Earlier this week I studied with a friend a foundational text from Maimonides that I think every Jew should read. It is the introduction to Mishne Torah, the fourteen-volume tome that cemented Maimonides’ legacy as one of the most influential Jewish leaders of all time. In the introduction, he lays out the unbroken chain of Torah tradition from Moses until the authors of the Talmud, forty generations and approximately 1700 years later.
From the beginning, the Torah and its accompanying tradition were taught publicly, studied, and preserved by thousands of scholars. But in every generation, one leader or a pair or cluster of leaders were considered the essential links in that tradition. Although the approximately seventy sages named in this introduction are well known from the vast Bible, Talmudic and Midrashic literature, Maimonides records almost no personal details about these sages, aside from one glaring exception. Shmaya and Avtalyon, the teachers and mentors of the famous Hillel are identified as converts and Rabbi Akiva, who is credited with salvaging Torah tradition during one of the most devastating periods of Jewish history is called “the son of converts” as well as two others. Why is this personal tidbit relevant to the chain of Torah tradition, when much more remarkable details of many other sages were omitted?
As Maimonides articulates the transparent legitimacy of Torah tradition, dating back to Moses at Mount Sinai, he also emphasizes the democratization of Torah scholarship. When it comes to the Torah, pedigree and privilege are non-starters. The only thing that counts is devotion and hard work. Even a convert who has no background in Judaism, or the son of converts who had no opportunity to study until he was forty years old, can become the Torah’s most consequential standard bearers. When I say “democratization” I mean the idea that Torah is accessible to everyone. It’s certainly not a free-for-all and we can’t make stuff up in Torah. But the ancestors’ scholarship is no guarantee for their descendants’ academic success, and the lack of pedigree is no deterrent to Torah greatness. In the laws of Torah study Maimonides states: Three crowns were conferred upon Israel: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty. Aaron merited the crown of priesthood. (One must be Aaron’s descendant to be a priest.)… David merited the crown of royalty. (Jewish kings are typically from Davidic lineage.) … The crown of Torah is set aside, waiting, and ready for each Jew… Whoever desires may come and take it. This is one of the reasons the Torah was given to the Jewish people in a desert. Just as no one can claim ownership of the vast wilderness, no family, tribe or clan can claim ownership of Torah. With humility, dedication, and hard work, everyone can succeed in Torah study and contribute to its preservation for eternity, not by shaping Torah in our own image, but by shaping ourselves in the image of Torah. By allowing Torah to dictate our worldview, to guide our choices and most importantly to shape how we live our lives day in and day out.