Maimonides

Maimonides

1. Contributions

   • Commentary for the Mishnah
     • 13 Principals of Faith (Yigal)
       • Similar to a creed and are considered to be a statement of Orthodox Jewish belief. State some of the main beliefs of Judaism in reference to the core beliefs such as the nature of God, the moral law prescribed by God and the Covenant
       • Belief in God's eternity, The belief in G-d's omniscience and providence, The belief in the resurrection of the dead, The belief in the divine origin of the Torah, The belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianic era
   • Guide for the Perplexed
     • Theological/philosophical work that discussed the nature of God. Was written particularly for scholars and addressed the core beliefs, to ensure that scholars were correctly teaching adherents.
   • Mishneh Torah
     • Codified the Talmud into 14 volumes, arranged by topic - made studying the Torah and applying Jewish law easier for adherents.
   • Book of Commandments
     • Compiled version of 613 Commandments of Judaism
   • Was a leader and spokesperson for the Jewish community with Muslim authorities in his time in Egypt (contribution at the time)

2. Impact

   • Yigal, (13 Principles of Faith) often still recited by many congregations after morning prayers in the synagogue.
   • Proved (particularly through the Guide for the Perplexed) that faith and reason can correspond with one another.
   • Reinforced core beliefs of Judaism - particularly the nature of God such as having no physical form - sufficiently in the Guide for the Perplexed.
   • First to write a systematic code of Jewish law - Mishneh Torah
   • Facilitated study of the Torah through his codification of the Talmud, the Mishneh Torah