17
votes
Accepted
How many halachot are detailed in the Mishneh Torah?
According to Mechon Mamre:
TL;DR
TOTAL - 16,818 (+ 104)
Hamada` - 725
Ahavah - 730 (+ 63)
Zemanim - 1,738 (+ 41)
Nashim - 1,207
Qedushah - 1,140
Hafla'ah - 820
Zera`im - 1,582
`Avodah - 1,537
...
- 7,532
14
votes
Accepted
Praise of Mishneh Torah amongst the Rishonim
The Meiri (13th cent.) describes the unique features of the Mishneh Torah in his introduction to Beit HaBehira:
That it is omits the Talmudic dialectics, and presents just ruling.
That it is written ...
- 36k
13
votes
Accepted
Why did Rambam order Mishnah Torah in this particular structure?
Rav Nachum Rabinovitch, שליט"א, in his magnum opus, Yad Peshuta, (Hakdama U'minyan Hamitzvos, Intro to the Division of the Books pp. 187-190) contrasts the Rambam's division of 14 categories of ...
- 17.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Maggid Mishnah on relying on approximations for π and √2
The Maggid Mishnah in Hilchos Shabbos (17:26) says that one may rely on π=3
It actually is commenting on the Rambam's statement that a circle of circumference three has diameter one. It says that ...
- 73.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Source for this Rambam quote?
It's from Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva 3:4:
"..לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם שֶׁיִּרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ כָּל הַשָּׁנָה כֻּלָּהּ כְּאִלּוּ חֶצְיוֹ זַכַּאי וְחֶצְיוֹ חַיָּב. וְכֵן כָּל הָעוֹלָם חֶצְיוֹ זַכַּאי ...
- 28.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Why does the Mishneh Torah detail how to free a slave if it is forbidden?
The Rambam himself, in the same law (9:6), says that it's permitted to free a slave for the purpose of fulfilling a commandment. Since there are cases that freeing a slave is permitted, the ...
- 25.9k
7
votes
Accepted
How can the Rambam say that Kiddushin is a Mitzvah, against the Gemara?
Rambam's son, R. Avraham, as cited in Kesef Mishne, end of Ishus 1:1, answers that the command is to marry with kidushin and nisuin, which is why Rambam refers to even the first part as a mitzva, ...
- 73.9k
6
votes
How do most Rabbis justify teaching Torah to conversion candidates?
The rabbis didn't contradict Rambam, the rabbis are in Gemara, and Rambam himself report this law.
Rambam isure bia 14.2
יד,ב ומודיעין אותו עיקרי הדת, שהוא ייחוד השם ואיסור עבודה זרה; ומאריכין, ...
- 23.1k
6
votes
How do most Rabbis justify teaching Torah to conversion candidates?
The Shulchan Arukh (YD 268:2) rules that someone who wants to convert to Judaism can be taught some of the basic mitzvot. The language there is borrowed directly from the Rambam in his Mishneh Torah (...
- 25.1k
6
votes
Why no Halachic codex for the masses appear till the 12th century's Mishneh Torah?
Based on the Rambam himself, in the introduction to this work, he states that he produced this work in response to a widespread deterioration in understanding the law (halacha) from the Gemara.
...
- 14.7k
5
votes
Recommendation for edition of Mishne Torah with sources
I think the Frankel Rambam contains what you are looking for. It has the standard commentaries on the page, such as Maggid Mishnah, Kessef Mishneh, Radvaz, Lechem Mishneh, Migdal Oz, Rabbeinu Manoach, ...
- 50.3k
5
votes
Sources used by Maimonides in Mishneh Torah-Avodat Kochavim 1:1
This idea comes from the following Passuk in Genesis 4:26
וּלְשֵׁ֤ת גַּם־הוּא֙ יֻלַּד־בֵּ֔ן וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ אֱנ֑וֹשׁ
אָ֣ז הוּחַ֔ל לִקְרֹ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה׃ (פ)
The word הוּחַ֔ל can mean ...
- 2,107
4
votes
Recommendation for edition of Mishne Torah with sources
The standard edition, out of copyright and republished by many publishers over the years, sounds like what you want. It's got Raavad, Kesef Mishne, Magid Mishne, Lechem Mishne, Hagahos Maymaniyos, ...
- 73.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Do objects of idolatry contaminate?
Yes, idolatrous items contaminate, and things that get mixed with objects of idolatry are forbidden property. However, these are two separate laws.
The Rambam has already said that objects of ...
- 25.9k
4
votes
Resources for learning the shorshei mitzvos of the Rambam
R. Chaim Ilson has a lengthy series of shiurim on this, with several hours per shoresh. These shiurim are available on YUTorah.
From the linked website:
Rav Ilson studied the Shoroshim with Rabbi ...
- 50.3k
4
votes
Learning to read Mishneh Torah
You could listen to a shiur online where somebody reads and translates the text.
A quick search found this which reads and explains the daily Rambam MT chapter, loud and clear.
You have a choice of 3 ...
- 44.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Sources for the Rambam's hierarchy of angels
Placing the Chayot at the top of the hierarchy is brought in Tanna Devei Eliyahu Rabbah 31:2:
"כיצד ישב הקב"ה וברא את עולמו חמש שיטות בדבר זה שטה ראשונה ברא הקב"ה שני אלפים רבבות ...
- 28.4k
4
votes
Accepted
The twelve months not necessarily be observed?
Unfortunately, you have severely misunderstood the sources. They are not saying that everyone must wait, they are saying that after the eirusin (betrothal) and a תביעה (request that the final part of ...
- 9,564
4
votes
"Censorship" via not translating verses from the Torah - Rambam
This is based on the Mishna in Megila 4:10 and the Gemara (Megila 25b) explains some of the rationale for these verses specifically (the below is based on artscroll and R Steinsaltz commentaries)
The ...
- 54k
4
votes
7 Mitzwot and Gentiles in Hell for the Sins of Israel
It seems to me that you have an odd amount of facts. And by that I mean, your information seems to be scattered bits of disjointed facts that don't fit together. Judaism like most religions is best ...
- 11.8k
4
votes
Is there a halachic difference between the "tzadikei" ("righteous") and the "chasidei" ("pious") umot ha Olam?
They are different.
A Tzaddik is someone who does everything correctly (see Mesilat Yisharim, Chapters about Nekiyut - Chapter 13 clarifies this is referring to tzaddik).
A Chassid is someone who does ...
- 14.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Numbering of Halachot in Mishneh Thora
As far as I can tell, the first reference (i.e. 15:4) is following the numbering system used in Yemenite copies of Mishneh Torah (e.g. that used by Mechon Mamre).
The reference in parentheses (so 15:2 ...
- 46.6k
3
votes
Is there a practical difference between different ways of food becoming obligated in ma'aser?
Here is an element of answer. My understanding is based on Gemara BM 88a-89b, Betsa 13 and 34-35.
The owner, when he finished the work, the harvesting is ready, takes it at home and then he cannot ...
- 23.1k
3
votes
Accepted
Parnassah and Marriage: Rambam vs. The Lubavitcher Rebbe
Quoting from the Sefer "שולחן מנחם" a compilation of tshuvos of the Rebbe organised according to שולחן ערוך.
The Rebbe quotes the Rambam and the Maharasha on Sota 44a with notes from hagahos ...
3
votes
Can a yeshiva be holier than Beis Hamikdosh?
From the perspective of Jewish law, the Torah requires that certain actions be done in holy places of various levels. The different levels of holiness are listed in Kelim 1:6-9. A house of study isn't ...
- 25.9k
3
votes
How can the Rambam say that Kiddushin is a Mitzvah, against the Gemara?
I realize that both msh210 and IsraelReader already gave answers based on this source, but I think that neither one explained it fully/properly, so I would like to attempt to answer it myself.
This ...
- 50.3k
3
votes
Recommendation for edition of Mishne Torah with sources
This edition is specially made for Chabad program. It contains a lot of bibliographic references. But the font is very small, it's tiresome to read for hours small letters. It's better than mifal ...
- 23.1k
3
votes
How many halachot are detailed in the Mishneh Torah?
One simple way to calculate the number of halachot in Mishneh Torah is to use the URLs in the version on Hebrewbooks. Each halacha has a unique URL ending in a number, with the first halacha starting ...
- 50.3k
3
votes
Accepted
To whom is it not a mitzvah to give tzedakah?
Are you maybe remembering the end of Hilkhot Tshuva (10:18) in Rambam’s Mishne Torah where he writes:
One should always strain oneself and endure hardship and not come to
depend on others rather ...
- 54k
3
votes
Sources used by Maimonides in Mishneh Torah-Avodat Kochavim 1:1
It's possible that he learned it from Shemot Rabbah 15:7 where it says:
"...כָּךְ מִתְּחִלָּה הָיָה הָעוֹלָם מַיִם בְּמַיִם, וְהָיָה הָאֱלֹהִים מְבַקֵּשׁ לְכוֹנֵן עוֹלָמִים וְלֹא הָיוּ ...
- 28.4k
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