The publication of Maimonides' Guide caused shock waves throughout the Jewish world. In Ashkenazi Franco-Germany, there was a sound rejection of the work. Their approach to Judaism was primarily based on the study of Bible and Talmud. Their halachah was based on the interpretations of great rabbis, as well as local traditions. Taking outside concepts (Greek philosophy) into Torah was unthinkable. Even in halachah, Maimonides formulation of the entire system ran contrary to the more eclectic views of Ashkenazi rabbis. In their view, if five rabbis expressed a view on a subject, we must either come up with a formula that encompasses as many of these views as possible, or else go by the majority. For Maimonides, we take the view that is the most logical. He also was opposed to most post-Talmudic customs, whereas for the Ashkenazim, this was perhaps the most essential part of the system! Both his philosophical and legal works were burned in the cities of France and Germany. It would be another five hundred years before they took another look.
Most Sepharadic communities enthusiastically accepted Maimonides' views in all areas. The undercurrent of Kabbalistic thought were strong. Some therefore kept themselves distant from Maimonides' works, some attempted a fusion of the two. Their approach was to understand Maimonides and Kabbalah as representing two different levels of understanding, both valid, even if seemingly contradictory. In the Iberian peninsula, three distinct approaches were evident. Nearly all accepted Maimonides' halachic rulings. (This was often not he case in North Africa). But one faction followed Maimonides' system exactly, often enlarging upon it. Since Maimonides' highly praised secular studies (he defined the concept of "Maaseh Breshit", the acts of creation, as the study of natural science), This segment of Iberian Jewry pursued the study of astronomy, chemistry, grammar; even poetry. We can now understand why many of the craters on the Moon are named for Spanish rabbis, who were also astronomers! Two separate approaches to Kabbalah arose(which were also central to the Jews of Southern France). One, which has all but disappeared today, was the "Prophetic Kabbalah". It was based on the idea that by meditating on the Names of G-d, or even the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, one can achieve the power of prophecy. These Kabbalists also accepted, to a large degree, the works of Maimonides; especially because he apparently rejected the view of Talmudic rabbis that prophecy had ended with the destruction of the first Temple. (One twentieth century scholar actually wrote his doctoral thesis on the question if Maimonides considered himself a prophet). The other approach (the one which eventually prevailed) was theosophic; trying to understand the meaning of the world and life through an understanding of G-d's attributes and His "inner life". (Maimonides emphatically rejected any concept of Divine Attributes). For this group, as with later Kabbalists, the narratives in the Torah are "hints" at higher Truths, and the Mitzvot are part of two dramas, one involving the Universe, one involving our own inner life. (More on this in my next post). For them, Maimonides uncompromising view that we have no perception of G-d's intent, let alone His reality, seemed the exact opposite of what they were attempting to do.So, Spanish and Portuguese Jewry had different approaches to the mitzvot; are they symbols or tools? Are they reminders, or the controls governing all existence? Although some attempted a synthesis, most saw them as approaches which most be considered, but, ultimately, only one chosen as a guide to life.