The RAMBAM and the Intellect

"Moreh Nevuchim - Guide for the Perplexed"

B"H

The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides) was born in Cordoba / Spain in 1135. He was one of the greatest Torah scholars we ever had in Judaism. Furthermore, he was an expert in physics, was a philosopher and medical doctor.



Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1135 - 1204)

In his "Guide for the Perplexed – Moreh Nevuchim" we can find him as a philosopher. On the one hand, the Guide serves Jews getting some understanding of the symbols of the Torah but at the same time, the Guide is written for highly intellectual people understanding the hidden messages in it.

After a highly productive life, the Rambam died in 1204, and was layed to rest in Tiberias in northern Israel.
Many times we hear a claim that the Rambam actually converted to Islam when the Almohad (a radical Islamic group) invaded Spain. However, this claim was never confirmed and a conversion of the Rambam seems to be very unlikely. Why would he then call Mohammad a madman ?



The grave of Rambam in Tiberias


The "Guide for the Perplexed" was originally written in Arabic and caused lots of criticism in those days. The book was even banned or burned. The main reason for the ban was the Rambam quoting the Greek philosopher Aristotle. How could someone dare quoting a Greek philosopher and confirm some of his opinions (e.g. creation of the world) ? On the other hand, the Rambam also proves Aristotle wrong in many further issues. Not all of Aristotle's statements went hand in hand with Judaism.

Throughout the entire Guide, the Rambam always comes back to his main issue:
the INTELLECT.
G - d gave us all the intellect so that we may use it in the best and highest way we can. It is the intellect making us different from an animal. Our intellect enables us to differ between Good and Evil. Man can perfect himself by using his intellect and the more intellectual a person is, the more likely he may receive prophecy. The Rambam claims that prophecy is only given to perfected highly intellectuals. Those statements are rejected by a later Jewish philosopher from the 14th century; by the famous Chasdai Crescas.
According to Crescas, nothing depends only on the intellect of an individual but G - d created all of us out of love. And wouldn't all those ideas about the intellect leading people away from taking the Torah Mitzwot seriously ? Doesn't a high intellect only become an excuse ? Just like: "If I have enough intellect, I am automatically closer to G - d".

Despite all the bans and book burnings, the Guide became one of the most famous and most studied Jewish book. Besides the "Mishna Torah" and other works, the "Guide for the Perplexed", once again, shows the greatness of the Rambam.