What the Gaon Said of Aristotle

Rav Menachem Mendel of Shklov told how, in a conversation with the Gaon, the subject of Aristotle came up. The Gaon said that the philosopher was a true heretic, a total atheist. “If he had come before me, I could have shown him, on this very table, the orbits of the sun, the moon and all the stars shining just as they do in the sky above. How could he then deny providence and say that the world runs by the laws of nature alone? Shimon HaTzaddik lived in the same generation as Aristotle. Was it impossible for him to show Aristotle wonders of Hashem’s mighty acts? The truth is that Aristotle did recognize a Creator, and he rebelled against Him anyway.”

Rav Menachem Mendel was taken aback at what he heard from the Gaon’s mouth. The Gaon answered, “Why are you astonished? Using just one Divine Name I could do this, and the Geonim of the period after the Talmud knew it as well.”