110+ Maimonides Quotes On Health, Education And Medicine

Maimonides was a Spanish philosopher of the 12th century. He was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher who wrote extensively on Jewish law and ethics. He is considered one of the greatest Jewish philosophers of the Middle Ages and is known for his work The Guide for the Perplexed. Following is our collection on famous quotes by Maimonides on health, education, medicine.

Top 10 Maimonides Quotes

1. The physician should not treat the disease but the patient who is suffering from it
2. Teach thy tongue to say 'I do not know,' and thou shalt progress.
3. Let nothing which can be treated by diet be treated by other means.
4. Do not consider it proof just because it is written in books, for a liar who will deceive with his tongue will not hesitate to do the same with his pen.
5. God who preceded all existence is a refuge.
6. The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision.
7. What is lofty can be said in any language. What is mean should be said in none.
8. Anticipate charity by preventing poverty.
9. It is man's duty to love and to fear God, even without hope of reward or fear of punishment.
10. In finances, be strict with yourself, generous with others.

Maimonides Image Quotes

Let nothing which can be treated by diet be treated by other means. — Maimonides

The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision. — Maimonides

Anticipate charity by preventing poverty. — Maimonides

You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes. — Maimonides

Maimonides Short Quotes

• You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes.
• That which is produced with intention has passed over from non-existence to existence.
• Teach thy tongue to say I do not know and thou shalt progress.
• Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
• Do not imagine that these most difficult problems can be thoroughly understood by any one of us.
• Astrology is a disease, not a science.
• In accordance with the divine wisdom, genesis can only take place through destruction.
• All forces that reside in the body are angels.
• Every man whose character traits all lie in the mean is called a wise man.
• A wise man is a greater asset to a nation than a king.

Maimonides Quotes About Health

A small amount of wine such as three or four glasses is of benefit for the preservation of the health of human beings and an excellent remedy for most illnesses. — Maimonides

The goal of good health is to enable a person to acquire wisdom. — Maimonides

Inspire me with love for my art and for thy creatures. In the sufferer let me see only the human being. — Maimonides

The soul is subject to health and disease, just as is the body. The health and disease of both . . . undoubtedly depend upon beliefs and customs, which are peculiar to mankind. — Maimonides

Maimonides Quotes About Charity

We are obligated to be more scrupulous in fulfilling the commandment of charity than any other positive commandment because charity is the sign of a righteous man. — Maimonides

Nobody is ever impoverished through the giving of charity. — Maimonides

There are eight rungs in charity. The highest is when you help a man to help himself. — Maimonides

There are eight levels of charity.... The highest is when you strengthen a man's hand until he need no longer be dependent upon others. — Maimonides

Maimonides Quotes About God

The knowledge of God, the formation of ideas, the mastery of desire and passion, the distinction between that which is to be chosen and that which is to be rejected, all these man owes to his form. — Maimonides

All the evils that men cause to each other because of certain desires, or opinions or religious principles, are rooted in ignorance. [All hatred would come to an end] when the earth was flooded with the knowledge of God. — Maimonides

The question, "What is the purpose thereof?" cannot be asked about anything which is not the product of an agent; therefore we cannot ask what is the purpose of the existence of God. — Maimonides

We suffer from the evils which we, by our own free will, inflict on ourselves and ascribe them to God, who is far from being connected with them! — Maimonides

The fact that laws were given to man, both affirmative and negative, supports the principle, that God's knowledge of future events does not change their character. The great doubt that presents itself to our mind is the result of the insufficiency of our intellect. — Maimonides

The Prophets even express their surprise that God should take notice of man, who is too little and too unimportant to be worthy of the attention of the Creator; how, then, should other living creatures be considered as proper objects for Divine Providence! — Maimonides

God cannot be compared to anything. Note this. — Maimonides

God is identical with His attributes, so that it may be said that He is the knowledge, the knower, and the known. — Maimonides

All attributes ascribed to God are attributes of His acts, and do not imply that God has any qualities. — Maimonides

I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be his name, is not a body, and that he is free from all accidents of matter, and that he has not any form whatsoever. — Maimonides

Maimonides Famous Quotes And Sayings

We each decide whether to make ourselves learned or ignorant, compassionate or cruel, generous or miserly. No one forces us. No one decides for us, no one drags us along one path or the other. We are responsible for what we are. — Maimonides

Every man should view himself as equally balanced: half good and half evil. Likewise, he should see the entire world as half good and half evil.... With a single good deed he will tip the scales for himself, and for the entire world, to the side of good. — Maimonides

Let nothing which can be treated by diet be treated by other means. — Maimonides

It should not be believed that all beings exist for the sake of the existence of man. On the contrary, all the other beings too have been intended for their own sakes and not for the sake of anything else. — Maimonides

At times the truth shines so brilliantly that we perceive it as clear as day. Our nature and habit then draw a veil over our perception, and we return to a darkness almost as dense as before. We are like those who, though beholding frequent flashes of lightning, still find themselves in the thickest darkness of the night. — Maimonides

The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision. — Maimonides

Anticipate charity by preventing poverty. — Maimonides

It is well known among physicians that the best of the nourishing foods is the one that the Moslem religion forbids, i.e., Wine. It contains much good and light nourishment. It is rapidly digested and helps to digest other foods. — Maimonides

He who immerses himself in sexual intercourse will be assailed by premature aging, his strength will wane, his eyes will weaken, and a bad odour will emit from his mouth and his armpits, his teeth will fall out and many other maladies will afflict him. — Maimonides

Every ignoramus imagines that all that exists, exists with a view to his individual sake; it is as if there were nothing that exists except him. And if something happens to him that is contrary to what he wishes, he makes the trenchant judgement that all that exists is an evil. — Maimonides

It is hard for a woman with whom an uncircumcised man has had sexual intercourse to separate from him. In my opinion this is the strongest of the reasons for circumcision. — Maimonides

The second class of evils comprises such evils as people cause to each other, when, e.g. , some of them use their strength against others. These evils are more numerous than those of the first kind... they likewise originate in ourselves, though the sufferer himself cannot avert them. — Maimonides

In the beginning we must simplify the subject, thus unavoidably falsifying it, and later we must sophisticate away the falsely simple beginning. — Maimonides

Contrast the experience with something worse and you cannot help feeling happy and grateful because... The change from trouble to comfort gives us more pleasure than uninterrupted comfort does. — Maimonides

It is better and more satisfactory to acquit a thousand guilty persons than to put a single innocent one to death. — Maimonides

Those who believe that... detailed rules originate in a certain cause, are as far from the truth as those who assume that the whole law is useless. — Maimonides

There are four different theories concerning Divine Providence; they are all ancient, known from the time of the Prophets, when the true law was revealed to enlighten these dark regions. — Maimonides

Work before eating, rest after eating. Eat not ravenously, filling the mouth gulp after gulp without breathing space. — Maimonides

Another fundamental principle taught by the Law of Moses is this: Wrong cannot be ascribed to God in any way whatever; all evils and afflictions as well as all kinds of happiness of man, whether they concern one individual or a community, are distributed according to justice; they are the result of strict judgement that admits no wrong whatever. — Maimonides

Medical practice is not knitting and weaving and the labor of the hands, but it must be inspired with soul and be filled with understanding and equipped with the gift of keen observation . . . — Maimonides

You will find that there is no other difference of opinion as regards any portions of the Universe, except that the philosophers believe in the Eternity of the Universe and we believe in the Creation. Note this. — Maimonides

The so-called evils are evils only in relation to a certain thing, and that which is evil in relation to a certain existing thing, either includes the non-existence of that thing or the non-existence of some of its good conditions. — Maimonides

The more we desire for that which is superfluous, the more we meet with difficulties; our strength and possessions are spent in unnecessary things, and are wanting when required for that which is necessary. — Maimonides

Astrology is a sickness, not a science ... It is a tree under the shade of which all sorts of superstitions thrive. — Maimonides

Man's shortcomings and sins are all due to the substance of the body and not to its form; while all his merits are exclusively due to his form. — Maimonides

It is possible that the meaning of wisdom in Hebrew indicates aptitude for stratagems and the application of thought in such a way that the stratagems and ruses may be used in achieving either rational or moral virtues, or in achieving skill in a practical art, or in working evil and wickedness. — Maimonides

The first kind of evil is that which is caused to man by the circumstance that he is subject to genesis and destruction, or that he possesses a body. — Maimonides

Now I wonder what our knowledge has in common with God's knowledge according to those who treat God's knowledge... Is there anything else common to both besides the mere name? ...there is an essential distinction between His knowledge and ours, like the distinction between the substance of the heavens and that of the earth. — Maimonides

To sum up: I am the man who when the concern pressed him and his way was straitened and he could find no other device by which to teach a demonstrable truth other than by giving satisfaction to a single virtuous man while displeasing ten thousand ignoramuses - I am he who prefers to address that single man by himself, and I do not heed the blame of those many creatures. — Maimonides

For every force charged by God, may He be exalted, with some business is an angel put in charge. — Maimonides

The key to the understanding and to the full comprehension of all that the Prophets have said is found in the knowledge of the figures, their general ideas, and the meaning of each word they contain. — Maimonides

The soul, when accustomed to superfluous things, acquires a strong habit of desiring things which are neither necessary for the preservation of the individual nor for that of the species. This desire is without limit, whilst those which are necessary are few in number and restricted within certain limits; but what is superfluous is without end. — Maimonides

If men possessed wisdom, which stands in the same relation to the form of man as the sight to the eye, they would not cause any injury to themselves or to others, for the knowledge of the truth removes hatred and quarrels, and prevents mutual injuries. — Maimonides

For it is said, "You shall strengthen the stranger and the dweller in your midst and live with him," that is to say, strengthen him until he needs no longer fall upon the mercy of the community or be in need. — Maimonides

Truth does not become more true by virtue of the fact that the entire world agrees with it, nor less so even if the whole world disagrees with it. — Maimonides

It is of great advantage that man should know his station, and not imagine that the whole universe exists only for him. — Maimonides

He who thinks he can have flesh and bones without being subject to any external influence, or any accidents of matter, unconsciously wishes to reconcile two opposites, viz., to be at the same time subject and not subject to change. If man were never subject to change there could be no generation; there would be one single being, but no individuals forming a species. — Maimonides

The great sickness and the grievous evil consist in this: that all the things that man finds written in books, he presumes to think of as true-and all the more so if the books are old. — Maimonides

Know that for the human mind there are certain objects of perception which are within the scope of its nature and capacity; on the other hand, there are, amongst things which actually exist, certain objects which the mind can in no way and by no means grasp: the gates of perception are closed against it. — Maimonides

The more necessary a thing is for living beings, the more easily it is found and the cheaper it is; the less necessary it is, the rarer and dearer it is. — Maimonides

He who does not understand that a dead lion is more alive than a living dog will remain a dog. — Maimonides

Man's obsession to add to his wealth and honor is the chief source of his misery. — Maimonides

A truth does not become greater by repetition. — Maimonides

In the realm of Nature there is nothing purposeless, trivial, or unnecessary — Maimonides

For that which is without a beginning, a final cause need not be sought. — Maimonides

The philosophers likewise assume that in Nature there is nothing in vain, so that everything that is not the product of human industry serves a certain purpose, which may be known or unknown to us. — Maimonides

No form remains permanently in a substance; a constant change takes place, one form is taken off and another is put on. — Maimonides

Silence is the maturation of wisdom. — Maimonides

Astrology is a disease, not a science... It is a tree under the shadow of which all sorts of superstitions thrive. ... Only fools and charlatans lend value to it. — Maimonides

The being which has absolute existence, which has never been and will never be without existence, is not in need of an agent. — Maimonides

Hold firmly to your word. — Maimonides

Just as a person is commanded to honor and revere his father, so he is under an obligation to honor and revere his teacher, even to a greater extent than his father; for his father gave him life in this world, while his teacher instructs him in wisdom, secures for him life in the world to come. — Maimonides

The true work of God is all good, since it is existence. — Maimonides

Lose with truth and right rather than gain with falsehood and wrong. — Maimonides

The Mutakallemim... apply the term non-existence only to absolute non-existence, and not to absence of properties. A property and the absence of that property are considered by them as two opposites, they treat, e.g. , blindness and sight, death and life, in the same way as heat and cold. Therefore they say, without any qualification, non-existence does not require any agent, an agent is required when something is produced. — Maimonides

Astrology is not an art, it is a disease. — Maimonides

Giving is most blessed and most acceptable when the donor remains completely anonymous. — Maimonides

First Theory . There is no Providence at all for anything in the Universe; all parts of the Universe, the heavens and what they contain, owe their origin to accident and chance; there exists no being that rules and governs them or provides for them. This is the theory of Epicurus. — Maimonides

If one avoids haughtiness to the utmost extent and is exceedingly humble, he is termed a saint, and this is the standard of saintliness. — Maimonides

Even the existence of this corporeal element, low as it in reality is, because it is the source of death and all evils, is likewise good for the permanence of the Universe and the continuation of the order of things, so that one thing departs and the other succeeds. — Maimonides

The error of the ignorant goes so far as to say that God's power is insufficient, because he has given to this Universe the properties which they imagine cause these great evils, and which do not help all evil-disposed persons to obtain the evil which they seek, and to bring their evil souls to the aim of their desires, though these, as we have shown, are really without limit. — Maimonides

Whatever form it has, it [matter] will be disposed to receive another form; it never leaves off moving and casting off the form which it has in order to receive another. ...It is therefore clear that all corruption, destruction, or defect comes from matter. — Maimonides

The generation of Isaiah did not require the detailed description; his account, "I saw the Lord," &c., sufficed. The generation of the Babylonian exile wanted to learn all the details. ...Isaiah was so familiar with it that he did not consider it necessary to communicate it to others as a new thing, especially as it was well known to the intelligent. — Maimonides

You will see the mercy of God toward His creatures, how He has provided that which is required, in proper proportions, and treated all individual beings of the same species with perfect equality. ...for it is an act of great and perfect goodness that He gave us existence; and the creation of the controlling faculty in animals is a proof of His mercy towards them, as has been shown by us. — Maimonides

Management [ Providence ], knowledge, and intention are not the same when ascribed to us and when ascribed to God. — Maimonides

Transient bodies are only subject to destruction through their substance and not through their form, nor can the essence of their form be destroyed; in this respect they are permanent. — Maimonides

Actions are divided as regards their object into four classes; they are either purposeless , unimportant , or vain , or good . — Maimonides

I will destroy my enemies by converting them to friends. — Maimonides

Hear the truth from whomever says it — Maimonides

The prophet Isaiah ... points out what will be the cause of this change; for he says that hatred, quarrel, and fighting will come to an end, because men will have a true knowledge of God. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters which cover the sea" (Isa. xi. ver. 9) Note it. — Maimonides

This must be our belief when we have a correct knowledge of our own self, and comprehend the true nature of everything; we must be content, and not trouble our mind with seeking a certain final cause for things that have none, or have no other final cause but their own existence, which depends on the Will of God, or, if you prefer, on the Divine Wisdom. — Maimonides

Divine Providence is connected with Divine intellectual influence, and the same beings which are benefited by the latter so as to become intellectual, and to comprehend things comprehensible to rational beings, are also under the control of Divine Providence, which examines all their deeds with a view of rewarding or punishing them. ...the method of which our mind is incapable of understanding. — Maimonides

There is no difference between the worry of a human mother and an animal mother for their offspring. A mother's love does not derive from the intellect but from the emotions, in animals just as in humans. — Maimonides

Your purpose...should always be to know...the whole that was intended to be known. — Maimonides

Everyone entrusted with a mission is an angel. — Maimonides

Even when a person suffers pain in consequence of a thorn having entered into his hand, although it is at once drawn out, it is a punishment that has been inflicted on him, and the least pleasure he enjoys is a reward; all this is meted out by strict justice; as is said in the Scripture, "all His ways are judgement" (Deut. xxxii. 4); we are only ignorant of the working of that judgement. — Maimonides

Life Lessons by Maimonides

1. Maimonides taught that the pursuit of knowledge is the highest form of worship, and that wisdom is the most important virtue.
2. He believed that one should strive to act with kindness and justice, and that the best way to serve God is by helping others and living a moral life.
3. He also taught that the only way to achieve true happiness is to be content with what one has and to accept the world as it is.