INTRODUCTION TO THE SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN PRECEPTS. HE Jews having a zeal for the letter of the law, and desirous of establishing their own righteousness by the works of it, have counted every word and letter of the Pentateuch, in order to ascertain how many precepts it contained, that they might know what they were commanded to do, and what they were prohibited from doing. They have, after a great waste of time, discovered that the law contained 613 precepts. The Rabbies assert that the multiplicity of precepts which God has given to the nation of Israel in preference to all others, is a sign of His predilection for them. Every Jew repeats every Saturday during the six summer רבי חנניא בן עקשיא אומר : months the following passage רצה הקדוש ברוך הוא לזכות את ישראל: לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצות: שנאמר יי חפץ למען צדקו יגדיל תורה ויאדיר "Rabbi Chanania ben Akashia has said, the Holy One (blessed be He!) has been pleased to render Israel meri * The Gentiles, who are commonly called in Talmud Sons of Noah, had only seven precepts given to them. †The Rabbies have appointed one chapter of a treatise of Mishnah, called Pirkay Avoth, or Chapters of the Fathers, to be repeated by the Jews every Saturday afternoon during the six summer months. It consists of six chapters; they contain many admirable precepts, and inculcate true piety. But they also repeat with great gravity Rabbi Chanania's dogma. Every Saturday afternoon during the six winter months they repeat Psalms, 104, 120-134. torious; therefore He multiplied to them the law and the commandments, as it is said, The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify the law, and make it honourable."" (Is. 42. 21.) The 613 precepts are divided into 248 Y MISD affirmative precepts, or precepts of commission; and into negative precepts, or precepts מצות לא תעשה 365 of omission. The Rabbies are very ingenious in making out that each precept they perform is equal to 613. (See p. 33, 41, 66, 75, 77, 92.) They have also discovered that the law of Moses corresponds with the construction of the human body, for it has 248 members, according to the number of the affirmative precepts; and 365 veins, according to the number of the negative precepts hence they pray, "And that it may be made, through my fulfilling this precept, a spiritual garment for my soul, spirit, and breath, for my 248 spiritual members, and for my 365 spiritual veins." (See p. 75.) The Rabbies assert that all the Patriarchs fulfilled the : 613 precepts. Rabbi S. Jarchi thus comments very עם לבן גרתי: גרתי בגי תריג כלומר .4 .32 .gravely on Gen עם לבן הרשע גרתי: ותריג מצות שמרתי ולא למדתי ממעשיו הרעים "I have sojourned with Laban' Garty, ['I have sojourned,'] according to Guimatria [see p. 14], amounts to 613, by which he [i.e Jacob] wished to communicate [to his brother Esau], It is true I have sojourned with the wicked Laban, but still I observed the 613 precepts, and I have not been infected with his evil deeds." Baal Haturim makes the same remark on the above passage of Scripture. A great many Rabbies published them in the Hebrew language in the form of a book, of which some were translated into Latin; but I never met with a translation of them into English, except that of D. Levi, who put them at the foot of each page of his translation of the Pentateuch. He appears, however, to have aimed at giving as little information as possible; being afraid, I suppose, of Gentiles prying into them; and the Rabbies אין מוסרין דברי תורה לכותי שנאי לא עשה strictly enjoined Let no explanation of » כן לכל גוי ומשפטים בל ידעום the words of the Law be given to a Gentile, for it was said, 'He hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for His judgments, they have not known them.' (Talmud, Tract Ch'Gigah, chap. 2nd, fol. 13, col. 1.) I hope, therefore, a more complete translation of them into English will be acceptable both to English Jews and Christians. It will also serve as a synopsis of all Jewish customs and ceremonies.* The strict Jews make their children commit to memory (when they are between six and seven years of age) all the 613 precepts, as they consider a thorough knowledge of them to be a key to the Oral Law, though the majority of them are unintelligible to a child. Rabbi Gedaliah, of Amsterdam, published a catalogue of them, in 1745, which he designated Torath Katon, or the law in שילמדו הנערים בקטנותם : miniature. He says in his preface לדעת בעל פה ויהא להם למפתח גדול ללמוד תורה שבעל פה וגרסא דינקותא יהא להם לזכרון בזקנותם שיודע לעשות אותם Which children are to learn in their » וחי בהם בזה ובבא infancy, to know them off by heart; which will be a great introduction for them to learn the Oral Law; and also that what they have learned in their youthful days they may remember in their old age; that they may know to do them, and live by them in this world and in the world to come." In offering this list to the public, (which will be in some measure a translation of his Torath Katōn,) I will endeavour to follow the order of that celebrated Rabbi.+ * There are, however, numberless particular observances attached to each precept, which are scarcely possible to be described. This being the list which the author was obliged to learn off by heart, when only between six and seven years of age. I purpose, however, to give a few notes from the Talmud, &c. when occasion may require. ועל ידי למוד המצות מתקן גופו The same Rabbi affirms And through the אבריו וגידיו שיזכה לחיי עולם הבא learning of the precepts, [the man] is preparing his body, members, and veins, that he may attain to the life of the world to come." May the Lord hasten the happy time when Israel shall know that Christ is the only way whereby we can enter into life eternal, and that he who does not enter by Him, "but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber!" O! may they soon know, "that as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Gal. 3. 10, Deut. 27. 26.) O! may they soon look unto Him, who "redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us." "Believing we rejoice To see the curse remove; We bless the Lamb, with cheerful voice, THE SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN PRECEPTS. "These are the Commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses for the children of Israel, in Mount Sinai."* (Lev. 27. 34.) 1. To propagate the human race by marrying at a proper age; for it is written, "And God blessed them, * This is Rabbi Gedaliah's heading at the commencement of his Torath Katon. The proper age mentioned by the Rabbies is 18; but those that marry at 13 are very meritorious, as will appear from the following passage, which occurs in many places in Talmud and other Rabbinical and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it." (Gen. 1. 28.) 2. To circumcise male children on the eighth day after their birth; for it is written, "This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you, and thy seed after thee; every man-child among you shall be circumcised.” (Gen. 17. 10.) 3. To abstain from the shrunken sinew; for it is written, "Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day." (Gen. 32. 32.) 4. To consecrate the new moon, and to calculate the (year's) time in the house of judgment nearest to the land of Israel, and to fix the holy day accordingly; for it is written, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months it shall be the first month of the year to you." (Exod. 12. 2.) : 5. To slaughter in the temple on Easter-eve, and even on the Sabbath, the Paschal lamb; to be either a male lamb, without blemish, one year old, or a kid; for it is written, "And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." (Exod. 12. 6.) (Evening means after the middle of the day. Talmud). writings, and which Rabbi Joseph Karo adopted in his fourth Code of Laws, called Tur Eben Haezer, chapter 1st. Now into, bo by mis אשה בן שמנה עשרה והמקדים לישא בן שלש עשרה מצוה מן המובחר "It is incumbent on every Israelite to marry a wife at the age of 18 ; but whosoever hastens and marries at the age of 13, renders himself very meritorious." So that amongst the very rich and learned Jews abroad, such marriages frequently take place. An instance of it is mentioned in the "Jewish Intelligence" for May, 1843, in Dr. Macgowan's letter from Jerusalem. According to the Rabbies, the Jewish Jury is to compel every one to marry who has passed his 20th year, and has not married. A person that does not marry is considered as a "and causes the Sh'chinah to וגורם לשכינה שתסתלק מישראל,murderer depart from Israel." |