Customer Reviews

The Guide of the Perplexed, Vol. 2

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No one can deny that the Guide is the most important single work in the history of Jewish philosophy. Until this translation appeared it was available either in the original Arabic, a medieval Hebrew translation (difficult even for native Hebrew speakers) or in an unacceptable English translation (Friedlander). This translation is wonderful and if at times it is difficult it is because it tries to copy the ambiguities of the original. The only thing I could say against the edition is that the introductions of Pines (somewhat) and Strauss (totally) are idiosyncratic and not so helpful for the reader who does not share their views on Maimonides/

Vol. I, part 1

The "guide" is a key to unlock doors (why would this be so hidden from us?). "This will be a key permitting one to enter places the gates to which were locked." All difficulties will not be removed though. The "guide" will help clear doubt and difficulty with bible passages, help us discern between the literal and the figurative, and help in finding the meaning in the parables.

I am now less perplexed, although have more questions. Maimonides, through his great mind, takes us into a spiritual journey of the Old Testament. Bringing forth his and the Sages interpretation of the intentions behind the bibles original early writings; it's prophetic revelation. Moses was a Jew who lived in the twelfth century. I presume he was considered one of the Sages, (men of knowledge; clarify all that is obscure) for he refers to them often. He also compares Aristotle's thinking amidst certain chapters. But he allows himself to fall into Aristotle's and other philosopher's world views. This wonderful book cannot be just read, for it demands study to be fully absorbed.

I read volume II first; this can be done, but I don't recommend it. A large part of this book is donated to "how to use the guide" and Maimonides philosophic influences. The book is divided into seventy-six short progressing chapters. Each one blends well into the next, ensuring he is well understood. This is the newest translation. It helps correct the Aramaic and Hebrew verses wrongly translated by others. Not a book written by a philosopher-but "a Jewish book written by a Jew for Jews"; for the two are not compatible. The "guide" is donated to understanding the "secrets of the Law": Secret teaching for the elite, public teaching for the vulgar (ignorant); so like the bible, the "guide" is meant for beginners and expert (more so) alike. The "guide" liberates us from the perplexities of understanding the bible only according to its literal meaning.

Moses' deliberate learned self-contradiction may seam to disrupt the flow; it does not. Paganism, magic, and superstitions must be removed, allowing for real scientific knowledge. At times he goes off on tangents, after misdirecting us, then eventually gets back on track. I find him to be not always forthright. He was just a man--an amazing man. We must also pick up our bibles along with a good concordance, for Maimonides denied our Lord Jesus Christ.


Vol. II, part 2 and 3

The book is divided into fifty four short progressing chapters. Each one blends well into the next, making sure he is well understood. Some major areas that are dwelt upon: The spheres, forces, motion, matter, governance, world created in time; Angels; overflow; eternity of the world; prophets; Will; Idolatry; providence; Evil; Laws; perfection; wisdom...

God is very near to everyone who calls,
If he calls truly and has no distractions;
He is found by every seeker who searches for Him,
If he marches toward Him and goes not astray.

Wish you well
Scott

Rambam knocks me over. This is an amazing work. This is one of the most important books in any language. This translation by Pines is excellent, clear, simple, unobtrusive, and has just the right small amount of clarifying notes.

The Guide clearly should be studied with others. I would like to discuss each chapter with other people as we read (and maybe re-read) them. My email address is my firstnamelastname at yahoo dot com.

The reasons for reading this work are limited. One is that you are studying Maimonides' thought, another that you are studying medieval religion, and so on. But if you really want to know what Judaism means or what the Pentateuch means, this work has limited usefulness.

I have to admit that my viewpoint was prejudiced by reading Strauss' introduction in Volume 1. He makes excruciatingly clear that Maimonides was an Aristotelian. Maimonides believed that there is no way to understand Pentateuch unless you have first studied the science of nature which to him means Aristotle and nothing else. On the face of it this is false. Judaism developed and the Pentateuch was put into writing before Aristotle was ever born or thought of, and generations of Jews operated their culture before Aristotle, and without knowing any of his work after it became available. In fact Greek philosophy was prohibited reading for a long time. That's why the Guide won't really tell you as much about Judaism as it does about Maimonides.

That's aside from the fact that Aristotelian science is a dead letter now. What you will find when you get to this volume (2) is that the Mutakallim, against whom Maimonides argues, were right about some things that Aristotle got wrong; they were atomists and believed that a vacuum could exist. The technology to decide these issues as physics didn't exist in Maimonides' time, and even scientific method was half a millennium in the future.

I have to wonder about the student Joseph to whom the work is addressed. Maimonides apparently felt he was intelligent enough to understand the Maaseh Breshit and Maaseh Merkavah, and only lacked the necessary Aristotelian viewpoint. Joseph didn't stay with Maimonides long enough to study Aristotle with him and the work is an attempt to supply alternative training with the caveat that without actually knowing Aristotle, Joseph is just going to have to accept Maimonides' authority as to the meaning. Maybe Joseph was like me: he realized that Judaism and Pentateuch are older than Aristotle and therefore unrelated; and he wasn't willing to just accept the authority of somebody who will only teach from that untenable position. Whatever the reason, he disappeared into history and we don't even know if he ever read the Guide written specifically for him.

I think there are also problems with the translation, or else Maimonides chose to import meanings into Hebrew that it doesn't properly bear. A discussion in Volume 1 about the Hebrew verb "qum" seems to ignore the structure of the Hebrew verb system, and uses examples of "haqimoti" as if they meant physically standing upright, when that verb form actually means "establish"; the discussion fails to reflect this definition. The root does not determine the meaning of the verb, it only relates it to a conjugational paradigm. Maimonides uses this verb in a series of discussions explaining away the anthropomorphisms in Pentateuch.

The original text is available free online, so is ibn Tibbon's Hebrew translation and an English translation. It's up to you to decide what you can use the Guide for and whether you want to accept the authority of the translator as correctly representing what Maimonides said, or of Maimonides as a commentator on the Pentateuch.