SOR1: Moses Maimonides - Mishneh Torah

Table of Contents

What is it?

  • Codification of Jewish Law
  • Grouping/re-organising of the Mitvot by category

Purpose

  • To make Jewish law more accessible

Language: Hebrew

Audience:

  • Rabbis
  • Scholars
  • Talmudists
  • Jewish leaders

Contents

  • Not written for everyday Jews: designed for religious leaders to easily disseminate information to the wider community
  • Seen as innovative because it did not follow the order of the TaNaKh
    • Categorised in order to make it relevant and applicable for intended audience
    • For example, the Sefer Nashim (Book of Women) contains moral laws about marriage, divorce and family law
  • 14 Volumes (books)
  • IMPACT: By improving access to and understanding of the Mitzvot, Jews were more able to apply the Mitzvot

Quotes

"The Shema is read twice a day - in the evening and in the morning, as it is said 'and when thou liest down and when thou risest up'." - Mishneh Torah 1:1, Reading the Shema
  • Book: Yesodeh ha-Torah (Foundations of the Torah)

Impact

  • Unified the Jewish community by making understanding the text more accessible
  • Helped resolve conflict between cultures and dialects by making updated and accessible texts

Moses Maimonides Series

Pranav Sharma
Pranav Sharma
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UNSW Student, site owner and developer.

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