Or~mdlr publid,unl lmder dte t,irk Cri ill 8:J:Ki l...eo.teiI' hip: Tb Epil!d~-8 of ,Mai1l1~njde:!l Copyrishl @ 198'5 by The Jewis' Pu6licatiorl Sociel1 of A m:erica

Fir., pflperoach editwn" 1993 AU rishu r-e$e.r-ved Mamifacrul'iUl in rIte Uniled Su,Ue5 oJ A me,,.iea P~~rNck,~ ISBN 0-82'76..043fJ-O'

Library of Congress CalaJiogin& .11 PUblie u'on Da'la

MaiDlOnide8~ .MO~9t 1135-1204. (Cortl~punden~. Engliidl.. Sele.:timu)

Episdeil ,of Maum:midea: c.nais andleaden'hip/(lexlll Iramila'ted

and not by Abr ... haln Halkin; di c •• sian by David. Hartman,). p. cm.

Previoitlisly publi hed: eruia and I ade:r bip. Phi1«delphia; Jewish .Pllblit:allon Soeiely uf Amen.ca. 1985.

Ineludes hibliographi.cal referene · . ISBN t)...827~Q(}"() L JIlIlChii Hl;-Work, to 1900. 2,. MU("1tynionl {Judai m}--'Eady

wO'l"k.s to 1810. 3. J udililsm-A(Hllo,getic wo:rka-Eady workB to 1800. 4. J(,"W~ Y~men-Perseculion8-ElIl'ly worb to 1800. 5 .. lslam.-Cont[l':OV6.r8ill~ literatur~Elldy works to 1800. 6. Rl.'$ul'recti-QP (J~b tbeoJ.ogyr--E~rlf works to 1800. 1. Ilalkiu'O Ahraham S.,. 1903-1990. II . Hartman, David . ntTide, fBM545.A:2513 1992) 2%. 1.'72-d~20 92-35436

CIP

THE EPISTLE ON'MARTYRDOM

Maimonidee was born in April 1135 C .. E. ill Cordoba, a city which" like most of the lherian peninsula at that time" was under Muslim rule., A few yean later, SpUR was invaded by a funda­mentalist Muslim sect that had already seized power in Northwest Afric~ This eect,th,e Almohads (AI-Muwa+4idtm: th08e wh.o aaaedthr: unity of God),adopled a policy of forced conversion

to lalam., Many Jews we,re cooreOO. into makin.g a public affir­mation that Muhammad wu the prophet 0'£ ~; othere refuted anda,uffered martyrdom,. 10 order to' survive,Maimonides,' family wandered, fro,m place to place, reaehiR,g Fez in 1160 and going from there in 1165 to the Land of farMland to Egyp;t, where they could spin practice their faith openly .

One of the forced con.verts illqoiredof ambbi~a distin­

pmhed talmudist-wh.elher ,he would pin merit by observing

secretly 88 many commandments 'of ,Judaism 88 be could. The

rabbi gave a halakhic ruling that any Jew who .had made a prole .. sionor LlllD would thereafter commit an additional ain with each nn .. m- mGn.:l--.-,..t of Judai·· -" .. th·· " h ·. • . ...conn -d'. H,om-'fied by". this.' _ _ ___ .w,1CJI . . . 1m _a'i e peUI_ e ..

rulillB, Maimonid,es oomJposed, bis Epil.ele on ,MtII1'yr:dom to refute

it and to ~,rter sounder advice to the foreedconVert8. The epistle W8I probably written. in 1165, shortly before Maimonidcs and his family left. Fez.

I

A contemporary of miRe} inquired repldilll tDpef1eC'UUOD2

... i · ' .. h· h be " ~ edt com . that that . . 8 • . God' . •• .. • .... :-~~= .. er an! ~8th~ret h- :a- ~:~IOP: het. -H'e ~~~ .. -. .J h . • : _-" . . . _ 8 . e . 'P~p_ _ __ . ~ " queI:J1o ODe wbom be ,can.. • sap" and who was nol touched by th.e tribulatioD8 of moat of the Jewish cemmunilies in this violence,. may it pau 1000., and be wi.hed to learn whether be .oould make the confeasioD inOl'de:r not to die, aJitbough hi. children wiD be l88t 1m0ll8

the geBtiles, or shoUld :he die and not acknowledge w.hBl he demands; IeeiJllthat in thil' way be doeewhat. he is, required by ·the Torah of Moau. and that the confcuion lead. to therelinquilhmcnt of a.U the con:unandmtmll~ s

'The man of whom Ihe inquiry 'W88 made offem::l a weak ,and Hnaelaa reply.,. of (QUI content and fonD 'He made 8lalementl in it distilled, .barmlul, &lewen light, .. minded women ·can realiH.6 Altbou,gb, his rep.I, iii weak, ledioul, and confused" I thought I should quote him ,alieJlllh, bUll a pared dRgift thai God" bleucd be He, bea&ewedoa manldnd~ J me.aD speech, of which our ueJed torah states: Who giw, man ~? •• • 1.& it not If 1M Lord? I(Ex'ott 4: 11). '1 A maD .hould be ... -- , nAn ,· . of. 1..! _ • ..... - cb· ·tL -- of "',! , monllN and· . ho··1d n.ot 8 -ak DIOa... Ir-.. ng - lID pee _ llUi luI .. ... J' . " _ at _ . pe . much J'el do little. Indeed tbe S.8 ,w condemned verbosity witb little content inms declaration: .JIUI a.I ~ comew"" muc4 ,6rOOQ.,

m" 10 doeJ· loolUh ~nmcr come' lDil:hrruu;hl~1a (Eceles~ 5:21. You :know of coone what Jab!lslriends_d sa he talked ,OR .and on.:9

I, a ~ of IfIOI"d5 ~p M ,,," (I. WqutlCiaruptr'Dn h riB"'? (Job 11 :2], Job does g,p«JIt ·wiM """"le4fe; ,IW ·wordJ lack fUlltkrllGrulin.s [Job 34:3SJI.IO Them are many :Bucb reftectioM.

Since I amwell informed reprd'Qlthis isauc • . and am Rot ignorant of ita this man is, I think it is proper to ,cite something of thegial ofwhal .be aa.id~ and omil the reat. which does Dot merit. a responae, aldwup en cloao examinalion 1i.O~1 of what he said deaen:ea ati

auwct. Such il hi' a.t&ertion lhi whoever aetoowteqes bia l.l apoe-

16 1'HE EPISTLE ON MARTYRDOM

tlesbip has ipso fac,o dis8,yowed theL(ud, God of Israel,. In suppod he brins~ the stateme:nt of our sages, "Whoever professes idolatry is as if he denied the! ,entir~ Torah,. "12 Judging from this analogy, he ,apparent]y finds no distinclion between one who turns 10 .idolatry not under dUres,s but voluntarily~ like Jeroboam ,and his aasociates, 13 and one who will lllndeiI"compulsioD say of someone that be' is a prophet" because he i:safraid of the execulioner's sword ..

When I read lhis Snit slatement of bis, I decid,ed nol to chaUen,ge bim ,before I read ,aU of it" heeding the instruction of the Sage: To ,answer a man before Marins IUm om is foolish and il~~ful [Prot'., 18:13]. So, when l100ked further into, his remarb~ I noted thait be said the followi Ilg~ '''Wboev'er uUel'8 that confession is a gentile" though

he (0.16]),· the entire Law puhliclyand privately. "14 ThM "clear-headed JOan"IS evidently secs abso,)ute1y nO difference between one whQ doe. not. observe the Sabbath out of the (ear of the swo,rd and -one w:hooocs Dot observe it because he does nol wisblo. 16 I read on: 'U one: of the forced converl8 enters one of their houses ofworship,.l1 ,cven if he doe.a nOI say a word,. and, he then goes R,wne and offers his prayers, this

p,ra:yer 'is chuged against him as an added sin and transgression .. " His

proof text .is the comment of our sap ,on the vene, For My people have do'ne a twofold wrong [Jer. 2:13):18 Tbey bowed to the idol and

they bow,ed to th,e Temple. 19 'This inlerpretati.on again does not dis ... criminate between one who bowed to the idol and m,e Temple because

he is a he,retic and wanlslo defile God's I ''UIleand desecrate Hi holiness andon.e whocomea to a house, of worship in ord.er to beha.\'e like someone zealous20 for the: glory of God,21 but does nol 'Oller OF'

say a word thai is in any way contmry to OUr religion,. yelhe must. of n.ecessity go to thai house.22 .1 likewise found him saying mal anyuD.C who avows that that man is a prophet, 23 lhough ke does it uruler

compulsion, ill a wicked person" disqualified by Serip,tu.re rrom 8ervi!AJ WI a witness, since th.e Torah rules: You. ,OOU n:.otjoin luuuls wilh 1M guilty' [£,,00.. 23: l]~thal is" do, not make a wicked mana witness .. tU

Even as IreBd his abuses, his long .. winded (oo,)Jsh babbling and n,onsense, I still. believed it wu nolo conecl.lo chal!enge him befo,re I

l'e,ad all the rest;, perhaps it might be an. example of what Solomon descJ'ibed: 'T~ entlo! a m.atkr ubettt!r IhaD 1M hginaing 0/ it [Eccles. 7:,8]. 25 8u~ I found obn saying toward the ,end of his missivel lbal

17 THE EPI.5TLE ON MARTYROO'M

heretiea, and Cbristianl!l .Iik,ewiae oHumetllat they wiU choose death

rather dum .... , his apoadeebip'.26 When I learned this I W88, struck witb ll1JUement aBd wondered: II there ROGod in Iliaci? (2 KingJ J :3·, 6).27 Han idol-w,otflhiper bUrRS hil :lOd8liddaupter tohia objcct ·of wGnhip" 28 do w,e even more certainly have tOlc,t lire to Q1U'BCIVC8

(Dr semce to God? Alas (or the queation~ 0188 for ~ answer! Con,id.

eriR& &hat he bcp.n. by finding support in something irreleyant to bis arpment"Blld eonclllded by appl'O\ling the tbinldog ·of hereti.C8 ud. Cbrilliaae, I decided that God"a judgment iB right: 'hie talk begiDl as eilUBeil and ends 88 diaaalroull madne88.

Yeu otIpt 't,O' kn.ow ,that no one hu the right to speak in public

before he has rehearsed what he wants 10 say two" three, and four tim., ,and learned it.; then he "II), speak. This iI, what.he rabbi., laqht, and took their p,rool teXit from the vene.. TMn Besaw it ,and 'lJII6ed it: Ht mtfISwed .iI and probed it .. And afterward: He said to It'I4n [Job 28:27].29 So much. for what a. penon ia required to,do before he speake.Bul if a man lepalOlesoD. his . 'wti" ,and pUla it dO'WD in wriliRl, he skouldrcviH it a tOOlUWld tim a " if pouibJe. This man, however, did. nGtWng .of the ,kind. He reduced all thia importaDtadvice to 'writiq" and did not think il Dece8S8IJ 10 prepare .. timt draft and dieD revue iL Evidently heconaiderred hie remarks free from doobt" in DO' need ·af correction. He hutded them 10 someone woo wu tD

COIIve, them ine,vcry chy Blld town, 8J1d in this way broucht datlneea .into the .hearts of men. He ",,.,darImaJ; it IVQI wry dtu/c. [Pa. 106:28).:JO

II

lahall now undertake to ,define the map.Uude of the emr tJw mialed th.ia poor wre&.cbt and how he hurt himself unknowiDPy.:11 He thought he wu doins OM kiJJddeed~ but .in&tead .became &Wlay 01 many wronp, manballiRl much irrelevant evidence I ' spoutin,! worda,. and becoming the .lave of hi. pen., It is well known from the ,accoulIl of our' rabbi. that before the I8raeUIcs Icl't ElYpt. 'they corrupted their way. and 'iolated thecovmanl of ciroumci8ion,,32 80 that noneofthel11 Mve tbe tribe of Levi83, wu circumcised. Only when 'the Paaaover ConliPand ..

mcm W8Ipmmulpted, in connection wilh which 'God iDltnactcd Moeea: No ~Wd sIuJU ,DO/ il l[Emd. 12:43], M be ordered them to

18, 1HE EPISTLE ON' MARTYRDOM

pedorm the' r,i teo Our rabbis ,descrIbed the' performance: Muses did 'the

cuning, Joshua the ripping, Aaron the 8ucldl1g.35 The foreskins were

c,ollected in heaps., 36 The bJood of cirel1mcisiongQl mbed with the blood of the paschal Jamb, and this made! them deserving of the re­

demption.31 This, is the implication of God's narralion through Ezekiel: WlMn I ptWed by you And law :10U wallowing in yOW' blood, I Jaid to

you: ULive' by yout b'oocJ.t'~ reat I .said '0 you, Hlive by yoW' bloodu

I[Ezek. 16;6].38 Our rabbis added that they became degenerate with in.cesl, d,eriving it from tbe the velSe: 0 mor,td,once there were Iwo women~ daushters of one .mother' [E:zek. 23:2].39 Nevertheless, although

they 'w,ere corrupt .pll this" God rebuked MOlcs for saying: What if they. do .nQt 6f!~ .me?' (Exod.4.1]. 40 And he relol1ed: They 81'8

believers, children of beUevers;41 believeDt as Scripture rep0R8i:and'

the people . , • believed [Exod. 14:31]; lOllS of believers: because ,he ,believed, He r:eclronIJd U to flu mel1J [Gen. 15:6).42 But you will end up nOl believing; it is told in .Scriptu:re: Because you did notklieve Me eno,ush ,wa,Uirm My sanel", [Num. 20:]2].43 In facl, he was punished, at once, as the rabbis understood:'" "He who 8,Ulpecll me innocent ::udfen phY8,ica1ly + What is the proof? .Moses. "M:i

Ag~in, in ElijaMs time. they were all .sinfuUy deliberate idolaters,

aU but the seven Ilwusand-every Imu ,hoi ha:J .00' lmeltto B'aal alUl eve". mouth Ihat has IWl kissed him [I Kings 19: 18J. «i Notwithstand .. inl" when he wu about 'to, hurl aeeMaboDI against Israel at MI. Horeb, the following dialo~e was carried OR between God and him. God: Why

au you heref} Elijah? Elijah: I am, moved by .zeallor ,he .tvrd . tire Cod 0/ BOOb, lor the /;srMliUs haw f~ Yo.urcovenant .. ,God: Is it your covenant by chance? Elijah: Tom down ~OUl" altars Cod: Y.our altars

perhaps? Elijah: ,And p,w Yow prophet51o the sword. God: 'But 'YOU are

aliTe!? .EJijah: .1 alone am kft~ and they an ow to toIM m.y ijfe [l Kings 19:10].47 God.: Instead. of hurlingaccusatio:na against Israel, would it no,t have beell more reasonable to direct them against the gentile na .. tiona? They have maintained a house of plO8litution, a howse of idol

worship,. and you plead spinal larael! Foil' the text reads: Thetmolll of Arne, .Jooll be ckserted [Isa. 17:2]. Go back",. the waY' 19" came, and on 10 the wildernns of o,ammcu [1 Kings )9:15}.48 This i& a1l explained by the sages in Midram i:lazila.49

SiRliJQrly in Isaiah's time, ,they ~ndU]led heavily in sin, aI, the text

1'9 THE EP1S1U ON MA.RTYRDOM

aooU&eS:: All, sinful nalW'll! People latle.n with iniquity! [I&a. 1:4);50 t-.- -''''. · w ........ lUp--- .j idols (bela ~ntl~IL _ J c - r ., __ .J J- - -..... ... , . .... _ . ,t. ,' lie" ... 4 .. .. pe . . _. __ ., _ ~ aoo _lIiB GOO •. ,........... ...... OW ,,"lie' i'J1n!'Ci C!'a

your fho.hu pY. 57';8Di51 lhey were oleo murderers (Alas, 3M haJ· 6ecome ,a~, 'he faithful city Uw· was' ,jilkd with jIWwep .wh,m:

riBhkoJUlMu ,dwelt-but now murck"" [118. 1:2ID;S2 they even dea~ ecramd God's name (Eal and drink, for Iomarrow Rdle [laa. 22: 13D;63 and they disdaiped God.'alaw (£eave the WQ,y! Cflt off tIN fKUh! lA, ,us hew 110' ,rRQIl: about the Hol, One of llracl (Isa. 30: 11.1J., 54 Despite this" in punisbment or his, complaint: ,And lliw' amo.. a: people oj rmckan lip3;t immediat,ely one of ihelerop1u}lew ,over to mt! with a live coal. • • • Hem,uc4ed il to, m,.lipsand iUcl~uNf}flJ UuJt' ,hu' has ,eauched yOUT

lips, .row' pill'lhaU dqJart and your sm. .~ purged' ,away'" [ls8. 6=~7]. 55

AecordiDl to the &agel,. bis, ain wu nol forgiven until M8D888eh killed him. 56

Wbe,n the . -n -: -I Aon.;;., ........ .JS1, -. L d - . . -t J_.-L ' 8 n of. . J. 0""-~_,l. . . _ a ge "T'"r-CU.:.u op ea .' agatna. , .muWlO _ '£aI.RI!A

becSll8e his IOns married sirls who. were unwo.rthy to be tbe wives of prieal8,58 God silencedbim,. ,Iince tbe tat continues: The Lord reb. l0,U, 0 Accuser; mar t~ Lmd who Iuu cho.se'n }erwakmN6u4e- roul For lAu is 4 bl1ll1ll plucked/rom thefoe [Zech .. 3:2).

Ir mil is the Ion of punishment meted oul t.o the pilJan of ,the unive:me---MOIel, Elija~, lsai,ah, 8Rd the ministering angell;59--«:.

canae they briefly ,crilicizedlhelewish 'CGllgregationt can one have an idea of 'he rale ,of the least among the 'Worthleas who lei his &o~ .. e loose apinat Jewish communities of UBe8 IUId th.eil' disciples, priet1ts, and Levitee, and caUedthem slnners,e'vildoel'8" gentiles" dilqueillfied to testify, hea:etiC8 who denYlhe Lord 'God ·of Israel?" These are verbal quolBlieo8 from biB IeBponae; can y,oupicture his punishment? 1bey61

did bot rebel spinat. 'God to seeksatisfaclion and delight,. they did Dot abandon our ffaith to oc.nieve stattiS and worldly preasutee. For they

IuJvejkd be/ON l~rU,: before tile w/wNd sward, ,1Hifm:e tMOOw' tlwl MUtlra1vn,. before .lAe Slre" of war [188. 21: 15].61 This, man, did nol

reaJ.izethat they are not rebel . by choice. God will not abandon nOl '

fol'lakc them. for Ht did DDt &com, He did IlOl .spurn 1M' plea of~, ~wb' (PI. 22:25]. It iSM the lagel, peaoe be upon them,. interpJ'eted 'the VeJ'8C" A rullu: "lMlkd his clollu::l [Gen. 27:27].;63 ud pronounced it "bis traito18"'nol "his clothes.'~ BUlthis penon wrote only what be invented and concocted.,

20 THE EPtsrLE ONMARTYROOM

II is, common knowledge t.hal in the course of ,a persecution during wh'lch Jewish sages, w,ere e:~ecuted" Rabbi Meir was arrested.65, Some who knew him said: ·'Youare Meir, aren't you?" and he replied: .. ) am not..,166 Poinling to ham Ibeyordered.: "Eat thi! if you are n.ot

Jewish,. n He responded: "I ~8haU readily eat it,," and heprretended he W,U e8ling, but did not in Cact. In 'he view of this modell penon who knows the true meaning of To'rah., Rabbi Moir is undoub.tedly ,8 gentile. for 80 his responsum rules: He who aels openly 88agentile. a1t!hough secretly be behaves like a Jew, is a 8.entile, since, according to him worship of God is open,67 and heM bides it, 88 Rabbi Meir did.

n is likewise· well .known that Rabbi Eliezer was seized for heresy t which i:s worse than idolatry. 69 The· hereli'ca-may 'God d,estroy them­mock religion, and call ,anyone who ,adheres to it a fool , anyon.e who studies it d.eranged. TIrey reject prophecy 11lterly. Rabbi Elieze:r WaB

8, c,elebmled scholar in the sciences. '10 They inquired: "How can you

be at your level in learning ,and sdU believe inreligioD 1" He BDlwered. them in a way that made them believe that he adopted their doctrine, whereas in his reply he was really thinking of thctrue religion &nd no other. This incident is recounted in the :midrash on Eccleslasle8 71 as follows: Rabbi .EBereT Wall seized in oroer to be converted. ·to heresy.

The chief brought bim to the capital tmd said. to him: ~'Sa)",old man,. is ill person like you engaged in thU Itufrl" He replied: t4.I: bave railh in the judge." The chief th.ought he meant him9 whereas he 'was really

thinking of God" and the chief continued: 12 "Rabbi~ in view of your having faith in met I was indeed wondering, can b.e pos8ibly have been misled by such stuff? .By 'God, you are free!n· II is clear that Rabbi Eliezer feigned before the chief that he was a berotic, althou8R M wu sinoerely d.evoled to God. Now h.eresy is, rumore' gri.evous, than idol .. atry; it has been clearly expound.ed iill the entire Talmud.1B Ye.t ac­,coming lo this virtu,aul individual, Rabbi Elie-zer is definitely dis .. qualified. Bul in this persecution to which we are subjected we do not pretend. that we are idolate:rs,. we only appear 10 believe what tbey

assert. '4 They fully undenuand that wle do not Olean it at all, and arc simply deceivin! the ruler. Yet theydece'ived Him with their $pef'ch. lid' to Himwt'htheir wordJ IPs,. '78:36].75

We know what happened 10 Israel in the reign ,of tbewick,ed Neb-.

21 THE EPJSfLE ON MARTYRDOM

uchadnezzar., when aU the lnhabieants of Babylon., except Hananiah." Miahael, and Azariah bowed before themollen image. 'The L:ml, blessed be He:,. fore~QId it: No more "hall JtJCfJh be $hamtd, noloRBtr his face BrtnIJ pale [Isa. 29:22]. i6 It may be lhat even tlte anisans and .laborers 77

were 8I'IlOng, those who prostrated the:mlelves in Babylon,. lir they were

dtcre al the time. Despite· lhis. I ha,enot come aemla any,one' wh.o named them wicked.gentHcst disqualified to give testimony God did nol c:kmpthem with tbe sinor idolatry" because they acted under

durell. The sap.& pul itlbis way, reftecling on the time of Haman:. They only pretended" I also shall only pretend. 78 That man,19 h.owever, is undottbledly God-fearing. Shame Oil him who argue.s wuh hu Maker" dwUBh IUJU(lht bw a pog·. ,N of eart"! Shall tIN clay "S'll,.. to the polkr"

~Whae are you JoingP" [Isa. 4I5~9]1 . 801

We likewise know of tile levil,. ,cruel decrees during thewicled ru1e ,of the Greebt 8:1 in.cluding the order thal none was to sbut. tbe door ,o·{ &il house" 80 h.e would not be alODe, fulfilling a divine command. Nevenhelessour sages did nol labellhemgentiles, or s.inful, but aheolutcly ri_teoue. They prayed for thent and added thelbankful praye.-recited on Hanukkah--"for th.e Miracles,.M82 wbich one can read dowD 1.0 "and Ihe wicked in the banda, of Ihe righteous. It

If in my ope-niDS remarks I had. not decisively staled dial J wouJd nolrepeai all ,of bispratdet I wsuld let yu,g read il in aMmo how one can be fool enough 'to apeak in this manner or let himself go and write or respond to irrelevantmaUer insoswer to a simple question that was

alked of him. He cited proof from "contradicted wit.nesses~ nBS one who revUes his father and motner?fM the law of friDgeS,85 ORe who plows

with an ox and anus tosether,86 letting one'sc811le mate with a different kind" 81 8B if lhemanasledbim 10 CODIpo8e a:luwe,.ee in which all the precepts would be enumemted.. He ,repoded that the

MualiD18 have an idol in Mecca ,and in ,other pla,008; 'waa he asked

whether he should go on a plHpi:mage to Mecca? He imonnoo him tbat Mubam:ma.d'W killed .24,000 Jews" as if' h.e wi:shed 10 know if Muham­mad woWd share in the wodd-lo-oome, and many such uJuelated items. He should have more pmpe·rly paid much heed &'0 Solomon'aadmo­nidom: Lep your nwuIh from iJeins ro.:Jh", and kIno' YOW' ,hrotu be quicle to6rinBjonh speech be/OR God [Eccles. 5:1.]. Had he fteeded

.22 TUE EPISTLE ON MARTYRDOM

this. verse1 he would have realized thaI wn,oever answered an inquiry

or engaged in an an.alysis or the: aUowed .ond the fo·tbiddenw88 bringi~g forth speech before God, and h·e would not fail as he did.9O

God knows BDd bears wime:ss-uHe is .anadequale witness,,gl­

that even if be rebuked and spoke more chanily than h.e did, it would nol hurt .me. I am certainly nol seeking victory. Onlhe con1raryt I feel, Let u.s .lie· dawn, ,in our JhfJ.D'U!, let our disgraceOOfJe'f' w; jor we have sinned ,againse the Lord our God, we and our fathers [Jer~ 3:25),.92 I should ha:Y,e respecled and esleemed him more . believ·ed that his objective was to do God's bidding. Thank. God, I know my personal w,orth very well. We acknowledge OlU wic.kedMSS~ 0 Lo,d--,he iniq,uity olour-/atAer-.& [Jer. )4:20].93, It would no,l have 'been right of me 10 find faubwith him had he nol wriU.en tbirl\g~ thai I have no rigllt t.o u,verlool or disregard, Ii k.e rulillgthat any victim or the peueculion whQ pray receives 1li0' reward: bUI is~ on the contrary, Huli]ty of committing a siQ.

I kn.ow that whatever is, published in a book-correct. ,or inoorreet-. -wiU 'most certaiRly become public kDowledge. This is. wby 80 man)' wrong ideas are popu}aramong people. Only what is recorded in writ­ing makes the di([erence be~ween you and ·the wrong views 901 alId thqr wiU gain him a folEowing. TEtererore I was afraid tha" the .response .at turns people away from God would feJJl into the hands of an ignorant

individual, and he would conclude that he will receive norew.ard for pr.aying, so he wiU not pmy. This, he will usume, is true of the other

commandments; :if he performs thent~ he will g:el ao reward for per­forming any of the:rn.

III

I shall now expose what this ranter. of Ronsen e wellt astra), in . Ilia

explicidy reported .in the Bibtelhat Ahab son of Omri who denied ,God and worshiped idols, as God attests: l1uked lhereneve,. was aRYO.n.e

like Ahab [1 Kings 21 :25].95 bad. the decree ~nst him rescillded after he fasled two aad a ha1f hours.96 The Bi.bJe infonns us: Then rhe. worn of the Lord came 10 Elijah tlU! Tghbue: un~ you seen .Iww AW Iuu htunbkd hinuelfbefore Me? BecaUJe He hlU h~d hirru'el/ Hfore Me, I will 00' b.ring the d~fU'er in his ""ime; I will bring Me duasltl' upon hiJ .house in "is son'J' lime [I Kin,g~ 21~28-29].~

23 THE EPISTLE ON M.A.RTYROOM

Eglon, king of MOabl, who oppressed Israel, was handsomely re .. warded b,y Cod because he honored Him and rose £rom Ms seat when Ehud SBid to him~ .I Ju.we a mwa&'~ /0' you/ro,m, Cod !(Judg. 3:20}.96 He had the throne of Solomon. which is a divine throne (and Solomo" .sal M Ihe dWiM· throne (I Chron. 29:23J1.99 and the throne of the Meuiab come from bis descendants. For, 88 the :rabbis teach uS I .Ruth the Moabitc wu his daughter. 100 God did Rot withhold his reward.

Thewicled Nebuchadneual', who kiUed vast multitudes, of Israel and bumed the ~empJe tltal i8 tbe rootstool ·of GOO,lOI was rewarded

with a forty-year reign lik'e King Solomon, because he l"aR& short distance to meelt God for the sake of Hez.elciahtaB the rabbis state:

"He ran ,after him a distance ,of four paces. God did nol withhold bis reward. ttl02

Wicked Esa~od certified HiaoojectioR of him" as is written: And I have rejecktl. Esau (MaJ. I :3~ad his outrages spelled out by th.e rabbis. That day he conuniued five crimes: murdered,worshiped idols, mviahed an engaged girltdeni.ed resu:n:ectiont and despised the rights

of primogeniture. He then enwrapped himself in his cloak, came to

bi8 father iuac" and asked him: "Father,. is sall subject to the tithe?" His fatber rellecled: -How strict my 80n is inreHgieu8 ohee:rvance. nl03

Y,et, as reward for the one commandment~h.o.noring Ilia lath.e .......... whi,ch •

h.e fulfilled., God bas granted him uninterrupled dominion ,ttwl Ibe Meesiah the kiing arriyes. 104 This is confirmed by tbe rabbis: David:'s descendant will nQteome before Esau rreeeives hiB reward far honoring ruB .rather and mother, u th.elext reads: He.tem me afkr glory unto

1M noIioM [Zcch.. 2: 12] lOS Several times Otlfsages ftlpeat thi. prin­ciple: "The Holy One blessed be He, doos not wilhho·Jdlhe reward of any ,cmature. 106 He ,aiWB)'B rewardseveryoDe for the good. deed that he perfDIlIl8t snd punil5hes every,one for iRe evil he 00e8, as longes be contmucslo do it.,n 107

If these well-known heretics weM generous]y :rewerded for the: liule I~ that they did,. i8 ilconcei.vable that God will nol reward tbe JeW8, ~

wbo despite the e:x.igencies oflhe forced CODvCl'8ion pe.rfonn com­maqWnen18 secretly? Can it be that He does not discriminate between 'QIIC who peri'ORJ)S a commandment aD.d one who doesnot1 between one who serve. 'God and one who does o.ot? So itappea:rs froID tlte writi~

·of thil. man, RaY, that when he pra:yshe commits a stn, and he cites

24 THE EPISTLE ON MARt YRDOM.

the verse: For My people have done a rwofotd wrong [Jer.2:13]:.1~ Now his e.rror has been exposed to you and that he bas not ceased 'to disparage his oOfltemporaries9 going so far as to speak ,against the sa:gest ,as we pointed QUI; nay, he 'even dared 'to ascribe to the Creator !tna'l He punishes, for the pedonnance or a commandment" as he ex­

pressed himself: The prayer of any 0,1 us is a sill. Indeed. il is of trus

tha'l Solomon :said: And ,don', plead be/ore the meJJtnser,htu:u was an error [Eccles. 5:S]I. ·U)9

IV

.Realizi,ng this amBlZi~g maUer lbat hurts the eyes, • . 1. undie,rtookM pther

pharmaceutics and roots from the books o,flhe ,ancients" of which .1 intend to prepue m.edicincand salve helpful fQr this si.ckness. and ileal il witb the help of God. no

I think it right to divide what I have to say on Ibis subject .into Rve the.mes: I . the class of the laws related 10 the time of foreed cOR'Vemion;

2.. definitions of the desecratioDoi God's name and the punilhment~

3. the .ranks oftbose who die a martps dea.th ,. and those who are forcibly COn'v'erted in aperaeculion; 4. bow this persecution differs from others. and whal is to be done in relation to it; and 5, •. a diseussion of how advisable it is for one to be cueflil in Ibis persecution, may God soon put an end to it. Amen.

Theme one, tile d i8lcibuli.on or tb.e precepts durimg .. time of duress, is divided into three classes,: A. One class of p.recepts" thoae concern ..

ing idolatry., incest" and bloodshed,. requires thai wftency·er II person is forced 10' violate any O,f lbem,be is at all time&, ,everywAcre,. and

under all circumstan.ces obli;!ed to die rath.er than tmrusgress.A&: aU elme:5 means in a time of persecution or otherwise; everywhere :means privately or pubUcly ~ under aU circumstarwe.s means whether the tyrant intends lohavc him aet, against bis faith or oot; in these. situations he is obliged to die rather than transpess 1.11 B. All the other ,oommand­ments" any ,of which an oppressor may compel him to tra.nspeaa, he

is 10 judge. If the tyranl does il for his personal satiUacti'ODt be it a time of persecution or nol~ pnl"Blely or publicly, he may violate the Torah and escape death. l12Support or tbis procedure is found in tbe chapter on tbew.ayw.ard son: 118 '''Bul the case of Esther 'was public!

2S THE EPISTLE ON MART¥RDOM

Y,e " but Jlhe was alway8 passive. ,..114 Raya maintained: .1£ it is for .his per:sonal satla'faction it makes a dilJerellce;. otherwise how do we ,allow OUDelve8 to give Ibem. the oonse:rs ami dte ooal-ambdnem?"U5 Clearly,

it is beeaute it makes a differenoe when it is [orlheir penonaisalis­raction. Inlhe ease ·of Esther the similar diffe.renoe exisb: II is for lhe:ir penonal satisfaction. Kava is rollowin@; hia own reuoRing~ fo.r be rulcl that if a non-Jew orders a Jew to cut tbe aUalfa on. a Sabbath day and throw-il before his, beutsor he will kin him, he is 10 cut il and nol bave himself killed .. But if he orders· him tOC88t it inlolhe river,. be .is to prefer death tOt obeying him, ,since h.e wants him t'Qconunit a .in~ 116 It is OUl' principle to follow Rav.a':a·decislon. II La eleaJ that as IOns: 8.8 the oppreaor is ,doiR8 it for hie pomonal aaUafaction he is to

tranqreu and to shun death, even if itia in public and .in the 00Ul'8e

of a persecution .. U1 C. Ir it i8 tbe aim of the oppressor to have 'him llran8gre88~ it is for bim to deliberate·. H it is 8 tim.e of persecution he is, tOBurre~der biB life and Dot transgreu, whether in private or in puhlict but if it is DOtt he should CbOO8Clo transgre88 and nol die if it i:8J in pri,vate,- and. to die if it is in public. lI8 This is bow the sages formulatcit.: When R. Dimdarrived he ruled in the name of R. lobanan . .. that even if it is not. a time of persecation, .he may transgress mth.er

than ,die only in private; in pubJlic be may not vio!ate even a minor rabbinic precep1t even changing the manner of lying the shoes. In public is defined as a body 'of ten, ,aU Israelite8~ 119'

The second theme covCl'8ihe de6nitioD8 of the prof_uon ·of God"I namearul the punishment. Profanationl20 divides i.n two classes,pn­end and particular;. The general has two 8ubdivisions: Commi.ssion ·of a sin (or sp,ite, not (or pleaaure or .any satisfaction to he derived from .. i.. . ... -cl b- ut t..~-~ ... t:iiIA n .. Link-- - '- litde of- it·. --- d .ii"""'- .. 'I. This in~~IYid ·- al w ... 8 _ t _ .. 1JCCtI_ oem _ s .. _ _ _ .. an ---..l1llIl _ UI . U

has profaned GxrB name',. for He warns: YOLl shall ~ .tIUear /allt!ly by My ~t .prQjatUng fIN Rd1r&e 0/ your God [Ley. 19,:12:]; it is an sctlbal yields DO' pleasure 01" satiuaction. 12l If he doea h in. puhlic he is profaning God'e name. It has been made clear that .in public means before ten laraelites. The second subdivision is ofpeuple who are n.ectful and do Rot impro,yc tbeir behavior. 80 that ·othc'f8 grum­ble about them v,ery eri.licaUy~ 122 They may not bave committed a sin, but they haye profaned God's name. In Ih.e maUer of mmsgreuionsa penon is required to be 88 heedful of human beings u , be' it of God. 1U

26 THE EPISTLE ON MARTYROO,M

Met blessed be He, ruJ:ed: ¥oushaJl ,be. gWltlacs before ,the Lord and .befor-e I"raet [Num. 32:22) .. 124 It is .related ia tile lrBiClaie YOllUl)25 Ilhat

Rabbi Na~man ben Y itzhalc. pointed to, lno proverb people use: "May God (orgiive so-and-so/'I26 Anotherexpressio'll is:, "When friends are embarrassed by his lIeputali.on. n121'

The particular is or 'two kinds. The first is when a learned. per.son doe:s sometbing that others may do wiLhoul demur. but that a person like him ought no,1 to, do" because he' enjoys a widespread repulalioD of pielY, &0 thaI more is expected of him. He hal profaned God's name,. Ray offered this de6nition of profanation: "Whcm I, lor example, buy meat and do not pay at once."I28 In ,other words, a person of his slalure

should nol purchase anything unle . he can pay at once at lbelime of purcha.se, a]thQu,gb il is a qujte acceptable practice (to buy 00

credit). A similar poinl of view is retlected in a Jobanan"s statement: "Wh.en I, for example, wall {oure11s without wearing my ,pbylaclel'­ies,l'Il29 implying t!hat it is Dol proper for a man like him to dG this. Man)' times we find the expianation tbat, it is different when tbeparty

concerned is an impoltamt individual. ) a.o The second kind is when a learned. man bebaves disgustingly ill

matters, ,of trade or negPliation~ receives people sullenly and in801eDlly~ is not of a friendly disposition, ,and has relatioDswilh others thai are

not founded on respect and ,mulual regard. A person or this enameler

has profaned 'Goo,"s name. This is what the rabbis" peace .be upon lhem, say: "When a person is learned hUI does not deal credilabLy~ and does not speak so~tl}' to people, bow is h,e judged,?~Woe to so­

and.-so whQ is educaled, woe to his [at.her who bad him study,. woo to

his master who tau.ghl him.. How perverse Ilia .8elioB!! are!. How ugly his ways!' nJJ31 Scripture speaks 0(' him in this ~t,e: ill that. it was

said, of the1n~ these are the people ·o{ the Lordfmd they left Hie. land. 132

If I were not conoemed aboul verbosiLY and rambling. I would out­line in detai.lbow an iudi.vidual ought to deal with others, what, all his actions and words should be like;, and how he should receive people, so~ha' anyone who spoke to him or had dealings. with him would have

only words of prais1e. I would explain what the rabbis mean by their expression Udealing creditably" ur "speaking softly to people. n But this wOlllld require a £ulJ-Jenglh book. So' I resume.

Sanctification of God's name is the lcontrary ·of profana.tioo. When

26 THE EPISTLE ON MARTYROO,M

Met blessed be He, ruJ:ed: ¥oushaJl ,be. gWltlacs before ,the Lord and .befor-e I"raet [Num. 32:22) .. 124 It is .related ia tile lrBiClaie YOllUl)25 Ilhat

Rabbi Na~man ben Y itzhalc. pointed to, lno proverb people use: "May God (orgiive so-and-so/'I26 Anotherexpressio'll is:, "When friends are embarrassed by his lIeputali.on. n121'

The particular is or 'two kinds. The first is when a learned. per.son doe:s sometbing that others may do wiLhoul demur. but that a person like him ought no,1 to, do" because he' enjoys a widespread repulalioD of pielY, &0 thaI more is expected of him. He hal profaned God's name,. Ray offered this de6nition of profanation: "Whcm I, lor example, buy meat and do not pay at once."I28 In ,other words, a person of his slalure

should nol purchase anything unle . he can pay at once at lbelime of purcha.se, a]thQu,gb il is a qujte acceptable practice (to buy 00

credit). A similar poinl of view is retlected in a Jobanan"s statement: "Wh.en I, for example, wall {oure11s without wearing my ,pbylaclel'­ies,l'Il29 implying t!hat it is Dol proper for a man like him to dG this. Man)' times we find the expianation tbat, it is different when tbeparty

concerned is an impoltamt individual. ) a.o The second kind is when a learned. man bebaves disgustingly ill

matters, ,of trade or negPliation~ receives people sullenly and in801eDlly~ is not of a friendly disposition, ,and has relatioDswilh others thai are

not founded on respect and ,mulual regard. A person or this enameler

has profaned 'Goo,"s name. This is what the rabbis" peace .be upon lhem, say: "When a person is learned hUI does not deal credilabLy~ and does not speak so~tl}' to people, bow is h,e judged,?~Woe to so­

and.-so whQ is educaled, woe to his [at.her who bad him study,. woo to

his master who tau.ghl him.. How perverse Ilia .8elioB!! are!. How ugly his ways!' nJJ31 Scripture speaks 0(' him in this ~t,e: ill that. it was

said, of the1n~ these are the people ·o{ the Lordfmd they left Hie. land. 132

If I were not conoemed aboul verbosiLY and rambling. I would out­line in detai.lbow an iudi.vidual ought to deal with others, what, all his actions and words should be like;, and how he should receive people, so~ha' anyone who spoke to him or had dealings. with him would have

only words of prais1e. I would explain what the rabbis mean by their expression Udealing creditably" ur "speaking softly to people. n But this wOlllld require a £ulJ-Jenglh book. So' I resume.

Sanctification of God's name is the lcontrary ·of profana.tioo. When

27 THE EPISTLE ON MARTYRDOM

a pehIOn CulliJJs one of the etmmandmentst. and no other motive impels him save his luve of God illRd H:is liJeIY'ice, h.e' has publicI y nnclified IGod's name. U3 So .0180 .if heonjoys a good reputation he has sanctified COO's name. The rabbis phruo ililiis way: ··'When apemon has studied

Bible and Mishnah, minisleredlo scholW'8. dealt gently witb peopte,

what is tbe g~neral judgmenl of bim? Happy is bis father who taugbl him Tomh., and woe l·o those who have not studied. See how lovely a:relhe ways of .so-andMSQ wbo is learned in Torab, how proper bis d.eeds,. nUM It is he who is meant by the veme: And HI said .&0 me. ufou are My jferoanl, ISrrJBl in wlwm I glory [Isa. 49:3J.135 Simil9lity, if a great man shuns actions that others think ugly, even .if he does not tbiRk 80" he .sancti 6es Cod·s nlUl1e.Scrip~UIe counsels,: Put C1'OlJied. $f1ftchawo,y jro.m. you [Pm". 4:24] .. 136

Profanation of Goots wline is a. grievous SiR for which th,e inadvertent sinner and the deliberate sinner are equally punished. The rabbis rule thai in the sin of the profanation or God's name :it makes no difference whether it lS8ccidental or purposeful. 131 A man is paRted II. delay in puniebmenl of .alJ sins, but. bot for the profanati.oD of God's name. This

is how ahe rabbis formulate it: "For the profans·lion of 'God's, name no credit isexleJlded. What does il mean? He is not treated as be is by the storekeeper who extends, credit. "138 The mbbis, aiso teach tha'l

whoever profanes, God's name io secret is .punished in the open. l39 1t iea more serious sin than any clther. Neithu the Day of Atonemenl, 140

nor 8ulTering~ nor repentance procures forgjveness .. This is the dictum ·of IDe mbbis:"He whoilJ guillY of the profanation of God', name caRnal

filld forgivencss by either repenUmce ·or tbe Da., of A.tonement, nor can. suffering wssh it away; they aU suspend punishment until death provides the forgiveness. and ita biblical ~8lippod is: Then tIK Lord ,of HOlt! rewohd Hinuelflo my ean:Tiu iniquil.y shall neve'r belorsiwn you UIIIil you duu [Isa. 22:14]." 1114-l The entire exposition. is in reC .. erence to the person w.ho ,oluntarily profanes God's name9 88 I ,lhaJl elucida'le.

As profunallon of God's name is ,11 S!l"ievou8 i8,in~ so is sanctificalion

of His name 81OO8t meritorious dood~ for which one .is sen emus), rewarded., E,very JewIsh imiividual is required 1o .sanctif" GOO's name. It i8 stated in Sifra:l42 '''I abe Lord am yoar Godt who brought you out of the land of Egypt. to ~~veyou the land of C8lJ&BRt to be yow

28 THE EP'ISTl.E ON ,MARTYRDOM

God, tJJ43, thai is" on condiUonlhat, you sanclify My name publicly. In

th,e chapler 011 the rebellious aDd defiant son we are toW that Rabbi Ami was asked if a No,ahidel44 is comrnanded to S811ctify God's name. It may beoonc'luded from thisqueslion tbat reg,aliding an Israelite no

sirnilar doubt is raised; he 1.8 indeed bidden to sanctify His nam.e, and this is what dle v'erse imp)ie.s: Tiled I may be sanct!fied in the midst, of the Israelite people [Lev. 22,:32].1405

Theme three is about the gradation of those who are martyrs fol'

Godts name and those whom persecution forees to convert. You have to realize that whe'rever Ihesarges rule tLat Olile is '0 s:uftellder Ids nfe

8lild not transgress" one who was executed hu, ~:UIRetified GO(tts name.

If ten I'sraelites witnessed his death he has 'H·nctifi~ ~ ..i H- ' ~ -'- rn · - u'L . ... _ .. _ _ _ _ au .5 na e pUD*

licly. It includes HManiah,. Mishael,. Azariah t 146 Danielt 147 111e ten

martyrs by gpvernment order, l4B the seven childrell of Hanuah,l49 and aU th.e other victims: of Israel .. rnny GodaV6Qge their blood in ,the near

(ulure. It i.s to them Ihat tbe verse refers:. BJ'ins in My tkvotse.t, who made ,a cOtlenaIU with Me over saerijia [Ps. 5O:5].~so To Ihe rabbis this v,ene seemed appropriate: I adjure yo.u 0 maiciell5 ajJerusalem,

by S02ttlw OF by hinds of the field [SODI o.f Songs 2:7J,. J51 which means-I adjure you,. 0 maitUru of Jerusale'rTl, lhe perseculed len .. erations; by Stuelles t (hose who did for Me what I desired;. 80 I did

what tRe,' desired; by hinds of IRe fold, those w.ho shed th.eir bl,ood [or Me15'2 like lheblood of the !IleUes and the binds. 1M To them. Ibis

verse also refers: It is for Your sake thm weare 5lain aU day long [Pis. 44:23].154

Apeman to wbom God grants the privilege of ascending 10 tR.is h.igh

rank, in o~her wordS,. to Buffer a marty.r's death, eveD i£ he is as sinful

8S Jeroboam ben Nebat and his 8Ssooiales,l55 is surely one ,of the

member,s or lhe world-lo-cOD1e~ althougb he may not be leamed .. IS6' The rabbis infer~57 'tbis from Ihe' tmd.itio.n 'that PO crea~ure is qualified to auaintbestalU:S of the marlyrs by govemment order: "Is it Rabbi Aki\l8 and hiscoUeq;u.Gs? But of course nod They are be'mefidaries ,of

Jeam,i Ilg ,and good deeds. 158 No, it is the martyrs of L)'ddB~ n 159

Now, if be did not surrender himself to death butlransg,essed under

duress and did not die, he did not. acl properly"~ and undercompulsioR he' profaned G~)(rS name. Howe'Ver, he is Dot t.o be punished hy any

of the seven means of retribuHol'l .. l6U Not a single instance ~8 found in

29 11IE EPISTlE O'N' MARTYRDOM

the Torah in which a forced individual is, senlelu:ed to any of the

puniabments~ whether the ttall8gressio'D was light or grav,e. Only he who acts 'y.luntanLy is, subject, M Scriptllre dlrecl8: Bul ,he perlOlI .. • • ,who acbdfdiantJy • • • that wd shaU be cuJ ,off [Num. 15:30], hut ROt ·of Q,De who, was Corced. un. The Talmud often says: The Torah rulcs that the Corecd individul is not culpable, lot this cart ulike IIuu (J.r oman atlac;L: .. -tJ1U1.IAer and _ •. -I_"';_ .. L~ · . [De· t 22· .. ..,~.1 162 . .. !I ... -18 · . .' ..... .,-_ ..... nlm . . u • .4:0VJ"

and frequently Ih,e ruling is, repeatoo; a Coreed individual is exeueed by the TO_.IS He is Dot dubbed a tranlgrtsso,r t nor a tricked man"

nor :is he disqusJi6ed from giving teBtimony I' Unil6SS, he ,committed • sin tbat disqualiJi.es him froDlserving as a witness. 161 He simply ,did not fulfill the commandment or sanctifyingGod"s name" but he can, under no citcum&tance be named a debDerate profaner of Gocfs name. 165

Thercforet anyone who claims or thinks that. pemon who t1U8~ peeaed is to be condemned 10 deatht because the sag\f!8 established the principle thal one mUll surrenderhimselr to death and. Rot trans­gress, is ahaolutely 'WtODg. It simply is not 60,. 88 I .ebull explain,. True, it is upon himm sun:ender to death, but if he does nol he La DDt.

piIty.l66 EVeR if he WOI'8hips idole under duress his soul will not. be cui alI, aRd h.e il ,eerlainly nol eX.ecuted by c01llflorder.TItisprinciple is dearly staled in the Sifra: 1:67 The divine Tomh ru]es regarding one

who gives ·of hie seed ioMolech: I MYleV will se' My face OBOWJ tluB man (Lev. 20:5]1, not if he WIllS forced, nor if ia wu unwillingly. nor if he was ta:U;gb1 w.rong. .PJainly tbeD ,. if he was forced or ",as taught wrong his 80ul will ROt be eDt off., a1tho1!lgh ,it will be if he does it

pres;umptuoual:yand yoluntarily. It is C'V6R plainer that if he forcibly committed sins that" 'if presumptuously aod voluntarily commiUed, are punt.bed, by rudy luhefl" he is Rot 81 all subject 10 this punishment. The law .nst prof8ll1ation is stated prohibitively in the declaration of God, blclecd be He: r ou sluJU 001 pro/ane My Iwlyl'UlllM' [Lev. 22:32]. Ui8

Now i.t is known that II false' oath is proianadoRt as we read iR the Torah: You ,hallnM swear falrely by Myname'. ProfonillB'Moome of YOW" God: J am, the Lord [Lev. 19:12].1" Y,ellhetext of the Mishnah rcada: "Men RIa), vow to murderers, robbers~ 8lld. tax-galliere.n that

what the)' haye is bea"e-offeri;nl~ . . . ,,170 The school sf Shammai qualifies that they may c.onfirmtbis with a VOW;. the school of H iUel

30 THE EPISTLE ON MARTYRDOM

broadens it 10 include even an oath. This, is explicitly _written. Tbese maUersare cle-ar and in no need of supportive atlUMenl of any kind. fOl how can anYQnesuggegt that the law with respect to a p6rsonwho' dC'led under duress and one wboacted voluntarily is the same? And

our sages ruled: "Let him transg~ss, and s"tlJFender bis life." So you see, Ibis, man l11 is of higher status than the 8t\ges, and more punctilious about the Law. By 'woro of mouth and the use of rus tongue, he sur­renders ki mse]{ 10, death and claims, 10 have sanctified God's name. Bu l by his actions, he is 8 sinner sod rehellious,Qnd. he makes hilDseH guihy agai nsl his life, because God, exalted be He" eslablished by the pursuit ,0/ which man ,jlutlllive [Lev. 18.5],. and not die. I?:

Theme four deals with the difrerencebelween this persecution and olhers~ and what a person sboulddo. Remember tbal. in all the dif'&­collies that occlllrred in, the time of the sages" tl.ey were compelled t.o

violat,e commandments and to perform sinful acts. Th.e Talmud lists tn.e prohibitioml9 lhat they may nol study TOl'ah, that th.ey may liI.ot circumcise lheirsons,. 173 and that they have interc.ourse wllh their wives when they ore ritually unclean .. 111 Bul in this persecution they are no~ requ.ired to do anything bulss), something" so that if a man wishes to (ulliU the 613 oommandments175 secretlyU6 he can d,o 80.

He incurs no blame for it? unless be set bimse1f without compulsion to desecrate the Sabbath~ althoudl no one forced him. IT'l This com­pulsion imposes no aclion~ oniy speech. Theyl"l8 know very weU t!hat

we do 1101 mean what we say. an.dthalt wmal we say is only 10 escape the ru]er~s punishmenl and 10 satisfy him wit:h, this simple' confessio:n.

Anyone whO' suffered martyrdom. in order bot 10 acknowledge the 8pOS­

tleshi p of "that man,"] 19 the only thirl,g thal can be said of hirn is that

he bas done what is good and proper, and lhal God :holdsgreal reward. in ,store for bim. His position is 'Vel)' bight for he has given his life for

the sanctity of God, be Heexa1ted and blessed. B"l if anyone comes to ask me whether loo surrender his life or aclmowledgc, ,I teU him to

confess and not choose death. However .. he should not continu.eto live in t.he domain of that rul'er"l80 He 'should SitKy home WId not g(J ou:t,.

and if he is de'pendent on his work leI hi.m be the Jew in private. Th.ere has neve'r y l been a persecuti.on as remarkable as thjs one" wh.elie the. only coercion is to say someth:ing. When oW" rabbis ruled that a person is to surrender himseH to death and, not tm.nsgress". i.t

31 THE EPISTLE ON MARTYRI>OM

docs OOit seem likely that they had in mind speech that did not invoJve

action. He is to suffer martyroom only wheB it is demand d or him to

perfurm a deed". or somelhing that he is forbidden. to do. J8t

A victim of this persecu:tion should foUowthiscounseJ: Let hi.m set it 88, his objective to observe as much of tbe Law 8.8 he can. If it happens that he has :sillned much .. or that he has dese(:rat.ed the Sab­

bath, be should still not C8l1}" what it is not allowedto carry .182 He musl nol think that. whot he has already violated is far more grievous

thaD what h.e obaerves;lB3 (,et him be 118 careful about ohservanee as

possible., R,emernber. a pCl'BOin musI learn this fundamental principle. Jeroboam ben Nebat lM is cL,a.atised for makinl tbe calves, and "for disregarding the re~1atioD8 reproing tbe Sabbatb ikal come imme .. distely after a holiday, or the like. ISS None can, claim tbathe W:88,

pilt, of a mO.re serious 8.in • .1116 This principle is applicable omy in rn:a:n .. made laws, in tbis world. God infl!icb punishmenl fur grievous .sins

andfOl' mllor ones ,aud He rew'ards people for everything they do,. Hence it is imponantlo bear in mind 'that one is pURish.ed for every ai n committed and is rewarded for e\leIY precept {uI6I1ed. Any ,other view of litis is, wm.ng.

What Icountel myself, and wha'l I s:hould Like to IUgges., to all my friend. sad everyone ',hal consults me,. is to leave these places and go

to where he can practioe reUgioll and Cu1fiU the Law WithObl compulsi.on or fear. Lei him leave his family 8Hd .hi! home and an be bu, because

the divine Law that He bequeathed to us 18 Dlore \"aluabJe tban the epbemeral, worthless inciderllaJs that the inlelleotuals scom; they are

lran-.' ent w·h,ere'.... "~e ,_ ..... of God' : ."s "~-al, lB,7 MiG' v r' h' t', . , .. . .. tiII .,. " ... '_ Qt . I~ .' . ~'&'IgUI • lieGe • w en wo

Jewish cities aJe at QQc'e elbow .ORC superior 10 the other in. its actions an,d behavior~ more oba.erva.at and RU)'Fe concerned with the pMCepls,

tbe God .. reariol individual is obliged to depart [rom the town w'here

tbe aCIiORS8l'fl not at their best,. and move to thebeUe;r~own8lhip. 188

We are gllided by the adman,ilion of the rabbis not to dweU in. a city in which there are fewer than ten righteous residents. J89 They' derive thi. from a dialogue ~twee.nGod8Dd Abraham,wblich concludes Ihe

account of Sodom. Whac ·ifte.n righteous people should beformdth«m? AIKI He an:.s1l.leR4: "I wiJllJOldulroy~ lorine "ab- of the· tenU [Gen. 18:32J. This is the proper thmg to do when both cities are lewuh. But if the plaec is gentile. the Jew who resides there must by aU means

32 THE EP1STLE ON MARTYRDOM

leav·e it amd go loa lOore suitahJe location. He must. make every effort to do so although he may eXp05ie himselr 10 danger, so that he can. gel

awa.y from this bad spot. where he cannot practice his reli.gion properly" .andslrivt: to reach a comfortable place . Indeed,. the prophets have speUed out lhata penon who resides among nonbelievem is one of

them, 190' and 10 King David complained: For thq Iuwe·driven me OUJ

eoda-y,. JO" /wt J cannat have a ~han in the Lortls po8.res;sion, .but am told~ uGo €I.M worship other Bod3~t [I Sam. .2tid 9]1;. he equated his dwelling .among the .gentiles with the worship of other- gods .. The pious .and the God-fearing are required to despise .evil and its doer'S, for so David declared: 0 wRit You. krww I hcu'e th~se who ha~ You, and loalRe YouradveNarw IPs. 139::21). ·1:9'1. H@ ,alriO> announced: I am a c-ompanion to all UJM fear you~ to ehase who hup Your precepts [ps. 119:631. ~92 Likewise~ our father Ahraham~ we lind, despi.sed his family

and his ho·me and mn for hi:8 Ufe to escape rrom th.e doctrines. of the :herelics .. 193

This is the effort. he mmu mB~e 10 separate himself from the hereti,cs when they do not coerce .him to do as they do; he shouJd Jea:ve them •. But jlhe is compelled to violate even one preoept it is. forbidden to stay there... He must leave everything he has., travel day and nipt 1!Intil

he finds a spo:t where he caR practice his religion.. The world is sui ..

'Heienti), lrup:andextensive'~ The appeal of the person ~ho pleads his dllt~e8 to his family and his houseboM is really no excuse. It brOlRer cannot retkem a .ma"t or pay hil ransom to God l.Ps. 49:8]. ) 94 I do not think it is righl to make Ihis plea ,in order to· avoid the obligation and not .Ree to. a reasonable pla,ee. He must under no circu'mslanoeoontinue Ito reside :in. lhe land or persecution. If he doel~ he is a. transgressor"

:profanes God1'.5 Dam.e,. and is almost a presumptuous sinner. Those who. delude lhemselv.es to think lhallhey will remain, where

tn.eyare until the .king Messiah appears in the ~ghreb, andlhey will then leave for lerusalem195-1 simply do not koow how they will rid the.mselves. of the presenl diDicuhies. 'They are lransgresso.rs. and they lead others to sin. The prophet Jeremiah's criticis,m: They offer healing ojJIuJndjor 1M K!Ount.U of My people, ,sayi .• ,. ·'all is well .. all ,is wdl,. ~~

'When oolhing is weU Uer. 6: 14 andS: 11]" 196 fitslhemand olhcrs like them very well. There 1,1 no set lime for tbe arrival of the M·essiah that they caD oount· on and decide thai it i.e clQse or dillpn'. The incum ..

33 THE .EPlSTI.E ON MARTYRDOM

Leney of the oomnlandmellts does o.ot d,epend on the appearance of th~ Me88iah. W,e ate required to apply ourselves 1.0 sludy and 'm the fulfillment ·of ·the precepb,and we must slrive for perfect.ion in both. H we do what we have lo, we Dr our children or grandchildnm may he privilesed by God towitDeA the' co.m.ing of the Messiah t and life will be more p,leuant. If .he docs n.ot come we have not lost anything; on the contrary 'we: bave gai_oed by doing wbBt we had to do. Buf it, is wick~ and hopeless 8ll.d a Ienul1Iciati,on of the faith rol' anyone to ,slay on in these placee and see lhcatudy of Torah. cease, tbe Jewish pop­

ulation perbibipg after sometime, he hilMelf unable 10 live Ul58 Jew, but continue to say: "'I will slay here unlil the Messiah appears SDd then I shall be relieved of the situation I am in."

Theme bve is oOIlcc.rnedwtilh bow apcmolll!ihould trep-rd him elf in this pemecution... Anyone who cannot leave because ofbis attach .. ments, or because or the dangers of a sea voyage, and slays where he is,197 mUll look upon himself as one who profanes, God's nme. nol exactly wminsly~but almost 80. 198 At the S8_metime he' must bear in mind that if he fullills a. pfeccpt, God will ftlwani him doubly. because he acted :50 for God only, and 1101 to show O'ff or be accepted as an obeenran', individual)99 The reward is much greater fo,rapeQiQn who fulfills the Law and knows abet if he is causht, he Bnd an he hal win pe:riah. It tshe who is meaD I in God's quaUncali.on: If o~r you seek Him willi all )'Our Iwm and !Oul [DeuL 4:29). Nevertheless. ROone

should Slop to plan to leave the provinceslhal God iawwtb with, and to exert every ,effort to achieve il.200

It i8 Dol right to alienate,. 8com" aDd hate peo:ple who desecru,t,ethe Sabbath. It. is OtIC duty to befriend theBlt and enoourage them to fulfill the commandments. The .rabbis, regulate explicitly that wihen an evil­doc .. who sinned by choice comes to the synagogue, he is 10 he wel­com.edand. not insuJted.201 In this ruUng ,'hey relied on Scllomon's

counsel: A: "lie! should lUll be ,despised/or :.stmlinB' eo apJ1lN.U' IW hu.rwter [Prov. 6:301. It means ,do not des,pi;&e the evildoer in lime) when he CORles ,H;crelly 10 "sleal" 8Omeobse:rvanct!:.

Ever since we were exiled from om land persecution is our unending lot. ao:z because fr-om ,our rOUlA it hm grown. w.iJh us like a jaJM.r and from oW" ~r', womb it· luudireck-cl u.s (lob 31:18].200 Bul we fre­quently find in the Talmud; u a persecution is likely 10 pass. "204 May

34 NOTES TO PAGES 15-16

God put an end 10 this one, and may the predi'ction be reaJized. In tAme days aml atlhat t~clares the Lo,d- the .iniquity of Israel shall be· soushl, and there shall be noire; tJre sins of J uJah, and none

shall ,bejourul; for I . 'ill 'pardon "'wse I allow ws.unrive [lor. 50,:20]. May it be His wil)' Amen.

NOTES

1. Maimonidea employs the finl pelSOliI p,lul1il in most rererence& to him~ self (litemlly., OUts). This was the u~ge developed among 8,peakers of Arabic in medieval limest especially in northwest·em Africa. In 'the mmslatioo" English praclice is foliGwed.

2. The reference is to the Almohads (a.-Muwa9~idun) and their destructive conquesl oJ North Africa and Spain (see Abtaham ibn Eua~.& poem~ "Alae, ealamilY from heaven hu struck Spain,. an elegy for the victims of' die per-8eCLltion").TM .Almohads (1130--1223) early iRlheir histoJ)' ,inshlumd Con:ed conversJon.

3. TAtM man in Ibis C()utexl i8 Muhammad,. rQ!4nder of blam"whoae name Maimonides8,vojds mentioning.

4. D:y qualifying the ·'sag,('!:·' wilh "w.hom he calll~ H' Maimonidee i.ndic8'tes thai .he hlmsdf does no~ think so.

S. The ques'trion raised by Ibe Foreed convert ilJ eithedolf, IU!i if there is no' «hema'i'Ve, as Maim.cmi.d!es will point out.

6. It is to 00 nol6dthat MailDonides ~g:inswjth his ,opinwn of the .IIaget

and £OUO\'l8 il with evidence that supports his: ju.<i:gmenr. His evaluation of womeo·s capacity W88 common in the anci@nt and medievaJ world.

7. The verse from the Bible is used by Maimonides to suppolit his thinking. This .reHects th.eview" held by g@nenrtiOlUl o( nLb.bisand scholars" that Scrip­tlJU'e ~8 a storehouse of all knowledleand doctrine.

8. The reference i (0, King: Solomon" rooogni~ed by mulition as, the Hpthor O'f Song of Songs,. Proverbs" and Ecdesiastes.

9. Mairnonides may be referring to loh1os response to his friends after every speech. Ihey m8dc~ or he· .may be thinking of the leneh of Job's an8Wel'8

wmpared with the brierer stat,emen19 or the friendll. 10. The first passage is Zopha:t's opening rebuke and the: second .is by

Elihu. - -11. Le., .Mubaollnad. 12. BT Nedarim 28a; BT Kiddushi,n 4Oa; and elsewibere. 13. See the re1evant account in I Kinp 12:20ff~ 14. 'The rabbi~s reMooinl is tballhe person who pronounces the MusUm

confession or faith thereby reads himself out of the Ie wish reUgioUfl oommu .. nity., 80 that. his fu16Umenl of the Law, or aD)' pm of it, is no more eflieacfoWi than its fllilfillment by any Muslim o.rgellltile.

IS. An ironical chataete1'iution,. implying ,the oppGlite. 16. Ma~momdes' judgment of the case ts'¥ery different fmln that of the

35 NOTES TO PA.GES 16-18

Plbbi. Ilimonid mprdJ lh@ un rAOUl of lh@ oonfMlion II iRlilflififllnl beeaUJe it WaB not 8110 en in sincerity. The question to be determined is why an individual in this critical situation refrains from. obeerving Jewish lawa. Is it becauae he does not want to, or because he i. afraid? Maimonides is penuaded that the judgment of the iaaue i. related to thi, difference.

17. I.e., he attende MUIlim services in a moaque. 18. In IT Sukkah l), seclion 5, the verse il applied to those who bow

befo~ the lun and also bow down before the Temple. 19. I.e .• they play the role of the truly pioue Mualim. 20. A pioua Jewish individual. 21. Literally: the ma&nifitence of God, the name of the declaration that

the Muelim makea: Alltih Akbar-Cod is 'mOIl mapificenl. 22. Namely, the mo.que. 23. I. e., Muhammad. The avowal is part of the confeuion that the convert

to Islam recites. 24. Thit is the me.nins .lult the rabbis derive &om the vene. cr. BT

Bava Kamma 72b and BT Sanhedrin 27a. 25. Maimonidea n!nden the vene "the end may be beller." 26. The lugation in the rabbi', introduction of "heretica and Chriadana"

ia that the corlfeaaion .. 8uch grievoU8 betrayal of their convictione, that a lew should certainly act the same way, and if he fails to, he excludes himeeH &om the J ewJ&h religion.

27 .. The proteat ie made by Elijah apiDst King Ahuiah'. inquiry of ~ foreip deity. The phrase il apreMive of Maimomdet' inner pain.

28. The Torah, Lev. 20:1-6, very visorously condemns this acl Mea behavior of thoae who diareprd thi. hideous deed.

29. The caution Maimonides expraee. i. consistent with his own practice,. pd he explicidy declares in rua Introduction to the Guide of the P~rplaed: "The diction ,of thie lreatile baa not been coo.en haphuardly, but with peal exactneA and exceeding p~iBioD . • • and nothing haa been mentioned out o! place." He re&da the advice in Job u it wu explained by R. Aha in Genesis Rabbah 24:5: God would repeat every statemeot He made to Mosea. See also BT Eruvin Mb.

30. The verae apeak.. of the plasue of darkneas inflicted on Egypt. Fonner generation. did not hetitate '0 \lee any apt biblic.l pus88C. even though ita orisinal UIe wu in a different context.

31. Maimonidee i. referring to the ain that he committed by hum. inaulta at Jews and naming them gentites.

32. Exodul Rabbah 1:10 charges the lew. in Egypt with deliberately diacontinuing the rite of cireumcilion becau.e they wilhed to imitate the £syptian.e.

33. Exodul Rabbah 19:6. 34. The vene OCCW'8 in the seclion that teach" the proper treatment of

the P.-chall4UDh. 35. Numbe ... Rabbah 11:6, in which Sons of &np 3:7 is said to be a

.UnunaIY of the story of the Exodua. 36. Joeh. 5:3 reports that Joshua circumcised the people at the "Hill Qf

Foreskins. ?? The ,corresponding Midraah aoooul.lCS for illS name .by this ,e~la", nation.

37. 'This :is slated in EJiodus Rabbah 19:6. 38. The M.idrash supports its statemenl by this, VeI:Se,. as "',,0111' blood" i:s

in the plural r ito indicate its two sourees. 39. E~eldel relates. in detail the sexul. ~ces&e9 in Ute northern andJ south.­

ern smlesof the land of Israel. Although. his graphic d.esc'riplion was m.eant to be hllcen .melaphoricaUy.the ~bi.ulilized it for their homiledc neech.

40. This is another' iJlustrarion of tbe method of taking an apt phrase out ,of its oontext.

4L Th@ dialope COlneJJ fmm BT Shabbal97aand. Exodus Rabhah 3:12. 42. the verse is. conceming; .A:braham who trusted Godja pMmise that. he

w,as ,going to have ofrspri~g. 43. These woJrds are directed to' M"cs Md Aaron aHet' the!)!' had Ilmck

the J"OoCk to draw water from it. 44. BT Shabbal '918. 45.. The aulhOl' briefly gives the conelWlion or the db.lolU~ in the Talmud. 46. M,aimonide,' e,onteution that the senerai worshjp of Ihe Baal was vol,-

unta:ry is, based, on the lac,\( of any ref6nlln~@ tOi an. outsid:e loJ"C@" unUke the ilitulUion in his da:y.

41. The vetse ilioElijah" reply ioGad's 'questi,()lI: Why an you ~, EU~ jah? And Elijah explains~ lam tIi(¥t1etl bJ· #iJl/or tile Lord~ tAe Go.rl qf HmU; foor 1M. /'l'"(JtfliU$ Mile jorJwn ¥:0lU' ,COW!MlU, lorn down. Your altan't and ,pal:

Yow propht!u ro t~ $WOrd. 1 .tUoM (lDJ, k/l, and .fMytJ11! oul '0 J.' my life .• 'The reported dial.ogue here is built en the phmses of the bibUcal verse.

48. The biblical verse is a continua.tion of me oonveaation belween God: and Elij'uh.

49. An alte.rnate name for So~ 01 Sonp RabbaL~wlmse lint WON ill ~iRlIPro,. 22:29]. The dialogue in 'QUI' [CJ;;1 b one of IJeve.ral in the Midrash lhal are: mean.t ',0 proivelhat God resents the slander of prephd& againsl [amm.

SO. This ooginsthe firs' criticism ,of the people in thelext. 51. The renderin,g of the vene by Maimonidc8 is .sugesledby the Aramaic

Targ~m to the verse. 52. The verse is from the ele,gy for thec:i~y of Jerusalem. 53. The wanlOnness voiaedin the VeJBe is a desecration of Cod", name

sinc@ il indicates no realization, of the eerioUfln,e8soI their positic,,"l. 54. "The we:'!"' Ihey reject is clear1y God", way. 55. Th,e verse i8 110m the vision oflhe heavenly .elle. 56. BGth BT Y eVlnnot49.b and IT Sanhedrin 2& (cd. Krotollrin) report

it. In the fOImer. Rava relates thaI. a trial took place :in Yfhi.ch Menoseh 80Cu:e:edi Isaiah of acting against the law.s of MO$e!h

57. Zecit.3:1 tells of a visioR in whieh the prophet aees the high ;pnellt loshuaand Sawn jtandi~ at his right to accuse him.

58. In Ezra. IOd8 we .read tlUlt some descendants of~heliOns of Joshua took non.Jewish wives. The A rwnaic' Targum.1O Zooh. 3;3, inform, us' ,of thia.

59. He probably hIlS Salan in mind. In the .incident with JOIJhua, Satan ill

3'7 NOTES TO P/l.GES 1'9-20

mare aA adversary than a ministering angel. but be .is, of course" luhject to

God" 60.. Maimoni.des: enumeral:ea thesegroup8eilher becau&eaorne ll'Omamo~g

,~L:""m- _ w"'- rOl'Ced- to convert or because hy-· i88Uin D' his dec." io'" It ~ ;,., 1'-- f --,t· Ule . ... a ... 1,1_ _ ~ .. _ _ _~ _ .. 8 __ •• . e.... n llle

di.apaJ'88inS ICltolan who think otherwiae. 61. I. e., the romed convent, 62~ The biblic'aI. quotation apeab 01 refUFe8 w.ho fled before the raiden.

s:nd there is, a .stmog similarity to the abualion in me text. 63. The quotation is &om IDe Btory of the ooDt'esl over the blwing of

laue. 64. BT Sanhedrin 37.0. R. Zeteim. I~geata tMlsin.ce the co:naonmta, of

IW cWIhu (Gen, 21 :~7) ·1Ie the sam~uor fI" .lrtJitors, the idea is. implicit dial even when Ilraelites acl wtollPully spinst God. mey are still under His protection. The verse continues,: rand lie biased him.

65. Sloriee of the R.oman pemeeutioR of scho'lan" and IDe incidents. 000-nectedwilh i:t, are fOWld in BT A,ooah Zarah. 1:6h-l8ht inc.ludilll the in­,olvett1eDl of R. Meir. It. iarelaled Ibl in his eBCfrt to f'reehi6 wile from a lioUle of prostitution to, whicb ahc had been sellte.noed;. he bied to bribe the guud. 'When the pard. sounded hia, [car that. he mi.lht be pdnilhcd hy biB .periOD, R.Meir told hild. that in that .e.aae he Mould call out: '~ God of Mew, help, me." Evidently this created the impreaaion. that R. Meirhad hie Cod~. they .had thein.

66.Thi. e'Khange' i, not reeo:rded in the Talmud. 6:'1. The He'brewlell read. uaeerelly,," but the rende,rinl must be aslran.r

.. ltd ben!; for lhi& it what MaiM(JIliiJeB til seeking 10 aoolith" 68. I .e., tlte convert whoadd.n:!ued bill qunuon to the rabbi. 691

• AlthouBL ido1atry is thoroughly condemned in thelewish b'adiUOD. :h has at leut the redeeRlinl feature 01 beUd in SUpeftO powen. whereas heresy " - " - - _ 0 _ "1m -'d "'~n Ib, ·Im a-·..J iii Ie·cct ,' ~ , "' ,.. ~ ~h -- '6 Ui 8IDOIhCLt an O.lU::: . a eli , _ lLU _ _ ~ _ ,IOn "" prop ecy

70. See S, Liebennan~ Gr." in, JacuA PalaliM (New Yark: fitilipp Feld. heim" 1965}1 pp. 1s-.19. where the coouninati.on of .ouroes lead. 10 the eon,· ctURon that 'R. Eliczer"acquircd his, lOO:ular lcamilll in Dis y,outh~ " and wa.s Y'eY,en qualified 10 pua judgment, OR theItyle .and exacmelB of Aqui1a~s trana.. JaDon or the Torah into Greek. "

11. To v@ne 1:8; it i •• he.him midl1lllh.ic dev,empme.nt ,of the i-:plicaliolUl mlhe vane.

72'" He ilnow ,ad(JreAi~ hil .uncUale8!. but the verdici. is pronQunced to R. Klieser.

73. In the 'lime 01 the tannum~ ilteneraJI, Jefenred to Chri:alinit.y. In hie cO.mment OIl Midlnah l:IuUin 1:2 (ed. Kafi~) 'Maimonides identifiea them with aM Chri.tiana, but in hie comment on. .A.vot 1:3 he:n:port8 about die two dilCipletl of ARtipnoe .• Zadok. and BoethI8, and concludes; From.lhat time,. theae cureed iJI'Mlpe roH, the herel:ica~ l&at Be cal1edKaraita, in our dbtricl, I mean. Egypl.

74~ Later iin this eaay Maimo.nides, leachee that in .1,Jam monotheie:m is abto!ute.. ami ile eJlpre:nel' a Bimilu view in hil, responsum. to the p,mse}yle Ohadialt. 'ce. J. Blau. MoimonJJa'Rapo,rvtJ, (195.7-61).. no. 448 (p. 125),

38 NOTES TO PA.GE-S 20~1.

:lind A. Ji"l1~jrnann, .Maimonide3 t Respou.m (l'957-6llt no. 369 (p.33i5). ltdrun diffcrs from Judaism Wlt11l'l@8pect to the beUefitl the revelation 10 Mtdmmmad,. the man, .and 'the K.Otllll.

75. He implie, that they lie when they OISORVOW thaI Muhammad i th . apoatle of Cod.,

76. The trial related in Dani,el i6 lun), developed by M-ahnonides in his Se/:er ha-M'uzooe . (Hebrew lraosia:tion and oommentary hy J. K.a1i~ Uel1llsalem:: MOUlid Narav Kook, 1'911] pp. 63-99) .. The eRumualion of the 613 oom­mondmelli.sta~ pret:1cpt 9', states; The Sanctification of Cods Nome~ ,incum­bent QuaIl Is:raelt requireB ,tha~ we surrender olu:i8elve8 to death by the hand ,of tho tyraflt for the 8lilkfl' ,of our love of 'fonahand ,our belief ,in His unity. This, is. whal Ha;n'llniah" Miahael, an.d Azariah did in the reign of N"~chad .. nez:r.ar, when he' demanded chat C,hey bow 1.0 the imag~. All the peoplle~ including the JewS,t obeyed him, and dley brought greal shame ,on Israel :!!Iino.: the commandment thai, wasd,esigneti for this kilild of crisis was dillomgarded. The proper 8-ction was t,o publicize and demonslTatc God's u_nity a't thai. junc~ lUre. God has promised diem through Isaiah that the sham,e of Israel wollld nem .be total, and thai young men would arise in that difficub s:iluIUo.n whom dealh would not da,unt,. and they would lIummdel' their blood, and thul pub­licize the failhand &anctify Cadf-, Nllme in pub1icaa we we;re ordered hy Moses.

71. Maimonides took lh@s@two groups. elli~ed by the Bab)'lonian8,.2 Kings 24;;14;, ~o be the greal scholah1i; iltI th.e mb,bis exp,lained t . BT Gillin 870 ..

7,8. This expblilalion or lh~ rabbifiin cDnheetionwith N(!buehadne~1'~

decree ~8 (ound :in 01' Megi nab 12a.. 79. He writes oIlhe man whO' wrote that fe8po:IlSU:m.

SQ,. Maimonidca applies to the autbar' of ~h,e tesp0n8um 0 'Verse in which thepropbct ,reprimands those who crilicize God .ro .. ehoos.inl Ihe gentile Cyrus to pmdai.m the right '0£ Israelites Ito re~um 10 thc:ir homeland.

81. The sources ,are listed in Moses Maimon'~des,. Epillie w Yeme.n. ed. A. Halki.n~ trans. B. Cohen (New Yo.rk: Proceedings of the American Acad­enJ,Y for j'ewi h Research t 1952)t p. 22.

82:. Throughout the holiday or Hanuk.kahB prayer of s,mlilude. reciled during the services and in the grace after meals hegios: (We thank You] for the mirac~eI, •..

83. Deul. 19:15-21 stales, thatir testimony gil"6p by wilncsses is proved false by albers. you shall do, to him m M ,chemed 10 do M hl5 follow IDeul. 19:19]. In B'f Makkot 2a-1{1~ lite blw P8 dehtiEed iQ the MilJan.b ilJ. further eJahorated •

84. The mol ·of the law is Exod. 21d 7. It ,is one of t'he negative oom· mandments (number 319 in Maimonides" lism. ed. Ka£i.:I), p. 329).

85. Num. 15:37-41 ,and 'Deul. 22:12. The rabbinic expeaiti,on is, in chap­ter 4 ofBT' .MerudJot 38a-44a, b.

86 .. Deu~. 22:10. HuW"1 commelliion the ve.rse enume:r:atesaddili,cJ)hal rabb~nlc prohibitions.

81. Lev. Hh19, which Ope:IUI with the admonition: You, sIaaUoIMe,rt/f! My

39 NOTES TO PAGES 21...:23

1awI. Rasrupointi oUl that,heselaweare Cod'.Bcommand and are not 1'8.­

tionally l!.IiDde18·tandable. 88. A..harot area lilerary I '.elllt! of poelical enUtneJ'atiollflo£ the 613 00111"

man.dmentadnel.oped by Jewa in the Middle A,es. SevemlooUectiona. are known.

89.. m the Hebrew' texl aderogatOly epithet appears~and it is difficult to detmnine wh.ether the aulho:r~lranslato:r" or copyist is responsible for' it.

90. I.e' l he would be oonacioWl or the reaponsihilityresting on him. and would be careful to write only wbat is relevanl and lrothe point.

91. This is 8 , (reqUiem exclaDl8.liolil of Ambic; literature. 92. The 'VImM! ia taken out. ror context, but is appmpria'", he:re as 81'!! expres­

lion or MairnoDideti' e~nt ,at the letter of the rabbi, whom he is ex.eoriating.

93. Evidently the ,autlior aeebto take lhe. orf what IKIWlds lile boulftdnen.

M. In hill, Epude tfJ Yemen. (,ed. Halkin,p. ill). he intfo:rma WI of his, reali:r;alionlhat"the liar [8 as liule restrained wilb his pell as with hi&. lonllle~ "', Here, be empbaaizea the PJie8t:i,ge tbat books enJoy, at 1imes undeaervedly .•

95. The v,en,e oontinlle&: who commiIfed' himself h)r doing whal WdJ1 au­plmJilwmtM Lord, at. irwr,Gtion of AU ""·if~ JaeHl~ It islhc ooncludiflg IUlDlIWQ:y of d!I,C .(01)' of lboviM)'ud. of Nahelh, wbic'h. Ahabc::cnrotcO, and J~I p:tevailed ron him 10 set up a trump court. which condemned Naboth to death. Elijah pronouooed the eelebt8led. re},uke: Would you. mW"deT and .take posseuion? (I Kinp21:19].

DoI{ .. B . .... ~n la.IL. --.. el- 0 ··. Havtou "'4-n I.,",;"" Ahal. 1. . .,.._ h' "-;-u-~ Ji.."._U 7U. _' • ." UIS ... _ . ,,_ . n .. ... '1 . ___ . llUW . . U IKW . ~ nlllMG!(

Nj'ore lid (I Kinp 21:29), .nd On. the pta(lliee ofroyelly Ie rise lale~ the rabbi15t DT T.·anit 25b, conclude that Ahab Casted from 9 A.M. tbm do not Rlport. bow "'(1111), boure he fated ..

91'. JT ,Sanhedrin lO~ Halakhah 2, liell. thaI il luted lhree houft\. The numb« here mlly represent: "hal Maimonides had in hil copy oErlhe Jeruaalem Talmud.

98. It islhe :sloty of Ehud ben Cera who brought the lribute paid by larael to Eglont . andtbcn R:vc-alcd bc had ... IRCiUllge for him from GOO. He J08e:

and Ehud slabbed h.im fatally.. See Judg. 3: 15-2:2. 99. Maimonidea cileethil, phrase to prove the truth of h~s statement. 100. BT SGmedrin 10Gb .,. IH)~ but in BT Nail' 23bthe T.Jo.t .peak

of me genealogy ("bisdtwgblet' or hiB lllOIl~' daUAhter-") .(18 notexacrt., because o( the .levem generatiotll tbalel.ed botwHo the tim.e of Eglon, King of Moab~ and lne time of Kin.S Dav,id 01" SoIomo:n.

Inl. See 2 .Kin" 25~9 and I .... 66:1. Leviticus Rabbah 20;1 points out dud lil,e SOlomon.,iLe blililder or the Tc:mplew.ho reipd Cony lean,lhe kiag of Ballylonia who deeh'ol"ed. the Temple also rejped forty yean.

102. BTSanlledrin 96a. iteaanol be t·oM whether Maimonidea·chew hiB own conclluion ormond :in some source the relation helween deed and reward.

103. The liOuret. of the ~OI; of sin", LS IT .Bavft Bali:a 16b, and ill T-m.uma to Gen. 27:1 (no •. 8) 11 the .halaKhic qtlc8UOD he .Mkcdof bi" latheI'.

104. cr. G. D. CahCIl,. "F.aaUU Symbol in Early' Medieva] Thought.t~ in

40 NOT&'5 TO PAGES 23-25

Jewish Medi.eml~d R'enawance Stud~,. 00. A. Altmarm (Cambridge: Har­vard University Press,. 1967),. pp. 1'9--48"

. lOS. In his comment on the verseRashi .ci1c8 ·IW "ga.dic midrash that treats ils content DiS the n;lwmd 10 Esau f8J' honoring his fathe.r.

HJ6. cr. BI Pe.saJ:Iim lUll!, Naz~r 23'8~ Ba.va Kamma 38bt .and Horay1ot lOb.

107. Maimonidcsvojces his view here tbat e¥ery numliUl ael is judged. and thai. actiOJlS do nul canc~l one annthei.li':; see his, ,commen:t on the last Mishnah in M~ahnah Avo[. 4.

108. The rabM thought theconvertl woukJ be punished for til prescribed aCl as they would be for' their conversion.

109. Maimonides J'egBtds the vene avery upt for the rabbi. 110. Mait1lQnide& here indul~ in medical jM8on~ btu .:he :sense is

clear-. H I. The Hebrew formula is 'Ye/wreg fJf!-~al yaCam~let him pt kil1ed JJI!I!t

let him. not tmnsgresa~see IT Y oma 828. H2. I.e. , .he is to 8ubmit to thctoroe de.manding the acl. lla. BT Sanhedrin ·74a-b. where the di8cU8sjoo i, 10 be fOund. 114·. In BT Sa.nhedrin 74a-bt where Ihe deuniUo.n of "'puhlicu j8 accepted

8S, ten Jewish adulls~ the question is gised. why is Esthert who in. public became the queen QfAihasueru8~ .not criticized t thcanswer given is. that she did not actively partidpame, lhat she was paahr·e.

115. During. lhe Zoroastrian Sauanian rule in Persia (22~1 'C. E.)~ ·the Persians provided fire and heat in th.eir place of worship,. and Jews had to pttnicipaj~e along with the othen.. ltwu seemipg~y :lJervlceto the idol WOt"

shipe!'; hul the ruUng amhorities did not cotDpel lhe Jewii to cooperate out of malioe, but (or their own benefit.

116. This complete.. the paua,s.e from lheTalmud. 117. This individual •. when he reaLizeslhal the oppressor is not inlent on

oonvertilllg; h im t is 1.0 yield &0 Ms demands under aU circumstances, and thus saye h is life.

118. Si.m;e he is not IJ(!nin8 111&. aD examp]o to olben;, h@ .mQY y.ield In. Ihe oppre.eSOl' •

119. DT Stmh~drin 74a. In ill ~exl the ntbbi who cites R. IQl}anan g Rabi.n.

120. The lconcept 01 proflUlalion derives from . . 8 prohibition in the Torah: You shall IW' profane My Iwtyname [Le:v. 22:32 and elsew.hem). Like lt6 opposi.te. Idddwh Iw~Slumt also deriving :from the Toraht tke ·conce-pt wu fashioned in rabbinic dmes.

121. AI Maimonides mcplainst the juxtaposition of a falae oathaoo dleM.­cratioll indicolesthat :something done fo:r no, pin or pleasure to the dOer is BP act ofprera:pa.1ion.

122. This category o:f peoplelU'le within the law y·el they ,do not ael 'CR!:d­

itably. It j:s what Nal}manides defines (in his co.n:uncnl on. Lev 19:2) • . wa,

.lOOundrel within die requirements ·of the Torah .. "" 123. It itl me d.iseuMlon ·of anaet l,hat is not :sinfUiI but may bel Il!prded .

. byo,them a ' sinrul. or at: least mise the suspicion that it is sinful.

41 NOTES TO .PAGES 26-28

124. Iuael is mentioned together witl. Gad as requiring the g.adeuneQ. 01 aebo.na.

125. BT Vorna ,86a. Several .~. are given ,of this varie~y or dese­cration..,

126. Theeayiq prays that God win fOfliv'e luch. actiona. 127. This de6:nition of pl'O£anation was gillen hy R. Y 8!RD81i in BT Yoms

86&. ]28., Thi. and the rat ,of the material ptheKd here are collected in BT'

Yema 86a. 129. Thil is one of the lleV,em1 ltatementl in the Talmud hy men who out

of respedlo, the Almighly coveredaheir heads. It wu p-adually popularized until it became tilt! aooeptedpractice of Orthodox Jew. not 10 walk or .Iil with bale Ileads.

130. BT Berakbot. 19a and. ,eltewhere. 131. '1'h.e woe judgment ia, paaaed .by Mainmnides i.nMukMh TOI'fJh~

Hi.WuJt Yaoda M ... Torah 5:11 . 132. n ,t!; .tatemenl of die rabhi8 is inlhe 8ameoontcxt. in. BT Y oma 86a:

eec nole 128. }33!. 'The idea aounded heR: is aiM found in Maimonidat comment on

Miahnah Makk.ot 3:11" in which .he laya down the principle&. lilted here. 1M.. Th ... i. from BT Yorna 868. 135. In thilParticular 'prophecy the pro;phet. .peake of God~1 choice of

him (or the people) .and of the pmBe bestowed. 136. The verae appean among coun&eis of carulio:n. 131. BT Kiddu.hin 4Oa, ill .dii8Cll68l00: or the O0llll1l18&io.h oisihl and

ill! neplivt= eonaequen~,. 188. Th.c UH1'1ion of' the ralJbie is likcwQ.e round in BT Kidd'uebin 40..

It i takenl'rom Mialmah ,A,,\'ot. 4:4,. and readanot"extending credit." but Mil

pURilhed. n

139. This URrtio:n i. also in Mishnah AvoI4:;4. 140. Maimvllidu besilUl wi.th ILc inahiUty to find Corgivenels Cor this kind

of profanatioR on the Da.y ,of Atonement becaule in Mishnah YOllla 8:8 we m:: lold&baJ: ,ains of man .inlt God, ~. forgiven OR the Day 01 Atonement. It. iinell'eeul'eneaa in .ina of profaaad.on demonatndes lDepie¥oulne:&8 ,of luch .ins.

1.41. BT Yuma 86&. The vcme &om laaiah. iB the last vc:rse ,ofthe prophet·,. condemnation of Ju.dah, during the prepahlnoltllfor defense lI_inat lite A8~ _)'Ii .. liege or leftlulem. In. the coune 01 it the prophet protesg: Bill :rou 6fD1e no IIw".hJ eo Him who p~ ~; )"011 tool; no Mk ,qfSim ",ho du,ipd ;;, 10. N/ore [laa. 22:11]. This ia profanation ,of God."sname.

142~ In its comment on Lev. 25:28. Its :aimple eense is that God's purpose ia thCEIodWl. was 10 • . y·e th,c IIU'IMUtesthe land or Canaan and 'to URn that He .41 their' God. M.imoDid.¢eoxpbdns il OB ctmtliti.oh tIwI I be Jour God, and he finds euppott in ~c Sifra for hie introduction 01 tbe condition;. it conaaina the specific adpulati,on thai He mal:a: on oonditiQnlhat)'ou sacrifice yotIIl:'8dvea in onfer l,o sanctH'y My rwne.

148. 1bis il in. chapter 8 of MiBhnlb Sanhedrin.

42 NOTES TO PACE 28

1441 Jewish. tmditionleacheslhal, Ihe de8Ct!fldantli of Noah, m other word&;

aU of humankind with tbe exception of the l&raeliles, ,are obliged tooh8erve acven comnumdmenl~. The Noahide law. prohibit tho rabbinic expansion of the law t htasphemyof God. idolatry., incest" bloodshed. robbeJ)". and cutting off a pat1 from 8 Hving ammal. The problem or whether N,oahidea fm'i! abo required to sanctify God's name and! are .rorbid.den t.o profan,e il :is diseussed in BT Sanhedrin 748. It is first :suggested Ihal, if they are. Ihe ,ot.al 'Will be eight, but that ,objeclio:n isohYiated by explaining 'thai, essentially ,all seven aM for Ihe ptU"pOSe of 5Mctificat.ion.

145. o,T Sanhedrin 14b invokes thia, V6tte ,as: ,evidence that len .. [8nlelire.s are needed to make an 8e,t public. Mai:monidea empbMiz68 ·that ,this indieal!ed the duty of Israelites 10 nnctify Q,d's name.

146. Exiles from the [and of bmd~ they are the heroes of Daniel 3" whi,c.h recounts the order of NebuchadneutU' to his people lQPl'OItrlle themseJ\'~ ~IOM an imAge. the rn[u.saJ or the rhmc to obey t aDd Ihei:r miraculotlR esc.pc rrom the 6tt in lherUhUlce.

147. Daniel. Idler whom the book is na:n.wd f ~UCCeededl in interpJ'ding the myslilying dreams of Nebuchadnezzar and tbemy.sterious, writing on the waU !hal, BelHhazzar beheld, he :survived a nipE in 'lh.e d!enwith 'the lions and JlaW via:ionsthal predicted. the future fale 01 the people ·0£ Israel

148:, Although .he story of the ten raLbis, eJielluted hy I,he .Roman admin .. istration is, widely acceptedt the earliest source is a late michaUt El.eh. E.zu,ah, in .A. JeUinekts edition 01 ,smalJ midruhim, Bel bo-MiJrwh (I..e1pzigt 1853; reprint ed. r Jerusalem: Wahnnann, 1967)1 2;()2....74. ~nr an anaJ)'tIia of the material. see L. F'inkelateili, "'IlIe Ten. Martyrs, ~' in EUBY3 and St~in M~ of Lindo R. M,ill~r,. ed. l. Da.vidson (New York: lewieh ThoolOjical Seminary, 193B), pp. 29-55.

149. the seven children of Hannah (for the variations in l.he motners DaQle and ,stof)'~ ~ G. D. Cohen, ~""e StM)' of Hannah. and Her SeYell Son .. in Hebrew Litemture/i in Mordecai M, K4pkm Jubilu Vol.ruM; ,ed. M. Davil [New 'York,: Jewish Theological SeminDl}', 1953]!, PP" 109-:22,. Hebrew), all refused. 10 'Worsh~p idols dwi. the pe:neeutionof Antioohus IV U68, B. c. E.). They wou.Mn'l e'eD pick upa ring that the king dropped and they were ,all executed. See 2 Maoo. 7.

150. 1'he app.[ication of this 'verse to these martyrs is mad.e ilt 'DT San .. hedrin 1l0b. '

lSI.. Thia verse is repealed three times (with varialions) in Song of Sonp. 152. .Song ,of Songs Rabbah to 2:5. The e.lanation offered here i,a one

f' . _11 "' . oL_ 'M' '.1- . h.. "W·h · th . d ._ . .:1." • ... 1· . _ . .l hId·· 'ded o 8evCfw In UP:: IwU . .. al .ey eell1;'U 18 up aUlleu M wat _ " ec~ ·.

for them. 153. The p.hra:!e is from. Deut. 15:.22 .... 23. 1M. The exp08ition is, developed in BT Pesaipm SOa.. 155. See 1 Kings 12:20 If. He 1B notorious u the man "'who Binned. and

helen the many to 8~nt" Mishna.h AYo,t ,5,: 1,8" 156. Althouglr the unloom.ed. pe:non is nol esteemed, 88. many deelarations

in [he Talmud express iti especiaUy BT PeBat-jm49~b,

157, iT Pesal]im SOa and BT BOYD Batra lOb.

43 NOTES TO .PAGES Z8-OO

158. In iT Ba."a. Balm lOb. phraae is, added; "without lhese 88 well,'" i.e.? even if they were not martyN th.eywould be j,n Heaven.

159. See S. Liebemum '1i1te M:artyra of ICU88l'$8" in Anntulire • l'IFJlt4r4 de ,p~ IIt/Histon O,rWnlc:du. t' S~ 1 (199,9), and in, a l'evi&ed, Hebrewtnmalatiou. Solo W£Uma1~r .Baron JubiklJ Vo~ on &he Oecmwno/ Nil E';,lMillA BirflKloy. ed. S. Li~berman and A. Hyman (Jerusalem: Amer­ican Acad:emy far Jewish Research" 1914)1 ,po 213-46.

160. Accordill1l to the rabbia, Cour or the .even puniahmentl are public Ul.mutianl (by .word,. fllomnl, 'll'angulati.o~ and bum;n:g)~ ,and the othelll are prematmedeath" aivinely caused death, and luha.

L61. The ,dcduclinn ia ma.dc hy Maimortidell. L62. IT Ned.nm27a. Frvrn the vene dted in the ~t" Si/ni, ad venum

1.",.- MILa all .. Ie d .. tiL ..I i tL - . 10 ' " . , r , _~.J ., · 'It·I'· .. d __ "'" '" peop , . e.c;: DCa Q QiC . uroa ,81 IOn::eu are gul e88, all .:L! ny · me '(0, .be· '. ' __ --.I n ' .. mmr .. , a . , . , • ..,-.~.

163.. Dam.. 22:26, dted ~vel'lll limelJ in both the Babyloman and J'em­ulemTalmude,ie eqJlained to teach ua that. theatlacker, like the gir19 i:8 I1Ot~ 80 far .. proMibIet killed. ami that the girl. like the atlaCker. is subject tolhe principle of "lei bimlun:ender hie Ine md 'DOt tl'8ruligresa. tt ~ BT Peeahim25b.

)M., IT Bava KamnlaDb, Avodah Zarah 54&. 165. In MTBilIUuJr EdUJ lOt Maimonida discdues m length the people

dillqueJilied 10 'le.atify .becaU&e they violate Moeaic or rabbinic laws. 166. M.unonidet doa Rot hOOerate the penon from the pilt Q( profa­

nation becauH: in. acknowleclgiol181am Ihat peracm has acted apim1 God~. iiUCdly. HCtwevert Maimotrida. di:.erimiutea between him, a Coroooeo:nvert,. and tho deliberate einner.

1.6i7., S,ifra, Lev. LOt in the section dcalingwith people wh" ded~a'eu.eir ofi'springlo Molech.

J.68. Ruhi explaine the verse as rODowa!. by tn.nagreui.-.g preaump­tU,OUIly.,

• ](;9., The Hoon8 half of the venc is th.e ~Iull of me fint. 170. Milhnah Ncdarim3=4. In his eommenton ibis mi.hlWh. MaimonJde8

lamell ,expli.cidy that they' areoppreuon. In the cue of the tax-galherer he specifies th.if he i. a 1ep1 emiuuyol the sovemment :no attempt 'Ie &hirk i •• Uowcd.

171. The ralWi who wrote theretpOJlR ~ the CODyert.

172. 11Iil ccmcluaion "u added by the rabbis" cr. ,BT :Sanhedrin 74a. Lev. 18:5 begil18: You .hsU Nap My llllUtJnil My nda .

113. Thilleat i. Ii conftate of the vefllioRI in BT Hoek ha-Shanah 198 and T.'Mlit 1Sa .• beI Me'iIah 17 a.

174. Maimonideaaho speake of tbese prohibitj,ons in the EpwuUl YenNtl ... 175. BaMId on a .t.temellt in BT MakkQt 28b, the belief tha,.he:re a,re

613 cQmmudmen,tl (248 po.itiv,eand 365 prohibit.o:ry) wu univerully ac­cepted in the J,evrilJh wodd.

176.. Deapite ma, ill8iBlence that these COD'Verla can oontinue to live aa Jew_,. he i. cautiotdl enod'" lo.dviH HC~(l.)' beeaWl.:: the IPvemmenl au .. thorities wiD ROt to1erate public behavior as Jews.

44, NOTES TO .PAGES 30-32

177. .Maimopides here gnmU the indiv~dual the right 10 save his lire. but ~n MT' HUlwi YI!,Sod.!,j ho..,Torah 5:7 he: ru1es that one who chooses martyrdom l.s actually comroitting " 8in.

178. The M06leme, and thei:r .Rden. 17'9. Muhammad. too. cr., the Epistlet:oYemela, where Maimonides urjeS 8i1imilar cour:se.

It may be suggesled tha:t his own deparlure Cmm ~pa:in, and later fro. ~ez, resulted from a fear that he we ,in dan,ger of being recognized as a, Jew.

l81. This inelud@R the positive as weUes the prohibitory law8,. 162. I'n Mishnah Smabhol and BT Shabbat many Jaws and dilJcussjonsare

found that have to do with the genem princip,le that. it ia, (orb,idsen to move things from the home to it public area and, oonversciy.

183. It is, the principle that when a penon, is gui]ty ·of II grievOUII sin. or crime and incurs sev@1"@ punisbment, he must not be c_ti~ (or ,11 minor offense lind its lighter retribution, cf.BT Gilbn SBbf.

] 84. cr. 1 Kinp 12:28-33. 185. It is the practice instituted by the fabbis of pirepanng a di8h .on the

day before the ,boliday, w.hich will be consumed on the Sabbath immediately following. and by lDea.DS ,of il the dishes prepared for IDe Sabbath on the boHday (Friday), are Jegaroed ·IHI a continuation of the cooking bepn 'on the day before the h,oliday (Thuladay). 'I'hi;s • called the "fuaiml of cOOked dishes." They h,D\le similarly pmvid.ed for a "fuslon. of are8l."'whieh call be Bel Up so as to extend the stretch wi,hip which cgnying on the Sabbath becomes per .. missible.

186. So, lhatlhe rul.e men,tioned in nole 183 would be in Coroe, MWlDonidea Um.its: its effectiveness only to man-fII1;8de laws; 'God lie not bound by them ..

187. Maimonides knows very well that in the evaluadon of the goods ,of thiswoTld, a difference exists, between the common folk and the illteUeduala. His analysis i ' contained in the lulchapter of hi., GuUk 'W 'N! Perp~d.

18ft See Maimonldes.' In~roduclion, called "'Ei.gbt Chapten, n to ihe' com-menlaryon Mishnah Avot t chapter 4, which deal! wilb the choices that confront a penon:.

189. M8imon~des probably relied on the admonition of Pu.~i rIk-Rd6i E,l~,.,. chapter 26.

190. The rabbinic judgmnl thaI whoever dweUs outside the I nd of Ismel is like one wlto has no GOO. (DT Kelubbot 110.1,), itl the lWlu:rce of Mal ro,ollidcs' statement.

191. In A1IOt de-Rabbi Natan (ed. S. Schoo~er I[Vienna~ 18871~ p. 64~ YCl'l'sio:u A) the foroe of the expression is miti,ga:ted and limited to OODverts lind Chnslians.

192. SeC! Trull.lumo. 'Tzav,. a:, discu.ssing BOwe of the ancienbi'W.homGod chose bul who did nol drs.w dose to Him (rin re{elllllC-e to IiL 65:& Happ, p the ma.n You cboose and bring MDr)? and they made the effort: l'O draw close. Ope or lhem was David, and the verse hi.d'cale& that he litrove to COnlC close to Cod.

193 .. See Pirk~i de .. Rabbi Elieze'-t 26.

4$ NOTES TO PAGES 32-33

194. Sifm ))eUI. to vem: 32:·3,9 derives from '&Ai, "illenee thai pare:n18 cannot 88.v,ecnildren nor can brothers aYe one ,anodte,rfrom 'the oonsequen.oo of their deeds.

195. In the EpUtk .10 YCUfJen.~ Maimonidea derives from ft biblical \'etee

that the Meuiah will 8ippear in ·1Ite land ,of IUBeI. 196. ]eremiaL attack. the pmfiteeJ8 and false prophru who, mblead the

peopJe wit;b promieel ·01 peace and pro8perhy. - 197. .Maimoniies .is weD Iware of lihe obtLacles in thew,ay of rationa1 COmclWliolU and truly impertant deci,iolUl. .

198. In MF HiWao. fUodri Im~TW'Gh 5:9, heseelU to take a hanher poution. ide.ntifyilll, the im:i idual who is reluctant to leave 88, a, q [duu:) mURIllo, Au wmil (PIOV. 26:1),., andnatnelhima~deliberate idolator.,"

199. The auurance gi,y,eplheobeervarll oonyCft aad Jew ·fineD ita parallel in the poaitioR afR. Judah Hal~(c. )075-1141) who~ altho,.. he depl.orea the choice 01 Jew. to live away froID the land of Inae), oolillendethat tb.e fuJftllment ofCodt. mwl, in exile earnl double reward" Kumri 1:114 •

. 200., Maimonidee does not concede the ript to lnmIpeaa and make peace with tho idea of continuing to live in "the provinces thai God ia, wroth with. "

20LSee rOftjiu (eel Zuck.ermandel). IT Bay. Kamma 7:,3. NUl· In the Ep--;",u. Itn"e--" · u ~:monidn d -·t - th'" '.; ,"t= "CJ 1I •• ..l~~ ,. , ~~ _ ,._. . I"!! .. _ ..... "" "'_ ... ~'IUU _ ,. _____ aell , . ... oppoe:l,on _ .. uua_m

aad it. followenfrom lh,e time or Ihe Re¥elation at Mi. Sinai. 203~ MaimoDidee taka the ve:me~ JloIiJ· 3.~19t £ro:m the penoaal ,confe.ion

of Job to refu to ·the people or luaeland their bi.troy. . 204.· BT IC.ebibbot 3b; aee£pis,k 10 Yenwn .