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Moshe ben Maïmon, plus couramment connu en français sous le nom de Moïse Maïmonide et référé dans la littérature juive par son acronyme HaRambam , est un rabbin séfarade du XIIe siècle , considéré comme l’une des plus éminentes autorités rabbiniques du Moyen Âge.

Talmudiste, commentateur de la Mishna, jurisconsulte et décisionnaire, il est l’auteur du Mishné Torah, l’un des plus importants codes de loi juive. Philosophe, métaphysicien et théologien, il entreprend comme son contemporain Averroès une synthèse entre la révélation et la vérité scientifique, laquelle est représentée de son temps par le système d’Aristote dans la version arabe d’Al-Fârâbî. Médecin de cour et astronome, il publie aussi des traités dans ces domaines qui accroissent son prestige parmi ses contemporains juifs et non juifs. Dirigeant de la communauté juive d’Égypte, il s’emploie à juguler l’influence du karaïsme et répond aux questions et requêtes de centres aussi éloignés que l’Irak et le Yémen. Il est cependant accueilli avec plus de circonspection voire d’hostilité en France et en Espagne, où ses écrits et son rationalisme sont sujets à controverse des siècles durant.

Il sera pour les uns un « second Moïse », ainsi que l’indique son épitaphe, et pour les autres un « hérétique excommunié ». Il est également l’une des rares autorités juives à avoir influencé les mondes arabo-musulman et chrétien, notamment Thomas d'Aquin, qui le surnomme « l’Aigle de la Synagogue ».

✵ 30. mars 1138 – 13. décembre 1204
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Moïse Maïmonide: 180   citations 0   J'aime

Moïse Maïmonide: Citations en anglais

“Scripture says:—If a man should rise, pretend to be a prophet, and show you his signs by which he desired to convince you that his words are true, know that God intends thereby to prove to the nations how firmly you believe in the truth of God's Word, and how well you have comprehended the true Essence of God; that you cannot be misled by any tempter to corrupt your faith in God. Your religion will then afford a guidance to all who seek the truth, and of all religions man will choose that which is so firmly established that it is not shaken by the performance of a miracle. For a miracle cannot prove that which is impossible; it is useful only as a confirmation of that which is possible, as we have explained in our Mishneh-torah.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.24

“You will not find it strange that I mention the explanation of Jonathan, son of Uzziel, whilst I give a different explanation myself; for you will find many of the wise men and the commentators differ from him in the interpretation of some words and in many things respecting the prophets. Why should it be otherwise in these profound matters? Besides, I do not decide in favour of my interpretation. It is for you to learn both—the whole of his explanation, from what I have pointed out to you, and also my own explanation. God knoweth which of the two explanations is in accordance with that which the prophet intended to say.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.4

“It is natural for a man's character and actions to be influenced by his friends and associates and for him to follow the local norms of behavior. Therefore, he should associate with the righteous and be constantly in the company of the wise, so as to learn from their deeds. Conversely, he should keep away from the wicked who walk in darkness, so as not to learn from their deeds.”

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Maimónides

Source: Hilkhot De'ot (Laws Concerning Character Traits), Chapter 6, Section 1

“There shall always be much silence in a man's conduct. He shall speak only about a matter concerned with wisdom or matters that are necessary to keep his body alive.”

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Maimónides

Source: Hilkhot De'ot (Laws Concerning Character Traits), Chapter 2, Section 4, p. 32

“We suffer from the evils which we, by our own free will, inflict on ourselves and ascribe them to God, who is far from being connected with them!”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.12

“Know that the difficulties which lead to confusion in the question what is the purpose of the Universe or of any of its parts, arise from two causes: first, man has an erroneous idea of himself, and believes that the whole world exists only for his sake; secondly, he is ignorant both about the nature of the sublunary world, and about the Creator's intention to give existence to all beings whose existence is possible, because existence is undoubtedly good.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.25

“Even the existence of this corporeal element, low as it in reality is, because it is the source of death and all evils, is likewise good for the permanence of the Universe and the continuation of the order of things, so that one thing departs and the other succeeds.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.10

“For it is said, "You shall strengthen the stranger and the dweller in your midst and live with him," that is to say, strengthen him until he needs no longer fall upon the mercy of the community or be in need.”

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Maimónides livre Mishneh Torah

Book 7 (Sefer Zera'im "Seeds"), Treatise 2 (Mattenot Aniyiim "Laws of obligatory gifts to the poor"), Chapter (Perek) 10, Halacha 7 (Translated by Jonathan J. Baker.)
Mishneh Torah (c. 1180)
Variante: Concerning this [Leviticus 25:35] states: "You shall support him, the stranger, the resident, and he shall live among you." Implied is that you should support him before he falls and becomes needy. (Translated by Eliyahu Touger.)

“God cannot be compared to anything. Note this.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.7

“A person who lives in a place where the norms of behavior are evil and the inhabitants do not follow the straight path should move to a place where the people are righteous and follow the ways of the good.If all the places with which he is familiar and of which he hears reports follow improper paths, as in our times, … he should remain alone in seclusion. …If they are wicked and sinful and do not allow him to reside there unless he mingle with them and follow their evil behavior, he should go out to caves, thickets, and deserts.”

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Maimónides

Source: Hilkhot De'ot (Laws Concerning Character Traits), Chapter 6, Section 1

“That which is produced with intention has passed over from non-existence to existence.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.13

“If the whole earth is infinitely small in comparison with the sphere of the stars, what is man compared with all these created beings? How, then, could any one of us imagine that these things exist for his sake and benefit, and that they are his tools! This is a result of an examination of the corporeal beings: how much more so will be the result of an examination of the Intelligences!”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.14

“How great is the usefulness of every precept that delivers us from this great error, and leads us back to the true faith: that God, the Creator of all things, rules the Universe; that He must be served, loved, and feared, and not those imaginary deities. According to this faith we approach the true God, and obtain His favour without having recourse to burdensome means; for nothing else is required but to love and fear Him; this is the aim in serving God, as will be shown. Comp. "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord?" &c.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Deut. x. 12
Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.29

“First Theory.—There is no Providence at all for anything in the Universe; all parts of the Universe, the heavens and what they contain, owe their origin to accident and chance; there exists no being that rules and governs them or provides for them. This is the theory of Epicurus…”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.17

“Aristotle was guided by that which appears to be the nature of things. The Ashariyah refused to ascribe to God ignorance about anything… they preferred to admit the above-mentioned absurdities. The Mu'tazilites refused to assume that God does what is wrong and unjust; on the other hand, they would not contradict common sense and say that it was not wrong to inflict pain on the guiltless, or that the mission of the Prophets and the giving of the Law had no intelligible reason. They likewise preferred to admit the above-named absurdities. But they even contradicted themselves, because they believe on the one hand that God knows everything, and on the other that man has free will. By a little consideration we discover the contradiction.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.17

“The evil into which these philosophers have fallen is greater than that from which they sought to escape, because they refuse to say that God neglects or forgets a thing, and yet they maintain that His knowledge is imperfect, that He is ignorant of what is going on here on earth, that He does not perceive it.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.16

“It is the function of the intellect to discriminate between the true and the false—a distinction which is applicable to all objects of intellectual perception.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part I, p.36 (1881) Tr. Friedlander

“The difference between that which is ascribed to God and that which is ascribed to man is expressed in the words… "And your ways are not my ways."”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Is. lv. 8-9
Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.20

“This must be our belief when we have a correct knowledge of our own self, and comprehend the true nature of everything; we must be content, and not trouble our mind with seeking a certain final cause for things that have none, or have no other final cause but their own existence, which depends on the Will of God, or, if you prefer, on the Divine Wisdom.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.13

“According to the theory of those weak minded persons, man is more perfect than his Creator. For what man says or does has a certain object, whilst the actions of God are different; He commands us to do what is of no use to us, and forbids us to do what is harmless. Far be this! On the contrary, the sole object of the Law is to benefit us.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.31

“The being which has absolute existence, which has never been and will never be without existence, is not in need of an agent.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.13

“That which is impossible has a permanent and constant property, which is not the result if some agent, and cannot in any way change, and consequently we do not ascribe to God the power of doing what is impossible.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.15

“It is forbidden to dwell in the vicinity of any of those with an evil tongue, and all the more to sit with them and listen to their words.”

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Maimónides

Source: Hilkhot De'ot (Laws Concerning Character Traits), Chapter 7, Section 6, pp. 51-52

“Know that the figures employed by prophets are of two kinds: first, where every word which occurs in the simile represents a certain idea: and secondly, where the simile, as a whole, represents a general idea, but has a great many points which have no reference whatever to that idea: they are simply required to give to the simile its proper form and order, or better to conceal the idea: the simile is therefore continued as far as necessary, according to its literal sense. Consider this well.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Introduction

“The question, "What is the purpose thereof?" cannot be asked about anything which is not the product of an agent; therefore we cannot ask what is the purpose of the existence of God.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.13

“Far from it be the notion that the Supreme Being is corporeal, having a material form.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part I, p.33 (1881) Tr. Friedlander

“You will find that there is no other difference of opinion as regards any portions of the Universe, except that the philosophers believe in the Eternity of the Universe and we believe in the Creation. Note this.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.25

“Whatever God desires to do is necessarily done; there is nothing that could prevent the realisation of His will. The object of His will is only that which is possible, and of the things possible only such as His wisdom decrees upon. When God desires to produce the best work, no obstacle or hindrance intervenes between Him and that work. This is the opinion held by all religious people, also by the philosophers; it is also our opinion. For although we believe that God created the Universe from nothing, most of our wise and learned men believe that the Creation was not the exclusive result of His will; but His wisdom, which we are unable to comprehend, made the actual existence of the Universe necessary. The same unchangeable wisdom found it as necessary that non-existence should precede the existence of the Universe. Our Sages frequently express this idea in the explanation of the words, "He hath made everything beautiful in his time" (Eccl. iii. 11)… This is the belief of most of our Theologians; and in a similar manner have the Prophets expressed the idea that all parts of natural products are well arranged, in good order, connected with each other, and stand to each other in the relation of cause and effect; nothing of them is purposeless, trivial, or vain; they are all the result of great wisdom. …This idea occurs frequently; there is no necessity to believe otherwise; philosophic speculation leads to the same result; viz., that in the whole of Nature there is nothing purposeless, trivial, or unnecessary, especially in the nature of the spheres, which are in the best condition and order, in accordance with their superior substance.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.25

“If men possessed wisdom, which stands in the same relation to the form of man as the sight to the eye, they would not cause any injury to themselves or to others, for the knowledge of the truth removes hatred and quarrels, and prevents mutual injuries.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.11

“This [fourth] theory likewise implies contradictions and absurdities. The absurdities are these: The fact that some persons are born with defects, although they have not sinned previously, is ascribed to the wisdom of God, it being better for those persons to be in such a condition than to be in a normal state, though we do not see why it is better; and they do not suffer thereby any punishment at all, but, on the contrary, enjoy God's goodness. In a similar manner the slaughter of the pious is explained as being for them the source of an increase in reward in future life. They go even further in their absurdities.”

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Maimónides livre The Guide for the Perplexed

Source: Guide for the Perplexed (c. 1190), Part III, Ch.17

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