Monday, Tevet 20, 5761 / January 15, 2001
Today, the 20th of Tevet, is the Yartzeit - day of passing - of the great
Torah sage Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon, known as the RaMBaM (acronym for -
Rabbeinu Moshe Ben Maimon)or Maimonides.
Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon was born in Cordoba, Spain, on Passover eve in the
year 4895 (1135). The family traced their genealogy back to Rabbi Yehuda
HaNasi, the compiler of the Mishna, and even further back to King David.
Rabbi Moshe's father, Rabbi Maimon was a great scholar and Dayan (Judge) of
the Jewish community. He taught his prodigious son Torah.
When RaMBaM was thirteen years old, the Almohades, a Muslim sect, conquered
Cordoba. They offered Jews a choice of converting to Islam, expulsion or
death. The RaMBaM's family fled Cordova. They spent the next ten years
wandering from city to city, as the conquering Almohadians swept all across
Southern Spain. Finally in 1160, they settled in Fez, Morocco. During all
of these troubled times, the RaMBaM continued his studies. After five years
in Fez, the family again had to leave due to religious intolerance and
persecution. They traveled to the land of Israel. However, the Jewish
community in Israel was poor and oppressed. After a short while, the family
decided to leave and travel to Egypt.
The family settled in Fostat, the Old City of Cairo. They had barely
settled, when tragedy struck. The head of the family, Rabbi Maimon, passed
away. Rabbi Moshe (RaMBaM) greatly mourned the loss of his beloved father
and teacher.
RaMBaM's younger brother, Rabbi Dovid, a dealer in precious stones,
supported the family while his older brother, Rabbi Moshe, continued his
Torah studies. However, the following year tragedy struck again, when Rabbi
Dovid perished at sea while on a business trip to India. RaMBam was
shattered by this blow, and was bedridden for many months.
RaMBaM now had to support the family. Not willing to earn a living from his
Torah, he decided to practice medicine, which he had studied in Fez.
RaMBaM began writing his famous commentary on the Mishna at the age of
twenty three. He continued writing while fleeing the Mohammedan
prosecutions, and completed it seven years later in Fostad, Egypt. RaMBaM
himself writes about the conditions under which he wrote his monumental
work; "I was working on this commentary under the most difficult
conditions... as we were driven from place to place... while traveling by
land or crossing the stormy sea..." He wrote his commentary on the Mishna
in Arabic. It was later translated into Hebrew.
Another of RaMBaM's monumental works is the Sefer HaMitzvot. It enumerates
all the 613 mitzvot (the 248 positive precepts and 365
negative-prohibitions) of the Torah. This too RaMBam wrote in Arabic.
Perhaps the most famous and important work of RaMBam is the "Mishne Torah."
It explains all the commandments of the Torah. Maimonides wrote all 14
volumes of this work in Hebrew. Scholars have called RaMBam's writing in
the Mishne Torah "Leshono Hazahav," - "his Golden Language." For its clear,
concise, and beautiful style.
RaMBaM also wrote the "Moreh Nevuchim" - "Guide for the Perplexed". In it
he deals with philosophical questions such as, the nature and existance of
G-d, purpose of creation, G-d and His relation to the universe, human
destiny, free will, Divine Providence, Divine Justice, etc.
In addition to being a great Torah scholar, he was a renowned doctor and
served as the royal physician and advisor to the Sultan in Egypt. RaMBaM
also wrote many other works including books on medicine. He passed away on
the 20th of Tevet 4965 (1204) in Cairo, Egypt at the age of 70 and was
buried in Tiberias, Israel.
About the RaMBaM it was said, "From Moshe (who received the Torah at Mount
Sinai) to Moshe (RaMBaM) there was none like Moshe." May his memory be a
blessing for us all. Amen
1/16/01 8:41:36 AM
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