The Wisdom of Maimonides: The Life and Writings of the Jewish Sage

by Edward Hoffman

Here is an accessible introduction to the life and wisdom of the famous twelfth-century philosopher-physician Moses Maimonides, whose prolific writings on medical and religious issues, commentaries on Jewish texts, and writings on Jewish ethics and law profoundly influenced Judaism.

The Wisdom of Maimonides includes a biography; a section of selected teachings drawn from Maimonides' major works The Guide for the Perplexed and the Mishneh Torah , as well as his other writings; and tales about Maimonides' colorful life as a court physician and rabbinic leader.

Genres: Jewish, Philosophy, Judaism

172 pages, Paperback

First published May 13, 2008

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Reviews

[Brandon Bier]

A great biographical sketch of the Rambam and his teachings. The only downside was that the teachings were stated without exposition, often jumping from topic to topic with no unifying theme.

[S. Berk]

An accessible source containing the advice of Maimonides on key moral issues and various day-to-day matters (meditation, eating habits, relations with one’s teachers or students, coping with bad dreams, avoiding arrogance, maintaining dignity, dealing with depression, etc.) The book doesn’t aim to critically engage with the thought of Maimonides, but it successfully summarizes his practical recommendations in a direct and concise way, taken from his large corpus of written work.

[Joe]

A nice introduction to a great medieval Jewish thinker and physician.

[Erika]

I read this during my visit to Tom and Sophie in Cambridge

[Paul]

Nice little introduction to the work of Moses Maimonides, medieval Jewish philosopher, teacher, ethicist and physician. There appears to be strong humanistic element to his work,

[Lisa]

Great introduction to Maimonides' life and teachings in a well-organized format. I recommend it highly.