Gesundheit Benjamin
Department of Jewish Philosophy, Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel; and The International Center for Cell Therapy & Cancer Immunotherapy (CTCI), Weizmann Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Rambam Maimonides Med J. 2011 Jan 31;2(1):e0018. doi: 10.5041/RMMJ.10018. Print 2011 Jan.
Moses Maimonides, the illustrious medieval rabbi and philosopher, dedicated the last decade of his life primarily to medicine. His strong interest in medicine was an integral component of his religious-philosophical teachings and world view. In this paper various sources from his rabbinic writings are presented that explain Maimonides' motivation regarding and deep appreciation for medicine: (A) The physician fulfills the basic biblical obligation to return lost objects to their owner, for with his knowledge and experience the physician can restore good health to his sick fellow human being; (B) medicine provides a unique opportunity to practice imitatio dei, as it reflects the religious duty to maintain a healthy life-style; (C) as an important natural science, medicine offers tools to recognize, love, and fear God. These three aspects address man's relationship and obligation towards his fellow-man, himself and God. Biographical insights supported by additional sources from Maimonides' writings are discussed.
摩西·迈蒙尼德，这位杰出的中世纪拉比和哲学家，在其生命的最后十年主要致力于医学。他对医学的浓厚兴趣是其宗教哲学教义和世界观不可或缺的一部分。本文呈现了他拉比著作中的各种资料来源，这些资料解释了迈蒙尼德对医学的动机和深刻理解：（A）医生履行了《圣经》中基本的义务，即把失物归还给物主，因为凭借其知识和经验，医生能够使患病的同胞恢复健康；（B）医学提供了一个独特的机会来践行对上帝的模仿，因为它反映了保持健康生活方式的宗教义务；（C）作为一门重要的自然科学，医学提供了认识、热爱和敬畏上帝的工具。这三个方面涉及了人对他人、自己和上帝的关系及义务。文中还讨论了迈蒙尼德著作中其他资料来源所支持的生平见解。
