What R. Yosef Karo says about the RaMbáM

What R. Yosef Karo, the author of the Shulhán Arúkh, says about the RaMbáM (R. Moses Maimónides) -- all of blessed memory.

"Who is he whose heart conspires to approach forcing congregations who practice according to the RaMBáM of blessed memory, to go by any one of the early or latter-day Torah authorities?!

...

Is it not a case of a fortiori, that regarding the School of Shammai — that the halakháh does not go according to them — they [the Talmudic Sages] said ‘if [one practices] like the School of Shammai [he may do so, but] according to

their leniencies and their stringencies’:

The RaMBáM, is the greatest of all the Toráh authorities,and all the communities of the Land of Israel and the Arab-controlled lands and the West [North Africa] practice according to his word, and accepted him upon themselves as their Chief Rabbi.

Whoever practices according to him [the RaMbáM] with his leniencies and his stringencies, why coerce them to

budge from him? And all the more so if also their fathers and forefathers practiced accordingly: for their children are not to turn right or left from the RaMBaM of blessed memory.

And even if communities that practice according to the Rosh or other authorities like him became the majority, they cannot coerce the minority of congregations practicing according to the RaMBaM of blessed memory, to practice like they do. And there is no issue here concerning the prohibition against having two courts in the same city [‘lo tithgodedu’], since every congregation should practice according to its original custom…”

(Abqáth Rokhél, simán 32. Translation: r. M.S. Bar Ron)