Abstract
This article focuses on one of the central issues in Moses Maimonides' Jewish philosophy: the quest for the rationale of the commandments. Maimonides regards this quest as religiously obligatory. However, on two occasions he points to diverging scriptural evidence to underline his claim. By juxtaposing the two different scriptural proofs adduced by Maimonides, his use of hermeneutics in the service of philosophy is exposed in the inner precincts of Judaism: in regard to Judaism's particularistic law. In terms of spiritual leadership, Maimonides' dual scriptural approach enables him to bring his philosophical message home to different audiences.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | European Journal of Jewish Studies |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - 2019 |
Keywords
- Jewish law (halakhah)
- Moses Maimonides
- hermeneutics
- medieval Jewish philosophy
- rationale of the commandments
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Cultural Studies
- History
- Religious studies
- Literature and Literary Theory