Scientific scholar

In this biography, manuscripts and letters from the Cairo Geniza reveal Maimonides's more personal side.

By JJ LEVINE
Maimonides book 88 224 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Maimonides book 88 224
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Maimonides: The Life and World of One of Civilization's Greatest Minds By Joel L. Kraemer Doubleday 640 pages; $35 Joel Kraemer's biography of Maimonides is a fascinating showcase of the wealth of material discovered in recent years about the great thinker's life, including letters and writings in the "Great Eagle's" own handwriting. Indeed, the biography excels when it focuses on allowing its subject and his contemporaries to tell their own story, in their own words, giving the flavor of the medieval Mediterranean culture that was inextricably interwoven with the Rambam's thinking. The reason so much has been preserved from this unique period is the almost miraculous discovery of the Cairo Geniza, a trove of hundreds of thousands of documents discovered in Fustat, Cairo, in a synagogue a short walk from the house Maimonides had lived in. The documents that were retrieved from the Geniza following its discovery in the late 19th century included manuscripts from some of Maimonides's seminal works, including the Mishne Torah, his encyclopedic halachic compendium; his philosophical masterpiece, The Guide for the Perplexed; and even personal letters sent to friends and family, marked with the master's own signature. It is these letters that Kraemer, professor emeritus at the University of Chicago and one of the world's leading scholars on Maimonides, uses to reveal the personal side of Maimonides. Among the letters is a revealing response to the tragedy of the Rambam's brother, who perished at sea while attempting to secure the family's fortunes. We hear about the political rivalries Maimonides was involved in, including a dispute with an amorphous character identified as "Zuta the Wicked," who used his influence with the sultan's court to challenge the Rambam and his allies in the Egyptian rabbinate. We learn of his travels from Cordoba, Spain, where he was born in 1135, to Morocco, and then on to the Land of Israel and finally Egypt, fleeing the persecution of Islamic fundamentalists who had come to power in those domains. He died in Cairo in 1204. Indeed, the discussion of Maimonides's connection with the Islamic world is one of the most important contributions of this biography, showing a very complex web of interactions, ranging from persecution to intense involvement in Cairo politics. Islam affected his philosophical orientation, with the great Muslim thinker al-Farabi playing a central role in the Guide, but also forced him to be careful with his words, with the full knowledge that anything that was interpreted as a challenge to Islam could endanger both him and the entire community. But other connections are more subtle. For example, Kraemer notes the intensive focus on biblical quotations and interpretation in the Guide for the Perplexed, which is striking when compared to the study of the French Tosafists or the Babylonian Geonim, who focused on Talmud study or halachic decisions. Kraemer relates this to the emphasis placed by both the Jewish and gentile educational systems in the Muslim world on scriptural study, especially rote memorization. The verses from Job that Maimonides would have expected his readers to recognize immediately might well have been unfamiliar to even the foremost Talmud scholars in Christian lands. More importantly, Maimonides expected, and indeed required, familiarity with philosophic and scientific texts, ranging from Aristotle to the medicinal writings of Galen and the works of Greek astronomers. His commitment to scientific study extended far beyond the requirements of his profession as one of the foremost physicians in Egypt. Rather, he considered the acquisition of a broad range of knowledge key to true enlightenment. Until the discoveries of the Geniza, the Rambam's positions on these matters could be considered only on the theoretical level, but with the revelations of his correspondence we gain an insight into how these concepts related to his daily life. We hear of a communal leader struggling daily to fulfill his medical duties at the Cairo court, returning home to be greeted by petitioners - both Jew and gentile - seeking audience, inundated by correspondence on practical and spiritual matters, and ending the day completely exhausted, bemoaning the lack of opportunity for his true love, philosophical discourse. We even read a candid letter to a close friend speaking of his struggle in controlling his irascible nature; while that trait may be obvious to the reader of many of Maimonides's flaming correspondences, it is fascinating to see an original document showing how he thought of himself in that regard. There are many challenges in writing about a multifaceted personality such as the Rambam. Such a biography requires much attention to the relative place given to historical background, philosophical discussion, halachic discourse and others. In that regard, there may be room to question Kraemer's choices, with sometimes overwhelmingly detailed discussions of the historical circumstances or extensive overviews of the Rambam's writings leaving the reader to lose track of the book's narrative. Also, Kraemer's style can be choppy - while generally maintaining an objective, academic stance, he at times waxes poetic and at other points launches into inappropriate editorializing relating the Rambam's work to current issues. Still, the bulk of this biography is dedicated to unearthing the complexities and colors of the Rambam's life. One hopes that this book will lead to an interest in the great master's works among those who are not yet acquainted with them, and, among those who have already learned to cherish his works, to a deeper understanding of "one of civilization's greatest minds."