Principles of Faith (Rosh Amanah)

Don Isaac Abravanel was one of Judaism's greatest thinkers. In his Rosh Amanah (Principles of Faith) Don Isaac Abravanel points out that Hasdai Crescas and his pupil Joseph Albo criticize Maimonides but do not understand him. Their primary complaint is that Maimonides mandates that Jews believe certain dogmas. But, they ask, how can one force another to “believe” anything? Accordingly, Crescas develops a list of six articles of Judaism and Albo three. Abravanel explains that Crescas and Albo overlook two important points. First, Maimonides was not telling the people to believe any particul...