There were many writers who suspected that Maimonides’ idea was to do away altogether with the study of the Talmud. But this suspicion could arise only from failure to understand clearly the real purpose of the book. Even theories are presented here in dogmatic form; but could it possibly be imagined that Maimonides wanted to do away with the study of philosophy by the long method of argument and proof—that study which he regarded as the purpose of the human race? The truth is that he had in view the social function of religion, and for this reason he set forth both theories and practical commands in brief and in a manner suited to the comprehension of ordinary men. He left it to the chosen few to study the principles of both the theoretical and the practical law, and to obtain from the original sources a knowledge of the reasons for both. Footnote 147: _Guide_, Introduction. Footnote 148: After the publication of the _Guide_ many people discovered that its opinions were already contained in the innocent-looking dicta of the _Mishneh Torah_, especially in its first part (_The Book of Science_), and from that time onward they regarded that book also as heretical, and waged war on it as well as on the _Guide_. Footnote 149: See the letter of R. Jehudah Alfachar to Kimchi: _Collected Responses of Maimonides_ (ed. Leipsic), Part III., p. 1, _et seq._ Footnote 150: See Dr. Joel’s monograph, _Spinoza’s Theologisch-Politischer Traktat auf seine Quellen geprüft_, Breslau, 1870. Footnote 151: See _Kerem Chemed_, III., pp. 67-70. Footnote 152: I may remark in passing that Luzzatto (_ibid._) accuses Maimonides of yet another disservice to Judaism. By making opinions the essential element of perfection Maimonides, according to him, abolished the difference between the righteous man and the wicked. “The philosopher,” he says, “may commit theft, murder, and adultery, and yet attain eternal life: salvation does not depend on merit.” This charge was already brought against Maimonides by his medieval opponents, but it is quite mistaken. Maimonides insists, over and over again, that until a man has moral perfection it is impossible for him to reach intellectual perfection to the degree necessary for the attainment of acquired intellect. See, for instance, the passage from the introduction to _Zera’im_ quoted above (p. 174). Footnote 153: