[Avodah] Rambam and Elitisim, was Religion and Falsifiability

[Allen Gerstl]

On Wed, 24 Oct 2007 05:53:28 -0400
R' Micha Berger <micha at aishdas.org>
Wrote: Subject: Re: [Avodah] Religion and Falsifiability

On Wed, Oct 24, 2007 at 05:06:36AM -0400, david guttmann wrote:
: RDR said:
:>If I can translate, RMB says it would make him question, not the Torah, 
but
:> how we implement it today.
...
: Not necessarily. See the introduction to pirush Hamishna of the Rambam 
(page
: 23 in the Kapach edition)...
: His famous twofold answer follows :All people exist to prepare the
: environment and serve the few Ovdei Hashem and second to keep company to 
the
: few savants...

>I find this Rambam exceedingly difficult.
                                         .        .           .
>Each person...still has to live as to become one of those few... But the 
>Rambam does not change >the basic premise that few do get it right, few are 
>true ovedei Hashem, who "implement the >Torah" correctly. And the rest of 
>us are obligated to try joining that few. The
>need for the rest of us to rethink our implementation of "keeping the
>Torah" is still there.

Please see this reference to a letter by the Rambam to a simple sincere 
person that is cited on R' David Guttman's blog. It shows the Rambam's 
warmth of personality and, IMO,  his inclusion of a much wider circle of 
people within his definition of those who are ovedei Hasham.

See:
http://yediah.blogspot.com/2007/04/was-rambam-elitist.html

Thursday, April 19, 2007
Was Rambam an elitist?

... I decided to post what I find an interesting excerpt of a letter on page 
408 in R. Shailat’s edition of Rambam letters.

The letter is addressed to a simple Jew in Baghdad who wrote Rambam telling 
him that he is an Am Ha’aretz (an ignoramus), that he is working very hard 
on his learning Rambam’s commentary on the Mishna (written originally in 
Arabic) and that he has difficulty learning Mishne Torah because it is in 
Hebrew (Lashon Mishna). He asks Rambam among other things to advise him 
about learning.

Rambam answers him:

"First know that you are not an Am Ha’aretz! You are my pupil and beloved as 
is anyone that is endeavoring to cleave to learning Torah whether he 
understands one verse or one Halacha, whether in Hebrew, Arabic or Aramaic. 
The purpose of learning is to understand the subject in any language; after 
all reading of Shema is permitted in any language how much more the 
commentaries.  ...

Generally you are my brother God will help you and you will acquire 
perfection and be successful in two worlds."

R' Guttman continues:

I find this letter very uplifting. It puts to rest the accusation of an 
elitist Rambam. He was elitist in the sense of having expectations for 
constant self-improvement but he saw it as a universal capability. Everyone 
has the ability to grow! I also find fascinating the importance Rambam gave 
to his great work. He really had a realistic view of what he had 
accomplished and his own self worth. He did not indulge in false modesty. It 
is a trait we find in all his writings. He was a real Anav - more on this at 
another occasion

Truly inspiring!

KT
Eliyahu