You Could Be Moses
Every human being may become righteous like Moses our teacher, or wicked like Jeroboam; wise or foolish, merciful or cruel, miserly or generous, and so with all other traits.
Maimonides wrote this in twelfth-century Egypt, where he served as both a rabbinic authority and physician to the Sultan's court, codifying Jewish law into the Mishneh Torah. In this section on repentance, he takes direct aim at the idea that character or fate is fixed at birth, insisting instead that every person holds the power to shape who they become. He names Moses and Jeroboam as the two poles of human possibility, one the model of righteousness, the other of corruption, to show that greatness and failure are both live options for anyone. It is a bold claim about integrity: your traits today do not bind you tomorrow.
Reflection
Maimonides argued that no trait is permanent and every quality can still be built or unbuilt through choice. What quality do I want to practice on purpose today?