Physical and/or Spiritual Resurrection? The Rambam/Maimonides (1135C.E.-1205C.E) was criticized for not believing in physical resurrection and not including it in his Mishneh Torah/Code of Jewish Law. The Ra’vaad/Rabbeinu Abraham ben David (1125C.E.-1198C.E.) who was mystically inclined who challenged much of what the Rambam/Maimonides said. In chapter 3, the Rambam/Maimonides says that anybody that believes G-d is physical is a heretic. In 1188/1189 C.E., the Ra’avaad/Rabbeinu Abraham ben David attacks the Rambam’s concept of Olam Habah (ch.8) and that the Rambam does not believe in the physical resurrection of the dead. The Rambam responds to him and says he does believe in it and all is well. Without reading or knowing the Rambam’s response to the Ra’avaad/Rabbeinu Abraham ben David in 1188/1189 C.E., another Rabbinic leader, the Yad Ramah comes along in 1203/1204 C.E. and vehemently attacks and criticizes the Rambam’s view of resurrection. He then gets the Rambam’s defense and says ok, he does believe in physical resurrection.
The Rambam/Maimonides was a very controversial character in his lifetime (1135C.E.-1205 C.E) and for hundreds of years later. He was attacked for his stance on resurrection above, then in 1232 C.E. people get wind of the Rambam and attack him for his views of biblical interpretation, which his son comes to his defense. They went as far as to bring this to the church, to where they burned his books and called him a heretic. In 1280 C.E., he was attacked for his philosophical ideas by the Rashbah/Rabbi Shelomo ben Adret (1235C.E.- 1310C.E.), who said he was a very controversial figure and put the threat of Herem/excommunication to anyone that learns his books of philosophy before a certain age. And then in 1308/1310 C.E., he was attacked again. The Rambam writes very esoterically and even says he does, so if he never states in his books that he believes in physical resurrection, then he must not have. It is quite possible that the Rambam/Maimonides answered that he did believe in physical resurrection, because of the huge threat of persecution he was under. So, the question that needs to be asked is, how does one read a Maimonidian work? (These notes are only from the first 5 minutes, happy listening!)
*As always, please listen to the class in full to understand the context and depth of the quotes above.
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