Reading Maimonides' Mishneh Torah

by Gillis, David

• ISBN13: 9781802070330
• ISBN10: 1802070338
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2023-04-01
• Publisher: The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization in association with Liverpool University Press

Table of Contents

List of tables
Note on Transliteration
Note on Sources and Conventions

Introduction: A Portrait of the Artist
The Cosmic Model - Aggadah in Mishneh torah - Mishneh torah as Art: The History of an Idea - Defining Art - The Poet in Maimonides' Republic - Necessities and Literary Invention - Art as Imitatio Dei - Maimonides and Modern Literary Theory - Literary Models: Hebrew as Genre - Structures of the Commandments - Summary: Philosopher, Statesman, Artist

1. In God's Image
Two Scholars - Man as Microcosm - Man as Microcosm in the Guide of the Perplexed - Intellectual Virtue and Moral Virtue - Moral Virtue in Mishneh torah 1: Preparation for Intellectual Virtue - Moral Virtue's Two Phases in Mishneh torah - Self-Knowledge and the Knowledge of God - In Maimonides' Workshop - Virtue Ethics and Command Ethics: Abraham and Moses - Portrait of Perfection - Summary

2 The 'Great Thing' and the 'Small Thing': Mishneh torah as Microcosm
The Divide in Mishneh torah - How Many Spheres Make a Universe? - The Spheres and the Commandments - The Commandment as Form - From 'Knowledge That' to 'Knowledge Of' - Origin of the Commandments - Performance of the Commandments and Immortality - Fourteen - Some Contrasts - Summary

3 Emanation
Maimonides on Emanation - 'According to Greatness and Degree' - First and Second Intention - The Love-Awe Polarity - The Hierarchy of Holiness - The Flow of Form from the Book of Knowledge - The Sacrifice Paradox - Mikveh as Metaphor - Summary

4 Return
The Ladder of the Commandments and the Ladder of Prophecy - From Dystopia to Utopia - Loss and Restoration - Rationalizing the Commandments: Mishneh torah versus the Guide - Why Is 'Laws of Mourning' Where It Is? - Summary

5 From Theory to History, via Midrash: A Commentary on 'Laws of the Foundations of the Torah',
6: 9 and 7: 3 The Problem of 'Laws of the Foundations of the Torah', 6: 9 - How to Read - The Problem of 'Laws of the Foundations of the Torah', 7: 3 - Theory and History in the Prophet's Epiphany - Mishneh torah as Prophecy - Summary

6 Conclusion: Mishneh torah as Parable
The Lost Language of the Commandments - A Jacob's Ladder - Literary Devices - The Problem of Obsolescence - Silver and Gold

Appendix I: The Books and Sections of Mishneh torah
Appendix II: Philosophical Background
Outline of Neoplatonism - The World According to Alfarabi and Avicenna

Glossary
Bibliography
Index of Citations
Index of Subjects