613 Mitzvot

By this injunction we are commanded to believe in G-d; that is, to believe that there is a Supreme Cause who is the Creator of everything in existence. It is contained in His words (exalted be He): I am Hashem your G-d, who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, etc. (Shemot 20:2)

At the end of Tractate Makkot it is said: 'Six hundred and thirteen (Taryag)¹ Mitzvot were declared unto Moshe at Sinai, as the verse says, 'Moshe commanded us a law (Torah)' (Devarim 33:4); that is, he commanded us to observe as many Mitzvot as are signified by the sum of the letter-numbers TORAH. To this it was objected that the letter-numbers of the word TORAH make only six hundred and eleven²; to which the reply was: 'The two Mitzvot "I am Hashem your G-d, etc." and "You shall have no other gods before Me (Shemot 20:3) we heard from the Almighty Himself.' (Makkot 23b)

Thus it has been made clear to you that the verse, 'I am Hashem your G-d, etc.' is one of the 613 Mitzvot, and is that whereby we are commanded to believe in G-d.

This mitzvah - the first of the Torah - is of the very essence of Judaism. Without a firm belief in the existence of the Deity, or Master of the Universe, and without a firm conviction and clear sense of His All-transcendent Reality - such as were directly decreed by the Almighty Himself under the terms of this mitzvah - an understanding of the Torah and the observance of its mitzvot become utter impossibilities. The second mitzvah of the Torah is but a restatement of the first mitzvah in respect of its negative implications. For any Jew who denies the existence of the Deity, or concedes the existence of any deity beside Him, is an out-and-out apostate, having neither merit nor portion with Yisrael.

1. Taryag signifies 613, thus tav = 400; resh = 200; yod = 10; gimel = 3.
2. The word Torah in numerical value signifies 611, thus tav - 400; vav = 6; resh = 200; heh = 5.

The sun shines, plants grow, people breathe, water flows and the wind blows. Each has its own way of functioning, yet they all draw power and energy from one source. This source is Hashem. This Positive Mitzvah commands us to believe that Hashem is the One and only power - the One and only G-d. In today's world only Yisrael recognizes Hashem as the One and Only, thus He is our G-d; but after the final Redemption, all the world will acknowledge that Hashem is One (Rashi)

The Mitzvah to believe in G-d's Unity is mentioned in many places, and the Sages also call it the Mitzvah to believe in the Malkhut Shamayim (Kingdom of Heaven), for they speak of the obligation 'to take upon oneself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven' (Berachot. 13d), that is to say, to declare G-d's Unity and to believe in Him.

We are commanded to love G-d, to dwell upon and contemplate His Mitzvot, His injunctions, and His works, so that we may obtain a conception of Him, and in conceiving Him attain absolute joy. This constitutes the Love of G-d, and is obligatory.

As the Sifre says: 'Since it is said, And you shall love Hashem your G-d (Devarim 6:5), the question arises, how is one to manifest his love for Hashem? Scripture therefore says: And these words which I command you this day, shall be upon your heart (Devarim 6:6); for through this [i.e., the contemplation of G-d words] you will learn to discern Him whose word called the Universe into existence.' (ibid. 5)

The Sages say that this Mitzvah also includes an obligation to call upon all mankind to serve Him (Baruch Hu), and to have faith in Him. For just as you praise and extol anybody whom you love, and call upon others also to love him, so, if you love Hashem to the extent of the conception of His true nature to which you have attained, you will undoubtedly call upon the foolish and ignorant to seek knowledge of the Truth which you have already acquired.

As the Sifre says: 'And you shall love Hashem your G-d (Bereishit 12:5; Devarim 6:5): this means that you should make Him beloved of man as Avraham your father did, as it is said, And the souls they had gotten in Charan.' (Sifre) That is to say, just as Avraham, being a lover of Hashem - as Scripture testifies, Avraham My friend (Yeshayahu 41:8) - by the power of his conception of G-d, and out of his great love for Him, summoned mankind to believe, you too must so love Him as to summon mankind unto Him.

Hashem, your G-d, shall you fear, Him shall you serve, to Him shall you cleave, and in His Name shall you swear.

By this injunction we are commanded to believe in the fear and awe of G-d (exalted be He), and not to be at ease and self-confident but to expect His punishment at all times. This injunction is contained in His words, You shall fear Hashem your G-d. (Devarim 6:13; 10:20)

The Gemara of Tractate Sanhedrin discusses the verse, he that blaphemes (nokev) the Name of Hashem, he shall surely be put to death (VaYikra 24:16): 'Perhaps the word nokev should be taken to mean 'pronouces' [rather than 'blasphemes'], as we find elsewhere, The men that were pronounced (nikevu) by name (BaMidbar 1:17), the [requisite ] admonition¹ being derived from the verse, You shall fear Hashem your G-d?² That is to say, the verse, he that blasphemes the Name of Hashem, etc., might be understood as meaning one who merely mentions the Name of Hashem, without committing blasphemy; and if you ask 'What sin is there in that?' we reply that such a one abandons the fear of Hashem, for it is part of the fear of Hashem not to pronounce His Name in vain.

1. It is a principle of Rabbinic exegesis that no punishment is prescribed in the Torah unless a prohibitive warning or admonition has preceded it. E.g. ye shall do no manner of work in that same day (i.e. in Yom Kippur, VaYikra 23:28), provides the admonition; whatsoever soul it be that does any manner of work in that day, that soul will I destroy among his people (ibid., 30), prescribes the punishment.
2. Sanhedrin 56a

 Devarim 6:13, 11:13, 13:5

Hashem, G-d, shall you follow and Him shall you fear; His mitzvot shall you observe and to His voice shall you hearken; Him shall you serve and to Him shall you cleave.

The Sifre says: 'to serve Him (Devarim 11:13) means Prayer' (ibid., Sifre). The Sages also say: 'to serve Him means study of the Torah' (ibid., Sifre) The Sages also say: 'Serve Him through His Torah, and serve Him in His sanctuary'(ibid., Sifre), which means that we should aspire to pray either in the Temple or towards it, as Shlomo clearly said (1Melachim 8:36).

The chief thing in prayer is kavanah, devotion, or more literally: direction of heart. Maimonides writes:

'Prayer without devotion is no prayer at all. The who has prayed without devotion is under obligation to recite his prayers over again. Now what is devotion? One must free his heart from all other thoughts and regard himself as standing in the presence of G-d. Therefore, before engaging in prayer, the worshipper should collect himself in order to bring himself into a devotional frame of mind, and then pray quietly and with feeling, not like one who carries a weight and throws it away and goes farther; hence after prayer the worshipper should linger a while, and only then depart. The pious of old tarried an hour before they engaged in prayer and an hour after completing it, likewise remaining in prayer for a whole hour' (Mishneh Torah, Ahabah, Hilchot Tefillah, 6, 15-16)

G-d is near to all who call Him, if they call Him in truth, and turn to Him. He is found by everyone who seeks Him, if he always goes towards Him, and never goes astray. (Moreh Nevbuchim, 3, 54)

For if you will observe this entire mitzvah that I command you, to perform it, to love Hashem, your G-d, to walk in His ways and to cleave to Him.

The Sages explain that the way to cleave to G-d is by attaching oneself to Torah scholars (Rashi). By this injunction we are commanded to mix and associate with wise men, to be always in their company, and to join with them in every possible manner of fellowship: in eating, drinking, and business affairs, to the end that we may succeed in becoming like them in respect of their actions and in acquiring true opinions from their words. The wise man, or as he is called in Hebrew talmid chacham, 'the disciple of a wise man', interpreting and exemplifying as he does the word of G-d, is regarded in Jewish thought as being nearest to Him. To cleave to the wise man is thus to cleave to Hashem (Berachot 10b; Pesachim 22b) RaMBaN interprets "cleaving" as the duty to avoid the temptation of idol worship by always remembering G-d and inspiring oneself to love Him.

By this injunction we are commanded to swear only by His Name (Baruch Hu), whenever we are required to confirm or deny something on oath, because by so doing we exalt, honor and magnify Him.

This injunction is contained in His words..."And by His name shall you swear (Devarim 6:13; 10:20) in explanation of which the Sages say: 'The Torah says By His name shall you swear, and again, You shall not take the Name of Hashem your G-d in vain.' (Shemot 20:7; Devarim 10:20, Sifre) Just as we are forbidden to take an oath for which there is no necessity, and this is a Negative Mitzvah,¹ so we are commanded to take an oath when necessary, and this is a Positive Mitzvah.

In a Beit Din, a Jew may be required to take an oath confirming that he is telling the truth. When taking an oath, he is commanded to swear by the name of Hashem. He will be using Hashem's holy Name to convince the court of his honesty. One who fears and serves G-d has a right to swear, for his piety will assure that he will do so truthfully (Rashi)

It is for this reason that it is not permissible to swear by any created object, such as the angels or the stars, save only where the oath is elliptical: as, for instance, where one swears by the truth of the sun, meaning 'by the truth of the G-d of the sun'. It is in this manner that our nation swears by the name of Moshe our Teacher - honored be his name - as though he who swears were to say 'by the G-d of Moshe', or 'by Him who sent Moshe'. But whenever the one who swears does not mean it so, but swears by a created object, in the belief that that object has in itself such truth that one can swear by it, he transgresses by placing some other object on an equal footing with the Name of Heaven: and on this Tradition says: 'He who places the Name of Heaven on an equal footing with some other object shall be uprooted from the world. (Sukkot 45b)'

1. See Negative Mitzvah 62

Now, O Yisrael, what does Hashem, your G-d, ask of you? Only to fear Hashem, your G-d, to go in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul,

With this Positive Mitzvah we are commanded to be like G-d (Baruch Hu) as far as it is in our power. This injunction has already appeared in another form in His words, "After Hashem your G-d shall you walk" (Devarim 13:5), which the Sages explain as meaning that we are to imitate the good deeds and lofty attributes by which Hashem, Baruch Hu, is described in a figurative way - He being indeed immeasurably exalted above all such description...thus, we must learn from the beautiful, merciful and kind ways of Hashem and commands us to imitate them.

The duty of imitating G-d, as expressed in this Mitzvah, is one of the fundamental teachings of Judaism. It finds its classic expression in the verse, "You shall be holy, for I Hashem your G-d am holy" (VaYikra 19:2) Thus, while paganism pictured its gods in the image of man, in respect of both their physical and spiritual attributes, Judaism pronounced the doctrine of man made in the image of G-d, insisting, moreover, upon the supreme duty of man to make his ways like those of his Creator. This is the source of Yisrael's moral law, which holds out to man the possibility of becoming but little lower than the angels (Tehillim 8:6).

'Just as the Holy One, Baruch Hu, clothes the naked (i.e. Adam and Chavah, Bereishit 3:21), so should man clothe the naked; just as the Holy One, Baruch Hu, visits the sick (i.e., Avraham, ibid., 18:3, Rashi), so should man visit the sick; just as the Holy One, Baruch Hu, comforts mourners (i.e. Yitzchak, ibid., 25:11), so should man comfort mourners; just as the Holy One, Baruch Hu, buries the dead (i.e., Moshe, Devarim 34:6), so should man bury the dead' (Sotah 14a)

The purpose of this Mitzvah is that we are duty bound to proclaim this true religion to the world, undeterred by fear of injury from any source. Even if a tyrant tires to compel us by force to deny Him, we must not obey, but must positively rather submit to death; and we must not even mislead the tyrant into supposing that we have denied Him while in our hearts we continue to believe in Him, Baruch Hu.

This is the Mitzvah concerning the Sanctification of the Name which is laid upon every son of Yisrael: that we must be ready to die at the tyrant's hands for our love of Him, Baruch Hu, and for our faith in His Unity, even as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did in the time of the wicked Nevuchadnetzar, when he forced people to prostrate themselves before the idol (Daniel 3:1), and all did so, the Yisraelim included, and there was none there to sanctify the Name of Heaven, all being in terror. This was a sore disgrace to Yisrael, in that this Mitzvah was disregarded by them all, and there was none to fulfill it, all being afraid.

This Mitzvah applies only in circumstances such as those of that great occasion, when the whole world was in terror, and it was a duty to declare His Unity publicly at that time. Hashem had already promised through Yeshayahu that Yisrael would not be completely disgraced on that hard occasion, but young men would appear among them, undeterred by death, and would sacrifice their lives and proclaim the Faith, sanctifying the Name publicly, as He commanded us through Moshe our Teacher. This promise is in the words, "Yaakov shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale; when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in the midst of him, that they sanctify My Name (Yeshayahu 29:22-2).

The Sifra says: 'On this condition I brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you sanctify My Name publicly.' (VaYikr 22:32; Sifra)

The Gemara of Tractate Sanhedrin says:

'Is a Noachide commanded to sanctify His Name or not? Listen to this: "The Noachides were commanded to observe seven Mitzvot; but if they were [also] commanded to sanctify His Name, there are eight."  Thus it has been made clear to you that this is one of the Mitzvot that are obligatory upon Yisrael, the Sages having deduced this Mitzvah from the words, "I will be sanctified among the Bnei Yisrael." (Sanhedrin 74b)

Hashem commanded us to recite [read] the Shema twice every day. It consists of the three sections of Scripture: "Shema'" (4-9), "And it shall be if you hearken" (11:13-21), "And Hashem said" (BaMidbar 15:37-41).

For the first section contains the mitzvot of the unity of Hashem and love for Him, Baruch Hu, as well as the study of the Torah, which is the peg on which everything depends.

In the second section there is the acceptance of the yoke of the other Mitzvot, while in the third section, which is about the tzitzit, there is the remembrance of all the Mitzvot; and it is a religious duty to mention the exodus from Egypt, as Scripture states, "that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt, all the days of your life" (Devarim 16:3).

The ordinances pertaining to this Mitzvah are explained in Berachot, where it is shown that the reading of the Shema is ordained by the Torah. (Berachot 21a)

The Tosefta says: 'Just as the Torah has ordained an appointed time for the reading of the Shema, even so have the Sages appointed a time for Prayer' (Berachot; Tosefta 3:1); that is to say, the times of Prayer are not ordained by the Torah, but the duty of Prayer itself is imposed by the Torah, as we have explained,¹ and the Sages [only] appointed the times of Prayer.

This is what the Sages mean when they say (Berachot 26b): '[The Men of the Great Assembly] appointed Prayers to correspond with the daily Burnt-offerings'; that is to say, they fixed the times of Prayer to correspond with the times at which [the daily Burnt-offerings] were brought.

When our Sages arranged the content of the Siddur, they included the Shema' in the morning and evening prayers. The Hebrew word Shema - gives us a hint about our three daily prayers. The first letter (shin) stands for Shacharit - the morning prayers. The second letter (mem) stands for Minchah - the afternoon prayers. The third letter (ayin) stands for Arvit (Maariv) - the evening prayers.

1. See Positive Mitzvah 5

It is a religious duty that the words of the Torah should be sharp and clear in a person's mouth, that he should not stammer over them. Whether one is poor or rich, or young or old,; whether he is a man laden with suffering, a poor person sustained by charity who makes the rounds knocking on doors for alms - he is duty-bound to set himself a fixed time for Torah study both by day and at night; for Scripture says, "...but you shall meditate in it day and night..." (Yehoshua 1:8).

To study and teach the Torah is called Talmud Torah. This injunction is contained in His words, "You shall teach them thoroughly to your children" (Devarim 6:7).

The Sifre says: 'To your children, means to your students: we find that a man's talmidim are everywhere called his children, as it is said, 'And the sons of the prophets came forth.' (2Melachim 11:3; Devarim 6:7, Sifre) The Sifre also says in the same place: 'And you shall teach them diligently' - which means that [the words of the Torah] are to be fluent in your mouth, so that when a person asks any question concerning them, you are not to be halting in your answer to him, but you are to answer him at once.'

This Mitzvah is repeated many times: "And you shall teach them" (Devarim 11:19); and do them (BaMidbar 15:39); and that they may learn. (Devarim31:12) The importance of this Mitzvah and the obligation to fulfill it are emphasized in many places in the Talmud.

Women are not bound by this Mitzvah. We infer this from His words, "And you shall teach them your sons" (ibid., 11:19), whereon the Sages comment: 'Sons, but not daughters'; as has been explained in Tractate Kiddushin 30a.

'The Sages, the Prophets [and all Yisrael] have longed for the days of the Mashiach not in the hope of establishing their rule over the whole earth, nor out of desire to exercise dominion over the idolaters - indeed, neither for the sake of being exalted by the nations, nor from any desire for food, for drink, or for pleasure - but in order that they may be free to study the Torah and its Wisdom, without any oppression or interference, and so may win Eternal Life.' (RaMBaM - Mishnah Torah)

This Mitzvah is repeated four times in Scripture. (Shemot 13:9, ibid., 16; Devarim 6:8, 11:18)

"And all the people of the earth shall see that the name of Hashem is called upon you" (Devarim 28:10); We are taught: Rabbi Eliezer the Great says:

This verse refers to the Tefillin of the Head' (Hul. 89a). The observance of this Mitzvah, according to the Sages, thus constitutes a proclamation before 'the people of the earth' that His Name is called upon Yisrael.

Donning tefillin shows the acceptance of the yoke of the kingship of Heaven, the remembrance of the miracles and wonders that the blessed G-d wrought for our forefathers when He took them out of Egypt, and [the fact that] He brought us near to His service and worship, Baruch Hu.

From the age of thirteen, Jewish boys are commanded to put on Tefillin every weekday, expressing their dedication and love for Hashem. Tefillin are square leather boxes containing parchments upon which portions of the Torah are hand-written by a scribe. They are worn on the head showing that our thoughts should be connected to Hashem, just as the tefillin are tied onto us.

Besides the tefillin on the head the Torah commands men to put tefillin on their arms. The square leather box is placed upon the arm, facing the heart. This shows that our feelings should be connected to Hashem, just as the tefillin are tied onto us.

This Mitzvah is repeated four times [in Scripture]. (Shemot 13:1, ibid., 16; Devarim 6:8, ibid., 11:18) "And all the people of the earth shall see that the Name of Hashem is called upon you" (Devarim 28:10).

Rabbi Eliezer the Great says:

This verse refers to the Tefillin of the Head (Hul. 98a). The observance of this Mitzvah, according tot he Sages, thus constitutes a proclamation before "the people of the earth" that His Name is called upon Yisrael.

The two Mitzvot, of Tefillin on arm and forehead, are not obligatory upon women, for in explanation of their obligatory character Hashem has said, Baruch Hu, "That the law of Hashem be in your mouth," (Shemot 13:9) and women are not under obligation to study Torah.

Three Mitzvot in the Torah are designed by the term ot (a sign) between Hashem and Yisrael His people: Circumcision, the Shabbat, and the Tefillin (Bereishit 17:11; Shemot 31:13, 9).

Tefillin are not worn on the Shabbat or on holy days, those days constitute such 'a sign' in themselves.

Tzitzit is a four cornered garment with eight knotted fringes (the tzitzit) hanging from each corner which all Jewish men and boys must wear. One of the strings of each tzitzit is to be dyed techelet with the blood of an aquatic creature known as Chilazon (Rashi). The exact identity of the creature that is the source of this blue dye is unknown nowadays. The techelet thread helps its wearer focus on his duty to G-d because, as the Sages put it: Techelet is similar to the color of the sea, the sea to the sky, and the sky to G-d's Throne of Glory (Menachot 43b)

This is not counted as two Mitzvot, although it is the rule with us that [the absence of] the techelet does not impair the validity of the white, nor does [the absence of] the white threads impair the validity of the techelet. (In each tzitzit there should be seven white threads and one blue.) The reason is given in the Sifre:

'One might think that these are two Mitzvot - the Mitzvah of the techelet and the Mitzvah of the white; Scripture therefore states, "It shall constitute tzitzit for you" (BaMidbar 15:39) thus showing that it is one Mitzvah and not two.' (ibid., Sifre)

This Mitzvah is not obligatory upon women as explained at the beginning of Kiddushin 34a, all its provisions are explained in Menachot.

The Torah commands us to affix a special sign - a Mezuzah - on the right side of every entrance into Jewish houses and on the doorpost of every room. The Mezuzah assures us of Divine protection.

In the Mezuzah [a rolled-up piece of parchment generally enclosed in a case] two sections of Scripture are written: "Shema'..." (Devarim 4-9); "And it will be that if you hearken..." (Devarim 11:13-21).

A person has a duty to take care about a Mezuzah, so that every time he enters or leaves he will encounter the unity of the blessed G-d [written in the Mezuzah] and will remember his love for Him, and so he will awaken from his slumber and his errors in the vapid, empty matters of the present; and he will realize that nothing endures forever and ever except a knowledge of the Divine Rock-foundation of the world [G-d]. So he will return at once to his good sense and walk in the straightforward paths of decency.

The Sages of old said:

"He who has Tefillin on his head and his arm, Tzitzit on his garments, and a Mezuzah on his doorway, will presumably commit no sin," for he has many reminders, these being the guardian angels that save him from sin, as it is said, "The angel of Hashem encamps round about them that fear Him, and delivers them" (Tehillim 34:8; Menachot. 43b). Blessed be the Merciful One who so helped us' (Mishneh Torah, Ahavah, Hilchot Mezuzah 6.13).

By this injunction we are commanded that all the people are to Assemble on the second day of Sukkot, after the end of every seventh year, and several verses of Devarim are to be read aloud to them.

Why was "small children" also commanded to be gathered to hear the words of the Torah? To give reward to those who bring them. (Rashi) In modern times, it has become acknowledged that the time to inculcate values in children is from their earliest youth, and especially by the example of parents and others who sincerely strive for the ideals they preach. Therefore, for bringing their children to Hachel, parents deserved to be rewarded, for they demonstrated that the Torah is precious to them.

The provision of this Mitzvah - namely, how it should be read, who should read, and what portions [of the Torah] should be read - are explained in the 7th Chapter of Tractate Sotah. The reading in the Assembly, as prescribed in this Mitzvah, was carried out by the King of Yisrael.

'They used to prepare for him in the Temple Court a wooden platform on which he sat, etc. The minister of the synagogue took a Scroll of the Law and gave it to the President of the synagogue, and the President of the Synagogue gave it to the High Priest's Deputy, and he gave it to the High Priest, and the High Priest gave it to the King, and the King received it and read it sitting' (Sotah 41a)

'Both the reading and the Blessings [that were pronounced in connection therewith] were said in the Holy Tongue [i.e. Hebrew]...Proselytes who are unfamiliar with it are nevertheless to direct their heart and apply their ears, listening in awe and fear, and rejoicing with trembling, as on the day when the Torah was given us at Sinai. Even great Sages who are proficient in the whole Law are under obligation to listen with extremely great devotion, while he who is unable to hear must direct his heart to this reading - Scripture having appointed it solely with a view to strengthening the true faith - so that one is to consider himself as though he had only now been commanded to hear it, and were hearing it from the Almighty, since the King is merely an emissary empowered to proclaim the words of Hashem' (Mishneh Torah, Korbanot, Hilchot Hagigah 3, 6).

The reading of the King consisted of the following portions of Devarim: 1:1-6, 11:13-21, 14:22-28: 69 (ibid., 3:3).

A Jewish king's royal treasury contains countless blocks of gold, beautifully embroidered bags filled with silver coins, diamonds, jewels and many glittering stones. These precious stones are locked away in vaults and the fortune is guarded by soldiers. But there is one precious item that the king will not entrust to anyone else. He refers to it constantly and always carries it with him. This is his own personal Torah Scroll. Hashem commands a Jewish King to write two Torah Scroll for himself...one to keep in his treasury and one to carry with him always. Thus, the Torah will guide him in ruling the Jewish people and creating a proper kingdom. (Rashi)

All the provisions of this Mitzvah are explained in Sanhedrin 2.

According to the 'Sefer Ha-Chinuch' this mitzvah was intended as a check upon the secular authority of the King. The Scroll of the Law which was to be written in his own name was calculated to impress upon him the supremacy of Divine Law as laid down in the Torah. It was to act as a constant reminder of his subservience to Hashem, and was therefore to accompany him at every turn:

'When he goes forth to battle he shall take it forth with him, and when he returns he shall bring it back with him; when he sits in judgment it shall be with him, and when he sits at meat it shall be before him' (Sanhedrin 21b)

By this injunction we are commanded that every man among us is to have a Scroll of the Law for himself. If he writes it with his own hand, he is greatly to be praised, and this is to be preferred, as the Sages say: 'If he writes it with his own hand, Scripture considers it as if he had received it from Mt. Sinai.' If he cannot write it himself, he is obliged to purchase one, or to hire [a scribe] who will write it for him.

The rules for the writing of a Scroll of Law and the conditions attaching thereto are explained in Menachot 3 at the beginning of Bava Batra, and in Shabbat.

The Sefer Torah or Scroll of the Law must be written on sheets of parchment, specially prepared from the skins of levitically clean animals, and so sewn together as to comprise the Five Books of Moshe in their entirety. Only the square Hebrew characters are used, as prescribed by established law and usage. The writing - a task specially sacred - is entrusted to a professional Sofer or Scribe, who is both skilled in this art and devoutly religious; for a Scroll that is written by an unbeliever is worse than if it were written by an idolater, and must be burned. Before commencing to write it the Scribe sanctifies it in the words, 'I herewith dedicate this Scroll, which I am writing as a holy Scroll of the Law.' In like manner, before writing the Name of Hashem, the Scribe must first sanctify It as such; and the rules affecting the forms and combinations of letters are strict in the extreme (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah, 274, 1; 276, 2). In writing a Scroll of the Law the Scribe must have before him a finished copy, from which he reads, pronouncing every word before inscribing it.

In transporting it from place to place one must carry it near his heart, avoiding any slight or mark of disesteem as far as possible.

'He who sits in the presence of a Scroll of the Law must observe great solemnity, abiding in fear and in awe of the trustworthy testimony [of G-d's word] as handed on to all generations, as it is said, That it may be there for a witness against you (Devarim 31:26); and he is therefore to honor it as far as it is in his power to do so. Thus said the Sages of old: "He that dishonors the Law shall himself be dishonored by mankind, while he that honors the Law is himself honored by mankind"' (Ab, 4, 6; Mishneh Torah, Ahavah, Hilchot Sefer Torah, 10, 11).

We are commanded to bless Hashem (exalted be He) after every meal. The Tosefta says: 'That the saying of grace after meal is a precept laid down by the Torah we learn from the verse, And You shall eat and be satisfied, and bless [Hashem your G-d].' (Berachot, Tosefta 7:1)

The provisions of this Mitzvah are explained in many places in Tractate Berachot.

The Grace after meal is practically the only benediction which is enjoined by the Torah itself; all other benedictions are only of Rabbinic origin. According to some scholars, however, the benediction pronounced before reading or studying the torah is also enjoined by Scripture.

By an inference from minor to major the Sages further established that obligation to pronounce the various blessings over food and drink before partaking of them (Berachot 35a).

The Sages further instituted three groups of blessings:

1) Blessings recited before partaking of any of the good things of life (e.g. before eating of the fruit of a tree, one must say: 'Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the universe, who creates the fruit of the tree')

2) Blessings recited before fulfilling any Positive Mitzvah (e.g. on putting on the Tzitzit, one must say: 'Blessed...who has sanctified us by Your Mitzvot, and has commanded us to wrap ourselves in Tzitzit')

3) Blessings expressive of thankfulness to G-d for whatever befalls a person (e.g. on having escaped some great danger or recovered from sickness, one pronounces: 'Blessed...who vouchsafest benefits unto the undeserving, who has also vouchsafed all good unto me').

We are commanded to build a Temple [Sanctuary] for His service. There sacrifices are to be offered and the perpetual fire is to burn, thither the [prescribed] pilgrimages are to be made, and there the festivals and assemblages are to be held every year.

The Sifre says:

'The Yisraelim were obliged to fulfill three Mitzvot upon their entry into the Land: to appoint a king over themselves, to build the Temple, and to annihilate the offspring of Amalek.' (Berachot, Tosefta 7:1) Thus it has been made clear to you that the building of the Temple is a distinct Mitzvah in itself.

The provisions of this Mitzvah as a whole, that is to say, those relating to the building of the Sanctuary, its design and its divisions, the building of the Altar, and the related laws, are explained in a Tractate specially devoted to the subject, namely Tractate Middot. In like manner the design of the Menorah (Candlestick), of the Shulchan Aruch (Table), and of the golden Mizbeach (Altar), and their positions in the Temple are explained in the Gemara Menachot and Yoma.

We are commanded to be in exceeding great awe of the Temple, and to regard it in our hearts with fear and dread. The scope of that reverence is defined in the Sifra: 'What does reverence mean? One may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, or his sandals, or his wallet, or with the dust upon his feet, nor may he make of it a short cut; still less may he spit there.' (VaYikra 19:30; Sifra)  It is explained in several places in the Talmud that it was not permissible for anyone to remain seated in the Court [of the Sanctuary] except only the Kings of the House of David. All this follows from His words (exalted be He), And you shall reverence My sanctuary, the observance of which is binding for all time, even in our own days, when [the Temple], for our manifold sins, has been destroyed.

In the Mishneh Torah Maimonides explains the eternal sanctity of the ground on which the Temple stood:

'Now why do I maintain that in the case of the Temple and Yerushalayim their First Holiness [i.e. the holiness they attained at the time of the first Hebrew conquest of the Land of Yisrael] remains constant for all time to come...? It is because the holiness of the Temple and of Yerushalayim issued directly from the Shechinah [i.e. the Divine Presence], and the Shechinah is free from all transiency. Does not Scripture say, And I will bring your sanctuaries unto desolation (VaYikra 26:31) - which the Sages have expounded thus: "Although they be desolate they retain their sanctity [for ever]"?' (Mishneh Torah, Avodah, Hilchot Bet Ha-B'chirah 6.16).

The synagogue of today being regarded in Jewish law as "the Little Sanctuary' - concerning which Yechezkel prophesied in the words, Thus said Hashem G-d: Although I have removed them far off among the nations, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet have I been to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they are come (Yechezkel 11:16) - it follows that the reverence spoken of in this Mitzvah is in a measure to be extended also to our own houses of worship (Megillah 29a).

We are commanded to keep guard over the Temple, and to patrol it every night throughout the night, thereby honoring it, exalting it, and magnifying it.

The Mechilta says:

"'And they shall keep the charge of the tent of meeting' [this verse] gives us only a Positive mitzvah. Whence do we infer that there is also a Negative mitzvah involved? From the verse: 'You shall keep the charge of the holy things.' (ibid., 5) ¹ Thus it has been made clear to you that the guarding of the Temple constitutes a Positive Mitzvah.

In the same place we read: 'It leads glory to the Temple that there are guards over it; for a palace that has guards over it is unlike a palace that has no such guards'; and it is known that palterin 'palace', is a name for the Temple. The meaning is that the Temple is exalted and glorified by having guards appointed to watch over it.

The object of this Mitzvah seems to have been twofold:  The Temple was constantly guarded and surrounded as a mark of respect and honor, and at the same time the layman, the unclean, and mourners where prevented from entering the Temple' (Moreh Nebuchim 3, 45).

Guard was kept at 24 places in the Temple at Yerushalayim; these were divided among the Kohanim and the Leviim. The Kohanim kept watch over three places, the Leviim over 21.

The Mishnah further informs us:

'The officer of the Temple Mount used to go round to every watch, with lighted torches before him, and if any watcher did not stand up and say to him, "Peace be to you, Supervisor of the Temple Mount!", it was obvious that he was asleep, and he would belabor him with his stick, and was also at liberty to burn his clothes. And the others would say: "What is the noise in the Temple Court?" "It is the noise of a Levi who is being beaten and whose clothes are being burnt because he was asleep at his post" (Middot 1, 2)

All the provisions of this Mitzvah are explained in Tractates Tamid (first chapter) and Middot.

1. The word shamar (keep) when used in connection with a Mitzvah signifies, according to Talmudic law, a Negative Mitzvah. This passage is not found in our edition of the Mechilta; it is quoted by the Yalkut in the name of the Sifre Zura. See Negative Mitzvah 67

The Leviim are commanded that they alone are to perform certain services in the Temple, such as the closing of the gates, and the chanting during the offering of the sacrifices [offered on behalf of the whole community of Yisrael].¹

The Sifre says:

'I might suppose that [a Levi] could choose whether to perform the service or not; Scripture therefore says, The Leviim alone shall do the service that is to say, they must do it willy-nilly.' It is thus a duty, the performance of which is compulsory.

Then nature of the service of the Leviim is explained in many places in Tamid and Middot; and in the 2nd chapter of Arakin it is explained that only the Leviim were to chant [in the Temple]. (Arakin 11a)

This Mitzvah appears again in another form: He [i.e. the Levi] shall minister in the name of Hashem his G-d, as all his brethren the Leviim do (Devarim 18:7) on which the second chapter of Arakin says: 'What is ministering in the name of Hashem? It means chanting.' (Arakin 11a)

All the Leviim in Yisrael were thus divided into two groups - those that attended only to the gates of the Temple, and those that performed the chanting at the services. It was forbidden for a Leviim of one group to do the work generally assigned to one of the other group (Arakin 11b).

The young Levi was not permitted to do any service in the Temple until he had gone through a 5 year period of initiation or preparation (Mishneh Torah, Avodah, Hilchot Kle Ha-Mikdash 3, 7).

Much attention was devoted by Jewish law to the chanting of the Leviim in the Temple. The Levi whose voice had lost its vigor or its sweetness was disqualified for this service. While the actual chanting was the duty of the Leviim themselves, the accompaniment on musical instruments might be done also by Kohanim and dignitaries of Yisrael (Arakin 10a).

'There were never less than two trumpets, and their number could be increased without end; there were never less than nine lyres, and their number would be increased without end; but of cymbals there was but one, etc. There were never less than twelve Leviim standing on the Platform, and their number could be increased without end. None [of the Leviim] that were not of age could enter the Temple Court to take part in the service, save only when the Leviim stood up to sing; and they did not join in the singing with harp and lyre, but with the mouth alone, to add spice to the music' (ibid., 13b)

The Kohanim are commanded to wash their hands and feet when they have to enter the Temple or when they are about to perform the service. This is the Mitzvah of the Sanctifying of the Hands and Feet.

He who violates this Positive Mitzvah incurs the penalty of death by the hand of Heaven; that is to say, a Kohen who serves in the Temple without [first] washing his hands and feet becomes liable to that penalty. This rests on His words (exalted be He), When they go into the tent of meeting,] they shall wash with water, that they did not. (Shemot 30:20)

The detailed rules of this Mitzvah are set out in their entirety in the second chapter of Zevachim

Failure to comply with this Mitzvah invalidated the service of any ministering Kohen. Generally, one such ablution prior to engaging in the service of the day was sufficient, so that if the Kohen did not leave the Temple Court or touch any unclean object in the course of the day, he required no further sanctification. But it must be remembered that while the Kohanim were commanded to wash their hands and feet before they could perform any service, not person whatsoever could enter the Temple court (i.e. the Court of the Yisraelim, the Court of the Kohanim, etc.) without having first immersed his whole body in a ritual bath (Yoma 30a) and additional strictures attached to persons who were unclean. Furthermore, in connection with the service of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) on Yom Kippur (see Pos. Mitzvah 49), the Mishnah informs us:

 'On this day the Kohen Gadol immerses himself five times and washes his hands and his feet ten times' (ibid., 30a)

The Kohanim are commanded to kindle the lamps continually before Hashem.¹

All the provisions of this Mitzvah are explained in the 8th chapter of Menachot, in the first chapter of Yoma, and in several places in Tractate Tamid.

'A menorah was put in front of the curtain, as a sign of honor and distinction for the Temple...And the Law lay great stress on our holding the Temple in great estimation and regard, and that at the sight of it we should be filled with humility, mercy, and soft-heartedness' (Moreh Nevuchim 3, 45).

The Sages argue: 'Has He need of light? did not Yisrael in their forty years' wandering through the desert rather proceed only by His light? But in truth [the lamps of the Menorah were lit] solely as a testimony to mankind that the Shechinah [the Divine Presence] dwells in Yisrael' (Shabbat 22b)

The Kohanim are commanded to bless Yisrael every day.

The provisions of this Mitzvah are explained in the last chapter of Megillah and of Taanit, and in the 7th chapter of Tractate Sotah.

This Mitzvah is binding for every day throughout the year, and in the Land of Yisrael the Priestly Blessing is invoked daily even in our time. In the Diaspora, however, it is recited only on festivals and holy days during the Additional Service (Mussaf). It is dictated word by word to the Kohanim by the Reader of the public prayers, who in most cases is of non-Priestly stock. The Sages based this procedure upon the Scriptural words, You shall say unto them: Hashem bless the, etc. (BaMidbar 6:23), implying that an Israelite is to dictate the blessing to the Kohanim, who in turn are to bestow it upon Yisrael. In this way it becomes all the more apparent that the Priestly Blessing owes its efficacy solely to Him whose ministering emissaries the Kohanim are, and to the Torah which affirms them to be such.

The question was raised in the Talmud: while the Kohanim are to bless Yisrael, who is to bless the Kohanim themselves? To this Rabbi Akiva's rejoinder was, that Hashem had assured Avraham our father that whoever should bless his seed would in turn be blessed by Hashem: And I will bless them that bless thee (Bereishit 11:3, Hul. 49a).

We are commanded to place the Showbread (Lechem Panim) before Him continually. The Torah prescribes that new bread is to be placed [upon the Table] on every Shabbat, and frankincense along with it, and that the Kohanim are to eat of the bread which was [placed on the Table] on the preceding Shabbat.

The provisions of this Mitzvah are explained in the 11th chapter of Menachot.

Bread being universally regarded as the staff of life, the object of this Mitzvah, according to Nachmanides, was that a special place of importance would be assigned to it in the ritual of the Temple. As G-d's blessings to mankind come normally through the regular channels of nature, the Showbread was placed upon the Table as a definite object upon which His blessings were to be invoked (Shemot 25:24, Commentary)

Two rows of Showbread were placed on the Table in the Temple, and there were six loaves in each row:

'Four Kohanim entered, two bearing the two rows [of the Showbread] in their hands and two bearing the two dishes [of frankincense]; and four went in before them, two to take away the two rows [of previous Shabbat's Showbread], and two to take away the two dishes [of frankincense]. Those who brought them in stood at the north side with their faces to the south, and those who took them away stood at the south side with their faces to the north. these withdrew [the old] and the others laid down [the new], and [always] one handbreadth of the one overlay one handbreadth of the other...They went and laid [the old loaves] on the table of gold that was in the Porch. They then burnt the dishes [of frankincense], and the loaves were distributed among the Kohanim' (Men. 99b).

The Kohanim are commanded to place incense twice every day upon the Golden Altar.

The provisions of this Mitzvah, and the procedure to be followed in the burning of the incense every day, are explained at the commencement of Keritot and in several places in Tamid.

Nachmanides counts the burning of the incense in the morning and in the evening as two distinct Mitzvot, since the obligation attaching to each is independent of the other.

Lots were cast to choose the Kohen who was to minister at the burning of the incense - one of the most coveted services in the Temple - and only such were admitted among the candidates as had not hitherto performed the service. The incense was burnt on the Golden Altar that was located in the Temple proper. This Golden Altar is to be distinguished from the Outer Altar that stood in the Temple Court, on which the offerings were consumed.

Special precautions were impressed upon the ministering Kohen to prevent him from being burnt by the fire of the incense.

'The one who burnt the incense did not do so until the superintendent said to him, "Burn the incense!" ... When all had gone away he burnt the incense and prostrated himself and went out' (Tamid 6, 3).

We are commanded to keep fire burning continually upon the Altar every day. Kohanim are commanded to place wood upon the fire without fail every day in the morning and at dusk, as explained in the second chapter of Yoma, and in Tractate Tamid.

The Talmud says expressly: 'Although the fire comes down from Heaven, it is nevertheless a duty to provide it by natural means.' (Yoma 21b)

The provisions of this Mitzvah - the Mitzvah relating to the daily preparation of Fire upon the Altar, are set out in the 4th chapter of Yoma, and in the 2nd chapter of Tamid.

Three wood-stacks were kindled every day on the Outer Altar: the Great Fire on the east side of the Altar; the one at the south-western part of the Altar, from which fire was taken to the Golden Altar for the burning of the incense; and the fire which was kept burning continually on the Altar, from which ready burning logs were taken to re-kindle the Great Fire whenever necessary (Mishneh Torah, Avodah, Hilchot Temidin U-Musafin 8, 9). On Yom Kippur an additional fire was kept burning, which was used to ignite the incense in the Holy of Holies (Yoma 43b).

According to an ancient tradition in the Mishnah, one of the ten wonders that were wrought in the Temple was that rain never quenched the Great Fire of the wood-pile on the Altar (Ab. 5, 5).

'The one on whom the lot had fallen to clear the ashes form the Altar made ready to do so. They said to him: "Be careful not to touch any vessel until you have washed your hands and feet from the laver. See, the firepan is in the corner between the ascent and the Altar on the west of the ascent."...He washed his hands and feet from the laver, then took the silver fire pan and went up to the top of the Altar, and cleared away the cinders on either side, and scooped up the ashes in the centre. he then descended, and when he reached the pavement he turned his face to the north and went along the east side of the ascent for about ten cubits, and he then made a heap of the cinders on the pavement three handbreadths away from the ascent....' (Talmid 28b).

We are commanded to put out unclean person from the camp. The word "camp" here means the Camp of the Divine Presence,¹, the equivalent of which in later generations was the Sanctuary Court [comprising the Court of the Yisraelim, the Court of the Kohanim, etc.]. The Sifre says: 'That they put out of the camp [every leper, etc.], this is an admonition to unclean persons not to enter the Sanctuary in a state of uncleanness.'

The various zones of sanctity within the Holy Land and the prohibitive degrees of uncleanness observed in relation to them are indicated in the Mishnah thus:

'The walled cities [of the Land of Yisrael] are still holier, for lepers must be sent out of them... The Temple Mount is still holier, for no man or woman that has a flux, no menstruant, and no woman after childbirth may enter it. The Rampart is still holier, for no idolater and none that has contracted uncleanness from a corpse may enter it. The Court of the Women is still holier, for none may enter it on the day of his immersion [because of uncleanness], although he would not thereby become liable for a Sin-offering. The Court of the Yisraelim is still holier, for none whose atonement is yet incomplete may enter it, and one who did would thereby become liable for a Sin-offering' (Kel. 1, 7, 8)

Maimonides observes:

'The object of the Sanctuary was to create in the hearts of those who enter it certain feelings of awe and reverence...But when we continually see an object, however sublime it may be, our regard for that object will be lessened, and the impression we have received from it will be weakened...For this reason the unclean were not allowed to enter the Temple, although there are so many kinds of uncleanness that [at any given time] only a few people are clean' (Moreh Nevuchim 3, 47)

1. The sacred city of Yerushalayim was divided into three zones: a) the zone extending from the walls of the city to the Temple Mount was known as the Camp of the Yisraelim; b) that extending from the Temple Mount to the Gates of Nikanor was known as the Camp of the Leviim, and c) the zone lying within these gates, including the Court of the Yisraelim, the Court of the Kohanim, the space between the Altar and the Porch, the Sanctuary, and the Holy of Holies, was known as the Camp of the Divine Presence.

We are commanded to exalt the descendants of Aharon, to show honor and deference, and to assign to them a high degree of holiness and dignity, even overriding their own objections. All this is for the glory of Hashem (exalted be He), since He has taken them for His service and the offering of His sacrifices. The Sages interpret this verse thus: 'You shall sanctify him in all matters appertaining to holiness: that is to say, he shall be first in all holy matters (e.g. the reading of the Torah); he shall have the first right to recite the Benediction at a meal; and he shall be first to receive a seemly portion.' (Git. 59b)

The Sifra also says: 'You shall sanctify him - even against his will'; that is to say, this is a Mitzvah laid upon us, and it does not depend on the Kohen's wishes.

'In order to raise the estimation of the Temple, those how ministered therein received great honor; and the Kohanim and the Leviim were therefore distinguished from the rest' (Moreh Nevuchim 3, 44).

The Kohanim are commanded to array themselves in garments of special splendour and beauty before they minister in the Temple.

These are the Priestly Garments: eight garments for the Kohen Gadol, and four for a common Kohen. Whenever a Kohen performs the service with fewer or with more than the number of garments appointed for that particular service, the service is invalid, and he is also liable to death by the hand of Heaven.¹

1. In his Mishneh Torah, Maimonides clearly expresses the opinion that the same penalty is incurred by a Kohen who performs the service with more garments than the number appointed (Mishneh Torah, Avodah, Hilchot Kle Ha-Mikdash 10, 4)

We are commanded that the Kohanim are to bear the Ark upon their shoulders, when we wish to transport it from place to place. Although this Mitzvah was at the time laid upon the Leviim, this was only because of the limited number of Kohanim [then available], for Aharon was the first [Kohen Gadol]. In reality the fulfillment of this Mitzvah devolves upon the Kohanim, and it is they who are to bear [the Ark], as is clear from the book of Yehoshua (3:14) and the book of 2Shmuel (15:25).  And when David commanded [the Kohanim and the Leviim] to bring up the Ark for the second time, the book of 1Divrei HaYamim records: "So the Kohanim and the Levi'im sanctified themselves to bring up the Ark of Hashem, the G-d of Yisrael.] And the children of the Leviim bore the Ark of G-d upon their shoulders with the bars thereon, as Moshe commanded according to the word of Hashem." (1Divrei HaYamim 15:14-15, 16) That is to say, the Kohanim sanctified themselves for the bearing of the Ark, while the Levi'im did so for the purpose of accompanying the Kohanim and playing the music.

You shall speak to the Bnei Yisrael, saying: 'This shall remain for Me oil of sacred anointment for your generations.'

We are commanded to have oil made for us according to a specific composition, ready for the Anointment of every Kohen Gadol who may be appointed. With this oil some of the kings also were to be anointed.

The Mishkan and all its vessels were anointed with this oil [by Moshe], but the [Temple] vessels will not be anointed with it in the future, for the Sifre says explicitly: 'With the anointment of these,' - that is to say, the vessels of the Mishkan - 'all vessels [to be used in the Temple] were sanctified for all time' (BaMidbar 7:34; Sifre Zuta), as He had said (exalted be He), "This shall be holy anointing oil unto Me throughout your generations. (Shemot 30:32).

The provisions of this Mitzah are explained at the beginning of Keritot.

Just as with the anointment of the vessels of the Mishkan by Moshe 'all vessels were sanctified for all time', so with the anointment of the Kohanim by Moshe their whole lineage became sanctified for all time to come. The Kohen Gadol, however - his office not being of an hereditary nature - had to be anointed at his induction. In like manner an heir to the throne of Yisrael did not have to be anointed, though in order to avoid disputes over the royal succession, and as a means of proclaiming the legitimacy of the new King, anointment was resorted to. Such, for instance, was the case with Shlomo.

According to Tradition, the Ark of the Covenant and the Oil of Anointment which Moshe himself had prepared were hidden by King Yoshiyahu (Josiah) when he realized that Yisrael would soon go into exile and that the Temple was about to be destroyed (Yoma 52b). During the entire period of the Second Temple the High Priests were thus no longer anointed; their consecration was accomplished by the putting on of the eight robes designed for the Kohen Gadol, and by their performing the service in the Priestly attire.

Tradition, however, assures us that both the Ark of the Covenant and the Oil of Anointment will come to light once again at Yisrael's final redemption, and it is for this reason that Maimonides includes the two Commandments appertaining to them among the Taryag Mitzvot.