[Avodah] Rambam and Elitisim, was Religion and Falsifiability

[Daniel Eidensohn]

R' Allen Gerstl wrote:
> The letter is addressed to a simple Jew in Baghdad who wrote Rambam 
> telling him that he is an Am Ha�aretz (an ignoramus), ...
>
> 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. 
>
> 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! ...
You are reading way too much into this letter. According to your view, 
how would the Rambam have written if he was an elitist? Do you think he 
would have discouraged someone from learning if he was incapable of 
being a genuine talmid chochom!?
 
It is also important to know the circumstances regarding this letter. 
Prof. Stitskin in his "Letters of Maimonides" says the following:

"At the time of Maimonides, the authority of the Gaonate had faded. Many 
of its adherents felt that the appearance of the great Code, the Mishneh 
Torah, by Maimonides would render a final blow to that authority. One of 
the vociferous spokesmen, who may have been motivated also by personal 
considerations, was the head of the Talmudic Academy of Baghdad, Samuel 
ben Ali. He allegedly attempted to challenge the trend and restore the 
authority of the Gaonate by discrediting the credentials of Maimonides 
as a Talmudic scholar and by accusing him of disbelief in many religious 
doctrines, such as resurrection. Samuel ben Ali was not only vocal in 
his bitter criticism of Maimonides but published rcsponsa and monographs 
in which he maligned his character and his halakhic competence. One of 
the staunchest supporters of Maimonides was a reIatively unknown 
resident of Baghdad, Ibn Gabir. He had studied the Commentary on the 
Mishnah which was written in Arabic but was unable to read the Mishneh 
Torah as it was written in Hebrew. But he was determined to answer the 
objection of Samuel ben Ali by challenging the latter's 
misrepresentations. In the following letter he put to Maimonides several 
direct questions which agitated the minds of the Jews of Baghdad, hoping 
thereby to respond intelligently to the criticism levelled against 
Maimonides and at the same time reveal the malicious motives of the 
critics. Accordingly, the reply of Maimonides reflects not only his 
rational approach to halakhic problems but his philosophy of learning as 
a continuous process of growth, which constitutes the highest 
commandment of Judaism. It was written in Cairo in 1191. "

Daniel Eidensohn