{"id":59,"date":"2018-10-22T00:45:42","date_gmt":"2018-10-22T00:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scholarblogs.emory.edu\/maimonides2018\/?p=59"},"modified":"2018-10-22T18:58:20","modified_gmt":"2018-10-22T18:58:20","slug":"unit-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scholarblogs.emory.edu\/maimonides2018\/2018\/10\/22\/unit-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Unit 5: Basic Religious and Philosophical Commitments"},"content":{"rendered":"

Within the first few chapters of \u201cBasic Principles of the Torah\u201d, Maimonides introduces the reader to his opinion surrounding God. \u00a0He states that, \u201cthe basic principle of all basic principles and the pillar of all sciences is to realize that there is a First Being who brought every existing things into being\u201d (Twersky 43). \u00a0This shows that all living beings are dire need of Him and would not be existing without Him. We cannot live our lives as we know it without the presence of God. As the creator of all things, it is important to realize that this existence stems back to this one figure. \u00a0Additionally, human beings naturally try and personify God so that we may create some type of image in our head. As the text states, the Torah speaks in the language of men, and \u201call these expressions are adapted to the mental capacity of the majority of mankind\u201d (Twersky 44). \u00a0In reality, God has no tangible form or visible figure, but the human mind must picture some type of figure anyways. <\/span><\/p>\n

Another important aspect of the \u201cBasic Principles of the Torah\u201d is that we must love and fear our God. \u00a0In chapter 4, we are presented the differences between the Maaseh Merkavah and the Maaseh Bereshit. The latter is not taught in public simply because, \u201cnot everyone possesses the breadth of intellect requisite for obtaining an accurate grasp of the meaning and interpretation of all its contents\u201d (Twersky 48). \u00a0While this may be the case, it is through the process of learning and studying that humans love and yearn for God. As one\u2019s love increases, so does the fear, \u201cas he becomes conscious of his own lowly condition, poverty, and insignificance, and compares himself with any of the great and holy bodies\u201d (Twersky 48). \u00a0Humans love Him because they exist because of his existence, yet they fear him simultaneously for his divines status which makes any human being\u2019s life looks miniscule compared to that of a divine figure. <\/span><\/p>\n

In chapters 4 and 5 of <\/span>Maimonides Life and Thought, <\/span><\/i>we dive into the origin of Maimonides\u2019 <\/span>Mishneh Torah <\/span><\/i>and the impact that is has on the Jewish people<\/span>. \u00a0<\/span><\/i>The actual cause for the creation of this text stems from the complexity of the previously implemented Talmudic literature. \u00a0Maimonides concluded that, \u201cthe jewish people lacked a genuine book of laws\u201d (Halbertal 164) and he needed to find a way to alleviate this issue. \u00a0Consequently, the <\/span>Mishneh Torah <\/span><\/i>came to life. \u00a0There are essentially two outcomes that have been produced from the Mishneh Torah. \u00a0The first objective was to stabilize the field of the halakhah. By definition, <\/span>Halakhah<\/span><\/i> is Jewish Law that regulates the spiritual and religious observances from its people. \u00a0Maimonides created the Mishneh Torah, in part to initiate a \u201ctotal transformation of the structure of halakhah\u201d (Halbertal 166). \u00a0More specifically, this transformation refers to a process leading toward a more unified approach toward halakhah. The second goal of the \u00a0Mishneh Torah is the need for \u201ctrue and clear opinions\u201d (Halbertal 165), which acted as a motivation factor for Maimonides when writing this text. \u00a0In the end, Maimonides needed to create a text that would present the Jewish laws in a much more transparent way. It was the goal of Maimonides to change the difficulties of the text and improve its clarity so that more people may be properly educated in an easier way. \u00a0He mentions, in his introduction, \u201cthat all the rules shall be accessible to young and old\u201d (Halbertal 166). What was previously hidden behind complex understanding and deep analysis became readily available and easier to understand thanks to Maimonides. <\/span><\/p>\n

One key distinction that Maimonides makes is the difference between moderate and radical understanding of the <\/span>Mishneh Torah. \u00a0<\/span><\/i>The text states, \u201ca more moderate one that sees it as an accomplished representation of the <\/span>halakhah<\/span><\/i>; and a more radical and daring one that sees it as <\/span>halakhah<\/span><\/i> itself\u201d (Halbertal 184). \u00a0In other words, a moderate view seems the Mishneh Torah as a form of representation of halakhah while the radical view seems Maimonides\u2019 writing as the actual form of <\/span>halakhah<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0Later on, Maimonides informs the reader that he approves of the moderate approach. \u00a0In particular, \u201cnowhere in the introduction did Maimonides argue that the earlier halakhic literature should be suppressed, and he treated his compilation as a response to a complex literary environment and a state of historical crisis\u201d (Halbertal 190). \u00a0My takeaway from this is that the radical view of understanding is far too extreme to be taken seriously. Its true purpose is to represent <\/span>halakhah <\/span><\/i>by attempting to clear up any confusions that were present in previous literatures, but the radical approach is more of an expunging of all previous works to make way for the newly implemented <\/span>Mishneh Torah. \u00a0<\/span><\/i>Is it at all possible to have a radical approach and still gain a full understanding of the matter covered in Maimonides\u2019 text? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter 5 presents the analysis of an idea that is woven through other areas of Maimonides\u2019 literature. \u00a0It is clearly established that, \u201cthere is a First Being who brought every existing thing into being\u201d (Halbertal 204). \u00a0However, there is more context to the statement than what is read at first glance. Halbertal provides us with an in depth analysis of each line of the first <\/span>halakhah<\/span><\/i>, finally concluding that \u201cthe reader who believes in creation ex nihilo will find support for his view in the first sentence, and one who favors belief in an eternally existing world will look to the second sentence\u201d (Halbertal 205). \u00a0There are two ways of thinking here, ex nihilo and external existence, and they generate different images of the divinity (Halbertal 207). In the end, \u201cMaimonides adopts the stance that maintains the eternity of the world\u201d (halbertal 206). \u00a0This view states that He does not meddle with creation, but is rather the first cause and the start of an ongoing chain reaction that goes on for hundreds of years. This begs the question, is it possible to achieve the same level of understanding of God and Judaism by taking either the ex nihilo or external existence approach or will they lead to different ends? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One particular aspect in Lerner\u2019s <\/span>Maimonides\u2019 Empire of Light <\/span><\/i>that I found interesting was the benefit that the <\/span>Mishneh Torah <\/span><\/i>instilled upon the Jewish people. \u00a0For starters, \u201cthe increasing dispersion of the Jews has been accompanied by the fragmentation and decay of Jewish learning\u201d (Lerner 30). \u00a0The state of Jewish learning, and the Jewish population, was not in the best overall state at this point in time, which is why there became a need for some other form of learning and new text. \u00a0As a result, the <\/span>Mishneh Torah <\/span><\/i>was implemented to help mend this issue by making it managable to learn and study. \u00a0As Lerner states, \u201ccomposing the <\/span>Mishneh Torah <\/span><\/i>is thus an action on behalf of the people on the verge of withering away\u201d (Lerner 31). \u00a0Maimonides\u2019 text serves the purpose of salvaging the Jewish population from spreading itself too thin while also conserving the religious values and beliefs. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Within the first few chapters of \u201cBasic Principles of the Torah\u201d, Maimonides introduces the reader to his opinion surrounding God. \u00a0He states that, \u201cthe basic principle of all basic principles and the pillar of all sciences is to realize that there is a First Being who brought every existing things into being\u201d (Twersky 43). \u00a0This … <\/p>\n

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