Alec Goldstein

Maimonides on the Book of Exodus Alec Goldstein

Rabbi Moses son of Maimon, known in Hebrew as Rambam and English as Maimonides (1135-1204), is one of the great luminaries of Judaism whose contributions can hardly be overstated. Though he never authored a linear commentary, he freely quotes biblical verses throughout all of his writings.

Maimonides on the Book of Exodus is the culmination of an exhaustive endeavor to identify where Maimonides quotes or alludes to a biblical passage. This work arranges those comments in the order that the verses appear in the Torah.

This work also draws on the great critics and defenders of Maimonides, and those debates are examined in depth. Some questions that are explored include:

Are Jews commanded to believe in God?
How is Pharaoh's loss of free will justified?
What is the meaning of the cryptic phrase "I am that I am"?
What does it mean that God tests the Jewish people?
What is the purpose of the Passover offering?
What is the purpose of the tabernacle?

On these and many other questions, the answers of Maimonides are explored side-by-side with Rashi, Ra'avad, Nahmanides (Ramban), Kuzari, Sforno, and countless others.