Contrary to popular belief of his time that some commandments could not be explained scientifically, Maimonides asserted that every single commandment had sound intellectual basis or reasons, which are intelligible to human beings. Maimonides dedicated his life for bridging the gap between reason and revelation. He believed that reason unlike revelation was an arduous process that follows a step-by-step procedure to reach the truth and asserted that man was inherently capable of reaching the final truth provided he possesses certain intellectual capacity. Revelation was just a higher form of reason and thus there existed no specific difference between the two.
For Maimonides, the love of God is the intellectual love of God, that is, one begins with the intellectual knowledge of God, but then imbues that intellectual knowledge with drive, passion, and desire -- drive, passion, and desire that are themselves cognitive in nature -- thereby transforming intellectual knowledge of God into intellectual love of God. (Kaplan, 1994)
Due to this link that he had discovered between reason and revelation, Maimonides refused to accept the popular Jewish belief that revelation was restricted to people of Jewish faith only. He felt that revelation was open to all human beings and thus treated Islam and Christianity with respect considering them two authentic faiths and supported their claims of revelation. But being a firm believer in the unity of God, he criticized Christianity for its concept of trinity and felt that this concept clashed with Christianity's claim of monotheism.
Maimonides' interpretation of faith was firmly grounded in reason and intellect. He believed that people who are not trained in philosophy or science might find his arguments intelligible.
Maimonides tends toward an elitist position regarding the role of reason to be exercised in the divine science. Prompted by the perplexity of his student, Rabbi Joseph ben Judah, in reconciling the literal meaning of the Bible with the dictates of reason, Maimonides writes for a select...
He addresses himself to those of his co-religionists who possess two antecedent qualifications: they must be firmly established in their religious beliefs and practices, and they must have studied the sciences. It is not Maimonides' desire to instruct the multitude of ordinary men in philosophy." (Birnbaum 2001)
Maimonides in his research and life-long study of the religion found many inconsistencies and false beliefs that were prevalent in people of this faith. The primary propose for writing the principles of faith was to codify the beliefs and in the process remove any ambiguities and false interpretations that had emerged over the years. For example idolatry was a problem and what could be considered idolatrous was an issue with Jews of his time. Maimonides explained that idolatry was to be removed completely not only by worshipping one transcendent God but also by getting rid of every cultural symptom of idolatry too. He asserted that idolatry was perennial problem because human beings use their imagination to relate to God and true form of worship is thus more demanding than wrong form of worship found in pagan religions.
Maimonides couldn't tolerate the various false and vague beliefs that had emerged over the centuries and had resulted in some wrong practices. For example he wanted to purge Judaism of all possible forms of idolatry and was quite harsh on poetry that had found its way into liturgy. The thirteen principles of faith and every commentary ever written by Maimonides had just one objective: to make Jewish teachings more lucid and purged of every false belief or wrong practice.
References
Birnbaum, Ruth. The Role of Reason in Bahya and Maimonides. (Bahya ibn Paquda)(Critical Essay) Shofar; 1/1/2001
Kaplan, Lawrence the love of God in Maimonides and Rav Kook. (Jewish scholars) Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought; 6/22/1994;
Medieval Sourcebook: Maimonides:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/rambam13.html. Accessed online 28th Nov 2004
