Tefilah Reexamined: Part 2 - Rambam on "Avodah" (and the Allegory of the Palace)

Length: 1 hour 38 minutes
Synopsis: This morning (9/13/24), in our NEW Machshavah Lab series for women called "Tefilah Reexamined," we began by reviewing our questions on the Rambam's initial presentation of the mitzvah of tefilah and the Ralbag's answer. We then delved into the Rambam's Allegory of the Palace in the Guide for the Perplexed, in which he presents his definition of "avodah" (Divine service) and "avodah she'ba'lev" (service of the heart/mind), among other important concepts. We came up with a theory that explains the Rambam's statement in the Sefer ha'Mitzvos that "avodah" encompasses ALL mitzvos in general, as well as tefilah and Torah study in specific. Next time (בג"ה) we'll contrast this model of tefilah with that of the Ramban.
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מקורות:
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: הקדמה, מנין המצוות, עשה ה
רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר אהבה, הלכות תפלה וברכת כהנים הקדמה; א:א-ד
רמב"ם - ספר המצוות: הקדמה, עשה ה
רלב"ג - דברים ו:יג
רלב"ג ביאור המילות - שמות כג:כה
רמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:נא
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