RaMBa”M). Mishneh Torah (Yad ha-Chazakah). [“The Strong Hand”- Rabbinic code]. With commentaries of R. Abraham ben David of Posquières (RAVa”D), Magid Mishneh, Hagahoth Maimoni’oth, Migdal Oz and Perush Hilchoth Kidush ha-Chodesh by R. Obadiah ben David

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE EDITION. ONLY ONE COMPLETE COPY EXTANT IN PRIVATE HANDS. Maimonides’ Rabbinic Code: Categorized into fourteen groups and hence known as the “Yad (=14) Hachazaka”, the work forms the first complete classification of the Mosaic and rabbinical laws. Each group constitutes a book, and each book is subdivided into sections, chapters, and paragraphs. Maimonides’ sources include the Babylonian Talmud, the Jerusalem Talmud, the Halachic Midrashim, and the Sifra, Sifrè and Mechilta. With this, he surpassed all his predecessors, none of whom made such extensive use of the Jerusalem Talmud and Halachic Midrashim. On occasion, Maimonides gives preference to these works rather than to the Babylonian Talmud. There are many regulations and laws contained in the Mishneh Torah which are not mentioned in Talmudic or Midrashic works; the search for Maimonide’ sources continues to this day. Maimonides deviated from custom in his choice of language, preferring the Hebrew of the Mishnah, to Aramaic, the customary Talmudic idiom. As soon as it appeared, the Mishneh Torah was met with controversy and Maimonides was accused of wishing to destroy all study of the Talmud. Scorn was also heaped upon him for his deliberate omission of sources. Maimonides responded to these challenges by stressing that his desire was only to supply a Code necessary lest pupils weary of the difficult study of Talmud and go astray from the immediate importance of practical decision-making. Maimonides’ omission of sources was due solely to his desire for brevity and expressed regret that he had not written a supplementary work citing authorities pertaining to those Halachoth whose sources were not evident from the context. * R. Abraham ben David of Posquières (RAVa”D) Commentary: Born in Provence, France, about 1125, the Talmudic commentator Abraham ben David of Posquières (RAVa”D) was a harsh critic of Maimonides’s Code. In his opinion, a legal code which did not state the sources and authorities from which its decisions were derived, and offered no proofs of the correctness of its statements, was entirely unreliable, for this made it difficult, if not impossible, for scholars to verify his statements,and compelled them to follow his decisions blindly. Such a Code could only be justified if written by a man claiming infallibility. If it had been the intention of Maimonides to stem the further development of the study of the Talmud by reducing it to the form of a Code, the RAVa”D felt it his duty to oppose such an attempt, as contrary to the free spirit of rabbinical Judaism. His detailed critical commentary to the Mishneh Torah, rejects Maimonides’ rulings point by point. The RAVa”D is particularly severe in ferreting out Maimonides’ attempts to inject personal philosophic views under cover of Talmudic passages. RAVa”D’s criticism is skilfully presented, his comments are seldom more than a few lines in length and evince his remarkable command of the entire Talmudic literature, the extraordinary breadth of his intellect and phenomenal critical powers. The fact this commentary is incorporated into this edition of the Mishneh Torah is testimony to the freedom of thought that characterizes Jewish scholarship. Indeed, this edition contains Shem Tov ibn Gaon’s Migdal Oz that subsequently rejects RAVa”D’s views and in turn defends Maimonides. On the controversies surrounding Maimonides and his Mishneh Torah, see M. Carmilly-Weinberger, Censorship and Freedom of Expression in Jewish History (1977), pp. 27-36. For a detailed discussion comparing this 1509 to other Maimonides editions - especially the Hagahoth Maimoni’oth which are much more extensive with substantial differences, see the introduction by Prof. S.Z. Havlin to the facsimile edition (1973)