UMaimonides—Indoda Eyahlaziya UbuYuda

“UKUSUSELA kuMoses ukuya kuMoses, akukho namnye wakha wanjengoMoses.” AmaYuda amaninzi aya kuwaqonda la mazwi ayimfihlelo njengancoma isithandi sobulumko esingumYuda senkulungwane ye-12, esalungelelanisa saza sanikela amagqabaza ngeTalmud neZibhalo, uMoses Ben Maimon—okwaziwa njengoMaimonides nanjengoRambam.a Namhlanje abaninzi abamazi uMaimonides, ukanti izinto awazibhalayo ngomhla wakhe zazichaphazela ngokunzulu iinkolo zamaYuda, amaSilamsi nezecawa. Ngokusisiseko, wabuhlaziya ubuYuda. Wayengubani uMaimonides, yaye kutheni amaYuda amaninzi emgqala ‘njengoMoses wesibini’?

Wayengubani UMaimonides?

UMaimonides wazalelwa eCórdoba, eSpeyin, ngowe-1135. Uyise, uMaimon, awafumana kuye isiseko senkoliso yengqeqesho yonqulo, wayengumphengululi odumileyo owayephuma kwintsapho eyaziwayo yoorabhi. Xa ama-Almohad oyisa iCórdoba ngowe-1148, kwafuneka amaYuda akhethe phakathi kokuguqukela kubuSilamsi okanye asabe. Oku kwakhokelela ekubhaduleni kwentsapho kaMaimonides kangangethuba elide. Ngowe-1160 bahlala eFez, eMorocco, apho waqeqeshelwa ukuba ngugqirha. Ngowe-1165 kwafuneka ukuba intsapho yakhe ibalekele ePalestine.

Noko ke, imeko kwaSirayeli yayingazinzanga. Iqela elincinane labemi abangamaYuda lalisesichengeni kumaJoni Omnqamlezo eNgqobhoko nakwimikhosi yamaSilamsi. Kungadlulanga neenyanga ezintandathu ‘bekwiLizwe Elingcwele,’ uMaimonides nentsapho yakhe basabela eFustat, isiXeko Esidala saseCairo, e-Egypt. Waziqaqambisa apha iziphiwo zakhe uMaimonides. Ngowe-1177 waba yintloko yabemi abangamaYuda, yaye ngowe-1185 wamiselwa njengogqirha kwibhotwe lenkokeli edumileyo yamaSilamsi uSaladin. UMaimonides wazigcina zozibini ezi zikhundla de wafa ngowe-1204. Ubuchule bakhe kwezonyango babusaziwa kangangokuba kuthiwa nakuba wayekude eseNgilani, uKumkani uRichard Onentliziyo yeNgonyama wazama ukumfumana uMaimonides njengogqirha wakhe.

Wabhala Ntoni?

UMaimonides wayenesiphiwo sokubhala. Ngoxa wayebaleka intshutshiso yamaSilamsi, ezimela yaye eyimbacu, wabhala inxalenye enkulu yencwadi yakhe yokuqala ebalaseleyo, ethi Commentary on the Mishnah.b Ekubeni ibhalwe ngesiArabhu, icacisa iingcamango namabinzana amaninzi akwiMishnah, maxa wambi iphambukele kwiingcaciso zentanda-bulumko kaMaimonides ngobuYuda. Kwicandelo elicacisa ingxelo yeSanhedrin, uMaimonides waqulunqa imigaqo ebalulekileyo eli-13 yokholo lobuYuda. UbuYuda abuzange busicacise isivumo sokholo esisemthethweni. Ngoku, imiGaqo yoKholo kaMaimonides eli-13 yaba ngumzekelo esasekelwa kuyo isivumo sokholo samaYuda.—Bona ibhokisi, kwiphepha 23.

UMaimonides wazama ukucacisa indlela esengqiqweni ezilandelelana ngayo zonke izinto, enoba zezokwenyama okanye zezokomoya. Waluchasa ukholo olumfamekileyo, efuna inkcazelo ngento yonke ngokusekelwe koko wayekujonga njengobungqina nengqiqo ephilileyo. Olu tyekelo lwakhe lungokwemvelo lwakhokelela ekubhalweni kweyona ncwadi yakhe ibalaseleyo—Mishneh Torah.c

Ngomhla kaMaimonides amaYuda ayenembono yokuba ‘iTorah,’ okanye ‘uMthetho,’ wawubhekisela kungekuphela nje kumazwi awabhalwa nguMoses kodwa kuzo zonke iingcaciso ezazinikelwa ngoorabhi ngalo Mthetho ukutyhubela iinkulungwane. Ezi mbono zamaYuda zabhalwa kwiTalmud nakwizigqibo ezininzi abafikelela kuzo oorabhi noko kwabhalwayo ngeTalmud. UMaimonides waqonda ukuba ubuninzi nokungalungelelani kwale nkcazelo kwakumenza umYuda oqhelekileyo angakwazi ukwenza izigqibo ngobomi bakhe bemihla ngemihla. Inkoliso yayingakwazi ukunikela ubomi bayo ukuba ifunde zonke iincwadi zoorabhi, uninzi lwazo ezibhalwe ngesiAramiki esintsonkothileyo. Isicombululo sikaMaimonides sasikukuphucula le nkcazelo, ebalaselisa izigqibo ezibalulekileyo, aze ayilungelelanise ibe yingqokelela yeencwadi ezili-14, ezinemixholo eyahlukahlukene ngokwemibandela. Wayibhala ngesiHebhere esicace gca nesifundeka lula.

Incwadi ethi Mishneh Torah yayisisikhokelo esiluncedo kangangokuba iinkokeli zamaYuda ezithile zazinexhala lokuba yayiya kuyithabel’ indawo ngokupheleleyo iTalmud. Sekunjalo, kwanabo babeyichasa babeyivuma imfundiso egqithiseleyo yaloo ncwadi. Le ngqokelela yeencwadi ilungelelaniswe kakuhle yakhokelela kwinguqulelo ebalulekileyo, ihlaziya inkqubo yobuYuda eyayingasasetyenziswa ngumntu oqhelekileyo okanye ayiqonde kakuhle.

Emva koko, uMaimonides wagqiba ekubeni abhale enye incwadi ebalaseleyo—The Guide for the Perplexed. Ngokuguqulelwa kwesiGrike samandulo kwisiArabhu, amaYuda angakumbi akwazi ukuqhelana noAristotle nezinye izithandi zobulumko. Wambi ayedidekile, kunzima kuwo ukuvisisanisa eyona ntsingiselo yamabinzana eBhayibhile nentanda-bulumko. Kwincwadi ethi The Guide for the Perplexed, uMaimonides, owayemthanda kakhulu uAristotle, wazama ukucacisa intsingiselo yeBhayibhile nobuYuda ngendlela evisisana nengcamango yentanda-bulumko nengqiqo.—Thelekisa eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 2:1-5, 11-16.

Ukongezelela kwezi ncwadi zibalaseleyo nakwezinye iincwadi ezingokonqulo, uMaimonides wabhala ngokunegunya kulwazi lwezamayeza nolwezenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi. Enye inkalo yobuchule bakhe bokubhala ayifanele ibethwe ngoyaba. IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “Iileta zikaMaimonides zibalasele kwimbali yokubhalwa kweeleta. NgumYuda wokuqala obhale iileta eziye zalondolozwa kakhulu. . . . Iileta zakhe zazibachukumisa abo wayebabhalela, yaye wayeyiguqu-guqula indlela awayezibhala ngayo ukuze ibafanele.”

Wayefundisa Ntoni?

KwimiGaqo yakhe Yokholo eli-13, uMaimonides wanikela imigaqo ecacileyo yokholo, inxalenye yayo esekelwe eSibhalweni. Noko ke, umgaqo wesixhenxe nowesithoba uyaphikisana noko kuthethwa lukholo kuYesu njengoMesiya olusekelwe eZibhalweni.d Ecinga ngeemfundiso zeNgqobhoko zabawexuki, ezinjengoBathathu Emnye, nokuhanahanisa okucacileyo okuboniswa zizantyalantyala zegazi zeeMfazwe Zomnqamlezo, akumangalisi ukuba uMaimonides engazange aphande nzulu ngombandela wokuba uYesu unguMesiya kusini na.—Mateyu 7:21-23; 2 Petros 2:1, 2.

UMaimonides ubhala oku: “Sinokubakho na isiphazamiso esodlula [ubuKristu]? Bonke abaprofeti bathetha ngoMesiya njengomkhululi nomsindisi kaSirayeli . . . [Kunoko, ubuKristu] bukhokelele ekubulaweni kwamaYuda ngekrele, ekuchithachithweni nasekuthotyweni kwentsalela yawo, ekuguqulweni kweTorah, nasekuphambukeni kwenkoliso yabantu ukuba ikhonze uthixo kunokukhonza iNkosi.”—Mishneh Torah, “IMithetho YooKumkani Neemfazwe Zabo,” isahluko 11.

Sekunjalo, phezu kwako nje ukuhlonelwa kwakhe, amaYuda amaninzi akhetha ukungamlandeli uMaimonides kwimibandela ethile awayethetha ngokuphandle ngayo. Ngenxa yokwanda kweencwadi ezintsonkothileyo zamaYuda (Kabbalah), ukuvumisa ngeenkwenkwezi kwaba yinto exhaphake ngakumbi kumaYuda. UMaimonides wabhala oku: “Nabani na ovumisa ngeenkwenkwezi noceba ukwenza umsebenzi othile okanye ukuthabatha uhambo ngokwexesha elimiselwe ngabo bakhangela amazulu ufanele ohlwaywe . . . Zonke ezi zinto zibubuxoki yaye ziyinkohliso . . . Nabani na ozikholelwayo ezi zinto . . . sisidenge yaye akanangqondo.”—Mishneh Torah, “Imithetho Yonqulo-zithixo,” isahluko 11; thelekisa iLevitikus 19:26; Duteronomi 18:9-13.

Kukho olunye uqheliselo awalugxeka kabukhali uMaimonides: “[Oorabhi] bamisela abantu nabahlali ukuba babahlawule imali baza ngokungekho ngqiqweni, bakhokelela abantu ekucingeni ukuba bamele benjenjalo yaye oko kwakufanelekile . . . Konke oku akulunganga. Akukho negama elinye, kwiTorah okanye kumazwi ezilumko [kwiTalmud], elixhasa le mfundiso.” (Commentary on the Mishnah, Avot 4:5) Ngokwahlukileyo kwaba rabhi, uMaimonides wayesebenza nzima njengogqirha ukuze akwazi ukuzixhasa, akazange ayamkele intlawulo ngenkonzo yakhe engokonqulo.—Thelekisa eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 2:17; neyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 2:9.

Bachatshazelwa Njani UbuYuda Nezinye Iinkolelo?

UNjingalwazi Yeshaiahu Leibowitz weYunivesithi yesiHebhere, eYerusalem, wathi: “UMaimonides ngoyena mntu unempembelelo enamandla kwimbali yobuYuda, ukususela kwimihla yooSolusapho neyabaProfeti ukuza kufikelela kule mihla.” IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “Inkqubela eya kubakho kubuYuda kwixesha elizayo ngenxa yempembelelo kaMaimonides ingummangaliso. . . . UC. Tchernowitz . . . ude athi ukuba uMaimonides wayengekho ubuYuda ngebabuqhekeke baba ngamahlelo neenkolo ezahlukahlukeneyo . . . Nguye owenza umsebenzi omkhulu wokumanyanisa la mahlelo ahlukahlukeneyo.”

UMaimonides wabuhlaziya ubuYuda ngokulungelelanisa inkolo yamaYuda ukuze ifanelane noko wayekukholelwa kulungelelene yaye kusengqiqweni. Abaphengululi nabantu abaqhelekileyo bayamkela le ngcaciso njengeluncedo nevusa umdla. Kwanabo babemchasa uMaimonides ekugqibeleni bayamkela inkoliso yeemfundiso zakhe. Nangona yena wayebhalela ukukhulula amaYuda ekuxhomekekeni kwimithetho engapheliyo, kungadlulanga xesha lide kwabhalwa imithetho emide esekelwe kwiincwadi zakhe.

IEncyclopaedia Judaica ithi: “UMaimonides . . . wayesesona sithandi sobulumko singumYuda sibalulekileyo kumaXesha Aphakathi, yaye incwadi yakhe ethi Guide of the Perplexed yeyona ncwadi yentanda-bulumko ibalulekileyo kwezakhe zabhalwa ngumYuda.” Nangona ibhalwe ngesiArabhu, incwadi ethi The Guide for the Perplexed yaguqulelwa kwisiHebhere ngoxa wayesaphila uMaimonides yaye kungadlulanga xesha lide yaguqulelwa kwisiLatini, nto leyo eyenza ukuba ikwazi ukufundwa kulo lonke elaseYurophu. Ngenxa yoko, umxube okhethekileyo kaMaimonides wentanda-bulumko ka-Aristotle neenkolelo zamaYuda wazichaphazela ngokukhawuleza iinkolelo zeNgqobhoko. Abaphengululi beNgqobhoko belo xesha, abanjengoAlbertus Magnus noThomas Aquinas, babhekisela ngokufuthi kwiingcamango zikaMaimonides. Waphembelela kwanabaphengululi bamaSilamsi. Indlela uMaimonides awayeyicacisa ngayo intanda-bulumko yaphembelela izithandi zobulumko ezaziphila emva kwakhe, ezinjengoBaruch Spinoza, ukuba zahlukane ngokupheleleyo nobuYuda besithethe.

Bambi basenokucinga ukuba uMaimonides wayeyindoda eSisilumko eyayiphila ngaphambi kwexesha leNguquko. Umgaqo wakhe wokuba ukholo lumele luhambe nengqiqo usasebenza. Lo mgaqo wamkhokelela ekuzichaseni ngokuphandle iinkolo zonqulo. Sekunjalo, umzekelo ombi weNgqobhoko nempembelelo yentanda-bulumko ka-Aristotle ngokufuthi yayimthintela ekwenzeni izigqibo ezivisisana ngokupheleleyo nenyaniso yeBhayibhile. Nangona bambi basenokungavumelani namazwi akrolwe kwingcwaba likaMaimonides—“Ukususela kuMoses ukusa kuMoses akukho namnye wakha wanjengoMoses”—kumelwe kuvunywe ukuba wayihlaziya inkqubo nemo yobuYuda.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 23]

IMIGAQO YOKHOLO KAMAIMONIDES ELI-13e

1. UThixo nguMdali nomLawuli wezinto zonke. Nguye kuphela owadala, odalayo, noseza kudala zonke izinto.

2. UThixo mnye. Akukho lumanyano lunjengolwakhe.

3. UThixo akanamzimba. Yena akanawo amalungu omzimba angokwenyama.

4. UThixo ngowokuqala nowokugqibela.

5. Kufanele kuthandazwe kuThixo kuphela. Ubani akafanele athandaze kuye nawuphi umntu okanye kuyo nayiphi na into.

6. Konke okwathethwa ngabaprofeti kuyinyaniso.

7. Isiprofeto sikaMoses siyinyaniso ngokupheleleyo. Wayeyintloko yabo bonke abaprofeti, ngaphambi nasemva kwakhe.

8. Yonke iTorah esinayo ngoku yileyo yayinikwe uMoses.

9. ITorah ayiyi kuguqulwa, yaye uThixo akasayi kuphinda asinike enye.

10. UThixo uzazi zonke izenzo neengcinga zomntu.

11. UThixo uyabavuza bonke abagcina imithetho Yakhe, yaye uyabohlwaya abo bophula umthetho Wakhe.

12. UMesiya uyeza.

13. Abafi baza kubuyiselwa ebomini.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 21]

Jewish Division / The New York Public Library / Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations