Commentary on the Mishnah: Introduction

Moses Maimonides

Introduction (selections)

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When you find an animal or plant that, in your opinion, does not provide any benefit or sustenance, this is due to our deficient knowledge. Instead, it must be the case that every herb, every fruit, and every type of animal—from the elephant to the worm—contains something beneficial to humanity. And your proof for this is that in every generation…

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Moses Maimonides composed and revised his commentary on the Mishnah over many years. Writing in Judeo-Arabic, he clarifies each mishnah in light of the discussion in the Babylonian Talmud, often determining what the final legal decision was. The commentary is preceded by a lengthy introduction to the Mishnah, which presents the history of rabbinic tradition. Some individual tractates were also given introductions, in which Maimonides lays out general principles or explores an important related topic. Maimonides explains how all creatures that live in the sublunar world benefit humans, whether through consumption or another mechanism. This discussion enables him to offer more sweeping views about how individuals should spend their time, with a focus on obtaining wisdom and understanding divine unity rather than physical pleasures. These goals, he writes, set human beings apart from animals. The text illustrates how Maimonides sought to incorporate philosophical values into his halakhic writings.

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Commentary on the Mishnah: Introduction

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