31
votes
Accepted
How many lists of the 613 Mitzvot are there, and who wrote them?
Section 1 – The first to count the Taryag
1) Bahag – Ba’al Halachos Gedolos (identity disputed, 8th century Babylonia)
Life: Most1 say Halachos Gedolos was written by Rav Shimon Kaira in the year 741 ...
- 20.2k
26
votes
Accepted
Are there any brachos for "touching" something?
R. Bachya (1255–1340) in Kad Ha-Kemach (Kitvei R. Bachya, Chavel ed., p. 166) writes:
חוש המישוש לא תיקנו עליו ברכה לפי שאין לחוש הזה חלק בשכל כי כולו גופני
היפך השכל
The sense of touch has no ...
- 14.7k
25
votes
Accepted
Differences between RaMbaM and RaMbaN's mitzvah count
The following is just my understanding of the sources, and if there are any mistakes (ex: in the Ramban's reasons to disagree with the Rambam, the titles given to mitzvos, etc.), please point them out ...
- 20.2k
25
votes
Accepted
Discrepancy between Sefer HaMitzvos and Sefer Hachinuch
This discrepancy was noticed by the Mishneh LaMelech in his Parshas Derachim Derech Mitzvosecha 4:487, and the Minchas Chinuch § 487, among others.
As mentioned, the Chinuch leaves out the mitzvah ...
- 20.2k
25
votes
Accepted
Making a pikuach nefesh phone call on Yom Kippur - mitzva or something to be avoided?
מְפַקְּחִין פִּקּוּחַ נֶפֶשׁ בְּשַׁבָּת וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לִטּל רְשׁוּת מִבֵּית דִּין. וְהַמַּקְדִּים לְהַצִּיל הַנֶּפֶשׁ הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח.
[All] activities necessary to save a life should be ...
- 28k
20
votes
Accepted
Why don't we say a blessing before giving charity?
Great question. A writer from the Houston Community Kollel has surveyed historical answers to this famous question (here)
(1) The great medieval commentator Rashba (1235-1310) in his
Responsa (1:...
- 54k
19
votes
One Jewish Practice
I think you should begin the practice of learning something Jewish every day.
This mitzvah is, in my mind, both necessary and sufficient for a Jewish life. Why? Because it keeps your pintele yid not ...
- 20.2k
17
votes
Is there a teaching that states, those who work deserve to be paid?
Wages must be paid to an employee, and paid on time:
Vayikra 19:13:
לֹֽא־תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א תִגְזֹ֑ל לֹֽא־תָלִ֞ין פְּעֻלַּ֥ת שָׂכִ֛יר אִתְּךָ֖ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃
You shall not defraud your ...
- 46.6k
14
votes
One Jewish Practice
You can learn the blessing of Shehakol and recite it before you take a drink. Once you learn it (and that can take time), it takes about two seconds to say. You can learn the words here.
Shehakol, ...
- 5,420
14
votes
Accepted
Why is the first time a couple has marital relations called "beilas mitzvah?"
Tosfos, Ketubot 4a:
בעילת מצוה. קרי לה בעילת מצוה משום דכתיב כי בועליך עושיך ואמרי'
(סנהדרין דף כב:) אין אשה כורתת ברית אלא למי שעושה אותה כלי וע''י כך
מידבק בה ובאין לידי פריה ורביה ולהכי קרי לה ...
14
votes
Why does Chinuch confuse Parashat Nitzavim and Vayelech?
Parashat Vayelekh isn't formally a thing. There is Parashat Nitzavim, and in some years it is read over two weeks. When that happens some people have started calling the second half "Parashat Vayelekh"...
- 101k
13
votes
Accepted
Is donating blood a mitzvah?
HaRav Eliezer Waldenberg zt"l has a famous piece in his Tzitz Eliezer (vol 16, siman 23). He notes that it is definitely a mitzvah but one is not obligated (and would in fact be forbidden, if it ...
- 34.5k
13
votes
Accepted
Is it achievable to keep all of Halacha?
I once heard an amazing, simple, vort from a rebbi of mine. He used to say it each year around this time.
The Gemara in Avoda Zara 20B says the following;
ת"ר (דברים כג, י) ונשמרת מכל דבר רע שלא ...
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12
votes
I'd love to but Hashem doesn't let
The Rambam in Shemoneh Perakim, ch. 6, discusses the preferable attitude towards avoiding aveiros, and references this midrash.
After citing sentiments of the Nevi'im, such as (Mishlei 21:10) "נֶפֶשׁ ...
- 59.1k
12
votes
How can geirus (conversion to Judaism) be done without the prospective convert knowing at least the basics of ALL the mitzvos?
Viewing geirut as spelling out every detail of the b'rit seems impractical. Even many Jews from birth don't know the basics of all the commandments, and while it's reasonable to have a higher bar for ...
- 57k
12
votes
Accepted
Source for it being a mitzvah to make fun of Avodah Zarah?
I'm quite surprised that in my below research, I did not see any references to the Gemara in Avodah Zarah 45b-46a (edit: I saw it mentioned as an aside in one source), which not only implies that it ...
- 21.2k
12
votes
Accepted
Does Hashem reward you for keeping negative mitzvot?
Mishnah Makkot 3:15:
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, מִמְּקוֹמוֹ הוּא לָמֵד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יח) וְנִכְרְתוּ הַנְּפָשׁוֹת הָעֹשֹׂת וְגוֹ', וְאוֹמֵר (שם) אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם. הָא, ...
- 46.6k
12
votes
Is the first of the 10 Commandments considered a mitzvah?
Rambam in Yesodei HaTorah ch. 1 explicitly uses this as the source for the commandment to know of Hashem’s existence.
יְסוֹד הַיְסוֹדוֹת וְעַמּוּד הַחָכְמוֹת לֵידַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם מָצוּי רִאשׁוֹן. ...
- 34.7k
12
votes
Accepted
Lists of chukkim and mishpatim?
In "Chorev" R. Samson Raphael Hirsch divides the Torah into several categories, two of which are mishpatim and chukim. Here is an image of the table of contents, showing which mitzvot are classed in ...
- 50.3k
11
votes
Accepted
Only 613 commandments? Can't be!
Ralbag addresses the issue of number of mitzvot in his commentary to Exodus Chapter 12 in the Sixth Lesson. He points out the following:
R. Simlai in Makkot 23b expounds that there are 613 mitzvot – ...
- 50.3k
11
votes
Sukkah: Why not tough it out?
As the Mishnah Berurah there explains, it’s because of תשבו כעין תדורו - one lives in the sukkah as he would in his house.
You would leave your house if it was causing you significant discomfort, so ...
- 46.6k
11
votes
Accepted
What constitutes the Shema?
Because the literature surrounding the Shema is quite vast, I will bring only general essentials below.
Text of the Shema, referenced below:
Deut. 6
שְׁמַע יִשרָאֵל יי אֱלהֵינוּ יי אֶחָד:
...
- 730
11
votes
Accepted
Source for: Abstaining from sin being considered a mitzvah in Talmud Bavli
Kiddushin 39b:
רמי רב טובי בר רב קיסנא לרבא תנן כל העושה מצוה אחת מטיבין לו עשה אין לא עשה לא ורמינהי ישב ולא עבר עבירה נותנים לו שכר כעושה מצוה אמר ליה התם כגון שבא דבר עבירה לידו וניצול הימנה
...
- 6,535
11
votes
Is donating blood a mitzvah?
R Abraham S. Abraham, the author of the Nishmat Avraham compendium of medical halacha, writes (vol 2, p. 346)
Rav [Shlomo Zalman] Auerbach wrote to me that he also permits donating
blood to the blood ...
- 54k
10
votes
What is the source for the mitzvah of kiruv?
Rav Yitzchak Berkovits, based on the Chofetz Chaim's introduction to his sefer Chomas HaDas, compiled a source sheet which explains four basic ideas which obligate kiruv:
Kavod Shamayim - Honor of ...
- 20.2k
10
votes
Does ‘Love Your Neighbor As Yourself’ apply only to Jews?
The answer is in the passuk itself: “lirayacha” - your fellow, which always comes to include all Jews.
The Rambam makes this point explicitly in De’os 4:3:
מִצְוָה עַל כָּל אָדָם לֶאֱהֹב אֶת כָּל ...
- 34.7k
10
votes
Accepted
Don't do as non-Jews do?
Yes. As discussed in Sahedrin 74b and codified in Halacha, there are "things Jews are not allowed to do, per halacha, simply on the grounds that some non-Jews do it, and not because these things are ...
- 44.7k
10
votes
Does a jail-cell need a mezuzah?
This is actually addressed by the Chida in his Birkei Yosef 286:3. He brings the Bais Hillel(not to be confused with Bais Hillel from the gemara) who holds that a jail is not a dwelling of honor,so ...
- 42.7k
10
votes
Is it better to do a Mitzvah now or delay to do it better (with more Hiddur) later on?
The Terumas Hadeshen (#35) discusses delaying Kiddush Levana in order to fulfill the obligation in it's hiddur on Motze Shabbos. He discusses whether it is worth delaying a mitzvah for it's hiddur, ...
- 11.2k
9
votes
Can a single-parent father be exempt from time-bound mitzvot?
As someone in this category, I would like to remind everyone that this is what psak is for. One cannot be exempted from commandments, a competent rabbi familiar with a single-parent father's ...
- 5,437
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