The Nachmanides Supremacy

 

 

Maimonides - Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known by his acronym the RambaM , is one of the greatest mediaeval Rabbis and halachic authorities. Also a great scientist, doctor, astronomer and a notable philosopher.  His younger near contemporary,  Nachmanides – Moses ben Nachman (1194–1270) was referred to as RambaN and perhaps almost as celebrated as his illustrious predecessor. Nachmanides was more mystically oriented, in some respects, and an early Kabbalist, but still took a rational approach to Torah.  My personal view is that he was more rational in his plain reading of the Torah, at least in his commentary on the plain meaning of verses.

 

Rambam wrote a  vast Halachic opus which he calls the “Mishneh Torah” , and  based on the following verse from Devarim 17:

 

11According to the law they instruct you and according to the judgment they say to you, you shall do; you shall not divert from the word they tell you, either right or left.

יאעַל־פִּ֨י הַתּוֹרָ֜ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יוֹר֗וּךָ וְעַל־הַמִּשְׁפָּ֛ט אֲשֶׁר־יֹֽאמְר֥וּ לְךָ֖ תַּֽעֲשֶׂ֑ה לֹ֣א תָס֗וּר מִן־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־יַגִּ֥ידוּ לְךָ֖ יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹֽאל:

 

 

 

he claims (Hil. Mamrim Ch. 1; 1-2) that this Torah verse commands us to adhere to all laws and decisions enacted by the Phariseeic Sanhedrin, namely all aspects of the Oral law . This is despite the fact that the verse is referring only to a dispute where the disputants are unable to reach agreement locally, and they take their dispute to the High court – i.e. only the specific judgement for the case.

 

And here is where Nachmanides takes issue with Maimonides.  He points out, that even according to the Talmud,  rabbinic law is inferior to Torah law, in certain situations, eg in case of a doubt , one takes a leniency for rabbinic law, but is strict to observe the Torah law.  According to Maimonides, all rabbinic law has Torah status, at least in his abovementioned statement.

 

Nachmanides is rejecting the claim that the verse from Devarim obliges us to keep rabbinic (oral) law.  Apparently,  Nachmanides does not claim that there is a Scriptural basis for rabbinic law! The implication for Bnei Mikra is quite obvious,  that Nachmanides  is essentially accepting the fundamental claim of Karaites!

 

Hence, the title of this post,  relative to Maimonides and many other rabbis, we see the Nachmanides Supremacy.