Maimonides' Mishneh Torah and medieval codification

The Mishné Torah, completed by Moses Maimonides (Rambam) around 1180, is the first systematic and exhaustive codification of the entirety of Jewish law (halakha). Written in clear Mishnaic Hebrew and organized thematically into fourteen books — hence its sobriquet Yad ha-Hazaka, 'the Strong Hand,' the numerical value of yad being fourteen — it is distinguished by its intention to present the law in a definitive manner, without citing debates or Talmudic sources. This audacious method provoked criticism, notably from the Raavad (Abraham ben David of Posquières), who reproached Maimonides for having omitted the references needed to verify his rulings. The work also encompasses domains that had fallen into disuse, such as the laws of the Temple and sacrifices, reflecting the ambition to embrace the totality of the Torah. Alongside his Guide for the Perplexed, a philosophical work reconciling Aristotelianism and revelation, the Mishné Torah made Maimonides the dominant intellectual figure of medieval Judaism and a permanent reference for subsequent codification.

Sources & resources

• Sefaria ↗
• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan