Moses Maimonides
(1135 -1204 C.E.)
Rambam – from the first letters of
Rabbi Moses ben Maimon
Famous writings and works
Mishneh Torah
• Maimonides’ most famous and important piece of writing.
• Written 1168-78 CE, the Mishneh Torah was the first
systematic and comprehensive codification of the entire
Jewish law separated into 14 books or sections.
• It was written in Hebrew and was intended to encourage
the average Jew to access the body of Jewish law more
easily. “…a person who first reads the Written Torah and
then this work will know from it the whole of the Oral
Torah”.
• The Mishneh Torah (The Second Torah or Repetition of
the Torah) organised the complex and confusingly
arranged Talmud into a logical order that was accessible
to the non-Talmudic scholar ie. the everyday Jew
Mishneh Torah (continued)
• Maimonides intention was to compose a book that would
guide Jews on how to behave (‘halacha’ – proper
practice) in all situations just by reading the Torah and
his code, without having to waste large amounts of time
searching through the Talmud.
• The Mishneh Torah covered 3 main areas for Jews:
1.The Book of Knowledge (Sefer HaMada) covers issues of
belief, study of Torah, repentance
2.Thirteen books detail Jewish ritual and civil laws such as
blessings, circumcision, holy days, relationships between
males and females, dietary laws and ethics
3.Notion of the Messiah – discusses the time when the
Messiah would come
The Guide for the Perplexed
• The Guide for the
Perplexed (Moreh
Nevuchim) was written
1187-1191 CE.
• It was a philosophical
piece of writing in which
he tried to bring together
the philosophy of Aristotle
(secular or non-religious)
and Jewish theology
(sacred or religious).
The Guide for the Perplexed
• Remember that Maimonides was a talented
individual and had a lot of other interests and
qualifications in his life. Apart from being a
physician and leader in the Jewish community,
he also had an interest in philosophy.
• As such, Maimonides wrote the Guide for the
Perplexed to combine both the beliefs of
Aristotle (famous philosopher) and Jewish
teaching.
• The Guide for the Perplexed blended both
Jewish sacred teachings and secular
philosophical thoughts
Commentary on the Mishnah
• Written in Arabic 1158-1168
CE.
• In Hebrew ‘Pirush
Hamishnayot’
• Offered brief explanations for
each Mishnah – explaining
everything that is not totally
clear.
• Includes new information and
advice for the practical
application of the Torah
• Discussed fundamental
concepts such as prophecy,
revelation and tradition
• In his commentary Maimonides
elaborates upon the
development of Jewish law
and deals with the
fundamental principles of
Judaism as formulated in his
Thirteen articles of faith.
Thirteen Principles of Faith
• The Thirteen Principles or Articles of Faith
highlighted that there were certain
doctrines or teachings necessary for
salvation.
• These Thirteen Principles were looked at
in his Commentary on the Mishnah
• These principles have often been used to
define Jewish belief
Thirteen Principles of Faith
(continued)
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1.Existence of God – God is creator
2.Unity of God – God is one
3.Incorporeality of God – God is a spirit; no physical body or form
4.Eternity of God – God is eternal
5.Prohibition of idolatry – God alone is to be served and worshipped
6.Validity of Prophecy – Revelation through God’s prophets
7.The preeminence of Moses – Moses is the greatest of all prophets
8.Divine origin of truth – God’s law given to Moses at Mt Sinai
9.Eternal validity of the Torah – immutability of Torah as God’s law
10.The omniscience of God – God’s foreknowledge of human actions
11.God judges humanity – reward of good and retribution of evil
12.God will send a Messiah – the coming of the Jewish Messiah
13.Resurrection of the dead – Orthodox Jews believe in physical
resurrection while Progressive Jews believe that one’s soul returns to
God/Heaven
Sefer HaMitzvot
• Began by Moses in 1151 and finished in 1168 CE. Written in Arabic
“Kitab al-Farai’d”.
• Regarded as the most authoritative listing of the commandments,
and numerous later works rely on its enumeration (some with minor
variations).
• First comprehensive topically arranged code of Jewish law.
Maimonides lists the 613 mitzvot or laws in the Torah (Pentateuch)
and then gives a brief description of each.
• He describes each mitzvot using fourteen shorashim (roots or
principles) to guide his selection and sites many illustrative
examples.
• He further separated these laws into positive and negative
commandments: 248 positive laws and 365 negative laws. Example
of a positive mitzvot: Keep holy the Sabbath; and an example of a
negative: Do not steal
Responsa - Teshuvot
• Maimonides was held in high esteem because of
his knowledge of Jewish law and religion.
• Many Jewish leaders and authorities looked to
Maimonides calling upon his scholarly insights
into religious law, as well as, general civil issues.
• He wrote various Responsa (Teshuvot) in
answer to numerous questions directed to him
from Jews all over the world.
• These responsa deal with a range of issues from
religio-philosophical problems, to matters
dealing with Jewish law and to explanations of
complex Torah passages.
Responsa – Teshuvot (cont)
• Maimonides famous ‘Letter to Yemen’ in
1172 CE offered the Yemenite community
encouragement and practical advice when
local rulers issued religious decrees,
forcing the Jews to choose between
conversion and death.
• Maimonides’ numerous responsa
regarding practical issues of halakha had
a major impact.
Golden Ladder of Charity
• Maimonides encapsulated tzedakah
(charity) principles in an eight-rung ladder.
• The ladder creates a heirarchy ranking
tzedakah actions from least honorable to
most honorable.
Golden Ladder of Charity (cont)
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8.The person who gives reluctantly and with regret.
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7.The person who gives graciously, but less than one should.
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6.The person who gives what one should, but only after being asked.
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5.The person gives before being asked.
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4.The person who gives without knowing to whom one gives, although the recipient
knows the identity of the donor.
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3.The person who gives without making his/her identity known.
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2.The person who gives without knowing to whom he/she gives. The recipient does
not know from whom he/she receives.
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1.The person who helps another to support himself/herself by a gift or a loan or by
finding employment for that person, thus helping that person to become selfsufficient.