The 2025 bilingual edition of The Steinsaltz Mishne Torah: Sefer Hamadda and Sefer Ahava by Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, published by Koren Publishers, is a remarkable achievement. The impressive book contains more than 1,100 pages. It is the first volume of the projected series that will continue with the remaining books of Maimonides’ highly acclaimed Mishne Torah. Maimonides is also called Rambam. The volume contains Maimonides’ Introduction to Mishne Torah, Sefer Hamadda and Sefer Ahava, in Hebrew and English, with Ravad’s glosses on Maimonides’ text. The mystic Ravad gives his opinions on the rationalist Maimonides’ views. The book also presents the ideas of early and later significant authorities, with the Hebrew in the volume fully vocalized to enhance reading, clear English translations with added explanations to enhance clarity, color pictures, and illustrations to bring Maimonides’ text to life and enhance understanding.

Maimonides, who was born in 1138, composed the Mishne Torah over 10 years between 1170 and 1180 CE. He began the legal code at age 33, after completing his Commentary on the Mishnah in 1168. The initial text was finished around 1178–1180 CE. He edited and refined the manuscript until he died in 1204.

Ravad is the Hebrew acronym for Rabbi Abraham ben David of Posquières (c. 1125–1198), a preeminent Provençal rabbi, talmudic scholar, and legal authority. He is best known for writing........

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