I was reading "The Secret of the Torah: A Translation of Ibn Ezra’s Yesod Mora" and in the introduction the translator makes a point that Ibn Ezra doesn't believe in there being "613 commandments." Is this true? And if so, are there any other Rabbis/Geonim that reject of there being exactly 613 commandments?
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The Ibn Ezra can be found here (Yesod Mora 2): sefaria.org/Yesod_Mora.2.3?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en– ShmuelCommented Jul 19, 2022 at 20:30
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Is ibn Ezra not a rabbi? Do you mean "any other"?– magicker72Commented Jul 19, 2022 at 21:23
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@magicker72 I had only read the introduction of the book, so I haven't read the entire corpus of Ibn Ezra, or even made it to Yesod Morah Gate 2. So when I wrote my question I didn't want to assume it was plainly known– AaronCommented Jul 19, 2022 at 21:54
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@Aaron You wrote "[a]nd if so"...– magicker72Commented Jul 19, 2022 at 22:01
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1Back to the OP... I have been AMAZED about how one aggadita became the central organizational structure for so many sefarim. To the extent that rishonim argue about how to reach R Simlai's count...– Micha BergerCommented Jul 21, 2022 at 20:33
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1 Answer
Q1:
Ibn Ezra doesn't believe in there being "613 commandments." Is this true?
Yesod Mora, Gate 2:
וצורך גדול היה לי להזכיר דבר הכלל קודם שאדבר על המצות בעבור שראיתי כמה חכמים סופרים שש מאות ושלש עשרה מצות על דרכים רבים. יש מהם שספר בשול גדי פעם אחת ויש שספרו בג' מצות כנגד שנכתב ג' פעמים וחכמינו דרשוה ורבות ככה. ויש מי שיספור הכללים והפרטים. ויש שסופרים פעם הכללים לבדם ופעם הפרטים לבדם. ויש שסופרים מצוה אחת שבאה בשתי לשונות והטעם אחד. ועל דרך מחקר האמת אין קץ למספר המצות כאמרו המשורר לכל תכלה ראיתי קץ רחבה מצותך מאד. ואם נספר העיקרים והכללים ומצוה שהיא עומדת לעד אין המצות עשירית משש מאות ושלש עשרה
I found it necessary to mention the various categories before I discussed the precepts, because I saw different sages counting the 613 commandments in different ways. Some of them list the prohibition of seething a kid in its mother's milk once. Others count it as three commandments because it is written three times in the Torah. Now our sages interpreted each one of the latter. There are many other such instances. Some count the particulars and the categories. Others count only the particulars in some instances and only the categories in others. Some count a commandment that comes in tow formulations with one meaning twice. In reality there is no limit to the commandments. Indeed, the poet states, I have seen an end to every purpose; But Thy commandment is exceeding broad (Psalm 119:96). However, if we count only the categories, the fundamental commandments, and the precepts that are eternally binding, then the commandments are no richer than 613.
Q2:
are there any other Rabbis/Geonim that reject of there being exactly 613 commandments?
Though he concludes otherwise, Ramban in his glosses on the Sefer ha-Miswoth expresses some doubt and suggests it might be an asmakhta be'alma (shoresh 1):
אני בעניי עם כל זה עלה בלבי ספק על זו המימרא אם היא דברי הכל או יש בה מחלוקת, וספק אחר אם היא הלכה למשה מסיני, כלומר שנאמר למשה מפי הגבורה כך וכך מצות אני מוסר לך לצוותם בישראל מורשה או שהוא אסמכתא בעלמא מן הגימטריא הזו
And I, in my impoverished thought, with all this, it arose in my heart a doubt concerning this statement [of R. Simlai regarding 613 commandments] if it is a unanimously agreed upon precept or whether it is disputed, and a further doubt as to whether it is a law as transmitted by Moses from Sinai, which is to say the they were said to Moses from God “such and such commandments I transmit to you to command them in Israel as an inheritance” or whether perhaps it is simply an textual allusion by means this mnemonic.
R. Shim'on b. Semah Duran in his commentary on the Azharoth (R. Shelomo ibn Gabirol's poetic composition of Taryag) wrote:
ושמא מה שהוסכם שמניין המצוות הם תרי"ג – שס"ה ורמ"ח, הוא לפי דעת ר' שמלאי, וכפי מה שפירש הוא המצוות, ואנחנו לא נסמוך עליו בפירושו בעניין פסק הלכה, אבל נסמוך על סוגיית התלמוד. ומה שהזכירו בכל מקום זה המניין, הוא לפי שלא מצינו חכם אחר מנאם – תפסנו מנינו. ואף אם יחסר או יעדף המניין הוא הולך סביבו, והוא כאומרם בהרבה מקומות: הוי פורתא, ובפורתא לא דק
[I'll try to add a translation of this later.]
In Abhraham Ohayon's essay האומנם תרי"ג מצוות (p. 94) he reports that the Sefer Yereim lists only 417 commandments, R. Menahem Recanati in his Taamei ha-Miswoth counted 250 positive and 361 negative commandments, for a total of 611. Sefer Miswoth Qatan (R. Yishaq of Corbeil) listed 320 commandments applicable nowadays (which would mean an excessive 293 commandments applicable in the Temple era). And that according to Dr. Asael Ben-Or, if you count up the miswoth in the Ralbag's commentary on the Torah it comes to 513 commandments. Furthermore the Ralbag (in his commentary on Ex. 12, Lesson 6) issues a full on critique of the idea, as noted by Alex and well documented in this answer.
