UNPACKED: Maimonides: The Philosopher Rabbi – The Jewish Story
Every day, tens of thousands of students study the Mishneh Torah, The Guide for the Perplexed, and dozens of medical works written by Rambam, also known as Maimonides, one of the most famous Jewish scholars of all time. Born in 1138 in Muslim-ruled Spain, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon excelled in Torah study. Life for Sephardic Jews flourished in many ways under Islamic rule.
However, after the Almohad Caliphate conquered Cordoba, his family, like many Spanish Jews, was forced to flee Spain. After moving throughout North Africa, they settled in Egypt in 1168. After the death of his brother, Maimonides chose to become a doctor to support his family.
He made great contributions to the medical field, but even greater ones to religion. Following in the footsteps of Rabbi Saadia Gaon, the Rambam’s unique mind explored Jewish theology alongside Islamic and Greek philosophy. Although he is revered as one of the most brilliant Jewish minds today, Maimonides was not free from critique. However, this didn’t stop him from creating some of the most read Jewish texts in history.
