Halakhah su Deuteronomio 10:78

And we have been commanded to walk along G-d's path of goodness and righteousness, as the verse says, "you should travel in His ways" (Deut. 26:13). Furthermore it says, "After Hashem your G-d you shall go" (Deut. 13:5). And furthermore it says, "'to travel in all of His ways' (Deut 10:12)- just as He is gracious, you shall also be gracious. Just as he is merciful, you shall also be merciful" (a similar idea appears on Sotah 14b)". And [we are commanded] to emulate His positive actions and positive righteous traits to the best of our ability. It is a positive commandment to be attached to wise men and their students in order to learn from their actions as the verse says, "and to him you shall be devoted" (Deut. 13:5). Is it possible for one to be attached to the Sechinah (divine presence) if it is a consuming fire (Deut. 4:24)? Rather, to be attached to the wise men and their students (Ketuvos 111b), to spread dirt before their feet and to drink their knowledge with thirst, as the verse says, "he who goes with the wise will become wise" (Proverbs 13:20). And furthermore it says, " the praises of a man are that he did not follow the counsel of the wicked" (Psalms 1:1).

Birkat ha-mazon is recited with at least three adults, as it is said, “Exalt the Lord with me.²³³Ps 34:4: Gadlu la-Shem iti. Gadlu is a plural imperative, so it includes at least two; iti – “with me” adds one more, making it at least three. With three, one says in the zimmun “nivarekh she-akhalnu mishelo” – “Let us bless Him from whose food we have eaten” without mentioning God’s name. And with ten one does mention God’s name: nivarekh eloheynu– “Let us bless our God.”²³⁴B. Berakhot 49b, and so the Tur and Orah Hayim 192. And one does not say “Barekhu eloheynu” – “Bless our God,” in other words, one should not exclude himself from the group. Thus I conclude that “nivarekh” is preferable, but if someone has said “barekhu,” one doesn’t hold it against him.²³⁵B. Berakhot 50a. In other words, it is acceptable to say “barekhu.” Regardless if the number of diners is eleven or 110,000, one says, “nivarekh eloheynu she-akhalnu mishelo,” because ten is the number that includes everything and there is nothing after it, unless it is doubled [?]. If one leading a zimmun of three says, “nivarekh she-akhalnu mishelo” – “Let us bless Him from whose food we have eaten,” the other two reply as if he were beginning with “Barukh she-akhalnu mishelo uv-tuvo hayinu” –“Blessed be the One from whose food we ate and by whose goodness we live.” If one leading a zimmun of ten says, “nivarekh eloheynu she-akhalnu mishelo” – “Let us bless our God from whose food we have eaten,” the rest reply with “Barukh eloheynu she-akhalnu mishelo uv-tuvo hayinu” –“Blessed be our God from whose food we ate and by whose goodness we live.” Those outside of the table answer “Amen,” which is like the matter discussed in tractate Yoma:²³⁶B. Yoma 37a. “For the name of the Lord I proclaim; Give glory to our God!”²³⁷Dt 32:3. When “I proclaim the name ‘Lord,’ You give glory to ‘Eloheynu,’ namely, you should answer “Amen.”

Blessed is the L–rd, the G–d of Israel, who has separated us from all the peoples and given us His Torah and brought us to the holy land so that we merit fulfilling all of His mitzvoth. His sole intent was for our good alone, so that through this we become holy unto Him — viz. (Numbers 15:40): "So that you remember and do all of My mitzvoth and be holy unto your G–d" — and so that it be in our power to receive the effluence of His good and the abundance of His lovingkindness in this world and in the world to come, as it is written (Devarim 10:12- 13): "What does the L–rd your G–d ask of you, but… to keep the mitzvoth of the L–rd and His statutes which I command you this day to do good unto you?" (See the Ramban there to the effect that "to do good unto you" reverts to "What does the L–rd your G–d ask of you.")

2. It is a positive commandment to believe in God's oneness, believing with complete faith that He is One, without contemporary. As it is said (Deuteronomy 6:4): "Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God - the Lord is one!" This is the fundament of the faith. After the initial knowledge that there is one God who exists, one needs to belief with complete faith that He is one - in simple and ultimate unity, that He has no body, that the concepts which apply to a physical body do not apply to Him, that things which happen to a body cannot happen to Him, that he has no second, and that there is no power beside Him. This belief is obligatory upon us in all times and all places, to males and females.

2. It is a positive commandment to believe in God's oneness, believing with complete faith that He is One, without contemporary. As it is said (Deuteronomy 6:4): "Hear, O Israel: the Lord is our God - the Lord is one!" This is the fundament of the faith. After the initial knowledge that there is one God who exists, one needs to belief with complete faith that He is one - in simple and ultimate unity, that He has no body, that the concepts which apply to a physical body do not apply to Him, that things which happen to a body cannot happen to Him, that he has no second, and that there is no power beside Him. This belief is obligatory upon us in all times and all places, to males and females.

That it is inappropriate to count commands that include the whole Torah.

Behold that there are commands and warnings that appear in the Torah that are not about a specific thing, but rather include all of the commandments. It is as if it says, "Do everything I have commanded you to do and be careful about anything from which I have prohibited you"; or "Do not transgress anything of what I have commanded you about." And there is no room to count this command on its own - as it does not command us to do a specific act, such that it should be a positive commandment; nor does it warn us from doing a specific act, such that it should be a negative commandment. And this is like its saying, "Be on guard concerning all that I have told you" (Exodus 23:13); and what is stated, "And you shall keep my statutes" (Leviticus 19:19); "And you shall keep my judgements" (Leviticus 18:4); "and you shall keep My covenant" (Exodus 19:5); "And you shall keep My charge" (Leviticus 18:30), and many like these. And [others] have already erred in this principle, such that they counted, "You shall be holy" (Leviticus 19:2), to be included among the positive commandments. And they did not know that "You shall be holy," and "you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy" (Leviticus 11:44) are commands to keep the whole Torah. It is as if it said, "Be holy by doing everything I have commanded you and being careful about anything I have prohibited to you." And the words of the Sifra (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 1:1) are, "'You shall be holy' - you shall be separated - meaning to say, separate from all the disgraceful things that I have prohibited to you." And in the Mekhilta (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 22:30:1), "Issi ben Yehudah says, 'When the Holy One, Blessed be He, originates a commandment for Israel, He adds holiness to them'" - meaning to say this command is not a command in itself, but rather follows from the commands that they have been commanded. So one who fulfills this command will be called, holy. And there is no difference between it saying, "You shall be holy," or if it had said, "Do my commandments." Would you see that that which is being said [here] is a positive commandment, in addition to the commandments that it is referring back to, that we have been commanded? Likewise should we not say that "You shall be holy," and that which is similar to it, is a commandment - for it has not commanded us to do anything besides what we [already] know. And the words of the Sifrei (Sifrei Bamidbar 115:1): "'You shall be holy' - that is the holiness of the commandments.' Hence behold what we have been working around is clear. And also based on this principle is its saying, "Cut away the thickening about your hearts" (Deuteronomy 10:16) - meaning to say, that one accept and obey all of the commandments already mentioned. And so too, "and stiffen your necks no more" (Deuteronomy 10:16) - meaning to say, do not harden your heart and accept that which I commanded you, and do not transgress it.

And from the fundamentals of this Torah that we said that God gave to His people through Moshe, His prophet, is to know that the Lord God in the Heavens that gave the Torah to Israel is the First Being - such that there is no beginning nor end to His being, may He be blessed - and that He made exist and created from His will and His power all that was created, ex nihilo. And [likewise] that He keeps in existence everything that He created the whole time that He wishes, but no longer - [not] even an instant. And that He is not prevented from doing anything. And [also from the fundamentals is] to believe that He is one without any conjunction; to believe that in a man fulfilling that which is written in [the Torah], his soul will merit great enjoyment forever; and to believe that God oversees the actions of people and knows all the details of their deeds and repays everyone according to his action. And also from the fundamentals of the Torah is to believe that the true explanation of the Torah is the traditional received explanation that is in our hands from the early Sages of Israel. And anyone who explains about it something that is the opposite of their intention is [expressing] a mistake and a completely void thing. As our Sages received the explanation of the Torah from our teacher, Moshe - peace be upon him - who received it from God, blessed be He, when he stood on the mountain forty days. And even though it was possible to learn [it] in less time than this due to the power of the Teacher, God wanted to hint to the learners that they learn it with deliberation. And this true explanation that we wrote is the explanation that is written in the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds (Gemara), which [was] composed [by] our early Sages, who received it one generation after another from our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him. And the Babylonian is lengthier and more elucidated, and [so] we rely upon it more. And it is made up of six orders, and there are sixty tractates in it, according to the division of the contents. Their mnemonic is 'there are sixty queens.' And there are five hundred and twenty-two chapters. And the true explanation of the Torah is likewise elucidated from other books that some of our early Sages composed. And [these books] are called Sifra, Sifrei, Tosefta and Mekhilta. All of these are books that all of Israel believe and [they] rely upon the words of theirs which are there without a disagreement. And about those that there is a disagreement, they have already also explained the ruling that we should take from them. Everything is nicely elucidated without any doubt or confusion to those that understand. And anyone whose heart troubles him about these matters is not included in the holy (Jewish) people - since we would never agree about the truth from the simple understanding of the verses of the Torah without their explanations and their true tradition. As there are several verses in the Torah that appear to contradict one another. But the one who knows their explanation understands and sees that the ways of God are straight: Behold it is written in the Torah (Exodus 12:40), "And the inhabitation of the Children of Israel [which they dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years]." And [yet] we found that Kehat the son of Levi was from those that went down to Egypt; and if you count the days of his life and the years of the life of Amram, his son, and the eighty years of Moshe - as he was eighty in his standing in front of Pharaoh to speak to him to take out the Children of Israel from Egypt - they all only add up to three hundred and fifty years. However the explanation of this is that the tally of four hundred and thirty begins from the time that it was stated to Avraham, "that your seed will be a stranger" (Genesis 15:13). And the explanation of the verse is thus: "And the inhabitation of the Children of Israel which they dwelt in Egypt" and other lands - meaning that they began to be exiled - "was four hundred and thirty years." As from the time that it was stated to Avraham, "that your seed will be a stranger," did the distress begin for him - and [so] the beginning of the tally is from there. And do not let its stating, "the Children of Israel," be difficult for you - as behold they said in the Midrash (Bereshit Rabbah 63:3), "Avraham is called Israel, as it is stated, 'And the inhabitation of the Children of Israel.'" And that which it states, "the Children of Israel" is meaning to say the Children of Israel and Israel (referring to Avraham); but Scripture expressed it in this language since the distress began to the father with the proclamation of the exile of the children. And that which it is stated, "Egypt," is also not specific, but rather meaning to say in exile. And that which it expressed it all with the [word,] Egypt, is because the core of the exile was there; and everything goes according to the core, and it is always called by it. And so [too,] is it written in the Torah (Deuteronomy 10:22), "With seventy souls did your forefathers go down to Egypt." But when you count their enumeration, you find [only] sixty-nine souls. But rather the explanation (Bava Batra 123b) comes that Yocheved was born 'betwixt the walls' (of Egypt, though she was conceived before they arrived), and [so] was not counted in the enumeration. And likewise, one verse (Exodus 12:15) states, "Seven days shall you eat matsot" and one verse (Deuteronomy 16:8) states, "Six days." And many like this would not be elucidated without the traditional explanation that is in our hands, that was given to us from our teacher, Moshe.

Moreover, during the time of the First Temple many people mistakenly regarded the offering of korbanot as idolatrous acts possessing magical powers, able to grant good fortune in matters such as livelihood, health, and the abolishment of evil decrees. The prophets severely condemned this misguided notion and taught that a korban in its essence, is an expression of the people’s desire to get closer to God through total devotion. That is the primary purpose of humanity in this world, as The torah states (Devarim 10:12): “What does God want of you? Only that you revere the Lord your God, follow all His ways, love Him, and serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” When the person who brings the offering does not demonstrate true devotion to God nor the desire to improve, not only is the offering ineffective, but it is repulsive in God’s eyes, as it is written: “‘Why do I need all your sacrifices?’ God asks. ‘I am sated with your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, and I have no desire for the blood of cattle, sheep, and goats. When you appear before Me, who asked you to do this, trampling My courts? Do not bring any more vain meal offerings; incense is offensive to Me…’” (Yeshayahu 1:11-13). By instituting the prayers, the Men of the Great Assembly restored the proper priorities to the worship of God, reminding us that faith, focus, and devotion are primary. These values indeed find their clear expression in the prayers, as R. Elazar said, “Prayer is greater than sacrifices” (Berakhot 32b). By emphasizing our kavana, we pray to God that He rebuild the Temple speedily in our time so that we may express our devotion to Him fully – through both prayer and sacrifice.

(6) And all that we have written applies even if he speaks demeaningly of his friend to him [alone]. But if he joins himself to a company of men of wickedness and speakers of lashon hara in order to speak to them demeaningly of his friend or to hear [such words] from them, he transgresses also (Devarim 10:20): "And to Him shall you cleave," which Chazal explain as cleaving to Torah scholars, frequenting their assemblies in all circumstances — even eating and drinking with Torah scholars and doing business with them and joining them in all types of activities — all this, in order to learn from their deeds. Therefore, certainly, one who does the opposite of this, joining himself to a company of wicked men, transgresses this positive commandment.

(6) And all that we have written applies even if he speaks demeaningly of his friend to him [alone]. But if he joins himself to a company of men of wickedness and speakers of lashon hara in order to speak to them demeaningly of his friend or to hear [such words] from them, he transgresses also (Devarim 10:20): "And to Him shall you cleave," which Chazal explain as cleaving to Torah scholars, frequenting their assemblies in all circumstances — even eating and drinking with Torah scholars and doing business with them and joining them in all types of activities — all this, in order to learn from their deeds. Therefore, certainly, one who does the opposite of this, joining himself to a company of wicked men, transgresses this positive commandment.

"As a small number" - as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:22), "With seventy souls did your ancestors come down to Egypt, and now the Lord, your God, has made you as numerous as the stars of the sky."

It is a positive commandment to associate with Torah scholars so that we may learn from their deeds, as it is said, "And cling to Him."³⁵Deuteronomy 10:20. Is it possible for man to cling to the Divine Presence? Rather our Rabbis of blessed memory explain: "Cling to Torah scholars."³⁶Kesuvos 111b. Therefore, a man should make a serious effort to marry the daughter of a Torah scholar, and give his daughter in marriage to a Torah scholar, to eat and drink with Torah scholars, and do business with a Torah scholar, and to join hands with them in every possible form of association, for it is written, "And cling to Him." And thus mandated our Rabbis of blessed memory, and they said: "Sit in the dust of their feet and drink their words thirstily."³⁷Mishnah Avos 1:4.

Of particular moment is a later responsum authored by Rabbi Breisch, Helkat Ya'akov, III, no. 36, in which Rabbi Breisch suggests that circumcision may be performed on the eighth day in a manner which will leave sufficient foreskin for subsequent plastic surgery. The mizvah of milah requires that circumcision be performed in a manner which exposes the entire glans including the corona or crown. Hokhmat Adam, Binat Adam, klal 149, and Hamudei Daniel, cited by Pitḥei Teshuvah, Yoreh De'ah 264:13, rule that the foreskin covering this area must be entirely removed by excision. This is also the opinion of R. Judah Asad, Teshuvot Maharya, no. 250; Teshuvot Yeshu'ot Malko, Yoreh De'ah, no. 42; and R. Abraham Dov Kahana-Shapiro, Dvar Avraham, I, no. 27, sec. 2. Other authorities including Divrei Hayyim, II, nos. 114-118; R. Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Ẓemaḥ Ẓedek, nos. 101-102; Hatam Sofer, Yoreh De'ah, no. 249; Maharam Schick, Yoreh De'ah, no. 245 and Maharsham, I, no. 27, disagree and maintain that the essence of milah is simply exposure of the glans which may be accomplished by retracting the foreskin in a manner which leaves the glans exposed. R. Mordecai Jaffe, Teshuvot Maharam Yafo, no. 12, discusses both possibilities and states that he is unable to resolve the question definitively. The question hinges primarily upon the meaning of the Hebrew word "yimol—he shall circumcise" (Lev. 12:3), i.e., whether the word means "he shall cut" or whether its connotation is "he shall remove" as is the apparent meaning of the term in Deut. 10:16 and Deut. 30:6.

“Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good?” (Lam. 3:38). The Holy One, blessed be He, does not decree that a man be either good or bad.¹Maimonides, Hilkhoth Teshuvah, 5:12 And so the scholars have said, “All is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven”²Berakoth 33b. as it is has been said, “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God, require of thee but to fear…” (Deut. 10:12). In the hour that a person is born, it is decreed whether he will be strong or weak, rich or poor, handsome or ugly, tall or short, but not whether he will be righteous or wicked,³Niddah 16b. they merely place before him two paths and he chooses one. And since this sinner injures himself when he turns from the good path, eschewing the good and choosing evil, he therefore needs to cry and wail for that which he has done to his soul. His reward is evil, and this is as it has been written after it, “Wherefore doth living man complain, a strong man because of his sins” (Lam. 3:39). Come and see how numerous are the afflictions, the fasts and the supplications entreated when his son or one of his loved ones is sick, for then his heart is bitter. So much the more must he afflict himself and mourn when he commits a transgression. Repentance returns his soul to two worlds.⁴This world and the next.

The laws of the commandment are, for example, the many [prohibitions] that they, may their memory be blessed, warned us about; that they made known to us - in order to warn us more about the thing - that the Torah warned about it in twenty-one (and see the Lemberg edition, that reads, twenty-four) places (Bava Metzia 39b); that they also wrote to strengthen the commandment, that with the same expression that we were commanded about the love of the Omnipresent, we were [also] commanded about the love of the convert - as with the Omnipresent, it is written (Deuteronomy 6:5), "And you shall love your God"; and with the convert, it is written (Deuteronomy 10:19), "And you shall love the convert." And many things like this are in Midrash and in a few places in the Gemara (see Tur, Choshen Mishpat, 307).

The Lord Himself is described as evidencing concern for the welfare of the proselyte, as loving him "in giving him bread and clothing" (Deut. 10:18). The Torah specifically commands us to mirror this divine love in our actions and emotions: "And you shall love the proselyte, for you were proselytes in the land of Egypt" (Deut. 10:19).

The Lord Himself is described as evidencing concern for the welfare of the proselyte, as loving him "in giving him bread and clothing" (Deut. 10:18). The Torah specifically commands us to mirror this divine love in our actions and emotions: "And you shall love the proselyte, for you were proselytes in the land of Egypt" (Deut. 10:19).

The oft-cited Tosafot, Sanhedrin 63b and Bekhorot 2b, states only that one may administer an oath to a Christian even though he swears in the name of the Trinity. Tosafot declares that nowhere is there a prohibition against causing gentiles to "incorporate" another deity in an oath. Noda bi-Yehudah Mahadurah Tinyana, Yoreh De'ah, no. 148, carefully distinguishes between shituf, i.e., trinitarianism as a doctrine of belief and an oath in the name of the Trinity. Noda bi-Yehudah declares the former to be idolatry and forbidden to Jew and gentile alike. An oath in the name of a pagan god is forbidden by virtue of the commandment "and in His name shall you swear" (Deut. 10:20). This is, however, an admonition addressed only to Jews. Such an oath is not forbidden to a non-Jew since swearing an oath does not constitute an act of worship. Accordingly, rules Tosafot, a Jew commits no offense in causing a non-Jew to swear such an oath. See also Sha'ar Efrayim, no. 24; Me'il Ẓedakah, no. 22; Teshuvot ve-Shev ha-Kohen, no. 38; Teshuvot Hadashot le-Rabbeinu Akiva Eger (Jerusalem, 5738), addenda, pp. 164-166; Pri Megadim, Yoreh De'ah, Siftei Da'at 65:11 and Oraḥ Hayyim, Eshel Avraham 156:2; and Mahazit ha-Shekel, Oraḥ Hayyim 156:2. Others interpret Tosafot as meaning that shituf or trinitarianism does not constitute idolatry for Noachides. See Rema, Oraḥ Hayyim, 156:1; Darkei Mosheh, Yoreh De'ah 151; Shakh, Yoreh De'ah 151:1 and 151:7; Derishah and Baḥ, Hoshen Mishpat 182; Teshuvot Havot Ya'ir, no. 1 and no. 185; R. Ya'akov Emden, Mor u-Kezi'ah 224; Mishnat Hakhamim, Hilkhot Yesodei ha-Torah; Rabbi Z. Boskowitz, Seder Mishnah, Hilkhot Yesodei ha-Torah and Shoshan Edut (commentary on Eduyot), p. 188; Teshuvot ve-Shev ha-Kohen, no. 38; Rabbi A. Vermeiz, Me'orei Or, IV, 8a and 13a and V, 111b; Revid ha-Zahav, Parshat Yitro; Yad Sha'ul; Yoreh De'ah 151; Teshuvot Sho'el u-Meshiv, Mahadurah Tinyana, I, no. 26 and no. 51; R. Zevi Hirsch Chajes, Kol Sifrei Maharaz Hayes I, 489-490; Ha-Ketav ve-ha-Kabbalah, Deuteronomy 4:19; and Pitḥei Teshuvah, Yoreh De'ah, 147:2. The one early authority who unequivocally rules that Christians are not idolaters is Me'iri. See Bet ha-Beḥirah, Avodah Zarah, ed. Abraham Sofer (Jerusalem, 5725) passim, particularly pp. 4, 28 and 46. See also R. David Zevi Hoffmann, Der Shulchan Aruch und die Rabbinen über das Verhältnis der Juden zu Andersgläubigen (Berlin, 1885), pp. 4-7.

Know, my son, that all of God's desire that human beings perform His commandments is only to do good to us. And by virtue of a person being prepared and ready - by doing those commandments to receive the good - then God will do good to him. Therefore, God informed them of the good path to be good, and that path is the path of the Torah; for through it will a man be good. It comes out that all who uphold (accept) God's commandments, fulfill His desire [to do good to us] - in his then being fit to receive His goodness. But [regarding] anyone who does not ready himself for this, his evil is great - as he knows God's desire in this, and he [still] makes his actions contrary to God's will. And one section of the Torah was written specifically to inform us of this fundamental principle - and that is what is written in the Order of Vehaya Ekev (Devarim 10:12-13), "And now, Israel, what does the Lord, your God, request from you, etc. for your benefit." [That is] to say, He is not asking anything from you, in your performing His commandments, besides His wanting, in His great goodness, to do good to you. And, as it says afterwards, "Behold, to the Lord your God belongs the heavens and the heavens of the heavens, and all that is in it." [That is] to say, He doesn't require your commandments, except out of His love for you, and for your merit.

“Love ye therefore the stranger” (Deut. 10:19). We are enjoined to love the individual who enters under the wings of the Divine Glory¹The proselyte. in order to fulfill all the commandments of the Torah. In thirty-six places the Torah cautioned us concerning love for the proselyte, not to wrong them²Baba Metzia 59b. either monetarily or through words. Greater is their love and more precious are they before God than His love for Israel.³Midrash Rabbah, ed. Horeb, Numbers, Chapter VIII, p. 43; also Mid-rash Tanhuma, ed. Horeb, Lech L’cho, p. 52. It is a parable of two people, one man loves the king and the other, the king loves him. Who is worthier? Surely, he whom the king loves. And thus is it comparable, Israel loves the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Holy One, blessed be He, loves the proselyte, for it is written, “And loveth the stranger, giving him food and raiment” (Deut. 10:18). For this reason it is incumbent upon us to love those whom the kings loves, and it is therefore written, “Love ye therefore the proselyte.”

“Love ye therefore the stranger” (Deut. 10:19). We are enjoined to love the individual who enters under the wings of the Divine Glory¹The proselyte. in order to fulfill all the commandments of the Torah. In thirty-six places the Torah cautioned us concerning love for the proselyte, not to wrong them²Baba Metzia 59b. either monetarily or through words. Greater is their love and more precious are they before God than His love for Israel.³Midrash Rabbah, ed. Horeb, Numbers, Chapter VIII, p. 43; also Mid-rash Tanhuma, ed. Horeb, Lech L’cho, p. 52. It is a parable of two people, one man loves the king and the other, the king loves him. Who is worthier? Surely, he whom the king loves. And thus is it comparable, Israel loves the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Holy One, blessed be He, loves the proselyte, for it is written, “And loveth the stranger, giving him food and raiment” (Deut. 10:18). For this reason it is incumbent upon us to love those whom the kings loves, and it is therefore written, “Love ye therefore the proselyte.”

If you see three generations or more, one after the other, all scholars, but then their children are illiterate, do not say that the words of the scholars are voided because they said, “‘Thy words shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed’ (Isa. 59:21), thereafter Torah will no longer cease from among them.” ¹Baba Metziah 85a. Behold they have become wedded to a family whose destiny is not to have scholars in its midst,²Midrash Rabbah, ed. Horeb, Ecclesiastes, Chapter IV, p. 91. and our rabbis said, “Most children resemble the mother’s brother therefore their sons are illiterate.” This likewise applies to the God-fearing and the pious, for it written, “and a threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Eccl. 4:12). And if you see that in the fourth generation the God-fearing and pious cease, it is then apparent that they intermarried with those to whom they were not suited, for instance he is not God-fearing or pious, therefore the generation is such. Therefore let a man seek favor each day for himself, his children and grandchildren, that they be joined to a partner who is God-fearing, possesses Torah and deeds of loving kindness,³These three virtues correspond to the “three fold chord” of the verse. for it is said concerning these three “and the threefold cord is not quickly broken.” For the three words, Torah, fearing and loving kindness are all equal numerically, (fear is equal to Torah, and Torah is equal to loving kindness)⁴Although found in the text it is repetitive, nevertheless we left it but in parenthesis. for concerning “fear” it is written “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do thereafter” (Ps. 111:10). It is not said “to all who study”⁵Berakoth 17b. but “all they that practice it,” as it is written, “Oh that they had had such a heart as this always, to fear Me” (Deut. 5:26), and it is written, “What doth the Lord, thy God, require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God” (Deut. 10:12). Behold “fear” is prior to “all they that do thereafter” i.e., “The fear” of God and “love …” “to walk in all His ways” (Deut. 10:12). “A good understanding have all they that do thereafter” (Ps. 111:10), “That ye may make all that ye do to prosper” (Deut. 29:8).

The commandment of loving the strangers (converts): That we were commanded to love the converts, meaning to say that we be careful not to cause them pain in any thing, but [rather to] do them good and grant them kindness according to what is proper and is possible. And converts are anyone who connects with us from the other nations, that leaves his religion and enters into our religion. And about them is it stated (Deuteronomy 10:19), "And you shall love the stranger, etc." And even though the commandment (Sefer HaChinukh 243) about the Israelite includes him, as it is stated about him (Leviticus 19:18), "and you shall love your neighbor as yourself" - since behold, a righteous convert is included in "your neighbor" - God added for us a specific commandment about his love. And so too is the thing in the prevention against cheating him. As even though he was included in "A man shall not wrong his countryman" (Leviticus 25:17, Sefer HaChinukh 338), Scripture added a specific prevention about him in its stating, "You shall not wrong a stranger" (Exodus 22:20, Sefer HaChinukh 23). And they said in the Gemara (Bava Metzia 59b) that one who wrongs the convert transgresses because of "[A man] shall not wrong" and because of "You shall not wrong a stranger." And so too [with this], he nullifies the commandment of "and you shall love your neighbor" and the commandment of "And you shall love the stranger."

The commandment of fearing God: That the fear of God, may He be blessed, should always be on our faces, that we not sin; meaning to say that we fear with a fear of His punishment and that our hearts not be without fear of Him, the whole day. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 10:13), "The Lord, your God, you shall fear." And the proof that this is a positive commandment from the tally of the six hundred and thirteen commandments that we were commanded is that which they said in Sanhedrin 56a by way of the debate about the understanding of "And he who blasphemes the name of the Lord, etc." (Leviticus 24:16): "I will say [that it is] to express, [like that] which is written (Numbers 1:17), 'And Moshe and Aharon took these men that are expressed by name'; and its prohibition is from 'The Lord, your God shall you fear.'" It means to say by way of the debate that maybe we should explain "blaspheme" (nokev), as the expression of [God's] name, alone, without him 'blessing' [it]; and the sin that there would be in this is because he loses the fear - as it is from the fear of God not to mention His name in vain. And they answered there, that one should not say like this, as there are two answers to the thing, "One is that it is necessary that [it involve] the name of God with the name of God, and there is not [this in such a case]" - meaning to say that he must 'bless' the Name with the Name, as in, "Yose should strike Yose!" "And also it is a [prohibition] of a positive commandment, and a [prohibition] of a positive commandment [is not called] a prohibition" - meaning to say that the verse of "The Lord, your God shall you fear" is a positive commandment.

The commandment of fearing God: That the fear of God, may He be blessed, should always be on our faces, that we not sin; meaning to say that we fear with a fear of His punishment and that our hearts not be without fear of Him, the whole day. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 10:13), "The Lord, your God, you shall fear." And the proof that this is a positive commandment from the tally of the six hundred and thirteen commandments that we were commanded is that which they said in Sanhedrin 56a by way of the debate about the understanding of "And he who blasphemes the name of the Lord, etc." (Leviticus 24:16): "I will say [that it is] to express, [like that] which is written (Numbers 1:17), 'And Moshe and Aharon took these men that are expressed by name'; and its prohibition is from 'The Lord, your God shall you fear.'" It means to say by way of the debate that maybe we should explain "blaspheme" (nokev), as the expression of [God's] name, alone, without him 'blessing' [it]; and the sin that there would be in this is because he loses the fear - as it is from the fear of God not to mention His name in vain. And they answered there, that one should not say like this, as there are two answers to the thing, "One is that it is necessary that [it involve] the name of God with the name of God, and there is not [this in such a case]" - meaning to say that he must 'bless' the Name with the Name, as in, "Yose should strike Yose!" "And also it is a [prohibition] of a positive commandment, and a [prohibition] of a positive commandment [is not called] a prohibition" - meaning to say that the verse of "The Lord, your God shall you fear" is a positive commandment.

The commandment of prayer: To serve God, may He be blessed, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:20), "and you shall serve Him." And this commandment was repeated several times, as it is stated (Exodus 23:25), "And you shall serve the Lord, your God"; and in another place, it states (Exodus 11:13), "and to serve him with all of your hearts." And Rambam, may his memory be blessed, wrote (Sefer HaMitzvot LaRambam, Mitzot Ase 5), "Even though this commandment is from the general commandments" - meaning to say that it includes all of the Torah, since the service of God includes all of the commandments - "there is also a specific [commandment] within it, and that is that God commanded us to pray to Him. And it is as they said in Sifrei Devarim 41:25, '"To serve Him with all of your hearts" What is the service that is in the heart? That is prayer.' And in the teaching of Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose HaGalili they said, 'From where [do we know] that the essence of prayer is among the commandments? From here, "The Lord, your God, shall you fear, and you shall serve Him."'"

To cling to Torah sages: That we were commanded to associate [with] and cling to Torah sages, so that we learn its glorious commandments from them, and they teach us the true opinions - which are received through them - about it. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 10:20), "to Him shall you cling." And the command is repeated in another place, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 11:22), "and to cling to Him." And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Ketuvot 111b), "And is it possible for a person to cling to the Divine Presence - and behold it is written (Deuteronomy 4:24), 'For the Lord, your God, is a consuming fire'? Rather, one who clings to the Torah scholars and their students is as if he clings to Him, Blessed be He." And from this, our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, learned that anyone who marries the daughter of a Torah scholar, or marries his daughter to a Torah scholar or who gives benefit from his property to a Torah scholar is as if he clings to the Divine presence. And they also expounded in Sifrei Devarim 49, "'And to cling to Him' - study the words of aggadah (the homiletical teachings, as through this, you will recognize the One who spoke and the world came into being."

To swear in His name, may He be blessed, truthfully: To swear in His name, blessed be He, at the time that we need to strengthen or establish a thing or to distance it; as with this is there aggrandizement of His statute, may He be blessed, and [of] the Power and the Loftiness. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 10:20) "and in His name shall you swear." And in the explanation, they, may their memory be blessed, said (Shevuot 35b), "The Torah stated, 'Swear in His name,' and the Torah said, 'Do not swear in His name'" - meaning to say, [just] like an oath that is not needed [should] be prevented, and that is a negative commandment; so too is an oath at a time that it is needed an obligation, and that is a positive commandment. And therefore we do not ever swear in [the name of] any thing of all the creatures. And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 63a), "Anyone who combines the name of [God] with something else is uprooted from the world." However this is said about one who intends to swear in that thing of the creatures by itself; but one who swears in the heavens or in the sun or in the moon, with the intention of the Master above them that created them - that is not included in the prohibition at all. And we always see that we swear like this in all of the borders of Israel.

Behold, they elucidated that even the lulav and the sukkah and tefillin - that He commanded that they be "a sign upon your arm and a commemoration between your eyes [...] that the Lord took you out of Egypt with a strong hand" (Exodus 13:9) - are not for the honor of God, may He be blessed, but [rather] to have mercy on our souls. And they already set this into the prayer of Yom Kippur, "You have separated man from the start and recognized him to stand in front of You, as who will say to You what to do, and if he is righteous, what will he give to You?" And so [too], it stated in the Torah (Deuteronomy 10:13), "for your good"; and so [too] (Deuteronomy 6:24), "And He commanded us to do all of these statutes [...], for our good all of the days." And the intention in all of them is that it be good for us and not for Him, may He blessed and elevated. But all that we are commanded is [so that] our souls be refined and purified without the dross of evil thoughts and disgusting character traits. And so that which they said (Berakhot 33a), "[It is because] he makes the traits of the Holy One, blessed be He into mercy and they are only decrees," is to say that God did not worry about the nest of the bird and His 'mercy did not reach' it and its child; as His mercy does not extend to creatures with an animal soul, to prevent us from doing what we need to them. As were it so, slaughtering would be forbidden. But [rather], the reason for the proscription is to teach us the trait of mercy and that we not become cruel. Since cruelty spreads in the soul of a man, as it is known with butchers that slaughter large oxen and donkeys, that they are 'people of blood,' 'slaughterers of men' [and] very cruel. And because of this they said (Kiddushin 82a), "The best of butchers are the partners of Amalek." And behold, these commandments with animals and birds are not mercy upon them, but [rather] decrees upon us, to guide us and to teach us the good character traits. To here are the interpretations of Ramban, may his memory be blessed.

The commandment to walk in - and make oneself similar through - the ways of God, may He be blessed: That we were commanded to perform all our actions in the way of straightness and goodness with all our strength and to incline all our affairs that are between ourselves and others towards the way of kindness and mercy; as we have known from our holy Torah that this is the way of God, and this is God’s desire for His creatures so that they merit God’s goodness - as He desires kindness. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 28:9), "and you shall walk in His ways." And this commandment was further repeated in another place, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:12, 11:22), "to walk in all His ways."