Moses Maimonides Notes

Moses Maimonides Explain the contribution of Moses Maimonides to the development and expression of Judaism.  Analyse the impact of Moses Maimonides on Judaism.

Names/Titles

1. 2. !.

Moshe ben Maimon RaMBaM, an acronm for Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon. Maimonides "hich literall literall means son of Maimon in #ree$

%ifespan

&& ears old old

'lace of birth/death

Birth( )*rdoba, +pain eath( -ustat, pt Buried(( T Buried  Tomb omb of Maimonides, Maimonides, Tiberias, Tiberias, 0srael 1. Moshe ben Maimon "as a Je"ish phsician, rabbi and philosopher. 2. fter his brother died. e bean practicin medicine and medicine  and struled to support himself and his brother3s famil.

ducation/)areer

)ultural Bac$round

1. 2.

Maimonides3 father "as a deepl learned man "hose education consisted of Torah stud, mathematics and astronom. is father become a role model to succeed and thrive. %ived a ver Je"ish life, underpinned b +panish culture.

+ocio/'olitical )ontext

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!.

Reliious )ontext/ 0ssues that needed to be addressed

namic reliion7

0slamic "orld "here Je"s "ere considered as second class citi4ens. Maimonides lived in an Islamic "orld "here Je"s "ere rearded as second class citizens. Revival of classical philosoph posed as a threat to monotheism( The translation of #ree$ philosoph to rabic b rab and +rian scholars bet"een the 5fth and eleventh centuries, enabled the re6 emerence of #ree$ philosoph in urope in the 11th and 12th centuries ).  This revival of classical philosoph, especiall the "ritins of ristotle, challened the authorit and validit of man reliious ideas 0n particular it posed a threat to the monotheistic reliions of Judaism, )hristianit and 0slam. +ephardi and s$ena4i Je"s( division in Je"ish livin in +pain

)ontributions to  Judaism

o" did Judaism develop as a result7

o" "as the expression of Judaism a8ected as a result7

Commentary on the Mishnah

Maimonides provides a comprehensive commentar on each of the tractates of the Mishnah. e does this throuh providin a histor of the 9ral Torah and explainin the lin$ bet"een learnin the Torah and puttin it into practice

'eople "ere able to put the la"s of Judaism into practice, but also "ere able to see ho" the la"s can be involved in our modern lives.

Mishneh Torah

0t is enerall areed that Maimonides3 reatest contribution to Je"ish life "as this code of la", the Mishneh Torah. Maimonides3 Mishneh Torah provided an exhaustive topical codi5cation of the Talmud "hich facilitated much :uic$er and easier access to the Je"ish precepts. This "or$ comprised 1; boo$s and "as "ritten in ebre" in a stle "hich "as eas to read and understand.

0t seems that Maimonides3 intention in compilin the Mishneh Torah "as to provide Je"s "ith a comprehensible uide to Je"ish %a" "ithout havin to spend lon hours studin the Talmud. B referrin to the Torah and his code, Je"s should be able to "or$ out ho" to behave in an iven situation. More accessible to all.

Guide for the Perplexed (Moreh Nevuchim=

 This text essentiall deals "ith the $e doctrines of Judaism from a philosophical standpoint. -or example, it deals "ith issues such as the nature of #od, "hat it means for #od to be omnipotent, free "ill, "hat is evil and "hat oodness means,  >ustice and divine revelation

'rior to Maimonides there "as no sstematic presentation of the Je"ish la"