Maimonides

Moses ben Maimon ,Conflicting sources indicate his birth year as 1135 or 1138. However, Maimonides himself reckons that his birth year was 1138. So let's go with that. known most commonly by the name Maimonides, and also sometimes called the Rambam,Rambam (רמב״ם) is short for משה בירבי מימון הספרדי, which means, "Moshe, son of Rabbi Maimon, the Spaniard" or Musa ibn Maimun,(1998). "The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy". Entry: "Maimonides, Moses". was a rationalist Sephardic Jewish philosopher in the Middle Ages. A rabbi and prominent Torah scholar, he became one of the most influential philosophers of Judaism of all time. He was influenced by both Greek and Arabic philosophers. He also worked as a physician and an astronomer.
Two of his major theological texts are The Guide for the Perplexed, a work on Aristotelianism and Rabbinical Judaism, and the Mishneh Torah, also known as the Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka, a major work on halakha (Jewish religious law) that is still cited today. The Mishneh Torah is probably his most famous work, and is sometimes referred to just by his name alone. Mishneh Torah means "Repetition of the Torah".Somewhat confusingly, "Torah" can refer to the entire body of Jewish religious law. The main two parts of "Torah" in this broader sense are sometimes distinguished by calling them "Oral Torah" (or "Oral Law") and "Written Torah" (or Written Law) — also confusingly, the name "Oral Law" comes from the fact that it used to be unwritten, however, it now is — for example, the Talmud is part of the Oral Law. It was written down based on traditions, passed down through word of mouth between generations (that is, orally), while the Written Law (pretty much just the Old Testament, but in the context of Judaism, it may more accurately be called the Tanakh — or as mentioned, the Written Torah) had been written down for a longer period. It's basically a practical guidebook for Jews to follow religious rules in their everyday lives.Martin Goodman (2017). "A History of Judaism". Chapter 13: "Rabbis in the West (1000–1500 CE)". pp. ~297, ~303, ~306, ~311—319. Penguin Random House.
Later written by another author was a similar practical guidebook for religiously observant Jews, the Arba'ah Turim, that unlike Maimonides, explicitly cited the sources in Jewish law it was pulling from (the lack of which brought much criticism on Maimonides's works). Another difference is that unlike Maimonides, it omitted religious regulations that were no longer practically applicable, especially those no longer applicable because of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem — required for their adherence.Martin Goodman (2017). "A History of Judaism". Chapter 15: "New Certainties and New Mysticism". pp. ~352—353. Penguin Random House.
==Background==
Maimonides was born in Córdoba, Spain (Andalusia) during 12th century Muslim rule. He hailed from the Maimon family, who were (rather dubiously) purported to have King David as a direct ancestor. A more fanatical group of Muslims later conquered the area, then compelled all Christians and Jews to convert. This led the family to exile; the Maimon family lived in Fez, Morocco for a time afterwards, with Maimonides's brother David setting up a gem trading business and Maimonides himself beginning to study medicine here. Later, Maimonides checked out the Holy Land, hoping it would be worth settling in, only to find out it was kind of a dump. Ultimately, he decided that Cairo, Egypt was good enough.S. R. Simon (September 13, 1999). "Moses Maimonides: medieval physician and scholar". The Archives of Internal Medicine 159(16):1841-5. JAMA. doi: 10.1001/archinte.159.16.1841
==Religion and philosophy==
===The Thirteen Principles===
One of the most central contributions of Maimonides to Judaism was his Thirteen Principles of the Jewish Faith. These principles are what Maimonides considered the foundational beliefs of the Jewish faith. This was a unique project, as Judaism has been noted for emphasizing actions over belief. The beliefs are:(1975). "Encyclopedia of World Religions". Chapter: "Judaism". pp. 76—82. Octopus Publishing Group."Maimonides: The 13 Principles and the Resurrection of the Dead". Internet History Sourcebooks Project. Fordham University History Department.
# God's existence, "who is perfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Cause of all that exists." Starting off strong with some brown-nosing.
# The "absolute and unparalleled" unity of God (monotheism)This relegates the Christian Trinity to blasphemy. This idea parallels in many ways the idea of tawhid in Islam.
# The incorporeality of God (he really hated the idea of God ever existing as a physical thing)
# The eternity of God
# God alone is to be worshiped and "no foreign false gods"
# God communicates to us through prophecy
# The "primacy" of the prophecy and that Moses was a prophet
# The Torah is divine in origin
# The Torah is unchanging
# God knows the deeds of men
# God rewards the good and punishes the wicked
# The coming of the Jewish Messiah and the messianic era
# The coming resurrection of the dead for the messianic era. Particularly their souls, rather than their bodies — the rabbi preempted any zombie jokes. Bummer.
Despite the enormous influence of Maimonides in Judaism, these principles have never attained complete acceptance among all Jews exactly the way they were written. Indeed, many would identify additional principles, or criticize Maimonides's emphasis here on certain principles.(2015). "The SAGE Encyclopedia of Economics and Society". Volume 3. Chapter: "Judaism". pp. 998. SAGE Publications.
===Religious rationalism===
A major theme in the work of Maimonides is his attempt to reconcile Judaism with science and philosophical reason, particularly much of Aristotle's philosophy, with some rare exceptions he considered to be incompatible with biblical views on the universe."Judaism and Evolution". Jewish Virtual Library. He actually believed that the father of Judaism, Abraham, was selected by God for his unique position due to his purported rationality, which God recognized in him.Given that Abraham almost murdered his kid, we aren't inclined to agree with the assessment that he was a very rational fellow. Maimonides disdained certain superstitions, such as astrology.Ruth A. Johnston (2011). "All Things Medieval: An Encyclopedia of the Medieval World". Entry: "Medicine". pp. 488. Greenwood Press.
====Sour response====
Not too long after the death of Maimonides, works written or influenced by him were confiscated and burned en masse. This was done by agents of the Inquisition following encouragement of anti-Maimonist rabbis. We are sorry to say with the benefit of hindsight that this was very foolish on the behalf of said rabbis — the targeting of Maimonist works later spiraled into a widespread purge of all rabbinical Jewish literature.Joshua Trachtenberg (2001). "The Devil and the Jews: The Medieval Conception of the Jew and Its Relation to Modern Anti-Semitism". Chapter 12: "Infidel or Heretic?". pp. 178. Varda Books.
So as you may be able to tell by now, attempts by Maimonides to reconcile rationalism with religious tradition were not always taken very well by Ashkenazi Jewish communities, and controversy followed even long after his death: some rabbinical authorities in Europe restricted their communities from studying the works of Maimonides, or even entire fields of research encompassing religious philosophy, the natural sciences, and mathematics. In later events, one crown rabbi for the Kingdom of Aragon in the 14th and 15th centuries fiercely attacked Aristotelianism — as Jewish intellectuals deployed it to justify their outright abandonment of the Jewish religion. Yosef b. Abba Mari Caspi, as a mere example, was one figure influenced by Maimonides who took his reconciliation between Aristotelianism and Judaism even farther. Caspi adopted Aristotle's view of the universe as an eternally existing thing, which Maimonides had considered simply heretical.Madeleine Pelner Cosman and Linda Gale Jones (2008). "Handbook to Life in the Medieval World". Volume 1. Chapter: "Jews in the Medieval World". pp. 96–98. Facts on File.Rabbi Wayne Dosick (2007). "Living Judaism: The Complete Guide to Jewish Belief, Tradition, and Practice". Chapter 1.1: "A Brief Overview of the Jewish Idea of God". pp. ~35. HarperCollins.
Despite the sometimes quite hostile reaction to Maimonides's work in the few centuries after his time, today he is considered a cornerstone of "all subsequent" Jewish philosophy and in fact, quite influential in philosophy at large.
===Unfortunate things Maimonides said===
Despite the endless reverence directed towards Maimonides these days, he believed some pretty horrible things by modern-day standards.
* He believed interfaith sexual relationships with Jews should be punished by death.Mishneh Torah, Issurei Biah, Chapter Twelve. Found here on the Chabad website: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/960660/jewish/Issurei-Biah-Chapter-Twelve.htm However, he said that ten Jewish witnesses should be required to enforce this — rendering it rather impractical.David Nirenberg (2015). "Communities of Violence: Persecution of Minorities in the Middle Ages". Chapter 7: "The Two Faces of Sacred Violence". pp. ~210, ~241 (footnote). Princeton University Press. Quote: "Maimonides approves of the actions of zealots who, like Phinehas, kill Jews engaged in public miscegenation, but his equation of public with ten or more Israelite witnesses renders the approval more theoretical than practical." Still, though, this is not great.
* He thought rapists should marry those whom they assault. Though, the victim at least gets a veto here.Mishneh Torah, Naarah Betulah. Found here on the Chabad website: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/960634/jewish/Naarah-Betulah-Chapter-One.htm
* Advised hitting your wife with a stick if she didn't want to work. According to Shelomo Dov Goitein, this was probably more influenced by his Islamic-dominated environment than his Jewish traditions.
* He opined that people with no religious doctrine are somewhere "above a monkey and below a man". This has sometimes been interpreted as intentionally racist. He specified examples: "the furthermost Turks found in the remote North, the Negroes found in the remote South, and those who resemble them from among them that are with us in these climes." Whether "those who resemble them" refers to their lack of a traditional belief system, or their skin color, is not very clear — it has been interpreted both ways. Either way, it's at least insulting towards people outside of organized religionMoses Maimonides, "The Parable of the Palace" in The Guide for the Perplexed, Book III (chapt. 51).Rav Chaim Navon (April 14, 2015). Intro to the Guide of the Perplexed: "The Parable of the Palace and the Special Duties of Those who Attain Truths". Virtual Beit Midrash. Yeshivat Har Etzion.Prof. Meylekh (PV) Viswanath. "Black People in Jewish Tradition: Eliminating Racism Requires Honesty". TheTorah.com. ( atheists and people who follow "loose" religions such as Shinto).
* While he advocated for the redemption of slaves and set out rules for how to treat them fairly, Maimonides did not oppose the institution of slavery.Mishneh Torah, Avadim. Found here on the Chabad website: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1363800/jewish/Avadim-Chapter-One.htm
* He believed that Jews who deny the "validity of the Oral Law" are heretics who should be put to death.Mishneh Torah, Mamrim. Found here on the Chabad website: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1181854/jewish/Mamrim-Chapter-3.htm This was probably aimed mainly at Karaite Jews, who were much more common in Maimonides's time. In practice, Maimonides was not in favor of capital punishment for (at least the overwhelmingly majority of) Karaite Jews in particular, because he considered them ("captured infants"). That is, they weren't raised in rabbinical Judaism, so they couldn't be to blame for failing to follow its tenets.Martin Goodman (2017). "A History of Judaism". Chapter 12: "Judaism beyond the Rabbis". pp. ~289—291. Penguin Random House.Martin Goodman (2017). "A History of Judaism". Chapter 18: "Counter-Reform". pp. ~449. Penguin Random House. Now, this still does not bode very well for a Jew that was raised to follow the Oral Law and decided it was bunk, right?
* Said that people who drink liquid that had been "exposed" should be flogged, because maybe a poisonous snake had rendered the drink toxic by drinking from it beforehand. This one is just bizarre, but apparently originates from Torah and not from Maimonides — like much of the above.
* Being gay is bad.Mishneh Torah, Issurei Biah, Chapter Twenty One. Found here on the Chabad website: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/960660/jewish/Issurei-Biah-Chapter-Twenty-One.htm 
* Despite his characterization as a religious rationalist, clear opposition to certain forms of freethought appear in his writings. Indeed, he states that it is forbidden to question the existence of God and the divine origin of the Torah.
=== Nicer things Maimonides said ===
* "Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime", is more or less conveyed in his writing on tzedakah (religious charity).Rabbi Wayne Dosick (2007). "Living Judaism: The Complete Guide to Jewish Belief, Tradition, and Practice". Chapter 6.3: "Tzedakah: The Obligation of Sharing". pp. ~354—355. HarperCollins.(August 28, 2015). "Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime". Quote Investigator.
* "The righteous of all peoples have a part in the world to come."David I. Kertzer (2001). "The Popes Against the Jews: The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism". Chapter 7: "Jewish Vampires". pp. 160. Vintage Books.Ronald L. Eisenberg (2010). "What the Rabbis Said: 250 Topics from the Talmud". pp. 191, 198: footnote 34. Praeger (ABC-CLIO).Judaism's concept of a future "Heaven on Earth" purportedly arriving sometime around Jewish calendar The "righteous gentiles" are also commonly called "the righteous among the nations".
* Human sacrifice sucks.Martin Goodman (2017). "A History of Judaism". Chapter 10: "Judaism without a Temple". pp. ~234—235. Penguin Random House. Yaaay!
* Try not to kill innocent civilians during a war.Madeleine Pelner Cosman and Linda Gale Jones (2008). "Handbook to Life in the Medieval World". Volume 1. Chapter: "Jewish Military Matters". pp. 312. Facts on File.
* Cross-dressing is cool with him, probably. As long as it's not part of any of those forsaken, idolatrous, pagan rituals. Probably.(2021). "The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies". Volume 1. Entry: "Ancient/Medieval Times, Jews and Judaism". pp. 36. SAGE Publications.
==Medicine==
Though the job would see him overworked, the Rambam decided to become a doctor because of the pay (though he also saw religious value in medicine). His brother had died in a shipwreck during gem-trading business and so, his family needed a new source of financial support.Peter M Dunn (1998). "Maimonides (1135–1204) and his philosophy of medicine". ADC Fetal & Neonatal. The BMJ. DOI: 10.1136/fn.79.3.F227.Benjamin Gesundheit. "Maimonides' Appreciation for Medicine". Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal. v.2(1); 2011 January. doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10018. He ended up becoming a court physician for the Ayyubid prince al-Malik al-Afdal in Egypt and produced influential works on a plethora of medical topics including depression, cancer, asthma, and sexual hygiene. He was especially a fan of dietary and emotional adjustments alone as a medical treatment, however (conceivably to the continued dread of some of his patients). Luckily, this wasn't his catch-all cure or anything, and he only applied it where he felt it would work without any other medical intervention.Madeleine Pelner Cosman and Linda Gale Jones (2008). "Handbook to Life in the Medieval World". Volume 2. Chapter: "Medicine in Europe". pp. 492—494. Facts on File.Madeleine Pelner Cosman and Linda Gale Jones (2008). "Handbook to Life in the Medieval World". Volume 2. Chapter: "Jewish Contributions to Medicine and Science". pp. 514—523. Facts on File.(2006). "Encyclopedia of Erotic Literature". Chapter: "Arabic – Middle Ages to Nineteenth Century". pp. 55. Routledge.
In his medical research, he drew inspiration from Hippocrates, Galen, Aristotle and the Talmud — and synthesized medicine from Arabic, Persian, Roman, Greek, and Jewish sources.(July 24, 2014). "Maimonides". Jewish Museum of Maryland.Micah R. Sadigh (April 2013). "Development of the Biopsychosocial Model of Medicine". AMA Journal of Ethics. Maimonides was known to disinfect himself through handwashing, despite the lack of a real germ theory of disease. Ritual may have influenced this, or just basic observation, since today we can say that even if he used no soap (though it was available as a trade good by this time), it would have been at least moderately effective in rinsing away germs."Water and Handwashing". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Rubbing your hands under water will rinse some germs from your hands, even though it’s not as effective as washing with soap." Larisa Grollemond, Sarah Waldorf (November 22, 2022). "Did Medieval People Take Baths?". The Getty Center.
His many contributions to medical literature include decent descriptions of diseases and poisons, though certainly "much of his medical outlook was medieval in approach", as one writer to the Archives of Internal Medicine commented. Examples of his descriptive contributions include emphysema, the onset time of rabies, and cerebrovascular disease. He also prescribed chicken broth as a solution to respiratory illness, and some modern research backs him up on that — indicating that it has anti-inflammatory properties.Vicky Cerino (December 2, 2008). "Got a cold or flu? Try chicken soup to ease symptoms". University of Nebraska Medical Center. The prescriptions that Maimonides made for treating hemorrhoids look very similar to modern treatment.Dan Magrill and Prabhu Sekaran. "Maimonides: an early but accurate view on the treatment of haemorrhoids". Postgraduate Medical Journal 2007 May; 83(979): 352–354. doi: 10.1136/pgmj.2006.053173 One major contribution Maimonides made to the medical corpus was his Glossary of Drug Names, written in six languages with over 400 entries. This would help bring more structure to medieval pharmacy.(1995) "Moses Maimonides' Glossary of Drug Names". Maimonides Research Institute.
Maimonides considered circumcision to be medically beneficial because "semen is the strength of the body and its life". Basically, he thought it would prevent you from masturbating as much, which in turn would stop you from draining all your life force out, or something.Frank Heynick (2002). "Jews and Medicine: An Epic Saga". pp 108, 113, 429. KTAV Publishing House. This is bullshit, needless to say. He was apparently a "moderate" towards bloodletting, thinking it to be okay but advising against doing it too often."Bloodletting". Jewish Virtual Library. Overall, his medical practice can now be considered antiquated in many ways, but considering the century he was working in, he tended to be a more progressive than regressive influence in medicine despite his adherence to heroic medicine (as this theory of medicine would have been dominant in his time).
==See also==
* Gambling — the Rambam was not a fan.Israel Abrahams (1896). "Jewish Life in the Middle Ages". Chapter XXII: "Medieval Pastimes, Continued: Chess and Cards". pp. 389, 397. Jewish Publication Society.
* Halakha
* Talmud
* Aristotle
* Al-Fārābī, while quite different, also drew on Aristotle in his theology, but for Islam
* Thomas Aquinas — similar to Maimonides and the above, Aquinas drew on Aristotle for Christian (Catholic) theology. In fact, Aquinas frequently cited Maimonides directly.
==External links==
* Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry
* Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry
* "Maimonides (Rambam) and His Texts", by My Jewish Learning
* "Maimonides: His Life and Works", by Chabad
* Jewish Encyclopedia entry, published way back in 1906
* Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women entry — If you're wondering why he's there, it's to take a look at his opinions on women's issues.
* Entry one and entry two, by Jewish Virtual Library
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Jews
Category:Astronomers
Category:Authors
Category:Philosophers
Category:Physicians
Category:Purity culture
Category:Rationalism