The 10 = 613 + 7 Commandments

Parshas Yisro (5779)

Yes, you read that correctly…The 10 = 613 + 7 Commandments. I know, it looks like bad math, but allow me to explain:

This weekend, in synagogues all around the world, the Ba’al Korei (“Reader”) will be reading from the Torah the “Ten Commandments” – as part of this week’s Torah portion, Parshas Yisro - for all to hear.

Notice the introductory phrase to the Ten Commandments, which reads: “G-d spoke all these words [devarim], saying” (see Exodus 20:1). Over the years this verse has been mistranslated and is commonly rendered “G-d spoke all these ‘commandments’”. But the Hebrew word for commandments is mitzvos, while the Torah here refers to these commandments as devarim, a Hebrew word meaning ‘words’ or ‘statements’. So it would be more accurate to say that the Jewish people received the Ten Statements at Mount Sinai, not the Ten Commandments.

Indeed, there are actually 613 commandments in the Torah, not just 10!

So, you might ask, if there are 613 commandments in the Torah, why were these ten singled out at Mount Sinai?

Most Bible commentators explain that these ten statements are actually ten principles of Judaism which incorporate within them the rest of the Torah’s commandments.

Indeed, Rash”i, in his commentary to Exodus 24:12, cites Saadia Gaon who composed a special poem of the 613 commandments called Azharos in which he specified which of the 613 commandments are connected to each of the Ten Statements.

So we see that it’s not really the 10 Commandments but the 10 = 613 Commandments.

This idea that the entire Torah with all its commandments is contained within these ten statements is hinted at in the text itself in an amazing way:

The Midrash in Bamidbar Rabbah (13:15) writes that there are exactly 613 letters from the very first words of the Ten Commandments, “I am the L-ord, your G-d”, until the last two words asher l’rayacha! (see Exodus 20:2-14). [The Midrash adds that the additional 7 letters in the words asher l’rayacha correspond to the Seven Days of Creation, and teach us that G-d only created this world for the sake of His Torah and its commandments.]

The Ba’al HaTurim in Exodus 20:14 writes that the 620 letters in the Ten Commandments correspond to the 613 commandments of the Torah plus the “Seven Laws of the Children of Noah”. These laws, also referred to as the “Noahide Laws”, are a set of commandments which, according to our tradition, were given by G-d as a binding set of laws for the "Children of Noah" – that is, all of humanity. The seven Noahide Laws include the following: (1) the prohibition against worshipping idols; (2) the prohibition against murder; (3) the prohibition against adultery; (4) the prohibition against blasphemy; (5) the prohibition against theft; (6) the prohibition against eating flesh torn from a living animal; (7) the obligation to establish courts of justice.

The Rem”a in Toras Ha’Olah (3:38) offers a different interpretation. He writes that the 620 letters in the Ten Commandments correspond to the 613 commandments of the Torah plus the seven main Rabbinical commandments, which are: (1) Celebration of Chanukah; (2) Celebration of Purim; (3) Laws of Eiruv (carrying on Shabbos); (4) Washing the hands for bread; (5) Lighting Shabbos candles; (6) Recitation of the prayer of praise called Hallel on festive occasions; (7) Reciting a blessing before performing a mitzvah or partaking of food.

[Warning! Spooky Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah stuff ahead! Stop now if you’re under 40! Still others suggest that the last seven letters in the Ten Commandments allude to the Sefiros, or “Emanations”. These are the 10 emanations in Kabbalah, through which Ein Sof (The Infinite) reveals Himself and continuously creates both the physical realm and the chain of higher metaphysical realms (Seder Hishtalshelus). The last seven letters in the Ten Commandments correspond to the seven “lower” Sefiros, which are: (1) Chessed (kindness); (2) Gevurah (Strength); (3) Tiferes (Beauty); (4) Netzach (victory); (5) Hod (splendor); (6) Yesod (foundation); (7) Malchus (kingship).]

So we see that it’s not really the 10 = 613 Commandments either but the 10 = 613 + 7 Commandments. So much for Math!

This Shabbos Parshas Yisro, as the ‘Ten Statements’ are read publicly in synagogues all around the world, let us not forget about all 613 commandments that we were given, as well as the seven Noahide laws and the seven Rabbinical commandments.

http://www.torchweb.org/torah_detail.php?id=549

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