Entre éternité et contingence : la Loi chez Ma monide Between Eternity and Contingency: Maimonides Conception of Law. A Comparative Study of the Guide for the Perplexed and The Book of Knowledge

In his Mishneh Torah, Maimonides insists on the immutability of the Torah and describes the messianic era as a time when it will be completely restored. On the contrary, some passages from his Guide of the perplexed seem to draw a conception of the Mitswot (commandments) according to which they are determined, as far as their content is concerned, by the general human behaviours at the time of the revelation of the Torah. In other words, once these specific behaviours disappeared, the commandments became obsolete. In this study, I try to reconcile these two theses, by suggesting that this very contradiction hints at a unitary and original conception of Law, temporarily inapplicable in its entirety, yet absolutely effective and significant at all time, appropriate thus for its principal aim: combating a perverted rapport with the world and with the laws, which is referred to as idolatry.