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Moshe ben Maïmon, plus couramment connu en français sous le nom de Moïse Maïmonide et référé dans la littérature juive par son acronyme HaRambam , est un rabbin séfarade du XIIe siècle , considéré comme l’une des plus éminentes autorités rabbiniques du Moyen Âge.

Talmudiste, commentateur de la Mishna, jurisconsulte et décisionnaire, il est l’auteur du Mishné Torah, l’un des plus importants codes de loi juive. Philosophe, métaphysicien et théologien, il entreprend comme son contemporain Averroès une synthèse entre la révélation et la vérité scientifique, laquelle est représentée de son temps par le système d’Aristote dans la version arabe d’Al-Fârâbî. Médecin de cour et astronome, il publie aussi des traités dans ces domaines qui accroissent son prestige parmi ses contemporains juifs et non juifs. Dirigeant de la communauté juive d’Égypte, il s’emploie à juguler l’influence du karaïsme et répond aux questions et requêtes de centres aussi éloignés que l’Irak et le Yémen. Il est cependant accueilli avec plus de circonspection voire d’hostilité en France et en Espagne, où ses écrits et son rationalisme sont sujets à controverse des siècles durant.

Il sera pour les uns un « second Moïse », ainsi que l’indique son épitaphe, et pour les autres un « hérétique excommunié ». Il est également l’une des rares autorités juives à avoir influencé les mondes arabo-musulman et chrétien, notamment Thomas d'Aquin, qui le surnomme « l’Aigle de la Synagogue ».

✵ 30. mars 1138 – 13. décembre 1204
Moïse Maïmonide photo
Moïse Maïmonide: 180 citations0 J'aime

Moïse Maïmonide: Citations en anglais

“Those who believe that… detailed rules originate in a certain cause, are as far from the truth as those who assume that the whole law is useless.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.26

“The so-called evils are evils only in relation to a certain thing, and that which is evil in relation to a certain existing thing, either includes the non-existence of that thing or the non-existence of some of its good conditions.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.10

“In short, the opinion of Aristotle is this: Everything is the result of management which is constant, which does not come to an end and does not change any of its properties, as e. g., the heavenly beings, and everything which continues according to a certain rule… But that which is not constant, and does not follow a certain rule… is due to chance and not to management; it is in no relation to Divine Providence. Aristotle holds that it is even impossible to ascribe to Providence that management of these things. …It is the belief of those who turned away from our Law and said: "God hath forsaken the earth."”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Ezek. ix. 9
Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.17

“An artisan busies himself with his work for three hours each day and spends nine hours in study.”

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Maimónides livre Mishneh Torah

Treatise 3: “The Study of the Torah,” Chapter 1, Section 12, H. Russell, trans. (1983), p. 52
Mishneh Torah (c. 1180)

“In so far as the soul is a force residing in the body; it has therefore been said that the properties of the soul depend of the condition of the body.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.12

“When [ Abraham ] the "Pillar of the World" appeared, he became convinced that there is a spiritual Divine Being, which is not a body, nor a force residing in a body, but is the author of the spheres and the stars; and he saw the absurdity of the tales in which he had been brought up. He therefore began to attack the belief of the Sabeans, to expose the falsehood of their opinions, and to proclaim publicly in opposition to them, "the name of the Lord, the God of the Universe" (Gen. xxi. 33), which proclamation included at the same time the Existence of God, and the Creation of the Universe by God.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.29

“Everything in the varying human affairs is due to chance, according to Aristotle, to the Divine Will alone according to the Ashariyah, to Divine Wisdom according to the Mu'tazilites, to the merits of man according to our opinion. It is therefore possible, according to the Ashariyah, that God inflicts pain on a good and pious man in this world, and eeps him forever in fire, which is assumed to rage in the world to come; they simply say it is the will of God. The Mu'tazilites would consider this an injustice, and therefore assume that every being, even an ant, that is stricken with pain, has compensation for it… and it is due to God's Wisdom, that a being is struck and afflicted in order to receive compensation. We, however, believe that all these human affairs are managed with justice; far be it from God to do wrong, to punish any one unless the punishment is necessary and merited. It is distinctly stated in the Law, that all is done in accordance with justice; and the words of our Sages generally express the same idea.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.17

“I find it expressed in various passages of Scripture that the fact that God knows things while in a state of possibility, when their existence belongs to the future, does not change the nature of the possible in any way; that nature remains unchanged; and the knowledge of the realisation of one of several possibilities does not yet effect that realisation. This is likewise one of the fundamental principles of the Law of Moses concerning which there is no doubt nor any dispute.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.20

“The theory that Divine Providence does not extend to man, and that there is no difference between man and other animals, implies very bad notions about God; it disturbs all social order, removes and destroys all the moral and intellectual virtues of man.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.17

“There is no difference whether a person stand at the centre of the earth or at the highest point of the ninth sphere… he is no further away from God in the one case, or nearer to Him in the other; those only approach Him who obtain a knowledge of Him; while those who remain ignorant of Him recede from Him. …I shall further elucidate… what constitutes the difference in our perception of God.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part I

“My opinion is this: the cause of the error of all these schools is their belief that God's knowledge is like ours; each school points to something withheld from our knowledge, and either assumes that the same must be the case in God's knowledge, or at least finds some difficulty how to explain it. …they likewise demonstrated… that our intellect and our knowledge are insufficient to comprehend the true idea of His essence. …they came to the absurd conclusion that that which is required for our knowledge is also required for God's knowledge.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.20

“The fact that laws were given to man, both affirmative and negative, supports the principle, that God's knowledge of future events does not change their character. The great doubt that presents itself to our mind is the result of the insufficiency of our intellect.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.20

“Teach your tongue to say "I do not know" and you will progress.”

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Maimónides

This is actually from the Talmud (Tractate Berachot 4a)
Misattributed

“God's knowledge extends to things not in existence, and includes also the infinite.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.20

“The fundamental imperative about idolatry was that worship was not to be paid to any created thing such as a messenger, a planet, a star, one of the four elements, or to anything produced from them.”

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Maimónides livre Mishneh Torah

Treatise 4: “Idolatry,” H. Russell, trans. (1983), p. 74
Mishneh Torah (c. 1180)

“The key to the understanding and to the full comprehension of all that the Prophets have said is found in the knowledge of the figures, their general ideas, and the meaning of each word they contain.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Introduction

“The prophet [ Isaiah ]… points out what will be the cause of this change; for he says that hatred, quarrel, and fighting will come to an end, because men will have a true knowledge of God. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters which cover the sea" (Isa. xi. ver. 9) Note it.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.11

“Third Theory.—According to this theory, there is nothing in the whole Universe… that is due to chance; everything is the result of will, intention, and rule. It is a matter of course that he who rules must know. The Mohametan Ashariyah adhere to this theory, notwithstanding evident absurdities implied in it. …The Ashariyah were therefore compelled to assume that motion and rest of living beings are predestined, and that it is not in the power of a man to do a certain thing or to leave it undone. …It follows also from this theory, that precepts are perfectly useless, since the people to whom any law is given… can neither do what they are commanded nor abstain from what they are forbidden. …According to this theory, it must also be assumed that the actions of God have no final cause. All these absurdities are admitted by the Ashariyah for the purpose of saving this theory.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.17

“Whatever form it has, it [matter] will be disposed to receive another form; it never leaves off moving and casting off the form which it has in order to receive another. …It is therefore clear that all corruption, destruction, or defect comes from matter.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.8

“A man shall not be full of laughter and mockery, nor sad and mournful, but joyful. … His desire shall not be so great that he rushes for wealth, nor shall he be lazy and refrain from working. But he shall live in contentment, have a modest occupation, and be occupied mainly with the Torah.”

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Maimónides

Source: Hilkhot De'ot (Laws Concerning Character Traits), Chapter 2, Section 7, p. 33

“Know that for the human mind there are certain objects of perception which are within the scope of its nature and capacity; on the other hand, there are, amongst things which actually exist, certain objects which the mind can in no way and by no means grasp: the gates of perception are closed against it. Further, there are things of which the mind understands one part, but remains ignorant of the other; and when man is able to comprehend certain things, it does not follow that he must be able to comprehend everything.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part I, p.106 (1881) Tr. Friedlander

“Every Israelite has a duty to study whether he is poor or rich, whether healthy or suffering, whether young or very old and in failing strength, even if he is poor and supported by charity or begs from door to door.”

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Maimónides livre Mishneh Torah

Treatise 3: “The Study of the Torah,” Chapter 1, Section 8, H. Russell, trans. (1983), p. 51
Mishneh Torah (c. 1180)

“No form remains permanently in a substance; a constant change takes place, one form is taken off and another is put on.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.8

“Some consider… all wants of the body as shame, disgrace, and defect to which they are compelled to attend; this is chiefly the case with the sense of touch, which is a disgrace to us according to Aristotle, and which is the cause of our desire for eating, drinking, and sensuality. Intelligent persons must, as much as possible, reduce these wants, guard against them, abstain from speaking of them, discussing them, and attending to them in company of others. Man must have control over all these desires, reduce them as much as possible, and only retain of them as much as is indispensable. His aim must be the aim of man as man, viz., the formation of ideas, and nothing else. The best and sublimest among them is the idea which man forms of God, angels, and the rest of the creation according to his capacity. Such men are always with God, and of them it is said, "Ye are princes, and all of you are children of the Most High."”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

(Ps. lxxxii. 6) This is man's task and purpose.
Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.8

“Men frequently think that the evils in the world are more numerous than the good things; many sayings and songs of the nations dwell on this idea. …Not only common people make this mistake, but even many who think they are wise.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.12

“Now I wonder what our knowledge has in common with God's knowledge according to those who treat God's knowledge… Is there anything else common to both besides the mere name? …there is an essential distinction between His knowledge and ours, like the distinction between the substance of the heavens and that of the earth.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.20

“In my larger work, the Mishnah Torah, I have contented myself with briefly stating the principles of our faith and its fundamental truths, together with such hints as approach a clear exposition. In this work, however, I address those who have studied philosophy and have acquired sound knowledge, and who while firm in religious matters are perplexed and bewildered on account of the ambiguous and figurative expressions employed in the holy writings.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Introduction

“An ignorant man believes that the whole universe only exists for him: as if nothing else required any consideration. If, therefore, anything happens to him contrary to his expectation, he at once concludes that the whole universe is evil. If, however, he would take into consideration the whole universe, form an idea of it, and comprehend what a small portion he is of the Universe, he will find the truth. There are many… passages in the books of the prophets expressing the same idea.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Maimonides provides examples here from (Ps. cxliv. 4), (Job xxv. 6 & iv. 19) and (Isa. xl. 15).
Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.12

“This gift… which God gave us in order to enable us to perfect ourselves, to learn and to teach, must not be employed in doing that which is for us most degrading and perfectly disgraceful… Those who employ the faculty of thinking and speaking in the service of that sense which is no honour to us, who think more than necessary of drink and love, or even sing of these things; they employ and use the divine gift in acts of rebellion against the Giver, and in transgression of his commandments.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.8

“The generation of Isaiah did not require the detailed description; his account, "I saw the Lord," &c., sufficed. The generation of the Babylonian exile wanted to learn all the details. …Isaiah was so familiar with it that he did not consider it necessary to communicate it to others as a new thing, especially as it was well known to the intelligent.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.6

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