A Maimonides Reader

Preface viii Introduction 1 MISHNEH TORAH Introduction 33 Maimonides' Introduction 35 Book One: Knowledge (Sefer ha-Madda) 42 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE TORAH 43 Chapter 1: 1-4, 6, 8-9, 12 Chapter 2: 1-2, 9-12 Chapter 4: 10-13 Chapter 5: 1-4, 11 MORAL DISPOSITIONS AND ETHICAL CONDUCT 51 Chapter 1 Chapter 2: 1-7 Chapter 3: 1, 3 Chapter 4: 1, 20, 23 Chapter 5: 1, 12-13 Chapter 6: 1-10 Chapter 7: 1, 5-8 STUDY OF THE TORAH 64 Chapter 1: 8-12 Chapter 3: 1-13 Chapter 5: 1, 4, 12-13 Chapter 6: 1, 3, 11 IDOLATRY AND THE ORDINANCES OF THE HEATHENS 71 Chapter 1 Chapter 11: 1, 12, 16 REPENTANCE 76 Chapter 3: 4 Chapter 5: 1-4 Chapter 7: 1-7 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Book Two: Adoration (Sefer Ahavah) 86 RECITATION OF THE SHEMA 87 Chapter 1: 1-4 PRAYER 88 Chapter 1: 1-6 Chapter 2: 1-3 Chapter 4: 1, 15-19 Chapter 9: 7 Chapter 11: 1, 4 Chapter 12: 1 Chapter 13: 1, 11 PHYLACTERIES 93 Chapter 1: 1-2 Chapter 4: 25-26 MEZUZAH 94 Chapter 5: 4 Chapter 6: 13 SEFER TORAH 95 Chapter 7: 1 Chapter 8: 4 Chapter 10: 10-11 BLESSINGS 97 Chapter 1: 1-5 Chapter 11: 2-3 CIRCUMCISION 99 Chapter 3: 7-8 Book Three: Seasons (Sefer Zemanim) 101 SABBATH 102 Chapter 2: 1-3 Chapter 21: 1 Chapter 24: 1-2, 4-5, 12-13 Chapter 30: 1-10, 15 REPOSE ON THE FESTIVALS 108 Chapter 6: 16-20 THE PALM BRANCH 109 Chapter 8: 12-15 SANCTIFICATION OF THE NEW MOON 111 Chapter 11: 1-6 Chapter 17: 25 Chapter 18: 14 Chapter 19: 13 FAST DAYS 113 Chapter 1: 1-3, 17 Chapter 4: 1-4 Chapter 5: 1-3, 9, 16, 19 READING OF THE MEGILLAH AND HANUKKAH 117 Chapter 2: 16-17 Chapter 3: 1-3 Chapter 4: 12-14 Book Five: Holiness (Sefer Kedushah) 120 FORBIDDEN INTERCOURSE 121 Chapter 14: 1-5 Chapter 19: 17 Chapter 22: 18-21 SLAUGHTERING 124 Chapter 1: 1, 4 Chapter 14: 16 Book Six: Asseverations (Sefer Hafla'ah) 126 OATHS 127 Chapter 1: 1, 4-5, 7 Chapter 5: 22 Chapter 11: 1-3, 14, 16-18 Chapter 12: 1-3, 7-8, 11-12 VOWS 131 Chapter 13: 23-25 NAZIRITESHIP 132 Chapter 10: 14 VALUATIONS AND THINGS VOTIVE 132 Chapter 8: 12-13 Book Seven: Seeds (Sefer Zeraim) 134 GIFTS TO THE POOR 135 Chapter 10: 1-19 SABBATICAL YEAR AND THE JUBILEE 139 Chapter 13: 12-13 Book Eight: Service (Sefer Avodah) 140 THE TEMPLE 142 Chapter 2: 1-2 Chapter 6: 16 THINGS PROHIBITED 143 Chapter 7: 11 DAILY OFFERINGS 144 Chapter 7: 11 TRESPASS 145 Chapter 8: 8 Book Nine: Sacrifices (Sefer Korbanot) 147 FESTAL OFFERINGS 147 Chapter 2: 14 Chapter 3: 1-6 SUBSTITUTE OFFERINGS 149 Chapter 4: 13 Book Ten: Purity (Sefer Tohorah) 151 UNCLEANNESS OF LEPROSY 152 Chapter 16: 10 UNCLEANNESS OF FOODSTUFFS 153 Chapter 16: 12 IMMERSION POOLS 154 Chapter 11: 12 Book Eleven: Torts (Sefer Nezikin) 155 THEFT 156 Chapter 1: 1-2, 10 Chapter 5: 1 Chapter 7: 1-3, 8, 12 Chapter 8: 1, 3-4, 20 ROBBERY AND LOST PROPERTY 158 Chapter 1: 1-4, 9-13 Chapter 5: 1, 9-14 Chapter 11: 1, 13, 17 Chapter 13: 1, 8-9 WOUNDING AND DAMAGING 163 Chapter 1: 1, 5-6 Chapter 3: 5-7 Chapter 5: 1-2, 9-10, 13 Chapter 8: 9-11 MURDER AND PRESERVATION OF LIFE 166 Chapter 1: 4 Chapter 4: 8-9 Chapter 13: 1-4, 13-14 Book Twelve: Acquisitions (Sefer Kinyan) 170 SALES 171 Chapter 14: 12-18 Chapter 18: 1-3 Chapter 22: 1, 15-17 ORIGINAL ACQUISITIONS AND GIFTS 174 Chapter 12: 17 NEIGHBORS 174 Chapter 12: 5, 13-14 Chapter 14: 5 SLAVES 175 Chapter 1: 7, 9 Chapter 8: 10-11 Chapter 9: 8 Book Thirteen: Judgments (Sefer Mishpatim) 178 HIRING 179 Chapter 1: 1-2, 5 Chapter 12: 1-3, 14 Chapter 13: 6-7 CREDITOR AND DEBTOR 182 Chapter 1: 1, 3 Chapter 2: 1-4 Chapter 4: 7 PLEADING 186 Chapter 16: 9-10 INHERITANCE 187 Chapter 6: 11-13 Chapter 11: 1, 12 Book Fourteen: Judges (Sefer Shofetim) 189 SANHEDRIN 190 Chapter 1: 1, 3 Chapter 2: 1-7 Chapter 3: 7-10 Chapter 4: 1, 2, 11 Chapter 12: 3 Chapter 18: 6 Chapter 20: 6-12 Chapter 21: 1-11 Chapter 22: 4 Chapter 23: 1-10 Chapter 24: 5-4, 10 Chapter 25: 1-3 Chapter 26: 1 EVIDENCE 206 Chapter 10: 1 Chapter 11: 1-3 REBELS 207 Chapter 1: 1-5 Chapter 2: 4 Chapter 3: 1-3 Chapter 6: 1, 7-8 MOURNING 211 Chapter 1: 1-2 Chapter 4: 1-2 Chapter 13: 1-4, 10-12 Chapter 14: 1-7 KINGS AND WARS 215 Chapter 1: 1-2 Chapter 2: 6 Chapter 3: 1, 5-6 Chapter 4: 1, 10 Chapter 5: 9-12 Chapter 7: 1-5, 15 Chapter 8: 10-13 Chapter 9: 1 Chapter 11: 1-4 Chapter 12: 1-5 GUIDE OF THE PERPLEXED Introduction 231 Epistle Dedicatory 234 Part One 236 INTRODUCTION CHAPTERS 1, 2, 17, 27, 31-35, 54, 59, 71 Part Two 278 CHAPTERS 13-16, 25, 27, 29, 31, 39-40 Part Three 297 INTRODUCTION CHAPTERS 8, 12, 24, 26-32, 34-36, 51-54 OTHER WRITINGS Eight Chapters 361 Commentary on the Mishnah, Avot 387 Helek: Sanhedrin, Chapter Ten 401 Book of Commandments 424 Epistle to Yemen 437 Letter on Astrology 463 Occasional Letters 474 LETTER TO OBADIAH THE PROSELYTE 475 LETTER TO AN INQUIRER 477 LETTER TO HASDAY HA-LEVI 477 LETTER TO JOSEPH IBN GABIR 478 LETTER TO THE RABBIS OF LUNEL 481 Suggestions for further reading 483 Index 491