You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes.

“You must accept the truth from whatever source it comes.” So taught Moses ben Maimon, whom the world remembers as Maimonides, the sage of Córdoba, the philosopher of Cairo, the healer of both body and soul. His words strike like a clarion call across the centuries, demanding humility from the proud and openness from the narrow-hearted. For truth is not chained to one people, nor imprisoned within one creed, nor the possession of one master. It is like the sun—shining on all, belonging to none. Whoever sees it, whoever speaks it, carries a fragment of the eternal light.

The ancients often faltered in this. Many closed their ears when wisdom came from beyond their tribe, their nation, their faith. Yet Maimonides, though a Jew in the midst of Islam, though a man of learning steeped in Greek thought, declared boldly that the truth must not be despised because of the lips that utter it. His teaching rose from experience: he studied Aristotle and Plato through the works of Muslim scholars, he learned medicine from many lands, and in all this he discerned that truth, wherever found, is a gift from the Eternal.

Consider the story of the Prophet Daniel in Babylon. Carried away as a captive, surrounded by foreign kings and strange gods, he was trained in the lore of the Chaldeans. Yet he did not reject wisdom simply because it came from another source. He sifted the teachings, held fast to the truth, and discarded the false. Because of this openness, he rose to greatness, interpreting dreams and guiding kings. His story echoes Maimonides’ wisdom: to accept truth, no matter its garment, is to gain strength and insight.

But the opposite has also brought ruin. Recall the tale of Galileo Galilei, who unveiled the heavens with his telescope. Many of his contemporaries refused his discoveries, not because the evidence was lacking, but because the source clashed with their authority and tradition. They scorned the truth because it did not wear the robes they expected. Their rejection delayed the progress of knowledge for generations. In this we see the danger of pride: to despise a source is to blind oneself to reality.

Therefore, my children, learn this lesson well: truth is greater than the vessel that carries it. Do not reject wisdom because it comes from an enemy. Do not ignore insight because it springs from the lips of the humble. Do not cling to falsehood simply because it flows from the mouths of those you love. To follow truth is to serve the eternal; to reject it is to bow before the idols of pride and prejudice.

Let your practice be this: when you hear a word, test it. Ask, “Is this true?” not, “Who has said it?” If it is true, embrace it as treasure, even if it comes from one you despise. If it is false, cast it aside, even if it comes from one you adore. In this way, your loyalty will be to the light, not to the shadows of men.

And remember: those who honor the truth from every source become wise, for they weave the fragments of many voices into a single garment of wisdom. They live not in fear of the foreign or the strange, but in reverence for the eternal flame that burns in every corner of creation. To live by Maimonides’ words is to walk humbly, to listen deeply, and to be crowned, at last, with the beauty of wisdom.