"To the totality of purposes of the perfect Law there belong the abandonment, depreciation, and restraint of desires in so far as possible"
- Maimonides
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Maimonides is recommending that the best Law should be followed in order to achieve a higher function. He is recommending that in order to achieve this function, it is needed to desert, diminish, and restrain desires as much as possible. This suggests that a person must not be driven by their desires, however instead must concentrate on the greater purpose of the perfect Law. This might mean that a person should not be driven by materialistic desires, however instead must focus on the spiritual and ethical elements of the best Law. Maimonides is suggesting that by limiting desires, one can accomplish a higher purpose and be closer to the ideal Law. This could be analyzed as a call to concentrate on the spiritual and ethical aspects of life, instead of the materialistic ones.
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