114 Richard Rosenthal

sifies them among the laws of idolatry. They appear in the same chapter as the law forbidding the cutting of the corners of the beard. Maimonides explains this law with a historical note. The corner of the beard are not to be cut because it was the way of idolatrous priests to trim the corners of their beards.” By impli­cation our mitzvot also are to avoid idolatry. In his eyes, the avoidance of idolatry is central to Judaism . It is equal to all of the commandments; turning to idols is a denial of the fundamental

precepts of Judaism . Maimonides rationalizes the comment by

using historical interpretation.

He also limits the rabbinic interpretation of the prohibitions. Men should not shave armpits and genital hair, but“this rule is limited to where women alone remove this hair; a man should not trim himself in a way peculiar to women.”** A woman may not adorn herself with men’s special ornaments... and a man must not adorn himself in a mode peculiar to women... in a place where such garments and jewels are only worn by women, it all according to the custom of the country.”= Custom(minhag) is an important element in deciding what has been forbidden. Maimonides adds important limitations to the law. The way men and women actually dress and groom themselves in the society in which Jews live is the test that will shape the law.

By seeing the prohibitions largely connected with idolatry Maimonides seems to move away from the puritanical mindset of his predecessor. Sefer Hahinukh, which is normally faithful to Maimonides , attempts to correct this by combining Maimonides ’ point of view with the rabbis’ reading, Explaining the women's prohibition, he says that it is rooted in the desire“to keep our holy faith far from licentiousness... Our sages use the metaphor for our God hates libidiousness... for it is an extremely ugly thing that captures the human heart and turns humans from the goodly way and fitting thoughts to the evil way and frivolous thoughts... It is also the purpose of this mitzvah to keep one far from idolatry for it is the way of idolaters to behave thus.”?® He tells us that the source of his explanation is Maimonides . Despite this, it is clear that the main thrust of this argument is away from Maimonides and is turned toward what had become the main understanding of the prohibition. He is following the tradition of the codifiers in the period between Maimonides and himself.