JUDAISM – MAIMONIDES
“Religious traditions change over time, often due to the influence of specific individuals or schools of thought. These individuals or ideas may offer new interpretations and redirect the future path of the religion.”
Analyse the above statement, referring to a significant person (Moses Maimonides) or school of thought other than Abraham or Moses.Moses Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) is extremely influential as he offered new interpretations of Jewish beliefs and sacred texts. He redirected the path of Judaism by strengthening it against threats from the Almohads and classical philosophy. Without Maimonides contributions, Judaism may have died out and not be the living religious tradition it is today. A living religious tradition is one that is dynamic and changes according to the needs of its time and followers, without losing the central ideas.
I feel the order of your sentences here is slightly off, I think this should be your first sentence! If you want to focus on living religious traditions (awesome idea), you should put it first. Maimonides encompassed all these aspects of a living religion, thus having a massive effect on past and present adherents through his ‘Mishneh Torah’, ‘Commentary on the Mishneh’ (Perush Ha-Mishnayot), and ‘The Guide to the Perplexed’ (Moreh Nevuchim). These writings combined with his strong leadership, helped strengthen Judaism by making it accessible to Jews in all different contexts. His significance is shown through his tombstone which says,
“From Moshe to Moshe, there arose none like Moshe.”
‘None’ suggests that Maimonides is irreplaceable and emphasises his status as the second Moses.
A good introduction! I think all the pieces are here, maybe just need to be reordered. Try starting with a more conceptual statement, relating to the quote, like your living religious tradition statement. Start abstract, then say how YOUR personality demonstrates the required idea. I also think you need a concluding sentence to hammer home your main idea, I'm not sure whether your essay is focusing on living religious tradition, or just contribution. Finally, quotes don't need new lines in essays Maimonides offered new interpretations of Jewish law and guidance through his ‘Mishneh Torah’, where he ordered and clarified the complex Talmud into simpler form.
In your topic sentences, try to link to the quote/main idea! This was the first systematic and comprehensive codification of the entire Jewish law. The ‘Mishneh Torah’ included mitzvot that cannot be observed until the Messiah comes, which allows Judaism to be altered to suit adherents in each time period. Even though Maimonides facilitated and enhanced study of the Torah through the ‘Mishneh Torah’, it aroused opposition as some believed it diminished the importance of the Talmud. This is because Maimonides didn’t use references and in the introduction he gave the impression of wanting to cut out study of the Talmud as he said
“…A person who first reads the Written Torah and then this work will know from it the whole of the Oral Torah”.
From this statement some assumed that Maimonides wanted to weaken the Talmud. However, most people realised that it made studying Judaism easier, especially as it was written in Hebrew.
The last 2-3 sentences have discussed something irrelevant to the question. Be sure to focus on the impact on the religion/adherent, how is Judaism different TODAY because of the Mishneh Torah, or HOW did it change Jewish history? Through the Mishneh Torah he offered new interpretations of the Torah and the Talmud, making them more accessible for both scholars and everyday Jews. It consolidated adherents in an Islamic-dominated society, redirecting the path of Judaism by preventing Jews from converting to Islam and therefore allowing the religion to continue. In modern day, Jews who don’t have the time or effort to read the Talmud can still learn about the major beliefs and laws in the ‘Mishneh Torah.’ Without Maimonides new interpretation, people may have viewed the laws and guidance as too outdated to for modern society, so Judaism would no longer be a living religious tradition. This once again reveals how Maimonides redirected the future of Judaism.
Awesome finish, wow you turned that paragraph around spectacularly! Everything beyond my prior comment is fantastic, if you are looking for words to trim, there is an answer.Maimonides offered fresh interpretations of Judaism through his ‘Commentary on the Mishneh’ (Perush ha-mishnayot).
Same issue as before, but also, try to work on a new wording for your topic sentence! The same 'interpretations' sentence over and over becomes a little repetitive for the marker. In this work he gathered the binding laws from the Talmud and explained the meaning of each mitzvot, outside the context of rabbinical discussion. It linked learning the Torah and putting the laws into practice. This redirected the path of Judaism as it made the Torah more accessible, as it was clear, concise, and designed to be understood by all Jews; past and present.
Fantastic! This last sentence should be the focus, you could trim the prior two into one? This work included Maimonides ’13 principles of faith’ which gave Jews simple statements of belief. At first the principles were controversial, but they eventually formed the basis of various Jewish creeds, and are added to editions of the Talmud today, showing how he redirected Judaism.
Cool! The first five principles talk about the existence of God so they reaffirm his oneness, incorporeality and eternity. The next four principles deal with God giving his law to Moses, strengthening the belief in the Covenant and the divinely inspired moral law. The last few deal with God’s omniscience and the coming of the Messiah (which reform and conservative Jews don’t believe in). Through these principles he redirected the future path of Judaism as even modern Jews can relate to them as their major beliefs are highlighted in a universal sense.
This paragraph is much more focused than the last, still take care to continue focusing on how the personality has made an observable impact on Judaism! You do not need to describe his work in great depth, just the impact.Maimonides innovative philosophical work ‘The Guide to the Perplexed’ (Moreh Nevuchim) was extremely important as he showed that science and religion could co-exist; a completely new concept. This strengthened the validity of Judaism against threats of classical philosophy, such as Aristotle.
While this absolutely brilliant as a concept, you need to link back to the main idea straight away! He redirected the path of Judaism as without this interpretation Judaism would’ve been undermined, and the religion may have dissipated. Some Scholars saw contradictions in Jewish theory, specifically God’s incorporeality in contrast to the anthropomorphic depictions of God in sacred texts. However Maimonides validated Judaism by explaining that where religious doctrine is incompatible with logic, it should not be taken literally. This reinforces the belief in one God as he showed that God is eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent and pure spirit, by saying that phrases such as ‘the finger of god’ should be interpreted figuratively. By making Judaism and science complementary, he consolidated and redirected Judaism in a time of division between Sephardic and Ashkenazic Jews.
Fabulous! Are there actual ways we can see these impacts today? There was controversy surrounding the work as some believed that Maimonides was undermining Judaism by emphasising the rational. However, this work made the irrational, rational, redirecting the faith by preventing it from potential collapse. Maimonides impact can be seen through Soviet scholar Vitali Naumkin who said
Maimonides is perhaps the only philosopher…who symbolises a confluence of four cultures…”
This quote establishes that Maimonides has been widely appreciated by scholars many years later in Jewish and non-Jewish societies. His impact is seen through famous Christian scholar Thomas Aquinas using Maimonides’ theories as a basis for his own writings.
THis paragraph is again fantastic, but it needs a conclusion like the first two!In Maimonides’ ‘Book of Commandments’ (Sefer–Ha–Mitzvot) he listed and defined the 613 commandments simply and clearly. He organized the mitzvot into positive (e.g. ‘And you shall love God, your Lord) and negative (e.g. ‘do not murder’), helping Jews understand how to live life morally and have a good relationship with God. By following the moral laws, Jews adhere to the Covenant which is the cornerstone of Judaism. Through his interpretation of the Covenant, Maimonides redirected the future of Judaism by keeping the faith strong against threats from the Almohads. Maimonides helped Judaism be a dynamic religion today as the commandments still apply to modern society, and can help current adherents with decision making.
As I read, I am realising that I am wanting some more concrete examples of how Judaism TODAY has been impacted by the personality. Are there any significant practices influenced by his writings? Any ethical teachings which stem specifically from his work? You are doing this in places, but not everywhere.In addition to his works, Maimonides offered new interpretations of solving community issues when became a Nagid in Egypt. People wrote to him for advice on how to manage their communities, and he wrote various responses (teshuvot), displaying his leadership. His responses helped Judaism stay strong against Almohad invasion, redirecting Judaism by preventing it from dying out. Maimonides also formed a ‘Golden Ladder of charity’ where he ranked tzedakah (charity) actions from most to least honourable. This solidified Jews’ idea of ‘deed before creed’ and reinforced the core ethical teaching of Tikkun Olam, once again strengthening Judaism. Maimonides’ impact on Judaism was seen when he died because Egyptian Jews endured three days of mourning and applied his death to the verse
“The ark of the Lord has been taken”
By referring to the ‘ark’ which is the vessel for the Covenant between God and Moses, it highlights his high status by showing that he has the ability to explain the Covenant and interpret the Lord’s message. Maimonides new interpretations had a huge impact on Judaism, shown by many referring to him as ‘Nesher Gadol’ (The Great Eagle), which reflects his unique ability to perceive the big picture.
I would say, in an essay based on writings, this paragraph seems out of place by itself. 4 paragraphs on writings, then one on something else, seems a little out of balance! Maimonides works offered new interpretations of Judaism’s beliefs, which redirected the future path of the religion by helping it stay significant through different time periods. Without Maimonides’ writings and leadership, it is unlikely Judaism would be the living religious tradition it is today. Through his clear ordering and meaningful analysis of Jewish texts, Maimonides consolidated Judaism in a time of threats from the Almohads and classical philosophy. Maimonides effect on Judaism is still evident today, with major beliefs of Judaism enforced, and many adherents following his guidance.
This is a great conclusion! The only thing I'd suggest is perhaps incorporating dynamic/living religious tradition, you use it in the introduction and throughout the essay, be sure to re-emphasise it now.