SOURCE: Bleich, J. David. “Life and Works,” “Gersonides's Discussion of Providence.” In Providence in the Philosophy of Gersonides, pp. 9-17, 30-43. New York: Yeshiva University Press, 1973.

In the following excerpt, Bleich compares Gersonides's writings on providence with those of Maimonides.

Gersonides, a leading personality of the medieval period, was certainly one of the most significant figures to arise in Jewish philosophic thought after the death of Maimonides and may be described as the greatest of the post-Maimonidean Aristotelians. Although known to us primarily as a philosopher his written works reflect broad scholarly interests. Gersonides was somewhat of a polymath and indeed is famous not only as a philosopher, but received renown as well for his contributions in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, philology, Biblical exegesis, and as an author of Talmudic novellae and Halakhic responsa. In addition, he was well versed in the natural sciences and apparently earned...