Condensation of Ch. 2 of Rambam's "Eight Chapters"

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This is part of my upcoming translation
of Rambam's "Eight Chapters", to be
published shortly by Judaica Press.

Interested in dedicating this work in
loving memory of someone or for other reasons?
Please contact me at feldman@torah.org
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A CONDENSATION OF CH. 2 OF RAMBAM'S "EIGHT CHAPTERS"

1. The sins and mitzvot enunciated in the Torah only apply to your senses and emotions. Not to your digestive system or imagination. And they apply to your intellect when it comes to convictions, rather than to behavior.

2. There are two sorts of personal virtues and flaws: intellectual and character-based ones. Intellectual virtues (which are obviously relevant to your intellect) include wisdom, reason, and purity of mind; while intellectual flaws are their opposite.

3. Character virtues or flaws are relevant to your emotions, which your senses merely serve. Such virtues include temperance, generosity, justice, patience, humility, good-will, courage, sensitivity, and others. And flaws entail the minimizing or exaggerating of any one of them. But neither your digestive system nor your imagination play any part in character.

(C) 2004 Rabbi Yaakov Feldman