In the 1946 film classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey spends his life giving to others; he ultimately learns these act enrich himself. Now, author Jeffrey Katz shares how to live an equally rewarding life based on the wisdom and proverbs of a Middle Ages intellectual in his new book, “Rules to Live By: Maimonides’ Guide to a Wonderful Life.”
“To think that one of the greatest intellectual minds of the Middle Ages could write practical truths that we can apply to our lives today, over 800 years later, is amazing, if not completely incredible!” Mr. Katz writes.
A Well-Rounded Life
A popular Jewish expression from the Middle Ages compared Maimonides to Moses: “From Moses to Moses, There Was None Like Moses.” This refers to the stature and intelligence of those two giants of Judaism.Maimonides believed in the importance of living a well-rounded life. “A big wheel that is smooth-rolling is the ideal life!” He extolled that philosophy in writing nearly 20 books on rabbinic law, philosophy, medicine, and logic. He left indelible marks on medicine, Judaism and philosophy, though he was also passionate about astronomy, mathematics, and science.
His aptitude for medicine proved fortunate when his younger brother David, a successful jewelry merchant, drowned while sailing to India. The unmarried scholar suddenly found himself financially responsible for his brother’s wife and young daughter.
To support his sister-in-law and niece, he became a chief physician in Egypt’s royal palace. As a physician, Maimonides was on call for many people. At home, he provided medical care for commoners, noblemen, judges, and friends, in addition to serving as the leader of Cairo’s Jewish community.
Still, Maimonides found time to write. His proverbs and pearls of wisdom are brilliantly captured in Mr. Katz’s “Rules to Live By.”
A Comprehensive Philosophy
Maimonides paid careful attention to all aspects of life—career, family, finances, spirituality—because of his belief in personal responsibility. As Mr. Katz notes in the introduction, the different areas of one’s life are like spokes on a wheel, and if the effectiveness of each spoke is measured on a scale of one to 10, a misshapen wheel can lead to misfortune and unhappiness.The book is divided into 102 chapters comprised of seven different sections: “Character,” “Success,” “Family,” “Legacy,” “Spiritual,” “Attitude,” and “Health.” Most chapters are just one to two pages long. Each contains a quote, a paraphrased thought, or an idea inspired by Maimonides’s writing. Mr. Katz concludes each chapter with additional observations on Maimonides’s advice.
Each succinct chapter is infused with wisdom and spiritual principles. For instance, the adage, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” was written by Maimonides in the 12th century in a work about the importance of charity.
In another chapter discussing the importance of parents passing on values to their children, Maimonides said, “The divine influence, which enables us to think, may reach a person in such a measure that, in addition to his own perfection, he can be the means of perfection of others.”
Maimonides offered sage advice on building a strong and meaningful marriage via a list that he called the four perfections.
Mr. Katz reveals that Maimonides’s writings cover nearly every aspect of the human condition. The 12th-century scholar addresses the importance of possessing good character, achieving success at work, cultivating a good attitude and a healthy body, and maintaining a vibrant and meaningful spiritual relationship with the Creator.
On the last topic, Mr. Katz translates Maimonides, “If man frees his thoughts from worldly matters, obtains a knowledge of God in the right way, and rejoices in that knowledge, it is impossible that any kind of evil should befall him while he is with God and God with him.”
