Like all other biblical holidays, Rosh Chodesh is not observed today as required by biblical law. This is because of changed social circumstances and because the principle element of the biblical worship was animal sacrifices, which was discontinued after the Romans destroyed the Jewish Second Temple in 70 CE. Additionally, the name of the celebration [...]
When sacrifices were discontinued, the rabbis developed a new idea about Shavuot. They said the holiday commemorates the giving of the Torah. Soon, many Jews began to believe that the Torah contains 613 commandments. What is the origin of this view and is it correct? The following is chapter 23 from my book "Mysteries of [...]
About the 613 biblical commands and Azharot that lists them The Azharot, meaning “exhortations,” are poetical listings of the 613 commandments that Jewish tradition states are contained in the Five Books [...]
There are not 613 Biblical Commands There is a concept that there are 613 biblical commands. However, a careful examination reveals that there is no biblical teaching that there are 613 commands, and there are far less than 613 biblical commands. Rabbi Simlai’s Sermon The first report that the Torah [...]
Chapter 23 Joshua’s penultimate message How many biblical commands are there? Feeling old and near death, Joshua gathers the people[1] for two final messages.[2] He warns the people that they must obey God’s will.[3] If they fail to do so, they will be driven from the land of Canaan.[4] Chapter [...]
