The epistles were written by Maimonides as a letter or warning to the Jewish people. His works serve as a testament to Jewish intellectual history by describing the experiences of Jews in countries around the globe, including Morocco, Yemen, and Egypt. Maimonides attempts to shed light on the problems that caused the Jews to suffer greatly during the 11th and 12th centuries and the centuries that followed as he writes about Jewish customs and the Judaism religion. Maimonides’s first and second epistles revolve around an explanation of the issues that led to the rise of anti-Semitism notion and the eventual massive suffering of the Jews in Morocco, Yemen, and other parts of the world.
The Epistle on Martyrdom: Jewish Community of Fez, Morocco
In his first epistles, Maimonides tries to analyze the life of the Jews in Fez, Morocco. Fez was a region whose primary occupants included the Muslims. However, many Jews also occupied the area in the 12th century (Maimonides et al. 13). The leader of the Fez region issued an order demanding that all the Jews should convert to Islam. At the same time, the ruler ordered the Jews to recite the Muslim credo, the Shahada, to confirm their conversion to Muslims. As a result, many Jews feared the consequences of the failure to obey the orders of the ruler. The Jews in the region preferred to follow the rules while in public and to conduct their religious practices such as observing the Sabbath day and performing prayers. According to Maimonides et al., the Jews in Fez only tried to preserve the Judaism religion from being taken away by Muslims who forced them to convert to their religion (37). As a result, some of the Jewish community members including the Rabbis attempted to seek the approval of the Jews religious practices in their houses. However, the Fez Muslim community took the Jews as the worst sinners due to their secretive practices in their homes (89). The move by the Rabbis to seek for the permission for Jews to practice Judaism in Fez appeared to be a wrong action disallowed in Islam. As a result, the Jews authorities urged their followers to remain active as they implemented the Kiddush of the ha-Shem rule (72). Through the law, Jews were ready to sacrifice their lives rather than accepting to recite the Muslim credo in which they did not believe in or observe. The rule also represented the respect for Judaism among the Jewish community as well as the passion for the love of God (72). The Fez community opposed the Jews’ efforts to preserve Judaism at whatever cost. At the same time, they imposed a rule that the remaining Jews who were not heroic mettle should join Islam rather than risk losing their lives. The leadership in Fez feared that the resistance by the Jews might pose a real threat to the stability of the region. Consequently, leaders and individuals from the area proposed for the persecution of Jews and also for the destruction of the will of the Jews and resisting and surviving (49).
This event brings the issue into the context where Maimonides describes his experience as a private citizen in the land of Morocco. With the increased temperatures facing the Jewish community, Maimonides was among the group fleeing Morocco trespassing through the south-eastern part of the Mediterranean targeting to reach Egypt where they hoped to settle in peace (Dienstag 126). As an expert in the Jewish law, Maimonides articulates the events that led to the persecution of Jews in Morocco. According to the Maimonides’ epistles, a Rabbi declared that forceful demand to recite the Muslim credo was against the beliefs and religious practices of the Jews and that they were willing to give their lives to preserve their ideas.
The Epistle to Yemen
By this time, Maimonides received respect and recognition in the Jews community for his guidance and critical explanation of the Jewish law (Maimonides et al. 92). In Yemen, Jews enjoyed a considerably extended period of peace and freedom of religion. However, in the late 12th century, a different ruler took charge of Yemen forcing all the non-Muslims in the region to convert to Islam and to abandon the Judaism commandments. In the same note, the ruler issued threats of death charges to whoever gets accused of refusing to convert to Islam across the country. As a result, this occurrence provoked two diametric ideas concerning religious beliefs among Jews. Some believed that Muhammed would triumph and influence all the other religions to turn to Islam. This group of Jews had no any problem with converting to Islam. On the other hand, a part of the Jews community in Yemen retained the Judaism beliefs and began to join hands as a group to ensure the preservation of the religion. In this period, a deluded Jew appeared and assumed to be the Messiah. Thus, he was a sign of hope among the Jews who in despair. As a result, this occurrence proved to be a sign of a better future especially after the emergence of a hostile leadership in Yemen.
Maimonides receives several criticisms based on his plot which discusses the anti-Semitic nations and their notions against Judaism and the Jews at large. His epistle begins in a manner that may appeal in a strange way to the modern religionists and readers. Maimonides felt that the Jews received punishment from the anti-Semitic communities since they were the chosen community of God. This notion also proceeds to issue a warning to the communities and leaders who portrayed anti-Semitic hatred through forceful conversion and brutality. According to Maimonides et al., these societies and their kingdoms will perish and suffer a downfall due to their actions (167). Through his long history of anti-Semitism, Maimonides aims at showcasing the Jews community as among the societies that suffered the worse humanity experiences in the world despite not being associated with numerous vices in the society. At the same time, Maimonides feels that many communities and rulers aim at making a religion that is as strong as that of Jews. Thus, through forceful conversions, the leaders and societies only tried to make their faith active through weakening Judaism. However, Maimonides felt that the latter will fail and they will also suffer the same fate as the prophecies of wrath. In this light, brands Muhammed as “the madman” and not the prophet (155). According to him, a prophet is an individual whose intellectual ability appears opposed diametrically by the notions and also the impulsiveness associated with Muhammed.
Comparison between the two Epistles
The two epistles have both similarities and differences in the way that Maimonides articulates his ideas to show the occurrences in Fez, Morocco, and Yemen. Maimonides’ main thoughts focus on the religion of Judaism and how the Jews experienced several hardships in their efforts to survive, maintain their faith, and resist conversion to Islam in both Morocco and Yemen. Maimonides also bases his argument on the leadership among Jews which led to various occurrences such as forceful conversion of some Jews and the proclamation of a false Messiah who acted in giving hope for endurance among the Jews in both areas.
Similarities
Firstly, the two epistles, Epistle on Martyrdom and Epistle to Yemen, analyzed the issues that happened to the Jews in Morocco and Yemen. In both instances, the Jewish community experienced the wrath of the Islam community who did not welcome them into their regions. In both cases, the Jewish community faced a challenge after the rulers demanded the conversion and observance of Islam codes such as Muslim credo recitation and also the worshipping of idols. For all their history, Jews remained resistant towards any force that tried to compel them to ditch Judaism in favor of another religion (Dienstag 127). At Fez, many Jews decided to retain their faith through exercising practices such as observing the Sabbath day and conducting prayers in their houses. In Yemen, Jews had a high intent to maintain their religion through resisting conversion even amidst threats such as beheading. The proclamation of the false Messiah in Yemen served to give hope among the Jews who were in despair after harsh experiences in Morocco and Yemen. Secondly, the epistles revolved around the anti-Semitic notions that existed in Morocco and Yemen (Dienstag 128). In Morocco, Jews appeared to be the worst sinners in the region due to the level of their disobedience. Furthermore, their effort to maintain their religion seemed to be impulsive and stubborn before the Islam communities which settled in both regions. At Fez, the Rabbis took charge of the Jewish community through urging them to remain faithful to their beliefs. Through the leadership of the Rabbis, the Jews were ready to lose their lives in an attempt to show their respect for Judaism. In the Epistle on Martyrdom, many Jews lost their lives while others fled to Egypt, Yemen, and other neighboring countries. Through his depiction of these incidences, Maimonides appears opposed to the anti-Semitism actions done in both regions. At the same time, Maimonides views the Islamic community in both areas as dangerous enemies to the Jewish community and the Judaism religion. The idea of apostate argument inclines Maimonides to take various levels in his claims. First, Maimonides did not view Muhammed as a real prophet, and he branded him as ‘the madman’ (Maimonides et al. 155). This notion was due to the Islamic belief of oppressing others and forcing them to convert to the religion. Contrary to this, Maimonides felt that Jews did not limit any individual from conducting their religious practices in favor of Judaism. Therefore, the impulsiveness and hostility in Islam courtesy of Muhammed distinguished him from the prophecy of Moses the Lawgiver and other prophets observed in Judaism (136).
Differences
The experiences of Jews in Morocco and Yemen took a similar path. Both incidences revolve around anti-Semitism and forceful conversion to Islam. Also, rulers and communities in Morocco and Yemen persecuted the Jews due to their failure to agree especially on the religion and religious practices (Orenstein 36). However, the two incidences were different in a couple of ways. In Morocco, the Moroccan ruler and community threatened the Jews to observe Islam codes and ditch their beliefs. This similar incidence took place in Yemen. However, in Yemen, Jews had a sign of hope for the false self-proclaimed Messiah who promised them a better future for Judaism (Maimonides et al. 185). While the Fez experience revolved around martyrdom and high efforts to the maintenance of Judaism, the Yemen experience outlined the significant causes of anti-Semitism. The emergence of the false Messiah threatened the embodiment of Judaism into a dominant religion in Yemen. Also, the false Messiah’s rise encouraged Jews to hold on to their beliefs. However, the eventual death of the false Messiah after beheading denied the Jewish community their only hope in the Islamic region.
Maimonides Argumentation and underlying Rationale
Maimonides’ main ideas address the impacts of Judaism refutation by other religions, especially Islam in various parts of the world. His first two epistles focus on Morocco and Yemen as among the regions where Jews migrated initially during the 8th and 9th centuries. As an expert in the Jewish law, Maimonides aims at bringing to light the issues that led to the persecution, forced fleeing, and threats to abolish Judaism in various place in the world. He also provides an advice and support to the Jews who converted to Islam through force. Maimonides seems opposed to the Muhammed’s existence as a prophet due to his notions that were against other religions, and most specifically Judaism. With the Jews seemingly neglected and rejected in many places, Maimonides points out how the existence of Rabbis proved as a source of hope and encouragement. However, Maimonides does not fail to show how other individuals within the Jewish community such as the false Messiah only worked to bring false hope and a shake in the Judaism religion. The death of the false Messiah after beheading served to reduce the hope among many despaired Jews in Yemen. Maimonides’ epistles navigate on the real causes of anti-Semitic ideas that have led to the massive persecution of Jews in various parts of the world throughout the history. Thus, Maimonides’ epistles did not only aim at showing how the Jews preserved threats and brutality in the attempt to maintain their religion.
Works Cited
Dienstag, Jacob I. "Halkin's" Epistles of Maimonides"." (1987): 126-129.
Maimonides, Moses, Abraham S. Halkin, and David Hartman. Epistles of Maimonides: crisis and leadership. Jewish Publication Society, 1985.
Orenstein, Walter. "The Maimonides rationale for sacrifice." Hebrew Studies (1983): 33-39.
