Without a doubt, the work of Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, known as the Rambam or Maimonides (1138-1204), marks a watershed in the religious vision of Judaism. His approach based on reason and philosophical thought, provided a different way of understanding Judaism. Among his many works, his Mishneh Torah stands out, a treatise that explains in a clear and orderly manner the precepts that our sages captured in the Talmud. In Sefer Hamitzvoth he takes the 613 commandments of the Torah, comments on them and gives rules on how to interpret and carry them out.

But it is in his Guide for the Perplexed where the Rambam presents us with the precepts of Judaism from the point of view of reason and philosophical language. In it, he shows that one can reach the same Truth, with a capital T, both through the path of reason and through the path of religion.

In book three, chapter XII of The Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides tells us that suffering has three origins. The first is that which comes to man because he is subject to genesis and destruction. What does this mean? All living beings in nature are born and die. It is a rule from which none escapes. It is nature’s way of renewing itself and of old beings giving way to young ones. And to achieve this, nature has many paths: illnesses, accidents, earthquakes, fires, floods, plagues, etc.

The second is that which originates from other people. It is the conduct of others that can affect us and make us suffer either physically or psychologically. The damage caused by crime, bad rulers, wars and any person in general can be the cause of pain for many. Pain that can even end in death.

The third is the evils that one causes to oneself, by the way one acts. It can be physical harm, such as those who smoke or drink too much, or it can be psychological, such as personality disorders. Maimonides expands on this concept and explains to us that this evil comes from desiring things that are unnecessary for the preservation of the individual and the species. Desire has no limits and satisfying it at all costs leads us to act in a way that can harm us.

Knowing the origin of suffering helps us to understand it and to take a proactive attitude to avoid it, as far as possible, to mitigate it or to endure it with a better attitude. Therefore, when you suffer from something, consult Dr. Maimonides.

By Marcos Gojman

Bibliography: Maimonides, Spinoza and Us, by Rabbi Marc D. Angel and Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed.