Maimonides believes that the Law is intended for the generalized benefit of society, and admits that a Law so apportioned may indeed, sometimes, lead to unfelicitous effects for the odd individual case. He does not consider this to be a defect of the Law, because he considers this to be unavoidable in any system that tries to maximize benefit for all. He appeals to Nature to make this case, by stating that “in Nature the various forces produce benefits which are general, but in some solitary cases they cause also injury”.

We must consequently not be surprised when we find that the object of the Law does not fully appear in every individual; there must naturally be people who are not perfected by the instruction of the Law, just as there are beings which do not receive from the specific forms in Nature all that they require. For all this comes from one God, is the result of one act; “they are all given from one shepherd” Eccles. 12:11. It is impossible to be otherwise; and we have already explained that that which is impossible always remains impossible and never changes (و قد بينا أن الممتنع طبيعة لا تتغير أبدا w qad bayana ‘ana almumtanie tabieat la tataghayar abadan) (see the opening of chapter 15).