Is it our duty to study created things or not? We reply that the examination of created things and deducing from them the wisdom of the Creator is a duty which can be demonstrated from Reason, Scripture, and Tradition (the oral torah).
From Reason: For our reason bears witness that a rational creature's superiority over an irrational one consists in the former's superior ability to perceive, understand and acquire knowledge of the marks of wisdom found throughout the universe, as Scripture said "Who teaches us more than the beasts of the field, and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven" (Job 35:11).
And when a man thinks of, and reflects upon, these foundations of wisdom and examines its marks in the universe, his superiority over the animals rises in proportion to his understanding. But if he neglects to observe and reflect, he is not equal to the beast, but inferior to it, as Scripture said "The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not consider" (Yeshaya 1:3).
From Scripture: The same can be demonstrated from Scriptures, as it is said, "Lift up your eyes on high and behold, who created these?" (Yeshaya 40:26). And again "When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established" (Tehilim 8:4). Scripture also said "Have you not known? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? [have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?]" (Yeshaya 40:21) Further "Hear O deaf, look O blind, that you may see" (Yeshaya 42:18); "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, since that is the end of all men, and the living will take it to his heart" (Koheles 7:2); "The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness" (Koheles 2:14). "But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn that shines more till the day is perfect. The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble" (Mishlei 4:18-19).
From Tradition: The sages said (Sabbath 75a) "He who is capable of calculating the courses of the stars and planets and does not do so - of such a one, Scripture said (Yeshaya 5:12) 'And the harp, and the lyre, the timbrel, and flute, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the L-ord, nor do they contemplate the work of His hands'". And they say further (Sabbath 75a) "From where do we know that it is a duty to calculate the courses of the stars and planets?" Because it is said (Devarim 4:6) 'Observe therefore and do them, for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations that, when they hear all these statutes, they shall say: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'. This verse refers to the duty of making astronomical calculations."
Further they said (Pirkei Avos 2:1) "Consider the loss from doing a mitzvah (precept) against its reward and the gain from doing a sin against the loss it involves".
And they further said (Eruvin 100b) "If the Torah had not been given to the Jews, we could have learned decency from the cat, chastity from the dove, etiquette from the rooster and honesty from the ant".
Thus far it has been demonstrated that it is a duty to examine created things and draw the deductions from the marks of Divine Wisdom exhibited in them. Note it well!
אַךְ אִם אָנוּ חַיָּבִין לִבְחֹן בַּבְּרוּאִים אִם לֹא, נֹאמַר כִּי הַבְּחִינָה בַּבְּרוּאִים וַהֲבָאַת רְאָיָה מֵהֶם לְחָכְמַת הַבּוֹרֵא ית׳ אָנוּ חַיָּבִין בָּהּ מִן הַמֻּשְׂכָּל וּמִן הַכָּתוּב וּמִן הַקַּבָּלָה.
Is it our duty to study created things or not? We reply that the examination of created things and deducing from them the wisdom of the Creator is a duty which can be demonstrated from Reason, Scripture, and Tradition (the oral torah).
מִן הַמֻּשְׂכָּל כִּי הַשֵּׂכֶל מֵעִיד שֶׁיִּתְרוֹן הַמְדַבֵּר עַל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְדַבֵּר הוּא בַּעֲבוּר יִתְרוֹן הַכָּרָתוֹ וַהֲבָנָתוֹ וְקִבּוּלוֹ דַּעַת סוֹדֵי הַחָכְמָה הַמְּקֻיָּמִים בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (איוב לה) מַלְּפֵנוּ מִבַּהֲמוֹת אָרֶץ וּמֵעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם יְחַכְּמֵנוּ.
From Reason: For our reason bears witness that a rational creature's superiority over an irrational one consists in the former's superior ability to perceive, understand and acquire knowledge of the marks of wisdom found throughout the universe, as Scripture said "Who teaches us more than the beasts of the field, and makes us wiser than the fowls of heaven" (Job 35:11).
וּכְשֶׁהָאָדָם חוֹשֵׁב וּמִתְבּוֹנֵן בִּיסוֹדֵי הַחָכְמָה וּבוֹחֵן סִימָנֶיהָ יִהְיֶה יִתְרוֹנוֹ עַל הַבְּהֵמָה כְּפִי הֲבָנָתוֹ. וְאִם יִתְעַלֵּם מֵהֶם לֹא יִהְיֶה דּוֹמֶה לַבְּהֵמָה אַךְ יוֹתֵר גָּרוּעַ מִמֶּנָּה כמ״ש הַכָּתוּב (ישעיהו א׳:ג׳) יָדַע שׁוֹר קֹנֵהוּ וַחֲמוֹר אֵבוּס בְּעָלָיו יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יָדַע וְגוֹ׳,
And when a man thinks of, and reflects upon, these foundations of wisdom and examines its marks in the universe, his superiority over the animals rises in proportion to his understanding. But if he neglects to observe and reflect, he is not equal to the beast, but inferior to it, as Scripture said "The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not consider" (Yeshaya 1:3).
וּמִן הַכָּתוּב מָה שֶׁאָמַר (שם מ) שְׂאוּ מָרוֹם עֵינֵיכֶם וּרְאוּ מִי בָרָא אֵלֶּה וְאָמַר (תהלים ח) כִּי אֶרְאֶה שָׁמֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂה אֶצְבְּעֹתֶיךָ יָרֵחַ וְכוֹכָבִים אֲשֶׁר כּוֹנָנְתָּה וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ישעיהו מ׳:כ״א) הֲלוֹא תֵדְעוּ הֲלוֹא תִשְׁמָעוּ הֲלוֹא הֻגַּד מֵרֹאשׁ לָכֶם וְגוֹ׳ וְאָמַר (שם מב) הַחֵרְשִׁים שְׁמָעוּ וְהַעִוְרִים הַבִּיטוּ לִרְאוֹת וְאָמַר (קהלת ז׳:ב׳) טוֹב לָלֶכֶת אֶל בֵּית אֵבֶל מִלֶּכֶת אֶל בֵּית מִשְׁתֶּה בַּאֲשֶׁר הוּא סוֹף כָּל הָאָדָם וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל לִבּוֹ וְאָמַר (שם ב) הֶחָכָם עֵינָיו בְּרֹאשׁוֹ וְהַכְּסִיל בַּחֹשֶׁךְ הוֹלֵךְ וְאָמַר (משלי ד) וְאֹרַח צַדִּיקִים כְּאוֹר נֹגַהּ הוֹלֵךְ וָאוֹר עַד נְכוֹן הַיּוֹם דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵׁלוּ.
From Scripture: The same can be demonstrated from Scriptures, as it is said, "Lift up your eyes on high and behold, who created these?" (Yeshaya 40:26). And again "When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have established" (Tehilim 8:4). Scripture also said "Have you not known? have you not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? [have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?]" (Yeshaya 40:21) Further "Hear O deaf, look O blind, that you may see" (Yeshaya 42:18); "Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, since that is the end of all men, and the living will take it to his heart" (Koheles 7:2); "The wise man, his eyes are in his head; but the fool walks in darkness" (Koheles 2:14). "But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn that shines more till the day is perfect. The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble" (Mishlei 4:18-19).
וּמִן הַמְקֻבָּל מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זַ״ל כָּל הַיּוֹדֵעַ לְחַשֵּׁב בִּתְקוּפוֹת וּמַזָּלוֹת וְאֵינוֹ מְחַשֵּׁב עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר (ישעיהו ה׳:י״ב) וְהָיָה כִנּוֹר וָנֶבֶל תֹּף וְחָלִיל וָיַיִן מִשְׁתֵּיהֶם וְאֵת פֹּעַל ה׳ לֹא יַבִּיטוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדָיו לֹא רָאוּ. וְאָמְרוּ מִנַּיִן שֶׁחַיָּב אָדָם לְחַשֵּׁב בִּתְקוּפוֹת וּמַזָּלוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם כִּי הִיא חָכְמַתְכֶם וּבִינַתְכֶם לְעֵינֵי הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמְעוּן וְגוֹ׳ אֵיזוֹ הִיא חָכְמָה וּבִינָה שֶׁהִיא לְעֵינֵי הָעַמִּים הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה חֶשְׁבּוֹן תְּקוּפוֹת וּמַזָּלוֹת.
From Tradition: The sages said (Sabbath 75a) "He who is capable of calculating the courses of the stars and planets and does not do so - of such a one, Scripture said (Yeshaya 5:12) 'And the harp, and the lyre, the timbrel, and flute, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the L-ord, nor do they contemplate the work of His hands'". And they say further (Sabbath 75a) "From where do we know that it is a duty to calculate the courses of the stars and planets?" Because it is said (Devarim 4:6) 'Observe therefore and do them, for this is your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations that, when they hear all these statutes, they shall say: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'. This verse refers to the duty of making astronomical calculations."
וְאָמְרוּ הֱוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה כְּנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ.
Further they said (Pirkei Avos 2:1) "Consider the loss from doing a mitzvah (precept) against its reward and the gain from doing a sin against the loss it involves".
וְאָמְרוּ אִלְמָלֵא נִתְּנָה תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָמַדְנוּ צְנִיעוּת מֵחָתוּל וַעֲרָיוֹת מִיּוֹנָה וְדֶרֶךְ אֶרֶץ מִתַּרְנְגוֹל וְגָזֵל מִנְּמָלָה.
And they further said (Eruvin 100b) "If the Torah had not been given to the Jews, we could have learned decency from the cat, chastity from the dove, etiquette from the rooster and honesty from the ant".
וּכְבָר הִתְבָּאֵר חִיּוּב הַבְּחִינָה בַּבְּרוּאִים וַהֲבָאַת הָרְאָיוֹת מִסִּימָנֵי הַחָכְמָה וְאַתָּה דַע לָךְ:
Thus far it has been demonstrated that it is a duty to examine created things and draw the deductions from the marks of Divine Wisdom exhibited in them. Note it well!