The Rambam: Insights of the Rebbe

00:00 We find ourselves in Chof Teves, which is the 20th of Teves, the Yom HaLula of the Rambam. We'll discuss various sichas where the Rebbe mentions the Rambam and aspects of his life. In a sicha of Yud Gimel Nisan Tov Shim Lamet Ches, which is 1978, the Rebbe says, בנגיעה to the יום ההילדות of גדולי ישראל, it is very rare that it should be said about a specific one of the גדולי ישראל when his יום ההילדות was, when his birthday was. And what we find in Shas, in the Talmud, the עניין of יום ההילדות, we find it primarily בנגיעה to תקופת, that they commemorated 60 years of their life, etc. But בנגיעה to the Rambam, we see that not only the day of his יום ההילדות is noted, that it took place on Erev Pesach, but it also says what hour he was born, as it is mentioned in the סבורים and דברי היומים and in the סדר הדרש וקייצי בוזה. In a sicha, Yud Alef Nisan Tov Shim Lamet Ches, 1985, when the first סיום on the Sefer Yad HaChazakah was celebrated after a year almost of studying the Rambam, the Rebbe discussed the daily life conduct by the Rambam. The Rebbe said as follows, Similarly, in his daily life, we find his regular custom was to assist all people, Jews and non-Jews alike. There is a well-known letter of the Rambam in which he describes his difficult daily schedule, and he writes, After returning home from his daily visit to the Sultan's palace, I

02:23 find all the foyers and waiting rooms filled with people. Non-Jews and Jews are there. I then go out to treat them, to write prescriptions and medical advice to heal their sickness, till late at night, and I reach a state of utter weakness and exhaustion. In the Rambam's daily lifestyle, which serves as a living example for us, how we are able to help those who need our help, he shows us that it must be done without consideration for the difficulty of the service to the point of self-sacrifice. For the Rambam set aside many hours every day for helping others without being concerned for his own well-being. Therefore, in addition to the Sefer Yad HaChazakah, how one must act to improve the world and civilization, we also learn a lesson from the Rambam's personal daily activity, that he toiled and dedicated his life to helping everyone, Jews and Gentiles, dealing with the most basic of all assistance, their health. In a fabregen of Yuchva Tovshin Lamet Bes, 1972, the Rebbe again discussed the life of the Rambam. The Rebbe began that when we read the letters of the Rambam, there is a letter in which he describes his life, his daily schedule, his seder hachayim, and we see that bepal, there isn't such a person that suffered so much pain. And this was while the Rambam was already in his greatness, when he was serving in the courtyard of the Sultan, with all the details as he describes it. Nevertheless, there were yesudim kipsutam, weakness of his

04:44 body, and many other troubling issues. And the Rebbe continues, Allah has kama vekama, surely when we take in consideration, seeing the greatness of the Rambam, it is self-understood in what he lived and in what he really was excited about. Still, as he describes in this letter, most of the day, quantity-wise, was used for inyonim, for matters that are completely not within the range of the matters in which he really lived and enjoyed, which is the inyon of chachma, philosophy. Most of the day, as an entire day, was used for matters that are shayach to maise ve dibur, deed and speech, not research and chachma, knowledge and philosophy. Still When he comes to the conclusion in Meire Nevuchim, he says the view of a Yid and the view of Torah needs to be that a person should look at the world with a favorable eye, with a good hope and a strong trust. As the Rambam elaborates and mentions many results in this approach. And the Rebbe continues, in the same sense that we find it in his personal life, likewise it is reflected in the life of the whole Jewish nation. When it came to the Jewish nation, Torah testifies a vital factor in the life of the Jewish nation is that before Mashiach comes, they find themselves being hassled, harassed, And together with that, a Yid is commanded, serve Hashem b'simcha. It is actually told that at this fabrengen, there was a famous writer who participated and the Rebbe spoke about thinking and writing

07:14 positive. This was a lesson also for this person. In a fabrengen, Tov Shin Mem Hei, the Rebbe related that in the lifetime of the Rambam, the Nusach HaKaddish in Yemen had additional words, which means in your life, in your days, and additional four words were recited, and the lifetime of our master and teacher, Mesha, referring to the Rambam. Behamshech to the earlier installment about the Rambam on the occasion of his Yemai Lula Tere Chaf Tevis, we continue now discussing additional aspects about the Rambam and his Istalkos. In the Sichah of Lech Lecha Shnastin Nose, late 1991, the Rebbe said the following, There is a connection between the Rambam and Eretz Yisrael. Although he was not able to actually move to Eretz Yisrael through his entire life, the Rambam desired to live there and ultimately was buried there. Perhaps this indicates that his mission in life was to refine the diaspora, particularly the land of Mitzrayim, where he spent many years of his life and composed the Mishnah Torah. Indeed, this is Merumas in his name, which serves as an acronym for the Hebrew words, Reveis Meisai BeEretz Mitzrayim, that's the abbreviation of Rambam, and in English, to multiply my wonders in the land of Mitzrayim. A little later on in that same Fabrengen, the Rebbe says, as it is known, that the choice for his burial site was Lemaila Mederach Hateva, higher than a natural manner. They placed his urn on a wagon or a boat, and it went on its own, Al Piratzin HaKodesh

09:44 Barachu, till it reached his resting place in Tveria. The Rebbe, on several occasions, elaborated on the location, which is Tveria, as the Rambam himself says that the Sanhedrin, the courthouse in Yerushalayim, will resume in the time of the Geulah in the city of Tveria, and then they will return back to Yerushalayim in the Beis Hamikdash. On the occasion of the 20th of Teves, Tov Shin Mem Tes, early 1989, the Rebbe spoke a Sichah, the Kavad de Hilulah of the Rambam, and the Rebbe focused on the date of the Hilulah, namely the 20th of Teves. The number 20 shows on an ultimate completeness, Tachlas Hashleimus. 10 is a completeness, 20 is a double completeness, Asira Asrenu. As it's mentioned in Chidas, the 20 also shows on the Inyan of Keser. The month of Teves, in Aramaic, it means good. That this month in general is Inyan HaTeiv. So the Rebbe says from this it is understood that when it is the 20th of the month, which is the name Teves, is that the goodness in this month is found with Tachlas Hashleimus. The Rebbe also connects the Yemai Hilulah of the Rambam with the Parsha, which the conclusion with which the Parsha Shmeis concludes with the words, Ki B'Yod Hazoka Yeshalchem, the Pare will drive a wind out of Mitzrayim. B'Yod Hazoka, so the Rebbe says, V'Yesh Leimar, Lichidud Al Kopanim, that the going out from Golus Mitzrayim is in the schus of studying Yad HaHazoka. The Sefer of the Rambam, the 14 Svarim, which are

12:10 the Halochas of Kol HaTeira Kula. In the merit of studying these Halochas, we go out from Golus. The Rambam at his Istalkos was short 83 days to his 70th Yemai Ledes, which was Anerev Pesach. The Rebbe explains that V'Yesh Leimar, that the 83 days till his birthday basically reflect the 83 Halochas. The Halochah titles that the Rambam compiled and authored in his Sefer Yad HaHazoka. So the 83 Halochah titles, they complete his full 70 years of life.