| layout | title | part | chapter | highlights | pnum | nav |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
chaptersummary |
Chapter 26 |
3 |
26 |
Purpose of the commandments |
609 |
true |
In this chapter, Maimonides makes his famous assertion that he will try to give reasons for all 613 commandments. He explains the intellectual background on this question to the reader, i.e., he introduces the reader to the debate about whether the commandments stem from God's wisdom or from his will: whether they serve a certain purpose or if their purpose is beyond our ken. He is firmly on the former side. Maimonides' rigorous commitment to intellectual honesty shines when he says "Only very few will be left unexplained, the reason for which I have been unable to trace unto this day".