I have long admired Maimonides' clarity in his Talmudic summary and commentaries and his Mishneh Torah. I also enjoyed learning about his life during a visit to the museum in Córdoba. When someone recommended this book—an edition of the famous ethical letter Maimonides wrote to his son—I ordered picked it up and added it to my stack.
The original letter itself is brief, wise, and moving. Unfortunately, everything else in the book gets in the way.
Rabbi Feuer repeats the same points dozens of times, pads every paragraph with unnecessary and bad anecdotes. He buries Rambam's words under layers of superficial and often sentimental commentary. What could have been a slim, powerful volume turns into a bloated, repetitive chore.
The primary text is good. This particular edition is not. 2/5 stars.
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