Here is another tale about the Jewish rabbi, scholar, astronomer and physician Maimonides. For more about this important medieval figure see this earlier post.

Maimonides gained fame in many ways through the course of his life, not least for his astonishing skill in healing. Some tales even tell that he was able to bring the dead to life again–but this is not such a fantasy. In fact, this is a story about one illness that Maimonides was powerless to overcome.

It happened that Maimonides had a good friend, Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra, a scholar who until this day is revered as a wise philosopher and a profound interpreter of the scriptures. The two men had grown up together, and they were like brothers. It is even said that they were born on the same day, but if that is so, the stars must have been looking in different directions when they were born, for whereas Maimonides seemed able to make a success of whatever he took up, Rabbi Abraham’s touch had exactly the opposite effect. He bought and sold things for a living–you cannot pay for bread with philosophy!–but all his worldly affairs ended in disaster, and he lived in total poverty. Once, ruefully acknowledging this, Rabbi Abraham said to his friend, “Maimonides, it does not matter what I do or which way I turn! If I would decide to sell shrouds, people would stop dying!”

And Maimonides said, “No, my friend, you know that cannot happen. But the Council of Rabbis could with no warning proclaim that it was lawful to bury the dead without a shroud – yes, that is possible.”

It troubled Maimonides deeply to see his friend in constant difficulties, and so he naturally began to look for some way to aid him. He looked upon his friend’s condition as if it were an illness, and he wished to set it right–but how? He knew that his friend would never accept a gift, although Maimonides had more than enough to share. Therefore he began to search for some other way of letting money fall into his hands.

By studying the habits of his friend, as a good physician should, he found what he thought was the ideal plan. It was the invariable custom of Rabbi Abraham to rise very early, and before anyone in the city was stirring, to walk quietly through the streets to the synagogue. “I shall go before sunrise and leave a bag with some money in it near his door. When he comes out, he will find it–and his poverty will be healed.”

This Maimonides did. Then he waited at the synagogue, to see how his friend arrived. He was hoping to see some sign of happiness, but to his surprise Rabbi Abraham came in his usual manner, and began to pray. When the prayers were finished, Maimonides greeted his friend, and as circumspectly as possible, asked him if anything unusual had happened that day.

“How perceptive you are, brother,” answered Rabbi Abraham. “Yes, this morning when I woke, I was sad at the poverty in which I live, but then I scolded myself. ‘Abraham, be grateful for what you DO have! You have sight. Imagine how it would be to be blind!’ And to remind myself of my blessings, I walked all the way to the synagogue with my eyes closed.”

And it was then that Maimonides knew he had been defeated by Rabbi Abraham’s poverty.