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What is the source for the idea that all matter is either domem (lifeless), tzomeach (plant), chai (animal), or medaber (speaker)?

I sometimes find this quoted places (in articles and divrei Torah), but have not been able to find a source? Is it a Gemara? A Midrash? A Chasidic teaching?

I even found this, where the Vilna Gaon says "it is known": http://dafyomireview.com/article.php?docid=270&style=print

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    The concept definitely dates back at least to the early 16th century. Rav Yosef Alashkar discusses it; so does the Shla"h a bit later on. – Fred May 04 '12 at 00:02
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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal-Vegetable-Mineral_Man – Double AA May 04 '12 at 00:08
  • And more seriously: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linnaean_taxonomy#The_taxonomy_of_Linnaeus – Double AA May 04 '12 at 00:13
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    @Fred: it goes back even further - Rabbeinu Bechayei refers to this division in his commentary to Ex. 34:35, and he also says that "it is known." – Alex May 04 '12 at 00:26
  • @Alex: Even further if you leave out medaber: the Radak on Yirmiyahu 10:8. That's the early 13th century. – Fred May 04 '12 at 00:30
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    Pretty sure this was Aristotle's idea originally. – jake May 04 '12 at 00:45
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    @jake: Interesting. This idea seems to be alluded to in R' Saadia Gaon's Emunos V'Deos (Ma'amar 3), as well. (Maybe there's now enough in the comments for someone to post an answer?) – Fred May 04 '12 at 01:02
  • Did Aristotle's idea include the Medabar or only go up to animal? – chaimp May 04 '12 at 01:38
  • @Chaim: Medaber, too, though I'm not sure if he put it that way. He might have just called the category "man." – Fred May 04 '12 at 01:52
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    @Fred, Not sure what you're referring to in Saadia Gaon. Aristotle's original theory can be found here (Part 3, in the middle of the webpage). He clearly splits up all living things into three categories (plants, animals, man). He might have it somewhere else clearer where he divides all matter into four categories. – jake May 04 '12 at 02:44
  • @jake, He discusses how people recognize that there are certain identifiable, distinct categories in nature. As examples, he contrasts man and plant, and a few sentences later, living and inert things. (He also contrasts blood and water, for example). – Fred May 04 '12 at 02:48
  • Do you have a different classification in mind? Do you feel this one is inaccurate? Maybe all the sources are saying it's obvious. – Menachem May 06 '12 at 23:45
  • I do not have a different classification in mind. I wanted to include it in a d'var Torah and cite my source and found it interesting that I could not find a source via google for something that I've heard so many times.

    I guess the point is that it's something obvious. However I the concept of a "Medabar" is something novel and I would guess that there must be a source in Chazal at least for that particular term.

     – chaimp May 07 '12 at 06:04
  • just because aristotle said it doesn't mean it was his idea H"y. – ray Feb 19 '14 at 22:18
  • @ray The same of course can be said of anyone. Don't know what is H"y about that though. – Double AA May 07 '14 at 04:10
  • @DoubleAA well for one the zohar holds of it as does the arizal who received much of his teachings from eliyahu hanavi, who in turn received it from the yeshiva upstairs. I believe this is true. seems some people here doubt this. – ray May 07 '14 at 05:27
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    @ray Why couldn't "the yeshiva upstairs" have used categories that Eliyahu would understand because he read Aristotle? Also, who really cares what "the yeshiva upstairs" thinks? Torah is going on down here whether they like it or not. – Double AA Dec 17 '14 at 18:38

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The actual source is from non-Jewish naturalists, dating in some for back to Aristotle, who also believed in some sense that man is in a different category (teleologically, and therefore categorically). It was later refined into a rigorous taxonomic system.

The idea was picked up by Jewish scholars from the Medieval Era, though some of them use the word מרגיש instead of חי to refer to animal life. This includes the Kuzari (1:31-39), by the Radak (in his comments to Yirmiyahu 10:8), Rabeinu Bachaye (to Shemos 34:35 and Kad HaKemach, Pesach 1), R. Yehoshua ibn Shueib (Parshas Emor), R. Yosef Albo (Sefer HaIkkarim 2:30), Abarbanel (Parshas Pinchas ch. 28), and is hinted to in the Meiri to Avodah Zara 42b. After this period, it becomes extremely widespread in Jewish thought, appearing almost a dozen times in the writings of the Shelah, for example

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  • how do you know the source is from non-jewish naturalists. maybe the non-jewish naturalists got it from the jewish works? – michael Aug 14 '16 at 20:23