Rabbi Jack Abramowitz

The Rambam’s Third Principle: Only mitzvos intended for posterity are included

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The statement of the Talmud (Makkos 23b) that God gave Moshe 613 mitzvos at Sinai expounds upon Deut. 33:4, “Moshe commanded us the Torah…” According to the Rambam, the “Torah” referred to in that verse only includes those commandments intended for posterity. The reason is because the verse continues, “an inheritance for the congregation of […]

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The Rambam’s Second Principle: Not everything derived through hermeneutics is necessarily included

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“Hermeneutics” refers to the art of biblical interpretation. The 13 Rules of Rabbi Yishmael for expounding the Torah, recited every morning as part of the preliminary service, are often called the “hermeneutical laws.” Other Talmudic sages had lists with more such laws or fewer (Hillel had seven rules; Rabbi Eliezer b. R. Yossi HaGalili had […]

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How do we know there are 613 mitzvos?

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The Talmud in Makkos (23b-24a) tells us: Rav Simlai expounded: 613 mitzvos were transmitted via Moshe – 365 negative commandments corresponding to the number of days in a solar year and 248 positive commandments, corresponding to the number of limbs and organs in the human body. Rav Hamnuna asked: What is a Biblical support for […]

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What are included in the 613 mitzvos?

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While the number of mitzvos is generally accepted, what’s on the list can vary depending on the authority consulted. How is that? Well, first of all, not everything is clear whether or not it’s a command. Let’s look at two examples: Exodus 14:13 tells us, “Moses told the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand strong […]

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Where do we find out about the 613 mitzvos?

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The primary sources for this project are: · Sefer HaMitzvos of the Rambam (12th century). This work follows the order of his Mishneh Torah (Yad Chazakah) and lists positive and negative commandments separately. · Sefer HaChinuch, an anonymous work popularly attributed to one of two scholars named Rav Aharon HaLevi of Barcelona (13th century). This […]

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The Rambam’s First Principle: Rabbinic enactments are not included among the 613 mitzvos

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This principle may seem self-evident, but many of those who attempted to compile lists of the 613 mitzvos before the Rambam apparently erred in this matter. The Rambam cites the Talmud in Makkos (23b) that God communicated 613 mitzvos to Moshe at Sinai. It should go without saying that such later enactments as reading the […]

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More Taryag Fun

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As we mentioned above, the gematria (numerical value) of the word Torah is 611. As per Deut. 33:4, Moshe communicated Torah – that is, 611 mitzvos – to the Jewish people. G-d spoke the first two of the “Ten Commandments” Himself, for a total of 613. Here are some more Taryag fun facts: · Ruth […]

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248 Limbs: Says Who?

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We’ve said that there are 365 negative commandments, corresponding to the days in a solar year, and 248 positive commandments, corresponding to the limbs in a person. The days of a solar year are pretty easy to quantify (January 1, January 2, January 3, etc.), but what are the 248 limbs? How do we arrive […]

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Reasons vs. Lessons

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In general, your humble author shies away from discussing the “reasons” for mitzvos, preferring to focus on the “lessons.” There are numerous reasons for this. The Torah rarely gives reasons for the mitzvos. In one famous instance, it does. Deuteronomy 17:16-17 says: “The king shall not gather himself many horses, which would cause the people […]

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What’s The OU’s Taryag?

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In this project, we intend to review the 613 commandments in clear, modern terminology via a daily email (weekdays only, excepting holidays). We hope to present all 613 mitzvos in the order in which they appear in the Torah, along with our understanding of their reasons. (See the article “Reasons vs. Lessons.” ) We will […]

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