתְבָּרַךְ אֶחָד אֱמֶת וְשֶׁאֵין אֶחָד אֱמֶת זוּלָתוֹ כִּי כָל מַה שֶׁיִּפֹּל עָלָיו שֵׁם אֶחָד זוּלַת הַבּוֹרֵא אִם הוּא אֶחָד מִצַּד אֶחָד הוּא רַב מִצַּד אַחֵר כַּאֲשֶׁר זָכַרְנוּ אַךְ הַבּוֹרֵא א׳ מִכָּל פָּנִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ וּבְמָה שֶׁהֵבֵאנוּ בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה דַּי לַמֵּבִין:
It has been clarified and demonstrated that the Creator of the world is the true Unity and that there is no other true Unity besides Him. For anything which is ascribed the term "one" besides the Creator, is a unity from one aspect but plural from another aspect. But the Creator is one from every respect as we explained. What we have brought in this matter should be sufficient for the intelligent person.