This article originally appeared in Yated Neeman, Monsey NY. and is reprinted here with their permission

"Mi'Moshe ad Moshe lo kam ke'Moshe," "From Moshe [Rabbeinu] to Moshe [ben Maimon] there was none like Moshe."

These words, which are inscribed on the tombstone of the Rambam, are an accurate description of the legendary Torah scholar's impact not just on the Jews in his generation, but on Jews of all generations.

The Rambam was one of the greatest transmitters of Torah in Jewish history, and his seforim - particularly the Mishneh Torah - are cornerstones of Torah study today, some 800 years after his passing.

'OPEN MY HEART'

The Rambam was born on erev Pesach, 4896. His father, Rav Maimon, was the dayan of Cordova, and a student of the famous Ri Miga'ash, Rav Yosef Halevi.

Although as a child the Rambam was unusually talented, he lacked the motivation to study. His father was very upset by this behavior, and one day, in his frustration, sternly rebuked him.

Moshe was deeply affected by his father's words. He fled from his home to the beis medrash, where he entreated Hashem to open his heart and to grant him the wisdom to study Torah.

Then, on his own initiative, he approached the Ri Miga'ash and asked to be admitted to his yeshiva in Alisona. The Ri Miga'ash recognized Moshe's extraordinary talents, and accorded him special attention, predicting that Moshe ben Maimon was destined for greatness.

Once, when the Ri Miga'ash was very ill, Moshe kissed him and, wih tears streaming down his cheeks, wished him a full recovery. In turn, the Ri Miga' ash blessed Moshe. Years later, it was said that in the merit of that kiss and that bracha, Moshe ben Maimon succeeded in his studies, eventually achieving greatness.

CONVERT OR LEAVE

In time, Moshe returned to his father's home in Cordova and, for a number of years, continued to study with him there. However, when Moshe was only 13, a group of fanatic Moslems, the Almohades, captured North Africa and penetrated Spain. Wherever the Almohades seized power, they gave the Jews an ultimatum: either convert to Islam or leave your native cities.

When the Almohades overran Cordova, they destroyed all of its synagogues and yeshivos. As a result, thousands of Cordova's Jews left the city and became nomads. A few, though, remained behind, converting on the surface, while continuing to secretly observe the mitzvos.

The Maimon family chose exile over conversion, and for 12 years, they wandered throughout Spain.

IN FEZ

Eventually, the Maimon family reached the Moroccan city of Fez, where the Rambam's father chose to settle so that Moshe could study in its yeshiva, which was headed by Rav Yehuda Hakohen.

However, the Almohades did not bypass Fez. They seized Rav Yehuda Hakohen while he was teaching Torah, and Rav Yehuda died al kiddush Hashem.

Like the Jews in Cordova, many of Fez' Jews converted to Islam on the surface, but continued to secretly observe mitzvos. These Jews were called "Anusim" because they were forced to accept Islam. Only one family wasn't persecuted by the Almohades - the Rambam's family.

Before long, the Anusim of Fez, who had no links with a strong Torah center, began to have doubts about their faith. Many even felt that Hashem was angry at them and had sent them another "prophet" to cancel His Torah.

Shortly after his arrival in Fez, Rav Maimon issued a letter of consolation to his oppressed brethren, in which he strengthened their faith in Hashem. He explained that the persecution they suffered at the hands of the Almohades wasn't the result of Divine wrath, but rather of Divine love, and it was meant to arouse them to rectify their ways.

He also wrote that the Jewish Nation is Hashem's Chosen People, and that Hashem will never abandon them. He also called on Fez' Jews to repent and strengthen their avodas Hashem.

This letter, which was circulated to all of Fez' Jews, instilled them with a new spirit, and aroused many to teshuva.

IGGERES HASHMAD

At that same time, another sage also sent a letter to the Jews of Fez, but in it, he rebuked the Anusim for their actions. He called them "posh'ai Yisroel," "sinners of Israel," and likened them to apostates and idolaters. He said that a Jew must give up his life al kiddush Hashem, rather than acknowledge another faith. He then added that even if such a Jew only pays lip service to another religion and continues to serve Hashem in private, he has no connection to Hashem and is not considered a Jew.

Instead of spurring Fez' Jews to do teshuva, this letter plunged them deeper into despair. Many felt that if they were no longer considered Jews, there was no reason for them to observe the mitzvos altogether, not even in secret.

When the Rambam learned of this situation, he became deeply involved in efforts to save his brethren. He wrote them a letter called Iggeres Hashmad, or Iggeres Kiddush Hashem.

In that letter, he not only bolstered the Anusim's spirits, but also probed the entire issue of their supposed apostasy, proving from many sources that the Anusim of Morocco were still Jews. In his letter, he also cited the difference between the Shmad forced on Morocco's Jews, and the Shmad in other periods in Jewish history.

One of his main points was that Morocco's Jews weren't forced to commit any deed that would render them Moslems, but only to verbalize the belief that the Moslem prophet was a true one.

The Rambam explained that in other Shmad periods, the Jews were forced to alter their entire lifestyles, while in Morocco, the Moslems knew that the Jews continued to observe the mitzvos in secret, and made no effort to halt that observance.

In his letter, the Rambam also stated that whoever is moser nefesh to avoid verbally stating that he believes in the Moslem prophet is on a very high level. However, he ruled that when forced to do so, Fez's Jews should acknowledge the Islamic prophet and not martyr themselves over that point.

His rationale for this ruling was that there are no Torah sources that state that one must martyr oneself rather than verbalize a belief.

However, he advised Morocco's Jews to avoid such a predicament by leaving Morocco, and by not living in a place where it is difficult to observe the Torah. Nonetheless, he stressed that as long as the Anusim were in Morocco, every mitzva they fulfilled was important in Hashem's eyes, and their reward for such observance was great, because one who fulfills mitzvos out of comfort cannot be likened to one who fulfills them out of fear.

This letter infused Morocco's Jews with much hope, and many left Morocco as a result.

FROM MOROCCO TO ERETZ YISROEL

The Rambam's favor in the eyes of the Moslem rulers did not last long. A year after the Rambam wrote Iggeres Hashmad, a virulent anti-Semite incited the Moslem ruler against the Rambam, claiming that he had mocked the Islamic religion.

The king soon issued a decree to kill the Rambam. When the Rambam learned of this, he and his father hid in an old house in the city.

The police searched for the men but were unable to find them. In time, the searches stopped, and a notable Arab resident of Fes restored the goodwill between the Rambam and the king.

Nonetheless, the Rambam decided to leave Fez as soon as possible. In 4920 he set sail for Eretz Yisroel.

JOURNEY TO ERETZ YISROEL

After a number of days of easy sailing, a storm erupted and threatened to capsize the Rambam's boat. When the storm reached its peak, the Rambam retreated to a corner of the boat and entreated Hashem to save him and his fellow passengers. He also vowed that if the storm subsided, he would establish the day he embarked (the 4th of Iyar) and the day of the storm (the 10th of Iyar) as fast days for himself and his entire family.

The Rambam's prayers were answered, and after a month, the ship reached Eretz Yisroel.

When the Rambam arrived in Acco, the local Jews welcomed him warmly. However, life in Eretz Yisroel at that time was fraught with danger because the Crusaders controlled the land and would often go on rampages.

The Maimon family remained in Acco for five months, and afterward visited the sacred sites, among them the Kosel and Ma'aras Hamachpeila. Then they set out for Egypt.

IN EGYPT

The Rambam was very upset about having to leave Eretz Yisroel for Egypt, and during his first period in that country, he signed all of his letters with the words: "From me, who violates three negative commands of the Torah every day." He was referring to the prohibition to return to Egypt, mentioned three times in the Torah.

The Jewish community of Egypt was comprised of many distinguished Torah scholars and pious Jews. However, the Karaites, who believed only in the Written Torah and not the Oral Torah, also lived there, and attempted to spread their false ideas among Egypt's Jews.

The Karaites' influence was particularly strong in the city of Fostat (ancient Cairo). The Jews there lacked a rav and spiritual guide, and they abolished many mitzvos and sacred customs as a result of the Karaites' influence.

Not long after his arrival in Egypt, the Rambam moved to Fostat to fight the Karaites and restore the Jewish community to its former glory.

During that period he suffered the loss of his beloved brother Dovid, and as a result, had to support two families - his own, and his brother's. Having vast knowledge in medicine, he began to work as a doctor.

His medical knowledge enabled him to gain a foothold in the court of Egypt's powerful ruler, Tzalach Ed-Din, the Turk who had gained control of Egypt at that time. When Tzalach Ed-Din learned of the Rambam's medical prowess, he appointed him doctor of the royal court.

As a physician, the Rambam not only served the royal court, but was also very dedicated to his fellow Jews. Before treating a patient, he would pray that Hashem help him in his sacred work of healing.

The Rambam also used his influence with Tzalach Ed-Din to benefit the Jews of Egypt, establishing many yeshivos, synagogues and libraries there.

In this manner, he raised the spiritual level of Egypt's Jews and completely eliminated the Karaites' influence.

SAVING YEMEN'S JEWS

The Rambam can also be credited for saving Yemenite Jewry from a bitter fate.

Due to political strife in Yemen, its Jews were constantly persecuted. In their despair, the local Jews tried to expedite the Redemption by various kabalistic means. At precisely that time, a false Moshiach arose, and many Yemenite Jews placed their trust in him.

Yemen's Jewish leaders were fully aware of the dangers posed by the false Moshiach. They knew that once he was exposed, the people would fall into despair, and might very easily fall prey to apostasy. They also knew that if the ruling powers learned of the efforts to expedite the Redemption, they would increase their persecution of the Jews. However, these leaders felt incapable of handling the situation.

One of the Rambam's students, who lived in Yemen at the time, told Yemen's Torah sages about the Rambam's greatness. Headed by Rav Yaakov ben Netanel, they wrote to the Rambam for advice.

Upon receiving their letter, the Rambam prepared a large and detailed treatise, called Iggeres Teiman, in which he dispelled all the Yemenite Jews ' doubts and answered their questions.

He opened the letter with praises for Yemen's Jews, and then proved that their so-called Moshiach was false.

The Rambam asked Rav Yaakov ben Netanel to copy the letter and to distribute it to Yemen's Jews.

Although the Rambam closed the letter with a warning not to let the Moslem rulers get wind of it, he added that those sent to do a mitzva are not harmed, and that no dire consequences would result from the distribution of the letter, which was meant to benefit Yemen's Jews.

This letter revived the Jew's spirits, and everyone came to the realization that the Moshiach was false. They also stopped attempting to expedite the Redemption, and instead strengthened themselves in Torah and mitzvos.

The Rambam also influenced Tzalach Ed-Din to call a halt to the decrees and persecutions and, as a result, those Yemenite Jews who had converted to Islam on the surface returned to their faith in full.

The false Moshiach was eventually put to death.

THE RAMBAM'S WRITINGS

The Rambam's first work, which he wrote in Egypt, was Sefer Hamaor, a commentary on the Mishna. After that, he wrote Sefer Hamitzvos. In Sefer Hamitzvos, the Rambam enumerates all of the 613 mitzvos of the Torah, explaining how he determined which mitzvos belong to each category. In that work, he also divided the mitzvos into positive and negative commandments.

After writing Sefer Hamitzvos, he wrote Mishneh Torah, otherwise known as Yad Hachazaka, in which he compiled all of the halachos that appear in the Talmud, as well as in the Sifra, the Sifri, the Tosefta and the works of the geonim. Mishneh Torah also includes all of the amendments, customs and decrees accepted by the Jewish nation since the time of Moshe Rabbeinu.

The halachos in Mishneh Torah-Yad Hachazaka are divided according to main topics and subtopics, facilitating the location of these halachos. It contains 14 parts. The Rambam's purpose in compiling this work was to make it easier for students to gain mastery over the Talmud and the halachos.

OPPOSITION TO YAD HACHAZAKA

In Yad Hachazaka, the Rambam cites only halachic rulings, without presenting the sources from which he derived them, or the shakla ve'tarya surrounding them. His purpose was to enable all Jews, even those who were not outstanding scholars, to learn how to conduct themselves in daily life.

Even though the sages of the Rambam's time were aware of his intentions, some still opposed the Yad Hachazaka, fearing that many scholars might lose their initiative to probe the Gemara in depth.

The Rambam, however, stated that he never said that Torah scholars should refrain from engaging in deep Gemara study, and that Yad Hachazaka was meant for those unable to probe the Talmud's depths.

Still, gedolim such as the Raavad staunchly opposed it. He published his comments on Yad Hachazaka in a special book called Hasagos Haraavad.

Despite his opposition to the Rambam's approach, the Raavad held the Rambam in high esteem. In turn, the Rambam was not offended by the Raavad's opposition to him.

Although the Rambam didn't respond to the Raavad's claims, his student, Yonasan of Lunil, wrote a treatise in which he proved that the Rambam's rulings, as opposed to the Raavad's, were correct. Rav Yosef Caro also defended the Rambam in Kesef Mishneh.

Despite the criticism, Mishneh Torah was accepted all over the world, in all generations, as the seminal sefer of Halacha.

MOREH NEVUCHIM

The Rambam's next work was Moreh Nevuchim, which he wrote to dispel the doubts of many of his contemporaries who had begun to cast off Torah's yoke as a result of their study of Greek philosophy.

In Moreh Nevuchim, the Rambam explains all of the main aspects of Jewish faith such as hashgacha, prophecy, free choice, and reward and punishment.

Moreh Nevuchim also aroused much opposition, mainly because many of the Jews who had abandoned the Torah claimed that abstract ideas of Judaism are more important than mitzva observance. Distorting Moreh Nevuchim, they tried to support their approach by pointing to the fact that the Rambam also dealt in philosophy.

Many of the gedolim of that period feared that such agnostics might study Moreh Nevuchim and then misconstrue it. They forbade the study of philosophy in general, seeing its dire consequences, and included Moreh Nevuchim in that prohibition.

Among the staunch opponents of Moreh Nevuchim were Rav Shlomo of Montpelier and Rav Yona Gerondi.

In time, a major conflict erupted over the Moreh Nevuchim, with Provence's Jews supporting it, and Spain's Jews opposing it.

Although the sages' debate was leshem Shamayim, many other people jumped on the bandwagon, spreading discord and hatred among the Jews. Some of them slandered the Rambam before the church, claiming that Moreh Nevuchim mocked the Christian religion.

Christian clergymen used this incitement as a springboard to debase the Jews, and publicly burned copies of Moreh Nevuchim and Sefer Mada of Yad Hachazaka.

The sages who opposed the Rambam deeply regretted the results of their opposition. Nine years later, when the Christians burned the Talmud, Rav Yona Gerondi felt that he was being punished for having caused the burning of the Rambam's works.

Sincerely regretting the dishonor he caused to the Rambam, Rav Yona went from city to city, synagogue to synagogue, declaring, "I have sinned against Hashem Elokai Yisroel and against Rabbeinu Moshe ben Maimon."

Other opponents of the Rambam also withdrew their opposition to him, and approved his works.

Although the Rambam firmly believed in his approach, he never reproached those who criticized him, but rather listened to their comments and examined them to see if they were justified.

One of the Gedolim of pre-war Europe was Rav Yosef Rosen, the Rav of Dvinsk, who was known as "The Rogatchover". One of the more fascinating details regarding the Rogatchover's derech of learning was the fact that he deduced brilliant insights in halachah and lomdus from the Moreh Nevuchim which was looked at until then as only a philosophical sefer not a halachah sefer.

HIS PETIRA

The Rambam was niftar on the 20th of Teves, 4966. With his petira, Egypt's Jews lost their leader, as did all of world Jewry. Even Egypt's gentiles mourned his death, because they, too, recognized his greatness.

Egypt's Jews were determined to bring the Rambam to Eretz Yisroel for burial, and a large group accompanied his aron on the long trek to Teveria.

On the way, however, they were attacked by armed bandits. The bearers of the aron put it down and fled. However, when the bandits tried to lift the aron, they couldn't move it because it was so heavy.

Realizing that the aron contained the body of a great man, they left it alone and waited for the entourage to return. When the bearers of the aron reappeared, the bandits told them about the miracle that had occurred. They expressed their desire to accompany the Jews to Eretz Yisroel, and to protect them from other bandits they might encounter on the way.

Thus, under a heavy guard, the aron reached Teveria, where the Rambam was buried.

Although the Rambam was niftar centuries ago, his rulings and seforim continue to illuminate Torah Jewry today. Indeed, there is no Torah student who is not enlightened by them.

"Mi'Moshe ad Moshe lo kam ke'Moshe!"