One Torah, For Every Jew
(א) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ הוּא בוֹרֵא וּמַנְהִיג לְכָל הַבְּ֒רוּאִים וְהוּא לְבַדּוֹ עָשָׂה וְעוֹשֶׂה וְיַעֲשֶׂה לְכָל הַמַּעֲשִׂים:
(ב) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ הוּא יָחִיד וְאֵין יְחִידוּת כָּמֽוֹהוּ בְּשׁוּם פָּנִים וְהוּא לְבַדּוֹ אֱלֺקֵֽינוּ הָיָה הֹוֶה וְיִהְיֶה:
(ג) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ אֵינוֹ גוּף וְלֺא יַשִּׂיגֽוּהוּ מַשִּׂיגֵי הַגּוּף וְאֵין לוֹ שׁוּם דִּמְיוֹן כְּלָל:
(ד) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ הוּא רִאשׁוֹן וְהוּא אַחֲרוֹן:
(ה) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ לוֹ לְבַדּוֹ רָאוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וְאֵין רָאוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לְזוּלָתוֹ:
(ו) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁכָּל דִּבְ֒רֵי נְבִיאִים אֱמֶת:
(ז) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁנְּ֒בוּאַת משֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם הָיְ֒תָה אֲמִתִּית וְשֶׁהוּא הָיָה אָב לַנְּ֒בִיאִים לַקּוֹדְ֒מִים לְפָנָיו וְלַבָּאִים אַחֲרָיו:
(ח) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁכָּל הַתּוֹרָה הַמְּ֒צוּיָה עַתָּה בְיָדֵֽינוּ הִיא הַנְּ֒תוּנָה לְמשֶׁה רַבֵּֽנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם:
(ט) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁזֹּאת הַתּוֹרָה לֺא תְהֵא מֻחְלֶֽפֶת וְלֺא תְהֵא תוֹרָה אַחֶֽרֶת מֵאֵת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ:
(י) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ יוֹדֵֽעַ כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה בְנֵי אָדָם וְכָל מַחְשְׁ֒בוֹתָם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הַיֹּצֵר יַֽחַד לִבָּם הַמֵּבִין אֶל כָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם:
(יא) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ גּוֹמֵל טוֹב לְשׁוֹמְ֒רֵי מִצְוֹתָיו וּמַעֲנִישׁ לְעוֹבְ֒רֵי מִצְוֹתָיו:
(יב) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּבִיאַת הַמָּשִֽׁיחַ וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיִּתְמַהְמֵֽהַּ עִם כָּל זֶה אֲחַכֶּה לּוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם שֶׁיָּבוֹא:
(יג) אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים בְּעֵת שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה רָצוֹן מֵאֵת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ וְיִתְעַלֶּה זִכְרוֹ לָעַד וּלְנֵֽצַח נְצָחִים:
(1) 1. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is the Creator and Guide of all created things, and He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.
(2) 2. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is unique, and there is no uniqueness like His in any manner; and that He alone is our God, Who was, is, and will ever be.
(3) 3. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is not corporeal, and that He is beyond all corporeal concepts, and there is nothing at all comparable to Him.
(4) 4. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is First and Last.
(5) 5. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, is the only One to Whom it is proper to pray, and it is not proper to pray to any being beside Him
(6) 6. I believe with complete faith that all the words of the prophets are true.
(7) 7. I believe with complete faith that the prophecy of our teacher, Moses, may he rest in peace, was true, and that he was the father of all prophets, —of those who preceded him, and of those who followed him.
(8) 8. I believe with complete faith that the entire Torah which is now in our possession, is the very one that was given to our teacher Moses, may he rest in peace.
(9) 9. I believe with complete faith that this Torah will not be exchanged, and that no additional Torah [will be given] by the Creator, blessed is His Name.
(10) 10. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, knows all the deeds of men and all their thoughts, as it is said,2Psalms 33:15. He Who forms all their hearts as one, Who comprehends all their deeds.
(11) 11. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed is His Name, rewards those who keep His commandments, and punishes those who transgress His commandments.
(12) 12. I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah and even though he may tarry, nevertheless, I yearn every day for his coming.
(13) 13. I believe with complete faith that there will be a resurrection of the dead at a time that pleases the Creator, blessed is His Name, and His Name will be exalted forever and to all eternity.
Is Rambam "Arguing for the Kosher (Masoretic) Scroll?"
(ב) כָּל הַתּוֹרָה – כְּתָבָהּ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ קֹדֶם שֶׁיָּמוּת, בִּכְתָב יָדוֹ. וְנָתַן סֵפֶר לְכָל שֵׁבֶט וְשֵׁבֶט; וְסֵפֶר אֶחָד – נְתָנָהוּ בָּאָרוֹן לְעֵד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "לָקֹחַ, אֵת סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה, וְשַׂמְתֶּם אֹתוֹ, מִצַּד אֲרוֹן בְּרִית־ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם; וְהָיָה־שָׁם בְּךָ, לְעֵד" (דברים לא, כו).
(ג) וְהַמִּצְוָה, שְׁהִיא פֵּרוּשׁ הַתּוֹרָה – לֹא כְתָבָהּ; אֵלָא צִוָּה בָּהּ לַזְּקֵנִים וְלִיהוֹשׁוּעַ וְלִשְׁאָר כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "אֵת כָּל־הַדָּבָר, אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם – אֹתוֹ תִשְׁמְרוּ, לַעֲשׂוֹת . . ." (דברים יג, א). וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה נִקְרֵאת תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה.
(2) The whole Torah was written by Moses our Master, before his demise, by his own hand; and he gave a Book to each and every tribe, and one Book he deposited in the Ark as testimony, even as it is said; "Take this Book of the Torah and put it by the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there as a witness against thee" (Deut. 32.26.);
(3) but the commandment, which is the oral explanation of the Torah, he did not reduce to writing, but he charged the Elders and Joshua and the rest of all Israel concerning its observance, even as it is said: "All the word which I command you, that shall ye observe to do" (Deut. 13.1.); therefore, is this word of the commandment called, Oral Torah.
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה עַל כָּל אִישׁ וְאִישׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל לִכְתֹּב סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה לְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לא יט) ״וְעַתָּה כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם אֶת הַשִּׁירָה״. כְּלוֹמַר כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם תּוֹרָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ שִׁירָה זוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין כּוֹתְבִין אֶת הַתּוֹרָה פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִנִּיחוּ לוֹ אֲבוֹתָיו סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה מִצְוָה לִכְתֹּב מִשֶּׁלּוֹ. ואִם כְּתָבוֹ בְּיָדוֹ הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאִלּוּ קִבְּלָהּ מֵהַר סִינַי. וְאִם אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ לִכְתֹּב אֲחֵרִים כּוֹתְבִין לוֹ. וְכָל הַמַּגִּיהַּ סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה וַאֲפִלּוּ אוֹת אַחַת הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאִלּוּ כְּתָבוֹ כֻּלּוֹ:
(1) It is an affirmative precept binding upon every individual Israelite to write a scroll of the Law for his own use, as it is said, "Now therefore write ye this Song for you" (Deuteronomy 31:19). As the Torah is not written in separate sections, this text means, "Write for yourselves the Torah in which this Song is contained." Even if one's ancestors have left a person a scroll, it is a religious duty to write a scroll at his own expense. If he wrote it with his own hand, it is accounted to him as if he had received it from Sinai. If one does not know how to write a scroll, he should get others to write it for him. He who corrects a scroll, even a single letter of it, is regarded as if he had written it completely.
If God Knows All Our Thoughts
Your Word is Fire (The Hasidic Masters on Contemplative Prayer)
When a person prays in an ordinary way,
the words of prayer have no life of their own.
It is only the name of God appearing in their midst
that gives them life.
Thus when you recite the words:
"Blessed art Thou, O Lord...,"
life does not enter the words
until the word "Lord" is uttered.
But when a true master of prayer recites the words
every word is a name of God.
"Blessed" is a name, "Thou" is a name...
Reward & Punishment
(ב) בֶּן עַזַּאי אוֹמֵר, הֱוֵי רָץ לְמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, וּבוֹרֵחַ מִן הָעֲבֵרָה. שֶׁמִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה, וַעֲבֵרָה גוֹרֶרֶת עֲבֵרָה. שֶׁשְּׂכַר מִצְוָה, מִצְוָה. וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה, עֲבֵרָה:
(2) Ben Azzai said: Be quick in performing a minor commandment as in the case of a major one, and flee from transgression; For one commandment leads to another commandment, and transgression leads to another transgression; For the reward for performing a commandment is another commandment and the reward for committing a transgression is a transgression.
(א) רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם, כֹּל שֶׁהִיא תִפְאֶרֶת לְעוֹשֶׂיהָ וְתִפְאֶרֶת לוֹ מִן הָאָדָם. וֶהֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְבַחֲמוּרָה, שֶׁאֵין אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל מִצְוֹת. וֶהֱוֵי מְחַשֵּׁב הֶפְסֵד מִצְוָה כְּנֶגֶד שְׂכָרָהּ, וּשְׂכַר עֲבֵרָה כְנֶגֶד הֶפְסֵדָהּ. וְהִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה, דַּע מַה לְּמַעְלָה מִמְּךָ, עַיִן רוֹאָה וְאֹזֶן שׁוֹמַעַת, וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַסֵּפֶר נִכְתָּבִין:
(1) Rabbi Said: which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is an honor to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] honor [accrues] to him from others. And be careful with a light commandment as with a grave one, for you did know not the reward for the fulfillment of the commandments. Also, reckon the loss [that may be sustained through the fulfillment] of a commandment against the reward [accruing] thereby, and the gain [that may be obtained through the committing] of a transgression against the loss [entailed] thereby. Apply your mind to three things and you will not come into the clutches of sin: Know what there is above you: an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.