Page:Guideperplexed v1.djvu/41

are by no means forcible enough to set aside pr/ncip]ea ? on 1og/cal proofJ The debility of which Maimonides so frequently com- plained in his correspondence, gradually increased, and he died, in his seventieth year, on the 20th Tebeth, 4964 (1204)? His death was the cause of great mourning to all Jewa In Fobtat a mourn/ng of three days was kept; in Jerusalem a fast was appointed; a portion of the to- 󿽂/u?c/u?A (Lev. xxvi. or Deut. xxix.)was read, and also the history of the capture of the Ark by the Philistines (1 Sam. iv.). His remains were brought to Tiberias. a The general regard in which Ma?monlde8 was held, both by his contemporaries and by succeeding generations, has been expressed in the popular say/ng: "From Moses to Moses there was none like Moses. "? Novs.---Ezamination of t?e proo]? adduced for the alleged apostasp of Maimonides (pag. xviii.). First of all, we have to examine the treatise on in- voluntary apostasy. A certain Rabbi being asked to state his opinion on the relation of forced converts to Judaism replied that if a Jew publicly professes his belief in Mahomet and joins the Moslem; in their worship, his prayer would not be acceptable before the Lord, his obser- vance of the divine precepts had no merit whatever, and he could no longer be considered a Jew. The Rabbi exhorted his brethren to be firm, and prefer death to apos?, as he put no faith in the clandestine observance of religious precep.ts. In the treatise attributed to Mai- monides this reply is criticised, and pronounced to be z C?mp. Fdsdlindar, ".Essays ou l'bu Esrs," pag. 96 sqq. s A? ? R. ? b. M?on ibu D?: Mon?y the18?of ? 4?. (C?? ?n? by ?e?n, K?nio?rg, 1856.) Comp. ?? ? O?'. Zei?, ?., II. 127 sqq. s ?p. ?oly, I?., ? 185, 38?, 446. ? )? ? ? ? ? ??. The p? ? i? og? ? D?ut. ā lj