Mishnah Makkot 3:16
Rabbi Hananiah says: “The Holy Blessed One, desired to heap benefit on Israel, therefore He gave them much Torah to study and many commandments to perform: for it is says, “The Lord desires his servant’s vindication, that he may magnify and glorify His teaching” (Isaiah 42).
Rabbi Hananiah says: “The Holy Blessed One, desired to heap benefit on Israel, therefore He gave them much Torah to study and many commandments to perform: for it is says, “The Lord desires his servant’s vindication, that he may magnify and glorify His teaching” (Isaiah 42).
Babylonian Talmud, Makkot 23b-24a
R. Simlai when preaching said: Six hundred and thirteen precepts [613] were communicated to Moses, three hundred and sixty-five negative precepts [365], corresponding to the number of solar days in the year, and two hundred and forty-eight positive precepts [248], corresponding to the number of the members of man's body.
David came and reduced them to eleven principles, as it is written, A Psalm of David. Lord, who shall sojourn in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Your holy mountain? — [1] He that walks uprightly, and [2] works righteousness, and [3] speaks truth in his heart; that [4] has no slander upon his tongue, [5] nor does evil to his fellow, [6] nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor, [7] in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but [8] he honors them that fears the Lord, [9] He swears to his own hurt and changes not, [10] He puts not out his money on interest, [11] nor takes a bribe against the innocent. He that does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15)
Isaiah came and reduced them to six principles, as it is written, [1] He that walks righteously, and [2] speaks uprightly, [3] He that despises the gain of oppressions, [4] that shakes his hand from holding of bribes, [5] that stops his ear from hearing of blood, [6] and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He shall dwell on high. (Isaiah 33)
Micah came and reduced them to three principles, as it is written, It has been told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord does requires of you: [1] only to do justly, and [2] to love mercy and [3] to walk humbly before your God. (Micah 6)
But it is Habakkuk who came and based them all on one principle, as it is said, But the righteous shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2)
R. Simlai when preaching said: Six hundred and thirteen precepts [613] were communicated to Moses, three hundred and sixty-five negative precepts [365], corresponding to the number of solar days in the year, and two hundred and forty-eight positive precepts [248], corresponding to the number of the members of man's body.
David came and reduced them to eleven principles, as it is written, A Psalm of David. Lord, who shall sojourn in Your tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Your holy mountain? — [1] He that walks uprightly, and [2] works righteousness, and [3] speaks truth in his heart; that [4] has no slander upon his tongue, [5] nor does evil to his fellow, [6] nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor, [7] in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but [8] he honors them that fears the Lord, [9] He swears to his own hurt and changes not, [10] He puts not out his money on interest, [11] nor takes a bribe against the innocent. He that does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15)
Isaiah came and reduced them to six principles, as it is written, [1] He that walks righteously, and [2] speaks uprightly, [3] He that despises the gain of oppressions, [4] that shakes his hand from holding of bribes, [5] that stops his ear from hearing of blood, [6] and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; He shall dwell on high. (Isaiah 33)
Micah came and reduced them to three principles, as it is written, It has been told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord does requires of you: [1] only to do justly, and [2] to love mercy and [3] to walk humbly before your God. (Micah 6)
But it is Habakkuk who came and based them all on one principle, as it is said, But the righteous shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2)
Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 1
The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of wisdom is to know that there is a Primary Being who brought into being all existence. All the beings of the heavens, the earth, and what is between them came into existence only from the truth of His being. The knowledge of this concept is a positive commandment, as implied by Exodus 20:2: “I am God, your Lord.”
Anyone who presumes that there is another god transgresses a negative commandment, as Exodus 20:3 states: “You shall have no other gods before Me” and denies a fundamental principle of faith, because this is the great principle of faith upon which all depends.
The foundation of all foundations and the pillar of wisdom is to know that there is a Primary Being who brought into being all existence. All the beings of the heavens, the earth, and what is between them came into existence only from the truth of His being. The knowledge of this concept is a positive commandment, as implied by Exodus 20:2: “I am God, your Lord.”
Anyone who presumes that there is another god transgresses a negative commandment, as Exodus 20:3 states: “You shall have no other gods before Me” and denies a fundamental principle of faith, because this is the great principle of faith upon which all depends.
Declaration of Independence
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.