MOSES MAIMONIDES (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, i.e.RAMBAM)
(B. Cordova, Spain.1135. D. Fostat, nr Cairo, Egypt, 1204) Philosopher, Rabbi & Physician.). Maimonides's father Maimon was a scholar and rabbi who wrote books on mathematics & astronomy.
The Almohades captured Cordova in 1148, when Moses was 13. The family fled and wandered about Spain for 10 years until they eventually went to Fez in Morocco. Maimon, Moses's father wrote a Letter of Consolation & Moses himself wrote a ‘Letter on Conversion’ to the Jews in Spain encouraging them to keep the faith, even in secret.
He also wrote a letter (an iggeret) of consolation, in response to the appearance of a false messiah, to the Yemeni Jewish community. In it he wrote that in the time of the Messiah, they would be taken to Israel ‘on the wings of eagles’. 800 years later, 50,000 Yemeni Jews were airlifted to the newly formed State of Israel in operation ‘Magic Carpet’. The Yemeni Jews regard this as a fulfilment of this prophecy.
The authorities in Morocco eventually grew suspicious of Maimon's family. First they fled to Palestine, where the people were friendly, but there were no scholars, so they finally settled in Fostat, (old Cairo.) There, Moses became a doctor as well as a rabbi.
Saladin’s vizier made Moses his court & personal doctor. Moses also treated ordinary people- free if they were poor.
Maimonidies is most famous amongst Jews for his Mishnah Commentary, the Mishnah, Torah (Repetition of The Torah) & his Guide to the Perplexed (Moreh Nevuchim).
His Thirteen Principles of Faith are in orthodox sidurim & its poetical rendition,
Yigdal, believed to be by Daniel ben Judah (of Rome), is in all sidurim & is often
sung at the end of evening services & sometimes morning services (by Progressives).
Also well known are his eight degrees of tzedakah (charity or lit. justice). 1) Reluctant.
2) Gracious but meagre 3) Hesitant- right amount-but only after being asked.
4) Forthcoming,- as 3, but without being asked. 5) The giver does not know the receiver. 6) The recipient does not know the giver. 7) Neither the giver or receiver know each-other. 8) Enabling self-help.
He tried to harmonise Aristotle’s Greek philosophy with Jewish religious thought. He was a rationalist who did not believe in magic and mysticism, did believe in free will & that the Messianic age would simply be an age of just and righteous kingdoms. About the world to come, he said that ‘Celestial pleasures cannot be measured or understood by human beings any more than colours by the blind, or music by the deaf’. Similar philosophical ideas were expressed by his contemporary, Abraham ibn Daud of Toledo (see section on Moslem Spain).
This was partly why many rabbis, mostly Ashkenazim, bitterly opposed Maimonidies, as persecution had caused them to turn inwards & concentrate only religious matters, but in time, most came to recognise his greatness. The other reason was that, like the 16th cent. author of the Shulchan Aruch, Joseph Karo, he did not quote his sources or include Ashkenazi customs & interpretations.
He somehow managed to find time to write books on medicine, which were cutting edge science in his time & are considered valid, even today. His idea that the mind could affect the body prefigured the ideas of Freud.
His conciliatory attitude towards the Karaites caused many of them to return to mainstream Judaism.
As he was being taken for burial in Tiberius, the party accompanying the coffin was ambushed by bandits. After failing in their attempt to lift the coffin in order to throw it into the sea, & on hearing that the coffin contained the body of Maimonides, instead of robbing the party, they provided them with a protective escort.
Sephardim, compare him to the original Moses with the following saying:
'..from Moses to Moses, there is no-one like Moses. Mi Moshe Ud Moshe, Ain Comor Moshe.
http://www.chiswick.demon.co.uk/Rambam.htm