One of the greatest medieval rabbis and theologians, and the leader of Egyptian Jewry, Moses Maimonides authored two major works of talmudic scholarship: an Arabic-language commentary on the Mishnah (the older stratum of the Talmud) and his comprehensive legal code, titled the Mishneh Torah. Manuscripts of both works will be on display next year at an exhibit at the Yeshiva University Museum in New York City. JNS reports:

The exhibition, The Golden Path: Maimonides Across Eight Centuries, will run from May 9 until December 31, 2023, at the museum in New York City. It will . . . feature a copy of the Mishneh Torah that was reportedly personally signed by Maimonides. [In addition, a hand-drawn illustration] of the Temple menorah is found in a 12th-century copy of the sage’s commentary on the Mishnah with his handwritten notes in the margins.

The drawing of the Temple menorah shows seven straight, rather than curved, branches. This unique image of the holy gold candelabra may have been drawn by Maimonides himself, according to a press release from the museum.

Yesterday I saw an unconfirmed report that the Biden administration has offered Israel a massive arms deal in exchange for a promise not to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. Even if the report is incorrect, there is plenty of other evidence that the White House has been trying to dissuade Jerusalem from mounting such an attack. The thinking behind this pressure is hard to fathom, as there is little Israel could do that would better serve American interests in the Middle East than putting some distance between the ayatollahs and nuclear weapons. Aaron MacLean explains why this is so, in the context of a broader discussion of strategic priorities in the Middle East and elsewhere:

If the Iran issue were satisfactorily adjusted in the direction of the American interest, the question of Israel’s security would become more manageable overnight. If a network of American partners enjoyed security against state predation, the proactive suppression of militarily less serious threats like Islamic State would be more easily organized—and indeed, such partners would be less vulnerable to the manipulation of powers external to the region.

[The Biden administration’s] commitment to escalation avoidance has had the odd effect of making the security situation in the region look a great deal as it would if America had actually withdrawn [from the Middle East].

Alternatively, we could project competence by effectively backing our Middle East partners in their competitions against their enemies, who are also our enemies, by ensuring a favorable overall balance of power in the region by means of our partnership network, and by preventing Iran from achieving nuclear status—even if it courts escalation with Iran in the shorter run.