The Responsa of Maimonides

The publication of the critical editions of the responsa of Maimonides (ed. by A. Freimann, 1934, J. Blau, 1957–61) affords a better opportunity to appraise his role in the communal life of the Jews of Egypt and neighboring countries. The responsa, which were in the language of the questioner, whether Hebrew or Arabic, number 464, some of them soon found their way into Halachik literature. Although not all responsa bear the date of composition, it has been ascertained that Maimonides' responsa extend from about 1167, a short time after his arrival in Egypt, until a little before his death. The questioners include prominent scholars like Rabbi Anatoli and R. Meshullam, Dayanim in Alexandria, Jonathan ha-Kohen of Lunel, Joseph ben Gabir, Nissim of Damascus, and Samuel ben Ali, Gaon of Baghdad. From these responsa one learns of the growing tension between the Gaon of Baghdad and Maimonides in connection with traveling on the high seas on the Sabbath, prohibited by Samuel ben Ali but permitted by Maimonides. Some of the responsa to Jonathan of Lunel, who was a disciple of Abraham ben David of PosquiIres, are in essence rejoinders to the latter's criticisms, for his questions coincide with the language and style of these criticisms.

The bitter experience of his youth failed to nurture in Maimonides rabid anti-Muslim feelings, and he consistently declined to classify Muslims as idolators. Even the ritual practices connected with the Ka'ba stone in Mecca did not in his opinion deny Islam its purely monotheistic nature. In reply to an inquiry by Saadiah ben Berakhot about the authenticity of the gnostic work, Shi'ur Komah, Maimonides writes: " Heaven forfend that such work originated from the sages, it is undoubtedly the work of one of the Greek preachers... and it would be a divine act to suppress this book and to eradicate its subject matter". Of special interest is his responsum to Obadiah the Proselyte, who inquired if he was permitted to say in the blessings and prayers, " Our God and God of our Fathers, " " Thou who has chosen us, " " Thou who has worked miracles to our fathers, " and similar expressions. Maimonides' responsum, apart from its Halachik merit, is a unique human document displaying grave concern for the feelings of this lonely proselyte who was so unsure of himself. Obadiah was advised that he was to recite all those prayers in the same way as one born a Jew, that he must not consider himself inferior to the rest of the Jews. These responsa, although confined to Halachik decisions, nevertheless display Maimonides' views on matters of doctrine and fundamentals of Judaism.

Sefer ha-Mitzvot (" Book of the Commandments")

Maimonides found all previous attempts at enumerating the traditional 613 commandments unsatisfactory. He therefore composed the Sefer ha-Mitzvot in which he gave his own enumeration of the 248 positive and the 365 negative commandments. As an introduction to this work, he laid down 14 principles which guided him in the identification and enumeration of the commandments. He severely criticized the work of his predecessors, such as the enumeration of the Halachot Gedolot and of Rabbi Chefez, as well as those Paytanim like Solomon ibn Gabirol, who composed the Azkarot, religious hymns based on enumeration of the commandments.

Maimonides' sharp criticism of the Halachot Gedolot evoked a defense of the latter by Nachmanides, a staunch apologist " for the ancients, " who in his Hassagot strongly criticized Maimonides, accusing him of inconsistencies. He was also challenged by Daniel ha-Bavli, a disciple of Samuel ben Ali, the anti-Maimonist. His criticisms took the form of questions that he sent to Abraham, the son of Maimonides, who replied to them. The Sefer ha-Mitzvot, however, was generally accepted, and a whole body of literature was produced in defense of it, apart from the general works on the 613 commandments according to Maimonides' classification and enumeration.

The Sefer ha-Mitzvot, originally written in Arabic, was translated several times into Hebrew. The version by Abraham ibn Hasdai is no longer extant, while the translation by Moses ibn Tibbon, in its critical edition by H. Heller, is accepted as the standard text (1946).

The Mishneh Torah (" Repetition of the Law")

The Sefer ha-Mitzvot was not an end in itself but an introduction to the Mishneh Torah, on which Maimonides labored for ten successive years. The purpose of the work is explained by Maimonides:

“ In our days, many vicissitudes prevail, and all feel the pressure of hard times. The wisest of our wise men has disappeared, the understanding of our prudent men is hidden. Hence, the commentaries of the Geonim and their compilations of laws and responsa, which they took care to make clear, have in our times become hard to understand, so that only a few individuals fully comprehend them. Needless to add that such is the case in regard to Talmud itself, both Babylonian and Jerusalem, and the Sifra, Sifrei, and TOSEFTA, all of which require, for their comprehension, a broad mind, a wise soul, and considerable study. Then one might learn from them the correct way to determine what is forbidden and permitted, as well as other rules of the Torah. On these grounds, I, Moses the son of Maimon the Sephardi bestirred myself, and relying on the help of God, blessed be He, intently studied all these works, with the view of putting together the results obtained from them... all in plain language and terse style, so that thus the entire Oral Law might become systematically known to all without citing difficulties and solutions of differences of view... but consisting of statements, clear and convincing, that have appeared from the time of Moses to the present, so that all rules shall be accessible to young and old...” (introduction to Mishneh Torah).

Maimonides then set for himself the task of classifying by subject matter the entire Talmudic and post-Talmudic Halachik literature in a systematic manner never before attempted in the history of Judaism. The Mishneh Torah was divided into 14 books, each representing a distinct category of the Jewish legal system. (In Hebrew 14 is Yad and hence the alternative name of the work Yad ha-Chazakah, i.e., " the strong hand.")

Even though the Guide of the Perplexed was written after the completion of the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides succeeded in incorporating many of its philosophic and scientific aspects into this purely Halachik work. Philosophy and science were handmaidens to theology. Hence Book 1 contains a complete system of metaphysics, Book 3 the astronomical calculations for reckoning the calendar, and Book 14 a discussion of the doctrine of the Messiah and a refutation of Christianity, Islam, and their founders. These digressions, which technically speaking are not Halachik in essence but rather ethical and philosophic, occur frequently in the Halachik writings of Maimonides.

Unlike the commentary to the Mishna and Sefer ha-Mitzvot which were written in Arabic, the Mishneh Torah was written in a beautiful and lucid Hebrew, the like of which had not been known in Halachik literature since Judah ha-Nasi composed the Mishna. The Mishneh Torah influenced the language of later codes, including the Shulchan Aruchapter