Study on Moses Maimonides

Resource Description

Mishneh Torah

• Code of Law
• Easy access to teachings of Talmund
• Opposition – fear of Talmund not being needed
• Book of Knowledge (Sefer Hamada) = Laws – Belief in God, repentance and study of Torah
• Other books – Jewish ritual, civil laws, circumcision, Holy days, Dietary laws, ethics
• Coming of Messiah: Peace and prosperity

Significance

• Guide to Jewish Law W/O having to study Talmund
• Easy to understand and read

Sefer Hamitzvot

• Introduction to Mishneh Torah
• List 613 mitzvot – divides into positive and negative
• Positive –Perform an act
• Negative – Refrain from doing something

Guide to the perplexed

• Philosophical work
• Jewish faith not harmed by scrutiny of rationality and reason
• Secular and sacred
• Questioning of God as Human
• Reasons for why some commandments may seem unreasonable
• Stop religion from being irrelevant in everyday life
• Showed that faith and reason were compatible and encouraged Jews to base their faith on reason

Commentary on the Mishnah

• Make Judaism more relevant to average Jew in Islamic society
• Learning the Torah and putting it into practice
• Explained each mitzvoth
• 13 principles of Faith
  • Definite statements of Orthodox belief
  • Main features of Jewish faith
  • Basis for creedal statements made by Jews