Moses Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon) or ‘Rambam’
Moses ben Maimon (1135–1204 CE) was one of the greatest Jewish thinkers of all time, who has influenced present-day Judaism as well as his own era. Moses Maimonides (also known as Rambam) is known as ‘the second Moses’ as a way of comparing his influence on Jewish life to that of Moses of the Jewish scriptures.
Moses Maimonides’ life
Moses Maimonides was born in 1135 CE in Cordoba, Spain, as Moses the son of Maimon, a scholar of some significance. Maimon ensured Moses received instruction from a number of Arabic masters. When he was 13 years of age, his Jewish family was forced to wander Spain in a nomadic existence because the Muslim Almohades, from Africa, had invaded, promoting a new enthusiasm for Islam in Spain. In 1160, the family of Maimonides moved to Fez in northern Africa, initially trying to pass as Muslims. In this famous city of learning, Moses was quickly recognised as a scholar of some note, having begun his commentary on the Mishnah (also speltMishneh). He was a well-rounded scholar, having studied astronomy, law, religion and philosophy. Having been identified as a Jew and thus being in danger of execution as a ‘lapsed Muslim’, Maimonides moved his family to Egypt in 1165. Here Maimonides helped his brother trade gems to make money. His brother’s early death prompted Maimonides to study medicine, and he became private physician to the Egyptian ruler Grand Vizier Al Qadi al Fadil, and then to the famous warrior against the European crusaders, Saladin. As one of the leading Jews of Egypt, Maimonides’ skill was recognised in the Jewish community and he became the nagid, leader of the Egyptian Jews (a post held by four generations of his family). He served as spokesman for the Jewish community with the Muslim authorities in Egypt.
Between 1158 and 1190 Moses Maimonides wrote many works, including a commentary on the Mishnah, the Code Mishneh Torah, and a philosophical work, the Moreh Nevukhim (Guide for the Perplexed). Maimonides became acknowledged as a great intellectual of his time, his works ranging from the medical, including treatises on personal hygiene and proper eating habits, and the great theological works for which he is most remembered. Maimonides was influenced by Christian, Greek and Muslim philosophers, as well as his own Jewish background. He supported the views of Aristotle that, while there are limitations to knowing God’s attributes directly, God’s people have a duty, through reason, to comprehend the divine mind. God is rational and so can be understood rationally.
Moses Maimonides is best known for his comprehensive writing including the Mishneh Torah, which was published in 1180, having been written over the previous ten years. In the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides codified the Oral Law in fourteen volumes, arranged topically, that could be used by Jewish judges. It is a distillation of the Talmud into a simple code so that all Jews could understand the requirements of the law without lengthy study. It drew on ancient law as well as contemporary issues. As it was written in Hebrew, it was a clearly presented and accessible work and formed the basis for subsequent Jewish legal codes.
In 1190, Maimonides published the Guide for the Perplexed, a great theological and philosophical work that discussed the nature of God. It was deliberately written in difficult language so that only scholars could understand it. The Guide was controversial, dividing Judaism at the time, but has had a profound influence on the medieval world and on Judaism since. He also compiled a version of the 613 commandments of Judaism in his Book of Commandments.
Contribution to the development and expression of Judaism
Maimonides’ Jewish writings are available today and his Mishneh Torah provided the basis for all subsequent codes of Jewish law. His philosophical Treatise on Logic has been published in many languages. He also wrote many medical texts that are still available, such as his works on poisons, haemorrhoids, asthma and temperaments. Maimonides’ writing was so influential in the years that followed that Jewish scholarship for centuries was divided into supporters and opponents of his ideas. Many largely accepted his ideas but remained suspicious where they seemed to contradict religious tradition. His work was also used by Christian scholars, notably by Thomas Aquinas who often referred in his writings to Rabbi Moses. He was uniquely able to draw together the ideas of the Graeco-Roman world, the Muslim and Arab world, and the Jewish and Western world. It is said of him that: ‘From Moses [of the Jewish Bible] to Moses [Maimonides], there is none like Moses’. Maimonides’ work is still regarded by many as the greatest Jewish writing, aside from the Torah, ever written.