Maimonidays

Finishing Chapter 3 and moving into Chapter 4, Rambam investigates what makes for an ideal student and a good teacher.

In the continuation of Chapter 3, we look at the ideal image of a Torah scholar, particularly how it relates to work and making a living. Rambam's detailed takedown anyone who would claim wisdom but eschew work is a refreshing and needed reminder in today's Jewish world.

Rambam continues exploring the principles of education

We start on the laws of Torah study with general principles about learning – who can and should learn, when and how often, and to what extent does the obligation to education apply to ourselves as well as our children.

We conclude Hilkhot Dé'ot with more on the laws of speech as well as guidance around grudges and vengeance (both bad!)

We conclude Chapter 6 with a look at the significance of the socially vulnerable in our ethics and then turn to Chapter 7, the final bit of Dé'ot, which focusses extensively on the laws of speech.

We review (almost all of) Chapter 6 of Hilkhot Dé'ot – a chapter discussing the importance of good friends, and friends who are good enough to tell you off when you're not so good!

In the conclusion to Chapter 5 of Dé'ot, we cover the personal, sartorial and financial behaviour of talmidé hakhamim.

In the first half of Chapter 5 we review the behaviours expected of a Sage – in eating, drinking, bathing, sexual intimacy, and even in toilet habits..

In the second half of Chapter 4 of Hilkhot Dé'ot, we dive into Rambam's medicinal recommendations for eating, drinking, bathing, and having a healthy sex life.