01/24/2023 11:08:57 AM
This year, as we celebrate 40 years of our congregational history, we are also examining the broader journey of Jewish history. We are now in the golden age of Iberian Jewry, ca. 1000 CE. We have already reported on the rise of Islam and the numerous ways Islamic culture enriched Jewish scholarship. The golden age produced many great works of prayer, poetry, philosophy, and scholarship, but one man stands above the rest: Moses Maimonides. Born in Spain in 1135, his family needed to flee Spain because of a sect of fanatical Muslims. In North Africa he produced a commentary on the rabbinic law code, the Mishnah, his own law code, the Mishnah Torah, and a guide for Jewish philosophers, trying to find a balance between faith and reason. He was also a leading physician and elder of the Jewish community.
His code of Jewish law enabled Jews to practice their religion with much less confusion regarding what they should do. The philosophical work remains foundational for those who wish to harmonize their heads and hearts. Nevertheless, even in his own day, many resented his authority and—for lack of a better term—chutzpah. Who was he to revise Jewish law? And yet, his place in Jewish history is secure. His work marks the apex of the confluence of Arabic and Jewish cultures. Moving forward, the shift of focus will be on Europe. Beginning with the bloody Crusades. But that is for next time.
