HEBREW 166 – The Laws of a Jewish State: Maimonides’ Theological-Political Treatise

HEBREW 166 – The Laws of a Jewish State: Maimonides’ Theological-Political Treatise

Semester: Spring
Offered: 2023
Course Head: David Stern
Instructor: J. J. Kimche
Meeting Time: Th 9:45am-11:45am

The Mishneh Torah is arguably Judaism’s greatest legal, religious, and philosophical code. The magnum opus of Maimonides, the most important Jewish jurist and thinker of his era, this work has been enormously impactful upon the development of Judaism from its publication in the twelfth century until today. This course will study the final section of Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, namely “Hilchot Melachim” (Laws of Kings). In this fascinating political-theological treatise, Maimonides outlines an idealised Jewish political system, based upon his readings of the biblical and rabbinic texts. Unique in medieval rabbinic literature, this systematic and wide-ranging treatise constitutes an extensive attempt to determine a Judaic political theory. Other topics discussed in this treatise include the ethics of warfare, the relations between Jews and non-Jews, and the nature of the Messianic age. In this course we will read this text closely, and discuss the great theological, psychological, ideological, moral, and political issues addressed in this treatise. We will occasionally read the opinions of some of Maimonides’ critics and interlocutors, and will survey some of the contemporary scholarship on Maimonides. 

For more details please visit the Harvard Course Catalog.