Maimonides 'Code Dealing with Sex,
Foods, Shehitah,' Published as New
Judaica Volume by Yale University
Yale University Press Judaica
Series, which is mainly composed
— of translations of ancient and
medieval classics, is enriched by
the publication of another of the
works of the Code of Maimonides
(Book Five).
The newest work, "The Book of
Holiness," has the distinction of
having been prepared, in an ex-
cellent translation from the Heb-
rew, by three scholars. Dr. Louis
L Rabinowitz, former Chief Rabbi
of Johannesburg and the Trans-
vaal, completed the translation in
1949, but withdrew from the task
due to pressure of his rabbinical
and communal work. It was turn-
ed over in 1956 to Dr. Philip
Grossman, who began work on
the new translation with reference
to Rabbi Rabinowitz's draft. Ill-
ness interfered and he passed
away at the age of 67 colt April 12,
1964. The final work then was put
in shape by the eminent editor
of the series, Dr. Leon Nemoy.
In an editorial note, Dr. Nemoy
explains: "The translation it-
self was once more collated by
me with the Hebrew text in or-
der to make the terminology
more precise and uniform, in
line with several valuable sug-
gestions made, with his usual
generosity, by Prof. Harry A.
Wolfson. A number of minor
corrections and stylistic improve-
ments were also made at the
same time."
"The Book of Holiness" deals
with three treatises: Forbidden
Intercourse. Forbidden Foods and
Shehita. The codes compiled by
Maimonides deal with such a vast
variety of subjects that the
volume becomes immensely im-
portant for physicians, students
of dietetics, rabbinical students
and those interested in theology
generally.
From the viewpoint of health,
there is so much incorporated in
this extensive work that the med-
ical profession will be particular-
ly attracted by much that had
been taught by Miamonides more
than eight centuries ago.
The first treatise deals with
many of the established laws re-
lating to sex life. While a great
deal of the material is outmoded,
and may be rejected as contrary
to modern thought, there is so
much more that deals with human
relations as well as sex problems
that the contents of Book Five-
Code of Maimonides will be ac-
cepted as one of the imperishable
classics.
.
Indeed, this portion of the
volume is not only a work deal-
h-
ing with sex relations: it is a
great sociological study.
The second treatise, "The Laws
Governing Forbidden Foods," ex-
amines tokens of domestic animals
to distinguish between unclean
and clean; examines tokens of
birds, locusts, fishes; lists laws
not to eat unclean animals, beasts,
fishes, winged insects, reptiles,
fruit worms, carrion, diseased an-
imals, and other forbidden foods.
Then there is the valuable She-
hitah treatise. It deals with two
negative and three positive com-
mandments: To eat meat only after
shehitah has been performed, not
to perform shehitah on a dam and
its young on the self same day,
to cover up the blood of beast
and bird, not to take the dam
with its young and to send away
the dam if one takes it froth off
its young.
It is evident from the very
titles that the humanitarianism of
the shehitah laws is emphasized
that every effort is made to pre-
vent cruelty to animals.
Those who would curtail she-
hitah laws would do well to study
this material as an indication that
prevention of cruelty to animals
and to birds in amply provided
for in Jewish law.
Dr. Grossman stated in a schol-
arly introduction to this volume
that "in formulating the Book of
Holiness, Maimonides took into
full account the entire range of
Jewish literature from the earliest
times down to his own age, with
which he was most thoroughly
and minutely familiar, and made
complete, painstaking use of it."
Dr. Grossman also pointed out
that "Maimonides wrote his Code
in accordance with definite herm-
eneutic rules governing his con-
struction and interpretation of
law as transmitted in Scripture
and Talmud." He wrote that this
work "was devoted entirely to the
exposition of Talmudic hermen-
euch ruling of the Talmud with
great exactitude, including all of
the refinements and allusions re-
lating thereto. In general Maimo-
nides does not derive new rulings,
but only records the laws set forth
in the Talmud in their original
wording and form, each one in
its proper place."
Of added interest is Dr. Gros-
sman's comment that "while Mai-
monides valued man-made science
highly, he believed that it should
be limited to its proper sphere;
worldly wisdom, he thought, can-
not outweigh the wisdom of the
Torah, but should rather be sub-
servient to it."
Fortune Magazine Figures U.S. Jews Give
$625 Million a Year to Charity; Calls It 'Miracle'
NEW YORK (JTA) — Jews in
cerned with the resettlement in
"Non-Jewish fund raisers marvel
the United States contribute more
Israel of Jewish refugees from at the technique of the famous
than $625,000,000 a year to various
Europe and Africa. In its 27 `calling dinners' that kick off
philanthropic causes while the
years of existence, UJA has major Jewish philanthropic cam-
total of private philanthropy
raised over $1,500,000,000. In paigns. After the formal speeches
reaches $8,000,000,000 a year, an
1966 its goal is $73,000,000. The by visiting dignitaries, the chair-
article in the January issue of For-
campaign is being led by Max man starts calling the roll. Each
tune, the monthly magazine of
M. Fisher, the Detroit industrial. guest rises as his name is called,
American big business, estimates.
ist, who is also president of the and the chairman coolly asks, 'All
It calls Jewish giving a "miracle."
nonsectarian United Foundation right, Jack, what will you give?'
"The miracle of Jewish giving
of Detroit. Jewish businessmen, Or perhaps, 'Well now, Morris, you
can be traced to ancient biblical
of course, do not confine their gave $25,000 five years ago, what
and rabbinical teachings that make
fund-raising skills to Jewish will you give this time?'
charities.
philanthropy the very core of Jew-
A noted Jewish businessman
ish values," the article, written by
"The campaigns of the UJA and smilingly comments, "It sounds
Robert Sheehan, states.
other leading Jewish charities are kind of brutal, doesn't it? But
It also attributes the vast and marvels of organization, but be- actually, it's a lot of fun, and
successful results of Jewish giv- yond that there does indeed seem what's more — it works.' "
ing to "the circumstances of to be a strong historic and religious
early Jewish life in America thread that motivates the leaders. Former Israeli Mayor
which made it imperative to de- In ancient times the highest pres-
velop forceful fund - raising tige was accorded the trustees of Operated On in Boston
BOSTON (JTA) — Oved Ben
techniques."
the auppah.' If a Jewish business-
Ami, builder of Ashdod, the new
man
today
prizes
the
esteem
of
his
Noting that the Jewish popula-
Dort city of Israel, and former
tion in the United States had grown peers, then the way to earn it, mayor of Natanya, underwent an
rapidly through large waves of im- whether he be an active religious operation at the New England
migration in the last century, worshipper or not, is to do his full Baptist Hospital of Boston. Ac-
forcing American Jews to raise share in behalf of Jewish philan- cording to statements by the phy-
money to aid their poor, the article thropy. It is the practice of some sicians the operation was very
recalls that the American Jews Jewish golf clubs and luncheon successful.
started improving their fund-rais- clubs to check first of all on the
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
ing techniques about 1895, with adequacy of the applicant's Jew-
the formation of "the federated ish and United Fund gifts.
Friday, January 7, 1966-9
charitable fund drive."
Now, the writer states, with 5,-
585,000 Jews in the United States,
about 80 per cent of them native-
born, "the Jewish federated fund
drives raise $130,000,000 a year,
and this is exclusive of endowment
income and a variety of large
capital campaigns."
Commenting on the article the
Council of Jewish Federations and
Welfare Funds estimates that Jew-
ish federated campaigns for main-
tenance purposes yield $130,000,-
000 a year. Together with endow-
ments and capital income, the
federated annual total is substan-
tially larger.
Payments by users of the serv-
ices provided by local agancies,
health, welfare and other, united
ON NATIONALLY ADVERTISED
funds and community chests, gov-
MERCHANDISE
AND MEN'S IMPORTS
ernment grants and other income
total an additional $500,000,000.
The resulting Jewish "gross na-
tional product" — the annual level
of income and costs of Jewish com-
munal services — is more than
$625,000,000 a year. This is ex-
clusive of endowment funds and
most local capital funds.
The Jewish "gross national pro-
duct" for philanthropic purposes,"
By GARRY KAPPY
it was stated, "runs to something
On The Avenue
over $625,000,000 a year."
.
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"An outstanding charity," the
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