Substance, Accident, and their general principles. A Up to this point we have explained matters concerning cognition and its divisions; now we shall explain the concepts according to their classifications.
C Substance is that which exists in itself and not in another, and in which the accidents that are attached to it subsist. Its meaning: for example, the substance of a stone, a tree, an animal, and all existing things, whether spiritual or material.
D Accident is that which exists in a substance and subsists in it, and cannot exist independently of a substance. For example, the appearance mentioned above, beauty, and wisdom, which do not exist by themselves but are found in one of the substances. General principles of accident
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1 The existence of an accident is its being connected to a substance.
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Its meaning: an accident is nothing other than a state of being in a substance, whether a single aspect or multiple aspects added to its being as a substance. The existence of that aspect in this substance is what is called the accident that occurs to the substance.
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2 An accident depends on the substance both in its coming-to-be and in its existence.
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Its meaning: if the substance did not exist, no additional attribute could belong to it, and thus there would be no accident at all; therefore we say that the accident depends on the substance in its coming-to-be. Likewise, if the substance ceases to exist, the accident cannot occur; therefore we say that the accident depends on the substance in its existence.
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3 An accident without a substance is impossible.
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4 An accident does not transfer from one subject to another or from one substance to another.
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Its meaning: a substance can bear many accidents and may bear one accident at one time and another later, and it is the same substance that bears both. But an accident that occurs in a substance cannot leave it and attach itself to another substance; rather, what occurred in one has already ceased with its disappearance, and what occurs in another substance is something new and not the first accident.
הָעֶצֶם וְהַמִּקְרֶה וּכְלָלָיו
א עַד הֵנָּה בֵּאַרְנוּ עִנְיְנֵי הַהַשָּׂגָה וּמַחְלְקוֹתֶיהָ, עַתָּה נְבָאֵר הַמֻּשָּׂגִים לְמַחְלְקוֹתֵיהֶם.
Substance, Accident, and their general principles. A Up to this point we have explained matters concerning cognition and its divisions; now we shall explain the concepts according to their classifications.
ב כָּל מֻשָּׂג הוּא אוֹ עֶצֶם אוֹ מִקְרֶה.
פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: בֵּין הַמֻּשָּׂגִים הַמּוּחָשִׁים וְהַמֻּשׂכָּלִים שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֲרוּ לְמָעְלָה.
B Every concept is either substance or accident. Its meaning: among the sensible and intelligible concepts explained above.
ג עֶצֶם – הוּא הַדָּבָר הַמַּמָּשִׁיִּי שֶׁעֲמִידָתוֹ בְעַצְמוֹ וְלֹא בְאַחֵר, וּבוֹ עוֹמְדִים הַמִּקְרִים הַמִּתְחַבְּרִים לוֹ. פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, עֶצֶם הָאֶבֶן, הָעֵץ, הַבַּעַל־חַיִּים וְכָל הַנִּמְצָאִים רוּחָנִים וְגַשְׁמִים.
C Substance is that which exists in itself and not in another, and in which the accidents that are attached to it subsist. Its meaning: for example, the substance of a stone, a tree, an animal, and all existing things, whether spiritual or material.
ד מִקְרֶה – הוּא עִנְיָן יִמָּצֵא בְעֶצֶם וְעוֹמֵד בּוֹ, וְלֹא יַעֲמֹד זוּלַת עֶצֶם.
דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל, הַמַּרְאֶה שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ לְמַעְלָה, הַיֹּפִי, הַחָכְמָה שֶׁאֵינָם נִמְצָאִים בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָם, אֶלָּא נְתוּנִים בְּאֶחָד מִן הָעֲצָמִים.
כְּלָלֵי הַמִּקְרֶה
1 מְצִיאוּת הַמִּקְרֶה הוּא הִתְחַבֵּר לְעֶצֶם.
פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: כִּי הִנֵּה הַמִּקְרֶה אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עִנְיַן הֱיוֹת בְּעֶצֶם, בְּחִינָה אַחַת אוֹ בְּחִינוֹת רַבּוֹת נוֹסָפוֹת עַל הֱיוֹתוֹ עֶצֶם. אֲשֶׁר הֱיוֹת הַבְּחִינָה הַהִיא נִמְצֵאת בְּעֶצֶם זֶהוּ הַמִּקְרֶה שֶׁקָּרָה לָעֶצֶם.
2 הַמִּקְרֶה תָּלוּי בָּעֶצֶם בֵּין בַּהֲוָיָה בֵּין בַּמְּצִיאוּת.
פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: אִם לֹא הָיָה עִנְיָן הָעֶצֶם לֹא הָיְתָה בְּחִינָה נוֹסֶפֶת לוֹ, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה עִנְיַן הַמִּקְרֶה כְּלָל, עַל כֵּן נֹאמַר שֶׁהַמִּקְרֶה תָּלוּי בָּעֶצֶם בַּהֲוָיָה. וְכֵן אִם הָיָה נֶעְדָּר, לֹא הָיָה הַמִּקְרֶה קוֹרֶה, עַל כֵּן נֹאמַר שֶׁהַמִּקְרֶה תָּלוּי בָּעֶצֶם בַּמְּצִיאוּת.
3 מִקְרֶה מִבִּלְתִּי עֶצֶם נִמְנָע.
4 הַמִּקְרֶה לֹא יִתְגַּלְגֵּל מִנּוֹשֵׂא לְנוֹשֵׂא אוֹ מֵעֶצֶם לְעֶצֶם.
פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: כִּי הָעֶצֶם הוּא סוֹבֵל מִקְרִים רַבִּים וְיִסְבֹּל מִקְרֶה אֶחָד בִּזְמַן אֶחָד וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִסְבֹּל מִקְרֶה אַחֵר, וְהָעֶצֶם שֶׁסָּבַל הָאֶחָד הוּא שֶׁסּוֹבֵל הַשֵּׁנִי. אַךְ הַמִּקְרֶה שֶׁקּוֹרֶה לָעֶצֶם לֹא יוּכַל לָצֵאת מִמֶּנּוּ וּלְהִתְחַבֵּר אֶל עֶצֶם אַחֵר, אֶלָּא מַה שֶׁקָּרָה לְאֶחָד כְּבָר כָּלָה בְּהֶעְדֵּרוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, וּמַה שֶּׁיִּקְרֶה לְעֶצֶם אַחֵר – דָּבָר חָדָשׁ וְאֵינוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן.
D Accident is that which exists in a substance and subsists in it, and cannot exist independently of a substance. For example, the appearance mentioned above, beauty, and wisdom, which do not exist by themselves but are found in one of the substances. General principles of accident
1 The existence of an accident is its being connected to a substance.
Its meaning: an accident is nothing other than a state of being in a substance, whether a single aspect or multiple aspects added to its being as a substance. The existence of that aspect in this substance is what is called the accident that occurs to the substance.
2 An accident depends on the substance both in its coming-to-be and in its existence.
Its meaning: if the substance did not exist, no additional attribute could belong to it, and thus there would be no accident at all; therefore we say that the accident depends on the substance in its coming-to-be. Likewise, if the substance ceases to exist, the accident cannot occur; therefore we say that the accident depends on the substance in its existence.
3 An accident without a substance is impossible.
4 An accident does not transfer from one subject to another or from one substance to another.
Its meaning: a substance can bear many accidents and may bear one accident at one time and another later, and it is the same substance that bears both. But an accident that occurs in a substance cannot leave it and attach itself to another substance; rather, what occurred in one has already ceased with its disappearance, and what occurs in another substance is something new and not the first accident.