28 Jan RAMBAM’S FAILED VOW

Great thinkers convince
people and do not try
to intimidate them. In
the introduction to his
Guide for the Perplexed,
Rambam issues a command
to the reader, invoking
G-d’s name. This demand is puzzling on two
levels. First, it fails as a command because
it does not bind readers. Second, it has been
repeatedly ignored by Torah sages throughout
the generations. What did Rambam write and
what did he mean? Different solutions have
been offered to this strange puzzle.
In his introductory remarks to the Guide,
Rambam writes: ”I demand (mashbi’a), in
G-d’s name, of anyone who reads this book of
mine, not to explain even a single word nor to
explain to others except what is explicit and
clear in the words of previous, famous Torah
sages. He must not teach others anything that
he understands from it that has not been said by
our famous sages. Nor may he be quick to raise
objections against me because it is possible that
what he understands from my words is different
from what I intended. He will cause me injury
in response to my desire to cause him good; he
will return evil for good.”

Rambam makes readers swear (mashbi’a)
two things: 1) not to explain anything in the
Guide that is original or even just not explicit
in the writings of prior generations and 2) not
to critique him for saying things that he did not
mean. We can only speculate as to the reasons
for this. Perhaps Rambam wanted people to read
the Guide at their own level, finding meaning
appropriate to their level of scholarship. Or
maybe he did not want to risk commentators
putting words into his mouth that he did not say.
Regardless, this vow is astounding on multiple
levels. You cannot bind someone to a vow
without his consent. Just because Rambam
says he is binding people to the vow does not
mean it actually binds us because we do not
necessarily consent to it. Rambam himself, in
his great halachic work Mishneh Torah, writes
that one person is not bound by another’s vow
unless he responds “Amen” (Hilchos Shevu’os
5:2). Additionally, people have been writing
commentaries to the Guide ever since it was
published. Not only does Rambam forbid
commentaries, he also forbids teaching classes
or even individuals about the Guide. Perhaps the
first question answers the second. The vow is not
binding and that is why people felt comfortable
explaining the Guide. If so, why did Rambam

bother issuing that warning when he certainly
knew it was not binding? Rambam, in that very
introduction, notes how carefully he worded
and structured the Guide. Where is the care in
writing this seemingly, but not really, binding
vow?
II. Curses and Approbations
Rav Moshe Hagiz (18th cen., Amsterdam) was
asked about this by someone who wanted to
teach the deep meanings within the Guide. Is
he allowed to do so, since he never consented
to Rambam’s vow? Rav Hagiz explains that
Rambam is not invoking a vow but rather a
decree, a cherem. Effectively, Rambam curses
with a cherem anyone who would explain the
Guide. Rav Hagiz was careful himself to abide
by this command and cautions others to do so,
as well (Responsa Shtei Ha-Lechem, no. 35).
More recently, Rav Chaim David Halevi (20th
cen., Israel) was asked the same question in
1986 and rejects Rav Hagiz’s explanation
because only a community or its leader can issue
a decree, not an individual (Aseh Lecha Rav,
vol. 8, no. 54). Rather, Rav Halevi suggests that
Rambam was harshly expressing his desire and
request of readers. There is no actual prohibition
in explaining the Guide but it violates the great
author’s wishes.
It is unclear to me why Rav Halevi so quickly
dismisses Rav Hagiz’s view. I compare
this to the purpose of publishing rabbinic
approbations for a book of Torah scholarship.
Reportedly, the first work to be published
with a rabbinic approbation was Sefer
Ha-Agur, by Rav Ya’kov Landau. It was
published in 1486 with an approbation at the
end by Rav Nesanel Ben Levi of Jerusalem.
This approbation informs potential readers
that the work is worthy of their time and
money. With the publication explosion due
to the relatively recent innovations with the
printing press, consumers needed a way to
identify worthy works of Torah scholarship.
In 1517, Rav Eliyahu Levitas published his
classic grammar work, Sefer Ha-Bachur. In
the 1518 edition, he added an approbation
from three prominent rabbis in Rome
forbidding others from violating the author’s
copyright. They declare that anyone who
republishes the book without the author’s
permission or who buys such a forbidden
publication is subject to a curse of cherem.
Effectively, Rambam — who wrote the Guide
at the end of his life when he was one of
the most prominent rabbis in the world —
published his own approbation in which he
admonishes readers not to misuse the book.
This was, indeed, a cherem of the sort later
used to protect authors’ copyrights.
III. Making Many Books, There Is No End
We are left with the question of how
great Torah sages have, in fact, published
commentaries explaining the Guide,
sometimes themselves with approbations.
More recently, Rav Shlomo Aviner

(cont., Israel) has published three volumes
of commentary on the first two sections of
the Guide and Dr. Yochai Makbili heads a
religious team of translators and commentators
who published the excellent Mifal Mishneh
Torah edition of the Guide which is full of
commentary intended for a popular audience.
Additionally, many great Torah sages
throughout the generations include citations
and explanations of idea from the Guide within
their independent works. How can they do this,
contrary to Rambam’s explicit instruction not
to do so?
Rav Avraham Kook (20th cen., Israel) says that
Rambam objected to people teaching obscure
ideas from the Guide. If something is already
well-known, it does not fall under Rambam’s
vow. What is obscure and what is common
knowledge varies by time and place. Over
the centuries, what was groundbreaking and
perhaps shocking in Rambam’s time became
commonplace. Therefore, the vow no longer
prevents us from discussing and exploring
Rambam’s views (Iggeros Ha-Ra’ayah 2:414).
On one level, this seems a bit unsavory. Because
others violated Rambam’s instruction and
publicized his views, we can now discuss them
publicly? We are benefitting from their bad faith
actions. On the other hand, what point is there
in trying to keep a secret that is well-known?
Additionally, even without Rambam, as these
philosophical ideas gained traction through
other thinkers, Rambam’s views became more
publicly palatable.
Rav Ya’akov Ariel (cont., Israel) adds that there
are commentaries of the Guide which attribute
to Rambam a variety of non-traditional beliefs.
They violated the second part of Rambam’s vow
by suggesting that he denies creation, miracles
and the uniqueness of the Jewish people. There
seems to be no end to the outrageous “hidden
beliefs” some claim to find in the Guide, which
can mislead people who are searching for faith
in this confusing age. Therefore, there is a need
to properly explain the Guide in order to dispel
these false claims about his beliefs. This is in
addition to the need for Rambam’s thought to
serve as a guide for us today. Rambam continues
in his introduction that his justification for
writing the Guide are the verse “It is time to
act for the Lord for they have voided Your law”
(Ps. 119:26) and the rabbinic saying “Let all
your actions be done for the sake of Heaven.”
Rav Ariel says that these apply today to those
who explain the Guide in a traditional way
(quoted in Rav Yonason Blass, Mi-Nofes Tzuf,
vol. 1, p. 18).