In 1782, the American Bald Eagle was adopted as the US national emblem, symbolizing strength, freedom, and independence. It was chosen because of its long life, majestic appearance, and great strength.
The Jewish people have our own symbolic eagle. The Rambam, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1135–1204), is admiringly referred to as “HaNesher HaGadol – the Great Eagle.” His soaring influence on Jewish law, philosophy, and outlook is simply unparalleled.
Eagles have incredible vision, optimized for extreme long-distance, high-resolution, and a broad, almost panoramic, field of view. Despite the fact that they have such a broad view of the entire landscape in front of them, their vision is keen enough to notice small details, allowing them to swoop in and grab their prey.
Similarly, the Rambam’s clear presentation encompasses all areas of Torah and yet doesn’t miss a detail. He had an incredible ability to explain complex topics clearly and concisely.
While Rashi is known as “the father of Ashkenazic Jewry,” the Rambam is “the father of Sephardic Jewry.” Both Rashi and the Rambam have made the greatest contributions in Torah learning in the last thousand years.
During a podcast interview he appeared on a few years ago, my rebbi, Rabbi Berel Wein zt”l, was asked if there was one historical personality that he could speak to for an hour, who would it be?
Rabbi Wein replied that he would want to meet and speak with the Rambam. He noted that after the period of the Tana’im and Amora’im, the Rambam is the composite Jew.
In his words, “We only see a piece of the Rambam because, in the yeshivos, we only have the halachic Rambam, and in Hebrew University they only have the philosophical Rambam, and by non-Jews they only study Rambam’s views on Aristotle. But the Rambam is one whole piece; you have to put it all together. That’s why it’s so difficult to grasp and appreciate the extent of his influence.”
After hearing the podcast, I asked Rabbi Wein why he specifically chose the Rambam. He replied that the Rambam was an innovative and fearless leader. He was willing to undertake major projects and was undaunted by overwhelming odds. The Rambam forged ahead despite the challenges and made timeless contributions to the Jewish people. He didn’t shy away from his views because others disagreed. Yet, despite his staunchness and uncompromising commitment to his beliefs, he was always cordial and patient with others.
When I quipped to Rabbi Wein that it can’t be a coincidence that he lived on Rechov Ben Maimon in Yerushalayim, he smiled.
The Rambam was a prolific author, and his letters and writings have inspired the Jewish people for over 800 years. Three of his works are so classic that any one of them alone would have guaranteed him a level of immortality.
The Rambam’s commentary on the Mishnah is one of the most basic in explaining the simple meaning of the Mishnah. It was originally written in Arabic with Hebrew letters. One would think it was written by an elderly scholar in great comfort. The reality is that the Rambam completed it when he was 24 years old. He wrote it while hiding with his family in the mountains from the radical Muslim Almohads. He had no books for reference.
The Rambam’s Moreh Nevuchim, A Guide to the Perplexed, is a detailed work of philosophy. It was originally written in the form of a letter to his student, Rabbi Yosef ben Yehudah of Ceuta. The Arabic original – Dalalat al-Ha’irin – was completed about 1190 and afterwards was twice translated into Hebrew. Moreh Nevuchim sets the course of Jewish philosophy. From the early 13th century and on, almost every philosophic work of the Middle Ages cited, commented on, or criticized the Rambam’s views.
But the Rambam’s magnum opus is undoubtedly the Mishneh Torah, a 14-section codification of the entire corpus of Torah law. Never before had such a work been published. All future works of halachah are at least somewhat based on the Rambam’s Mishneh Torah. More significantly, while most other works of halachah are limited to discussions of laws that apply in our contemporary world, the Rambam included all laws, even those no longer applicable during the exile. If one learns the entire Mishneh Torah, he will attain background knowledge of every area of halachah.
The Mishneh Torah was also written with incredible precision and organization. It is well known that the Rambam was punctilious in which section he placed each halachah. Many lessons are gleaned merely from where the Rambam chose to include a particular halachah.
In the hallowed halls of yeshivos worldwide, the words of the Rambam are sacrosanct and studied with deep reverence. It is considered a badge of honor to understand “p’shat in Rambam.”
Just over three years ago, I saw advertised that a new cycle of daily Mishneh Torah study was about to begin.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l initiated daily study of Mishneh Torah in 1984. There were two different tracks: studying three chapters a day and finishing it every year or studying one chapter a day and finishing in three years.
I had never heard of Rambam Yomi before, and I decided to give it a try and see what would happen.
During the past three years, I have begun my mornings by studying the timeless words of the Rambam. If I went away for Shabbos, I made sure to print out the daily Rambam beforehand. (There is a plethora of resources available to help the study on various apps and websites.)
This week, I completed my first cycle of learning the entire Mishneh Torah. I am grateful to Hashem that He helped me reach this milestone. I must admit that there were days when I didn’t always have perfect clarity in what the Rambam was saying. But I overcame that sinister inner voice that tried to convince me to give it up, and I pushed on.
While the American Bald Eagle represents national authority and natural power, the Great Eagle, the Rambam, symbolizes soaring to greater levels of intellectual and spiritual understanding of the holy Torah.
As I begin the new cycle of Mishneh Torah this week, I pray that Hashem help me remain in the shadow of the Great Eagle and continue to grow to greater levels of Torah scholarship upon the Rambam’s magnificent wings.
Rabbi Dani Staum is a popular speaker, columnist, and author. He is a rebbi in Heichal HaTorah in Teaneck, New Jersey, principal of Mesivta Orchos Yosher in Spring Valley, New York, and a member of the administration of Camp Dora Golding. His writings can be found at strivinghigher.com. Looking for an inspirational speaker or scholar-in-residence? Contact Rabbi Staum at 845-641-5094 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..