“Grant me strength, time and opportunity to always correct what I have acquired, to always extend its dominion; because knowledge is immense and the spirit of man can extend indefinitely to enrich itself daily with new needs”. - Oath of Maimonides Moses Maimonides (1135 – 1204) was a medieval scholar and physician and the most influential codifier of Jewish law in the world. Exerting an influence on both Jews and non-Jews, he was the great interpreter of the sacred texts, interpreting both the Misnah and the Talmud, contributing to the development of Judaism by providing Torah-based references. Maimonides' writing and theological thinking was able to bring together ideas from the Greek and Roman, Muslim and Arab, as well as Jewish and Western worlds, and is often considered the greatest Jewish writing apart from the Torah. Following the publication of his works he had both supporters and detractors of his thoughts and writings, but both became influential in later years. All Jewish scholars since Maimonides have used his work as the basis for their studies, and his writings are still available in multiple languages. His Mishneh Torah remains one of the most influential. The Mishneh is a code of all Jewish law, designed to cover all times and places. It presents the laws in a system that is clear and logical to both rabbis and laypeople. This was much more efficient and logical than the Talmud for consulting questions and presented its rulings without long-winded explanations, making them easier to follow. These law codes are as studied and used today in both academic and scholarly circles and by laypeople as when they were first written. Maimonides earned his reputation as a renowned physician between… middle of paper… However, one cannot ignore the chain of tradition. There is a lot of disagreement within schools of thought, such as when does a person die, when does the heart stop beating, or when does the brain stop? There are a variety of opinions rather than a uniform school of thought regarding bioethics, a legacy of people like Maimonides who pioneered diverse thinking in Judaism. but within individual schools of thought opinions still differ. Jewish ethics are centered on “being godly,” yet “godliness” can only be expressed through interactions on a human level. The highest ideal of Judaism is therefore to protect human life. Saving human life takes priority over any other commandment. The Jewish religion has a great desire to reduce or eliminate human suffering.