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I wish to learn about Judaism and heard that learning about Maimonides is a great start.

There are so many books he's written, and so many books about him, I'm not sure what to start with.

Here are some from Amazon .... please suggest

The Guide for The Perplexed, 1956

Maimonides: The Life and World of One of Civilization's Greatest Minds, 2010

Guide for the Perplexed - Enhanced Version, 2009

A Maimonides Reader (Library of Jewish Studies), 1972

Maimonides: Life and Thought, 2015

Things I Know About Judaism

Abraham is father of the Jewish people. Moses led Jewish people out of slavery. There are roughly 300 commandments in Jewish law. Saturday is rest day.

I only know the very basics.

I wish to know about Judaism to see if I want to convert, or at least have deeper appreciate for this faith. Lot of people I get along with are Jewish.

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    amazon.com/Maimonides-Life-Thought-Moshe-Halbertal/dp/… – Chaim Jul 4 '17 at 0:35
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    Hi Glowie. I'm sorry, but your question will likely be closed as it's somewhat unclear what you're asking. What do you already know about Judaism, and what do you want to know? (You may get better results if you ask the people in chat.) – MTL Jul 4 '17 at 2:35
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    See judaism.stackexchange.com/q/6988 – msh210♦ Jul 4 '17 at 4:15
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    Start with Rabbi Benjamin Blech's "Idiot's Guide to Judaism." – Shalom Jul 4 '17 at 9:07
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    The premise is incorrect - while it is true that Maimonides is a very important figure in Judaism, it is not true that the best way for a beginner to learn about Judaism is to learn his books. You are much better off reading some of the more recently published books that were written for this express purpose, like Rabbi Becher's book and others like it. They summarize everything efficiently in a way that can be easily understood by the modern reader. – Jay Jul 4 '17 at 14:05
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If you do not already have a good understanding of Judaism, then Maimonides will do little or nothing to help you understand more.

A good knowledge in our Scriptures (which we call the Tanach) and Jewish Law and practice is needed before learning from Maimonides.

I would begin your quest by reading "Gateway to Judaism" by Rabbi Mordechai Becher. It should introduce you to Jewish ideas, practice, theology, philosophy, and customs. You can order the book either from its original publisher or from Amazon.

(By the way, I would always promote someone purchasing from the original publisher, as this provides extra support to them.)

Hatzlacha Rabbah (good luck) in your journey and I hope you come around here more often and ask any more questions you might have throughout your learning experience.

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I feel Derech Hashem by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lotzatto (Ramchal) is a great place to get a overall understanding of Jewish belief.

Since you asked for Maimonides (Rambam), I'd say in his Mishneh Torah the Book of Knowledge (Mada) there's the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah (Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah) where he lays out the basics of Jewish belief.

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  • Derech Hashem just presents its author's Jewish belief. It's not a great place to get an overall feel for Jewish beliefs. – Double AA♦ Jul 4 '17 at 21:51

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