Based on the Thirteen Principles of Faith formulated by the Rambam in his Commentary on the Mishnah (tractate Sanhedrin 10:1).

1. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, is the Creator and Guide of all the created beings, and that He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.

2. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, is One and Alone; that there is no oneness in any way like Him; and that He alone is our G-d – was, is and will be.

3. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, is incorporeal; that He is free from all anthropomorphic properties; and that He has no likeness at all.

4. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, is the first and the last.

5. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, is the only one to whom it is proper to pray, and that it is inappropriate to pray to anyone else.

6. I believe with complete faith that all the words of the Prophets are true.

7. I believe with complete faith that the prophecy of Moses our teacher, peace unto him, was true; and that he was the father of the prophets, both of those who preceded and of those who followed him.

8. I believe with complete faith that the whole Torah which we now possess was given to Moses, our teacher, peace unto him.

9. I believe with complete faith that this Torah will not be changed, and that there will be no other Torah given by the Creator, blessed be His name.

10. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows all the deeds and thoughts of human beings, as it is said, “It is He who fashions the hearts of them all, He who perceives all their actions.” (Psalms 33:15).

11. I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, rewards those who observe His commandments, and punishes those who transgress His commandments.

12. I believe with complete faith in the coming of Moshiach, and although he may tarry, nevertheless, I wait every day for him to come.

13. I believe with complete faith that there will be resurrection of the dead at the time when it will be the will of the Creator, blessed be His name and exalted be His remembrance forever and ever.

The foundation of all foundations [and basic principles of the Torah] and the pillar of all wisdoms is to know that there is a First Being Who brings every existing thing into being. All existing things – in heaven, on earth and what is between them – come into being only from His true existence.

If it should enter one’s mind that He does not exist – no other thing could have any existence.

Mishneh Torah, Yesodei HaTorah, 1:1-2

The post 13 Principles of Faith appeared first on Rabbi Ian Adams.

It is important to note that while there are 613 mitzvot, there are only 77 positive and 194 negative mitzvot which can be followed since the fall of the Second Temple and 26 of those only apply within the land of Israel. Furthermore, some commandments only apply to certain people.

Fundamentals of Torah:

1 To know there is a God Ex. 20:2

2 Not to entertain thoughts of other gods besides Him Ex. 20:3

3 To know that He is one Deut. 6:4

4 To love Him Deut. 6:5

5 To fear Him Deut. 10:20

6 To sanctify His Name Lev. 22:32

7 Not to profane His Name Lev. 22:32

8 Not to destroy objects associated with His Name Deut. 12:4

9 To listen to the prophet speaking in His Name Deut. 18:15

10 Not to test the prophet unduly Deut. 6:16

Laws of Character:

11 To emulate His ways Deut. 28:9

12 To cleave to those who know Him Deut. 10:20

13 To love Jews Lev. 19:18

14 To love converts Deut. 10:19

15 Not to hate fellow Jews Lev. 19:17

16 To reprove Lev. 19:17

17 Not to embarrass others Lev. 19:17

18 Not to oppress the weak Ex. 21:22

19 Not to speak derogatorily of others Lev. 19:16

20 Not to take revenge Lev. 19:18

21 Not to bear a grudge Lev. 19:18

Laws of Torah Study:

22 To learn Torah Deut. 6:7

23 To honor those who teach and know Torah Lev. 19:32

Laws of Idolatry and Paganism:

24 Not to inquire into idolatry Lev. 19:4

25 Not to follow the whims of your heart or what your eyes see Num. 15:39

26 Not to blaspheme Ex. 22:27

27 Not to worship idols in the manner they are worshiped Ex. 20:5

28 Not to worship idols in the four ways we worship God Ex. 20:5

29 Not to make an idol for yourself Ex. 20:4

30 Not to make an idol for others Lev. 19:4

31 Not to make human forms even for decorative purposes Ex. 20:20

32 Not to turn a city to idolatry Ex. 23:13

33 To burn a city that has turned to idol worship Deut. 13:17

34 Not to rebuild it as a city Deut. 13:17

35 Not to derive benefit from it Deut. 13:18

36 Not to missionize an individual to idol worship Deut. 13:12

37 Not to love the missionary Deut. 13:9

38 Not to cease hating the missionary Deut. 13:9

39 Not to save the missionary Deut. 13:9

40 Not to say anything in his defense Deut. 13:9

41 Not to refrain from incriminating him Deut. 13:9

42 Not to prophesize in the name of idolatry Deut. 13:14

43 Not to listen to a false prophet Deut. 13:4

44 Not to prophesize falsely in the name of God Deut. 18:20

45 Not to be afraid of killing the false prophet Deut. 18:22

46 Not to swear in the name of an idol Ex. 23:13

47 Not to perform ov (medium) Lev. 19:31

48 Not to perform yidoni (magical seer) Lev. 19:31

49 Not to pass your children through the fire to Molech Lev. 18:21

50 Not to erect a column in a public place of worship Deut. 16:22

51 Not to bow down on smooth stone Lev. 26:1

52 Not to plant a tree in the Temple courtyard Deut. 16:21

53 To destroy idols and their accessories Deut. 12:2

54 Not to derive benefit from idols and their accessories Deut. 7:26

55 Not to derive benefit from ornaments of idols Deut. 7:25

56 Not to make a covenant with idolaters Deut. 7:2

57 Not to show favor to them Deut. 7:2

58 Not to let them dwell in our land Ex. 23:33

59 Not to imitate them in customs and clothing Lev. 20:23

60 Not to be superstitious Lev. 19:26

61 Not to go into a trance to foresee events, etc. Deut. 18:10

62 Not to engage in astrology Lev. 19:26

63 Not to mutter incantations Deut. 18:11

64 Not to attempt to contact the dead Deut. 18:11

65 Not to consult the ov Deut. 18:11

66 Not to consult the yidoni Deut. 18:11

67 Not to perform acts of magic Deut. 18:10

68 Men must not shave the hair off the sides of their head Lev. 19:27

69 Men must not shave their beards with a razor Lev. 19:27

70 Men must not wear women’s clothing Deut. 22:5

71 Women must not wear men’s clothing Deut. 22:5

72 Not to tattoo the skin Lev. 19:28

73 Not to tear the skin in mourning Deut. 14:1

74 Not to make a bald spot in mourning Deut. 14:1

Laws of Repentance:

75 To repent and confess wrongdoings Num. 5:7

Laws of Reading the Shema:

76 To say the Shema twice daily Deut. 6:7

Laws of Prayer and Kohanic Blessings:

77 To serve the Almighty with prayer daily Ex. 23:25

78 The Kohanim must bless the Jewish nation daily Num. 6:23

Laws of Tefillin, Mezuza and Sefer Torah:

79 To wear tefillin on the head Deut. 6:8

80 To bind tefillin on the arm Deut. 6:8

81 To put a mezuzah on each door post Deut. 6:9

82 Each male must write a Sefer Torah Deut. 31:19

83 The king must have a separate Sefer Torah for himself Deut. 17:18

Laws of Tzitzit:

84 To have tzitzit on four-cornered garments Num. 15:38

Laws of Blessings:

85 To bless the Almighty after eating Deut. 8:10

Laws of Circumcision:

86 To circumcise all males on the eighth day after their birth Lev. 12:3

Laws of the Sabbath:

87 To rest on the seventh day Ex. 23:12

88 Not to do prohibited labor on the seventh day Ex. 20:10

89 The court must not inflict punishment on Shabbat Ex. 35:3

90 Not to walk outside the city boundary on Shabbat Ex. 16:29

91 To sanctify the day with Kiddush and Havdallah Ex. 20:8

Laws of Yom Kippur Rest:

92 To rest from prohibited labor Lev. 23:32

93 Not to do prohibited labor on Yom Kippur Lev. 23:32

94 To afflict yourself on Yom Kippur Lev. 16:29

95 Not to eat or drink on Yom Kippur Lev. 23:29

Laws of Festival Rest:

96 To rest on the first day of Passover Lev. 23:7

97 Not to do prohibited labor on the first day of Passover Lev. 23:8

98 To rest on the seventh day of Passover Lev. 23:8

99 Not to do prohibited labor on the seventh day of Passover Lev. 23:8

100 To rest on Shavuot Lev. 23:21

101 Not to do prohibited labor on Shavuot Lev. 23:21

102 To rest on Rosh Hashana Lev. 23:24

103 Not to do prohibited labor on Rosh Hashana Lev. 23:25

104 To rest on Sukkot Lev. 23:35

105 Not to do prohibited labor on Sukkot Lev. 23:35

106 To rest on Shmini Atzeret Lev. 23:36

107 Not to do prohibited labor on Shmini Atzeret Lev. 23:36

Laws of Chometz and Matzah:

108 Not to eat chametz on the afternoon of the 14th day of Nissan Deut. 16:3

109 To destroy all chametz on 14th day of Nissan Ex. 12:15

110 Not to eat chametz all seven days of Passover Ex. 13:3

111 Not to eat mixtures containing chametz all seven days of Passover Ex. 12:20

112 Not to see chametz in your domain seven days Ex. 13:7

113 Not to find chametz in your domain seven days Ex. 12:19

114 To eat matzah on the first night of Passover Ex. 12:18

115 To relate the exodus from Egypt on that night Ex. 13:8

Laws of Shofar, Sukkah, Lulav:

116 To hear the Shofar on the first day of Tishrei (Rosh Hashana) Num. 29:1

117 To dwell in a Sukkah for the seven days of Sukkot Lev. 23:42

118 To take up a Lulav and Etrog all seven days Lev. 23:40

Laws of Shekalim:

119 Each man must give a half shekel annually Ex. 30:13

Laws of Sanctification of Months:

120 Courts must calculate to determine when a new month begins Ex. 12:2

Laws of Fasts:

121 To afflict and cry out before God in times of catastrophe Num. 10:9

Laws of Marriage:

122 To marry a wife by means of ketubah and kiddushin Deut. 22:13

123 Not to have relations with women not thus married Deut. 23:18

124 Not to withhold food, clothing, and relations from your wife Ex. 21:10

125 To have children with one’s wife Gen 1:28

Laws of Divorce:

126 To issue a divorce by means of a “get” document Deut. 24:1

127 A man must not remarry his wife after she has married someone else Deut. 24:4

Laws of Yivum and Chalitzah (Levirate Marriage):

128 To do yibum (marry childless brother’s widow) Deut. 25:5

129 To do chalitzah (freeing a widow from yibum) Deut. 25:9

130 The widow must not remarry until the ties with her brother-in-law are removed Deut. 25:5

Laws of Women:

131 The court must fine one who seduces a maiden Ex. 22:15-16

132 The rapist must marry the maiden (if she chooses) Deut. 22:29

133 He is not allowed to divorce her Deut. 22:29

134 The slanderer must remain married to his wife Deut. 22:19

135 He must not divorce her Deut. 22:19

Laws of Sotah (Suspect Wife):

136 To fulfill the laws of the Sotah Num. 5:30

137 Not to put oil on her meal offering Num. 5:15

138 Not to put frankincense on her meal offering Num. 5:15

Laws of Forbidden Relations:

139 Not to have relations with your mother Lev. 18:7

140 Not to have relations with your father’s wife Lev. 18:8

141 Not to have relations with your sister Lev. 18:9

142 Not to have relations with your father’s wife’s daughter Lev. 18:11

143 Not to have relations with your son’s daughter Lev. 18:10

144 Not to have relations with your daughter Lev. 18:10

145 Not to have relations with your daughter’s daughter Lev. 18:10

146 Not to have relations with a woman and her daughter Lev. 18:17

147 Not to have relations with a woman and her son’s daughter Lev. 18:17

148 Not to have relations with a woman and her daughter’s daughter Lev. 18:17

149 Not to have relations with your father’s sister Lev. 18:12

150 Not to have relations with your mother’s sister Lev. 18:13

151 Not to have relations with your father’s brother’s wife Lev. 18:14

152 Not to have relations with your son’s wife Lev. 18:15

153 Not to have relations with your brother’s wife Lev. 18:16

154 Not to have relations with your wife’s sister Lev. 18:18

155 A man must not have relations with a beast Lev. 18:23

156 A woman must not have relations with a beast Lev. 18:23

157 Not to have homosexual relations Lev. 18:22

158 Not to have homosexual relations with your father Lev. 18:7

159 Not to have homosexual relations with your father’s brother Lev. 18:14

160 Not to have relations with a married woman Lev. 18:20

161 Not to have relations with a menstrually impure woman Lev. 18:19

162 Not to marry non-Jews Deut. 7:3

163 Not to let Moabite and Ammonite males marry into the Jewish people Deut. 23:4

164 Don’t keep a third generation Egyptian convert from marrying into the Jewish people Deut. 23:8-9

165 Not to refrain from marrying a third generation Edomite convert Deut. 23:8-9

166 Not to let a mamzer marry into the Jewish people Deut. 23:3

167 Not to let a eunuch marry into the Jewish people Deut. 23:2

168 Not to castrate any male (including animals) Lev. 22:24

169 The High Priest must not marry a widow Lev. 21:14

170 The High Priest must not have relations with a widow even outside of marriage Lev. 21:15

171 The High Priest must marry a virgin maiden Lev. 21:13

172 A Kohen must not marry a divorcee Lev. 21:7

173 A Kohen must not marry a zonah (a woman who had forbidden relations) Lev. 21:7

174 A priest must not marry a chalalah (party to or product of 169-172) Lev. 21:7

175 Not to make pleasurable contact with any forbidden woman Lev. 18:6

Laws of Forbidden Foods:

176 To examine the signs of animals to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher Lev. 11:2

177 To examine the signs of fowl to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher Deut. 14:11

178 To examine the signs of fish to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher Lev. 11:9

179 To examine the signs of locusts to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher Lev. 11:21

180 Not to eat non-kosher animals Lev. 11:4

181 Not to eat non-kosher fowl Lev. 11:13

182 Not to eat non-kosher fish Lev. 11:11

183 Not to eat non-kosher flying insects Deut. 14:19

184 Not to eat non-kosher creatures that crawl on land Lev. 11:41

185 Not to eat non-kosher maggots Lev. 11:44

186 Not to eat worms found in fruit on the ground Lev. 11:42

187 Not to eat creatures that live in water other than fish Lev. 11:43

188 Not to eat the meat of an animal that died without ritual slaughter Deut. 14:21

189 Not to benefit from an ox condemned to be stoned Ex. 21:28

190 Not to eat meat of an animal that was mortally wounded Ex. 22:30

191 Not to eat a limb torn off a living creature Deut 12:23

192 Not to eat blood Lev. 3:17

193 Not to eat certain fats of clean animals Lev. 3:17

194 Not to eat the sinew of the thigh Gen. 32:33

195 Not to eat meat and milk cooked together Ex. 23:19

196 Not to cook meat and milk together Ex. 34:26

197 Not to eat bread from new grain before the Omer Lev. 23:14

198 Not to eat parched grains from new grain before the Omer Lev. 23:14

199 Not to eat ripened grains from new grain before the Omer Lev. 23:14

200 Not to eat fruit of a tree during its first three years Lev. 19:23

201 Not to eat diverse seeds planted in a vineyard Deut. 22:9

202 Not to eat untithed fruits Lev. 22:15

203 Not to drink wine poured in service to idols Deut. 32:38

Laws of Slaughtering:

204 To ritually slaughter an animal before eating it Deut. 12:21

205 Not to slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day Lev. 22:28

206 To cover the blood (of a slaughtered beast or fowl) with earth Lev. 17:13

207 Not to take the mother bird from her children Deut. 22:6

208 To release the mother bird if she was taken from the nest Deut. 22:7

Laws of Oaths:

209 Not to swear falsely in God’s Name Lev. 19:12

210 Not to take God’s Name in vain Ex. 20:7

211 Not to deny possession of something entrusted to you Lev. 19:11

212 Not to swear in denial of a monetary claim Lev. 19:11

213 To swear in God’s Name to confirm the truth when deemed necessary by court Deut. 10:20

Laws of Vows:

214 To fulfill what was uttered and to do what was avowed Deut. 23:24

215 Not to break oaths or vows Num. 30:3

216 For oaths and vows annulled, there are the laws of annulling vows explicit in the Torah Num. 30:3

Laws of The Nazir:

217 The Nazir must let his hair grow Num. 6:5

218 He must not cut his hair Num. 6:5

219 He must not drink wine, wine mixtures, or wine vinegar Num. 6:3

220 He must not eat fresh grapes Num. 6:3

221 He must not eat raisins Num. 6:3

222 He must not eat grape seeds Num. 6:4

223 He must not eat grape skins Num. 6:4

224 He must not be under the same roof as a corpse Num. 6:6

225 He must not come into contact with the dead Num. 6:7

226 He must shave after bringing sacrifices upon completion of his Nazirite period Num. 6:9

Laws of Estimated Values and Vows:

227 To estimate the value of people as determined by the Torah Lev. 27:2

228 To estimate the value of consecrated animals Lev. 27:12-13

229 To estimate the value of consecrated houses Lev. 27:14

230 To estimate the value of consecrated fields Lev. 27:16

231 Carry out the laws of interdicting possessions (cherem) Lev. 27:28

232 Not to sell the cherem Lev. 27:28

233 Not to redeem the cherem Lev. 27:28

Laws of Mixed Species:

234 Not to plant diverse seeds together Lev. 19:19

235 Not to plant grains or greens in a vineyard Deut. 22:9

236 Not to crossbreed animals Lev. 19:19

237 Not to work different animals together Deut. 22:10

238 Not to wear sha’atnez, a cloth woven of wool and linen Deut. 22:11

Laws of Gifts to the Poor:

239 To leave a corner of the field uncut for the poor Lev. 19:10

240 Not to reap that corner Lev. 19:9

241 To leave gleanings Lev. 19:9

242 Not to gather the gleanings Lev. 19:9

243 To leave the gleanings of a vineyard Lev. 19:10

244 Not to gather the gleanings of a vineyard Lev. 19:10

245 To leave the unformed clusters of grapes Lev. 19:10

246 Not to pick the unformed clusters of grapes Lev. 19:10

247 To leave the forgotten sheaves in the field Deut. 24:19

248 Not to retrieve them Deut. 24:19

249 To separate the tithe for the poor Deut. 14:28

250 To give charity Deut. 15:8

251 Not to withhold charity from the poor Deut. 15:7

252 To set aside Trumah Gedolah (tithe for the Kohen) Deut. 18:4

253 The Levite must set aside a tenth of his tithe Num. 18:26

254 Not to preface one tithe to the next, but separate them in their proper order Ex. 22:28

255 A non-Kohen must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:10

256 A hired worker or a Jewish bondsman of a Kohen must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:10

257 An uncircumcised Kohen must not eat Trumah Ex.12:48

258 An impure Kohen must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:4

259 A chalalah must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:12

Laws of Ma’aser:

260 To set aside Ma’aser each planting year and give it to a Levite Num. 18:24

Laws of The Second Tithe and Fourth Year Produce:

261 To set aside the second tithe (Ma’aser Sheni) Deut. 14:22

262 Not to spend its redemption money on anything but food, drink, or ointment  Deut. 26:14

263 Not to eat Ma’aser Sheni while impure Deut. 26:14

264 A mourner on the first day after death must not eat Ma’aser Sheni Deut. 26:14

265 Not to eat Ma’aser Sheni grains outside Jerusalem Deut. 12:17

266 Not to eat Ma’aser Sheni wine products outside Jerusalem Deut. 12:17

267 Not to eat Ma’aser Sheni oil outside Jerusalem Deut. 12:17

268 The fourth year crops must be totally for holy purposes like Ma’aser Sheni Lev. 19:24

269 To read the confession of tithes every fourth and seventh year Deut. 26:13

Laws of First Fruits and other Kohanic Gifts:

270 To set aside the first fruits and bring them to the Temple Ex. 23:19

271 The Kohanim must not eat the first fruits outside Jerusalem Deut. 12:17

272 To read the Torah portion pertaining to their presentation Deut. 26:5

273 To set aside a portion of dough for a Kohen Num. 15:20

274 To give the shoulder, two cheeks, and stomach of slaughtered animals to a Kohen Deut. 18:3

275 To give the first sheering of sheep to a Kohen Deut. 18:4

276 To redeem the firstborn sons and give the money to a Kohen Num. 18:15

277 To redeem the firstborn donkey by giving a lamb to a Kohen Ex. 13:13

278 To break the neck of the donkey if the owner does not intend to redeem it Ex. 13:13

Laws of The Sabbatical and Jubilee Years:

279 To rest the land during the seventh year by not doing any work which enhances growth Ex. 34:21

280 Not to work the land during the seventh year Lev. 25:4

281 Not to work with trees to produce fruit during that year Lev. 25:4

282 Not to reap crops that grow wild that year in the normal manner Lev. 25:5

283 Not to gather grapes which grow wild that year in the normal way Lev. 25:5

284 To leave free all produce which grew in that year Ex. 23:11

285 To release all loans during the seventh year Deut. 15:2

286 Not to pressure or claim from the borrower Deut. 15:2

287 Not to refrain from lending immediately before the release of the loans for fear of monetary loss Deut. 15:9

288 The Sanhedrin must count seven groups of seven years Lev. 25:8

289 The Sanhedrin must sanctify the fiftieth year Lev. 25:10

290 To blow the Shofar on the tenth of Tishrei to free the slaves Lev. 25:9

291 Not to work the soil during the fiftieth year Lev. 25:11

292 Not to reap in the normal manner that which grows wild in the fiftieth year Lev. 25:11

293 Not to pick grapes which grew wild in the normal manner in the fiftieth year Lev. 25:11

294 Carry out the laws of sold family properties Lev. 25:24

295 Not to sell the land in Israel indefinitely Lev. 25:23

296 Carry out the laws of houses in walled cities Lev. 25:29

297 The Tribe of Levi must not be given a portion of the land in Israel, rather they are given cities to dwell in Deut. 18:1

298 The Levites must not take a share in the spoils of war Deut. 18:1

299 To give the Levites cities to inhabit and their surrounding fields Num. 35:2

300 Not to sell the fields but they shall remain the Levites’ before and after the Jubilee year Lev. 25:34

Laws of The Temple:

301 To build a Sanctuary Ex. 25:8

302 Not to build the altar with stones hewn by metal Ex. 20:22

303 Not to climb steps to the altar Ex. 20:23

304 To show reverence to the Temple Lev. 19:30

305 To guard the Temple area Num. 18:2

306 Not to leave the Temple unguarded Num. 18:5

Laws of Temple Vessels and Employees:

307 To prepare the anointing oil Ex. 30:31

308 Not to reproduce the anointing oil Ex. 30:32

309 Not to anoint with anointing oil Ex. 30:32

310 Not to reproduce the incense formula Ex. 30:37

311 Not to burn anything on the Golden Altar besides incense Ex. 30:9

312 The Levites must transport the ark on their shoulders Num. 7:9

313 Not to remove the staves from the ark Ex. 25:15

314 The Levites must work in the Temple Num. 18:23

315 No Levite must do another’s work of either a Kohen or a Levite Num. 18:3

316 To dedicate the Kohen for service Lev. 21:8

317 The kohanic work shifts must be equal during holidays Deut. 18:6-8

318 The Kohanim must wear their priestly garments during service Ex. 28:2

319 Not to tear the priestly garments Ex. 28:32

320 The breastplate must not be loosened from the Efode Ex. 28:28

Laws of Entering the Temple:

321 A Kohen must not enter the Temple intoxicated Lev. 10:9

322 A Kohen must not enter the Temple with long hair Lev. 10:6

323 A Kohen must not enter the Temple with torn clothes Lev. 10:6

324 A Kohen must not enter the Temple indiscriminately Lev. 16:2

325 A Kohen must not leave the Temple during service Lev. 10:7

326 To send the impure from the Temple Num. 5:2

327 Impure people must not enter the Temple Num. 5:3

328 Impure people must not enter the Temple Mount area Deut. 23:11

329 Impure Kohanim must not do service in the temple Lev. 22:2

330 An impure Kohen, following immersion, must wait until after sundown before returning to service Lev. 22:7

331 A Kohen must wash his hands and feet before service Ex. 30:19

332 A Kohen with a physical blemish must not enter the sanctuary or approach the altar Lev. 21:23

333 A Kohen with a physical blemish must not serve Lev.21:17

334 A Kohen with a temporary blemish must not serve Lev. 21:17

335 One who is not a Kohen must not serve Num. 18:4

Laws of Restrictions Concerning Sacrifices:

336 To offer only unblemished animals Lev. 22:21

337 Not to dedicate a blemished animal for the altar Lev. 22:20

338 Not to slaughter it Lev. 22:22

339 Not to sprinkle its blood Lev. 22:24

340 Not to burn its fat Lev. 22:22

341 Not to offer a temporarily blemished animal Deut. 17:1

342 Not to sacrifice blemished animals even if offered by non-Jews Lev. 22:25

343 Not to inflict wounds upon dedicated animals Lev. 22:21

344 To redeem dedicated animals which have become disqualified Deut. 12:15

345 To offer only animals which are at least eight days old Lev. 22:27

346 Not to offer animals bought with the wages of a harlot or the animal exchanged for a dog Deut. 23:19

347 Not to burn honey or yeast on the altar Lev. 2:11

348 To salt all sacrifices Lev. 2:13

349 Not to omit the salt from sacrifices Lev. 2:13

Laws of Sacrificial Procedure:

350 Carry out the procedure of the burnt offering as prescribed in the Torah Lev. 1:3

351 Not to eat its meat Deut. 12:17

352 Carry out the procedure of the sin offering Lev. 6:18

353 Not to eat the meat of the inner sin offering Lev. 6:23

354 Not to decapitate a fowl brought as a sin offering Lev. 5:8

355 Carry out the procedure of the guilt offering Lev. 7:1

356 The Kohanim must eat the sacrificial meat in the Temple Ex. 29:33

357 The Kohanim must not eat the meat outside the Temple courtyard Deut. 12:17

358 A non-Kohen must not eat sacrificial meat Ex. 29:33

359 To follow the procedure of the peace offering Lev. 7:11

360 Not to eat the meat of minor sacrifices before sprinkling the blood Deut. 12:17

361 To bring meal offerings as prescribed in the Torah Lev. 2:1

362 Not to put oil on the meal offerings of wrongdoers Lev. 5:11

363 Not to put frankincense on the meal offerings of wrongdoers Lev. 5:11

364 Not to eat the meal offering of the High Priest Lev. 6:16

365 Not to bake a meal offering as leavened bread Lev. 6:10

366 The Kohanim must eat the remains of the meal offerings Lev. 6:9

367 To bring all avowed and freewill offerings to the Temple on the first subsequent festival Deut. 12:5-6

368 Not to withhold payment incurred by any vow Deut. 23:22

369 To offer all sacrifices in the Temple Deut. 12:11

370 To bring all sacrifices from outside Israel to the Temple Deut. 12:26

371 Not to slaughter sacrifices outside the courtyard Lev. 17:4

372 Not to offer any sacrifices outside the courtyard Deut. 12:13

Laws of Constant and Additional Offerings:

373 To offer two lambs every day Num. 28:3

374 To light a fire on the altar every day Lev. 6:6 375 Not to extinguish this fire Lev. 6:6 376 To remove the ashes from the altar every day Lev. 6:3

377 To burn incense every day Ex 30:7

378 To light the Menorah every day Ex. 27:21

379 The Kohen Gadol must bring a meal offering every day Lev. 6:13

380 To bring two additional lambs as burnt offerings on Shabbat Num 28:9

381 To make the show bread Ex. 25:30

382 To bring additional offerings on the New Month Num. 28:11

383 To bring additional offerings on Passover Num. 28:19

384 To offer the wave offering from the meal of the new wheat Lev. 23:10

385 Each man must count the Omer – seven weeks from the day the new wheat offering was brought Lev. 23:15

386 To bring additional offerings on Shavuot Num. 28:26

387 To bring two leaves to accompany the above sacrifice Lev. 23:17

388 To bring additional offerings on Rosh Hashana Num. 29:2

389 To bring additional offerings on Yom Kippur Num. 29:8

390 To bring additional offerings on Sukkot Num. 29:13

391 To bring additional offerings on Shmini Atzeret Num. 29:35

Laws of Disqualified Offerings:

392 Not to eat sacrifices which have become unfit or blemished Deut. 14.3

393 Not to eat from sacrifices offered with improper intentions Lev. 7:18

394 Not to leave sacrifices past the time allowed for eating them Lev. 22:30

395 Not to eat from that which was left over Lev. 19:8

396 Not to eat from sacrifices which became impure Lev. 7:19

397 An impure person must not eat from sacrifices Lev. 7:20

398 To burn the leftover sacrifices Lev. 7:17

399 To burn all impure sacrifices Lev. 7:19

Laws of Yom Kippur Service:

400 To follow the procedure of Yom Kippur in the sequence prescribed in Parshat Acharei Mot Lev. 16:3

Laws of Misusing Sanctified Property:

401 One who profaned property must repay what he profaned plus a fifth and bring a sacrifice Lev. 5:16

402 Not to work consecrated animals Deut. 15:19

403 Not to shear the fleece of consecrated animals Deut. 15:19

Laws of Pascal Sacrifice:

404 To slaughter the paschal sacrifice at the specified time Ex. 12:6

405 Not to slaughter it while in possession of leaven Ex. 23:18

406 Not to leave the fat overnight Ex. 23:18

407 To slaughter the second paschal lamb Num. 9:11

408 To eat the paschal lamb with matzah and Marror on the night of the 15th of Nissan Ex. 12:8

409 To eat the second paschal lamb on the night of the 15th of Iyar Num.9:11

410 Not to eat the paschal meat raw or boiled Ex. 12:9

411 Not to take the paschal meat from the confines of the group Ex. 12:46

412 An apostate must not eat from it Ex.12:43

413 A permanent or temporary hired worker must not eat from it Ex. 12:45

414 An uncircumcised male must not eat from it Ex. 12:48

415 Not to break any bones from the paschal offering Ex. 12:46

416 Not to break any bones from the second paschal offering Num. 9:12

417 Not to leave any meat from the paschal offering over until morning Ex. 12:10

418 Not to leave the second paschal meat over until morning Num. 9:12

419 Not to leave the meat of the holiday offering of the 14th until the 16th Deut. 16:4

Laws of Pilgrim Offerings:

420 To be seen at the Temple on Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot Deut. 16:16

421 To celebrate on these three Festivals (bring a peace offering) Ex. 23:14

422 To rejoice on these three Festivals (bring a peace offering) Deut. 16:14

423 Not to appear at the Temple without offerings Deut. 16:16

424 Not to refrain from rejoicing with, and giving gifts to, the Levites Deut. 12:19

425 To assemble all the people on the Sukkot following the seventh year Deut. 31:12

Laws of First Born Animals:

426 To set aside the firstborn animals Ex. 13:12

427 The Kohanim must not eat unblemished firstborn animals outside Jerusalem Deut. 12:17

428 Not to redeem the firstborn Num. 18:17

429 Separate the tithe from animals Lev. 27:32

430 Not to redeem the tithe Lev. 27:33

Laws of Offerings for Unintentional Transgressions:

431 Every person must bring a sin offering for his transgression Lev. 4:27

432 Bring an asham talui when uncertain of guilt Lev. 5:17-18

433 Bring an asham vadai when guilt is ascertained Lev. 5:25

434 Bring an oleh v’yored offering (if the person is wealthy, an animal; if poor, a bird or meal offering) Lev. 5:7-11

435 The Sanhedrin must bring an offering when it rules in error Lev. 4:13

Laws of Lacking Atonement:

436 A woman who had a running issue must bring an offering after she goes to the Mikveh Lev. 15:28-29

437 A woman who gave birth must bring an offering after she goes to the Mikveh Lev. 12:6

438 A man who had a running issue must bring an offering after he goes to the Mikveh Lev. 15:13-14

439 A metzora must bring an offering after going to the Mikveh Lev. 14:10

Laws of Substitution of Sacrifices:

440 Not to substitute another beast for one set apart for sacrifice Lev. 27:10

441 The new animal, in addition to the substituted one, retains consecration Lev. 27:10

442 Not to change consecrated animals from one type of offering to another Lev. 27:26

Laws of Impurity of Human Dead:

443 Carry out the laws of impurity of the dead Num. 19:14

Laws of The Red Heifer:

444 Carry out the procedure of the Red Heifer Num. 19:2

445 Carry out the laws of the sprinkling water Num. 19:21

Laws of Impurity through Tzara’at:

446 Rule the laws of human tzara’at as prescribed in the Torah Lev. 13:12

447 The metzora must not remove his signs of impurity Deut. 24:8

448 The metzora must not shave signs of impurity in his hair Lev. 13:33

449 The metzora must publicize his condition by tearing his garments, allowing his hair to grow and covering his lips Lev. 13:45

450 Carry out the prescribed rules for purifying the metzora Lev. 14:2

451 The metzora must shave off all his hair prior to purification Lev. 14:9

452 Carry out the laws of tzara’at of clothing Lev. 13:47

453 Carry out the laws of tzara’at of houses Lev. 13:34

Laws of Impurity of Reclining and Sitting:

454 Observe the laws of menstrual impurity Lev. 15:19

455 Observe the laws of impurity caused by childbirth Lev. 12:2

456 Observe the laws of impurity caused by a woman’s running issue Lev. 15:25

457 Observe the laws of impurity caused by a man’s running issue Lev. 15:3

Laws of Other Sources of Impurity:

458 Observe the laws of impurity caused by a dead beast Lev. 11:39

459 Observe the laws of impurity caused by the eight shratzim Lev. 11:29

460 Observe the laws of impurity of a seminal emission Lev. 15:16

Laws of Impurity of Food:

461 Observe the laws of impurity concerning liquid and solid foods Lev. 11:34

Laws of Mikveh:

462 Every impure person must immerse himself in a Mikveh to become pure Lev. 15:16

Laws of Property Damage:

463 The court must judge the damages incurred by a goring ox Ex. 21:28

464 The court must judge the damages incurred by an animal eating Ex. 22:4

465 The court must judge the damages incurred by a pit Ex. 21:33

466 The court must judge the damages incurred by fire Ex. 22:5

Laws of Theft:

467 Not to steal money stealthily Lev. 19:11

468 The court must implement punitive measures against the thief Ex. 21:37

469 Each individual must ensure that his scales and weights are accurate Lev. 19:36

470 Not to commit injustice with scales and weights Lev. 19:35

471 Not to possess inaccurate scales and weights even if they are not for use Deut. 25:13

472 Not to move a boundary marker to steal someone’s property Deut. 19:14

473 Not to kidnap Ex. 20:13

Laws of Robbery and Lost Objects:

474 Not to rob openly Lev. 19:13

475 Not to withhold wages or fail to repay a debt Lev. 19:13

476 Not to covet and scheme to acquire another’s possession Ex. 20:14

477 Not to desire another’s possession Deut. 5:18

478 Return the robbed object or its value Lev. 5:23

479 Not to ignore a lost object Deut. 22:3

480 Return the lost object Deut. 22:1

481 The court must implement laws against the one who assaults another or damages another’s property Ex. 21:18

Laws of Murder and Preservation of Life:

482 Not to murder Ex. 20:13

483 Not to accept monetary restitution to atone for the murderer Num. 35:31

484 The court must send the accidental murderer to a city of refuge Num. 35:25

485 Not to accept monetary restitution instead of being sent to a city of refuge Num. 35:32

486 Not to kill the murderer before he stands trial Num. 35:12

487 Save someone being pursued even by taking the life of the pursuer Deut. 25112

488 Not to pity the pursuer Num. 35:12

489 Not to stand idly by if someone’s life is in danger Lev. 19:16

490 Designate cities of refuge and prepare routes of access Deut. 19:3

491 Break the neck of a calf by the river valley following an unsolved murder Deut. 21:4

492 Not to work nor plant that river valley Deut. 21:4

493 Not to allow pitfalls and obstacles to remain on your property Deut. 22:8

494 Make a guard rail around flat roofs Deut. 22:8

495 Not to put a stumbling block before a blind man (nor give harmful advice) Lev. 19:14

496 Help another remove the load from a beast which can no longer carry it Ex. 23:5

497 Help others load their beast Deut. 22:4

498 Not to leave others distraught with their burdens (but to help either load or unload) Deut. 22:4

Laws of Sales:

499 Buy and sell according to Torah law Lev. 25:14

500 Not to overcharge or underpay for an article Lev. 25:14

501 Not to insult or harm anybody with words Lev. 25:17

502 Not to cheat a sincere convert monetarily Ex. 22:20

503 Not to insult or harm a sincere convert with words Ex. 22:20

Laws of Slaves:

504 Purchase a Hebrew slave in accordance with the prescribed laws Ex. 21:2

505 Not to sell him as a slave is sold Lev. 25:42

506 Not to work him oppressively Lev. 25:43

507 Not to allow a non-Jew to work him oppressively Lev. 25:53

508 Not to have him do menial slave labor Lev. 25;39

509 Give him gifts when he goes free Deut. 15:14

510 Not to send him away empty-handed Deut. 15:13

511 Redeem Jewish maidservants Ex. 21:8

512 Betroth the Jewish maidservant Ex. 21:8

513 The master must not sell his maidservant Ex. 21:8

514 Canaanite slaves must work forever unless injured in one of their limbs Lev. 25:46

515 Not to extradite a slave who fled to Israel Deut. 23:16

516 Not to wrong a slave who has come to Israel for refuge Deut. 23:16

Laws of Hiring:

517 The courts must carry out the laws of a hired worker and hired guard Ex. 22:9

518 Pay wages on the day they were earned Deut. 24:15

519 Not to delay payment of wages past the agreed time Lev. 19:13

520 The hired worker may eat from the unharvested crops where he works Deut. 23:25

521 The worker must not eat while on hired time Deut. 23:26

522 The worker must not take more than he can eat Deut. 23:25

523 Not to muzzle an ox while plowing Deut. 25:4

Laws of Borrowing and Depositing:

524 The courts must carry out the laws of a borrower Ex. 22:13

525 The courts must carry out the laws of an unpaid guard Ex. 22:6

Laws of Creditor and Debtor:

526 Lend to the poor and destitute Ex. 22:24

527 Not to press them for payment if you know they don’t have it Ex. 22:24

528 Press the idolater for payment Deut. 15:3

529 The creditor must not forcibly take collateral Deut. 24:10

530 Return the collateral to the debtor when needed Deut. 24:13

531 Not to delay its return when needed Deut. 24:12

532 Not to demand collateral from a widow Deut. 24:17

533 Not to demand as collateral utensils needed for preparing food Deut. 24:6

534 Not to lend with interest Lev.25:37

535 Not to borrow with interest Deut. 23:20

536 Not to intermediate in an interest loan, guarantee, witness, or write the promissory note Ex. 22:24

537 Lend to and borrow from idolaters with interest Deut. 23:21

Laws of Plaintiff and Defendant:

538 The courts must carry out the laws of the plaintiff, admitter, or denier Ex. 22:8

Laws of Inheritance:

539 Carry out the laws of the order of inheritance Num. 27:8

Laws of Sanhedrin and Punishments:

540 Appoint judges Deut. 16:18

541 Not to appoint judges who are not familiar with judicial procedure Deut. 1:17

542 Decide by majority in case of disagreement Ex. 23:2

543 The court must not execute through a majority of one; at least a majority of two is required Ex. 23:2

544 A judge who presented an acquittal plea must not present an argument for conviction in capital cases Deut. 23:2

545 The courts must carry out the death penalty of stoning Deut. 22:24

546 The courts must carry out the death penalty of burning Lev. 20:14

547 The courts must carry out the death penalty of the sword Ex. 21:20

548 The courts must carry out the death penalty of strangulation Lev. 20:10

549 The courts must hang those stoned for blasphemy or idolatry Deut. 21:22

550 Bury the executed on the day they are killed Deut.21:23

551 Not to delay burial overnight Deut. 21:23

552 The court must not let the sorcerer live Ex. 22:17

553 The court must give lashes to the wrongdoer Ex. 25:2

554 The court must not exceed the prescribed number of lashes Deut. 25:3

555 The court must not kill anybody on circumstantial evidence Ex. 23:7

556 The court must not punish anybody who was forced to do a crime Deut. 22:26

557 A judge must not pity the murderer or assaulter at the trial Deut. 19:13

558 A judge must not have mercy on the poor man at the trial Lev. 19:15

559 A judge must not respect the great man at the trial Lev. 19:15

560 A judge must not decide unjustly the case of the habitual transgressor Ex. 23;6

561 A judge must not pervert justice Lev. 19:15

562 A judge must not pervert a case involving a convert or orphan Deut. 24:17

563 Judge righteously Lev. 19:15

564 The judge must not fear a violent man in judgment Deut. 1:17

565 Judges must not accept bribes Ex. 23:8

566 Judges must not accept testimony unless both parties are present Ex. 23:1

567 Not to curse judges Ex. 22:27

568 Not to curse the head of state or leader of the Sanhedrin Ex. 22:27

569 Not to curse any upstanding Jew Lev. 19:14

Laws of Evidence:

570 Anybody who knows evidence must testify in court Lev. 5:1

571 Carefully interrogate the witness Deut. 13:15

572 A witness must not serve as a judge in capital crimes Deut. 19:17

573 Not to accept testimony from a lone witness Deut. 19:15

574 Transgressors must not testify Ex. 23:1

575 Relatives of the litigants must not testify Deut. 24:16

576 Not to testify falsely Ex. 20:13

577 Punish the false witnesses as they tried to punish the defendant Deut. 19:19

Laws of Insurgents:

578 Act according to the ruling of the Sanhedrin Deut. 17:11

579 Not to deviate from the word of the Sanhedrin Deut. 17:11

580 Not to add to the Torah commandments or their oral explanations Deut. 13:1

581 Not to diminish from the Torah any commandments, in whole or in part Deut. 13:1

582 Not to curse your father and mother Ex. 21:17

583 Not to strike your father and mother Ex. 21:15

584 Respect your father or mother Ex. 20:12

585 Fear your father or mother Lev. 19:3

586 Not to be a rebellious son Deut. 21:18

Laws of Mourning:

587 Mourn for relatives Lev. 10:19

588 The High Priest must not defile himself for any relative Lev. 21:11

589 The High Priest must not enter under the same roof as a corpse Lev. 21:11

590 A Kohen must not defile himself for anyone except relatives Lev. 21:1

Laws of Kings and their Wars:

591 Appoint a king from Israel Deut. 17:15

592 Not to appoint a convert Deut. 17:15

593 The king must not have too many wives Deut. 17:17

594 The king must not have too many horses Deut. 17:16

595 The king must not have too much silver and gold Deut. 17:17

596 Destroy the seven Canaanite nations Deut. 20:17

597 Not to let any of them remain alive Deut. 20:16

598 Wipe out the descendants of Amalek Deut. 25:19

599 Remember what Amalek did to the Jewish people Deut. 25:17

600 Not to forget Amalek’s atrocities and ambush on our journey from Egypt in the desert Deut. 25:19

601 Not to dwell permanently in Egypt Deut. 17:16

602 Offer peace terms to the inhabitants of a city while holding siege, and treat them according to the Torah if they accept the terms Deut. 20:10

603 Not to offer peace to Ammon and Moab while besieging them Deut. 23:7

604 Not to destroy fruit trees even during the siege Deut. 20:19

605 Prepare latrines outside the camps Deut. 23:13

606 Prepare a shovel for each soldier to dig with Deut. 23:14

607 Appoint a priest to speak with the soldiers during the war Deut. 20:2

608 He who has taken a wife, built a new home, or planted a vineyard is given a year to rejoice with his possessions Deut. 24:5

609 Not to demand from the above any involvement, communal or military Deut. 24:5 610 Not to panic and retreat during battle Deut. 20:3

611 Keep the laws of the captive woman Deut. 21:11

612 Not to sell her into slavery Deut. 21:14

613 Not to retain her for servitude after having relations with her Deut. 21:14

The post The 613 Mitzvot appeared first on Rabbi Ian Adams.

by Rabbi Haim Ovadia

1. Introduction: The Eruv Today

It is well known that Eruv is one of the most contested issues of Jewish Orthodoxy. Many cities, suburbs, and neighborhoods, experience religious battles around the Eruv. In some places the opponents of the Eruv cut the Eruv strings minutes before Shabbat, in others, educators teach their students to look away when they see a person carrying an object within the Eruv, because one is not allowed to look at the face of a wicked person.

Still in other places rabbis use the Eruv as a controlling tool, and when they withhold it from people they think they can guarantee that people will not play ball or go to the beach on Shabbat. I have heard from reliable sources that the reason R Moshe Feinstein objected to have an Eruv is that he wanted to prevent people from going to work on Shabbat. Imagine that, those people were willing to work on Shabbat but they would not carry without an Eruv.

I have also heard of a rabbi who once a year puts the Eruv down so “people will not forget what it means to not have an Eruv.”

The Eruv dissects cities and neighborhoods into areas of “us” and “them”, into the “carrying” and the “non-carrying” people.

On the other hand, many observant people who live in places without an eruv feel imprisoned and frustrated, and some of them carry on Shabbat without an eruv because they feel that the Eruv is a fictitious loophole. They cannot accept that some strings and telephone poles can turn an area from public to private space.

Rabbi David Chelouche writes to R Saul J. Kassin regarding the necessity of constructing an Eruv in Brooklyn:

בדורנו דאחסור דרא, אם לא נסמוך על דעת המקילים ולא נעשה את הערוב, רוב ככל שומרי השבת יוציאו ויכניסו ויטלטלו ברשות הרבים כי לא רואים בזה איסור מלאכה[1]

In our flawed generation, if we do not rely on the lenient opinions and we do not construct the Eruv, the majority of observant Jews will …carry in the public space because they do not consider it a prohibition.

Modern author Michael Chabon brilliantly describes this feeling of the public in his “The Yiddish Policemen’s Union” (p. 156):

“It’s a typical Jewish ritual dodge; it has something to do with pretending that telephone poles are door posts and that the wires are lintels. You can tie off an area using poles and strings and then pretend on the Sabbath that this circle you’ve drawn is your house. That way you can get around the Sabbath ban on carrying in public places, and walk to Shul with a couple of Alka-Seltzers in your pocket, and it isn’t a sin. Given enough string and enough poles and with a creative use of existing walls, fences, cliffs, and rivers you can circle around pretty much any place and call it an eruv. But somebody has to lay down those lines through the territory… and protect them from weather, vandalism, bears, and the telephone company.”

Many rabbis and community leaders like to believe that today we have no Eruv-related problems. They claim that if the community wants an Eruv we can build it, regardless of the price tag, and that if it is impossible, observant Jews should seek other places to move into. The reality, however, is different; and problems with the Eruv abound even in places which usually maintain an Eruv.

2. Common problems related to Eruv

1. Exorbitant price of initial construction and the burden of constant maintenance.
2. Eruv is usually maintained, especially outside Israel, by private citizens and as a result is more common in affluent areas. This limits the choices of young couples when considering where to live, since they must have an Eruv to be able to go out with their children but cannot afford a house within the Eruv boundaries.
3. Sometimes the Eruv is down before Shabbat and then the whole community is paralyzed, while in other cases, following a snowstorm or other harsh weather conditions, rabbis recommend considering the Eruv compromised. Those who need to be outside cannot take a cane or even gloves, according to some, and salting or shoveling one’s sidewalk becomes impossible, causing hazardous conditions for pedestrians.
4. For parents with young children who live where there is no Eruv, or where the Eruv has been compromised by the weather, any visit to friends and family, or even a walk to the synagogue or the playground, has the potential of becoming a nightmare and a traumatic experience.
5. There were cases of travelers who were delayed and got stranded in the airport shortly before Shabbat. I have heard of cases where people decided to spend the whole Shabbat in the airport feeling like prisoners and frustrated by being away from their families.
6. There is a problem for people who are vacationing in remote places where there is no Eruv. Here again they become prisoners of Shabbat, unable to leave the hotel or resort and feeling frustrated with their Shabbat observance.

3. Two main approaches to Eruv

In light of all of the above, let us briefly examine the history of the Eruv and try to provide a solution for these exceptional cases.

 The dispute regarding Eruv is on the definition of the term public domain. Some say streets and marketplaces which are 16 feet wide are considered public domain, while others argue that a second condition must be met, namely daily traffic of 600,000 people.

Those two opinions are mentioned in the Shulhan Arukh, the first one anonymously and the second one under the rubric “some say”.

Rabbi David Chelouche, in his discussion of the Eruv in Brooklyn[2], writes that usually when Rabbi Karo mentions in the Shulhan Arukh two opinions in that manner, he rules like the anonymous one. However, this rule does not apply to our case since all Sephardic rabbis are of one opinion and all Ashkenazi Rabbis are of another opinion, so both opinions coexist. In other words, both opinions have equal Halakhic weight and they are both valid.

4. Factors which support a lenient approach

R Karo himself writes in his Beit Yosef that today no place is defined as public domain,[3] and indeed, throughout history there was a tendency to not consider any domain as public domain

‏This could maybe be explained by the fact that already in the Talmud, R Shimon ben lakish says that in order for a place to be considered public domain it has to be completely flat with no inclination whatsoever, and that there will be no public domain until the end of days.[4]

R Yehudah HaLevi writes that taking out from the private domain into the public domain and vice versa is a rabbinical decree, a fence, and not a biblical prohibition.[5]

The Tosafot on Shabbat say that taking something out into the public domain is a lesser prohibition, and one could therefore rely on the lenient opinions.

In addition, Rabbi David Chelouche writes, and so rules R Ovadia Yosef, that the passage of 600,000 people in a major thoroughfare is not enough to make the place a public domain unless those 600,000 people are pedestrians.

R Moshe Feinstein adds another leniency, which is the requirement that the Thoroughfare must be straight, with no curves or turns from one end to another, in order to be considered public domain.

As a result of all these lenient opinions, the custom of all communities around the world is to rely on the Eruv, even though it is not an actual wall and gates around a city but rather a string or wire.

5. The Solution of Rabbi Yosef Messas

It is in this context that we can rely of a groundbreaking ruling by R Yossef Messas, who is known for his tireless efforts to maintain traditional values and observance of Mitzvoth without causing strife and heartache to the religious populace. Rabbi Messas wrote the ruling in the 1950s in his hometown of Meknes, because of his great concern that people cannot observe Shabbat properly. Part of the manuscript of the ruling, which is 21 pages long, has been published by Prof. Moshe Bar-Asher.[6] The manuscript is a letter R Messas wrote to R Raphael Baruch Toledano who disagreed with him.

R Messas writes that most authorities agree that today no domain could be defined as public domain. He goes on to say that the symbolic Eruv, made of strings and poles, only applies to the middle ground between the public domain in the private domain, called Carmelit. His conclusion is that if we have no public domain, there is no need for the Halakhic entity called Carmelit, or middle ground, and therefore there is no need for Eruv at all.

Rabbi Toledano apparently questioned R Messas’s ruling that one can carry without an Eruv and R Messas answered that it is not an absolute ruling but rather an attempt to help the people, who already have the custom of carrying on Shabbat, or those who are in dire circumstances.

He writes to R Toledano:

“…please join me, you as well as others who care about the well-being of the Jews, and then we will be able to issue an absolute and final ruling for all [relinquishing the need for Eruv], but first let me tell you what are the problems which my congregants face…”

R Messas lists, in twenty one entries, all the different occasions where people carry without an Eruv. Now, other rabbis might have said that the solution is to build an Eruv, but R Messas in his wisdom and understanding of human nature and the trends of the observant community knew better than that. He understood that the behavior of people on Shabbat is only one facet of their approach to religion as they were redefining what they can and cannot do. R Messas knew that if he insisted on not letting people carry without an Eruv he will lose them. His prediction eventually is coming true today as many young people who grew up in observant households leave the path of Torah and Mitzvoth, because it does not resonate with their modern life and understanding. Like R Yisrael Moshe Hazzan in 1850’s Italy[7], R Messas wanted to find a remedy which will help rather than subdue the people.

He concludes his response to R Toledano with these powerful words:

“What are we going to say of the people? That they are all sinners? God Forbid! If we say so, R Shimon ben Lakish will make us bite the dust.”

He refers to the story of R Shimon ben Lakish who forced his colleague R Avho to eat sand after the latter criticized the behavior of the people of Caesarea.[8]

R Messas might also have alluded to the fact that it was R Shimon ben Lakish who said that there is no public domain in the world.

Conclusion:

This issue is very sensitive and even R Messas did not provide an all-encompassing resolution. However, his arguments and Halakhic stature are solid and one can rely on his ruling, and carry without an Eruv, where the need arises, for example: in a place with no Eruv; after harsh weather damaged the existing Eruv; being stranded in an airport or seaport, etc.

It is our hope and prayer that people will be able to convince the rabbis that the Eruv situation is far from being ideal and that they should heed the call of rabbi Messas and join him, thus making his ruling into the majority opinion.

[1] See letter in the following footnote

[2] רבי דוד חיים שלוש, הרב הראשי לנתניה, מכתב אל הרב שאול יעקב קצין, הרב הראשי לק”ק שערי ציון בברוקלין: נקודת המחלוקת בשם ההלכה בענין הערוב היא בדעות ראשונים בהגדרת המונח: רשות הרבים. השו”ע כותב בסימן שמ”ה: איזהו רשות הרבים, רחובות ושווקים הרחבים ט”ז אמה ואינם מקורים ואין להם חומה, ואפי’ יש להם חומה אם הם מפולשים משער לשער ואין דלתותיו נעולות בלילה הוי רשות הרבים. ויש אומרים שכל שאין ששים רבוא עוברים בו בכל יום אינו רשות הרבים. עכ”ל. זו דעת רש”י וחכמי אשכנז. דעה הראשונה היא דעת הרמב”ם וחכמי ספרד: הרמב”ן, הרשב”א, והר”ן כדלהלן:

בגמרא עירובין (ו.): כיצד מערבין דרך רשות הרבים? כתב רש”י: רשות הרבים – משמע רחב שש עשרה אמה, ועיר שמצויין בה ששים ריבוא ואין בה חומה, (או) שהיה רשות הרבים שלה מכוון משער לשער שיהא מפולש, דומה לדגלי מדבר. ושם (נט.) עיר של יחיד ונעשית של רבים, כתבו תוספות: פירש בקונטריס שלא נכנסין בו תמיד ששים רבוא ולא חשיב רשות הרבים דלא דמי לדגלי מדבר… והדין עמו…

שתי דעות נוגדות לחלוטין בנושא הלכתי חשוב זה. כל חכמי ספרד בדעה אחת וכל רבני אשכנז הראשונים בדעה אחרת… וכל אחד למד והורה כפי מה שקבל מרבותיו ואין אומרים בזה הלך אחר הרוב…

לפי זה הכלל שכתבו האחרונים שכל מקום שכותב הב”י בש”ע סתם ויש, דעתו דהלכה כסתם, בהלכה זו לא שייך כלל זה, כי שתי הדעות יונקות משני גאונים…

שדרת אושן פרקווי גם אם בוקעין תמיד ששים רבוא, אין לו דין רשות הרבים, כיוון שהרוב נוסעים בכלי רכב שונים מוקפים במחיצות….

כיוןן שהנדון שמתקינים בו העירוב הוא מדין כרמלית, שאיסור הטלטול בה הוא מדרבנן, הלך אחר המיקל…

בדורנו דאחסור דרא, אם לא נסמוך על דעת המקילים ולא נעשה את הערוב, רוב ככל שומרי השבת יוציאו ויכניסו ויטלטלו ברשות הרבים כי לא רואים בזה איסור מלאכה…

לכן חזקו ואמצו בעשיית הערוב, יחדי סגולה החוששים לדעת האוסרים תבוא עליהם ברכה, אך אסור להם להתנגד לתיקון העירוב כי אי עשיית העירוב הוא קלקול ולא תיקון…

[3] רבי יוסף קארו, בית יוסף אורח חיים סימן שג: וכתבו שעל פי זה מותרות נשים שלנו להתקשט בטבעות ותכשיטין שכל רשות הרבים שלנו כרמלית היא, שהרי אין המבואות רחבים י”ו אמה ולא ס’ ריבוא בוקעים בו. והקשה ר”י דבפרק כל כתבי (קכ.) משמע דטפי חמיר כרמלית מחצר שאינה מעורבת, ואומר רבינו ברוך. כיון דלדידהו הוו להו רשות הרבים גמורה לא מדמו כרמלית לחצר שאינה מעורבת ואסרינן כרמלית משום רשות הרבים, אבל אנו שאין לנו רשות הרבים כלל אין להחמיר בכרמלית כל כך

[4] תלמוד ירושלמי, מסכת עירובין, פרק ח,הלכה ח: ריש לקיש אמר, לעולם אין רשות הרבים עד שתהא מפולשת מסוף העולם ועד סופו. מיחלף שיטת ריש לקיש דאמר, אין רשות הרבים בעולם הזה אלא לעתיד לבוא שנאמר [ישעי’ מ ד] כל גיא ינשא

[5] רבי יהודה הלוי, ספר הכוזרי, מאמר ג אות נא: אמר החבר: חס ושלום שיסכימו המון חסידים וחכמים על מה שיתיר קשר מקשרי התורה, אך הם מזרזים ואומרים: עשו סייג לתורה. ומן הסייגות שסייגו, שאסרו ההוצאה וההכנסה מרשות היחיד לרשות הרבים ובהפך, מה שלא אסרה זה התורה, ואחר כן גלגלו בסייג ההוא גלגול להרוחה, כדי שלא תחשב השתדלותם כתורה, ושיהיה ריוח לבני אדם בהשתמשם, ולא יגיעו אל הריוח ההוא אלא ברשות, והרשות הוא עשות העירוב, כדי שתהיה הכרה בין המותר לגמרי ובין הסייג ובין האסור

[6] משה בר אשר, דמויות נועזות וחדשניות בקרב חכמי המערב (המגרב), עמודים 3-15 ובמיוחד 8-9, בתוך התחדשות ומסורת, יצירה, הנהגה ותהליכי תרבות ביהדות צפון אפריקה, בהוצאת מוסד ביאליק ואונ’ בר אילן, עורכים משה אורפלי ואפרים חזן

[7] רבי ישראל משה חזן, קונטרס קדושת יום טוב, עמ’ כו:א-כז:ב: אבל אני אמרתי ואומר ואדבר כנגד מלכים ולא אבוש, שאם היינו מועילים שהיו דברינו נשמעים בכמה ענינים חמורים בענינים שהם מטבע הישראלי… אז ודאי היה מן הדין להתאסף אל מקום אחד גדולי חכמי ישראל שבכל חלקי הכדור. הגדולים בחכמת התלמוד והדינים וביראת חטא ובידיעת העולם ובצרכי השעה ולישא וליתן בכמה דברים שיש בהם משום איבה ושנאת הבריות, או דברים שיש בהם משום גדול כבוד הבריות, או משום הפסד מרובה או משום שעת הדחק, לפי שנוי המקומות ושינוי העתים. וכמה שבותיים בפרטי מלאכות רחבות ועסקים גדולים הנוגעים לחלל לבן של ישראל המטופלים בבנים בארץ לא להם ואינם יכולים לפשוט ידיהם בכל מלאכה וחכמה לצאת ידי חובת פרנסתם… וכאלה רבות לפי צורך השעה וצורך הזמן…

כבר עלה בדעתי לקבץ אותם בקובץ אחד והיו לאחדין ביד הקורא… ואעידה לי עד ודיין אחד קדוש אביר הרועים מריה דארעא דישראל בארץ הגליל… והוא הרב נר”ו זלגו עיניו דמעות וכה השיב אלי: מר יתעסק בחיבור הנחמד הזה ויאסף לכל המחנות…ואני אקדיש עצמי וארכוב אניות ואפנה לסובב נתיבות כל בתי דיני ישראל למקומותם למען יבואו על החתום. היש חשק נפלא לטובת עמנו יותר מזה שבאמת ובאמונה לבנו בקרבנו המס ימס למים לבקש תרופה למחלה כל מה שביכולתנו, ולא כאיזה טפשים שבדעתם שאין אנו מרגישים בצורך הזמן וצורך השעה… [אלא] כחכמי ישראל המובהקים שהם באמת רועים נאמנים… להשתדל להנחילם שני עולמות…

ואפילו באיזה פרטים לסגור עינינו ולהשתמש בכמה כללים טובים שהורונו רבותינו ואבותינו…

[8] ילקוט שמעוני, פרשת חקת, רמז תשסד: רבי אבהו ורבי שמעון בן לקיש הוו עלין להדא קיסרין. אמר ליה רבי אבהו לרבי שמעון בן לקיש, מה אנן עלין למדינתהון דמחרפיא ומגדפיא? נחת ריש לקיש מן חמריה וספא ליה חלא ויהבי בפומיה. אמר ליה, מהו כן? אמר ליה: אין הקדוש ברוך הוא רוצה במי שהוא אומר דילטוריא על כל ישראל

תרגום לעברית – רבי אבהו ורבי שמעון בן לקיש הלכו לקיסריה. אמר רבי אבהו לרבי שמעון מדוע אנו נכנסין לעיר שמחרפת ומגדפת את ה’? ירד רבי שמעון מעל חמורו, לקח עפר, ונתן בפיו של רבי אבהו. שאל רבי אבהו: מדוע אתה עושה זאת? השיב רבי שמעון: אין

The post A Solution for the Eruv Problem? appeared first on Rabbi Ian Adams.

By Ian Adams

Who is a Jew?  Is being a Jew a religious issue?  Is it one of culture, of society, can it be national or even racial?  Can you tell a person is a Jew when you meet them?  Can you become a Jew?  What does it take to become a Jew?  Who can convert the proselyte?  As a people these are questions that we have wrestled with for thousands of years.  Our literature, from the Torah to the Talmud, to modern responsa, even into the secular political arena, is filled with writing on this subject.  Who can become a Jew and what does it take?  This is the question that I want to address in this paper.

I would like to point out at the beginning that when I use the terms Orthodox, Conservative or Reform, I am speaking specifically of the organized movements themselves, i.e. Orthodox conversion done under the RCA or Conservative conversions done under the RA, etc.  When I use the term Traditional or Liberal, I am speaking about non-movement associated approaches that are very broad in nature.  For example, traditional might refer to an ‘orthodox’ practice that is not necessarily associated with the RCA organization.

What is a halakhic Conversion?

There are two basic types of conversion in the Jewish world.  There are halakhic conversions and there are non-halakhic conversions.  Non-halakhic conversions would be those done by the Reform and pluralistic movements, primarily in the US but they exist elsewhere also.  These conversions do not always require a Beit din, or circumcision, and sometimes even the mikvah is optional.  These conversions are seldom, if ever, recognized outside of the liberal movement. 

The other type of conversion is a halakhic conversion- which will be the main discussion for this paper.  Let us consider that there are three basic steps to a halakhic conversion (hereafter referred to only as a conversion).  They are:

1. The actual act of conversion.
2. Accepting the kabbalat ol ha’mitzvot.
3. The Beit Din or court accepting the convert.

Let’s briefly examine each of these in turn.

The Act of Conversion

In Numbers 15 we read “And when, throughout the ages, a stranger who has taken up residence with you, or one who lives among you, would present an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the LORD—as you do, so shall it be done by the rest of the congregation. There shall be one law for you and for the resident stranger; it shall be a law for all time throughout the ages. You and the stranger shall be alike before the LORD; the same ritual and the same rule shall apply to you and to the stranger who resides among you.“  These verses from the Torah form the basis for all conversions.  It says, in essence, that the convert (ger – stranger) must share the same law as the Jew, going through the same process.  In the Talmud, Keritot 9a, Rabbi Yehuda NaHasi says:

The offering of a convert is derived from the verse: “As you are, so shall the stranger be”, which means as your ancestors were: Just as your ancestors entered the covenant only through circumcision and immersion in a ritual bath and the sprinkling of blood on the altar, so too they may enter the covenant only through circumcision and immersion and the sprinkling of some blood, which requires at least a bird offering.

What this means is that, prior to the destruction of the Second Temple, conversion required circumcision, immersion(mikvah), and bringing a sacrifice to the Temple.  After the destruction of the Temple, sacrifices stop but the other requirements remain.  The traditional teaching of Judaism is that all converts must have been circumcised (if male) and immerse in a mikvah.  This is universally accepted.

It is interesting to note that the Gemara offers the objection that: if a sacrifice was required for the convert, and we can no longer offer sacrifices, can we accept converts?  Rav Aha bar Ya’akov replies in the affirmative stating that the reference to ‘throughout your generations’ implies that we can continue to accept converts even when there is no Temple.  Which bears witness to the words of our greatest prophet Moses who said, in Deuteronomy 19 “I make this covenant, with its sanctions, not with you alone, but both with those who are standing here with us this day before the LORD our God and with those who are not with us here this day.”  That reference there to ‘those who are not with us here this day’ clearly says that there will be other Jews, past, present, and future.  And in reference to this we read in the Talmud, Shavuot 39a, that this refers to future converts whose souls were there at Mount Sinai accepting the covenant along with the Jews at that time.  It is quite common for people who are wishing to convert to Judaism to already ‘feel’ Jewish.  To feel as if they should be Jewish but are not simply through a mistake of birth.  This is the soul of the convert recognizing that Jewish spark that was ignited at Sinai.

Accepting the Kabbalat Ol Ha’Mitzvot

There is a lengthy beraita found in the Talmud, Yevamot 47a-b, that talks about the necessary process for conversion.  Basically, it says that after the interested person is informed, or taught, about some of the major and minor commandments and if he accepts them, he is immediately taken to be circumcised.  The Hebrew word קיבל (accepted) found in this portion of the beraita is vital, it means that the potential convert is accepting the commandments that he is being taught about; accepting the obligation to keep the commandments.  Even more explicitly we read in Bekhorot 30b that if one will not take on even a single law, that person cannot be accepted as a Jew.  Which in turn ties back to our earlier point about all of our souls being together at Sinai; where the Jews physically present collectively took on the 613 mitzvot taught in Torah- so then do all of us to this day and to the last.

I want to point out that simply accepting kabbalat ol ha’mitzvot (the yoke of the commandments) verbally is not in and of itself enough to become Jewish.  One cannot say they will keep the mitzvot and then nothing more and have a valid conversion.  If the intention is to not keep the commandments, but a person says they will, there is no reason to accept the conversion.   More importantly, not knowing everything is not a reason to keep a person from converting.  The Rambam said, “A convert whom they did not examine or did not inform of the commandments and their punishments and was circumcised and immersed, he has left the category of non-Jew.”  Rabbi Yosef Karo alludes to the same point in the Shulchan Aruch.  If one knowingly does not keep the commandments that person has not converted.  If one does not know a commandment, was not taught it (or even any of them), than that person’s conversion is valid.

A Bet Din accepting the Convert

In the aforementioned Yevamot 46b, speaking about the process of conversion, we read a reference to the court (a Beit din) immersing the convert.  Speaking to this, in Kiddushin 62b, we learn that the convert requires the presence of three Jews for his conversion.  It is a reference to a court of judgement, a court procedure.  Becoming a Jew, unlike conversions in, Christianity or Islam, is a legal process.  When one converts to Christianity one does so strictly as a matter of faith.  One believes that Jesus was God, one accepts Jesus as their ‘savior’ and one becomes a Christian.  The process may vary depending on the Church (as both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches have a catechetical process of education that can last for as long as a year), but it always begins and ends with a rather nebulous matter of faith. 

For Jews however, action is always more important than belief or ‘faith’.  We accept the mitzvot of the Torah and we do them regardless of our feelings or belief in them.  Judaism is very much a legal religion, more in tune with the idea of our people as a nation governed by laws, than as a purely faith-based religion.  Not that faith is unimportant, Maimonides clearly says otherwise in his 13 principles, but for many Jews, wrestling with the idea of God, with His nature, with belief in Him, is not uncommon; yet we will keep the commandments regardless.  Converting to Judaism then can be seen more as a legal process that requires a court to settle the matter than simply a personal decision.  One cannot simply say, “I am a Jew”, and be Jewish.  You must be accepted into the nation through a process, through a judgement, in a court.

As a synopsis, let us look at what the Rambam summarized in the Mishnah Torah:

Through three things Israel entered into the covenant: Circumcision, ritual immersion and a sacrifice. There was circumcision in Egypt, as it was said: And those who were not circumcised shall not eat of it (the Passover sacrifice). Moses, our rabbi, circumcised them, for circumcision was ignored in Egypt except for among the Levite tribe, and regarding this it was said: and your covenant they preserved. And there was ritual immersion in the desert prior to the giving of the Torah, as it said: And you shall sanctify yourselves today and tomorrow and wash your garments. And sacrifices [as well], as it said: And he sent the youths of the children of Israel and they offered offerings for all of Israel they sacrificed them. And so too for the generations, when a non-Jew wants to enter into the covenant and to take refuge under the wings of God’s presence and receive upon himself the yoke of the Torah, he needs circumcision, ritual immersion and the offering of a sacrifice. And if a female, she [requires] ritual immersion and a sacrifice, as it says: for you and for the stranger’; just as you required circumcision, and ritual immersion and a sacrificial offering, so, too the convert for all generations with circumcision, ritual immersion and the offering of a sacrifice. And what is the offering of the convert? – a bull offering or two pigeons or two doves, both of them total offerings. And in these times where there are no sacrifices, one requires circumcision, ritual sacrifice and when the Temple will be rebuilt, he will bring a sacrifice. A convert who is circumcised but without ritual immersion or had ritual immersion without circumcision is not a convert until he has both circumcision and ritual immersion. The ritual immersion must be performed before three. And since it required a court, one does not convert on Shabbat, nor on a festival and not at night. But if they immersed him, he is a convert.

In summary: a traditional conversion requires a person to accept the yoke of the commandments, to be circumcised (for males), to immerse in a mikvah, and to be confirmed by a Beit din. 

Conversion for Concealed Reasons

Next we need to consider a very difficult subject because the conclusions can be very important.  Let us consider someone who wishes to convert for ulterior motives.  Perhaps they wish to marry an observant Jew but have no desire to be observant themselves.  Perhaps they wish to pursue monetary gains or have some other motivation.  Conversion is a matter of belief.  Yes, I wrote earlier about it being a legal issue, and it is.  But the motivation behind the conversion must be one based on believing in God and in Israel.  One cannot convert simply because they want to marry someone who is Jewish.  However, how do we deal with the situation where someone has done this and then is discovered?  Or perhaps claims to be Jewish with no evidence but is living in a Jewish situation?

There is a famous teshuvah written by Maimonides (Responsa 211) that deals with this situation.  In it, a Jewish man buys a slave woman who lives in his household.  They are accused of cohabiting.  When brought before a judge she claims to be Jewish.  The judge sends them away and they begin living together.  The question then becomes: should they be separated by the courts?  And the Rambam’s answer is one that we might consider to be very lenient.  And he answers in such a way that our modern Beit din need to really pay attention to.  Rambam’s answer is that he should free her and marry her.  They should not be separated.

Rambam wants this person to fix the situation he is in without actually making it worse.  That since the man desires the woman, rather than live with her as a non-Jew he should marry her as a Jew.  Normally one cannot marry a non-Jew.  Nor can a man live with a non-Jewish woman.  One might think that the ruling would be for the Beit din to separate them and say they cannot be together.  But Maimonides’ ruling surprises!  He basically says, break the law in order to better save the law.  Rather than put the man and woman in an impossible situation or force them to continue breaking the law, accept her as a Jew and marry them.  It is a ruling that puts the people before the law where it benefits Israel.  Rather than force a separation between two people that might cause one or both to leave Israel and cease living as Jews, the Rambam says break the established law and do what needs to be done to keep them Jewish.

Beit Din

The most famous convert in Torah is, of course, Ruth and there is no record of a conversion process for her beyond her simple declaration and determination to become part of Israel by staying with Naomi.  But over time, as Judaism develops and codifies its laws, its courts become responsible for the conversion of proselytes.  But the Beit din is much more, or perhaps much less, than what many people assume.  Let’s examine that here.

In the first chapter of Deuteronomy we read the verse “Hear out your fellow men, and decide justly between any man and a fellow Israelite or a stranger.”  The word stranger is of course ger, the same word we use for proselyte or convert and from this verse we derive the need to have a court judge the conversion, this discussion occurs in Yevamot 47a.  If we jump slightly backwards to the preceding 46b, we learn from the story of the proselyte who came to the court but was told to wait a day while they would make the arrangement of an ablution.  From this the Talmud derives the teachings that there must be both conversion and ablution, that there must be three men present, and it may not take place at night.  However, the conclusion of who must be present is inconclusive – must it be sages (learned men/rabbis) or just three men?  This is not a settled argument in the halakha.  Generally, it is accepted that it should be three rabbis, but the Rambam only specified three men.  Overall though, how does this work out.  Let us quickly look at the Shulchan Aruch:

All aspects of conversion, be it informing the convert of the commandments in order to receive them, circumcision or ritual immersion require three who are capable of judging, and must be during the day. However, this refers to ab initio (beforehand) [requirements], but after the fact, if he had been circumcised and immersed before two or at night, even if the immersion was for a purpose other than conversion, for instance a man for an emission or woman who immersed herself after menstruation, the person would be a convert and permitted to marry. However, the acceptance of the commandments is impeded if it is not done during the day and with three. Rabbi Isaac Alfasi and Maimonides, however, hold that even after the fact if immersion or the circumcision was done before two or at night, it impedes [the conversion] and the convert is prohibited to marry, but if such a convert does marry a Jewish woman and he sires a son from her, we do not render the son not Jewish.

Since the immersion of a convert requires a court of three, one should not do the immersion on Shabbat or Yom Tov nor at night. But if he immersed at night, he is a convert.

Rabbi Joseph Karo clearly states that a conversion not carried out precisely according to the law, but which contains all of the requisite parts remains a valid conversion.

But we should expand on the place of the court in the process of conversion.  There are a number of tales in the Talmud of heathens who came to Shammai and Hillel to convert.  From these we learn that the Beit din acts in a judicial capacity, making decisions about the conversion.  Ultimately, as Rabbi Joseph Karo will write: Everything is according to the discretion of the court.

Problems in Modern Conversions

There are a few issues in modern conversions that I do want to address.  These tend to occur exclusively in the liberal movements.  The first is the issue of circumcision.  The Hatafat Dam Brit, the covenant of circumcision, established between Abraham and God cannot be simply disregarded as some in the liberal movements have begun doing.  While there has always been a halakhic exception to circumcision for men with medical issues where the procedure could put them at risk, not having it done simply because modern society screams out against it, is a travesty and one we must fight against.  Secondly, refusing to go to the mikvah, or telling a convert that they are Jewish and can go to the mikvah whenever they want is also a modern invention and goes against the clearly established halakha. 

Another issue are the so-called online conversions (those done entirely online with no physical interaction).  Let’s consider some of the abuses being perpetrated online.  Online education is an amazing tool, and it isn’t going anywhere, we have to accept it.  And for conversions it is a great opportunity.  We have seen Beit dins done online (even in the Orthodox community) and providing these are done properly there should be no real issues with that either.  The problem comes when a conversion is done entirely online and there is no mohel, there is no mikvah, there is no Beit din, only a single rabbi or two, who do the teaching and interviews and then issue a certificate of conversion.  That should not be acceptable- to anyone.  If we are going to use online technology to facilitate conversions, as we should, we need to be responsible in the proper application of said technology.  Men still must visit a mohel.  Men and women must still visit a mikvah (or other permissible body of water) with witnesses.  And there must be a Beit din making a decision, whether online or not.

Political Posturing

Now I want to step away from our Law and look at some of the decision making that goes on in the conversion of gentiles.  Consider the difficulties that are forced on those people who wish to convert through one of the Orthodox Beit dins.  Requirements tend to include being forced to move into a Jewish community approved by the Beit din, having to maintain a membership in a Shul approved by the Beit din, if married the couple may have to separate and live apart for several months, and so on.  At the other extreme we see ultra-liberal conversions being done with no circumcision, with no mikvah, with no Beit din, with no sense of keeping the commandments.

We see the major movements trying to keep the conversion process to themselves, we are seeing the Chief Rabbinate of Israel refusing to accept conversions or even invalidating conversions, including those done even as much as a decade earlier.  In Israel people have gone to civil court over conversions.

The cost of conversions can be astronomical.  From harsh financial condition to separated families.  But more importantly is what the cost of what conversion politics is doing to our people world-wide.  Consider that men and women are entering into mixed marriages, children are being raised as non-Jews, our Nation is decreasing slowly because we make it so hard to join us – or to remain with us.  This has to change.

Conclusion

A conversion must include a circumcision for males, a conversion must include a mikvah, the conversion must be done by a Beit din, and the candidate must take on the ‘yoke of the commandments’ to the extent of their knowledge.  These requirements are very clear and unequivocal in the halakha.  However, there is nothing in halakha that says a particular organization must administer the Beit din.  There is nothing in halakha that prescribes particular requirements for the Beit din members being sages or a particular type of rabbi.  According to halakha, any Beit din should be able to administer a conversion.  And any three rabbis can convene a Beit din.

We need to get beyond the nationalism, secularism and politicization of the conversion process.  We need to make them easier to obtain, but without giving up the requirements.  There shouldn’t be any exorbitant fees or difficulties associated with the conversion process.  Let our families be Jewish and stop pushing away potential converts, that needs to be the goal of everyone involved in the conversion process – particularly our rabbis and Beit dins.

In addition, we must learn to accept the conversions from everyone and everywhere.  If someone went through a conversion process, but we don’t think they learned enough – we must stop with the political attacks against the convert, accept them as they are, and take on the burden of educating them ourselves.  Chasing converts away from the faith, particularly when there are families involved is contrary to the established law and to the teshuvot written by the greatest of our sages.

Rabbi Ben-Zion Uziel, first chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel wrote, “According to Torah, it is both permitted and a commandment to accept men and women converts, even if we are aware that they will not observe all the commandments.”  Uziel believed that God loves all converts and wrote that ultimately, all Jews will be loyal to Torah.  But until that time, all converts, to whatever their level of observance is would be no less Jewish than a born Jew of an equal level of observance in the eyes of God and halacha.  Another contemporary example is that of Rabbi Joseph Mesas, chief rabbi of Haifa who stated that the general policy is to accept all people to conversion and that rejecting people who seek to become Jewish achieves no positive results and may lead to resentment and unhappiness.

We also need to consider the reality of modern society.  Like it or not, most people are used to our modern conveniences, to the instant gratification that technology and modern supply chains provide, and no matter how much we fight against it, we are in a time of crisis for the Jewish people.  We are being ‘watered down’ so to speak.  Jews are rapidly being assimilated into the culture at large and forgetting their heritage or disregarding it altogether as they realize that the loudest voices in Judaism, the Orthodox and Haredi in particular, are unwilling to accommodate modern lifestyles.  While I would never advocate for giving up our observances, I will argue that we need to regain the leniency that was a trademark of traditional halakha as opposed to the modern Orthodox rigidness that is so characterizing of modern conversions.  Perhaps we should look more to the Conservative movement and their willingness to accept those who desire to convert and maintain the traditions (despite some of the other problems in Conservative/Masorti Judaism) or to the Sephardic writings

My conclusion is that Judaism will kill itself, or at least die down to an insignificant voice in the world, if we refuse to stop the internal bickering and infighting.  And that is contrary to our place as the light unto the world.  We need to accept the conversions of everyone in Judaism.  We need to get back to a Traditional view of conversions and the Beit dins and stop making everything political.  Anyone who is willing to convert to Judaism should have the opportunity and we should welcome them with open arms.

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“The Pittsburgh Platform” – 1885

1885 Pittsburgh Conference

Convening at the call of Kaufmann Kohler of New York, Reform rabbis from around the United States met from November 16 through November 19, 1885 with Isaac Mayer Wise presiding. The meeting was declared the continuation of the Philadelphia Conference of 1869, which was the continuation of the German Conference of 1841 to 1846. The rabbis adopted the following seminal text:

1. We recognize in every religion an attempt to grasp the Infinite, and in every mode, source or book of revelation held sacred in any religious system the consciousness of the indwelling of God in man. We hold that Judaism presents the highest conception of the God-idea as taught in our Holy Scriptures and developed and spiritualized by the Jewish teachers, in accordance with the moral and philosophical progress of their respective ages. We maintain that Judaism preserved and defended midst continual struggles and trials and under enforced isolation, this God-idea as the central religious truth for the human race.

2. We recognize in the Bible the record of the consecration of the Jewish people to its mission as the priest of the one God, and value it as the most potent instrument of religious and moral instruction. We hold that the modern discoveries of scientific researches in the domain of nature and history are not antagonistic to the doctrines of Judaism, the Bible reflecting the primitive ideas of its own age, and at times clothing its conception of divine Providence and Justice dealing with men in miraculous narratives.

3. We recognize in the Mosaic legislation a system of training the Jewish people for its mission during its national life in Palestine, and today we accept as binding only its moral laws, and maintain only such ceremonies as elevate and sanctify our lives, but reject all such as are not adapted to the views and habits of modern civilization.

4. We hold that all such Mosaic and rabbinical laws as regulate diet, priestly purity, and dress originated in ages and under the influence of ideas entirely foreign to our present mental and spiritual state. They fail to impress the modern Jew with a spirit of priestly holiness; their observance in our days is apt rather to obstruct than to further modern spiritual elevation.

5. We recognize, in the modern era of universal culture of heart and intellect, the approaching of the realization of Israel’s great Messianic hope for the establishment of the kingdom of truth, justice, and peace among all men. We consider ourselves no longer a nation, but a religious community, and therefore expect neither a return to Palestine, nor a sacrificial worship under the sons of Aaron, nor the restoration of any of the laws concerning the Jewish state.

6. We recognize in Judaism a progressive religion, ever striving to be in accord with the postulates of reason. We are convinced of the utmost necessity of preserving the historical identity with our great past. Christianity and Islam, being daughter religions of Judaism, we appreciate their providential mission, to aid in the spreading of monotheistic and moral truth. We acknowledge that the spirit of broad humanity of our age is our ally in the fulfillment of our mission, and therefore we extend the hand of fellowship to all who cooperate with us in the establishment of the reign of truth and righteousness among men.

7. We reassert the doctrine of Judaism that the soul is immortal, grounding the belief on the divine nature of human spirit, which forever finds bliss in righteousness and misery in wickedness. We reject as ideas not rooted in Judaism, the beliefs both in bodily resurrection and in Gehenna and Eden (Hell and Paradise) as abodes for everlasting punishment and reward.

8. In full accordance with the spirit of the Mosaic legislation, which strives to regulate the relations between rich and poor, we deem it our duty to participate in the great task of modern times, to solve, on the basis of justice and righteousness, the problems presented by the contrasts and evils of the present organization of society.

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“Trust in God and do good, dwell in the land and feed off faith” ( Psalms 37:3 ) .

1. God controls everything

Everything in the entire universe is under God’s control. This includes everything that happens to you personally, both spiritually and materially, including what you yourself do, whether deliberately or unwittingly, wilfully or under compulsion: everything is from God. Even when appearances suggest otherwise, the believer pays attention not to the external appearance of this world but to the underlying truth.

2. Freedom

Everything we do is ultimately controlled by God, though this is concealed from us by our egos, which make us think we are separate from and independent of God. We were created like this to give us free will. This way we are able to turn to God of our own volition and discover for ourselves that God controls all things, including our own thoughts, feelings and actions.

3. Action

Even though all things in the spiritual and material realms are in God’s hands, we are not supposed to wait for God to do everything. The universe is so arranged that we have freedom of action in many areas. When we act, whether it be to make a living or to attend to any of our other needs, we must understand that, while it is up to us to take the initiative and act as if everything is in our hands, in fact all things ultimately depend upon God. No matter what we feel we ought to do, whether in our spiritual or material lives, our first step should always be to ask God to guide us and bless our efforts with success.

4. Reverses

When things appear to turn out badly for us, we have to accept that this is God’s will and that whatever happens is for the best. Even when things go wrong because of something we ourselves may have thought, said or done, we must accept that this too is from God. Other people are also free agents, yet everything they do is ultimately controlled by God. If someone insults you or in some way harms you, know that this has been sent by God as a way to cleanse your soul. If things go against you, be patient. When you accept everything as God’s will, this causes the veil of concealment to be removed, thus manifesting God’s control over all creation.

5. Growth

Your spiritual growth is also under God’s control. Even if you feel a desire to grow in a specific area, as long as you are not ready to achieve what you want, things will be arranged in such a way as to hold you back – either by external obstacles or through some idea that becomes implanted in your own mind to prevent you from reaching your goal. This does not mean that God is rejecting you. He knows that in the long run this will be the best way to bring you to the ultimate good. The purpose of holding you back is to prompt you to cry out and pray to God to help you rise from your current level and bring you nearer your true goal.

6. Revelation and guidance

Since God is everywhere and in all things, everything we experience is actually a communication from God. This includes our inner thoughts and feelings. Even negative thoughts and feelings – heaviness, lack of enthusiasm, depression and the like – are from God. Everything you hear, see, or experience in life, whether from people you know or from complete strangers, is a call to you from God. Even unclear or contradictory messages are sent with a purpose: to give us choice and free will in order to test us. The way to interpret these messages from God and to understand which we need to follow and which we must ignore is through evaluating everything in the light of Torah teaching.

7. The Wise Man-Tzaddik

Faith in God includes faith in the Tzaddikim whom God sends into this world to teach us how to transcend our lowly state and fulfil l our spiritual destiny. Not only must we accept that God gave the Torah to Moses on Sinai; we must also acknowledge that God sends wise men in every age to lift us out of our exile and teach us the true path in life.

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