[Avodah] Truth and the Rambam

[David Riceman]

  I wrote:
>  3.  Truth:  I think the Rambam changed his mind about 
> TruthwithacapitalT between the time he wrote the introduction to ShM 
> and the time he wrote the MN.  At the earlier time he thought that 
> great metaphysical truths were embedded deep in the details of 
> halacha; by the later time he thought that they were to be found in 
> aggadta, and that halachot had general significance, but the minutae 
> of halachot did not.  Hence, for example, he casts aspersions on 
> "havayyot d'Abbaye v'Rava" in one of his letters.
I realize once again that I don't fully understand RMB's claim.  
According to the Rambam man's telos is the study of metaphysics (over 
Yom Tov I read the newly translated essay by Hermann Cohen which 
disputes this, but I find his evidence unconvincing).  Halacha is a 
means of setting up a community which enables that goal, and hence 
summarizing halacha in a way that will leave more time for the study of 
metaphysics is a contribution to man's telos.  The study of the minutae 
of halacha, except in a few incidental details, is not.

Incidentally the Zohar is a direct and detailed argument against this 
understanding of the role of halacha.

What's unclear to me is RMB's understanding of the Rambam's 
understanding of the relationship between halachic study and man's 
telos.  If halachic study is the search for Truth, is it an example of 
man's telos, or not?

David Riceman