THE PROFESSIONALIZATION OF THE RABBINATE

to his eyes or slumber to his eyelids...."*

Rambam maintained that manual labor was a virtue, even for Torah scholars. He referred to the example of Rav Joseph who carried heavy loads of wood, and he praised those who sweated from difficult labor. However, he did say:“As soon as the judge (dayyan) is appointed as the leader of the community, he must not do menial labor in front of three men(i.e., in public), so that he does not degrade himself in front of them.”

In any case, Rambam believed that the Jewish community of the future would not have to(or at least, should not have to) suffer the indignity of scholars and judges who receive salaries from communal funds. Ultimately, he said, God would provide for the scholars for doing the Lord's work.”

While the practice of rabbinic support from communal funds was contradictory to Rambam 's ideal, Rambam also opposed the professional rabbinate because he saw it in the corrupting influence of the Babylonian Gaonate. Rambam identified the Gaonate as one of the great causes of the phenomenon of“rabbis for hire.””! Isadore Twersky pointed out that Rambam chafed at the anachronistic Gaonate which relied upon pomp and circumstance and insisted on the formal retention of institutional prestige and primacy.”? In fact, Rambam refused to grant the academies of Babylon sole right to the title“Gaon”(lit.“the pride” i.e., of Jacob). In his introduction to the Mishneh Torah, he conferred the title on sages everywhere:

"The sages, however, who arose after the compilation of the Talmud , studied it deeply and became famous for their wisdom, are called‘Gaonim.’ These Gaonim, who flourished in the Land of Israel, Babylon, Spain and France , taught the method of the Talmud ."

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